The Holy Christian Church

SERMON NOTES

This We Believe #7: The Holy Christian Church
Sunday, March 22, 2026

Main Text: Romans 12:1-8

1. Our Identity Is Rooted in the Gospel (Romans 12:1–8)

• The Church is formed by the mercies of God (vv. 1–2)
• The Church is united as one body in Christ (vv. 3–5)
• The Church is strengthened through diverse gifts (vv. 6–8)

2. What Does Scripture Teach About the Church?

• The Church is a people, not a place
• The Church is the Body of Christ
• The Church is a spiritual family
• The Church is both local and global

3. What Are Some Common Distortions of the Church Today?

• Consumerism: the church exists to meet my needs
• Individualism: faith is only private, not communal
• Spectatorism: ministry is done by a few, not all
• Favoritism: unity based on shared-preferences

4. What Does This Mean for Us?

• We must move from consuming to belonging
• We must pursue humility and harmony
• We must discover and use our spiritual gifts
• We must live with a vision of the global and eternal church

“The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.” – C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

SERMON MANUSCRIPT

INTRODUCTION

We live in the Age of Customization. Virtually everything in our lives today is designed

around our personal likes and preferences. And the data proves it.

According to a study on the State of the Connected Consumer by Salesforce in 2022,

almost two-thirds (73%) of consumers agreed with this statement: “I expect companies

to understand my unique needs and expectations.

” A separate study by Forbes in 2024

on the State of Customer Service, found that 81% of customers prefer companies that

offer personalized experiences.

And this is why you can go to a Chipotle and customize a burrito just the way you like it.

No cheese–No problem! Extra beans–Why not? I remember working at Starbucks many

years ago and we would get the regulars. Every day they would come in and order their

special drinks–and they expected you to not only know, but to get it exactly right.

For example this was an actual order: venti, 5-shot, upside-down, extra-hot, no foam, no

fat, caramel macchiato, with 5 pumps of sugar free vanilla, extra caramel sauce, double

cupped with no sleeve. [repeat] You got it! Coming right up!

And not only when it comes to what we eat and drink. Our entertainment choices work

the same way as well. For example, streaming services like Netflix and Spotify devote a

ton of resources and manpower to study our habits to create a customized experience

tailored specifically for each person based on what they’ve watched or listened to in the

past. And they go to great lengths to not only know but to anticipate what we would like.

Even the way we shop has been customized for us. Places like Amazon use a complex

system of algorithms designed to curate storefronts around our unique shopping habits,

our interests, and our preferences. And guess what? It works! [$717 Billion revenue] It’s

why some of you have a stack of Amazon packages waiting for you at home right now.

And again, this is because we are living in an Age of Customization, where: your feed,

your food, your fashion, your playlist, your relationships, and your ads are customized.

And it all reinforces this simple yet powerful message: Life should revolve around YOU

and YOUR preferences. And if we live in that environment long enough, it starts to do

something to us. It shapes how we see ourselves and how we interact with the world

around us. And over time, we start to believe that everything should revolve around ME.2

And this includes the Church–where we begin to ask questions like:

–

Do I like the music? (too loud; too soft; too contemporary; too traditional)

–

Do I like the preaching? (interesting; boring; funny; relevant)

–

Do I like the people? (friendly; too friendly; not friendly; weird)

–

Do I like the programs? (do their ministries meet my needs)

–

And most importantly, do they have coffee?

And without even realizing it, we begin to approach church the same way we approach

restaurants, coffee shops, or streaming services: AS CONSUMERS.

But this is not what Christ has called and created the Church to be. The Church is not a

product to consume-it’s a people to belong to. It’s not a place where we come primarily

to receive-it’s a community where we’re being shaped to look more and more like Jesus.

SUBJECT

For those of you who are worshiping with us for the first time, we are in a series called

This We Believe, where we’re walking through the Apostle’s Creed. And today, we come

to this statement: I believe in the Holy Christian Church. The Communion of Saints.

And although the Creed doesn’t carry the same weight or authority as the Bible, it offers

a faithful summary of what Scripture teaches. It’s important because it anchors us to the

historic Christian faith and guards us from the temptation of shaping the Church around

our personal preferences. And in a world that is constantly pulling us towards an

increasingly personalized, self-defined faith, these truths matter now more than ever.

TEXT

And so all with that said, I want to invite you to turn with me to Romans 12:1-8 [stand]:

1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your

bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be

conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may

discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly

than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each

one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same

function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members

of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it

according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8

if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with

cheerfulness.3

PREVIEW:

1. Our Identity is rooted in the Gospel
2. What Scripture teaches about the Church
3. Some of the common distortions we have about the Church
4. Why this matters to us today

OUR IDENTITY IS ROOTED IN THE GOSPEL (Romans 12:1-8)

First, we’ll see from our passage that our identity is rooted in the Gospel.

