“If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, LORD, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you” (Psalm 130:3-4).

God is sovereign. God is omnipotent. God is omniscient.

And, God is loving. God is kind. God is merciful.

God foresaw our every sin, our every failure, our every backsliding. God knew everything about us.

YET, God sent his Son to die for us.

YET, God chooses to pursue the lost.

YET, God forgives repeat sinners.

What can we do in view of such love but worship him?

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

Jesus tells us why he came to earth – “to seek and save the lost.”

• Want to follow Jesus? – seek and reach lost people.
• Want to grow and mature as a follower of Jesus? – seek and reach lost people.
• Want to be a part of God’s kingdom ministry? – seek and reach lost people.
• Want to know the joy of being a part of something that is impacting the eternal destinies of people? – seek and reach lost people.
• Want to see your church grow? – seek and reach lost people.
• Want to see God working in your community? – seek and reach lost people.
• Want to see blessing families and marriages? – seek and reach lost people.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

If you follow Jesus – seek and reach lost people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God’s plan for the church of Jesus Christ? – for the church to seek and reach lost people.

“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 12:2).

What does it mean to be transformed by the renewing of your mind? How do we go about renewing our mind?

The text makes it clear that having a renewed and renewing mind is to the key to:

• not conform to the pattern of this world
• having the ability to test and approve what God’s will is

The word for conform means to be shaped/molded. Imagine an artist conforming/shaping/molding metal or clay into shape by applying pressure to make a particular image. Paul says that the world is constantly conforming/shaping/molding us into its pattern. The world pressures followers of Jesus to think like, act like, and speak like everyone else in the world.

The Apostle Paul tells us not to be conformed into the pattern of this world. Instead we are to have renewed and renewing minds. So, we are back to the original question: How do we go about renewing our mind? We renew our mind by letting God’s truth revealed through God’s word conform/shape/mold us. We do this by submitting to God’s word.

What does that look like when God’s word conforms/shapes/molds us?

Being shaped by God’s word doesn’t mean that we only think about Christian things. Being shaped by God’s word means that we learn to think about everything from a Christian perspective – we start to see everything through the lens of God’s word.

Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world. Instead, God’s word is to shape and mold us into the pattern of Christ.