June 23, 2002
How valuable are spiritual gifts in the Christian family? Let’s see if we can make a comparison with a contemporary setting. Step on the airplane with me a moment. Hook up your seat belt; settle back for a flight. The pilot turns on the intercom: "This is your captain speaking. The reason your ticket was so much cheaper is that we have done away with the people you never see - the maintenance men who service the airplane, the navigator who is only needed on foggy nights like tonight, and the air-traffic controller up in the tower. We also didn’t think it was necessary to have those security people checking for weapons. Have a nice flight."
You would not want to be on that flight, would you? Paul was a leader who recognized the importance each part plays in making up the whole of a Christian family.
12The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ’s body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.
14Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17Suppose the whole body were an eye—then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything?
18But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it. 19What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! 20Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
22In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. 23And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, 24while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. 26If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
27Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 28Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who can get others to work together,
those who speak in unknown languages.
29Is everyone an apostle? Of course not. Is everyone a prophet? No. Are all teachers? Does everyone have the power to do miracles? 30Does everyone have the gift of healing? Of course not. Does God give all of us the ability to speak in unknown languages? Can everyone interpret unknown languages? No! 31And in any event, you should desire the most helpful gifts.
First Corinthians 12.12-31 -- The New Living Translation
Paul makes the point that each spiritual gift is essential and linked. We have gifts that are tied together.
The one who speaks in an unknown tongue needs an interpreter.
The helper needs a leader.
The prophet has need for those who hold him accountable.
Over and again Paul states the obvious for effect – all parts of the body are connected, and we are inter-dependent.
Now, that is the description of a healthy body. Too often the church, even the most gifted group, operates in an unhealthy mode.
In order to prevent the unhealthy church approach to spiritual gifts, our last study began to explore what each of us can, and should be doing about the gifts God has placed within our lives. Here is a brief thumbnail to help us remember. We said we should
…Identify our own gifts. It’s better to use your gift than someone else’s.
…Involve our gifts. Serving is the point. Gifts are tools meant to be used, not collector’s items.
..Improve our gifts. Gifts are like muscles. The more you use them, the better developed they become.
With that in mind, there are two questions which should have been addressed first – WHY and HOW; why bother about spiritual gifts, and if we must, how do you go about using spiritual gifts in the real world. So, let’s go back and put the horse in front of the cart.
WHY ARE SPIRITUAL GIFTS IMPORTANT?
The short-answer to this question can be given with another question: Why is God important? God has set it up that His Spirit gives gifts; therefore we can safely assume it’s important! God said so!
In nearly everything God does He uses people. Zeroing-in on the target however, we can say that the reason spiritual gifts are important is because our communities need what spiritually-empowered people have to give.
If God wants a hungry child fed, he motivates a spiritually-gifted person with compassion to provide a meal.
If God wants a pregnant teenage girl to be saved the horror of abortion, and the awful consequences of her actions years later, He uses people who are spiritually-gifted to come alongside and help her through the rough time.
If God wants to provide homes for the homeless He very rarely speaks “Let there be homes” into the atmosphere. Rather, God puts it in the hearts of spiritually-gifted people to start a Habitat for Humanity, and then the muscles move and the sweat pours, and the community has new homes.
Chuck Colson has observed that when the Communists took over Russia in 1917, they did not make Christianity illegal. Their constitution, in fact, guaranteed freedom of religion. But they did make it illegal for the church to do any "good works." No longer could the church fulfill its historic role in feeding the hungry, educating the children, housing the orphan, or caring for the sick. What was the result? After 70 years, the church was largely irrelevant to the communities in which it dwelt. (1)
Without God, and His Spirit empowering what we do, we are even less effective than a “government programs approach” to make our community better and safer for families. Actually, using spiritually-gifted people is how God gets into what needs to be done in our communities.
Now, if that is so – God uses spiritually-gifted folks as His primary method of community and kingdom betterment – and our community desperately needs what we have, the question “why” is answered. A corollary question is: ARE WE BEING THAT TO OUR COMMUNITY?
Vaughn McLaughlin, is pastor of The Potter’s House in Jacksonville, Florida. He continually challenges the 60-some pastors he mentors with a haunting question: "Would the community weep if your church were to pull out of the city? Would anybody notice if you left?" (2)
Well….? Would they weep? It’s a hard question, isn’t it? Some might say, “Of course they’d weep. We’ve been here a long time. It’s a pretty building, and we take good care of it. We worship here. And, anyway, if they wouldn’t weep, that’s because they don’t know what we’re all about. They don’t know us.”
My friends, if they don’t know us, that is the worst possible condemnation. They should know us because we should be everywhere in the community, making a difference – hands on, helping, using our spiritual gifts to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, bring good news to the poor. That’s the WHY of spiritual gifts. Next question:
HOW DO WE USE OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS?
To answer this question I toyed with the idea of going over the list of spiritual gifts, trying to present a few ways to use each. This morning I will go against the preacher approach, and lean on the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Let me show you three pictures, and you draw your own conclusions as to how your spiritual gifts can be put into use.
PICTURE #1. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, LEESBURG, FLORIDA
Charles Roessel has been pastor at FBC, Leesburg for over 25 years. In this time the church has started more than 70 ministries. They do the traditional things, feeding hungry folks, a bed for the transient, a gas bill here, a clothes closet.
Their ministries have grown to include drug rehabilitation counseling, family counseling, home and auto repair for the poor and elderly. Everything they do is ministry-based and evangelism-driven. They even have a home for pregnant unmarried teens.
They must be a “big” church and a pretty rich congregation in an affluent neighborhood, eh? No. Leesburg is a sleepy central Florida small town with high poverty and 50% retired people on Social Security.
