SERMON MANUSCRIPT
As many of you know, my wife and I served as medical missionaries in Zambia many years ago. From time to time we received containers of medical supplies from churches in England, USA and Canada. One particular box was of much interest. It was marked fragile medical equipment. When opened it proved to be a fully functioning ultrasound machine, a wonderful gift from a generous donor. Many of you have had an ultrasound exam, especially the women checking for the progress of their pregnancy. There was only one problem at Chitokoloki, nobody knew how to use this machine. It could have been so useful but, sadly, the only use it found was to act as a doorstop in our medical storage room. It may still be there to this day. A great waste.
The Lord has given spiritual gifts to his church so they can serve him with great power. In fact, every believer receives at least one gift. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says,
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:7
But sadly, many believers either do not know or do not believe this truth and are unaware of such a gift from the Lord. As well, others are careless and although they know of such gifts, they do not seek to understand their gift and to use it for the honour of God and the blessing of God’s people in the church. Because of this, the potential of spiritual power and blessing is wasted. We are like the ultrasound machine at Chitokoloki hospital, sitting derelict and useless in the storeroom.
There are references to these gifts in various passages of scripture. We have read a verse already in 1 Corinthians 12 and could have read more extensively there. We could have looked in 1 Peter 4:10–11 or Ephesians 4: 7–13. But today I want to focus on the passage that was read to us in Romans 12. And my goal for us is three-fold. First, I want us to understand and believe the truth that God has given gifts to us all. Second, I want to show you what it takes to discern and activate your spiritual gift. Third, I want to challenge you and encourage you to use that gift for the glory of God and the blessing of God’s people.
Preconditions for the practice of gifts.
Before we actually describe the various gifts in this passage we need to understand that there are several preconditions to the manifestation of spiritual gifts. Let’s read Romans 12:1 once again.
Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Romans 12:1
You know what to do when you see a therefore, you look and see what it is there for. That means looking at the preceding verses for context. Actually, the first 11 chapters provide context for us because Romans is a timeline for our personal salvation story. Romans 1–5 is about how to be saved. We are justified by faith in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for us. Romans 6–11 takes us to the next step in our Christian walk. We are being sanctified, cleansed from our sin as we choose to follow Christ in obedience and lead a holy life. Then we come to Romans 12–16 where we are learning to serve the Lord to be useful for him in the church and in this world.
That is the book of Romans in three steps: saved, sanctified, serving.
What this verse is saying is that in light of the great mercy God has shown us in saving and sanctifying us, we ought to thankful enough to give ourselves to God in service. This is our way of loving God back for all the love his has showered on us.
He says, I urge you, brothers. This is a powerful and pressing invitation to love God back, but it is not a command. The law commanded obedience to God. The Lord invites it. But he urges it as well. Why? Because God knows that it is for our good as well as his glory. A life that is not lived for God is wasted, of no eternal value.
This idea of dedicating our bodies as living sacrifices is not unique in Romans. It is found in 6:13 as well.
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.
Romans 6:13
This is the commitment to sanctification, to be holy and separate from sin. In Romans 12:1 it is the commitment to be used in service: “this is your spiritual act(service) of worship.“
These two commitments need to be renewed daily if we are to stay on track in our Christian life. Without commitment to serve, we do not get to the point of knowing and practicing our spiritual gifts. They are for service for God and others, not for self. That is why it says,
Do not be conformed to pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2a
The mindset of the world is self interest, not God’s interests. Not only do we need deliverance from sin, but we also need deliverance from self. When we sign up to serve God, he changes us from being egocentric to being God centred. We stop thinking and saying, “What is in it for me?” And we start saying, “How can I serve God.”
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2b
As this transformation occurs, I will see more and more what the mind and will of God is for my life. And spiritual gifts will be part of that new understanding.
In verse 3, Paul reveals the source of his power for service. By the grace given to me. This grace is not saving grace but enabling grace. It is supernatural ability from God. He is saying this is not my wisdom, ability, power or authority. It is God given. Then he warns us not to be high-minded or proud.
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
Romans 12:3
I must believe God’s estimate of me, not my own. If I believe my own, I will rely on my own abilities and strength and not on God’s, and I will be tempted to take the glory for it. Remember, it was Jesus who said, “By myself I can do nothing.”
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
James 4:6
In verse 4 he introduces us to the venue for the exercise of spiritual gifts. It is in the body of Christ.
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 who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4
None of us are one man shows. We are a family, a body which is intimately interconnected, and we are meant to function as such. We belong to one another. In my ministry I often speak to believers who are not going to church. I tell them this: You can be a Christian even though you don’t go to church, but you will not be a strong one. Our lives are interconnected and sustained by the nourishment and support of the body of Christ around us. Also, no one person has all the gifts and therefore doesn’t need others. We cannot do it all alone. We need each other to be effective in ministry. So, brother, sister, if you are disconnected, change your mind and get connected. Over the past two years Covid has served to disconnect us with its separation mandates and fears of infection. Resist that. Get back to church and serve in the body.
