Sermon Tone Analysis

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SLIDE 3

Rom 12.3

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SLIDE 5

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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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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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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

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.