Serving Together: Embracing Our Gifts in Community
Summary
In Romans 12:6-8, we are reminded of the diverse gifts bestowed upon us by God's grace. These gifts are not for personal gain or isolation but are meant to be used in service to one another within the body of Christ. The Christian life is not a solitary journey; it is a communal experience where each member plays a vital role. Historical examples, like Simeon the Stylite, illustrate the futility of attempting to live a Christian life in isolation. Instead, we are called to live in community, using our unique gifts to build up the church and glorify God.
Each of us has received different gifts, whether it be prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, generosity, leadership, or acts of mercy. These gifts are not to be hidden but are to be actively used for the benefit of others. The context of Romans 12 emphasizes that our response to God's grace is to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is worked out in the context of community. Our sanctification and holiness are intertwined with our relationships with one another.
The Christian life is a shared journey, where we are called to encourage, challenge, and uplift each other. We are important to the body of Christ, but we are not essential. The church will continue without us, yet we are called to expend ourselves for the body, serving with zeal and cheerfulness. We must take the risk of serving despite the failings of others and continue to serve until our final breath. Our gifts are to be used not for comparison but for the glory of God and the good of the church.
Ultimately, our motivation to serve comes from our love for Christ. He has poured out His love and grace upon us, and in response, we offer our lives as living sacrifices, serving His body with the gifts He has given us. Let us use our gifts for His glory and praise, knowing that we are part of a grand story of God's work in the world.
Key Takeaways:
1. Gifts for Community: Each believer has received unique gifts from God, intended for the service and edification of the church community. These gifts are not for personal gain but are to be used to build up the body of Christ, reflecting the communal nature of the Christian life. [03:19]
2. Importance of Community: The Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation. Our sanctification and growth in holiness are deeply connected to our relationships with one another. We are called to live out our faith in community, supporting and encouraging each other. [13:45]
3. Service Until the End: Believers are called to serve the body of Christ until their final breath. Age or physical limitations do not exempt us from using our gifts. As long as we have breath, we have a purpose in serving the church and glorifying God. [24:30]
4. Avoiding Comparison: We must focus on using the gifts we have been given rather than comparing ourselves to others. God will commend us based on how we use what we have, not what others have. Our service should be motivated by love for Christ and His body. [27:48]
5. Motivation from Love for Christ: Our primary motivation for serving the church should be our love for Christ. He has poured out His love and grace upon us, and in response, we offer our lives as living sacrifices, serving His body with the gifts He has given us. [31:25]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:24] - Opening Prayer
- [01:05] - Scripture Reading: Romans 12:6-8
- [01:48] - Historical Examples of Isolation
- [03:19] - Gifts for Community
- [04:04] - Understanding Spiritual Gifts
- [05:20] - Prophecy and Service
- [05:59] - Teaching and Exhortation
- [06:40] - Generosity and Leadership
- [07:27] - Acts of Mercy
- [08:15] - Gifts for One Another
- [09:11] - Context of Romans 12
- [10:49] - Response to Grace
- [12:47] - Living Sacrifices in Community
- [13:45] - Importance of Community
- [16:15] - Christ's Work Through Us
- [17:11] - Application: Use Your Gifts
- [18:03] - Importance in the Body
- [21:31] - Not Essential but Important
- [22:17] - Expend Yourself for the Body
- [23:45] - Serve Despite Failings
- [24:30] - Serve Until Your Final Breath
- [27:48] - Avoiding Comparison
- [29:21] - Serve Beyond Your Gifts
- [31:25] - Motivation from Love for Christ
- [32:16] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Romans 12:6-8
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#### Observation Questions
1. What are the different gifts mentioned in Romans 12:6-8, and how are they supposed to be used according to the passage?
2. How does the sermon illustrate the futility of living a Christian life in isolation through historical examples? [01:48]
3. What does the sermon say about the relationship between our sanctification and our community with other believers? [13:45]
4. According to the sermon, what is the significance of using our gifts with zeal and cheerfulness? [07:27]
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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the sermon interpret the idea of presenting our bodies as living sacrifices in the context of community? [11:46]
2. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of community in the Christian life, and how does it relate to our personal growth in holiness? [13:45]
3. How does the sermon address the issue of comparing our gifts with others, and what is the intended outcome of focusing on our own gifts? [27:48]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our motivation for serving the church should be rooted in our love for Christ? [31:25]
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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the gifts you believe God has given you. How are you currently using them to serve your church community, and what steps can you take to use them more effectively? [17:11]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of community in the Christian life. How can you actively contribute to building a stronger sense of community within your church? [13:45]
3. Consider a time when you compared your gifts to others. How did it affect your service, and what can you do to focus on using your gifts for God's glory instead? [27:48]
4. The sermon encourages serving until our final breath. What are some practical ways you can continue to serve, regardless of age or physical limitations? [24:30]
5. Think about a person in your church who may be struggling. How can you use your gifts to encourage and uplift them this week? [15:13]
6. How can you ensure that your motivation for serving is rooted in your love for Christ, and not for personal recognition or gain? [31:25]
7. Identify one area in your church where there is a need for service. How can you step in to help, even if it is outside your comfort zone or not your primary gift? [29:21]
Devotional
Day 1: Gifts as Instruments of Service
Each believer is endowed with unique gifts from God, intended not for personal gain but for the service and edification of the church community. These gifts, whether they be prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, generosity, leadership, or acts of mercy, are meant to build up the body of Christ. The Christian life is inherently communal, and our gifts reflect this nature. They are to be actively used for the benefit of others, not hidden or hoarded. The diversity of gifts within the church is a testament to the richness of God's grace and the interconnectedness of the Christian community. [03:19]
1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."
