Go ahead and JUMP! Romans 12.1-2
6/29/2011 10:08:42 PM
June 28, 2011~Romans #83 in series


 

go ahead and JUMP.   Romans 12.1-2 
 
School is out . . . time for some fun.  Usually, the local teenagers  
head to Rivi, (short for “Riviera” Beach), at the south end of our  
Southern California beach town.  However, Dylan and his friends have  
discovered another recreational water spot—you drive inland, down a  
country road, and then walk in still further to discover a great place  
to jump off the rocks to water some 25 to 30 feet below.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GIfLZXfWbI 
 
 
 
This briefing is my invitation to you to go ahead and jump! 
 
 
Because of who God is, because of his great love and mercy, because he  
knows all, because he is the origin of life, and the source of all  
growth . . . as Paul said,“from Him and through Him and to Him are all  
things,” what then?  How will you respond? 
 
Imagine yourself standing before God one day, your faith made  
sight . . . you have fought the good fight, and you are now looking at  
your Savior, face to face … all questions have been answered in the  
fraction of a millisecond, once standing there.  What will you do?   
There’s the familiar song: 
 
I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is before  
me . . . Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel? 
 
Will I dance for you, Jesus, or in awe of you be still?  Will I stand  
in your presence or to my knees will I fall? 
 
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?  I can only  
imagine . . . 
 
Hmmm . . . what about right now? 
 
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer  
your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is  
your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the  
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your  
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his  
good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12.1-2 
 
go ahead and jump … right now.  Because of who he is, because we will  
be so awed once we are in his presence, therefore we can make our move  
right now, and offer ourselves to God.   Just offer who you are to  
God.  Don’t wait until you think you’ve got your act together, or you  
have gone on one last bender, go ahead and offer yourself to God, for  
that is how we best worship him. 
 
Now, let’s suppose you did that, maybe even a long time ago . . .  
maybe even in an awkward, unconventional manner or place . . . maybe  
in a desperate moment, maybe in a foxhole with shrapnel whistling by  
you … what then?  How about considering your life—what you would now  
be offering to God, for surely it is different since you asked him to  
lead your life …. riiiight?  I mean, is your character something sweet  
you can offer up? 
 
Back to our text--offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and  
pleasing to God—would you say your body, your life or lifestyle is  
‘holy and pleasing to God’?  Think about it.  No one is looking for  
your shoulder right now.  No one is privy to your thoughts right now,  
except One.  Your invitation to jump today is an invitation to offer  
yourself to God, to ask him to make you holy, because he is holy, and  
that is what he asks of us.  Not holy compared to your neighbor, not  
holy as in freak status . . . but pure, more like Christ. 
 
One day you and I will stand before God, and we will give an account  
of our lives.  What would you like to say that day?  ‘Oh, sorry God—I  
guess I was an ‘on again, off again’ Christian—sometimes I got it  
right…but God, come on—it was so hard down there—so much temptation,  
so many pressures . . . well, I guess I really don’t have too much  
good to offer to you . . .’  Or, ‘Lord, I offer you a changed life— 
because from the day I got to really know you, I wanted to please  
you.  Once I understood your great love for me, I knew the only thing  
you asked of me was to become more like you . . . to strive for  
holiness, because that is pleasing to you.’ 
 
JUMP.  Offer yourself to God.  If you have done that, ask him to show  
you how to live a holy and pleasing life, and then pursue it with all  
you’ve got . . . pursue it with passion. 
 
Christine