when we started in on Romans chapter 12 concerning the mercies of God. So if you take your Bibles, please, and turn to Romans chapter 12, we would do a little brief review of where we were last week. Of course, as we have had through the opportunity to sing songs, we've been speaking about the mercies of God. Romans chapter 12, the apostle Paul now is taking everything that he has explained to the Romans through chapters 1 through 11, and he is telling them on the basis of all of God's mercies to you, what should your response be? So if you found your way to Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, the Apostle Paul says this, Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that ye may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. And I mentioned last time I was here that when I used to preach this passage, I would start right off with the dedicated life. Well, isn't that what the Apostle Paul is appealing to these believers to do, to dedicate their lives to God? Because God has saved them. God has been merciful to them. So why would they not want to give their lives to God in dedication? And that is very well true. But the Apostle Paul is giving them the reason for why they should dedicate their lives to God. It is because God has been so good to them. As a matter of fact, believers are thrice owned. Thrice, an old word for three. Believers are three times owned. Why? Why are we three times owned by God? Because God created us. God owns us. Because God saved us, God owns us. And because we dedicate and give our lives to God, God owns us. We are three times owned by God and by Jesus Christ. We actually, last time we were here, took a little step back in Romans chapter 11, and notice these verses. Romans chapter 11 starting with verse 33. for from him, and through him, and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. The Apostle Paul breaks out in praise because of God's mercies. If you look in verse 32 of Romans chapter 11, for God has shut up all in disobedience so that he may show mercy to all. This is what sets up the great passage of Romans chapter 12, that we are amazed and we are thrilled at how God has been so merciful to us. And so today then, we go to that application, how should we respond in the light of such great mercy that God has poured out upon us? Let's just go to God and ask him for his blessing and help as we study this passage this morning. Father, we are amazed at your mercy. Even as has been mentioned already this morning, how is it that you chose us? You elected us to be saved. and not the other person. Father, we don't understand that, but we are so thankful for your election, for your salvation, for sending your son, Jesus, to die on the cross. We should have been there, and yet you placed Jesus on the cross. You poured out your wrath upon Jesus, and then to prove that everything that Jesus did counts for us, you raised him from the dead. Oh, Lord Jesus, thank you for your mercy. By your grace, may we not just take the mercy and run away. But may we take that mercy and ponder upon it, and may we dedicate ourselves to you in loving service, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, as I mentioned, we are amazed at God's mercy. And then the Apostle Paul begins to appeal to those believers, because God has been so merciful to you, don't you want to dedicate yourselves to God? Look at Romans chapter 12 and verse 1, please. Therefore, I urge you. Paul is appealing to them. He is asking them. He is begging them. He's coming alongside of them. Please, because God has been so merciful to you, don't you want to dedicate your life to God in loving, sacrificial service? And we gave us some reasons last week, or two weeks ago, how do we reflect upon God's mercies? And just to list them here, the Supper of the Lord, when we take the Lord's Supper, we remember His mercies. By singing this morning, we were reflecting upon God's mercies. By saying thank you to God for his salvation, we are thanking him for mercies. When we speak and talk to others about Jesus, that they would give their lives to Jesus, that they would ask for forgiveness, we hear what we are saying, and we thank God that he was merciful to us. We listen to testimonies, how others have come to know Jesus, and we are thrilled in their salvation. We listen to sermons that are evangelistic, preachers imploring people to come to Jesus, to come to the cross. And then by pouring over the scriptures, we reflect upon God's mercies. We also took some time, if you turn to 1 Timothy 1, we'll do that again, to look at the Apostle Paul's testimony. 1 Timothy 1, and notice the Apostle Paul's testimony and how he is thrilled about how God has been merciful to him, a sinner. 1 Timothy chapter 1, and I'm reading verses 12 through 17. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Timothy 1, starting with verse 12, I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has strengthened me because he considered me faithful, putting me into service. Even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor, yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners among whom I am foremost of all. For this reason, I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in him for eternal life." And then Paul breaks out and prays for God's mercy upon him. The chief of sinners, he says now, to the king eternal, immortal, invisible, and only God be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Because of God's mercies, he puts us into service. We his enemies. He makes his friends and gives us service to do. As we were singing their songs of mercy, there was a song that I had been reflecting upon. It's actually right across from the last song that we sang. Listen to these words of Love Lifted Me. I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. But the master of the sea heard my despairing cry. From the waters lifted me, now safe am I. But does it stay there? Oh, we're saved and nothing for us to do? Listen to the second verse of this song. All my heart to him I give, ever to him I cling. In his blessed presence live, ever his praises sing. Love so mighty and so true merits my soul's best song. faithful, loving service to, to him belong. That's the essence of Romans 12. God has been so merciful to us. We can't help but say, Jesus, how can I serve you? And Paul says, I have an answer. How can we serve Jesus? Well, first of all, as we discussed last week, what are the actions because of God's mercies? Well, we just read them in Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, if you turn back there with me, please. What are the actions that we are supposed to do as we reflect upon how God has been so merciful to us? Well, we are to present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice. We are to progress in sanctification. What does that mean? Sanctification means becoming more and more like Jesus. We are not to be conformed to this world. We actually are to transform the way we think. Have you ever noticed? When your actions go sideways and south, it's because your thinking has gone sideways and south. That's the way it is. And so Paul says, you need to be in God's Word. You need to be reading it, memorizing it, meditating upon it. You need to be marinating your mind in God's Word so that your actions are changed to become more and more like Christ. We have a negative command, don't be conformed to this world. We have a positive command, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. You may have heard the story, I may have some, the details somewhat wrong, but the story goes generally like this. I don't know if it's true or not, but the story goes like this. Someone was outside and they found a snake. And the snake was either sick or injured. And so they had pity on the snake, they scooped the snake up, they brought it to the house. They actually nursed the snake back to health. And then one day, the snake bit him. And he was surprised. And when he shared his surprise, the answer was simply, well, what did you expect? You brought a snake into your house. The Apostle Peter is very concerned that we allow things into our minds, into our hearts, into our very own houses, that actually bite and destroy us. And that's why Peter was very concerned that we do not allow ourselves to be engaged in activities, in thoughts, in attitudes that wage war against our righteous souls. Oh, Peter himself says, be you holy. Why? Because God is holy. Paul is giving us the same message, the importance of studying, reading, and memorizing the Bible, and not being conformed to this world. Well, what other actions should we do because God has been so merciful to us? Well, we are to participate in service, and that's where Paul now will lead from verses 2 to 8. Let me read those for you here, so we have them in our minds. Romans chapter 12, starting with verse 2. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think. but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members don't have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly, if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith. If service in his serving, or he who teaches in his teaching, or he who exhorts in his exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness." And so the Apostle Paul is laying out these gifts. This is not a full set. of all the gifts. There are different passages that talk about gifts. Gifts are simply gods. giving to you, giving to you and to you, everyone in the congregation, a special supernatural spiritual ability to be able to serve others so that other Christians can become more like Jesus Christ, and so there can be a holy testimony that reaches out to the world so people can be saved for the glory of Jesus. That's what the gifts are. Now, before Paul begins to tell us what those gifts are, this list he gives us in Romans, he wants to help us understand something about these gifts. And he'll start off in verse 3 that we need to have a certain attitude in light of God's mercies. That is, in verse 3, we are to have a humble assessment about the facts about our gifts. Do you remember yesterday, or rather two weeks ago, we talked about Eeyore. And Eeyore has a bad case of the can't dos and woe is me. And Eeyore thinks that he's really no good to anybody. That's not the humility that the Apostle Paul is talking about. The Apostle Paul says if God has given you a supernatural gift, an ability to serve in the church, accept it. Say, oh God, you gave me this ability, I'm going to use it. I'm not going to say or think, oh, I can't do anything in the church, I'm no