The Church is Formed by the Mercies of God (vv. 1-2)

In other words, the Holy Christian Church and the communion of saints is formed by the

mercies and forgiveness that we have received from God through faith in Jesus Christ.

This is why Paul begins by saying: Therefore, brothers and sisters (believers), in view of

the mercies of God… Whenever you see the word therefore, you’ve got to ask: What is

it there for? Prior to this, Paul spent the first 11 chapters unpacking the mercies of God,

and he now turns to application. In other words, he moves from orthodoxy to orthopraxy.

And he urges them, in view of God’s mercies, to offer their bodies as living sacrifices–

holy and pleasing to God–as their true act of worship. And in verse 2 he tells them how:

by NOT conforming to this age; but instead being transformed by the renewing of their

minds. Now the word “conform” here is a combination of 2 words: with and appearance

(molded and shaped into). And what Paul is saying here is: Don’t be like that. Rather, be

completely changed (meta-morpho) from the inside out.

Now there’s a big difference between conformity and transformation. Conformity is more

about changing your external behaviors to match what’s around you (chameleon). But

transformation is so much deeper. It’s a fundamental change in who you are (butterfly).

And what Paul is saying is this: Do not let the world mold and shape who you are from

the outside in. Rather, be renewed and remade from the inside out. Because when that

happens, you will begin to live as a reflection of God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.

And this matters because it’s easy for us to fall into the subtle trap of conforming to what

the world says the Church should be, instead of being shaped by the Holy Spirit; and by

being anchored in the truth of God’s Word. And this rarely happens all at once. It often

starts with a little compromise here and there. But before long, without even realizing it,

we’re no longer being transformed by the renewing of our minds–we’re being conformed

to the patterns of this world one small step and one small compromise at a time. And it’s

why this urgent call from the Apostle Paul is so crucial for us today.4

The Church is United as One Body in Christ (vv. 3-5)

Second, we see in verses 3-5 that the Church is united as one body in Christ.

Paul warns them in verse 3 to not think of themselves more highly than they should. In

other words, don’t have an inflated view of yourself. Instead, you are to think sensibly or

with sober judgement.

Now that word sensibly is actually a play on words in the original language. And what

he’s essentially saying here is: Use your mind rightly when it comes to your mind. In

other words: have a realistic, sober-minded view of yourself.

Perhaps a simpler way to say it is: be humble. And as he now moves from doctrine to

application, Paul makes sure that he is framing it the right away. And he does that by

addressing something that has always threatened the unity of the Church: PRIDE.

Because pride often distorts our identity. It either elevates you above others or it isolates

you from them. Now some people do think too highly of themselves: I’m more important;

I’m more gifted; I’m more needed; I’m more influential. While others think too lowly of

themselves: I don’t matter; I have nothing to offer; my gifts/abilities aren’t really needed.

And both are wrong, because both place the focus on I: I am this or I am not this. And

instead, Paul says that we are to: Think with sober judgment, each person according to

the measure of faith that God has assigned. In other words: See yourself rightly; not

with an inflated or a diminished view of yourself but one that is grounded in God’s grace.

Because everything we have: our gifts, our abilities, our resources, and our roles in the

Church–is not something that we have achieved or earned. Rather, it is something we

have received from the gracious hand of God our Father–the Giver of all good gifts.

And Paul continues in verses 4-5 by giving us a powerful image of the Church: BODY.

Notice, there is no mention of a building, a location, or an organization. Multiple times in

the New Testament, Paul uses the image of a BODY to describe the Church.

And not just a body, but that word ONE here is very important. Because it’s not many

bodies, but one body with many parts–all united in Christ. This means that even though

the Church is made up of different people with different backgrounds, personalities,

cultures, gifts, and experiences, we are all ONE Body in Christ.

And he presses the importance of unity even further with this phrase at the end of verse

5: and we are individually members of one another. And that word for member here is

interesting, because it carries this idea that something is not complete or is deficient and

lacking in some way because it’s missing one of its vital parts.5

It’s sort of like a family member who isn’t there for the Holidays. And sure, things can go

along as planned. But it will always feel somewhat incomplete. There’s this longing for

the one who’s not there. It’s as if an important part of us is missing. And this is the same

idea that Paul is communicating here as well. It’s not just a technical term that he uses

to get his point across. It’s more intimate than that. It’s the language of family.

And this is why he says elsewhere in 1 Corinthians 12:26, “So if one member suffers, all

the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

One of the primary tactics of the enemy is to divide. Because he knows that as long as

we are divided, we are weakened. A body with a severed limb will not function the way it

was designed to. A family torn apart by bitterness and resentment will not thrive the way

God intended it. And a church fragmented by pride, jealousy, and indifference will be far

less dangerous to the kingdom of darkness than one that is walking in love and unity.

