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Romans 12:3-8 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  If you will please take out your copy of God's Word, which I hope you brought with you this morning, and turn to Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 12, verse 3.
• 0:11
  And while you're doing that, let me say I'm sure glad that we don't bow at the altar of performance.
• 0:18
  That it is totally okay that Jordan started out reading the wrong Advent candle. No problem there at all.
• 0:26
  It's totally okay that Wes has a hard time talking and tuning at the exact same time.
• 0:31
  I know I couldn't do it.
• 0:34
  It's also okay that you notice that the ball didn't hit me. That ball was supposed to hit me.
• 0:38
  Chris gave me a job of throwing a big ball from five feet away and hitting a target this large, and I missed.
• 0:45
  Praise God that that's also okay.
• 0:48
  Our salvation is not a salvation of works.
• 0:51
  It's a salvation of grace. It's holy of God.
• 0:54
  And we should praise Him for that this morning.
• 0:57
  So let's pray together and do just that before we begin to study.
• 1:01
  Father God, we do praise You this morning for Jesus Christ, who we celebrate His coming at this time of year.
• 1:09
  Thank You, Father, that He came so that man no more may die, to give us second birth, that we might have life in Him.
• 1:17
  I thank You this day for those of us who have placed saving faith in Christ.
• 1:22
  We stand before You now with no condemnation.
• 1:25
  We are justified, forgiven, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, that You see us as perfect and holy.
• 1:32
  I praise You, God, that also that is not a completed action, that we are still being made perfect.
• 1:42
  And as such, You've given us things to do, tasks to carry out.
• 1:45
  You've given us the great privilege of joining in Your work in this world.
• 1:51
  And so I pray, Father, this day as we study Your Word, that it penetrates our hearts and causes us to live differently as a result.
• 1:59
  And we pray this in the precious name of Christ. Amen.
• 2:04
  So begin with me. We're going to read, starting in verse 3 of chapter 12 of the book of Romans, through the end of verse 8.
• 2:11
  Verse 8 of Romans,
• 2:41
  So we've come to the all-important, practical aspect of the book of Romans, right?
• 3:05
  Paul has laid out doctrinally great truths about our salvation, that we are justified by faith alone, in Christ alone, forever.
• 3:14
  That God is sovereign over all those things.
• 3:17
  And he turns then, at the end of chapter 11, to this doxology, this great praise, this closing, this summation of these doctrines.
• 3:26
  And then he turns to us in chapter 12, to show us how then these things practically work themselves out in our lives.
• 3:34
  All that we're going to be talking about in the coming months, I presume, are the therefore.
• 3:40
  Because of what Christ has done for you, the mercies of God, Paul calls it in verse 1 of chapter 12.
• 3:49
  Because of the mercies of God, therefore, live in this way.
• 3:54
  And we're going to take verses 3 through 8 in two Sundays.
• 3:59
  We're going to deal with some observations, some general observations about the text this morning.
• 4:04
  Primarily from verse 3 through the first part of verse 6.
• 4:08
  And then next week, we'll drill down a little deeper and talk specifically about the gifts.
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  What they mean and how they can work themselves out in our day-to-day living.
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  I want to show you three things.
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  Firstly, God has gifted each of us uniquely for his service.
• 4:27
  You see that in verse 4 through the beginning of 6.
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  He says that we're one body with many members.
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  And the members do not all have the same function.
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  We aren't clones. We aren't robots.
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  We don't all look the same.
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  So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.
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  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.
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  We are uniquely gifted for his service.
• 4:57
  You are you and no one else is.
• 5:00
  There's a couple of great kid songs about that, right?
• 5:02
  Search all the world over.
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  There's no one like me.
• 5:04
  This applies to the family of God as well.
• 5:06
  God has made you unique and gifted you particularly for the place that you are.
• 5:12
  And for the people with whom you serve.
• 5:15
  A great parallel text to this is found in 1 Corinthians chapter 12.
• 5:20
  You can turn there with me if you like.
• 5:21
  We're going to begin reading in verse 12 of chapter 12.
• 5:24
  1 Corinthians chapter 12.
• 6:24
  So we are created uniquely, bound together to serve as a collection, as an extension of who Christ is in the world.
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  We have been blessed in this way, given the Spirit of God, the same Spirit that we might work together and cooperate with one another.
• 7:01
  Paul's analogy here excludes two things.
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  It excludes you from feeling invaluable.
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  You can't say, I'm an ear, therefore I'm not a part of the body, right?
• 7:14
  That's what he's talking about there.
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  You can't say, I have a lesser gift, therefore I'm not valuable to what's happening.
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  It also excludes anyone else from calling you invaluable, right?
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  That's what he says there at the end.
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  The eye can't say to the hand, I have no need of you.
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  Right?
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  Because the body needs every part.
• 7:37
  In reading a bit of MacArthur's commentary on this passage,
• 7:43
  he quoted from a fictitious article that was written in a public school newsletter,
• 7:48
  which I find this hilarious that this was written in a public school newsletter.
• 7:51
  But listen carefully to this.
• 7:53
  This illustrates this perfectly.
• 7:54
  Once upon a time, the animals decided they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world.
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  So they organized a school.
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  They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming, and flying.
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  To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.
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  The duck was excellent in swimming, in fact, better than his instructor.
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  But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running.
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  Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running.
• 8:30
  This caused his webbed feet to be badly worn, so that he became only average in swimming.
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  But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that, except the duck.
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  The rabbit started at the top of the class in running,
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  but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much makeup work in swimming.
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  The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class
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  because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down.
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  He developed charley horses from overexertion and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running.
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  The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a nonconformist.
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  In climbing classes, he beat all the others to the top of the tree,
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  but insisted on using his own way to get there.
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  And the story goes on and on, and they developed that a bit more.
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  But we try very often as people.
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  We set up what we think a Christian should look like.
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  We may idolize a particular Christian, some hero of ours,
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  and look at the way they look and want to cram our lives into theirs.
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  Make ourselves the shape of them.
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  And we ought not.
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  You are uniquely gifted.
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  You are particularly created to serve in a very particular way.
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  We ought not try to be someone else.
• 9:54
  So we're given this listing of gifts here.
• 9:59
  And as I've been looking over and studying the spiritual gifts,
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  as we'll talk a bit more about next week,
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  I want to show you that these gifts, I believe, overlap with each other,
• 10:12
  even include each other.
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  And I, therefore, don't believe that they're mutually exclusive to one another,
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  or even rigidly defined.
• 10:23
  So we have to be careful as we study gifting,
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  because the temptation can be to say,
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  well, I have the gift of teaching.
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  Therefore, I don't need to serve.
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  Therefore, it's not necessary for me to be merciful,
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  because I don't have the gift of mercy.
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  The temptation is there,
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  and I see many, many people who,
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  while they would never say that out loud,
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  do this on a subconscious level.
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  They find the thing that they're most good at,
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  and they, therefore, neglect all of the others.
• 10:57
  We are all being made together like Christ.
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  Are we not?
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  I'm meant to look each day a bit more,
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  and a bit more,
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  and a bit more like my Savior.
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  The perfect embodiment of any spiritual gift or attribute we may find in the Scripture.
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  He was it.
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  Completely holy.
• 11:20
  Perfect in every way in his service to God.
• 11:24
  So if we're being made to be more like him,
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  I may be particularly gifted in one area,
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  and not in another.
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  I may have to really work at some areas of my life.
• 11:34
  I may have to pray daily that God would just give me extra grace to fulfill these other things.
• 11:41
  But we have to be careful that we don't rigidly define them,
• 11:46
  and therefore neglect some of the other areas.
• 11:49
  So let me show you why I don't believe they're rigidly defined,
• 11:54
  why I believe they overlap,
• 11:56
  why they're not mutually exclusive.
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  Okay?
• 11:58
  So see if you can track me for just a second.
• 12:00
  In 1 Corinthians 14.3,
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  Paul says,
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  The word encouragement is the same word as exhortation here in Romans 12.8,
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  which says,
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  The one who exhorts in his exhortation.
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  So here are two gifts,
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  exhortation or encouragement,
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  and prophecy overlap.
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  Okay?
• 12:27
  So you catch in 1 Corinthians 14.3,
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  The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding,
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  and encouragement,
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  or exhortation.
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  Catch that connection there.
• 12:37
  Another example is Titus 1.9,
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  which says,
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  That the elder should exhort in sound teaching.
• 12:44
  That's the literal translation.
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  Exhort in sound teaching.
• 12:47
  These are the same words that we find here at the end of verse 7,
• 12:51
  and the beginning of verse 8.
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  Teaching and exhorting.
• 12:54
  Only exhorting is said to use teaching.
• 12:58
  So again,
• 12:59
  these gifts overlap.
• 13:01
  You tracking me?
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  Right?
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  And if you just look at the list itself,
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  how would you precisely draw a line,
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  in verse 8,
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  between contributing generously,
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  and doing acts of mercy cheerfully?
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  The two,
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  can't they,
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  shouldn't they,
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  walk hand in hand together?
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  Surely the one who is joyfully merciful,
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  is a generous person.
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  Right?
• 13:29
  So again,
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  we see these gifts,
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  having some overlap.
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  Or take service at the beginning of verse 8.
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  How will you distinguish,
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  serving,
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  from,
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  doing mercy?
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  And the point that I'm making,
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  is that we just must be careful.
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  I'm not negating the value of,
• 13:47
  spiritual gift tests.
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  That could be helpful.
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  But we just must be careful about how,
• 13:54
  we categorize these things.
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  That we don't live our Christian lives,
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  categorically.
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  Right?
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  Today is my day to be merciful.
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  I will go and be merciful.
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  These things intertwine,
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  and work together,
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  in our living.
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  So,
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  what do we do then with that?
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  Well,
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  if we know this to be true,
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  and we're trying to find,
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  how it is that God has uniquely created us,
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  to serve,
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  what do we do?
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  What is the practical way,
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  in which we can accomplish that?
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  Firstly,
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  be a part of a church.
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  It's really great to see,
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  everybody here this morning.
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  Some of you,
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  I've seen and not seen,
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  and you're back.
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  That's good.
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  Some of you are very consistent here.
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  I don't know,
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  maybe because finals are going on,
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  soon.
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  Everybody's trying to get,
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  prayed up and ready to go.
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  You know that doesn't work.
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  Right?
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  If you're not part,
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  of a serving congregation,
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  you're not ever going to really,
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  realize your potential,
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  in Christ.
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  You need people examining,
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  what's going on with you.
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  To show you this,
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  look,
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  in the same letter,
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  Romans chapter 1,
• 15:03
  verse 11 and 12.
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  Paul says in his greeting,
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  for I long to see you.
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  Why?
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  So that I may impart to you,
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  some spiritual gift,
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  to strengthen you.
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  That is that we may be,
• 15:27
  mutually encouraged,
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  by each other's faith,
• 15:30
  both yours,
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  and mine.
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  So spiritual gifts,
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  working,
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  in the proper way,
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  are from faith,
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  for faith.
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  So if,
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  if we're to,
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  walk out our gifts,
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  it ought to be done,
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  in a desperation,
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  for God to be working,
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  and moving,
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  in our lives.
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  Employing,
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  the gifts that he's given us.
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  Right?
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  So from faith.
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  And they ought to be,
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  for the strengthening,
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  for the building up,
• 15:55
  of faith,
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  in others.
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  So practically,
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  what does that look like?
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  What do you do,
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  as you're around other Christians,
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  and you're looking for ways,
• 16:03
  to serve?
