Gifts Do A Body Good

INTRODUCTION

OPENING STORY: DR. ALFRED BLALOCK IS CREDITED WITH BEING THE MAN WHO PIONEERED BYPASS SURGERY- A PROCEDURE ORIGINALLY DONE TO ADDRESS THE HEART ISSUES OF WHAT WAS TERMED “BLUE BABIES”. AND WHILE HE DID A LOT OF THE WORK AND RECEIVED JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE CREDIT, HE DIDN’T WORK ALONE. HE HAD AN ASSISTANT THAT FOR YEARS THE PUBLIC NEVER KNEW ABOUT. AN AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN WHO WAS A TRAINED MECHANIC AND TOOL MAKER, YET HAD NO COLLEGE DEGREE AND NO KIND OF MEDICAL CERTIFICATION. HIS NAME WAS VIVIEN THOMAS. IT WAS THIS NO COLLEGE DEGREE HAVING, UNTRAINED MEDICAL ASSISTANT WHOM BLALOCK WOULD GO ONTO CREDIT AS BEING AN INDESPINSIBLE PART OF HIS WORK. BY BLALOCK’S OWN ADMISSION THE WORK WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WHERE IT NOT FOR THIS MAN LURKING BEHIND THE SCENES.

POINT: WE TEND TO GIVE CERTAIN PEOPLE WAY TOO MUCH CREDIT, AND OTHERS WAY TOO LITTLE.

SYNOPSIS: THIS IS EXACTLY PAUL’S POINT WHEN WE COME TO OUR TEXT TODAY. USING THE BODY IMAGERY TO DEPICT THE CHURCH…HIS POINT IS “EVERYONE MATTERS” THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD THERE ARE NO LITTLE PEOPLE.

GET IN SUNDAY VISION. IN A FEW MOMENTS WE’RE GOING TO JAM INTO THE…EAT GOOD FOOD AND BE EXPOSED TO A LOT OF MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES. OPPORTUNITIES TO BE POURED INTO AND TO USE YOUR GIFTS TO POUR INTO OTHERS. WE ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE WE ARE SAYING EVERYONE MATTERS AND WE CANNOT BE WHAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO BE UNLESS YOU GET IN.

ILLUSTRATION: I USED TO LIVE IN PHILADELPHIA. SCHUKILL RIVER AND SEE ALL THESE BOATS WITH ROWERS IN THEM TRAINING OR COMPETING. I NOTICED, NOT ONE PERSON WAS CHILLING. EVERYONE WAS ROWING. IF THEY WERE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL THEY HAD TO REALIZE THAT EVERYONE MATTERS.

CELEBRITIES.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT: PAUL IS GOING TO SAY THREE HUGE THINGS ABOUT THE LOCAL CHURCH AND GIFTS.

ALL HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT-

EXPLANATION: THE FIRST THING PAUL WANTS US TO KNOW IS THAT WE ALL HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT. LOOK AT VERSE 18. GREEK WORD FOR ARRANGED MEANS TO ASSIGN A DUTY, RESPONSIBILITY OR OBLIGATION TO SOMEONE. WHEN WE GOT SAVED WE WERE GIVEN THE HS WHO GAVE EACH OF US A SPIRITUAL GIFT OR GIFTS. LOOK AT VERSE 11. WHAT ARE THESE GIFTS? LIST SOME OF THEM: HELPS, MERCY, ADMINISTRATION, TEACHING, LEADERSHIP, TONGUES, WORD OF WISDOM, WORD OF KNOWLEDGE AND SO ON. “AS HE CHOSE” POINTS TO HIS SOVEREIGNTY.

TWO IDEAS: HUMILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. HUMILITY. THE WORD FOR GIFT IN THE NT IS CHARISMA WHICH MEANS GRACE. IT IS A GIFT BUT AN UNDESERVED GIFT. IF HE’S GIVEN YOU A GIFT, WHICH HE HAS, THEN LET’S BE HUMBLE ABOUT IT.

ILLUSTRATION: CAUGHT ONE OF MY KIDS PUTTING SHOES IN A BAG. HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO SELL IT. OH NO. I GAVE YOU THAT, YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO AWAY WITH IT. IT STILL FITS…I DON’T CHARGE FOR PREACHING.

APPLICATION…USE THE GIFT IN HUMILITY.

ACCOUNTABILITY. IF HE’S GIEN YOU THE GIFT HE EXPECTS YOU TO USE IT AND WE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. AND THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS. . GOD EXPECTS YOU TO USE YOUR GIFTS TO BUILD UP THE CHURCH! WE WILL HAVE TO ANSWER FOR THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE GIFTS HE’S GIVEN US!

