The Gift of Encouragement
(Romans 12:4-8))
Part 1 Romans 12:1-3
Considerations Before We Get the Job
I have my old, more than worn out, New International Version, bible in front of me. Reading it is like having a time of fellow ship with an old friend. This bible is a comfortable and familiar place that allows me to find favorite verses easier.
The first paragraph explains spiritual worship. Paul begins by asking us to think about God's mercy and offers it to us as the reason that we can offer God our bodies as living sacrifices to God. He explains that we should be holy and pleasing to God. If we want to be holy and pleasing to God we must not conform ourselves to the pattern of the world. We must allow God to change the way that we think about things. That allows us to test and agree to God's will for our lives. which Paul describes as good and pleasing.
Paul begins the second paragraph by dealing with two kinds of pride that will lead to our fall. Though he doesn't deal with this directly, he explains that we should not see ourselves as more important than other people. If we are conforming to the world we will seek power over others, a higher position, as well as greater wealth. Those things become the desires of our hearts and we give them our time and our attention. Spiritual pride sets us above other people, even other Christians because of our view of our relationship with God and what we feel is our dedication to being holy, obedient, and pleasing to God. We reason that we are better, and more important because we perform better for God. Paul tells us to draw on the faith that God has given us, and take a good, hard look at ourselves.
The first paragraph explains spiritual worship. Paul begins by asking us to think about God's mercy and offers it to us as the reason that we can offer God our bodies as living sacrifices to God. He explains that we should be holy and pleasing to God. If we want to be holy and pleasing to God we must not conform ourselves to the pattern of the world. We must allow God to change the way that we think about things. That allows us to test and agree to God's will for our lives. which Paul describes as good and pleasing.
Paul begins the second paragraph by dealing with two kinds of pride that will lead to our fall. Though he doesn't deal with this directly, he explains that we should not see ourselves as more important than other people. If we are conforming to the world we will seek power over others, a higher position, as well as greater wealth. Those things become the desires of our hearts and we give them our time and our attention. Spiritual pride sets us above other people, even other Christians because of our view of our relationship with God and what we feel is our dedication to being holy, obedient, and pleasing to God. We reason that we are better, and more important because we perform better for God. Paul tells us to draw on the faith that God has given us, and take a good, hard look at ourselves.
Part 2 Romans 12:4-7
Finding a Job in the Body of Christ
Finding a Job in the Body of Christ
When I read Romans 12:1-3 it helps me to prepare myself to work for God. I ask myself what I want out of life, what I feel will make me feel happy and satisfied. I take a hard look at my life and I accept the fact that I have sinned and I need Christ's forgiveness and God's help in changing myself so that I will be prepared for God to hire me for a job in the body of Christ. That process requires the kind of honesty that is not accompanied by excuses, and requires a sincere desire to change. I don't have to be perfect to get hired, but I do need to deal with my stuff.
Paul compares the body of Christ with our human bodies. All of the parts of my physical body work together to make me healthy. My hands do not say, "I won't be a hand because I would rather be the heart; the heart is more important and I deserve the job. Every part of my body knows what it was made to do and it does its job without an argument. The body of Christ is like that and every job is very important. Together we are the body of Christ and we belong to each other
Paul says that we are given different jobs and we have different functions in the body of Christ. He calls those jobs gifts because our jobs are given to us by God. He explains that we are given our jobs according to the grace that God has given us. That means that we are given the job that God has created us to do. In addition God has blessed us with the ability to do that job.
Paul compares the body of Christ with our human bodies. All of the parts of my physical body work together to make me healthy. My hands do not say, "I won't be a hand because I would rather be the heart; the heart is more important and I deserve the job. Every part of my body knows what it was made to do and it does its job without an argument. The body of Christ is like that and every job is very important. Together we are the body of Christ and we belong to each other
Paul says that we are given different jobs and we have different functions in the body of Christ. He calls those jobs gifts because our jobs are given to us by God. He explains that we are given our jobs according to the grace that God has given us. That means that we are given the job that God has created us to do. In addition God has blessed us with the ability to do that job.
The List of Jobs/Gifts
1. If a man's gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
2. If it is serving, let him serve
3. If it is teaching, let him teach
4. If it is encouraging, let him encourage
5. If it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously
6. If it is leadership, let him govern diligently
7. If it is showing mercy let him do it cheerfully
Paul explains, in the first paragraph that he wants us to know about the spiritual gifts because there was a time when we were seduced my false gods. Too often we view things as harmless that put us in real danger. When we read the horoscopes in the news paper we are conceding to a false god and believing that the false god knows are future. Children take part in popular role playing games and video games that have characters from the world dark side. We also watch movies and read books that deal with words and spells and forces that come out of the pit of hell. We dismiss them as harms stories meant only to entertain us, but Harry Potter and Dungeons and Dragons would be put on Paul's list, which cautions us not to visit these seductive and evil tools of Satan. They offer very real and evil powers to children and adults.
God offers us a power that is greater and uses that power to work for our good. Before we seek God's spiritual gifts we must leave the paths of hell and the ways of the world and begin walking in God's light.
Paul begins the second paragraph by explaining that there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the Holy Spirit. They work in different ways, but God works through all of them.
God gives us spiritual gifts to be used for the common good. We should never fall to spiritual pride and believe that we are better than other Christians or "Special," because God has given us a spiritual gift.
