Listen to sermon We continue our study of Romans 12:3-8.
Something happens when we begin to replace God as our object of worship. Rather than being consumed by the utter otherness of God and serving Him, we replace Him with someone or something that can serve us - someone or something that we can control and consume. And given the fact that our hearts have been made for eternity, our appetite is insatiable. Sure, that may be good for our economy, but this "consumer" mentality flies in the face of the One who came "not to be served, but to serve." And it flies in the face of what Paul describes about the relationship we are to have with one another in the church.
He reminds us of four things about believers:
1. We are same. There's unity and equality. No one is better than or less than. No one can be because we rely on the merit of Christ for our righteousness. That gives us a basis for humility and the courage to be sober in our judgement of ourselves. 2. We are different. There is a uniqueness about each and every one of us. A diversity in our unity. 3. We are one. We are fellow citizens not asking the church what it can do for us, but what we can do for it. Church is a ministry center, not a commissary. We are serving each other, not consuming each other for our ego sake. 4. We are able. We have been outfitted with spiritual gifts to be the body of Christ to make all this possible.