Be A Church That Gives
Be A Giving Church • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsThe church is comprised of faithful givers who understand that we are mere stewards of what God has given us in time, talents and treasure.
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Title: Be A Church That Gives
Text:
Introduction -
Transition -
Main Idea: A Giving Church is made up of Faithful People
People Who Are Faithful in Sacrifice (vs. 1-2)
Lead in...
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Explanation - Paul has spent the last eleven chapters laying out His brilliant understanding of Christian doctrine. And now in chapter 12 he tells the church at Rome what to do about it. This is the “So What?” factor.
Explanation
SO in light of all that I have said up until now, this is WHAT I want you to do about it!
In fact, In verse 1 Paul makes an appeal to them. In other words, he is urging, imploring, pleading with his brothers and sisters in Rome to, now that they understand the tremendous mercies given (because of the last 11 chapters) them, offer up themselves up or present themselves as a sacrifice.
Now, a sacrifice, is usually dead. At least that was the case through the Old Testament sacrificial system. The lambs, goats, bulls, etc., were killed and their blood was used as a symbolic covearring for the sins of indivisuals as well as the nation.
Jesus then became the ultimate sacrifice as He offered His life on the cross as a ransom for many. He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Of course, we know that Jesus death was a temporary situation because on the third day he rose from the grave. He was, if you will, the first living sacrifice.
And now those of us who are in Christ have died with Christ and now we are alive with him too.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Illustration -
And just as Jesus willingly offered up His life, we are to do just the same.
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
This is what it means to be a living sacrifice.
Illustration -
Application -
Reiteration - A giving church is made up of faithful people
People who are faithful in Sacrifice
People Who Are Faithful in Function (vs. 3-8)
Lead in… “A believer’s consecration to God and his transformed lifestyle is demonstrated in his exercising his spiritual gifts in the body of Christ.” BKC
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, 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; 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.
Explanation -
Illustration -
Application -
Reiteration - A giving church is made up of faithful people
People who are faithful in Sacrifice
People who are faithful in Function
People Who Are Faithful in Love (vs. 9-12)
Lead in -
Text -
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Explanation -
Illustration -
Application -
Reiteration - A giving church is made up of faithful people
Conclusion
People who are faithful in Sacrifice
People who are faithful in Function
People who are faithful in Love
Conclusion
The question we all must grapple with this morning is to what level does my life reflect my sacrifice, function and love.
In other words do you see yourself as one who joyfully sacrifices for your God and this church? Do you see yourself as one who uses your gifts and talent to further God’s kingdom and build this local congregation?
Do you see yourself as one who loves God and His people?
What if we turned it on its head? Do you expect everyone to sacrifice for you? Do you desire for everyone else to use their gifts to make you time at church more comfortable and enjoyable? Do you want everyone to love you?
Main Idea:
Title: Be A Church That Gives
Text: 10
Text:
Introduction
Each Year I start the year off with a vision sermon. It is part of my wonderful privilidged respnsbility to point in a direction that I and the leadership of this church believe we should go.
Over the years the themes were...
2014 - Equipping the Saints to do the Work of the Ministry
2015 - Bear One Another’s Burdens
2019 - You Are Gifted! - Know and Use Your Gift
2016 - God Cannot Use Your Silence - Share the Love of Jesus
2018 - Be On Make One -
2017 - Moving Forward On Your Knees - Being a Church of Prayer
2018 - Be On Make One -
2018 - Be On Make One -
2019 - You Are Gifted! - Know and Use Your Gift
This is such a crucial concept for any church to grab ahold of because when it does, good, godly, growth is inevitable.
Why can I say this so definitively and confidently? Because when you know and use your gift you realize a couple of things.
First, you didn’t generate your gifting - your gift came from God and He is very purposed and particular about the gift He gave you.
Second, your gifting isn’t for your enjoyment - It is for the betterment and strengthening for this body.
Third, a focus on the spiritual moves us away from a man-centered approach to church growth.
