Romans 12:1-8 (Click scripture reference for audio access)
"A Fitting Reply" • 7.8.12 •
Sunday Morning Service, Calvary Christian Fellowship (First CCF Baptism)
Intro.
- If you have
not been with us, we have divided the book of Romans into 5 main sections, the fifth of which begins this morning.
- Romans 1:18-3:20 comprise the section
detailing the "Condemnation" of mankind before God. Romans 3:21-5 deals with the "Justification" of
believers in Christ before God.
- Romans 6-8 details the "Sanctification"
of believers by the Spirit of God and Romans
9-11 provides the "Vindication" of God's election,
which is an illustration of the faithfulness of God.
- This morning,
Paul opens up the subject of the believer's "Application" of the
mercies of God. Paul has spent eleven chapters talking about doctrine. These
next chapters detail our duty!
- Our duty is
laid out for us in 4 words that encapsulate the teaching in this section.
I. Response (v.1)
II. Resistance (v.2)
III. Resignation (v.3-5)
IV. Resource (v.6-8)
Text
I. Response (v.1)
• Romans
12:1 : "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service." : Paul puts himself in the
position of a beggar, urging or pleading with them and us to consider his
appeal. He will not command because we must willingly yield!
- All that has been written to this point has
led to a required response. Learning the truths of God's Word requires an
active response. "What should I do with this knowledge?" "How
shall I live?"
- The word "therefore" draws us back
to the wonderful truths that we have enjoyed throughout Romans, but especially
the last truth in chapter 11 regarding God's mercy to all.
- We are to act in light of these mercies. God
does not want us to act in any other way. He wants us to know His mercy and act
out of extreme gratitude, making a willing decision in our minds.
- We are to decide to present our bodies to
God. Like a priest offering a sacrifice, the believer is pictured as one who
brings his own body to lay on God's altar.
- When Paul uses the word "bodies,"
he refers to the entirety of our being. Everything that happens with you, happens
in your body!
- Sadly, most of what our "bodies"
want to do is opposed to what God wants to do! The person that we are, that
which is redeemed, is called upon to yield up our bodies to God.
- In Romans
6, Paul called us to present our bodies as instruments of righteousness,
meaning that our bodies are to be set apart and ready for His purposes!
- Our natural bodily inclination is to not be
presented, but preserved! We naturally look for the route that allows the most
of our desires to live and flourish. God wants it all!
- In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were
laid before the Lord then killed and on the Brazen Altar. The offering was then
consumed in the fire.
- God doesn't want us to be willing to die for
Him. He wants us to be willing to live for Him!
- That is reasonable to us and holy, acceptable
or well pleasing to God.
- The word "reasonable" comes from
the word for logic. This is our logical, sacred worship to the Lord! This is
our response! We have erred in the church by calling our songs a worship
service!
- Do you want to be well pleasing to God? Give
Him your body! Give Him all that you are! Declare yourselves "holy"
or "set apart" for His service! That is true worship.
- Our true worship service begins not when we
come to this place but when we leave this place! What happens here is a
celebration and continuation of what has been taking place.
II. Resistance (v.2)
• Romans
12:2 : "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God." : If our bodies are to be
presented to God, the engine of the body, the mind, must continually be
renewed.
- The mind needs to be renewed because of the
danger of conformity to this world or better translated, the age. We are not to
allow the patterns of this age to develop our sense of being.
- In this context, the word "age"
refers to that system of thought that is driven by the majority voice that is
not submitted to Christ.
˚ "The
floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses,
aims, aspirations at any time current in the world." Richard Trench
- This age has a form of logic and a way that
seems right to them. Their influence is the dominant influence in our ears.
- Consider how often you are influenced by the
world, versus how often you are influenced by the still small voice of God?
There is, on the whole, a staggering difference.
- While we live on this planet, we will
bombarded with humanistic ideas that settle unconsciously through repitition,
which in turn becomes easier to adopt as normative.
- The idea of conformity then is to be molded
into a person who fits the fashions of the world.
- One commentator translated freely translated
verse 2 like this: "Stop being squeezed into the mold of the world!"
Stop letting the world dictate what you think, look and act like!
- We are not to stand by while the influence of
the world shapes our thinking and living. Rather, we are to be transformed. We
are to be changed.
- Paul uses the word "metamorphoo,"
signifying a change in form, but not a change in being. I recall to your mind
the mount of transfiguration in Matthew
17.
- Jesus transfigured, metamorphosized, in front
of the disciples. His outer shell was moved aside and what He really was
underneath was exposed.
- Paul is saying, "Resist the world's
pressure to make you like them by letting what God is making you inwardly
govern your outer life!"
