The sermon by Jason Dohm explores Romans 12:3-8, emphasizing the call for believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, which is seen as a reasonable response to the manifold mercies of God. Paul instructs believers to resist conforming to worldly patterns and instead be transformed by renewing their minds, which guides them in living out God's will. The sermon highlights the importance of humility, urging believers not to think more highly of themselves than they should, as God has given each a measure of faith. Dohm explains the unity and diversity within the body of Christ, where believers, though individuals with different gifts and functions, form a harmonious whole. Spiritual gifts, given by God, should be used diligently and with purpose for the benefit of the entire community, demonstrating a consecrated life in practical service within the local church.

Our sermon text is Romans 12 verses 3 through 8. For context, I'm going to back up a couple of verses to 12.1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly as he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith. Or ministry, let us use it in our ministering. He who teaches in teaching, he who exhorts in exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness.

The title of the sermon this morning is the life of a living sacrifice. In last week's text we were called to present our bodies a living sacrifice. Now Paul embarks on teaching us exactly what that looks like. What does a life of the living sacrifice looks like? Paul begins to tell us and he's going to be telling us four chapters to come.

Last week we began the second major part of Paul's letter to the believers in Rome. It's not divided equally, so there are 16 chapters. It's not eight and eight. We actually had the first 11 chapters towards establishing the fundamental truths of the gospel. So Paul is really heavily waiting the truths of his letter to the Romans towards just these beautiful soul-refreshing fundamental truths of the gospel.

I'm thankful for that. I almost want to stay in Romans 1 through 11 forever, but we can't because Paul didn't. And so we're moving on to concrete practical application starting in chapter 12. In the first two verses of the chapter, Paul gave us a framework for everything that would follow, and I said last week I hope I have the good sense to just keep hooking everything back to this framework that Paul has given us. The framework is this.

In view of everything that God has done for us in His mercy, it's reasonable that we offer ourselves back to Him as a living sacrifice. So, because of the many colored mercies of God, remember it wasn't in view of the mercy of God singular, it was in view of the mercies of God. It's this grouping of varied and wonderful mercies of God. Last week I called them the many colored mercies of God because it really is sort of a rainbow of mercies. In view of that, because of that, we should, as believers, present our bodies a living sacrifice, and that's a reasonable service.

If the mercies are that many, they're so many-colored, and if they're so great, then offering yourself back as a living sacrifice is just a reasonable conclusion. So that was the why. The why is the many-colored mercies of God and the what. The what was to present your body a living sacrifice. What about the how?

Paul started that last week by saying don't be conformed to the world. The world is always trying to squeeze you into its mold, always bringing pressure to bear, to stamp you into the pattern of itself. The world system is really the system of the devil. Believers can't allow themselves to be pressed into that mold. So don't be conformed to the world, but be transformed.

Don't be conformed, but be transformed, be changed by the renewing of your mind. It's the mind that directs these hands and feet. What to engage in? What should your hands be busy in? A renewed mind tells you what what God would have you be as a living sacrifice.

Where should these feet go? A renewed mind, a changed mind, causes you to be a changed person that goes to different places and does different things. You go with these renewed feet, and you act with these renewed hands, getting orders from a renewed mind. So that's where Paul has us so far as he begins these chapters of concrete practical applications. God, thank you for your word, and I pray that you would cause this text to be so profitable to us as I preach, please give me grace to do it justice.

I see so much truth here. I pray that you would give me the grace to be able to communicate it so that we all see it. In Jesus name, Amen. All right, let's begin just looking at verse 3. I'm gonna break us into three subsections.

The first one is just verse 3 by itself, so if you still have a thumb in Romans chapter 12, I'll reread verse 3, follow along. Paul writes, For I say through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." It's just one verse, but it's a long verse. There's four kind of main phrases that make it up. In this verse, this long verse, Paul gives us the product of a renewed mind. So if you're filling in blanks on the handout, renewed fills in the blank.

The product of a renewed mind. What does a renewed mind produce? Now context is king. What do I mean by that? I mean that you don't really understand a text until you understand how it fits with what's around it.

How does the text that we're looking at fit with what comes before it? How does the text that we're looking at fit with what comes after it? When you understand that, you understand the text. Before you understand that, you don't really understand the text. Context is king.

As they say, a text without a context is just a pretext. Wait a minute. What does that mean? That means when you're looking at a text, If it hasn't been properly set in its context so that you understand where it fits in with the things that are around it, it's actually just an excuse to get it to say what you want it to say. So you have to really be careful.