good, no one likes me. No. Paul says that you have to think soberly about it. Now, the humility comes in when we reflect on the character who is the direct opposite of Eeyore. Now, who is the direct opposite of Eeyore? It's Tigger, right? And so, Tigger, he has the other problem. He is full of pride. As a matter of fact, I'll give you just a little line of the lyrics of the Tigger song. But Tigger sings, the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is I'm the only one. And it's almost as if he's saying, good for you, I'm the only one. You see, God does not want us to have a opinion of ourselves that is so full of pride that we begin to think, well, if it wasn't for me, this church would close down. No, that's not what Paul was saying. Paul says you need to have a sober, you need to have a judgment that is right and correct. If God has given you a supernatural gift to be able to serve others, accept it, praise God, and use it. But if someone comes up to us and gives us a compliment and goes on and on and on, We need to be gracious and say thank you, but we need to have that verse in the back of our mind, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to your name. be the glory, because that's why we serve others, and we serve God. We need to have a humble assessment of the facts about our gifts, and we need to be helpful with our gifts. That's why we are here. We are here to help one another. Now, the Apostle Paul then will move into the section where he tells us that each of us has been assigned by God, supernaturally, certain gifts and abilities. When you became a Christian, God assigned you, God gave you a supernatural gift to be able to serve Him, and to serve others. Notice verse four, please. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. He'll even say at the end of verse three that these supernatural abilities have been allotted to us, or they've been assigned to us. Now, there are these phrases, admittedly, that are difficult to understand. Notice what I mean. At the end of verse three, the Apostle Paul says, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. At the end of verse six, he talks about proportion of his faith. Is this to use our gifts faithfully? Does this mean we are to use our gifts according to the faith, the doctrine that has been delivered to us? What does this mean by measure of faith? What does this mean by proportion? Again, there are differences of opinion, but a very old commentary on Romans, I believe, really helps us on this issue. And the commentator says simply this, God deals to every man his measure or portion, not all gifts to one, nor the same gift to everyone in the same measure or proportion. I believe even by, even by observation. You can see two people with the same gifts, and admittedly it seems that one person is more gifted in that area than the other. That's fine. If God has given you a smaller gift, or a gift that you think is, is not all that great, don't pout. Don't pout. You know what the old chorus says? Brighten the corner where you are. If God's giving you a corner ministry, brighten that corner for his glory. And if God has given you a lot of giftedness a certain area, don't be full of pride. Because what does the Bible teach us? A man can receive nothing. unless it comes from heaven. So if God has gifted you, and God has given you a lot of gift in that certain area, use it for God's. If you think that God has not gifted you a whole lot in comparison, remember, we're warned about comparing ourselves once among other. We're warned about that. Don't worry. Just take what God has given you and serve Him. You see, what God is looking for is faithfulness. No matter what gift God has given you, and no matter what quantity of that gift God has given you, what does God require of stewards? God requires of stewards that they be faithful. Do you remember the talents? One received one. The parable of talents. One received two, and one received five. The one that received one, buried in the ground. I don't have one. Just buried in the ground. No. Whatever God has given to us, we are to use that in the kingdom of God so that it multiplies and there's fruit in the souls of men and for the glory of God. Now the Apostle Paul uses this wonderful analogy, we've already read it, about the body. There are many members and of our body, and yet each member has a certain assignment, a certain allotment. You see, your hands can hold, but they cannot see. Your eyes can see, but they cannot grasp. You see, your ears can hear, but they cannot walk. It's a very simple analogy. As a matter of fact, God uses this analogy because it's right here. All you have to do is look in the mirror, or look down at your hands and feet, and you have an analogy of how the church is supposed to function one with another. God has given us a differences in abilities, and we all need to play our positions. Did you ever see junior soccer? The little ones, you always know where the ball is, because there's 20 heads all around that ball, right? And the parents and the coach are saying, spread out, play your positions. And so the wonderful thing about gifts is once we know our gifts, and once everybody knows their gifts, everyone plays their positions. Everyone serves one another. Now the Apostle Paul then will begin