Belonging to the Body

Well, good morning. It is a special day, and it is wonderful to be back with you after the Feast of Tabernacles. I'm looking forward to hearing your stories and your experience. We did share the Feast of Tabernacles with several of you, and it was wonderful there in Lake Junelluska. It was just a wonderful spirit, I thought, and we met so many people, and I had so many different encouraging conversations and fellowship. It is amazing how you can meet someone new, and it's as if you had known them forever, because God's Spirit has a way of binding us in that way. It is good to be back. We do have a different format today, of course. We are having no sermon at, and we're going to go straight into the sermon here. This sermon is going to be titled, Belonging to the Body, and we're going to look at Romans 12. After the sermon, we'll have a short break and then go straight into the Bible study. For the Bible study, we're going to look at the different gifts mentioned in Romans 12. It's not an exhaustive list, more of a selective list, but we're going to look at those gifts and discuss other gifts that God gives us to bring within the body, His Church. And I'd like you to consider, as we're going through the sermon, as we go into the Bible study afterward, what area of strength or gift has God given you? They're all varying. We're to use them in service to God. Maybe you're sensitive to suffering. That's a strong gift. Maybe you're a good listener. We're going to talk about, and I'd like to hear your feedback on how you might use this gift today and amongst our brethren. We need to be purposeful in those things. We each have a gift, and we have to exercise them. A lot of it is identifying what gift you have and then praying to God that He'll help you bring it out and give you opportunities to use it. So that's the format for today. Again, the title of our sermon study, Belonging to the Body. Belonging to the Body, and I invite you to open your Bibles to Romans chapter 12. We're going to begin reading in verses 3 through 6. This will establish our study topic for the sermon and for the Bible study. Really, we're going to get further on into Romans for the Bible study. For now, we want to first come to this whole matter of belonging to the body. Of course, the body is a reference to the Church. As members of the body, the Church, we know that we're not called in isolation. We are called into a fellowship, a family, God's family.

God has ordained for the body to function in a particular way. By calling us, He wants us to bring the specific gifts He's given to us for the purpose of contributing those gifts to the overall edification of the body. We're now going to be coming into these scriptures where Paul is speaking to the Church members in Rome many centuries ago. You'll find that it's just as relevant for us in the body today as it ever was then. Romans 12. Let's read verses 3 through 6. Just read the first part of verse 6 here. Paul writes Romans 12 verse 3.

For I say to you, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, do not think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt with each one a measure of faith. Verse 4. For as we have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. Having them gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. So let's stop there. We're going to look at the different type of gifts in our Bible study, but as we look at our inclusion in the body, what we want to establish right up front is that we, as members of this body in the church, this is not a human invention. Rather, being placed in the body, it is as a result of a man or a woman being called by God by divine grace. You'll see that in verse 3 as it says, through the grace God has given me.

This is an important fact to consider because when you talk to people, sometimes you get the impression that the church is simply a human society that owes its establishment to some kind of voluntary agreement amongst members. In other words, the church is somehow kind of a Christian rotary club, if you will, where everyone gets together. Maybe they have similar backgrounds and you discover you like similar things and someone comes along the way and says, let's establish an institution or let's get together and call ourselves a church. You like to sing, I like to sing. They think of it in some of the same way as if, in a neighborhood, you might discover that your neighbor enjoys bowling. You say, well, I enjoy bowling too. Let's start a bowling club. Likewise, why don't we start a religious club? Let's have a church. Well, nothing can be further from the truth because, in fact, the Bible says that the church owes its origin not to man but to God. And, in fact, there would be no such thing as a church, the church, if it wasn't for the fact from all of eternity that God planned to have a people of his own. And the distinctiveness of the people would be distinct from other communities. It would be tied to one thing, namely the call of God. God calls a man or a woman into the body, the church. You who were once far away then have been brought near by this calling. How has this happened? Well, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ makes this possible, and that's the grace given as referenced in verse 3.

