What is your normal way of stating your beliefs or opinions about most things?
Would you say that the way you express yourself is,
I feel such and such a way, or I think such and such a way?
In today's postmodern culture, we are encouraged not to think seriously.
Instead, we are encouraged to just feel deeply.
Now, the problem is not that it's wrong to have strong feelings.
Nothing wrong with feeling deeply about people and things in your life.
What gets us into trouble, though, is when we fail to think seriously about truth,
about facts, about reality.
When we allow fuzzy, momentary feelings to have priority over clear, big-picture thinking,
we're setting ourselves up for disaster in many areas of life.
Let's take finances, for example.
All across this country, all the research shows that many, many people are struggling to survive financially
because they are in over their head in debt.
And many people got that way because they did not think factually.
They didn't think realistically about their financial situation before they bought the house or car or gadgets or other stuff.
That once it was done, they realized, I couldn't afford that.
What got them into trouble was their failure to think about the reality of what my income is,
what my necessary expenses are,
what I have in savings,
what I'm obligated for.
What they did, instead of doing that, they made an emotional decision to buy what they wanted
because at the time, it just felt so right.
The Apostle Paul understood the importance of thinking rightly.
And he stressed it as he began Romans chapter 12
as something required of every Christian
who's serious about having a right relationship with God
and living in a right relationship with other people.
Turn with me, if you would, to Romans chapter 12, verses 3 through 5 today.
3 through 8 is the block.
We're just going to have time, though, to go through 3 through 5.
6 through 8, we'll come to another time.
Let's read it.
Last week, we were in verse 2 of chapter 12.
And just note for a moment.
He said,
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
It matters what we think.
Now, he goes into...
He strongly emphasizes how we think in the next verse.
Let's go ahead and start.
Verse 3 for today.
For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you,
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,
but to think with sober judgment,
each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
For as in one body we have many members,
and the members do not all have the same function,
so we, though many, are one body in Christ,
and individually members of one another.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,
let us use them,
if prophecy in proportion to our faith,
if service in our serving,
the one who teaches in his teaching,
the one who exhorts in his exhortation,
maybe talking about encouraging,
the one who contributes in generosity,
the one who leads with zeal,
the one who does acts of mercy with cheerfulness.
Before we look at the specifics of this passage,
I want you to note how Paul strongly emphasizes
the importance of us thinking rightly.
Look at the phrase in verse 3,
just the part that says,
I say to everyone among you,
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,
but to think with sober judgment.
Now you just look at that,
and the word think is emphasized three times.
It's obvious that he is really focusing on that.
It was even more in the original Greek that he wrote,
according to commentator Colin Cruz.
He points out how Paul is just going all out
to stress the word think.
Look at what he says.
Paul engages in a play on words here
by employing the verb to think in its varied forms.
Translated literally, it reads,
do not think more highly than what is necessary to think,
but think in order to think soberly.
Can he be any clearer?
Thinking correctly is essential for living in every area of life.
If we're going to be the people that God's created and called us and worked in us to be,
at work, at home, at school, in sports, whatever you do,
we've got to be people who think.
We've got to be people who think consistently,
seriously, realistically.
That's what he's telling us.
Now, I want us to look at the specifics
of how we can live like a Christian
by thinking rightly about ourselves.
First of all,
think objectively about yourself.
That's really what he's saying here
in verse three.
Think objectively
or realistically.
He's saying do it about two things.
First,
don't think too highly of yourself.
Look at the phrase,
for by the grace given to me,
I say to everyone among you,
I want you to note the change in the tone
as Paul addresses the matter of how we think about ourselves.
Two weeks ago,
we saw in verse one,
he made sort of what you'd call
a brotherly request
of these Christians in Rome.
Look at it in verse one.
He said,
I appeal to you therefore, brothers,
by the mercies of God.
In that,
as he began chapter 12,
Paul,
as a brother in Christ
to his brothers and sisters,
he makes an appeal.
He makes,
he is trying to sort of,
what you might say,
gently persuade them
based on positive motivation,
how God has just shown his mercy
in various forms to us.
