PONDERING... Don’t Vote For Me (Acts 20:28-32)

Don’t Vote For Me

GIST: Churches don’t need charismatic, human heroes to lead them; they need Jesus. Period.

SCRIPTURE: Acts 20:28-32

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

I have struggled this week with what to say. I know at the end of this message you’re voting on me as pastor. I didn’t want to pretend like that wasn’t happening and just try to preach “extra good”. Nor did I want to preach a message that was essentially all about me and somehow make this a campaign speech; that wouldn’t be helpful to any of you today, nor Biblical. All of these concerns got in the way of me just letting God speak. As I prayed through what Scripture to address this morning, Acts 20 came to mind first. Then, I considered about 5 other passages, but Acts 20 kept coming back. Which means I probably could have saved myself some time if I just would have listened to God the first time.

Now, even though this isn’t a campaign speech, before we look at the GIST statement, I thought it would be fun to look at a few presidential campaign slogans… (and there is a connection :D).

A few slogans from Presidential Campaigns:

• "Grant Us Another Term" – Ulysses S. Grant (See what he did there? :D)

• "I like Ike" – Dwight D. Eisenhower."
• “All the way with LBJ" – Lyndon B. Johnson (Gotta love a clever rhyme!)
• "In Your Heart, You Know He's Right" – Barry Goldwater
• "In Your Guts, You Know He's Nuts" – Johnson’s response to Goldwater (That’s just funny.)

• "A Safer World and a More Hopeful America" – George W. Bush
• "Change." – Barack Obama
• "Make America Great Again!" – Donald Trump (The last three were situationally driven.)

These all have something in common: self-promotion. That’s what a campaign is about. So, politicians are going try and gain votes based on their personal merits or the difference they plan on making in the country. Sadly, sometimes that’s how we approach choosing a pastor, too. Regardless of who God calls to this position, if you place your faith in a man, he will let you down. His sermons might be boring. His jokes might be cheesy. He might not always be available when you want him, or do things the way you wish he would. (And all this and more would undoubtedly apply to me.) In fact, if I were to come up with a campaign slogan, mine would be “Don’t Vote For Me”. In fact, that is my sermon title, but we didn’t put it in the bulletin because people wiser than me thought that might send mixed messages :D. Since, I do in fact feel called to this position, I guess it would be better to put it like this: “If You’re Looking For Someone To Fix All Your Problems And Fulfill All Your Expectations, Don’t Vote For Me.” But see, that’s just a really long title :).

But here’s the deal: Churches don’t need charismatic, human heroes to lead them; they need Jesus. Period. It’s not about me. I never want it to be about me. It has to be all about Jesus all the time. Let’s look at this passage.

I. THE CHURCH IS JESUS’

28b...the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

We are His people bought at the highest price. We’ve covered this several times lately, but I don’t want to just skip over this vital point. The Church belongs to God. The only reason we are even gathering together in the first place is to proclaim and be changed by that message. Apart from Jesus’ sacrificial death in our place, we would just be a group of people destined for Hell trying to make each other feel better about ourselves. We are so much more than that only because He is our hope. He obtained us with His own blood. This is no small matter. The Church does not belong to the pastors or deacons or trustees or even the most active members. We belong to Jesus. This is the central truth that brings us all together and fuels everything we do. Remember last week? All things are from, through, and to Him. That includes this church.

II. THE PASTOR NEEDS JESUS

28a Pay careful attention to yourselves

The requirements for a pastor are...Christian. I have been reading alot about the qualifications for pastors as outlined in Scripture, and, frankly, it has terrified me. Paul’s statement here at the very beginning of our Scripture for today summarizes most of the criteria very concisely. A pastor must pay careful attention to himself. In what way? Well, let’s just look at the criteria for pastors laid out in the three big passages, 1 Tim 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5. Here’s a combined list:

• Above Reproach
• The Husband of One Wife
• Sober-Minded
• Self-Controlled
• Respectable
• Hospitable
• Humble
• Not a Drunkard
• Not Violent, but Gentle
• Not Quarrelsome
• Not a Lover of Money
• Manages His Own Household Well
• Well Thought of by Outsiders
• Loves Good
• Holds Firm to the Word of God
• He Must Not be a Recent Convert
• He Must be Able to Teach and Defend Sound Doctrine
• He Must Willingly Shepherd the Flock

