Grace-Filled Service
Romans 12:3-8 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Intro: Isn’t it great when people find what they were created to do! I love to see people using their God-given gifts in a way that brings blessing to God’s family and a sense of fulfillment and joy to the one ministering! Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.
An usher met an elderly lady at the back door of church and asked her, "Where would you like to sit?"
"On the front row." Was her reply?
"You don’t want to do that," the usher said, "The pastor is really boring."
"Do you know who I am?"
"No."
"I’m the pastor’s mother."
He asked her, "Do you know who I am?"
"No" came the reply.
"Good!"
-It is important that we find the right fit and are suited to the task, but it’s even more important that we have the right heart and attitude when we set out to do something for the Lord. Our service for God must be done out of love and obedience to Him, and genuine concern for those to whom we minister.
-Napoleon once pointed to a map of China and said, “There lies a sleeping giant. If it ever wakes up, it will be unstoppable.”
-Some have described the church in the United States as a sleeping giant. If it ever wakes up, it will be unstoppable. Vast numbers attend church each Sunday, and that is about as far as their faith takes them. There is simply no doubt that if all church members were as active as Christ has called them to be, the church would be unstoppable. Instead of lamenting all the bad things that are going on in our culture, the church would be actively engaged in transforming our culture for good.
-Jesus has great expectations for his body, the church. He expects every Christian whom he has saved to be actively using the gifts and talents that he has given for ministry.
-A Gallup survey revealed that only 10% of American church members are active in any kind of ministry. Is it any wonder that the church is a sleeping giant? The Gallup survey said that 50% of church members have no interest in serving in any ministry at all. Every other church member says that they simply want to remain as spectators. When asked to serve in a ministry, they say, “I just don’t feel led to get involved.”
-DL Moody said, “A great many people have a false idea about the Church. They have the idea that the Church is a place to rest in… To get into a nicely cushioned pew, and contribute to the charities, listen to the minister, and do their share to keep the Church out of bankruptcy, is all they want. The idea of work for them—actual work in the Church—never enters their mind.” (Paul Decker, SC)
-His point is that every Christian is to be a minister. The work of the church, or meeting the needs of people, is the responsibility of all believers.
-So, why should I be interested in getting involved in service?”
-I am glad you asked! The Bible actually gives several reasons why you should be involved in ministry.
1. You were created for ministry. Paul says in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” You were not created to live for yourself, your family, your legacy, your prosperity, or whatever. You were created in Christ Jesus to minister to the Lord, believers, and unbelievers.
2. You were saved for ministry. Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:9 that God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” You have not been saved to sit in a church and soak it all in. No, you have been saved to serve! And when you don’t serve, when you are not active in ministry, you are not blessed by God.
-Some of you are struggling with a growing sense of frustration in your lives. One reason may be because you are not active in ministry. You are part of the 90% who are not active and involved in the holy calling that God gave you. And because you are not actively involved in a ministry in Christ’s church, you are frustrated and not enjoying the blessing of God in your life.
3. You are called into ministry. Paul says in Galatians 1:15-17, “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.” Paul is speaking of his calling in salvation, but it is also a calling to service. And what God has done for Paul, God has also done for all believers.
4. Gifted for ministry (1 Pet 4:10)
5. Authorized for ministry (Mt. 28:18-19)
6. Commanded to minister - Colossians 4:17, “And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”
7. Equipped (Eph. 4:11)
8. Empowered (Acts 1:8) (Freddy Fritz, sermoncentral.com)
-So, if you call yourself a Christ follower, you should be involved in some kind of service for Him! It may not be conventional ministry or even have a title, but it will honor God and help people. Also, different stages in our lives call for varying amounts of service. I do not expect everyone to do the same amount, but I do expect everyone to be involved doing what God has asked them to do.
-So as we approach the subject of serving God by using the gifts that He has given us, it helps to have the right perspective about ourselves, God, others, and a sense of how each gift fits into the bigger picture of the body of Christ, the family of God.
