WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:01.600 Hello, friends. 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:02.879 This is Pastor Creighton. 00:00:02.959 --> 00:00:06.080 Thank you for tuning in to Newsong Church's Sermon Podcast. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:13.359 At Newsong Church, we want to see Jesus lifted high in Port Perry, Ontario, as we worship, grow, and serve. 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:18.800 You can learn more about us and find contact info at newsongportperry.ca. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:26.480 The second lesson is from the 1 Corinthians chapter 12, starting at the fourth verse. 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:35.200 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit, and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord. 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:41.679 And there are varieties of activity, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:46.640 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:53.599 The word of the Lord. 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:04.959 Let's pray. 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:20.879 Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire and lighten with celestial fire. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:32.639 Lord, God, Holy Spirit, we believe you have inspired the words of your prophets, your apostles, including the Apostle Paul. 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:37.439 And Lord, we believe that you will illumine the Word of God to our hearts. 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:42.719 And so we pray, come, Holy Spirit, renew our hearts. 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:45.599 Show us your word today. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:48.080 Enrich us. 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:56.319 Enable with perpetual light the dullness of our blinded sight, because we need you, Lord. 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:58.639 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:02:58.960 --> 00:02:59.599 Amen. 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:02.000 Please be seated. 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:17.360 So back when I was in high school, well, if you were looking for me in high school, you probably would have found me in the music department. 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:28.240 I spent four great years playing in our high school concert band, in the jazz band, and uh and those were wonderful times. 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:34.479 I was thinking about those times recently attending Port Perry High's uh music concert, their June concert. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:35.759 And it was great times. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:41.120 There was wonderful camaraderie in uh our concert band ensemble. 00:03:41.360 --> 00:04:00.560 Then when I think about the time we spent together in rehearsals, I think about an ongoing, uh, friendly debate about which section of the band was most important, which one was most indispensable, which one really carried the whole ensemble. 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:11.199 And the clarinets would give their, you know, little spiel when they weren't playing, and the trumpets would lean over and give theirs, and the percussionists always felt like they owned the place. 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:20.560 And you know, and it's silly, it's a silly little you know, debate because we know for a fact that the trombones are the most important section of the band. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:24.079 And that just has nothing to do with the fact that I played trombone. 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:26.160 That's that's just science. 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:38.560 No, so we would elbow each other from rehearsal to rehearsal and we'd, you know, jockey for which, you know, which instrument had the most important part to play or part to serve. 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:44.480 But I never remember those kind of elbowing, you know, conversations on concert day. 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:49.120 I never remember those elbowing conversations when we showed up to the competition. 00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:53.839 Because when we showed up on those days, we were the concert bands. 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:55.600 We were an ensemble. 00:04:55.759 --> 00:05:02.560 We were here to do something together that we couldn't do on our own, and we knew that we needed each other. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:11.120 What's true with a high school concert band is just as true with a symphony orchestra, which is just as true with our new song, Chancel Choir. 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:13.519 We need one another. 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:21.680 We need each and every part to flourish in exactly what it's intended to be. 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:33.839 There's a variety of instruments, a variety of parts, but all of these are meant to form a unified, beautiful whole which couldn't otherwise happen. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:41.759 I think this is the kind of unity that we start to see emerge in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:53.519 The Holy Spirit who gives diverse gifts to Christians to empower the unified life of the Church to show forth Christ. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:06:00.240 You can open up your Bible or your order of service to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:08.720 We'll see that the Holy Spirit gives a variety of gifts for a unified purpose, showing forth Christ. 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:16.399 Paul writes this letter to the Corinthians, one of two letters we have preserved for us in Scripture. 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:18.240 It's a pastoral letter. 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:30.800 Paul's writing is something of this congregation's chief pastor, and he's writing them to give them instruction and teaching on a number of subjects, but he writes to a really divided congregation. 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:40.800 You know, I was rereading 1 Corinthians this week, and I couldn't help but think to myself, this is the kind of church, the kind of parish that pastors kind of dread being sent to. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:42.560 They just can't get along. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:47.120 They can't, they're not on the same page about so many important things. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:50.480 And Paul is just listing them off one by one by one. 