Serving With Humility in the Church

I was blessed being here again this morning.

Time of worship.

Thank you, team, for that.

Leading us in worship.

Welcome back, youth from vertical.

Trust y'all had a good, encouraging time last weekend.

I was expecting maybe to hear some stories or testimonies about that this morning.

But um, yeah.

I don't know if any of you want to share anything about that this morning to the church.

Give you a brief opportun opportunity if you'd like.

But you know, it's always a good time when a group of people come together and open their hearts to God and hear his voice, worship together, open his word, and that's what we're here this morning to do.

Thinking of last week's sermon, um, this week, as you walk through your week, um, did you find ways of becoming a living sacrifice?

Have you thought about that in your walk this week and and uh serving others and living for the Lord?

You know, last week we began Romans chapter 12, and you can turn to Romans chapter 12.

Romans 12 · chapter mention Romans 12 · chapter mention

We're gonna be there again this morning.

But um in the first uh two verses of Romans 12, we were reminded that God, God's mercy compels us to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, which means all that I am and all that I have should be consecrated and offered to the Lord.

You know, this level of surrender is not only necessary in our lives, but it is the reasonable thing for us to do in light of God's mercy that He has shown to us.

Giving ourselves to God in full surrender is the highest level of worship that we can offer.

In verse 2, we've seen that when we walk, when we allow the Spirit to transform us by the renewing of our mind, we will no longer be on the same wavelength as the world.

And we will begin to have a different mindset than the world has.

We see things through spiritual eyes rather than what is obvious in the physical realm.

We begin to see things through the eyes of God.

This transformation takes place through repentance, learning the scriptures, and walking in obedience to what God asks of us.

All these aspects enable us to walk in and understand the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

This morning we're gonna continue with Romans chapter 12.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

And I've titled this passage Serving with Humility in the Church, is the title I gave it.

Let's begin reading.

We're gonna read in from verse 1 through verse 8.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of 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 in 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 so diligently.

If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Lord, as we come before you this morning and study your word, I pray that you would open these words to us.

Allow us to understand what you're trying to teach us here in this passage.

Open up our hearts, open up our ears, and open up our understanding that your word could be truth and that we could receive it well this morning.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Benjamin Witchcoat once said, None are as empty as those who are full of themselves.

None are as empty as those who are full of themselves.

End of quote.

Very true statement.

You know, very few things turn people away quicker than someone filled with pride in their life.

On the flip side of that coin, someone that displays humility in all that they do are like a magnet and draw the interest of those around them.

And I'm sure many of us have seen that dynamic in life and in relationships.

The first key ingredient to serving effectively in the body of Christ is humility.

People with the quality of humility are interested in the things of others.

In conversations, they want to know about you.

They are not looking for ways that you can be a blessing to them.

They are looking for ways that they can bless you.

That is humility in our lives.

Humility is very opposite of pride and arrogance.

Humility is a sign of strength, not one of weakness.

Paul instructs us here in verse 3 that we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought.

Now, what was Paul saying here?

Excuse me.

He says, but to think of ourselves with sober judgment.

You know, I believe humility is a result of a transformed life, while pride aligns itself with the pattern of the world.

And we see, again, we're backing up to verse 1 there, where he talks to us about being transformed.

Pride is an alignment to the thinking and pattern mindset of the world, where humility is a result of a transformed life.

Proverbs 22, verse 4 tells us humility is a fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 22:4

Its wages are rich and honor and life.

You know, in a society that is centered around self and success, it is of utmost importance for us as followers of Christ that we reject the demands and expectations this puts on us.

Especially when we subscribe to this philosophy of the world of being centered around self and success.

Now you can apply that to your life, how what that means to you.

But I would encourage us all to examine our life and the pattern of our life and ask ourselves: have we succumbed to that philosophy of self and success to the point of pride and arrogance in our life?

It's easy for us to get caught up in the culture of each one for themselves mindset that is so prevalent.

And when we do that, oftentimes we drag that into the body of Christ.

And this is very detrimental to relationships within the body of Christ, within the church.

Proverbs 11, verse 2 tells us when pride comes, then comes disgrace.

Proverbs 11:2

But with humility comes wisdom.

