Romans 12:3-8
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SLIDE 3
Rom 12.3
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,
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SLIDE 4
so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;
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SLIDE 5
if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
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INTRO:
i’d like to start today’s study by recapping an over all sweeping theme of Romans. Paul taught a lot of doctrinal stuff in chapters 1-11… but the overall sweeping theme that he was trying to emphasize… was that of grace.
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So… for 11 chapters… and for us… many months of sermons… In all of this previous instruction… Paul has not really been calling the reader to much action. - Instead, he has been laying a foundation of grace for action to be taken upon.
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We looked at the first step towards action last week. Last week, the action had to do with our condition… but this week, the action will begin to move into the area of deeds.
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So, before we start talking about our gifts, and how we are to use them… we need to first come into our service as one who is dealing, in a reasonable fashion with their own vessel. And what I mean by vessel.. is your body… your whole self.
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Last week we considered this process in depth as we covered verses 1-2… where we… motivated by God’s grace and mercy… are called to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.. This commitment of our condition, is received as worship by God.
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And then, in contrast the mold… the pattern of the world around us in the world… -we are called to be transformed by God… rather than conformed in our own will, to the ways of the world. This transformation process involves the ongoing renewal of our mind… -
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..... -the fruit of which… is our ability to test things to discern whether they are or not the will of God… whether they are or not… good, acceptable and perfect.
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So… verse 2 addressed our mind… and what does a mind do? It thinks… or at least… it should. Now, in vs. 3, we get a peek into the kind of thinking a renewed mind should be doing.
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Now… before we talk about the thinking… Paul opens the topic by saying “by the grace given to me” - He is about to talk to them about their gifts and callings… but he starts out with a reference to his calling. In and in specifically, Paul links grace and apostleship. He is an apostle, because of the grace given to him…
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So, as one who has been given this position and this calling… he is using this position and calling as the basis authority for the message he has for them..
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As I just mentioned… that message starts with thinking. And even though our English version doesn’t translate it this way… the work ‘think’ is actually used 4 times here… This part literally says:
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SLIDE 6
Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but think of yourself with sober thinking.
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That’s a lot of thinking… so… what’s the goal of this thinking? - Well, I think the passage is clearly speaking about humility.
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Don’t think too highly of yourself. But rather, think of yourself with clarity, with honesty. Don’t value yourself as being more than you really are. - That sounds a lot like humility to me…
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Now… this humility is an important part of the list which will follow. It’s a vital ingredient in your service as you prophecy, serve, teach, exhort, give, lead and show compassion. -How do I know this? Because these actions, as defined in vss 6-8, are all carried out in proportion to our faith..
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Now look here, at the end of verse three… this humility that we are to think with… -we do it, according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
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Faith and humility go hand in hand when we serve Jesus.
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Here’s why this makes sense. Paul is now telling the Roman church, that they all have been given a different measure of faith… as it pertains to the things they do for God. This list isn’t about separate individuals doing separate things. This isn’t about the one who prophecies, but doesn’t lead… Or about the one who gives but doesn’t serve.
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This list is for everybody in the church.
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God has given a measure of faith to everyone, to serve Him… and some will be more gifted and inclined to do some things over others.
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Here’s how human nature deals with this kind of stuff. “If I have been given a greater measure of faith to lead than you, then I would be inclined to think that I am better than you.” If I have more faith to show compassion and the serve than you… then I might think that you are a bad Christian, and I am a good Christian.”
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I think that a Christian can walk in these gifts in a manner that is not according to their measure of faith. For example… Some might give generously… but when they do it, they find ways to get recognized. They want honor. They want to be lifted up and esteemed for being such a generous person.
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Some people might serve… but they only want to serve in ways where they are seen. They are continually pointing towards their work. They want back-pats and recognition. They want to be seen as the one who makes sacrifices in the midst of a bunch of people who don’t make sacrifices.
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Are these person giving and serving according to the measure of their faith? No… because humility is not present.