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  Simply,
• 16:05
  you look for opportunities,
• 16:07
  to serve.
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  You jump in,
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  and you do,
• 16:10
  the things that need to get done,
• 16:12
  and then you ask other people,
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  how it's going.
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  Am I an encouragement to you,
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  when I operate in this way?
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  If the church is,
• 16:21
  functioning properly,
• 16:22
  that encouragement,
• 16:23
  is being offered to you.
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  I have to tell you,
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  how much it blesses me,
• 16:26
  when you do,
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  X.
• 16:28
  Or you do,
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  Y.
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  You look for the fruit,
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  that comes out,
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  of faithful service.
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  You look for confirmation,
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  for leadership,
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  to say to you,
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  you're really good,
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  at this.
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  Can you please,
• 16:42
  keep doing that,
• 16:43
  for our church?
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  And so you,
• 16:46
  begin to feel out,
• 16:47
  who God has created,
• 16:49
  you to be,
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  and continue to serve,
• 16:51
  in that way.
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  Doesn't mean that,
• 16:53
  when you discover,
• 16:54
  you're a great teacher,
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  you stop,
• 16:56
  cleaning the floors.
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  Right?
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  Needs to get done,
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  hop in,
• 17:00
  and make,
• 17:01
  it happen.
• 17:02
  And I believe,
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  it's just that simple.
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  I don't think,
• 17:05
  that we need to,
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  over-spiritualize,
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  the gifts.
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  But to recognize,
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  that God,
• 17:11
  has knit you together,
• 17:13
  uniquely,
• 17:13
  to be knit together,
• 17:15
  with a congregation,
• 17:16
  to serve,
• 17:17
  his purposes,
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  and his ends.
• 17:21
  Okay.
• 17:22
  Second observation.
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  The offering,
• 17:25
  of ourselves,
• 17:27
  as living sacrifices,
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  is prerequisite,
• 17:30
  to experiencing,
• 17:32
  our potential,
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  for his service.
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  I'll say that again.
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  The offering,
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  of ourselves,
• 17:38
  as living sacrifices,
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  is prerequisite,
• 17:41
  to experiencing,
• 17:42
  our potential,
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  for his service.
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  Let's not forget,
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  about verse 1,
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  and 2,
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  of chapter 12.
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  Paul says,
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  I appeal to you,
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  therefore,
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  in light of everything,
• 17:52
  that I've said,
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  because of these great truths,
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  brothers,
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  by the mercies of God,
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  to present your bodies,
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  as a living sacrifice,
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  holy,
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  and acceptable to God,
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  which is your spiritual worship.
• 18:03
  We dealt with that,
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  two weeks ago.
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  In a response,
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  to the great grace of God,
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  to us,
• 18:08
  in our lives,
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  we are,
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  as priests,
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  to offer ourselves,
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  wholly,
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  every bit,
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  of our being,
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  back,
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  to God.
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  He says,
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  do not be conformed,
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  to this world,
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  but be transformed,
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  by what?
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  The renewal of your mind,
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  working these truths,
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  back into you,
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  that by testing,
• 18:27
  you may discern,
• 18:28
  what is the will of God,
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  what is good,
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  and acceptable,
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  and perfect.
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  Now this,
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  this text,
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  has been used,
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  generally,
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  very often,
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  verses 1 and 2,
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  particularly verse 2,
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  to talk about,
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  how it is that we know,
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  the will of God,
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  for our lives,
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  in all the varying,
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  circumstances.
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  Where am I supposed,
• 18:45
  to go to school?
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  What's the next job,
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  for me?
• 18:47
  Where should we move?
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  It's a time to have children,
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  all of those things.
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  Certainly,
• 18:52
  generally,
• 18:53
  that applies,
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  right?
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  If we're offering ourselves,
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  fully as a sacrifice,
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  to God,
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  we're renewing our minds,
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  we're reading the scriptures,
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  certainly,
• 19:00
  generally,
• 19:00
  that applies.
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  But specifically,
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  I think if you asked Paul,
• 19:04
  what did you mean,
• 19:05
  specifically,
• 19:06
  when you talked about,
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  discerning what the will of God is,
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  what is good,
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  and acceptable,
• 19:10
  and perfect,
• 19:10
  he wouldn't have said,
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  oh,
• 19:12
  just generally,
• 19:13
  just,
• 19:13
  you know,
• 19:13
  the things you may encounter in life.
• 19:15
  He would have said,
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  did you read the rest of the letter?
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  I went on to talk.
• 19:20
  I continued talking,
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  and in fact,
• 19:22
  verse 3 starts with the word,
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  for.
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  So I think,
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  specifically,
• 19:29
  Paul is talking about,
• 19:30
  all the things,
• 19:31
  that are to follow.
• 19:33
  So if we're offering ourselves,
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  wholly,
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  sacrificially,
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  to God,
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  and renewing our minds,
• 19:38
  then we will test,
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  we will discern,
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  that everything he's about to say,
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  is good,
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  and right,
• 19:44
  and true.
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  You will not,
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  fully recognize,
• 19:51
  your potential,
• 19:52
  God has worked into you,
• 19:53
  until you fully sacrifice,
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  yourself,
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  to him.
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  We must,
• 20:00
  get that,
• 20:01
  right.
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  If you tell me,
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  you've given yourself,
• 20:05
  wholly to God,
• 20:06
  and I see no,
• 20:07
  effective ministry,
• 20:08
  in your life,
• 20:09
  then I don't believe you.
• 20:10
  On the other hand,
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  if you tell me,
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  that you're serving the Lord,
• 20:15
  you can tell me,
• 20:15
  all these things,
• 20:16
  that you're doing,
• 20:16
  but I don't see,
• 20:17
  a total commitment to him,
• 20:19
  I don't believe that either.
