Romans 12 (Part 2) KeysTo Serving God

Romans 12:3–8 ESV

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.

Verse 3 continues on the idea of renewing your mind.

Philippians 2:3 ESV

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Each gift that God has given He provides grace and faith to operate in that gift. Grace is the provision, power, and ability to operate in that gift and its done through faith.

There is different types of grace and which will determine what kind of faith is needed.

Saving grace requires saving faith. Healing grace requires healing faith. Grace for prophecy requires faith for prophecy. Serving grace requires serving faith.

I have faith for when I get behind the pulpit that teaching grace will be there to meet my faith.

William Booth

William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army was a Evangelist and early in his work of ministry he would go to the slums and preach to the poor, addicted, and homeless.

He would get them saved and gather a crowd and bring them to church. One day they burst into church in the middle of a service, just following the fourth hymn, and seated themselves in the front row - the best seats in the house. William enjoyed service immensely, but at the end, the Reverend Samuel Dunn cam down not to congratulate William but to reprimand him.

The Reverend directed Williams gaze to a row of seats tucked away behind a partition in the back of the chapel, out of sight and virtually out of earshot of the preaching and pointed to the obscure side door that provided access to these seats.

The reverend told William that the front rows in which he had seated his guests were reserved for those who cold contribute to the cause of Methodism. The poor he said were to enter through the side door and sit in the back seats.

The renting and selling of your place in church pews was common practice back then with the United Methodist. "Free" Methodists opposed the renting and selling of church pews, a common practice that effectively disenfranchised the poor, relegating them to the benches in the back of the sanctuary. (John Wesley had clearly demonstrated a desire to reach and include the poor and downtrodden.) Free Methodists called for free seats for all and emphasized tithes and offerings - not income collected for seating or raised through bake sales and such - to support the church's ministries.

He said they were by all means welcome to attend every service, but they were to stay out of the way and were not to interfere with the other parishioners enjoyment of the service

William accepted the rebuke humbly, but this snobbery was the beginning of the end of Williams association with the Methodists.

Jesus Revolution

Jesus Revolution tells the story of “one of the greatest spiritual awakenings in American history.” In the late 1960s, the Vietnam War raged, the country was badly fractured and, partially in response, the free-love and drug culture found its epicenter in California. In the movie, Chuck Smith, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, is introduced to a hippie evangelist named Lonny Frisbee.

At Chuck’s invitation, the hippies and surfers start flooding the tiny church. They find they’re not welcome. People worry about their influence on kids … about the way they dress … about the carpet getting dirty.

many of the older, more conservative members clashed with the young hippies that Smith was welcoming in, disagreeing with them regarding their views on life and religion. Some of the older members even quit the church. Young people gave Calvary Chapel Church new life and many new members. However, at the same time, they were altering traditional Christian worship by blending it with their hippie sensibilities, which certainly had its detractors.

Then Lonny delivers a line that lands like thunder:

“They’re sheep without a shepherd – chasing hard after lies. And the trouble is, your people reject them. So I ask you, pastor: How can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? We can only walk through doors open to us. And your church? Well, that’s a door that’s shut.”

This movie is about the 1960s, but it aims squarely at today’s American church. We’re deeply divided over politics, but it’s more than that. Some are frightened. Angry. Forever lamenting that the country is going to hell.

Romans 12:9–21 ESV

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. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Abhor evil not evil people. Hate the sin but love the sinner.