Last Sunday we began a new section of Romans focusing on living out our faith in the day-to-day stuff of where we do life.  This morning we’ve come to Romans 12:3. 

There’s a story about a Swedish immigrant - who knew very little English - a Swedish immigrant who had arrived in Fresno - and was having a difficult time finding a job.  One of his friends suggested that he go to the zoo and ask for a job - maybe a maintenance or custodial job.

So he went and applied at the Fresno Zoo and the zoo gave him a job.  But, not as a maintenance worker or as a custodian.  The Chaffee Zoo - which at the time was having some economic problems - it seems that the zoo couldn’t afford to have a real bear.  So they employed this Swedish immigrant as a bear.  They gave him a bear costume.  His job was to roam around the bear exhibit and act like a bear.  Growling and doing “bearish” type things.  Which he did.

Now, the bear exhibit - at that time - the bear exhibit was right next to the lion exhibit.  Unfortunately while this poor Swedish immigrant man was lumbering around acting “bearish” he fell into the lion exhibit. 

The lion - of course - chased him into a corner.  Being afraid that the lion would tear him to shreds he began screaming and shouting in Swedish.  As the lion got closer to him the lion whispered in Swedish, “Keep quiet, you fool, or we’ll both lose our jobs.”

This morning our message title is “without the hands it’s de-feet” - which is a way of saying that we’re all in all in this together.  In the verses we’re looking at this morning Paul is focusing us on our living out our faith as we serve God together as the Church.  What does that look like?  How can we do that?

Paul is writing this letter to the Church of Rome.  Which was located in… Rome.  At the heart of the Roman Empire.  Ground zero for anyone who was anybody in the Empire.  What we read in Scripture was a very diverse congregation.  A congregation made up of people from very different backgrounds - the rich and wealthy and the poor - slaves and masters - Jews from Judea and from the Diaspora - Gentiles from all over the Empire - Christians who had come out of a variety of religious backgrounds and experiences and expectations.

What could have been extremely dysfunctional.  Lots of egos and behind the scenes politics.  A church that by any human invention - this church should never have existed.  And yet, it existed.

Not that any of this could relate to us.  Right?  Let’s be honest.  Too often - in the church - in our relationships - our concern is about our selves.  Or we know people who are only focused on themselves.  We know that because they don’t really give a rip about us and what we think and feel about things - about what we’re personally involved with.  People who are without a whole lot of concern for others or what God may be wanting to do in His church.  Which we have the inside track on.

We all struggle with this.  If we’re serving in any type of ministry - with the commitments and sacrifices we make - having a sense of accomplishment - having served well - hearing encouragement from others - knowing God’s pleasure and blessing.  Or if we’ve just been around a church for a few years we’ve got history - relationships - a comfort zone.  Which isn’t all bad.  Except when we struggle with attitudes of ownership and territory and pride that can be so disastrous - so damaging - so debilitating - so divisive - so distracting when we allow them to enter the ministry - and even our homes - our relationships.

As we get into these verses - Paul - in contrast - is describing the wonderful freedom that we can enjoy in the church - diverse and yet connected with each other - the amazing joy of being the church together - being who God has created us to be. 

Paul is writing to encourage these believers in Rome - to instruct them - to help them to “get along” as brothers and sisters in Jesus.  To live out their faith together in a way that pleases God - testifies of the gospel - that glorifies God. 

Coming to Romans 12.  In verse 3 Paul lays out the truth of God’s grace and what it means to be the church.

Let’s read verse 3 together:  For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Paul begins with grace.  “For by the grace…”  Which is an amazing place to start…  amazing grace.  Grace is what…?  Getting what we do not deserve.

In verses 1 and 2 - what we looked at last Sunday - Paul began with mercy.  Mercy is what…?  Not getting what we deserve. 

God loves us.  Us.  Meaning each of us who have done what separates us from God.  We sin.  A lot.  We’re good at it.  And because of our sin God is perfectly justified in sending us away from Him forever.  What is a certain and well deserved eternity of punishment.  If we think things are bad now - mankind separating ourselves from God - we can’t even begin to imagine the horrors of total never ending separation from God.  We deserve that.