That's why I'm asking you
to make the commitment of your life to him.
Well, here in verse three,
that changes.
Paul
is using a more authoritative tone here.
Look at it again.
For by the grace given to me,
I say to everyone among you.
By the grace given to me,
that's how Paul in other places
refers to his calling as an apostle.
And his calling as an apostle
is what gave him the authority
to write these letters,
to start churches,
to put people in office,
to demand that the church
exercise discipline at times.
And so what Paul is doing here,
he is issuing a command
or a warning
to everyone among you.
What he's saying here,
he wants everybody to understand.
This is not a kind appeal.
I am warning you seriously.
I am commanding you about this.
And what he's saying here,
obviously,
everyone among you,
this applies to all Christians
of all times.
There are no exceptions.
Here's what he's talking about.
The problem he's warning us about
is pride.
Pride.
Look at what he says.
I say to everyone among you
not to think of himself
more highly than he ought to think.
Evidently,
there were some members
of that church
who had an inflated opinion
of themselves.
Now, can you imagine that?
People in church
thinking too highly
of themselves.
There's times when we all do,
don't we?
There's times that we all
battle pride.
Well, it's a serious thing
and Paul is very serious about it.
One reason,
pride will destroy our fellowship
with God quicker than anything.
That's why both James and Peter,
in their letters,
they make this same statement.
Look at it.
God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.
You know,
there's some people in life
that they're against you,
they're opposed to you,
but you don't care.
There's some people
that are opposed to you
because,
and you don't care
because they have no power over you.
They have no authority.
You just don't care
what they might say
or think or do
because they can do nothing to you.
They have no influence over you
or anything about your life.
But for God to oppose us,
that ought to make us
sit up and take notice.
God resists
or God opposes
the proud.
That means you and me
if we're arrogant.
We're not in fellowship with God.
We're not close to Him
if we think too highly of ourselves.
Let's think about with people.
Isn't it hard to have
real, meaningful fellowship
with someone
who is just full of themselves,
just very prideful?
It's almost impossible
because they're just
focused on themselves.
You can't have
close,
sharing life together
kind of
of a relationship
with someone
if all they're concerned about
is themselves.
They cannot invest in you
because they're fully invested
in themselves.
They don't really care
what's going on
in your life.
They don't want to listen
to what's going on
in your life.
because
they're only concerned
about themselves
and they won't let you know that.
They won't let you know
who they are,
what they have,
what they've done.
Everything's all about them.
They can't have
real relationships.
They certainly can't have
good, healthy relationships
because that requires
give and take.
And they just want to take it.
They just want it all
for themselves
because life's about me.
Now in this passage,
Paul is probably addressing
a specific form of pride,
thinking too highly
of ourselves
because of our position
in the church
or because of our
particular gift
or talent.
So he's talking to,
he's emphasizing
the church here.
He's emphasizing
we've got gifts.
We're to work together
as we'll look at
in a moment.
Now,
we need to understand
that no one
should ever think
of themselves
as being indispensable
to the well-being
of their church.
No matter who you are,
no matter what you do,
you,
me,
we can be replaced.
The fact is,
if any one of us
dies this week,
Pickens First Baptist Church
will meet next Sunday.
No service
will be canceled.
It won't even
be abbreviated.
And I think to myself,
if I'm the one
that drops dead this week,
there'll be probably
somebody that does
a much better job
preaching
and in a couple of weeks
people will be saying,
Fred who?
That's the way it works.
That's the way it is
at your job.
That company's not
going to close down
if you don't show up tomorrow.
That's the way it is
on your team.
Next man up.
You get hurt,
you quit,
next man up.
Next man up.
Paul wants us
to understand,
do not,
do not think
more highly
of yourself
because you've got
a certain position,
you've got a certain talent,
you've got a certain gift,
you do this
or you do that.
That's just pride.
There's no place
for that
in our church family
he's saying.
Now,
if we'll think
objectively
about ourselves,
we will not have
a problem
of thinking
too highly.
But at the same time now,
if we think
objectively
about ourselves,
we shouldn't think
we're nothing.
We shouldn't think
we have nothing
to bring to the table.
Let's look at
the second thing.
Think realistically
about yourself.
Think objectively
about yourself
but also think
realistically.
Look at the phrase.
Think with sober judgment.
That means think sensibly.
Think accurately.
Think realistically
about yourself.
And there's
some value there.
You're created
in the image of God.
If you're a Christian,
you think
Jesus Christ
gave His life
so that I could be
forgiven and made
a child of God.
If you're a child of God,
He's put His Spirit
in you.
If you're a Christian,
you have gifts
that God has given you
for the purpose
of serving Him
and other people
in this church.
R.C. Sproul points out
the importance
of this kind of thinking.
Look at what he says.
Paul is saying
that just as we are
not to think
too highly of ourselves,
neither are we
to despise
our God-given value.
The opposite
of not being arrogant
about your abilities
is not
that you deny
that you have
any talents
or gifts
or abilities.
God wants us
to acknowledge
what He's given us.
If you're a Christian,
you've been given
certain spiritual gifts.
You have certain
natural talents.
You have certain abilities.
You've been given
special opportunities.
Everybody hasn't been given,
each of us individually.
So we need
to acknowledge that,
not be shy
about using that.
New Testament scholar
Leon Morris
points this out,
the importance.
Look at it.
Being sober-minded
means recognizing
that God has given us
and being zealous
in its use
as well as humble.
Recognizing what God
has given us
and being zealous
in its use
as well as humble.
it is very important
for you to do a self-evaluation.
To recognize
what God has
done for you.
How He's gifted you.
How He has equipped you
to serve Him
in this body.
Pickens First Baptist.
And then
use what He's given you
for His glory
and people's good.
It's important
also that you
recognize
in the broader
scale,
broader scheme
of things.
You need to use
all the talents
and abilities
that God has given you
in every area
of your life.
You know,
you need to
think in terms
of how God
has made me,
equipped me,
put me in certain situations,
given me opportunities,
and then you need
to make the best
of those opportunities.
You need to excel
in who you are
and what you do.
That is not
arrogance.
That's being
a good steward.
Just make sure
that you never forget
that who you are
and what you have
and even your opportunities,
those are all things
that God has given you.
I want you to look
at 1 Corinthians
chapter 4,
verse 7.
Paul makes a statement.
He's asking,
he's making the statement
in the form of
rhetorical questions
that should just
remind us
everything that we have
comes from God
so there's no place
for pride in our lives.
Look at it.
For who makes you
different from anybody else?
What do you have
that you did not receive?
And if you did receive it,
why do you boast
as though you did not?
use what God has given you?
But always give Him
the glory.
Always acknowledge
and thank Him.
Use what He's given you
humbly
to serve Him
and serve other people.
Paul says something else
about thinking soberly
at the end of verse 3.
Look at it.
He says,
we are to think
with sober judgment
each according
to the measure
of faith
that God has assigned.
In the context
of what's being said here,
especially about
the spiritual gifts
in verses 6 through 8,
Paul's using this word
faith to describe
our ability
to understand
and use
the gifts
that He's given us.
He's not talking
about saving faith here.
He's talking about
our ability
to understand
and use the gifts
that God gives us.
And such faith
would also involve
trusting God
to use us
to be a blessing
to other people,
to help other people.
Let's think about
the big picture here.
No one should ever
think of themselves
as the
most important member
of this church.
That would be thinking
way too highly
of yourself.
But at the same time,
no one should ever
think of themselves
as the least
important member
of this church.
Each of us
needs to think
of ourselves
as vital members
of this church family
if we're members here
with God-given gifts
and talents
that God has put us
in the church
so that we could
use those
in a way that would
help Pickens First Baptist
be the well church
that we've identified
as our purpose.
The worshiping,
evangelizing,
learning and loving
family of faith
that God's called
us to be.
And so what we need
to think here
for a moment now is
are you using
your gifts?
