Victorious Serving

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Intro:

This chapter began urging us to live victoriously in our bodies (how we possess our temples in sanctification and in honor) Next we are encouraged to live victoriously in our thinking (non-conforming to this world, but submit to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our thinking) Now we're being challenged to live victorious in our serving (kingdom gifting and kingdom service) Too many believers who are NOT operating in their area of giftedness for the kingdom Some are setting IDLE and some are setting ABSENT

The Foundation to Serving

Spiritual Gifts have always been a problem in the church (there is a mis-understanding and a perverted theology around the subject of spiritual gifts) We lack biblical understanding as it relates to spiritual gifts (I see extremes - those who are zealous of gifts/positions and then those who are completely disconnected ignorance/apathy I say through the "grace" given to me - grace gr "charis" free gift Paraphrase " Through the free "spiritual " gift given to me I say this to every o ne - "do not think more highly of yourself than you ought to think" "soberly" - to be sane and sensible in terms of your thinking about yourself - especially as it relates to spiritual gifts Principle: God never intended for us to find our value/worth through His gifts "19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather[f] rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Whatever spiritual gift we have it was "given freely to us" - a measure of faith (not saving faith) but the capacity to embrace the assignment given (dealt) Every one of us have been given spiritual gifts to complete a spiritual assignment

Every Function/Gift is Important

Flawed teaching and arrogance has worked against the reality that every gift/function is important in the kingdom Vs 4-5 "4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another" The church has to do a better job teaching/instructing about non-microphone gifts We teach "positions" instead of teaching "assignments" John the Baptist was called to an assignment (front-runner to Christ) "And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight." "29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease" Spiritual gifts are given for ASSIGNMENT not for POSITION nor Importance

Conclusion:

I am calling out your awareness that God has so gifted you (every one of us) to be an integral part of the body of Christ Regardless to who you are.. You have a GIFT and you have an assignment I pray you will make a decision concerning your gifts/assignment (de-cision means to cut and to separate by judgem