STUDY THEME: THE CHURCH; GOD’S COMMUNITY OF GRACE. 6-15-03,
"MINISTERING TO NEEDS." ROM. 1 2: 4-5, 6-8; EPH. 4:11-13, 14-16; 1 PETER 4:10-11.
PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO ROMANS 12.
Our lessons during June are to focus on the five distinctive functions of the church: evangelism, discipleship, ministry, fellowship, and worship. In the first two lessons we have found that "Evangelizing the lost is designed to help us tell others about Jesus by words and deeds. The second lesson was designed to help us grow as disciples, setting an example for others of living for Christ in all areas of our life.
The three texts for today’s lesson all relate to spiritual gifts. We will find that from three different writers of the N.T. comes the same basic message about the variety of the gifts and the proper use of these gifts to help us effectively minister to the needs of others.
The church is the body of Christ, and should function like a body. The church is one body with many members. There are many different gifts. These equip believers for their parts in the ministry of the body of Christ. Christians are called to help others and thus to glorify God. How can this happen? First we should each discover our gift. Spiritual gifts were not confined to the first century church. Such gifts are still being exercised in our church today. It is not enough simply to be motivated by a gift. It must be expressed through some vehicle of service, resulting in lasting fruit.
1. PLEASE READ ROMANS 12: 4-5.
The main likeness of the church to a human body is that in one body there are many members or parts. In both bodies, all members have not the same office or function. In fact, each part of the human body has its own purpose. Paul elaborated on this in 1 Corinthians 12: 12-30 by using various parts of the human body. He showed that no one part—however important--- is the whole body. Each part is important and all are interdependent. Thus the church is one body with member who have diverse spiritual gifts.
Often in studying Paul’s letters, we encounter the phrase "in Christ". The members of the church with their many diverse gifts are one body in Christ. One result of this is that those who are one body in Christ are members one of another. "Each member belongs to all the others." As members of Christ’s body we belong to Christ and we belong to one another. Now as Christians we are to live out our salvation, which includes ministering to others through our individual spiritual gifts.
2. PLEASE READ ROMANS 12: 6-8.
Spiritual gifts are more than mere natural talents. They are divine enablements for the ministry that the Holy Spirit gives in some measure to all believers and are to be completely under His control and used for the building of the church to Christ’s glory. They are to be used specifically for serving the Lord. All gifts are important, because they are given by God as He chooses to give them. Everyone has a gift but no one has all the gifts.
There is a wide diversity of gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit that gives them all. You cannot earn or achieve them through good conduct; they are grace-gifts from God. Of course salvation is by grace for Ephesians 2: 8-9 says, "
For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." But here the thought is not salvation or regeneration, but service-gifts to be used in serving God. They are not earned by service; they are given for the purpose of serving. We cannot choose which gift we want to receive. It is God’s prerogative to choose for us. While we are held accountable for the use of any gift the H.S. gives us, we have no responsibility for gifts we are not given. There are many things I cannot do very well, but that is because I was not given that gift. Every believer has at least one gift that is uniquely his. Thank God for your gift.All gifts come from God but each person’s response determines the effectiveness of their gift or the lack of it. Gifts are give to accomplish a purpose and not for personal pleasure or personal bragging. They are to do a job and not simply to be enjoyed as some type of spiritual high. Paul says in Romans 11:29 "for the gifts and the callings of God are irrevocable."
The gifts differ according to the grace that is given to us. These important words remind us of three crucial facts. (1) We do not deserve our gifts. They are gifts of divine grace. (2) We do not select or create our gifts. God determines what gift or gifts we receive. (3) Like all God’ gifts, they are also trusts. We are accountable for what we do with our gifts. No gift is given only for our personal benefit. The gifts are to be used to help other and to glorify God.
Paul listed seven gifts in Vs. 6-8. The gift of prophecy is the God-given calling and endowment to declare God’s message in ways that people could understand. Christians with this gift, like their O.T, predecessors, sometimes predicted future events and spoke God’s message needed by their hearers.
The gift of ministry or service uses the Greek word that refers to the service rendered by a servant. The Greeks considered servants as of less value and rank than those whom they served. But Jesus said that the greatest in God’s sight are humble servants, and He said in Mark 10:35-45 that He came not to be served but to serve others. As we will see in Ephe. 4: 12, the work of ministry belong to all believers, but Romans 12;7 shows that some are especially gifted to see needs for service and to meet those needs.
The gift of teaching was exercised by those led by the Spirit to teach the Scriptures, doctrine and Christian living. In a sense all are to learn the Scriptures, doctrines and Christian living. All are to learn from one another, but some believers have a special gift for teaching.
The gift of exhortation or encouraging, includes exhorting others to do God’s will and encouraging those who are tempted not to give up. Some churches have accountability groups who hold one another accountable for doing God’s will. They exhort and encourage depending on the need.
The words he that giveth teach us that people who are especially sensitive to needs that can be met with money exercise the gift of giving. Of course, all believers are expected to be generous givers, but some are especially endowed both with resources to give and with a joyful spirit in giving.
This gift is a good example of the fact that none of the gifts is a watertight compartment. In other words, no one should conclude, "I don’t need to give because I don’t have the gift of giving."
He that ruleth refers to one whose gift is leadership or administration. These are people who seek God’s leadership for the church and seek to lead the church to go with God. Christian leaders lead by consent of those who follow. They are not arrogant but humble servant-leaders.
The gift of mercy is seen in the lives of people who are sensitive to those who have faltered or fallen. They share and reflect the merciful compassion of God. They do this not proudly or reluctantly but with cheerfulness. These are the one most likely to restore someone as Paul instructed in Galatians 6:1.
"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness: considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."Romans 12:6-8
is one of several lists of spiritual gifts in the N.T. Other lists are in 1 Cor. 12:8-11, 28-31: Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Peter 4: 10-11. Some gifts are found on most of the lists, but others appear on only one or two. >From these four lists, it is obvious that there is not one single list of the gifts of the Spirit—or at least one that we have in our possession. In 1 Cor. 12:8-11 Paul grouped the kinds of spiritual gifts into three categories (1) Speaking gifts, (2) Service gifts, and (3) Sign gifts.PLEASE TURN NOW TO EPHESIANS 4,
3. PLEASE READ EPHESIANS 4: 11-13.
The context for these verses is twofold: (1) Vs. 7 repeats one of the basic truths of Romans 12:4-8: "Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." (2) Vs. 8-10 describe how the ascended Lord gives gifts to His people. The surprise comes in Vs, 11, we might expect Paul to list spiritual gifts as he did in Romans 12 and 1 Cor. 12, but instead of listing spiritual gifts he listed gifted leaders whom the Lord gave to the church. "These were his gifts: some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers." While in 2 Cor. 12:4-11 the variety of gifts are the diverse ministries allocated by the Spirit and the ability to exercise them, here the gifts are the persons themselves, given by the ascended Christ to his people to enable them to function and develop as they should. These are called ministry gifts.
Apostles were given by the Lord to the church. These were men who were witnesses to Christ’s resurrection whom the Lord appointed to carry on His work. The testimony of the apostles is in the New Testament. Eph. 2: 20 says "The church is built upon he foundation of the apostles and prophets."
Evangelists were those who traveled about preaching the good news of salvation in Christ. In Acts 21:8 Philip was called "the evangelist."
Pastors and teachers probably refer to one gift—a "pastor-teacher." If they are not the same gift, there is much overlapping.
The role of the pastor is "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry; for the edifying of the body of Christ" or ‘for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ." or "to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." or "for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ." Each of these translations makes the role of the pastor not to do all the work of the ministry but to equip the saints to do the work.
Ask the average person in the church who is to do the work of the ministry, and many would say, "The professional minister of the church does the work of the ministry." But the teaching of the N.T. is that each believer is called to be a minister or servant. The word saints refers to all believers, not just a small group of especially pious people. Every Christians is called and set apart by God. This is the meaning of saint in the N.T.
In this lesson we are using the English word ministry in three ways: (1) In Romans 12:7 the word refers to one of seven spiritual gifts. (2) In Ephesians 3:12-13 the purpose of the ministry gifts are to prepare God’s people for works of service, to build up the body of Christ, to bring unity in the faith, and to bring us to maturity. (3) In this lesson the word ministry also refers to one of five functions of the church---serving God by meeting the needs of others.
Vs. 13 elaborates on the last part of Vs. 12. What is involved in the edifying or building up of the body of Christ? One goal is the unity of the faith. Such oneness comes with the knowledge of the Son of God. As believers we already know Him, but we need to know Him better. A perfect man refers to the body of Christ reaching full maturity. The measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ is much like Paul’s doxology in Eph. 3:14-21, which emphasizes the fullness of Christ’s presence, purpose, and power.
4. PLEASE READ EPHESIANS 4: 14-16.
In contrast to the desired maturity of Vs. 13 is the reality of the immaturity of many believers. Paul called them children in the sense of being immature spiritually. Paul pictured these immature believers as being as unstable as a ship tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine. Because of their immaturity, they were prey for the cunning craftiness of deceivers.
