FINDING MY PLACE IN THIS WORLD.

Michael Ali

Committing to Christ through His Church • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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Intro.

We all have certain common deep needs.

Loved, appreciated, needed

Significance, importance, value, looking for purpose.

These are critical needs because God made us as human beings to love and to be loved. He created us for a purpose so we live lives of despair and emptiness if we cannot find our true place in this world.

If God made us with these needs then by common sense we ought to go to Him to reveal them to us. As you develop a relationship with Jesus and walk with Him daily, He will unfold His plan for your life, and it is great. A wonderful journey of faith.

As you surrender your life to Him, He will open your eyes to certain unique abilities, gifts, talents, training, skill, education and passion you have that He can use in the church and the world to be a blessing to others.

Today, I want to talk about our gifts and their use in the body of Christ.

In this series on Committing to Christ through His Church, we have learnt that:

The church is the Bride of Christ. We ought to love what Jesus loved.

The church is the family of God. God’s cure for loneliness. A home for us.

The church is a fellowship. Unity and harmony.

Today: The Body of Christ. One Body, many members with various gifts.

If we grab this concept it can help us to find our place in this world, our purpose.

Our text is and my take home message is this:

You have a gift; use it!

What does the Scripture reveal to us about our gifts?

1. God has given a variety of gifts to the church.

1 Corinthians 12:1 ESV

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

One of the deep needs

Paul is referring specifically to spiritual gifts. Aside from spiritual gifts we also have talent, ability, skill.

maybe Paul realizes that is an area of ignorance, a lack of information.

“My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.”

My people do not attain their full potential because of a lack of knowledge.

We need to be informed about the:

nature [types] of spiritual gifts

prevalence of spiritual gifts

importance of spiritual gifts

proper use of spiritual gifts

purpose of spiritual gifts

1. GOD HAS GIVEN A VARIETY OF GIFTS.

1 Corinthians 12:4–10 ESV

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

I mention this because of the threat of extinction!

There is such a thing as spiritual gifts – given by God freely as He chooses. We can also desire spiritual gifts.

· JC – if we ask for the Spirit

· V31 - earnestly desire the higher gifts.

Gifts of utterance: tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy

Gifts of revelation: utterance of wisdom, knowledge and distinguishing between spirits

. 28-

Gifts of power: faith, healing, miracles

1 Corinthians 12:28 ESV

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:28–29 ESV

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 ESV

Ephesians 4:11–12 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

Notice the work of the ministry is done by the saints. The pastor equips.

Ephesians 4:11 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,

We have got this so wrong in the church.

eph. 4.11

One reason for small groups is to get more people involved in ministry.

Romans 12:6–8 ESV

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

. 6-

Some scholars have categorized these gifts into-

ministry gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers,

spiritual gifts: 1 Cor. 12

administrative gifts: administration, helps, acts of mercy

administrative gifts

Many times we focus on the big names: apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, evangelist and we ignore administration, service [helps], generosity, acts of mercy.

Do you recognize your gift? Ability? calling? What has God placed on your heart.

If you have been in the church for years and you haven’t figured that out, you need to do some soul searching.

God has distributed the gifts as He wills.

1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

1 Corinthians 12:18 ESV

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

God decides whom He blesses/imparts what.

I don’t know my gift, ability does not mean God has not given you a gift.

Most likely to spiritual immaturity or religiosity.

There is such a thing as spiritual gifts – given by God freely as He chooses. We can also desire spiritual gifts.

2. DESPITE THE VARIETY, WE MUST OPERATE IN UNITY.

· JC – if we ask for the Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:12–14 ESV

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

1 Cor. 12.

· V31

There is one body but many parts.

There are varieties of gifts.

Slide - body

The gift is a manifestation of the Spirit. There is an obvious manifestation to be seen.

My body is one - two eyes, ears, hands, feet, my chest, head - but still one body.

It is for the common good.

In the expression of our gifts, talents, abilities, we all work together for a purpose greater than ourselves.

Always remember the “Big Picture.”

There is one body but many parts.

The church is never about one person showing up himself or herself or one person’s agenda superseding that of the Body of Christ.

In the church we can have to guard against two opposite mindsets:

The Inferiority Complex.

1 Corinthians 12:15–16 ESV

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

1 Corinthians 12:14–16 ESV

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

The foot and ear think they are not important.

· Avoid Inferiority complex

Not big enough, not good enough.

o One part cannot think they have a lower role in the body. 14-16

I am a nobody. I am not significant.

And the enemy uses that to make you feel even smaller.

What does God say about this thinking:

1 Corinthians 12:17–20 ESV

If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

. 17-

Every part is critical. v17

· Every part is critical. 17

The ear must focus on hearing and not be envious of the eye.

He that is faithful in little things will be given bigger things.

God has arranged the members as He chose. [v11, 18]

The Superiority Complex

1 Corinthians 12:21 ESV

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.”

1 cOR. 12.

. 21-

1 Corinthians 12:21–22 ESV

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.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

o Eye cannot say “I don not need you.”

Eye cannot say “I don not need you.”

We all need each part of the body.

If the devil cannot get us to feel inferior, he can get us to feel superior. Maybe each one of us may have tendency to feel one way or the other.

Humility is of God. We must be humble before God and man.

Pride goes before destruction ....

Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord ...

Philippians 2:3 ESV

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

The only was you can be a blessing is by first being humble.

Whenever those unscriptural thoughts come around, we simply have to remember:

One body, many members.

3. WE MUST ENSURE THE PROPER USE OF OUR GIFTS.

1 Corinthians 12:23–26 ESV

and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

1 Cor. 12.23-

With out physical bodies, there is always one or two areas we always cover.

We should care more/pay special attention to those who seem less important.

God gives greater honor to the parts that lacked it.

So we should give greater honor to the lesser parts.

This is done so that there will be no division in the body.

1. Each member should care for each other.

If one suffers; or is honored.

There is no self-promotion but promoting the Body first by putting others first.

2. The gifts are for the benefit of the entire body; common good. v. 7, Ch. 14.

3. The gifts are to operate in love. [Chapter 13]

Conc.

Matthew 25:14–30 ESV

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matt.

5 talents - 75-100 years of wages

laborer earned 1 denarius/day

1 talent 6000, 5 talents 30,000

You have a gift; use it!

How long have you been a Christian? Coming to church?

Our natural mindset is ‘What can I get out of this? How does the church benefit me?”

The godly, spiritual, mature mindset is:

Now that I am a Christian, what does God expect of me?

‘What can I do for the church? For others?’

The more individual believers find their place to serve and do it joyfully, we will see a church growing in leaps and bounds.

parking lot volunteer

to prepare the sanctuary

Prepare the basement for special events, clean up crew

greeter

usher

greet as many guests after the service

call up those who are missing and encourage them

join the intercessory team

help with printing bulletins

start a senior’s ministry

commit to a small group and see how I can be there to support others.

This is my desire

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