This month we have been studying stewardship. We have seen that all that we have including life itself is really a gift from God. It is proper to give back to God some of what he has entrusted to us. We examined stewardship of our time and saw that it is also a gift and our time should be wholly dedicated to him. Last week we took a look at spiritual gifts. Each and every Christian has a gift and we looked at the nature of that gift and the purpose that it is given to individuals. This week we will conclude our study of stewardship with a look at the stewardship of the ministries God has entrusted us with.
I am specifically talking about the ministry God has given you to perform here at International House. There are many different ministries and quite a few people are involved in more than one. It is also one of the areas that we have the most difficulty with. Two of the major reasons we have a problem with properly conducting ministry can be attributed to contemporary Western culture and a misunderstanding of the nature of ministry.
If I asked you to name five successful ministries I would not be surprised to hear answers like Billy Graham, Rick Warren, John McArthur, and the like. These answers are indicative of the problem of living in the hyper-individualized Western world. We attribute ministries to individuals rather than churches. We highlight the achievements or failures of individuals rather than the successes and downturns of churches. When a ministry is successful we assume it is because of the leader and attribute it to him or her. We do the same when things go wrong. We shine a light on those who seem to be very gifted and allow the less gifted to sit in their shadows. This can only cause problems in the long run. This is not, however, a unique problem.
In the same chapter we looked at last week is a continuation of Paul’s discussion of gifts. In the second half of this chapter he turns the focus from the individual to the group. Even a casual reading of 1 Corinthians will reveal a church that has been fractured by individuals and groups. Different people seemed to think that they had gifts and ministries that were more important that others in the church. They had ceased to look at the group and focused on themselves. It seems that we have the same problem in our modern churches.
I. The identity of the church is based on relationships among the members and not the identity of each member. (vv 12 –19)
• The perfect image of a unity based on relationship is the Trinity.
o Father, Son, and Spirit cannot be isolated as individuals.
o Their identity comes from their relation one to another.
o The Son cannot exist without the Father and the Spirit while the Father cannot exist outside of a relationship to Son and Spirit and the Spirit cannot exist without the Father and the Son.
o Though we can identify each, their identity is dictated by relationship not by individuality.
• This is how man shares the image of God.
o Man is the only creature capable of entering into spiritual relationships.
o We can see that even our own identity is dependent on our relationship to one another.
o Sin interrupts our relationship to God and mars God’s image in man.
o Without others one has no identity.
• The church is a network of relationships not a group of individuals.
o The church doesn’t derive its significance from the number of people in it.
o The church doesn’t depend on the identity of those in it.
o The church is identified by the special relationships within it.
Man is in right relationship to God.
The unity derives from spiritual bonds.
Men and women are bound together as a unity rather than a group of individuals.
Many Christians have been infected with the most virulent virus of modern American life, what sociologist Robert Bellah calls "radical individualism." They concentrate on personal obedience to Christ as if all that matters is "Jesus and me," but in doing so miss the point altogether. For Christianity is not a solitary belief system. Any genuine resurgence of Christianity, as history demonstrates, depends on a reawakening and renewal of that which is the essence of the faith – that is, the people of God, the new society, the body of Christ, which is made manifest in the world – the church.
• It doesn’t matter what position you hold in the church you are a valued member.
o You can be a brand new Christian.
o You can be the pastor.
o You can be a teacher, a preacher, a hostess, or a musician.
o Every single member is important.
• There is no such thing as a "Lone Ranger" Christian.
o The Lone Ranger was a television character who battled bad-guys without help from other Rangers who are special policemen.
o Every ministry belongs to the church regardless of how many people are involved or even if only one is involved.
o There is no such thing as a personal ministry apart from the church.
• Every person is accountable to the whole church.
o Even if you are the only person performing a particular ministry you are accountable to the church.
o If a member of the church any ministry you do should be approved by the church.
o If you are a compensated member of the church you have even more responsibility to submit to public accountability.
II. Those who prosper in ministry honor the church while those who are weak, selfish, or lazy in ministry harm the church. (vv 21-26)
• Since the church is a unity, anything any good a person does affects the church.
o If you are faithful in ministry it builds and honors the church.
o If you are committed in ministry it builds and honors the church.
o If you are honest and open in ministry it builds and honors the church.
o If you are accountable in ministry it builds and honors the church.
• Since the church is a unity any negatives on your part damages the whole church.
o If you do not support the other ministries of the church you damage and dishonor the whole church.
o If you commit to something and then back out you damage and dishonor the whole church.
o If you speak behind your brother’s or sister’s back you damage and dishonor the whole church.
o If you do not give freely of your time you damage and dishonor the whole church.
o If you do not give freely of your money you damage and dishonor the whole church.
o If you do not give freely of your energy you damage and dishonor the whole church.
• If your behavior causes disunity in the church it is because of selfishness taking the place of selflessness.
o If you are constantly nurturing a good spiritual relationship with others there can be no disunity.
o If you try to seek more honor than others it causes disunity.
o If you are more focused on being an eye, or a hand, or a foot, rather than relating to the other parts of the body you have become selfish instead of selfless.
Dr. Paul Brand, an insightful Christian once said, "The body poorly protects what it does not feel. In the spiritual Body, also, a loss of feeling inevitably leads to atrophy and inner detrerioration. So much of the sorrow in the world is due to selfishness of one living organism that simply does not care when another suffers. In Christ’s Body we suffer because we do not suffer enough."
In the Covenant Companion by Lloyd Ahlem, he writes, "No one’s behavior is entirely his or her own business. Even slight departures from health have their unseen eventual consequences. In our day of prized individuality and "it’s nobody’s business but mine" attitude we trip each other up in more ways than we recognize. But when I set my mood tuned to joy, I create far-reaching results that I may never see.
• Your personal will must take a back seat to God’s will in the church.
o There are times you must give of your time when it isn’t convenient.
If others are counting on you to be somewhere and you would rather stay home and watch TV you should go.
If you commit to be a member of the local church you are obligated to worship with and pray for the other members even when you have some homework reading to get done.
If you commit to bring food to a dinner you need to at least drop it off even if you don’t plan on staying.
If you are a member of the church you need to stay for the business meetings even if you don’t like business meetings.
o You must give up your pride in self.
Allow others to enjoy the successes of ministry.
Let others help carry the burden of ministry.
Support and encourage other members of the church.
You need to be a team player.
Jenny Thompson is the most decorated American woman Olympian. She has won more medals than any other swimming athlete of any nation. 8/10 are gold which were all won in team events with three other swimmers.
Some have questioned whether her accomplishments ought to rank her with "great" Olympic champions. This is how the church should work. Our true stardom occurs when we participate as part of a winning team. On God’s team there’s no room for superstars or mega-celebrities who do it all on their own.
1. If you are in ministry for yourself then you either need to change your attitude or go someplace else.
2. Make unity your responsibility – inasmuch as it depends on you, get along with everybody.
3. Openly and cheerfully submit your efforts to the scrutiny and accountability of the whole church.
4. If you are a recognized leader you are like the heart or kidneys, you must continue to work even while the hands and the feet rest. This doesn’t mean you can never rest but it shows that you must give more than others and often without the credit they receive for doing ministry.
Let me leave you with a paraphrase from Friedrich von Bodelschwingh
"I beg you, do not look upon this church as a steppingstone, but rather say: Here I shall stay as long as it pleases God; until I die if it is his will. Look upon every child, your students, and every member of the congregation as if you will have to give a personal account for every soul on the day of the Lord Jesus. Every day commit all these human souls from the worst and weakest of hands, namely your own, into the best and strongest of hands. Then you will be able to carry on your ministry not only without care but also with joy overflowing and joyful hope."
All illustrations were accessed at PreachingToday.com
