Offered: To the Body | Part 2
In Offered Part 2, Pastor Nichole Crowley continues Joy Church’s study of Romans 12 and shows that a life offered to God is also a life offered to His people.
Ephesians 2:19-20 says we are no longer strangers or foreigners. In Christ, we are members of God’s family, built together with Jesus as the cornerstone. The church is not just somewhere we go. It is a people we belong to. And belonging to the family of God means more than sitting in the same room on Sunday. It means making room for one another, carrying burdens, celebrating victories, serving, giving, praying, encouraging, and allowing what God has placed in us to strengthen someone else.
Romans 12:3-8 gives us 3 clear steps:
1. START WITH HUMILITY Romans 12:3 says not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. Before Paul talks about gifts or function, he starts with grace. • We are forgiven by grace. • Adopted by grace. • Brought near by grace. • Welcomed into God’s family by grace. We did not earn our place, so we do not have to compete for position or compare our gift with someone else’s. Different roles do not mean different worth. Every gift matters because every gift was given by God. I am not standing above anybody. I am standing in grace.
2. TAKE YOUR PLACE IN THE FAMILY Romans 12:4-6 says that although we are many, we form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. There is a place for you in the family of God. But it is possible to have a place and never take it. You do not have to feel completely ready, confident, or polished before you step forward. Sometimes discovering your place begins with a simple prayer: “God, I don’t feel ready, but I am available.” The New Testament repeatedly tells us to love one another, honor one another, encourage one another, serve one another, forgive one another, pray for one another, and carry one another’s burdens. We cannot live out the “one anothers” in isolation. • I am not just here to belong. • I am here to contribute.
3. USE WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU Romans 12:6-8 says if your gift is serving, serve. If it is teaching, teach. If it is encouraging, encourage. If it is giving, give generously. If it is leading, lead diligently. If it is showing mercy, do it cheerfully. In other words: USE IT. • Develop it. • Practice it. • Exercise it. • Give it away. What God has placed in you was never meant to stop with you. Your gift is meant to strengthen somebody else and build up the body of Christ. Not sure what your gifts are? Start here:
1. Learn how God equips His people. Study Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4.
2. Pay attention to how God wired you. Notice what stirs your heart, what needs you see, and where fruit consistently appears.
3. Ask other believers. Mature Christians can often recognize gifts in you before you see them yourself.
4. Get involved. Do not wait until everything is perfectly identified. Join a group, build relationships, serve, say yes, and pay attention to what God does.
5. Look for fruit. Where are people being helped, strengthened, encouraged, or drawn closer to Jesus through you?
Sometimes the next step is not another sign. It is obedience. • If there is a need you can meet, meet it. • If someone needs encouragement, encourage them. • If there is a place you can serve, step into it. • If God has already been prompting you, say yes. You don’t need another sign to obey what God has already made clear. • Start somewhere. • Say yes. • Show up. • Don’t bury what God has given you. • Don’t compare it. • Don’t wait for perfect conditions.
KEY TAKEAWAY: You are not just part of the family of God so you can belong. God has also given you a part to play. • Start with humility. • Take your place. • Use what God has given you.
CALL TO ACTION: Ask the Holy Spirit: • Where have I been living on the edge of the family? • What has God placed in me that I have been hesitant to use? • What next step do I already know I need to take? Then respond with a simple yes: “God, I am available. Use me.”
