And if you could take your Bibles and turn to Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. And we will continue what we started last week from Romans 12. In this together, for better or for worse, we are in this together. Bible makes this clear.

God, Jesus in particular, instituted the church to represent him, to represent his interest, to be salt and light in the world. He gave to us his spirit, the comforter who binds us together and he gifted us with gifts by that spirit and abilities and talents for us to use together in his service as one body to bring glory to his name. That's what Romans 12 is about. We often read the first two verses and stop there. But Paul is writing Christians at the church in Rome and is speaking to them about their part.

A lot of times we think of church, we think of the pastor or deacons or teachers, but the church is all of us. We all have a part. We are all a functioning important member of the body of Christ. And for the body to function as it should, we need to find a place of service in the body. A ministry in which to use our gifts to bring glory to the Lord and for the good of others.

Romans chapter 12 verse one, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly and according as God hath dwelt to every man, every believer measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office, the same function, we being many are one body of Christ and every one members one of another. Having them gifts different according to the grace that is given to us, and then he continues.

We're gonna stop there for a moment. We're gonna come back to those gifts here in just a few minutes. The apostle Paul likes to use the metaphor of the human body to represent the church. Christ is the head and we are the what? We are the members.

We are members of a congregation of the redeemed in Jesus Christ. We are also members of this local body, this local church that has been commanded by the Lord to represent him in this community and to flourish in this place for the glory and praise of our God. We are members of this body. We have an important part to play just as the organs and parts of our body do. In order that we might represent our Lord and that we might do his will and his work in this world.

Jesus went back where? He went back to heaven, but he sent his spirit who lives inside of you and lives inside of me, who enables us to do the work of the ministry that he has called us to, to fulfill the great commission that he has called us as a church to do. Your body, your personal body, he says here in Romans twelve one, needs to be dedicated to this service. To the service of who? To the service of Jesus Christ.

It is our what? Our reasonable service. Why? Because when he gave his life, he suffered in his body on the cross for who? For us.

It is our reasonable service to say, dear Lord, this body is now yours to be used in your service. That's what Paul says in Galatians two twenty. He says, I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul says, I died with Christ, but I'm I'm alive. I'm alive in Christ. He now lives inside here. I am bought with a price. Paul says, therefore, glorify God in your body and in spirit which he does.

It is only reasonable to say, Lord, use this body which you've given me in your service. Secondly, in verse two, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your what? Your mind. Not only do you need to dedicate your body to be used in the service and bring glory to God, but also in your mind to be transformed, to be renewed, to be changed. Because before we're saved, our minds are all full of worldly philosophies and all kinds of things the devil has planted there.

But your mind can be renewed, particularly through the reading of water of God's word. God will transform how we think, and we need not be conformed to the way the world thinks. Instead, we need to be transformed by the way God thinks as set forth in us. So our bodies to be used in his service, our minds to be transformed and molded by his word, and then our gifts to be used to his glory. I found this picture.

If I had taken more time, I I told David I could have found a picture of his orchestra when he played the DJ, but I was in a hurry so I just passed in whenever orchestra is there. But orchestra, if you've ever been to a concert, there's an orchestra. Orchestras are are awesome. Now you you may not be the biggest classical music buff there is, but if you get an auditorium with a huge orchestra with all those different instruments, it it it it's incredible. The beautiful music, the moving music, the powerful music that an orchestra makes.

But the orchestra isn't just the timpani's or the drums. The orchestra isn't just the flutes. The orchestra isn't just the brass. The orchestra isn't just the violins. The orchestra is what?

All of those things, including a conductor who leads the orchestra. But the orchestra doesn't make such beautiful, powerful, moving music if several people in the orchestra decide, well, I just don't wanna play. Or we don't need the brass. No. I don't need the brass.

You do need the brass. Or we don't need the strings. Oh, you do need the strings. Each has its own what? Own part to play.

And when everybody plays their part, that maybe a a big part, it maybe a loud part, it maybe a soft part, it maybe a a long part, maybe a short part, but when they all play their part, then they play Beautiful music. Beautiful music. We, as a church, can make beautiful music for our sake, but each person has a water. Each person has a water. You have a water.

I have a water. Not any part. There's not one part that is not needed or not useful. The smallest, quietest instrument is still has a part to play in making beautiful music. God has gifted us as members of his body and members and placed us here in this church to play our part and to use our gifts to bring glory to him and to help each other.

We must not compare ourselves to others. We must not pride ourselves in our God given abilities or position or look down or dismiss dismiss others as less gifted than we. Our gifts are given to us by God. They're not earned. We didn't choose them.

We can help to develop them by God's grace with some effort, but we did not choose them. They are divinely and diversely distributed among God's children for their use in the blood, in the body of Christ. We are all members of one another. We are here for one another. Ephesians chapter four, if you turn to Ephesians chapter four, I'm gonna look quickly at verse seven and then we're gonna look at 11 through 16 this morning.

Four seven and then over to 11 through 16. And then we'll turn back to Romans 12, so keep your place there. Ephesians four seven. But unto everyone of us was given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Verse 11.

And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man, the word perfect there means complete, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That henceforth that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to the sea. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supply it, every joint.

According to the effectual working and the measure of every part, make it increase in the body under the edifying of itself in love. God has given us gifts, different ones, that we might do the work of the ministry together, that we might encourage one another, we might help one another, we may not train one another. Maybe another person doesn't have the gift you do, but you can help them to learn a bit. They can see your example. They can be encouraged by your use of it.

We can all play our part and thus make beautiful music. We can mature together and grow together. And this I think is the church we do, but we can't do more. If we will all dedicate ourselves and our gifts to his service, develop those and use them. Back to Romans chapter 12 and verse six.

We'll spend the next few minutes looking at the list that Paul gave us here of spiritual gifts in Romans chapter 12. Beginning in verse six, having them gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophecy, let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith. We'll start there with prophecy. He said in verse six there, prophecy, let us prophecy prophecy. It seems that Paul is including himself there.

Prophecy is revealing same message for who? Revealing a message from God. To prophesy means to proclaim God's message with divine authority. He says here according to the proportion of faith, which means to the extent that we have been endowed or that message has been given to us. In the days before the completion of scripture, this gift usually included divine revelation from God through the mouth of a prophet like Isaiah, like Jeremiah, like Elijah.

God used prophets throughout the Old Testament to bring his message to his people. He gave his message to the prophet and the prophet relayed his message to the people. In Hebrews one, praise the Lord, it says, we have a better word of testimony today, and that is through Jesus Christ, God's son. As great as the prophets were, Jesus is the ultimate prophet. In the days before the completion of scripture, God did reveal often two chosen vessels, revelation about himself, his nature.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord. His workings, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He revealed to men through prophets their present condition and the need of mankind because we're all what? Sinners need of a savior. He even told us how that happened, how that came to be back in Genesis chapter two.

And then again in Romans chapter five. For wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and so death cast upon all men for that all have sinned. That came in the words of Paul. Among other things, he was also a prophet. And then the revelation of future events, particularly relevant to the unfolding plan of redemption.

If you want to know what is going to happen with your job tomorrow or if you're going to meet that special person, God is not likely to send a prophet to tell you. People go to palm readers and fortune tellers to get that kind of information. God isn't in the business of tickling our ear. God is in the business of telling us what we need to what? To know.

Know. As it relates particularly as to his will for us. His plan of redemption of mankind, and how that will all unfold. Where do you find that? Well, today we find that where?

Right here. He revealed it in his word. He begins in Genesis one one with, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and he ends with the book of Revelation, which tells us how it's gonna all end up in the end. And he used prophets to reveal that to us and apostles in the New Testament. He has written them down in his book.