• 20:23
  Some of us,
• 20:25
  need,
• 20:25
  to give up some things,
• 20:27
  to wholly,
• 20:27
  sacrifice,
• 20:29
  ourselves to God.
• 20:30
  I don't know,
• 20:31
  what those specific things are,
• 20:32
  for you.
• 20:33
  I can tell you though,
• 20:34
  that I don't see,
• 20:35
  effective ministry,
• 20:36
  in many,
• 20:37
  of the lives,
• 20:38
  of our congregation.
• 20:40
  You haven't said to God,
• 20:42
  God,
• 20:42
  I know,
• 20:44
  that I have value in you,
• 20:45
  I know that I am an image bearer,
• 20:47
  because Christ,
• 20:48
  has restored that in me,
• 20:49
  and I know that by your spirit,
• 20:51
  you give me a particular set,
• 20:52
  of gifts,
• 20:53
  to serve the church.
• 20:55
  And I'm willing to do,
• 20:56
  whatever,
• 20:57
  you would have me do.
• 20:58
  I'm willing to go,
• 20:59
  wherever you would have me go.
• 21:01
  I'm willing to use my time,
• 21:02
  in whatever way,
• 21:03
  in my resources,
• 21:04
  in whatever way,
• 21:05
  you would have me do that.
• 21:06
  Many of us hang on,
• 21:09
  to particular things,
• 21:11
  in our lives,
• 21:11
  that are going to keep that,
• 21:13
  from happening.
• 21:15
  Good things,
• 21:15
  most of them.
• 21:17
  We listed the things,
• 21:18
  that you value in your life,
• 21:19
  it would be very,
• 21:20
  very unlikely,
• 21:22
  for any of you,
• 21:23
  that we would say,
• 21:23
  oh,
• 21:24
  that's a horrible thing,
• 21:25
  to value in your life.
• 21:26
  They'd be good things,
• 21:27
  we could put them,
• 21:28
  in the good category,
• 21:30
  right?
• 21:30
  But they get out of balance.
• 21:32
  You begin to value,
• 21:33
  those things,
• 21:34
  above Christ,
• 21:37
  and his mission,
• 21:38
  for you.
• 21:40
  Let me tell you one,
• 21:40
  for me,
• 21:41
  from the past.
• 21:42
  Free time.
• 21:45
  I used to have,
• 21:46
  a thing called free time.
• 21:48
  I don't really remember,
• 21:49
  exactly what I did with that,
• 21:51
  but it existed in my life,
• 21:53
  and I,
• 21:53
  I remember enjoying it.
• 21:55
  Just,
• 21:56
  what are you doing today,
• 21:57
  Nathan?
• 21:58
  Nothing.
• 22:00
  Nothing going on,
• 22:01
  sometimes.
• 22:02
  Right?
• 22:02
  And as God began,
• 22:04
  to cram more things,
• 22:05
  into my life,
• 22:06
  working a full time job,
• 22:08
  working here at the church,
• 22:09
  part time,
• 22:10
  having children,
• 22:12
  it disappeared.
• 22:14
  Right?
• 22:14
  And for a while,
• 22:16
  I really didn't want it to.
• 22:17
  I fought for free time,
• 22:19
  at times.
• 22:20
  Not saying it's not okay,
• 22:21
  to rest.
• 22:22
  Okay?
• 22:23
  So hear me carefully,
• 22:23
  it's okay to rest.
• 22:25
  But,
• 22:25
  you know the goofing off time,
• 22:27
  college students,
• 22:28
  I think you know,
• 22:28
  what I'm talking about.
• 22:30
  Right?
• 22:30
  It's highly likely,
• 22:33
  that if you,
• 22:34
  deliver yourself,
• 22:35
  over,
• 22:36
  to Christ's service,
• 22:37
  you're not going to have,
• 22:38
  any free time.
• 22:39
  Right?
• 22:39
  You were going to set time aside,
• 22:41
  to rest,
• 22:42
  because you know you have to,
• 22:43
  to get at it the next day.
• 22:45
  You were going to say,
• 22:46
  I better get to sleep,
• 22:47
  at 10 o'clock,
• 22:48
  because I know I've got to get up,
• 22:49
  at 5 a.m.
• 22:50
  and get rolling on my day.
• 22:52
  Right?
• 22:53
  The free time will tend to,
• 22:55
  flitter itself away.
• 22:57
  Right?
• 22:57
  You may have to give up,
• 22:58
  some relationships in your life,
• 23:00
  that are sucking,
• 23:01
  life out of you.
• 23:03
  Right?
• 23:03
  You may have to give up,
• 23:05
  some extracurricular activities,
• 23:06
  that you're involved with,
• 23:07
  that consume,
• 23:09
  so much of your time,
• 23:10
  and have very little value,
• 23:12
  eternally.
• 23:15
  You may have to give up,
• 23:16
  some of those,
• 23:16
  free time things.
• 23:18
  Guys,
• 23:18
  you might never beat,
• 23:20
  that video game,
• 23:21
  you've been trying,
• 23:22
  to pull off.
• 23:23
  It just,
• 23:23
  you might just have to say,
• 23:24
  oh well,
• 23:25
  never going to get to the last level.
• 23:26
  I don't even know,
• 23:27
  if they make video games,
• 23:28
  in levels anymore.
• 23:30
  Excuse me,
• 23:31
  if I've misspoken.
• 23:35
  We have to offer,
• 23:36
  all of ourselves,
• 23:38
  to his service.
• 23:39
  Let me be pastoral,
• 23:40
  for a moment.
• 23:42
  And,
• 23:43
  hear me carefully,
• 23:44
  I love,
• 23:45
  all of you.
• 23:46
  Some of you,
• 23:46
  I don't know that well.
• 23:47
  Some of you,
• 23:47
  I don't know at all,
• 23:48
  actually.
• 23:48
  There's a good chance of that.
• 23:50
  Some of you,
• 23:50
  I know very well.