2. If it is serving, let him serve
3. If it is teaching, let him teach
4. If it is encouraging, let him encourage
5. If it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously
6. If it is leadership, let him govern diligently
7. If it is showing mercy let him do it cheerfully
Part 3 Paul's lists of Spiritual Gifts/Jobs
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
I want to talk about the gift/job of encouraging, but first I want to clear up some confusion. You have read one list of jobs/gifts and Paul offers two more lists.Paul1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Paul explains, in the first paragraph that he wants us to know about the spiritual gifts because there was a time when we were seduced my false gods. Too often we view things as harmless that put us in real danger. When we read the horoscopes in the news paper we are conceding to a false god and believing that the false god knows are future. Children take part in popular role playing games and video games that have characters from the world dark side. We also watch movies and read books that deal with words and spells and forces that come out of the pit of hell. We dismiss them as harms stories meant only to entertain us, but Harry Potter and Dungeons and Dragons would be put on Paul's list, which cautions us not to visit these seductive and evil tools of Satan. They offer very real and evil powers to children and adults.
God offers us a power that is greater and uses that power to work for our good. Before we seek God's spiritual gifts we must leave the paths of hell and the ways of the world and begin walking in God's light.
Paul begins the second paragraph by explaining that there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the Holy Spirit. They work in different ways, but God works through all of them.
God gives us spiritual gifts to be used for the common good. We should never fall to spiritual pride and believe that we are better than other Christians or "Special," because God has given us a spiritual gift.
The Second List of Spiritual Gifts/Jobs
1. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom
2. To another the gift of knowledge by means of the of the same Spirit
3. To another faith by the same Spirit
4. To another gifts of healing by that one Spirit
5. To another miraculous powers
6. To another prophecy
7. To another the ability to distinguish between spirits
8. To another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues
9. And to still another the interpretation of tongues
Paul concludes that all of these gifts are the work of one and the same Spirit, and God gives those spiritual gifts to each person according to his will and purpose.
2. To another the gift of knowledge by means of the of the same Spirit
3. To another faith by the same Spirit
4. To another gifts of healing by that one Spirit
5. To another miraculous powers
6. To another prophecy
7. To another the ability to distinguish between spirits
8. To another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues
9. And to still another the interpretation of tongues
Paul concludes that all of these gifts are the work of one and the same Spirit, and God gives those spiritual gifts to each person according to his will and purpose.
The Third List of Spiritual Gifts/Jobs
1st Corinthians 12:12-31
1st Corinthians 12:12-31
Paul prefaces his list of spiritual gifts by reminding us that the Body of Christ, like our physical bodies, has many parts, but there is only one body. Paul makes reference to our baptism. "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free- and we are all given the one Spirit to drink."
In 2 Corinthians verses 21-22 he explains what happened, "For now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what his to come." God doesn't care about what race or ethnic background that we have, or what claims other people or any legal system has on us. We are all part of the same body of Christ.
We can look at the body of Christ from three different perspectives. Some see it as a local church, others as a denomination, and still others as all of the Christians.
If we see the first two as units of the body of Christ, then they should all be able to work together as one body in Christ. Paul had to deal with two separate churches, the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. He also has to deal with conflicts between his missionary, gentile churches, and groups within his churches. Before we move toward receiving our spiritual gifts, we must understand that there is only one body of Christ and God is free to call us to serve any of the denominations and local churches. God will use us and the spiritual gifts that he has given us wherever he sees fit. Perhaps different units of the body of Christ have different missions and doctrines, but they are all part of the body of Christ, and Christ is the head of it. Paul reminds us in the third paragraph that "there should be no division in the body."
Next time we will look at the spiritual gift/job of encouragement.
Bear
In 2 Corinthians verses 21-22 he explains what happened, "For now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what his to come." God doesn't care about what race or ethnic background that we have, or what claims other people or any legal system has on us. We are all part of the same body of Christ.
We can look at the body of Christ from three different perspectives. Some see it as a local church, others as a denomination, and still others as all of the Christians.
If we see the first two as units of the body of Christ, then they should all be able to work together as one body in Christ. Paul had to deal with two separate churches, the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. He also has to deal with conflicts between his missionary, gentile churches, and groups within his churches. Before we move toward receiving our spiritual gifts, we must understand that there is only one body of Christ and God is free to call us to serve any of the denominations and local churches. God will use us and the spiritual gifts that he has given us wherever he sees fit. Perhaps different units of the body of Christ have different missions and doctrines, but they are all part of the body of Christ, and Christ is the head of it. Paul reminds us in the third paragraph that "there should be no division in the body."
The Third List of Spiritual Gifts/Jobs
1 Corinthians 12:27-31
1 Corinthians 12:27-31
Preface - "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you are a part of it. And in the church God has appointed -
1. first of all apostles
2. second prophets
3. third teachers
4. then workers of miracles
5. also those having gifts of healing
6. those able to help others
7.those with the gift of administration
8.and those speaking in tongues
Epilogue - Paul reminds us that we are given different gifts/jobs. Why are there three different lists. Paul was not seeking to create a doctrinal statement. Paul was writing letters and answering questions. Though there are similarities, each list deal with at least one issue that needed to be resolved.
1. first of all apostles
2. second prophets
3. third teachers
4. then workers of miracles
5. also those having gifts of healing
6. those able to help others
7.those with the gift of administration
8.and those speaking in tongues
Epilogue - Paul reminds us that we are given different gifts/jobs. Why are there three different lists. Paul was not seeking to create a doctrinal statement. Paul was writing letters and answering questions. Though there are similarities, each list deal with at least one issue that needed to be resolved.
Next time we will look at the spiritual gift/job of encouragement.
Bear
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