Speaking the truth in love is a mark of maturity and growth in Christ. Both of these qualities are crucial. They need to be held together. Truth without love can lead to a sterile orthodoxy. Without love, truth could be used to destroy someone. Love without truth can degenerate into sentimentality. By speaking the truth in love we grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.`
The central meaning of Vs. 16 can be expressed like this: "Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and become strong because of love." As head of the church, His body, Christ is the leader and source of life and power for the church. He alone is qualified to lead it, and He alone causes it to grow. However, each member must do his or her part for the church to function as the body of Christ. As members of Christ’s body, we are like members of a team. Each team member is important. Each has different functions and assignments, but each is important to the success of the team.
Understanding one’s spiritual gift is the basis for ministering to others according to a wise use of our time and priorities. One’s spiritual gift, or motivation, is the channel of God’s love expressed through us to others. As we understand our gift, we will understand how to more ably help others and to present the love of Christ with which we are uniquely gifted.
We are warned that the Lord is not the only supernatural being. The devil too is powerful, and since he acts primarily through twisting the good, one way he is busy today is trying to deceive God’s people by counterfeiting gifts. The counterfeit gifts look very much like the real thing. Thus a so-called brother may appear to have a servant’s heart or he may seem to be a successful evangelist, but all the while he is really a servant of the devil.
While such glaring examples as Jim Jones or Sun Myung Moon come to mind, these counterfeits may become a threat within any congregation. The best protection against the counterfeit is the test of the "fruit of the Spirit."
PLEASE TURN TO 1 PETER 4: 10-11.
5. PLEASE READ 1 PETER 4: 10-11.
Each Christian has received the gift of grace. The manifold grace of God is that which is entrusted to stewards. Peter did not list a number of spiritual gifts. Instead he wrote of two broad categories: speaking and serving. Exercising gifts most often involves speaking. This is especially true of prophesying and teaching. Those who speak for the Lord should be careful to speak the very words of God. Those who profess to speak for God have special responsibility for seeing that they speak the truth in love.
In addressing those who minister or serve, Peter reminded them of the source of strength to serve others in the name of the Lord. Christians do not serve in our own strength, but in the strength God provides.
What people are Christians to serve? First of all, we are to serve those in need within the body of Christ. The early Christians were a minority in a hostile world. They felt the need to care for their own. At the same time they were followers of Jesus, who opened up the definition of "neighbor" to include anyone in need. Jesus "went about doing good." Gal. 6:10 says "Christians are to do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
The ultimate purpose of serving others is that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that when we serve others, we are in essence serving Him. Serving others not only meets the needs of others, but it also glorifies God who is the power and motivation for the service. Some non-Christians do good things for people in need, but they do not do these things in order to glorify God. In some cases they take the credit to themselves. Christians must act to glorify God.
As Peter thought of this exalted purpose and opportunity to glorify God; he interrupted his words to his readers to address praise to God. Such doxologies are found throughout the Bible. The true language of faith is not speaking about God but speaking to God. And how can we address God without including praise? Having mentioned the need to glorify God through Jesus Christ. Peter added, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Most of you have learned by this time that the are two kinds of people----the givers and the takers. When this is applied to the church, there are two kinds of members. One kind sees the church primarily as something that is there for their benefit. They expect the church to serve them. They want the church to be there to perform weddings and funerals. They want the prayers and help of the church in life’s crises. This group feels little responsibility for serving others through the church.
By contrast, the other group sees the church not only as ministering to them when they have needs but also as a chance for their service and witness to the lost world. Why are you in the church? Can you say with Jesus, "I am here not to be served, but to serve." As Christians we are stewards of the manifold grace of God. We are to serve the needs of those inside, and, outside the church. God is the source of abundant power to do the work of serving others. Service to others glorifies God.
Because of the truths of this lesson, we need to: Find out what our spiritual gift is; "Use our spiritual gift for the right reasons; and, "use our spiritual gift to minister to others." Knowing one’s gift and using it in ministry brings joy and peace in doing God’s kingdom work. It is better to not know our spiritual gift than to know it and not use it." It is not enough to be motivated by a gift. It must be expressed through some vehicle of service, resulting in fruit.
How may you discover our gift? (1) Desire to know. Hunger and thirst for this aspect of righteousness. (2) Be sure you life is completely God’s. (3) Deepen your Bible study. (4) Ask your friends for their input about your gift. (5) Does performing one of the gifts bring greater joy than others? (6) Believe that God will reveal to you what He has given you.
Christians are to seek more to build up the body of Christ than to simply have a spiritually high for them selves.
NEXT SUNDAY BOTH THE PASSAGE IN ACTS AND PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS FOCUS ON THE WAY WE RELATE WITH ECH OTHER WITHIN THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS. A.V. DAUGHERTY 6-15-03