APPLIED CHRISTIANITY
II. “Belonging”
8-28-05
Romans 12:3-8
TEXT: In Christ we who are many form one body,
and each member belongs to all the others. (5)
INTRODUCTION
In the early 1950's, there was a terrible malaria outbreak in Borneo among the Dayak people. The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) came to the rescue, spraying the area and their thatched-roofed huts with DDT. Well, the DDT killed the mosquitoes, but it also killed a parasitic wasp that kept the thatch-eating caterpillars under control. Within days, the people’s roofs began falling in as the caterpillars dined on thatch without hindrance. But, that was only the beginning of a new set of problems. The geckos stuffed themselves with toxic mosquitoes. The geckos got sick, no longer able to race about, only to become prey to the neighborhood cats. Then the cats died from the DDT. Without cats, the rat population exploded, carrying bubonic plague– a disease much more serious than malaria.
Now what to do? After all, the W.H.O. had only been trying to help. Finally, the brilliant minds at the head of the W.H.O. decided they need to reintroduce part of the natural order. They needed cats, a lot of new foreign cats imported to eat the rats. Their solution was to make an airdrop of imported cats. One morning, the Dayak people in their roofless huts awoke to the sound of slow-flying aircraft. Soon the sky was littered with parachuting pussycats. Operation Cat Drop rained 14,000 cats down on Borneo. Before too long, as the cats got to work, the Dayaks were saved from the mosquitos, rats, and the W.H.O.
We’ve become much more aware of ecosystems and the interconnectedness of all living things in the last couple of decades. But the Bible talks a great deal about another interconnectedness that we sometimes fail to appreciate to our spiritual peril. A toxic chemical has become widespread in among Christians that is spreading disaster in the kingdom of God. There are a number of formulations for the this chemical, but all of them are some variation of individualism.
Individualism is rampant in our culture. One fast food chain has even incorporated it into their slogan, “Have it your way.” We love all the choices we have and the ways we can express our personalities. You can even program your cell phone to play one of hundreds of tunes to alert you to a call instead of the traditional ring. Of course, such individualism can be fun, creative and enable us to celebrate our unique personalities and tastes.
However, when we carry this over into our Christian discipleship we begin seeing toxic effects. “Having it my way” is highly destructive to forming the community Christ had in mind when He designed the church. We, for the most part, have a very difficult time grasping the idea that, while Christianity is extremely personal, it is not individual. Christianity from beginning to end is about community, and that community is to be the church. Increasingly, Christians feel the church is there to satisfy their needs. Worship should fit what they want, music should be to their tastes, the sermons should be what they like, and of course, the people should be to their liking.
class=Section2>And if that is not the case, many seem to decide they will just be a Christian without bothering with the church. And, to be a Christian without being involved in a church is like being a soccer player but never joining a team. You can sort of play soccer by yourself, but what your playing isn’t really soccer. Soccer is a team sport.
This morning our Scripture deals very specifically with being in and functioning within the church family if we are going to be able to apply our faith to our everyday living. Last week, we began in Romans 12, with those great transition verses that move us to practical application of our walk with Christ. Remember, the first eleven chapters of Romans are a careful working out of the wonders of our salvation, grace and the power of God to enable us to live the Christian life. Then, Romans 12 begins four chapters of application with our last week’s text:
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. Do 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 of God’s will– his good, pleasing and perfect will.
So, the first three parts of applying our faith we covered last week are:
1. Surrendering our whole beings, all that we are and have, to God.
2. Saying “no” to the pressures of this world to conform to its pattern.
3. Saying “yes” to God in making use of the means He’s given us to renew our minds.
Now, Paul continues with the importance of the church in enabling us to live transformed lives. Applied Christianity is not just something we can work at on our own. It must be worked on in the context of the community of faith, the church. Please give your attention now to the reading of God’s word.
HUMILITY
Finding our place in fellowship with God’s people in the church begins with humility– a realistic, honest assessment of who and what we are. Paul begins with:
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. (3)
In the first eleven chapters of Romans, Paul’s main point was that our salvation can only be by pure grace– there is nothing we can do to earn it or deserve it. None of us can take credit for being good enough for salvation. As Paul moves our thoughts to the church, the Body of Christ, where we relate to other believers, he reminds us of this and to not think of yourself more highly than you ought. You’re not in the church because you’re “good enough.” Salvation is a free gift to everyone, no matter how bad they’ve been, based solely upon what they’ve done with Christ. Have they received His offer of forgiveness and new life?
Pride, thinking too much of ourselves, can go in two opposite directions. First, for some, they think highly of themselves, what they do, what they are, and feel their importance– puffing
class=Section3>themselves up. Everything centers on them, the big somebody. They are constantly calling attention to themselves and need to be in control.
But, there is a second, more subtle manifestation of pride. There are those who retreat from being involved. They play it safe. They don’t risk making a mistake or getting criticized. While they may dress it up as “humility,” what they are really doing is protecting their egos. Isn’t that also pride, me-first thinking? They are afraid to step out and do something because they could get hurt, they could mess up, they could embarrass themselves. That too is as self-centered as the big cheese out there.
So, pride can cause us to do be too up front and in control, or it can cause us to hide, hold back and not risk being hurt. Probably the manifestation we struggle with has to do mostly with whether we’re an extrovert or introvert. The extroverts will be calling attention to themselves. The introverts will be hiding.
BELONGING
To help us discover our place and gift, Paul uses his favorite metaphor for the church, The Body of Christ. In verses 4-5, he writes,
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.
Paul expands on this body metaphor more in 1 Cor. 12, where he makes it clear that a chopped off finger or toe is of little value. It is valuable only as it is connected., receiving instructions for function from the head, Jesus Christ. But we also get the idea here. We need different people with different gifts just as the human body needs eyes, ears, kidneys and fingernails. The fifth verse sums up this passage nicely:
so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
It is that last phrase, and each member belongs to all the others, I want us to reflect on a little more.