A list of gifts
We have different gifts according to the grace given us.
Romans 12:6
Notice that the same grace given to the apostle Paul is now given to us, maybe not the same gifts, but the same grace, the same powerful enabling of God. It doesn’t say that any are excluded. It is inclusive, we all have a gift with which to bless the body or we may have several gifts. But which do we have?
The Lord now gives us a list of gifts to help us discern which one may be ours. Each of these gifts stresses a different spiritual motivation in our hearts that directs our ministry. And note this, the text uses the male pronoun but these gifts are shared equally between men and women.
Prophecy
If a man’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
Romans 12:6
This one bears a little explanation. The prophets were messengers of God to bring new truth to the people of God, truth conveyed to them by direct revelation. Their supernatural ability to foretell the future was the sign of the validity of their message. As well, they had a particular motivation to direct the people to holiness and so often their message was one of pointing out sin and calling for repentance.
Since the Scriptures are now complete the work of bringing new revelation to God’s people is finished and has been so for hundreds of years. No new books of scripture have been written nor should anyone seek to do so, because it is expressly forbidden. However, the motivation to call God’s people to holiness is still a very needed gift and I believe, is active today.
These brothers or sisters with this gift have a burden for holiness and are often the first ones to identify sin. In this way they act as spiritual barometers in the church sensing the evil long before others do. This is not a popular gift as you can imagine, one that is sometimes not well received. Remember Nathan the prophet going to King David to point out his sin. He said, “You are the man, the sinner man!” Not cool! And remember Jeremiah who dared to call out the evil of the people, from the peasant to the king. How did that go? They threw him in a well. If you have such a gift you need faith and courage because you may not be very popular. That’s why it says, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
Service
If it is serving, let him serve.
Romans 12:7
These people have the motivation to help in very practical ways with active hands and feet. Martha, the sister of Mary was a good example. She was in the kitchen preparing the food for the Lord and his disciples. Recently we attended the funeral of Zaki Butros, Hiam Kugler’s father. They spoke of his servant heart. When some of his neighbour’s homes were bombed in Lebanon where he lived, he pitched in to help rebuild. Also, his pastor praised him for keeping the old boiler going to keep the church warm on cold winter days. Servants like Zaki are precious members of the body who emulate their Lord Jesus who said,
I came not to be served but to serve.
Mark10:45
Perhaps this is your gift. It is such a useful one.
Teaching
If it is teaching, let him teach.
Romans 12:7
Teachers have the motivation to inform others of the word of God. How gratified they are when others say, “Now I understand!” Whether it is in the context of the whole church or in a one on one discussion, teachers bless the people of God by informing them of the truth. It is a highly valued gift.
Encouraging others or Exhortation
Next is the gift of encouraging or exhortation as it says in other translations.
If it is encouraging, let him encourage.
Romans 12:8
The motivation of an encourager differs from that of a teacher. He is after a change in the hearer, a positive change. It is the difference between a teacher and a preacher. A preacher is looking beyond informing his audience to mobilizing them, perhaps by encouragement but also by challenging them with a well-timed rebuke. Counselling certainly involves this gift.
Giving, the gift of contributing to the needs of others
Some might think that this gift is for those who are rich, who have a lot of money to give away. But this is not so. The church at Philippi had this gift in abundance. It says of them that “their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity” in 2 Cor. 8:2. Hospitality also comes under this gift, the sharing of our homes as well as money.
Leadership
This is the supernatural ability to organize things and to motivate people to act as one. Good leadership is crucial to the life of the church. Think of the apostle Paul and how he was making tactical decisions for the church and directing people to accomplish the work of God. We don’t always appreciate people who tell us what to do, but without them we fail miserably.
Mercy
Mercy is such a beautiful motivation. At the centre of this gift is the spiritual power of compassion, the ability to feel deeply for the other person. I call these people big feelers. They emulate the tender touch of the Lord, the soft hand of the Saviour, the mercy of our God. Think of the prophet Jeremiah who had this gift. He was often weeping over the sad state of the very ones who were persecuting him. Such is mercy.
All these gifts are vital to the church and are meant to work together in harmony. Let’s imagine that some brother or sister in the church is sick and in hospital and various gifted ones go to visit that one. How will the various gifts manifest?
The gift of mercy might say, “I feel so bad that you are in this distress. I am with you and so is Jesus.” The gift of leadership might say, “ I have organized a group of people to help with your home while you are sick.” The gift of giving might say, “Here is a gift of money from the Lord to help you with the extra expenses.” The gift of encouragement might say, “Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. He will be with you each step of the way.” The gift of teaching might say, “There are five reasons why we Christians go through these trials. I just want to share these with you.“ The gift of service might say, “What can I do for you right now to ease your burden?” The gift of prophecy might say, “Is there some sin in your life that you need to confess?
