Sharing
the Gospel
Part 4 – What we can DO for the Body of Christ
Rev
Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON TIMELINE
1.
Introduction
2.
Everyday Life
3.
What do we Share?
4.
What we can DO for the Body of Christ
INTRODUCTION
Today is Sunday. June 25th,
2023
Last week we took a break from this series for Father’s
Day.
We began this series a few weeks ago after our 10-part
series on the local church's mission. During this series, we defined what it
means to be a disciple and revealed the difference between a Luke 5 Disciple and a Matthew 28 Disciple.
Luke 5 is the beginning of a
Disciples walk with the Lord, and Matthew 28 is the graduation of the Disciple to the responsibility of the Great Commission and the making of
disciples.
Knowing where you are in your walk is vital because a Luke 5 Disciple cannot bear the responsibilities of
the Matthew 28 Disciple, and a Matthew 28 Disciple is failing the Great Commission given by Christ if he behaves
like a Luke 5 Disciple.
We also discussed what a church is compared to the Body
of Christ and the where, when, and how of sharing the Good News with others.
This new series has examined how we can serve the Lord in
our everyday life and effectively share the Gospel with others in God’s timing.
The message before the Father’s Day message last week, we
talked about What we share, like Paul, sharing the raw truth of the
difficulties and struggles as well as his troubled past, but in the light of
confession and forgiveness of Christ so that we may see the NEW creation,
rather than the old.
When we share whom we were, compared to who we are, it
brings glory and attention to the power of God and His saving conversion.
When we share the struggles we face AS Christians, as
opposed to a rose-colored glasses approach which is un-realistic and a false
narrative, we share the truth of how Christ is our rock, and when the storms
come, and they will, we will remain standing because of Him who strengthens us.
Today
we will discuss what we can do for the body of christ
SCRIPTURE READING (Legacy Standard Bible)
Matthew 25:14-30 – Jesus, speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven
“For it is just like a man about to go on a
journey, who called his own slaves [bond servant/employees] (and handed over his possessions to them. And
to one he gave five talents (over $100,000 in 2023), to another, two (over
$40,000), and to another, one (over $20,000), each according to
his own ability;
and he went on his journey.
Immediately the one who had received the five
talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.
In the same manner the one who had received
the two talents gained two more.
But he who received the one talent went away,
and dug a hole in the ground and hid his Master’s money.
Now after a long time the Master of those
slaves came and settled accounts with them.
And the one who had received the five talents
came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed five talents
over to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ His Master said to him,
‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I
will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your Master.’
Also the one who had received the two talents
came up and said, ‘Master, you handed two talents over to me. See, I have
gained two more talents.’ “His Master said to him, ‘Well done, good and
faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge
of many things; enter into the joy of your Master.’
And the one also who had received the one
talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where
you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ‘And I was afraid,
and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
But his Master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I
scattered no seed. ‘Therefore, you ought to have put my money in the bank, and
on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. ‘Therefore
take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
“For to
everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from
the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
And throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.
TODAY’S MESSAGE
I.
WE ARE ALL SPECIAL AND UNIQUE
a.
The Body of Christ is the sum of its parts
i.
Notice
the Lord says the Master called various servants, not just one
ii.
1 Corinthians 12:12 “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the
members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.”
b.
Every part is unique and serves a specific purpose
i.
Each
servant was given a different amount according to their ability
ii.
1 Corinthians 12:14-15 “For also the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says,
“Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this
reason any the less a part of the body.”
c.
Though the Body may operate without you, it needs you
i.
What
each servant did, or did not do, did not affect the other servants. However, it
did affect the Master and His investment.
ii.
1 Thessalonians 4:10-11 “for indeed you do practice it toward all the brothers who are in all
Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel still more, and to make it your
ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we
commanded you,”
1.
Stay
in your own lane
2.
Mind
your business
3.
Don’t
worry about what the other servants are or are not doing
II.
WE ALL HAVE A PURPOSE AND A CALLING
a.
You must discover your spiritual gifts
i.
What
talents has the Lord given you through the Holy Spirit?
1.
Read
the scriptures about some of the Spiritual Gifts.
2.
Pray
about what it is the Lord has given you.
3.
Take
a Spiritual Gift workshop
a.
I
have these available
b.
You must seek your purpose
i.
Our
collective purpose is to share the Good News
ii.
Colossians 1:28-29 “for indeed you do practice it toward all the brothers who are in all
Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel still more, and to make it your
ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with
your hands, just as we commanded you,”
iii.
