Death To Bench Warmer Christianity

Have you ever been in a situation where everyone seems to be busy doing something and you’re left standing their awkwardly look for something useful to do? Perhaps its Thanksgiving and everyone is running around doing something. Grandma is pulling the pie from the oven, your siblings are setting the table, Dad is pulling the turkey from the fryer, and Mom is fixing the mac and cheese and you find yourself just looking around and doesn’t that feel awkward?

Well, I wonder if any of us have felt that way when it comes to the Church? People are serving refreshments, pastors and teachers are speaking, song leaders are singing and so on and perhaps you’ve asked yourself, “What place do I have in this?”

A while ago someone asking me about a project that I had really been meditating on for a long time. And when they asked me when I was going to start on it, I thought to myself, “I really want to start, but I don’t know where to begin.”

And maybe that’s you. Maybe you genuinely have a desire to bless others in the Church, but you just don’t know where to begin.

Well, if that’s you, I want you to remember that last week our first point on the Church was that we should remind ourselves that, “I belong with these people because Christ died for us.” and since that’s true, this week I want you to know that Christ didn’t die for you to be a benchwarmer.

A Bench-warmer is a person who wasn’t chosen to play because they just don’t have what it takes to be on the front lines. And a bench-warmer Christian is someone who won’t jump in to serve because they feel like they just don’t have anything to offer or they don’t know where to begin.

This week’s lesson is titled “Death to Bench-warmer Christianity” and with that being said, I want us to think on this for a moment, “Whenever I begin to feel like a bench-warmer Christian, or a Christian without a purpose, I should remember:

We All Have Gifts

These Gifts Are From God (4:10a)

1 Corinthians 12:7–11 NLT

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

“Anything that marks us as uniquely enabled over others is owing to the grace of God.” -John Piper

There are no big shots and little shots in the Church.

God Uses Our Gifts For Good

1 Peter 4:10 NKJV

10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1, 2 Peter, Jude (4) Living in Light of the End (4:7–11)

What is most important, of course, is the purpose for having gifts. Gifts are not given so that believers can congratulate themselves on their abilities. They are bestowed “to serve others.”

“The point is that spiritual gifts are given to serve and to help others, to strengthen others in the faith. They are bestowed for ministry, not to enhance self-esteem. Paul emphasized the same theme, reminding believers that gifts are given to build up and edify others, not to edify oneself . When believers use their gifts to strengthen others, they are functioning as “good stewards” of God’s grace.”

So, what we need to remind ourselves, is that God not only gave me these gifts, but He has given me these gifts as my responsibility to minister to His people and when I use these gifts, either of service or word ministry, He will use those to strengthen the faith of another believer and bless the Church.

Lets turn to Acts 6:1-7 and see what that looked like in action

Acts 6:1–7 NKJV

1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

When we are determined to take the abilities that God has given us, we will be used of God for the good of others and for His glory. (11b)

Sinclair Ferguson said, “[Spiritual gifts] are given through the Spirit of Christ to equip believers to serve one another in the body of Christ and thus to set on display the unity of the church in the context of its diversity, and vice versa. For this, love is essential.”

Our Gifts Have A Guaranteed Source

What are the different gifts that we find in Scripture? Romans 12:6-8

Romans 12:6–8 NKJV

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Now, as we look at these gifts, we can divide them up into the same two categories that Peter does in 1 Peter 4:11, and that is the category of speaking and service. Now, if you have the gift of prophesy, that doesn’t mean you can’t serve, these aren’t mutually exclusive. But the division helps

I want to address that word, “prophesy” for a minute. There is foretelling and forthtelling. (explain)

So, what is this guaranteed source? Well, the question here is this. When wisdom needs to be given, who’s wisdom should we give? Or when works need to be done, by who’s strength should we do them? How can we most glorify God with out gifts? Peter gives us the answer back in 1 Peter 4:10-11

11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Peter tells us, “Hey, if you’ve been given the ability to encourage people and to teach from God’s word. Don’t speak from your own thoughts or your own humanly wisdom. Give them the word of God!” and “Hey, if you’re going to minister to people, don’t do it by your strength, your strength grows tired and weary, your strength gets discouraged, do it by relying on the ability that God provides us.

Conclusion

And it is through this that God will glorify Himself. You see, what Peter is telling us is that it is God who gives the gifts, it is God who gives the ability, and it is God who gets the glory through your gifts.

So, if you’re feeling like a sideline sitting Christian who doesn’t have a place in serving for the Kingdom of God, think again. God has promised that we all have at least one gift. Now, it’s your duty to belong to the Church and we work together to recognize that gift, develop that gift and use that gift.

You know, I met a lot of guys who swore they really were meant to be a preacher or teacher, but when they had opportunities, it was clear that they were not gifted in that arena. The problem is that we often times want that role for the wrong reasons and we need to be willing to say, “Okay Lord, you told me I have a gift that will bless others and glorify you. Help me to be willing to hear others as they help me in identifying it and in developing it.”

So how do you discover your gifting? A few things:

Prayer.

Get active in the church. Serving in different areas, even ones that make you uncomfortable may help you discover your gift.

Speak to other trusted Christians as they will help you in being able to discern your gifting.