context of worship

Part 4 Context of Worship – The Body

Romans 12:1–8 1I 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. 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, 5so 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.

· Romans 12:1 Basis for worship. Gospel Leads to a total person response

· Romans 12:1-2 Nature of worship is sacrifice (an offering). That does not come natural due to being conformed to the world. Our thinking is often not in line with the gospel. We balk at the idea of offering ourselves as a living sacrifice.

Think back to the last two weeks. What hinders you and me from offering our self as a living sacrifice?

1. What will I lose?

2. What will I gain?

3. Will my gain be worth my loss?

What is the focus of these three questions? The focus is MY gain or MY loss. We tend to view worship (like everything else in life) strictly from the perspective of how it affects usas an individual.

· In one sense our faith is in fact an individual matter. You and I are saved by a personal faith in Jesus Christ.

· Yet, the expression of worship is NOT a private affair. Look back at Romans 12:1 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.

o Bodies (soma) – plural

o Sacrifice (thysia) – singular. Does Paul understand the rules of grammar? Shouldn’t it read, “Offer your bodies (plural) as living sacrifices (plural)”? Isn’t Paul telling us as individuals how to worship God individually? Yes and no.

Do we typically view worship as corporate? Yes and No. We view coming to a Sunday meeting as a corporate affair but even then we have a tendency to view the corporate worship time in terms of what we as individuals stand to gain from it receive from it.

· What will I get from the teaching?

· What will I get from the singing?

· What will I get from my small group experience?

· What will I get from the children’s ministry?

· What will I get from contributing financially?

· What will I get… you get the point. Is that normal or are we missing something? What is the problem? Perhaps we are conformed to this world and we need transformed by the renewing of our minds. If we are to worship God in spirit and in truth we must know and believe the truth about who we now are in Christ so that we may worship him rightly.

Romans 12:3-6 3For 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.

· Problem – we think too highly of ourselves. This takes two forms.

o Blatant Pride. I am the center of the universe because I am awesome.

o False Humility (different form of pride). No one notices me or I don’t want anyone to notice me because I have nothing to offer.

o Both mindsets are focused inwardly and preoccupied with self. Both fail to see

· Solution – Think of yourself with soberjudgment. (Sophroneo) to be able to think in a sound or sane manner, be of sound mind[1]

o Philippians 2:3-8 How did Jesus view himself in relationship to the Father and the church? See yourself rightly in terms of who you are now in Christ and who you are now as a member of Christ’s Body.

Romans 12:4-5 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

· We are members of Christ (Romans 3-11).

· We are members of one another.

o Romans 12:3-5

o 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 Are you a member of Christ’s Body?

§ Universal Church

· Not born again, not a member.

· Born again, you are a member. In the early church someone got baptized to tell the world and the church I belong to Jesus and therefore I am committed to you people.

§ Local Church – This is more than where you attend on Sunday. This is a question of the body are you fed by, and do you help feed others? Does the church body see you as an identifiable member who can be counted on to help others see the worth of Jesus? As I worship the Father through the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit I give myself to Jesus and all I am and all I have I pledge to use to make Jesus known in his church and among the nations.

Romans 12:6 6Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us let us use them. We have been given gifts by the Spirit to be used to build up the body. We worship (serve) when we offer ourselves in service. Practically this looks like using our gifts: spiritual gifts, time, talent, and treasure to help uncover the treasure we already have in Christ. (More on the specific expressions of worship or service next week).

· Our worship is never exclusively just between us and God.

o When you sing, someone else sees Jesus more clearly.

o When you pray, someone else sees Jesus more clearly. Moody story.

o When you serve, someone else sees Jesus more clearly.

o When you give financially, someone else sees Jesus more clearly.

· As we participate in this corporate, sacrificial worship, something happens also: WE SEE HIM MORE CLEARLY. The value of the treasure increases in our own estimation as we use our gifts to ascribe worth to Jesus. We simultaneously begin to treasure Him more because we see the value of His person and His sacrifice. We also begin to see how He has blessed us to be blessings.

· How will you (worship/serve)? Including but not limited to (more on these next week).

o Praying

o Singing

o Serving

o Giving

Psalm 95:6–7 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Part 5 Expression of Worship

Romans 12:1-13 Worship in Spirit and In Truth – Expression of Worship. In this text Paul exhorts us to actually do something. In the previous verses Paul has been asking us to consider things or to think them through. No longer. Now it is about getting up and acting.

· If you are just joining us for the first time you might find this annoying. Oh there they go telling everyone how to live.

· If you have been here for a while you realize that this doing something is an expression of worship to God. Seeing his value and worth and ascribing to him value and worth by giving all of yourself to Him. This is what we have covered in the last three weeks.

Romans 12:1–13 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. 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, 5so 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. 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.

Have you ever read or heard John 14:12-13 and wondered how in the world can the disciples do greater works that Jesus did? That’s absurd. I mean he is Jesus and they are well, the disciples. Further more its even more absurd when you think about applying that passage to us as disciples removed by 2000 years. And yet… Jesus pre-resurrection and pre-Pentecost is finite in the sense that he cant be everywhere all at once. But having given the Spirit to his disciples and the fact that all of his disciples worldwide have his Spirit, Jesus can be as salt and light in every nook and cranny on the globe. How?

