Right. Come on down. Or so he's been trained to go around and come down the side. Good for him. But alright.

Amen. Take your Bibles if you would. Turn to Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. I think we should be getting a pretty good grasp on Romans 12 here.

We've been going a verse at a time over the past few weeks from Romans chapter 12. Starts out with, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable in a God which is your reasonable service. Why is that reasonable? Well, because of who Jesus is. He is our creator.

He made us. It's reasonable for us to serve him. Is it not? But also because of what he did. He died for us on the cross, rose again from the dead that he might offer to us eternal life in him.

It is only because of his great mercy that we have this opportunity to know him, to become his child, to have a home in heaven someday, it is only reasonable for us to consider his will in our lives as we live it here today. And that's we're gonna jump from there over to verse nine. There we read, let us let love be without dissimulation or hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love and honor preferring one another, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Dear heavenly father, thank you for this wonderful day that you've given us. Thank you for all your many blessings. Thank you for Jesus Christ our savior for what you did for us, what you were doing for us, place you are preparing for us. Lord, thank you.

Lord, I pray that we would see the need not only out of duty but also out of love to serve you with our lives, to serve you with zeal, to give you our very best, we pray. In Jesus name. Amen. As I said last week, Romans 12 is all about what to do next after the matter of salvation is settled. And how is the matter of salvation settled?

It's settled when you receive Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior of your life. Can't be settled until then, you can dunk yourself in a baptized baptism in water 50 times, that won't settle it. You can come forward in church, that won't settle it. You can pray every day and that won't settle it if you haven't received and accepted Jesus Christ and his offer of salvation and forgiveness for your sins. That settles it.

If that isn't settled, if you're not sure, please come see me after the service. I'd love to help you make sure of that today. But if that is, then you're the group that Paul is talking to in Romans chapter 12. Those whose salvation is settled in Christ. Now, what to do next?

There is much for us to learn concerning what God expects of us, his church. Salvation is not the end but the what? The beginning of a new life, a new vibrant life in service to Jesus Christ our savior. The key to a successful and vibrant church are successful and vibrant people, Christians, believers. Because all the church is is a collection of what?

Believers and followers of Christ. Our piety, our growth in the Lord, Everyone's matters greatly to the health and growth prosperity of the church. Each member dedicating their mind and body to the transforming power of the spirit and the performance of God's perfect will. We read about that in verses one and two of Romans 12. Each member exercising their own spiritual gifts and service to the Lord and to one another without pride or selfishness.

That is verses three through eight. And then number three, each member extolling and exemplifying the Christian virtues Paul addresses in the next verses toward the Lord and toward each other. The first and foremost of these is what? Let love be without hypocrisy. Love.

The first and foremost of these, love that is both real and manifested in the lives of God's children. And how does that come to be? Well, when you trust Christ as savior, the holy spirit comes to live inside your heart and he spreads abroad the love of God in your heart. That love grows as we serve him and that love grows as we draw closer to him just like it would in any other relationship that we have. A love that is real if we truly know Christ as savior and a love that is growing and manifested as we practice it.

And it should manifest itself in several ways. Number one, in our love for God. Our love for God should affect our morality. That's what we see we saw in verse nine. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good.

As your love is real, it's going to affect your morality. Why does so much the world have no concern for the morality of the one who made them? Because they don't what? They don't love him. They don't know him.

They don't trust him and they don't love him. If you're a child of God, you know him. You have come to trust him and you love him and that should affect your morality. John fourteen fifteen, if you love me, keep my what? Come on.

Let's live my way, God says. Not the world's way, my way. Number two, secondly, love should affect our relationships with others, particularly our brethren in the church. That's what verse 10 is about. Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love and honor preferring one another.

John thirteen thirty five, by this Shalom and know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another. And how do you know if you have love one to another? Because you say, I love you. I love you. I love you.

I love you. I love you. Is that right? No. Because you demonstrated by your actions.