But mercy is God holding back on His judgment - withholding His deserved condemnation and wrath.

God tells Ezekiel:  “I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people.  I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live.”  (Ezekiel 33:11a TNLB)

Peter writes:  “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”  (2 Peter 3:9).

“Poof” and we’re before God in judgment.  Condemned for our sin to eternity without God.  But God, by His mercy, takes pity on us.  Is compassionate towards us.  Is patient with us.  Holds back on His well deserved wrath.

Even before we came to salvation.  Even now as we go on sinning.  God desiring that we experience His love and His forgiving of our sin.  We don’t deserve that.  But that’s God.  Which - if we’ve got our thinking caps on straight - should re-orientate how we do life. 

Paul - in what we looked at last Sunday - Paul wrote that because God is merciful - because God does not blow us away and toast us forever - we owe God everything - all of who we are.  Paul wrote that we need to approach God with a heart attitude of total surrender - total ongoing sacrifice of ourselves to God.  God alone is worthy of that.  That heart level attitude of worship - honoring of God with everything we are -  should permeate everything we do - every relationship we have.

Mercy is not getting what we deserve.

Grace is what…?  Getting what we do not deserve.  God giving to us undeserved blessing - salvation and forever life with Him.

Jesus taking on what it means to be human - going to the cross and taking on Himself our sin and the punishment for our sin - taking care of whatever needs to be taken care of in our relationship with God.  Meaning that God offers to us what we do not deserve.  Which is life - restored life - made right with God life - abundant life now and forever.

Grace is like winning the lottery.  Kind of.

Last month 3 winners split the Powerball jackpot of $1.58 billion.  Did you see this?  That works out to $528 plus million per winner.  The guy who owns the 7-Eleven in Chino Hills gets $1 million alone just for selling one of the winning tickets.  What a gift.  To be blessed with such amazing opportunity - potential for good.  Just having that dropped in your lap.

Listening to people talk about what they’d do with all that money if they’d won it - we hear things like:  “I’d pay off my bills.”  “I’d retire and travel.”  “I’d buy my kids a house.”  “I’d donate to charity.”  All good things.

And yet, the reality, we know, is that winning all that money - that gift -  usually is hugely devastating to the winners.  The odds of winning were 1 in 292 million.  The odds are never in your favor.

Great question:  How can something with seemingly such great potential turn out so bad? 

The reality is that being gifted with sudden wealth without the knowledge and experience -  the wisdom needed - as a guideline to process all that potential and promise and power and pressure - all of what can be such a blessing can be overwhelmingly devastating.

Grace without God’s wisdom can be devastating.

Paul writes about grace - well known verses - Ephesians 2:  “For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…” 

Grace is a gift of God.  Notice that even faith is a gift of God.

We would have no clue that there is a God - no clue about what God by His mercy holds back on and why - no clue about what God by His grace offers to us in Jesus - no clue about what to believe in and even the ability to have faith if it wasn’t for God.  God by His sovereign will giving us the free will choice of faith.  All of which is a good thing given to us by God.

Paul goes on:  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Before creation is creation.  Before we came to know God and believe in Him and have faith in what He’s done for us - before all that God had prepared a purpose and plan for our lives.  Life - all of it - now and forever is about God.

We wouldn’t even exist... period.  Let alone be gifted with all that God by His grace offers to us if it wasn’t for God offering to us that gift and the very purpose and plan and meaning of our lives.  Our very purpose in life is about God.  What He has created us for and prepared for us.  To His glory alone.

There is much needed God given wisdom in knowing that truth.

Knowing that grace and faith and the life we live by faith isn’t about us. They’re about God.  When we loose sight of that truth - that it is God who gifts us for His purposes alone - when we lose sight of that truth then all that God gifts us with becomes devastatingly destructive to us and those around us.

Paul writes, “By the grace given to me I say to you…”

How was grace given to Paul?

Saul, the great persecutor of the church.  A man zealous in his faith dragging Christians from their homes to their martyrdom.  Saul is on his way to Damascus.  And what happens?  Jesus.

