St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church – Watertown, WI
Pastor Mark Gartner
Sermon for Pentecost 15 -- September 1^st, 2002

Romans 12:1-8

¹Therefore, 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. ²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

³For 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 measure of faith God has given you. ⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Dear redeemed children of God.

As we look at our bodies, we notice that there are many different parts working together inside of us. We don't think too much about what happens as we sit down to eat or as we walk or run, but many different parts of the body are doing their job for us to accomplish each task we seek to do. If we bend down to pick up a book from the floor, our brain has to tell the rest of the body to do it. Our back muscles have to bend. Our arms and legs have to bend. Our fingers have to open and close at precisely the right angle and place. Our eyes have to spot the object, focus in on it and lead us directly to the book. Our feet have to balance us so we don't tip over. Our lungs and heart have to operate to give us the strength and stamina to do anything. That is the first part of the action. Then when we pick up that object, we need to reverse everything we just did to bring us back to our normal position. In normal speed this takes us 2 or 3 seconds. How many of us take such a simple task as bending over to pick up an object for granted? Most likely all of us. Everything is working together to accomplish a goal. A hand is not of more importance than a arm or a back muscle. A brain is not more important than a leg. An eye is not greater than a foot. All are important and all are very necessary to accomplish simple everyday tasks.

This morning we are going to look at Christ's body, which is his church on this earth. As Christians who believe in Christ, we are all a part of Christ's body while on this earth. This morning we are going to take a closer look at the many different members of Christ's body. We are going to see that Christ's body is very different than a normal body. Christ's body is a collection of many people who are transformed or made new again. This body has only one purpose which is to do God's will and to work together to accomplish God's will. This picture describes each one of us and our place in Christ's body very nicely. It first separates us from the people of this world, and then it tells us what God expects from us. This morning we will look at the fact that:

Theme: We Are A Part Of Christ’s Body

1. We are transformed by the Holy Spirit
2. We live for Christ
3. We all work together for Christ

As we look at our lives on this earth, we begin to notice that God has been very kind to us. The apostle Paul the writer of this text noticed this also. God's grace was very evident to him and moved him to do all the things he did. Chapter 12, which is the start of our text this morning, is the distinct break in the letter to the Romans. In the first 11 chapters Paul dealt for the most part with what God had done for us. He made sure that there were no mistakes about the love and mercy of God and what it meant for all sinners. As we look back at those 11 chapters, we soon begin to realize that Paul's words were written that way for a purpose. Paul with the guidance of the Holy Spirit was laying the foundation upon which God would later build. Paul was presenting the motivation for us as Christians, as we look to live our lives on this earth. It is very clear that Paul had a reason for writing as he did. We notice that he didn't start out by stating how we can earn salvation, or what we are to do in our Christian lives. He didn't tell us what we can do to be right with God. He made it very clear that all we have and all the power we need is found in the blood of Christ on the cross. From this certain fact of Christ's death for our salvation we find the reason why we live the way we do.

Paul was admonishing the Christians in Rome to live for Christ. He was urging them to let the love of Christ shine out in all their actions. Whereas before he was giving them the doctrinal teaching aspect of this letter, he was now giving them the practical application that would guide them as they lived for Christ. Paul gives us a good example of Gospel motivation. He is not using the law to beat them into living for Christ, as we can see when he writes, "I urge you in view of God's mercy." In view of what God has done for us. In view of the fact that God's grace has been shown to us. In view of the fact that God has paid the price for our sins. In view of all of this Paul tells us, "offer your bodies as living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God."

As we look at these words of Paul, we soon begin to realize that we could never live good and pleasing lives to God without God's help. There is no way in a million years that we as sinners could ever do anything good in God's eyes on our own. Our lives before God came to us were full of sin. Our lives were rotten and filthy. Our lives were filled through and through with sin. Our thoughts were terrible. Our thoughts were not God pleasing. They were pleasing only to Satan. As enemies of God we could never have dreamed of doing anything to please God. That is where God comes into the picture. Paul urges us to not follow the patterns of this world. We all can see how the patterns of this world have only one thing going for them and that is sin. Paul writes, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world." Paul instead directs us back to what God has done for us. He gives us the power that we all need. He tells us that God has made us a new creation through faith. God has taken that person who was wicked, evil, thoughtless, greedy and everything else and made him a new person. In simple terms he transformed us. It is like going from an old beater car to a brand new luxury car. The difference is very noticeable immediately, and it is very much appreciated. Paul writes about our transformation and how it leads us in our new life, "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind." With God in us through the Holy Spirit working in us by his gospel, we can now see what is right and wrong. With God in us we realize that we are a part of God's body through faith.

As we look at the new creations that we are through Christ, we soon begin to realize that we are different. We soon realize that we are living for God. Let me ask you a question. Why don't you steal? Why do you come to church? Why do you give money for God's work? Why do you love one another? What leads you to resist Satan and his temptations? As we look back at all the times that we have been tempted to break God's commands, we soon begin to see that the difference in us is the fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ is working in us. We are no longer living for ourselves. We are living for God. The gospel of Christ is flowing out of us. We see things that are wrong, and with God's help we resist them. We are offering our bodies as living sacrifices to God. In fact Paul tells us that our lives are an act of worship to God. In our lives we show God that we love him, and we thank him for what he has done for us. We are saying by our actions and words that God is number one in our lives. Our lives are not for our glory, but for God's glory. We have surrendered our body and soul to the Lord. We have taken up the cross and followed our Savior. We are not forced to come to church. We are not forced to hear and learn God's Word. We are not forced to keep God's commands. All that we do as Christians flows out of our love for God. Christianity is not a teaching of coercion and force. Christianity is a teaching of love and mercy, which flows out of love, and mercy for us. We are first justified and declared innocent of our sins, and then we live Christian lives of Sanctification dedicated to our Lord and Savior.