Romans 12:6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…

· Definition of “gift of the Spirit”

o Wayne Grudem: All abilities that are empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church.[2]

o A spiritual gift is an enablement to meet the needs of people; it is given by the Holy Spirit on the basis of God’s free grace in such a way that people are brought more under the lordship of Christ with the result that the body of Christ is built up in quality and quantity[1]

· They are for the building up of the body of Christ

o 1 Corinthians 12:7 (ESV) 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

o Ephesians 4:11–12 (ESV) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ

Romans 12:6-8 The Gifts 6Having 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. Two Broad categories of Gifts – Paul presents a partial list here. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of gifts but instead an overview. There are others listed in Ephesians, and 1 Corinthians as well.

· Word Gifts – address core needs (See Romans 12:1-2)

o Prophecy – see Grudem. Differs from the OT understanding of the term. It generally did not have the sense “one who speaks God’s very words” but rather “one who speaks on the basis of some external influence” (often a spiritual influence of some kind). Titus 1:12 uses the word in this sense, where Paul quotes the pagan Greek poet Epimenides: “One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ’ The soldiers who mock Jesus also seem to use the word prophesy in this way, when they blindfold Jesus and cruelly demand, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” (Luke 22:64). They do not mean, “Speak words of absolute divine authority,” but, “Tell us something that has been revealed to you” (cf. John 4:19).[3] Much more commonly, the words prophet and prophecy were used of ordinary Christians who spoke not with absolute divine authority, but simply to report something that God had laid on their hearts or brought to their minds. There are many indications in the New Testament that this ordinary gift of prophecy had authority less than that of the Bible, and even less than that of recognized Bible teaching in the early church, as is evident from the following section.[4]

§ 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Don’t despise, but test the prophecies.

§ 1 Corinthians 14:29-38 Weigh what is said by the prophet.

o Teaching – helping people understand the gospel and scriptures. Luther, “The teacher transmits knowledge.”

o Exhortation – encouraging them to apply the gospel and scriptures. Luther, “the exhorter stimulates” the application of this knowledge.

· Deed Gifts – addresses felt needs

o Service – helping. Where we get the word deacon. It’s a very general term. Basically it means getting down in the dirt and working.

o Contributes – using your resources to meet the needs of others.

o Leadership – influencing others to become who they are called to be. Caution – this has little resemblance to what the world considers leadership.

o Acts of Mercy – alleviating pain and suffering.

· These gifts are from God.

· These gifts are given to all believers when you received Christ you received his Spirit. When you received his Spirit you received gifts (endowments).

· These gifts are given in clusters. No one has all the gifts and most people have multiple gifts.

o We lead with our strongest gifts.

o Caution – not being “gifted” in area does not exempt us from serving there. I don’t have the “gift” of generosity so therefore I will never contribute to the needs of others would be an absurd viewpoint. I have heard this one – I don’t have the gift of evangelism so I will not share my faith. Or the teacher who thinks. I have the gift of teaching so I don’t serve in ways that gets my hands dirt. You get the idea? Those dispositions demonstrate that the person holding those views thinks of themselves more highly than they out to think (Romans 12:3)

· The Spirit gives gifts as he chooses. You can develop a skill and be more efficient at using a gift but the Spirit gives gifts as he chooses.

Question – are offices (teacher, prophet, apostle, pastor) gifts? No. The gifts are abilities given but there are certain abilities given that are then used in the context of an official office or leadership role. Not everyone serves as a leader but everyone is called to serve and use the gifts God has given to him or her.

Question – how does a person find out what their spiritual gifts are? Two approaches.

· Egocentric (self centered)

o What am I awesome at?

o What do I like to do?

o What needs are there in the Body and in the world that match my giftedness.

o Problem with the egocentric starting point is that it ultimately ends up being about self.

· Christocentric (Gospel Centered) – Look at the next verses…

Romans 12:9-13 9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

The expression of our worship, that is the use of our spiritual gifts is an outflow of love.

· Love first of all towards God (Romans 12:1 and 1 John 4)

· Love towards one another (Romans 12:4-5)

· Love seeks to meet needs.

o Love takes inventory of the needs that it sees out there

§ In the Body

§ In the World

o Love takes inventory of its own resources.

o Love gives itself freely to meet those needs.

· As we do this we tend to find a sweet spot or an area that when we step up in that way others are blessed. This is how we discover our spiritual gifts.

What are the needs? Examples:

· Backyard Bible Clubs

· Financial needs – Elizabeth Schrock last week or the general needs of the local church

What are my resources?

How can I help?

Communion – the bases for our serving is once again NOT to earn merit but to thank God for the merit we already have in Christ.

· Receive Jesus

· Worship Jesus and in doing so you will help others and yourself to see his worth more clearly.

Discussion Question

1. Read Romans 12:6-8. Which of these gifts do you possess? Do you tend to be stronger in word based gifts or deed based gifts?

2. How did you come to discover your spiritual gifts?

3. What needs do you see in the body of Christ which you might be equipped to help? How do you plan to go about meeting those needs by using your gifts?

[1]Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 986). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [2]Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 1242). Leicester, England ; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House. [3]Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 1050). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House. [4]Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 1051). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.