God - Jesus - mercifully stops Saul - a man destined for the judgment and wrath of God - Jesus stops Saul dead in his tracks.   By God’s grace, on the road to Damascus Saul comes to believe and trust in Jesus as his Savior.  By God’s grace Saul becomes Paul - one of the great evangelists and theologians of the church.

All of which isn’t about Paul.  But about God and what God desires to do in and through Paul.  To God alone be the glory.

“By the grace given to me I say to everyone of you…”  Meaning that everyone of us comes by grace and everyone of us has the potential to stumble over this.

It is way too easy for any of us to stumble into this strange idea that grace is all about us.  God chooses to gift us with salvation and the Holy Spirit entering into us and being adopted by God and being given the immeasurable riches of a heavenly inheritance and Spirit enabled insight into the Word and power for living and victory in Jesus and being part of the Body of Christ and on and on and on and on with all that potential and promise and power and purpose - what God by His grace has chosen to gift us with.  Somehow we can fall into this strange idea that all that is about us and not God.

Everyone of us needs to pay attention to this - Paul goes on:  not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,

To not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think doesn’t mean that we think less of ourselves.  This isn’t doormat doctrine.  Thinking that it’s okay for people to wipe their feet on us as they go on with their lives.  Thinking that we’re meaningless muck stuck in the gutter of life.  Worthless at best.  Let’s not lose the reality that each of us is created in the image of God with God given value and purpose.

More highly than we ought to think means we have a “having our heads screwed on straight” proper self-assessment of our selves.

Meaning - Paul goes on - we need to think of ourselves with “sober judgment.”  Sober being like the opposite of drunk.  Drunk or stoned - is pretty messed up thinking.  Right?  Not too rational.  Not that any of us have any first-hand experience with that.

Sober - being the opposite of that - in Greek - literally means to be in one’s right mind.  Getting control of our self-serving passions and thinking rationally about ourselves.

“according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”  “Assigned” in Greek has the idea of dividing and distributing into parts.  God slices the cake and He gives out - assigns - the pieces of whatever size He wants to - to  whomever He wills.  It’s God’s choice who gets the big piece with the frosting flower on it.

God by grace gives to each of us faith according to His purposes for our lives.  Which again - in case we missed it - is about... God not us.

Are we together with Paul?  Not thinking more highly of ourselves is getting grip on how we think about ourselves.  We’ve got faith only because God has given us a measure of it for His purposes for our lives. 

That truth ought to take us down a few notches.  Ought to give us a context to wisely understand where we fit in the Body of Christ… by grace…  because of God…  for God.  Not us.

Where Paul goes next is application.  What does all that mean in the real time of our lives?  Which we’re going to look at in two parts.

Part one is Paul’s urging us to Engage.  Or as Nike put it:  Just... Do It..

Let’s read verses 4 to 8:  For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:  if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

A few years back I was on the island of Kauai - laying on the beach - listening to the waves - soaking up some rays.  As I laid there I slowly realized that I wasn’t alone.  There were these hundreds of little crabs scurrying around me.  As the water would come in they would dig little holes for themselves.  When the water would go out they would pop out of their holes - clean themselves off in a crabby sort of way - looking kind of perturbed - and go back to their scurrying around.

Small little crabs that in the whole scheme of the universe probably were not of great significance.  But as they cleaned themselves off - with a kind of indignant brushing - the way they avoided interacting with each other - keeping to their own little area and defending their own little territory - scurrying around with their own self-important crabbiness - strangely I began to think about the church.

Here we are as the church.  We’re all in this together.  Without the hands it’s defeat.  Meaning if we ever lose our grip on what Paul writes to us about grace and how we got here - if we’re not individually and collectively surrendered to God - continually going to God for wisdom in how to live out by faith what He has gifted us with - then church becomes about us - then all of those blessings - all of that can be hugely devastating - destructive - an ongoing disaster.

God by His grace has given us individual diversity with purpose. 

In the immortal words of the great Greek theologian and philosopher Gus Portokalos - My Big Fat Greek Wedding? - in the words of Gus Portokalos, “Here we have apple and orange.  We all different.  But, in the end, we all fruit.”

By grace we’re all members of Christ’s body.  Familiar teaching.  Yes?  The Church is the Body of Christ.

