At a recent “Y” league basketball practice one of the boys’ coaches began to ask them questions about the game. “What is offense?” “What is defense?” And he explained what it means to be on defense and what it means to be on offense.
Then he assigned positions. To some he assigned the position of forward. To other kids he assigned them the position of guard. And to one kid he assigned the position of center. And then he began to teach them how to play that position both offensively and defensively.
Some of us know the joy, and agony, of giving it all through tryouts for either a team, a band, choir, or something else. And we wait for the moment when either we read our name on a list or hear it read aloud. And when we make it then we know that we will be assigned a position on the team or play in a certain instrument section in the band or be paid to perform a certain job on the line.
Now, we always realize that we may not get chosen or hired or selected. But, sooner or later we find ourselves as part of a group – a team, band, job, or family and we gain a place in that group. The same holds true in the church. The Lord has a place, an assignment for each of us, as we rightly relate to Him by faith through Christ.
We have been talking about getting in shape for God the past two weeks as we do the following: (Overhead 1)
1. As we believe, accept and live out that we are God’s masterpiece
2. As we learn to serve and be a servant to others
3. As we discover and utilize our spiritual gifts.
This morning we are going to focus on the third point, discovering and utilizing our spiritual gifts because one of the ways that we get in shape for God is finding our place on His team, the church. Each one of us has a place on the team no one is excluded.
Now, I know that I have preached on this every year since I have come to Kendallville. Let me tell you why. I believe that a church whose members earnestly commit to and live out a personal relationship with Christ, and then earnestly seek to discover their place of ministry and service that God has both gifted them for and called them to, is becoming a growing and healthy church that will make a difference in people’s lives.
Such a church will be used by God in some powerful ways because its members, not just its pastor, but its members, will be ready, willing, and able to serve in ways that they have been gifted and called to serve. And I believe that this is the kind of church that God wants this church to become. It is a church of servants who discover, accept, and then do what God has called them to do.
In our main text, I Corinthians 12:4-7, we are given some very basic and important information on spiritual gifts that is basic to finding our place on the team. Let’s read the text again:
“Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.”
First and foremost we need to remember the final statement of this segment: “A spiritual gift is a given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” From the get-go our giftedness is to be used to serve the church; not to rule it or run it or control it but to serve it and to help it.
As we get in shape for God we use the gifts and abilities that God has given to us to help the church grow, to help the church reach out, and to help the church fulfill the purpose that God has given to it. It is a transformational experience. It changes us and it changes others around us.
We are transformed from mere by-standers into active participants in the ministry and mission of the church. We are transformed from being “takers” to being “givers.”
I have often heard over the years from many people that when they have moved from “merely attending” into “ministry,” be it a classroom or VBS assignment or membership on a committee or board (or team) they have grown so much in their spiritual maturity and understandings. That’s what serving does for you. God becomes more real and alive. We partner with Him as we serve and help others to come to faith and grow like we have.
But sometimes such commitment is scary. We don’t know what to do or what to say or how to make a motion or chair a meeting and we don’t want to make a mistake or look bad. We feel the tension as we step out in faith to serve. But, if we keep in mind that we are serving the Lord and serving the church, then as we trust the Holy Spirit to help us, we can serve and serve well for God’s glory!
Second, we need to understand the use of two words different and same in this passage because it is critical in our understanding of being on the team. We read of different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service, and different ways that God works in our lives. But, we also read of the same Holy Spirit who is the source of these different gifts; the same God we are serving in different ways; the same God who works in different ways in our life.
When we look at a football team lined up for a play all of us see 22 men on the field – 11 on each side (unless one side forgets to get counted before the play clock is started and they have too many men, or as is the case sometimes, not enough on the field).
Some of us see those 22 men differently. We see positions – guard, tackle, center, quarterback, linebacker, strong safety, free safety and we see the field in an entirely different manner. We see zones of coverage, where a player is assigned to be, or a route to be run where we hope that the ball and the player assigned to that route will connect at the same time.
Some of us concentrate on positions- the big positions; the glamour positions – quarterback, running back, fullback, and wide receiver. We learn and remember the names of those who play these positions –Manning, Harrison, James. But how many of us learn and remember the names of those who stand on the line and push and shove and get all beat up to enable the “glamour” positions to do their stuff?
