Word of Salvation – Vol.41 No.44 – November 1996

 

One Body – Many Parts

Sermon by Rev G Vander Kolk on Romans 12:3-5

Scripture Readings: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Suggested Hymns:

BOW 22A; 425; 398; 434; 525

 

Congregation in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Introduction

In CS Lewis’ book “The Screwtape Letters,” a senior devil writes letters to a junior devil.  There is one letter that goes like this:

“I note with great displeasure that your patient has become a Christian…  There is no need to despair, hundreds of these adult converts have been reclaimed after a brief sojourn into the Enemy’s camp and are now with us.  One of the great allies at present is the church itself (the local church).  All your patient sees is the half-finished, sham Gothic erection on the new building estate.  When he goes inside, he sees the local green grocer with rather an oily expression on his face bustling up to offer him one shiny little book containing a liturgy which neither of them understands, and one shabby little book containing … religious lyrics, mostly bad, and in very small print.  When he gets into the pew and looks around him he sees just that selection of his neighbours whom he has hitherto avoided.

You want to lean pretty heavily on those neighbours.  Make his mind flit to and fro between an expression like the ‘body of Christ’ and the actual faces in the next pew…  Provided that these neighbours sing out of tune, or have boots that squeak, or double chins, or odd clothes, the patient will quite easily believe that their religion is somehow ridiculous…!”

The devil, of course, wants to destroy ‘body life’ and, on the whole, one would have to give him credit for his success.  Throughout our own denomination, through its relative short history, there are many examples of body-life failure.  At worst, the church splits or fizzles out.  All churches must contend with Satan who seeks to sow destruction and division,

Point One:  Being Sober-minded

One of the main strategies for destroying ‘body life’ is to instil pride in people.  The apostle Paul, called to the task of apostleship (Rom 1:5), begins with this sobering comment to the Roman Church:

“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 measure of faith God has given you” (vs 3).

The first thing of note here is the fact that the apostle Paul is addressing every one of the Roman Christians.  He is speaking to the older members – he is speaking to the younger members; he is speaking to the one who has the best speaking ability in the church and to the one who has the least ability to speak; he is speaking to the one who shows the greatest gifts in evangelism and the one who shows the least gifts in evangelism; he is speaking to those who are generous and those who find it very difficult to be generous.

The apostle Paul is addressing each believer in the church of Rome and is telling them to think of themselves with sober judgment.

Sober judgment conveys the thought of thinking of yourself with a sane mind.  One of the great problems that human beings face is that they tend to think of themselves more highly than they ought.  We are tempted to think we are better than others.

We can do that in a spiritual sphere that we are more mature in our faith.  We can do that in the way we look at each other’s gifts – perhaps thinking that ours are in some way of greater value to God.  The problem that goes along with this way of thinking is that it doesn’t contribute to the body life of a church but actually weakens it.

When one thinks of human pride, we can think of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.  In the parable, the Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, “God, I thank you that I am not like all other men-robbers, evil doers, adulterers or even like this tax collector.”

Such pride, as revealed in this parable, does not bridge the gaps between people but increases the gap.  One could imagine that the tax collector, hearing the words of such a prayer, would feel infinitely worse and inadequate.

The apostle Paul at times had to defend himself against the accusations of the so-called super apostles of the Corinthian church who spoke ill of the apostle Paul.  They said that Paul was weak when he was with them but bold when he was away.  They accused him of being less than what they were and the result is not harmony and cohesion but division and anger.

The apostle Paul says this to the so-called super apostles:

“We do not classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.  When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (2Cor.10:12),

This is an extremely important point, congregation.  It is a very dangerous thing to look at yourselves and then to look at others.  When one does that one is drifting into a dangerous area.  The result of this comparing can lead in a number of directions.

Firstly, it could lead to pride!  “I am better spiritually or have greater gifts than the others.”
Secondly, it could lead to disappointment or guilt.  “I am not as gifted as so-and-so,” and the result is that we can become terribly unhappy, and instead of joyfully serving we end up withdrawing.  It can also lead to a low spiritual self-esteem, “I am not as good a Christian as the next person.”

The apostle Paul knew what he meant when he said, “When one compares himself to another he is not wise.”  We know that truth in other areas don’t we?  You’re happy with your new second hand car until someone else buys a newer car.  You’re happy with your new house until someone else buys a bigger house.

Young people, your happiness can quickly turn to despair when you compare.  You might say to your best friend, with a big relieved smile on your face, “Look, I got a ‘B’ in French,” only to be left feeling terribly disappointed when your friend gets an ‘A.’  You might be happy with the amount of pocket money you get until you discover that some of your friends get more.  The result is a complaint instead of thanks.  “It isn’t fair,” are the words your Mum and Dad hear.  It isn’t wise to compare, says the apostle Paul.

