Grow With Pastor Joe

We live in a world filled with consumption. Nations consume nations. People consume land and one another. We waste. We consume. We find more to consume. We consume it. Then our taste changes, then we find something else more exciting or “fulfilling” (though it never does) to consume. Consumerism drives our society because it is in the depths of our hearts. Sadly, this consumerist mentality has overtaken the average Christian, their home, and local church. We want what we want, and we want it when we want, how we want, and if our demands aren’t met then we will somehow “stop feeling fed…just feel that God wants us elsewhere.” Yes, in our Christian life we must consume some things. Consume the gospel. His grace and Word. Consume the preaching of the scriptures. Consume yourself with thoughts of the Lord Jesus Christ. BUT! Please, I beg and plead that you remember that everything that you consume in your Christian life is to fill you so that you’d be poured out for the contribution of the good and growth of others. By the way, whatever you consume will eventually consume you. The reason that fewer and fewer believers and even members within the local church are no longer contributors is because they have become consumed with everything else but Jesus. Until we are consumed with His grace and glory, we will never contribute in the work of God in our homes, churches, or community. The question we must ask ourselves is, “Am I more concerned with consuming (what I can get out) or contributing (what I can give) to the life of the church?” We must be distinguished from the consumerist ways of the world because God has given this distinguishment to us. We are in the world, but not of it and are not to be conformed to it, but transformed by Christ in us (Rom. 12:1-2). The world and our flesh are only out for the good of self. It refuses to relinquish personal rights, riches, and resources for the good of others. It is all about me. However, in the Christian life, because of the transforming power of the gospel by His grace, we are able to seek the good of others and the glory of Christ. Our life is us decreasing so that Christ and others may have preeminence. Those of us in the faith don’t consume as the world does. We are to faithfully forgo our personal rights, riches, and resources for the good of the church and glory of Christ.

The gospel and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ call us to a higher life of contributing to the needs of others, both physical and spiritual. Throughout Romans 12, we have seen that because of the gospel by grace through faith we are converted, consecrated, connected to Christ and one another, and then should have consistent gospel conduct, convictions, and contributions. We’ve been given eternal riches in Christ to share with one another and the world. We’ve been given the gospel to share the gospel. We have been given the gospel of grace to be gracious. Gospel people are gracious people. You may not have much, but if you have the gospel and grace (if you are saved then these transformational truths are yours) then you can contribute in the lives of others for the glory of God. The lives of people who only consume don’t count for eternity. Those who live for eternity are contributors and their lives count for eternity. Don’t you want your life to count for eternity? If you want to live for His glory and live a life that counts, then today, as we study Rom. 12:13, yield yourself to Christ so that you may contribute to His eternal work today. Rom. 12:13 says, “¹³ Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.” This verse comes in as the Apostle Paul is showing believers the demands of the gospel in all areas of our life. All of life is to be sacred and sanctified unto the Lord. The gospel impacts and influences all of life. It invades our life. His grace interrupts our plans and moments. By grace through the gospel, Jesus has interrupted your life so that you’d stop being so bothered when you are inconvenienced in this life. God has called you to a life of inconvenience and interruption so that you may influence others with the gospel and grace of God. As we keep this in mind, we will see that we are to be contributing to the lives of both saints and strangers. God has entrusted us with His gospel and grace so that we may go into the world for their good and His glory. Let’s dive into what it means to live with consistent gospel contribution.

            First, each believer should be consistently contributing to the saints. Our life is shared with the saints of God, or at least it should be. Your life is not yours. You are not your own but have been bought by Christ and belong to Him in eternal union. This union to and with Christ is also inseparably linked with His Church, His Body and Bride. This union with Christ and His Church is to be lived out in constant consistent communion with one another. Your relationship to Jesus and His Church brings responsibilities for you to live out in faithful obedience to both Jesus and His Church. To contribute to the saints, let’s look at the first phrase of Rom. 12:13 which says, “distributing to the necessity of saints.” The word “distributing” is the word “koinonia” which means one another, have in common, and share. It is in the present tense reminding us that this is to be our manner of life. It is who we are and what we do. It is as much a part of the Christian life as anything else previously mentioned in the chapter. Koinonia was used in Greek marriage contracts with both the bride and groom agreeing to joint participation. In marriage, it takes two to tango. All relationships are two-sided and require joint participation for it to function. In the life of the local church, it takes you and it takes me. It takes all of us being consecrated to God and living in connection with one another. Distributing for the needs of the saints is twofold. We are responsible for helping one another physically and spiritually. When physical needs come, especially that of hardships, those in the local body of Christ are to contribute to the needs of others. True Bible koinonia is the sharing of life, both burdens and blessings. We must be willing to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. The burdens, failures, and struggles of others in the church are to be shared with others as their own. You hurt, I hurt. You win, I win. This was the pattern of the early church beginning in the earliest days after the Day of Pentecost in the book of Acts. Acts 2:41-47 shows the details of this taking place immediately after the establishment of the church. Then, a short while later, Acts 4:33-35 records, “³² And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. ³³ And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, ³⁵ And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” The gospel unites us together and the grace of God makes us usable for the contribution to the life of the church. When there are needs we are called by the gospel to seek to contribute to meet the needs of the saints to whom we belong. In the context of Romans 12, we see that we not only distribute to meet physical needs, but spiritual. We do this by consistently functioning the gifts of grace that God has given. The health and growth of the church are dependent upon this. You and I meet each other’s spiritual needs by engaging in the life of the church as we are each equipped through the work of His grace and then enlisted into the ministry to strengthen others. We do this eagerly, patiently, prayerfully, and even joyfully because we belong to one another. The saints of God should be a priority for us in our life. We should live with the church on our mind for they are our brothers, sisters, and fellow members of the Body belonging to Christ. Gal. 6:9-10 tells us, “⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. ¹⁰ As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” 1 John 3:16-18 says, “¹⁶ Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷ But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? ¹⁸ My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” The needs that others have in your church are actually your own. Don’t be a burden to your church, rather, share in the burdens by being a blessing contributing to the saints of God by grace through faith.