ALL ARE AN ASSET-

EXPLANATION: CHURCH OF CORINTH WAS A MULTIETHNIC, MULTICLASS CHURCH. WE KNOW THIS FROM VERSE 13. THEY ALL GOT GIFTS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE WAS JEALOUSY, ENVY AND DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH ALONG THESE GIFTS. SEE IT WITH LEADERSHIP AS THEY WERE LINING UP BEHIND CERTAIN LEADERS AND DIVIDING. SEE IT IN TEACHING…SEE IT IN TONGUES…REASON WHY PAUL WRITES. PAUL CALLS A TIMEOUT AND SAYS HOLD ON. EVERYONE GETS FROM GOD A GIFT OR GIFTS. WHICH MEANS ALL ARE HONORABLE.

EXPLANATION CONTINUED: TO HAMMER HOME HIS POINT HE USES THE IMAGERY OF THE BODY AND IT’S A POWERFUL ONE. THERES DIVERSITY OF GIFTS JUST LIKE THERE’S DIVERSE PARTS OF THE BODY. THE WHOLE BODY CAN’T BE A MOUTH THAT’S A FREAK. AND ALL, EVEN THE WEAKER PARTS HAVE HONOR. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE ARE TO BE NO LITTLE PEOPLE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST! EVERYONE MATTERS. FROM THE PREACHER TO THE CHILDREN’S WORKER; OTHER EXAMPLES. ALL HAVE AN ASSET.

APPENDIX ILLUSTRATION: WE STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS OR DOES. IT JUST SITS THERE. BUT BOY WHEN IT THROWS A FIT THE WHOLE BODY IS THROWN OFF. SOME CHURCH PEOPLE LIKE THAT! MAIN POINT IS THERE ARE NO APPENDIX IN THE BODY!

APPLICATION: COME WITH ME TO THE BBB CHURCH THERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ATLANTA. SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER- SISTER ODESSA CONLEY WHOSE PANTYHOSE SLUMPED DOWN AROUND HER ANKLE…TAUGHT ME THE BIBLE. SO DID NORMAN JOHNSON. FAITHFUL…SHOWED UP. SISTER RUSSELL WAS IN THE KITCHEN COOKING. UPSTAIRS YOU’D BE GREETED BY BROTHER ULYSSES WHO HAD ONE ARM, BUT COULD PASS OUT BULLETINS WITH THE BEST OF THEM. BROTHER FUSSELL HAD THE GIFT OF HOSPITALITY AND WAS ALWAYS BAKING THE BEST STRAWBERRY CAKES AND GIVING THEM OUT WITH A SMILE AND A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT. DEACON SMITH ON THE HAMMOND B3 AND NEVER TOOK A DIME. DEACON DIXON LEAD SERVICE…AN ARCHITECT BUT SHOWED UP FAITHFULLY. PASTOR CONLEY WOULD PREACH OKAY SERMONS, BUT THAT’S NOT HOW THE BODY GREW. EVERYONE MATTERED. NO LITTLE PEOPLE. OUR TURN.

STRONG APPLICATION TIE INTO GET IN SUNDAY.

ALL ARE ESSENTIAL-

EXPLANATION: PAUL PRESSES INTO THIS ANALOGY BY TAKING THE EYES AND THE HEAD, TWO VERY PROMINENT FEATURES OF THE BODY AND SAYING THAT THEY CANNOT SAY TO THE LESS PROMINENT PARTS OF THE HAND AND FEET, I DON’T NEED YOU. THE HAND AND FEET ARE THE ERRAND PARTS OF YOUR BODY. THEY DO WHAT THE EYES AND THE HEAD WANT DONE. BUT PAUL IS SAYING ALL ARE ESSENTIAL. THERE ARE NO LITTLE PEOPLE. EVERYONE MATTERS!

ILLUSTRATION: EVER HAD A TOOTHACHE? I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU HAD PLANNED THAT DAY, LET YOUR TINY TOOTH GET TO SCREAMING. EVERYTHING STOPS DOESN’T IT? IT’S AMAZING HOW SOMETHING SO SMALL CAN CAUSE SUCH STRESS AND TRAUMA TO THE WHOLE BODY! OR EVER READ THE NEWS AND DISCOVERED SOME BIG OLE 300 POUND LINEMEN IS SIDELINED BECAUSE OF TURF TOE? TURF TOE? YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS, BUT HOW CAN SOMETHING SO TINY TAKE SOMETHING SO BIG OUT? EVERY PART MATTERS.

EXPLANATION: PAUL GOES ONTO SAY THAT THE PARTS WE DEEM TO BE WEAKER ARE ACTUALLY DESERVING OF MORE HONOR…LIVERS…KIDNEY…HEART…LET SOMETHING GO WRONG WITH THESE AND YOU ARE DOWN FOR THE COUNT.

APPLICATION: WE HAVE SOME LIVERS, KIDNEYS AND HEARTS- PEOPLE YOU SELDOM SEE, THAT IF THEY LEAVE, WE ARE IN A BAD SPOT. MOTHER HILL, JAMES AND THE TEAM OF PRAYER WARRIORS.