Malcolm & Emily Turnbull : Wedding Sermon  (Romans 12:1-16)

Dear Technical Support, I am desperate for some help. I have recently upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0 and found that the new programme began unexpected child processing and also took up a lot of valuable resources. This wasn't mentioned in the product brochure.

In addition Wife 1.0 installs itself into all other programmes and launches during system initialisation where it monitors all other system activity. Applications such as Boys Night Out 2.5 and More Beer 5.3 no longer run and crash the system whenever selected. attempting to operate Saturday Rugby 6.3 always fails but Saturday Shopping 7.1 runs instead.

I cannot seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background whilst attempting to run any of my favourite applications. I am thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0 but de-install doesn't seem to work either. Can you please help me. Joe

Dear Joe, This is a very common problem resulting from a basic misunderstanding. Many men upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0 thinking that Wife 1.0 is merely a Utilities and Entertainment program whereas it is in fact an Operating System designed by its creator to run everything.

You are unlikely to be able to purge Wife 1.0 and still convert back to Girlfriend 7.0 as Wife 1.0 is not intended to do this and is impossible to delete, de-install or purge the files. Some people have tried Girlfriend 8.0 or Wife 2.0 but have ended up with even more problems (see Manual under Alimony, Child Support and Solicitors fees).

Having Wife 1.0 installed myself, I recommend that you keep it installed and deal with the difficulties as best you can. when any faults or problems occur, whatever you think may have caused them, you must run the C:\I APOLOGISE program and avoid attempting to use the 'Esc' key. It may be necessary to run C:\I APOLOGISE a number of times but hopefully the system will return to normal.

Wife 1.0, although a very high maintenance program can be very rewarding. To get the most out of it, consider buying additional software such as Flowers 2.0 or Chocolates 5.0.

Do not under any circumstances install Secretary With Short Skirt 3.3 as this is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will undoubtedly cause the system to crash. Persevere and you will find Wife 1.0 the best and most indispensible programme in your life. You will wonder how you managed without it. Yours, Tech Support

I wonder what you would say is the greatest challenge in marriage? Or the primary cause of marital strife these days? I’ll give you a clue. It begins with the letter ‘S’. You’re right - it’s the word… ssssssurrender. Surrender is not a popular word. It is probably disliked just as much the other dreaded ‘S’ word - ssssssubmission.  

We love our independence and woe betide anyone trying to take it away or constraining our rights. Surrender, “implies losing, and no one wants to be a loser. Surrender evokes the unpleasant images of admitting defeat in battle, forfeiting a game or yielding to a stronger opponent. In our “competitive culture we are taught to never give up and never give in - so we don’t hear much about surrendering. If winning is everything, surrendering is unthinkable.” 

The most popular books on leadership, management and business focus on “winning, succeeding, overcoming, and conquering.”  They don’t tend to have chapters extolling the virtues of “yielding, submitting, obeying, and surrendering.” Therefore one of the greatest challenges in marriage, especially in the early days, is adjusting to the fact that two previously highly independent people are now sharing the same roof, sharing the same bathroom, the same bed, often the same car, and sometimes, the same bank account. And pretty soon you discover that what first attracted you to each other - your differences - can and do create challenges. Like he is the strong silent type - except now he won’t talk to me.  Which makes the Bible, God’s word, the makers instructions, so very, very radical. For it has a great deal to say about surrender and submission - especially in the context of marriage. In fact God insists that mutual submission is the only way to health and wholeness, to harmony and fulfilment, to peace and contentment, to long life and a fruitful marriage.  

In our passage from Romans 12, I want us to observe three things about surrender - the plea to surrender; the purpose of surrender; and the power of surrender.

1. The Plea for Surrender in Worship
“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” (Romans 12:1)

“The heart of worship is surrender”. And a couple that learn to worship God together will have little to disagree over when they regularly surrender their lives to God together.

When we focus on the hymns or the songs and think this is worship, when we are preoccupied with the liturgy or lack of it, with the noise or the silence, with the organ or the keyboard, we have lost sight of the most profound and essential truth about worship. It is not about you and me. It is all about surrendering ourselves to God in all we do. How can we stand above others especially our partner, when we are bowed on our knees? No wonder Paul pleads with us to surrender ourselves to God and see this as authentic worship. The Message translates verse 1 this way, “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.”

