Serving God
(Taken from the Open Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Using Spiritual Gifts:
Spiritual gifts are discussed in detail in four New Testament passages: Romans 12:3-8; First Corinthians 12:1-10, 28-31; Ephesians 4:11, 12; and 1 Peter 4:10-11. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, a and to still another the interpretation of tongues.(1 Cor 12:7-10). Spiritual gifts are those gifts given by the Spirit of God for the accomplishment of God’s purpose in the world and for the edification of the church, the body of Christ. Two things are important to remember concerning spiritual gifts: (1) every believer has been given spiritual gifts; and the gifts belong to God and are given for the believer to use for the glory of God.
Serving:
God intended that the Christian life should be dynamic, not static. We should sit under the teaching of the Word of God, understand and apply its meaning and implications, and serve God and our fellow believers. The Spirit of God has given us spiritual gifts, but those gifts are worthless unless they are put to use in the service of God and His church. Paul often uses the figure of the human body to show the dependence of the members of the body upon one another and the importance of each member serving the other. While some members of the body have more prominent places of service than others, all are equally important. The worst thing that can happen to the human body is for one of its members to become nonfunctioning. Paralysis, sickness, deterioration, and sometimes death occur when a body member ceases to serve the other members of the body in the particular way that God intended. To maintain strength, health, and vitality, every member of the bod must function and serve all the other members of the body. This is also true of the spiritual or new life. We will grow in the new life, become strong, and maintain good spiritual health as we use the talents and abilities that God has given us to meet the needs of the other members of the body.
Giving:
There is no better indicator of growth in the new life than in the area of giving. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 deals with the attitude one should have in giving – it should be cheerful. When giving is cheerful, it will also be generous. The important rule of thumb is not how much is given, but how much is left after the giving. God is not primarily occupied with the amount of the gift, but with the motive that lies behind it. All the money in the world belongs to God. My gift to Him does not make Him any richer; it make me richer spiritually because of the realization that everything I have is His and that I am giving because I love Him and work to give. The formula for giving is found in 1 Cor 16:2 where three principles can be seen: (1) m giving is to be regular, ‘on the first day of the week’; (2) m giving is to be systematic, ‘let each one of you lay something aside’ and (3) my giving is to be proportionate, ‘as he may prosper.’
The offices of the Church:
The New Testament uses four terms to describe the leadership of the church (1) ‘elder’ which places emphasis upon the authority that the leadership has to teach or rule in the church; (2) ‘bishop’, which emphasizes the fact that the leadership is charged with overseeing the local church and as such is responsible for the spiritual well-being of those in the church; (3) ‘pastor’ which places emphasis upon the responsibility of the leadership of the church to shepherd the flock. No shepherd has ever given birth to his sheep. It is the responsibility of those in leadership to do for the sheep what they cannot do for themselves and to make sure that they are in good condition so that they can do what comes naturally, that is, beget other sheep; (4) “deacon” which places emphasis upon the attitude that the leaders are to have in their leading. They are not to ‘lord it over’ the flock, but are to realize that they are the ministers or servants of those whom the Lord has put under their care.
The function of the office of elder is twofold: (1) teaching and (2) ruling. An elder is to be able to teach his people what the Word of God teaches and to give direction as to how that is to be accomplished I and through the local church. The qualifications for the office of deacon are essentially the same as those for the elder except that the deacon need not be ‘able to teach.’ The deacons are to be spiritual and in tune with the elders and seek to assist them in implementing the goals that the elders feel the Spirit of God is leading them to pursue through the local church.
Sharing our Faith:
Sharing our faith is a combination of spontaneous conversation about God and premeditated ideas about the gospel. The following is asset of practical steps to take in witnessing for Christ:
- Regularly talk about god. Sprinkle your ordinary conversation with occasional references to god’s activity in your life. It is much easier to share your faith when your friends know God is an integral part of your affairs.
- Prepare our testimony. Learn to describe your pre-Christian life, your encounter with Christ, and sub-sequent changes in your life in fewer than 5 minutes. If you became a Christian as a child, focus on the impact Christ has had on your adult life.
- Learn a brief summary of the gospel. If you have never learned a gospel presentation, ask your pastor to help you find one. Perhaps he will assist you to master it.
When you have opportunity to share Christ with someone, be sensitive to that person’s spiritual readiness. God as far as you can in the progression of mentioning the Lord, telling your story of faith, presenting the gospel, and appealing for a commitment of faith in Christ. Often you will sense that your friend has heard all he or she wants to. When you stop, be sure to mention that you want to talk more about the Lord another time. Keep the subject open.
Our responsibility to Human Government:
It is impossible for a believer to be a good Christian and a bad citizen at the same time. As children of God our responsibility to human government is threefold.
- We are to recognize and accept that the powers that be are ordained by God. “Let every should be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.’ (Rom 13:1). This truth applies even to atheistic human governments unless, of course, the law is anti-scriptural. In that situation the believer must obey God rather than humans (Acts 4:18-20). In fact, when Paul wrote those words in Rom 13:1, the evil emperor Nero was on the throne.
- We are to pay our taxes to human government (Rom 13:7)
- We are to pray for the leaders in human government. ‘Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of god our Savior (1 Tim 2:1-3).
Paul exhorts us to pray for those who are in authority that we may lead a quiet life. We are to pray that they hold their offices in godliness and honesty.