A Broke Evangelist

December 8, 2024

Romans 12:4-8

Many Members, One Mission

“4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

It would seem appropriate that during a day of extreme back pain, I am writing my notes on Romans 4-8, which speak of the body of Christ, and how each body part matters. I am really appreciating how my body parts work, especially when they’re working fine. The funny apart of that is that we don’t notice how good we’re feeling until we’re hurt. This is why young people have a hard time understanding what a blessing it is when, “you still have your health!” So many times the blessings that we receive are not seen all the time. Even in tragedy, the blessing is when the tragedy is limited.

The other day, someone posted a picture of a German death camp from World War II with a caption that said, “a monument to the failed thoughts and prayers to God” in reference to the six million Jews who died in those camps. What a sad observation to think that it was a failure on God’s part. I couldn’t help but comment that if not for thoughts and prayers, twelve million might have died. The onslaught of comments after that were relentless from those who don’t believe in the power of God and of prayer. A true believer would have acknowledged the fact that prayers will stop horrific things from continuing to happen.

That’s what happens when nonbelievers have no great hope in their lives to explain why horrible things happen, nor ways to figure out how it affects them or others. When tragedy happens, I can look at it and ask for what purpose does it happen, and if happens directly to me, then to look at when things happen FOR us rather than TO us.

So you ask, “so what does it mean TO you when your back hurts? How is that FOR you than it is TO you?” The answer would be “it’s FOR me to get off my butt and exercise and eat right!” Otherwise, pain is what happens TO me!

On that note, I’ll leave you with this passage from Romans 12:4-8…

Romans 12:4 – For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 

At the time of writing, I’m sitting here with hip pain from sitting in a funky chair last night while enjoying dinner with some friends from high school. Come to think of it, I think all of us were hurting from the chairs by the time we left. However, we managed to share plenty of good advice on where to find the best pain medications for such occasions—along with other remedies for our various maladies. That’s how it goes: when one part of our body is hurting, it affects the rest of the body. For me, it makes it hard for me to sit comfortably and concentrate on work, which impacts my brain. It makes walking harder, which affects my legs. It makes it difficult to move, affecting my whole body. Each part of my body has its own function—walking, reaching, writing, typing, thinking, watching, listening, etc. If one part of the body is injured, the rest struggles to function fully.

Even when everything is working fine, some parts of the body just aren’t interchangeable. For example, I could try typing this with my nose, but it would take forever. And there’s no way I could wave my fingers over a flower and smell it through my digits.

The body of Christ is similar. For it to function effectively, we need people to serve in different capacities. It wouldn’t work if we had a bunch of eyes trying to serve where feet are supposed to be. First off, no one wants to see a sock full of eyeballs. Second, toes wouldn’t do a great job of seeing where we’re going either. That’s how it is with us. We all have unique gifts, talents, and purposes, and we’re at our best when we focus on doing our thing. We don’t need to be the whole body—just an effective part of one. So, during those moments where we find ourselves comparing ours roles to someone else’s, we need to remember the spleen isn’t out here trying to beat the brain at trivia night, and the liver isn’t complaining that it doesn’t get the credit the heart does.

We all belong to something bigger, and when we work together, it’s amazing. We just need to be glad we’re not the appendix—nobody really knows what it does, but everyone freaks out when it acts up! So let’s keep doing our thing and working together to keep this body of life moving forward!

Romans 12:5 – so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 

This verse reminds us that in Christ, we’re all part of one body. You, me, an overly-lazy coworker, a neighbor who runs his leaf blower at 7 a.m., or that person who always eats the last donut in the office (okay, that’s would be me)—we’re all in this together. Each of us has a special role, and believe it or not, we need each other. The body doesn’t work well if all the parts aren’t cooperating—just ask my sore back. Every part deserves some love. As people, each of us brings something unique to the table. Maybe one person is the hands, always ready to help out. I had a friend who loved to fix autos for people. Another might be the funny bone, making everyone laugh (that would be my buddy, David). Some of us might even be the ears, listening to someone who really needs a friend.

While we’re at it, let’s not underestimate the little things. Maybe one person is the eyelashes of the body of Christ, protecting the eyes (and looking good while doing it), or the elbows, helping us bend and move through life’s tough spots. Every single part has a purpose—even if someone’s the appendix. Sure, nobody’s entirely sure what it does, but when it’s not working right, everyone notices. So, we all belong to each other. We’re not just individual parts doing our own thing. We’re connected, like a team of mismatched superheroes with unique powers coming together to save the day. Whether someone is a heart pumping love into the world or a big toe keeping the body steady, every role is important—and we’d be incomplete without each other.

Next time we feel like we don’t matter, let’s remember that the body of Christ needs us just as much as our physical bodies need our funny bone. After all, where would we be without laughter, love, and the occasional dad joke? And if all else fails, let’s just be thankful none of us are the armpit—useful, I’m sure, but still kind of a mystery!

Romans 12:6 – We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 

When it comes to spiritual gifts, it’s all about grace. Grace is the VIP pass that gets us into the “gifts of the Spirit” club. The gifts we have aren’t handed out because we’ve been extra holy, hit all our prayer quotas, or managed to avoid snacking during fasting. They’re given because God, in His infinite wisdom, decided that we’d be great at whatever He gives us. Now for a fancy word—charismata—a fancy term for spiritual gifts in the Bible which literally means “a gift of grace.” I think Paul pretty much invented this word to make it crystal clear that these gifts aren’t about us being awesome. They’re about God being generous. It’s like God saying, “Here’s an incredible ability to bless others—and no, you didn’t earn it. I just love giving good things to my people.”