            Second, each believer should have gospel contributions for strangers. We must never grow so inwardly focused that we forget the lost world outside of our four walls. Rom. 12:13 says that we are to as well be, “given to hospitality.” We sometimes pray for God to give us an opportunity to serve Him. Stop doing that. Pray for obedience at the opportunities that are there. If you get a hold of Rom. 12:1-12, then you’ll have no problem seeing and seizing every opportunity. Notice the first phrase, “given to.” This is the Greek word “dioko” which means to pursue or follow hard after. Paul uses it in quick secession in Phil. 3:6, 12, 14. This is once again in the present tense as it should be a mark and motivation of our daily life. We are to pursue hospitality and service in our life, both in the church and out. This means we must be willing to be interrupted and inconvenienced in our life to be able to be an influence for the sake of the gospel and glory of Christ. We must actually pursue this sort of lifestyle. We should literally track down or hunt down every opportunity that we can to serve someone else with our life. The grace of God pursued us, chased us down in the gospel so that we can pursue the good of others and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel and grace of God invaded our life so that we might invade the world around us with the same. Living life this way (in pursuit) means that we aren’t to serve outwardly with the inward thought, “I wish I didn’t have to do this or that or sacrifice this or that.” In our service to Christ by serving saints and strangers alike, we should not belittle those in need, nor should we meet the need begrudgingly. Paul dealt with this in the broader passage of Rom. 12:9-12. Phil. 2:14 says, “¹⁴ Do all things without murmurings and disputings:” and 1 Peter 4:9 says, “⁹ Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” But, what is hospitality? More specifically, what is true biblical gospel fueled grace enabled hospitality? The word hospitality is the Greek word “philonexia” is the attitude and action to love strangers or be a friend of strangers and thus one who entertains strangers or demonstrates hospitality or kindness to strangers. Simply, it is to love a stranger as a friend. They say that a stranger is only a friend that you haven’t met yet. That’s this kind of attitude. I don’t like strangers. I don’t like inconvenience. I like people to leave me alone. However, the gospel didn’t leave me alone. His grace didn’t leave me alone. Therefore, the gospel and grace of God demands that I pursue gospel hospitality being willing to meet their needs as well. Gospel hospitality opens our hearts and turns our homes into hospitals for the struggling stranger. You and I were strangers to the commonwealth of God (Eph. 3) and the gospel made us, who were enemies and strangers, and then turned us into saints and sons (and daughters) of God. The gospel is the display of God’s grace being hospitable to the stranger and outcast. Those in our community who may be strangers or even just strange need us to lovingly exclaim the gospel, exemplify Christlikeness, and extend grace to them. Humble, honest, helpful hospitality honors the Lord. You may be the link between the stranger (physically/spiritually) to the Savior. Our daily life should be hunting down ways to give gospel hospitality to the lost, broken, and strange. That’s what the gospel did for us. It’s what His grace did and still does.

This is what it means to live consistently with our confession of faith. This is what it means to live a life of convictions and a life that counts for eternity. We need to consume the gospel and grace so that we can become contributors in the work of the gospel today both with saints and strangers alike. Like Paul, are you willing to spend and be spent (2 Cor. 12:15)? Are you a consumer or a contributor? Do you bear the burdens of others as your own and do you celebrate their victories as if they were your own? Does inconvenience and interruption bother you more than not being a gospel influence? If your life will count for eternity, then you must be willing to be presently interrupted and inconvenienced to be a gospel influence in your community. Souls are at stake and the strength of the Church is dependent upon each of us. We can honor the Lord by helping the health of our church and community be living with consistent gospel contributions by grace through faith. Let us live by the gospel and grace of God for the good of others and glory of Christ!