And so what began as a call with promises to the nation of Israel? Ultimately, that call and those promises find their fulfillment in the call to Gentiles to faith through Jesus Christ. So that we have a body now that's not distinguishable by ethnic origin, but is identifiable as a result of God's grace, his initiative in calling men and women throughout history. And so in Christ, you are brought together into one body to become a dwelling place for God through his spirit. Now, before we get into the discussion that begins in verse 4 and 5, before we get into how we function within the body in verse 6, how we use these differing gifts as members of the body, before we get to that discussion, it's important to understand that verse 3 comes before verse 4, 5, and 6. Verse 3 comes before verse 4, 5, and 6. That might be the most brilliant thing I say today, all day today. Verse 3 comes before verse 4, 5, and 6. It's important to point out, though, because again, before I can consider the body and any implications that come from being placed into the body, I must first acknowledge the grace which has been given to me, which allows me to even be in this body in the first place. So, acknowledging verse 3 is essential before going into the discussion of how we function or how we're going to use the gifts that that God has given us. Verse 3 again, For I say, verse 3, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, do not think of himself or herself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. So again, the discussion of us functioning in the body, using our gifts as members of the body, it is essential not to unearth that from the preceding verses here. So we're going to spend a little bit of time in verse 3 here, which is essentially a call to humility. That's what verse 3 is, a call to humility. And actually, if you look at verse 1 and 2, this is also important to recognize in this discussion, because you'll notice that Paul begins the chapter by speaking of sacrifice. So prior to the discussion of the body and the gifts, you have the topics of sacrifice and humility.

Paul, in these first two verses of the chapter, he's appealed to his readers. It's an appeal, first of all, to offer their bodies as living sacrifices. So once their membership in the body has been established, then their sacrifice is to be living. Living. Their sacrifice was to be a living sacrifice. It's, in other words, an ongoing sacrifice. A living, a lasting sacrifice, contributing to the functioning of the body. Because, again, although we come to Christ individually, we don't live in Christ in solitude. We might think of verse 2 in this way, where we are not only to be spiritually engaged, but we're also to be physically engaged with our bodies. Because if we think about it, our bodies, our physical bodies, are a key in this engagement, physically. Our bodies are present.

Think of how important that is, because without us physically being here, we can't use our arms to embrace someone who's going through a hard time, let's say. I cannot hear you without my ears. We cannot fellowship together without my mouth or sing praises to God, without my lips, and so on. So spiritual engagement is, in fact, also a physical engagement. And it's important to consider when we're thinking of terms in the functioning of the body and the using of our different gifts. In other words, if you are a called believer and you are able to attend, that's important, you're able to attend, and yet you're unprepared to commit to being physically joined in the fellowship of God, there may be an incongruity between that which you espouse spiritually and that which you're displaying physically. Again, so it's just an important concept to consider as we move into verse 4, 5, and 6, understanding that one body part does not make a functioning body.

Body parts must come together to function as a body.

Body parts must come together spiritually as well as physically to fully operate as one functioning body. That might be the second most profound thing I say today. So simple, crucial to understand, we must be together spiritually and physically to function as a body.

Simple but profound.

Now, it's important for us to remind ourselves of that this morning, remind ourselves that Paul, in this exhortation, you know, he's not issuing a call at this point to the man on the street or to the woman on the street. This exhortation here in verse 3, this is not going out to the community there in Rome. He's not going out to the people on the streets and saying, I exhort you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices wholly and acceptable to God. This is not at this moment preaching the gospel en masse. Rather, this is as a result of the gospel being preached. This is a call to God's people specifically to function in light of their calling. This is clear. Paul is writing to the saints of God, those who are in Christ. If you keep your finger here or put your little marker here, you can go to Romans 1, verse 6 and 7, and you will see to whom he's writing to. Very clear. Romans 1, verse 6 and 7. Who is he writing to? Well, he says, among you, chapter 1, verse 6, among whom you also are called of Jesus Christ. This is who he's writing to. Verse 7, to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. So if we go back to chapter 12, then, Romans chapter 12, we realize that Paul is writing to the saints of God. How did they become saints? Well, God took the initiative, extended grace to the called man or woman, giving them an opportunity to be placed in the body, so as then to be physically present, spiritually present, to use their gifts in the functioning of the body. So this admonishment is being directed to the saints, those who find themselves in the body. Likewise, you and I, we don't live in solitude. We are now the church. We are in a family built together into a house, a holy temple, part of a body, one body. So what does membership in the body mean to me? That's a good question, but the real question is, what does it mean for us? What does it mean for us?

