June 15

1. Happy Father's Day! Today, we're celebrating all the love, care, and dedication fathers show their families. I'm thinking about my own dad today, especially how he looked after my sister and me. He was super devoted to my sister. He'd pick her up from school and take her to her afternoon art classes. For three whole years, he even used to pick her up at midnight when her classes finished His dedication really meant a lot, and because of his support, she was able to go to art college and eventually became a fashion designer.

2. The Bible is full of stories about God as our father and his care for his people. Among them, I'm always reminded of God's practical care through the story of the five loaves and two fish in Matthew 14:15-21.

Matthew 14:15–17 NASB 2020

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is secluded and the hour is already past to eat; send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go; you give them something to eat!” They said to Him, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish.”

Matthew 14:18–21 NASB 2020

And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” And ordering the crowds to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looked up toward heaven. He blessed the food and breaking the loaves, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces: twelve full baskets. There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.

3. As we've seen, Jesus fed 5,000 people after teaching them. He had compassion for them because they were hungry. So, Jesus performed this miracle, which reminded them of God's care during the 40 years in the wilderness as described in Exodus. Just as God was a father to their ancestors, he looked after them with compassion. Likewise, Jesus didn't abandon them but took care of them. Our own fathers do a great job taking care of their families, just like God and Jesus did. So, today, I encourage you to share your love with your father.

4. We've started a special sermon series this summer about God's redemptive work in the Old Testament and how we respond to His work in the New Testament. Last Sunday, we looked at God's redemptive work in Genesis 3. Today, we're going to talk about our response to God's redeeming work. Let's read Romans 12:1-2.

Romans 12:1–2 NASB 2020

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

5. It's helpful to understand the overall structure of Romans if we want to grasp today's passage.

Here's a brief outline:

• Chapters 1 to 5: Paul explains how people are justified, meaning they are declared righteous before God.

• Chapters 6 to 8: He then discusses our new identity in Christ and how the problem of sin is solved.

• Chapters 9 to 11: Paul addresses God's providence and plan for Israel.

• Chapters 12 to 15: Paul describes how Christians should live their lives as a living sacrifice.

• Chapter 16: He concludes his letter.

6. Before today's passage, in chapters 9 to 11, Paul discusses Israel and God's plan for them. These chapters in Romans highlight God's sovereignty and His relationship with Israel. In Romans 9:1–29, Paul expresses profound sorrow over Israel's rejection of the gospel. He clarifies that God's choices are rooted in His mercy, not in human effort, illustrating this with examples like Isaac and Jacob to show that God chooses according to His will. In Romans 9:30–10:21, Paul draws a contrast between Gentiles and Jews. The Gentiles attained righteousness through faith, whereas the Jews, by attempting to achieve it through the law, did not succeed. Paul stresses that salvation comes by believing in Jesus, not by works, and that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Finally, in Romans 11:1–36, Paul reassures readers that God has not entirely rejected Israel. Although many Jews turned away from the gospel, their rejection opened the door for the gospel to be preached to the Gentiles. Paul holds the belief that in the future, Israel will return to God. He concludes by offering praise to God for His wise and mysterious plan of salvation.

7. We can find one significant point when Paul begins chapter 12: he uses the connecting word, "therefore." Before chapter 12, he was talking about Israel. But in chapter 12, he shifts his address, not speaking to Israel or Gentiles specifically, but instead summoning "brothers and sisters." While this might seem like a normal expression for Christians to us today, it was a radical statement in the first-century context. 

Romans 12:1 NASB 2020

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

8. For Jewish people, God's election wasn't a hard concept to grasp because they believed they were God's chosen people. However, they didn't believe God chose Gentiles as His people; in their view, Gentiles couldn't be part of God's chosen. But after discussing God's election, Paul used the word "therefore," shifting his address from mentioning Israel specifically to the inclusive expression "brothers and sisters." Paul wasn't dividing two groups—Jews and Gentiles. Instead, he was declaring that if you believe in Jesus, you are part of a chosen generation, just like the Jews. God's election isn't exclusive; there's no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. This is precisely why Paul used "therefore" when referring to God's election for His people. 

1 Peter 2:9–10 MSG

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

9. Believers now have a new identity: they are brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul believed that if they have this new identity, their lives should reflect it. They should live a holy and sensible life, offering themselves as a "living sacrifice." This idea of a living sacrifice was quite unusual in the first century, as all sacrifices to gods were typically dead. An offering was expected to be lifeless, not alive. As a rabbi, Paul was certainly aware of this. So, why did he talk about a "living sacrifice"? 

10. The first disciples and believers in the first century didn't actually celebrate Jesus' birth until around 400 A.D. Instead, their big celebration was the Resurrection of Jesus. They saw this moment as the true beginning of their new community of believers. For these early Christians, Jesus' Resurrection wasn't an end point; it was just the start of a new kingdom. And because Jesus was raised from the dead, he's still alive! In Paul's view, if Jesus is alive, then the way believers offer themselves and worship God can no longer be a "dead sacrifice." It has to be a "living sacrifice." But here's the kicker: if these believers held onto their old ways of thinking and their old customs, they wouldn't be able to grasp this new idea of sacrifice and worship. They could only truly understand and embrace the Resurrection of Jesus once they transformed their minds and hearts.

Romans 12:2 NLT

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

11. One of the most misunderstood ideas in Christianity is holiness. Many people think it's all about changing our behavior to follow a good moral example. But holiness isn't primarily about moral adjustments. Instead, it's first and foremost about our new identity and mindset. Holiness means we used to follow earthly ideas and customs, but now we choose to follow and pursue God's way and direction. When we align our minds and hearts with God's, our behavior naturally changes. That's because our heart and mind are the true control center of our lives and dictate our direction.

