“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” Romans 12:1-12

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” We can draw two conclusions from this opening text to chapter 12. First, that each person present their whole person in obedience and in faith to the commands that Paul will lay out in the following verses. All of our gifts, whether in ministry, or in teaching, etc., are to be used to the glory of G-d. And second, that worship is an act that involves the whole person, in body, performing certain acts of worship. Both points are arguments against the position that many people have today – that they can worship G-d at home by themselves, anytime and anywhere. Paul is appealing to the people that this just is not possible — not for the Romans (not for us) — to worship G-d properly is to be present in worship – and not just present but to be in the moment. This is what our liturgy is about – it is the “work” of the people – where we actively participate in that worship. We present our gifts to G-d, each according to the gifts that we have. We must go through an active assessment of those gifts often, and in accordance to our presenting our prayer, praise and thanksgiving to G-d. What are your gifts? Have they changed? Have you prayed about them and have you asked G-d to help you in assessing your gifts — and in using your gifts?

Pastor Dave

“Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry in order to make my own people jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead! If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And even those of Israel, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.” Romans 11:13-24

“Note then the kindness and the severity of God; severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.” (Romans 11:22) There is no room for boasting, Paul says, for G-d is a G-d of everlasting kindness, but also a G-d of judgment. Stand in awe, Paul says, of a G-d who has no qualms about breaking off branches, and grafting on other branches. This is a G-d of whom we should stand in awe, and to whom we should offer prayer, praise and thanksgiving daily.

So where do we stand on being part of the tree of faith, but grafted on through faith – alone? There is nothing that we can do but trust – trust builds faith — trust in a G-d who comes running for the one who finally comes to themselves, realizing that they do not “deserve” anything, and begs the Father for forgiveness; as apposed to the one who believes they deserve grace simply because they have done “nothing” not to deserve it — and should receive it because of their place in the “family”. We are only branches – supported by the root – which is the redemption that comes through Jesus Christ. When we are rooted in Christ, then our faith will surely grow through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Dave