We can't look
at any one person
and say you're the
most important member
of the church.
But at the same time
we can't look at
any one and say
you don't matter.
We all matter.
And we've been
put together
if we're Christians,
members of this church,
we've been put together
by God sovereignly
with the gifts
and talents
and abilities
that we have
to do what He
wants us to do.
That requires us all
to take that
responsibility seriously
and be involved
in some kind
of ministry,
some kind
of service.
Are you?
You are helping
determine
how strong
our church is
by the way
you use your gifts
and talents
and abilities
in the life
of our church.
By your involvement
doing what God's
equipped you
to do,
whatever it is,
you're contributing
to the health
of the church.
By your not being
involved,
you're contributing
to the sickness
or ineffectiveness
of the church.
That's a fact.
That's what the passage
is talking about.
Think about this.
Act on this.
This is leading
to the next point.
We need to think
biblically about
your place
in the body of Christ.
We need to think
biblically about
our place
in the body of Christ.
Look at verses 4
and 5.
Paul explains
that the church
is one spiritual body,
the body of Christ.
Notice how he describes
it in verse 4.
I will look at
one phrase.
As in one body,
we have many members.
We have many body parts.
One body.
Many body parts.
So we,
though many,
are one body
in Christ.
His point is that
all of us
together,
we form one
spiritual body,
the body of Christ.
All of us together,
we form one
spiritual family,
the family of God.
This is an emphasis
on the unity
of the church.
It is our responsibility
to look at us.
On one hand,
we're one body.
We're one family.
And we matter
as a family.
We need to do
all that we can
to promote
family,
harmony,
and unity
and do whatever
it takes
to prevent
division.
Divisiveness
is something
that God condemns
very strongly
in the New Testament.
I want you to look
at some examples.
Later on in Romans
chapter 16,
look at what he writes.
I appeal to you,
brothers,
to watch out
for those
who cause divisions
and create obstacles
contrary to the doctrine
that you've been taught.
Avoid them,
for such persons
do not serve
our Lord Christ.
Another statement
Paul writes
to Titus
and says,
as for a person
who stirs up dissension,
after warning him
once and then twice,
have nothing more
to do with him.
You know
that one of the last
things that Jesus
prayed
for all his
disciples
and future disciples
that actually says
in John chapter 17,
one of the last things
Jesus prayed for
is that we would be united.
That God's children
would be united.
Look at what he says.
Jesus prayed
that they may
all be one
just as you,
Father,
are in me
and I in you,
that they also
may be in us
so that the world
may believe
that you have sent me.
Unity in the church
is a sign
that we really
are God's people,
that Christ really
is our Lord.
So it's vitally important
that we
work to
build unity,
maintain unity,
and do whatever
it takes
to avoid
division.
Now Paul also
explains that
the church
is made up
of different
body parts
and our different
body parts
are to function
differently.
Note how he
makes this point.
Also in verse 4,
the members,
the body parts,
do not all
have the same
function.
Verse 6,
having gifts
that differ
according to the
grace given
to us,
let us use them.
Now Paul illustrates
this in great detail
in 1 Corinthians 12
by comparing
the church
to a human body
and each member
of the church
is like a part
of the human body.
The point is
each member
of the church
is important
to the body,
the church body.
Just like
your hands,
your feet,
your eyes,
your ears,
they're all
an important part
of your
human body.
We need to
recognize the value
of one another.
And we're
very different.
Different is good
in this way.
He's talking about
diversity in the church,
diversity in the midst
of unity.
We need to recognize
people who
are just different,
maybe they have
a different background.
They have a different
way of looking
at things.
But the real focus
is on they have
different talents
and gifts
and abilities
that they bring
to the table.
Now,
sometimes there
could be a tendency
to be jealous
of someone
who gets up
and teaches
or someone
who gets up
in front of
everybody
and sings
or is serving
in some kind
of real visible
way.
We've got to
guard against
that.
We need to
think in terms
of that's
their gift,
that's their talent,
that's how God's
using them
and be all
for them.
thankful for them.
