Fulfilling Our Mission Through Service

Introduction

There’s a lot of talk about unity today...

The unity that politicians are trying to sell us is a false unity. Behind it is a desire to silence all dissenting voices and be unified behind one party’s wants and desires.

Thus, when we hear the word “unity” used today, we typically meet it with understandable skepticism.

What really unifies a people?

Numerous things can unify a group of people, but one of the most powerful sources of unity comes when we have a shared mission and we are all doing our part to fulfill the mission.

This is supposed to be what a local church has and invests itself in.

The mission being the spreading of the Gospel.

We in order to fulfill this mission we must commit to intercessory prayer & we must biblically submit to the mission that God has given us.

The next step is knowing our part and investing the time and energy it takes to do our part.

Focal Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Background:

Division within the church in Corinth...

In chapter 12 Paul deals with the issue of spiritual gifts...

There are a diversity of gifts, but the same source: the Holy Spirit

The gifts were given for the common good of the church.

Verses 12-13

Paul illustrates this point by using the human anatomy.

But, don’t get too caught up in the illustration. His focus is how the church is to function like the human body, doing different tasks with a unified purpose...

When Paul speaks of being “baptized” here he isn’t talking about water baptism, but the baptism or immersion of the Holy Spirit at conversion.

“Drinking” the Spirit has to do with “taking in.”

The point: The body of Christ is diverse, yet one.

We see here ethnic diversity, socio-economic diversity, and diversity of giftedness.

Ben Witherington: “…the early-church battle cry could have been e pluribus unum - ‘out of many, one.’”

Verses 14-20

Continuing the illustration of the human anatomy, Paul speaks directly to those who felt inferior to those with the “showy gifts”...

The point: There is no unimportant person within the church.

What part of your body is unimportant?

Appendix? (likely a storage place for good gut bacteria)

Gallbladder? (hold extra bile)

Tonsils? (protect against infection)

Pinky toe? (help with balance)

Eyebrows? (used to protect the eyes in harsher environments…plus, we look freaky without them!)

Even those parts we don’t know why they exist have or at least had a purpose at one time in human history.

There is not unimportant part of the church.

While it’s true we can learn to function without certain parts, but we will never function as well as we could with those part.

Therefore, faithfully fulfill your calling.

Verses 21-26

Paul deals with the other side of the last illustration; namely those who acting like they were spiritually superior because of their “showy gifts”...

Going back to the body illustration:

What part of your body is your MVP (most valuable part)? (Don’t get gross or inappropriate!)

The point: There is no “most valuable person” within the church.

Certain roles within the church are more public than others, but all roles within the church are important.

Therefore, humbly fulfill your calling.

Verse 27

This summarizes Paul main point.

Each of us are part of the body of Christ and have an important role to fulfill.

Big Idea: In order to fulfill the mission that God has for our lives we must commit to being a functioning church member.

What is a function church member?

A functioning church member is someone who realizes that he or she are necessary for the church to fulfill its God-given purposes and does something about it.

To be a functioning church member you must realize you are needed within this local church.

If God called you to this place, you have something you can uniquely offer to this church.

To be a functioning church member you must do something to help the local church fulfill it’s mission.

Pew filler isn’t a role within the church.

Church critic isn’t a role within the church.

Subcontractor isn’t a role within the church (i.e. someone who pays others to fulfill their role)

Functioning church members are those who know what they can do to help a church and do it.

Why is it important to be a functioning church member?

Because the church represents Jesus to the people around us.

Hard Reality: The majority of people in our community don’t really know why the church is here. Nor do they care what our mission is, especially if it has no bearing on their lives.

For many, they wouldn’t darken the doors of the church unless they were going to a wedding, a funeral, or unless their mom begged them to come on Mother’s Day.

All they know about Jesus is what they heard as a kid, what the modern media have convinced them about Jesus, or something that someone they know once told them.

So, part of our calling is to be Jesus ambassadors to this community.

2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Because every part of the body of Christ has an important role to fulfill.

Again, there are no unimportant people within Christ’s body, the local church.

Yet, if one part isn’t functioning, the entire body is missing out.

How can I be a functioning church member?

Commit to be a functioning member.

Discover your ministry strengths.

Use your ministry strengths to faithfully serve the church.