Sermon Central
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Romans 12:4-5 - Part 3 Series
Contributed by Stephen Belokur on May 10, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: In Romans 12:4-5 we saw that we are all interconnected members of the Body of Christ. In verses 6-8 we see that members of the body receive gifts in order to use them to meet the needs of others. Both the gifted and the receiver must be present for this.
Please stand as we read or recite our memory Scripture for this quarter ...
“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
And ... let's also say our memory refresher Scripture together ...
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.”
Please open your Bibles to Romans 12:1-8 which we will read in a few minutes.
Two weeks ago we started to take a look at our new memory Scripture –
This is an amazing Scripture of the interdependence that Jesus has built into the very fabric and nature of His body on earth; the church.
How does the Bible tell us to get to the place of interdependence in the church?
Step 1 – Romans 12:1 – Our lives should be devoted to the Lord – a living sacrifice
Step 2 – Romans 12:2 – Allow the Lord to transform our minds
Step 3 – Romans 12:3 – Be humble and not prideful
And, then last week we that this interconnectedness of individual believers in the church, the body of Christ, is NOT optional and would result in a disabled, fractured church or perhaps no church at all!
With that in mind let’s go ahead and read Romans 12:1-8
Once again, our new memory Scripture says,
“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
How does the Lord accomplish this? How can we form one body?
How can each member belong to all the others?
And, once again, the Lord does not just give us this truth but also supplies in order for it to be accomplished! Thank you, Jesus!!!
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”
The Lord gives us gifts!
What do many people think of when they think of getting gifts?
Many people think of piles of wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree.
When we think of getting a gift we generally think of getting something that we can call our own, something that we can use when we want to use it and set aside when we don’t find it necessary.
That is NOT the way it works with spiritual gifts given to us by the grace of God!
Spiritual gifts are not for us to keep to ourselves but to be used for the benefit of others in the body of Christ.
Yes, certain spiritual gifts CAN be used to minister to those outside the body of Christ, the church, but this Scripture is speaking specifically of the gifts being used within the church.
This is important! If a person asks himself, “How can my spiritual gifts help me?” they are asking the wrong question and they have the wrong mindset!
A person with the right mindset will ask the question, “How can my spiritual gifts be used for the benefit of the kingdom of God and to help others in the church?”
This is so amazing that it is mind boggling!
If you need help in some area of your life then, the Lord, who knows this, has placed someone else in the church who has the spiritual gift to meet the need you have!
Let me repeat that!
If you need help in some area of your life then, the Lord, who knows this, has placed someone else in the church who has the spiritual gift to meet the need you have!
If the Lord has given you a spiritual gift then someone in the church needs the ministry of that spiritual gift that the Lord has given you for that very purpose
If you need the ministry of a spiritual gift then the Lord will have faithfully given that spiritual gift to someone else in the church.
If I am not in church then I cannot use the spiritual gift the Lord has given me to meet the need of someone else in the church.
If I am not in church then the spiritual gift that the Lord has given to someone else to meet my need will not be able to minister that gift on my behalf!
If you are faithful to the Lord, He will give you spiritual gifts for the benefit of others in the church.
If you are in church you will come into contact with others who the Lord has given spiritual gifts to help you in your walk with Jesus.
