4a.4.31a 6.25.2023 Romans 12 Your Reasonable Service

Start:

Entice: It has become common to think that God has some unique, specific, individual goal for each of us. His “will” only related to us as an individual. His plan for our lives.

This is not true.

God has one plan.

As Christians our role is to work with the Body (the Church) in discovering our purpose in life as an extension of God’s plan.

How do we do that? What guidance do we have as we seek to align our life with that plan. It’s a matter of

discovery

and

integration.

Not new revelation.

It’s already been revealed. Before we can talk responsibly about

ministry we need to be clear about discipleship.

Matthew 4:18–22 (ESV)

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.

22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Discipleship is about Ministering with Jesus

Matthew 16:24–25 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Discipleship means sacrifice

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Discipleship means multiplying disciples

According to the plan of Christ.

His plan, for each of us is to participate in His plan to redeem the world.

Engage: So, God’s will is that we be disciple-making disciples. What God has done to equip His Church is described in several ways. Tonight, we will look at one description of how God has equipped His Church to extend the Kingdom message of Jesus. You might be wondering

“where do I fit in?”

Expand: As a teenager you should be seeking to understand your life in terms of roles and goals. You should be testing your limits and learning your strengths. You should be investigating how to integrate your talents with those of others.

Excite: I am concerned about the future. We will always need leaders. It is the job of current generations to teach you, to lead you, and to enable your discovery of your role within God’s plan. Some of you will make great Church volunteers. That is great, that is needed. I’m looking for full-time commitment to ministry. God needs you. He needs you to determine whether the ingredients of your individual experience are a call to a lifetime commitment to “professional” ministry.

Explore:

Ministry is a matter of responsibly using your gifts in alignment with God’s will and purpose

Expand: Let’s look at the characteristics of alignment with God’s plan.

Body of Sermon: The First characteristic is

1 Enlightenment.

Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

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.

Not inspiration but perspiration. The kind of work that yields understanding

1.1 Commitment of body.

1.2 Commitment of mind.

The next characteristic is

2 Equipment.

Too many discussions of ministry talk about the tools without considering how the tools mold our roles and contribute to our goals.

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.

There are four varieties of equipment that we need to serve God according to our abilities and His plan.

2.1 Spiritual Gifts

This is Paul’s focus in this passage. Discovering and deploying our spiritual gift is essential to a life of service.

In addition to gifts distributed by the Spirit we each have other equipment that comes from our parents, culture, or enthusiasms. These too are vital for ministry.

2.2 Natural Talents

2.2.1 What you are born with.

2.2.2 They can be developed and honed but generally within certain parameters.

2.2.3 Some are tangible and measurable. (intelligence) Other talents are intangible and elusive (charm).

2.3 Acquired Skills.

2.4 Individual Passions.

It is important not to confuse talents, skills, or passions with Spiritual gifts. The gifts are enhanced by our talents, skills, and passions but not replaced by them.

The last characteristic of service and ministry is

3 Engagement.

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.

3.1 We will be resented.

3.2 Our reaction matters.

3.2.1 Christlike.

3.2.2 Constructive.

Shut Down

When each of us considers our life we inventory our equipment, put ourselves in alignment with God’s will and invest our lives engaging in ministry.

Let me repeat.

Equipment,

enlightenment,

and

engagement

require a choice. Each of us chooses to plug our life fully into the ministry of Christ’s Body. Or we don’t. The traditional concept of the mysterious or even miraculous call to ministry is largely based on temperament or emotion. It is a mechanism that allows able people to exclude themselves from the hard work Jesus invites us to share.

The choice is yours.

The choice is mine.

God has called us all. Every one of us to some level of ministry.

The moment we receive His call is Baptism.

Use your gifts by combining with your natural abilities. Learn and practice skills that amplify your passions. All for the sake of the Church.

Jesus presented us with a choice.

He calls us to discipleship.

We choose to follow Him and fish for men

or stay behind and cut bait.