The Make-Up of the Church

09-23-2018

The Makeup of The Church

Intro - welcome

This morning we will begin our series on the makeup of the church

The idea behind this for the next few weeks we will talk about the makeup of the church and then we will dive into some of the gifts of the Spirit

So hopefully we will start broad and get narrow as the weeks go

Its my prayer that you also learn what your spiritual gifts are

we will have the opportunity to take a test

and if you are honest it will help show you your spiritual gifts

before though we get to your individual gift I think it is important to understand the makeup of the church

The church is made of a lot of moving parts

Maybe you have been around Maranatha before and there are a lot of moving parts that go on

We have people that clean this place through out the week, we have people that mow and do maintenance through out the week, we have people who run the cafe, we have people who run the pantry, AWANA, Sunday School, Worship, Bible Studies, VBS, Super Summer, Outreach, Sound, Video, IT, Security, Nursery, Children's Church, Finances, decorate

Did I miss any of the moving parts that make up Maranatha Baptist Fellowship??

The Scriptures illustrate this idea very well

1 Corinthians 12:12–26 NASB95

12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

The Church is one body, one unit, one team

The church has one purpose

But the church is made up of a lot of different parts brought together to unity

Scriptures use the illustration of the body, which makes a lot of sense

For your body to operate to its fullest and properly it needs and requires a lot of moving parts

The church is no different

The body requires different parts, our body cannot all be eyes because how would we walk and we cannot all be feet because how would we smell

The church again is no different

The church requires different parts

Do you understand to walk you need muscles to contract and relax in just the right time to walk or to throw

Again the church is no different

We cannot all be the pastor, we cannot all be the worship leader, we cannot all teach or lead, or count, we cannot all work with babies or kids or youth or adults, we cannot all pay the bills, we cannot all run the sounds or know about the computers

But we all have a specific part of the body and no one part is better or higher than the other

but they are different,

for me you would not want me to lead worship or play an instrument, but I believe God is calling me to preach the word

See God has called each of us to a specific place within the body

The problem with not just Maranatha but the church as a whole is that some of us have been the kid who took our ball home because we did not get to be the quarterback

Some people within the church today want to be in charge and quit frankly God has not called them to be in charge and so rather than being part of the body they have gone home and taken their ball

The problem with that is then they miss out on the blessing of God because they are not part of the body

and the bigger issue with that is not only do you miss out but the body the church misses out because God has called you to serve in that specific role

So far we have shared some of the specific roles to Maranatha

But the bigger question we have to ask and over the next few weeks we will discuss in depth and specific roles of the church

But I believe you have to ask yourself what role is God calling you to within the Body?

1 Corinthians 12:27–31 NASB95

27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.

I believe first you must answer this question

Has God called me and my family to Maranatha Baptist Fellowship

Unlike other churches here at Maranatha, I and the leadership expect members to serve within the body

Hear me though I am learning that you cannot and should not do everything, but allow others to rise to they're calling in Jesus here at Maranatha

The second question after you answer is what has Jesus called me to do?

The scriptures make it clear there that not everyone is going to have the same gifts

not all of us are administrators, not all of us are teachers, not all of us are prophets, not all of use are helpers

So what is God calling you to do

What has God gifted you with to be able to use for His purpose here at Maranatha Baptist Fellowship

Notice though the questions aren't what do you want to do?

Which role would you like to serve in

1 Corinthians 12:8 NASB95

8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;

Understand that God has placed each of you in a specific role here at Maranatha

When we begin to put people in certain roles we are not asking if they want to be in them, first thing we should be asking is has God called them to that role

The answer to both of those questions can be yes

But ultimately you need to begin to ask God where He has called you to serve

And in what role you are to serve.

Closing

This morning is just the beginning of our series on the make up of the church

remember over the next few weeks we will dive into what the church looks like inside and out

This morning the invitation is simple, if you are here today and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus then most of this did not make sense, and if you would like to begin a relationship with the Savior of the World, who died for you sins and mine then I would invite to the front and we will have people to help you with that

maybe you are here this morning and you are not a member of this body and God is calling you to join this church, now is that time

maybe you are a here and you are a member and simple need to spend some time at the altar

the altar is open