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:57.120 And I'm very thankful for my place here in New Song because I've never had to deal with some of the things that Paul's having to deal with here. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:06:57.920 But you know what? 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:00.480 The grace of God is still at work in this congregation. 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:02.879 Paul hasn't given up on this congregation. 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:06.240 He's calling them out of division and into unity. 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:10.720 In fact, we read in chapter 1, verse 10, Paul makes his appeal. 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:25.199 I appeal to you, brothers, brothers, and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:36.639 That doesn't mean that a healthy church looks like complete uniformity, like we're all just a big experiment and groupthink, and we're all just gonna start to look and act, all you know, more and more similar to one another. 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:40.399 That's not the kind of same mind that Paul's talking about. 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:46.399 But he's talking about a common pursuit of love that the church is called to. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:49.600 We read in chapter 14, verse 1. 00:07:49.839 --> 00:08:00.800 Paul is calling the church not to see variety and distinction and um and difference as a liability or a hindrance. 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:11.600 He's calling us to celebrate that, to see that as a feature of our church, to see that as a uh a wonderful enrichment of our common life together. 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:18.319 Paul makes his appeal to Christians uh of different sorts to be united in the same mind. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:24.560 This is a church divided, and I think it's divided particularly on the subject of spiritual gifts. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:26.959 That's what chapter 12 is about. 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:31.360 Paul is, you know, going from subject to subject in the previous chapters. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:34.399 Now in chapter 12, he turns to spiritual gifts. 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:39.279 Concerning spiritual gifts, he writes, brothers and sisters, I don't want you to be uninformed. 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:40.799 I don't want you to be mistaken. 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:42.320 I don't want you to be confused. 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:47.440 I want to bring some clarity where you're mistaken on this thing we call spiritual gifts. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:09:04.559 See, I think reading Paul's letter here suggests that Paul understands that the Corinthians have taken these varieties of giftings and turned it into an occasion not for unity, but for division. 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:14.960 For a sort of hierarchy, a sort of ranking spiritual gifts and comparing one gift to another, elevating certain gifts and devaluing other gifts. 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:27.360 Diverse gifts are intended for unity, but they've turned this into an occasion for, well, pride and arrogance for those who claim to have those gifts that have sort of been ranked up at the top. 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:45.279 But it also means that those Christians who have gifts that, you know, get ranked at the bottom in the life of this congregation probably feel deflated, probably feel defeated, probably feel like they've got nothing to offer, or at least they don't have what's really valuable to this congregation to offer. 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:50.559 This kind of hierarchy, this kind of pride, it wounds the life of the church. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:52.960 It's wounded the life of this church. 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:54.480 It's divided them. 00:09:54.639 --> 00:10:01.519 It's, well, it's it's hindered their common mission, their common mind, their love for one another. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:05.039 So maybe at this point we want to ask, well, what is a spiritual gift? 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:08.000 Paul is calling for a sense of unity here with spiritual gifts. 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:09.519 What are spiritual gifts? 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:14.080 Verses 4 to 6, Paul says there are various gifts. 00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:16.879 Uh charismata is the Greek here. 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:19.360 There are various uh acts of service. 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:27.679 Diocania, which is not only a fun word to say, but it's related to our transliterated word deacon. 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:29.759 A deacon is a servant of the church. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:35.440 Now Paul is saying we we share in a common service together in the body of Christ. 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:37.919 There are gifts, there are service, there are activities. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:40.399 Energema is the word here. 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:47.519 Various energies, various ways that God empowers us to go about the work that He's called us to do. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:49.759 Empowered by the Holy Spirit. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:55.679 And for what purpose are we empowered for these gifts, these services, these activities? 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:01.679 Verse 7, Paul says, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit for the common good. 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:06.080 The gifts that we have are meant to be given away. 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:08.960 They're not meant to be privately enjoyed. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:12.559 They're not meant to foster a sort of individualism. 00:11:12.799 --> 00:11:14.960 They're meant to bless others. 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:23.039 They're only as good as they bless others and upbuild our common life together as a church family. 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:29.600 Paul writes in uh, Paul first mentions spiritual gifts in chapter one. 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:45.600 Paul says this, he says, I give thanks to my God always for you, which is plural, you the church, in Corinth, because of the grace, the caris of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:56.000 That in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge, so that you are not lacking in any gift, which is charisma. 