A text without the context is just a pretext to say what you want it to say. You can actually, by pulling things out of the context so that it doesn't have to fit with what goes before it, doesn't have to fit with what comes after it, you can actually get the Bible to say anything. So we don't want our text to be without context and to be a pretext to just for me to say something We want to actually set it into its context. So what is the context of this week's text? Living as a living sacrifice.

That's what this is all about. What does a life of a living sacrifice look like? One of the ways a believer does that, presents himself or herself as a living sacrifice is to renew his or her mind. Your thinking changes. When you become a believer, this is one of the first jobs for you, is to change those patterns of thinking.

Good luck changing the patterns of doing before your mind changes. Your mind has to shift to be what it never has been before when you first become a believer. Your thinking changes and your thoughts change. What your thoughts dwell on changes. What they gravitate towards changes.

So Paul is telling us how to think and how not to think. He's giving us thoughts for the believer to think and thoughts for the believer not to think. This is really helpful. Paul, tell us what to think. Oh, he's going to tell us what to think.

And tell us what our thoughts shouldn't dwell on. Oh, He's going to tell us what to think. And tell us what our thoughts shouldn't dwell on. Oh, He's going to tell us what our thoughts shouldn't dwell on. Verse 3 has four main phrases.

Let's take them one by one. First, Paul says, for I say through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you. That's the first main phrase. For I say through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you. When Paul speaks of the grace given to him in this way, he's speaking of his apostleship.

So he has received saving grace, but that's not what he's speaking of here. He's speaking of the gift of God in making him one who would be sent to the Gentiles to preach, actually to both Jews and Gentiles. He's actually speaking of his apostleship, which was the gift of God to him. God sent him and Paul looked at God's sending of him as a gift and he actually speaks of this in many of his letters calling it the grace of God. Here's a for instance.

Listen to Ephesians 3, 7, and 8 where he refers to the grace of God as his apostleship. Ephesians 3, 7, and 8. Paul says, I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." So that's a particularly good example because he says it twice there. The grace of God, the privilege to preach Christ, the grace of God.

I became a minister according to this gift, but it was a gift that I became a minister. So Paul is speaking as one sent by God to speak. Why am I speaking? Because God sent me to speak. This is really why Paul prefaces his teaching here in this way, and no one is exempted.

God gave him the gift of apostleship, and you have to listen because God sent him to you. God sent him to speak to you and sent him to speak to me because we're believers and God sent these apostles to speak to believers. So if you're a believer you don't really have an option you have to listen to Paul. Don't have to listen to me you didn't even have to come here today. Many are not here today look around.

But you have to listen to Paul because he was sent to speak to you and if you're a believer, no one is exempted. For I say through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you, no exceptions. Every believer needs to hear this And as I've studied this week, as a believer I'm thinking, yeah every believer needs to hear this over and over and over again. Second phrase, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. Believers need to hear this over and over and over again.

No one is exempted. You have to hear this. Paul says that you have to hear it if you're a believer. You shouldn't think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Anyone else have that tendency?

Is it just me? I don't think it's just me. You liars. Now not only are you proud, you're a liar. I think we all have this tendency to some degree or another and I think it fluctuates too.

I think sometimes we're more prone to think more highly than we ought to think of ourselves. You might think, well I'm better than that. Aha! I caught you. I don't think of myself more highly than I ought to think.

I'm better than that. Okay, right. Point taken. It comes very naturally, doesn't it? We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Thinking of yourself more highly than you ought to think comes very naturally. And so you need to be transformed, you need to stop that, by the renewing of your minds. Your thoughts need to change so you don't think that way anymore. Pride is ingrained in the corrupted nature and even after you're born again you have remaining corruptions and this is part of the remaining corruptions. We need to change.

Every believer needs to hear this over and over and over again. Stop thinking of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Stop it. Paul is saying it and we need the repetition. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Think differently than what just comes naturally. There's nothing particularly honorable about what comes naturally. In fact, sometimes it's in exactly the opposite direction of what you need, and so Paul comes with the corrective. You have what comes naturally to you, it's not good, so Paul comes with the corrective. Thank you, Paul.

We needed that. Third, but to think soberly. That's the third phrase here in verse 3. But to think soberly. The Greek word literally means to be of sound mind.

So to think soberly is to think thoughts from a sound mind. Have sound thinking. So don't think of yourself more highly than you ought. After all, you're just a sinner saved by grace. Anyone want to take the other side of that argument?

