June 4, 2023 Sermon Romans 12:3-21

Introduction

Last week: Sacrifice and Transformation

Last week in Romans chapter 12 verses one and two we talked about how the gospel asks both sacrifice and it introduces transformation into our lives. We talked about what it looks like to be a living sacrifice in ways that our faith might call us to sacrifice in our lives in order to serve our savior

What sacrifice looks like in the church.

In a sense last week we talked about what sacrifice looks like on an individual basis for the individual believer. This week we are going to talk about what sacrifice looks like in the church.

And I want to propose the reality that it is actually often easier to be self sacrificing in service to God than it is to sacrifice our interests in service to others in the church. The church is often full of people willing to go to great lengths to sacrifice for and serve God but their struggle with getting into arguments or disagreements or becoming offended by other believers

let’s read

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.

I love how much Paul lives as a man whose life was transformed by grace. In the first half of his life he obsessed over the law and a group of people who seemed to have no regards for it. After he was interrupted on the road to Damascus Paul obsessed over the grace of the one who blinded him on that road. We can take a note from how much Paul talks about grace in his life. We should look to see God's grace in how God works in our lives.

Romans 1:5 ESV

5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,

Romans 15:15 ESV

15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God

1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Galatians 2:9 ESV

9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

Ephesians 3:7 ESV

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.

Ephesians 4:7 ESV

7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Paul was a man who was called by grace to be a gospel preacher given the grace to start and nurture churches he received a grace or a gift of God that other people saw in his lives. And he wants those he ministers to to see the gracious gift of God in their own lives.

Romans B. The Expression of Sacrifice in the Church (12:3–8)

a renewed mind sees everything through mercy-colored glasses. Living sacrifices have no status, especially sacrifices who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God

Paul wants us to get the reality that the gospel levels the playing field. No one is better than anyone else. Sober judgment is the realization of humility of how much you owe to God. If we are to see ourselves as Christians marked by the gospel of Jesus Christ then we need to consider ourselves with sober judgment. We need to humbly accept God's distribution of grace and his work in our lives.

Romans 12:4–5 ESV

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.

About two years prior Paul wrote another letter to the church in Corinth. This letter was packed with encouragements and challenges to the church because they were full of sins and division and other problems. In this letter to the church in Corinth Paul used the illustration of a body with multiple parts to talk about the gifts that God gives to the different members of the church to do his will. Paul doesn't use a lot of space to go back into this example but the lesson is still the same. The body of Christ... the church has many different parts each of them valuable.

As you look through this passage Paul is saying that the church is like a body. In the same way a body only functions well when all the parts of the body do their jobs. So also the church only functions well when all the members of the church do what God has equipped them to do. In fact as you look backwards in this chapter you understand this verse better

Romans 12:3 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.

In light of our responsibility to do the functions God has given us we should have a clear headed view of what our gifts are. To carry this body metaphor forward it would be catastrophic if the heart tried to do the work of the stomach. It would be fatal if the brain tried to swap places with the liver. Each part of the human body has a role to play. A crucial role to play. God has called you and I to function according to the grace and capacities he has given us without pride or arrogance

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

And of course the only way that we can actually do what God is calling us to and function as members of one body as he has made us is by having our minds transformed by God's work in us. Because if our minds are not transformed then our minds will be consumed by the injustices of what we don't get to be. We'll be distracted by looking at what other people have what gifts they have what abilities they have and we will not see what God has called us to do with what he has made us to be.

Romans B. The Expression of Sacrifice in the Church (12:3–8)

All Christians do not … have the same function in the body of Christ, and it is only in Christ that diversity finds expression in unity

Unity and diversity

Consider this reality it is because of the life death and resurrection of Christ that no believer is condemned in Christ. Therefore no believer should be condemned by another believer. You are forgiven in Jesus there's no reason for another believer to look on you with judgment or condemnation. Therefore Paula saying that we may be diverse in the gifts that God has given us but united and our freedom from condemnation.

These next few verses will help to unpack exactly what's meant here.

Romans 12:6–8 ESV

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.

People have wasted a lot of ink and spent a lot of time discussing the various gifts in the church. And the reality is the Bible and the different lists of gifts in it are not meant to be exhaustive as much as they are meant to be illustrative. They're not meant for us to scour them and come up with the exact gift that applies to ourselves. They're meant for us to see that God has worked and continues to work differently in different believers.

1 Corinthians 12:18 ESV

18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

These lists of gifts or meant to illustrate the various ways that God works and how God works differently.

There are actually three main lists of gifts in the New Testament and none of them line up entirely. You would think that if Paul wanted to give us an exhausted list of gifts to put in the New Testament he would have done so. But instead these lists are given to say God's spirit works in different ways in different lives of different people. Our responsibility is to live as transformed people. And as transformed and transforming people we need to live with humility.

John 3:8 ESV

8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

When Paul makes this list here he makes it in sort of a self-explanatory way. It's as if he's saying if you've got the gift of prophecy then prophecy. If you have the gift of service then serve if you've got the gift of teaching then teach if you've got the gift of exhortation which is encouragement then exhortation or encourage enthusiastically if you've got the gift of generosity or leadership or zeal then use those gifts. If you have got the gift of mercy then show mercy with cheerfulness.

