A Sacrifice of Gifts

 Last week, we looked at a pivotal passage from Romans 12:1-2, as Paul transitions from the theology of the Gospel to the practical application of it. He began that transition by giving us two principles for faithful Christian living. First, we are to give our bodies as living sacrifices in worship to God. Second, we are to forsake conformity to the systems and ways of thinking in this world, and instead we are to renew our minds in pursuit of the will of God.

This morning, we begin to work through details of what this living sacrifice looks like, and we start with the ways that we sacrifice for the good of other believers in using our gifts and talents to build up the church. To see that, let’s read Romans 12:3-8 together. From this passage I want you to see two points: The Good of the Other, and the Gifts of Grace.

First, let’s consider the good of others from verses 3-5. When I was a young boy, we spent a good bit time over at my grandfather’s house. Grandaddy was fun to be around, and he always kept go-carts for us to ride and games for us to play. But, Grandaddy also grew up in the depression and believed in hard work. So, most days spent at Grandaddy’s started with work and ended with play. For my brother, this was the perfect vacation. To this day, Patrick loves to work, even when he’s on vacation. I, on the other hand, did not enjoy the work phase of Granddaddy’s schedule. One day, Granddaddy had us picking up limbs and pinecones in the yard. We could earn a penny per pinecone, and I was old enough to know that no matter how many I picked up, it wasn’t going to be a lot of money. So, I piddled around until Grandaddy finally decided to scold me for my laziness, to which I replied, “Grandaddy, I didn’t come here to work.” Well, Grandaddy made sure that I wouldn’t live that down. To this day, even though granddaddy is gone, my family still regularly reminds me when it’s time to work.

You know, I think many in the church view serving in the church kind of like 8-year-old Nathan viewed picking up pinecones. We don’t come to church to work. Many come to worship. Some come to be renewed and regain their hope. Some come out of tradition. All of those are good reasons. We should come to church to worship, study God’s word, be encouraged, and maintain the traditions of the faith. But, we all need to understand that God has not only saved us from something (our sin, judgment, and death), but he has saved us TO something. In Eph. 2:8-10, Paul says that we are saved by grace through faith, but he ends by saying, “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Do you catch what that means? God has saved you so that you might fulfill a purpose in his kingdom. Paul says much the same thing in our passage today, and he gives an important analogy that he uses in several of his letters. In verse 4, he explains that we are all members of one body, and like a body has different members that all make up one body, so we all are different parts of the body of Christ. If you are a member of Antioch West today, I want you to understand that you are needed. This church cannot be all that God has for it to be without you. God has saved you and brought you to this church for a reason, and like a body without a limb, without your gifts and talents at work in this church, we will be less than able.

Now look, I’ve served in just about every position a church can have. I’ve served on nominating committee, pastor search committee, discipleship director, youth minister, deacon, and pastor. I’ve heard all the excuses: we are just too busy, I don’t feel qualified, I’m afraid I’d get burned out. I understand that there can be real circumstances where any of these excuses ring true, but I think more times than not, we give shallow excuses because we don’t want to commit to the real work of living the Christian life. We like all the benefits, but we don’t want to take the risks, to get our hands dirty, to be where the action is. But I emphasize again, until we all are serving in some way, this church cannot reach its potential for the kingdom.

So, how can you serve? We find that in the second point: Gifts of Grace, from verses 6-8. Here Paul, turns to another point he makes often in his letters: God has given grace to his people in proportion, and that grace manifests in gifts that each member can use for the good of the church body. In other words, the grace that God gives to each of us works itself out in different ways. When God saved me, his grace impacted my mind. I was a quiet thinker who loved to try to figure out how things go together, and God redeemed that and transformed it into gifts of wisdom and preaching. Some of you loved hanging out, hosting people, keeping up with your friends, and when God saved you he transformed that into gifts of compassion and hospitality. 

Now, in Paul’s writings, he gives several different lists of gifts, and people get all tripped up trying to understand each gift and figure out which one they have. But, you’ll notice, if you study these lists in this passage, Ephesians 4, and 1 Cor. 12, they are all different. I think there is good reason for that: God gifts his people in every place with what that church needs. Where a prophet is needed, God gives the gift of prophecy. Where faith is needed, God gives someone boldness of faith. And on and on. So, instead of trying to figure out where your gifts meet with these lists, instead, I encourage you to think and pray about where your interests and talents meet the needs of this church.

So, in the time we have left, I want to give you my vision for service in this church. First, you can serve by attending to the small things. I mean two things by that. One way that you can serve is just by attending, especially attending one of the three other services we have (Sunday school, Sunday night, and Wednesday night). In Sunday school and Wednesday night particularly, we tend to discuss, and discussion works a whole lot better when people are there for it. Another way that you can serve in the small things is by stepping up to help with worship. We have three great opportunities to participate in worship that don’t require any skill, experience, or qualification. You can sing in the choir. You can serve as an usher by just letting me know that you’d be willing to do so. And, you can let Cathy know that you want to get on the list to read Scripture.

Second, you can serve by taking on a formal position in this church. Right now, the nominating committee is looking to fill positions. I know, committee work isn’t glorious, but it benefits the church and keeps everything running smoothly. I know teaching in VBS can be a lot of work, but did you know that we got to meet two new families through VBS this year?

Finally, I want to end by giving a charge to groups within our church. To start, let me make an appeal to our younger adults (by younger, I mean anyone under 50). We need you to attend, to help in the small things, and to serve. We need you to consider serving as deacons, Sunday school teachers, VBS leaders, committee members. Sure, many of you attend faithfully on Sunday morning, but we need you for more than that. I believe God has gifted you, so serve for his glory.

Older adults, we need you too. I know things don’t get easier, even in retirement, but this church needs you to persevere in service. And, most importantly, we need you to train up the next generation in service. The next generation needs to know how the business of the church is handled. They don’t need to be fussed at when it’s done wrong, they need to be taught. And that takes rolling up your sleeves and getting in there with them.

It’s my great hope that this church will continue to be a beacon of grace and faithfulness in this community as each of us use our gifts and talents to serve one another.