Humble Service: Gifts for the Body
Sermon by Pastor Bob Johnson / July 13, 2025
Series: Transformed – Living Differently in a Difficult World
Text: Romans 12:3-8
Marks of a True Believer:
True Worship: Living Sacrifice
>> Humble Service: Gifts for the Body
Sincere Love: Mark of the True Christian
Compassionate Forgiveness: Overcoming Evil
Even if it’s not trending, humble service remains a deeply respected value, especially for those who are Christ followers.
Remember, Paul is writing to believers in Roman culture. A culture all about self-promotion The Romans were all about rank, or wealth, or eloquence, or function.
Counter-cultural to the arrogant Roman lifestyle was the transformed mind of the believer that exemplified the humble service of our Savior. So, what does it take for you and me to live differently in a difficult world through humble service?
It is going to take these three elements: A spiritual mindset, a spiritual unity, and a spiritual purpose!
Humble Service Involves a Spiritual Mindset. (Romans 12:3)
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
This is a caution against pride; and an exhortation not to judge of ourselves by our talents, wealth, or function, but to form another standard of judging of ourselves, by our Christian character.
A spiritual mindset believes your value comes from God – “every man”
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
This world tries to tell you your value comes from your accomplishments, your salary, your number of social media followers, your education, or from what people say about you.
Your value comes from God and according to Him, you are worth dying for!!
A spiritual mindset believes your salvation comes from God – “among you”
“Among you” refers to those together as believers. You are created by God, but are you a child of God?
A spiritual mindset believes your gifting comes from God – “measure of faith”
Three types of gifts:
- Natural Gifts
- Acquired Gifts
- Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are capacities or abilities imparted to Christians by the Holy Spirit to enable them to exceed the limitations of their finite humanity in order to serve other believers to the glory of God.
Three categories of spiritual gifts:
Manifestation Gifts – 1 Corinthians 12
Ministry Leadership Gifts – Ephesians 4
Motivational Gifts – Romans 12
Properly used gifts of the Spirit will produce more fruit of the Spirit.
Humble Service Involves Spiritual Unity. (Romans 12:4-5)
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
There is a spiritual unity through diversity. (Romans 12:4)
We should celebrate the diversity of the church!
There is a spiritual unity through identity. (Romans 12:5a)
One body in Christ. You have a new identity! Ephesians 2:1-6
Old Identity:
Ephesians 2:1-3 “And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
New Identity:
Ephesians 2:4-6 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:”
There is a spiritual unity through ministry. (Romans 12:5b)
Our unity as the body of Christ is supposed to be a vivid and vibrant testimony of God’s grace! Our world is at war, disunited, fighting, and disillusioned.
Humble Service Involves a Spiritual Purpose. (Romans 12:6-8)
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
It is to humbly serve one another so that the aroma of unity permeates the culture around us.
A spiritual purpose that is accomplished through you.
Gifts differing – We all have a different function but one purpose – expand the Kingdom of God
A spiritual purpose that is empowered in you.
According to grace given to us – God knows what each of us can handle or needs in order to fulfill His purpose. (Mercy, encouragement, teaching, etc.)
A spiritual purpose that is specific for you.
In this passage, Paul is motivating believers, which is why the gifts in this chapter have been labeled as motivational gifts.
Paul’s emphasis, however, is not on the list of gifts but on the use of them. In other words, you discover your gifting as your serve not before you serve!
Humble service is a mark of true Christianity!