Romans B. The Expression of Sacrifice in the Church (12:3–8)

In other words, the implication seems to be that we are not to wait around for instructions or for a mystical move of the Spirit in order to minister to the body of Christ. We are to do that which is obvious to us and which we feel compelled and capable of doing.

So as you sit out here today don't worry about wondering what gift you have simply commit to sacrifice your desires for the sake of serving others. Use the gifts that God has given you to build up others. Be a living sacrifice with how God has made you.

What Sacrifice Looks Like in Relationships

(Marks of a True Christian)

Genuine Love and Hate for Evil

Romans 12:9 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Don’t you love how much “love” is a mark of Christianity? We are called repeatedly to demonstrate our faith by our capacity to love.

Romans C. The Evidence of Sacrifice in Relationships (12:9–21)

agape, the selfless, unconditional expression of grace and compassion exemplified by the love of God for sinners

And paul uses the phrase “sincere” to describe love here. This is the opposite of the word we use for Hypocrite.

Romans C. The Evidence of Sacrifice in Relationships (12:9–21)

“Hypocrite” was used in the Greek world of the actor who wore masks to portray the emotion of his character—sincere Christians wear no masks

So Christians are called to live with mask-free love sincerely for each other and the world around

But in today's world, we need to remember that Paul did not just put a blanket statement out there and finish the verse. He didn't just say love sincerely. He said.

Romans 12:9 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

As Christians, we are called to love with a sincere others, focused serving love. But that means seeking to do what's best for others. That means we hate what is evil and we hold fast and cling to what is good. That means we must have convictions about what is evil and what is good.

Our world wants us to have no convictions about what is evil and what is good and just give love, endlessly and freely permitting everyone to do everything.

As Christians, we are called to love selflessly and serve others, but we are also called to allow our relationship with God to define what is evil and what is good. We must cling to the good that God has called us to be.

Love in Action

Romans 12:10–11 ESV

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.

We are called to compete to show honor to each other and show brotherly affection.

What does it mean to “be slothful in zeal”?

It means you’ve run out of passion for the work of the Lord. You need to regularly fill your passion bucket for God’s work. Spend time in prayer, invest in serving in the church or some other Christian ministry. Watch a Christian documentary, read a Christian autobiography....get yourself inspired by what God is still doing in people’s lives.

Story of my talk with Elliot Boutell

—miraculous healing

—powerful worship service

—Unexpected use of phone repair skills.

Perseverance and Hospitality

Romans 12:12–13 ESV

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.

True Christians, those willing to be a living sacrifice and live out their faith....rejoice in hope, patiently wait to see God work through tribulation, stay constantly in prayer and live generously with hospitality.

Responding to Others with Love

Romans 12:14–16 ESV

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.

Love your persecutors?

Luke 23:34 ESV

34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Acts 7:60 ESV

60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

As followers of Christ it is not our place to react with surprise or indignation whenever we face persecution for our faith. Our response should be blessing.

And then in the next two verse Paul reminds us of the power of empathy.

Isn’t it true that a grief shared is made slightly easier and a joy shared is doubled?

Verse 16 is a challenge in any community. We are so wired to compare and quantify our status in comparison to other people. Being a living sacrifice demands that we stay humble and never consider ourselves “too good” to spend time or talk to someone else.

Overcoming Evil with Good

Repaying Evil with Good

Romans 12:17–19 ESV

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.”

Why not get revenge?

1: It wrongly puts a believer in the place of being a judge over someone else.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 ESV

14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

If we trust God with our eternity, certainly we can trust God to bring justice in events in our lives.

But aside, from trusting God, what if you got revenge. What if you really made the other person pay for what they did?

2: It could harm the cause of the Gospel

Do you want justice for how a family member has hurt you....

how you were wrongfully terminated from that job...

For how someone’s choices meant you were hurt.....

We all want justice for deep wrongs done to us. But do we want justice so badly we are willing to make all Christians look bad?

The railroads and illegally blocking the roads for longer than 15 minutes.

What if we rallied as a church to get justice? We rallied to force the CEO’s to make changes and to have to pay huge fines for every mistake.

What are the chances that people would remember the good we were trying to do rather than the mess we made and the noise we made trying to get “justice”

How often do we hear of fights in churches? We here that’s the reason many poeple write off church? How often are the people in these fights simply fighting for what they feel is just and in the process harming their witness?

You see, when we live quiet and peaceful lives, we enable the gospel to spread.

1 Timothy 2:2–4 ESV

2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

to that end, Paul wrote

Romans 12:18 ESV

18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Romans 12:19 ESV

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.”

Feeding and Hydrating our Enemies

Romans 12:20–21 ESV

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.

God doesn’t call us to defeat our enemies with attacks but with good.

Overwhelm your detractors with good.

Overwhelm those who’ve harmed you with forgiveness and with a life lived with love.

Conclusion