Romans 12-The Sons of God & The Father's House
God is good.
Have you noticed that? You can't out good.
Almost feel like you're in a competition sometimes where, you know, maybe it's maybe it's your spouse or your parents. But get it almost like a situation where every time they do something good, you try to do something better and you're trying to like out out serve each other. Give it up, good. We are today going to launch into the body of Christ. One of the most important topics in all of scripture for a Christian in this age of the body of Christ than Christ through the holy spirit. Makes us more like Christ. And it is in and through the body of Christ that the children of the kingdom of God, Advanced the kingdom of Our Lord.
Everything that Christians are called to do. Requires local churches to get it done. It can't be done simply on a International or national Reven Regional well, the only way the people become children of God. The people get saved is one child of God. Sheridan Community with one loss person. How to know Jesus. It all hinges on the work of the body of Christ. That's almost frightening, isn't it? When I Think about what what it means. If we as the children of God fill the mission from God through the church. Right.
If not us, who, if not, now when it, we don't tell the world. That Jesus loves them enough that he died to save them. The design dasilva. Then who will?
End. Romans chapter 12, like to call your attention. Romans chapter 12, 2, verse 3, which I don't, we read last week, but I want to start by reading first free again, or I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you not think of himself more highly than he ought to think.
What kind of goes with the real talk?
What does a soberly according as God, that every man, The Measure of Faith, as we have many members, one body, and all members and not the same office. Do we bring Maddie are one body in Christ and everyone members one of another Djinn ring, according to the grace that is given to us whether prophecy lens prophesy according to the proportion of Faith Ministry. Let us. Wait on are ministering or he let them do it with Simplicity with dealerships, that show with Mercy with cheerfulness, let love be without the simulation for that, which is evil leave to that, which is good because only affection one to another with brother. in honor, preferring one another wow, there is a common thing that we all say. Now, there's a lot to unpack here.
Or 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, if every man, The Measure of Faith, dive into that someone deeply again as a launch pad to what begins a score, then the setup for the introduction of the topic of Christ's body. The church, it is Don't think more of yourself than you ought to think. But think seriously, soberly Let's let your faith in God's plan for you. Be how you think about you. It's also important than that. We don't think we're useless that we don't think we're meeting. You know, there's never been a person. ever anywhere that God created by accident, then one Anyone remember the last time that God had an accident but God did something unintentional. That's never happened. Like I often say, has it ever occurred to you? Nothing ever referred to God. Right, or whatever.
When we did the job, it is important. It is important that we think of him in those terms. I mean, I like to think that my wife Leticia is a planner organized and she is But she's got nothing. I've got.
From before the creation of the world, he didn't sit around in eternity. Thinking up. All the plans he was going to do. She always knew from eternity to Eternity, but he was going to create you.
It's a it's a strange reality when we think about where does the Free Will of my parents in the Providence of God. Oh, God knew they were going to come together, but, you know, every time a couple comes together doesn't necessarily result in the creation of a person.
Think about that. God chose to make you jealous to make you in His image, because he wanted not just something from you. But something for you, if you wanted to see you become his child, a son or daughter of the Living God, and he wanted to stamp His Image in you, and let you experience the joy and peace and love to come from knowing him. He wanted you to be everything that you could be, everything that you were made to be. And then he gave you. Two important institutions to help you become all that. You could be. What is your family? And the second is your church. There can be no doubt that one Paul speaks of the body of Christ means the church. The local assembly of Christians gathered together in a covenant to carry out, Christ's mission to bring Salvation to the world around them, particularly in their Community First. And then, to the uttermost part of the work,
How do we know that? Well, because both in Ephesians 1 and in Colossians 1 Paul says three times in those two chapters that the body of Christ is the church
So when he says think soberly according as God has dealt to every man Measure of Faith, understand he wants you to believe in yourself because you believe in his plan. And his power is Passion that his plan for you is the best you. You could be. But his power means you can be that and his passion for you is that he only wants what is absolutely best for you and he alone think about this, not your parents, not your friends, not your brothers, not your sister's not your government. Not your pastor, not even your church knows what is best for you. Absolutely without question, you know why? I don't know what tomorrow holds. But I do know who holds tomorrow.
