SF512 - ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL (Romans 12 3-8)
SF512
ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL
Romans 12:3-8
INTRODUCTION
The Problem of an Independent Age...
We no longer have a sense of community in the church.
We no longer share a sense of responsibility.
We have lost our accountability to God and to one another.
We have lost with it our ability to impact our world.
Many of us approach church with a secular mind-set... We want only what we can get out of church.
Paul’s Answer to our Independence...
We share a...
COMMON LIFE
COMMON MINISTRY
COMMON POWER
COMMON HEAD
Guiding Principles...
EVERY CHRISTIAN IS GIFTED(6a)
Therefore there are no spectators in the Body
(1 Corinthians 12:6) There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
Therefore we must all do our part for the Body to function properly
(1 Corinthians 12:7) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
Each gift is an expression of God’s grace
God chooses who receives what gifts.
We must surrender our gifts to God’s lordship
“There is no godly commitment without God-blessed ministry, and no God-blessed ministry without godly commitment.” JM
Our gifts must be used for the service of the Body.
EVERY CHRISTIAN IS GIFTED BY GOD
We must have the right attitude about our gifts... Humility
Four Dangers...
Overestimating the importance of our gift
(1 Corinthians 12:21) The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"
Depreciation ourselves and gifts in false humility
Usually an poorly disguised effort to get praise
Claiming gifts we do not have
Failing to use our gifts at all, for whatever reason
We must recognize that all gifts are given by God for a purpose!
EVERY CHRISTIAN IS GIFTED BY GOD INDIVIDUALLY (4-5) - Diversity...
Everyone is different
Animal Illustration (jf161)
Once upon a time, the animals decided to organize a school.
They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.
The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to b badly worn, so that he became only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that-except the duck.
The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up swimming.
The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher make him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed “ charley horses” from overexertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running.
The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there...
No one individual can do it all
Everyone must do their assigned tasks
EVERY CHRISTIAN IS GIFTED BY GOD, INDIVIDUALLY FOR THE WHOLE (5b) - Unity
You need the body
(Hebrews 10:24‑25) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. {25} Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another‑‑and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The body needs you
1 Corinthians 12:12
To be present
1 Corinthians 12:18
To participate
1 Corinthians 12:24‑27
To be pure - not injured.
APPLICATION
You must recognize that what you do effects the rest of the body.
Individual sin demands individual repentance
Corporate sin demands corporate repentance
We are one in Christ - He sees us not only as individual saints but also as a body of believers.