• 23:51
  I love you very,
• 23:52
  very much.
• 23:52
  And that's what I'm about to say.
• 23:55
  Being a shepherd,
• 23:55
  shepherds had two instruments,
• 23:57
  at their disposal.
• 23:59
  They had a staff,
• 24:01
  and they had a rod.
• 24:02
  You ever heard this?
• 24:03
  The staff was the big,
• 24:03
  long stick with the hook,
• 24:04
  on the end,
• 24:05
  which was used to gently,
• 24:06
  correct the sheep.
• 24:07
  It was used to,
• 24:08
  corral.
• 24:10
  They also had a rod.
• 24:11
  And you know what the rod,
• 24:12
  was used for?
• 24:12
  For the sheep that wouldn't hear,
• 24:14
  the correction of the staff.
• 24:15
  The sheep would get a good,
• 24:16
  crack on the head,
• 24:17
  with the rod.
• 24:18
  So what I'm about to say,
• 24:19
  for some of you,
• 24:20
  is going to feel,
• 24:21
  like staff,
• 24:22
  and some of you,
• 24:22
  like rod.
• 24:23
  Just know that it's all,
• 24:25
  from love.
• 24:26
  It is shameful,
• 24:28
  the way some of you serve,
• 24:30
  this congregation,
• 24:31
  in the simple ways.
• 24:33
  Some of you are,
• 24:34
  far too little,
• 24:36
  involved.
• 24:37
  You rush in,
• 24:38
  you consume,
• 24:39
  and you rush out.
• 24:41
  There is a massive,
• 24:43
  amount of work,
• 24:44
  that goes in,
• 24:44
  to doing things around here.
• 24:46
  Jamie,
• 24:46
  my sister said well,
• 24:47
  the other evening,
• 24:48
  this building is not self-cleaning.
• 24:50
  Wouldn't that be nice,
• 24:50
  if we like,
• 24:51
  shut the door,
• 24:51
  and pushed a button,
• 24:52
  and it just did its work,
• 24:53
  like a self-cleaning oven?
• 24:55
  We do.
• 24:56
  There are lots,
• 24:57
  of things to be done,
• 24:59
  around here.
• 25:00
  And members,
• 25:02
  a lot of our non-members,
• 25:04
  even some people,
• 25:05
  who I know,
• 25:06
  aren't Christians,
• 25:07
  but are coming around,
• 25:08
  this congregation,
• 25:08
  to explore,
• 25:10
  what a community,
• 25:12
  committed to Christ,
• 25:13
  looks like,
• 25:14
  do more work,
• 25:15
  in this building,
• 25:15
  than you do.
• 25:18
  It's shameful.
• 25:19
  It's sad,
• 25:23
  that I,
• 25:24
  and Chris,
• 25:24
  run around here,
• 25:25
  cleaning things,
• 25:27
  while you sit around,
• 25:28
  and chit chat.
• 25:30
  You consider,
• 25:31
  that maybe,
• 25:32
  it's important,
• 25:33
  for the pastors,
• 25:33
  of this church,
• 25:34
  to be talking to people,
• 25:36
  rather than,
• 25:37
  cleaning windows,
• 25:37
  and wiping off tables.
• 25:40
  When we have events together,
• 25:42
  it's not enough,
• 25:43
  to stack two chairs,
• 25:44
  against the wall,
• 25:45
  and then go home.
• 25:46
  I did my part.
• 25:47
  Did you know,
• 25:47
  that the work isn't done,
• 25:48
  until the work is done?
• 25:50
  There are a lot of things,
• 25:51
  that have to get done,
• 25:52
  in succession,
• 25:53
  before we're finished,
• 25:54
  with something that we're doing.
• 25:56
  There are lots of things,
• 25:57
  that have to get set up,
• 25:59
  and get ready for.
• 26:02
  You need to be looking,
• 26:04
  for ways,
• 26:04
  you can be more involved.
• 26:06
  Now,
• 26:06
  to be fair,
• 26:08
  Chris and I have failed,
• 26:09
  at showing you those things.
• 26:11
  Right?
• 26:12
  I am a horrible,
• 26:13
  delegator,
• 26:13
  of a volunteer,
• 26:15
  group.
• 26:16
  Right?
• 26:16
  Like,
• 26:17
  I don't want to make you,
• 26:18
  do anything.
• 26:18
  But it's really,
• 26:20
  a disservice to you.
• 26:22
  Right?
• 26:22
  So,
• 26:23
  we're going to show you,
• 26:23
  ways that you can be,
• 26:24
  more involved.
• 26:25
  But just the same,
• 26:26
  you've got to take,
• 26:26
  some responsibility for it.
• 26:27
  Right?
• 26:28
  You've got to take,
• 26:29
  some responsibility,
• 26:29
  for not asking,
• 26:30
  what can be done.
• 26:32
  Right?
• 26:32
  Right?
• 26:33
  Right?
• 26:33
  Right?
• 26:35
  If we're going,
• 26:36
  to fully experience,
• 26:38
  our potential,
• 26:39
  for service,
• 26:39
  we have to be,
• 26:40
  fully sacrificial.
• 26:41
  We have to offer,
• 26:42
  all of ourselves,
• 26:44
  as living sacrifices.
• 26:46
  And let me tell you this.
• 26:48
  Since I have learned,
• 26:49
  to do that,
• 26:51
  in the area,
• 26:52
  of my free time,
• 26:54
  let me tell you,
• 26:55
  that I do not,
• 26:56
  regret it.
• 26:57
  Right?
• 26:58
  Work in the service,
• 26:59
  of our king,
• 27:00
  is so much better,
• 27:02
  than flitting away time.
• 27:04
  And it has,
• 27:05
  an eternal reward.
• 27:06
  Something that we will,
• 27:07
  appreciate forever.