You you show that you care by what you do, by the attention that you give others, by the prayers that you pray for others, by the sacrifices that you make for others. This is what Christ said above all things distinguishes us as disciples of who? Disciples of Jesus Christ, that we have love one to another. A love that's manifested in our life. We looked at that last week.

And then thirdly today, our love for Jesus should greatly affect our service for him. Our love for Jesus should greatly affect our service for him. Why? Because if you love someone with all your heart, you will be willing to give your all. If you love with all your heart, you will be willing to give all of yourself in service to your savior.

Not satisfied with 10% or 20% or 50% or or 90%, but with what? With a 100%. With your best. Romans twelve eleven here, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Colossians three twenty three puts it this way, and whatsoever you do, do it what?

Heartily as unto the Lord and not unto men. Whatever it is God has given you to do this day, do your best. Do your best. Don't do it half heartedly. Do it whole heartedly because it is God who has given you this opportunity.

It is God that has given you this day. He's given you the energy and the ability. He's given you this ministry. He's given you this church. He's given you this home.

He's given you this job. Do it for him. Do it for him. Do your best. Our best effort and dedication is indeed what our Lord and savior deserves because he gave his all for who?

For us, for you and for me. He endured the suffering, the beating, the humiliation, death on the cross for us. He left heaven for that, for me, so that I could go to heaven to be with him someday, so that I could know him. It is only reasonable for me to give myself my all for him. And if the church, the body of Christ is to flourish and prosper in their service for the Lord, it will take each one doing their what?

Their best with eagerness and determination in service of Lord. Back to the illustration of the orchestra. So you have this orchestra. I was watching a a video last night for a while of orchestra playing songs. Beautiful beautiful music.

There was piano, there was a restraints, there was horns, there was you name it, big orchestra, awesome, beautiful music. If you have this orchestra and let's say, three quarters, 90% of the orchestra, they do their best. But the rest of the people in the orchestra, well, you know, I just showed up, you know. I'll play a few notes here and there. Maybe I play the right ones, maybe I play the wrong ones, you know.

It doesn't matter if it sounds all that good. So how how is the song gonna come how is it gonna end up sounding if 20% of the people really don't care? Well, even with the 80% that do care, the 20% are gonna kinda ruin it for everybody else. Right? Does matter that everybody does does their best.

And when they do, they'll make beautiful music. Now, one person's best may not be quite as good as another. That that's true in in anything, any team you play on, any orchestra you play in, there are some that are better than others. There are some that'll make a few more mistakes than others. But if everybody is doing their best, it'll show.

Several people are not doing their best, that'll also show. Whether it is the orchestra, the car racing team, the football team, or family or church, it will show. What is God required in stewards that a man be found what? Faithful. First Corinthians four two.

What does that mean? Does their best. Just do your best. Do your best with with what God has given you, with how God has made you. Just just do your best, do your part in serving the Lord.

Paul here admonishes the Christians in Rome with a negative and then a positive in regards to this effort of serving the Lord. So Romans twelve eleven again. What's the negative? Not slothful in business. In other words, don't be slothful, lazy in your effort to serve the Lord, in your dispatch and diligence of what God has called you to do.

Don't be lazy. Don't be slothful. Don't be complacent. But rather, here's the positive, be eager and zealous of heart and spirit to perform your service to Christ. Fervent in spirit serving the Lord.

Don't be lazy, don't be complacent, instead be eager, be zealous, get excited. Afraid sometimes in Baptist churches, we're just not very excited. Alright? Doesn't show in our services and it doesn't show oftentimes sadly in our daily life. We're we're not eager when we get up in the morning to read God's.

We're not eager to go and tell people about Jesus. We're just kinda, I don't know, I'm saved and going to heaven and I showed up to church and I sang the song a little bit and you know, I'm is is that what God deserves? Is that how a church flourishes and grows? Do we just wanna take up space on the corner or do we wanna do something for the Lord? We wanna do something for the Lord.

We need to get excited. We need to be eager about this business. It's the most important business of all. Paul is like your boss here admonishing the employees not to be lackadaisical or complacent in their work, but rather to tackle it with a sense of purpose and urgency, fervor of spirit. This was in the past sometimes called the American work ethic.