He knows what is absolutely best, absolutely right for you. And he has such passion for you. But he wants you to become. He wants you to do that. He want you to fulfill that mission for which you are make.
So launching into that verse 44, 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.
That was kind of.
It literally could take years to wrap our brains around everything. It says in those Converse
for, as we have many members in one body, the many and the one. A church of our side. We might say the few and the one. That's okay. You were growing.
Many members in one body in this, so clearly speaks.
In the body of Christ, is supposed to be a broad-based coalition of divorces forces. When did Spain gave everybody in the church was just like me?
Yeah, I agree.
Imagine if we had a whole church. Preachers who were called to be lead pastor.
Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? We're just like me.
Did the package was that everyone? Everyone but one would be redundant and meaning right by me, we might get more done but it would just be more of the same thing.
Diversity. Many Unity One. Many members, one by Put a pin in that ring and come back to that nudity fit in a moment. But all members of not the same office. So we being many are one body of Christ and everyone members. One of another So here we are in the house of God. the father's house and in the father's house, we Are here in the body of Christ.
And notice that our text says, we are members one of another or as we have many members in one body and all the members have not the same office,
For as we have many members in one body and all the members have not the same office, but is he say after that?
First five. So we being many are one body in Christ and everyone members one of another I think that's an important thing that God is trying to get us to recognize so we don't forget it.
Okay.
What it says in. There we go. Look at what it says in verse 4 and verse five. And think about it for a moment. Where would you be? if you didn't have, A church.
How hard would it be to follow Jesus? You were following him all alone. Let me pose a question. going to,
Going to get personal with everyone just for a moment. Have you ever been shattered? I mean, where you felt like, you didn't know if there was any reason for you, not to move to another country and change your name and pretend the person you used to be never existed. Never felt like you were abandoned by Family by loved ones. Have you ever been betrayed?
Okay, with that around. Have you ever abandoned family and friends? Have you ever betrayed someone, have you ever been broken? Are the things that you did. and know that there was really no way you could ever just undo
How hard would it be if you were the only one that you knew who was in that condition and you were trying to do this journey of discipleship? This becoming all by yourself. Without someone to say, I'm a few steps ahead and I can tell you it gets better. without someone to come along and say, I'm a few steps behind Can you show me the way?
without a without a spiritual family. To wrap your arms around when you're pretty.
You know, we don't all have the same interest, we don't all have the same table.
Many of us are students of history, but we look at history from the different perspective and often focus on different. My wife and I both have advanced degrees in history. But whereas my focus is, the ancient world. Hers is the modern, I mean, modern by the standards of someone.
I mean, if it's, you know, in the last Thousand Years,
Brother. Dave, some of our interests overlap, sometimes he starts talking and all I'm hearing is blah blah blah. Yada yada yada. No, I'm listening intently but what he says to me or at least unfamiliar to me.
Do so true that we have different stories.
My story isn't the same as your story. But they're really common threads woven into the tapestries of our diversions lights, right? I mean, even even those of us to live life and do life together,
We divert. We don't experience the exact same thing, the exact same moment. Every moment of every day, I think about the people in the room. You been doing life with the longest
Whitney and I are doing life together for about 40 years.
That's a really long time.
You would think that if I'd known her since she was four years old, that we would have gone through the same stuff.
But our stories are distinct. And the distinctiveness of our stories is part of what makes us who we are. It's also part of what from here. To become who we are becoming.
Is there a?
Is there a a path? That you could walk. Let's seems less scary. Because you are alone.
Where does it seem like in the company of others? Who feel more safe? More secure, and even dare. I say it makes the journey more
So, we are here in the body of Christ. We've been studying, Romans, and we come to this place where we're talkin about being consecrated, as the chosen vessels of God in the body of Christ, as the sons of God, and today, were the sons of God, and the father's house, especially what it says that we are members. One of another, in verse 5. So we being many
Are one body in Christ. And everyone members. One of another
So, let's let's use the illustration of the body. Bruh moment. Have you ever had a toothache?
