Gospel-centered Community

Introduction

12 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, 5 so 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.

We are meant to belong.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

We are created in the image of our God-in-community. When God created Adam he said it was NOT good for man to be alone.

It’s fundamental to who we are. Our soul aches to be known, to be accepted, to be loved.

Adam and Eve knew this kind of relationship as they were naked and not ashamed. They had nothing to hide.

Once they sinned, they hid, not just from each other, but from God, the One whose relationship they had broken and isolated themselves from.

And relationships have been about hiding, faking, disguising the real us ever since, and all the while knowing that our souls long to be known.

Interestingly, after Adam and Eve came out of hiding and were confronted about their sin, God provided a temporary animal covering for them to cover their shame in anticipation when he would send Jesus to destroy the source of shame and offer believers HIS righteous to wear so there would be no more.

Our ultimate relational need is to belong and that need is ultimately fulfilled in a relationship with Jesus.

We belong in Christ.

Note the “For” at the beginning of verse four. This tells us that what follows will be a logical argument based on what Paul has already stated, namely, that our lives are to be lives of worship marked differently from the world. (12:1-2)

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,

It is the mercies of God on which all of chapter 12 rests.

is one of the greatest theological statements in all of Scripture.

- We are sinners who deserve God’s wrath.

- We can receive grace and be justified to God through faith inJesus.

- Talks about the change in our life as we are made dead to sin and alive to Christ.

and following Paul takes a shift in his letter to the Romans

This is all

The implications of being in Christ:

- We are justified in Christ.

Romas 6:11 - We are spiritually alive in Christ.

- We have eternal life in Christ.

- We are no longer condemned in Christ.

- We are free from the religion in Christ.

- We are loved in Christ.

- We are fulfilled in Christ.

- We are sanctified in Christ.

- We are given grace in Christ.

- We are wise in Christ.

- We are established and anointed in Christ.

- We are a new creation in Christ.

- We are reconciled in Christ.

- We are blessed in Christ.

- We are sons of God in Christ.

- We are equal in Christ.

- We are blessed in Christ.

- God supplies all our needs in Christ.

- We can never be separated from the love of God in Christ.

We belong to each other.

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.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

This is a statement of fact. We belong to each other.

Turn to the person next to you and say, “I belong to you."

We’re gifted for one another (12:6)

We love one another (12:9)

When Paul talks about the church as “The Body of Christ,” there are times when Paul uses the term to describe the universal body of Christ - that is, every believer, in every place, in every age that has placed their trust in Jesus.

We care for one another (12:10)

We honor one another (12:10)

Ephesians 1:22-23

We pray for one another (12:12)

We share with one another (12:13)

We rejoice with one another (12:15)

We weep with one another (12:15)

We are patient with one another (12:17)

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

There are other times when Paul uses the term to describe a local church - a local group of believers

We are interdependent.

we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

This is a statement of fact. We belong to each other.

Turn to the person next to you and say, “I belong to you."

Paul uses the analogy of the human body.

The eye fulfills its function as an eye AS it is connected to the body AND serving the body.

The hand fulfills its function as a hand AS it is connected to the body AND serving the body.

“Connection with Christ means connection with each other. If one arm is bleeding badly, every limb in the body will grow weaker, not just the arm. If one arm is working hard to feed the mouth, every limb will be strengthened.”

means connection with each other. If one arm is bleeding badly, every limb in

the body will grow weaker, not just the arm. If one arm is working hard to

(John Piper, sermon)

feed the mouth, every limb will be strengthened.

Must be connected to be alive

Must serve the body to fulfill its purpose

ILLUST - is the church more like a gang or a club?

clubs exist for its members

people exist for the gang

Gangs don’t meet only one time a week

how did we ever get the notion that church was to be like a club?

How much time, money, and energy is spent on the one day a week?

We’re gifted for one another (12:6)

When Paul talks about the church as the body, he is

We love one another (12:9)

Let love be genuine

love = agape

genuine = ‘if it were tested’

We care for one another (12:10)

care = philadelphia

think of the city - think of the opposite

love like a family - there is connection

We honor one another (12:10)

Outdo one another in showing honor.