00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:57.440 So what's Paul saying here? 00:11:57.600 --> 00:12:00.399 He says, Corinthians, I'm so thankful for you. 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:10.639 I give thanks to God for you, because God has enriched you with such wonderful gifts, such wonderful, uh such a wonderful caris. 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:19.440 And now his desire for Corinthians is being enriched by these gifts in all speech and knowledge. 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:25.679 You should know that you're not lacking in any gift given to you in Jesus Christ. 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:35.840 Maybe we want to say a spiritual gift, or spiritual gifts are actualized powers of showing Christ forth. 00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:40.240 Actualized powers of showing Christ forth. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:45.519 That's how Packer sums up Paul's teaching here in his book, Keeping in Step with the Spirit. 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:46.720 That's Pastor J.I. 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:47.600 Packer. 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:50.480 Spiritual gifts are meant to be given away. 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:53.200 They're meant to show forth Jesus. 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:58.879 They're not meant to make us feel really good about ourselves, feel like we're superpowered Christians. 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:00.879 Maybe that happens, maybe it doesn't. 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:08.879 They're meant to bless the common life that we share together, hold up a mirror, as it were, and reflect Christ to one another. 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:14.480 Paul gives a number of examples of these kinds of gifts in verses 7 to 10. 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:18.159 Paul says, to each, well, we could pause right there for a second. 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:21.679 To each means everyone is given spiritual gifts. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:32.480 It means that there are no Christians walking in the Spirit, trusting in Christ, who are not empowered for service in one way or another. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:42.799 God has given us each a gift, a service, an activity for his glory that only we uniquely can unrepeatably can perform. 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:49.519 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good, Paul says. 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:59.039 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same spirit. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:19.919 Now, wisdom and knowledge are kind of tricky to parse out here, but I would suggest that the two go together, and these gifts speak to an empowered way to speak God's thoughts after him, to interject God's own mind into the common life of the body of Christ. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:31.840 This shows forth Christ in a glorious way because Christ's own earthly ministries was was purposed with showing forth the very mind and heart of Christ for us. 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:39.519 Christ walked the earth, he showed forth God's own knowledge, his own wisdom in his very person. 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:46.639 And so to another, uh Paul continues, faith by the same Spirit. 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:50.799 I don't take this gift as meaning uh saving faith. 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:55.360 We know that every Christian indwelt by the Spirit is truly saved. 00:14:55.519 --> 00:15:08.320 I think this is a I think this is a unique kind of fortifying of our faith, a unique kind of strengthening, especially in those times of trial or tribulation or pressure is mounting. 00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:16.559 Makes me think of uh Cory Tenboom, who tells a uh a story about uh well some wisdom shared to her by her father. 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:35.039 If you know Cori Tenboom, she was an one of the one of the just most incredible people, I think, of the 20th century, a wonderful Christian who um saved the lives of many Jewish people uh during the Second World War by um safely getting them out of uh out of Holland. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:48.960 So Corey Tenboom was she struggled with a uh a sense that when when push comes to shove and pressure mounts so greatly, she would deny Christ to save her own life. 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:54.559 She was so frightened at the thought that she would deny her Lord when it counts the most. 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:57.759 But her father gave her some wisdom. 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:05.440 He said, Corey, when you go to catch the train, when I've purchased for you a ticket, when do I give you that ticket? 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:08.799 Do I give it to you just as I've purchased it and send you on your way? 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:12.559 He goes, No, I give you the ticket just as you're about to get on the train. 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:17.519 When you need it most, I'm gonna provide exactly what you need when you need it. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:21.440 I think that speaks something to the gift of faith that Paul's talking about here. 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:31.440 God gives us exactly that empowered trust in him to meet the adversity that uh we're in the midst of exactly when we need it. 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:35.679 He fortifies our faith, and that is a spiritual gift. 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:41.840 We see, I think we see that kind of spiritual fortification when Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:53.440 Here he is on the night of his passion, on the night of his death, and he prays, if there's any other way, Father, take this cup from me, but not thy will, my will, but thine be done. 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:57.519 It's that kind of not my will, but thy will kind of faith. 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:01.440 That is the gift of faith that Paul is talking about here. 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:07.599 Paul continues by saying he give God gives to another the gifts of healing by one spirit. 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:16.000 I think this plural suggests that there's different kinds of healing, different kinds of gifts of healing, not just sort of a one-size fits all. 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:23.440 I think perhaps to one there's a gift of you know supernatural so-called healing uh for the body through prayer. 