DIFFERENCE-MAKERS - ROMANS 12: 6-8

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 12)

6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

BIG IDEA: WE’VE BEEN GIFTED DIFFERENTLY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

PAUL CONTINUES HIS TREND OF THOUGHT FROM HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH AS A BODY WITH MANY PARTS, TO NOW DESCRIBING THE CHURCH BODY WITH MULTIPLE GIFTS...

REMEMBER, THE CHURCH IS AN ORGANISM, NOT MERELY AN ORGANIZATION...

ORGANISMS CHANGE.

ORGANIZATIONS FIGHT TO REMAIN THE SAME.

ORGANISMS GROW.

ORGANIZATIONS FIGHT AGAINST GROWTH PRINCIPLES.

PAUL IS DESCRIBING CHRIST’S CHURCH, AS CHRIST DESIGNED AND DESIRED HER TO BE (HERE IT IS): BELIEVERS BECOMING DIFFERENCE-MAKERS BASED UPON CHRIST SETTING US UP TO SUCCEED FOR HIS GLORY!

DIFFERENCE MAKERS.

AND SO, WE ARE DIFFERENCE-MAKERS WHO HAVE BEEN GIFTED DIFFERENTLY...

LET ME SHOW YOU: EVERY PERSON IN HERE, KIDS INCLUDED, LIKELY HAS A SET OF KEYS...

THOSE KEYS ARE TYPICALLY GATHERED TOGETHER ON A KEY RING...

NOW, WHILE THE KEYS LOOK THE SAME, EACH HAS ITS OWN CUT.

EACH HAS ITS OWN LOCK THAT IT FITS...

I REMEMBER BEING HANDED A SET OF KEYS TO GREATER BACK IN 2011. IT TOOK ME MONTHS TO DETERMINE WHICH KEY FIT WHICH LOCK, BECAUSE THEY ALL LOOKED THE SAME...

BUT IF I WANTED ACCESS TO THE RIGHT PLACE, I HAD TO IDENTIFY THEM, FIGURE THEM OUT, AND USE THEM FOR THEIR PURPOSE...

BELOVED, WE’RE ALL KEYS ON GOD’S KEY RING...

EACH OF US HAS BEEN SHAPED TO FIT THE GIFTING THAT GOD DESIRES...

TO BE USED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR HIS GLORY...

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 4) EPHESIANS 4:7

7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

(1 PETER 4:10) Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

WE MUST DISCOVER OUR GIFTS...

DEVELOP OUR GIFTS...

AND WE MUST BE DEPLOYED TO USE OUR GIFTS...

THIS IS HOW WE ARE DIFFERENCE-MAKERS IN GOD’S KINGDOM...

IF THIS CHURCH DOES NOT MAKE ROOM FOR YOU TO USE YOUR GIFTS, THEN THIS CHURCH IS OUT OF ORDER!

IF THIS CHURCH DOES NOT HELP YOU TO DISCOVER AND TO DEVELOP YOR GIFTS, THEN THIS CHURCH IS OUT OF ORDER!

ALSO, IF THIS CHURCH ALLOWS YOU TO SIT AND STARE AT YOUR GIFTS (NEVER USING THEM), THEN THIS CHURCH IS OUT OF ORDER!!!

PAUL OPENS VS. 6: ACCORDING TO THE GRACE GIVEN TO US…HMMM, SOUNDS LIKE VS. 3: FOR BY THE GRACE GIVEN TO ME...

PAUL EMPHASIZES GOD’S GRACE: GOD’S UNMERITED FAVOR - OUR UNDESERVED BENEFITS - SO THAT WE WOULD NEVER THINK TOO HIGHLY OF OURSELVES...

THERE’S NOTHING WORSE THAN A GIFTED BELIEVER WHO FALSELY BELIEVES THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR GIFTING!

WE ARE NO MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR GIFTS THAN WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR SALVATION: EPH.2:8 “8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—”

BY GRACE - THROUGH FAITH - GOD’S GIFT!

PAUL CONTINUES: ACCORDING TO THE GRACE GIVEN TO US, WE HAVE DIFFERENT GIFTS...

WE ARE NOT THE SAME.

DIFFERENCE-MAKERS ARE DIFFERENT. DIFFERENT.

NOW, THIS DOESN’T SPEAK TO OUR CULTURE OR VALUES OR MISSION OR VISION.

CULTURE EMBRACES THE STANDARDS THAT WE VALUE, IN ORDER TO FULFILL VISION.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE OUGHT TO ALL BE SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE, BUT WITH OUR OWN ACCENTS....

PAUL IS EMPHASIZING THE BEAUTY OF DIVERSITY WITHIN THE BODY, WHILE DEMANDING THERE BE UNITY WITHIN OUR DIVERSITY!