Take advantage
of their gift
for our own
benefit.
Likewise,
no one should
ever think
of their gift
of serving
quietly behind
the scenes
as being of
lesser importance
than those
whose ministry
is public.
There's a lot
of people
on Sunday
and throughout
the week
who serve
for the well-being
of our church
in ways
that very few
people know
about
and even
fewer
notice.
But if they
didn't do
what they did
we would all
notice.
It all
matters.
Think about it
this way.
My heart
is working
right now
but you don't
see it.
You see my
hands,
you see my
body,
you hear
what's coming
out of my
mouth.
life.
Well if my
heart wasn't
working behind
the scenes
nothing else
would happen
with it.
It's all
important.
What you
see,
the ones
you see
and the
ones you
don't see.
What is
important is
that we
understand how
God's made
us,
how God's
equipped us
and we be
who we are
and be
faithful in
our responsibilities.
One other
thing needs to
be stressed
here.
That is
don't expect
everyone to
do the same
thing that
you do.
Sometimes that
happens.
Sometimes people
think,
well this is
where I'm
just,
I'm involved,
I'm passionate,
I love it,
why doesn't
everybody else?
One reason is
they don't have
the heart that
you have for
it.
They don't
have the gift
or the talent.
They don't
just see it
the way that
you see it.
So don't
expect people
who don't
have your
gift,
who do not
have your
maybe heart
passion for
it,
to be excited
in joining
you as you
do what
you do.
You know,
we don't
really expect
everyone to
sing or
teach.
Why should
we expect
everyone to
do any other
spiritual gift?
any other
or use
any other
talent
like everybody
else?
Thinking about
our spiritual
gifts
is what Paul
is going to
address next
in the last
three verses.
We're not
going to look
at that today
but as a
part of the
unity,
here's the
point.
We need to
think responsibly
about our
spiritual gifts.
Verses 6
through 8.
We'll look at
that at
another time.
What I want
us to see is
we'll wrap
this up this
morning.
God has
given us
this passage
to emphasize
we need
to think.
Christians
need to be
thinking
people.
Specifically,
he calls us
to think
rightly
about ourselves,
who we
are in
this church,
who we
are before
God,
how God's
made us.
We need to
think about
ourselves and
we need to
think rightly
about our
church.
Now,
as God
has spoken
through his
word and
through his
spirit,
I do
believe that
he makes
known to
us how we
should respond
to his
teaching.
But here's
what I want
you to
understand.
God is not
calling us
to respond
to what he's
saying based
on how we
feel.
He is
calling us
to respond
based on
thinking
rightly
about
ourselves,
about our
church,
in light of
the clear
teaching of
his word.
Now,
I want you
to listen
to the
Lord,
think
seriously
about what
he's saying
about you.
about your
pride,
about your
gifts,
about your
involvement in
ministry in
the life of
this church.
Think about
our church
and how we
exist to
serve God
through the
worship,
evangelism,
learning,
and loving
of our
purpose
statement,
which comes
from Acts
2,
42-47.
How are you
involved in
that?
Listen to
the Lord,
think,
and then
obey him
in your
response.
Let's pray
together.
Dear God,
help us
now to
understand what
we need to
do in
order to
leave here
today thinking
rightly about
ourselves,
about your
church,
our fellowship
here called
Pickens First
Baptist,
and our
own spiritual
gifts,
and how
and where
we should
use them.
Lord,
if there's
anyone in
this room
who is not
a Christian,
help them
to understand
that the
first need
they have
is to
confess and
turn from,
repent of
their sin,
put their
trust,
their confidence
in Jesus,
that when he
died on the
cross, he
actually took
their punishment,
paid the
penalty for
their sins.
Help them
right now,
dear God,
to trust Jesus
and call
upon him
to save
them.
In an
attitude of
prayer, you
listen to the
Lord, you
respond to
him.
And I'll be
here at the
front and be
happy to pray
with you if
you'd like to
during this
time.
for more.
because of
providing
forgiveness
or
for