Reflection: Identify one gift you believe God has given you. How can you use this gift to serve someone in your church community this week?
Day 2: The Necessity of Christian Community
The Christian journey is not meant to be a solitary one. Our growth in holiness and sanctification is deeply intertwined with our relationships with one another. Living out our faith in community means supporting, encouraging, and challenging each other. Historical examples, like Simeon the Stylite, highlight the futility of attempting to live a Christian life in isolation. Instead, we are called to be part of a community where our unique gifts contribute to the collective growth and glorification of God. [13:45]
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Reflection: Think of a time when someone in your church community encouraged you in your faith. How can you be an encouragement to someone else this week?
Day 3: Perseverance in Service
Believers are called to serve the body of Christ until their final breath. Age or physical limitations do not exempt us from using our gifts. As long as we have breath, we have a purpose in serving the church and glorifying God. This call to service is a lifelong commitment, requiring perseverance and dedication despite the challenges and failings of others. Our service is a response to God's grace, and it is through serving that we find fulfillment and purpose in our Christian walk. [24:30]
Galatians 6:9-10 (ESV): "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Reflection: What is one way you can continue to serve your church community, even if you feel tired or discouraged?
Day 4: Embracing Our Unique Gifts
In a world that often encourages comparison, believers are called to focus on using the gifts they have been given rather than comparing themselves to others. God will commend us based on how we use what we have, not what others have. Our service should be motivated by love for Christ and His body, not by a desire to compete or compare. Embracing our unique gifts allows us to serve authentically and effectively, contributing to the overall health and growth of the church. [27:48]
1 Corinthians 12:14-18 (ESV): "For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose."
Reflection: Reflect on a gift or talent you have that you may have undervalued. How can you begin to use it more intentionally for God's glory?
Day 5: Love as the Foundation of Service
Our primary motivation for serving the church should be our love for Christ. He has poured out His love and grace upon us, and in response, we offer our lives as living sacrifices, serving His body with the gifts He has given us. This love-driven service is not about obligation but about a heartfelt response to the love we have received. It is through this love that we find the strength and joy to serve, knowing that we are part of a grand story of God's work in the world. [31:25]
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (ESV): "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."
Reflection: How does your love for Christ influence the way you serve others? What is one way you can deepen this love and let it guide your actions this week?
Quotes
Gifts are received. That is the very definition of a gift. It is not something you procure. It is not something that you secure. It is not something that you grab. It is something that is given to us. And each of us has gifts that have been given to us. [00:04:04]
You will notice that we receive gifts, but the gifts that you and I receive are not to be hidden underneath the tree of our lives. They are given for one another, in service of one another. That is the calling upon us. You and I were put together to be a blessing to one another. [00:08:15]
And Paul's understanding and the New Testament's understanding, the Christian life is lived out among Christians. We are never a one-actor play in our Christian story. Never. Our holiness is not detached from one another. Our sanctification is not some mere private exhibition, but rather is worked out in relationship with one another. [00:13:45]
There is no Lone Ranger Christianity. There is not even a Lone Ranger and Tonto Christianity. We need each other. I need you, and you need me. I need your gifts to encourage me and challenge me, to uplift me. And you need mine. This is how it works. [00:16:15]
This is how He has chosen to work. Is Christ sufficient? He absolutely is. And how has He chosen to work? He has chosen to work in this world in our lives by His Word and through us. He gives us the great privilege and the great responsibility of bringing our gifts to bear upon one another. [00:17:11]
You are important for the body of Christ. Every single one of us has been brought into the body of Christ for service. He has given you gifts that the body needs. It is corporate language there, "the grace given to us, let us," each member of the body, unique, "each has gifts according to the grace given." [00:18:03]
We simply play our part in our day for the good of the body to the glory of God. That is what we do, which leads to our third, "Expend yourself for the body. Expend yourself for the body of Christ." I love how Paul talks about it. He says he wants to be poured out as a drink offering for the sake of their faith. [00:22:17]
Take the risk of lovingly serving God's people in spite of all their failings. Take the risk. He said, "They have hurt me too much," listen, "Some of the greatest pains I have suffered through this life have been at the hands of the church and she is worth it. You keep serving her. You keep expending yourself for her." [00:23:45]
Keep serving until your final breath. Keep serving until your final breath. Use your gifts unto the end. I have sat with older saints on multiple occasions who have said almost exactly the same thing to me. They have said, "I just don't know why I am here any longer." And I have said the exact same thing to every single one of them: "Well, I know." [00:24:30]
Serve with what you have been given. Stop playing the comparison game. We want what he has or we want what she has, all the while neglecting what we have been given. When we appear before Christ on that last day, we will be commended based upon what we have done and what we have been given, not what others have been given. [00:27:48]
Finally, use your gifts for the sake of the body because you love its head, because you love Christ. It is Christ that draws forth you and I wanting to give our lives for those around us. He has poured out such amazing love upon us, such incredible grace has He bestowed upon us. [00:31:25]
Let us pray. Our Father, we are thankful You have given us the great privilege and the great responsibility of serving our Lord and Savior and His body in this world, and we do so with all that we are, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable before You in Christ's name. Amen. [00:32:16]
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