YES, EACH OF US HAS BEEN UNIQUELY GIFTED AND SHAPED! AND THAT UNIQUENESS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE BODY FOR THE SUCCESS OF BODY!

CHILD OF GOD, WHETHER YOU REALIZE IT OR NOT, GOD HAS GRACIOUSLY GIVEN YOU A GIFT OR GIFTS...

AND THOSE GIFTS ARE TO BE EMPLOYED BY A LOCAL ASSEMBLY - YOUR CHURCH - SO THAT CHRIST’S CHURCH CAN FULFILL CHRIST’S MISSION, WHICH IS TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THOSE WHO ARE LOST - TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - NOT TO BE SERVE, BUT TO SERVE....

AND EVERY KEY - EVERY PERSON - EVERY BELIEVER WITH CHRIST’S CHURCH CONTRIBUTES IN THEIR OWN WAY...

WE ARE NOT THE SAME.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Church Unity)

Many years ago, two students graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The highest ranking student in the class was a blind man named Overton, and when he received his honor, he insisted that half the credit should go to his friend, Kaspryzak. They had first met one another in school when the armless Kaspryzak had guided the blind Overton down a flight of stairs. This acquaintance ripened into friendship and a beautiful example of interdependence. The blind man carried the books that the armless man read aloud in their common study, and thus the deficiency of each individual was compensated for by the other’s ability.196

APPRECIATE DIFFERENCES.

WE HAVE THE SAME GOAL. (FOR HIS GLORY)

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 12)

If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

THERE ARE SEVEN GIFTS MENTIONED HERE:

PROPHESY

SERVICE

TEACHING

EXHORTING

GIVING

LEADING

SHOWING MERCY

THESE GIFTS ARE A SNAPSHOT OF THE FULL GRACE GIFTS RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE...

PAUL IS SIMPLY SAYING HERE: WHATEVER YOUR GIFT - BE A DIFFERENCE-MAKER!

WHATEVER YOUR GIFT, USE IT ACCORDING TO THE GOAL: GOD’S GLORY!

THE DIVERSITY OF THE GIFTS ARE NOT THE EMPHASIS, THE USAGE OF THE GIFTS ARE THE EMPHASIS...

EVEN DEEPER HERE IS PAUL’S INTIMATION THAT GIFTS CANNOT BE USED IN ISOLATION...

THERE’S NOT ONE GIFT LISTED THAT CAN BE USED IN ISOLATION...

LET ME TEACH...

AS A CHURCH, WE’VE PIVOTED TO JOYFULLY INCLUDE BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL MEMBERS...

WE SEE THE SHIFT AN WE EMBRACE IT...

AND EVEN IN THAT SAME SPACE, WE ARE TO USE OUR GIFTS...

VIRTUAL FOLKS, YOUR AMENS IN TYPE ARE STILL NEEDED...

YOUR PRAYER TEXTS AND ENGAGEMENT ONLINE IS STILL NEEDED...

ERRY NOW AND THEN, WE NEED YOU TO SHOW UP TO A SERVICE, FUNERAL OR WEDDING, TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR MINISTRY...

SO WATCH THIS: WE HAVE THE SAME GOAL (FOR HIS GLORY).

PAUL IS SPEAKING OF MEMBERS OF THE BODY - THE CHURCH.

weirsbe

“Spiritual gifts are tools to build with, not toys to play with or weapons to fight with.”

EVEN IN THIS VIRTUAL SPACE, THERE ARE STILL BIBLICAL EXPECTATIONS:

PRESENCE: YOU’VE GOT TO SHOW UP. HOW YOU GONE SERVE ABSENTEE?

SERVICE: YOU’VE GOT TO EMPLOY YOUR GIFTS FOR THE KINGDOM. THIS IS HOW WE ARE DIFFERENCE-MAKERS.

SACRIFICE: YOU’VE GOT TO GIVE. IF YOU AIN’T GIVING, THEN YOUR MEMBERSHIP WITH THE BODY IS LACKING.

IT’S ALL IN VS. 6-8...

SO, HERE’ WHAT I’VE HAD TO DO AS PASTOR...

IF YOU DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL, NOR ARE YOU GIVING, THEN YOU ARE LIKELY NO LONGER A MEMBER. THAT’S PERFECTLY FINE. I PRAY YOU FIND THE MINISTRY YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR.

WE WILL NO LONGER ALLOW PEOPLE TO CLAIM US THAT AREN’T WITH US.

(((more)))

WE ARE GREATER TOGETHER.

Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Exposition)

“The point is that each member functions to serve the body, not the body to serve the members.”

PAUL WANTS US TO WORK IN UNITY FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

HE IS EXHORTING US TO USE OUR GIFTS CORPORATELY, NOT INDEPENDENTLY OF CHRIST’S CHURCH, BUT AT CHRIST’S CHURCH...