You ever held a teething child, trying to get some Orajel in their mouths without losing fingers.
Isn't it amazing? How much a small member of your body like a tooth can make life unlivable?
Give me a call out from work because your your your face hurts so bad from the swollen tooth, you just couldn't function.
you go to the dentist and the dentist says,
probably going to have to do a root canal.
And you're so relieved. Right now, he's going to make it all better with a root canal. So you call back to work and say
Right.
You ever had a wisdom tooth?
All four of mine are gone. I had two that were quote blocked from a rupture, so that means they fully developed in the gun talk about painful.
another example you ever stub your toe, Ever tell you about the time when I was very, very young in a previous century. I was holding in my hand. My Red Ryder pellet BB gun and there were a my finger was on the trigger. And I turn around, turn around and did that thing, you know, like you seen the movie, Sometimes where you, you bring the weapon down, except my finger was on the trigger and I shot pellet into my big toenail, right at the bottom of the toenail. I lost a toenail by the way. They grew back I'll tell you what though having
Is one of the most painful experience I've ever had.
so, may I share with you, That's what it's like being part of a church when you hurt Weaver. When you rejoice, we rejoice, when you suffer, we suffer, when you succeed,
It's really more than a team and more than a family. It's something unique and creation that God has made in the kingdom of God. Where the members of God's family, gatherings and become a part of a majestic. Mystical mysterious Body an organism and an organization.
A body of Christ. It's incredible to me. That God would do this for us. Members, one of another.
Most of us in this room who are on Facebook, are part of a common route chat. I created hope we are hated and we try to keep it from shattering news of the day events in pop culture, or you know, what's happening in the world around us and focus on things that are relevant to us as a body. And significant prayer request. That we need for Urgent, prayerful.
I like to watch the reactions when someone makes a friend request.
She's a little emojis of the holding hands popping up. You see people getting light to see people getting love. You see. People responding with words. Doesn't really matter to me how you respond on the Facebook chat so much as you signal to the person who made the request you been her. And now, we will be heard in heaven. Because we work together, carry your burden to our father. Members, one of another.
no, it does have some
not always positive side effects, right? When you go off the reservation as they say,
My Cherokee brake great-grandmother would say. When you get out of line. It kind of hurts all.
And it causes us. To be like Jesus who goes after the one sheep and leave the ninety and nine they're safe and phone to pursue and some hot chocolate, right?
Knock it off. Not it. This is Unbecoming and it's harmful to you. And the people around you. Members, one of another.
It also says, in verse five, where is a in one body. And all the members have not the same office. Well, that's interesting. All the members of not the same office, the body of Christ at different offices and with those offices.
Wouldn't it just be ridiculous? if the entire church were nothing but a choir and an orchestra, everyone played an instrument everyone sang but no one did anything.
There was no teaching except for the words in the song. There was no ministering to our community or two each other. We just sat around and played and sang. Set up a church. We were jam session. Although I will say be kind of cool to have choir. I've always thought it would be cool to have like a full Orchestra with a big band sound 1945 and you know more of us more of a Jazz Ensemble fire than You know, precious me.
The but what makes, what makes a Choir performing with an orchestra work?
You also need a whole lot of people know their parts and do them well.
It really is helpful. If you don't have a baritone like me singing Alto or soprano, it's helpful in a choir.
If you're distraught. Stays on tempo. And doesn't get out of sorts of this. This this group is like three knows behind this group in the choir can't follow because the orchestra
so, also might be the body of Christ, we have different offices,
Different. Yes, you have one body for even as we have many members in one body and all the members have not the same office
Julie, interesting. I wonder sometimes if we might be overlooking each other, what are text says again? Inverse X having them gifts differing. According to the grace, that is given to us whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of Faith Ministry, mordida teaches on teaching or even exora van exhortation, he that giveth let him do it with He's a true it with diligence that show with Mercy with cheerfulness.