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:28.000 I think uh through prayer, through anointing, when we read that in the New Testament. 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:42.880 I think perhaps to another there's uh a unique kind of healing gift for healing past trauma or healing broken relationships or healing uh uh mental trauma, whatever that might be. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:54.240 I think even by extension you could say that there's gifts of healing given to those who are in medical professions, gifts of healing through uh the means of medicine that God has given us. 00:17:54.400 --> 00:18:01.839 There's many kinds of different gifts of healing, and that's exactly what Jesus was about in his earthly ministry, wasn't he? 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:05.920 He was going from town to town and healing and proclaiming the kingdom. 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:12.480 To another, Paul says, is given the gift of prophecy, which I take to mean speaking God's word to God's people. 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:14.000 And that's what Jesus was about. 00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:22.720 I think of him reading the scroll of uh Isaiah in the synagogue, and he sits down and he says, Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:30.240 Jesus was uh purposed in his earthly mission to proclaim the word of God to God's people. 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.599 And when we do that, we show forth Christ. 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:42.720 To another, the ability to distinguish between spirits, to figure what truth belongs to God and what counterfeits are being passed off by the enemy. 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:48.079 To another, Paul says various kinds of tongues, to another, the interpretation of tongues. 00:18:48.480 --> 00:19:05.119 And uh we see the gift of tongues being exercised in one way in Acts chapter 2, this Holy Spirit enabled speaking in other languages so that folks from nations all around the area were hearing the gospel proclaimed in their own language. 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:11.519 There's another form of tongues, perhaps, in uh heavenly utterances and praying in the Spirit. 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:16.319 This is not a comprehensive list, I think, but this is a suggestive list. 00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:34.079 I think these gifts would have been well known to the Corinthian Christians, but we see in uh elsewhere Paul makes lists of gifts of grace that we receive as enrichments from Christ that include other gifts: gifts like leadership, gifts like administration, gifts like encouragement. 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:42.400 Imagine that, the ability to encourage someone, to speak words of upbuilding and hope to someone is a Holy Spirit-enabled gift. 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:46.640 This is not an exhaustive list, it's meant to be a suggestive list. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:20:01.920 All of this is meant to say that these are means by which we show forth Christ to one another, that we make the grace of our Lord real to one another in our shared life together. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:03.039 Again, J.I. 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:07.279 Packer writes, spiritual gifts are given in Christ. 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.319 They are enrichments from Christ. 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:24.079 Our exercise of spiritual gifts is nothing more nor less than Christ Himself ministering through his body to his body, to the Father, and to all mankind. 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:28.559 These manifestations of the Spirit are given for the common good. 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:37.440 So there's no room for this Corinthian hierarchy of gifts, elevating some gifts and devaluing others. 00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:54.319 We, each of us, need one another to show forth Christ to one another in unique and unrepeatable ways that God has uniquely designed us to do so, in unique ways that we are empowered to do so. 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:58.400 We need one another to show forth Christ. 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:02.000 And consider this. 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:03.200 What J.I. 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:18.240 Packer writes is that Christ Himself gives us these spiritual gifts, as uh this these are nothing less than Christ Himself ministering through his body, the church, to his body, to the Father and to all mankind. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:23.440 These gifts are not meant to be separated from the life of the body itself. 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:26.640 This is what we read in verses twelve to thirteen. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:35.119 Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ. 00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:48.799 For in one spirit we are all baptized in one body, Jews or Greeks, slaves are free, no matter our background or our social status, we were all made to drink of one spirit. 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:59.759 See, these different gifts, these different ways we're empowered, these different forms of gifts and services and activities are all meant to make up our unified life. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:07.920 Together as the church, like different instruments in a symphony that God wants us to play together. 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:11.200 We are called Christ's body. 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:21.759 Paul uses this metaphor elsewhere to describe the relationship of Christ, our head, who directs us, and the body which goes at the head's direction. 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:36.720 Here he wants to use the metaphor of the body to give us a sense of our own interdependence, living as a unified whole, living a unified life of Christ's enrichment. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:45.359 We can only do together, pardon me, we need one another to do together that which we cannot do by ourselves. 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:59.839 We need hands and feet and ears and eyes to perform interdependent functions in our own body, and so too we need each and every gift in the body of Christ to fulfill our common mission. 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:04.559 Paul goes on to write that the body does not consist of one many member but many. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:10.720 That means we can't rank the importance of ears over eyes over feet over hands. 00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:13.359 God's composed the whole body. 