A Living Sacrifice
Romans 12:1-2

Spiritual Service of Worship

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:1-2

James 1:22 = Do it!

Challenge The Ordinary
Serve One Another

"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." - I Corinthians 4:1-2

Our Ministry - The Father's Business

• To God - as His priests
• • Ministry to the Lord = Worship
• To His saints - as His servants
• • Ministry to the Church = Service
• To His world - as His prophets
• • Ministry to the World = Reconciliation

Our Ministry - Priesthood

1. I Samuel 2:11
2. "Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest."
3. Daniel 7:9-10
4. Ministering to the Lord in heaven
5. II Corinthians 6:3-10
6. Ministers of the New Covenant

Victorious?

• II Corinthians 4:7-12 We are crushed but not defeated!
• • Life is like waking up at a crash scene
  • devastation from the fall of man
  • Aliens have invaded the earth! The signs are clear!
  • We are scheduled for annihilation
• I Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
• • We have the reality of a victorious life!

The Bibles Bookends of Truth

• Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
• Revelation 1:4b-6 "Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
• Revelation 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. - John 10:10

Faith is the Key!

• I John 5:4 "Faith is the victory!"
• Ephesians 6:16 "above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."
• The Book of Stories
• • Hebrews 11:1-6

Challenge The Ordinary

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
- I Corinthians 4:1-2

Extraordinary Christian

The Highest Call

• The Supreme Necessity of Jesus' Life - the Father's business
• Luke 2:26-52 "About His Father's business"
• John 9:4a "I must work the works of him that sent me"
• Life flows out of the principles of His relationship with the Father:
• • The Father's will is to rule
  • The Father's mind is to heard
  • The Father's kingdom is to be promoted

The Jesus Model

• John 6:28-29 "Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.""
• Luke 19:13b "Do business till I come."

Knowing and Growing

• John 13:3 "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God"
• • Jesus' authority - identity - destiny
• Ephesians 3:1-2, 14-21

Kingdom Ministries

• Romans 13:4
• • God appointed Government
  • "For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil."
• Hebrews 1:14
• • God assigned Angels
  • "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"
• Hebrews 8:1-2 - Jesus' better ministry
• • "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man."
• I Timothy 4:6 - Our calling
• • "If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed."
• II Corinthians 6:4
• • "But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God"

Our Priestly Ministry

• Ministering unto God
• • Micah 6:8
  • Worship - praise - thanksgiving
  • Trust
  • Obedience
• Ephesians 4:14-21

Our Ministry - The Father's Business

• To God - as His priests
• • Ministry to the Lord = Worship
• To His saints - as His servants
• • Ministry to the Church = Service
• To His world - as His prophets
• • Ministry to the World = Reconciliation

The Father's Business

Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business? - Luke 2:49

Jesus ministry timeline:

• Prophetic introduction - Genesis 3:15
• Miraculous conception - Matthew 1:18
• Humble birth - Luke 2:1-20
• Temple dedication - Luke 2:21-24
• Affirmation by Simeon and Anna - Luke 2:25-38
• Visit and further affirmation by the Magi with coinciding gifts - Matthew 2:1-12
• • Gold - The symbol of deity - Revelation 21:18, 21
  • Frankincense - the anointing of kings
  • Myrrh - a burial anointing - John 19:39
• Escape to Egypt - Matthew 2:13-15
• Return to Nazareth - Luke 2:39-40

Do business till I come.
- Luke 19:13b

Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 "When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it."

The Ultimate - Relationship

• "My Father" - The Supreme relationship, the ultimate association! Jesus' first recorded words
• John 13:3 "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God"
• • Jesus' authority - identity - destiny

The Ultimate - Interest

• The Supreme Interest, the ultimate attention
• The irresistible attraction of the Son is that which connect Him with the Father!
• Life flows out of the principles of His relationship:
• • The Father's will is to rule
  • The Father's mind is to heard (to us, learned)
  • The Father's kingdom is to be promoted

The Ultimate - Need

• The Supreme Necessity of Life, the ultimate essential of life
• • About His Father's business
  • • Luke 2:26-52 - Growing, increasing in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man.
    • Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - A parent's responsibility
  • John 9:4a "I must work the works of him that sent me"
  • John 6:28-29 "Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

About the Father's Business

• Father's Business
• • Purpose
• Ministry to the Lord
• • Worship
• Ministry to the Church
• • Service
• Ministry to the World
• • Reconciliation

A New Song
Psalm 149

New mercies continually demand new songs of praise, upon earth and in heaven.
Exodus 15:1-3
Revelation 5:9-10

King George VI (1939) Quoting from British author M. Louise Haskins

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown," and he replied, "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way."

He is worthy!
Praise the LORD!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
And His praise in the assembly of saints.
Psalm 149:1

Warfare
Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise His name with the dance;
Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation.
Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;
To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute on them the written judgment-
This honor have all His saints.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 149:6-9

Cornerstone Community Church

• Survival
• Stability
• Success
• Significance

It's a New Day, A New Season!