August 25, 2002
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
[1] I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
[2] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect.
[3] For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
[4] For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,
[5] so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
[6] We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;
[7] ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching;
[8] the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
[NRSV]
"A Living Sacrifice
(Romans 12:1-8)
Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn
A mother and her small daughter were walking past the house in Springfield, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln once lived. The lights were on inside, making the home seem warm and inviting even from the outside. They paused for a few minutes as the mother told the girl what a great President Mr. Lincoln had been and how the whole nation mourned when he died.
The little girl listened, fascinated. Then the little girl noticed the glow coming from the windows and she said, "Look, Mama. When Mr. Lincoln went away, he left the lights on." (1)
Have you ever noticed how the influence of some people's lives continues even after they've died? Have you ever thought about the people who have influenced you in your life?
I can think of a whole boat load of folks who have influenced my life. That family who lived down the street that I spoke of last week. The neighbor next door who took time to teach me how to shoot and hunt with a bow and arrow. The High School English teacher who was able to open up the creative writing talent he saw in me.
There have been authors and song writers and teachers. A few college and seminary professors. A Bishop or two. Colleagues in the ministry, both past and present. Of course there are some of the larger than life historical figures who were simply doing what God called them to do. People like Mother Teresa. Martin Luther King Jr.
Over the years there have been members of each and every church that I've served who have influenced me both in a positive and a negative way. As I look back, there are at least two or three that stand out. Sometimes when I think about a particular congregation and the ministry we shared, the whole church roll pops into my mind. Other times it's just one or two people.
Of all the people who influenced me the most (apart from parents, of course) there are three who stand out in my mind as having the most influence. First there was Rev. BobCore. He was my first pastor. He was also the one who helped me get the ball rolling for this ministry and preaching thing God has called me to.
Second there was Harold Bauer, Mary's grandfather. I worked side by side with Grandpa everyday for three years. I truly believe that God put me in Grandpa's hands. You see, Grandpa was a master carpenter who truly walked with our Carpenter Master. God knew I had some edges that needed to be sanded down, some corners that needed to squared up and plumbed. God knew I needed to be repaired and refinished and so God sent me to the farm and into both Bob and Grandpa's caring hands.
Between the two of them, I became a new creation, repaired and refinished and then sent to do that which God had called me to do.
Another person who has influenced my life and ministry was Grace Little. Her name both befit and described her, Grace. I've probably talked about Grace before but her lifestyle was one of self-giving and serving God. Grace had been the head cook in the school system when she retired but that combined with what little Social Security she received just wasn't very much at all. Yet she never complained.
Above all else, Grace loved God, she loved the Church and she loved serving God in whatever capacity she could. Whenever the doors of the Church were open, Grace was there. She sang in the choir. She always prepared a dish for someone if there was a death in the Church.
Grace taught Sunday School, worked in Vacation Bible School, was the UMW President for years and she volunteered at the local Library. She helped out in our food and clothing pantry that was open two days a week. She always gave to the memorial fund when there was a death and she tithed. She died in bed, reading her Bible with her prayer list right beside her.
Bob Core, Grandpa and Grace Little, in my mind, are perfect examples of what Paul refers to as being "A Living Sacrifice." Listen to how The Message puts this Passage:
Romans 12:1-8: "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.
If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face." That puts Paul's words in a modern perspective doesn't it? It helps us understand what it means to become "A Living Sacrifice." Let's look at four things we can do to "be transformed" as the NRSV puts it, into being "A Living Sacrifice."
THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS STAY CONNECTED.
What do I mean by that? To be "A Living Sacrifice" we have to make sure we STAY CONNECTED to God through Worship and Prayer.
A. I've got to tell you that the past few weeks, and especially Wednesday, God has been pounding away at me about this. Everyone of the classes and session in the School of Congregational Development talked about the importance of the personal Spiritual Life of both the Pastor and the Church. I decided then, to be more intentional about my prayer life and personal devotional and study time.
Well, Wednesday of this week came. I was tired from Revival, so I slept in a little, I didn't get up until 7:00. Got cleaned up, had my coffee and read the funnies. The I realized how late it was and I really wanted to work on my sermon. But I hadn't spent the time I normally spend in reading, devotion and prayer. So I thought, well I'll just use the Upper room today and get busy on my Sermon.
Well the Upper Room for Wednesday was about "Spending time with God." I thought, "OK" and decided to use another devotional and it was about "Finding rest for the soul in God." And from that point on everything I picked up that day was about spending time with God. Even Pat's devotion at Staff Meeting. I finally said: "OK, Lord, I get it."
The reality is that we need to spend time with God so we can renew ourselves and keep our lives focused on God.
B. Write this passage down: John 15:4-5: (Repeat). Jesus said: "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing."
In verse 2 of Romans Paul tells us: "be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God." That's what Jesus is talking about here. You see the word ABIDE means "to dwell or sojourn or to conform to" (The American Heritage Dictionary): We're called to renew ourselves by "dwelling in and conforming ourselves to Christ."
We have to STAY CONNECTED to get fed. We can't be transformed if we not CONNECTED. And we definitely be in the transformation business if we're not CONNECTED to the one who does the Transformation. Let Jesus transform you, each day. STAY CONNECTED. Abide in Jesus.
SECOND WE'RE CALLED TO BE HUMBLE:
Did you hear about the guy who received a medal for being humble? They took it away when he started wearing it.
Write this passage down: Matthew 18:4 "Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." [NRSV] We never really equate humbleness with greatness do we? But in the Divine plan one leads to the other.
In verse 3 Paul warns us: "not to think of [ourselves] more highly than [we] ought to think."
Remember the old Mac Davis song? "O Lord it's hard to humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, cause I get better lookin' each day."
