The Holy Spirit Equips

Many of you will remember the image that I projected Sunday morning when I preached on the gifts of the Spirit. I was making the point that all of the gifts are necessary for the church to function as God intended.

Here it is in a nutshell: God gave us all gifts. The spiritual gifts are important for the health and work of the church. Not only The Sanctuary. We're talking about THE Church, global and without walls. It seems that if God gives gifts that are essential for the church/Church to be healthy and functioning, then it seems to follow that He intends for us to allow Him to use our gifts for His purposes.

Okay so back to the image.



Does that strike you as a bit odd? As I look at the image this morning, it strikes me that there is this gaping hole in the puzzle, and this guy is standing there, apparently wondering what to do about it. It seems to me that he is "puzzled" by the missing piece in the puzzle.

When our family puts a puzzle together, we have a little thing we do where each person sort of devises a plan to be able to put the last piece in. It is apparently a great thing to be able to put the last piece in. Why? Well the answer is obvious--the puzzle is not complete without that last piece. The other pieces are together. They fit nicely. They together make a portion of a picture, but instead of your eyes taking in the beauty of the puzzle you have just assembled, your eyes are drawn to the place where the missing piece should be. In a way, the most important piece at that moment is the missing piece. Without it, the puzzle doesn't "function" as a puzzle.

So this guy is standing and contemplating the missing piece. I wonder if it has occurred to him that he might be the missing piece. The analogy is not perfect, of course, because he isn't the shape of a puzzle piece. But my point is that he could solve the problem by finding the piece instead of standing there helplessly looking. It's obvious the puzzle needs the piece, and it is obvious that at that moment the missing piece is the most important one!

It seems to me that this is like the body of Christ. There are too many people who are standing on the sidelines and not using their spiritual gifts. The result, of course, is that the church/Church functions poorly because of the missing parts. There are people who are not using their gifts because they feel that their gifts are not important or others have greater gifts. What would the Church look like, how would it function, if every spiritual gift that God has given us as individuals was being used as He intended for the greater good of the body of Christ?

So here are some questions for you to think about:

1) Do you know what your spiritual gift is?
2) Are you using your spiritual gift for the healthy functioning of the body of Christ?
3) Do you ever NOT use your gift because you feel less important or embarrassed or inadequate? If so, does yesterday's message change your view on whether you should use your gifts or not?

I want you to talk to me. Think about the gifts, the importance of them, the equality of all of them, and how God wants us to use them, then post a comment giving me your thoughts. I read every comment, I promise, and I find them encouraging and I believe strongly that this blog "conversation" contributes to the learning and growing of all of us!

Conquering Egypt

Yesterday, we talked about the mother of Moses. This was a woman who lived surrounded by a pagan Egyptian culture, one that threatened the well-being of her family--spiritually, socially, financially, physically, and relationally. The Bible makes it clear that the king was greatly concerned by the growing population of the Israelites. They were a people who were viewed as dangerous and threatening by the Egyptian "powers-that-be" of the time.

Here was a woman who, when under orders to throw her infant son into the Nile River, found a way to save his life. Was it risky? Oh yeah! She took a chance when she placed him in a basket made of reeds and tar and put the basket in the Nile River. She did not know if he would be found, nor did she know what would happen if he was found. Yes, she sent the baby's sister to watch and see what would happen, but ultimately she placed her infant son in the hands of the Lord her God. She "did the right thing" in the face of adversity, obstacles, opposition, and persecution.

How much this is like what we face today! As I pray for the precious people God has brought to The Sanctuary,
I am often led to pray for the families with children and grandchildren. Today, my prayer is especially for all the mothers. Mothers (and fathers, of course) are charged with "doing the right thing" in an increasingly difficult culture, one where people of faith are seen as weak and stupid and the Lord we serve is mocked openly. Parents are literally teaching their children to go against the current when they teach these young ones to follow the ways of the Lord.

Moms, here is what I want you to know.