Are you more than just a sinner saved by grace? I'm not. In your saner moments, you know that you're not either. All the good things, God gets the credit and deserves the credit. All the things that are flaws and wrong and limited, you get the credit for that.

Is this a wrong analysis? It is not a wrong analysis. You're just a sinner saved only by grace, so am I. So don't think of yourself more highly than you ought. Instead, have sound thinking.

Have thinking that is actually connected with reality. When we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, it's that we're thinking of ourselves in a way that we really have no right to think if we were thinking soundly. If we were thinking sound thoughts. Let your thoughts be grounded in reality. Who are you?

I'm a sinner. I deserve the anger of God, but the anger of God has been turned away by Jesus and what He did on the cross. So now I'm a saint. And I didn't make myself a saint, God made me a saint. This is how the Bible would teach us to think about ourselves.

Fourth, the fourth phrase, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. As God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. As God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. As usual, Paul is the best commentator on Paul, so listen to Paul in 1st Corinthians 4, verse 7. 1st Corinthians 4, verse 7, Paul writes to the Corinthians, For who makes you to differ from another?

Honest question, good question. Who makes you different from the next believer, the one believer over, two believers over, three believers over on your row. Who makes you to differ? Okay, another good question, another honest question. And What do you have that you did not receive?

There's something good about you. Did you receive it or is that homegrown? Paul just assumes that you know the answer, know all the good things I received, and he says this, now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? If all the good stuff in your life came to you as a gift from God and Paul is arguing, it did, That's how you explain the good things in your life. God is good.

God? I see these, there are some good things in my life. I need an explanation. I'm good. That's the explanation.

God is good. So when you see, I differ. I have gifts that other people don't have. God has established some good things in my life that haven't been established and somebody else is like, who's responsible for the difference? God's responsible for the difference.

Then why are you puffed up? Paul asks in 1st Corinthians 4 verse 7. I think this is Paul's commentary on Paul. I think this has an immediate bearing on our text. God is actually the one who makes us differ.

If you have something, some resource, some ability, some characteristic, some gift, it is because you received it from God. The explanation is God is good. God is faithful. God hasn't left us to ourselves. He's entered into all the mess that we would have made of things and have in many cases made of things and changed those things around and even used them for good in some ways.

If you have the ability to trust God for this or that, God I have the, I'm able to trust you to work through me in my family, to work through me in my family, to work through me in my workplace. I have the ability to trust you for that. It is because God allotted you that measure of faith. How come you can trust God for this or that while somebody else struggles to? God allotted you a measure of faith.

Even the faith that's at the root of it, even your ability to look to God for this or that is actually a gift. This is what Paul is teaching in this text. He measured it out to you, and so you can trust him for this or that. You can trust him to work in you and through you in these ways, in these different places. And teaching yourself that truth and repeating that truth to yourself and recognizing that truth is all part of sound thinking.

Paul is saying, think this way, not the old way. In the old way, you were straining, you had muscle soreness from patting yourself on the back that was that was the old way oh oh so good so good so smart are always right on time you know nobody does it like me okay that's the old way and it was never true You got to think the new way. Sound judgment, sound thoughts, are an assessment of yourself and an assessment of others that is connected to reality and that actually paints a picture where God is king in the picture. Sometimes we have this world and you look around and God's nowhere in the world. We've painted a landscape that is godless.

We don't even think about, He's at the root of all this. He's doing all this. He is sovereign, working in everything, working through everything for his own purposes to his own ends. You cannot create a landscape like that because it's disconnected from reality. We need a renewed mind that is transforming us, that's actually causing us to be different, to think different.

Okay, moving on to verses four and five. Hopefully you're still in Romans 12. You can follow along as I read four and five. Paul continues, for as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we being many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. Here in verses four and five, Paul says before us unity and diversity in the body of Christ.

Unity in the body of Christ is wonderful, and we should know it, and we should think about it, but diversity of the body of Christ is also wonderful and true, and We actually need to understand both of these and keep them together because this is actually what scripture teaches about Us about our life together is that there's tremendous Unity be had in the body of Christ, but it is not at the expense of diversity. And there's tremendous diversity in the body of Christ, but it's not at the expense of unity. And we get in big trouble when we think in terms where one is at the expense of the other. No, that's actually not the biblical testimony. Like verse 3, verse 4 also begins with the word, four.

