Romans 12:3-8: Living in the Community of Christ
Romans • Sermon • Submitted
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· 4 viewsGod's grace is expressed not only in his saving us from sin and death, but his saving us into a family and body in which we are gifted and expected to participate in order to build up the church, edify other Christians, and strengthen the gospel witness of the body of Christ.
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Introduction: God’s grace expressed in calling us into a community in which we participate
Introduction: God’s grace expressed in calling us into a community in which we participate
Tension:
-Individual vs. community
-Our culture is very much about the individual - identity and ambition revolve around individual people
-Other cultures throughout the world are rather communal - for example, South Korea
-The gospel is both individual AND communal
Let’s remind ourselves of the gospel:
The announcement that in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the triune God has acted decisively to reconcile the world to himself.
He has done this through Jesus offering his sinless perfect life as a substitute for ours on the cross, so that:
God can in his justice pour out his righteous wrath on sin in Jesus, who carried our sin for us
God can justify sinful humans by their faith in Jesus
This has two dimensions of implications for us
We are therefore saved FROM sin, death, and the just judgment of God
We are also saved INTO a kingdom, a family, a community, a body
We are given purpose and roles in this community
We are given gifts of jobs, roles, and purposes within the body of Christ
So when Paul says something like “by the grace given to me I say...” he is talking about how God in his grace has given Paul the role of apostle in the church, a leader, and so on that basis of God’s gracious gift to Paul, he speaks with authority.
Which is why Paul will often use the word “grace” as referring to jobs and roles that God gives his people
By his grace, God has saved us from sin
By his grace, God has given us a family and a purpose within that family
This is why the Christian life CANNOT BE LIVED ALONE - we are saved not just individually but corporately; we are saved INTO a body
Fundamental implication of this that we will explore today: every Christian is gifted by God to participate in the life of the community with purpose, for the building up of God’s people
So when we are talking about living out the faith that we profess, we are always talking about living it out in the context of relationships with other human beings, both those outside of the community and inside of it.
SO when Paul says something like, “by
What does life in the body of Christ look like? Here’s where we pick up in Romans 12:3.
I. Life in the body of Christ requires humility
I. Life in the body of Christ requires humility
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.
Romans 12:3
Do not think of yourself higher than you ought
A natural tendency of human beings is to think of ourselves centrally and first
In general this is true in all spheres of life
In particular with this context in , we often are proud and self-absorbed with regard to how we
But such self absorption has no place in the body of Christ
There is an insidious reality that the idea that everything orbits around us is a view that is rarely stated by often held - in other words, most people DON’T think that they think too highly of themselves - you esteem yourself however you esteem yourself and you assume how you do so is normal and natural
When we compare the gifts that we have been given to the gifts others have been given
Both jealousy and arrogance regarding gifting boil down to an essential over-estimation of my importance
Illustration: I do not have the gift of attention to detail - which means I get teased for leaving things everywhere, I WISH I HAD THE GIFT FOR DETAIL
What makes this idea difficult is that we often struggle to have the self awareness necessary to know if we think too highly of ourselves
Think of yourself with sober judgment
Take a long and careful look at yourself, and do this regularly
Practice self awareness
Ask others for honest input and the receive it
Let me ask some questions that might shed some light on how you esteem yourself
When you hear me say, “don’t think too highly of yourself,” does another person who does think too highly of themselves enter your mind?
Do you quickly assume without careful self reflection that you do not think too highly of yourself?
Do you compare your strengths and gifts to others?
When we compare the gifts that we have been given to the gifts others have been given
Do you think your gifts and strengths are more important than those of others? Less important?
Both jealousy and arrogance regarding gifting boil down to an essential over-estimation of my importance
Pride can be expressed as either arrogance or insecurity, two sides of the same coin
Arrogance says, “It’s all about me and how awesome I am”
Insecurity says, “It’s all about me and how terrible I am”
Humility says, “I have some gifts and strengths as well as some flaws and weaknesses, so I will leverage my strengths and by the grace of God work on my flaws, and I can do so openly and transparently because at rock bottom, this church does not rise or fall on my strengths and weaknesses”
Illustration: I do not have the gift of attention to detail - which means I get teased for leaving things everywhere, I WISH I HAD THE GIFT FOR DETAIL
Do you think your gifts and strengths are more important than those of others? Less important?
Do you regularly and transparently confess sin with your community?
