Grace for Each to Serve
Grace for Each to Serve
This Monday was the first day of school. You needed to have been there to see the excitement in my daughter Grace, who is entering Kindergarten. She was ready over the weekend and could not wait for Monday to come. That morning, she was all ready and minute by minute asking where is the school bus. “Daddy is it coming and why is it taking so much time to come?” I would say “it is only 7:15AM and the bus is expected around 8:30AM”. Unlike, Grace, Jonathan entering third grade wanted a divine extension of the summer holidays. He was shocked to hear that the summer is over and it is time for school. Both my kids are very gifted but gifted differently. They both have different measures of grace according to what God has for them. It is a great joy to see it unfold and to be part of God’s working out what He has already worked in them.
Likewise, you and I and every believer in Christ have been given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. As we continue our study of Ephesians, we see Paul saying the same to the Ephesian believers. Ephesians 4:7-16:
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”[b]
9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first[c] descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
In view of all that God has done for us, we are being asked to “walk worthy of our calling”. To this end, part of the “walk” is to love and serve one another. We cannot serve one another on empty tank. God does not call us to “walk worthy” without equipping us on why and how to serve. Back to Ephesians 2: Paul tells the Ephesians, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”. We have been saved by grace. However, that was not the end. God has continued to pour His grace on us each day so that we can do the “good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”.
Paul in Romans 12 talks about the same thing on the grace that is given to each of us. “3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness”.
So what? Why do we have the gifts and are we using and serving with our gifts? We are all gifted and graced to encourage each other unto maturity in Christ – until Christ is fully formed in us. In fact Paul says, “I labor” as in childbirth until Christ is fully formed in us. The Holy Spirit has great work of grace to do in us and thru us for one another. Who are you “in labor” for? It is painful but hang-in there.
Jesus Christ is the measure or standard to which we must attain – “grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift”. Jesus secured our life and gave gifts of grace out of His abundant resources. It was a high price He paid as hinted in our passage. “9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first[c] descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things”. This passage quoted by Apostle Paul is from Psalm 68:18 and it is referring to Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension.
Let us serve one another out reverence and gratitude to God. No Saint is more gifted than the other but rather we are gifted differently. We must pay heed to Apostle Paul so as not to get a big head in whatever capacity we are serving at home, work, church, school or anywhere. “To everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith”. Let’s think and do with consideration whatever is in our hands to do. Everyone does not have to serve the way you serve or the people you serve. Just do your thing and leave folks alone. Don’t be a Martha. If you are in the kitchen, then cook with joy of the Lord.
Let’s go Saints and serve our God, “walking worthy” of our calling. Next week we will get into the ministerial gifts. Have you done a gifting inventory lately? Have you asked what do I enjoy doing regardless of whether I am paid or not? I enjoy with the greatest joy sharing the gospel with those yet to know Christ as Lord and Savior. That is my greatest passion and I could do it anytime and anywhere. What about you? What is your passion? God put it into you. Of course I don’t mean passion for surfing the waves at the beach – that is good recreation but if that is the only passion you got, then “surf for Christ” bringing other surfers to Christ.
This week at our evangelistic outreach in down town Silver Spring, I spoke to a young man who is totally confused and mixed up about who God is and why he was created. He said he is here to do his best in life. I told him that his best and my best are not good enough to please God. Only Jesus pleased and pleases God for us and we must believe in Him as our Lord and Savior to be saved from death of sin. Please pray for Brannon that God will open his eyes to see Jesus Christ. Thank you.
This Monday was the first day of school. You needed to have been there to see the excitement in my daughter Grace, who is entering Kindergarten. She was ready over the weekend and could not wait for Monday to come. That morning, she was all ready and minute by minute asking where is the school bus. “Daddy is it coming and why is it taking so much time to come?” I would say “it is only 7:15AM and the bus is expected around 8:30AM”. Unlike, Grace, Jonathan entering third grade wanted a divine extension of the summer holidays. He was shocked to hear that the summer is over and it is time for school. Both my kids are very gifted but gifted differently. They both have different measures of grace according to what God has for them. It is a great joy to see it unfold and to be part of God’s working out what He has already worked in them.
Likewise, you and I and every believer in Christ have been given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. As we continue our study of Ephesians, we see Paul saying the same to the Ephesian believers. Ephesians 4:7-16:
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”[b]
9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first[c] descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
In view of all that God has done for us, we are being asked to “walk worthy of our calling”. To this end, part of the “walk” is to love and serve one another. We cannot serve one another on empty tank. God does not call us to “walk worthy” without equipping us on why and how to serve. Back to Ephesians 2: Paul tells the Ephesians, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”. We have been saved by grace. However, that was not the end. God has continued to pour His grace on us each day so that we can do the “good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”.
Paul in Romans 12 talks about the same thing on the grace that is given to each of us. “3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness”.
So what? Why do we have the gifts and are we using and serving with our gifts? We are all gifted and graced to encourage each other unto maturity in Christ – until Christ is fully formed in us. In fact Paul says, “I labor” as in childbirth until Christ is fully formed in us. The Holy Spirit has great work of grace to do in us and thru us for one another. Who are you “in labor” for? It is painful but hang-in there.
Jesus Christ is the measure or standard to which we must attain – “grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift”. Jesus secured our life and gave gifts of grace out of His abundant resources. It was a high price He paid as hinted in our passage. “9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first[c] descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things”. This passage quoted by Apostle Paul is from Psalm 68:18 and it is referring to Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension.
Let us serve one another out reverence and gratitude to God. No Saint is more gifted than the other but rather we are gifted differently. We must pay heed to Apostle Paul so as not to get a big head in whatever capacity we are serving at home, work, church, school or anywhere. “To everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith”. Let’s think and do with consideration whatever is in our hands to do. Everyone does not have to serve the way you serve or the people you serve. Just do your thing and leave folks alone. Don’t be a Martha. If you are in the kitchen, then cook with joy of the Lord.
Let’s go Saints and serve our God, “walking worthy” of our calling. Next week we will get into the ministerial gifts. Have you done a gifting inventory lately? Have you asked what do I enjoy doing regardless of whether I am paid or not? I enjoy with the greatest joy sharing the gospel with those yet to know Christ as Lord and Savior. That is my greatest passion and I could do it anytime and anywhere. What about you? What is your passion? God put it into you. Of course I don’t mean passion for surfing the waves at the beach – that is good recreation but if that is the only passion you got, then “surf for Christ” bringing other surfers to Christ.
This week at our evangelistic outreach in down town Silver Spring, I spoke to a young man who is totally confused and mixed up about who God is and why he was created. He said he is here to do his best in life. I told him that his best and my best are not good enough to please God. Only Jesus pleased and pleases God for us and we must believe in Him as our Lord and Savior to be saved from death of sin. Please pray for Brannon that God will open his eyes to see Jesus Christ. Thank you.
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