Once again, a word of caution. Not all disease or injury is the result of sin, but some is. In 1 Corinthians 11 some believers were acting ungodly and it says “for this cause some are weak and sickly and some sleep (dead).” Therefore it is a good thing to check it out so you can get right with the Lord and perhaps get better. But you can see that the prophetic gift is not very popular. In the Old Testament they killed their prophets with regularity.
Encouragement for each gifted person
Perhaps by now you know what your gift or gifts are, and are starting to use them. So in the next verses the Spirit directs Paul to offer some encouraging words to help us exercise our particular gift or gifts.
Verses 9 to 16 may be viewed as words of general encouragement to all, and you are free to interpret it that way. But long ago a Bible teacher by the name of Bill Gothard explained it this way. Each verse in turn is a specific word of encouragement for each gift. It goes like this:
Verse 9 is a word of encouragement for the prophetic gift.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good.
Romans 12:9
That is what the prophet does. He hates evil. He loves good. But you see if this moral sensitivity and speaking out against sin is not balanced with sincere love, it can be a very harsh and destructive thing. When Jesus pronounced the curse on Jerusalem for not receiving him as their king, he did it while at the same time weeping for them because he loved them.
Verse 10 is a word of encouragement for the gift of service.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:10
Just as Jesus stooped to wash the disciples’ feet so we serve one another in love. This is the loving attitude of a true servant.
Verse 11 is a word of encouragement for the one whose gift is teaching.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.
Romans 12:11
To be a good teacher you need to love what you are teaching. Remember those teachers in past days that just put you to sleep. I had a few of them. Nothing learned as a result. Teachers need zeal. And they need to be doing it for the Lord first, not for the ones they are teaching. Because there may not be any receptiveness and/or thanks on the part of the audience. We need to appreciate teachers. The word says,
Anyone who shares instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
Galatians 6:9
Teacher, this may not happen, but the Lord will richly reward you.
Verse 12 is a word of encouragement for the encourager or the exhorter.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
Encouragers must be strong in hope, otherwise they will not be able to lift others up who are down and feeling hopeless. Those who make good encouragers are those who have themselves experienced the troubles of life. They know what pain and heartache is and have had to patiently endure their own trials and had measures of victory as they have trusted the Lord in the trial. Then they can say with great assurance, “The Lord is able, because he lifted me up when I was down.” Lastly, they need to be faithful in prayer. Words of exhortation and encouragement need always to be backed up by intercessory prayer. After the service I like to see the encouragers at work, praying for this one and offering words of hope to that one. It’s a great gift.
Verse 13 is for those with the gift of giving.
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:13
Some years ago, a brother in the church who was not well off died and the family was faced with sudden funeral expenses. Another brother came to me, slipped a large sum of money in my hand and said, “Jim, you are close to these folks. Please see to it that they get this money for the funeral.“ That was the gift of giving at work. Thank the Lord for the givers. They not only give monetary gifts, but they open their homes as well for the Lord’s people. They are hospitable. I say to you givers, Keep doing what you are doing. You will be richly rewarded.
Verse 14 is specially for those who have the gift of leadership.
Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.
Romans 12:14
These brothers and sisters who make the decisions and organize things for us have a particular burden. Many times they will not be well thought of. In fact, there are few leaders who escape the voice of censure. Remember Moses, who endured the constant grumbling of the Israelites in the wilderness. Stay on task brother and sister. Guard your heart. Forgive us grumblers and bless us as you keep doing your job of leadership.
Verse 15 is specially for those with the gift of mercy.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:15
It takes a big heart to enter others’ joys and sorrows. Such is the ministry of the gift of mercy. They not only understand the sorrows and joys, they deeply feel them and express that feeling to others in a spirit of ministry. There is a balance here, both sorrow and joy. If it is all sorrow, then we sink into sadness and despair. If it is all joy, then we miss comforting those who mourn. Those with this gift need to keep their balance. But this gift is so needed. It is the tender touch of the Saviour, the emotional heart of God.
Verse 16 sums it all up.
Live in harmony with one another.
Romans 12:16
The body of Christ is like a symphony orchestra. When we all are playing our parts, the Spirit blends it all together in a sweet melody of spiritual music that so pleases the heart of God. No discordant notes, no imbalance of one over the over, all following the lead of the conductor who is none other than Christ himself the head of the church.
Let’s apply this. All God’s people have these gifts. If you don’t know what gift you have, then go back to verse 1 and dedicate yourself to serve. Get into some ministry. Seek a renewed mind that serves others first, not self. Then the Lord will reveal to you and to those around you what our gift is. When you exercise that gift, you will have the greatest joy, knowing that your life is being well used by God.
Jim Rennie is an elder at Oakridge Bible Chapel and an occasional speaker. He is a medical doctor with Christian counselling practice. Shortly after graduation from medical school he and his wife, Kathy, spent 14 years in Zambia as medical missionaries.