Words we do well to heed to.

Part of us offering ourselves as a living sacrifice is to recognize that we have part to play in the body of Christ.

The Christian life was not meant to be lived alone.

And part of the humility that we are to display is to understand that I as an individual am only a small part of what God wants to do as a greater whole.

His glory is revealed through His body, the church, as we come together.

One thing we see clearly here in this scripture is that the body of Christ is not many different bodies, but what does it say?

It is one body.

One body with many different members.

Many different members with many different functions.

You know, Paul compares the church to our physical bodies.

Our physical bodies are comprised of many different members.

And there'd be too many to even name all of our members.

And how God has created us and put us together.

And when everything functions properly, everything works properly.

There's unity within the body, everything works well.

And Paul uses that example here in this passage.

Many different members with different roles, so is the body of Christ.

Each one of us has different gifts given to us.

You know, it's not important whether your gift this morning is prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, or to show mercy, just to name the few that he mentions here.

The important thing that Paul is bringing out in our lives today is that all of us have something to contribute to the body.

Not just some of us, but all of us.

And that means you have something to contribute to the body of Christ.

And if you get nothing else out of this sermon this morning, I want you to go away with that truth.

That you have something that God has given you to contribute to his body.

God did not pass you by when he created you.

He did not pass you by when it came to giving you a purpose and a gift.

Every one of us has something that God has given us to help.

And each one of those are needed to help the body function effectively for his glory and his honor.

Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 4 this morning.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

I would like to read some verses there in Ephesians 4 that really describe and talk about this concept and make it real.

We're going to read verse 1 through 16 in Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

As a prisoner for the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

There is one body, one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

This is why it says, When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.

What does he ascended mean except that he also descended to the lower earthly regions?

He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe.

So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by every wind of teaching, and by the cunning and craftiness of people and their deceitful scheming.

Instead, speak the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is Christ's.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work.

What a beautiful picture that Paul paints here in this passage of the church working together as one body and many members.

That is how God intended it to be, in harmony, each doing their own part, operating in the gifts that God has given them.

And what is the reason for that?

We see in this chapter, the reason for that is to bring maturity to the body.

What a glorious design.

Different gifts, different people, but strength as we come together in unity in service to him.

I have to think of the illustration this morning of a spiderweb.

And I know many of you might not think a spider web is very glorious, especially when it meets you in the woods and brings you to a stop.

But for illustration purposes, think of all the tiny little threads or strands within a spider web.

Completely ineffective of themselves, not very strong by themselves, and yet so important to the whole of that web.

You know, when they all come together, woven together and integrated with each other, these strands become a large and very effective creation that accomplishes amazing things.

It's amazing what a spider web can catch.

You know, all those little strands together as one.

I know that's not a perfect illustration, but oftentimes, as I thought of that, I thought of us as a body of Christ.

As we come together, as we're integrated together.

God wants to create something greater than just myself.

He wants us together as a body to be an image of his glory, image of his grace, image of his mercy and his love to the world around us.

Turn with me to Matthew chapter 25.

Matthew 25 · chapter mention

I'd like to read some verses there, thinking about the gifts and what God gives us in our lives.

Matthew chapter 25, we're going to read verses 14 to 30.

Matthew 25 · chapter mention

And this is the parable of a man going on a journey and leaving behind with his servants, his entrusting his servants with his gold.

Let's read in verse 14.

Again it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.

To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.

Then he went on his journey.

I'll just take a note there before we go further.

What he gave each person was according to their ability.

Just keep that in mind as we read this.

Then he went on his journey.

The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.

So also the one with two bags of gold gained two more.

But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five.

Master he said, You entrusted me to five bags of gold.

See, I have gained five more.

His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful with a few things.

I will put you in charge of many things.

Come and share your master's happiness.

The man with two bags of gold also came.

Master, he said, You entrusted me with two bags of gold.

See I have gained two more.

His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant.

You have been faithful with a few things.

I will put you in charge of many things.

Come and share your master's happiness.

Then the man who had received one bag of gold came.

Master, he said, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown, and gathered where you have not scattered seed.

So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground.

See here is what belongs to you.