And so, in beginning this discussion again, Paul does, first of all, he gives an exhortation in verse 3. This exhortation, verse 3, and then he gives the illustration, verse 4, 5, and 6. So let's talk some more about this exhortation. Verse 3, and then we'll get to the illustration of the body in verse 4, 5, and 6. Paul's exhortation, you will notice it again, it's an exhortation to humility. Verse 3 again, the middle of verse 3, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly. This is the exhortation. It's first in the negative, you'll know. Do not think more highly, more highly than he ought to think of himself, but think soberly. That's in the positive then. So do not think more highly of yourself. The Phillips paraphrase says it this way. I like the way it paraphrases this. Do not cherish exaggerated ideas of your own importance. That has a better ring to it, I think. In other words, as you think of functioning in the body with your differing gifts, do not be stuck on yourself, is what he's saying. Don't imagine in that you're greater than you are. Don't exercise a prerogative that hasn't been given to you. Don't make assumptions. Don't think more highly than you ought to. Why? Why is that important? Why shouldn't we think more highly of ourselves when considering the function of the body?

And thinking about the gifts God has given us and how we are going to use those. Well, the reason is because a gift should never be the source of spiritual pride. It's a gift.

And the reason for the exhortation here, it's so comprehensive. In fact, he includes all of the saints. He says, everyone who is among you there in verse 3, all the saints, no one is immune to this, this self-exaggeration. It's a human inclination to think more highly of ourselves. And those who have been given more significant gifts are in a real danger here of thinking more highly. Paul understands this. We're going to see here in a moment that Paul had to remind himself of this, that it's only by the grace of God that he's able to do what he does. I'll show you that here in a moment. But again, we need to think of this. So here's the third profound statement for today. It is this, a gift is a gift.

That's profound, isn't it? A gift is a gift and therefore can never be the source of spiritual pride. It's a gift. A gift is a gift. We can't take a gift then and then somehow attribute to ourselves as if we've earned it. Or it's a credit to us. Now, it's not to say that we don't enhance our gifts. We do enhance our gifts. We have a responsibility to that, but never consider that it's inherently yours. When we do so, we're in danger of what Paul says not to do to cherish exaggerated ideas of your own importance. Again, Paul had to face this danger of himself. I'm pretty sure that, God willing, if we meet Paul, he would say that he had a potential problem in this area. Because after all, he was extremely bright, a strong education, the best of pedigrees, influential in people's lives, and therefore a prime target in cherishing exaggerated ideas of his own importance. Let me show you this. Use this as a... Keep your marker here. Let's turn over to 2 Corinthians 12, if you will, in verse 1 for just a moment.

Usually, when you listen to a preacher or you read from some of our apostles and the different writings, it usually comes out... You can usually find out what they may have had a struggle in. It's certainly the case. You see this throughout Paul's writings. Here in 2 Corinthians 12, though, Paul is taking on the false apostles who were making elaborate claims of their own knowledge of God. And he speaks to them in third person here. And see if you can pick up on the potential of Paul's weakness in thinking too highly of himself. 2 Corinthians 12. Let's look at verse 1 and read through verse 10. 2 Corinthians 12 verse 1. See if you can pick up on some of this potential weakness for Paul.

It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man, third person, in Christ, he's speaking of himself, who 14 years ago, whether in the body I don't know or whether out of the body I don't know, God knows, such a one was caught up in the third heaven. And I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know.

God knows how he was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which is not lawful for a man to utter. Verse 5. Of such a one I will boast, yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will speak the truth, but I refrain lest anyone think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

Verse 7. Unless I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me, and he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly, I would rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in my infirmities, my reproaches, needs, persecutions, distresses, for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Let's stop there. So he says, to keep me from being conceited, there's this thorn given to me in the flesh. So he saw the purpose of the thorn, the reproaches, the persecutions, the needs. Why? Why was this thorn given to him? He says, so that I will not cherish exaggerated ideas of my own importance. Second part of verse seven, lest I be exalted above measure.