• 27:08
  The things you do,
• 27:08
  to waste time now,
• 27:09
  you will never,
• 27:10
  appreciate.
• 27:10
  In fact,
• 27:11
  I actually believe,
• 27:12
  you'll probably regret.
• 27:14
  I don't know what that's,
• 27:15
  going to look like,
• 27:15
  exactly.
• 27:16
  You will never,
• 27:17
  ever,
• 27:18
  undervalue,
• 27:20
  the things that you do,
• 27:21
  for the kingdom.
• 27:23
  And thirdly,
• 27:26
  proper service,
• 27:27
  service to God,
• 27:28
  is saturated,
• 27:30
  with humility.
• 27:31
  It's saturated,
• 27:33
  with humility.
• 27:35
  As we begin to talk,
• 27:36
  about gifting,
• 27:37
  and the part,
• 27:37
  that you may play,
• 27:38
  recognize,
• 27:39
  that every bit of it,
• 27:41
  must be saturated,
• 27:43
  with humility.
• 27:45
  We see that,
• 27:46
  in verse three.
• 27:47
  Paul even starts out,
• 27:48
  very carefully,
• 27:49
  by saying,
• 27:50
  for by the grace,
• 27:50
  given to me,
• 27:51
  he's about to give,
• 27:52
  a command,
• 27:53
  to be humble.
• 27:54
  Right?
• 27:55
  And so he carefully says,
• 27:56
  by the grace given to me,
• 27:58
  as God has put me,
• 27:58
  in this position,
• 27:59
  called me as an apostle,
• 28:00
  by his grace,
• 28:02
  not because Paul's great,
• 28:03
  but because God is great,
• 28:04
  in me,
• 28:06
  I say to everyone among you,
• 28:07
  everyone among you,
• 28:09
  not to think of himself,
• 28:10
  more highly,
• 28:12
  than he ought to think,
• 28:12
  but to think with sober judgment,
• 28:14
  a sound mind,
• 28:16
  each according to the measure of faith,
• 28:17
  that God has assigned.
• 28:19
  Right?
• 28:20
  Be realistic,
• 28:21
  about who you are.
• 28:23
  Right?
• 28:23
  That's what he's saying.
• 28:25
  Recognize that apart from Christ,
• 28:27
  you have nothing.
• 28:32
  Mankind,
• 28:33
  humanity,
• 28:34
  was created to bear the image,
• 28:36
  of God.
• 28:37
  To reflect it,
• 28:39
  so to speak.
• 28:41
  But at the time of original sin,
• 28:43
  that was destroyed.
• 28:45
  It's like a mirror.
• 28:46
  If you can imagine,
• 28:46
  I have a mirror up here,
• 28:48
  just shattering the mirror.
• 28:49
  Right?
• 28:50
  Still some semblance in there,
• 28:52
  some little hint,
• 28:55
  of what we were created for.
• 28:58
  But you don't see a whole picture,
• 28:59
  of who God is.
• 29:00
  You see very little of it,
• 29:01
  in fact.
• 29:03
  But because of Christ,
• 29:04
  we've been restored.
• 29:06
  We're now whole mirrors again.
• 29:08
  And we can then,
• 29:10
  reflect,
• 29:11
  who God is.
• 29:13
  There's no credit to us in that.
• 29:16
  Salvation is holy of God.
• 29:18
  All his doing.
• 29:19
  We can take zero credit for that.
• 29:23
  That's why we say,
• 29:24
  the gospel at once,
• 29:25
  most gladdens,
• 29:27
  and abases the soul.
• 29:29
  Right?
• 29:29
  It humbles us,
• 29:30
  but it makes us so happy,
• 29:32
  about who we are,
• 29:33
  in Christ.
• 29:35
  There's no room,
• 29:37
  for boasting in that.
• 29:39
  In this world,
• 29:41
  recognize that no one,
• 29:43
  really suffers,
• 29:43
  from low self-esteem.
• 29:45
  You think about that,
• 29:46
  like,
• 29:46
  they just got low self-esteem.
• 29:48
  And we think,
• 29:49
  then the solution to that,
• 29:50
  is to kind of like,
• 29:50
  bolster them up,
• 29:51
  like,
• 29:52
  tell them what's good about them,
• 29:53
  and what they do well.
• 29:55
  Low self-esteem,
• 29:56
  is just another form,
• 29:58
  of pride.
• 29:59
  It's thinking that you,
• 30:00
  want to be someone,
• 30:01
  different than you are.
• 30:03
  You're not,
• 30:04
  fully valuing,
• 30:06
  who you,
• 30:06
  are.
• 30:08
  You're worshiping,
• 30:09
  who you want to be.
• 30:11
  It's just as bad.
• 30:13
  Right?
• 30:13
  Pride,
• 30:14
  pride,
• 30:17
  is self-worship.
• 30:20
  And we do this,
• 30:21
  as Christians,
• 30:22
  in the church,
• 30:23
  with gifts.
• 30:25
  We need a proper balance,
• 30:27
  of understanding,
• 30:28
  who we are,
• 30:29
  apart from Christ,
• 30:31
  and who we are,
• 30:32
  empowered,
• 30:33
  by him.
• 30:36
  Any talent,
• 30:37
  that you have,
• 30:38
  any way,
• 30:39
  that you can possibly,
• 30:39
  serve this church,
• 30:41
  or the world,
• 30:41
  was a gift to you,
• 30:43
  value it.
• 30:45
  Right?
• 30:46
  Love it,
• 30:47
  hold on to it,
• 30:48
  and put it,
• 30:49
  into action.
• 30:51
  Paul says in verse 6,
• 30:53
  having differing,
• 30:54
  gifts,
• 30:55
  according to the grace,
• 30:56
  given to us,
• 30:57
  let us,
• 30:58
  use them.
