#64 Sermon Review: Romans 12:2 - Piper
Biblical Text: Romans 12:2
Name: John Piper
Sermon Title: The Renewed Mind and How to Have It
Link to Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5tSSTiAfRk
Rating
1-100 score
83 out of 100
1-20 Christological
10 The sermon hints at the idea of salvation. Yet I would think be unclear to a non believer.
1-20 Holds Attention
20 It holds attention through Piper’s power of speech. Arm gestures, changes in height, looking around, changing tone, and pitch of voice.
1-20 Compelling
20 It is compelling by drawing you into a way of thinking through what the renewing of your mind is.
1-20 Memorable
18 It is memorable for the most part yet the sermon is long and he covers a lot of ground. That combined with no review of the content loses points.
1-20 Application to Life
15 Piper spends most of his time attempting to define the renewing of the mind. I believe the idea here is that if you convince and teach someone the truth the next steps may become clear.
Thoughts
Piper’s power of speech is clearly seen in this sermon. Yet it lacks relevance to non believers, a summary, and the practical application could be better.
Outline
*This outline was artificially generated and deemed accurate to the sermon.
Prayer for Freedom and Renewal: The speaker begins with a prayer emphasizing that true freedom comes from knowing and applying the truth of God’s word. He prays for the Holy Spirit to renew the congregation's minds.
Two Major Issues: The speaker identifies two significant issues he plans to address. One is the concept of the will of God, which he will discuss in the following week. The other is the renewal of the mind, which he focuses on in this sermon.
Understanding the Will of God: The will of God can be understood in different ways:
Sovereign Will: God's unchangeable plan that always comes to pass.
Moral Will: Commands like "Thou shalt not commit murder" which can be disobeyed by humans.
Life of Wisdom: Situations requiring spiritual discernment without a clear biblical directive.
Spontaneity: Most daily actions are spontaneous, driven by what's in the heart.
Renewal of the Mind: The key to transformation is the renewal of the mind. This involves a deep, inner change rather than simply replacing bad behaviors with good ones. True transformation is akin to the transfiguration of Jesus, a profound and glorious change from within.
Role of the Holy Spirit: Transformation requires the Holy Spirit's work, both externally through exposure to Christ-exalting truth and internally by softening hard hearts to embrace this truth.
Practical Steps for Renewal:
Pursue Christ-exalting Truth: Engage with the Bible, sermons, and writings that highlight the glory of Christ.
Pray for Humility and Teachability: Ask the Holy Spirit to shatter hard hearts and instill a mindset that embraces truth.
Final Prayer: The speaker closes with a prayer for the congregation to experience true transformation by embracing God as their greatest treasure and having their minds renewed in Christ.