Paul is connecting this with what comes before it. This is, verse 4, is the implication of why believers must not be proud in their thinking but humble in their thinking, having sober judgment about themselves and also their brethren. Verse 4 is why or the implications of that. What I am is a reflection of what God has done for me and in me, and what my brothers and sisters are is a reflection of what God has done for them and in them. We, believers, are individuals that form a whole without ceasing to be individuals.

This is very important stuff. We as believers are individuals that form a whole without ceasing to be individuals. The point of being joined together in Christ is not to cease to be different. Are you with me? The whole point of joining us together, making us one in Christ, is not to make us exactly the same in every way at all points.

It's not to make us deceased to be different. No. Unity is intended and diversity is intended. When God brings you into his family, he intends to unite you. Yes, that is his purpose, but he also intends for this diversity to exist, for us not to all be the same.

The analogy is a body. We are the body of Christ. Many members in this one body, just like your body, fingers, arms, shoulders, torso, waist, legs, knees, ears, eyes, many members, one body. The many members have different functions among the members of this one body. So all the body parts with a different function.

So this is the analogy. Interconnected, everything's connected. The many are one. This finger is Jason this ear is Jason this leg is Jason It's all Jason But thank God they have different functions The To think of all the members of your body being the same is a monster. It's the stuff of horror movies.

You don't want that. You don't need that. You need all the different parts to have different functions so you can do different things at different times. Interconnected, so many in one. Interdependent with every part needed.

So interconnected and interdependent. Interconnected, so one, interdependent, every part needed. There's something very important here. As believers, we should be glad that we're not all the same. Not annoyed that we're not all the same.

This comes through in 1 Corinthians 7. This isn't in my notes, but I have to say it. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul actually says, I wish you all were like me. He has the gift of singleness. Most people don't.

He actually acknowledges in 1 Corinthians, most people don't. He knows he needs the people that aren't like that, but still he has this wish that everyone would be like him because he loves his gift. That is a tendency. Everything that God given me is good. I wish he gave everybody exactly what he gave me.

Actually you shouldn't wish that. That would be this monstrous one function body where everybody part looks the same and has exactly the same function. What could that body even do? Very little. Little to nothing.

They all need each other. They are interconnected. Yes, they're all part of this body, but they're also interdependent and every part is necessary. We should be glad we're not all the same. That isn't a reflection of various elements of immaturity.

God is actually responsible for that and it is a part of a glorious design. In other words, we're not the same. You could just say, well that's because you're immature. When you grow up you'll be like me. Actually, if we all grew up all the way in the twinkling of an eye, we would still be different.

Why? Because God made us different. God wants us different. It's part of a glorious design. The fact that you're different for me is not just a reflection that you don't have your act together.

The fact that I'm not like you, I mean part of it might be that I don't have my act together. Maybe I'll be more like you when I get my act more together, but even if we both had our act perfectly together, we would still be different. Do you get that? And that's good. That's actually glorious when we learn how to function like Paul is telling us to function here.

If all our immaturity were to disappear in the twinkle of an eye, we would still be different. God made us different so that we wouldn't be a body of all eyes or all hands or all feet. No, a body needs eyes and hands and feet and, and, and, and, and, and. We need all of these distinguishing characteristics. We are individually members of one another.

What a brilliant way to say that. Look at the end of verse 5. We are individually members of one another. So you see the interconnection. We are members of one another, but you see the interdependence too.

We keep our individuality. We are individually members of one another. We're both. Am I an individual? Yes, I am an individual.

That doesn't disappear when I'm born again. But I'm not independent. I maintain individuality, but I jettison independence and become interdependent. I still have the things about me that distinguish me. Who's to blame for that?

God. Blame God. But am I independent? No I'm not. I am interconnected with you.

God has made us one. And interdependent with you. You have things that I need. I have things that you need. God made it that way.

God made us that way and it actually helps us and it's a glorious design. Now consider verse 4 without verse 3. What do you mean? Consider this interconnected and interdependent design with parts who don't recognize that everything they have they received from God and the other parts are what they are because of God. So think if you were interconnected and interdependent but you didn't realize that you were what you were by the grace of God and they are what they are by the grace of God.

You'd all be trying to get each other to be like each other. Why can't you be more like me? Things would be good. You just solve everything the way I see it. The source of our problems is you.

The source of our problems in many instances is one, it's actually not a problem. But we don't realize it because we think it's a problem. I think it's a problem if you're not like me and you think it's a problem if I'm not like you. So the source of our problem is we actually don't have a problem. We have a design that we don't understand.