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:20.559 That there may be no division in the body, but that all the members may have the same care for one another. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:24.319 If one member suffers, all suffer together. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:28.079 If one member is honored, all rejoice together. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:33.200 Now you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it. 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:35.920 Think about what the body shares there. 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:40.480 Paul says if one member suffers, we all suffer. 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:46.720 If one body read or member of the body rejoices, we all rejoice with them. 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:50.960 We're interdependent, we're connected with one another. 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:58.720 We're called to such a common life that what is mine is shared with you, and what's yours is shared with me. 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:02.000 Because we need one another to show forth Christ. 00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:10.720 See, I think spiritual gifts should cause us to consider, reconsider, a sort of individualism that we can slip into. 00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:22.880 A sort of private practice of our faith that slips away from the life of the church or slips away from living in close community with other Christians. 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:46.480 See, Paul is saying that there's no lone wolf Christianity here, because God has uniquely enriched each and every one of us for the purpose of ministry to and through his body, the church, to enrich a great unity which otherwise couldn't exist, and to further his kingdom purposes in a unique way that only we are enabled to do. 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:51.920 So, friends, this is why I celebrate that new song is such a serving church. 00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:56.160 We have faithful servants here at our church, don't we? 00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:01.759 We have a church that answers the call, that asks, how can I help? 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:04.880 How can I bear your burdens with you? 00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:12.559 Because we have all of us been enriched by Christ and uniquely gifted to show forth Christ to one another. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:42.880 I think what Paul is saying here in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, that we've been gifted to show forth Christ means that within our own congregation, we can let go this idea that there's big and small ways to contribute, that there's big or small roles that we make up, that there's more important and less important roles, we're all of us called to a common life together, to serve in accordance with how God has purposed us. 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:52.880 See, when we do something like greet at the front door, we're not just saying hi, but we're extending the very hospitality of Christ to one another. 00:25:53.279 --> 00:26:00.160 When we read and respond to the liturgy, we as the church carry Christ's own voice to one another. 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:06.480 When we encourage one another, we are sharing the encouragement of Christ to one another. 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:15.119 And it takes each and every one of us to fulfill God's own unifying purposes in the life of our church for us. 00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:26.559 The life of our church depends upon each member understanding and cultivating their gifts to show forth Christ to one another and to port parry around us. 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:31.039 The good news is we can be released from trying to compare our gifts to others. 00:26:31.359 --> 00:26:35.440 God has uniquely given you the gifts that He intends for you. 00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:40.880 And if you didn't have the gifts that God gave you, the church would suffer lack. 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:45.920 So the question becomes, how do I figure out my gifts? 00:26:46.160 --> 00:26:48.880 Because some of us struggle to figure out our gifts. 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:54.799 I mean, there's great gift surveys you can find online, and some are better than others, and that's great. 00:26:55.119 --> 00:27:12.640 I might just suggest that if you are prayerfully discerning how am I gifted and how am I called to serve, you might want to just have a conversation with a trusted sister or brother in Christ and ask, how is it that you or what gifts do you recognize in me? 00:27:13.119 --> 00:27:15.279 I think those are such vital conversations. 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:18.079 Those are very vulnerable conversations, don't get me wrong. 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:21.680 I'd be kind of scared to ask that to a brother or sister if I'm honest. 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:24.880 But those are the best kinds of conversations to have. 00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:35.279 Where we can be infirmed and encouraged by one another, that we can say, here's how I recognize how you show forth Christ to me. 00:27:35.759 --> 00:27:37.680 And we need that with one another. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:48.079 Because the Holy Spirit gives diverse gifts to Christians to empower the unified life of the church to show forth Christ together. 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:51.440 No one instrument can play the whole symphony. 00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:53.200 We need one another. 00:27:53.440 --> 00:28:04.640 And through the enrichment of Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we can each of us play the instrument in God's beautiful symphony of his redeeming work. 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:06.640 So let's pray. 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:08.640 Come, Holy Spirit. 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:09.599 Amen. 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:16.240 Thank you for listening today. 00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:21.920 We worship a generous God who calls us to follow him in giving willfully, cheerfully, and sacrificially. 00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:28.559 Newsong Church's mission and ministry is 100% funded by the generous gifts of those worshiping and journeying with us. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:36.319 If you'd like to offer a gift towards Newsong's ministry, please visit Newsongportperry.ca slash giving for more information on how to do that. 00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:39.599 May God bless you and keep you today and every day.