Romans 12:1-8 - Deacon Terry

​Today, I’d like to focus on the Epistle reading from Romans, a passage that
speaks directly to how we live, how we serve, and how we relate to one
another in the body of Christ.
Paul begins with a heartfelt appeal: “I urge you, brothers and sisters...”
He is pleading as one who loves his people.
He says, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to
God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Paul is telling us that the Christian life begins with surrender.
Before we talk about gifts, before we talk about unity, before we talk about
serving one another, we must talk about laying ourselves down before God.
Re need to recognize that we would not exist without God.
Because we cannot be full of God and full of ourselves at the same time.
We cannot be surrendered to Christ and surrendered to pride at the same
time.
We cannot walk in unity while walking in self-importance.
Paul is calling us to a posture—a posture of humility, surrender, and
openness to God’s transforming work.
Paul continues: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind.”
I need to point out a few of my challenges.
I walk around with my cell phone. Checking it frequently, waiting for
something. I don’t know what I’m actually waiting for. I mean, 30 years ago,

when I held a position where I had much responsibility, I didn’t have a cell
phone. They didn’t exist yet. I called in for my messages a few times a day
and everything worked, and I managed to get through the day, without
seeing what the latest news was every few minutes, or who might post
something on Facebook about what they had for lunch or the weather
forecast coming in, which I can’t control.
What drives me (us) to this?
I have been programed by society – that’s why and it’s ridiculous.
A renewed mind is essential because the world is teaching us to think
highly of ourselves. The world is teaching us to elevate our own
importance. The world is teaching us to compare, compete, and climb over
one another.
But Paul says, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.”
Get over yourself
Not because we are not special or that we have no God given gifts.
Not because we are not important to ourselves, our loved ones or to God.
But because pride destroys community.
Pride isolates. Pride blinds. Pride divides.
Pride whispers, “I don’t need anyone.” Pride whispers, “My way is the best
way.” Pride whispers, “My gift is more important than yours.”
I love Frank Sinatra; my wife thinks I was born years too late. But anyways,
I love the song “MY WAY”. I love the toon and the pazaz.
Then one day I listened deeply to the words and I said, as much as I like
the toon, I don’t like the words, as they reflect on ourselves not on the one
we should be following.
Here are a few of the words to the song.
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway

And more, much more than this
I did it, I did it my way
Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much, much more
I did it, I did it my way
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
And through it all, whenever there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and stood tall
And did it, did it my way
I've loved, laughed and cried
I had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as the tears subside
I find that it's all so amusing
And to think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way
No, no, not me
I did it my way
For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
Naught to say the things that he truly feels
And not the words of someone who kneels
That record shows I took all the blows
And did it my way
I’ve mentioned in the past that I served the homeless years ago. And
during this time I came to realize the gifts God has given me. Through no
efforts of my own, I have a family, church, home and all the fixins anyone
could ever want. I am here to tell you, in case you don’t know it, I’m no
brain surgeon, it is by the grace of God that I have the blessings I have.
I believe that a self-made man is a God made man.

Paul says to think with sober judgment—to see ourselves truthfully. Not
inflated, not diminished, but honest.
Sober judgment recognizes that every gift comes from God, not from
personal greatness. Sober judgment recognizes that God distributes gifts
according to His wisdom, not our merit.
Paul then gives us a beautiful image.
He says
The church as a body, “For as in one body we have many members, and
the members do not all have the same function...”
The choir, alter guild, church school teachers, coffee hour workers, office
angels, sexton, Jr. warden, Sr. warden, lay readers, lay Eucharistic visitors
and all others.
Think about our church life without one of these people!
This is God’s design. This is God’s wisdom. This is God’s architecture for
His people.
Every part of the body is necessary. Every part is connected. Every part
depends on the others.
The hand cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you.” The eye cannot say to
the ear, “I don’t need you.” And no Christian can say to another believer, “I
don’t need you.”
I think of my hearing disability:
I am 75 percent deaf, so I need to rely on my eyes to read lips and to read
body language, to “hear”. Without my eyes, I’d be in trouble. So my eyes
are just as important as my ears. I can’t “hear” without my eyes.
You are not meant to do everything. You are not meant to be everything.
You are not meant to carry everything. But you are meant to contribute.
And you are meant to rely on others for theirs.

This metaphor destroys pride because pride says, “I don’t need anyone.” It
also destroys insecurity because insecurity says, “No one needs me.”
Paul says both are wrong. The truth is: we need each other.
I’ve often thought about “welfare”. Once upon a time I didn’t think too highly
of people on welfare. I was judgmental and wrong. Over the years, I’ve
come to realize that we are ALL on welfare.
None of us could survive without some sort of welfare. We need each
other.
We need welfare if our job doesn’t pay us enough to afford health
insurance
We need welfare if heating oil cost so much that we have to choose to eat
or heat
We all need the police – to protect us
We all need roads, someone to build those roads – so we can get around
The bottom line is
We cannot survive without each other
Paul lists several gifts—prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation,
generosity, leadership, mercy. This means:
Your gifts are not a trophy. Your gifts are not a badge of honor. Your gifts
are not a personal achievement. Your gifts are a responsibility.
Your gift is grace. Your gift is stewardship. Your gift is for the body.
When Paul says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to
us,” he is reminding us that gifts are not earned—they are given.
You didn’t manufacture your gift. You didn’t deserve your gift. God gave it
to you for the good of the body.
This destroys pride because pride cannot survive in an atmosphere of
grace.

No single gift can sustain the church. But together, they form a complete
body.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.
Humility is not denying your gifts; it is using them for the good of others.
Humility is not hiding your strengths; it is offering them without demanding
recognition.
Humility makes room for others. Humility celebrates others’ gifts. Humility
honors others’ contributions. Humility recognizes that God works through
all His people, not just a select few.
Humility protects us from spiritual loneliness. When we think too highly of
ourselves, we isolate. But when we embrace humility, we open ourselves to
community, accountability, and shared purpose.
Humility is the soil in which unity grows. Pride is the poison that kills it.
Paul ends this section with a profound statement: “So we, though many,
are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
Members one of another. Not just members of Christ. Members of each
other.
This means:
Your life affects mine. My obedience strengthens you. Your faith
encourages me. My service supports you. Your compassion restores me.
We are spiritually intertwined. We are connected by grace. We are united
by Christ. We belong to one another.
This is why thinking too highly of ourselves is so dangerous—it breaks the
bond God designed. And this is why embracing humility is so important — it
strengthens the bond God created.
We belong to one another. We need one another. We are one body. And
Christ is the head.

So let us present ourselves as living sacrifices. Let us think with sober
judgment. Let us embrace our gifts. Let us honor the gifts of others. Let us
walk in humility. Let us live as one body—united, interdependent, and
devoted to the glory of God.
May we be a church where no one thinks too highly of themselves, and no
one thinks too little of themselves, but everyone sees themselves as God
sees them— a vital member of the body of Christ.
Amen.