This is what a pastor is supposed to be paying attention to; this is who he should be. No pressure, right? :)

Now, let me ask you this: which of these don’t apply to you? If you’re a Christian but not a pastor, are you somehow exempt from being humble, or above reproach, or hospitable? Even the women of the church are not left out in the husband of one wife clause because it implies faithfulness in marriage. And every parent is meant to manage their household well, not just the pastor and his wife. You’re not supposed to be a violent drunk either. The only three that would not directly apply to the entire congregation would be those last three: He Must Not be a Recent Convert, He Must be Able to Teach and Defend Sound Doctrine, He Must Willingly Shepherd the Flock. The first one is a given in any leadership position. Hopefully, you wouldn’t ask someone who just started their education degree to be the principal at your school. We can follow the spiritual application here. And that last one, willingly shepherding the flock, is a unique role, as well. But the middle one, teaching and defending sound doctrine, one has overlaps in all of our lives. You might not be required to teach and defend sound doctrine in the same way as a pastor, but aren’t you meant to know what the Bible teaches, and aren’t we all to share that with the world and, more especially, with our children?

I point all that out not to imply being a pastor isn’t that big of a deal, but rather to show how big of a deal being a Christian is in the first place. These are some expectations for all our lives--and it’s hard; it’s weighty; it’s a big deal to be the ambassadors of Christ to this world so desperately in need of Him. It is no easier for the pastor. We are cut from the same cloth. I am just as much of a sinner as you. I need Jesus just as much as you do. The difference? People tend to forget that. James 3:1, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Pastors are meant to be examples of what it means to be a Christian, but they are not Christ. Pray for them.

If I’m your pastor, I’ll probably let you down sometimes, maybe a lot of times. I might stick my foot in my mouth. I will never be a perfect example of Christlikeness. But I will strive to draw closer to Him with you, because I need Him, too.

III. THE PEOPLE NEED JESUS

29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

The Church’s needs are spiritual...and dire. Look at what is said here. There is urgency in the message. Paul knew that once he left, the church would be under attack. And look at the nature of this attack. It’s described as fierce wolves coming into a flock of sheep. You don’t even have to know anything about sheep to understand this, you just need to have read any classic folktale or seen a few episodes of Looney Tunes as a child. When a wolf gets into a flock of sheep, it has one motive: it wants to eat sheep. Here we have fierce wolves. So, it’s not just a wolf, but wolves...and they’re fierce. Actually, the word translated fierce here means heavy and grievous, or detrimental, or malignant. So… it actually says these are big, bad wolves :D. They are coming into the church seeking to destroy it. That’s the message.

And he is not talking about outside physical threats. That’s a reality too, the church will be persecuted in physical ways. Throughout history, however, we’ve seen that this always strengthens the church. The wolves here are spiritual. They are false teachers or teachings, some of which are coming up from within the church itself, seeking to turn the people of God away from the truth of God and make them just as ineffectual in the ministry of God’s truth as the lost world around them. That’s how you destroy the church--make them take their eyes off Jesus. That’s why everyone in this room needs Him and His Word more than anything else.

One man cannot meet them. The need is great, and one man cannot meet that. In fact, the word overseers here is plural. We could dive into that more deeply, but the fact of the matter is just what we’ve been talking about the past few weeks: this is a team effort. We’re meant to grow together. One body. One purpose: Helping each other and the world be transformed by Jesus. He makes the difference.

IV. SO, A PASTOR MUST POINT ONLY TO JESUS

28 Pay careful attention… to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God....31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

The duty of a pastor is for God’s people and through God’s grace. In light of all of this (the church belonging to Jesus and the pastor and congregational being equally in need of Him), the pastor’s role then becomes one of pointing people to Jesus. As mentioned before, this is largely through conduct. This is also through love driven preaching of God’s Word. If I care for you, it will be in tears that I try to just bring you God’s Word. That’s why I preach mostly through books of the Bible. Just before the verses we read today, Paul told his readers, “26b I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” The implication is that it’s the solemn responsibility of a pastor to preach the whole counsel. I cannot just harp on pet doctrines or favorite themes. I want to see all of Jesus, so I’ll study all of Scripture. I want you to see all of Jesus, so I’ll teach through the Bible systematically.

