FCA (Romans 12:3-8)

We live in a pretty divided world, don’t we? You probably even experience this in high school. You have different friend groups, different cliques…Lot’s of fighting and division.

That same thing was happening in the first century. We’re going to read Romans 12:3-8 in just a minute, but you need to know why Paul is writing this letter. You see…he had a mission…he wanted to tell as many people as possible about Jesus. In fact, he wanted to get the message of Jesus to what they thought at the time was the “ends of the earth”.

And I think some of the belief might have been that when they do this…when they get to Spain (where they thought the end of the earth was), that Jesus would come back. But Paul and his friends needed help. Other churches needed to be involved…they all needed to band together to accomplish this mission.

But there was one small problem. The church at Rome was fighting. It was between Jews and Gentiles…they just couldn’t get along. Who was in charge? Who was the leader? Who were the ones who ought to be followed? Squabble, squabble, squabble.

So he needed them to be united…how he does this in the first 11 chapters is beautiful. He puts us all in a court room…Jew, Gentile, everyone. And he says you’re all guilty. Then he says we have one source of rescue—Jesus. Not only this but we grow…we become more like God…through the same way—the Spirit makes us more like Jesus…and then in chapters 9-11 he ties it all back to God’s big plan. He’s saying…see you’re all united.

Then in chapter 12 he says “Therefore....since God has done all this…since God has united you…present your bodies (plural) as a living sacrifice (singular)…don’t be conformed to the world but be transformed...”

In other words…if we want to accomplish this mission of Jesus…then we have to be united. Now what does that look like? Or why does he say that? He’s going to tell us here in verse 3-8.

Romans 12:3–8 ESV

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. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 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 think I can illustrate what is going on here in this text. But we have to do a little math. You ready for it?

Pick a number 1-10. Have them shout out that number in unison.

Then have everyone multiply that number by 2. Give a little time for people to do the math. Have them shout out the new number in unison.

Then have everyone add 2 to that new number. Shout out the new number.

Now divide that number by 2. Again have everyone shout out that number in unison.

Now have everyone subtract their original number. Now shout out that new number.

We all started with a different number. But within a few steps we ended up in the same spot…this is what Jesus…and only Jesus can do. This is what He is doing and has done in the gospel. He has united us. We are called to maintain that unity.

What he’s telling us here is that God has gifted us all with different gifts. And we can struggle with thinking that our gift is the best and the greatest. What the specific gifts are here doesn’t matter as much as the overall theme.

If my gift is teaching…then I’ll think that’s the most important. I’ll shout that number out the loudest…Teaching is the best…we’re the most important in the church…not like those losers who serve…or show mercy. No…leadership is the best...

And what you have there is kind of like the disunity when we all had different numbers. That’s not going to shine in a divided world…you’re just like the world. That isn’t going to accomplish the mission of Jesus at all.

Romans tells us, “not to think of self more highly than you ought...” That means to accurately assess who you are in light of who Jesus is.

Can I tell you why I’m so excited about your generation? I think God is doing and going to do some amazing stuff with you guys. I think you’re kind of fed up with all the division…you are fed up with seeing adults fight all the time and about silly stuff.

And you’re probably kind of exhausted with all of it. You just want to make the world a better place. And you know what’s really crazy about all of our divisions…there was a massive research project awhile back…they interviewed people from all walks of life, all political parties, all of the things that divide us…and you know what they found...

Deep down we all kind of want the same thing. We want to have peace, we want to be loved, we want our families to thrive and flourish, we want to make the world a better place, and we want to make a difference—we want to matter.

The problem is that we have different definitions of those things…and we have a different understanding of how they will come about. As Christians we believe these questions are already answered for us through Jesus. We believe that we find our rest in Him. We believe that He is the one who is restoring everything. He is the one who will make all these things come true.

And I think your generation sees through a bunch of silliness…and you’re hungry for something to give your life to…and when you find it…when you find it in Jesus…oh, man I’m excited to see how God uses you. I think it’ll be much like how Paul was in Romans.

Let me show you what this looks like...

You want to make the world a better place. Okay, let’s start with a problem. Let’s say that we have a ton of homeless people in our town…and you want to see them helped.

Let’s think about Romans 12:3-8 here…Paul is saying, God has given everyone all of these gifts…this list isn’t exhaustive…there are other gifts in other places…but lets look at these. As I read through these tell me if something sparks inside of you…where you’re like...”hey, that’s me!”

Prophecy---telling God’s message to others

Serving—helping out in practical ways

Teaching—explaining things about God so others can understand

Encouraging—supporting others and motivating them.

Giving—Sharing your time, money, stuff

Leading—taking charge and guiding people in a good direction

Mercy—showing kindness and care to people in a tough spot.

Okay…now we’ve got our problem of homelessness…Now let me tell you how we solve this in an ugly way…Your gift is THE way to solve it…shout others down, yelling dividing…THIS IS THE ANSWER!!!

OR…and this is the way we model Jesus…I have this…I have this gift…and we see something created beautifully. All of these things work together to push back darkness, to bring about what God is doing in our world.

That is what Paul is saying in Romans 12:3-8. That is what he is telling the church at Rome to do…And that mission is still ours…They did get the gospel to Spain…but it wasn’t the ends of the earth…the mission continues...

What is your piece?

You don’t need to be someone else…you need to be you…the best you…God has a plan for you, you are needed in the kingdom. What happens if you don’t show up? What happens if you try to be someone you aren’t? What happens if you shout and think you’re the greatest?

Think with sober judgment...

Let’s make something beautiful here.