A HEALTHY CHURCH: ONE THAT GIVES
ROMANS 12:1-21
INTRODUCTION
DL Moody once said, “The Scriptures were not given for our information, but for our transformation.” Becoming a healthy church, is a transformation and a process that is a worthy goal for any church to have. We talked last time about a healthy church being one that prays. Today we will look at another part of being a healthy church. It has to do with transforming attitude and producing action. This morning we will talk about giving, but it is not the kind of giving that you are thinking of. The kind of giving we will talk about today is not the giving of tithes and offerings, but the giving of yourself.
I would like us to look at Romans 12:1-21 this morning and usually I read the passage in its entirety. Today, let us go verse by verse in God’s Word and allow Him to show us how we can give of ourselves and how that produces a healthy church. There are three major areas that we will look at today: giving of yourself to God to serve, giving of yourself to others in love, and giving yourself to good.
I. GIVE YOURSELF TO GOD TO SERVE (12:1-8)
READ VERSE 1: The Apostle Paul begins chapter 12 of Romans with a tall order. We are to give ourselves to God as a living sacrifice in an act of worship. What does that mean? When I think of something or someone being a sacrifice, I think of absolute willingness and a clear sense of purpose. Notice that Paul specifies that it is our bodies that he is referring to. He wants our bodies to be part of the action of living out a holy life for God.
READ VERSE 2: The Apostle Paul does not stop with the body, but includes the mind as well. We are to give our minds to God to be transformed to be able to see Him clearly. Not only are our bodies to be active and holy for God, but our minds are to be separated from the filth of the world and committed to God. With a clear and holy mind, God’s will and His desires are clear to us and we will be able to follow Him.
READ VERSES 3: The Apostle Paul continues to build his order with our attitudes. Verse 3 focuses not on our bodies or minds, but on our emotions and our attitudes. All our attitudes should be tempered with humbleness and faith.
ILLUSTRATION... High Opinion, Our Daily Bread, July 3, 1989
A man who had a high opinion of himself stepped on a coin-operated scale that dispensed a card, giving
his weight and comments about his personality. After reading the card, he handed it to his wife and said, “Here, look at this!” She took it and read aloud, “You are dynamic, a born leader, handsome, and much admired by women for your personality.” Giving it a second look, she added, “Hmmm, I see it’s got your weight wrong too!”
READ VERSE 4-5: A foundation is laid in verses 1 and 2 and 3 that Paul expands on in verses 4-5 and in the rest of the passage. The foundation is that we are to give our bodies, minds, and attitudes to God. But for what purpose? The purpose is service. We, as a church, are to be a body of believers that gives ourselves to God for service. A healthy church is prepared physically to serve. A healthy church is prepared mentally to serve. A healthy church is prepared emotionally (??attitudinally??) to serve.
READ VERSES 6-8: We do that by employing the gifts that God has given to us. Paul lists a few gifts to make his point. If you have the gift of teaching, then by all means do that. If your gift is prophecy, I want to see you after the service to run some lotto numbers by you. No, I am kidding! Paul states that whatever our gift: prophecy, serving, teaching, encouragement, making money, leadership, mercy, that we should use our gift to live out our lives as living sacrifices to God.
ILLUSTRATION... Heaven and Hell, Found at Afterhours Inspirational Stories (www.ozsermonillustrations.com)
A man spoke with the Lord about Heaven and Hell. "I will show you Hell," said the Lord. And they went
into a room which had a large pot of stew in the middle. The smell was delicious and around the pot sat people who were famished and desperate. All were holding spoons with very long handles which reached to the pot, but because the handles of the spoons were longer than their arms, it was impossible to get the stew into their mouths. Their suffering was terrible.
"Now I will show you Heaven," said the Lord, and they went into an identical room. There was a similar pot of stew and the people had the same identical spoons, but they were well nourished, talking and happy. At first the man did not understand. "It is simple," said the Lord. "You see, they have learned to feed each other."
A healthy church is one that serves. Do we serve each other? Do we serve our community? Do the
people of our town know that this is a place where people serve and know they can come if they need help?
II. GIVE YOURSELF TO OTHERS IN LOVE (12:9-20)
READ VERSE 9: Paul moves from us giving ourselves to God in order to serve to giving ourselves to others in order to love. “Love must be sincere” is what Paul says. Paul is letting us know that when we give of ourselves to others, it should be out of sincerity and devotion and joy. The picture we get in verse 9 is that the Church is filled with people who are genuine in their love for one another and those around them.
READ VERSES 10-20: I realize this is a large chunk of verses (in our quest to go verse by verse), but Paul lists applications for us as a church to give ourselves to others in love.
1) Honor one another (verse 10)
2) Share with God’s people who are in need (verse 13)
3) Practice hospitality (verse 13)
4) Bless and do not curse those who persecute you (verse 14, 17, 19)
5) Mourn with those who mourn (verse15)
6) Associate with those of low position (verse 16)
7) Live at peace with each other as much as possible (verse 18)
All of these are individual actions that as a whole can be seen as serving others in love. When all of us here commit ourselves to being people who love, we will do the things Paul describes and so much more. Behind all of these actions is a heart of someone that genuinely cares for other people and does so because of their love for God. Behind all of these actions is a heart of giving of oneself and their time, energy, and will.
ILLUSTRATION... Pastries for Refugees, Fred Craddock, Newscope Inspiration Series Tape, January 1990
Oswald Golter was a missionary in northern China during the 1940’s. After ten years service he was
returning home. His ship stopped in India, and while waiting for a boat home he found a group of refugees living in a warehouse on the pier. Unwanted by anyone else the refugees were stranded there. Golter went to visit them and as it was Christmastime wished them a meery Christmas and asked them what they would like for Christmas. "We’re not Christians," they said. "We don’t believe in Christmas."
"I know," said the missionary, "but what do you want for Christmas?" They described some German pastries they were particularly fond of, and so Oswald Golter cashed in his ticket home, used the money to buy baskets and baskets of the pastries, took them to the refugees, and wished them a merry Christmas. When he later told the story, a student said, "But sir, why did you do that for them? They weren’t Christians. They don’t even believe in Jesus." "I know," he replied, "but I do!"
III. GIVE YOURSELF TO GOOD (12:1-20, 12:21)
ILLUSTRATION... The Pig and the Cow (www.ozsermonillustrations.com)
Once upon a time there were a pig and a cow living together on a farm. The cow was popular while the
pig was not. This puzzled the pig. "People speak warmly of your gentle nature and your sorrowful eyes," the pig said to the cow. ’They think you’re generous because each day you give them milk and cream. But what about me? I’m going to give them everything I have. I’ll give bacon and ham. I’ll provide bristles for brushes. They’ll even pickle my feet! Yet not one likes me. Why is that?’"
The cow replied, "Perhaps it is because I give while I’m still living.’"
READ 12:21: Paul makes a statement that echoes what he said in verse 9. Over and above everything else, we should give ourselves to what is good. When we commit ourselves to what is good, we will give ourselves to God in service. When we commit ourselves to what is good, we will give ourselves to others in love. Everything that Paul describes can be accomplished by giving ourselves to goodness... those things flow from that.
CONCLUSION
Are we a giving church?
– Do we give ourselves to God to serve?
– Do we serve one another?
– Do we use our spiritual gifts?
– Are we sincere in our love?
– Are we giving ourselves and our church to the good?