In other words, to keep me from thinking too highly of myself. God did this. On a side note, I think in the providence of God, in the goodness of God, this actually helps us understand the place of physical illness. This helps us understand the place of physical infirmities, disabilities, challenges in interpersonal relationships, the daunting prospects of all that we face in life. This helps us understand the place of those things. God knows what he's doing. Can you imagine how obnoxious some of us would be if it weren't for these necessary, uncomfortable, unrelenting elements in our lives?

Because the desire for preeminence is the death knell for spiritual usefulness. If you have a gift that God's given you and somehow in your heart you start to get an exalted idea of your own importance, it is the death knell in spiritual usefulness.

We have seen many of men and many of women, talented many men and women, spiritually talented. This becomes the death knell for them, and eventually they become unuseful to God in his purposes. We won't turn there, but 1 Corinthians 3, you can turn there later, Paul chides the congregations in Corinth. He says you're acting carnally because they decided to split up into different factions, and they were rallying behind different preachers, if you will. Some would say, oh, I like his gifts. Let's get behind him, and oh, I like his gifts. Let's get behind him and whatnot. Paul says, I'd like to address you as mature, but you're really infants acting with your carnal behavior.

You're attaching more significance to these people than they deserve. You're attaching it to them, to that person. And he goes on to say, after all, who's Paul? Who is Paul? Who is Apollos? And he says, they are servants, they are only servants to whom you came to believe, but the one who plants and the one who waters is not anything. And then he says, it's God who makes these things grow.

God who gives increase. God who gives you your gifts.

So we see why, before Paul can go into the discussion of being part of the body, functioning, using your gifts, he gives this exhortation of humility first. That's where it starts. It has to start there. If you don't start there, everything's going to be off kilter. So, and turning back to Romans 12, if you're not there already, Romans 12, verse 1 and 2, again, you need to be living sacrifices, transformed mind. And then verse 3, and you will know that you're transformed and that you're ready to be part of the body. When you, it'll be obvious in your humility. So a humble gal, a humble guy, you will notice who they are. You'll say, there goes a Romans 1, verse 1, 2, and 3 girl. There she goes. She's, she's, has gifts beyond measure. She's so gifted, but she's not marked by pride. In fact, she's marked by humility.

She doesn't cherish, he doesn't cherish exaggerated ideas of his, of their own importance.

Why? Because you have been placed in a body by grace, and you have differing gifts in that body by grace. So the significance of a member is on the account of grace, not on the account of who I am. Now, Romans 12, the exhortation again is there in verse 3. In light of that, then he moves on to the illustration in the body. So verse, Romans 12, verse 4, 5, and 6, this is where he introduces the concept of the body and the different gifts of the members. Humility is the key because exercising spiritual gifts divorced from genuine humility will create a body of chaos. We have seen it in different congregations. The exercising of spiritual gifts divorced from genuine humility, there will be chaos in the body. It would be like if you took a bunch of people together and say we're all in orchestra, and we're the Kentucky orchestra, let's say, and we have some talent. Let me tell you, we got some talent. The trombone player, he is great. The piccolo player, she's awesome, you know, and we bring everybody together and everyone, there's no humility, though, involved. So it's me, me, me, let me play. I want to play. I can play the trombone and the trombone player goes on, begins to play. The piccolo player, she starts to play her own tune, and the conductor says, well, you're all very talented, I can tell that, but that's not even the song we're playing. But on goes the trombone player playing his own tune. So regardless of the fact of their giftedness, unless the giftedness is brought under the headship of the conductor, unless the giftedness is brought under the rule of the score, unless the giftedness is exercise in genuine humility, then the fact that we have an expert trombone player doesn't matter. It's chaos. It's useless, in fact. Why? Because the part that they play must be set within the part that another plays, doesn't it? If you want to form a beautiful sound, the part that you play must be set in harmony with the part of another, with the other person plays. Well, I'm only interested in the part I have to play, you know. So you have this competition happening. Who can be louder? Who's going to get more recognition? I found a quote from a theologian by the name of David F. Wells on the subject of humility. I can't recommend the book. I haven't read the book, but this is a quote from the book, Losing Our Virtue. I think he says it quite well. He writes, quote, Humility has nothing to do with depreciating ourselves or our gifts in ways that are untrue. Even humble attitudes can be masks for pride. Humility is the freedom from our self which enables us to be in positions in which we have neither recognition nor importance, neither power nor validity, and even experience deprivation. And yet, have joy and delight. It is the freedom of knowing that we are not at the center of the universe, not even at the center of our own private universe. Unquote. I love that thought. Humility has nothing to do with the depreciating our own gifts. Humility is taking that gift and placing it under the headship of the conductor. The conductor Jesus Christ, of course, the head of the church. And we do so for the harmony and beautiful music which will be produced.