Do we ever perhaps have a tendency to overlook each other? Notice that these gifts are not miraculous caps, but Ministry. You didn't need the laying on of the hands of a televangelist.
You didn't need a miraculous manifestation like an angel coming to your bedside. You were simply called by God to a place in his plan and you were equipped through the Holy Spirit to do your part. As a member of the body, every member is significant. After all. You can function. Without your left arm. But you don't function quite as completely as you do with both are right? You can function with only one kidney for a while, but it will certainly affect your quality of life and perhaps.
It often seems like many people in our world around us. Mostly those closest to us are functioning with only half a brain.
Show me, right? Sometimes it seems like our children might be functional without any ears or eyes.
Wouldn't it just be great if everyone? In the body appreciated, everyone else.
What is it after Joe said, what is just maybe? Is it possible? Not everything is not about me.
I said, stop. Notice these Ministry gifts that are listed in these verses with me prophesying. This, I think from the context is the position of the word for giving a new revelation from God, but actually the word throughout scripture is more.
Simply explaining or expounding the Revelation that God has already given us prophesying. Appreciate those who are
Notice, it doesn't say good morning.
while it is true that those things are helpful, the reality is this, What we preach. Is actually more important than how good we preach.
I preach what I believe and what I believe is the word of God, I believe the word of God. The Bible is, in fact, a revelation that the over it down. We're giving it by the Holy Spirit and that he spoke through them using their own language. Experience has their own vocabulary, even their own inflection. And I mean that in The Writing Center,
But if you go from Genesis to Revelation, you will clearly see. The overarching hand of a single author shining through over fifteen hundred years. The Bible was in the making and in that fifteen hundred years, it was written in different countries. It was written by people who were born in different countries and spoke different languages. We don't even know what language do I wrote Jobe originally in the oldest book of the Bible. For all, we know it could have been Arabic. Or some ancient Sumerian or ancient Chaldean tongue. what we do know is, We received it from the Hebrews. and the Israelites, the Hebrews gave it to us in Hebrew and we translated in
Who was born in Israel? Though, he was an Israelite. His primary language was actually Greek not Hebrew. And you can see the difference in the writings of Paul and Lou.
from those who were like, Simon Peter or Matthew Levi who are raised in Israel and spoke Aramaic as their primary language. You can see that they handled the Greek of the New Testament, different Yet it all of it, you see this symmetry because the thoughts, the ideas to prove that our Express are consistent from beginning to end. And I don't know that I can find any words to describe that accept miracle. Because I can't imagine getting 40 creatures into one room and getting them to agree on how to write one letter. That was 10 pages. They all spoke the same language and they all have the same idea and they all wanted and they were all sitting in the same room at the same table, talking to each other about it and they all took a piece of paper and wrote it out. I don't think you get that kind of agreement.
Not the kind you see in scriptures. So what should the preachers be doing? They should be preaching and preaching according to their faith in the word of the Living. God,
Ministers discernment. Notice it. It says he that Minister not necessarily the ministers, in the sense of the clergy or the Elders of the church. What we're talking about here is simply those who are called to be servants.
Is in and out of itself. A gift from God, serving is not necessarily something that comes natural to us, is it? Often often when we are being servants, we're expecting the law of reciprocity to be fulfill, our natural. Most people, if we are doing something nice for someone, we kind of expect them to at least, say, thank you, if not do something for us and return natural.
But some people are just natural-born. Servants. And other people, when they are called by God, have to be taught by the Holy Spirit house. Right. Ministers be servant. Your gift is being a servant. Is your calling?
Then sir.
teachers be teaching, I want that a teacher come to me and say, I don't want to stop teach you, but I really need a break. Is that okay? And I said, you know, it's funny, you bring that up because I was Planning in the next couple weeks to have that conversation with you.
The part of the job of a pastor used to protect us from burning out, right? And I said, why don't we start with? Take the summer off. And as we get close to the school year, we'll talk about whether you are ready to return. She said, I don't want to be replaced. I said
Isabel. That's a long time. Yeah, there's a reason a sabbatical is about 3 months. I need time to reset. and also,
Also to freshen your mind and heart and your imagination so that you can have fresh ideas, right? Especially if you're teaching children but it's a whole lot more fun than teaching, Robbie, grown-ups teaching children to do children's classes because you can get children to like dress up and act out Bible stories.