Worship then is not so much an act as a state of mind, least of all an act performed for an hour on Sundays. Worship occurs when we surrender our heart, soul and mind to the Living God, where ever we are, what ever we are doing. Unless we entered  this building worshipping it is unlikely we will leave it doing so. On your knees, everyone else is higher than you. The plea for surrender in worship. Notice, secondly how worship becomes witness,

2. The Purpose of Surrender in Witness
“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 12:2)

What does Paul mean by the ‘pattern of this world.’? Its behaviour associated with putting myself first. With pride, with gossiping, with cheating, with infidelity, with back handers, with moral compromise.  Eugene Peterson helpfully puts it like this, “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.” (Romans 12:2)

Instead of conforming we are to be transformed. How? Through the renewing of our minds.  That is why reading God’s word is so important, why reading and studying it together as a couple and being part of a bible study group is so essential. Because renewal begins in the mind. A change of mind leads to a change of behaviour.

The word ‘transformed’ Paul uses here is the same word used to describe the transfiguration of Jesus. Matthew tells us

“There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light” (John 17:2).

The supernatural power that revealed the true nature of Jesus to his close disciples is the same supernatural power at work in your to make you like Jesus. The word literally means metamorphosis. We too are literally being transfigured as we surrender our lives to God. And there is nothing more beautiful than to see a married couple being transformed together.

In a world desperate for positive role models, there is no greater witness than when a seeker changes their life’s direction to follow Jesus. When a husband and wife are following Jesus together. For this is indeed God’s will, “his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The plea for surrender in worship. The purpose of surrender in witness.

3. The Power of Surrender in Wise Living
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13)

Notice this is not advice but instruction. Here is our person specification for life as much as marriage. Basing your marriage upon these principles will bring great blessing, but it will not always be comfortable or popular.

This week is a very special anniversary for Scotland. We may not have done so well in the World Cup last week, but in 1924, this week saw Scotland win its first ever gold medal in track in the Olympic Games.

Eric was the son of Scottish missionaries in China in 1902. Sent to boarding school in England he excelled in rugby, cricket, and running. In 1923 he accepted an invitation to speak about his faith. The experience stirred his soul and gave him the desire to share the Christian message with whoever would listen. Over the next two years he spoke to thousands right across the British Isles.  While some newspapers questioned his dedication to running since he was spending so much time preaching, others argued that running was a distraction from his duties to God. This is how Eric responded "I believe God made me for a purpose. For China. But He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure. To give it up would be to hold Him in contempt. To win is to honour Him." Eric’s faith and his gift do truly come into conflict--when his 1924 Olympic trial heat is scheduled for a Sunday. He resisted pressure from the Olympic Committee and even from the Prince of Wales.

On the Sunday morning of the 100 meter trial, instead he preached in the Scottish Presbyterian Church in Paris. A team mate, who has already won a medal in the hurdles, offered up his own place in the 400 meters trial on the in favour of Liddell. Liddell had prepared for the 100 meter and he was not expected to do as well in the longer 400 meter race. Nevertheless, he did well and qualified for the finals, held on Friday 11^th July 1924. As he prepared to run, Jackson Scholz, one of the intimidating American track team, expected to dominate the Games, handed Liddell a small folded piece of paper: Eric opened it. It read, "He that honours me, I will honour." quoting 1 Samuel 2:30.

Eric Liddell felt God’s pleasure won. He won the four hundred meter race, setting a new world record. The first Scot to win an Olympic gold in track. The next year Eric returned to China as a missionary. During World War II, he was captured and imprisoned by the Japanese. Even there he played a key role in comforting his fellow prisoners. But for Eric, death came just months before liberation. He was buried in the little cemetery in the Japanese part of the camp where others who had died during internment had been laid to rest. Eric stood up for his conviction even though most opposed him.

“Those who honour me, I will honour” says the Lord. Will you honour him today? What better day than today to surrender your lives not simply to one another, but to the Lord, to honour him in all you do together, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part. For if you honour him, he will indeed honour you.