Renew, a monthly Bible study for women of all ages, kicks off 7PM this Thursday night at Calvary. Denise Buck is going to teach on Praying Through Your Priorities, an excellent subject as we begin a fresh year. The lives we live are demanding enough as it is, but are even less manageable without healthy priorities and a solid focus. Denise will use the Word of God to help the women at Calvary unearth the priorities God has for their lives. As a pastor, this thrills me...
Denise and her husband, Pastor Geoff, have been a great blessing to Christina and I since they moved here from Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale. I am so happy they are here, and now I'm stoked that Denise will be teaching the women at Calvary. If you are not a dude, you really ought to be there on Thursday night if at all possible. I'm sure God will meet you in His word, in fellowship, and in prayer.
- The Body Of Christ [1 Cor. 12:12-31] -
The church is allegorized in many different ways. We are called a spiritual building, a flock, a family, and a holy nation among many other things. Additionally, we are referred to as the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 Paul the Apostle spends a few moments instructing the Corinthian church - and us - on that reality.
Consider that truth for a moment. You and I get to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in the world in which we live. You and I, the silly people we are, communicate God's love and grace to the world around us. The gospels recorded the beginning of Jesus' ministry, with the church carrying out His continued work (Acts 1:1). We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us (2 Cor. 5:20). As His body we have an opportunity to communicate our Head's heart and message to the world around us.
I would encourage you to embrace that reality. Embrace the fact that you and I are the body of Christ. That said, here are a few realities Paul wanted the Corinthian church to understand, specifically as it pertained to being the body of Christ.
:: You Are United [12-13] They hadn't gotten this. They were a divided lot. Paul taught them that the same Spirit had placed them into the one body of Christ. No matter their background - Jew, Greek, slave, or free - they were all part of the same body of Christ. The same could be said today. We are one no matter our background, generation, ethnicity, bank account, or education level.
:: You Are Diverse [14-19] The Corinthians hadn't understood the diversity of the gifts and callings God had given them. In their public gatherings they all wanted a public ministry. They had yet to discover the beautiful reality that just as there are many different body parts, so are there many different spiritual body parts. We are not all made the same and we need to embrace what we are.
:: You Need One Another [20-26] Another danger in the Corinthian mentality was the maverick soloist mentality. There were some who, rather than despise their own gifting, were so puffed up they actually believed they needed no other member in the body of Christ. How foolish! Just as our eyes need our hands, so do we need the other members of the body of Christ!
:: You Are Individuals [27-31] Paul closed out his section with a reminder that even though we are one, and even though we are diverse, and even though we need one another, we still need to take heed to our own lives individually. No one can force you to pursue and use the gifts God has given to you. As individuals, we respond to God and become the members He longs for us to be.
- Our Membership -
That said, we need to take our membership in the body of Christ seriously. Don't cheat the rest of the body out of your function, ability, gifting, and calling. We need you, just as you need us! Here are some basic applications of this passage.
- Act as one body: Embrace this spiritual reality. Enjoy those different from you in Christ, understanding that we are all one spiritual body.
- Embrace your gifts: Some Corinthians had complained about what they were made to be. Don't complain, instead take hold of the role God has for you. His perfect will has made us who we are.
- Embrace others gifts: Recognize your need for other members of the body of Christ to lift you and strengthen you in your walk and life.
- Individually obey: Personally and wholeheartedly obey God and be the person God has made you to be. Don't shelve your gifts and abilities, even if others do, but use them. Don't run from them, run with them.
Today I had lunch with Theis Broegger, a good friend, comrade in ministry, and Danish wonder who lives in Aarhus, Denmark. Theis is an great guy who spent a season of his life in Monterey, learning and growing in Christ at Calvary. He and his wife, Alison, have a huge heart for the Danish people and have been faithful to teach and preach His word faithfully.
Christina and I actually flew out to visit Theis in our first year of marriage. We wanted to see if God might send us to plant a church in Denmark. While we didn't see an open door during our visit, God has still put a soft spot in my heart for Denmark, mostly through my friendship with Theis and Allie. This August I will actually fly to Stockholm, Sweden to teach at the Calvary Chapel Scandinavia conference, a great opportunity for me. Not only will Theis and Allie be in attendance, but Brenten and Lena Powers are also planning on making the voyage from nearby Latvia, so this will be a special time for me to strengthen their spiritual hands. Of course, I know they will likely minister to me much more than I will minister to them...
Spiritual Gifts
In John 14 Jesus promised His disciples that He would not leave them as orphans. In other words, Jesus promised them that upon His departure He would be sure to send His Spirit upon their lives to empower them for the ministry He had called them to. He actually told them it was to their advantage that He depart, promising them a great and effective life once the Spirit of God came upon their lives.
It's interesting, but in John 14 Jesus told the disciples the Holy Spirit was with them, but would one day be in them. In John 20 Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." Then, in Acts 1, Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father, that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and make them His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. So, reading the statements of Jesus, He promised three distinct relationships with the Holy Spirit. Prior to conversion He is with us. After conversion He is within us. And in ministry He comes upon or overflows us. In other words, He ministers to us before conversion, strengthens us to live the Christian life, and empowers us to minister to the world around us.
One way the Holy Spirit empowers us is through spiritual gifts. This morning we took a look at a few of the gifts found at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 12, but that isn't an exhaustive list. In the coming weeks we will encounter a few more of the gifts, at least giving a cursory review of those gifts not mentioned in 1 Corinthians, but found in other New Testament passages.
Diversity/Difference
As we consider spiritual gifts we recognize that they are often connected to different ministries and activities. Paul is so good to remind the Corinthian church, and us, that the Holy Spirit works in different ways in different people. There are different gifts, diverse ministries, and different activities. You see, we aren't cookie cutter Christians. God has made us in many different shapes and sizes so that we can reach people of many different shapes and sizes. Christians can receive many different sets of gifts, operate within many different types of ministry, and conduct their ministries and gifts in many different activities. The key? Be who God has made you to be!
Receive
The Holy Spirit grants the spiritual gifts individually as He wills (12:11). It's His call. His decision. Our role is to embrace the gifts He has given to us and operate within them. As humans we can easily become jealous and envious of the gifts, ministries, and activities found within those around us. Some of us might say, "Why can't I be like that guy or do what they are doing? Why don't I have that ability?" Although common, this is never productive. Instead we ought to embrace the gifts and callings God has given to us. We ought to be ourselves.
I closed out our time together by briefly answering a couple questions people might have when it comes to the Holy Spirit and His gifts. While my answers are in no way comprehensive, here they are:
Q. How can I receive spiritual gifts?
A1. Desire them. Paul told the Corinthians to desire spiritual gifts for the purpose of church-wide edification (1 Cor 14). To receive spiritual gifts, you have to first want them. You have to first have a desire to see your life count towards eternity.
A2. Ask for them. Jesus made it clear that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to all who ask (Luke 11), so we ought to ask God for the gifts He longs to give us. Once we ask, we need to believe He has heard our request, believing in faith that He will do as He has promised.
A3. Ask for them with spiritual leaders. The New Testament is filled with examples of spiritual leaders - apostles, pastors, elders - praying for people to receive the gifts God has for them. Although clearly not a mandate from Scripture, there still seems to be a benefit in praying with a pastor or leader for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Q. How can I discover spiritual gifts?
A1. Think about what you desire to do.
A2. Think about what brings you joy.
A3. Think about what you are effective in.
Remember, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He loves you and I. He has a will and desire for our lives. Let's allow Him to lead us, guide us, and use us to make disciples of all nations!
This And That
- This morning 7 people made first time public professions of faith in Jesus Christ. Please pray for these new believers as they begin their walk of faith. Pray for them to be devoted to the word of God, to be filled with God's Spirit, and to mature at a healthy pace in Christ.
- Next weekend around 30 kids from our Reverence High School Ministry will head down south for their yearly winter camp. Reality Church in Carpinteria will be hosting and leading this 4 day camp and I know our students will be blessed and strengthened. Pray for them as they travel and grow! Matt told me that many of the students are first-time-campers, so I am going to pray for their relationship with Matt and the rest of the students to gel.
- Renew, the brand spankin' new monthly women's ministry meeting, is set to kick off Thursday night January 22 at Calvary. In the short time I have gotten to know Denise Buck I have been very impressed. I am amped to see how God will use these monthly Thursday night meetings to help renew the minds of the women at Calvary. Be there!
- Happy Anniversary to me! Christina and I have been married for a wonderful 7 years as of tomorrow, January 12. I am so lucky to have her. Happy Anniversary, Christina!
