Introduction

Next Sunday, I am planning to begin a new series through Ezra. It’s been a while since I preached an OT book, so I’m looking forward to a different type of study. Consider reading through Ezra this week, because it will help you digest next week’s introduction.

Before we begin the study, I want to revisit our 2022 theme “Love One Another.” On January 2, we introduced the theme by studying John 13:31–35. Only a few hours before his death Jesus told his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35).

We said that this is a new commandment in that we have a new example—the sacrificial love of Jesus, and we have a new context—among Jesus’ disciples in the church. The NT builds out this command with 31 “one another” passages that are addressed to the church. This morning, I want to look at one of the most foundational “one another” texts. My title is “We Need One Another,” and I’d like to prove it from Romans 12:3–8.

A couple weeks ago, I was listening to a podcast, where the contributors were discussing a new direction for the internet called the metaverse and what it will mean for the church. If you haven’t heard of the metaverse, it’s essentially a major move toward virtual reality and toward conducting more of life and business through virtual reality.

This podcast warned that some churches are moving services to this platform. Considering our theme this year, it piqued my interest, so I did a Google search and came across this website. You can see the headline, “We brought church to the metaverse.” Then it adds, “We will do anything short of sin to reach people who don’t know Christ.” They’re essentially claiming, “We aren’t technically doing something wrong,” which means they know they are really stretching God’s design.

It’s important to say at the outset, that this Life.Church is not a weird, tiny church. The pastor is Craig Groeschel. He is a well know pastor and author, and Life.Church has grown into a massive “church” with locations across multiple states.

Their next venture is to bring church to the metaverse. Notice how they describe it, “The metaverse is an online world where people can socialize, work, and play. When you attend church in the metaverse, you’re able to experience it in a way unlike any other digital platform. All the people you see are present with you at the same time in the service. You talk to them avatar-to-avatar and hear their real voices. You can even see their facial expressions and body language. One-on-one digital conversations take on a whole new meaning in virtual reality.” So, you buy a VR headset, create your avatar, like the ones you can see on the website, and you go to church through your avatar.

Now, I imagine that this sounds crazy to most of you, but I agree with the guys on the podcast that this sort of thing will be a huge draw to many people based on how they already participate in the church.

Specifically, many churches have turned worship into little more than an event that you watch. The room is dark, and all the focus is on the platform. They help you become an anonymous spectator at a professional, exciting, and passionate performance. Afterwards, you can go about your life without any responsibility or accountability to what you just watched. If that’s all that the church is, then what’s the big deal about jumping to the metaverse from the comfort of your home?

But our text teaches that the church is far more than this. It is an interdependent family. It teaches that we need one another through life on life, real relationships where we serve each other through the exercise of our spiritual gifts and where we benefit from the ministry of others. It paints a compelling picture of life together that technology can never replace. It’s a picture that we desperately need to emphasize in a day when people isolate themselves more and more. Paul makes his point in 2 sections. 1st, vv. 3–5 teach that you need the church. 2^nd, vv. 6–8 teach that the church needs you. Let’s begin with the fact that…

I.  You need the church (vv. 3–5).

Before we get to this point, I want to make sure that we don’t want us to miss a couple important points Paul makes in the...

Introduction to the Text: First…

This text is rooted in Paul’s apostolic calling. Paul gives this command, “through the grace given to me.” Paul adds this phrase to set this text off as authoritative and very important. He’s not just giving his opinion, and we aren’t free to draw our own conclusions.

No, God graciously made Paul an apostle, and what follows is God’s authoritative will. So, we must listen to and obey what God says about me and about his church in what follows. 2^nd…

This text is addressed to all Christians. Paul says, “I say to everyone among you.” I imagine that Paul said this because he knew how some people would think they are the exception to what follows.

“Yeah, that’s good for some people but not me.” “I don’t need the church. God and I are enough.” Or “I’m just not a very social person, and I don’t like crowds, so I’ll just read some Scripture on my own.” Or “Yeah, the church is great, but I have too much going on, or I have more important priorities than getting to church.” So many Christians don’t believe they need the church.

Therefore, Paul prefaces the text by emphasizing that what he is about to say applies to every Christian. All of us must hear and heed what follows, which I’d like to break down into 3 challenges. First…

Understand your insufficiency and your value (v. 3b). Paul begins by warning us not to think too highly of ourselves. In this context, he is especially warning against pride in how I view my relationship to the church. Since Paul was writing from Corinth, I imagine he is thinking about the arrogance of some at Corinth. They flaunted their spiritual gifts, their knowledge, and their wealth, and they looked down their noses at those they saw as nothing more than a drag on the church. They thought they had everything, and they didn’t need those inferior, foolish, ungifted Christians.

