Being Others Centered
Notes
Transcript
Last week we considered living in unity and with that how much we need each other.
One of the passages we looked at briefly last week will serve as our text today. I want to develop the idea today that church is not just about you.
That we in the body need to be others centered. This is a point made by the New Testament and Jesus himself.
Let use read together Romans 12:9-10 chair bible pg. 760
Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor,
Are you ready for the message God has for you today?
Cool let’s dig in!
What is Paul saying?
What is Paul saying?
Let me read this same passage from the ESV - Romans 12:10
10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor,
See the difference?
The Greek word translated “preference” means to out do, lead the way.
Be eager to show respect to one another, consider better, esteem more highly
The sense of the word is to be preeminent, to be ahead of others or be the first in something.
Its almost like a contest! hahah
This Greek word is a verb whose action ties directly to the the main verb of the passage in verse 5 “are”.
The verb “are” means to be identical, to be similar.
So the connection then is at the very moment we are one body at that same moment we are out doing one another is showing preference.
If we are not one body in Christ then we are not showing preference to one another!
Let me show you something else in this passage let us read Romans 12:5-13
5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another.
6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith;
7 if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching;
8 or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor,
11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
Ok so what we see then is every verb from 6-13 is tied directly to “are” - Are one body in Christ
What this means then if we are not one body then nothing mentioned in verses 6-13 is possible, not one because every verb is tied directly to “are” in are one body in Christ!
Look at what is not possible in the body if we are not one
We all know we are one body in Christ, but look are the importance.
There is very little we can do if we are not on body, thus we learn the truth of verse 10 and the necessity of being others centered
What it means to be others centered
What it means to be others centered
Greg Norman Australian Entrepreneur stated “You only get out of it what you put into it.”
The same is true in the church!
Christians sometimes say, I don’t get anything out of.... insert something here worship, Bible class, fellowship, etc.
Yet Paul would say its not just about you!
The reflection then is am I putting others needs before my own?
This all ties directly to what we talked about last week “bond of unity” and “fellowship”.
So we are back to “one body in Christ.”
The Greek word for “one” in Romans 12:5 means a single unit, not two or more!
When the body is not a single unit then division happens “: 1 Corinthians 1:10
10 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Paul paints a picture
Paul paints a picture
The picture painted by the Apostle Paul is of the physical body with all its individual parts working together in unison.
No part has the same function and no part is more important that any other.
Paul expands on this picture in 1 Corinthians 12:14-27 go read it for yourself.
Paul teaches in this passage that every part of the body needs the other parts.
The same is true in the body of Christ made up of individual members.
One of the actions of being a body of Christ is putting others first, or out do one another in showing honor or preference!
Romans 12 teaches us that this action is an organic action of the body!
Conclusion:
In case we still need help Paul paints the same picture with another example: Philippians 2:3-11
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;
4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.
9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
See yet again it is not just about you!
The example of Jesus!
Whose interests did Jesus have in mind?
How far was Jesus wiling to go in meeting real needs?
Pauls says to us have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus!
He put you first! Met your needs by giving His life on the cross!
Not for personal glory, but because He put your needs before His own!
What would a church look like, what could it accomplish if it was filled with members who put others first?
32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.
33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.
34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales
35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each to the extent that any had need.
All their needs were met because that church was others centered?
How will we respond to this teaching church?