A life that is a "A Living Sacrifice" doesn't think that way. WE'RE CALLED TO BE HUMBLE and to put Christ and others first.
Growing up, my dad was in construction. I didn't eve really think about it as a kid or early on in my married life. I was a diesel mechanic in the Coast Guard. But later on, after I started back to college and especially when I went to Seminary, I was sort of embarrassed by that whole blue collar thing. We were being taught that we had to be professionals. And digging holes with a bulldozer or setting steel or pouring concrete for a high rise building or repairing heavy equipment just didn't seem very professional.
I let my pride sort of get in the way. But luckily God is forgiving and our God is a God of redemption who can redeem even those things that seem to embarrass us.
You see, I realized that all of that background stuff, all that experience in construction was really part of God's plan. And when I finally realized that, I was really humbled. It was humbling to think how God had used all of that experience to prepare me for all the building or remodeling that I have been involved in with so many churches.
WE'RE CALLED TO BE HUMBLE and put service in the name of Christ first.
THIRD, WE'RE CALLED TO WORK TOGETHER: As verses 4 and 5 of Romans 12 reminds us, we ARE the Body of Christ. We ARE the Church. We have a Common Vision given to us by God. And because of that we need each other. And we definitely all have to be pulling together
In a certain small town, in the volunteer fire department's telephone was answered by the policeman who was on duty. When a call came in, that officer would sound the fire whistle to rally the volunteers to duty.
One Saturday morning, the Chief of Police, had just come on duty when the fire department phone rang. He picked up the phone and said "Fire Department." The voice on the other end frantically said, "Send the fire truck!" Then the caller immediately slammed the phone down.
The Police Chief stood there stunned, not knowing what to do. A few minutes later the phone rang again. Quickly he picked it up and said, "Fire Department!" Again the voice cried, "Send the fire truck!" Again the caller immediately hung up.
Realizing that someone's house was possibly at stake, he rushed outside and scanned the sky to see if he could see smoke and at least send the fire trucks off in that direction. While outside he also devised a plan as to how to keep the caller from hanging up so quickly if she called back.
Sure enough the phone rang again. He went running inside, picked up the phone he said, "Where's the fire?" And the lady on the other end screamed, "In the kitchen," and hung up again. (2)
That's a case of NOT STAYING CONNECTED AND NOT WORKING TOGETHER.
Unlike our Church and the Church in Rome, the Church in Corinth was conflicted, to say the least. But what Paul writes to them is still appropriate for us as a reminder that we are called to WORK TOGETHER. Write this passage down: 1 Corinthians 1:10: (Repeat)
"Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose." [NRSV]
Wait for the whole story: Sometimes we get most of our exercise from jumping to conclusions. This Vision that God has given us is so Big that without God in the middle and without us all WORKING TOGETHER, it's destined to fail. Let the Spirit of our Lord's Acre be the Spirit of all we do. As "Living Sacrifices," let us continue to WORK TOGETHER.
FINALLY, WE'RE CALLED TO BUILD THE BODY:
Let me use the construction of our new Worship Center to explain because what we're really building is a BODY BUILDING CENTER. I'm not talking about weights and exercise but we will each have our own Personal Trainer. You know who that is, right? Jesus. Through our Worship and activities, we are Building The Body of Christ, the Church.
Our new Worship Center couldn't be built if the construction crew consisted only of brick layers or concrete experts or even just carpenters. While they all may know something about doing the rest of the jobs, that's not their specialty or their gift. Most electricians don't know anything about plumbing and most plumbers don't know anything about electrical work. Most of the electricians I've known wouldn't want to do what the plumbers do on a bet.
But each of the skilled workers, using their particular skill, working together, following the plan set before them are producing a thing of beauty and a place for us to Worship and Grow.
We're called to do the same thing. That's what verse 6 here in Romans is all about. We've all been various gifts and through the use of those gifts, WE'RE CALLED TO BUILD THE BODY.
That's not always easy. And sometimes you wind up with sore muscles. I can tell you that from experience, both with churches and with my personal trainer. I've got places that are sore that I didn't even know could get sore. That could happen to us, too. But it will just be growing pains.
And to help us through those times, we need to remember that WE'RE CALLED TO BUILD THE BODY.
Write down this passage: 1 Corinthians 12:4-7: (Repeat). I'm reading from "The Message"
"God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all."
And here's the one I really want you to listen hear, Verse 7. "Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!"
Isn't that a great affirmation of the Church being a place for everyone? "Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits."
You see, our gifts differ but that doesn't matter when we use them for the Glory of God and use them TO BUILD THE BODY.
What we need to remember is why Christ came. He didn't come to take charge. He didn't come to Lord it over everyone. He didn't come look down His nose at everyone. Jesus came to serve.
But in the midst of that Service, He did take charge. He did look down. Sinless and perfect, they nailed Him to Cross where He took charge of our sins. From the cross, Jesus looked down at his accusers and His followers and offered forgiveness.
He took charge of our sins and said they would be no more and have no more power over us. He didn't have to Lord it over us, because He was already Lord of all that is. His life was truly "A Living Sacrifice" for us and for our Salvation.
That's what we're called to be like Christ. Let us: STAY CONNECT, BE HUMBLE, WORK TOGETHER AND BUILD THE BODY, so we can be "A Living Sacrifice" as well.
Be "A Living Sacrifice." You never know who you might influence."
1. The Pastor's Story File (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651; 970-785-2990), January 1985
2. Parables, Etc. (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651; 970-785-2990), January 1985
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Preaching the Parables, Cycle A, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 1997) SermonPrep Version.
I. STAY CONNECTED:
II. BE HUMBLE:
III. WORK TOGETHER:
IV. BUILD THE BODY:
CONCLUSION: