Let The Church BE The Church
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Romans 12.3-16
Romans 12.3-16
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.
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.
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.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
Right Relationships
Right Relationships
The church is a body- made up of many parts. SEe Eph 4.7-16
But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Each Christian is a part of the body… we minister to each other and need each other.
Honest Self evaluation (vs.3)
Honest Self evaluation (vs.3)
Believers who over rate themselves (or under rate themselves) is wrong… someone ends up doing something they weren’t gifted to do, or worse not doing something they were gifted to do.
If we were saved by grace through faith (see Eph 2.8-9), we also live and serve by grace through faith.
Paul said in 1 Cor 15.10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
In Exodus 4.1-13 Moses said he couldn’t go to Pharoah because he couldn’t speak.... and God enabled him… he gifted him.... there’s a danger in both not doing what we are gifted to do and trying to do something we were not gifted to do.
Committed and Faithful Cooperation (vs.4-8)
Committed and Faithful Cooperation (vs.4-8)
No gift should be lifted above others in a local church… see 1 Corinthians 12.29-30
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
NO!
But, all gifts are given for the common good of the body… so they should be used accordingly and proportionately… see 1 Cor 12.7
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
At Corinth, they were destroying the church’s ministry because they were abusing spiritual gifts… they were using their gifts as an end to themselves instead of building up the church.... they were used to highlight the individuals instead of strengthening the corporate body called the church.
In other words, they were lacking the fruits of the spirit as outlined in Galatians 5.22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Christlike Participation (vs. 9-16)
Christlike Participation (vs. 9-16)
Spiritual gifts can be used for unspiritual reasons and in unspiritual ways.
Remember 1 Corinthians 13....
Love is the heart of the spiritual body… it helps all members to function in a healthy fashion.
Love is not hypocritical… see Romans 12.9
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Love is humble see Romans 12.10
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Love puts others first. see Philippians 2.1-4
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
The Only Way To See Why God Put You Here Is To See Who He Put You With
The Only Way To See Why God Put You Here Is To See Who He Put You With
Why God Put You Here Can Only Be Found By Knowing Those He Put You With
The Best Thing to hold onto in life is each other.