1 John 1:5 “And
this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is
Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”
iv.
Mark 16:15-16 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all
creation. “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who
has disbelieved shall be condemned.”
v.
Matthew 24:11-14 “Many false prophets will arise and will deceive many. “And because
lawlessness is multiplied, most people’s love will grow cold. “But the one who
endures to the end, he will be saved. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
proclaimed in the whole world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end
will come.”
vi.
Scripture
clarifies that our purpose is to fulfill His purpose: to share the Good News
with everyone!
c.
You must find your calling
i.
Our
calling is how we are to achieve the purpose
ii.
Your
calling could be;
1.
Administration
- The ability to help steer the church, or a ministry, toward the successful
completion of God-given goals, with skills in planning, organization, and
supervision.
2.
Evangelist
- The ability to successfully communicate the message of the gospel, especially
to nonbelievers.
3.
Missionary
– Sharing the gospel in impoverished countries.
4.
Giving
- Those who have this gift are particularly willing and able to share what
resources they have with pleasure and without the need to see them returned.
5.
Healing
– Through prayer and the laying on of hands for the sick
6.
Helps
- Someone with this gift is able to support or assist members of the body of
Christ so that they may be free to minister to others.
7.
Hospitality
- A natural ability to make people—even strangers—feel welcome in one’s own
home or church as a means to disciple or serve them.
8.
Leadership
- This aptitude marks a person who is able to stand before a church, to direct
the body with care and attention, and to motivate them toward achieving the
church’s goals.
9.
Teaching
- The skill to teach from the Bible and communicate it effectively for the
understanding and spiritual growth of others.
10.
Preaching
– Some are given the gift of discerning deep truths of God’s Word and serving
as an Elder/Pastor leading a church as a Preacher.
iii.
Whatever
our gifts, if we are His, we have them.
III.
WE MUST NOT BURY OUR TALENTS IN THE GROUND
a.
God did not give you abilities so that you would waste them
i.
When
it is all said and done, we want to hear, “Well done!”
ii.
Rest
assured, as the scripture says, “Now after a long time the master of those
slaves came and settled accounts with them.”
iii.
The
Lord is returning, and He will settle accounts with each of us!
iv.
Hebrews 9:27
“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes
judgment,”
b.
Jesus is only your Master IF you are His servant
i.
The
servant who did NOT serve his Master by getting a
profit from His Master’s investment was called;
1.
Wicked
- pon-ay-ros' evil, wicked and bad in an ethical sense
a.
A
servant who does not serve
2.
Lazy
- ok-nay-ros' sluggish (slothful), backward
a.
Doing
the opposite of what was expected
3. Knowledgeable
about the Master’s expectations
a.
He
was not ignorant of what was expected of him.
4.
Understood
the Master was “hard”
a.
He
knew there would be punishment for failure to comply.
ii.
And
yet, he did nothing to get His Master a profit, not even the most basic of
investments.
1.
Because,
like Cain, and others in scripture, they believe they can do things their way
and still be accepted by God.
2.
This
is false
3.
There
is God’s way, or not-God’s Way
4.
Genesis 4:6-7
“Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance
fallen? “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do
not do well, sin is lying at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must
rule over it.”
5.
If
you want to be accepted by the Lord, do what He asks.
c.
Our Master expects a return on His investment
i.
What
is the allegory here?
ii.
Talents are the Holy Spirit
1.
1 Corinthians 12:7 “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is
profitable.”
iii.
The amount given is which gifts and how many
1.
1 Corinthians 12:11 “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to
each one individually just as He wills.”
iv.
The
“investment” is the deposit of this Holy Spirit
1.
Ephesians 1:13b-14 “…the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance
[down payment /
investment], unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of
His glory.“
v.
The return on the Master’s investment is YOU fulfilling His purpose through your calling…sewing the seed of
the Good News
1.
Our “COMPENSATION”
for the return on our Master’s investment in us (the Holy Spirit) is awaiting
us in heaven!
2.
Matthew 6:20
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also.”
Do not
go through life believing the Master is not Watching…He is
CONCLUSION
Why is more given to the
one who has? Because they were using it and getting a return!
Why is what little the
one had taken away? Because he wasted it.
Do not go through life
believing you have no gifts. If you are saved, you do.
Do not go through life
believing the Master is not returning; He is.
Do not go through life thinking
the Master does not expect a return on His investment.
He assuredly does.
Next
week: What is MY Purpose?
NEXT WEEK
Part 5 – What is my Purpose?
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