Friends, Jesus gave His life so that the Church would be One as He and the Father are

one. And we have been called to contend for the unity that Christ died on the cross for.

The Church is Strengthened Through Diverse Gifts (vv. 6-8)

Third, we see here in verses 6-8 that the Church is strengthened through diverse gifts.

The word gift in verse 6 is the Greek word charisma, which comes from the root word

charis, meaning grace: According to the charis given to us, we have different charisma.

And so if you think about it, a spiritual gift is really a grace-gift. It’s a gift freely given by

God ,so that you can extend the same grace to others.

Notice the gifts that Paul lists here in verses 7-8: prophecy, service, teaching, exhorting,

giving, leading, and showing mercy. Seven gifts. And what do they all have in common?

They’re not given for your own benefit. They’re given for the benefit of the entire Body.

And also notice that Paul doesn’t say IF you have a gift. He says we have different gifts.

Every believer. Every member. You have been gifted for the good of the Church and for

the glory of God. But the problem is, many of us never use those gifts. And when that

happens, the whole Body ends up suffering. And those who are serving often burn out,

because they end up carrying the weight God intended to be shared by many.

This reminds me of a story I heard about four people in the church. Their names were:

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. The church had some financial needs,

and so Everybody was asked to help. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but you know who did it? Nobody! And so it ended up that

Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could’ve done.6

Then it came about that the church grounds needed some work. And Somebody was

asked to help. But then Somebody got angry about this because Anybody could have

done it just as well. And after all, it was really Everybody’s job. And so in the end, the

work was given to Nobody. And you know what? Nobody did a great job!

And on and on it went. Whenever something needed to get done, Nobody could always

be counted on: Nobody visited the sick; Nobody gave generously; Nobody served; and

Nobody shared their faith. In short, Nobody was a very faithful member. And finally, the

day came when Somebody left the church and took Anybody and Everybody with them.

And guess who was left? Nobody!

Here’s the point of this story: The strength of the Church is not found in the giftings of a

few, but in the faithful participation of all. And God, in His infinite wisdom and grace,

has uniquely gifted and equipped each and every single one of us–not so we can sit on

the sidelines and watch–but so that we can build up the Body together.

And when each person steps up and uses what God has given to them, the Church

flourishes, burdens are shared, communities are blessed, lives are impacted, and Christ

is made visible in and through us. But when we hold back, the Body suffers. So don’t be

Nobody. Step up, get involved, and be part of what God is doing in the Church.

WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE TEACH ABOUT THE CHURCH?

And so now that we’ve looked at our passage in Romans 12, what else does Scripture

teach us about the Church? And this is important, because some of us carry a picture of

the Church that’s been shaped more by our experiences and culture than by the Word

of God. Here are four things, really quickly:

1. The Church is a people, not a place

Now the word for church is the Greek word ekklesia–litereally the called out ones. It’s a

gathering of people, not a building. This means that church isn’t done once you leave

this place. You are the Church. You take it into your homes and neighborhoods. You

take the Church with you to work, to the grocery store, and into your campuses.

2. The Church is the Body of Christ

God has called us in Christ to be His hands and feet in the world. And this means that

the Church is not passive. It should be active, alert, engaged, and on mission together–

with every member having a part to play.

3. The Church is a spiritual family

In the New Testament, believers often referred to one another as brothers and sisters,

because they understood and believed that they were genuinely bound together by the

blood of Jesus Christ (Jews and Gentiles; men and women; slave and free). They were7

no longer separated by ethnic, cultural, political, and socio-economic lines. They were

brought together as ONE family through Christ.

4. The Church is both local and global

Our commitment to the local church matters. But it’s also important for us to know that

we are members of the universal global church–every believer, in every nation, in every

generation, who has confessed Jesus as Lord. This is why when we say: I believe in the

Holy Christian Church. The Communion of Saints–we are saying: I belong to something

bigger than Cityview, bigger than this city, and bigger than this time and place in history.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON DISTORTIONS OF THE CHURCH TODAY?

Now that we know what the Church is called to be, let me address four distortions that

often undermine it. And these aren’t just problems that other churches face or issues

from the distant past–these are temptations that every one of us faces today.

1. Consumerism: The Church exists to meet my needs

As I mentioned at the start, when we approach the Church as a consumer, we’re asking

the wrong question. The question isn’t: What can this church do for me? It’s: What has

God called me to contribute here? Jesus didn’t die to give us a comfortable consumer

experience. He died to make us part of a holy, sacrificial, Spirit-empowered community.

2. Individualism: Faith is private, not communal

Yes, faith is deeply personal. But the New Testament makes it clear that our worship of

God is not just what we do vertically. It’s also what we do horizontally in how we love,

serve, encourage, and care for one another. And that phrase one another appears over

100 times in the New Testament and almost all of them are mentioned within the context

of the gathered assembly–the Church. And this means that you and I cannot obey these

commands alone in isolation. Faith is personal, but it was never meant to be private.

