Author: missionspaul

The reason why the Church is so effective in the world is because of the focus we give to what we do and that is to worship Jesus Christ. It is all for Him; everything came from Him and we are careful to do whatever we do, for Him. We want the world to see Christ not us.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12 v 6-8)

Why does Paul choose these 7 gifts? In his other writings he lists a different set. Are these a random list coming off the top of his head? Whatever the answer, the focus is not the gift, nor the one using the gift but it is either on Christ or His Church.

There’s nothing wrong in having courses on how to use the gifts; there’s nothing wrong in being able to recognise the gifts you have or call yourself by a title connected to the gift; but to use the gift for Christ, to use it for others and to do so with love is the whole point I think Paul is referring to.

The excitement of Church is surely when we see gifts such as:

Prophesying: helping people with past, present and future thoughts that are not our own subjective feelings but are from Christ and for the glorifying of Christ (that’s what our faith is all about).

Serving: being that hands-on deacon that stoops down to wash feet and puts the needs of others first so that Christ is seen and to do it all for Christ.

Teaching: opening the Bible so that others can see Christ and glorify Christ.

Encouraging: edifying, building, strengthening others to be all they can be, to be followers of Christ.

Giving: with no other motive but to be like Christ who gave His all, to do it generously.

Leading: do it the way Christ leads, not with manipulation or force but with love and demonstration.

Showing mercy: don’t look down on the disadvantaged, show them happiness and let the smile of Christ be seen through you.

This is the Church that Christ birthed. This is the exciting Church that Christ died for. Let’s step into this today.

The focus of gifts are the Giver not the gift and certainly not the given.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” V6

Let’s not worship the gift or the given but the Giver.

As we look back on our lives as followers of Jesus we can see not only did He do it all, so we have no place to boast, but also it was all for Him.

“For 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, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12 v 4-5)

I am unable to purposely leave the community of Christ and keep connected to Christ.

I am unable to view life and make decisions accurately through my perspective only.

I am unable to claim any entitlement for I am not the body but part of.

However,

I am here by design with my own uniqueness and a worthy individual contribution without individualistic desire.

I am responsible for the care of others, their value and for their voice to be heard.

I am privileged for I have access to the whole body.

It is all for Him. Yet the benefits are many.

After you have built your life around love and sacrifice; after you have been transformed by renewing your mind and after you have discerned the will of God for your life, be very careful. “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” (Romans 12 v 3)

Just because you are in alignment with God; now that you have learnt what it is to offer yourself to God sacrificially; and as you have resisted becoming like the world around you; there is a danger that you could think that you have done very well.

“Look where I have come from? Look at me? Look what I have made of my life? Look what I achieved? Look what I did for God? Look how God used me? Look at what He built through me? I did all of this through faith. I did it all for His glory. I had to use faith to sacrifice my life. I had to use faith to believe I could do it. I had to use faith to be different when everyone else was fitting in. I had to use faith to step into the will of God for my life. It wasn’t easy for me but my faith in God enabled me to be what I have become.”

The above isn’t an exact quote but it could be.

In the cynical world we now live in, Christian celebrities in pulpits and pews feel the need to display their cv in order for someone to listen to their message, follow them on social media or review their online book. Often their cv looks like a bit like the quote. God is bring glorified because of what the person has done.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

It is all of Him. Faith to do anything was not our faith it was a given faith by God. All that we have ever done. All of our cv was God’s doing to bring God glory through our life. There is no room for being a big-head. We did nothing. He did it all.

The will of God isn’t an itinerary to follow after spending years trying to discover it. It isn’t a blueprint of a plan which tells you what to do and where to go. If only God would tell me? Why doesn’t he tell me? He tells everyone else but me? These can be destructive thoughts. It is so much more than that.

After you have built your life around love and sacrifice; after you have been transformed by renewing your mind, “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12 v 2b)

Here is my prayer:

Lord, I need to know your ways. I need to know what is from you and what is from man. I need to know the counterfeit. I need discernment.

I desire wisdom in dealing with people. In my listening and in my speaking I need to not fail. I don’t search for wisdom of my mind only, I do need to grow there in my intellect. But this is a wisdom of my spirit that I seek.

There are days when I walk with what seems to be a flickering candle. Today I ask for more than a candle. I ask for divine beams of revelation so that I may know you more in all that I do. Lead me from the shallow end where the deep calls to deep. Let my words become far more significant. Words are just words. Yet words that are illuminated, that come from the place of wisdom and revelation carry so much more weight. I want my spirit, soul, mind and strength to be in my words. I want my words to move people.

Break me so that I no longer love the dark or the candle. Break into me so that the shekinah fills every part of me. I seek no idolatrous God-shaped substitutes. I seek the glory of You that cuts and burns and melts and removes all strange fire within me. I was made for your good, for your pleasing and for your perfect will.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12 v 2)

For the word transformed, Paul uses the word from which we get metamorphosis. Transformation doesn’t lead to death any more than a cocoon leads to the death of the caterpillar. It is, instead, the beginning of life. It is an entrance into the kind of life that God wills for us. So here is my prayer this morning:

Lord, renew my mind. It is the area that becomes the playground for so many negative thoughts. Be my Saviour in that place. Save me from every anxious thought. These are not my thoughts, they come from the enemy, I must take hold of them and stop their destructive pathway. Saviour, save me. My hope is in you. My future is in you. I was saved, I am saved and I will be saved in the future.