-Let’s look at these perspectives on grace-filled service.
I. An Accurate View of Ourselves
Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
-It appears that some of the believers in Rome (both Jews and Gentiles) were a bit self-absorbed. They were thinking of themselves more highly than they should. The result was pride and an attitude of arrogance. As the Jews sought to reestablish their influence in the Roman church following their 5-year absence, they may have been presenting themselves as the only ones capable of leading the church. Some of the Gentiles may have responded in like fashion and sported their own brand of pride.
-Paul told them to use sober judgment when thinking of themselves. The idea here is to be able to view yourself clearly, recognizing what you have to offer, but tempering your assessment with modesty and humility.
-The measure of faith God has given us helps us see ourselves the way God sees us, believing that He can use us if we offer ourselves completely to Him.
-Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing.” But He also said, “With God all things are possible.” So we need an accurate view of ourselves, but need to remember who God is as well.
II. An Accurate View of God
-God gives faith to each member
-God gives grace to each member
-God gives gifts, talents, abilities to each member. We will give an account for the stewardship of our gifts (Matt. 25:14-30)
-God values each member (no junk- everyone a minister- every gift important!)
-God is the giver of all good things and we all belong to Him! It is always more about Him than about us!
III. An Accurate View of God’s Family
Romans 12:4-5 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
GOD HAS NO HANDS BUT OURS
A statue of Jesus was erected outside a church in San Diego, but the hands were broken off by vandals. Instead of repairing the hands, the church decided to put up a plaque at the base that states, "I have no hands but yours." This is a reference to the poem by St. Teresa of Avila. The statue is still there, without hands.
Lord Christ,
You have no body on earth but ours,
No hands but ours,
No feet but ours.
Ours are the eyes through which your compassion
Must look out on the world.
Ours are the feet by which you may still
Go about doing good.
Ours are the hands with which
You bless people now.
Bless our minds and bodies,
That we may be a blessing to others.
AMEN
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=no+hands+but+ours+pic&view=detail&id=395267EB4DD65044B5F61B43B6DB6AB9046622D4&first=0
IV. An Accurate View of Gifts of Service
Romans 12:6-8 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
-Discover, Develop, and Use Your Gifts!
-How then do you discover your ministry? How do you know what you should do in the body of Christ? We find a blueprint to follow in Romans 12:1-8.
-First, dedicate yourself. Paul says in Romans 12:1, “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.”
-Second, eliminate competing distractions. Verse 2a says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
-Third, evaluate your strengths. Verse 3 says, “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.”
-Fourth, cooperate with other believers. Verses 4-5 says, “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.”
-Fifth, activate your gifts. Verses 6ff says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. . . .” (Freddy Fritz, sermoncentral.com)
-Use Your Gifts (Richard White, sermoncentral.com)
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it."
-Like the violinist, we have been given a great gift to be shared with the world. As our teams go out we would ask for you to take the time if you are not part of the evangelism team, to pray for them as they are going. It is time for us to take it into the world and let people hear it.
Conclusion: We’ve all been called to serve! We serve God by serving others. And if our service is to reflect the grace and goodness of our God, we are going to need the right perspective about ourselves, about God, about others, and about the gifts within the body of Christ and how they all work together.
-The greatest gift we are given is faith to respond to the good news about Jesus. We can join our lives with Him and become followers of Christ. This means our sins are forgiven based on our trust in Him and we begin to take on the character and grace of Jesus. If you haven’t trusted Him yet, is there any good reason to wait any longer? He already paid the price for our sins and has invited us to do life with Him. Our response to Him is the most important decision we will ever make in this lifetime. If you need to do that I hope you will follow through and do it. If I can help you in any way, please ask.
-For all who have called on the Lord and are doing life with Him, please be willing to serve Him in whatever capacity He has equipped and called you! Discover, develop, and use your God-given gifts for Him!