to list out what are these gifts. If you look at verse 6 again, please, he says, Prophecy has its connotation. Charismatic, Pentecostal, telling the future. Did that exist in the New Testament? Yes. That was a gift. We believe that that was one of the gifts then that passed on. Why? Because you were in a transition. But basically, John MacArthur gives us a very useful quote when he says this about prophecy. Do you know what it means that is prophecy? John MacArthur says it simply means to speak publicly, to speak before literally. Before what? before people to get up and speak. That's all it means. It isn't very mystical. It isn't even very extraordinary and supernatural in that sense. It simply means to speak before people. It is the gift of public speaking. Now, MacArthur says prophecy may include in a supernatural prophecy like the prophet of the Old Testament or a New Testament prophet. It may include foretelling the future, but its primary significance is public speaking. And so if there was a use in that gift there in the transition period to foretell something that was going to happen, okay. Nowadays, MacArthur is pointing out, it's simply to be able to get up and to speak in front of people. We'll talk more about that when we get to the gift of teaching. But in the meanwhile, in verse 7, the Apostle Paul says, if service in his serving. Now, I believe that if there is a gift that a lot of Christians have, I believe it's this gift. Why? Because you need a lot of workers to serve in the church. But this gift also is very interesting. It even plays out in situations where there is a family meeting, a meal, maybe a meal after church service. And the person that has the gift of service shows themselves like this. The prayer is offered. Amen is said. And as soon as the eyes are open, this person with the gift of service or gift of helps realizes that someone forgot to put on the salt and pepper. So they get up and they put on the salt and pepper. Then they realize that the water jugs are empty. So they'll go and they'll fill up all the water jugs. They'll sit down for one second realizing that the platters need to be filled again. So they get up and it gets to the place where other people are looking at them and say, would you just please sit down and eat? And they may go through the whole meal, gobbling food up here and there, maybe their stomach grumbling, and maybe you'll find them at the end eating by themselves, but they don't care. They can't help themselves because they have the gift of helps. They have the gift of service. They love to serve people. And that's what the Apostle Paul says. We need people, not only are they willing, not only are they energetic, but they're just good at it. Like you give them assignment, you're back in 30 minutes and it's done. Wow. Teaching is the next one that the Apostle Paul mentions in verse 7. And teaching basically is simply the nuts and bolts of teaching the scripture in an organized, methodical way so that the theologies and the doctrines can be clearly understood. The gift of teaching is to be able to take someone from where they are spiritually and then to take them where they should be spiritually, is to move them along in their spiritual progression and sanctification to become more like Jesus Christ. The next one Paul mentions is exhortation. This is the unique gift to be able to come alongside of believers to give comfort and to give counsel, courage, and perhaps correction. Again, in order to restore that person and motivate them and speed them on in their spiritual growth. You see, all these gifts lead us to become more like Jesus Christ. There in the book of Acts, there was a man named Joseph. Think Joseph, Acts, wait, are you in the wrong book? No, because the people around this man, Joseph, was not satisfied with that name. They gave him a nickname, and that nickname was Barnabas. And Barnabas means the son of encouragement. Do you know the Bible has backstories? It does. You get a little detail here, a little detail there, a little detail there. One of the wonderful backstories of the New Testament was about a man named John Mark. John Mark joined Paul in the missionary group to be able to go and spread the gospel. But then John Mark got afraid and he left the ministry. And so Paul and Barnabas decided, well, let's go again to a missionary trip. And Barnabas says, yeah, let's go get John Mark. And Paul says, no, he left us last time. And do you remember, there was actually a big argument, so big until they split. And then, you find later on, the apostle Paul will write, and he'll say, bring John Mark. because he's useful in the ministry. Oh, friends, we need people with this gift of encouragement where, truth be known, other Christians push them off. You fail, gone. No patience with you. But these people, these Christians, they will love, they will encourage, they will correct if needed. and they will restore believers on the path, not just to be okay, but to be involved in great service to God Almighty. Oh, it's the gift of encouragement. And then Paul says, giving, if you have the gift of giving, don't just say, well, yeah, I threw something in the plate, I did my duty. God gives some people the ability to give, the ability to make money, and to be very hilarious, even laughing. Oh, I