And I guess here’s as good of a time as any to make an aside to clarify this too, because it’s always so heavy upon my heart. The pastor’s responsibility to the church must be third on his lists of priorities. First must be his personal relationship with God. If he is not drawing near to God in his personal walk, he is of no use to anyone. Second is his family. I have read too many tragic stories of great preachers who neglected their home. How can I strive to be innocent of the blood of the congregation and pay no heed to those under my special care? In any setting, I am a Christian husband and daddy before I am a pastor. I can drop many things to serve the needs of this church, but I will never drop them. They are my first flock, my little lambs. So, if I’m not living this for them, again, I’m of absolutely no use to you.

So, how does this work practically? And this isn’t just for pastors; remember this is the expectation for all of us. Oh, how I love verse 32.  32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. It is by the grace of God, through the Word of that grace, the Bible. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is His Word that saves you; and His Word that sustains you.

TAKEAWAYS

1. More than anything or anyone, the church needs Jesus.

• From Him, and Through Him, and To Him are all things. He is our everything.  Until we become a people passionate about Him, there will be no significant differences made.

2. Don’t vote for me; long for Jesus.

• I’m not withdrawing my application :). I’m just clarifying my purpose.

3. Pay attention to your life.

• There will be big bad wolves. Cling to the Word of God.

4. Pray that I do the same.

PONDERING... Created For God (Romans 11:36)

Created For God

Charles H. Spurgeon said the following concerning this verse: “Our great God alone can expound this verse for He only knows Himself and He only can worthily set forth His own perfections. Yet I am comforted by this reflection that maybe, in answer to our prayers, God Himself may preach from this text this morning in our hearts. If not through the words of the speaker, yet by that still small voice to which the Believer’s ear is so well accustomed. If thus He shall condescend to favor us, our hearts shall be lifted up in His ways.” I pray the same.

GIST: The Church believes and has been changed by these truths about Jesus: everything is from, through, and to Him.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 11:36 (But, let’s read back to verse 33 just for a little immediate context.)

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,

   or who has been his counselor?”

35 “Or who has given a gift to him

   that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

This weekend at Vacation Bible School, we’ve been focusing on how we are “made by God and built for a purpose”. As I prayed about what to talk about this morning, this verse popped into my mind. Not only is it an awesome picture of who God is--which happens to fit perfectly into the theme of our Maker Fun Factor VBS--but it also connects to the conversations we’ve been having on Sundays about what the Church is supposed to be like. The Church believes and has been changed by these truths about Jesus: everything is from, through, and to Him.

This verse is packed. I don’t feel like I can even begin to scratch the surface of all that is expressed in this one line of Scripture, but pray even this brief discussion will spur us to love Jesus more fully.

1. BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THESE TRUTHS

In The Context Of Salvation. Leading into this doxology, Paul has been talking about salvation. Specifically, he has been discussing how all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, can be saved only through Jesus. He emphasizes this with this marvelous statement about the depth of His riches and wisdom and knowledge (which I wish we had time to break down a bit, but do not), pointing out His majesty and our need (we don’t have these qualities). That’s the context of this passage, and it’s the context of our lives. I’ve said this a million times, and hope to say it millions more; we are all sinners deserving of Hell and in need of a Savior. Jesus chose to come and die for us to provide that salvation. “9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).  If you’ve been a Christian for 50 years or are only hearing this for the first time, this is the most important truth I can tell you, and it’s echoed in these three prepositional phrases.

From Him Are All Things. He is the source of… everything. Genesis 1:1 starts with these four words: “In the beginning, God…” Then, we’re given the account of all creation. Before this world was made, there was only God. Without Him, there is nothing. Oh, how contentious this claim can sound in our world today! Yet, this truth is central to who God is, and understanding it is central to understanding our place as His creations.

