Thursday July 9, 2015

Read: Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Have you ever met someone who is just naturally gifted? Some people are naturally gifted at sports and no matter what sport they try they seem to excel. Some people are naturally gifted at music and can teach themselves any instrument they can get their hands on. Some people are naturally gifted thinkers, absorbing and learning all kinds of material without trouble. Some people are naturally gifted at relationships and can encourage everyone just by being in the room. Do you know people who are naturally gifted like that?

You could say that all Christians are supernaturally gifted. When we put our faith in Christ and the Holy Spirit begins His work in us we are given a spiritual gift or gifts for use in building up and encouraging the body of Christ. There are no exceptions to this! Everyone who has faith in Christ is given a spiritual gift. That is what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 12:7: “To each one a manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” This means that there are no passengers in the church. There are no people in the body of Christ who have no gifts, cannot serve others and are simply along for the ride. Paul is crystal clear: each one is given a spiritual gift.

Notice the purpose of these gifts. They are given for the common good. All of these gifts that God gives are for the express purpose of building up the church and growing others in their faith. They are given so that we might encourage and serve one another. If you have a gift, (and we’ve already established that every believer does) you have been given it so that you may serve and build up other believers. You have been gifted for the sake of everyone in the body of Christ.

In Romans 12 Paul continues his description of the body by reminding the believers that they all have different gifts that God has given them. We don’t all have the same gifts. God gives each of us different gifts so that we might serve each other, learn to depend on each other and to build up the body of Christ. We are not robots who are all made exactly the same and are all expected to work the same. The church is more like a crack commando squad where each member is a specialist in a different area. Without the skills and expertise of each member of the squad the job cannot be completed.

Paul goes on in 1 Corinthians 12 to list some of the spiritual gifts that God gives believers to build up the church. Each of these gifts are necessary to build up the church and accomplish the mission that God has given us. If there are believers who are sitting on the sidelines and not getting involved then the church is missing some of the skills and gifts that it needs. If, however, everyone is getting involved and doing their part then the whole body thrives and the church can grow and move forward.

This isn’t just theory. If you have faith in Jesus Christ then you have been given a gift by the Holy Spirit for use in growing and encouraging the church. You are a vital and necessary part of making the church function together. Are you using your gifts?

Prayer:

Using today’s passage and the reading notes spend time in prayer.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Pray that God would equip the preacher to be faithful and bold in his preaching this weekend. Pray that the Spirit would lead the preacher in his preparations and that the body of Christ would be built up and edified this weekend.

· Pray that each person in the body would know their spiritual gift and that they would be ready and willing to put that gift to good use, building up and edifying the body.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. How can a believer find their spiritual gift?

2. Share with the group what you think your spiritual gifts are. Invite them to encourage you in these areas or suggest other areas of gifting. If you are unsure invite them to tell you what they think some of your gifts might be.

3. Consider how you might be able to work together as a group to use these gifts within your church.

One on One

Even in the face of death threats Pastor Azhar continues to use his gift to the glory of God. Read his story below.

                                                                                                            

After evangelizing Muslims and baptizing a former Islamic religious leader, a Pakistani pastor is receiving death threats from radical Islamists – even through his cell phone. “Azhar”, who became a pastor at a village church more than 20 years ago in Pakistan, regularly shares the gospel with his Muslim neighbours and has baptized a number of Muslim background believers, including a former imam known as “Rashid.” Trouble started after Rashid stopped attending the local mosque. Members tried to convince him

to return to Islam, but he wouldn’t. His Muslim relatives labelled him an apostate, a traitor  to the faith. They issued death threats against Rashid, along with his wife and children who also became believers. After Rashid and his family fled the area, his relatives turned against Pastor Azhar.

Pastor "Azhar" has faced severe persecution for his outreach to Muslims. The pastor was told to return Rashid to them or face death. The threats  continued to escalate. Several months later, the relatives sought revenge. They found Pastor Azhar’s son and severely beat him. The relatives also informed fundamentalist groups of the pastor’s activities and he is now constantly monitored by the fundamentalists’ widespread network. Like Rashid, Pastor Azhar had no choice but to flee the village to protect his family…

Though the pastor has changed cell phones numbers on numerous occasions, he still receives death threats. It’s not certain how the Islamists continue to find his phone number. Pastor Azhar has relocated, but the threats have not discouraged his desire to minister to others. He continues to share the gospel with Muslims and encourages Muslim background believers in their faith. see https://www.persecution.com/public/ newsroom.aspx?story_ID==373633

Personal Questions

1.  How’s your prayer life?

2.  Describe your current thought life?

3.  How’s your relationship with your spouse or your parents?

4.  Discuss how and if you’ve struggled with sin/ temptation this week.

5.  How are you worshipping God through work, family and social networks?

Read Romans 12:1-8.

Pray

that God would reveal to each believer in your church what spiritual gift He has given them.

that God would clearly reveal to you personally what spiritual gift he has given you and how you are to be using that gift for the common good.

that God would challenge those in your church who want to remain idle.

Reflection:

1.   What is the point of spiritual gifts?

2.   Do you know your spiritual gift?

3.   How do you think you can find your spiritual gift?

4.   When you do find your gift or gifts, what do you think you should do?

5.   How can the church encourage all people to find their spiritual gift and more importantly, to use that gift for the common good?

6.   List the people you can encourage this weekend to be using their spiritual gift in the church for the common good.