• 31:00
  Recognize,
• 31:01
  I may not be,
• 31:02
  that guy,
• 31:02
  but I am this guy,
• 31:04
  and God's given me,
• 31:05
  things to do,
• 31:07
  with my talents.
• 31:09
  This is a snare,
• 31:10
  for the preacher.
• 31:12
  Right?
• 31:13
  I,
• 31:14
  may never be,
• 31:16
  probably,
• 31:17
  more than likely,
• 31:19
  will never be,
• 31:20
  a John Piper,
• 31:20
  or a John MacArthur,
• 31:21
  and I know that.
• 31:24
  I listen to other preachers,
• 31:26
  to be a better preacher.
• 31:28
  I don't think too much,
• 31:29
  of my ability,
• 31:30
  to get up here,
• 31:31
  and orate.
• 31:34
  But God has given me,
• 31:35
  a very specific task,
• 31:37
  a very specific people,
• 31:38
  and I'm going to do that,
• 31:40
  faithfully,
• 31:40
  until he tells me to stop,
• 31:42
  or takes me home.
• 31:44
  Right?
• 31:44
  Be,
• 31:45
  confident in who you are,
• 31:47
  because who you are,
• 31:49
  is a picture,
• 31:50
  of Christ.
• 31:52
  Right?
• 31:52
  And do the things,
• 31:53
  that God has given you to do.
• 31:55
  Don't spend all your time,
• 31:57
  trying to be someone else.
• 31:59
  Be,
• 32:00
  you,
• 32:00
  and serve.
• 32:04
  1 Corinthians 12,
• 32:06
  verse 4 and 6,
• 32:08
  Paul says,
• 32:08
  now there are varieties of gifts,
• 32:10
  but the same Spirit.
• 32:11
  And there are varieties of service,
• 32:13
  but the same Lord.
• 32:13
  And there are varieties of activities,
• 32:15
  but it is the same God,
• 32:17
  who empowers them all,
• 32:19
  and every one.
• 32:20
  And what I want you to see in that,
• 32:22
  is to see that,
• 32:23
  if you have gifting,
• 32:25
  and you do,
• 32:26
  if you're a Christian,
• 32:27
  if you're found in Christ,
• 32:28
  you've placed your faith in Him,
• 32:30
  for your salvation,
• 32:31
  you have gifts.
• 32:32
  And it's the same God,
• 32:33
  that gave it to you,
• 32:34
  that gave it to me,
• 32:35
  or to that guy.
• 32:36
  Right?
• 32:37
  Praise God for that.
• 32:39
  Do you have value,
• 32:40
  in Him,
• 32:41
  and employ it.
• 32:42
  Paul says again,
• 32:43
  Galatians 6,
• 32:44
  14,
• 32:44
  But far be it from me,
• 32:45
  to boast,
• 32:46
  except in the cross,
• 32:47
  of our Lord Jesus Christ,
• 32:49
  by which the world,
• 32:50
  has been crucified to me,
• 32:51
  and I,
• 32:52
  to the world.
• 32:54
  A picture of that.
• 32:55
  Paul says,
• 32:56
  I cannot boast in anything,
• 32:57
  except what Christ,
• 32:58
  has done,
• 33:00
  for me.
• 33:01
  We get a picture,
• 33:03
  beautiful,
• 33:05
  sacrificial service,
• 33:07
  from our Lord,
• 33:08
  from Jesus Christ Himself.
• 33:11
  I hope you know the story,
• 33:12
  the last supper,
• 33:14
  when He washed the disciples' feet.
• 33:16
  John 13,
• 33:17
  verse 12,
• 33:18
  it says,
• 33:19
  when He had washed their feet,
• 33:21
  and put on His outer garments,
• 33:22
  and resumed His place,
• 33:23
  He said to them,
• 33:24
  Do you understand,
• 33:25
  what I have done to you?
• 33:26
  You call me,
• 33:27
  Teacher and Lord,
• 33:27
  and you are right,
• 33:28
  for so I am.
• 33:29
  If I,
• 33:30
  then your Lord and Teacher,
• 33:31
  have washed your feet,
• 33:33
  you also ought to wash
• 33:34
  one another's feet,
• 33:35
  for I have given you an example,
• 33:37
  that you also should do,
• 33:38
  just as I have done to you.
• 33:41
  Truly,
• 33:41
  truly,
• 33:41
  I say to you,
• 33:42
  a sermon is not greater than his master,
• 33:44
  nor is a messenger greater
• 33:45
  than the one who sent him.
• 33:47
  If you know these things,
• 33:49
  blessed are you,
• 33:50
  if you do them.
• 33:51
  So Jesus humbled Himself
• 33:53
  to do one of the dirtiest tasks
• 33:56
  of the time.
• 33:57
  The point of this,
• 33:58
  Jesus wasn't saying,
• 34:00
  get together with your youth group,
• 34:01
  and have a feet washing ceremony,
• 34:03
  with nice clean feet.
• 34:04
  It's not what He was saying
• 34:06
  for us to do.
• 34:07
  The lowliest servant in a household
• 34:10
  had this job,
• 34:11
  of washing feet.
• 34:12
  Because,
• 34:14
  if you lived in this time,
• 34:15
  and you prepared yourself for a dinner,
• 34:16
  you got all cleaned up,
• 34:18
  you anointed your head with oil,
• 34:19
  got your hair looking good,
• 34:20
  slicked back,
• 34:21
  ready to go.
• 34:22
  You walked out of the house,
• 34:23
  and guess what happened to your feet?
• 34:25
  I think a lot of us
• 34:26
  probably experience this
• 34:27
  because we wear sandals,
• 34:28
  chacos particularly.
• 34:30
  It got stinky.
• 34:30
  You walked on a dusty road,
• 34:32
  in sweaty feet,
• 34:33
  and your feet got stinky.
• 34:35
  And in this time,
• 34:36
  people reclined at low tables.
