Which Part Are You
Notes
Transcript
We’re going to continue to our series “Called to Serve” this morning. Last week we talked about the privileges we have as believers and that responsibility to serve others comes with those privileges. This week, we’re going to explore how God has uniquely gifted each of us to serve the church and the world for the glory of God. Paul uses a unique word picture in Romans to describe how each of us has an important part in the church.
12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.
13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.
14 Indeed, the body is not one part but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
18 But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted.
19 And if they were all the same part, where would the body be?
20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”
22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable.
23 And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect,
24 which our respectable parts do not need. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable,
25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other.
26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.
Paul describes us as a part of the body of Christ. Just like we all have a head, arms, legs, hands, and feet that we need to function, God created each one of us to help the church function. And just like each part of our body works together for the good of the whole, each believer in a church should love each other and work together for the good of the church and the glory of God.
Peter also wrote about the call we have to love and serve each other.
8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.
9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
We should love each other deeply and keep loving each other no matter what. I know it’s not always easy to love each other. We all have warts and make mistakes, but love is a commitment. I’m so thankful April loves me in spite of all the mistakes I’ve made that put me in the doghouse!
We should love each other and be hospitable to each other. What does it mean to be hospitable? It’s about everyday kindness and concern for each other. It’s thanking someone for their service, sharing a meal, helping someone move, taking a meal to someone who is sick, visiting someone in the hospital.
Peter says we have all received a gift and we should use it to serve others. What kind of gift is he talking about? He’s talking about spiritual gifts and we’ll talk about those in just a minute. The idea is that God has blessed us all with spiritual gifts and we should be willing to share them in service to each other. We share our gifts so we will be good stewards of the grace God has blessed each of us with.
The last thing Peter says is we should serve with the strength that God gives so we glorify Him in everything. So we are all part of the same body and gifted with unique gifts that come from God. We should be willing to love and serve each other for God’s glory.
Now that we understand that we all believers have spiritual gifts and that we’re supposed to serve each other, we’re going to take a look today at God uses every part of our lives to minister to others. He uses our spiritual gifts, our passion for certain ministries, the skills and abilities we have, our personality, and our experiences. To help us remember these ideas, we’ll use the word SHAPE. Each letter in SHAPE stands for a way God made us to serve others.
We have a S.H.A.P.E for ministry
We have a S.H.A.P.E for ministry
The first way God shapes us for ministry is through spiritual gifts.
S - Spiritual Gifts
S - Spiritual Gifts
What is a spiritual gift? A spiritual gift is a God-given ability for service. Only believers receive spiritual gifts and we can’t earn them. They are a gift of grace. In Romans 12:3-5, Paul echoes the passage we read in 1 Corinthians by saying we are all part of the body of Christ with different functions working together. In verses 6-8, he goes on to say we all have different gifts.
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.
He explains to the church at Corinth that the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts for the benefit of everyone and every believer has at least one gift.
7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good:
8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit,
9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues.
11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.
7 I wish that all people were as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one person has this gift, another has that.
Paul goes on to explain that no one receives all of the gifts.
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles?
So if each us has at least one spiritual gift, what are they? Some spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament (Rom. 12:6–8; 1 Cor. 12:4–11, 28–30; cf. Eph. 4:7–12) are:
Leadership—Leadership aids the body by leading and directing members to accomplish the goals and purposes of the church. Leadership motivates people to work together in unitytoward common goals (Rom. 12:8).
Administration—Persons with the gift of administration lead the body by steering others to remain on task. Administration enables the body to organize according to God-given purposes and long-term goals (1 Cor. 12:28).
Teaching—Teaching is instructing members in the truths and doctrines of God’s Word for the purposes of building up, unifying, and maturing the body (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11).
Knowledge—The gift of knowledge manifests itself in teaching and training in discipleship. It is the God-given ability to learn, know, and explain the precious truths of God’s Word. A word ofknowledge is a Spirit-revealed truth (1 Cor. 12:28).
Wisdom—Wisdom is the gift that discerns the work of the Holy Spirit in the body and applies His teachings and actions to the needs of the body (1 Cor. 12:28).
Prophecy—The gift of prophecy is proclaiming the Word of God boldly. This builds up the body and leads to conviction of sin. Prophecy manifests itself in preaching and teaching (1 Cor. 12:10; Rom. 12:6).
