Lesson Three
Are We Focused?
Text: Romans 12:3-8
The objective of this lesson: to emphasize that living sacrifices belong to other living sacrifices as they all seek the health of the congregation.
Whereas these Christians lived lives in their past that were completely compatible with Rome's idolatrous society [prior to being Christians, they were 'conformed to the world'], such could no longer be the situation. If they belonged to God through Christ, they could not be shaped by influences and forces that opposed God. They must understand what it meant to be transformed. That involved much more than acquiring habits emphasized by this 'new religion'. There would be an actual change in their life's focus. That change [transformation] would begin with a new focus produced by two newly understood realities. First, the change would occur because of a renewing of the mind. Coming out of an idolatrous society into Christ involved a new way of thinking. Second, their new lives would be directed toward God's will rather than being direct toward former physical desires that controlled them. God's purpose would become their purpose.
The first responsibility a Christian has is this: determining in my life does 'this' influence reinforce dedication to God or oppose God in my life. The Christian makes this determination for self and applies it to his/her behavior and practices. He/she does not seek the information in order to become the evaluator of others, but to dedicate himself/herself to personal godliness. He/she seeks to mature and honor his/her conscience, not to make all other consciences conform to his/her conclusions.
A new form of unselfishness would control their thinking and behavior (verse 3). No longer would they be controlled by thoughts filled with themselves. They would not allow their God given gifts to become ungodly gifts by turning those gifts inward. Instead of an arrogance that exaggerated the importance of self, they would be focused on sober judgments arising from trusting God. What was important to God, not what was important to a self centered arrogance, determined what was important to them as God's people.
The first evidence of transformation for the Christians in Rome would be the destruction of arrogance which fueled the rivalry between Jewish Christians and gentile Christians. That arrogance would be replaced with a sense of genuine humility.
Place verse 3's admonition in the context of the situation involving those Christians in Rome. Jewish Christians and gentile Christians did not hold kind opinions of each other. Jewish Christians questioned God's intent to forgive gentiles without their help. Gentile Christians viewed Jews as people who considered themselves 'better than others' and preserved their 'superior status' by judging and living in isolation. Both groups fell as spiritual prey to a spirit of arrogance. An exaggerated sense of self importance has no role among God's people! When the person who comes to God honestly compares self to the holy God, it is a humbling experience! Rather than feeling an exaggerated sense of importance, one is consumed with the awareness of insignificance!
An exaggerated sense of self importance never serves the purposes of God. It did not among Christians in Rome. It will not among us. Any comparison to be made is never between us and another human, but between us and God. God is the standard, not another person.
Becoming a Christian is becoming a part of the ekklesia community. The word, ekklesia, was a common word with a common meaning and a common usage. It was not part of some mysterious religious jargon involving a mysterious religious concept. Mostly it noted a local assembly of people who were 'called out' of an idolatrous society to honor the living God. What living God? The One Who gave humanity Jesus Christ. To be a part of the ekklesia community, Christians saw self, their purpose of life, and their objectives in life differently. The 'renewing of the mind' began with a different view of people [both self and all others]. One viewed self humbly. He/she no longer viewed people with the arrogance that saw people as 'things to be used' to enable him/her 'to achieve my objective.'
The word 'ekklesia' which is commonly translated church simply means 'the called out.' It was used in regard to any group who were 'called out' from everyone else to serve a purpose. Christians are 'called out' from people who do not believe in God's work in Christ to be His people who are distinct from people who do not belong to God. One of the distinctions of God's 'called out' people is seen in the way they look at and treat all people.
Paul compared this 'renewed thinking' human relationship to a human body. Each part of the body works for the good of the body, not arrogantly to exalt the part. A genuinely healthy body has no competing parts! Each part sees itself as serving something bigger than and more significant than self. Though some parts have a high profile role [the eye, for example] and some parts have a near zero profile role [the pancreas, for example], each exists to enable the body to function healthily. If the pancreas dies, the eye dies! The eye cannot say, "I am too important to die," and live on after the pancreas dies. If you think your toe nail is insignificant, let one get infected! That whole foot is affected! Soon the entire body is affected--in mobility, in functions performed, even in appetite! It is amazing how the whole body significantly will alter its actions to get one toe nail well! The body cannot be healthy if one toe nail is sick!
