I Love My Church - Part 3

Introduction:

What do superheroes and Christmas presents have to do with church?

Superheroes have superpowers

Who’s your favorite superhero?

The definition of a superhero: a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers also  : an exceptionally skillful or successful person

This definition is not complete!

Superheroes are more than someone with extraordinary power or skilled people.

Superheroes are superheroes because they use their abilities!

What if Superman decided to stay home? Metropolis would be lost…

It does not matter which superhero you think has the greatest powers. If they are not using those superpowers in a specific context to help in a specific way, they are just a dude sitting on the couch. Having superpowers is one thing, but it takes action to make one a hero.

So: a superhero is someone who uses their abilities in a specific context to help in a specific way.

If you are going to LOVE YOUR CHURCH the way God intended it means being the hero that God made you to be!

God has given you superpowers, and partnered you with a group of other superheroes, and placed you in a community that needs superheroes.

The first thing that we have to get ahold of is:

Every Christian Has Superpowers

1 Corinthians 12:4–7 NLT

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

Before I can unpack my statement that every christian has superpowers I have to point out what is going on when this passage was written.

Paul is the undisputed author

he was writing to:

Corinth (Athens and Corinth were major cities in Achaia, the region in the southern portion of the Greek peninsula. (Acts 18:1)

Written about 53-54 A.D. (1972 years ago)

Corinth being the capital of Achaia (politically significant)

Seaport on the Mediterranean (much commerce)

They had money and an influx of religious ideas (mystery and cults)

All kinds of belief systems

Some have compared it to New Orleans

Acts 18 tells how the church in Corinth was started.

Paul met Aquila and his wife Priscilla who were from Italy and were tentmakers. Paul worked with them but he would go to the synagogue every Sabbath and teach the local Jews about Jesus and how he was the Messiah. The Jews opposed him and insulted him so he, “shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”” (verse 6)

I want to take just a minute and explain what was going on when Paul said this. If you will look back at Ezekiel 3:16-23 you will see God calling Ezekiel to be a Watchman for Israel. He was to warn them. It was the job God gave him. If Ezekiel did not warn them, then destruction would come and Ezekiel would die for their sins. If Ezekiel delivered God’s warning and the people repented then they would be safe and Ezekiel would be safe. If they heard but didn’t do anything, Ezekiel would still be safe because he did what God told him to do. (GOD IS SERIOUS ABOUT THE CALL HE PUTS ON PEOPLE) maybe we could put it another way: God is serious about you using the gifts He gave you.

Paul did what God told him to do. He went to the home of a man named Justus who lived right next door to the synagogue. Talk about conflict. Acts 18:8 tells us what happened when Paul used those superpowers: “Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized.” (This is the beginning of the church in Corinth)

This church consisted of people from mainly lower class but some upper class. There were many varying opinions about things and Paul spent about 18 months there teaching/discipling them. This was longer than his norm. (They needed some teaching)

Paul wrote letters to them after he left to primarily remind the Christian believers of their distinct calling and difference from the world that surrounding them.

Is it very interesting how we, the church today, are very much like the church in Corinth. We need reminding don’t we?

Notice what the last part of our main verse says : (1 Corinthians 12)

God gives each of His followers at least one spiritual gift

Let me try to define what a spiritual gift is:

A spiritual gift is a Holy Spirit empowered ability that is given to serve others. It is a spiritual superpower given to you to use in a specific context to help in a specific way.

I have prepared a list of some spiritual gifts for you to keep. (GET VOLUNTEERS TO PASS OUT BOTH PRINTOUTS)

I’ll just briefly cover a few of them:

Leadership

Administration

Teaching

Knowledge

Wisdom

Prophecy

Discernment

Exhortation

Shepherding

Faith

Evangelism

Apostleship

Service/Helps

Mercy

Giving

Hospitality

Here are a few things to think about spiritual gifts:

God is the giver

It is God who picks out which gift to give and who to give it to.

There is no sense in being jealous of someone else’s gift

God in His wisdom has picked something just for you

What we need to do is spend our time developing those gifts

Romans 12:6 NLT

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

God has blessed you and is entrusting a specific gift(s) to you so you can help.

Here is another thing to keep in mind

Spiritual Gifts are Spirit-Empowered Gifts

Though God does bless people with natural abilities, a spiritual gift is one that carries power with it.

When the Spirit of God is empowering His followers using their gifts, there is power. Something powerful takes place.

When Paul went to the Gentiles, their were conversions, lots of them…

I love another example I read recently: If Mike Tyson throws a punch, it is going to hurt. But if Superman throws a punch, just imagine how much more that will hurt.

Someone can be a good teacher and make a living at the local high school, but someone operating in the gift of teaching is doing a Holy Spirit empowered work that carries great power and makes a powerful impact on people.