Through Him Are All Things. Now, this phrase might just seem like a subtle restatement of the previous, but this is a key point. Everything is from God; He is the source. Everything is through God; He is the cause. This is both deliberate and continual. If we stopped with from, it would be easy to distance ourselves from God. He is not simply the starting point or substance everything sprang from; He made it happen...on purpose. I am not a super chef, but my wife is, and I attempt to assist her in the kitchen. Now, if she’s making a cake, she’ll put her wet and dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them, then bake them...etc. When the cake is finished, you could say that it came from those ingredients. But the ingredients themselves had no intentions of making a cake; Melissa did. They were the substance. She was the cause.

Jesus is not only the substance of all we see, but Himself the cause. He made this world on purpose; He made you on purpose; and He chose to die for you to save you from your sin...on purpose. This is love. This is grace. This is why we’re here. God, without whom there is no life, deliberately made you. And though you are a sinner--and we are; we cannot even live up to our own standards, let alone God’s--He died to save you. “8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Furthermore, Jesus is not only the original source and cause, but the continual. Spurgeon puts it like this “all things are through Him. Let but God withdraw the emanations of His Divine power and everything would melt away as the foam upon the sea melts into the wave which bore it! Nothing could stand an instant if the Divine foundation were removed.” Creation cannot continue without God’s hand. This is true of us spiritually, as well. Jonathan Edwards famously explained this in his often misrepresented sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”: “"You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but don’t see the hand of God in it, but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation. But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it." It is by the grace of Jesus alone that we are not all in Hell at this very moment.

To Him Are All Things. There is so much energy spent in this world trying to determine our purpose. Why are we here? What should we be doing? How can our lives have meaning. And until we embrace this truth, all of our energy will be spent in vain. Jesus is the meaning of life. King Solomon was one of the wealthiest and most prosperous kings in antiquity. He had everything life could offer. Yet, when he wrote his reflections on life in Ecclesiastes, he clearly proclaimed: everything this world has to offer is meaningless. Then, he closed with these thoughts: “13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Everything is from Him, everything is through Him… where else are you going to find meaning? We are made for Him. Period. If we’re looking for meaning in anything else, it simply will not be found. I’ve put it this way before: nothing in this world can carry the weight of your worth and purpose. Define yourself by position, or family, or friends, or wealth, or abilities… and you will be let down. These are all transient and unfaithful. The God who died to save your soul is not.

2. WE’LL BE CHANGED IN THIS WAY

These truths are fundamental, and as a Church, we should embrace them. When we do, our lives will be changed. And we see that change reflected in this closing statement: “To him be glory forever. Amen.”

We Will Give Him Glory. I know glory is a word that can have negative connotations. A lot of times, when we think of someone getting glory, we associate it with being praised for something done well. If someone wants glory, we view that as arrogance. Therefore, it’s really hard for us to hear statements like “we’re meant to give God glory” and not assume pride is somehow at play. Here’s the deal. In a human context, glory is almost always circumstantial. Think about classic knight tales--quests in search of glory. The knight wants his fame to be known across the land, so he rescues a princess, wins a tournament, or slays a dragon in pursuit of this cause. And that is exactly how man's glory works. There is some deed, or title, or reputation for which we receive honor or praise. Some of these acts are truly worthy ones (an upright reputation or a deed of valor). Others are not (family names, financial standing, popularity). Either way, this standard is fickle.

In God, however, there is a difference. Men receive glory when the they do something deemed worthy of praise. God by nature is always worthy of ultimate praise. God's glory, therefore, is a full revealing of His character. (See notes on John 13). So when we say we’re living to give Him glory, we aren’t making Him something He’s not, or ignoring His faults and praising the good He sometimes does; we are living to make Him known. In fact, this is where Paul goes next in the letter. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Everything about our lives should point people to the God who is the entire point of our lives and theirs.

Forever. And we will do this every day of our lives here and for all eternity. I think sometimes we hear statements like this and, if we’re a Christian, try to fight the urge to consider them boring, and if we’re not...well we just call them boring straight up. But, if God really is who His Word tells us He is, then we will never get tired of living like this. “22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Amen. We say this word a lot. It means “it is true”, or “let it be so”. And so should this be of our lives if we are truly saved. We cannot say we are believers and not embrace these truths and live for Jesus anymore than Chris Myers can claim to be vegan and continue to live on his all-meat diet. There will be a change. “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

TAKEAWAYS

1. You were made by God...on purpose. This was the whole point of night one of VBS: You were created for a relationship with God. There are so many hurting in this world. They need to know this truth. We need to know this truth.

