Build the body of Christ
Romans 12:2-21
Key verse 12:5
Good morning. Last week, we learned God not only saved us from our sins but also gave us a clear direction of how to live. Romans 12:1 said “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship”. Also verse 2 says “renew your mind that you are able to know the will of God”. But these two commands are hard concept. There is no about how. So from chapter 12:3 to chapter 16, through Paul, God teaches us practical ways about how we can offer our bodies to God and how we can renew our mind. In today’s passage, it says though we are many, in Christ Jesus, we form one body. These days, 2021 Tokyo Olympic is going on. Do you know what the official symbol of the Olympic is? It is the Olympic rings: five interlacing rings: symbolizing five continents: America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. People in the five continents are much different against each other in terms of race, language, culture, and so on. But, they form one body in the Olympic. Similarly, each of us is very different from each other, yet God wants us to build the body of Christ. And God wants us to develop the body of Christ with love of Jesus. May God bless each of us through this message.
- Think of yourself with sober judgement
Let’s read verse 3 together. “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.” Why did Paul say this way? It looks like there were some people who considered themselves more highly than they ought. The audience of Romans is believers in Rome. In the Roman church, there were many different people like free Romans citizens, slaves, Jews, Gentiles, men and women. In terms of social level, some free Romans citizens might think they were more highly than the slave believers. Also in terms of religious backgrounds, some Jews believers might think they were higher than the Gentile believers. Like them, even today, they are some people who think of themselves more highly than ought. For example, when they have a title in church, when they have some special talents, they think they are better than others. Then, how can we not think of ourselves more highly than ought? Paul said “think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of us”. What does this mean? We can think of this in two ways: First, in church, people become proud when they forgot how terrible sinner they were. In terms of social level, they might be better than others in church. However, in the sight of God, in church, all of them were just forgiven sinners. They were not saved by their social levels. But they were saved by God’s grace. But When people forgot this, they began to think of themselves more highly than ought. So it is important for us not to forget we are sinners before God. In the book of Acts, Paul repeated how he met Jesus (3 times). In general, no matter how good a story is, when we hear the same story again and again, we are kind of sicken tired. But Paul kept mentioning how Jesus saved him from his sin over and over. In this way, he did not forget that he was a sinner. Like him, we need to keep in mind that we are just forgiven sinners. Second, we need to know how to judge ourselves correctly. New living translation says “Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” Based on this, believers are evaluated not by social status or religious backgrounds but rather by the faith. Even if someone has much bible knowledge or someone has attended church for many years, that does not mean they are higher than others. Rather they might be nobody in church in terms of the faith. In every company, there is a performance review system: to evaluate an employee yearly. When a manager evaluates an employee, they evaluate the employee based on the work done. The manager does not measure the employee based on how he is handsome, what kind of car he drives. In the same way, when we evaluates ourselves, we should check if we have faith in God or not. In the Bible, Jesus said when he comes again, he will look for those who have faith. Luke 18:8 says “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” so faith is a main factor of how God evaluates us. For example, in Matthew 6:33, Jesus says “seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you as well”. God promised when we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, all these things, what we want, all these things will be given. When God evaluates us, he does not care whether we know the verse or not but he cares how much we have believed his promise and practiced our faith.
This verse 3 helps me to examine my faith once again. Outwardly, I am a lay missionary, director of Delaware UBF church, studying the seminary graduate school to be a pastor later. I can think of myself more highly than ought. But this passage teaches me once again I am a just forgiven sinner before God. Also, in terms of the faith, I need more faith. Even though I made some sacrifices to come to DE (thank God for that faith), but I have doubted about the work of God. Since I moved to DE, I can see spiritually DE is like the desert and the wasteland. In my heart, I have doubted that I am getting old, people in Delaware seems to be more proud, can God really make a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland through me? I repent my lack of faith. I repent also I thought of myself more highly than ought. I pray that we may put our faith in God that God can be pleased with our faith.
- Build the body of Christ Jesus
Look at verse 4 and 5. “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.“ Paul now talks about the community of believers: the body of Christ, church. To explain what the church is, he first mentioned about our physical body. Our body has many members (hand, face, leg, and so on) and these members have their own function. We need our hands for swiping on our smartphone or driving a car. Our hair makes us look handsome or pretty but also manages our body temperature. ME. In the same way, Paul said in Christ Jesus, even though there are many, but they form one body. So according to these verses 4 and 5, I could see the definition of church. Church is the body of those who put their faith in God. Church is also the body of those who confess Jesus as their Savior. It is very interesting that in church, there are different people yet become one body of Christ. How can individually different people (different mother languages, different colors, different family backgrounds, different personal characters) form one body? Even among us, we are different in many ways. But in Christ Jesus, it is possible to become one. We share one God, one spirit, and one Savior. We are also the same value. Most of all, God wants us to form one body in Christ Jesus.
Look at verse 6 through 8. God gave each necessary gifts to build the body of Christ. Shall we read verse 6 through 8? “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” How many gifts did Paul talk about here? Seven gifts: prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy. In this chapter, Paul mentioned 7 gifts. But in 1 Corinthians 12, he talked about more gifts. Base on this seven gifts, how many gifts do you think you received from God? Among the seven gifts, prophesying might be controversial. So let me explain about this gift: In Hebrew, Prophesying is called “Navi”. It means “to proclaim, mention, call, summon.” In Greek, it is called propheteia meaning “gift of interpreting the will of God”. I am thankful that God has sent diverse people to Delaware ministry. They have also different gifts too. John Dajeong serves God through praising songs. M. Esther and M. Ruth teach 1:1 bible study. M. Jacob helps me to prepare for Sunday message as well as encouraging me to live by faith. Dre said he received three gifts: prophesying, serving, teaching gifts. I am pretty sure Tia has at least one gift from God. Why did God give us each different gift? To build the church: the body of Christ together. In church, there are many different people, it means there are many different needs. What if someone needs encouraging but all church members only received prophesying? What if someone needs the knowledge of God, but all church members only received showing mercy? Through different people and different gifts, we can serve God and God’s people. So let us praise God who gave us each different gift. Also let us use our gifts to build up the body of Christ together.
- Be devoted to one another in love
So far, we have learned God called different people and gave them each different gift to build up the body of Christ. Then, what should the body of Christ look like? Also how we should act in the body of Christ? From verse 9 through 21, Paul teaches these things. It is long but let’s read verse 9 through 21. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” In these verses, there are several important points. First, the body of Christ must have sincere love. Sincere means genuine or not pretending or not hypocritical. How can we love others sincerely? In our selfish and sinful nature, it is impossible. However, in Jesus, it is possible. Jesus did love us sincerely. In the Bible, when people came to Jesus, he welcomed all of them. If Jesus had business mind (would stay in my church or not), if he calculated, he would not love them sincerely. But he loved them and helped their needs with compassion. Now as we build up the body of Jesus, we should practice sincere love among brothers and sisters. I pray our ministry is known for the love of Jesus. Second, the body of Christ needs to keep the spiritual fervor, especially serving the Lord. Why do we need the fellowship among believers? When I was in Maryland, there were many brothers and sisters around me. We gathered together for bible study and had eating fellowship together. We encouraged each other to attend 5:30 am prayer meeting too. But in Delaware, being alone, even though I do not want it, I feel like my spiritual fervor goes down as time has passed by. So we need in person fellowship. Through gathering together, we can encourage each other to keep our spiritual fervor and serve God together. Third, when the body of Christ face persecution, we should bless not curse. Verse 14 says “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.“. How can I bless those who persecute me? Why should I do that? Should not I revenge those who give me hard time? Again, our Lord Jesus blessed those who persecuted him. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus said to his disciples “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”. And then, on the cross, he practiced what he taught. On the cross, Jesus prayed “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. He should have prayed “Father, remember my pains, pay back to them”. Yet, he prayed for those who nailed him, those who cursed him. In a sense, Paul himself persecuted the body of Christ. What if believers at that time cursed Paul and paid back to him? Probably he would never have a chance to be saved. But when early Christians blessed and did not curse Paul, he was able to meet Jesus personally later. Lastly, people in the body of Christ need to live at peace with everyone (not only with church members but also with unbelievers). Look at verse 18. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” We spend most of our times with people in the world. So if it is possible, it is good to maintain good relationship with unbelieving friends, colleagues, and professors too. But this does not mean that we compromise with their sins. Rather as Jesus did, he was a good friend of tax collectors and sinners, but did not join in their sins. Rather he showed his love to them, prayed for them, taught the truth whenever it was available.
In conclusion, today we have learned in order to be humble, we keep in mind we are just forgiven sinners before God. Also we need to judge ourselves based on how much we have faith in God. Also we have learned church is the body of Christ; the body of those who confess their faith in God. To build the body of Christ, God called different people and gave them each different gifts. May God use our gifts to build the body of Jesus. May God bless each of you continue to imitate our living sacrifice Jesus.