Knowing that God has given you a special gift can be very exciting but it can also be troubling if you don’t know what your gift is.

How can you discover your gifts?

Spiritual Gifts Survey - you can do them in person or online (giftstest.com)

Try Serving -

Get involved in a ministry.

you can serve for a month or 2 and ask yourself how it is going.

You can ask the ministry leader how it is going

Current needs: Media (livestream, computer, facebook), greeter, usher, service/helps,

Don’t be discouraged if that ministry doesn’t work out - try something else

No matter where you serve, you want to have results for Jesus - what will bring others to Him?

Ask Others

Ask specific people who know you to tell you how they see you using your gifts for the church and the community

Ask, “When you see this list of spiritual gifts, what comes to mind when you think of me?”

What am I doing when you see Jesus in me?

How is it that I make this community better?

The idea is not to give someone a big head but to help them find how they can be a help

Energy Levels

As you try different ministry opportunities, check how your energy is when doing that.

Are you tired and dreading doing that thing?

Are you revived and energized by doing it?

Just remember that God is the one who has supernaturally gifted you to serve Him, His church and the community.

The gift is not for your personal gain. Though you may benefit from using that gift, that is not the intent. It is for others, but you are not in this by yourself.

I am going to ask you to take the card you were handed and fill it out and give it to me. If God has already been speaking to you, you can give it to me today. Otherwise I am asking you to pray, “God what is it that you have for me to do?”

Not only have you been given a superpower to use for God’s kingdom:

You are partnered with a group of other superheroes

The Avengers movies have really been a hit over the last many years. And one thing that you might notice is that they all have to work together. I used to have this saying on my wall, “None of us are stronger than all of us.” I love that!

We need one another; it is how God planned it.

Romans 12:3–8 NLT

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

This passage goes along with the 1 Corinthians passage. It is an echo from the same author to another group of Christ followers.

There is an important aspect in this passage that we must see.

God gave you a gift, but that gift was not given to you for you.

Those gifts are for others.

They work in concert with other people’s gifts.

Those gifts are designed to help others, in the church and outside the church.

The passage say that we all belong to each other. So my gift isn't for me, it is for you! And yours for me and each other.

We have different giftings because we need each other.

There is a warning that I see in this, a warning wrapped in love:

We must approach this idea of gifting with humility. We must recognize the gift is not about us. My gifting does not make me better than any other Christian. Just because I may be a shepherd, does not mean that I am better than one who gives or serves. All the gifts are exactly that: GIFTS. You didn’t earn it or stand in line for it.

We must also recognize the responsibility we have. God knows someone needs our help and He has gifted you and me to help others. We cannot sit on the couch and ignore His gifting.

Imagine what it would be like if a church is like a superhero team all working together with the same goal : TO HELP OTHERS

A Community That Needs Superheroes

The church needs you.

This community needs you.

This community needs you not because they need you, but they need God.

God chose to work through flawed people like me and like you.

Man is looking for better methods. God is looking for better men. God’s method is men. EM Bounds 

We have a community that needs to see Jesus in us.

Where can we do that?

What would our world look like if every Christian was flowing in their gifts?

(GETTING READY TO CLOSE)

Christmas Present

At the beginning of our time together this morning I asked you “What do superheroes and Christmas presents have to do with church?”

Is there anyone here who likes Christmas presents?

Of course you do, everyone likes Christmas presents.

Imagine if you will, coming into the living room on Christmas morning and seeing this beautiful gift sitting there with your name on it.

Would you rush in and tear the paper off and open the gift or would you walk on by and let it just sit there?

If you are a follower of Jesus who is not using your spiritual gifts to help others, you are like that Christmas gift that is ignored and unopened.

Why did God give you to Parkway Church of God?

Why did God give you to Wayne County Georgia?

Instead of asking what am I getting out of my church, maybe we can ask what gift am I supposed to be using to help others?

In Matthew 13 Jesus tells His followers that those who listen to His teaching will gain more knowledge. But those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away. He references the prophet Isaiah and says their hearts are hardened so they don’t hear, they don’t see and their hearts are unreceptive. But not you!

The Good news of Jesus demands a response and you here today have heard.

Now is the time for you to act.

Altar

There are people Asking the wrong questions and expecting things from your church that God never intended.

There are people who are building the fences back up or maybe couldn’t quite let go just yet.

There are even people Hindering the work of the Holy Spirit.

God is so loving to give us His correction - He gives us a warning wrapped in love.

I don’t know about you but I want more of God, I want to go deeper. I am not satisfied with a little bit of Jesus. I want all of Him and to be all His.

Sometimes you need to come and kneel, repent and/or just talk with the Lord, sometimes you need to come and stand and receive an impartation

Come and fill these altars

I want to pray for everyone who needs it

Benediction

Hebrews 13:20–21 NLT

Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.