Becoming a Romans 12 Christian III
“Building a Church Jesus Would Want to Attend”
Romans 12
 
·         Today we are looking at the kind of church God wants to build here in Colorado Springs.
 
·         I want to build a church that Jesus would want to join.
 
·         These next exhortations are exhortations of love, appreciation, and unity in the Family of Jesus.
 
·         We are the Family of Jesus to our city.
Vs. 1-3
·         Be reasonable about yourself.
 
·         If the Holy Spirit anoints you in a gift or skill, don’t be haughty about it.
 
·         Don’t think that you’re special or indispensable.
 
·         Everyone is dispensable.
 
·         The most difficult time in work or ministry is when God is mightily using you!
 
·         Billy Graham says, “Don’t touch the women, don’t touch the money, and don’t touch the glory!”
 
·         Be sober! Paul says in writing to the Corinthians:
 
1 Corinthians 4:6-7
Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. 7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
 
·         It is a privilege. God did not choose you because you are so special or knowledgeable.
 
·         God chose you because he wanted to confound the wise.
 
 
1 Corinthians 1:26-28
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.
 
Now Paul looks at the gifts of the Spirit and their function in the Body of Christ. No area can be more pride building than how we work out the gifts in our lives.
 
Vs. 4-5
·         Ex. The church is like a body and all parts are necessary and working together in coordination.
 
·         Some of us are hands and feet, but each part is very important.
 
·         Even the parts you can’t see are vital. How well would you live if you didn’t have your veins? Your kidney? Your liver? Your brain?
 
o   So many people, over 50% of this body, are serving behind the scenes. No one see’s them.
 
o   All these tables that get set up, chairs, cleaning, kitchen duty, like a physical body, this church could not function without those invisible parts working healthfully.
 
·         There must be a unity of purpose! The Body of Christ is beautiful when it is functioning as a healthy body.
 
o   A healthy body can withstand cancer cells; they can’t multiply for very long in a healthy body.
 
o   A healthy body has the spiritual immune system to fight off diseases, parasites, and injuries.
 
o   Every church has seasons of disease and injuries. We will feel the pain of not having Richard and Sherri here but we will move forward with unity and singleness of purpose.
 
·         The problem is when the Body gets spastic, there become parts that want to be exalted.
 
·         Ex. This is like the big toe saying, “hey, it’s dark and smelly down here, and I don’t get any recognition. I want people to notice me! So, I’m going to be in the middle of the forehead, so people will see me.” But it doesn’t belong there, it doesn’t fit there.
 
·         We see the striving for recognition and God can’t bless that person.
 
·         Ex. At MSC we want everyone of you enjoying a place where you can love the Lord by loving people, children’s helpers/teachers; ushering, greeting, administration.
 
·         When each of us are lovingly serving God and others, the church is so beautiful, so powerful, so loving!
 
Vs. 6
·         This word “prophecy” has two meanings:
 
o   There is a foretelling function, as of seeing things in the future that God is showing.
 
o   There is a forth telling function of preaching/teaching truth.
 
·         Along with the gift is a level of faith needed for the use of the gift.
 
Vs. 7-8
·         Minister doesn’t mean the noun, “a Minister” like a pastor, but rather is the word diakonia, where we get the word for deacon or servant (reference Acts 6).
 
·         These are the attitudes we are to have in our use of the spiritual gifts God has blessed us with.
 
o   If you are a teacher, teach!
 
o   You have a gift of exhortation, then encourage people!
 
o   If you have a gift of giving, then give liberally!
 
o   Show mercy with a cheerful heart!
 
·         Everyone in this fellowship has a spiritual gift; use it for God’s glory.
 
·         Ex. I want evangelists evangelizing, teachers teaching, administrators administrating, servers serving, helpers helping.
 
·         Romans 12 is not exhaustive.
 
·         See also 1 Corinthians 12-14 for a fuller more complete biblical perspective on the gifts, but realize that even in 1 Corinthians, he places 1 Corinthians 13, the great love chapter right in between his discussion. All must be done in love.
 
Vs. 9
·         Genuine love appreciates all of the special gifts in the Body of Christ.
 
·         Genuine love is not hypocritical because it really comes from the heart.
 
·         Genuine love hates what is evil and loves what is good!
 