• 34:38
  So your feet were like
• 34:39
  part of the scene.
• 34:41
  Right?
• 34:42
  So,
• 34:43
  the lowliest servant
• 34:44
  would wash
• 34:45
  guests' feet.
• 34:46
  Right?
• 34:47
  When they came over.
• 34:48
  And that is the position
• 34:49
  that Jesus Christ put himself in.
• 34:51
  The crummiest job,
• 34:53
  he did it
• 34:53
  for the disciples.
• 34:57
  We ought to be willing
• 34:59
  to do the same.
• 35:01
  The opportunity may not always arise,
• 35:02
  but believe me,
• 35:03
  it will.
• 35:04
  At some point in your life,
• 35:05
  you will have the crummiest job.
• 35:08
  Right?
• 35:09
  Somebody runs in here and says,
• 35:11
  Nathan, the toilet's overflowing
• 35:12
  in the bathroom,
• 35:13
  and it is gross.
• 35:14
  I ought to be.
• 35:16
  My desire should be
• 35:17
  to jump at that
• 35:18
  and go get it done.
• 35:19
  Right?
• 35:20
  Ooh, I don't want you guys in there.
• 35:21
  Let me go get that accomplished.
• 35:22
  Right?
• 35:24
  Could be
• 35:24
  that one of you
• 35:25
  needs to jump in front of me
• 35:26
  and make it happen.
• 35:28
  Right?
• 35:29
  The lowliest job,
• 35:30
  the crummiest of job,
• 35:32
  is what Jesus
• 35:33
  is setting the example
• 35:34
  for us here.
• 35:36
  You know,
• 35:37
  the Corinthians,
• 35:37
  one of the great issues
• 35:38
  with the Corinthian believers
• 35:39
  and what Paul was addressing
• 35:40
  is that
• 35:41
  they had ranked
• 35:42
  the gifts.
• 35:44
  They had laid out
• 35:45
  a hierarchy
• 35:46
  and everybody wanted
• 35:47
  to be the best
• 35:48
  and the biggest.
• 35:49
  They wanted a name
• 35:50
  for themselves
• 35:51
  and I see that happening
• 35:52
  so much
• 35:52
  in the American church.
• 35:55
  So in
• 35:55
  chapter 12,
• 35:56
  verse 31,
• 35:57
  he says,
• 35:58
  earnestly desire
• 35:58
  these gifts
• 35:59
  and I will show you
• 36:01
  a still
• 36:02
  more excellent
• 36:03
  way.
• 36:04
  And then we get
• 36:05
  chapter 13,
• 36:06
  right?
• 36:06
  the classic
• 36:07
  love chapter
• 36:08
  not just designed
• 36:10
  for reading at weddings.
• 36:11
  He's talking about
• 36:11
  love of the church
• 36:13
  in that case,
• 36:15
  which includes
• 36:15
  your spouse.
• 36:17
  But he's talking about
• 36:18
  the way we ought
• 36:19
  to love one another.
• 36:20
  Humble love.
• 36:23
  So proper service
• 36:24
  to God
• 36:24
  is saturated
• 36:26
  with humble love.
• 36:29
  The greatest,
• 36:30
  the highest
• 36:31
  example
• 36:31
  of this,
• 36:32
  the greatest display
• 36:33
  of this humble love
• 36:35
  is the cross.
• 36:36
  So if we're to
• 36:37
  look
• 36:38
  to what that looks like,
• 36:40
  it's Jesus Christ
• 36:41
  not only laying
• 36:42
  his life down
• 36:43
  on our behalf,
• 36:45
  which is the
• 36:46
  tangible thing
• 36:48
  that we can touch,
• 36:49
  the abuse
• 36:50
  that he received,
• 36:51
  the pain
• 36:52
  that he experienced,
• 36:54
  right?
• 36:54
  But more than that,
• 36:56
  spiritually,
• 36:57
  he bore the wrath
• 36:58
  of God,
• 36:59
  right?
• 36:59
  He had a perfect
• 37:00
  communion with God
• 37:01
  in the Trinity
• 37:02
  and God turned
• 37:03
  his back on him
• 37:04
  in these moments
• 37:05
  and poured out
• 37:06
  wrath.
• 37:06
  I don't even
• 37:07
  comprehend what
• 37:07
  that looks like,
• 37:09
  right?
• 37:09
  What that would
• 37:09
  feel like.
• 37:10
  I can't even
• 37:11
  begin to fathom it
• 37:12
  and praise God
• 37:12
  I never will.
• 37:14
  I'll never really
• 37:15
  know what the
• 37:15
  wrath of God
• 37:16
  looks like
• 37:17
  to me.
• 37:18
  But Christ
• 37:19
  took that on
• 37:20
  for us,
• 37:21
  the lowliest
• 37:22
  of servants
• 37:22
  and he
• 37:23
  is our master.
• 37:26
  Ought we not
• 37:27
  serve
• 37:27
  in the very
• 37:28
  same
• 37:29
  way?
• 37:30
  So let me
• 37:31
  just recap
• 37:32
  for you
• 37:32
  to help you
• 37:34
  wrap your
• 37:34
  mind.
• 37:35
  God has
• 37:35
  gifted each
• 37:36
  of us
• 37:37
  uniquely
• 37:37
  for his
• 37:37
  service.
• 37:38
  He has
• 37:39
  given us
• 37:40
  gifts.
• 37:43
  The offering
• 37:44
  of ourselves
• 37:45
  as living
• 37:46
  sacrifices
• 37:46
  is prerequisite
• 37:47
  to our
• 37:48
  experiencing
• 37:48
  our potential
• 37:49
  for his
• 37:50
  service.
• 37:52
  And proper
• 37:53
  service to
• 37:54
  God is
• 37:55
  saturated
• 37:55
  with humility.
• 37:57
  Let's pray
• 37:58
  together.