”The Renewed Mind Is Rightly Related To Body of Christ” Rom 12:3-8 Sermon Notes 2-3-19

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=””The Renewed Mind Is Rightly Related To Body of Christ” Rom 12:3-8 Sermon Notes 2-3-19″ _builder_version=”3.19.9″]

(1) Walk Thru The Word:  Romans 12:3 (ESV)

Sober Judgement Thinks In Conformity with God’s Standard

³For 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.

(2) Walk Thru The Word: Romans 12: 4-8  (ESV)

We Each Are Proportioned Gifts As one body with Different Functions

⁴For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Footnotes:

a 1 Or brothers and sisters

b 1 Or your rational service

c 2 Greek age

d 2 Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God

e 4 Greek parts; also verse 5

f 8 Or gives aid

(3) Message map — Rom. 12: 3 – 8

The Book of Romans: Session 19

”The Gospel’s Hebrew Root Supports the Gentile Grafted In Fruit” 

• Rom 12: 3 Sober Judgement Thinks In Conformity with God’s Standard
• God Resists The High Minded Proud
• God’s standard is humility… who realistically see ourselves as God see us by “thinking God’s thoughts about ourselves and others.”
• Rom 12: 3 The Sober Minded Fulfill (Live Up To) Their Measure of Faith Potential
• God Transforms US Individually To Co-Operate Collectively As One Body By Exercising Our Proportioned / proportional Gifts
• Rom 12:4 Renewed People Humbly Fulfill Their Roles & Responsibilities As The Body of Christ

(4) Rom 12: 3 Spirituality Involves Sober Judgement / The Transformed Mind Thinks with Sober Judgement

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.3For 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.

Rom 12: 3a unpacks to mean  ³For by the grace (of the Lord’s favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is “always leaning toward them”) given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think

To think more highly than we ought means …

• to remove yourself from being close beside others
• to go beyond what duty necessitates
• to think and have high notions,
• be over-proud, have a personal perspective that thinks beyond what you should which regulates or leads to improper behavior

The behaviors above, impede our ability to properly fit into the Body of Christ.

According to James 4:6 and 1 Pet 5:5 God resists (opposes, sets Himself against, “squares off against) the proud, but gives grace to the humble (lowly, in position or spirit; inner lowliness describing the person who depends on the Lord rather than self. See 5012 (tapeinophrosynē).

The Proud are those who in their own minds and attitudes towards others are…

• showing oneself above others
• arrogant, disdainful.
• over-shine [in their own estimation] trying to be more than what God directs,
• and who “over-step” — going beyond the faith He imparts per Romans 12: 2&3).
• especially in a bad sense, “with an overweening estimate of one’s means or merits, despising others or even treating them with contempt, haughty

resists is a military term that explains God’s posture towards the proud by 3 activities: 

1) 498 /antitássomai (“to resist”) means to “reject the entire make-up of something,” i.e. its whole arrangement – from its very “set up” (organization) to the final way it is “ordered.”

2) [498 (antitássomai), a very old military term, was used for placing a soldier in a specific platoon (with a specific function) – i.e. in a definite order to attack or resist.

3) Accordingly, 498 (antitássomai) is used in antiquity of organized resistance, like an army assuming a specific battle-array position to resist in “full alignment”; to disagree (oppose) intensely.]

Humility Is The Remedy To God Resisting Us

To Be humble and seeing our inner lowliness as God sees us describes the person who depends on the Lord rather than self. See 5012 (tapeinophrosynē).

1) 5011 /tapeinós (“lowly, humble”) means being God-reliant rather than self-reliant – which ironically always exalts a person (brings them true worth, cf. 1 Pet 5:6).).

The context of James 4: 6 is James 4: 5-7

…5Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy? 6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.….

(5) Rom 12: 3 Humility Is The Remedy To God Resisting Us

The Remedy That Avoids God’s Resistance is Humility

humility is seeing our inner lowliness as God sees us describes the person who depends on the Lord rather than self. To be “humble” means being God-reliant rather than self-reliant – which ironically always exalts a person (brings them true worth, cf. 1 Pet 5:6).). See 5012 (tapeinophrosynē).

5011 /tapeinós (“lowly, humble”) means being God-reliant rather than self-reliant – which ironically always exalts a person (brings them true worth, cf. 1 Pet 5:6).).

According to James 4:6 and 1 Pet 5:5 God resists (opposes, sets Himself against, “squares off against) the proud, but gives grace to the humble — those who comprehend their inner lowliness, and so who depend on the Lord rather than self.

The context of James 4: 6 is James 4: 5-7

…5Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy? 6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.…

These phrase express what it means to be a beggar.

• beggars can’t be choosers; Really means that beggars don’t discriminate from whom they obtain resources. Disciples of Christ are instructed to be very discriminatory in the following ways:
• Exodus 34:12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.
• Deut 5:32 be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. (Both Dems & Repubs, Lib’ & Conserv’ must be assessed to ensure their poles align with Scripture &
• Deut 6:3 be careful to obey
• Deuteronomy 6:12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
• Deut 8:1 “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers.
• Deuteronomy 12:19 And be very careful never to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.
• Duet 12:28 Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.
• Matt 6:1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
• Luke 8:18 (NAS)Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Be careful therefore how you hear. (ESV) Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
• 1 Cor 8:9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
• 1 Cor 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! Pride goeth before a fall. 
• Eph 5:15 …live—not as unwise but as wise, ….
• The Noah Webster 1828 profiles a beggar as one who fits this proverb: “People with no other options must be content with what is offered.” By contrast, God’s people must remember they always have options because they have God, Who is capable of making a way, where there humanly seems to be no way. 
• The Noah Webster 1828 profiles a beggar as one who fits this proverb: “People with no other options must be content with what is offered.” By contrast, God’s people must remember they always have options because they have God, Who is capable of making a way, where there humanly seems to be no way. 
• set a beggar on horseback and he’ll ride to the Devil
• proverb someone unaccustomed to power or luxury will abuse or be corrupted by it.

 Matt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Those who apply the remedy of humility are positioned by God to resist Satan and see him flee. 

[bctt tweet=”humility is seeing our inner lowliness as God sees us describes the person who depends on the Lord rather than self. To be “humble” means being God-reliant rather than self-reliant – which ironically always exalts a person (brings them true worth, cf. 1 Pet 5:6).). See 5012 (tapeinophrosynē).” username=”LibertyCF3″]

By contrast, we would expect the proud are without God’s support, so Satan stays to harass them. 

• James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you …
• 1Pet 5:6
• Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
• James 4: 6 “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.
• Deut 8: 2 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
• Deut. 8:16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.
• God is able to engage us in the process of the Romans 12: 1-2 Transformational Renewal as we see He did with Moses in Numbers 12:3 “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.”
• 2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I …
• Psalm 25:9 He guides/leads the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
• Ezra 8:21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with …
• 2 Cor. 12:21 – I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.
• Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands.
• 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
• Zeph. 3:12
• Matthew 23:12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

(6) Rom 12: 3 grace transformation Gives Us …

sober judgment to Act On the measure of faith God assigns.

 By contrast to the above, we are …to think with sober judgment (of a sound mind, to exercise self-control, and an outlook that reflects true balance),

NW 1828 Dictionary says “sober” means … 

• Not mad or insane; not wild, visionary or heated with passion;
• having the regular exercise of cool dispassionate reason.
• not tempestuous and blustering.
• Regular; calm; not under the influence of passion.

each according to the measure of faith (measure of faith = the basis for determining what is appropriate and enough (or not enough), what is fair (or not fair), for you, based upon the preeminence of Christ Himself the only ultimate barometer and standard of absolute truth.) that God has assigned.

The fact that God says in 10 Commandments 8 & 10, “do not steal” and “covet,” is a verification that we all are not the same, and will not have the same things!”   God wants us to mind and be content with our own measure of faith allotment. 

1Tim 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain,

Noah Webster’s 1828 Sober = to cure of intoxication.

(7) Rom 12: 4-5 Christ Gives Us “Believer-Specific” Individual Gifts to Us to Fulfill His Purposes

Rom 12: 5-8 God Transforms US Individually To Co-Operate Collectively As one body By Exercising Our Proportioned / proportional Gifts

Rom 12: 4 ⁴For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:

5”so we, though many, are one body (physical body & figuratively of the mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church, the one people of God). in Christ, and individually (separate or distinct) members (different and distinct body parts) one of another.”

So this means we are not being crammed into a centrally controlled communism that compels us all to be the same. 

We maintain our “Believer-Specific” individuality in Christ.  Christ conforms each us to His moral image, in an individual Believer-Specific” way. 

(8) Rom 12: 6b-7 The Gifts & Their Operational Proficiency

The Gifts

Rom 12: 6b prophecy  —

• communicating to reinforce revealed truth;
• divinely-empowered forth-telling that asserts the mind of God;
• discourse emanating from divine inspiration that declares the purposes of God, by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden;
• foretelling future events that will further the gospel and will accomplish the purposes of Christ for the kingdom of God.

Rom 12: 7 service —

• ministry waiting at table;
• ministering through all types of service,
• service, done with a willing (voluntary) attitude,
• Spirit-empowered service guided by faith;

Rom 12: 7 teaching — (instructs to impart knowledge & disseminate information pertaining to the Scriptures as the written Word of God) in his teaching;

• instructing to impart knowledge & disseminate information about the Scriptures
• illustrating the written Word of God

(9) Rom 12: 8a  

The Gifts

Rom 12: 8a exhortation —

To be guided by the Holy Spirit to …

• comfort, encourage, console;
• “make a call” to be “close-up and personal.”
• to believers offering up evidence that stands up in God’s court.)
• the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; (comfort, encourage, console; “make a call” from being “close-up and personal.” 3870 /parakaléō (“personally make a call”) refers to believers offering up evidence that stands up in God’s court.)

Rom 12: 8b generosity —

To generously contribute 

• graciously,
• in a not overly-complicated manner
• not needlessly complex “
• with singleness of intent,
• without folds/layers of contingencie
• single-threaded “the one who contributes, (in generosity; (graciousness, not compounded or over-complicated, not needlessly complex “singleness, without folds, like a piece of cloth unfolded,” “single-threaded”)

(10) Rom 12: 6-7  

The Gifts

Rom 12: 8c a leads —

To give aid by …

• presiding over,
• giving attention to the administration of,
• directing to maintain operations and practice
• diligently working with character that provides the needed to positively impact others by example
• moving with enthusiastic earnestness that quickly obeys what the Lord reveals is His priority.
• elevating the better over the good – the more important over the important – and does so with earnest swiftness (intensity));

Rom 12: 8d mercy — To  show sympathy/mercy as God defines it, in accord with His truth (covenant) which expresses “God’s covenant-loyalty-mercy” (i.e. acting only on His terms).

• with cheerful, graciousness that reflects God granting even to the unworthy favor, benefits, and opportunities, particularly salvation by Christ:

(11) The Gifts Are Listed in These Scriptures 

1 Corinthians 12:4—11

4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

1 Cor. 12:8-10 — 8For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge …9to another faith … to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10…the working of miracles, … prophecy, t… the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:28 — And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.

1 Corinthians 14:26 — What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church.

Ephesians 4:11 — The 5-Fold Ministry Gifts — And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

Sometimes trials are attendant with our callings. 

Matthew 23:34 — Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

(12) Rom 12: 4-8 (ESV) Doing God’s Work, God’s Way Means Using God’s Gifts God’s Way

Rom 12: 5 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Rom 12: 6b-8 gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:

Rom 12: 5 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Our gifts help us discover

1) Who we are In Christ, and

2) What Are roles & Responsibilities Are In Christ.

To discover, learn how to use and function and operate effectively, God must navigate us through the issues listed in Colossians 2: 18-23 

Colossians 2: 16-23

• ¹⁶Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
• We must avoid the false humility that encourages us to worship angels, which will disqualify us. ¹⁸Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
• We must resist mere human commands and teaching that appear as wisdom, but involve a false humility — ²⁰Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²²These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves in humility (wear as a garment by having humility tied round us like a knot), all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Humility is the condition through which Christ secures us as His disciples.

Triple Functional Synergy from Diversity (a) Forgiveness, b) Fellowship c) Fun d) Faithfulness

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor. 

(13) Let’s Pray that God ReAwakens, ReInvigorates & ReEstablishes Us in Our Calls In Christ!

 Let’s Pray: “God please bless us with Spiritual growth, and humility that enables You to lift us up!”  [email-download-link namefield=”YES” id=”351″]

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]