Small Groups: Engage in Calling

If you have your Bible, and I hope you do, I invite you to open with me to .

What I want to do this morning as I close out this “Engage” series is make the connection between the Great Commission and small groups.

As you may or may not know, there were over a million component parts of the Apollo 11 spacecraft. A million component parts that went into making that spacecraft and mission a reality. Think about that. Even if they had an astounding 99.9% reliability, that would still be over a 100 parts that could fail. That whole mission was designed in a way that every single part, every single person had to be engaged in that mission for it to be a success.

Imagine a faith family designed by grace.

What I want to do this morning as I close out this “Engage” series is make the connection between the Great Commission and small groups.

Out of those 100 parts that could fail, what if it was this one and this one that put together, would cause the whole thing to fall apart? A notable secular anthropologist who had studied all kinds of people and tribes all over the world said, “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world.” I think she was right, but I don’t think she came up with that. I think God came up with that, and Jesus showed us that. I am convinced that the mission He has put before His church is far greater than putting a man on the moon; it is putting the gospel in every corner of this planet among a billion people who still haven’t even heard the name of Jesus.

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 895.

What I want to do this morning as I close out this “Engage” series is make the connection between the Great Commission and small groups.

Imagine all the component parts in this room … the gifts, the skills, the abilities, the passions of God’s people … completely unleashed to impact the world for His glory. What we would see is not the pastor movement, but a people movement. God’s people unleashed to fulfill the very mission for which He has saved us. God, may it be so. Let’s go back to . This is Paul talking to the local church in Rome.

Romans 12:3–8 NKJV

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.

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 895.

Romans 12:

Let’s imagine, based on Romans 12...

We talked last week about how the entire foundation for is the first part of verse 1… “by the mercies of God”. Mercy molds the whole picture called the church. Paul reiterates that in how he talks about grace and faith in these verses that we just read. He starts talking about the grace that God had given him in verse 3. Later in that verse , he talks about the faith God gives each of us.

Then you get down to verse 6, and it says we have different gifts according to the grace given us. The whole picture of the church is saturated with grace.

Romans 12:6 NKJV

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;

I want us to think about grace and how it permeates the church. First of all, we are...

I want us to think about grace and how it permeates the church

Not a single one of us deserves to be here. It’s not by merit or works. It’s all by grace. We are called by grace. It’s the whole book of Romans. Christ has brought us into His body. He has enlisted us by His grace. Also...

Not only has he brought us into His body, but is teaching us that He gives us gifts when we trust Christ as our savior. Every single Christ-follower in this room without exception, have been given gifts from the HS. He has put those gifts inside you. This is not just natural abilities, but supernatural abilities so we are equipped to care for one another in the body of Christ. And He has...

He has also given us everything we need to put those gifts in action. This is the point in 1 Peter 4...

1 Peter 4:11 NKJV

11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The only reason we can do anything of eternal value is because of the power that God provides through the gifts He has given to us. And I believe that God has called us all together according to His plan and by His grace to accomplish exactly what He wants to be accomplished in this community and throughout the world.

1 Corinthians 12:18 NKJV

18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

Let that sink in for a moment. What if God knew what He was doing when He brought each of us to be a part of the faith family called Faith Bible Church of Lake Charles. This is the design of God’s grace in the church. He has put us together with our variety of gifts so each one of us could be using that gift or gifts to carry out His mission to reach the world with the Gospel. Next...

Now, here is where it gets a step deeper. This is where there is unity and diversity together. One body, many parts. There are differences that make us diverse in the family of God. Every gift is given for a reason; God doesn’t make any mistakes. He has brought us all together and formed us into a body. Imagine a faith family diversified by gifts...

That’s the whole point here. Just like our bodies. All our parts count. They’re all important. They are interdependent in a relationship to one another. They work together. They all correspond to the Head, , Christ is the Head of the church, and we all work in conjunction with the Head to accomplish the purpose. That is the picture of the church.

When Paul was writing the book of Romans, he was in Corinth. A church that was really struggling. The people in the Corinthian church were fighting over this and that, a lot of division in the church. So they were undermining this picture of a faith family where everyone counts. Listen to what he says in ...

1 Corinthians 12:21–25 NKJV

21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

1 Corinthians 12:21-

He says, “Imagine a faith family where everyone counts, where...

What they had done especially in Corinth is they had taken the showy gifts or the more spectacular gifts that were very public, and they had exalted those, and if you had those gifts, then you were superior in the body of Christ. He says, “Who are you to say that, because you are the hand, that you don’t need the feet. It is ridiculous.”

No one superior and...

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 900.

What was happening as a result of that in Corinth is you had a lot of people who didn’t have some of those more public gifts, spectacular, showy kind of picture, and so they were sitting back on the side lines of the church basically saying, “Well, I don’t have what those guys have, and so I am not as important in the church.” What Paul right here is saying is very clear. He says, “There is no hierarchy of worth in the church. Each of you brings something to the table. By the grace of God that He has put in you. It is extremely important, invaluable.”

What was happening as a result of that in Corinth is you had a lot of people who didn’t have some of those more public gifts, spectacular, showy kind of picture, and so they were sitting back on the side lines of the church basically saying, “Well, I don’t have what those guys have, and so I am not as important in the church.” What Paul right here is saying is very clear. He says, “There is no hierarchy of worth in the church. There is no hierarchy of worth in the church. Each of you brings something to the table. By the grace of God that He has put in you. It is extremely important, invaluable.”