What was that? And I say was because I think it's more was than is. That is that each person had a shared sense of responsibility in their work to do their part well, to advance the business in which they were employed, To put out the best product and not just to put out, you know, what'll get you by. To do your part the best. So when it gets down the line to the next person, your parts done well, they do their part well, the person does their part well, and then what comes out is beautiful, lasting, functioning item, product.

Instead, today, it seems most people don't care about the quality of their work or the product they produce and are so complacent in the dispatch of their service or diligence in their work. I'm just they just go in to get a what? Paycheck. Not understanding that that that paycheck is because that business flourishes. And if you don't do a good job in your part and the person beside you doesn't, the person over there doesn't, then the business might fail and you won't get your what?

And he won't get your paycheck. That's right. But it's more than just the paycheck. It's the sense of I have a responsibility. I I have signed the line.

This this is my job. This is my work and I'm gonna do do it right and not just get by to the end of the week because it it matters. For various reasons, there's little love for their job or their employers or those they serve only the paycheck. I'm afraid this is bled over into the what? Church.

Our dedication and diligence in serving the Lord and one another, we've also become a bit complacent. Maybe somewhat us, but generally of Christianity, we see a lot of complacency in the lives of Christians today. Face it, if you're going to amount to something as a servant for Christ or as a church of Christ, then you had better take a page out of Paul's book and get ready to work a little. Put in some sweat and tears. Be earnest in your service for the Lord.

We will not amount to much if we will not put in the effort. And we won't put in the effort if the only person we're thinking about is who? Ourselves. You know, that's the opposite of this kind of love here. This kind of love is not thinking about self, it's thinking about who?

Others. If I'm only thinking about my paycheck at the end of the week and what I can go spend it on, and I'm not thinking about the people that I serve by the job that I do or the Lord who I'm serve whose testimony is affected by the job that I do, then I'm less likely, if I'm only thinking of me, I'm less likely to actually put in the time and effort because hey, you know, I just I don't wanna put in that much effort, you know, and so we don't. We won't put in the effort in our daily walk with the Lord, getting up in the morning, taking out a Bible, spending a few minutes with the Lord. We won't put in the effort in our daily labor given us by God. We won't put in the effort in our homes and marriages.

You know the divorce rate in the church is almost as high as the divorce rate in the world? Should that be? No. What does that tell you? That tells you many things.

But one of the things that that tells you is Christians are not putting in the what? They're not putting in the effort it takes to make for a successful marriage. And it takes effort. If we love ourselves only and not others, we won't put in the effort in our church attendance and participation. And just show up whenever it's convenient.

We won't put in the effort in our ministry of the gospel to actually hand somebody a track or tell them about the Lord. And that is true of much of Christianity today. We leave that up to the Christian entertainers of our world who often are some of the most immature Christians in our world. We don't see it as our responsibility. No pain, no what?

Okay. Now that's not scripture. But if you wanna get something out of your service, your life, your for the Lord, you you do need to put something into it. You wanna see some fruit abound, you gotta put something into it. No gain for us had it not been for the pain that Christ endured on the what?

On the cross. No gain in service to the Lord if we're too lazy and self absorbed to get fired up in our service for Christ. Look what Jesus did for you. Now get fired up about serving him. Untangle yourself from all the stuff that's got you bound, the distractions and pleasures of the world, and get fired up for Jesus.

It's not just for a cause. It's it's not just for a job or that. It's for Christ. He's a person. He's a person that made you.

He loves you. He died for you. He saved you. Isn't he worth the effort? What kind of effort?

What kind of effort are we talking about? And I divide into three things that believe from scripture makes sense today. Number one, what kind of effort? Number one, commitment and determination. Commitment.

Make a commitment. Christians don't tend to walk aisles today. They don't tend to make commitments today. Is that because commitments are old fashioned and unnecessary? Don't think so.

