Disciples Serve
Notes
Transcript
INTRO:
I invite you to take your Bible and join me in the great book of Romans—chapter 12. I want to thank everyone who helps make our Sunday service happen (list).
This morning, we are in week 6 of our 12 week series, “As You Go.” We are taking these 12 weeks to examine what the Bible says the life of a disciple—a follower of Jesus—should look like.
The first four weeks were focused on what it means for us, individually, to be disciples. This set of four weeks we’re focusing on what being a disciple in the community of disciples—the Body of Christ—looks like.
ILLUS:
A couple of weeks ago, folks in our part of the country—many of you were part of this—got to witness a once in a generational event as the Northern Lights showed off in our skies. Sadly, my family and I missed it. We had no idea it was happening! I woke up the next morning and saw hundreds of pictures all over social media—pictures (without any filters) of the sky lit up with the most beautiful and, really, indescribable pinks and purples. God’s design/creation doesn’t need improvement. His glory/our good.
This morning, in Romans 12, we are going to see the second aspect of discipleship in community—serving the body with the gifts God has given you.
Taking what God has gifted to you to glorify Him and serve the good of the Body. Let me remind you of what I introduced last week as the “theme (or purpose) statement” of this four week block of messages:
We are invited into the family of God to multiply His grace and replicate His love.
Romans 12:3–11 (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.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Pray:
English Standard Version Psalm 119
Deal bountifully with your servant,
that I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.
19 I am a sojourner on the earth;
hide not your commandments from me!
20 My soul is consumed with longing
for your rules at all times.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, amen.
When you got saved, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit of God awakened you, raised you from spiritual death to spiritual life, and now dwells in you. And part of God’s work in you—transforming you into the image of Jesus—involves the bestowing of gifts of His Spirit to you/in you.
MAIN POINT:
Every disciple of Jesus has received a gift of grace to be used for God’s glory and the good of the body and to be fueled by love.
To get a little more context into Paul’s charge, here, back up to verses 1-2.
Present yourselves as a living sacrifice (death to self)
Transformation of the mind (not thinking like the world or your old way of life).
Living for self/thinking about self.
Definition of a disciple:
A fully devoted follower of Jesus who is developing into Christlikeness and who lives sent on Jesus’ mission to make more disciples.
Fundamental to developing into Christlikeness/becoming like Jesus in every way, is living a life of death to self and serving rather than being served. This is the way of Jesus. And, Paul says—by his authority as an apostle—this is the way of the disciples of Jesus, too.
Every disciple of Jesus has received a gift of grace to be used for God’s glory and the good of the body and to be fueled by love.
1. Jesus gives His followers gifts of His grace.
In another letter, Ephesians 1, Paul records all that God has done for us in Jesus. And Paul says that God the Father has blessed us in Christ—or, because of Christ—with (and hear this) EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING THAT’S IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. He holds nothing back. Every gift that heaven can give us is ours in Jesus. John says in John 1:16 that from the fullness of Jesus we have all received grace upon grace—gift after gift after gift. Grace abounding.
What are these gifts (according to Ephesians 1)?
We are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
We are predestined IN LOVE for adoption as sons and daughters of God.
We have redemption through the blood of Jesus/forgiveness of sins
We have received an inheritance as the adopted children of God. That inheritance is the Holy Spirit who seals us.
And, now, we see in Romans 12 (also Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 13), that Jesus gives spiritual gifts to His people.
Paul specifically mentions, here, PROPHECY, SERVICE, TEACHING, EXHORTATION (ENCOURAGEMENT), GENEROSITY, LEADERSHIP, ACTS OF MERCY.
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us…”
My point to you, here, is that our God is a gift-giving God who overflows with grace. He is a lavishly gift-giving God.
So, why? Why does Jesus give grace-gifts to His people?
2. Our gifts are to be used for God’s glory and the good of the Body.
Paul’s emphasis on diversity in unity.
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;
Watch what’s happening, here—one body, made up of many members with many different functions (gifts) yet still one body and individually members one of another—in other words we belong to one another. I belong to you, you belong to me, we mutually belong to one another.
Dollar bill — “E pluribus unum” — “out of many, one.” In 1776 John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, in committee, proposed E Pluribus Unum to be our national motto. It has thirteen letters paralleling the original thirteen colonies. This motto captures our country’s identity. According to the census bureau, 336+ million people live in the United States of America. Men, women, white, black, hispanic, Asian…rich, poor, etc. The Founding Fathers had a vision for our country that we would be a diverse nation but a nation of people whose identity is ONE. That’s not so much true anymore, though. We’re a nation all about the INDIVIDUAL. The “me” culture.
Jesus’s desire for His Church is unity—read John 17!
One of the dangers in the early church—and even today—is that people were using their gifts to make much of themselves…bring attention to themselves.
Paul says in Ephesians that a manifestation of the Spirit has been given to every believer “for the common good” for the “building up of the body.”
REPLICATING HIS GRACE // MULTIPLYING HIS LOVE
Let me give you a definition of spiritual gifts: The continuation of the ministry of Jesus to His Body by the Spirit through His people.
(EXPLAIN PRACTICALLY)
It would be useless for me to stand up here this morning and tell you that if you’re saved you have a spiritual gift but NOT tell you A) how you can know what it is, or, B) how you can use it.
A & B) How can you tell? Find somewhere to serve. God will reveal it to you. There’s no wrong place to serve. What do you have a heart for?
10% do 90% — if you are a member of this church you are expected to serve.
Maybe we overspiritualize spiritual gifts.
3. The use of our gifts is to be fueled by love.
Love for the people of God. Serve the Lord.
The using of our spiritual gifts for the glory of God and the good of the body is one of the primary ways we show our love for the people of God.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8:1 that “love builds up.”
Examples of different areas of serving are love & building up:
Door Holders/Ushers (gift of hospitality & service)
Babies, Children, Youth
Worship/Choir
Security
Media
Life Group leaders
“Well, they’ve got enough…they don’t need me.” Never true. Listen…the local church is where you put your spiritual gifts to use and God shapes you and grows you as our love grows. Listen…not serving and using the gifts God has given you is disobedience.
WORSHIP TEAM
Conclusion:
1. If you are saved—as a disciple—how are you using the gift of grace that God has given you for His glory and for the good of the body?
Listen to me this morning, church. If you’re a child of God, you have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in your life. You’ve been given grace upon grace upon marvelous grace. Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt, amen? The Holy Spirit has given you a spiritual gift. If you haven’t already, you need to discover that gift and when you’ve discovered that gift you need to share that gift! The devil doesn’t want you to, though. He wants to keep you on the sideline. The devil is scared of what God wants to do through you in the lives of others. Remember, church, your gift is the ministry of Jesus, the power of Jesus, the grace of Jesus. You think the devil wants that unleashed in this church? You think the devil wants that unleashed in the lives of others?
We need an army of God’s people using their gifts to build up the Church of God!
2. Salvation
Have you received the grace of God?