1) Remember that you are on the front line in the battle for your children's souls. It is important that you make sure that you are nurturing your own soul in things of the faith. How? Reading and meditating on the word of God, talking to God, and (more importantly) listening to Him, keeping your eyes on the prize and not being distracted by the things of this world. Being filled up and in tune with the Lord, you'll have strength for the battle.

Question: Are you nurturing yourself spiritually?

2) You need to "keep your eye on the prize" for your children as well. They will choose or not choose for themselves whether or not to follow Christ, but the choices you make as a mom help to influence them in that direction. You must communicate to them by action and not words only, how important spiritual disciplines are and how important it is that their choices of friends, activities, music, etc. are congruent with Christian living.

Question: Are you guiding your children to make choices that will bring them closer to Christ?

3) You need to help your children to understand that being a follower of Christ means that they might not always fit in and at times they may even be excluded or ridiculed. You will need to help them to deal with the pain of that, but also to learn to have a Christ-like response when that happens. Remember that it is not easy to be a child or adolescent growing up in a culture that is increasingly hostile to people of faith, especially the Christian faith. We must teach our children to "whenever possible live at peace with all people" (Romans 12:18) which is a challenge in a hostile world.

Question: Are you praying with and talking to your children about going against the current in school and with friends?

4) Paul wrote in I Corinthians 11:1, "Imitate me, as I imitate Christ." You must realize that they learn a lot more about the things that are important in life by watching you than they do from listening to you. Model for them what matters. Is prayer important? Then let them see you pray or better yet, pray with them. Is scripture important? Then ask God to show you how to incorporate scripture into the conversations you have with your children. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9) Is church attendance important? Then make church attendance a top priority for your family. Is the Gospel important? Then let them see you live the Gospel by making Godly choices in entertainment, activities, friends, and music.

Question: Can you comfortably tell your children to follow your example?

Mothers are such an important part of a child's life. How many great men and women have pointed to their mothers for bringing them up in ways that contributed to their success? The way you raise your children will contribute or detract from their spiritual success. It is an awesome responsibility and amazing opportunity!

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR PARENTAL WITNESS!

Okay, now it's your turn! What are your thoughts? Are there things you need to change in raising your children to be people of God? What are the struggles? What have you found important in being successful? What are the biggest obstacles? Talk to me!

The Holy Spirit: Teacher

When our kids were growing up, we spent a fair amount of time teaching them something (tying shoes, catching a ball, the alphabet, setting the table, etc.). Usually that went pretty well. They were all smart kids, and were eager to try and learn new things. There were times, however, when they would either not listen or would think they already knew something or had a better idea of how it should be done. For us, the "teachers" it was sometimes frustrating and sometimes comical.

After trying and trying to do some new skill their own way, they were more than willing to settle down and listen to instruction from parents who knew very well how to do that skill. I often thought how much time they could have saved all of us if they would have been willing to just listen and learn.

On Sunday we talked about the Holy Spirit being given to us as our Teacher. We talked about how He instructs us and in so doing helps us avoid significant problems in our lives.

There are two parts (at least) to this equation. The Holy Spirit teaches us. That is His part and He is faithful to do His part. He is the Spirit of Truth (John 15:26) and what He teaches us is important in our journey of learning to resist temptation to sin and and become what He desires for us to be. We can rely on Him, because He guides us into all truth (John 16:13).

The Holy Spirit's part is teaching. Our part is learning what He teaches. How do we learn? Well one of the obvious answers to that question is that we need to listen, and then we must obey. The Holy Spirit is in us if we are in Christ, and so He is along with us on our spiritual journey. If we listen, we will hear Him teaching us what is the right way to be, think, act, rest, stand, pray, and on and on.

The question is, are we listening? Just as my kids sometimes didn't listen and only let me teach them after finding that doing it their way didn't work so well, sometimes I think we do that with the Holy Spirit. When we find ourselves messing up it may be that the Holy Spirit is talking and we just aren't listening. We need to, like the psalmist, have a burning desire to learn truth.

Psalm 86:11 "Teach me your way, oh Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."

Do you want to know how to walk with God and please Him? The Holy Spirit is your teacher. Listen, and learn!