Romans chapter 12. And we'll pick up where we left off last week. And I hope to be able to bring several more messages from Romans chapter 12. And then we'll look at verse chapter 13, 14, 15 portions of it in the weeks to come. I'm taking a title for the message from what is said in verse six. Notice verse six.

Having then gifts, gifts differing according to the grace that is given unto us. Grace is always given unto us. Grace is not something that's merited. Grace is for the guilty, mercies for the miserable, salvation for sinners. Grace gifts according to the grace that is given unto us.

So that's the title of the message. Gifts according to grace. The apostle writing to the Hebrews said, it's a good thing, it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, grace. I can't get too much of that. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. This is saving grace, sovereign grace, effectual, fetching grace, electing grace. Every blessing we enjoy through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is because of His eternal, powerful, saving grace. Notice carefully, it is grace that is given. Grace that is given unto us. Grace that is given.

Don't turn, but let me just remind you what we read just a moment ago in Ephesians 4 verse 7. But unto every one of us is grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. The wages of sin is death. The gift of God is eternal life. Salvation is by the God of all grace. As he's called in 1 Peter chapter 10, he's called the God of all grace. So salvation is by and through the God of all grace. And salvation is by the grace of God. By the grace of God, given freely unto us. For by grace are you saved through faith. That not of yourself, it's a gift of God, not of worthless any man should boast.

We're justified, we've studied through the book of Romans, we're justified freely by His grace through the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's turn back to chapter 5, you hold your place there, Romans 12. Romans chapter 5, verse 19. Romans 5, verse 19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. There we see those two representative men, what happened in Adam, what happened in Christ.

Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, Grace does much more abound. You see that? Look at the next verse. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign. There's sovereign grace. Grace reign through righteousness unto an eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. You cannot get away from the truth that's revealed in this book that salvation is by the grace of God. By the grace of God. This is saving grace and calling grace.

Let's look at another Scripture or two. Find 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 1. This is one of my favorite verses. 2 Timothy chapter 1. Paul in his last letter As he sits on death row in a Roman prison, he said in verse 7, 2 Timothy 1, 7, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Be of a ready mind.

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God who saved us. and then He called us. Well, the Holy Calling, not according to our work, but according to His own purpose and grace, which is given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. So God saved us and then He called us according to His purpose, His purpose and His grace, given us in Christ before the world began.

But this saving grace and sovereign grace is also teaching grace. Turn a couple pages over to the book of Titus. We read this in our Bible study this morning. This grace of God is not only saving grace, electing grace, fetching grace, it's also teaching grace. Titus chapter 2, verse 11, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all. that is all sorts of men, teaching us, denying ungodliness, worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar, purchased people, zealous of good works. You see, this grace of God is saving grace, electing grace, calling grace, but it's also teaching grace.

It teaches us how to live soberly, righteously, godly in this present world. Now, back to Romans 12, for I say, verse 3, through the grace of God given unto me, to every man that is among you, that is to every believer among you, this grace of God is given, not to think more highly, then he ought to think not more highly of himself as he ought to think, but to think right thoughts according as God had given to us the measure of faith. God given us a right mind to think right thoughts of who he is, holy, sovereign, and eternal, and he's given us a mind to think right thoughts about ourselves. depraved, guilty, vile sinners, and right thoughts of how God saves us by His grace. So we shouldn't have this holier-than-thou, self-righteous attitude, but one of low esteem, esteeming others better than ourselves. Look just across the page, verse 16. Romans 12, verse 16. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not to hide things, but condescend to be to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceit. Don't be a self-righteous snob.

What do you have that you didn't receive? What do you know that you weren't taught of God? God revealed the Gospel to you, and that old guy down the street, he's just ignorant and blind. You wouldn't go beat up on a blind dog, would you? You dumb dog, you can't see. No, he's blind. And our blind neighbors, they just can't see. But what should we do? Patiently put the word of God before them. God uses the word of the Lord to open blinded eyes, don't stop deaf ears.

One way of salvation, God, by his grace, has implanted in the believer a willingness to serve him out of love and gratitude. That's how we serve the Lord, by serving one another, as it says in verse 1 of Romans 12. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. It's only reasonable to serve the one you love, to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's a service in gratitude out of love, out of love to Him. Now turn back over here to 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5. Look at verse 14. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 14. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 14. For the love of Christ constrains us. It's not the law. It's not the whip of the law. It's not promise of reward or fear of punishment.

