Romans 12:1-8 - Growing (Groups/Serving)
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Transcript
There are people who attend churches who don’t
like churches.
Moral or social obligation
like Christians.
Past experience
Participate in the life of the church.
Reject the idea of serving or groups.
So many Christians miss the blessings that come from engaging in the life of a local church
Belonging to a people who love you and care for your needs
Serving alongside Christians who absolutely adore Jesus and want to build His Kingdom now.
Stephen Foster video
“Making coffee changed my life because I fell in love with the church of Jesus Christ…..… and that’s what I want to spend my life building.
Big Idea: Living things grow
Big Idea: Living things grow
In the life of the church, we grow through deep work over time.
As we continue to walk with Jesus and with one another, we’ll grow all the more into Christlikeness.
We grow in love toward Jesus and His people.
Stand to read
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.
Leader: This is God’s Word
Everyone: Thanks be to God
Context
Context
What’s Therefore there for?
Paul just laid out the mystery of salvation through Jesus.
From this reality of salvation, Paul explodes into worship! (11:33-36)
Paul goes from theology to doxology
God’s plan of redemption is profoundly beautiful
This worship leads to practical application.
He responds to the gospel with this enthusiastic urgency to call us to give ourselves to the Lord.
This passage is a clear call for commitment.
Paul uses Temple-terminology: Sacrifices
In the OT, worshippers at the Temple would bring sacrifices.
Some would offer sin offerings where they would shed blood.
Some would offer whole burnt offerings.
A valuable animal from your flock would take your place and atone for your sin.
An animal that was perfect; holy was expensive.
Why!?
It showed that all you had was at God’s disposal.
Notice the wholeness of what Paul is saying:
“Present your bodies (physical) as a living sacrifice… to God which is your spiritual worship” (v. 1.b)
The Christian life is a wholistic life.
We don’t give God our leftovers!
A living sacrifice is to be fully at God’s disposal with your life.
Paul is calling us to joyfully give our whole selves to God!
This is far more than what most Christians settle for.
The Christian life requires mind, soul, and body.
This is a wholistic approach to God in response to the eternal life He has provided us in Christ
We don’t offer our lives up begrudgingly, but out of absolute worship!
“I want what you want for my life!”
All of our lives for God’s Kingdom
Church,
We are transformed through committed worship
We are transformed through committed worship
Gospel presentation
Jesus freely gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins so that we can live as living sacrifices to God.
We are sinful and could never please God on our own.
Our best days are garbage compared to the holiness of God.
But God showed us mercy!
He sent His Son to die so that you wouldn’t have to!
The blood of Jesus covers all our sin!
This Jesus, who died, was raised to life and defeated death!
Now He sits at the right hand of the Father and calls us to Himself!
Through faith in this Jesus, you can be forgiven!
Trust in Jesus and be saved!
In response to the gospel, we worship.
This God, who is perfect, good, pleasing, wonderful, and merciful is worthy of our adoration and devotion!
He’s saved us from our sins!
He’s brought up out of darkness!
He’s given us a Savior in Jesus Christ!
If you’re not a Christian, this is for you! Leave your sin and put your faith in Jesus!
“Well I don’t have my act together.”
“God will” change your heart to love what He loves and hate what He hates.
Through delight in and giving ourselves to God, we will grow to be more like Him.
We will be renewed through the power of the Holy Spirit and we will grow to be more like Jesus. (v. 2)
We’re not conformed to the false hope and temporary pleasures the world has to offer us.
We’re transformed by the gracious and perfect will of God.
Part of being transformed is to have a right view of ourselves.
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.
As we grow up into Jesus, we rightly see ourselves as the gospel sees us.
Christians have been given a saving faith in Christ crucified, and that’s how we’re to judge ourselves.
This means we need to realize that we’re all the same.
We’re sinners who have nothing to offer a holy God
We’re loved in Christ.
Not because of how impressive we are, but because of how merciful Jesus is.
No one in the Christian life has made it.
No one should fool themselves into believing that they are perfect and without sin.
That isn’t happening until Jesus comes back.
Paul refers to the church as a body. In the body, we have many members who have their own function
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.
We’re one body, many members.
Notice Paul’s use to the word “we.”
There are no lone wolfs in the Church.
We need one another.
Since Jesus has transformed us from death to life, each of us have this responsibility to Take a Next Step toward Jesus.
Everyone has a need for growth in Christ.
This growth comes from being connected to Jesus and to His people.
This teaches us that:
We grow through community.
We grow through community.
Hilary had Silas the same day, her best friend had her daughter Hadley.
We compared Silas to Hadley because they were born only 2 hours apart.
Hadley was walking around 8/9 months, Silas had not yet began to crawl.
Silas is our first son, but Hadley has an older sister.
Research shows that children who have an older sibling hit developmental milestones faster than those who don’t.
They’re able to see and observe how to do things more often so they tend to reach developmental milestones faster.
The church is very similar.
The church is a place for people to gather and growth in their relationships with Christ together.
I was discipled by the church.
When I wanted to learn how to pray, I spent time with people who prayed.
I grew in my ability to pray far more than what I did alone.
When I wanted to learn how to read my Bible, I studied with people who knew the Word and was excited to teach.
I grow in my understanding with others far more than when alone.
When I wanted to learn how to love and serve people well, I watched how Christians who loved Jesus did it.
We are communal learners.
Seeing more experienced brothers and sisters live life with Jesus will grow us in our lives with Jesus.
This is why Hebrews last week said told us to not neglect to meet with one another.
We grow in community.
We’re going to be rolling out small groups for discipleship, growth, community.
How do we see transformation in our lives through community groups and gathering together?
Don’t just show up; show up.
Get off the bench and in the game.
Paul says that each of us have been given gifts by God to contribute.
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.
It’s not based on our talents and abilities. It’s solely from the grace of God give to each of us.
So not only has God saved us from our sin, He’s called us to a people, and equipped us to serve!
Part of being a living sacrifice is giving God our abilities and gifts to Him to be used in His Kingdom in any way that brings Him glory.
Do you see how all of this stems from worship?!
This is all about God’s glory; not us!
God has provided us love, grace, and salvation through His Son
He’s has provided us His Kingdom.
He provides us the gifts to build and strengthen His Church!
We get to spend this gift liberally and generously for the sake of building God’s church!
Paul: “You guys, God has given us gracious and good gifts! Let’s use them!”
Having these gifts that differ, you reap the benefits of the gifts God gave me and I reap the benefits that God gave you!
We build one another up in Christ and this leads us into a deeper enjoyment of the Lord together!
Church,
We are saved to serve.
We are saved to serve.
No matter where you are, how long you’ve been a Christian, you were saved to get in on God’s activity in the world through the local church.
Step by step, we grow more and more like Jesus.
Every person has a next step to take
New Christian—Baptism
Regular attender—Starting Point
Starting Point—Membership
Membership—Serving/groups
Leading a ministry or a group.
All of these different opportunities serve the Kingdom and glorify God.
We don’t compete with one another and flex our spiritual muscles.
We grow one another by the grace of God.
We use the gifts God has given us according to the grace God has given us to serve a people, the church, that God has given us in worshipful response to eternal life that God has given us.
We have this privilege by God to grow His Kingdom and see more people come to know the love of God in Christ!
How are you going to take the next step toward Jesus?