Now the place of ministry is not a building that we have constructed. The place of ministry is your homes and your neighborhoods and your work places. You are the church. You don’t go to church. You are the church, and now the gifts of God’s people are unleashed in the church to impact this community for His glory. Now, we are maximizing the gifts that all of us have when we no longer view church as something that we attend but something that we participate in as the people of God. Now His gifts that are given us for a reason no longer lie dormant in the church wasting away, but now we are alive and letting them be used. We are set free to fulfill the purpose for which God has gifted us. That is the picture. And we also have...

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 900–901.

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 901.

You don’t have to say, “Well, I don’t have this or I don’t have that like that person; that person has got this or that.” There is no need to compare any more. All that does is result in pride, always; comparison leads to pride. He is talking about humility all over .

No need to compare and...

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 901.

There is no need for any one of us to say, “I am not as useful in the kingdom, because I don’t have the gifts that the pastor has, or I don’t have the gifts that this person has or that person has.” That undercuts the very work of the Holy Spirit of God in each of our lives. Please hear this from the authority of God’s Word: Every Christ follower in this faith family counts. God has given every one of you gifts that this faith family needs. As a result, He has surrounded each one of us with gifts that we need; interdependent, working together.

Imagine a faith family where it is not dependent on a few people counting. Imagine a faith family where everyone here is counting week by week for the glory of Jesus Christ. Imagine a faith family...

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 901.

Now, this is the purpose of gifts. Who are gifts for? Now, if you give a gift, obviously, you give it to someone. Who is the gift for when it comes to spiritual gifts?

I think it is two-fold. Obviously, it is a gift for each of us when we trust in Christ. The Holy Spirit puts gifts inside of us. However, I think it is deeper than that. You look in the New Testament, and the first time you see “spiritual gift” mentioned is actually in the book of Romans, chapter 1. says this:

Romans 1:11–12 NKJV

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 901.

Romans 1:11-12

Now, that doesn’t mean that Paul is coming to Rome with a bag of gifts with him. What he is saying is that, “I am going to take the gift that God has given to me, and I want to use it to strengthen the body there, and God is going to use your gift to strengthen me.” So, our gifts are given to us to be given to others. Does that make sense? This is huge.

If this is all we do as a church, look at the backs of each others’ heads and call it church, then we will not be using the gifts that God has given us to encourage each other, but when we get together with small groups of people, where we are walking with each other in our faith journeys and sharing life together like we talked about last week, then and only then, our gifts are going to come alive and be used to build up the body of Christ and multiply the gospel throughout Lake Charles and to the ends of the earth, where everyone contributes. Gifts are intended to be used, and that is what Paul is doing here.

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 901–902.

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 902.

This is where it gets really good. I want you to see how this all comes together. If you read on past , what you will see is the most practical part of the book of Romans. In , , and the first part of 15, what he is doing is he is talking about very practical things that we do in the church.

I want you to come with me to . I want you to see where it all leads. What Paul does is he gives a summary statement of his life and all the truths that he has shown to this point. Listen to what he says in . I want you to see the truths in , reiterated here in . Look at verse 14.

Romans 15:14–16 NKJV

14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Listen to verses 17-18

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 903.

Romans 15:17–18 NKJV

17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—

Paul is saying here, he is talking about God giving him grace and God giving him gifts, and as he used those gifts to serve God and to serve in the church, his glory, his boasting is in Christ Jesus because Christ is the One, Jesus is the One who enables him to do all of that. So, when he serves God, it is all to bring glory to Christ, because Christ is giving the grace to make that a reality. So, when he serves God, it brings great glory to Jesus Christ, and that is what he boasts in. Not in anything that he has done, but in everything that Christ has done in him. We are destined for glory...

Paul is saying here, he is talking about God giving him grace and God giving him gifts, and as he used those gifts to serve God and to serve in the church, his glory, his boasting is in Christ Jesus because Christ is the One, Jesus is the One who enables him to do all of that. So, when he serves God, it is all to bring glory to Christ, because Christ is giving the grace to make that a reality. So, when he serves God, it brings great glory to Jesus Christ, and that is what he boasts in. Not in anything that he has done, but in everything that Christ has done in him.

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 904.

And...

That is the picture of the church. A body of Christ, displaying the glory of Christ, scattering together in groups of people who are taking everything that Christ has given to them, and it is not lying dormant any more. It is the church awakened. It is the church truly reformed, now using the gifts that God has given them to accomplish His purpose, His mission. It is not about using 50% of the component parts or 60 or 70 or 80 or 90 or 95 percent of the component parts of the church. It is taking every gift and every person and every part of the church and using it to accomplish one mission together. Imagine that kind of faith family designed by grace to be a tapestry of His body. Imagine a faith family diversified by all kinds of different gifts all across this room. Imagine a faith family that is designed for glory with Him.

Are you in?

David Platt, “Small Groups: Engage in Calling,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2007), 905.

Small Groups: Engage in Calling

Small Groups and the Great Commission...

Imagine a faith family designed by grace.

Imagine a faith family designed by grace.

Imagine a faith family designed by grace.

Enlisted by grace.

Equipped by grace.

Empowered by grace.

Imagine a faith family diversified by gifts.

Where everyone counts.

No one superior.

No one inferior.

No one inferior.

No need to compare.

No need to compare.

No need to compare.

No need to copy.

No need to copy.

Where everyone contributes.

Where everyone contributes.

Imagine a faith family destined for glory.

Imagine a faith family destined for glory.

Imagine a faith family destined for glory.

Imagine a faith family destined for glory.

With a Savior worthy of all praise.

With a Savior worthy of all praise.

With a Savior worthy of all praise.

On a mission guaranteed to prevail.