It's the love of Christ constrains us, 2 Corinthians 5, 14, because we thus judge that if one died for all, all were dead, all were dead, and that he died for all, talking about his elect, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. It's only reasonable to those who've been made. He goes on in that chapter to talk about those who are made new creatures in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

So we serve him with a motive of love, don't we? Now, Romans 12, let's take a look at verse 4 and 5, and then we'll get down to these seven gifts that are mentioned here. For as we have many members in one body, Now he makes this illustration here using the human body, and we all can identify with this. We have just one body, but we have many members, don't we?

Some members you see, some members are unseen. You see my hands, you see my face. You don't see my liver, you don't see my heart. But the parts that are unseen, They're needful, aren't they? I wouldn't want to do it. I couldn't do it without my liver, without my heart. So as we have many members in one body, all members have not the same function. Now they all work together.

Isn't it the human body? The human body is just a marvelous thing. It's a marvelous thing that the Lord created. He created us in His own image, in His own likeness. We only get sick and die and get old because of sin. But think of Adam before sin entered into Adam. And that's what we're going to have one day in the resurrection. We're going to have a glorious body without sin. We don't have to call the doctor anymore. We don't have to dial 9-1-1 anymore. No more sorrow, no more pain, no more death.

Whereas we have many members in one body, all members have not the same function, the same office. My ear hears. but it doesn't see. But I need my ears, my eyes, they see but they don't hear. My tongue, all these different things we have. So look at verse 5.

So we being many are one body in Christ and everyone members one of another. We're all, as believers, we're in one body. There's one body, and that body is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is one body in Him, and we serve His purpose. We're one in Christ. Now turn back to 1 Corinthians this time, 1 Corinthians. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. We serve one purpose, one goal, one Lord. We're joined together in Christ unto His glory only. Christ is our head. We are put in the body by His sovereign grace, and each member of His body make up the elect of God, His church. But of Him are you in Christ Jesus.

Now this is 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 12. 1 Corinthians 12, verse 12. Whereas 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. For by one spirit are we all baptized into the one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, have been all made to drink into the one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many, as the foot shall say, because I'm not the hand, Am I not of the body? Is it therefore not of the body? If the ear shall say, because I'm not the eye, am I not of the body? Is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole body were hearing, where were the smelling?

But now have God set members, every one of them in the body as it has pleased him. So also is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ will all serve His one purpose. So we, being many, back to Romans 12, are one body. There's one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one church, one body, one gospel, as we read in Ephesians chapter 4.

Now, verse 6 and following, and we'll look down through verse 6, 7, and 8. Having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given. Now there's a distinguishing feature. Grace that is given. We have gifts according to God's sovereign will. Whether on prophecy, that is preaching, let us preach according to the proportion of faith. It's hard to tell what you don't know. But what we do know, we tell. or ministry, let us wait on our ministering. Or he that teaches on teaching, or he that exhorteth on exhortation, he that giveth, let him do it without fanfare, let him do it with simplicity, generously, he that ruleth with diligence, he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness.

Now, let's look at those seven gifts that are given there. And in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the body of believers, we have these different gifts. Seven things are mentioned. These gifts are sovereignly given to whom the Lord will according to His grace.

And we should be eager as believers to use these gifts that God gives us for His purpose and glory. And all of us, all believers, I've said this over the years, and it's so. All believers are in the ministry because they're all members of another and they all serve God's purpose.

You have your purpose to serve. It says that we should render unto God a reasonable service. God doesn't ask you to do things that you can't do. He gives you grace to do what He enables you to do. So let's look at 77 things. The first one He mentions here is verse 6, prophecy. And that means preaching. Let us do so according to the proportion or the measure of faith. Paul here is talking about the gift of preaching the gospel with the ability God has given to that particular man. He has called him and put him in the ministry.

I did not seek to be a preacher of the gospel. I did not seek the office of a pastor or teacher. The Lord called me and put me in the ministry. I have no doubts about that. And God put me in the ministry to serve His purpose. To tell His people the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I do it with the gifts that God has given me. All who are put in the ministry as gospel preachers, they all have the same message. They all have the same message. What is that message?

As Paul said, I'm determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We preach not ourselves, Paul said, we preach not ourselves but Jesus Christ the Lord and our servants for your sake. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our heart to give us a light and the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And we have this treasure of the gospel in earthen vessels.

That's what I am. I'm a weak earthen vessel that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. The power of preaching is not in the, well, he's a powerful preacher. Forget it. The power of preaching is in the gospel that's preached. The gospel that's preached. I had a man tell me some years ago, he said, I want to enter the ministry and I want to be a powerful preacher. I said, well, you better sit still and wait upon the Lord. And I said, the power of preaching is not in your ability to... I remember a dear, dear sister whose husband was a minister for over 50 years. I'll never forget what she told me one day. She said, loud and long, in preaching is not liberty. One Doris Mahan. And I heard that. I heard that, loud and long.