His master replied, You wicked, lazy servant, so you knew that I harvest where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.

Well then you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I return I would have received it back with interest.

So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags, for whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance.

Whoever does not have, even when they have what even what they have will be taken from them.

And go and throw the worst worthless servant outside into darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What a sobering story that Jesus gave here.

This parable that he shares with us.

And the thing I want to highlight in this passage this morning is the responsibility that you and I have for what the Master has given us to take care of.

God has put bags of gold, if you will, into your care.

What will you choose to do with them?

You know, each one of us has a responsibility in our life to take care of the treasure that God has given us.

To be good stewards of the treasure that He has given us.

And as I noted in the beginning, there, God does not give you something that you don't have the ability to accomplish.

He gave them according to their ability, it says.

We each have a responsibility to be good stewards of God's treasure.

He has invested into each one of us individually.

And he has done that with a purpose in mind.

Each one of us is unique.

And yet we work together for one cause, one purpose together as a body of Christ.

I'm not going to take time to go through these different gifts listed here in verses six through eight.

I believe they're fairly self-explanatory in what they are and how they work.

The point Paul is making here in this chapter or in this passage is not about the different gifts, but I would say the purpose of this passage today is twofold.

And I want to leave you with these points this morning.

Number one, the use of the gifts and abilities that God has given us is how we offer ourselves, part of the way of how we offer ourselves as a sacrifice to Him.

It is also a part of our worship to our Creator, because we take care of what He has given us and we give back to Him.

Number two, there is no place for pride or arrogance within the body of Christ.

None whatsoever.

Paul warns us about thinking too highly of ourselves, looking down on another member that is lesser in our opinion.

You know, as we think about the blending, the meshing together of so many different lives, so many different members within the body of Christ, we begin to understand how devastating that an interruption into that harmony can be.

How devastating an interruption into the harmony that God has designed within the body of Christ and his believers.

That can be devastating to the body as a whole.

Pride is like cancer.

I thought about this and I thought, how can I, what can I liken pride to?

And I just, you know, pride is like a cancer.

It causes division, it causes strife and disruption in the body.

It grows and it spreads unless it is removed.

Isn't that a good image of pride and what it does in our lives?

And what it begins to do in our relationships, within our families, within our brothers and sisters, in our workplace, wherever it is.

My prayer for us this morning is that we as a church, we as individuals could ask God, search me and try me, as David did in Psalms.

Do surgery on any pride that is present in our lives.

Because God has no place for pride.

May that be our heart, may that be our prayer this morning.

I'll leave you with two scriptures as we close here.

Luke 14, 11.

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

James chapter 4, verse 10 tells us, humble yourselves, therefore, before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James 4:10

That is the mandate for us today.

As people that want to walk with God, walk with each other, love each other well.

We need to humble ourselves before the Lord and allow him to lift us up.

May God bless you.

May God's face shine upon you this week as we go from here, as we walk and talk and walk in his truth and his light.

May we just ponder this this week, this scripture, and ask God to show you areas of pride in your life.

He may show you some things that you didn't know was there.

I know he has me.

And uh let's repent of those things and walk in truth and honesty and humility before him.

Because God will bless us when we do that together.

May you all stand for a closing prayer.

God, we're grateful today for this group that came together in this way.

Lord, I pray that we would just take your word today and apply it to our lives as you would show us.

Help us to walk in your truth, help us to walk in obedience, help us to walk with your spirit.

Hearing your voice speak to us.

May we be members one of another, members that blend, that love, that show mercy as you would want us to.

Lord, I pray that your light would go forth strong this week in our lives, that we would be ambassadors for you, that we would show people, tell people of your goodness, of your love, of your salvation, that we would share your gospel wherever we go.

Lord, I pray for those that are traveling today that cannot be here.

Would you bless them richly?

Give them traveling mercies, keep them safe, bring them back again safely, we pray.

May their time away be a blessing and encouragement.

We give our lives to you.

We love you, we praise you.

We lift your name up today, for you alone are worthy.

You are the Lord of Lord and the King of kings.

And we look forward to that day, someday, that we can bow before you and lay our crown at your feet and worship you forever and ever.

It's in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

You may be dismissed.

Go in peace.