- How does that transformation take place? By
the renewing or renovating our mind.
- Our minds need renovation! There is a
constant need to remove clutter and waste and replace it with useful things! We
are to constantly measure what we are and what we do by the Word!
- It's much easier to become what the world
wants to make of us. It's much easier to sit idly by and be copied, but
renewing our mind is a vital exercise for living a sacrificed life.
- If we do not renovate our minds, we will not
be able to do what Paul marks as the goal. We are to prove, to test, to
scrutinise that will of God that He intends for our lives.
- He describes that will by using three words:
Good, acceptable and perfect.
- God's will for our lives is good or excellent
and honorable. It is acceptable or well pleasing to Him. It is perfect or
complete, lacking in nothing. It requires no further work. Nothing is left to
be done.
- The believer who willingly worships God,
whose mind is renewed, discerns and understands God's will for their lives. This
happens by resisting the pressure of this age.
III. Resignation (v.3-5)
• Romans
12:3-5 : "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is
among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to
think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one
body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in
Christ, and individually members of one another." : Paul can only say this by God's grace in his life. He was not
more than they were!
- He speaks this not from the authority of
experience, but because of the authority of grace.
- Everyone among the church, the believers
gathered in Rome, were to have an appropriate view of themselves. They are not
to think of themselves more highly than they ought!
- It's sad that even then in that first century
there was a problem with self-esteem! How much more today! Our natural consideration
from this age is to view ourselves in a very generous light.
- Paul rebukes this thinking, exhorting us
instead, to look at ourselves soberly, with proper judgment. We are to have a
moderate estimate of ourselves.
- Why? Because each one of us has been given
faith in some measure by God. God has literally distributed faith to each
person in the congregation.
- What you have comes from the Lord God! It has
been measured out to you. Think of it this way: You have the unique capacity to
hold a certain amount of faith.
- God has given you the appropriate measure
that you can hold. Whether it is more than another or less than another is not
within your pay grade to decide or understand!
- Every member of the body of Christ is
accountable to God for what God has given them. How futile is it then to puff
ourselves up with pride or look down on another?
- In fact, we are to look at ourselves not only
in a moderate light, but also in light of our use to one another. Consider Paul's
analogy. The church is likened to a body, an organism.
- This body has different parts or members,
each with it's own function. The hands function quite differently than the
ears. The legs are supposed to do much more than the tongue.
- One might conclude that the tongue is
unecessary because it does not work as hard as the legs, and yet, one would
never willingly part with their tongue!
- That is how we are to look at one another.
Not as a singular agent whose worth is determined by himself, but as a member
of a body with a function to perform within it!
- This is fascinating. Being conformed to the
world would naturally cause us to consider ourselves free independent agents,
assessing our worth on individual achievement.
- Paul is telling us that we are to reverse
that! We are dependant agents whose worth is in Christ, who gave Himself for
the church body, which we are to function in!
- We are to resign our allegiance to ourselves
and allow our loyalty to be toward the whole!
- Understand something here: Paul is not saying
that we have an option. If you are a believer and this is your home church, you
are a member of this body. The question is, "Are you functional?"
- You are to play a part that God has
sovereignly created for you to fill.
- The church that we have will always be based
on the obedience of it's members to join themselves to the whole.
- People often ask, "Why is the church at
large so powerless? Why is it often so lacking in production?" The answer
is that many in the body believe that their contributions don't matter!
- You are a member of the body. Please for the
sake of the rest of the body: Act like it!
IV. Resource (v.6-8)
• Romans
12:6-8 : "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given
to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our
faith; or
ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he
who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with
cheerfulness." : Paul mentions that each
body was to function individually and corporately. You have an individual gift
that serves the corporate whole.
- Each of us have different gifts, all of which
have been given to us. I cannot say that I have obtained a gift through talent
or through simple desire. God has given me a gift to use.
- The word "gift" comes from the word
"charisma." Grace is the root. One might say that grace has been
planted into each life and their exercise of grace is the fruit or the gift to
the church.
- Each of these graces, these gifts, are not
ours to enjoy, but ours to employ! We are to use them within the body. Paul
lists seven here that are meant to be a part of body life.
- He begins with the gift of prophecy. Prophecy
is the presentation of the purposes and the heart of God through the revelation
of scripture.
- It is the opening of God's Word and declaring
it to one another. I practice this within the context of our service on a
weekly basis, but we each practice it in our conversations as well.
- When you speak with one another and God
brings to mind a passage of scripture or a narrative from the scripture, you
are engaging in a prophetic act.
- Whenever this is practiced, it is to be
practiced in proportion with our faith.