Discernment—Discernment aids the body by recognizing the true intentions of those within orrelated to the body. Discernment tests the message and actions of others for the protectionand well-being of the body (1 Cor. 12:10).
Exhortation—Possessors of this gift encourage members to be involved in and enthusiasticabout the work of the Lord. Members with this gift are good counselors and motivate others to service. Exhortation exhibits itself in preaching, teaching, and ministry (Rom. 12:8).
Shepherding—The gift of shepherding is manifested in persons who look out for the spiritual welfare of others. Although pastors, like shepherds, do care for members of the church, this gift is not limited to a pastor or staff member (Eph. 4:11).
Faith—Faith trusts God to work beyond the human capabilities of the people. Believers with this gift encourage others to trust in God in the face of apparently insurmountable odds (1 Cor.12:9).
Evangelism—God gifts his church with evangelists to lead others to Christ effectively and enthusiastically. This gift builds up the body by adding new members to its fellowship (Eph. 4:11).
Apostleship—The church sends apostles from the body to plant churches or be missionaries. Apostles motivate the body to look beyond its walls in order to carry out the Great Commission (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11).
Service/Helps—Those with the gift of service/helps recognize practical needs in the body and joyfully give assistance to meeting those needs. Christians with this gift do not mind working behind the scenes (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7).
Mercy—Cheerful acts of compassion characterize those with the gift of mercy. Persons with this gift aid the body by empathizing with hurting members. They keep the body healthy and unified by keeping others aware of the needs within the church (Rom. 12:8).
Giving—Members with the gift of giving give freely and joyfully to the work and mission of the body. Cheerfulness and liberality are characteristics of individuals with this gift (Rom. 12:8).
Hospitality—Those with this gift have the ability to make visitors, guests, and strangers feel at ease. They often use their home to entertain guests. Persons with this gift integrate new members into the body (1 Pet. 4:9).
There’s really three kinds of gifts:
1. Gifts that Communicate God’s Truth
2. Gifts that Care for God’s People
3. Gifts that Carry Out God’s Plan
We need to use our gifts to build each other up and to glorify God. What if we don’t use our gifts? Imagine Christmas morning with a pile of gifts under the tree you bought for your children. How would you feel if they opened them up, said thank you, and never used them? God wants us to understand the gifts we’ve been given and use them every day.
How can you know what gifts you have? There are some good tools to help you evaluate which gifts you might have. It’s also wise to ask mature believers that know you well what gifts they see in you. Let me know if you’re interested in a spiritual gift survey that we can go through together.
H – Heart
H – Heart
Heart is the passion you have for certain things. Some things just resonate with us. Our heart or passion often leads us to a ministry and gives us the energy to keep going when our physical energy is gone. Our heart gives us the will to keep going when we face obstacles. Our heart and passion comes from God and our resources follow our heart willingly. Our heart drives us to excellence in what we do for God and keeps our work from seeming like work.
What issues or ministries get going? Do you get excited thinking about taking care of babies or teaching children? Are you passionate about helping families in need? Do you sense a strong pull toward tackling certain issues like: abortion prevention, homelessness, drug abuse/recovery, alcoholism, marriage and family issues, poverty and hunger, financial stewardship, special needs people, divorce care, prison ministries, at-risk children, or healthcare.
We need to pray about those ministries and whether God is calling us to serve there. One thing we need to understand is that we aren’t always called to ministries that we enjoy. I don’t see anything in Scripture that gives us a pass if we just don’t want to do something. We started Experiencing God this morning and will be learning about how we should see God at work around us and adapt our lives to join Him there. Moses didn’t want to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, but God called him to do it. There are times when we are called to carry out God’s plan whether we want to or not.
This is especially important when there are needs to be met with few people to meet them. We should definitely pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers and ask God for His strength to continue working until they get here. Remember the passage we looked at in 1 Peter earlier that said “if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything.”
What areas of ministry are you feeling called to? What issues light a fire in your heart to help people know Jesus and draw close to Him?
The next way God wants to use you is through your abilities.
A – Abilities
A – Abilities
Your abilities are those areas of specific knowledge or skill that you’ve developed during your life. These can be natural abilities God has gifted you with or those that you learned how to do. We can have abilities that come from work experiences, hobbies, the school of hard knocks, or just something you’re interested in.