10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

What would it look like if we made a competition to honor each other more?

We pray for one another (12:12)

We motivate one another (12:11)

11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

We pray for one another (12:12)

We share with one another (12:13)

We rejoice with one another (12:15)

We weep with one another (12:15)

We are patient with one another (12:17)

*The FACT is that we belong to each other. The question, however, is do we really KNOW each other?

We live in a day where we can be independently connected. We can be in a room with one group of people and, at that moment, actually be more connected with a different group in a different place.

ILLUST - sitting across from woman in waiting room - both of us on phones - no interaction

In our Life Groups, we create a space where we cannot simply exist near the ones to whom we belong.

We are individually gifted.

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

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

ILLUST - many use their gifts in our faith family:

Marsha Nash - bulletins every week

Trustees - insulating the church building

Communion bread homemade

Upward, prayer, etc.

The ministry of the church is not the job of the pastors and staff because all believers are ministers. We believe the teaching of the NT of the priesthood of all believers. The pastors are the overseers who have the work of equipping and empowering believers to do the work of the ministry.

The implication behind Paul’s list of gifts in verses 6-8 is that they really cannot be practiced in isolation.

Ex. - Paul does not list gifts of painting murals, baking cakes, etc.

We can understand how we can belong to the universal body of Christ 

We can even understand how we can belong to the local body of Christ that gathers here at Granger MC sharing the vision / mission

But few of us are able to actually practice the gifts we have been given at our Sunday gatherings. 

LIE #1: I have nothing to offer.

of course you do -

FACT: You are supernaturally gifted to serve the body of Christ.

1 Peter 4:10

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

ILLUST - my family member stating, “I don’t need the church” Yes, but the church needs you!

LIE #1: I have nothing to offer.

of course you do -

LIE#2: What I do doesn’t matter

FACT: if we are interdependent that what you do (or don’t do) has a profound impact on what we can accomplish.

Can you name the gift or gifts that, by God’s grace, he has given you to serve his body, the church?

If you’re sitting next to someone who knows you well, ask them the gift they see in you.

Can you list the ways you have used your gift recently to serve the church?

We belong for God’s glory.

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;

All of this is by God’s grace for God’s glory.

We cannot belong to each other and exercise our gifts except by God’s grace.

Why did God have us interdependently with each other rather than as individuals?

God’s glory is greater displayed to the world around us when we live and serve each other in gospel community.

5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

There are times when I do not want to serve in our Life Group - I love them dearly

*When we belong in community together, serving each other by using the gifts we were given, we begin to truly live and God is glorified.

*In addition, when we live and love in gospel-community the world takes notice.

“God gets more glory through a body of believers functioning in a unity of truth and love than he would through a host of supposedly holy individuals who don’t relate to each other or minister to each other or worship with each other or do missions with each other.”

believers functioning in a unity of truth and love than he would through a

host of supposedly holy individuals who don’t relate to each other or minister

(John Piper, sermon)

to each other or worship with each other or do missions with each other.

What if a “body” used all of its members to only take care of itself? Granted, it should take care of itself but in order to help others. We should take care of the body of believers; however, we do so in order help others external to us. 

ILLUST - “show muscles vs work muscles”

What would happen if we became a church that actually functioned as one body?

Where we were EACH fully devoted to each other, where we used our gifts enabled and empowered by God to serve each other - you think our community would take notice?

You think our neighbors might start to ask questions as they look for ways to cover the shame they have been hiding with temporary coverings?

Could we get 50% of our body fully engaged and using their gifts? 75%? 90%?

**Communion**

1 Corinthians 10:16-17

16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation (κοινωνία) in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation (κοινωνία) in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

In participating in communion today you will be committing yourself to be fully devoted to belonging in Christ, belonging to this local church as the body of Christ- if this is not your desire, just let the elements pass.