3. Spectatorism: Ministry is done by a few, not all

It’s easy to assume that: “Someone else will take care of it.” It can even sound spiritual:

“I’m just not gifted or called.” And we often use that as an excuse. But in reality, it’s less

about capability and more about stepping out in faith with what God has given you.

Legendary Oklahoma Sooners football coach, Bud Wilkinson, once described the game

of football as: 22 men on the field in desperate need of rest, and 22,000 fans in the

stands in desperate need of exercise.

That should not describe the church! The local church is a team where every member

should be devoted to serve Christ. And if you’ve trusted in Him, you are on the team!

Christianity is not a spectator sport! Jesus wants you on the field and in the game! So

use your gifts to serve the Lord. As you do, you’ll begin to grow to maturity in Christ.8

4. Favoritism: Unity based on shared preferences

It’s natural to gravitate towards people who are LIKE us. But when the Church becomes

nothing more than a gathering of people who all look alike, think alike, speak alike, and

vote alike–we’ve lost something essential. In Galatians 3:28, it says that: in Christ there

is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free–you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Friends, the Church should be the most beautifully diverse community on the planet–not

because of the things we have in common but because the Gospel unites people across

every line that the world says should divide. And when the world sees that kind of unity,

they see something that they cannot explain apart from God.

This is why Jesus commanded His disciples to: “Love one another. Just as I have loved

you. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

” Not by the size of our buildings; the quantity of our programs; or by the quality of our church

services. But by how well we love, serve, encourage, and care for one another.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

And so what does all this mean for us today? Four practical applications as we’ll close.

1. Move from consuming to belonging:

Show up consistently. Get connected, join a small group, serve on a team. Belonging is

not passive. It’s a choice you make over and over again–to show up, serve, invest, and

commit, even when it’s hard. There is no such thing as a perfect church, because there

are no perfect people. The “perfect” church you’re looking for is filled with broken people

who choose to belong to one another and commit to pursue Christ together.

2. Pursue humility and harmony:

Again, Paul’s starting point for unity in verse 3 is this: don’t think more highly of yourself

than you ought. Most of the conflict in the local church comes down to pride and self-

centeredness, where it’s about my preferences and my needs. But when we remember

who we are–sinners saved by grace–it changes how we hold onto our preferences. Yes,

we can disagree on secondary things and still love one another deeply, because we’re

united around something far more important: the cross and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. Discover and use your spiritual gifts:

Do you know what your gifts are? More importantly: Are you using them? If you’ve been

attending for months or years and you’re not serving, you’re missing one of the primary

ways God wants to grow and use you. Friend, you are not here by accident. God placed

you in this Body for a reason. And because you matter to Him and you’re a part of His

family, He has called you to use your gifts and abilities to serve and bless others.

4. Live with a vision of the global and eternal Church:

What’s amazing is that right now as we worship, there are believers gathered in house

churches all over China who are literally risking their lives just to have the opportunity to

worship God with others. There are Christians in Nigeria who are singing hymns in the

midst of intense persecution and suffering. There are believers in the Middle East who

have given up everything to follow Jesus. And there have been countless numbers of

saints all throughout history, who have sacrificed so much–who have given their lives for

the sake of Christ and for the Holy Christian Church.

And one day, all of us who are in Christ–past, present, and future from every nation,

tribe, and tongue will stand together around the throne of God and we will worship the

Lamb who was slain, declaring together with all the saints of old that:

Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!

And every difference that the enemy used to divide us here will melt away in the light of

His glory and presence. If that’s where we’re headed and if that’s the ultimate goal, then

how we live, love, serve, and care for one another here and now should matter to us.

CONCLUSION

C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity: “The Church exists for nothing else but to draw

men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals,

clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.”

Now that’s a strong statement, but it’s also true. The Church is not primarily a building to

maintain or a program to run. It’s a people–formed by the mercies of God, united as one

Body in Christ, and strengthened through diverse gifts–for the glory of God, and for the

advancement of the Gospel in the world.

I believe in the Holy Christian Church. The Communion of Saints.

What does it mean to believe that? It means you don’t just attend–you belong. You don’t

just observe–you participate. You don’t just receive–you give. You don’t just tolerate the

people around you–you love them, serve them, and even lay your life down for them.

Because this is precisely what Jesus did for us. He did not come to be served. He came

to serve. And He willingly gave His life as a ransom for many. And we the Church are

called to follow His example and walk in His steps.

And my hope and prayer for myself and for all of us is that we would be a church that is

shaped more and more by Christ and the Gospel, than by what our culture and what the

world says we should be–that the truths found in the Creed, isn’t something we simply

recite with our lips, but a conviction deep in our hearts.