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One commentator that I read… a guy named Christopher Ash described this whole “measure of faith” think this way:
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“Faith turns human assessments upside down, so that the more faith I have, the more deeply I appreciate the grace of God and the less I boast. So that, paradoxically, if I have more faith than you I will think less of myself than you do of yourself.”
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To sum it up. If I am serving according to my measure of faith… then it won’t cause me to look down on others… and it won’t cause me to think wrongly about my own estimation.
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A lot of us have done this. I have… many times over. We have served with lacking faith… and the outcome… is sometimes… burnout… regret… anger… offense… apathy… and resignation.
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When things go bad in ministry… it’s not always the fault of the servant. Often times, people are simply treated bad… but, in many cases… knowing our limitations, and walking in humility, will go a long ways towards creating something that is fruitful, rather than damaging.
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SLIDE 7
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For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,
Rom 12.
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This whole idea of us serving the different functions of a body, is a metaphor that Paul has used in , , and in .
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This should cause us to ask a few questions…
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1. Am I a part of the body of Christ universally? That is, “Am I a Christian?” - Hopefully, the answer is YES.
2. Second question: Am I in a place, where my membership as a part of the body of Christ, can function in unity with other parts of the body? - If you are a part of, and committed to, regular fellowship in community with other believers… then the answer is “Yes”.
3. Third question: As a member of one body… do I know what my function is? - And some of you know what your function is. Some of you gladly walk in your gifts and serve with the motivation to please God. You serve, and it doesn’t puff you up, and it doesn’t cause you to think highly of yourself.
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But logic would lead us to look at the contrary also… - And maybe you need to ask yourself this question:
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Am I doing anything at all, to fulfill my function?
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And I realize, for many, this is a reality that we need to slowly grow into. But also, maybe we used to fulfill a function, and now don’t… because things went bad… maybe instead of resigning ourselves to zero activity… we just pray that God would reveal to us… the thing that we can do… that is in proportion to our faith.
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I love how verse 5 words this… We are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
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When it pertains to the community of faith that we are in… when it pertains to the place where we can actually practice this… - It is such a cool thing to both acknowledge, and recognized… - THAT EVEN THOUGH WE ARE INDIVIDUALS… WE ARE MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER.
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I have a part in your life, as it pertains to your interaction with God’s Kingdom… and you have a part in my life, as it pertains to my interaction with God’s Kingdom.
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You can do so much more, for the Kingdom of God, if I am am serving according to my measure of faith… and I can do so much more, for the Kingdom of God, if you are serving according to your measure of faith.
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This is why our call to assemble is so important… This is why tells us to not forsake it… this is why also tells us to consider one another, in order to stir up love and good works..
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If I consider you… that is, if I get to know you… I will know what it takes, to prod you on to an active faith where you are acting out in love and good works.
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If we forsake the assembling together… And if we don’t interact deeply, and with honesty, with one another… this process of considering and provoking won’t happen…
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Paul goes on here to give a few examples… this is not even remotely an exhaustive list… it is merely, a handful of examples that are used to teach the principle.
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SLIDE 8
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Rom 12:
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The intent of this passage isn’t so much about… what these acts of service are specifically… but rather… the intent of this passage, is to do what we have been called to do… the right way.
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Paul starts with prophecy… which is a foretelling or forthtelling of truth. Depending on the tradition of the church teaching this, the emphasis will be on one or the other. If the church doesn’t believe in the practice of the supernatural gifts defined in … they will focus on ‘forthtelling’. If a church is way into the sensational, they will focus on foretelling.
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I could declare a passage from the Bible… and it could be prophecy. But I might be compelled to tell you that bad things might happen very soon, if you don’t change your ways. Or, I might declare, that you’re going to have a son within a year, and he’s going to be used mightily by God.
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If they are inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit… they would be prophecy.
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Prophecy comes across in different ways and in different degrees. -Rarely is it abundantly clear… and the prophecies given by many of the OT writers will attest to this.
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But it is a way that God works and communicates for the purpose of building up and edifying the church.
