Romans chapter 12 verses 9 to 13 - When Gift is not Enough - J Stewart Gillespie

A strange thought: 'when gift is not enough' 

Is this: 

• Ingratitude? 
• Unthankfulness? 
• Ungratefulness? 
• Greediness? 
• Unbelief? 

Following on from the themes previously noted of: 

• Fragrance of Sacrifice (12:1-2) – personal consecration 
• Fellowship of Saints (12:3-8) – use of spiritual gifts 
• Fruitfulness in Spirit (12:9-21) 

In vs 3 to 8 we come to a section that deals with Christians collectively 

We…

Romans chapter 12 gives a Biblical view of the personal call to the altar for believers . It is a view which goes beyond the Old Testament view that was apparent to the OT offeror in Leviticus; for the offeror and his sacrifice the altar was the end! If my view of the altar is the same, then this place of the altar will be a place full of foreboding and dread, a place to be avoided at all costs, and I will probably fail either to desire to come here or to actually come here at all. 

Before we can desire…

There is a kind of Christianity today that: 

keeps Christ in the past 
Keeps God at arms length 

There is a kind of preaching too that: 

keeps Christ in the past 
Keeps God at arms length 

There can be even a kind of worship that: 

keeps Christ in the past 
Keeps God at arms length 

A kind of Christianity that distinguishes between: 

what we know 
what we practice 

That because we know so much maybe we don't need to practice it! 

Intelligent prayers and high sounding prayers, orthodox doctrine but a religion…

The problem of suffering is amongst the most difficult and perplexing of all problems in life. 

There are those who on the basis of suffering would confidently affirm that there is no God. 

If there is a God He ought to be able, because He is all powerful and willing, because He is good to prevent suffering, since there is suffering, either God is not able to prevent it and so is not all powerful, is not willing to prevent it and so is not good or simply He does not exist. 

Where is the problem in…

There is no doubt that 'death' brings an end, a closure to matters! 

It is possible to miss the simple message of Romans 6, to get away from the simplicity and clarity of it! 

The Christian life begins with a conversion – an end to the old and a beginning of the new! 

There would hardly be a more clear cut, a more dramatic way of putting it: black and white, right and wrong, life and death! 

This is an absolute! 

We may go on a course, an Alpha Course and answer the questions but if there is no conversion…