If you don’t, it’s because either a) you just are really that awesome and don’t sin very much, or b) you refuse to practice transparency and vulnerability with brothers and sisters in Christ because you are proud
To what degree do you speak openly and transparently about your flaws and growth areas?
It takes humility and vulnerability to go beyond the vague statement “I’m not perfect” to specific areas of personal growth that the Lord is working on in you
Arrogance says, “It’s all about me and how awesome I am”
Pride acts as though I h ave no flaws
Insecurity says, “It’s all about me and how terrible I am”
Do you think, act like, or speak as if this community is fundamentally about you having a certain kind of experience?
What is the purpose of the church? Does the body of Christ orbit around me and my experience and preference?
The church exists to glorify God by participating with him in his mission of redeeming the world to himself by growing together as a body of Christ and living out a gospel witness in the world around us.
In a certain sense, the church exists for its non members as much as it exists for its members - that is to say, the church exists participate in the mission of God, which is to reconcile the world to himself. We do this by gathering together to be equipped and encouraged to scatter into the community every week to live out a gospel witness to our friends, coworkers, classmates, neighbors, families, and communities.
Do you act as though you have everything to teach and nothing to learn?
When you speak with people, do you truly listen to understand them or are you simply waiting until its your turn to speak?
I have to work really hard to listen well, because I have a tendency to believe that I am the smartest person in the room
Do you assume that you are the smartest person in the room at all times with nothing to learn from others?
Do you think that your gifts, insights and opinions are alone what the church needs to succeed and thrive?
If they would just do church MY WAY, everything would be great!
Think of yourself with sober judgment
Take a long and careful look at yourself, and do this regularly
Practice self awareness
Ask others for honest input and the receive it
Ultimately, we esteem ourselves according to faith
Not a quantity of faith, but a content of faith - we are supposed to esteem ourselves simply in light of our faith in Christ
God has reconciled us all back to him through faith in Christ
We were reconciled to God not by our work and merit but by God’s free gift of grace received through faith
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
We were reconciled to God not by our work and merit but by God’s free gift of grace received through faith
We were brought into the body of Christ through faith, and we stand fast only through faith
This is important: IT IS NOT OUR GIFTS that gives us value in the family of God, but our faith in Jesus that God esteemed us highly enough to offer as payment for our sin the ultimate price
Transition: Life in the body of Christ is characterized not by self-absorption by by humility.
But we do not possess these gifts as a result of our greatness but instead of his free mercy
We have absolutely nothing that was not given to us as a gift, therefore we cannot boast
II. Life in the body of Christ requires unity
II. Life in the body of Christ requires unity
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.
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.
As in one body
We have many members
And the members do not all have the same function
So we
Are many
We are diverse
We have different functions
Gifts, roles, personalities
Are one body
We are unified
Because we are one body IN CHRIST
We are united to Jesus by faith, and are therefore united to each other by our common faith
The basis of our unity is being in Christ
Old saying: “The ground at the foot of the cross is level”
And are individually members of each other
We all exist for the benefit of the body of Christ
Therefore, we belong to each other, and our gifts belong to each other
Again, none of us in this body exists to satisfy our own preferences or desire for a particular experience; we exist to edify and build up the body of Christ
And even this has a purpose; the building up of our body is not just for the sake of building up our body, but for the purpose of our church engaging with God in his mission to reconcile the world back to him - we exist individually in this community to build up this community so that this community would have a strong gospel witness in the city of Redmond, in Deschutes County, and further.
We exist as a community with one unified purpose; to glorify God by participating in his mission to reconcile the world to himself. How do we do this?
III. Life in the body of Christ requires the wise use of our gifts
III. Life in the body of Christ requires the wise use of our gifts
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.
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.