How do they do it? I met their pastor years ago, and asked him about it. He told me they never start a ministry unless someone has a burning desire to do that ministry. Over the years folks have come to Pastor Roessel and said, “Hey, why can’t we do so and so…” He always says, “We can – when and where would you like to start?” Ministries are born every year there. You don’t need an act from Congress, or a ton of money. You need a spiritual gift in that area and a willing heart!
I met John Roszak at a MasterLife© seminar in 1983. John was a recovering drug and alcohol addict. At the time he was the director for FBC Leesburg’s “Whitehouse”. John told me that a few years prior he took the advice of some other street druggies and stopped in at Whitehouse for a night’s sleep and a meal. They gave him more than he bargained for – they told John about Jesus. And John Roszak gave his heart and life to the Lord. Now, nearly 20 years later, John is a pastor, and starting the same kind of ministries that turned his life around. Spiritual gifts do that!
PICTURE #2. 100 PASTORS IN LITTLE ROCK
A group of pastors in Little Rock began to meet for prayer several years ago. One thing that came out of that meeting was a resolution to do together what they couldn’t do separately. With unity of the body of Christ as their theme, they went to the mayor of their city and asked the simple question, How can we help you? The mayor responded with a list of challenges that the pastors took seriously. See the results:
For the past four years, more than 100 Little Rock congregations and over 5,000 volunteers have served their communities by building parks and playgrounds and refurbishing nearly 50 schools. They set records for Red Cross blood donations and have signed up thousands of new organ donors. They began reaching out to the community through "life skill" classes (on marriage, finances, wellness, aging, etc.) in meeting rooms at banks, hotels, and other public forums (with more than 5,000 people attending).
Together the churches have donated nearly a million dollars to community human service organizations that are particularly effective in meeting the needs of at-risk youth. They have renovated homes and provided school uniforms, school supplies, winter coats, and Christmas toys for hundreds of children.
After getting new shelving for her classrooms, one school principal said, "I think this is the most fabulous day of my life as far as education is concerned. I’ve been in this 29 years, and this is the first time a community or church project has come through for us."
As a result of churches becoming The Church, they let their light shine brighter. The love and values of Jesus Christ are made real to the community. Did anyone notice?
Last year Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee commended the work of the faith community when he said, "It is the work of the church that makes possible what never could be accomplished by a governmental agency. A check will never substitute for a church." (3)
We can say that…ONLY if it is really the church, where spiritual gifts are being put to use cooperatively and unselfishly. That’s the church Jesus Christ died for, and that is the church for which He is someday coming to take as His bride!
PICTURE #3. BETHLEHEM 2002 (O Little Town of Cedar Lodge).
Of course you are more familiar with this last picture. We are not always this effective in using our spiritual gifts together. However, Bethlehem 2001 was the very picture of people using their spiritual giftedness. What fun; what cooperation; what a delicious memory, and a wonderful promise of coming together again to impact our community during the one holiday when people are more open to the Gospel than at any other time of year. Do you recall using your spiritual gifts?
Elizabeth knows perfume – her role as apothecary was natural.
James Emmons had just the right edge to be a grumpy old Innkeeper.
Mack and Wayne were right at home keeping the mule tame.
Judy, Brenda and Bonnie were talking guides…
John Hayes had no trouble being a humble leper.
Shannon the soldier scared everyone in sight (especially John).
And Colby Loman (baby Jesus) – my, how he could sleep!
Think of your own role. Why did you choose it? Wasn’t it because you were drawn to it? It was something you could do! That’s how you put a spiritual gift to use.
How do you use your spiritual gifts in the community? There are more ways than we can count, more ways than we have days left on this earth. It is up to each of us to put into this community the giftedness wherewith God has blessed us. We have a responsibility to build-up our neighbors, our city, our nation.
As born-again Christians we may be slipping into the minority these days – but that’s ok; it puts us in step with the early church. Even during the days of captivity for Israel, God told His people they had a responsibility to build up the land in which they dwelt:
7And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives,
and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
Jeremiah 29:7 (KJV)
We owe a lot to Thomasville – just because we live here, and God loves every resident of this community. We need to take that seriously…as seriously as a cross on a hill.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor during World War II. You may know his story, how he openly resisted Hitler’s attempt to exterminate the Jews, and was eventually hanged publicly as a traitor.
Among the writings of this Christian hero is a tale of the Firefighters. It seemed there was a building on fire, and the fire department was summoned. When the truck arrived, the chief observed a group of townspeople standing around near the burning building. They were dressed in tuxedos and formal gowns. Each was holding a water pistol. Occasionally a member would squirt a line or two at the fire, squirt, squirt.
The chief went to a man who seemed to be in charge of this odd-looking group. “What’s going on here?” asked the chief. “Oh, we’re helping to put out this fire.” said the man as he squirted, squirt, squirt.
“We’re all here making our little contributions.”
The chief grabbed the man’s water pistol, broke it into little pieces and yelled, Get away from here…this is not a job for people who want to make their little contributions – this is a job for people willing to die!
Later, Dietrich Bonhoeffer could stand on the gallows and give evidence of that calling. Bonhoeffer said: When a man is called by Christ to follow, he is not called to a life of ease and rights…when a man is called to follow, Christ bids him come and die!
Spiritual gifts are not squirt guns. They are not handed out for the purpose of target practice in the spiritual nursery. They are loaded, powerful and for the purpose of doing serious ministry. They are always placed in the hands of people willing to pick up a cross daily and follow the Master. They’re placed in the hands of those willing to come and die!
--------------
FOOTNOTES
--------------
(1) Copyright © 2002 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal. Spring 2002, Vol. XXIV, No. 2, Page 78
(2) Ibid.
(3) Ibid.
(4) Adapted from UpClose, BSC of NC tape 6/2002, Sermon by Tony Campolo
