Today we revisit a message from 2021 that continues to offer encouragement, instruction, and spiritual growth.

Did you know you’re called to do great things? Only Christ can give you true meaning and purpose. This message helps you determine if your focus is in the right place and offers 2 tips to begin living a transformed life today.

Through this series, you’ll learn how to live well & enjoy God's promises. You are loved by God; He knows your name. He has a plan for your life. Get helpful advice, encouragement, and hope for a life well lived now and into the future.

Are you walking in faith and victory? Set your eyes on the promises of God. You only have one life journey; say yes to Jesus.

Live a transformed life and do great things.

Is your focus in the right place?

For several weeks now we have been focusing on spiritual growth. You can get distracted so easily from what is truly important in life if you focus on the wrong goal, purpose, ambition, or desire. Society cries out for our attention today. The things going on around us often scream, and demand our attention so much so that we can miss out on what is actually important. This is not to say what you focus on may not be important, but that there are even more important issues in life, like spiritual issues.

We can become so focused on our lives or situations in the world that we miss what God desires for us to achieve in the spirit. There is a battle taking place all around. Every person born into this world is part of this battle, even if they are unaware of the battle.

There is a spiritual battle:

• For your mind and soul.

• That is unseen with your natural eyes.

• That is unknown by most.

• Not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of darkness (see Ephesians 6:12-14).

In Romans 12 the apostle Paul encourages those who have already put their faith in Christ to live with a spiritual mind set. Paul is telling us that we are to live more than a physical life in Christ; we are to live in the spirit with Christ.

We live in the flesh, and yet we worship God in the spirit (see John 4:23-24). We should always make it a priority in life to focus on spiritual things, especially if we are going to worship God in spirit and in truth.

We need to change our thinking. We live in the world but should not be a part of the world.

With that foundation in mind, let’s read:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform 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, NIV).

This passage tells us that because of God’s compassion, we should present, show, or provide our bodies that are holy—set apart—for God (Romans 12:1). When Paul calls us to present ourselves as living sacrifices, he is not speaking of just our physical bodies alone, but rather the whole person: body, soul, and spirit.

We are to present our whole person to God as a living sacrifice. We are not to hold anything back.

Paul is touching on the fact that as believers, we are to live dead to sin and spiritually alive in Christ (see Romans 6:13-14).

This is our spiritual act of worship: to live set apart unto God, to live to honor God. We are to live united with Christ; living dead to sin and raised to new life in Christ (see 1 Peter 2:1-6).

Romans 12:1-2 tells us that it is by the mercy of God that we can be spiritually transformed and no longer live as enemies of God.

It is by the renewing of our minds that we can live transformed lives. When we are spiritually transformed, we will think and act differently.

Tip #1 for living a transformed life:

1. We need to remove the bad habits, worldly values, and selfish desires that lead us into temptation. And we must add good habits, spend time in prayer, and worship. The answer is to spend quality time with God.

How do we become spiritually transformed? We need to say no to things that are not in agreement with the Bible: confront the unhealthy lifestyles and sinful habits you may have.

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Be willing to simply say “no” to those distractions and desires that so easily entangle you and draw you away from what is truly important in life: Jesus. Focus on Christ and spiritual things. Then the things of the earth will fade away as you focus on God’s glory and grace.

The first step toward living a transformed life is for you to confront the unhealthy lifestyles and sinful habits. Whenever the unhealthy lifestyle or habit tries to present itself to you, recognize it as a temptation from the enemy of your soul and say “no.” Not this time. Not today, Satan, in Jesus’ name.

When we live our lives as a living sacrifice, there is a part of us that must die to self. There are behaviors that we need to change. We need to stop focusing on the world’s values. We need to begin to focus on spiritual values.

To live this way Paul tells us “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

Tip #2 for living a transformed life:

2. We need to agree not to be conformed to the pattern or lifestyle of this world.

The Greek word for conformed has the meaning of fashioning or conforming one’s mind and character to another pattern. In this case, it is to the world.

Paul invites us to simply say “no” to the patterns of this world. I am a firm believer that in everyone’s life there is a rhythm of some kind. Some of us have healthy habits or lifestyles, like a daily routine that includes prayer, Bible study, or working out. Still, others of us may find ourselves caught up in unhealthy lifestyles: overcommitted, ignoring health needs, or always on the run with no time for God.

We can find ourselves in an unhealthy season of life at times. You may have good intentions, but good intentions do not feed your soul or spirit. Days or weeks can go by without spending quality time with the Lord. It’s not hard to find an excuse and think “I’ll start tomorrow.” But tomorrow might become weeks, then months, then years. For some, it may never come.