Of course, it’s the Holy Spirit is the one handing out these gifts. He’s like the ultimate party host, passing out talents and abilities as He sees fit. In 1 Corinthians 12:11, Paul puts it like this: “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” In other words, the Holy Spirit is in charge, and He knows exactly what He’s doing.

Knowing that our gifts come from grace should make it absolutely impossible for us to get all puffed up and/or bragging about them. When you think about it, how can one about a present they didn’t even pick out? Imagine someone at their birthday party saying, “Look at this amazing gift! I’m so talented for receiving it!” We’d roll our eyes so hard they might get stuck. But, of course, humanity has a knack for turning even the purest things into a pride fest. Instead of pointing back to the Giver, we sometimes act like our gifts make us spiritual superheroes. Worse, we start putting others on pedestals, thinking, “Wow, they must be God’s favorite because they’re so gifted!” Yeah, no. God doesn’t have favorites. He’s not up there running a spiritual talent show with a ticket to Hollywood.

Once again, as in previous chapters, we have a situation where people are strutting around like peacocks with their spiritual gifts or idolizing others for theirs, and fail to remember that every gift we have is a grace-filled, undeserved expression of God’s love. So, instead of showing off, we need to use our gifts to serve, bless, and encourage one another—because, let’s face it, the world doesn’t need more spiritual divas. It needs people who love like Jesus.

Romans 12:7 – if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;

This verse is the beginning of where God tells us to basically stay in our lanes, but for us to make it awesome in all that we do. If it’s serving, let’s take the time to consider what people need before they need it. By learning to understand people better and find out where they’re at, our gift of serving could be one that could mend the hurting heart of someone who needs God’s grace upon them. If it’s teaching, we’d do well to pre-study the lessons that we teach and not mumble through the lesson like a bored career college professor reading out of the book (I had a college professor like that once!). By explaining things so clearly and passionately, people will walk away saying, “Wow, I finally get it!”—and maybe with a few corny jokes stuck in their heads, too (sorry…that’s my teaching style). The point is, whatever we’re good at, we need to go all in. If any of us are the type who can spot a need and fill it faster than a pothole repair crew (unless it’s a Fresno repair crew), then we need not hold back. We can all serve with a smile, a humble heart, and maybe even some snacks (snacks make everything better).

If some of us are teachers, think of it like this: the world doesn’t need more monotone lectures. It needs someone who can make the truth come alive. When I went back to college, I had to take an art class. The class I took was taught by someone who didn’t want to be there. It was boring, and I was amazed I learned anything. One day she was out ill, and the chairman of the department came in and filled in for her. She was so dynamic, with passion for what she was teaching. At the end of the class period, I could feel the buzz in the air as students were excited to have been in class that day. She had the kind of energy that makes people want to pay attention.

And let’s not forget, teaching and serving aren’t limited to the church building. We could be teaching someone how to grill the perfect steak, or serving by holding a crying baby so mom can eat a hot meal for once. Whether we’re pros with a chalkboard or champions at finding lost car keys, God’s saying, “Use your gift—and have fun doing it!”

One thing for certain—if anyone has the biggest house among those in your congregation, it does not automatically give them the gift of hospitality. I have found that some people who have means and enjoy hosting events in their home seem to be fanatical about their “stuff.” They want people to take off their shoes (kids are automatically de-shoed no matter whose house) to not dirty the carpet, or flinch if you sit on a certain chair. And all that’s fine, but when they’re exhibiting tension when doing it, maybe they should leave the hosting to someone else if people feel uncomfortable in their home. Just sayin…

Romans 12:8 – if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

This verse is like a heavenly job description, reminding us to crush it at whatever we’re good at. As an example, to be the person who can brighten someone’s day with just a few words, we would need to go full cheerleader mode. Ditch the pom-poms, but enthusiasm is mandatory. Be the type of person who says, “You’ve got this!” or “Wow, you’re amazing at parallel parking!” (Seriously, that’s a rare skill.) Be the person who can turn someone’s blah day into a great day. If we need to be the person whose gift is giving, we need not hold back. More like Oprah: “You get a blessing! And you get a blessing!” Whether it’s money, time, snacks, or our Netflix passwords (okay, maybe not that one), share with a happy heart. Remember, generosity isn’t about the size of the gift—it’s about the size of our heart. Even if all we can give is a smile, make it the biggest, goofiest, most contagious smile anyone’s ever seen. Avoid creepy smiles, though.

Leadership isn’t just about telling people what to do—it’s about inspiring them to want to do it. To lead others well, we need purpose, passion, and maybe a little humor. By focusing less on being a dictator and more on being everyone’s favorite camp counselor, we can become the kind of leader who makes people say, “I’d follow you anywhere—even to a seminar on banjo music (yikes)!”

And if the gift is mercy, let’s remember that showing mercy is like giving someone a second chance wrapped in kindness. But if we’re going to extend mercy, let’s do it with a smile. No one wants to hear a grumpy, “I forgive you.” That’s like getting a gift with the price tag still on it—awkward and unappealing. Instead, let’s show mercy with warmth and maybe even a laugh. After all, forgiveness done right can be as uplifting as a bear hug from a favorite person (but let me wait until my back stops hurting)!

Whatever our gifts are, we should do it with all our heart. So lets get out there, embrace our gifts, and sprinkle them like donut sprinkles over the lives of everyone we meet. Because when we bring our best self to the table, we don’t just make the world a better place—we make it a whole lot more fun for ourselves, too!

More to come…

A Broke Evangelist – December 8, 2024

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