“Many members in one body”  We’re all different people.  Some of us are more different than others.  But we all have unity because of Jesus.

“The members do not have the same function”  Function translates a Greek work “praxis” - like the Klingon moon.  “Praxis” has the idea that individual parts act differently.  We all have different modes of operation - abilities - giftings.  Makes sense?  There’s a God given diversity in how we all work in the church. 

We’re “individually members one of another.”  Meaning we need each other.  We belong to each other.  Interdependence.  We are to multi-task together.

Verse 6:  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them - use them - according to - the gracious purposes for which God gave them to us.

Here are the functions - the God by His grace given to us different roles:  if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

There are seven functions listed here.  Seven out of about 20 that are listed elsewhere in the New Testament.  Often labeled as “Gifts of the Spirit.”  These here in Romans are a representative sample.  Some are speaking - public - upfront - types of roles.  Some are service roles - more behind the scenes - less noticeable.

Paul’s point here is not to give us an exhaustive list of all the different ways God calls us to serve Him.  Paul is giving examples of what he means by the diverse roles that God has graciously given to us, for us to operate together as a partnered multi-tasking ministry.  His point is this - verse 6 - “let us use them.”  Engage.

Here in Merced we have a 2 year college - Merced College.  Something strange about 2 year colleges is that there are a number of people who go there for more than 2 years.  When I was attended a JC there were people there who had been taking classes for 20 plus years.  People who are always studying about things in life.  But, they never seem to go out and live life.  It just seems like they’re going sideways through life.  Ever run into someone like that?

We Christians can be like that.  For many of us this isn’t new.  If we’ve been around church for a while we’ve probably heard at least one message from Romans 12.  Probably a few more than that.  We’ve been to retreats and listened to teaching on the radio or seen stuff on the internet.  Been to Sunday School or Children’s Church.  The Church is the Body of Christ.  We all have different gifts - roles - functions.  We’ve heard this. We get it.  

The danger in that is that so many Christians seem to loose touch with the vital necessity of what Paul is writing to all of us.  It becomes easy to move sideways through the Christian life.  We can study and listen and not engage the life that all that is pointing us to.

We can go into sleep mode.  To fall into the trap that when we get to a certain point in life - or a certain place in our Christian walk - that we’ve put in our time - we understand all what the pastor’s talking about - been there done that.  Like God says to us, “Well done good and faithful servant.  You’re done.  Just chill.”

Or we have our own little nitch in the Church and we’re just happy as a clam - or crab - to do our own little thing in our own little spot in the Body.  Almost like we can go into cruise mode till God calls us home.  It’s time for others to step up and do the heavy lifting.  Let others engage in the battle.  We’ve been beat up enough.  Put in our time wrestling with enough issues. 

Or we hold back - hesitate to serve - thinking that maybe we don’t have what it takes.  We don’t know enough.  We haven’t been around long enough.  Others are more qualified. 

We need to hear Paul.  One of the great joys of being a Christian is that we’re always a crucial part of the Church.  When we come to faith in Jesus - know Him as our Savior - it’s God Who gives us a place of ministry in the Body of His Son Jesus.  That’s true whether we’re a new Christian or we’ve been around a while.

Paul is saying discover who you are.  Live who you are.  If God has given you faith - which He has - engage your faith.

If the Holy Spirit moves you to speak God’s word - speak.  If God calls you to service - serve those in need.  If you’re a teacher… teach.  If you’re gift is exhortation - meaning moving people to action - then exhort.  If it’s giving - then give generously.  If leading - meaning administration or ruling - then lead.  If mercy - then when people are suffering - respond with mercy.  Whatever the role.  Engage.

In other words Paul is like a football coach at half-time:  “Stop thinking about yourself.  Go out there and play your position.  Get in the game.  The team is counting on you.”  “Without the hands, it’s defeat.”  

A healthy church is effective in ministry only if all the members are serving as God has given them to serve.  Engaged diversity with purpose.  Paul’s point is to get our focus off of ourselves and to get us moving forward serving God together.  Engage.

The second part of Paul’s application comes in verse 9.  God by His grace calling us into ministry together.  What that looks like in the real time of our lives.  Part two is Paul urging us to engage with passion.