2. You were made for God...that’s your purpose. One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is from Mere Christianity where he says, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I  was made for  another world.” You will find your worth in no one and nothing else. For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things.

3. Do you know these truths? You need Him. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

4. Have they changed your life? Having information in your head that does not penetrate your heart, will not save you.  Have you let God make the difference?

RESOURCES:

1. I am indebted to this sermon by Dr. Steve Lawson for expanding my understanding of these verses. If my outline in any way resembles his, it is because his was better. I want to give credit where credit is due here: Check out the message by clicking this link!
2. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermons: 1, 2, 3
3. Spurgeon on Romans 11:36 I did not stumble upon this message until Saturday, but benefited from its reading.

PONDERING... Are You Being Useful? (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

Are You Being Useful?

GIST: The Church is made of many active parts with one uniting purpose: growing together in our love and service of both God and people.

SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Last week, we began a short study on what the Church should be like. In the morning, we looked at Hebrews 10, and talked about how we should be actively thinking about how to stir each other up to love and live like Jesus, and the need we have for that in our lives. In the evening service, we looked at Acts 2 and broke down 8 characteristics that are at the heart of the church, and watched a funny video, and had a generally good time :D.

Today, I want to look at 1 Corinthians 12. Probably the most recognizable thing about this passage is the end portion where we are told the Church is the body of Christ. That is, we are to function together like the varying parts of the body all work together for the same purpose: sustaining life. The other recognizable feature is that 1 Corinthians 12 comes right before 1 Corinthians 13, the love passage. We’re not directly looking at either of these this morning :D, but they are important to note because both of those illustrations spring from the point made in these first few verses (specifically 4-7). Here we see the Church is made of many active parts with one uniting purpose: growing together in our love and service of both God and people.

1. MANY ACTIVE PARTS

I titled this sermon “Are You Being Useful?” That being word is really important here. If I just asked, “are you useful?”, I’d be implying some of you may not be, and therefore it might just be time for you to move along :D. That’s not Biblical, nor is it what I’m getting at. Look at the end of verse 6 into the first part of verse 7: “6...God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit…”(Emphasis added). Every Christian has the capacity for being used by God. The question then is are you letting that happen?

Let’s look at what the passage says here. There are a variety of gifts, ministries, and activities.

1. Variety of Gifts. This is a big topic, and it is worth your time to look at how they’re addressed in the Bible (here’s a starting point: 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, 1 Peter 4, and Ephesians 4). For our purposes today, let’s just hit the big picture. Each person who is saved has spiritual gifts. I know to our modern ears, this can sound “too mystical”, but it’s not. God wants to use you, so He gives you the tools to use. There are no exceptions here. This is not just for preachers and teachers. God has equipped you to serve.
2. Variety of Ministries And there will be different ministry opportunities and roles you’ll play because of the tools you have, your gifts. This flows naturally, as well. If you’re gifted in music, you’ll be involved in that. If you’re not, you probably won’t...etc. (I want to say more on this in just a second.)
3. Variety of Activities And even within those ministries there will be different opportunities and responses to the service.
4. Gifts Are Not Excuses. Now, before we move on, let me just point this out. The danger in talking about spiritual gifts is twofold. Let’s just put people into two camps. You have some who are very certain they know what their gift(s) are, and you have others (more than likely the majority) who have no idea. Regardless, both groups have a tendency to fall into the temptation of...not serving at all. If you’re not sure where you gifts are, you might feel inadequate to serve anywhere (or at least use that as an excuse :D). If, however, you’re certain of your gifting, you might only feel the need to serve in that way. Neither is right. Let me just make two quick points here.
1. Regardless of gifting, we are called to serve Jesus. People are gifted in many ways, and having one gift does not exclude you from serving God in all other walks of life, as well. Tim Keller is one of my favorite preachers. His teaching ministry has taught me so much over the past several years. In 1989, he helped start a small church in New York City that has grown into a massive church planting center. He is a wonderful teacher, but doesn’t feel he’s gifted in the area of evangelism--telling people about Jesus when he’s not in the pulpit. It’s a struggle for him. But, he does it. Why? Because he’s a Christian, and he’s called to share his faith. Having a particular gift does not somehow exempt you from all other Christian service.
2. The only way to figure out where you’re gifted is to serve. I will always remember my dad giving me two criteria for helping determine spiritual gifting: joy in service and blessing to others. When you are beyond excited to serve in a particular way(s), and you and others are growing closer to Jesus as a result of that service--that’s probably a spiritual gift. But here’s the deal, you can’t figure that out until you’re actually doing stuff. If you’re struggling because you don’t know what you could possibly do, but you’re not actually doing anything, that struggle will continue. If you want to be used, please come talk with me, and we’ll pray together about where you can jump in. But unless we’re working in all areas of ministry, we may never realize the gifts God has given us. And that’s the blessing of a smaller church like ours: we all have to be involved in everything! :D

