Romans 12 - Serve our Church

Good morning! It’s good to see everybody here today. My name is Kevin, and I’m a campus pastor here. If I haven’t had a chance to meet you yet, I would love the opportunity to say hello out in the courtyard after the gathering today. I am truly excited and humbled to get to share God’s word with you this morning.

A couple of weeks ago, Mike started us off in a mission-focused series, looking at how to serve the world. One of the things that really stood out was the challenge to rethink who our neighbor is. It’s not just the person next door; it’s every person in need. It is our call and our responsibility to care for them and love them. We also had a cool opportunity to write encouraging notes to our extended family members around the world, and nearly a thousand cards were turned in! We are so grateful for that. Then, last week, Josh talked about what it looks like to serve our city—not just in our own neighborhoods, but identifying needs in our city where we can use our gifts to serve.

Today, we’re going to talk about what it looks like to serve right here in our local church, the Well Community Church.

From Checking Boxes to Finding Family

I grew up in church. That was just how life was for me. Every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night—that is where we went. I’m not quite sure what we did all that time, but we were there. Even into my teenage years, church was just something we checked off a list. In those days, a lot of it was really just to keep my parents off my back; as long as I went to church, they were cool with me.

But after my freshman year of college, I embraced the gospel fully, and God began to do an incredible work in my heart. I began to see church as something far different than a task to complete. It wasn’t just somewhere I went; it was something I got to be a part of. I was part of a community of believers—a family. That shift began to change and shape who I was.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to study and travel all over the world. I remember going to Mexico for the first time for a mission trip, and that began to transform my mind regarding the needs in this world. I eventually ended up in Rwanda, Kenya, and Calcutta, India. These experiences showed me that God is doing a work all over the globe, and we are ultimately a part of that big, universal church.

However, while I love traveling and meeting people, God has done something in me where I have a deep love for the local church. I love watching people be the church. Every Sunday, I love being out in the courtyard watching people interact and greet one another. Could you imagine what this place would be like if we didn’t have a coffee team? Could you imagine the attitudes we’d have sitting in here right now?

I love calling people who visit for the first time. I usually call on Monday nights, and it’s always a fun conversation. One of my favorite things to hear is when someone says, “The people sitting next to me actually talked to me. They introduced themselves and made me feel like I belonged.” That is a beautiful picture of the church working together. Now, I realize I just put an immense amount of pressure on you, so let’s get it over with: look at the person next to you and say good morning. And don’t be offended if they turn their head the opposite way—it happens! But that is the value of being a family: greeting, caring, and welcoming others in.

So, what does it look like to live out the biblical call to be a contributor—a functioning member of the body of Christ?

The Logic of the Gospel

We’re going to take our text from Romans chapter 12. Before the Apostle Paul embraced the gospel, he was an enemy of the church. He believed his mission was to destroy it. But in Acts chapter 9, he had an encounter with God on the road to Damascus that changed everything. When we encounter the power of God, it transforms us. We are not the same once we meet Jesus.

In the book of Romans, chapters 1 through 11 focus on doctrine—how God is holy and we don’t measure up, our need for the gospel, and how Jesus paid our debt in full so we could be adopted into His family. Then, in chapter 12, the tone shifts to the practical. In light of all that God has done for us, how should we live?

Romans 12:1 (NASB)

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship.

Paul starts with that word “therefore.” Because of the mercies of God, we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice. This is our spiritual worship. It’s a prayer of intention: “Lord, I’m yours. Use me.”

Romans 12:2 (NASB)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

He warns us not to become so well-adjusted to our culture that we fit into it without thinking. Instead, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds through the Word of God. This leads us to how we function together.

Romans 12:4-5 (NASB)

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Paul is speaking of the local church. We are many members, but we are one body in Christ, and we are “individually members of one another.” You cannot overstate how important that phrase is. We are called to community in this local setting, right here in Fresno and Clovis.

The Mister Potato Head Principle

In 1 Corinthians, Paul expands on this analogy of the body.