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In some traditions, the title “Prophet” is a big deal. They have to be recognized with the title “prophet”… they want to be respected and honored as “The Prophet”… and in some cultures… they can become quite well known.
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If using the gift leads to arrogance and an unbalanced sense of self worth… then, as we already know, it is not being practiced in proportion to our faith.
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The second thing mentioned here, is service. The word is not specific to the kind of service being done… it’s just a general-use word. -
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Servanthood manifests itself in many different ways. Whether you are willing to only do a specific thing, or if you are the person who is willing to do whatever it takes… - if it’s done according to your measure of faith… it won’t be done to gain influence, or to be thought of as pious.
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Thirdly, we get teaching. - The purpose of teaching, is so that people will learn… so that the listeners will be equipped for the work of the ministry… so that the learners will have a knowledge that helps them grow closer to God…
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- A teacher who teaches out of proportion of their faith… is one who looks for recognition… or one who uses his position to wrongly influence or manipulate people.
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Fourthly… we get exhortation… or ‘encouragement’. -One who exhorts or encourages, is pressing home the implications of a truth or a teaching. Encouragement is the friendly push… helping people to walk in a truth that has been set before them.
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The purpose is the change people fore the better… If we encourage according to our proportion of faith, we will do it with no motivation other than that which leads people to grow and mature.
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Next is the one who contributes in generosity. Some people give… but there are strings attached. There are terms and expectations. This happens a lot in politics… but unfortunately, sometimes it happens in the church. -
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We are always very thankful when people give generously of their money or of their gifts in kind… But we also strive to be considerate of a true Biblical motive.
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If the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing… then we don’t need to go out of our way to tell the left hand. If a person is giving with a sincere heart unto the Lord, then we don’t want to insert ourselves into that transaction, and make it about us or them.
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We don’t want to pressure people to give under guilt or compulsion because of some need… because, God isn’t glorified by that kind of giving.
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I believe we are all called to generosity, and that giving as we have purposed in our hearts unto the Lord is a call for everyone… I believe that giving should be sacrificial.
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I realize that the NT doesn’t command a tithe… but then again, God doesn’t want us to give under a command… He wants us to give freely, w/o compulsion, from a cheerful… literally, a hilarious heart. I personally see the 10% as an example to start with. I started practicing this when I worked at a gas station in Clear Lake, Iowa back in 1986.
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Some Christians couldn’t fathom the idea of giving back to the Lord 10% or more. I personally, can’t fathom the idea of not doin it..
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Some people have a unique portion of faith as it pertains to generosity… and they are giving back to the Lord, way more than 10%… not because they want to be recognized… but simply because, they want God to be glorified..
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Next is leadership. A leader should lead with zeal… or this is also translated… diligently. Leadership should not be self serving. If done as God intends… it will be costly.
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We lead because someone has to lead and God has given an order in community that requires some form of leadership. If we lead contrary to our portion of faith.. then we do it to gain something for ourselves. If we have a position of leadership, but there is no zeal or diligence in our leading… then we are not leading according to our proportion of faith.
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Finally… the last one, is ‘showing mercy’. Acts of mercy are not glamorous. They generally involve you getting down into the muck and mire of someone’s less fortunate life, and giving them a hand up. It is not instinctively a cheerful kind of work…
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But here… if we show mercy according to our proportion of faith… we will do it with cheerfulness. Not only is God pleased when we serve in cheerfulness… but those who are served are also blessed and encouraged.
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The governing principle in all of this… seems to be… that when we use a gift, we ought to use it simply in order to achieve what that gift is given for… and not to fulfill a hidden agenda.
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humility doesn’t seek a hidden agenda.
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CONCLUSION.
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In these things…and in the many other things we do for the Lord… if done with humility… then we are producing the fruit of a body that is presented as a living sacrifice… holy and acceptable to God.
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In doing these things… as one who think of them self in sober judgment. We are producing the fruit, of a transformed mind… -
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The more we grow, the more we allow the Spirit to work in us… THEN… the more our minds are renewed… and the greater our measure of faith.
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may it be so, in us.
pray.