FIND YOUR PLACE: USING GOD’S GIFTS IN THE CHURCH by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC
Introduction: Today is a very special weekend at Clearview. We call it our Ministry Expo weekend where we find our place of service in the church body. Out in the lobby, you will get a chance to stop by and visit the various tables set up for various ministries in our church family. Just like in any home, everyone has a job and a responsibility, so also, in the church home, we all have a job and a responsibility. Whenever one person fails to do their part in a family (Earning a living, cooking food, taking out the trash, folding clothes, vacuuming, fixing a broken chair, cutting grass, or something else), someone must pick up that responsibility. So also, in a church family, there are people doing double and triple duties because someone is not doing their part. Hopefully, today’s message will challenge and encourage you to step up to your responsibility. But, it is more than just about making you feel guilty for not doing your part. God has uniquely gifted each of you to serve this church family. Failure to use your gift is not only missing God’s assignment for you, but it is also detrimental to this church family.
Romans 12 (page #1748) 3 “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
Context: Last weekend, we learned that Romans 12-16 (end of the letter) are much more than just Paul’s closing remarks to the church in Rome. Contrary to many scholars and preachers, we shouldn’t divide the book of Romans into Doctrine and Ethics or Theology and Application. There’s a strong link between Romans 12 and Romans 1. We find that reflected in many words and concepts like “mercies of God,” “present your bodies,” “a living sacrifice (worship)”, and “renewing of the mind.” What is the point of this? As we begin to grow in our Christian lives, God begins to reverse the repercussions and consequences of sin and death in our lives and in this world. This is especially true in the context of our relationships. In the last message, we learned how to reconcile with each other. In this message, we are sort of backtracking, but we will learn that we are all part of the body where vertically we belong to God and horizontally we belong to others.
Let’s walk through the passage we just read: Romans 12:3 (page #1748) “For I say, through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…” Think about the Apostle Paul who had every reason to brag. Philippians 3 4 “…If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
He goes on to say – Romans 12:3 “…but to think soberly…” Greek word is sōphroneō = sound mind. When you are not in the right mind, you think too much of yourself. Don’t forget where you came from. Take a moment to reminisce where God found you and how much he has blessed you. A person who is inebriated thinks that he is “ten feet tall and bullet proof.” My prayer in seminary – “Lord, I am a nobody. Place your hand on my life. Without you, I am nothing.” I still pray that prayer. Don’t look at your past with pride. Some testimonies seem like a brag session.
Romans 12:3 “…as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
What does “measure of faith” mean? 2 possible meanings:
- “Our shared/common faith” given to us by God.
- “Different measure of faith” as allotted by God.
I believe that it is the second meaning. Since we have different gifts, we have different measure of faith to help us to discover and use our gifts.
- As a pastor, I have been given a certain measure of faith to recognize that when I am preaching, Jesus is standing here. I can hit out of the park, but people will applaud me and miss Christ. People have tried to tell me to “let loose,” but the Holy Spirit will often say, “All I need is a line drive.”
- As a worship leader, John has been called to help people turn to God and glorify him. This is not a time to show off talents. Of course, there is a place to use your talents for God, but it is showcase him, not us.
- I cannot do what Ryan and Elizabeth are doing. One moment, they may have to get on to a student, and the next, they have to love and encourage them.
- A nursery worker has a measure of faith to change those diapers of other peoples’ children. They have to believe that by doing this they will help this child come to Jesus one day. They have to believe that somewhere there are parents and grandparents who are listening to the message and their lives are being changed.
- Working in Kindle ministry requires a different measure of faith. The people who are coming may not always say “thank you.” Some may sound rude or demand something more or want extra. If you don’t have the right kind of faith, you will become judgmental and condescending. Think about how we are with God. Are we always grateful?
Application: Don’t be arrogant towards someone you feel has a lower gift. Don’t be envious if you feel someone has a higher gift.
Back to Romans 12 4 “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” Although, Paul does not go further on this topic here, he does so in 1 Corinthians 12 (page # 1767) 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Application: It’s been tragic when people look down on each other in the body of Christ. They want to have a teaching position or finance director position. One person wanted to be on the finance committee but the deacons informed me that he didn’t even put a dime in the offering plate. My dad used to say, “You want to be a chairman? Start by picking by chairs.”
Romans 12 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
I don’t have time to go through each of them. Just a quick remark for a couple of them:
- Prophecy was not just about future telling. It was declaring God’s word for the church before the NT canon was completed.
- Giving is essential. We have people who are committed and generous givers. God has used them to help us grow and help many.
Qualification: This is not an exhaustive list. We find other lists in 2 other places:
- 1 Corinthians 12 (page #1767) 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
- Ephesians 4 (page #1798) 11 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
John Stott, in his commentary points out that, in Romans 12, God the Father is the giver of the gifts, in Ephesians 4, it is God the Son, and, 1 Corinthians 12, it is God the Holy Spirit. In other words, he remarks that the gifts are the “gifts of Trinitarian grace.”
What gift have you been given? Are you utilizing it in the church family? God forbid, but if something were to happen to you today, what part of Clearview Church would stop functioning? Some of us have the idea that all I use here is a paper towel and a mint. I don’t have to put much back. It’s like living in a home but paying someone else’s rent/mortgage. Don’t forget the body analogy. Even the widow dropped her mite in the offering jar and Jesus noticed her.
Are you saved?