So as I cast a vision for Allendale Baptist Church for 2019, it is my hope that we become a church who understands that God has gifted each one of us (if you are a believer) for His good purposes. And that you, individually discover and develop you gift so that this local body become all that God desires for her to be!
Imagine if every believer in this room truly understood and exercised his or her gift or gifts? What would happen?
So this is why, for the month of January, I am bringing you a series of sermon entitled, “Be a church that Gives!”
And today, we are going to focus on one passage in particular that deals with the idea of Spiritual gifts, ...
Transition - And in this passage, the apostle Paul, after giving 11 chapters on heavy duty theology, tells the church at Rome how to apply all he has taught them. And the very first thing he teaches them is to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit and offer their lives up and be the Giving Church God desires them to be...
And in this passage, the apostle Paul, after giving 11 chapters on heavy duty theology, tells the church at Rome how to apply all he has taught them. And the very first thing he teaches them is to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit and offer their lives up and be the Giving Church God desires them to be...
Main Idea: A Giving Church is Made up of Faithful People
Transition - There are three challenges for us in this passage and the first one is...
1. Be a People who are faithful in SACRIFICE (vs. 1-2)
Lead in…Sacrifice sounds painful, and it is because it requires death. But in the case of this passage, it’s not a physical death that Paul is talking about...
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Explain -
Vs. 1 - Paul, writing to the church at Rome and pastoring them from afar, has an appeal for them. He is, in fact, pleading or urging them, in light of the previous 11 chapters of his carefully laid out theology - to do something with it. He urges them “by the mercies of God” (Which is what chapters 1-11 clearly demonstrate) to offer themselves up as a “living sacrifice”.
Now if you think about this for a minute, the Old Testament Sacrificial system (in which Paul is clearly referencing) was predicated on death. In order to be a sacrifice in God’s plan, the lamb, sheep or bull had to be killed and then grilled as burnt offering so as to be pleasing to the Lord.
1 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, 2 and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 3 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram,
1 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, 2 and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;
1 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, 2 and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;
18 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 19 but offer a food offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish; 20 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths of an ephah shall you offer for a bull, and two tenths for a ram; 21 a tenth shall you offer for each of the seven lambs; 22 also one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23 You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering. 24 In the same way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 25 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.
18 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 19 but offer a food offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish;
20 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths of an ephah shall you offer for a bull, and two tenths for a ram;
Death of the sacrifice was the requirement. In fact, when Paul call for the church at Rome to be a living sacrifice, it was a seeming contradiction. How can something alive be a dead sacrifice?
-20
21 a tenth shall you offer for each of the seven lambs;
Well, this is what the Lord accomplished for us on the cross. He, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, died a sacrificial death on the cross, was buried and rose again on the third day providing not only the payment for our sin, but the avenue by which any who places their faith in this LAMB, will not die eternally, but will receive the promise of eternal life. But until that eternal life is realized, believers are to live a holy and blameless life here and now. In other words, Jesus death allows his followers to offer their lives as a living sacrifice.
11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
This is what Jesus meant when he said...
22 also one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23 You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering. 24 In the same way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 25 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
To take up one’s cross daily is to die daily for Jesus.
This is what Paul meant when he spoke of his own sufferings for the Lord...
Col
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
This act of offering our lives to the Lord “as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God”…This is authentic and true worship.
Ladies and gentlemen, true worship isn’t showing up to church on a Sunday morning and singing some songs during our “worship time”.
NO! Worship, according to Paul is standing before the Lord and saying, here I am, do with me as you will. I am willing to die for you as I live for you, Holy Father!
Offering ourselves to God on His terms (holy and acceptable) is our act of worship.
In light of this are we truly ready to worship today, this week, this year?
This is what it means to worship in Spirit and in Truth.
Vs. 2 - You see, Paul understood that the profound temptation for the church at Rome was to follow their old ways, their old systems, their old understanding of the spiritual realm. In Roman mythology there was a god for everything...
