Our Service in the Church - I

Our Service in the Church - I

Romans 12:4-8

Introduction

• A large number of Christians give little consideration to their service in the church.
• It weakens the Christian, as he fails to appropriate God’s grace that is made available to him to serve God in His church.
• It also weakens the Church, as its members remain dysfunctional.
• Paul has already told us in the previous verses that we should not to think and act as we deem best, but according to God’s plan and decrees (vv. 2-3).

We are exhorted

• “ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (v.2)
• “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (v.3)

Church’s Body Functionality (vv.4-5)

Body Metaphor (v.4)

In verse 4 Paul introduces human body as a simile or an image to teach us the divine plan for the functionality of His church.

• “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office” (v.4).
• The conjunction “for” introduces this verse as the reason why we should not think individualistically, an admonition he mentioned in verse 3. The reason for not thinking individualistically is that we are called to be joined to one body as its members.
• The term “as” tells us that Paul is using the concept of body functionality as a metaphor to teach the function of the church and its members ought to function.
  1 Corinthians 10:17 – “For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.”
  1 Corinthians 12:12 – “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”
  1 Corinthians 12:27 – “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
  Ephesians 1:22-23 – “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
  Ephesians 2:16 – “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”
  Ephesians 3:6 - “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.”
  (cf. Ephesians 4:4,12,16; 5:23)
  Ephesians 5:30 – “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”
  Colossians 1:18 – “And he is the head of the body, the church . . .”
  (cf. Colossians 1:24; 2:17,19; 3:15)

Two major points of comparison

• The church is made up of believers, like the body that is made up of many members - “For as we have many members in one body”
• Believers in the church functions like members of the body – “and all members have not the same office.”

Church’s Functionality Explained (v.5)

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

• Diversity: “So we, being many”
• Unity: “are one body in Christ”
• Functionality: “and every one members one of another”

Diversity: “So we, being many”

• God has designed the church as a living organism with many members with various functions
• v.4b - “and all members have not the same office.”
• 1 Corinthians 12:14 says, “For the body is not one member, but many.”
• God has designed the church as a living organism with many members with various functions
• Church is not a “one man show.”
• The church has leaders, but it functions the best when all the members serve with their different abilities.
• 1 Corinthians 12:15-19

Unity: “are one body in Christ”

• Diversity does not mean that we stand disunited.
• In Christ, we function as one body.
• Members work out their diverse gifts as they like, but as Christ, the Head, would direct. Thus they function as members of one body
• 1 Corinthians 12:20-27

Functionality: “and every one members one of another”

• Mutual care and support are emphasised by these words.
• 1 Corinthians 12:25 - That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
• Ephesians 4:11-13

Conclusion

• As a Christian, have you joined the church to be a functioning member by baptism (or transfer of membership)?
• As a member of the church, have you been actively serving other members according to the will your Saviour?
• Let us rise up to serve the Lord like one united body of Christ, as He instructed us this day.