It's teaching the Word. It's communicating. Brother Mann used to say to us young preachers, if you're not communicating, you're not preaching. Preaching is communicating. Communicating the message. So we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ the Lord. And Paul, when he writes to young Timothy, he said preach the Word. Preach the Word. Be instant, in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke with all longsuffering and doctrine.

So we preach Christ. The Lord has ordained the preaching of the Gospel. It pleased God through preaching to save those who believe. How are you going to hear without a preacher? Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of the Lord. That's the means God has ordained. We don't dismiss those means. We use those means of preaching the Gospel, whatever means God put in our hands. Electronic means, the media, the newspaper, books, bulletins, whatever it may be. Preach, preach, preach, preach Christ. So God has given some men that gift and ability to preach the gospel. To preach the gospel.

And I've been trying to do that. I'm still trying to do that. I've been trying to do that for more than 40 years. One of these days I may arrive at preaching the gospel as it ought to be preached. I don't know. But I can't do it above the proportion of faith that God gives me. I can't tell you something I don't know. I can't tell you something God not revealed to me. But what he has revealed to me and taught me, I want to tell you what he's taught me. So the second thing he mentions there in verse 7 is ministry. Let us wait on our ministering, for he that teaches on teaching. Now this is talking about serving the Lord, this ministry.

And that's why I said every believer is in the ministry, male or female. You're in the ministry because you're part of the body of Christ. This is talking about serving the Lord, being a faithful servant of the Lord wherever He has put you. Every believer has been given this gift of service. We are all in the ministry. Paul said, I thank God, Jesus Christ our Lord, who hath enabled me, for He counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry. Now there is this public ministry that I have, but also there is that ministry that every believer has, serving the Lord by serving one another.

Being a servant of the Lord. It's our reasonable service. Notice verse 11, not slothful in business. Romans 12 verse 11, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Now what a high title. To be called a servant of the Lord. These servants of the Lord show us the way of salvation. It's a high title to be called a servant of the Lord. We studied through the epistles Paul, Peter, James, Jude, they all call themselves the servant of the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ is called the servant of the Lord, Isaiah 42 verse 1. But our Lord Jesus said this in Matthew 20, even as the Son of Man came not to minister unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many. He gave Himself. He didn't come to be ministered unto, but to minister to others.

And that's this ministry we have in the Gospel. Paul writes about Some in the church of Corinth have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. They're addicted to it. That's a good addiction. To serve one another. And then thirdly, in verse 7, he mentions teaching.

Those who are taught of God desire to teach others what the Lord has taught them. Isn't that a blessing when the Lord is pleased to reveal something to you from the Word? I'm not talking about dreams or visions or something like that. But what the Lord has taught you and revealed to you for the Word, isn't it a blessing to show somebody else what the Lord has taught you? Teaching the Word, salvations of the Lord, the doctrine of the Lord. What is teaching the Word and showing the doctrine of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? A preacher friend of mine, Describe it this way.

One beggar telling another beggar where he found bread. And that pretty well sums it up. One beggar telling another beggar about the bread of life, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at verse 8. Here's the fourth one that he mentions. Now again, this is all according to the grace that is given unto us. Verse 8 says, He that exhorteth on exhortation.

Now, he that exhorteth, that is giving a word of encouragement to one another, may be a word of comfort in time, trouble, or distress. This is bearing one another's burdens. Bearing one another's burden. It's a word of encouragement to those who are in need.

I'm going to show you a couple of scriptures on that. Turn over to the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews. He that exhorteth. The book of Hebrews, chapter 3, verse 13. But exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. So exhort one another, encourage one another daily.

For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. Same book, Hebrews, turn to chapter 10. Chapter 10, verse 23. Hebrews 10, 23, let us hold fast to profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised.

Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good work. So the word here, exhort one another, to consider and to provoke one another unto love and good works, not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together as a matter of some means, but exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day approaching. So we're to exhort one another, to encourage one another, to comfort one another.

That's a ministry that God's given to his people. And then the fifth one he mentioned there in verse eight, Romans 12, he that exhorteth on exhortation, he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity. With simplicity. He that giveth, let him do it in a way of giving without calling attention to yourself.

Now, there's a lot of congregations where they have a time of offering. And the ushers will come forward and they'll pick up the plate and they'll pass the plate around and people give gifts. And that's fine if people want to do that. But what we have done here and the way this ministry was designed and set up is we have a way to enable you to give and no one knows what you give.