The big three - The three most important gods were Jupiter (protector of the state), Juno (protector of women) and Minerva (goddess of craft and wisdom). Other major gods included Mars (god of war), Mercury (god of trade and messenger of the gods) and Bacchus (god of grapes and wine production). -
https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/gods.html
https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/gods.htmlIllustrate -
The three most important gods were Jupiter (protector of the state), Juno (protector of women) and Minerva (goddess of craft and wisdom). Other major gods included Mars (god of war), Mercury (god of trade and messenger of the gods) and Bacchus (god of grapes and wine production).
Illustrate -
But they were no longer to follow that system of thought that was based on lies. They were now to not only believe the truth, but conform themselves to it.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
They were not to be “conformed to this world” - The word “conformed” is “Patterned after” It is passive here and so the idea is to “not allow oneself to be changed to be like the world”
My friends, this is most easy to do. You don’t even really need to thing about it. There is no such thing in the Christian life as being stationary. You are either purposely rowing you boat upstream, or you have taken the oars out of the water and your boat follows the current downstream. When you make the decision to stop rowing in the river, you boat doesn’t simply sit there. You will start to follow the pattern of the current immediately. (Pine River when I was a kid - Stand up!!)
So Paul says, put that way of thinking off...
So does the Apostle Peter...
The Apostle Peter echos this thought...
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
Instead if conforming to the world’s standard, ideas and notions, believers are to be transforming. This word in the Greek is where we get our english word - “Metamorphosis” and it means “an inward change of nature.”
And how is it the church of Rome can be continually transformed into the image of Jesus?
Paul tells us. “By the renewal of your mind...”
How does one renew their mind?
Well, How does one clean their body and renew it? Shower and Soap...
Folks, in order for you to stop living the way the world dictates how you should live (and it does). You need to, by the grace of God, make the decision to stop doing what it says and put yourself in the way of transformation.
Trevor down 40lbs...
Folks, this transformation is what Paul challenges Timothy with...
8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Illustrate -
7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
7
Ladies and gentlemen, we, the church, are to be a people who are faithful in sacrifice...
How?
Recognize the tremendous sacrifice that was made for you through Christ Jesus
Repent of the idea that your salvation is all about you - It’s all about God!
Reorganize your priorities so they reflect a life of SACRIFICE to God and others. This was the pattern of the Apostle Paul and of Jesus, Himself. And should be true of you as well.
Review - A Giving Church is Made up of Faithful People
Be a People who are faithful in sacrifice
2. Be a People who are faithful in FUNCTION (vs. 3-8)
2. People who are faithful in Function (vs. 3-8)
Lead in…Sacrifice leads to function. You and I have a responsibility to not simply sit and wait for the Lord to come get us! The Christian life is way richer than that! We have a role to play, and the first step in discovering that role is having an accurate view of ourselves...
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. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 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.
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.
Explain -
Vs. 3 - The only reason Paul was in a place of Apostolic authority was by the grace of God. And it was because of his position, motivated by grace, that he warned them to not think of themselves more highly than they ought to. In other words, Paul wanted them to remember their theology. He wanted them to understand that apart from Christ they richly deserved eternal condemnation - Hell. But because of the gospel they have an entirely new position IN CHRIST ALONE!
a
Perhaps they, like the church in Corinth, we struggling with pride regarding spiritual gifting? I’m not sure, but Paul is clear that they judge themselves “with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
Paul is speaking more than saving faith here, but specifically how their faith manifests itself in their individual gifting as God. Consider them “faith gifts.” And every believer is gifted to some level or another. How do I know Paul is referring to gifting? Look at verse 4-8. Especially verse 6...
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,
4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 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.
Vs. 4-5 - Paul uses the human body as an illustration of his point regarding the faith or spiritual gifting. There are many parts to a human body and those parts are important parts because each part plays a role to serve and enable the whole to function well. In many cases when it comes to the human body, if one part doesn’t function, the whole body ceases to function as well.