·         It is the fear of the Lord to hate evil. The world tolerates evil. We should be intolerant of all forms of evil and injustice.
 
Vs. 10
·         This is what love looks like practically, having a deep concern for people.
 
·         Prefer others ahead of yourself. This is sadly missing in our churches today.
 
·         Stepping back and letting others go ahead of us is graciousness.
 
·         Ex. So many of you have this spirit at MSC. All the meals, visitations, prayers, cooking, oil changes, set up/take down, teaching in classes, doing the bulletins, greeting people at the doors, ministry teams up front, AWANA teachers and helpers, Helping Hands servants, children and youth teachers, mentoring couples, all the classes during the week, administration in our office, administrative assistants for our pastors, finances, accounting, cleaning of the building, ground up keep, our pastors and all they do, and small group leaders. Just look at the back of the bulletin.
 
Vs. 11
·         Do not be slothful in your business or work.
 
·         Ex. Some people put a fish sign on the back of their car and then do sloppy work.
 
·         Be fair, upright, sincere, and enthusiastic in your jobs.
 
·         Do your work as worship to the Lord; then you won’t get upset if no one notices or recognizes you, because you did it to the Lord.
 
·         If your work is worship to the Lord, you will never be disappointed.
 
Vs. 12
·         All three of these go together. You rejoice in hope because you are having to be patient in tribulation and continuing steadfastly in prayer.
 
o   Learn to be instant in prayer.
 
o   Make it the first resort, not the last.
 
o   Ex. Sometimes people come in asking for help and we ask, “Have you prayed about it?” and they answer, “No, it’s not that bad!”
 
·         God never sleeps; He is always available.
 
Jeremiah 33:3
'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'

Vs. 13
·         Mountain Springers, you are to be applauded; we have never made an appeal for funds in which you haven’t given so very generously.
 
o   All the mission trips were financed through your generosity; hundreds were reached with the gospel.
 
o   I could talk about VBS in which over 220 kids came to know the Lord.
 
o   Helping hands in which over 200 families are blessed each month.
 
o   Hoops of Hope in which 8 children gave their hearts to Christ.
 
·         If you are given to hospitality, have people over to your homes!
 
·         Ex. Cook a little bit more spaghetti, bake or buy some more bread, and ask God to give you someone to invite over.
 
Vs. 14
·         We are not always going to get along with everyone; not everyone is going to like you.
 
·         Some people are dumb, and they just don’t know how wonderful you are.
 
·         How do we bless them? Sometimes it’s doing something physical and practical to show such love, even when they have said bad things about you. This could be cooking a meal, sending flowers, helping them, etc.
 
Vs. 15
·         Love people enough to get down on their level and love them there.
 
Vs. 16
·         Don’t be haughty or condescending; show love to those who can’t repay you, those who are less fortunate.
 
·         The poor are very special to God; He says remember the poor!
 
·         Ex. I want to build a beautiful café and bookstore to fund reaching out to the fatherless of our city and state.
 
Vs. 17
·         These last few verses are you dealing with people who have mistreated or spoken evil of you?
 
·         None of us have struggled with this, have we?
 
·         Don’t say, “I’ll get even with you!” Don’t have hidden agendas to hurt people.
 
Vs. 18
·         It is not possible, but do as much as you can to promote peace.
 
·         Don’t let the friction be from you.
 
Vs. 19
·         When you get angry, be careful.
 
·         If you have been ripped off, give it to the Lord.
 
·         Leave it with the Lord to take care of you.
 
Vs. 20
·         You may say, “How can I do that?” You can’t, but through the Holy Spirit you can.
 
·         Ex. Even political enemies should grow in this, especially in the current Republican primary battle going on. Doug, Bentley, and Jeff, unify after the election and become a strong, cohesive voice for life.
 
·         Don’t try to get even. God will take care of His own.
 
Vs. 21
·         Don’t let evil get the upper hand over you.
 
·         We overcome evil by doing good, loving all that is good, meditating on the good.
 
·         Do you see anything wrong with this? Isn’t this the kind of community you want to live in? I would like to live in a society like this.
 
·         This is the way God wants the Church to live. May God grant us the courage and passion to live like this and touch our city with this kind of love.
 
·         This is the kind of church Jesus would want to attend!
 
o   A church built on deep, genuine love for God and people.