12. When I attended a polytechnic college in Korea, my GPA was 1.9 out of 4.3. I simply wasn't interested in studying because I had no idea what I wanted to do or pursue in life. But in 1999, everything changed. I met Jesus Christ, and He transformed my mindset with His desires and plan for me. That led me to start Bible college. In my first year, I earned a 3.7 GPA out of 4.3, and my mom was incredibly surprised when she saw my transcript! I didn't enroll in Bible college because I suddenly developed a love for studying. Instead, I wanted to learn more about Jesus and the Bible because Jesus Himself ignited that desire within me. My mind was profoundly changed by His love, and my actions naturally followed that transformation.

13. So, a "living sacrifice" isn't about performing specific religious rituals to worship God. Instead, it means our worship can happen through our daily lives, simply because life is, by its very nature, alive. Once we believe in and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our everyday life transforms into this "living sacrifice." In essence, our life becomes the worship itself.

Romans 12:1 MSG

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

Romans 12:2 MSG

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Conclusion: Living as a Sacrifice: Transforming Our Daily Lives

14. When we say our life becomes a "living sacrifice," it means we can actually live out God's commands in our daily existence. Our lives have two sides: a positive and a negative. The positive side is when we love, support, and encourage one another. The negative, unfortunately, involves hating, condemning, and even discriminating against each other.

Jesus made it clear: if you love one another, that very love will show the world you are His disciples. So, when we renew our minds by embracing God's love and mercy, we can shift our perspective from negative to positive.

As The Message Bible puts it, our "daily and ordinary life — sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around-life" — becomes a living sacrifice. This isn't just a concept; it's our direct response to God's incredible work of redemption.

God began His work of redemption because He didn't want His people to live under the influence of other gods. He desired to reclaim them, to guide them to follow His way. And to achieve this, He sent His only Son to be with us. By following Jesus Christ, we can renew our minds and hearts, allowing our lives to become that living sacrifice. Let's wholeheartedly offer our lives to the Lord. Let's live as a living sacrifice, bringing joy and pleasure to God.

Podcast: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/8dd3de91-eab0-49a2-8f13-b198595c0d2a/audio

Quiz

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each.

• What personal anecdote does the speaker use to illustrate the concept of a father's care and dedication at the beginning of the "June 15 2025" text?

• How does the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 in Matthew 14:15-21 connect to God's care in the Old Testament?

• What is the main theme of the sermon series mentioned in paragraph 4?

• According to the outline of Romans provided, what is discussed in chapters 12 to 15?

• Why was Paul's use of "brothers and sisters" in Romans 12:1 considered a radical statement in the first-century context?

• How does Paul use the word "therefore" in Romans 12:1 to connect to the preceding chapters (Romans 9-11)?

• What is the significance of the "living sacrifice" concept, especially when compared to typical first-century sacrifices?

• How does the speaker explain the connection between Jesus' Resurrection and the idea of a "living sacrifice"?

• According to the text, what is the true essence of holiness, beyond just moral adjustments?

• How does the speaker's personal story about his GPA transformation illustrate the concept of a changed mindset?

Answer Key

• The speaker shares a story about his own father's dedication to his sister, specifically how his father would pick her up from art classes late at night for three years. This devotion enabled her to go to art college and become a fashion designer, highlighting a father's love and care.

• The miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 reminded the people of God's practical care for their ancestors during the 40 years in the wilderness, as described in Exodus. It serves as an example of God, like a father, not abandoning His people but providing for them with compassion.

• The main theme of the special sermon series is "God's redemptive work in the Old Testament and how we respond to His work in the New Testament." This series explores the concept of redemption from Genesis to Romans.

• According to the outline provided, chapters 12 to 15 of Romans describe how Christians should "live their lives as a living sacrifice." This section transitions from theological exposition to practical application of faith.

• In the first-century context, Jewish people believed God's election was exclusive to them, not including Gentiles. Paul's use of "brothers and sisters" was radical because it declared that belief in Jesus made both Jews and Gentiles part of one chosen generation, transcending previous divisions.

• Paul uses "therefore" in Romans 12:1 to signify a shift from his theological discussion of God's plan for Israel and His non-exclusive election (Chapters 9-11) to the practical implications for believers. It connects God's mercy and inclusion of all believers to their call to live as a living sacrifice.

• The idea of a "living sacrifice" was unusual in the first century because sacrifices to gods were traditionally dead offerings. Paul's concept challenges this by implying that believers' entire lives, being alive through Christ's Resurrection, become the continuous and spiritual act of worship, rather than a one-time, lifeless ritual.

• The speaker explains that early Christians celebrated Jesus' Resurrection as the beginning of a new kingdom, signifying that Jesus is still alive. Therefore, Paul concludes that believers' worship and self-offering must also be "living sacrifices" because Jesus, the object of their faith, is alive.

• The text clarifies that holiness is not primarily about mere moral adjustments or adhering to good examples. Instead, it is fundamentally about a "new identity and mindset," meaning a shift from following earthly customs to pursuing God's way and direction, which then naturally transforms behaviour.

• The speaker's personal story illustrates that his academic transformation (from a 1.9 to a 3.7 GPA) wasn't due to a sudden love for studying, but a profound change in his mindset. Meeting Jesus ignited a desire to learn about Him and the Bible, showing how a transformed heart and mind naturally lead to changed actions and pursuits.