The body part depends on the body for purpose and the body depends on the part for survival.
Vs. 5 -
The heart does not have a purpose outside of the body. The body does not survive very long at all, without the heart.
Vs. 6 - Paul then transitions to the concept of spiritual gifting. It is by God’s grace that we are gifted. And those God given gifts differ from each other. In fact, none who are believers in this room have the exact same gifting in the same way that another has.
I see this in the gift of preaching all the time...
In fact this is the gift that Paul starts with in this particular passage - the gift of Prophecy, or speaking prophetically...
Vs. 7 - He goes on to list other gifts that can be used in the body of Christ such as...
Service - Seeing to the needs of others. To give relief.
Teaching - instruction on the doctrine of God
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Exortation
Vs. 8 - Exhortation -
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Comfort, Comforter, Comfortless
paraklesis (παράκλησις, 3874), means “a calling to one’s side” (para, “beside,” kaleo, “to call”); hence, either “an exhortation, or consolation, comfort,”
Sharing - metadidomi (μεταδίδωμι, 3330), “to give a share of, impart” (meta, “with”), as distinct from “giving.” The apostle Paul speaks of “sharing” some spiritual gift with Christians at Rome, , “that I may impart,” and exhorts those who minister in things temporal, to do so as “sharing,” and that generously, 12:8, “he that giveth”; so in ; ; in he speaks of himself and his fellow missionaries as having been well pleased to impart to the converts both God’s gospel and their own souls (i.e., so “sharing” those with them as to spend themselves and spend out their lives for them). See impart.¶
W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 265.
Leadership - proistemi (προΐστημι, 4291), “to preside rule,” (Vines) and to do so with zeal or passion!
proistemi (προΐστημι, 4291), “to preside rule,”
Mercy -
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Compassion, Compassionate
eleeo (ἐλεέω, 1653), “to have mercy (eleos, “mercy”), to show kindness, by beneficence, or assistance,” is translated “have compassion”
And mercy is done with cheer!
Illustrate - Some spills coffee and the gifts come out...
My friends. Do you understand that the God of the universe has sovereignly picked a gift or gifts for you? You may have been given the gift of teaching, service, leadership, exhortation, sharing, or whatever and the expectation from God is that you use it! You do not receive his gift and sit on it. By the way, when you become a follower of Christ, you receive your gift. And I think it is a legitimate to ask God to reveal that gift to you.
And I will tell you, when you discover and grow in your gifting, you will flourish as a Christian!
And as good and fulfilling as it is for you to grow and flourish, when you discover and grow in your gifts, the church will grow and flourish as well!
God has you here for a reason and it isn’t to sit in this room once per week to sing some songs, hear a sermon, meet up with some friends and call it a day. NO!
God has gifted you for a purpose and that purpose is to bring glory to Him by strengthening this local congregation with the gift(s) He has sovereignly given you!
Angie and I have prayed that God would bring mature, gifted believers to ABC so that we can have a strong foundation that we might reach and disciple new believers for Christ.
God is answering this prayer and it is amazing to see Him work in our midst through you! Yes, God gifted you so He could use you as a tool in His grand and glorious toolbox.
The question is, are you willing to be used by Him? Because if you are not, you are demonstrating a love for self...
But if you are, well, that leads into the last point...
Review - A Giving Church is Made up of Faithful People
A Giving Church is Made up of Faithful People
Be a People who are faithful in sacrifice
2. Be a People who are faithful in function
3. Be a People who are faithful in LOVE (vs. 9-10)
Lead in…The Beatles wrote a song many years ago called, “All you Need is Love” and they were on to something! Take a look at what Paul has to say…
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
:9
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Explain -
Vs. 9 - It seems sad that Paul needed to tell the Roman to “Let their love be genuine” And I am not sure what his rationale was behind this other than our propensity, even as believes to put ourselves above others. And when it comes to spiritual gifts, we know from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, it is absolutely possible for believers to desire spectacular, self-aggrandizing gifts.
