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Nate Roten / Yearly Review / Romans 12:1-2
Main Idea
We are informed by God’s word that helps us conform to Christ’s image so that we can live transformed lives.
Reminder – Paul is standing at the threshold of his rented home, proclaiming the gospel boldly and without hindrance. That is where Luke left him, and that is where we begin.
[opening story] A Friend from high school who was tall and thin later took steroids and looked unrecognizably huge.
Mission Statement
The mission of Ashe Alliance is to establish and grow a Christ-centered, biblically grounded, and servant-hearted community of believers who become and multiply committed Christ followers.
4 Goals
1. Love for God
2. Love for the Church
3. Love for the Lost
4. Multiplication
7 Core Values
1. Biblical Authority
2. Engaging Worship
3. Intentional Discipleship
4. Gifted Service
5. Joyful Generosity
6. Relational Evangelism
7. Devoted Prayer
Church Family
• From 114 to 138
• (86 members and 52 regular attenders)
• That’s a 21% increase!
Missions Ministry
Three people raised their hands to lead our missions initiative to reach out to the poor, the needy, and the spiritually blind locally, nationally, and internationally.
New Initiatives
• Margate – rehab center and rest home
• Look Who’s Coming to Dinner – rotating fellowship dinners
• Christmas play: Adult volunteers use their gifts to equip the children to minister to the body through the performing arts.
• The Discover Event – sharing who we are as a church and crafting a large on-ramp into the life of the church.
• IIFG – Building Campaign to teach, train, and equip the next generation.
**And, the 10 initiatives from year one have all deepened roots and have produced fruit through the hands of faithful volunteers and volunteer leaders.
Discover Event
• Sharing who we are as a church and crafting a large on-ramp into the life of the church in volunteerism and membership.
Investing In Future Generations
• Building Campaign to teach, train, and equip the next generation.
• Because we have raised nearly half of what we need and have over 418k pledged, we will monitor giving over the winter, gather architectural floor plans drawn, and obtain builder estimates with the prayerful goal of breaking ground in the spring!
Baptism
• Emery Reed was baptized earlier this year, which was our first salvation and baptism in the church!
• three more will follow today!
ABS
• This was the vision the Elders wanted to cast last year. Abide, Behold, and Seek. I preached a mini-series on ABS to give us a taste of what a robust, thriving spiritual life can look like. If we do these things biblically, we will grow spiritually and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
• That vision will extend into year three because we need to discover new ways to apply this to our lives.
DDM
• DDM stands for Declare, Disciple, and Multiply. We often want to do this before we do the previous part, which can lead to frustration and burnout. Why? Because we should go out into the world to DDM out of the overflow of our hearts. If we don’t spend the time to fill up, we won’t have anything to give.
• But, if we care for our own spiritual walk, we will be filled with the power of the Spirit and go in the power of the resurrected Christ to tell and equip others. That is why we don’t just “GO,” we “THEREFORE GO,” meaning we go in the power and authority of Jesus because he said all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. We don’t labor and strive in our own strength or authority; we do it in HIS.
• This year, as we deepen our understanding of how to ABS, we will learn how to DDM.
Guiding Principle for 2024: Informed, Conformed, Transformed
Informed >> Conformed >> Transformed
Let’s unpack what that means using Romans 12:1-2 as our guide.
Passage
Romans 12:1–2 ESV
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Therefore, by God’s mercies
Therefore means in light of what Paul laid out in chapters 1-11 as he explained the various mercies God gives his people.
Living Sacrifice
Temple language
Not a sin/guilt offering (Jesus did that)
Other offerings were offered freely and completely
This offering doesn’t kill us but rather is a surrender of the new life we have in Christ for his glory and purposes
It is a continuous act of dying to self and following Jesus
Conformed
Earlier in the book (8:29), Paul says all believers are to be conformed. Here, he says don’t be conformed. Which is it, to be or not to be?
That is the wrong question. The right question is: To what will I conform to? The reality is, like a giant sheet or tarp, we are made to conform to whatever we are near. Everything that you allow to influence you will conform you, to some degree, to its image.
Transformed
Transformed = metamorphoō, where we get the word metamorphosis as a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly.
Something that is transformed is no longer recognizable by its previous form and cannot revert back to it.
What’s more… this verb tense is a present, passive, imperative. This means that the act is being done to you, yet you still bear responsibility for allowing it to occur daily over time.
The heart that used to be evil above all things and served as an idol-making factory is now desiring more of God and his holiness.
The tongue that used to be a wellspring of foulness and slander is now used to exalt the King.
The feet that were swift to run toward sinful indulgences are now feet that bring the good news of Christ.
The hands used to serve yourself are now used to build the Kingdom.
The eyes and ears that were willfully closed to the gospel (as Paul mentioned) are now yearning for it.
Over time, you look nothing like your old self; you are being conformed to your new self, which is being fashioned into Christ’s image.
Informed
So, how does this transformation take place? It is by the renewing of your mind. In the ancient world, the physical brain was not the only organ that did the thinking. The heart played an active role in thinking as well.
Proverbs 23:7 NKJV
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.
Mark 7:21 ESV
For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
As we communicate with God in prayer, allow the Holy Spirit to do his work in our lives, and read/meditate on scripture, we are molding our thoughts to God’s thoughts. We are letting his moral guideline be our guideline. We are allowing the source of all wisdom and knowledge to give us wisdom and knowledge.
Over time, your mind and heart will think and feel as God does, and your life will become a pattern of Jesus’.
Discerning God’s Will
…then you will be able to…
The emphasis is that it has taken place. If not, then transformation doesn’t happen.
We can know God’s will as it is stated plainly, such as don’t murder people. But as you live in obedience and surrender to a good, pleasing, and perfect God, who you look more and more like each day, your closeness with him will also help you discern what his covert will is… his will for your everyday decisions.
In conclusion, our pursuit this year is to be informed by God’s word so that we can conform to the image of Christ (not to the pattern of this world and its passions) and live transformed lives that reflect the glory of our great God.