You may find yourself in a season far away from the Lord if you are not careful. Unintentionally allowing the things of this world to lead you astray, one day you could find yourself stuck in an unhealthy lifestyle, and not know how you got there, or how to get out of it.

Once you realize the unhealthy worldly patterns in your life that you may have been following, next choose to remove them from your life. Now you are ready for God’s transforming work to take place in your life.

What do your thoughts reveal about you?

Jesus desires that we live a life that is constantly seeking to grow in faith each day. We need to grow spiritually and gain spiritual understanding regarding God’s will for our lives.

We need to be spiritually minded. Not worldly minded. Just as plants need water to survive—without water they would stop growing and shrivel up and die, we also need spiritual refreshing.

Here Paul is wanting the believer to be:

• Spiritually renewed.

• Spiritually transformed.

• A living sacrifice.

The apostle Paul is concerned with how we think. Paul is concerned with what we allow in our minds and hearts. Our thought process is important when it comes to our spiritual growth potential in the kingdom of God. The temptation to follow worldly patterns and values begins in our thought life. What we put into our minds will influence our thinking and our actions.

As we spend time praying, reading the word, focusing on God, worshiping him in spirit and in truth, our thought process will respond in a positive manner. You will begin to desire to grow spiritually. As your spirit is refreshed by the Holy Spirit, you will grow stronger in faith. The word of God is a type of spiritual water that will refresh your soul. Spiritual dryness will be replaced with new growth in your spirit. Just as plants are refreshed by the rain, you will be refreshed by the Holy Spirit as he enlightens the truth of the scriptures to your heart and mind.

A healthy lifestyle will replace the unhealthy lifestyle and you will begin to flourish spiritually. You will be transformed.

God desires that we not just have the word of God near us, but in us. In our minds, in our hearts, and allowing the Holy Spirit to apply the word to our hearts and work in our lives. The Holy Spirit makes alive the word of God in our hearts, and that will produce a transformation in our lives. The transformation that Paul is referring to in Romans 12 and other places in scripture will only happen if we allow it, and say yes to Jesus.

The Greek word for transformed in Romans 12:2 has the meaning of being changed into another form. It is a total change by the renewing of the mind. It is a complete change for the better. A complete change for the better is not conforming, but rather transforming; being changed into a new creation. The change for the better is to prove, to test, to examine and see that the perfect will of God is good.

You are called to do great things!

Say yes to Jesus and make a point to remove worldly distractions from your life. How? By allowing God, by his Holy Spirit, to reveal areas that need to be removed, which begins the process of spiritual transformation in your mind, heart and life. This transformation begins in your mind and reveals itself in your heart and lifestyle.

Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 regarding the outcome that will take place when we refuse to conform to the pattern of this world, but are transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Once we take the steps toward spiritual transformation by renewing our minds, we’ll be able to know God’s perfect will for us (Romans 12:2).

Only Christ can give you true meaning and purpose in your life. He has called you and set you apart. He has called you to do great things for the kingdom of God here on earth. He has given you talents, gifts, and abilities, unique to you (see 1 Corinthians 12:7-11). These allow you to share your faith, to build up others in the faith, to spread the gospel in your area of influence and around the world.

‘Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”’ (1 Peter 1:13-16).

When you refused to be conformed to the pattern of this world, when you began to live your life as a living sacrifice, your life became a spiritual act of worship to the Lord, and you will display the glory of God for all the world to see (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Are you living a transformed life?

What does your life reveal? Are you living a transformed life? Are you growing in the Lord and using the gifts God has blessed you with for his glory?

Not one of us is perfect. Don’t be discouraged. Begin today.

Maybe today is a day that the Holy Spirit will bring to mind some area in your life that needs to change. The good news is this: there is still time, right now, to rewrite your life. The Bible is full of instances where God makes it clear that there is still time to give him your life. Even the thief that hung on a cross next to Christ had time to receive eternal life.

Start today.

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Allow the Holy Spirit free access to your heart and mind. How? Spend time in the scriptures. Spend time in prayer. Spend time worshiping and praising the Lord.

Know for certain God’s will for your life is that you live your life as a spiritual act of worship.

Your journey of having a transformed life began when you asked Jesus into your heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind by opening your spiritual eyes to the truth of the Gospel. Understand, your life’s journey in Christ is where you are giving your life as a spiritual act of worship. This is living a transformed life. This is living as a living sacrifice. This is a life of worship of God who has blessed and saved us.

Suggested Praise and Worship

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This and other sermons brought to you by Faith Chapel, an Assemblies of God church in Pleasanton, CA.