You can, you can get them to play games to help them, learn and memorize things. Most grown-ups are, right? Grown-ups are grumpy, that's all I'm saying. Teachers be teaching This is one of my favorite exhorters sword. Another way to say that it's the cyclers disciple, we sometimes get too narrow in our definition of Bible words. And what I mean by that is we're always looking for a one word English equivalent to a word from the original language. Right? Is a pretty good translation of the word, from the original language of the Bible, what does it mean to exhort? And they would be right? That's not all. I mean. It means to encourage in the right direction. It means to give someone a nut or a problem, right? It's not quite like a review. Which is, you know, when you give someone a very sharp fraud and you tell them to stop doing what they're doing, start doing right encouragement, someone to keep doing what is right.
Exhortation also has in it. The idea of propelling, someone giving someone a push. It can also have been at the idea. Helping coming alongside. Exhorters, exhort. so, that's why I say I think that These are the people who are natural disciplers. They're the people who are just naturally prone to take a new child of God or younger Christian under their wing and say, let me help you. May I help you develop your relationship with God in prayer and your study of the word of God Bible to nurse you. Let me help you. As you're navigating how differently after you come fronts. Look at this one. Givers give simple.
It was good, but do it with simplicity? In other words, don't be don't be extravagant right? You might be able to you know, sell all your worldly goods and come to church and say hey I decided to bless you with a Lamborghini.
Probably don't need that. What if someone needs your car and you can help them? The right. Maybe we should help him with the down payment if they're working and have an income.
A gift, but do it with simplicity. That also can carry the idea of there's no need to sound the trumpet.
You know if you call someone and ask for a little assistance with his financial or its you know helping a different way maybe your car isn't working and you don't know as much about cars or somebody else you call and ask for help and they give you the help.
Well, let me tell you about what I did today. Where is mine are tied?
Gibson.
Let It Be Your Heart with gifts, that's what he do.
rulers at
The word diligently means. Quikrete fast setting Speedy. It literally in the original language comes from the word for speed, sputo or school day.
so when he says he's a he's a truly, what he means is be at your spot doing your job. Know what ruling means in in scripture, especially as it relates to the church, it means l. if you're the person who is leading an Outreach effort, don't be the last person to show up. Don't be the last person with a plan. Don't say, I don't know. What do you want to do?
Leaders lead and follower for follower.
Right. God called you to something your gift, it to do that to that. Leaving your weeding stinks cuz no matter how you do it, nobody's going to tell you. You're doing it wrong for doing it too much, right? If it's the part it's all going to be your fault. If it is a marvelous success, everybody's going to take credit.
Success has a thousand fathers but failure is an orphan.
reading space, unless you were called by God to be a leader.
Men.
Not doing what you're called to do. Try to crazy. Doesn't mean the leaders can't follow. You know, I have no problem working and helping and participating in the team being led by someone else.
But is that all I'm doing? I start to get a little bit Restless. if you feel yourself getting restless,
And you're either not listening or just not responding.
And this brings me to the seventh month 7.
Actually there's thousands of them we could come up with right but he categorizes them into seven categories.
7 is an interesting number in the Bible, isn't it? Is the idea of divine completion? Or perfect holness.
Compassionate are dead people.
You know. Everybody needs a hugger in their life even if they're not on. Because sometimes even the biggest non Hunter there is just me. Right? Sometimes you just got to hug it out.
Sometimes you just need someone to hear. You doesn't have any idea what you should do. It isn't going to make any suggestions, right? But I've been told it that is one of the common complaints that women have about men. You just want to vent to him and they want to tell you what to do about it.
Pretty sure I never do.
I mean, I'm not a picture.
