PARTIAL UNDERSTANDING

 

PARTIAL UNDERSTANDING

I Cor. 13:12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now. NLT

I believe it is important for us to remember this truth. No matter what we may think we know and understand, we only know partially what is true. There is far more to truth than what we think there is. Because we don’t see things as God does, we often draw conclusions that simply are not completely accurate. We don’t think the way God does about things. His mind is way too complex for us to always be on the same page as Him.

We must strive always to understand truth, and there are certain things we can be confident of that we get it. However, there is always the reality that our ability to understand things is limited by our capability to understand. What we must always understand is that there is room for other interpretations and understanding on some things. Where we may disagree with other believers on, we let the Lord take care of it. It is His business and if He wants to change the thinking of someone, He will do it.

What this means to me is that I must always strive to be gracious about what I know to be true and gracious towards those who I may disagree with. When we get to heaven we will all understand things more clearly. We will know everything we need to know; faith will no longer be necessary because we will live in the presence of Truth forever and ever.

Let us always strive to love each other, not just those who agree with us on the truths of Scripture. On those things which God has clearly spoken, let us stand as one on them. On those things which are not clearly spelled out, let us not get hung up on them and let them divide us.

CHURCH GIFTS

 

CHURCH GIFTS

I Cor. 12:31 And in any event, you should desire the most helpful gifts. NLT

The Apostle Paul had just reminded the Church of what some of the gifts God had given the Church were. The list was not all-inclusive and the list was not intended to be for everybody. There are a lot of ways that God molds and equips His children for service. Paul lists some gifts the Spirit had given the church of his day that many today still argue over as to whether or not they are valid expressions of worship. Churches have been divided and even destroyed over them. Our convictions will continue to divide and even destroy fellowships for as long as Jesus tarries.

Because we are who we are we tend to box God into our belief systems. We get defensive and close our minds to whether or not there is room in the body of Christ for other ways to worship and serve the Lord than our own. No one is going to change the minds of those who abide by a different understanding of Scriptural application. That is a matter between the Lord and His children.

The important truth for us to grasp today is that no matter what your God-given gifts are, they are to be used for the nurturing and well-being of the body. God does not give gifts to be hoarded; they are to be used. Whatever your gift(s) is, use it for the common good of the body. If no one is being built up in Christ, then use discernment on your usage of your gift. There are numerous ways you can help to strengthen and spur the body of Christ on for service. Our goal is to be positive contributors to the body, not dividers. Do what you do for Christ and not to be seen by man.

The particular gift a person has is not important. What matters is that we use what we have for the common good of the body and for Christ’s glory in the Church.

ALL ARE IMPORTANT

 

ALL ARE IMPORTANT

I Cor. 12:27 Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. NLT

Here is a message I wish that we could all get. There is only one body of believers and we belong to Christ. All who are living in Christ by faith are connected to each other. We have no right to exclude any believer from our fellowship. We are to embrace in love all who are in Christ. We don’t have to agree on all things, but we do have to love and support each other. The Church has segregated herself over things that don’t have anything to do with our salvation. It is not God’s way.

Every member of the Church is a vital and necessary part of it. There is no such thing as an insignificant part of the body of Christ. We all have roles to play. When we deny each other the opportunity to fulfill our role, we are hindering the work of God amongst men. We must find ways to involve every believer in the work of the church. We must learn to appreciate our distinctiveness and work together for the common good of the church.

We must get rid of the idea that everyone has to be like us in order for us to embrace and work with each other. We must learn how to disagree agreeably for the glory of Christ. As long as the Church remains divided, Satan is going to gain the upper hand in the world. If we can’t work together for Jesus’ sake, we are not living right with God.

It’s no wonder the world does not take the Church too seriously when we let our differences rule our relationships instead of uniting together in Christ to bring Him to the world.

We will always have our differences, but there is only one thing that should matter to us all and that is to honor and glorify Christ in all we do. Every member of the Church is essential and important and the sooner we accept and embrace that, the better.

NO PECKING ORDER

 

NO PECKING ORDER

I Cor. 12:27 Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. NLT

Much has already been said about this very important truth. I just want to remind you today that you are who you are because God made you that way, and you are a necessary part of the body of Christ. No one can be you except for you. You are not, nor can you ever be, like someone else. You are as equally necessary and important to the cause of Christ as the most visible and talented servant of the Lord. Don’t believe the lie of Satan that you aren’t. There is no pecking order in God’s Kingdom. He sees and loves all of His children equally. We all live by the same rules and will be held accountable for them. No one will stand before God and given a break because of who they are or what they have done.