Now that the scriptures have been completed as indicated by the last book written, Revelation, the need for this kind of revelation seems to be abated. However, the need for its proclamation, its explanation, and its application is absolutely necessary for today. Absolutely necessary for the next generation. And I believe God has gifted prophets today, necessarily to tell you what is going to happen with your job tomorrow, but to tell you as they explained from what? From where?

From God's revealed revelation. What is gonna happen again? What God's will for you is? As written in his word. What is right?

What is wrong? God's revelation is right here, but God has still gifted certain people to proclaim it, to explain it. So this gift today is most likely evident in the authoritative proclamation of the written revelation of Christ. That's God's word and the power of the Holy Spirit. As Paul said to Timothy, preach the what?

Word. Preach the word. Here it is. Preach Eatontally. As such, one with the gift of prophecy would have both the burning desire as did the former prophets to proclaim God's message to the world, but also a great desire to see others respond in repentance and in faith.

Speaking as a preacher, it's not the most fulfilling just to preach the word, though it is fulfilling. But it is also fulfilling or a great desire to see and make a difference in people's lives. Now I can't make that difference, but God can as I proclaim his word. In the scripture, I think of a a New Testament person with the gift of prophecy, I think maybe of Peter or Paul. Peter, certainly, one who preached the word boldly, and 3,000 souls got saved after one message.

Okay. Not the power of Peter, but the power of the declared word of God because it is quick. It's living. It is powerful, and it changes hearts and minds. The gift of prophecy.

If you have use it. Tell others what. Tell others what God has revealed. Pray for them that it will change their moods. It will.

The gift of ministry is next. Verse seven, or ministry, let us wait on ministry. What is ministry? Well, the word ministry can also be translated service. It's the word diaconos in the Greek.

Diaconos. Now the way I'm saying it doesn't probably sound that familiar to you, diaconos, but it actually gets spelled almost like the word deacon. Diaconos is the word from which Greek word from which we get the word deacon. You just knock the off the end and Diaconos becomes deacon. And so when you see the word deacon, what you're seeing in the New Testament is the word for serve, for serving, or service.

A minister is a servant. That's what this word means. The ministry of serving. The same word translated minister, sometimes translated servant, sometimes translated deacon if it refers to an office in the church. A minister is a servant.

And so if God has blessed you with the gris gift of ministry, he has blessed you with a desire to what? To serve others. A minister is not necessarily someone with seminary training. That's not the definition of a minister in scripture. It's not necessarily someone with a church ordination certificate.

You have one of these, but that's not what makes me a minister. It's not someone who has an eloquent speaking ability. It is anyone in the household of faith who enjoys serving others. That is a ministry. And if you have the gift of ministry, then you find fulfillment and joy in serving others.

A true minister is one who enjoys and finds fulfillment in their own life through service to others. Any minister or pastor who does not have some measure of this gift will not likely be a very good pastor. They might be an okay preacher, an okay teacher, but you can't be a good pastor if you don't have in some measure a desire to serve. Because being a minister is being a servant. Even if it is not your primary gift, we are all called to be servants and can learn from one another.

Do what you can. Learn from others who have this gift and this burden. Pray God will help you to be a servant to others, to put others' needs before your own. You know what happens if we all put others' needs in front of our own? And we're all coming to church, we're all thinking about with our neighbors, our family, our friends, our church members, how can I help them?

And as we help one another, the body is a lot more healthy than if we're all just looking out for what? Number one. Whose plan is that? That's God's. He gave us each other.

He gifted some with the gift of prophecy, prophecy, some particularly with the gift of ministry, some with the gift of teaching. That's the next one on our list. And he that teacheth on teaching. Someone with this gift is internally motivated by desire to and to different degrees and ability to instruct and to inform others. Are you one who likes to talk?

Are you one who likes to share what you know? Well, you may very well have the gift of what? Teaching or you may just have the gift of gab, I don't know. But if you have a burning desire to help inform others and teach them, then very likely you have the gift of teaching. A teacher is not just one with good training or one with a high IQ or even a good grasp of the material, but is one who enjoys and finds pleasure in learning and then imparting that knowledge that they have learned to others.