Many people today feel the same way. They think they have it all together, and they don’t have the patience to put up with the challenges of living in community and dealing with other people’s problems. Others think they are God’s gift to the church. “They should be so glad that I’m here. If everyone would just listen to me, everything would be better.”

Therefore, Paul urges all of us “to think so as to have sound judgment.” In other words, we must carefully maintain an accurate perspective on our own weaknesses. Verses 4–5 will clarify that we especially need to clearly see that I need the other parts of the church.

I like how Paul puts it, “And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary” (1 Cor 12:21–22).

It might be that you are a very mature believer, you have significant spiritual gifts, and you don’t have any major spiritual struggles. Therefore, you may be tempted to think that an immature, humble new believer has nothing to give you. But that is not how God made the church.

No matter who you are, you need the other members of the body. Their gifts and even their struggles are vital to your continued growth and to fulfilling your ministry. I’ve certainly seen that in my life. Those who are learning about Christ for the first time and who are struggling against deeply imbedded sin habits provide invaluable perspective. I am not an island to myself. I need everyone in this church, and so do you.

But it may be that you have the opposite struggle. You’ve never thought that you don’t need the church, but you have wondered what you have to offer. You might think that the church would be better off without me.

Notice in v. 3 that sound judgment does not just lead to humility. It also causes me to recognize, “God has allotted…” I must say that scholars are split on the meaning of this phrase. Many believe that Paul is highlighting the gift of saving faith. Therefore, the point is that we are all equal at the foot of the cross because we are all saved by the same faith.

But I don’t think this view gives proper weight to the word measure, which normally describes a portion or a measurement. And since v. 4 follows by highlighting the diversity of the church, I believe it is best to see measure as describing the diversity of faith and ultimately giftedness among believers.

So, we’ve all received our own measure of grace. Paul opened the verse by mentioning the fact that God graced him with the role of apostle. And God has given every other believer a role in the church. So, none of us are a whole body; we only have a measure of faith, a specific role. We need each other.

But the other members also need us. We all have a measure of faith that is essential to the health of the body. No matter who you are and no matter what your struggles may be. If you are in Christ, you are vital to the health of Life Point. Therefore, the 2^nd challenge of vv. 3–5…

Embrace the diversity of the body (v. 4). This verse makes the simple point that we are not the same. We all have different backgrounds, different personalities, different perspectives, different spiritual strengths, and even different spiritual weaknesses. And we especially have different spiritual gifts, which Paul highlights in vv. 6–8.

That’s great, but these differences sometimes cause friction. The type A who is gifted to lead will sometimes clash with the naturally compassionate person who is gifted to show mercy. The old and the young will at times have conflicting preferences and priorities. On and on it goes.

That’s one reason why a virtual community can be attractive. I can pick people who are just like me and avoid a lot of conflict. But the Bible is clear that diversity, and particularly diversity of gifts is vital to the health and productivity of the church.

“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” (1 Cor 12:17–20).

Our bodies are incredible. Just think about how many parts have two work together for you to do a simple task like signing your name. There is incredible beauty in diversity.

It’s the same in the church. We would be in big trouble if Life Point was composed of many Kit Johnsons. The décor would be horrible. All our programs would be boring and nerdy. And we would struggle to reach many people in our community who I don’t connect with.

So, yes, diversity creates challenges, but it also creates strength. So, give thanks for the ministry you receive from brothers and sisters with differing gifts. And give thanks for how much more effective we can be together in fulfilling our mission than we could ever be on our own. The 3^rd challenge is…

Embrace the unity of the church (v. 5). Notice that it’s not just that we get along. We are “one body in Christ.” So, Christ draws us together. That’s so important because unity built on personalities and worldly interests is fatally flawed because it is rooted in shifting sands. So, we must always be sure that Life Point is built on Christ and his mission.

And notice that when gospel power binds us together, we don’t just coexist; instead, Paul says we are “individually members one of another.” This phrase describes a powerful unity that creates incredible strength. It reminds me of the strength of a cable.

For example, when I was growing up on the farm, we would occasionally get a tractor stuck in a mudhole while doing field work. Typically, it wasn’t too hard to hook a chain to another tractor and pull it out. But there were times when we would burry a tractor and whatever implement it was pulling, and when the other tractor began to pull, even a very heavy chain would snap.

So, we would borrow our neighbor’s cable. It was way longer than the chain, but it was lighter, and yet it was far stronger. We broke lots of chain links over the years, but we never broke the cable. Why is that? It’s because a cable is made of lots of small and individually weak wires that are braided together in a complex web so that they equally share the load. Together they create incredible strength.

That’s how I picture being “members one of another.” We don’t just sit in the same room once a week; we are engaged in each other’s lives like a complex weave. We care for each other, and we work together to glorify God in fulfilling of the Great Commission. And this interconnectedness creates incredible strength and effectiveness.

