Good Evening, dear brothers and sisters. What a beautiful day here at the Southern Location of the North Pole, just beautiful. We started out the day with our ministry team and Martin-Martin going to the Bridges for a sing-along, after which we came back to our food pantry where we had a wonderful brunch set up for us by Wanda. This gives us a great time to sit and break bread together as we plan things for Carry The Light Ministries. Today we move forward with the same scripture today plus adding in some. Please keep praying for Ray Orner Sr. Also pray for our dear friend Tom Sansoni as he relocates to a different state for work. Tom is a great worker for God and knows that when one door get closed, God will always open another, we just need to trust and obey. (Someone should write a song called that!)
Working Together (Day Two)
Romans 12:4 - Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, letl 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. (NIV)
Yesterday I talked to you about how our body depends on the different parts to function. Today I would like to look at an average church, if there is such a thing, and how some of the gifts lent to those people in the churches get used or not used sometimes. Let's start out by looking at the scripture above and that part about "leadership." We need good people in all churches willing to take leadership roles, but they must remember who the "real leader" really is. Every so often in a church you hear of "power struggles" and maybe you have differences of opinion between the pastor and the church council. Sometimes they forget that the church really belongs to God, and when that is forgotten the earthly church will just become a big building. I have talked a lot lately about how we have put God out of government buildings, out of school buildings, and sadly we have also run Him out of church buildings. How could that really happen? Years ago Dolores and I attended a really big church and a lot of people would come to me and ask, "Do you go to Pastor (name withheld) church?" and I would say no, I go to (and I would tell them the church.) I have been to churches where I was on the church council and they did not even start the meetings with any devotions. I don't know how others feel but with all the new churches starting up, I think it would be nice if when they set up the structure that every one of their bylaws or whatever you call the things they set up would be backed by scripture. Sort of like our government should be looking at all laws they pass to see if they muster up to the constitution. Years ago I asked one of the council folks who was going to be the representative at the annual conference if he was a "Christian first or a United Methodist first." His answer to me was he was a United Methodist first. So then I asked what if something comes up you need to vote for how do you pick to vote? He said he always voted for what the conference wanted. If we take a deep look into some of the church structures, you can see that the leadership position has been taken away from God. I am thinking that God would not lead a church where the pastors offer to marry a man to another man or a woman to another woman, yet some churches are doing just that. At least one major denomination says it is okay for a woman to abort a child. God gave, or lent, us great gifts and like the body, if the body of a church would just put Jesus in that main leadership position and then follow His word as written in the Bible, things would go much better. Just think about the church you attend and how the government body of the church works. Is God really in charge, does the pastor who needs to be in a leadership position under God work with the council or is there always some sort of fight going on? I want you to think about the gifts each person in your church has as we get together and think even about the gifts our small ministry team has and how we can best work them together under God.
Again we all have different gifts furnished to us by God according to His will and our faith. If a person has the gift to prophesy then let him do just that according to his faith. If a person has the gift to serve, and let me point out here many people have more than one gift from God - if a person has the gift to serve, what might that person serve, and do others in the church structure hold them back? Maybe you have a person in the church that has a great office job, maybe they might be a doctor or lawyer but the gift of serving they want to do at church is cleaning the restrooms or mopping the floor. Maybe taking out the trash, etc. Maybe they just want to serve the Lord by mowing the grass or shoveling the snow. Some folks that have more than one gift might want to serve by teaching and they are great teachers. Some might be really good with the little children, while others like teaching the adults. The Bible tells us if they have the gift of teaching, then let them teach. Here is a great gift, and one that not many have. The gift of encouraging. The Bible tells us to let them encourage. This gift, along with that one of serving, teamed up together might put that person at the prisons or hospitals. Gift of encouragement could also be used at your local retirement homes. If you talk to activity directors you might find out that you do not need to be a great singer or piano player to help folks, but maybe you are just a good reader and could even help read the daily newspaper to people whose eyesight no longer lets them read well. There are just so many things that one can do with the gifts we have from God. Let's look at this gift from the Bible.
Romans 12:8 - If (the gift) it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously. (NIV)
Let me tell you about one couple we have on this line. They are great friends of ours, they are great friends of Carry The Light Ministries, yet we have never met them in person. These folks, who are retired, have saved their dollars and helped us purchase turkeys and food for the food pantry. They give from the heart all the time. Due to health reasons they have a hard time getting out, but that does not stop them from using their gift of service with the gift of contributing to the needs of others. I do not want to mention their names, so we will just give God all the honor and glory for them. Thanks, folks, you know who you are and we appreciate you very much.
This last gift that I want to talk about today that some have been given by God is the gift of mercy. While I think all have the gift to serve, this gift of mercy we should all have and use also. After all, one of the greatest gifts given to us by our Lord Jesus was and is the gift of mercy for us. And following in the footsteps of God we should all pass on that same mercy to others. As you lay down your head to sleep these days I want you to think about what gifts God laid upon you and how you will use them. Some who serve in churches have been given the gift to be able to make good "chicken pot pie." Tomorrow I am going to talk about the one best gift given to all of us, and I want to talk to you about how you use it. Anyone know what that one gift is that stands ahead of all the rest? Come on, let me hear from you. What is that gift?
Dear Father in Heaven, thanks for all the gifts You have given us, and please, dear Lord, help us to always use them to work for You. Help us in our daily walk with and for You so that we are walking in Your light. Forgive us this day of our sins and help us forgive others so we truly can be forgiven for we know that according to Your word, we are forgiven only as we forgive others. Thanks again for this line, and thanks for supplying our needs each day. In the name of Jesus, I pray this day. Amen.
Now go forth and serve, and if you cannot do anything else, here is one thing you an do to serve. You can share your blessings with others. Some people spend too much time dwelling on themselves and forget that we are truly blessed and we need to pass those blessings forward. And yes, you can just share that Love of God by telling the others the good, good news of Jesus.
Love ya, Pastor Dan.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment