Working Together Series

INTRODUCTION

• In Romans 12:1-2 Paul tells us: READ ROMANS 12:1-2

• How does our faith affect our lives?

• After World War II, a group of German students volunteered to help rebuild an English cathedral that had been severely damaged by German bombs. As work progressed, they became concerned about a large statue of Jesus, whose arms were outstretched and beneath which was the inscription: “Come unto Me.” They had particular difficulty trying to restore the hands, which had been completely destroyed. After much discussion, they decided to let the hands remain missing and changed the inscription to: “Christ has no hands but ours.” (John MacArthur Jr.)

• The work of Jesus Christ in the world is in the hands of those who belong to Him. In that sense, He has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet. The Lord commissioned His earthly ministry to His followers, saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matt 28:20) (John MacArthur Jr.)

• The purpose of offering ourselves to God as living sacrifices is not mystical or complex but extremely practical. We are to work together with others who are living their lives as a living and holy sacrifice to God to carry out the work of the kingdom of God through the church. We are the hands and feet of God!

• When we give ourselves over to God, it will have not only profound effects on ourselves, but it will also have a profound effect on others. It will affect our relationships with God, the church and those who are lost.

• We cannot be truly successful in His work without being genuinely devoted to Him. Service to God brings honor to Him and blessing for us only when it is the outflow of our worship in offering ourselves as living sacrifices. Such commitment naturally and inevitably produces effective ministry. There is no godly commitment without God-blessed ministry, and no God-blessed ministry without godly commitment. (John MacArthur Jr.)

• In the passage we will explore together this morning, we will see how carrying out the admonition in Romans 12:1-2 affects the church, next week we will look at how it affects our personal relationship with those within God’s church.

• Romans 12:3-ff underscores the fact that we cannot be committed to Christ, yet inactive in the work and life of the church. Many people will claim a close relationship with Jesus, yet they will not be an active part of His kingdom!

• Our passage will help us to realize WHY true devotion to God REQUIRES us to use our talents and gifts for the kingdom of God through His church.

• When the life of each individual Christian is a living and Holy sacrifice to God, we will all be focused on working together in God’s church. Being able to work together will require a proper attitude, a proper relationship which is unity in diversity and a proper exercising of our gifts.

SERMON

THE 1ST THING WE WILL SEE IS, WORKING TOGETHER REQUIRES-

I. A PROPER ATTITUDE (3)

• The issue of serving God with a proper attitude is not only important in the church, but it will carry over into everything else that you do in life.

• One of the things that will get in the way of our service to God and His church is when we think too highly of ourselves. When our attitude is that we are above doing certain things, it will keep us from fully serving God.

• This does not mean that there will be some things we really do not like doing, it means that we will not think we are too good to do something.

• FEDEX MBA COMMERCIAL EXAMPLE.

• Service begins with honest evaluation of our gifts and personal dedication to Christ!

• We need to be willing to do whatever God calls us to do. If we think we are too good to do certain things, then we have some issues that need to be dealt with.

• “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11)

• We are told to THINK SO AS TO HAVE SOUND JUDGMENT.

• This is the true standard by which we should look at ourselves, our place and value within the church; we are to use sound judgment. We must not think so highly of ourselves that we think we are above doing things within the church. What constitutes good judgment is explained in the next phrase.

• On the other side of the coin, using sound judgment when looking at ourselves would also include underestimating what we have to offer to God. I know many people who have wonderful gifts to offer to God, but they will not because they do not think they have anything to offer.