Let’s read together at verse 9:  Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.  Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor.  Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

A few years back, Starbucks had a brochure that - if you’re interested in applying for a job with Starbucks - this brochure explains the wonderful experience you can have working as one of their employees. 

Quote:  “Working at Starbucks, you can make a difference in someone’s day.  By inspiring a smile and providing great service, you can create a welcoming place for people to enjoy a fun coffee experience.” (1)

Aside from the “fun coffee experience” part - there’s a description here of what we long for as we serve together.  Engaging our diverse God given abilities to passionately serve with each other - in love to uplift and encourage and help each other.  To the point where we can make a difference in the lives of others.  To the point where it’s fun to serve and be here together.

Paul writes:  “Let love be genuine.”  The root Greek word is “upokrites” which is where we get our English word... hypocrite.  In ancient Greece a hypocrite was an actor.  Someone who played a role.  Life’s a stage full of drama and people acting parts.  Welcome to social media.

Love being genuine means it’s sincere.  It’s not a put on.  There’s no self-serving pretense.  We’re not loving others because of what we get rather than what we give.  What you see is what’s really there.  The real deal.  Let love be genuine… 

Genuine love “Abhors what is evil.”  To abhor is to shrink back from it.  To detest evil.  To hate evil.  To refuse to participate - to dabble in it.  Love doesn’t embrace evil.  Love just doesn’t go there.

Instead, genuine love holds fast to what is good.  What is morally pure.  Love champions what is righteous and holy.  Love is bound to what is good.  Committed to it.  Embraces it.  Love clings tenaciously to what is good.

In verse 10 Paul describes genuine love in action.  Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor.  Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Do you feel the passion in these words?  Brotherly affection.  Literally the word talks about the depth of tight knit family relations.  Outdo one another literally it means “take the lead” in showing honor.  Do not be slothful means don’t hesitate - be bold.  Be fervent - literally spiritually hot - be on fire serving the Lord.  Rejoice.  Be patient - literally - hang in there regardless of how hard it gets.  Be constant - continually persevering - immovable in prayer.  Contribute.  Seek.  Show.

Those are words of passion and energy.  Be that in your love for one another.  How great to be a church that serves each other - serves with each other - with that kind of passion. 

That kind of love is genuine.  That kind of love doesn’t happen if we’re only in for what we get.  Just doing time until the great retirement in the sky.  Holding back because of what we fear instead of having faith in God.

To love that way comes through understanding that we’re not here for ourselves or by our selves - but because of God who graciously brings us together for His purposes and glory.

Processing what Paul is teaching about grace and passionately engaging with each other in serving God - diversity and serving in love.  All that is so opposite to what goes on around us.  What we normally experience.

In the movie Amadeus - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is portrayed as a gifted - obscene - crude - jerk.  He uses his brilliance to invent perverse games.  He chases girls around rooms.  He drinks to excess and parties.  He continually humiliates other people’s compositions while praising the brilliance of his own.  God has chosen to give greatness to the obscene brat Mozart.  The very name Amadeus means “beloved of God.”

Day after day Mozart creates music of such incredible beauty that Antonio Salieri - the other principle composer in the movie - Salieri when confronted with Mozart can’t come to grips with his envy.  Salieri who had passionately pleaded with God to allow him to be God’s voice is just gifted enough to recognize Mozart’s brilliance.  He’s gifted enough to realize that he will always be second to Mozart.  He can never be what Mozart is.  Salieri can’t decide if he wants to adore Mozart or kill him.

The world thinks in terms of competition and envy and success based on climbing over others.  What would happen - in the church - in our homes and relationships - what would happen if - instead of following the selfish pattern of the world - what would happen if we focused on God’s grace towards us - His freedom from having to compete with each other - freedom from focusing on ourselves - and instead - driven by selfless love championed the diversity He gives to each one of us?
 

Bottom line:  Our being here is not because of us.  Our being here is because of God.  We wouldn’t know what to believe or in Whom or for what - if God - by His grace - hadn’t shown us.  None of us would be enabled to serve God - be created for good works - if it wasn’t for God’s undeserved grace.

________________________________

1. 2003 Starbucks Coffee Company

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.