Commitment is part of the Christian life. Make a commitment. Dedicate yourself. That's what Paul is asking here. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice.

In other words, Paul says, would you please please make a commitment? Would you please get off the bench in the sidelines? But volunteer for something. Sign up. Make a list.

Set a goal. Set a date. Say, yes, I will do it. Generally, people don't wanna do that. Well, when I get around to it.

Well, maybe. People don't like to make commitments. We see that in the world in regards to jobs that people don't stick on for more than a couple months, to marriages that don't last for more than a couple years or are never entered into at all. Christ made a commitment to you. He committed his life and he's committed himself to secure your eternity when you trusted him.

He has made a commitment to you. It's our turn to make a commitment to him. That's what soldiers do when they leave home. They go off to boot camp or to war. That's what a true spouse does when they sincerely say, I do, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for richer or for poor, till death do us part.

Paul was not too shy. Paul did not shy away from making commitments. He's writing this passage in Romans, but he also said this in Acts 20. He was being told that if he went to Jerusalem, he was going to suffer. And some of his fellow Christians were saying, Paul, don't go there, you're gonna suffer.

And this was Paul's response. But none of these things move me. In other words, they don't cause me to hesitate. Neither count I my life dear unto myself. He's not just concerned about who?

Himself. So that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And at this particular time, he's talking about testifying to his people in Jerusalem. And he's saying, yes, I'm probably gonna suffer. It's not gonna stop me.

Why? Because Paul said, I have made a what? Commitment. I'm a follow through. But it does start with a commitment.

Joshua twenty four fifteen, what did Joshua say to Israel? Last words of Joshua are these, and if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. That is in a plaque in my house and I hope it is on the heart, on your heart, for your family, in your house. What was Joshua telling the people?

Would you please make a commitment? Please get off the fence. Please be quit being so complacent. Make a commitment. Make a commitment.

In responding to the call to whatever ministry God has called you to, in responding to the question, in marriage, will you take this one to be your wedded husband or wife? In responding to Christ's love and his commandments to love and serve him with all your heart, make a commitment. We sometimes do not know what heartache or effort may be required of us. True. Commitments can be scary.

That's okay. We may at times fail to some degree to keep the commitment. It's true. We have a forgiving God. Hopefully, you have a forgiving spouse or boss because we we do fail to some degree.

We're not perfect. Praise God. I serve an ever faithful savior. He will never fail me. But don't let that keep you from making commitments.

The fact is you'll never succeed if you don't make a what? If you don't make a commitment. If you're just kinda coasting through life, you're missing out. Make a commitment. Number two, not only commitments but discipline and planning.

First of all, make a commitment. Number two, you need to plan, schedule, regiment your life to succeed to reach the goal and the commitment that you have made to another. It takes that effort too. Starts with a commitment and then it takes discipline. You gotta come up with a plan.

Paul told Timothy he would have to do this if his ministry was to succeed. He used the example of a soldier here in second Timothy two three and four. Thou therefore endure hardness, difficulty, discipline as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who have chosen him to be a soldier. When you go into the military, there are other attachments you have to let go of at least for a time because you may be sent somewhere for a period of time, you you can't have some of those entanglements.

You you have to be free to do what your commander says to do because your life, your fellow soldiers lives may depend on it. We're soldiers in the armies of Jesus Christ. There are lives out there that depend on us, they may not know it to fight the good fight. To not become so entangled in the things of the world that we can't keep our commitment to Christ. That takes discipline, especially in a world that is constantly trying to tie you up.

Try all the time. Tie you up with obligations and amusements and pleasures. Satan knows how to destroy the testimony in lives of Christians and make them powerless. One entanglement at a time. One sin, one distraction at a time.

Therefore, the writer of Hebrews says, casting aside every weight in the sin which does so easily beset us and running with patience the race that is set before us. You're not gonna win the race if you're running with weights tied to your arms and your legs. Cast them aside. Don't get entangled. What does it take?

It takes discipline. Christ said that here in Matthew sixteen twenty four. Then said Jesus and his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him what? Deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. What's it?