Again our text: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance to the measure of faith God has given you.”

How do we avoid comparisons, then?  In that sense the following line, “according to the measure of faith God has given you” needs to be clearly understood.

Point Two:  Measure of Faith

The apostle Paul wants us to think soberly and not highly of ourselves – even to think of others as being better than ourselves (vs.18).  The apostle Paul doesn’t want us to spend time looking at one measure of faith as compared to another.  You can imagine the conversation, “Look, you’re not as good a Christian as me because you have a smaller measure of faith.”

Imagine looking at each other and trying to work out differences in the measure of faith?  Children look at their glasses very carefully if someone is pouring a soft drink into them.  They want to make sure that their cup is as big as their brother or sister and that the amount of liquid in them is equal – that the measure is the same.

If we had the same view as regards to personal faith, then we are back to comparisons, which is exactly what the apostle wants us not to do.  While there is a spiritual gift mentioned in 1Corinthians 12 which is called a “gift of faith” (12:9), the apostle Paul is not talking about that gift here.  If we were to compare “measures of faith,” then again we end up with divisions in the body and false and untrue comparisons, and people would rather have an inflated view of themselves or a deflated view of themselves.

No, what the apostle Paul means here is this: the “measure of faith” refers to our basic faith in Christ.  All the members of the body of Christ are saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  All of them were guilty of sin and deserved death and ultimately total separation from God.  Yet, through their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ they were all equally saved.  The basis of salvation is only through the grace of God.

What Paul is reminding the Roman Christians is this: if you want to look at and compare yourself to others and their gifts, then you will rather think more highly of yourself, or the opposite, less of yourself.  Yet, if you remember that all are equally sinners who have found a Saviour in Christ then you will have a more sober opinion of yourself.

In other words, everything I have is by grace alone and therefore there is nothing to fill me with pride.  The measure of faith received is the basis of all that I am and it should result in humility as we minister to each other.

Point Three:  Body life

The apostle Paul builds on this by looking at the human body.  He says, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have the sane function, so in Christ we, who are many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the rest.”

This text helps us to be sober-minded in the body of Christ.  None of us make up the body in himself or herself.  All of us are just members of the one body.  All of us contribute to the whole.

The apostle Paul asks the Corinthian Christians, “Are all apostles?  Are all prophets?  Are all teachers?” (12:29).  And the list goes on.  The obvious answer is “no!”  All of us are different.

The apostle Paul hammers this home.  Each of us, with our different gifts, is a part of the body of Christ, and each of us has been given gifts by God: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit has been given for the common good” (1Cor.12:7).

This ‘body’ picture that the apostle Paul presents us with is a reminder not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought.  It helps us to be sober.  You might be tremendously gifted in an area of Christian service, but that is not the only area of Christian service.

Secondly, the body picture points out to us that the gifts given to one member are for all members – each member belongs to all the rest.  One can only frown on those who think they can be a Christian, and serve the Lord, while at the same time refusing to exercise their gifts in service to others.

There are some people who call themselves Christians, who have broken fellowship with other Christians because of some hurt and who still think they can honour the Lord.  Unfortunately, their gifts are useful to none – and one naturally must question their Christian commitment.

Yet, the greater problem lies in the Christian community itself!  Many of us can have a ‘them and us’ attitude!  Many of us can feel independent – the sin of individualism.  If the feet of the body refuse to be used, then the body is handicapped.  If the hands are not willing to be used in service, then the body is hamstrung.  If the mouth refuses to declare God’s praise, then we are dumb.  If the ears refuse to hear or listen, then we are deaf.  If the eyes refuse to see, then we are blind.

Do you believe your gifts are for all the rest of the body?  Ask yourself the question!  Are my gifts being used for this body?  Am I contributing to the life of the whole body?  If you do not know your gifts then I am sure the rest of the body can help you find them!

There are a number of gifts mentioned in the next few verses and you can be sure that one of them is a gift that God has given you!

The idea of body life is that we walk together.  If some in the fellowship of a local church refuse to exercise their gifts, not only are they disobedient, but they are making the work of the church a burden rather than a joy.  If we want to move forward, then all of us – under the Lordship of Christ – must walk together, for his praise and glory.

Conclusion

May God enable us all, to realistically look at ourselves – not thinking of ourselves as better or worse, but with sober judgment; and then use our gifts for his praise and glory – for the extension of his kingdom.

Amen.