The Body
Vision 2023 • Sermon • Submitted
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Welcome to our first Team Night at HWC!
The entire purpose of this night is simple: We want to pour into our volunteers… who routinely pour into others through the many ministries we offer.
This night… is more than an event or a service. This night is part of the vision God has revealed for us at HWC.
As the challenges in our culture become more numerous and difficult, our resolve to depend on God and to rely on His strength, Spirit-empowerment and wisdom must also increase.
The first thing I want to say to you this evening is… THANK YOU. The time, energy, and resources you put into your ministry does not go unnoticed.
I realize sometimes we might feel like our efforts may feel… mundane… or even meaningless.
Ever have one of those times when it seems like nothing you are saying or doing in your class seems to be sinking in with your group? Ever feel like you put in an enormous amount of effort and see little “gain?”
I’ve said this before and I want to restate it tonight: Do not underestimate what God is doing in you and through your ministry.
We might not see the fruit today, but God is working on hearts. God is doing the work only He can do… All He asks us to do is… remain a faithful worker in this time of harvest.
Tonight I felt led to bring a Word on a familiar passage I’m sure we all know. And the main text I want us to see is 1 Corinthians 12:27.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
We know tonight that the church in the New Testament is often referred to as the body of Christ. The church is Jesus in motion on this earth. Again, we are the continuation or extension of Jesus’ ministry until He returns.
EVERY PART of the body is important. EVERY PART.
What you do plays a significant role in the ministry success of God’s church. What you do helps keep the body of Christ in motion in the heartland.
The enemy is doing all he can to stop the advancement of God’s church. Our nation is becoming more and more secular and immoral and less God-fearing every day.
And yet, we are seeing God do amazing things despite the challenges the enemy tries to throw at us. May we never forget that OUR GOD IS GREATER! 1 John 4:4
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
This evening, I want to give us a few reminders regarding the truth that WE ARE the body of Christ, and how it is that we the body remain in motion.
Tonight is about pouring into this team… the routinely pours into others. And I hope these reminders serve as encouragement for each of you as we continue to serve God faithfully.
Each one of these reminders bring us back to one important truth. Each one of these reminders speaks of diversity in different ways, but they bring us back to one point we must never forget.
Reminder One: Many Gifts, but ONE Spirit
Reminder One: Many Gifts, but ONE Spirit
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
As I look across this room tonight, I see a wide variety of people who possess different giftings and abilities. And I’m not talking about physical talents… I am talking about giftings that come through the Spirit of God - supernatural giftings.
Verse 7-10 give example giftings that come from the Spirit of God.
Message of wisdom
Message of knowledge
Faith
Gifts of healing
Miraculous powers
Prophecy
Distinguishing between spirits
Speaking in tongues
Interpretations of tongues
And then 1 Corinthians 12:11 makes this point again
11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
The Spirit of God distributes His giftings to the people who make up the body of Christ.
These gifts are given for the different kinds of working, service, and ministry that the body will be active in.
These gifts are NOT given to build up a name for oneself, but they are given to help proclaim the name that is above all names!
It is important, than, that we the body are operating according to the gifts that the Spirit has given us.
If you are unsure of what that gift might be… I have a spiritual gifts finder worksheet that might help you in discovering how God has gifted you through His Spirit.
We need to see the gifts of the Spirit in motion in the body! Each gift is different, but they are given by the same Spirit.
Reminder Two: Many Parts but ONE Body
Reminder Two: Many Parts but ONE Body
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
I’m sure we’ve all heard a message on this topic before… but I hope we never forget that the ministry work we do is a part of the big picture for the body of Christ.
EVERY part of the body is ESSENTIAL. Every part is needed.
In fact, when one part is missing, the body as a whole begins to suffer. There is not one part of this body that anyone can say, “I don’t or we don’t need you.” As it says in 1 Corinthians 12:24-25, God put this body together and all parts should have equal concern for each other.
That is a part of why I feel this Team Night is so important. We do not get to fellowship as a team near enough. We do not get to hear about the wins, we don’t get to hear about the concerns. We don’t get to share ministry praise reports or prayer request.
As the body, if one part suffers, we suffer together. As the body, is one part is honored, we celebrate together.
And never forget that as the body, Christ is the HEAD of His church.
We do this for HIS glory. We faithfully serve as one of many parts of the body to honor the One who gave His life for us.
This is HIS church. And although we are many, we make up one body of which Christ is in charge. He has placed this body in motion in this context for such a time as this. And I believe this body is going to see God do some amazing things at the heart of this nation!
Reminder Three: Many Methods but ONE Motive
Reminder Three: Many Methods but ONE Motive
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
In the next chapter, Paul begins to talk about many ministry methods the body can deploy… and although these methods are good and sound in and of themselves, if love is not the motive… all we are doing is making noise.
No matter we do… no matter what method we utilize in ministry… if love is not the motive behind the method… all we are doing is making noise.
If love is not present, we are nothing, we have nothing, we gain nothing. If love is not present, we are nothing more than another organization trying to make it in this world.
The church is NOTHING without love. Seem harsh to say? Well consider what 1 John 4:8 has to say
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
A church without love… is a church without God. God is present where love is because GOD IS LOVE. If love is absent, we had better get back on our knees and back in His presence.
No matter what you do or how you do it, make sure that LOVE is the reason behind it.
Whether you’re a teacher or a helper, a singer or a sound tech, a driver or a rider, a musician or a technician, a cleaner or a cook, a prayer warrior or a grounds keeper - do what you do BECAUSE of love.
Our service in ministry ought to communicate love in two ways.
First, it ought to demonstrate that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind.
Secondly, it ought to communicate that we love others as we do ourselves.
Methods change. Trends and culture will change. But our motive and our message must NEVER change. Love be be central in all that we do as His church.
We must never forget what is said in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
Closing
Closing
There are two things I want us to do as we close out our first team night.
First, I want to make opportunity to lift up our team members in prayer.
Whether you are facing difficult situations your self or folks in your ministry need prayer, we want to lift up the needs of this body to the Lord.
But I’m not going to do this corporately through the microphone. I want this team to pray for the members that make up this team.
If you have a need or know of a need that you would like to lift up in prayer, raise your hand and leave it raised.
I want us to gather in small groups around those with hands raised. If you are comfortable with sharing the needs with your group please do so, and then I want the group to pray for the needs that are here tonight.
Secondly, I want us to pray for ministry and outreach efforts of HWC
Pray for God’s direction, provision, and Spirit as we continue to carry out His mission for the heartland.
Pray for God to anoint leaders, to fill this place with His presence, and to renew this team with His power.
Pray for God to open the hearts of those we minister to. Pray for revival to sweep through our assembly. Pray for an outpouring of His Spirit and power.