You put it in a box out there. You see, giving is unto the Lord. It's not giving to be seen to a man and boy, look, trying to impress somebody of how much money you gave. No, it's giving as unto the Lord. So put your offering in the box out front there and do it without calling attention to yourself. I don't know where this thing got started in churches where people give some amount of gift and giving and they put their name on a pew or something. They do that for recognition.

Our Lord said, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Don't do your alms to be seen of men. You see, it's between you and the Lord. You're giving as unto the Lord. Let him do it with simplicity without calling attention to yourself.

All believers are generous in their giving to support the gospel ministry, sharing with others what the Lord has put into your hand, but we don't do so to be seen of men. Freely have you received and freely have you give. Now, here's the other thing that they do in most churches. They have this thing of tithing.

If you don't give 10%, they're going to come down on you. The church where I grew up, Mormonism, at the end of the year, they called you into the bishop's office and you had to give an account. You had to bring your tax return. And you had to pay your tax. And if you didn't pay your tax, your privileges in the temple were excluded. Is that right? That's right, isn't it? They took those privileges away from you if you didn't give your 10%.

God doesn't tax His people. We give as unto the Lord. Listen to this scripture. If you read 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, you see that Old Testament 10% tithe was under the law for the 11 tribes to give to the tribe of Levi. Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or necessity. God loved the cheerful giver. So nowhere in the New Testament did the apostle mention one time tithing.

That's something was done under the law, were not under the law, but under grace. So God's people give generously, generously. And as I said recently to someone, this ministry is debt free. We have no debt. But we do have bills to pay. Electric bills, so forth and so on. But you folks, I don't have to beat up on you folks to give, do I? You give because you want to. You give because God's given you a heart to give. A cheerful heart to give. You give as unto the Lord.

That's a privilege. And then verse 8 talks about ruling. He that ruleth with diligence. He that ruleth with diligence. Verse 11 says, Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, So, he that ruleth with diligence, faithful to the privilege and responsibility of the office God has given to you in the church, deacons or elders, pastor, or in the home, or on the job, let us lead others in a way honoring to the gospel we believe. The apostle writes this In Colossians, he says, Whatsoever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord. Whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God by Him. You see what he's saying here? Again, this is teaching grace. He that giveth with simplicity, he that ruleth with diligence. Now look at the last part of verse 8. He that showeth mercy with cheerfulness. cheerfulness.

God help us to show mercy to others with a cheerful heart as the Lord has shown mercy unto us. The Apostle in Ephesians 4 when we read a moment ago, don't turn let me just read it to you, in that same chapter he said let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice. Be you kind one to another, Ephesians 4, 32. Tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Be you therefore followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Walk in love as Christ also had loved us and given himself for us in offering and sacrifice to God for sweet smelling savor.

Has God been merciful to you? Be merciful to others. Has God forgiven you? Be ready to forgive others. Let us demonstrate and treat others as the Lord has blessed us. It is more blessed to help others than to be helped. Be you merciful as your Father in heaven also was merciful. Luke 6, 36. Now, this is just reasonable. This is your reasonable service.

Thinking of a time back when we were flooded in 2009, the 9 flood and the 10 flood a year later. and how many people came from all over the area to help us. Other churches, other churches came and helped us. And when we were building our house, when they were tearing the old house down, it was flooded seven or eight times. And when we were building that new house out of the floodplain, the Lord sent us plumbers, electricians, carpenters, bricklayers, all these different men, Why did they come and give up their vacation time or their day off? Why did they come and help us labor and build that house?

To get a higher reward? To get more rewards? No, because they loved the gospel and wanted to see the furtherance of the gospel here in Pike County. You see, this is how we love and we serve one another. I'm going to close by looking at Matthew 25. Turn over there. I'm thankful for the Lord sending all those helpers. And you men here, you men here, I could call your name, but you know who you are. Men here that are talented carpenters and workers and laborers. I tell you, it was a blessing to get together with the Lord's people and to build and work together. Matthew 25. Verse 34, then shall the king say to them on his right hand, come ye blessed in my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry, you gave me meat. I was thirsty, you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. Then, verse 37, shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, When did we see you hungry, and fed thee, or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee, and naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we sick, or in prison, saw thee sick, or in prison, and came to thee? Verse 40. The king shall answer and say to them, Verily I say unto you, as much as you've done this to the least of these my brethren, you've done that to me. You see, as we serve one another, That's our reasonable service unto the Lord.