Tonight I am going to bed with a bit of a broken heart. After our college ministry I decided to take a drive through the Alvarado district in downtown Monterey. I do this from time to time. I like to dream that some day God will give us a facility to use down there for Bible studies and evangelism. I like to dream that we could take what we do in our church facility and do it downtown. I like to dream about bringing the word of God to that place. It might just be me, but that's me - I've been driving through the Alvarado district this way for about 9 years now.
I didn't like it tonight. Too many young people were down there chasing fulfillment they'll never find outside of Jesus Christ. Too many young people who could be anything for Christ - missionaries, worship leaders, evangelists - living lives void of Him. I know God is not done. I know He has a plan in place. I know Calvary Monterey is a part of that plan, His plan to seek and save that which was lost.
Let's be a praying church, a church that cries out and asks God to use us mightily to reach into our world and show them His love, truth, and grace.
Use us, Lord. Amen.
The Lord's Supper
Yesterday morning I had a chance to teach 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 at Calvary Monterey. In this exciting text Paul gives a word of correction to the Corinthian church regarding their taking of the Lord's Supper, commonly referred to by the modern church as "communion."
Apparently, the Corinthians had adopted the practice of a large corporate meal with the entire church, a good practice, but it had become corrupted on multiple levels. For one, they had become very divisive and factious as a church. Those divisions had led to a social segregation of the classes, the rich and poor separate from one another, especially in their large meal together. Basically, those who needed the meal (the poor) were slighted by those who felt entitled to eat first and most (the rich). It was an unfortunate situation in Corinth, but it became even more unfortunate when they began to believe they were practicing the Lord's Supper during that strange corporate meal. Paul stood to correct it.
Our Equality In Christ
Paul was horrified at the divisions in the Corinthian church. He was disappointed that those who had nothing were shamed by those who had much. He longed to see the poor within the church treated with dignity, honor, and respect. He knew that one message of true communion was equality, that we are all one in Christ Jesus.
As I mentioned yesterday, I believe the church has a great opportunity to bless the less fortunate during difficult economic times. Those who are well off have an opportunity to practice generosity, one of the more noble and beautiful character traits I can think of. Paul wasn't necessarily speaking of the official church, but the individual believers within the Corinthian body who had the power to help those they worshipped with.
If we will pray for opportunities, prepare for opportunities, and look for opportunities to help those in need, I believe God will grant us the opportunities we've looked for.
The Real Communion
Paul then took the Corinthians back to the original intention of the Lord's Supper (communion). Like a SWAT team breaking down the door to take a fugitive captive, so Paul busted down the door to the Corinthian church and took back the Lord's Supper. He wanted them to see it for what it truly is.
In a word - remembrance. The Lord's Supper is an opportunity for us to see Jesus more clearly. Communion offers us a chance to put on the glasses of the bread and cup so that we can see Jesus Christ in His glory. Paul tells us we get to remember three main things through communion.
- Jesus' past work.
- Our current standing.
- Jesus' future coming.
When partaking in communion, recognize it as a holy moment, an opportunity for you to remember Jesus, an opportunity to see Him afresh. We ought to take the moment seriously, asking God to refresh us in His love as we remember the cross and the new covenant.
A Stern Warning
Paul closed out his exhortation with a frank warning. He exhorted the Corinthians to take the Lord's Supper correctly, not in an unworthy manner. Their raucous "love feasts" were in now way a fulfillment of the Lord's Supper, especially with all the factions among them. All of that needed to stop. They needed to come to that table sober-minded, thankful, and humble over what Jesus Christ had done for them.
What an opportunity we still have as we partake of the Lord's Supper together. It was so sweet to share in it together this past Sunday, even if I did forget my customary communion tie! To remember Jesus in that way is incredibly special, especially when it's with a church family you love and care for.
My hope is for 2009 to be a year to remember. Oh, I hope it's a great year and all, and I expect God will move mightily this year, but what I mean is that I hope 2009 is a year we remember Jesus more. I hope and pray that the cross of Mt. Calvary is fresh in our minds every day this year. The price Jesus paid for you and me...such love. Let's get the point. Let's remember Him!
This year's M.A.L.T. (Marriage, A Loving Team) Ministry Team has based the curriculum off of the theme of the recent Christian movie, Fireproof. Sunday night, January 4, at 6pm we will actually show the full length film for the church and community. I would encourage you to bring your spouse and grab some friends to attend as well. This is a great opportunity and I am very thankful for the entire M.A.L.T. team who put this all together! It should be a great night...