Therefore, you are far safer from Satan’s attacks when you are vitally connected to the church than when you are not. For example, I recently watched a documentary on sea life, and they were talking about small fish like herring. On their own a herring is no match against predators, so they gather in massive schools up to a billion in number. And when a predator attacks their combined movement confuses it. The only way they can catch a fish is to break up the school.

It’s the same for Christians. There is incredible spiritual safety when you are deeply connected to the body, and there is grave danger when you are swimming alone. So, stay connected.

And we are also far more effective in making disciples when we work together than when we work alone. For example, if it were up to me to run the Valentine’s Banquet, it wouldn’t happen. If it did, it would be horrible. And if some of you had to preach, you’d never get up. But together we can accomplish so much.

So, embrace the unity of the church, and move toward the center. Go after people and build significant relationships. Encourage each other, serve each other, and hold each other accountable. And jump into ministry. Work alongside your brothers and sisters in doing the most important job in the world, which is declaring the glory of Jesus and discipling followers of Christ.

You need the church. God says that you do. Embrace God’s design and plug in. The 2^nd major truth in this text is…

II.  The church needs you (vv. 6–8).

We are not going to deal exhaustively with these verses; instead, I’d like to highlight two important principles from them, and then we’ll deal with some of the details this evening. First…

God designed you to fulfill a unique role in the church (v. 6a). Paul says that God has given every believer a different grace. We know that he is talking about spiritual gifts because the text follows by commanding us to exercise those gifts.

Again, I’m going to talk about spiritual gifts this evening, but for now just notice that God has given us all unique roles in the church. And as we saw earlier, all these roles are vital to the health of the body.

Now, maybe you think that you are the exception and that you have nothing to offer the church. The church would be better off without me. But v. 3 says this is not so because this text is addressed “to everyone among you.” That’s really important, because I’ve heard many believers deny my first major point that they need the church. They think they are fine just watching Charles Stanley on T.V. The NT denies that, but even if it were true that you could thrive spiritually without the church, you cannot be a fruitful disciple without the church.

That’s because one of God’s demands for you is to use your spiritual gift to serve the church. If you aren’t serving the church, you are neglecting a major aspect of discipleship. You are a deformed disciple.

Now, I recognize that some people are providentially hindered from fully participating in the church because of physical limitations, health issues, job issues, etc. God knows all of those things, and we want to be sensitive to them also. So, I’m not saying that those who can only watch online or who are stuck at home are living in sin, and I’m certainly not looking down my nose at them. We can’t fight providence; we must embrace it.

But for the rest of us, this text and others say that if you are saved God gave you a gift to use to advance his church. And vv. 6–8 command you to use that gift. We can’t just ignore part of God’s Word. As God gives opportunity, we must obey it all. Which brings me to the 2^nd principle I want to highlight.

You must enthusiastically fulfill your role. Notice the adverbs in v. 8. So, God wants every believer to find a place to serve, and don’t merely go through the motions. Serve liberally, with diligence, and with cheerfulness. Why? Because the church needs you.

Maybe you have questions. What is my gift? Where can I use my gift? How can I develop my gift? Well, I’d encourage you to come back tonight, and we’ll talk more about those very things, and please reach out to Pastor Tim and me because we want to help you do this. Finally, I’d like to pull all of this together into 5 conclusions.

III.  Conclusions

Receive Christ so that you can be part of the body. The church is a precious fellowship, but v. 5 says that this fellowship is rooted in Christ. So, if you are not saved, we are happy you are here, and we want you to keep coming. But you can take your connection to the church to a whole different level if you are in Christ. We’d love to speak with you today about how you can receive Christ and be welcomed into his body.

Join Life Point. The NT is clear that a local church requires mutual commitment. You commit to the church, and the church commits to you. As a Baptist church, we do this through a process of membership. It’s about much more than the right to vote; it’s about commitment on both sides. I would love answer all your questions about membership, and I would love to see many of you take that step. Talk with Pastor Tim or me if you are interested.

Embrace God’s will. I know that a sermon like this causes some hearts to ache because you want to do more, but you can’t. I hate that feeling. I’m no fun when I’m sick because I hate to slow down. But sometimes that’s what God wants. If that’s where you are, we love you, and we want to care for you. And you probably have more value to the body than you realize.

Receive ministry. You need the church. It is one of the most important means God has given us for our spiritual growth, so take advantage. Participate as much as your schedule will allow. Lean on your brothers and sisters and let them bear your burdens and rejoice in your blessings. Yes, making the church a priority is not always convenient, but it is always worth it.

Give ministry. The church needs you. We are less effective without part of the body. We need you to make disciples and see them grow into maturity. God receives less glory when you sit on the sidelines. And you miss out on a lot of blessing. Jump in and serve in the strength that God supplies.