Finding Your Place
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Introduction
Introduction
The Greek author Ovid wrote a parable about a hunter named Narcissus, who happened to see his own reflection, fell in love with it and stared at it until he died. Of course, based on this story, the kinds of people who engage in shallow self-worship, constantly seeking the praise of others in shallow relationships, risk avoidance dnf self aggrandizement.
Today the sons and daughters of Narciusses do not have to die. They have selfies and Uber Eats. Here is the cycle: we are allowed to become more and more independent of each other, so the social fabric breaks down. In the absence of those community ties, people feel isolated and lonely, so they crave superficial attention and praise. The social fabric breaks down more, ad infinitum.
As amusing as it may be to blame social media, the only reason that those products were successful is that they tapped into a deep flaw in the human condition: self-worship. Of course, as I have told you many times, there is a sense in which deep depression is the same thing. If I am overwhelmingly proud of myself, it is because I think of how wonderful I am all the time. If I am anxious and discouraged, it is because I think of how terrible I am all the time. But either way, it is me that I am thinking about all of the time. Everything in our society assumes that you will be the center: the only issue is the details.
That’s where our big idea comes in this morning.
Big Idea: We are all parts of a greater whole.
Big Idea: We are all parts of a greater whole.
Would you turn with me in your Bible to Romans 12:3-8?
Last week, we started a new series that will take us through the end of Romans: Practical Christian Living. We say that we are called to make ourselves living sacrifices for God, who are transformed by the Bible, instead of conformed to the pressure of this world. We talked about how the pressure of this world is the one word slogan: “I.”
The rest of this series is going to tell us how we can live this out, in the church, in our families and in our society. We already know how to live for us, but learning how to break that pattern takes work. A healthy church and a healthy family are the two greatest tools you can have for a God-honoring life. You need community, and your community needs you.
Let’s see that spelled out. Would you stand with me?
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
I see this text in three sections for how we should live our lives, as people whose minds have been transformed by the Word of God and the grace of God. First:
The Right Perspective
The Right Perspective
Explain:
One of my favorite episodes of any TV show was from The Dick Van Dyke Show., called “The Night the Roof Fell In. For research purposes, Colleen and I watched it in bed last night. It tells a story of Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore having a fight, then telling their friends their version of what happened. Of course, they were each the heroes of their story. Aren’t we all? The episode ends with their goldfish describing the fight. Of course, they both came in with a bad attitude and things spiraled out of control. It is all a matter of perspective.
Most of us are emotionally farsighted. We can see guilt and innocence in others, but not ourselves. Sometimes people say that in a half proud way “I know what everyone else should do, I just can’t run my own life.” But that is the mark of immaturity. It means we don’t see ourselves clearly. Look what Paul says:
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
God does not want us to think too highly of ourselves, that is the mark of the world. But, His answer is not to think of ourselves as poorly as we can imagine. It is to think soberly. One writer explained that our temptation is to be an egoholic, and we need to sober up. If you described yourself, would a neutral coworker recognize you?
God gives a very simple standard for judging ourselves: our faith. As we are going to see in the following verses, the way my faith expresses itself and the way that your faith expresses itself will be different. We are different people with different lives and different gifts. But if I live a life where I trust God with what He has given me, I can count myself a success. If I don’t, the rest is trash.
Remember, we are parts of the whole. That puts it in perspective, and ideally protects us from excessive self-love or self-pity.
Illustrate:
Imagine that you are a fish swimming around in a rectangular tank. One day, you notice the four sides of the tank arguing about which side is the most important. You might, fairly, be confused. You might make a face like this:
Goldfish Slide
Goldfish Slide
As far as I know, this is not the same goldfish from the Dick Van Dyke Show. Each of them is essential. There is no room for self-loathing, because the other three sides cannot hold the water in without you. But there is no room for pride either, because you cannot hold the water in without the other three sides! No side of a fish tank is useless, and no side is supreme.
When, as Christians, we puff ourselves up or do not view ourselves with sober judgment, whether we are drunk on ego or self pity, God must look at us with the same expression. We are parts of a whole, and need to have enough perspective to know that we matter, and so does everyone else.
Argue:
This pushes up against our society’s values of self-determination and rugged individualism. But, there is no biblical room for those attitudes. God is clear that the Christian life is about generous dependence. Generous, because we are all open handed to give our gifts to others. Dependent, because we know that those things we have are gifts, and ultimately come from Another.
Apply:
Hold on, and let’s see how Paul applies this.
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Explain:
So we must have the right perspective, and we also need the right position.
The Right Position
The Right Position
This is a metaphor for the church which the Bible uses several times. The thought here is of how we, who have been saved by God’s grace, should live together in our church family. It pushes against our individualism, because God has invited us to become part of a new people, and taught us that we need them and they need us. There is diversity, just like a body has diversity, but there is also unity. Every member belongs to every other. Many, yet one.
We all better figure out what we are, and get where we belong.
Illustrate:
Our body has a heart, lungs, a liver, kidneys and a brain. Which part is the best? That’s goofy. Without a heart, there is no blood for the other parts. Without lungs, the blood is dead and useless. Without a brain, you can’t do anything except run for political office.
If one part does not do its job, the whole body suffers (often fatally). If one lung calls in sick or calls in lazy, the liver cannot pick up the slack. Each part is distinct, and specially gifted for a unique task.
Argue:
Apply:
The Right Priority
The Right Priority
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Explain:
Each of these jobs must be done in the correct way. We are probably all called to each of these 7 in some way, but there is also a special gifting for some.
Prophecy - speaking for God, based on faith
Ministry - means “deacon,” servant (explain role of deacon). If you are a servant, just get to serving!
Teaching - conveying information, just do it!
Exhorting - encouraging/challenging, just do it!
Gives - with sincerity. Not two-faced, self-serving.
Ruleth - leads, with faithfulness. The greatest responsibility of pastors, husbands, parents, bosses is reliability. Flywheel.
Mercy - cheerfulness. Not a bad attitude about a good thing
Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive G. Mercy
Bill Gothard illustrated all these gifts, I think, wonderfully. He just imagined a dinner party. And, the dessert is being served, and the dessert slips off the tray. Let me show you how all these different gifts would work together. The person who has the gift of prophecy might say, “You know, that’s what happens when you’re not careful.” A person who has the gift of mercy says, “Hey, hey, don’t feel bad. That could’ve happened to anybody.” The person who has the gift of service says, “Here, let me help you to clean it up.” The person who has the gift of teaching says, “Well, you know, it fell because it was too heavy on one side.” The person who has the gift of exhortation says, “Hey, let’s serve the dessert next time with the meal.” The person who has the gift of giving says, “I’ll buy a new dessert.” The person who has the gift of administration says, “Jim, you get a mop. Sue, please help to pick it up. Mary, you go fix some more dessert.” Now look—all of that just happens in the church. You see, all of those are needful; all of those are necessary; all of those are valid.