So the next time you are prone to feel sorry for yourself or question your worth to God because you aren’t like somebody else, just remember this verse. YOU are a separate and necessary part of the body of Christ. You are on equal footing with all of God’s children. In God’s eyes,, there is no such thing as a pecking order. He loves you for who you are, not for who others think you are, or who you may think you are.

CARE FOR THE SUFFERING

 

CARE FOR THE SUFFERING

I Cor. 12:26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. NLT

The question that comes to my mind as I think about this verse is, “Do we suffer with those amongst us who suffer?” It is so easy to get so caught up in our own lives that we neglect those who really need someone to come alongside of them and care as they go through their sufferings. Regardless whether the suffering is physical, financial, emotional, mental, or spiritual, it helps to know someone really cares. Many of us mask our sufferings. We pretend all is well when it really isn’t. We keep things to ourselves that should never be kept. How can we expect the comfort that comes from Christ when we shut others out?

People are the means in which the Lord often addresses our needs. He hears and answers our prayers through the help others can give. It makes no sense at all to suffer alone when the Lord provides others in the body to help us.

Granted, there is always the risk that someone will not act in a godly way towards us. There is the possibility that some who claim to be in need really aren’t in need. There are some who will take advantage of others and bleed them dry under false pretenses. However, can we justify not helping one another out in times of need simply because of the behavior of some? It would rob the body of the joy of living out the Gospel. We need to be wise and discerning, but not cold-hearted.

Look around you. Is there anyone in the church whom you know is suffering? Do you care enough about them to suffer with them? What about you? Are you suffering? Don’t deny others the opportunity to show their love for you by keeping silent. We are in this together. No part of the body should ever suffer alone.

Let others into your suffering world and lovingly enter the sufferings of others; you will be glad you did.

EQUAL AND EQUALLY TREATED

 

EQUAL AND EQUALLY TREATED

I Cor. 12:25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. NLT

All members of the body are equals and should be treated as such. No one deserves more honor and praise than another. We live in a world where we like to honor those who are more visible. We praise those who display their gifts more publicly than others. We honor those who others honor and tend to neglect those who serve behind the scenes. However, we dare not forget that what enables some to display their gifts more publicly is the work that those behind the scenes do who are never noticed. Every member of the body is equally important.

What this means for us is that we need to be more careful about how we distribute our praise and thanksgiving in the body. We need to appreciate the service that everyone does in the church. When was the last time anyone thanked the janitor of the church for the job he/she is doing to keep the church building looking so nice? What about the one who does the church bulletins? Who made the coffee everyone enjoyed during Sunday School? Who thanked the ones who came to church early and got everything ready for the worship services? What about the ones running the sound systems? Who puts fresh flowers around the church for others to enjoy? When was the last time you thanked the person running the sound system or keeps the library going? What about the person who provides fresh flowers in the sanctuary? There are so many things that are done that go unnoticed or appreciated.

Isn’t it about time that something was done about it? What can you do to help encourage or brighten up someone’s day today? Give them a call just to tell them they are appreciated for what they do or send them a note of appreciation. Better yet, buy them dinner or take some baked goods over to their homes for them to enjoy.

We do what we do out of our love for Christ, but we all need encouragement along the day.

YOU ARE IMPORTANT

 

YOU ARE IMPORTANT

I Cor. 12:22-24 In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. NLT

If you are a nobody in the eyes of some, you are a somebody in the eyes of God. If others seem more necessary and important in the church than you, God sees you as equals. If the Church seems to be passing you by, you are absolutely essential for her well-being. Don’t ever believe the lie of Satan that what you do for Christ is insignificant and unimportant. God has placed you exactly where you are to do what you do because it is important for you to do it for the sake of the Church and her witness in the world.

In fact, God gives special honor to those who serve faithfully behind the scenes and who go unnoticed. He rewards us for our faithfulness in service, not our notoriety in service. The adoration of man does not get the job done. Don’t sweat it if no one seems to notice or care about what you do. God sees it and great is your reward in heaven. He needs you to keep on doing what He has given you to do. You may never know why it has to be done, but God does. He takes great pleasure in the service of the faithful.

What a privilege it is to serve God who cares about what we do. Think about it. God knows all about what you do out of love for Him. It pleases God greatly when we are faithfully serving Him regardless if anyone ever notices it or not. Great is the reward in heaven who are faithful to the Lord.

Always remember, no one who serves in the limelight can serve there without those who are never noticed doing what they do for Christ and His glory.