Title: Gift-Centered Ministry (Romans 12:4-11)
Contents
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Jean-Christian A. Schwartz, author of 'Natural Church Nature', in his book, says that the second of the eight qualities essential for a healthy church is a gift-centered ministry. A healthy church is a church where all members work according to their gifts. It is a church where all the saints stand as producers, not consumers. Today, as we share this second qualitative characteristic of gift-centered ministry, I hope that all members of our church will find out what their gifts are and feel the joy of experiencing the rewards and accomplishments of their ministry. When you do that, you will have passion and at the same time you will be able to do effective ministry. Then, naturally, the church will become healthy and achieve natural growth.
The church has a variety of tasks, and each task requires workers. Not all saints can do everything well. Each has its own talents. What you can do better than anyone else is what you are good at the gift you have. And by allowing each individual gift to extend to every corner of the body of Christ, the church, the body of Christ is built up. When it comes to lay ministry in the church, most people think of two things. It's like a choir choir and a church school teacher. However, this is only in part.
A car is made of 20,000 parts, and an airplane is made of 200,000 parts. And to complete a ship, 100,000 pieces of large and small iron plates are put together. As each part plays its role, it becomes a car, an airplane, and a fleet.
So is the church. The church will also be established, grown, and developed through the efforts of many ministers.
Today's text is (1) the unity of the body, (2) the diversity of each member and the corresponding function, and (3) the reciprocity of the various members. It teaches that the organic principles manifested in the human body are still applied in the society and holy community of the saints who have formed the body of Christ. The church, which is the body of Christ, has Christ as the head and all the saints are members. Members with various gifts must interdependent and cooperate to build up the body of Christ and glorify Christ.
It is based on the belief that God sovereignly determines which Christians will perform which work. When Christians serve according to the gifts they have been given, they do more under the power of the Holy Spirit instead of enjoying what they do with human strength. Therefore, even ordinary people can accomplish amazing and wonderful things when they work according to their gifts.
Research has shown that there is a deep connection and reciprocity between gift-focused ministry and a joyful life. “My ministry is to be a person who thinks that it is in line with my gifts. “I am a person who thinks of myself as a happy and content person.”
We have strengths and weaknesses. God wants us to work with God-given strengths. According to the New Testament expression, it means that He wants us to work according to our gifts. Don't blame what you don't have. If you take what God has given you and focus on it, your power will appear. We always feel lacking and seek new strength. But God has already given us a lot of potential. The problem is that we do not know and do not use the potential and strengths God has given us. Everyone knows their strengths and potentials, and if they just focus on them, they will experience unimaginable joy of victory.
When we live a life of service according to the spiritual gifts we have been given, we can no longer work in our own strength, but find the Holy Spirit at work in us. And when this happens, even if we are 'just ordinary people', by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can devote our lives to the will of God.
In the meantime, church training and programs have focused too much on personal spiritual growth rather than ministry. As a result, there are outstanding individuals, but the church is not. Now, the task is to network personal spiritual growth into a ministry that brings benefits to the body of Christ.
In a gift-centered ministry, the major areas of ministry are composed of experts according to their gifts, and when they work as a team, great synergy is created. We need to specialize and organize our ministry according to our gifts. Then you will see the results of tremendous team ministry energy and growth.