1 Corinthians 12:27 (NASB)

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

We are the hands and feet of Jesus. This means we don’t just “come” to church; we are the church. The idea is that you should “be you” in the context of “we.” The same God who created mountains and galaxies looked at you and decided the world needed you. The value you bring to the body of Christ is a necessity.

1 Corinthians 12:12-20 (NASB)

For even as the body is one and [yet] has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not [a part] of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less [a part] of the body. And if the ear says, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not [a part] of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less [a part] of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body.

Paul is pointing out a ridiculous thought process that we often fall into. We think, “Well, if I were gifted like that person, it would matter more.” But God says, “No, I have placed you exactly where I desired.”

I think Mister Potato Head was probably invented because of this passage. Think about it: you can put the feet where the ears go or put the lips on top of the head. As kids, we’d giggle because it looked absurd. But in the church, we often do the same thing by wishing we had someone else’s gift. We think it’s “boring” to be the part God made us to be.

But think about the small things. A smile can put someone at ease. Using your mouth to encourage someone honors God and blesses others. Your gifts aren’t actually for you; they are for others. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, with complex systems on the inside—nervous systems, cardiovascular systems—that we never see, yet they are critical to life. We spend so much time worrying about the outside, but the variety of gifts working together on the inside is what makes the body healthy.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NASB)

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all [persons].

Battleships, Not Cruise Ships

One of the things I heard when I first came to The Well was the idea that we are not a cruise ship; we are a battleship. On a cruise ship, you go to be pampered. You want the right music, the right food, and total comfort. If we view the church that way, we get upset if they don’t sing “our” song or if the coffee isn’t perfect.

But on a battleship, the most important thing is the connection to the Captain. There is a common goal. When the siren goes off and it’s time for battle stations, everyone heads to their unique position to do what they’ve been trained to do. They work together to be a force to be reckoned with. That is exactly what God’s church is meant to be in this world. Every one of us, uniquely gifted and playing our role, is vital to the mission.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NASB)

And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Leaders are given to the church to equip the saints for the work of ministry. If you have embraced the gospel, you are a “saint,” and you are called to the work of service. It is a humbling and honoring position to know that God wants to use you in His kingdom efforts.

When I moved to Fresno in 1993, I joined a small church. On my first day, they asked if I’d work with the youth. The very next week, all the other volunteers quit! I was left high and dry. I felt overwhelmed and understaffed, but God used that moment to shape the next twenty-five years of my life. Sometimes we just don’t know what God has for us when we walk through the door.

Put Me in, Coach

There are so many unique needs right here at The Well. We have a Care Team that walks with people through grief and illness. We have a Communion Team that prepares the elements once a month. Our Connections Team greets people and makes the coffee that keeps us all smiling.

Our Kids Ministry is blowing up—we have a huge need for volunteers to help with our two-year-olds and other age groups. Our Special Needs Ministry has already expanded from one service to two, and we need more folks to help at the 11:30 AM gathering. Our Production Team is looking for people to help behind the scenes (and they’ll even teach you how to make the pastors look better on screen). We need Life Group leaders for our upcoming launch in February because hundreds of people are looking to get connected.

As the great theologian John Fogerty once said, “Put me in, coach, I’m ready to play.”

1 Corinthians 12:11 (NASB)

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

The Holy Spirit empowers us to take that step. I recognize that many of you serve already, and we are so appreciative. For some, maybe you’re in a season where you can’t, and that’s okay. But maybe some of you are coming off the “injured reserve” list. You’ve been on the shelf for a while mending up, and now it’s time to step back in.

What might that look like for you? There are tents outside where you can ask questions. You can fill out a connection card and just write, “I want to serve.” Or you can go online and click “What’s Next.” Let’s do this together. Let’s be a force to be reckoned with as we share the gospel and watch lives change.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your goodness. Thank you for the way you have shaped our lives for unique service. Help us to recognize that independently we are nothing, but with one another and the power of your Holy Spirit, we can truly be a force to be reckoned with. May we love people, encourage people, and welcome people as we see your kingdom expanded. In Jesus’ name, amen.