As we look at what Paul is writing to us as Christians, we once again realize that what God expects from us is perfection. He expects us to always want to hear his Word. He expects us to never break his commands. He expects us to love him with all our hearts and minds. We also realize that we have missed this mark of perfection terribly. Even though we are transformed children of God through faith, we are not perfect. The Old Adam is still in us. The Old Adam is always there. This is why we need a daily renewal with God. We daily need to repent of our sins and lay our sins in God's hands. That is why we need to regularly hear his Word and study his Word. That is why we need a regular diet of his Word and Sacrament. This is not easy. God never said it would be. We still need to be reminded by God's law that we are sinners. We still need to be crushed by the fact that we still break God's commands, but we will always know the fact that our sins are forgiven. Our lives may fall short of perfection, but Christ's love for us is not tainted by sin. His blood wipes the sin from us. His blood makes it all possible for us to do pleasing and good things for God.

This is all so true. We are God's children. We are part of Christ's body, which is his church on this earth, but how can we show our Christianity? Sometimes we want some specific direction. Paul deals with this in our text. He deals with the fact that we are all special. Remember how we looked at how a body needs many different parts to accomplish each task. It is the same with Christ's body. Christ's church on this earth has many different people in it, just like a human body has many different parts to it. What does this mean for us? What part of Christ's body are we? As we look to answer this question, it means that each one of us has to take inventory with God's help to realize the special gifts given to us by God. God has made sure that his church continues and is glorified by its many different people. God wants us all to act in accordance with the gifts we have. He doesn't want all of us looking for certain gifts, which may be beyond us. He doesn't want us to think too highly of the gifts we have. He wants us to be confident in the fact that God has given us gifts, and that we are to use these gifts in the best way for God's glory.

As we look at Christ's church, we can see that many times there is a lack of confidence or trust in God and the gifts he gives. There are many people who are ready and willing to say that is someone else's job, not mine. All to often it is a whole lot easier to say that we don't have that gift than to realize our gifts and use them. All of a sudden we are only thinking about ourselves instead of Christ's body. We then forget that there is a reason why God has given us our gifts. When we use our gifts as God intends, his whole church is built up and edified. These gifts are by God's grace. They are for a purpose. They are given to all people. There is not one person here this morning that can say that I don't have a gift or many gifts. Many times it is the fact that we are not confident in the gifts we have. Many times it is Satan telling us it is easier to sit back and watch. Many times it is a weak faith that doesn't realize what our gift may be.

Paul in our text gives a list of some of the gifts that are given by God to his people. As we look at this list, let us remember that all these gifts are given by God for his glory and not for our glory. None of these gifts are greater and none of them are lesser. He starts out with gifts that talk about prophesying and teaching. This is the gift that God has given to certain people to preach and teach his Word to all people. This may be pastors and professors. This may Sunday School teachers and Teen Bible Class teachers. This may anyone who has that special gift to relay God's wonderful message to other people in a way that others may understand. We need to remember that we don't all have every one of these gifts. He also talks about serving, showing mercy and encouraging. As we look at these three examples, we see gifts, which don't seem all that important from a world's viewpoint. Those who serve and encourage don't always receive all the visibility of say a teacher or preacher, but what a wonderful gift for those who are able to encourage or show mercy or to serve. It is not demeaning. It is a special gift. We also have those who have leadership qualities. We are not all suited to be in the position to lead others. We know that this takes special gifts, which are to be used in a god-pleasing fashion. Those with this gift are not to lord it over others or to think this is the highest gift. It is a gift to help keep God's visible church working in a proper and orderly way. We also see those who contribute to the needs of others. This may come in the ways of helping financially. Maybe God has blessed us with the heart to give and help others. Maybe we have the financial blessings to help others in ways others cannot.

As we look at these gifts, where do you fit in? What gift has God given to you? Do you know or have you never really thought about it? Is it something you need to worry about, or can someone else pick up the slack? As we look at all that God has done for us, we soon begin to realize that it isn't something that we can pass off to others. When we put off using our God given gifts, God's church suffers. Our fellow Christians do not receive the benefits of our gifts being used. God's gifts are being wasted. With God at our side and God working in us as new and transformed people through faith, we can see and use these gifts. We can live lives of service to the Lord, as we seek to spread God's kingdom. It is not easy, and it definitely takes complete trust in God to help us through our lives on this earth. But God promises us that he will lead us with the power of the gospel to live as one of his children. What does a Christian do with his life? First of all a Christian looks back to all God has done for him in his love and mercy, then he is to live a life of love and service to the Lord. A Christian is not to pattern himself after the world and its ways, instead it is the pattern of God's mercy that lead us. Christianity is not a passive thing where we can sit around and watch the world go by. Instead God urges us to be a working members of his body, as we live our lives of love and mercy for God. Amen.