One of Paul's illustrations was the human body. He used this illustration here to teach Jewish and gentile Christians that they existed for something more important than themselves. The thinking promoting Paul's view was not a commonly held view of people. It was not the view that cried, "I champion me and my objectives;" it was the view that cried, "I champion us as we pursue God's objectives." In the ekklesia community importance is not determined by how significant one's profile is. This view is quite compatible with Jesus' teaching that the greatest is the one who serves (Matthew 20:25-28; 23:11,12; Mark 9:35; 10:42-45; Luke 22:25-27).
Yet, the pancreas and the eye look nothing alike! Viewed only as parts, we might wonder if they belong to the same body! However, every part [no matter how different it looks or functions] belongs to each other to enable the body to exist and function. The whole body benefits from the ear catching sounds, but the whole body also benefits from the liver purifying the blood. Diverse functions benefit the body!
Conformity of parts in form and function is not the key to a healthy body.
Those who were part of the early ekklesia community existed to benefit something bigger than self! They could do what God enabled them to do! The God given gift of the individual had nothing to do with everyone looking the same or functioning in the same way! Prophets, servants [slaves???], teachers, encouragers, givers [those who had the means of being generous], leaders, mercy givers did not look alike, did not act alike, did not have the same abilities, and did not do the same things. A prophet might not be able to encourage, a servant might not have things to give, and a teacher might not be skilled in providing mercy. Yet, the prophet could prophesy. The encourager could encourage. The servant could serve. The giver could be generous. The teacher could teach. The mercy giver could be merciful. They were not in competition! The congregation would be healthy if each did what he/she had the ability to do!
The key is not everyone doing the same thing. The key is everyone doing what he/she is capable of doing to the benefit of all. The influence of the congregation in a community is just as effectively served by a casserole delivered in kind Christian concern as it is by someone who is a powerful teacher! Never regard what you do as God's representative as insignificant!
If you think about it soberly, Paul's illustration is astounding. Not all Christians have the same function! Not all Christians have the same ability! A healthy, functioning toe is just as essential to the well being of a healthy body as is a healthy eye. Though the toe is often hidden and 'looks' to be insignificant and the eye is attention attracting in its prominence, and though the two are nothing alike in form, appearance, or function, both contribute to a healthy body's well being. Both quickly can make a healthy body unhealthy, impaired, and in peril.
We need to carefully consider Paul's illustration in seeking to understand that God's purposes are served through diversity, not conformity. God can use any faith expression focused on Christ to serve His purposes.
If any biblical illustration drew a distinct contrast between today's 'institutional church' concept and the first century ekklesia community concept, Paul's body illustration in Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 makes that distinct contrast. Our current addiction to conformity was not a first century concern! Just as diversity enabled a healthy body to exist, so would diversity enable a healthy congregation to exist!
Paul's illustration that focuses on the diversity of the body challenges us to reconsider some of our primary concepts regarding the church. Church is a 24 hours X 7 days a week commitment to an existence (lifestyle), not merely the support of activities occurring in a building.
Living sacrifices must (1) honestly seek to know their God given abilities and (2) use those abilities to advance the health of the congregation.
To be a living sacrifice, one commits himself/herself to be used for God's purposes in all things.
For Thought and Discussion:
They would not be shaped by influences and forces that oppose God.
They must understand the meaning of transformation.
This discussion should include the dislike of Jewish Christians for gentile Christians and the dislike of gentile Christians for Jewish Christians.
This discussion should include the rejection of arrogance and the use of people as 'things' to be used to achieve 'my' purposes.
It stressed the importance of human diversity in achieving God's purposes.
The basic contrast will be between an institutional system and a community based on relationships.