Romans 12:
We all have different gifts
This is self apparent, so much so that Paul simply states it without defending or explaining it
More importantly, WE MUST USE THEM
If you have gifts for building up the church and are not using them, you are actually living in disobedience to God
Three important implications of this
No one person has every gift required for a healthy, thriving church
I DO NOT have every gift required for the health and robust gospel witness of this church
Every Christian is gifted by God to build up and edify the church to strengthen its gospel witness
Therefore, if any member of the church is not using his or her gifts to build up the church, the church will be lacking
Our church will be whole, complete, and healthy with a strong witness for the gospel to the degree to which we are able to mobilize every member of this community use their gifts for the building up of the church and the strengthening of its gospel witness
In other words, every member of this community that is NOT engaged in using their gifts to serve the church means that our church is incomplete and lacking
Summary: We need EVERY PERSON mobilized and engaged in serving this community in the ways that God has gifted them
Examples of gifts given for the building up of the church
This is not a complete or exhaustive list
There are several “lists” of spiritual gifts in the new testament, and none of them perfectly match
Therefore, none of these lists can be taken as exhaustive, but rather should be viewed as descriptive examples
Spiritual gifts are not personality traits - often people want to turn this into a “spiritual gifts inventory” that essentially looks like a pseudo-spiritual personality test
I think people gravitate toward this because we are desperate to know who are
But that’s not what Paul is doing here; he’s talking about roles in the church that God has uniquely gifted people for, and it’s not based upon personality but upon the grace of God to call and equip us for service
Comments on Paul’s list here
Prophecy - some people are gifted at speaking the word of God to his people
In the OT, the prophets were people who reminded the people of Israel what they had committed to in covenant relationship with God according to the Torah, and rebuked them for not living according to the covenant
The basic idea is that God has given certain people the ability to speak the truth of God’s word in such a way that it intersects with life in a convicting and challenging sort of way
Prophets can only speak “according to the faith” - there is a definite article
In other words, prophets speak according to the teachings of scriptures, the faith that we all adhere to.
Prophets simply make the word of God
We need prophets in our community who teach the scriptures in such a way to call people to lives of faithful obedience to Jesus
Service - the ability to delight in and commit to ordinary tasks that must be done in the life of the church
Teaching - helping people understand difficult to understand ideas, doctrines, teachings, scriptures, theology
Exhorting - encouraging people to practically live out the teachings of scripture in everyday life, to come alongside people in real life to give practical encouragement toward faith and obedience
Contributing - this has in mind financial support of the church
Everyone should participate in contributing to the needs of the church
Some are uniquely blessed and gifted for this, to do so with more available resources
The greek word translated to “generosity” is more accurately rendered as “single-mindedness”
Not giving to receive a favor in return or to exert influence over, but for the sole purpose of cheerfully and generously giving to the needs of the body
Leadership - the gift of energetic, passionate, visionary leadership in the community
Acts of mercy - the gift of coming alongside with those in difficult and painful circumstances with cheerful joy
“The word clearly points to something far from a grim determination to get through an unpleasant task. The person who has this gift is to be ‘radiant with joy.’ Mercy is not a grim duty but a joy and a delight.
The overarching point is that God in his grace has not only saved us FROM sin and death but has saved us INTO a community, a family, a body in which we are given a role and expected to participate.
Therefore, if you are in Christ, part of his body, YOU ARE GIFTED by God in different ways for the purpose of building up the body of Christ, that we might be a mature community with a robust and effective gospel witness in our city and beyond.
The gifts that our church possesses might not be all in this list - this is not a comprehensive list, and you might be gifted in ways that you don’t see on this list. THAT’S OK, Paul’s main point here is to USE the gifts God has given rather than to try to list an exhaustive group of gifts
So how do I know what my gifts are and what I should be doing to serve God’s people?
Ask some good questions
What am I good at?
What do I delight and have joy in with regard to serving the people of God?
What do I have that God could leverage for his mission and kingdom?
What do I have a sense that I should get involved in and participate in?
What needs does the church have? Where could I help?
We believe that God has given us everything necessary for a faithful and effective gospel witness here
Which means that we believe God is always at work bringing together the needs of his people with people who can meet those needs
Having asked some questions and reflected deeply, get involved
DO SOMETHING
Something is better than nothing, even if you need to try a couple of somethings before you get the right one
Receive feedback
If you try something and you thrive and get good feedback, chances are you are onto something and should develop and refine this gift
If you try something and it doesn’t work, it’s ok; listen to wise and gentle feedback that says, “hey maybe not this area”
Try something else
Conclusion
Conclusion
By the grace of God in the gospel, we are not only saved from sin and death, but we are saved into a community, a family, a body that we have purpose in, that we are expected and empowered by the Holy Spirit to participate in.
Let us take communion to celebrate and recognize that we have been adopted into the body of Christ by the blood of Christ.
Let us resolve in this to participate in the life of the community for the building up of the church so that we would have a mature community with a strong gospel witness in our city.