Series: Growing Up Into Christ
#4: The Productive Life
I Corinthians 2: 1-11
January 22, 2023
Mary Yochum, Lay Servant
If you have been in church the last few weeks, you will realize that we are continuing a series called “Growing Up into Christ”. We have learned about the apprenticeship period, the life of discipleship and we are ready to go it on our own, even to move on to help others learn to do and be what we have discovered. This is a natural extension of last week’s topic—Life of Discipleship. This happens regardless of what kind of background we have had. Having been given to and having received so much with our association with others, the time has now come to give in return.
How do we give in return? Each of us has unique gifts to offer. The book “Network” written by Bruce Bugbee and Don Cousins helps us discover our spiritual gifts, personal style and the God given passion for serving in the body of Christ. As noted in the book, ”it is putting the right people, in the right places, for the right reasons at the right time.”
The church needs us—you and me. Not because it needs people to fill positions within the organization, but because WE are an important and integral part of the body of Christ. We have a significant contribution to make. We have a ministry in the church and a mission in the world.
Doing gift-based ministry is not optional. It is biblical. It is God’s operating system for this church. Envision the goal. Enjoy the process and be equipped. Diligently serve as we have been created and called to do, we will glorify God and edify others.
Natural talents are given at physical birth. Spiritual gifts are given at spiritual birth. Natural talents are God-given to all people. Spiritual gifts are God-given to believers. Both natural talents and spiritual gifts need to be identified and developed.
The spiritual gifts given to each person by the Holy Spirit are special abilities that are to be used to minister to the needs of the body of believers. There are many gifts—people have different gifts. Some people have more than one gift and one gift is not superior to another. All spiritual gifts come from the Holy Spirit and their purpose is to build up Christ’s body—the church.
No matter what gifts a person has, each gift is given by the Holy Spirit. We are responsible to use and sharpen our gifts, but we can take no credit for what God has freely given to us. We must never use our gifts as a means of manipulating others or serving our own self-interests.
Because our gifts are unique to each of us, each person can play a different role in the church. Our gifts need to be used. They are given for the common good of the church. By using them we contribute something specific to the church in return for all that we have been given and for the nurturing we have received. It also makes us feel better about ourselves to know we are special and have special gifts. We are able to accept the fact that we can do specific things well.
For a time, when we are recognizing, organizing and putting into practice our special gifts, we appear to be relatively self-centered. We have to look at ourselves to discover which gifts or talents we most want to use and to find out how to use them.
In your bulletin today is a Spiritual Gifts Inventory sheet. Be honest with yourself as you complete the survey. This will give you a good idea what your special gifts are. If you are a new member, please contact Pastor John and he will assist you in locating how to use your spiritual gifts in this church.
Sometimes people who have worked for a long time at one job or task, either in the church or in other areas, will discover at this stage that they have other talents. Then they will want to make a change. The church offers a good place to explore new talents and skills in an accepting and loving environment.
Sometimes we come to a responsible role by the loving prodding of someone else who coaxes us into taking on a leadership or productive role that we might not have felt ready for. As we begin to fill that role, we find new strength and talent we did not know were there. Each of us has an area of responsibility that we can use for God. Our main concern is to be faithful to our tasks and succeed in it.
This stage is closely allied with the symbols that represent it: responsibility, authority, recognition, titles, praise from others, influence, respect, and allegiance. When we are fruitful, there are rewards, either personally or from the community of faith.
I was asked to speak briefly about myself. I believe I was 10 years old when I performed by first community service. I felt so grown up. As I grew up, so did my desire to help others. Think about this—there are 168 hours in a week—how much of that time do you spend helping others. I have had broken bones and major surgery and while lying in bed I still think of ways to help others. Being involved in many community organizations, I can refer people to the appropriate agency. When community agencies will contact me for advise, that is a great honor, not for me, but for God. God gives me the strength to keep going.
Success in life, regardless of how we define it, represents another outgrowth of faith for some. We might equate our success in life with the strength of our faith, with what we believe. And we draw on our faith in support of our productive lives. For us to be successful means to have been faithful.
For some people, the form of productivity or fruitfulness may not take on external, visible signs of responsibility, leadership or success. Rather it may be a sense of having reached a level of spiritually or maturity in the faith that leads to a desire to do something with what has been attained or experiences. From experiences or crisis, we feel special and able to make our own unique contribution to others.
Perhaps you have heard the phrase or seen it on t shirts “Shop until you drop”. This is humorous. The same idea describes us here. We work so hard at whatever we are doing as part of our faith experience that we become weary in well doing. We are burning out and frequently at the same time feeling unappreciated without knowing why.
The more successful we are at stage 3, or the more productive we become, the more tempting it is to slip into the idea of self-centeredness, even self-worship. We feel indispensable to the group.
Life becomes a performance, an act, a play in which we are the leading persons and all goes well. We cannot be vulnerable or look weak in front of others because we would be out of control. We are angry at God inside and very fearful of being found out. We look almost perfect to those around us. We strive so hard to be loved for what we have done rather than for who we are. We are ultimately very lonely people.
Spiritual gifts are special abilities given by the Holy Spirit and distributed to every believer according to God’s design and grace for the common good of the body of Christ.
Your Spiritual Gift is not for you. It is given to you for others.
Now that we have discussed Spiritual Gifts, let’s look and see how they apply here at Tomoka UMC.
First, —INTERNAL WAYS TO SERVE--These are the ones that help the church and its members. They include Acolytes, Altar Guild, Card Ministry, Children and Adult Sunday School classes, Communion Servers, Greeters, Lay Servants, Membership Care Committee, Nurture Committee, Offering Counter, Pastors, Prayer chains, Safety and Security, Staff Parish Relations Committee, Stephen Ministers, Technology Staff, Trustees, United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women, Ushers and Wings and the Word.
Second— EXTERNAL WAYS TO SERVE . These are the organizations outside the church listed as our missions. They include Christine’s Blankets, Council on Aging, F.A.I.T.H.—Social
Justice, Family Renew, Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, Halifax Urban Ministry’s –Barracks of Hope, Star Center and Bridge of Hope, Hinson Middle School, Palmetto House, Partner with Cuba Church, Provision Packs, Tomoka Elementary School,. UMCOR and Women of the Word.
If you have heard a way to serve, either internally or externally and want more information about that, please contact Pastor John or speak to someone who raised their hand during this exercise. Internal committees are continuously looking for new people to join with them to get new and fresh ideas.
So, “Ask not what this church or any organization can do for me, ask what I can do for them.”
So, now, what is the best spiritual gift?
“Gifts are great, but it’s more important to know how to love. God has given us His love as a gift. We love because He loved us first. Without love all the actions supposed to be gifts are empty.
There’s a reason the following portion of Scripture is so widely known. Love is the best gift. Love is what matters most.
Seek to love above all else, and the gifts will find their place
As I conclude this message today, let us be reminded of
John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer
“I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”