It's a good design and if we get with God's program we'll actually begin to see the value in the distinctions and not try to wipe them out. When we think about it, it's so clear how wise it is that Paul is teaching what he's teaching and in the order that he's teaching it. First he establishes, hey you, you are what you are because of God. He gave you the measure of faith, He's given you these gifts, and by the way that's true of your brethren too. He says that first.

That's really important to know if God's going to bring you into a design that is both interconnected and interdependent. You can function if you know that in that design. You will not function well if you don't know that. If you see the distinguishing characteristics as a problem to be solved, you're not going to function well in that system. Even the system is not the problem.

It's a brilliant design. You just can't function in it because you're thinking the old way. You need to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That's why He's addressing all of us with that exception. I say through the grace of God given to me, to everyone who is among you, you better get this or you're not going to be able to function in this interconnected but interdependent system.

That's why Paul as an apostle with apostolic authority is saying, hey you, I'm talking to you. I'm going to make it so you can function within this system because it's a glorious system, but unless you get this, you're not going to be able to function in it. Verses 6 through 8, our last section. Verses 6 through 8. Paul continues, Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.

If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith. Or ministry, let us use it in our ministering. He who teaches in teaching, he who exhorts in exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness." These verses, Paul speaks of differing gifts. Gifts fills in the blank. Differing gifts.

Paul is now developing this truth that God designed this body to have members with different functions. How Do you know the function? By the gifts that He's given. Verse 6 starts with a given. So look at the beginning of verse 6 again.

What is the given? Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us. So God decides which gift to give, who to give the gift to, and we have those. That's the given. God decided and He did it.

So we have many members. God gave different gifts to different people in different amounts. That is the given. What follows from the given? Use them!

Use them with gusto. That's really the summary phrase of verses 6-8. If you only remember one thing about six through eight, remember this. God gave gifts, use them with gusto. Employ them with steady subconscious effort.

Now think about what I just said. God gave the gifts and Paul is saying, employ them, put them to use. With steady, don't be using your gift every other day, every other week, every other month. Keep, you're like, use that gift, use that gift. You've heard use it or lose it.

So don't lose it, use it. Put it to work day after day after day. Days become weeks, weeks become months, months become years. That gift gets honed. You get more comfortable and better in the use that God gave you, when it's a steady use, subconscious, meaning I know that God gave me this gift, so I look around.

Okay, God, where can I use this gift? It's subconscious. Yes, sometimes gifts get used just because you're at the right place and the right time and you got the juice. We'll call the gift the juice. You're there on the spot and you've got the juice so the gift gets used.

But it doesn't have to be that. You can actually think about, God has made me this way, given me this gift, how can I put it to use? And then actually, proactively, subconsciously use your gift and effort. When we think of gifts, sometimes we think of effortless. In a sense, when a gifted person is operating in their gift, it seems effortless to the rest of us.

If you've been around a gifted evangelist, you're like, Oh, I wish I had that. It just seems so effortless. Talk to the evangelists. They'll tell you it's not effortless. It's less effort for them.

Even if you applied all your effort, you wouldn't be as good at that as they are. That's the whole nature of a gift, but it isn't effortless. So steady, subconscious effort. In 1st Corinthians 12 verse 7, Paul says that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all." So next week we're going to spend a lot of time at 1 Corinthians 12. James and I decided that this morning that we need to take a second kick at the can.

So next week we're going to come back. First Corinthians 12 is all about this, but even expanded he says things there that don't get said here. So I don't think we have an obligation to do that, but I think it's going to be really profitable to go 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4 next week and develop what is this design of the body many members but different functions how does this work he talks about that at length in 1 Corinthians 12 that's what we'll spend next week but for this week there in 1 Corinthians 12 Paul says that the manifestation of the Spirit, the gift giving by the Spirit, is given to each one for the prophet of all. These gifts are not terminating on self. They don't end on self.

The whole point isn't the self. Oh, I got a gift! Yeah! That's for him. You have the gift, but it's not to terminate in you.

That's for her. It's supposed to benefit her and him. And Him. It's to you, but it's not for you. You understand the difference.

To you, you get the gift, and that is a blessing, and you benefit in certain ways from having the gift. But the termination point isn't you. The termination point is the use of the gift for the profit and the benefit of someone else. So God gave me spiritual gifts to benefit you, and He gave you spiritual gifts to benefit me, and so forth and so on. Step and repeat.

So it matters whether or not we use our spiritual gifts because I need your gifts and you need mine. So it matters whether we use them or not. It matters whether we engage in steady subconscious effort in the use of our gifts. Why? Because other people need them and you need other people's gifts.