“Oh look at me, look at what I can do, I can speak in tongues, heal, etc!”or...
As a pastor, says that this role is a gift to the church. Well if the pastor is a glory hound, he can easily desire all the glory, credit and power for himself so as to feed his ego and fill his pockets!
9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.
What is the remedy for such a perversion of the use of gifting within the body of Christ?
Genuine, unadulterated, LOVE.
The kind of love that God demonstrates toward lost and ruined sinners who deserve eternal punishment.
How does God love? Sacrificially!
Think about it! What did you do to obtain the promise of eternal life? To be with Him in Heaven forever? Nothing!
Phillip Bliss understood Jesus’ profound sacrifice when he penned these amazing and beautiful words for the Hymn...
Hallelujah What a Savior
“Man of Sorrows!” what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
And so Paul command that believers are to abhor, hate detest, despise evil. Especially the self-exalting, prideful evil that so easily creeps into our hearts. We are to hate it and in fact, replace it with “what is good”. What is good? Paul tells us in verse 10...
10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Vs.10 - Do you know what kills pride and selfishness. Brotherly affection and showing honor to others. In regard to Love, Paul is referring to, not an agape love, rather a phileo love. In other words, a love that is manifested in kindness to one another.
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Vs. 11 -
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 12:9–10
Divine love is to be exercised with other believers. The Greek adjective philostorgoi, translated devoted, suggests family affection.
Vs. 12 -
Get the point? We are to have a genuine love for each other, a family kind of love for each other. “We’re Family”
After all, if we are in Christ, we are not simply body parts working together to make the machine of a local church, work, but we are in fact brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. And because of this we are to get along well!
And so we are to be faithful in LOVE - and we do that by rejecting evil, holding fast to good, love each other with a family kind of love, and we have an “in house competition” of honoring one another.
Why does Paul throw this thing in here about love? Because without genuine love, pride will grow in us indivually, giving us the false idea that we are more important than the other parts, and this will kill the body. As the old pop song says, it is “love that keeps us together.”
Illustrate - Imagine if your heart decides to get a superiority complex - “Nobody appreciates me and all the work I do around here! I would 24/7 and get no thanks whatsoever!” “This is ridiculous, I’m out of here!”
As I said earlier...
The body part depends on the body for purpose and the body depends on the part for survival.
The heart does not have a purpose outside of the body. The body does not survive very long at all, without the heart.
Apply - Christian, your purpose is found within the body of Christ! The body needs you and you need the body! And it is true and genuine LOVE that keeps us together.
Do you genuinely love the other parts of the body or do you look at them as competition? Do you help others to cultivate and use their gifts or do you want to be the top dog, not relinquishing your “area of ministry” because you are afraid someone might do it better? That’s not genuine love.
Or, on the other hand, maybe you are loving yourself too much and are fearful to put yourself out there because you might not be as good as someone else? Don’t allow your pride to keep you from serving and giving to God. God gave you that gift, and like the baby eagle, you won’t fully understand what you are meant to do until you jump out of the nest, flap your wings and begin to soar in the heavens.
Review - A Giving Church is Made up of Faithful People
People who are faithful in sacrifice
A Giving Church is Made up of Faithful People
2. People who are faithful in function
3. People who are faithful in love
Conclusion
2019 - You Are Gifted! - Know and Use Your Gift
What if everyone here caught this vision? What if we truly understood that God, from the foundation of the earth planned for you to be Spiritually gifted in a unique way to help equip and strength this particular body at this particular point in history? Personally, I think it is breathtakingly exciting to think of the potential!
Remember that picture of Uncle Sam pointing his finger and saying, “I Want You!”
Well, God is pointing His finger at you this morning and saying very clearly from His word that “He wants you to serve him with the gift He has given you.”
The question is, will 2019 be the year you discover and grow your gift for Him and His Church?