Everyone Involved

Who gets to "do the stuff" of ministry in King's Church?

The New Testament teaches that ministry is not the domain of the few, but the privilege of all believers.

1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

In the Old Covenant: God set apart the Levites to be priests. They had no way of working- their work was the temple, where people would bring their sacrifices. Once a year the high priest would go behind the curtain in the temple and offer sacrifice for sins in the most holy place on behalf of the people. They worked- others watched.

Ordinary people would be left outside, waiting, watching.

But in New Covenant, all are priests- ministering God's grace to one another and the world in diverse ways.

Old covenant: structured, hierarchical, easy to understand.

New covenant: Messy! Read Acts!

1 corinthians 12 teaches that in the gathered church God's grace is manifest to one, to another, to another and another and another…

1 Cor12v28 says that apostles, prophets and teachers have a primary role in building a multi-gifted church. This is confimed in Eph 4: 11:

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

Apostles, prophets, pastor-teachers and evangelists train and release the whole body of Christ to pioneer, to hear God, to teach the bible and to win people to Christ.

Romans 12 teaches that the diversity of Gods gifts covers many practical areas too. 1 Cor 7 teaches that marriage and singleness are also grace gifts from God.

The big question is: How can a church hold such diversity of gifts together?!

Without the Holy Spirit this is impossible.

Challenges:

Ignorance

1 cor 12:1 "Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed"

Not knowing your gifts Not knowing measure of your gifts- and that small gifts matter "If this world is going to be reached, I am convinced that it must be done by men and women of average talent. After all, there are comparatively few people in this world who have great talents." DL Moody

Isolationism

I cor 12:15-20

Now if the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

Combat with relationship. All flows from relationship. Knowing our place. SMALLGROUPS. "Sometimes I feel like the hands are what are celebrated in this church- I honestly feel like a foot." Personality comparison

We must value and celebrate one another.

Independence

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it 1 cor 12:21

Combat with truth: Prophetic eyes v practical hands! What a false distinction!

Inclusion

V27-30 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Progress happens when we realise we need others.

Initiative

Don't be Lazy. Fan into flame the gift Your permission comes from the Spirit. "I need someone to ask me." The Holy Spirit is your someone. Lesser skill/gift isn't an excuse for passivity (see parable of the talents)

Importance

The church is God's glorious plan. It's his dwelling place on earth. Don't let that get diminished by over celebrating any one gift.

  1. "Priesthood of all believers"- how does this phrase help you understand how church should function? Why is this more helpful than simply saying "we want everyone involved?"

  2. Multiplying gifting. Read Ephesians 4:11-12 The point of greater leadership gifts is not bigger crowds but creating bigger Christians- do you agree?

  3. Diverse gifting. What gifts do you feel get most celebrated in King's church? How can we ensure we give honour to less obvious gifts?

  4. Which of the three challenges do you find toughest? Ignorance, Isolationism or Independence?

  5. Which of the three helps do you find most helpful? Including yours and others gifts, taking Initiative or seeing the Importance of the bigger picture?