If there's no commitment to steady subconscious effort then there is lack. Spiritual gifts are given to be used and they're given for the profit of all, all what? All the other members of the body. Peter is on exactly the same wavelength as Paul. Listen to 1st Peter 4, 10, and 11.

You might want to note this if you want to come back to it later. First Peter 4, 10, and 11, Peter says this, As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

What's Peter saying there? He's saying God has this grace and one of the ways that he wants to pour it out is by giving you a gift that I benefit from. So it looks like you doing something for me, but it's actually the grace of God coming to me through you as a channel. God gave you the gift to be a channel of His grace to me and vice versa. A God-given gift is a stewardship of the many-colored grace of God for others.

Let me say that again. A God-given gift, God gives you a gift that is a stewardship of the many-colored grace of God for others entrusted to us by God to be used for the good of his people. God is entrusting this gift to you, and you're not the termination point. Other people are to receive the grace of God through you. That's the whole point.

That's why He gave you the gift. So if you speak out of such a gift, speak like it's the oracles of God. If you minister, do it with the almighty strength of God. Don't dabble, go for it. It's my translation.

I'm making a new message where you don't have to worry about the original languages. You can just say what you think it means. That's what I think this means. Don't dabble, go for it. When God gives you a gift, if He gives you the gift to speak, speak like it's the oracles of God.

If God gives you the ministry, engage the almighty power of God to serve with it. Don't dabble go for it. Now Paul gives us seven God-given gifts. Each women appeal for those with that gift to use it with gusto. So he's giving these seven gifts and really he adds on a phrase or two with each gift and like do it with gusto is a summary of all those add-on phrases.

God gave you the gift, Don't dabble go for it. Let's go through them one by one recognizing that each could be a topical sermon. We're not doing that. So don't blame me. You want to eat lunch, not dinner after the sermon.

So we won't make each one of these a topical sermon. I'm going to touch lightly on them. Number one, there are seven. There are other lists and they don't have the same number of gifts. There are other lists of spiritual gifts or God-given gifts and they differ in number.

What does that tell you? That tells you that none of them is designed to be a comprehensive gift, a comprehensive list, not even them all together as a comprehensive list. They're representative. To say, God gives gifts, here's some of them, here's how you use some of them. They're representative, not comprehensive.

That's certainly true of this list. Number one, if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith. That is a God-given gift, prophecy. I'm not going to dive into trying to prove whether or not prophecy exists today. The doctrinal position of this church is that it does not, But that doesn't change the fundamentals at all.

Why not? Because the people of God need to hear the words of God declared authoritatively regardless. True? I'm not Elijah, I'm not a prophet like an Old Testament prophet. And I don't think there are any today.

Does that mean that the people of God don't need the Word of God declared authoritatively? Of course not. Fundamentally, the people of God in every era have needed the word of God declared authoritatively. So our doctrinal position doesn't deny the prophetic voice, not at all. We are only talking about is there new revelation or not.

We say no, some say yes. And when anyone declares what God has said authoritatively, it should be done in proportion to our faith. Now what does that mean? So if you declare the Word of God authoritatively, that should be done in proportion to our faith. What?

It should be done looking to God, depending on God, trusting in God with the boldness that comes with the confidence of faith. Of course, why does that even need to be said? If you're going to declare the word of God authoritatively, you should be looking to God and depending on God and trusting on God. Why would you even say that? Because what God has said is very often unwelcome.

Is the Word of God welcome in every quarter? Even in Christian circles is the Word of God declared authoritatively welcome in every quarter? The answer is no or resounding no. Prophets are what? Prophets are martyrs.

You want to be a prophet? You sure about that? The real prophets are not the ones that come with words that people love. That's how you know that most people calling themselves prophets today are not prophets at all. They never say anything that's displeasing to the crowd, often.

Prophets are martyrs. Think of the Old Testament prophets and their temptation to run instead of speaking. Jonah anyone? Jonah anyone? You think he was the only one who wanted to run and not speak, Jeremiah says as much, I'm going to hold it in.

Okay, it's like a fire. I can't hold it in. But he wanted to hold it in. Why? Because nobody wanted to hear what Jeremiah had to say.

What God wanted declared authoritatively, What God wanted declared authoritatively, people did not want to hear. Jonah was up to his knees in mud in the prison because of his declaration, authoritative declaration of the Word of God. That's why Paul exhorted Timothy, preach the Word, be ready in season and out of season, because often it's out of season. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. That's why Paul in exhorting the Ephesian elder said, I kept back nothing that was helpful but proclaimed to you.