Even though we read and hear of ego and jealousy getting in the way of playing and team unity, good players, those who play the positions we admire and those who play the positions that we don’t admire, eventually learn to accept their place and role and do it for the team and they show up and they practice and they commit themselves 110% to the job they have to do. Their ability to accept their role and their abilities is critical to the success of the team. Have you ever seen a sports team or a band or another organization turn on itself? Ugly.
The church to which the words of our main text were written was a church that was turning on itself. There was jealousy and pettiness and compromise of the wrong kind going on.
People were comparing themselves to others in the church and wanting to be something that they weren’t. They wanted to have certain abilities and positions and they pouted and whined and complained when they did not get them.
So Paul, who had helped start the church, had to write to them and tell them to get their act together and be in unity with one another. The book of I Corinthians opens with a great deal of praise for the church at Corinth:
“I can never stop thanking God for all the generous gifts he has given you, (verse 4) now that you belong to Jesus Christ. He has enriched your church with the gifts of eloquence and every kind of knowledge…. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly await for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.” But, he goes on to say in verse 10, “Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.”
That is why he informs them of the many places of ministry that are in use because of the many spiritual gifts that one God, and one God alone, has brought into their lives. And he encourages in verse 11 them to accept the truth that it is the Spirit “who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”
What am I trying to say? Every person who confesses their sins and accepts the forgiveness of God is given a gift and a place of ministry to accept that gift. And it is God who decides who gets what! Every one of us has a place on the team! Do we know what it is? We need to seek to discern and discover what God has given to each one of us.
But we cannot let jealousy or ego get in the way of our service. Some of us are called to serve in a public way. Others of us are called to serve in a “behind the scenes” way. Yet others of us find ourselves moving around because we have been given a mixture of gifts that require us to serve in a variety of ways. But, all of us need to accept our gifts and place of service from the Lord and be grateful and content with what He has given us and called us to do in His name.
Now, what do you mean by spiritual gifts, Jim? Supernatural abilities given to us by God for the purpose of serving Him is one definition. By supernatural I mean God empowered not something out of a Hollywood movie. It comes to us, as we become a follower of Christ.
The study guide that is currently being used in conjunction with this series, “Developing Your SHAPE to Serve Others,” (published by Zondervan as part of the “Doing Life Together” Series) offers a helpful classification of spiritual gifts and I recommend this guide to you for your study and growth. They break down a standard list of gifts into the following categories:
1. Gifts that “communicate God’s word “such as evangelism and missions.
2. Gifts that “educate God’s people” such as teaching and encouragement.
3. Gifts that “demonstrate God’s love” such as service and giving.
4. Gifts that “celebrate God’s presence” such as intercession and music and the arts.
5. Gifts that “support all four purposes” such as leadership, administration, and faith.
As you heard that list, where might you place yourself? Maybe you believe that you are in one primary are or perhaps two different areas of service might be your place.
We conclude as we began-on the basketball court. Some of those kids who are currently playing “Y” basketball will play it until they can’t play it anymore. Then they will either stop playing or go on to the next level.
Some will then go on to play in the school leagues for a while and either stay with it until the get cut or lose interest and then stop. Others will play through High School then graduate and go on to other things.
Some will find themselves playing before college or these days, pro scouts and will offered to play for money or for a college education. If they go to college some of those will finish as college players and go onto other things.
But others will get to the pros and play.
Service in the church is somewhat, somewhat like that. We learn the basic skills of ministry, the importance of following through on assignments and opportunities, and learning how to serve.
Then as we grow and mature in our faith with Christ we get better as serving. Then God might call us to a new place of service that stretches us or builds on our current ministry.
But, we can take the analogy only so far. For the goal of ministry and service is not professionalism but maturity, faithfulness, commitment. It is a growing faith and deepening life that looks more and more like Jesus as the years go by. But it starts in simple steps of faith and confident obedience to the One who has give us the tools for ministry and service.
May you trust God and find joy in serving Him. Amen.
(Overheads available on ppt for this sermon. Please write pastorjim46755@yahoo.com and ask for 011804 svgs)