2. ONE UNITING PURPOSE

So, the Church is made of many active parts with one uniting purpose. Ultimately, we are to be growing together in our love and service of both God and people. And this unity of purpose is central to what it means to be the church. Look at the structure of the passage. Each time a variety is presented, we are reminded of a “same”. Though this may be different, this is the same. Though this may be different, this is the same. Though this may be different, this is the same. And these “sames” are far more important than the varieties. Let’s look at them.

• Same Spirit who Saves: Why we can even serve in the first place. This is the key uniting feature. There is no Church without salvation. Look at verse 3, “... no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.” None of this is even part of our lives if we haven’t given Jesus control, if we have not been saved by the Holy Spirit changing our hearts. If you’re a preacher, or a prayer warrior, or a music minister, or a behind the scenes everything(!), this is this most important truth about you, and there is no difference. We are all wretched sinners saved by marvelous grace.
• Same Lord who Controls: The reason we do serve. Regardless of gifting, we’re all serving the same master. Albert Barnes puts it like this: “all these offices had their appointment from him; and that since all were his appointment, and all were necessary, no one should be proud of an elevated station; no one should be depressed, or feel himself degraded, because he had been designated to a more humble office.”
• Same God who Empowers: How this service actually happens. Man, don’t we need to remember this! God does the work in us. Period. “13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure”(Philippians 2:13). It is true of our salvation and true of our service. It is all God; we cannot boast, nor should we ever be afraid of failure--it’s not about us.
• Manifestations of the Spirit for the Common Good?: The purpose of our service. To manifest means to make clear or known. The whole reason for these gifts is to help people see and grow closer to Jesus. Because, regardless of what our gifts might look like, we should be driven by love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” And if we love, we cannot look at our fellow believers or at the lost world and not want them to see Jesus.

TAKEAWAYS

1. God plans to use each of us. Remember my dad’s advice? Two possible criteria: Joy in service. Blessing to others. Get out there and be used.
2. There is not a scale of value in this purpose. If we had time we’d look at the body of Christ passage here. In fact, we might take a Sunday soon to look over that...because it’s great...I mean, there are talking ears and stuff! The message there is clear: there are no “good” or “bad” parts of body of Christ. Do not let sin creep in and make you ashamed or unduly proud of your spiritual gift.
3. There is, however, an inherent codependency. We need each other. I know I said we don’t have an excuse not to be involved across the board, but we do have a responsibility to use our gifting to bless others. I cannot play the piano like Judy. I don’t pray like Ruby. I can’t build like Bruce, or wire like Justin, I’m not as helpful as Kim, or creative as Becky Jaco, or as funny as Kent, or as patient as Becky Turnbough. The list could go on (and probably should). The reason why Christians need to be in church is because we need each other.
4. Are you being useful? Are you letting God manifest in your life?
5. Are we using our gifts to show Jesus to each other and the world? Are we doing that as a church?

But if we are the body

Why aren't his arms reaching

Why aren't his hands healing

Why aren't his words teaching

And if we are the body

Why aren't his feet going

Why is his love not showing them there is a way

Jesus is the way

-Casting Crowns, “If We Are The Body”