Most of us know what a comfort others in the community of faith can be to us in times of trouble and suffering. But here’s a new twist on that that we may not think about. Someone was saying she was part of a small group where one member was going through terrible pain. She said her life was relatively smooth and pain-free. She discovered what a gift it was to share in the pain of another. She found it softening her, deepening her prayers, and opening her to be more caring. She concluded, the community of faith is not only a place for the suffering to find comfort, but also a place for the comfortable to find suffering.
I hope we all know that suffering has some positive effects upon our spiritual life, whether it is our own suffering or that of others. Our values change so we become less materialistic, less self-absorbed, and more grateful for small things. Our prayer deepens and we learn new levels of trust. ... each member belongs to all the others. Don’t distance yourself from the church. Plunge into life within the Body– whether you are the one suffering or it is a place where you can be deepened by letting other’s suffering touch you.
GIFTS TO SHARE
There are several gift lists in the New Testament. None are the same, though they often overlap. This probably means that no list is complete, but that each is just a sampling of gifts God endows us with to be used for the blessing of others in the church. Some gifts involve supernatural giftings by the Holy Spirit, such as the ones listed in 1 Cor. 12. Other gifts can be seen as reflecting more of our natural dispositions, the personality-type we were born with. Here, Paul lists seven examples of such “giftedness” that we may discover and share with others.
1. Prophesying is perhaps the most difficult to understand here. We tend to think of this as foretelling. Actually, the Bible uses it more as forth-telling– proclaiming truth from God. Of course this could involve future events, but most generally it is what God is saying to the present situation. Preaching is one possible manifestation of this gift today. But it isn’t confined to preaching. There are those who don’t preach who also have this. These are people who are always coming up with truth about God that is fresh and exciting that they share with others, possibly in a small group or one-on-one. They love to prayerfully listen to the Lord and bless others with truth and insight they’ve gained. We have several in our midst I can think of that often bless us with this gift– not in preaching, but just sharing.
2. Serving– some people are just natural servers. The more hidden the service, the better. These are the kind of people who remember your preferences in beverages and how you like your coffee. They find joy in making life smooth for others, anticipating needs and filling them.
3. Teaching– these are the ones who love to learn, study and ponder deep thoughts and then share them with others. Don’t think just of the regular teaching positions in the church. Anyone who enjoys study and thinking ideas through probably has this gift. We are all blessed as they share what they learn with the rest of us.
4. Encouraging– these are people who always seem to be able to say the right, encouraging word at the needed time. Encouragers bring out the best in people, uplifting others. They are good at discerning what needs to be supported in a person. Exhortation is another word used here by other translations which has more the implication of cheering people on, building them up with their words.
5. Giving– contributing to needs of others. Haven’t you noticed that some people are just natural givers? Whatever they have, they eagerly seek ways to bless others with it? Sometimes it is money, but there are other ways to contribute such as in time, energy, and hospitality to mention just a few. They find a need and respond with practical help.
6. Leadership– administrative gifts. These are people who are good at organizing and getting things done. Serving is one of my gifts, so my first thought is, “How can I help?” Polly has the gift of administration, so her first thought is, “Who can I get to do this?” She is good at delegation and I often don’t have a clue as to when delegation is appropriate. So we balance each other in this area. I’m often surprised when I share with her my plans and she asks, “Couldn’t someone else do that?” Then I see it. She’s right and it makes perfect sense. But I just didn’t think of it. What a blessing those who can organize and make things happen are to the Body of Christ.
6. Mercy– working with the disadvantaged. Eugene, in “The Message” translates this:
If you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
Through this gift, the compassion and love of Christ is so often apparent to the world. Those with this gift often have tears in their eyes over the suffering or difficulties of others. They are quick to respond with a hug and spend an hour or two listening. They are intuitive in knowing just the right thing to do or not do.
There you have a sampling of seven gifts. It is not a complete list, to be sure. But I’ll bet each one of you has at least one of those gifts. Some may be lying dormant. But you’ll find your heart responds to one of them. Remember, you are not your own: ...each member belongs to all the others.
CONCLUSION
Don’t you see now why being connected in the body of Christ is essential for our growth in the faith, for applying our Christianity to the everyday world in which we live. And, even beyond regular worship, if we learn to relate to one another in a small group we will grow even more by that interaction. This fall, we will be beginning a number of groups in the church to continue to work on applying the teachings from that week’s sermon. Meeting regularly with others will enable us to experience more of what Paul is telling us here.
I had a secretary in a previous church whose adult sister was mentally handicapped and needed to be institutionalized. The facility was about 200 mi. away, but she’d sometimes go there on a weekend to spend time with her sister. She told me about going to church with her sister, along with about 25 others from the institution who were able. Many of these, she said, had multiple handicaps and were in quite bad shape. Several churches in town did not welcome them because they were “too disruptive” to their worship. But, one church did welcome them.
She said it was kind of chaotic and wonderful at the same time sitting with them. Those from the institution all sat together in one section with their supporting attendants. She said some sang way too loud and were off-key to an extreme. With the Lord’s Prayer, some were always a couple of lines behind. Occasionally one would have a seizure during the service. Sometimes there were spontaneous outburst of sound, groans, and noises from the group. It was disruptive at times to be sure. Yet, it was glorious. She could see how much it meant to her sister and others to be part of a larger worshiping community and to feel welcomed and included in Jesus’ name.
Yes, they could have had a separate worship service at the institution– and they did for those who couldn’t attend a church. But, as she told me this, I thought, “What a wonderful church! They truly understand about belonging to one another in the body of Christ.”