Some people think that, well, you must not have the teaching if you're not an extrovert. But I know many teachers who are not extroverts. They get very nervous in front of other people, but that's okay. Don't pass up on being a teacher because of nurse, because God can help with that. I know I've been there.

And to a certain degree, I'm still there. But you know, if you're willing to use your gift that God gives, he will help you to use it. He will help you to get past the fear. He will give you confidence to share with others once you've learned. The next gift is exhortation.

Romans chapter 12 verse eight, where he that exhorted on exhortation. The word in Greek for exhortation means or an exhorter is someone who comes alongside, Someone who comes alongside. Where the teacher is most focused on the information, the exhorter is most focused on a person. Okay? A person like being a mentor, they want to help this person and they come alongside that person.

And they have this desire, they see particular people that they can encourage, and that's what the word also means, to encourage. One with the gift of exhortation desires also to help others by coming alongside and encouraging them, being their cheerleader. One who is fulfilled in their calling as a friend and a mentor to others. Others often who are struggling or young in the faith. Do we need exhorters in the church?

Do they have to be preachers? Do they have to be teachers? No. They're just somebody that wants to be friend and help you through a difficult time or help you to learn. There's somebody that's sensitive to your need and feel a burden to encourage when you need encouragement in particular, to mentor.

While the teacher works from scripture to the person, the exhorter works from the person to scripture. The teacher finds in scripture something that can be applied and then they find a way to apply it to people. Where the exhorter tends to see people and sees the issue and they go to scripture to find something in order to help the person. Do we need both of those people? Yeah.

We do. You may not be a teacher. You may not love to learn all this every fact there is, that you may see people who are in need. A person here, a person there that you can come alongside. The exhorter sticks with you because they care and they want help.

When I think of an exhorter, I think of a man named Barnabas in scripture. Barnabas isn't described as the greatest of preachers or teachers, but Barnabas isn't actually his name. It's his nickname. And his nickname Barnabas means son of encouragement because he was known in the early church as someone who was willing to give up their time to help and to encourage other people. After Paul was saved on the road to Damascus and he came to Jerusalem, most of the disciples wanted to have nothing to do with it.

Why would that do? Well, because prior to that, he had been a persecutor of Christians. So they were kind of standoffish, but you know who gave Paul a chance? Not Peter necessarily or John, but a man named Barnabas. And it was Barnabas that went to Tarsus later on to get Paul and to bring him back to the church at Antioch.

They all will teach. It was Barnabas who went with Paul on his first what? Missionary journey. That was Marcus. Who who was he?

He was somebody with the gift of what? Exhortation. The son of encouragement. Maybe that's you. He that giveth is the next one, the gift of the mystery, the gift of giving.

He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity. The giver finds joy in giving not just money, but of their resources and time to help others and to sustain ministries. They do not tend to fret over their sacrifices and are more free than others maybe to share without thought of what they might be missing themselves. Barnabas is not only example of an exhorter, but Barnabas was also example in the early church of a a giver. When there was needs in the church, Barnabas went and sold his land and he brought all the money to the church to be distributed.

Do you think he thought, oh, poor me. Oh, I'm making this great sacrifice. I'm giving this no. I don't think I don't think. You think he worried, oh, I'm gonna lose all this money.

No. I don't think so. I think he brought it with a smile on his face because I think, among others, you have to give it to give. And it was a joy to give. Maybe that's you.

Maybe it is a joy to give. Use that. A lot of times, God blesses those who give with more to give. And it's again something we all need to learn to do, not to hold on quite so tightly to our concessions, especially when there's someone else in need. The next one is the gift of administration or as it calls it here, I think, ruling.

He that ruleth with diligence. He that ruleth with diligence. The word rule is one who administers. The word diligent is with dispatch for either instance. The ruler or the administrator has a gift for administration and delegation.

Some people find it difficult to delegate and not all appealing to lead others, but the administrator enjoys it. They enjoy and find fulfillment in delegating and seeing a job to what? And seeing a job to completion. No. They aren't necessarily lazy or lacking in humility.