gave more, not for the pride of other people, but it makes them happy in their heart because God loves a cheerful giver. And then leadership, the idea of leadership. If you are a leader, be a diligent leader. The idea of this word has the idea of hurry up, come on, let's plan, let's get it done. Because we have all these servants, all these people in the church with the gift of teaching and encouragement and serving, but we need leaders who are good in administration. And then showing mercy. Oh, again. Someone can go in the hospital, and the person that's in the hospital is glad they came. That's fine. But then the next person with the gift of mercy goes in, they might say the same words, read the same scriptures, and the person in the hospital is so encouraged. And you say, well, that's not fair, because I brought the flowers and the balloons also. How does this person have this unique ability to meet someone in their suffering? to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those who weep. Oh, all these gifts we need to work together to promote church growth, becoming like Jesus Christ, glorifying Him. Now, I believe, as we think about what the Apostle Paul is saying, if we're gonna be honest to ourselves, we have to ask ourselves the question, but what if we don't? What if we don't follow through on what the Apostle Paul is saying here? Because as we mentioned last time, yes, we ought to dedicate ourselves to God, but Paul is pointing out, yes, dedicate your lives to God in this very specific area. Do you know it takes a lot of energy to serve? It takes a lot of energy to be locked up in an office somewhere studying the scriptures. It takes a lot of energy to get up early and go visit people in the hospital. It takes a lot of sacrifice to serve. But what if we don't? What are the consequences? What if we don't use our gifts to serve God and others? Well, at least these things will happen in the church. There will be iniquity instead of righteousness and sanctification. There will be inadequacies felt in the church instead of a feeling of completeness. There will be ingratitude instead of gratitude and praise. There will be spiritual illness instead of growth and reproduction. There will be instability instead of stability. There will be the focus on the inward and not on the outward and the upward. There will be I instead of others and Christ. Have you heard this poem? I had a little tea party this afternoon at three. It was very small, three guests in all, just I, myself, and me. Myself ate all the sandwiches while I drank up all the tea. It was also I who ate the pie and passed the cake to me. Yes. Initially, that might seem like a happy moment, but have we not witnessed in our own lives that we are saddest when we are selfish, but we are happiest when helpful? So let's turn the corner. What if we do use our gifts to serve God and others? Then what will happen in the church? Oh, if we use our gifts to serve God and others, there will be close fellowship instead of lonely individualism. There will be caring and concern instead of ignoring and disinterest. There will be cooperation instead of fighting. There will be the common good emphasized instead of self-emphasized. There will be a church built up instead of a church torn down. There will be Christ likeness instead of living in sin. There will be Christ glorified and not Christ dishonored. It will be a church dedicated to the service of one another in God for his glory and the glory of his dear son. May we dedicate our lives to God and to one another and to serve God and one another because of his mercies given to us through Jesus Christ. our Lord for His glory. You see, a life that is focused on the mercies of God will be a life that is dedicated in sacrificial service to one another, using our gifts to serve them and to serve God, and taking the gospel to lost worlds. Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. I know the will of God for you, and that is in prophecy. The will of God for you is to use your spiritual gift in sacrificial service to serve one another and to serve God and to take the gospel to a lost world. As we dedicate ourselves to God and to one another, we refuse to be conformed to this world so that we are transformed by the renewal of our minds as we study, read, and memorize the scripture so that we will prove what God's good will is. And people will see the transformation in our lives and they will see Jesus in us for his glory. Jesus said, let your light so shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven. Father, we pray that by your grace, we would use our gifts to do good works to others, that we would take that special ability that you have given to us. Father, if there are people here that are still wondering what their spiritual gift is, may you reveal that to them. Oh, Father, may they know what their place and purpose is here in this church, so that there may be a cooperation, there may be a glorifying of you, there may be Christlikeness, Light will shine out from this congregation because of good works done to one another and to the lost world. Service to you. We thank you for what you will do. We will praise you for it as we dedicate ourselves in sacrificial service using your gifts. In Jesus' name and for his glory, amen.