We don’t have to fit in. In fact we are called not to do so.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world …” (Romans 12 v 2)

I love the Message’s take on this: Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. 

The pattern of this world is the world of Paul’s generation but it is also our world of 2022.

‘World’ is not the cosmos but ‘age’, the pattern, the thoughts, the opinions, the agenda in the lives of rulers and the ruled in 2022 or whatever year it is. It is the spiritual atmosphere. Do we know the age we live in?

I see 3 dangers in this age.

There is a war for voice of truth. What is truth amidst all the fake news that is given to people to believe? What is truth amidst man’s rhetoric, boasting and lies?

There is a war for the foothold of politics. I see enemies of anger, judgment and bitterness camped on our lives. I see destructive arguments in social media posts even from within God’s church. Love is swamped by hate.

There is a war over entitlement. Everyone is grabbing what is supposedly theirs. Demands are rising. I don’t see self-sacrifice. I don’t see generosity.

This is the age. Paul says do not conform to this pattern. Be different.

Where there is falsehood speak truth.

Where there is hate show love.

Where there is selfishness give generously.

Be different.

After 11 chapters of amazing truth regarding the mercy of God Paul moves into the latter part of his letter which contains instructions for living out what he has taught them:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12 v 1)

My first ever sermon was on Saturday 3^rd September 1988, it was entitled ‘Knowing God’s will and my verses were Romans 12: 1-2. I still have it. It’s not good!

Over the next 34 years I am still learning what it means to be a living sacrifice. Here are 8 areas I try to offer my body in sacrifice to God. It is my life’s ambition and work to:-

Sacrifice power and control and take up submission

Sacrifice freedom and take up responsibility

Sacrifice gain for what I can give.

Sacrifice immediate fulfilment for what will be a lasting achievement.

Sacrifice desire for praise from men for the approval of God.

Sacrifice the desire to be served in order to serve.

Sacrifice self-gratification for self-control

Sacrifice the need to run ahead for the acceptance of patience.

Why do we offer our bodies as living sacrifices each day to God?

It is because of all Paul has taught us previously. A reminder this morning:-

God doesn’t get it wrong in His dealings with me: He will never fail me. (Chapter 3)

God removes the barrier of sin and I am declared innocent by Him and for Him, I am justified (Chapter 5)

Whatever happens today from the moment I rise it is all because of His grace to look upon me, bless me, love me, favour me and He does that through every single thing around me. (Chapter 5)

The Spirit has freedom to move in my life, to breathe, grow and bear fruit. (Chapter 7)

I therefore focus on being and the Spirit focuses on the doing. (Chapter 7)

His adoption scheme brought me into His family and to be that child of God (Chapter 8)

I am not isolated in any suffering I endure for the Spirit inwardly groans and intercedes for me. (Chapter 8)

Not one condition can ever separate the love of Christ from me. (Chapter 8)

What do we do? Sacrifice

Why? Love

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God does not need anything from us in order to be who He is.

“For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11 v 36)

He is the cause of all things (from Him); He is the channel of all things (through Him); He is the goal of all things (and to Him).

Today pause and see the greatness of God; let this great God flow through you; and move in that greatness towards Him in worship in everything you do.

Do you know of anyone? Do you know?

That’s the context for 2 of the 3 questions Paul poses in his doxology and taken from Isaiah 40:12-13.

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” (Romans 11: 34-35)

How much do all the mountains and hills weigh? The estimate weight of the highest mountain, Everest, is estimated at 357 trillion pounds. So people do try and answer the question but they cannot be definitive enough, no one knows.  

Paul quotes from Isaiah because he wants to show that the salvation plan of Christ is beyond understanding. How can the Jews be saved? How can the Gentiles be reached? How can your ‘Israel’ your family turn to Christ? It may look impossible for you. The context Paul reaches into is that of Israel being exiled in Babylon losing hope because of the force of this nation. God speaks through Isaiah to say that the nations are small in the hands of God.

God is not a glorified man. He is not a better man than us. He is above and beyond us.

The 3^rd questions appears to be from Job 41:11 where in the setting around the sea-serpent known as Leviathan who no one can master, God shows that He does exactly that. He doesn’t need any help from us. We cannot give Him any resources for anything that He needs. He is self-sufficient. Therefore, God owes us nothing! It doesn’t matter how good we can be in order to get something from God it will not work. He will not be moved by any bargaining tool we use. We must understand His grace. His grace to save Jew, Gentile, our ‘Isreal’!

We don’t know enough to explain God.

We don’t understand or can interpret enough to tell God what to do.

We have not done enough for God to seek our advice.

The day you know the answer to the weight of every mountain and hill in the world is the day this may change.