I am innocent of the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God." That's Acts 20. Prophets. As much faith as God measures out to you, let it rip. So Paul is saying here as much faith as God measures out to you go for it. Don't run, speak it, every word of it.

Do it looking to God, depending upon God, trusting in God, and do it with the boldness that comes from the confidence of faith. God measured you out for the faith, do it with every drop of boldness that that faith allows. That was number one. If prophecy, then let us prophesy in proportion to our faith. Number two, if ministry, let us use it in our ministering.

Ministry is a word with a lot of baggage because people think of full-time ministry, vocational ministry, paid ministry. That's not what this word means at all. It just means servant or service. Ministering to someone. So for the purpose of jettisoning the baggage, it's not the words fault, it's a perfectly good translation, but I want it to be free of the baggage.

Let's think broadly in terms of serving or service. Here's a question for the adults with a more diverse church history. In other words, you know more about the larger church landscape than just Sovereign Redeemer Community Church. Here's a question for you. Did you ever go to one of those churches where you took a spiritual gifts inventory?

Any nodding? Spiritual gifts inventory? No? No, I expected more nodding. Charlie has.

I have, you have, yes. It's like what you would take in a professional workplace in terms of a battery of questions, a series of questions that help you to understand areas of strength and weakness. If you've had a professional life, you've done that at some point. This is the church equivalent of that. It's a spiritual gifts inventory.

Here's what I love about it. It heightens expectations. We're going to See if we can figure out what gifts God has given to you. So you take it and it heightens the expectations because it makes it clear God really has given me gifts. God has given me gifts.

It raises the awareness of the gifts that God has given you and two, it gets you thinking, how can I deploy these gifts? In fact, the church wants to know how you intend to employ these gifts. That comes right after the spiritual gifts inventory is, okay what are you going to do about it? So it heightens expectations. I love that about the spiritual gifts inventory.

Here's what I don't love about spiritual gift inventories. It can lead to a self-centeredness that is unhelpful. I don't have the spiritual gift of taking out the trash, therefore I'm not the guy who takes out the trash. I say that as a person who has taken out a lot of trash at Sovereign Redeemer Community Church, and it's not because I have the spiritual gift for it. There shouldn't be an expectation that we are always operating in a particular area of giftedness.

I say that again and I'm going to say it louder. There shouldn't be an expectation that we are always operating in a particular area of giftedness. So that's a wrong conclusion that you can draw from the fact that God gives certain gifts like, oh if I don't have that gift I don't do it. I don't have the gift of evangelism, so I don't have to evangelize. The Great Commission isn't for me.

False! False! There should not be an expectation that we're always operating in a particular area of giftedness. Sometimes the trash just needs taking out. So you take the trash out.

And there's a thousand other examples of that in every local church. Sometimes there's a need and so it might not be your particular area of giftedness, but there's a need and you're the one on the spot and so you do it. The body needs all kind of service. And some people are great at seeing what service is needed and then doing it. Isn't that true?

Aren't there people who are magical? I use that in a non-technical sense. Don't stone me. There are some people who are magical. They see things that need doing and You could have been there for a week, a month, a year, and you never would have seen it, but they see it like that and they're about getting it taken care of like that.

There are people like that. If ministry, let us use it in our ministry. Number three, he who teaches in teaching. Some people have the gift of explaining things, making the complex simple, illustrating things. I trust I have a measure of that gift, but of course I'm not the only one in the room with that gift, and this is not the only setting where that gift is needed.

Homeschooling anyone? I hope there are a lot of gifted teachers in the room. I know there are a lot of gifted teachers in the room. This is one way that we're fed spiritually, is that people who have the gift of explaining things are able to bring truth to bear in ways that are memorable, in ways that are accessible and understandable. This is one way that we're fed spiritually.

He who teaches in teaching. Number four, he who exhorts in exhortation. John Murray says this, as teaching is directed to the understanding. So exhortation to the heart, conscience, and will. Yes, so people who are good at explaining things help your brain.

Praise God for that. People who are good at exhortation know how to bring it home to the heart, know how to make it travel from the brain to the heart and the conscience and the will. We need that. We need people who are good at teaching, but we need people who are good at exhortation. Hopefully those exist in concert often, where this information that they can impart so effectually can actually be brought home to move you.

Number four, he who exhorts and exhortation. Number five, he who gives with liberality. Every year we watch It's a Wonderful Life. There's a place where Clarence the angel says, I don't have any money, money's needed. Clarence says, don't look at me, I don't have any money.

