Wednesday, January 6, 2016

January 7, 2016

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." Romans 12:3-8

In the first two verses of this great chapter Paul shows the Church how to have unity on the team. That is by each member consecrating his ego to God, conquering the evil within, and concentrating on God's will. A winning team is the result of each team mate overcoming their personal battles through the power of God. No team wins without unity.

Now, in these next several verses there is another step forward from unity to community. And there is a change in metaphor from God's team to God's body. The Church is the Body of Christ and each member is part of that body. As you know, the more healthy parts that a body has the healthier that body will be. So, the great apostle shows you and me how to be a healthy, helpful and happy member of the body. That is the emphasis of our thought today.

How do I become a healthy member of a strong and productive body?

Examine Your Faith - " Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."

Once you consecrate your ego and get that out of the way, humility is the beneficial by-product. Humility is not thinking less of yourself. Humility is thinking of yourself less. False humility is just a pathetic form of pride. Humility is valuing who you are in Christ. Humility is the ability to objectively see yourself as God sees you. Humility is declaring, "I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength." Humility is understanding, "Christ in me, the hope of glory."

Humility is understanding that God has faith in you! Humility is understanding that God has faith FOR you! Humility is allowing His faith to operate through you! Community results from faith operating with humility in the Body.

Express Your Faithfulness - "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith."

The evidence of your humble faith is your desire to serve God. You serve God by serving in His Body. Faithfulness comes from the willingness to do your part. Faithfulness is the operation of God-given faith through your God given talent. Faithfulness is understanding that every member of the Body is important to the health of the Body. Faithfulness realizes that God has given every Body all the parts it needs to be healthy BUT every member of the Body must exercise healthy faith.

The "measure of faith" given to serve God within the Body is called a "spiritual gift". Every believer has at least one! Using that gift within the Body is the equivalent of playing your position on a sports team. Community is the result of every member using his spiritual gift.
How do I discover what my "spiritual gift" is?

Experience Fruitfulness - "If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

One of the primary responsibilities of the pastors and leaders in a local church is promote the health of that church by helping each member discover his spiritual gift and one of the main ways that happens is by experimenting by serving in a variety of positions within the church.

By experimenting with different areas of faithful service you will discover what you enjoy doing. God hasn't invested faith in you in order to make you miserable. On the contrary, God wants you to find joy in serving and also, He wants you to give joy to others in the body as you serve.

The key indicator of where you are gifted, in addition to what is fun for you is this - where are you fruitful? What gets better when you help? What grows when you get involved? What positive changes do you affect when you serve in that area? What do you do that makes the Body healthier? Spiritual gifts bear spiritual fruit, therefore, find out where the fruit is and then serve faithfully in that area!

Would you put a guy at quarterback if he can't throw a football? Would you put a player at receiver if he couldn't catch a football? Of course not! You place him in a position where he can execute and make the team successful. The same is true in the church!

Community is the result of every believer serving God and each other humbly with the spiritual gift God has invested in them! The result is a happy, healthy and helpful church that overcomes evil with the good work God accomplishes through the faithful exercise of their gifts!

Do you know your spiritual gift? 

If so, are you using it faithfully in your church? 

If not, are you serving to discover where you will be fruitful?