It's gonna take some visible. There's gonna be some things you have to deny yourself that maybe others have. But they don't have your cause and they don't have your purpose and they don't know your savior and he's worth it. And those things that they have, you don't need them. You don't need them.

Some of those things, they they just get in the way. They don't bring happiness and joy. Those pleasures and entanglements and stuff, We're not missing out. They are. Don't envy the world, David says.

And Paul says, don't get entangled. And Jesus said, if you're gonna pick up your cross and follow him, you're gonna have to deny yourself some things and that's okay because it's worth it. I've been denying myself some things for the past six months. I've lost almost 50 pounds. You know something?

It feels good. It's worth it. If you're an athlete, you will need to watch your diet, spend much time in grueling exercises and days without end practicing and practicing. You'll need to adjust your schedule so you can be the best athlete. If you're a musician or a teacher or business owner, you'll have to set a schedule, sacrifice some pleasures to succeed.

Same thing in marriage. Same thing in your relationship and service to Christ. It takes effort. It takes commitment. It takes discipline.

It takes toil and sweat. You'll have to do the what? You have to do the work. Follow through with the plan, complete the job. You'll need to study.

Oh, I hate getting stuff I got to assemble and put together. And I open that thing, it's like, oh, man, look at all those parts and oh, I just I just I don't wanna I I just wanna set it aside and just start tinkering with stuff. But but it it it it works best if you actually read the instructions. Alright? Study.

You'll need to actually perform it. I mean, you'll need to do it. It's it's not gonna put itself together. You you gotta pick this up, pick this up, you know, put them together. If you're gonna be a good musician or something, it takes practice.

It it just takes practice. You have to practice. You'll need to expend energy and time to get it done. Jesus said to his disciples, happy are ye if ye do them. Not just know them, but do them.

It's important that we do. We not just know. A lot of times as Christians we think, you know, I know right from wrong. That's good. That's good.

But you actually gotta what? Do it. To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Bible. Not Bible, but interesting.

Do or do not, there is no try. Anybody know who that is? That's a certain puppet that's part of a movie that's Star Wars, I think it's called. His name is Yoda. Do or do not, there is no try.

Not scripture. But there's some wisdom in that words. What does that mean? Make a commitment and make every effort to what? Do it.

Don't just say, well, maybe you're cut. No. Don't say, well, I'll give it a shot. Make a commitment. Make a plan.

Do it. Don't just give it a shot. Now you can't do it on your own. You can't do it all on your own, can you? Without me you can do nothing, the words of our savior.

In regards to things that are eternal of eternal weight, you can't do it alone. But you can do it with God's help. With God, all things are possible. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. What good does it do for Christ to strengthen you if you just sit there like a bump on a log?

I'm afraid that's the case a lot of times. Christ strengthens us and we don't make a commitment. We don't make a plan. We don't put forth the effort. We don't see the fruit.

Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Consider the words of Paul. Second Timothy four seven and eight. I have fought a good fight. I finished my course.

I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day. And not to me only, but unto all them also that love is appearing. They're looking forward to it. Why?

Because they have done their their best. They have followed through. And they'll get to hear someday the words, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Galatians six nine, and let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Come out from among them, says our Lord.

Be different. Be zealous. Be committed. Be disciplined. Be diligent.

Finish the course. You will be glad you did. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord, for this day. Thank you for all that you've given us, for all that you've done in Jesus Christ, our savior, and for this opportunity to hear your word today.

And I pray that we would take it to heart that as we sit here or stand in our pew at a moment or walk down this aisle that we will be willing to commit ourselves, that we will be willing to admit where we have failed, that we will be challenged, that we will get excited about serving the Lord who served us and is serving us today, That we'll put a little more effort into this, trusting that you'll strengthen us to help us see it through. We pray, Lord, if there's one who's yet to receive Christ as savior, they would come as we give this hymn of invitation this morning. They may come to know the one who died for them and the joy in serving him. In Jesus' name we do pray. Amen.

If you take your