And George Bailey says, oh I forgot. Well it comes in handy down here. You might not have a need for it in heaven where you're from Clarence, but it sure comes in handy down here. God actually gives people resources as a gift. But they're not the termination point of that gift.

You have to be really careful if God is placing resources in your hand that you don't think, well thank you God, here I am, the termination point. House number two, house number three, house number four. A car upgrade, car upgrade, car upgrade. You can become the termination point if God is giving you resources. That is a danger.

You're not intended to be the termination point. Resources come in handy down here. They're needed. They're needed for things, for kingdom work. And God gives resources so that the people who are given this gift will give with liberality, give generously.

There's a caution to be given in both ways. There's a caution to the people with resources, hey be careful that you don't make yourself the termination point. The caution for the people who haven't been given the resources of the person that has is not to say, hey you shouldn't have done that with this money. He has the stewardship for that money. Number six, he who leads with diligence.

He who leads with diligence. The body needs diligent leading. We do have a head. We have a chief shepherd. I love that phrase from 1 Peter 5, that when the chief shepherd appears.

So he's going to appear and he is the shepherd of all the shepherds. He is the chief shepherds, but he does have under-shepherds, and he gives them an instruction manual, and they're supposed to diligently lead the body. The body needs that. Number seven, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness. Now, why with cheerfulness?

A person who has God given gift to be merciful to others. Why with cheerfulness? Couldn't you say that with everyone? Can we back up and say, he who leads with cheerfulness? We can say that.

He who gives with cheerfulness? We could say that. He who exhorts with cheerfulness? He who teaches with cheerfulness? We could say, We could attach that to anyone.

Why mercy? There's something special about the exercise of mercy. It is needed by people in difficult circumstances, sometimes people in very difficult circumstances. Circumstances and very difficult circumstances can make people very difficult. True or not true?

Very difficult circumstances, especially for a long period of time, can make people very difficult. So people with the gift of mercy need to be able to exercise their gift with cheerfulness. Because they're coming into very difficult circumstances that might require cheerfulness. They're coming into people who have been languishing in very difficult circumstances maybe for a long period of time and it's made them very difficult. You'll need your cheerfulness.

Sometimes people in very difficult circumstances, especially if it's over an extended period of time, feel like a burden. I don't want to ask again because I've had to ask last month And four months ago, six months ago, last year, the year before, I can't bear to ask again. And in comes the person with the gift of mercy, cheerful, and they sweep that away with their cheerfulness. They sweep away the sense that I've become a burden because I've been in these difficult circumstances month after month, year after year, I can't bear to ask again, and the cheerful mercy giver, here they come and they sweep all that away in a second. It's wonderful.

Well, so much more to say. We're going to take another week to say it. Next week we'll spend most of our time linking verses four and five to 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4 and a couple of other spots. One application. We'll give Rob Ventura a quote.

This is very insightful, very important. I don't even think I've touched on it in the sermon, so listen carefully to this. Rob Ventura says, having just told us in the previous verses that we are to live consecrated lives to the Lord. Remember, present your bodies of living sacrifices. What he just said.

Interestingly, the very first place where the apostle tells us that this consecrated life is to manifest itself is in the context of the local church. Aliyat, he's about to quote somebody else named Aliyat, I have no idea who it is, Aliyat astutely comments, we need to put away vague views of consecration. We need to put away vague views of consecration. The first place where it is seen is in the way in which a believer lives and behaves in the body of Christ. People who appear to be keen Christians, but are not obeying the Lord in this area are not keen Christians at all.

They have not put themselves at his disposal in the area where he expects obedience first. Amen. Away from vague views of consecration. What is presenting my body a living sacrifice? What is consecrating my life to the Lord look like?

A life of contemplation. Where I become a hermit in a cave, I become a monk or a nun. No! That is not obedience to God. That is not presenting your body a living sacrifice and consecrating yourself to the Lord.

It's actually giving yourself to the Lord's people by the exercise of your gifts. Not a contemplated, disconnected life. It is laying down your life for your brethren. That is what a life of a living sacrifice looks like. Not the life of a hermit, or a monk, or a nun.

It's not vague at all. It's very concrete. You can look around and see people around here whose lives are consecrated to the Lord. I thank God for you. Let's pray.

God, I'm grateful that we have another opportunity to come back and talk about life together in the body of Christ. I pray that these weeks would be profitable. Thank you for the text that has been before us. In Jesus' name, Amen.