Someone has to what? Someone has to lead. Someone has to administer. Like the conductor of the what? Conductor of the sentence.

Someone has to be the conductor. Someone has to be the administrator. Maybe God has gifted you as administrator. Find a way to use that. But still the best kind of administrator is one with a servant's heart.

I think Jesus' half brother James, who became the head of the church in Jerusalem, was probably a very good administrator. And that's why when we get to the book of acts, we see him mention several times. Not one of the 12, the half brother of Jesus who became the administrator of the church, the head of it. And then the last he that showeth mercy with sureness. The one with the gift of mercy is the ever forgiving soul who tends to see the good and potential in people despite their failures.

Have you known somebody like that? I have. The merciful soul doesn't give up on people easily. Maybe at times, they're a little too quick to overlook things, but we still need them. Every church needs a merciful soul or several because we are all at times in need of mercy and long suffering and kindness when we've messed up.

We don't don't need the preacher to rebuke us and tell us what we did wrong. We just don't need the teacher to explain it to us. We need the merciful person to let us know, you stumble, I stumble, God is the God of mercy and love, and I'll be here. I forgive you, and I'll help you. I'm not giving up.

We need each other, God and we need the person God with the gift of mercy. Maybe that's you. No greater example in scripture of the gift of mercy than our Lord Jesus Christ who came from heaven to die on the cross for our sins. No greater mercy than that. No greater love than that a man lay down his life for his friends, and he laid down his life for us when we were sinners.

Oh, the great mercy of our savior Jesus Christ. So while the preacher boldly challenges and warns, the merciful reaches out in compassion, the exhorter sticks around to help. The minister is there to serve. The teacher instructs in the right way. The giver helps to provide, and the administrator conducts the symphony.

And God is magnified, and his body is edified and built up. It thrives as each person does their part. I do not believe this is meant necessarily to be an exhaustive list. Reason for that is there's another list in first Corinthians and there's another list we read in Ephesians chapter four. Neither do I think God wants us to spend all of our time trying to figure out our gift.

There are books you can buy in figuring out your spiritual gift. If you think you know, that's great. Use it. But don't spend all your time trying to figure out your spiritual gift. I think as you start serving God, he'll show you.

He'll show you a place of service and a place to use whatever gifts gift or gifts he has given you. Dedicate them to his purpose. Practice them Like you practice playing a musical instrument. The the orchestra sounds so much better when the instrumentals practice, don't they? Mhmm.

Yeah. Exercise your gift. Put it to practice. You'll get better at You'll get better at it. I would like to think over nearly thirty years of preaching that I've gotten a little bit better at it.

We will get better at using the gifts. We use them. And as we dedicate ourselves and our gifts to his service, and as we begin to exercise and put them to use in his service, particularly in the household of faith, we will make beautiful music together. Souls will be saved. Christians will grow stronger in their faith and their love for each other, and the church will grow in its testimony and in its number.

God needs you. He's gifted you. He's given you his spirit. Let's find our place to serve the household. And if you're here today, you don't know Jesus Christ as savior.

The mercy of Christ is extended to you today. He loves you. He died for you. He beckons you. Come on to me all you that labor and heavy labor, and I will give you rest.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord, for this day, the opportunity to share your word, Lord, to look at it together, we might be conformed into the image of your son. Lord, forgive us of our selfishness and our distraction. Lord, there is much to life, many important things that we must do. But Lord, help us not to forget in all those things, to bring glory to our God, to look to you for help and instruction, to follow your will, to be a testimony wherever we may be, and to help edify one another in love by the use of those gifts that you have given to us and to bring souls to the savior.

Lord, I pray if there's one here today that has yet to receive Christ as savior, they would come. And I pray for your people as we consider, Lord, how we might better use the gifts you have given us to truly dedicate ourselves and to your service today. In Jesus' name, we do pray. Amen. Amen.