Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:07] Chuck Allen here with another weekday podcast and Happy Thursday to you. We've been talking all week long about spiritual gifts, and I want to continue that conversation today and remind you that there are three parts of how our gifts are designed to serve one another. Let me reread what I read yesterday in 1st Peter 4:10, God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. And the three parts of that verse, the three parts are, number one, God has given them to you, number two, we receive them, and number three, we use it to serve one another. That's what the whole thing's about.
[00:00:52] That means when we hold our gifts back, somebody's missing out on something God intended for them. Because, you see, we need each other.
[00:01:02] Now, the concept of needing each other is pretty significant.
[00:01:06] And it says in First Corinthians 12:12, as Paul writes this, the human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Now, the body of Christ referring to all the worldwide believers, the church.
[00:01:25] And in verse 21, he says, the eye can never say to the hand, I don't need you. The head can't say to the feet, I don't need you. And in verse 22, something I find pretty encouraging.
[00:01:38] In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.
[00:01:44] Maybe you feel like one of those parts. Today, Paul wants you to hear, you are very necessary.
[00:01:52] Now he closes the thought, and in verse 26, he does it with a really super description of what a healthy church is. He says, if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it. And if one part is honored, all the parts are. Glad, y'. All. When one of us is hurting, the rest of us show up. When one of us gets super good news, when we we're all glad.
[00:02:19] Paul says it again in Ephesians 4:16, where he describes Jesus as the one who, and I quote, makes the whole body fit perfectly together.
[00:02:30] As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
[00:02:39] Hear that? Healthy, growing, and full of love.
[00:02:43] And that happens as each part does its own special work.
[00:02:49] I don't want to leave today unless you hear this ending.
[00:02:54] The gift that God has given you isn't just for you to understand. It's for others and a blessing to you.
[00:03:02] But your gift is part of God's plan to build his kingdom. You are a significant part of God's plan.
[00:03:12] When we use our gifts to bless one another, we're not only helping a few people in a church building, we're showing the world what the kingdom of God looks like. And y', all, that's a really big deal.
[00:03:26] Jesus put it this way for us in Matthew 5:16 in the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see.
[00:03:36] Now listen to the end of it, because this is the key. It's not about you getting credit so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father.
[00:03:46] When a neighbor sees a church family caring for other people, when a child sees a grandparent who prays or a student who shows kindness, they get this small glimpse of what God is like. When people show up after a crisis and they bring a meal, when a tornado happens and somebody's bringing fresh water, when a tree is down and somebody's cutting it up for them, or just when somebody's going through a line and somebody's actually gracious and kind, which is unusual in today's world, what happens is the kingdom of God grows not through big events and big issues, but through ordinary folks that are offering what God gave them. And friend, I can't think of a better way to motivate one another toward these good deeds by that Jesus is talking about.
[00:04:38] Because while those gifts exist to grow the kingdom and those gifts exist to serve others, those gifts, inevitably, when we are part of both, those things, are blessing us.
[00:04:51] And it doesn't get much better than that. So today, figure out where is it that I can be a blessing to someone else? And then put your head on a pillow tonight and know, wow, what a joy it is to be a blessing in the kingdom of God. Thanks, friend, for joining me on today's weekday podcast. I'll be back tomorrow and we'll keep the chat going. Bye now.