Do not think more highly than you ought. Rather, second half of verse three, think of yourself with sober judgment. Think soberly here of yourself.

In other words, the answer to the problem of pride is not self-denigration. Self-denigration can also be a product of pride as well. You know, viewing myself in a self-focused way, self-denigration can be found in pride in that it's found in comparing yourself to someone else. So, self-denigration is not good either. That's not what Paul is saying. And there's even pride in that because you're going to compare yourself either in height, weight, intellect, finance, or gifts, whatever it may be. So, you don't... Paul provides here is that you don't need to start off by thinking of yourself as a complete misfit, you know, or incompetent. It's rather, do not think more highly of yourself, but think of yourself in sober judgment. Sober judgment. Do not compare yourself to other people. Do not compare your gifts, whether they're better or worse. Rather, I need to be sober in my thinking. And that means seeing yourself on the account of God's mercy and God's grace. That's what gives us our significance in the body. And if we have a certain measure of gifts that we're providing, it's only on the account of God's grace. I need to be sober in my thinking on this. It's that which gives us of significance. God's grace gives us identity, value, my part in the body. It's on the account of who God is and what he has done in my life, not on the account of who I am and who I'm seeking to do and what I'm seeking to do for God. If we identify ourselves as a congregation on the strength of what we do or what they do, and I'm comparing myself to them, we're going to make a very unpleasant sound as a congregation. However, if we identify ourselves as a group on who God is and what he has done, this is going to be a wonderful place to make beautiful music.

It is then that we have the same function. Verse 5. Verse 5. So we, being many, are one. How? One body in Christ and individual members of one another. So I love, by God's grace, the gifts he's given me. And I love, by God's grace, the gifts he's given you. I love, by God's grace, the part I play in the body. I love, by God's grace, the part you play in the body. There's no significance. There's no comparison. There's no better or worse. We each have our own part. Paul is saying, find it and thank God for it.

It's in the children's song. Maybe this will help us. The butterfly song.

If I were a butterfly, I thank you, Lord, for giving me wings. And if I were a robin in a tree, I thank you, Lord, that I could sing. If I were a crocodile, I thank you, Lord, for my big smile. If I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I thank you, Lord, for my fuzzy wuzzy hair.

But I thank you, Father, for making me me.

Whatever gifts God's given you, they're for you. And so you use them, you identify them, you thank God for them. You take it and you know it's not innately yours, but you're going to enhance it and bring it forth, and you're going to bring it with you every Sabbath and every time that we're together.

I thank you, Father, for making me me. And so the collective body, we do not find our identity in comparison with one another and other parts of the body. We find our identity in our union with Jesus Christ. That's at the heart here of all that Paul is conveying. So again, it's not the obliteration of individual giftedness, but it's the understanding we come together in the context of the grace God has given us and the gifts he's given us to be a part of the body. So they lose their significance in terms of our identity, and rather we humbly use them in the function of the body. I wonder what gifts you have. I wonder what gifts you have. We will get to the application of those specific gifts in our Bible study, but whatever your gifts are, Paul says to realize they're from God, and we are to use them to His glory. So in conclusion, I think I'll finish by reading this passage of Scripture again. Maybe we'll read verse 4 or 5 and the beginning of verse 6 to conclude our sermon study today before our Bible study. I think this is a wonderful way to end and a wonderful teaching of Paul here. So plain, but so profound. Romans 12, verse 4, 5, and 6, the beginning of verse 6, he says, For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we being many are one body, how? In Christ, and individually members of one another, having then gifts differing according to the grace that has been given to us. Let us use them.

Well, we'll have finished with a song and a prayer, take a short break, and then we'll begin the Bible study after that.