You Are and You Have Serving Gifts: You are God's gift to Christ's Church

Notice the plea the Apostle Paul gives to everyone who trusts Christ as their Savior…to every believer, every Christian:

Walk worthy of God’s call v. 1

Bear with (tolerate) each other, that which might be unpleasant or difficult, whether on one’s own behalf or that of another’s v. 2

Be diligent v. 3

His reason? vv. 4-6

We do not have the luxury or the option to choose who to exercise this unity with, inside the body of Christ.

Now, although such unity is created and expected in the body of Christ, Paul then wrote clearly that:

God has not ordained uniformity, but an endless myriad of facets as He cut the stone of His body, the church, so that each facet might catch and reflect the light of His glory no matter how the church moves or from what angle or direction it is viewed.

The unity is in God’s glory alone, poured into the church through Christ; but the variety is in how it is seen and reflected through the church’s members.

You have been given God’s grace through Jesus Christ, a grace that is equal to the gift Christ gave.

You have been given as God’s grace through Jesus Christ to the church, a grace that is equal to the gift Christ gave.

You have been given to show the grace that is equal to the gift Christ gave, within and through the church, in order to show His glory to those who look in.

Big Idea:

You have been graced as a grace to show God’s grace.

To say it another way, God gives gifts to people that He gives to the church as gifts in order to show His glory to all who look for, all who seek Him. v. 11.

Ultimately, it is for His glory, but He has a fuller purpose than just His glory. That is what vv. 11-16 describes for us.

We have been graced as a grace to show God’s grace.

Spiritual ministry opportunities (spiritual gifts) are given for the strength of Christ’s people and His church v 12

For the strength of Christ’s people and His church v. 12

++To equip the saints

++To serve through work

++To build His church

Spiritual ministry opportunities (spiritual gifts) will continue to be given until we are fully like Christ v. 13

To be fully like Christ v. 13

++To exercise the unifying power of faith

++To exercise the unifying knowledge of Christ

++To be mature in our spiritual lives (transformation)

Spiritual ministry opportunities (spiritual gifts) so that together, we fulfill His call for us vv. 14-16

To fulfill His call for us vv. 14-16

++So that we are not tossed or distracted

++So that we speak loving truth

++So we grow up to show clearly, His glory as we point to Christ through how we love.

God’s ministry opportunities He has graced you with is equal to His gift through Christ.

God’s ministry opportunities He has graced the church with through you is equal to His gift through Christ.

God’s ministry opportunities His fulfills through the unified body of Christ is equal to the glory of the gift He has given through Christ.

Big Idea:

You have been graced as a grace to show God’s grace.