You know what is cheerful? What does it mean when someone is telling you their problems in their pretty, that your life and you can emphasize with them or even sympathize if you really never walked through with them but you can still do that and not be negative pessimistic and fatalistic about it. Yeah, man, I don't know. I think you're just some Probably out a packet in might as well, just go eat worms.
I feel you. Yep, your marriage is hopeless. Your boss is a jerk. Probably I can wait. Yep, your family are bad. Be careful. In other words, don't just compassionate. Also also be someone who shares in the joy of being able to take your burdens to Jesus the cast, all your care upon him and let him do the sharing for you. Let him carry those burdens. Also, I want to go back to this. About one body. or as we have many members in one body and all members and not the same office,
Converse 34, I say to the grace given unto me that every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than you ought to think. But the thing sold last week, we talked about the sacrifice of worship.
Well, those are individual bikes. Being sacrificed in worship to God in heaven. To Jesus Christ, gave himself for us. Enter the Holy Spirit to yield ourselves to his will. Put the bodies that we have each brought and given to God. Are then made into the members of one body. for, as we have many members in one body,
Don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to. There is only one price. So, a church as the body of Christ. So many different disparate diverse individuals are also to be one. Our diversity should not prevent our Unity.
You don't always have to agree with each other. I mean do you ever find that there's somebody dumb enough? Not to like the same sports team that you do?
Or somebody's silly enough not to like the same news.
Or someone who maybe is, so out there that they don't watch the same TV shows.
But those are easy, right?
Because those are just favorites. There's something to us a much more sacred than our favorites.
Our opinions.
I mean, people say I'm not really very
209. Seems to be. An intrical component of The Human Condition. We're always ready to have an opinion.
What are the rules that we live by his? It everyone is entitled to my opinion.
Thought you thought I was going to say what?
And then you hear their opinion, your life. You're one of those.
Let me tell you how it really.
Don't let our diversity, which is part of God's plan to make the church function unit. So what does it mean that were W? Well because we each think about ourselves
1. Because each of us is grateful, each one of us is here, and no one else is just like me.
one in our appreciation, for the different offices that God has gifted each other for I'm so grateful. Pastor Joe is not like me.
frankly, if I thought he was I wouldn't have recommended into the church.
Don't need another one of me. Needed. Somebody different.
And I love her a pop. One in our love for Our Savior, Jesus Christ. One, and our love for our comforter, the guy. The one who takes the church by the hand. The Holy Spirit.
One in our love for each other.
If there's one thing. But each one of us should be able to count on but every one of us is that our love for each, other is on conditional. Morning, my love for our neighbors. You know, God didn't send us into this community to live on a compound in hide from our neighbors. God put you here.
Because there are people who need Jesus here. Well, for a neighbor's is Express and share on Facebook.
Also, one in our love for the truth of God's word. I'm so glad I have a Bible. App negotiates the channels of this river called life. I didn't have a Bible to be my come, my map, my Atlas I could not chartacourse by did not have this work. and, One in our destiny. As sons of God.
We all know what God wants for us. Is that we might be conformed to the image of his son and transformed to let the world, see who we really are. One in our determination to see broken Center, save you heal and transform. I've often said sometimes jokingly but it's not really funny or at least it's funny but it's not really meant as a joke. If you're not broken, you don't belong here. We are not the church for you, but there's nothing wrong with you. We are a ragtag group of messed up people. But we are messed up messenger and our messages. Jesus came to heal, broken people, and we are living proof.
One in our desperation to see the coming of our King. Jesus said, he's coming back and I believe him and because I believe him, I am desperate to see if I am longing for that day.
Next week, we're going to talk in great detail about the character of Christ and how we can be like him. But until then, I just want to leave you with this thought. A little note from me to you. Thank you for your ministry. Thank you for being the gift of God. Then God gave to our community, through our church to show his love. How are you? Thank you. For being a plant. And I'm so glad Heavenly father. Thank you today. For this wonderful group of people that you have allowed me to be one. Thank you. That Jesus is leading the way and together we follow. We don't know where we're going. We don't know how we'll get there. We don't even know where we only know. That Jesus goes before us. And in his footsteps, we walked he's cheerful.