Having an “ability” in an area means there is a certain level of skill, mastery, or expertise in an area, but doesn’t necessarily mean that you really enjoy it like we talked about in the “heart” section. It’s pretty amazing when you stop and think about all the things you’ve learned to do over the course of your life that God can use. I’m thankful for all the unique ways God has developed abilities in your lives.
We have people in our church that are millwrights, decorators, musicians, maintenance managers, painters, cabinet makers, mechanics, administrators, nurses, hospitality workers, salespeople, and business owners. I’m grateful for those who are using their abilities to renovate our church and keep it running smoothly.
Have you ever thought about you skills and abilities being used for God?
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
We should see whatever skill you’re learning or have learned as an opportunity to be used by God. There’s an amazing story in the Old Testament about God telling Moses how to build the tabernacle. It was going to be the most holy place for the nation of Israel where God’s presence would reside. God told Moses that He had filled men with wisdom and abilities to accomplish the work of building the tabernacle.
1 The Lord also spoke to Moses:
2 “Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
3 I have filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft
4 to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze,
5 to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft.
6 I have also selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be with him. I have put wisdom in the heart of every skilled artisan in order to make all that I have commanded you:
7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that is on top of it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—
8 the table with its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense,
9 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, the basin with its stand—
10 the specially woven garments, both the holy garments for the priest Aaron and the garments for his sons to serve as priests,
Some examples of abilities are creative and involve drawing, painting, or designing web pages. Some people have the ability to repair things, grow a garden, or operate machinery. Some people are great cooks, decorators, writers. Whatever skills you have, I hope you’ll consider them to serve others, to glorify God, and draw people to know Jesus.
The next way God uses us is through our personality.
P – Personality
P – Personality
Every one of us has a unique personality. It’s a gift from God and He is glorified through the strengths and weaknesses from our personality. Our personality is what determines how we relate to other people. Some of us are extroverts and others are introverts. Some people like to express themselves and others are more reserved. Some of us tend to be more cooperative while others are competitive.
Our personality also affects how we respond to opportunities. Do you like to take high risks or keep your risk as low as possible. Are you driven by people or projects? Do you feel more comfortable leading or following? Do you like to work in a team or by yourself? Do you like to have a routine or do you like variety?
It seems like some of personality is with us from birth, but a lot of it is developed as we grow older. We need to be careful not to think we are just built that way and don’t have to change. God calls us to grow in our faith so that we develop the fruit of the Spirit in our lives so we can overcome the weakness in our personality.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.
As you consider where God is calling you to serve, think about your personality and how it fits into God’s plan for your life. What ministries dovetail with your personality and help you accomplish the mission you’re called to.
The final way God uses our lives to serve others is through our experiences.
E – Experiences
E – Experiences
Our experiences in life often shape who we are and often often spill over into our heart and our abilities. How will we have a heart for something if we have never experienced it? How will we develop abilities if we have never tried to master a task? Many times, going through a painful experience will give us a heart to help others going through a similar experience.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.
4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.
God never wastes a tear. He also uses good experiences to encourage us and give us the desire to have those same experiences again through ministry. Some of the most meaningful times in my life happened in a small group Bible study. Starting with the friends I had in my youth group, through the Bible studies in college, and into my adulthood I have been blessed by being a part of a small group. The wonderful experiences I’ve had in small groups has given me a passion for seeing people grow and thrive in that setting.
There are some things that can hinder our ministry:
Not walking with God in daily fellowship.
Crowding your life with too much stuff.
Not believing that you have anything to offer the body of Christ. (Lack of faith in God and His word.)
Refusing to give God the right to use you as He pleases.
Being selfish with your time and/or resources.
Not accepting God’s forgiveness for past mistakes.
Lack of involvement orr faithfulness in the church to be exposed to ministry opportunities and needs.
Being stuck in the wrong ministry position.
Being unwilling to get involved due to some hurt in the past.
Feeling burned out from any combination of those things. When we find our place and have a balanced life, we can serve for the long haul.
We’re all part of the body of Christ. We need each other. God has placed each one of you in this church family. Which part are you? How can you be used by God to build up Enterprise Baptist Church and serve those around you? How can we work together with all the amazing gifts, passions, abilities, personalities, and experiences to reach our community for Christ?
I hope you’ve been encouraged and challenged by God’s Word today. During our time of invitation, I hope you’ll listen to God’s voice and be willing to serve in the unique way God has called you.
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