• Romans
12:6 (NLT) : "So
if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as
God has given you."
- Prophesy knowing that what you are saying
comes from the Lord! Give it with that confidence and never be ashamed of what
God has given in His Word.
- Prophecy is directly related to the
perameters of God's Word. I can not have much confidence in something that I
have said unless it finds it's basis in the Bible.
- I
Corinthians 14:3 tells us that prophecy is useful for edification,
exhortation and consolation!
- One who operates in a gift like prophecy,
will love the Word and love speaking about it. It won't be forced.
- The next gift is ministry or service. The
word employed here gives us our English word "deacon." It refers to
one who executes the commands of another.
- One who has this gift looks to make another's
job easier. It is their delight to do that, or to make themselves available
toward that end.
- One might think that such a thing was natural
and yet, there are people who walk in and never notice their surroundings. They
think that everything that is set up was just always there!
- Not so with a deacon or deaconess! They are
constantly thinking ahead, looking for ways to improve other people's
experience with God.
- If you are gifted for service, get serving!
That is the force of the original! Serve when there is the opportunity.
- One who is a servant won't look for someone
to get them started. They will initiate. They will look for opportunities and
not look for approbation!
- The third gift Paul mentions is teaching.
This refers to a formal presentation of doctrines. One who is defined by this
term in ancient Greek culture would be a choral director.
- Prophecy and teaching are fairly closely
related. Might be considered reactive and improvised to the moment, whereas,
teaching is much more focused and structured.
- A teacher is one who does not just proclaim.
That person loves to learn and then loves to systematize thoughts into a flow
which allows a person to fully apprehend what has been said.
- A person with a teaching gift can't wait to
systematize doctrines that will help another grow in Christ! They want to put
it all out in order to train and ready others for service.
- They don't just want you to learn the music.
They want you to be able to sing it!
- The next gift is exhortation. The word is a
built from two words which can be translated "to call to one's side."
"Let me get beside you on this thing that you face."
- This word "exhortation" is
synonymous with encouragement or consolation. How vital is this gift in your
life? How often has a simple word of encouragement bolstered your day?
- Who hasn't been wonderfully affected by one
whose heart is to come alongside and drop a note or a card unrelated to
anything, that was simply an encouraging word?
- He
who does this, do it with your whole heart! Don't be afraid to bring someone
alongside!
- The fifth gift mentioned is that of giving.
In fact, this is "super giving!" It is sharing from one's resource,
whether that be financially, materially or regarding talent or treasure.
- Whatever he comes into, he looks always to
share it with others. He is always seeking a way to give away what he has. Paul
tells those with that gift to perform it with liberality.
- This word "liberality" is an
interesting translation. This person is liberal or generous because he is free
from pretence. He is not making a show of his giving.
- This person is giving with no regard for
reward, either financially or emotionally. He is not looking for strokes from
people or from God. He is just giving because that's what God has put in him!
- This person is the channel through which God
orders the resource to flow!
- The sixth gift is to lead. The same word is
considered a guardian. This is a person who has taken responsibility for others
in the body of Christ.
- These people are administrative geniuses,
looking at, planning for and anticipating details that nobody else has the
desire to consider!
- Paul tells them to lead with diligence or
more telling, zeal. It's his earnest priority, always keeping an eye on things,
seeking to improve the conditions of those who they lead.
- The final gift is the showing of mercy, pity
or compassion. This person has an eye toward people who are hurting, or are
outcasts.
- This person wonders who is ministering to the
homeless, the prostitutes, the strippers, the bed ridden, the tax collectors
and the lawyers!
- When they see someone of this nature, their
heart yearns for God to touch them and they look for ways to touch them for
Jesus!
- Paul says that it's a gift from God when it
is done with an attitude that is not begrudging the task. In fact, the word
"cheerfulness" is where we get our word "hilarious!"
- Do you see yourself here? How do you know
that you have any of these gifts? You naturally do them! Your heart cries out
"that's what I want to do!" Listen to Paul's words: "If this is
you, DO IT!"
Conclusion
- In light of God's mercies, you and I are to
respond with gratitude, giving all of ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice.
Does He have all of you right now, today?
- In light of God's mercies, you and I are to
resist the world's mold and allow the transforming of our inner man to come to
light!
- In light of God's mercies, you and I are to
resign our pride and self-centeredness, recognizing our God given place within
the local body of believers.
- In light of God's mercies, you and I are to
be a resource one to another, displaying the gifts that God has given us for
the mutual benefit of each other!
- This isn't for super spiritual Christians.
This is for everyone. This is a logical response and a sacred worship to our
God!
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