What Does A Good Church Look Like 1c
What Does A Good Church Look Like • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Turn to Romans 12 and 1 Cor 12. Continuing to ask the question, what does a good church look like? One of the signs of a good or healthy church is the pervasive attitude of service. Jesus said,
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Serving is not always visible. Not always applauded. Not always grandiose. Nonetheless, we are all called to serve and participate in Kingdom work. Kingdom work means being involved in what God has called us to do which then bears fruit.
Last week I said, “When we gather, we are to encourage one another and build up one another in the Christian faith.” That takes place primarily outside of the worship service. I also said, “Every Christian should be prepared to be used of God when they arrive at a worship service.” You have something to bring to the table. I also said there should be spiritual or supernatural things happening within the Body of Christ.” I want to clarify what that means.
So, let’s look at Romans 12. I’m mostly using the CEB this morning. Crash course in spiritual gifts.
So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service.
Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature.
Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you.
We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function.
In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other.
We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith.
Let’s clarify – what is a gift? It’s simple. The Greek word is charis, which is often translated as grace, means favor or gift. From charis, we have charisma (χάρισμα) plural – gifts. Again, a gift is exactly what it means – it is something gifted or given.
Which means the recipient did not possess the gift prior to receiving it. For instance, you are born with natural talents and strengths. As you grow you gain education and skills, etc. But gifts, particular spiritual gifts are given or gifted to us by Christ. So, in
We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith.
If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching.
If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.
These are supernatural gifts – supernatural meaning above the norm – they’re spiritually empowered. Look, everybody can serve. Everybody can encourage or give – but
The one gifted to do “whatever” does “whatever” above what is normal through the empowerment of the Spirit of God.
What does it mean in proportion? As you mature and increase in your faith, so do your spiritual gifts. You don’t put a 6-year-old on a Harley and let him go. You start with a tricycle. Then training wheels. Then two wheels and so on. It’s the same principle with spiritual gifts. If you have the gift of miracles, you don’t start with raising the dead. It’s a Biblical principle – faithful with little you’ll be faithful with much.
Let’s look at
Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts.
You know that when you were Gentiles you were often misled by false gods that can’t even speak.
So I want to make it clear to you that no one says, “Jesus is cursed!” when speaking by God’s Spirit, and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
and there are different ministries and the same Lord;
and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good.
A word of wisdom is given by the Spirit to one person, a word of knowledge to another according to the same Spirit,
faith to still another by the same Spirit, gifts of healing to another in the one Spirit,
performance of miracles to another, prophecy to another, the ability to tell spirits apart to another, different kinds of tongues to another, and the interpretation of the tongues to another.
All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person.
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
Curious, do you want to see the Holy Spirit working in you? Our church? Our city?
There is a lot of confusion around spiritual gifts. God is not the author of confusion, so let’s keep it simple and stick to what Scripture says. God has given us His Holy Spirit. Jesus has given us spiritual or supernatural giftings or abilities. We’re told to eagerly desire or pursue them. We’re told to use these spiritual gifts to do what? Build up the Church.
So, what do we do?
Let’s keep it simple – here are five things to do.
1) Pray to receive.
We often don’t see the supernatural or experience spiritual gifts because we often don’t pray or seek it. I want to encourage you to start ….
2) Practice to perfect.
If you want the gift of healing, which may or may not be the gift God gives you, you must practice – there’s no other way. You will fail and make mistakes – that’s ok. It’s part of the journey. I find it interesting that we Christians will practice so many things so we can improve our game or skills, but when it comes to practicing spiritual things – it’s all or nothing. And usually, we give up.
3. Get and give Permission to practice.
It’s scary trying something new. But again, theirs is no other way.
What if we gave each other permission to practice our faith?
What if I said, I want the gift of prophecy and I’m learning. Can I pray with you and see what God does? It’s risky, isn’t it. Are we called to a risky faith, or a safe one?
4. Persist until something supernatural happens.
Jack Deere in his book Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, says this:
“Probably the second most valuable thing I have done in my pursuit of spiritual gifts is that I have attempted to use them on a regular basis.
More often than not this involves some risk, and specifically the risk of looking foolish. Almost as soon as I began to ask God to give me a healing ministry, I began to pray for sick people.
Most of the sick people I prayed for at first did not get healed. When I first began to give words of knowledge in public, I also had some embarrassing moments.
But there is no other way to grow in anything apart from constant practice and risking. The only good athlete you will ever see is a bad one who didn’t give up.
The only good disciple you will ever see is a bad one who didn’t give up.” ~ Jack Deere
Lastly,
5. Purify your motives.
Our motives must align with God’s motives – e.g. love, compassion, evangelism, for His glory etc. Keep a soft and humble heart before God. A few thoughts about motives – if you brag about “your” gift and what you can do, your motive’s wrong. If you think about Spiritual gifts only on Sundays or when the “right” people are around, your motives are probably wrong. Spiritual gifts are not limited to Sunday mornings, they’re not for show, and they’re not our gifts.
When we share his motives, he can trust us with his power. ~ Jack Deere
Spiritual gifts are there. The question is not are gifts for today.
The question is what are we going to do with them. Discovering your spiritual gift doesn’t happen by taking a test. It happens through prayer, desire, humility, and obedience.
So, what does a good church look like? Let’s find out.
