The Gifts

Well, I don't need to remind you that we live in a world of great unrest, a world of strife, even of hostility. But we've been learning over these weeks from the book of Ephesians that the church of Jesus Christ, and we've been saying about this, the church of Jesus Christ is a place of love. It's a place of unity. And all of this is accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ, who is, as we learned in Ephesians chapter 2, is the great reconciler.

He is the peacemaker. That through the blood of His cross, God has done a remarkable thing, a thing that only God can do, that we who are sinful can be reconciled with God. That God takes the initiative, that we do not work to God, but rather God has come to us in Jesus Christ and through His redemptive work has provided a way by which we who are sinful can be made right through our Lord Jesus Christ. But not only that, not only Paul, as he teaches us in Ephesians, is saying, not only has God reconciled us through Christ to Himself, He's reconciled us to one another and gives us this wonderful community to which we have been singing, the church of Jesus Christ. I hear more and more that people are looking for community. When people come to Calvary Church I sometimes ask them, why do you come here?

And I get all kinds of answers, but one of the more common one is this, particularly from a younger age group is that we're looking for community. Recently, just a few days ago, I read an article and it was entitled, Can Gen Z Make Friends in the Pandemic Era? Gen Z, they're called Zoomers. It's difficult keeping up with these terms, Boomers and Millennials and Gen Zs.

But Gen Z, apparently, are teens to early twenties. Isn't it remarkable that at that age they're wondering how they can make friends? They have social media, they have experienced distant learning through the pandemic. If they're at work, many of them are working at home, and what they're saying according to this article is that more and more they have difficulty in making authentic friendships. One Gen Z has made an online friend-finding hub called No More Lonely Friends. This young woman, who is lonely herself, has set up this way on social media so that people can begin to make friends. People want community. Can I speak directly to our children, to our groups, to Gen Zs, in fact to any of you who have difficulty connecting and making friends?

This is a common human dilemma. Few of us have never been lonely. Few of us here have never felt that we don't quite fit in. But God in His wisdom, I want you to listen to this. God in His wisdom has given us a new society. God has given us a new community. That is the church of Jesus Christ. And when God reaches down and saves an individual, God's purpose in saving that individual is not to leave that individual isolated in a society where more and more few people know even their neighbors.

But God does a remarkable thing. He reconciles us, and that Jesus Christ has created this new society, and we have been learning that all human barriers are transcended in the church. And it is in the church of Jesus Christ where we find this beautiful community.

I'm not saying perfection. No church. Certainly any church where I've served has been perfect. But the church is a unique organism. Jesus Christ says, I will build my church. And the church of Jesus Christ is comprised of all ages, background, cultures, and personalities. And I want to say to you, whoever you are, you may have come here for the very first time, or you may have been coming here over these last ones, and you're finding it difficult to fit in.

Let me say to you, you're welcome at Calvary Church. We, I speak on behalf of the leadership, I speak on behalf of the congregation, we want to get to know you. Immediately after the service, there's a newcomer's reception in the café where my wife and I will be there to greet you. Right after the service, we have live groups, smaller groups, some of them began this morning at 8.30, others will begin after the service. Small groups, ideally about 40 to 60 people meeting where you can get to know people, where you can fit in. We have them for all ages, all kinds of situations. On Wednesday, we begin a new batch of electives. I'll be teaching the new members class. We have opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in serving.

So, take advantage of these opportunities. This is God's church. It is unique. It's not a social club.

It's not a country club. It's not something just for certain people. It's for those who know Christ, who are part of the great invisible church that we, the local church at Calvary Church, want to say. Whoever you are, you are welcome.

All of us. I hear people say, well, I've difficulty in fitting in. Who has never felt that? Perhaps at work. Perhaps in a group. Perhaps you go to a live group and you say, I find it difficult to connect.

This is not unique to you, but persevere. And the writers of the New Testament use different metaphors, word pictures, to help us understand this important concept of community. Think of the description that the New Testament writers use of the church. We're going to see this morning from Ephesians 4 that the church is described – think of this – as the body of Christ, or a description.

He is the head. We are the body of Christ. We are members of that body. The church is also described as the flock of God. We are described as sheep.

You say that's not very flattering. But listen, we are sheep of the same flock. There's only one flock.

We sang, the church is one. But Jesus Christ is our Chief Shepherd. How wonderful to know that He watches over us, that He guides us, that He tends us, that He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

But we're all sheep of the same flock, but we have the same Chief Shepherd. The church is also described as the building of God, as the temple of God, as the household of God. And the Lord Jesus Christ in this house is the chief cornerstone. And we, believers in Christ, are described as stones being built up in the same building to the glory of God. And all of these metaphors emphasize the leadership of Christ. This church is not my church or your church. It belongs to Jesus Christ. We must take that seriously.

He's the head of the church. And the metaphors also emphasize our interdependence. We're members of the same body. We're sheep of the same flock. We're stones of the same building. All of us are equal.

We come with all of our differences. And we come, and in this wonderful, miraculous work of our Savior, He brings us into His church. So in the church of Jesus Christ, there is young and old, male and female, married and single, all coming together in a beautiful and meaningful harmony.

And I trust that you feel accepted, that you feel loved and cared for. Every believer in Jesus Christ needs to be identified with and committed to a local assembly of believers. That's what God wants. You can't say, I love Jesus, but I don't like the church. You ever frustrated by the church? I do, and I'm a pastor. You say, well, I've got reasons for not liking the church.

So do I. I've got more reasons than you have. You say, someone offended me at the church. Someone offended me. But it's the church. Just as a married man doesn't abandon his family when he has a dispute with his wife or when he has difficult children.

No, he's here. He has a commitment. He made a vow before God to be true to his family. So we must be committed to the local church. And the passage this morning, I invite you to open your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 4. We're going to look at verses 7 through 16 as we continue our study of the book of Ephesians.

This will help us to function in this new community, the church of Jesus Christ. First of all, we'll read verses 7 through 10, where we will see that in the church there is diversity of spiritual gifts. Ephesians 4 verse 7, but grace was given to each one of us for six verses, which Sabu dealt with last Sunday evening, deal with the unity.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, when he ascended on high, he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men. In saying he ascended, what does it mean that he also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who ascended is the one who also ascended far above all of the heavens that he might fill all things. In the church of Jesus Christ, there is diversity of spiritual gifts, and every single believer in Jesus Christ has received a spiritual gift. Verse 7, grace is given to each one of us.

Now Paul is presenting some profound truth here, a truth that we sometimes neglect. After the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is a great event called the Ascension. Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended. Yes, he descended from heaven to earth.

He is Emmanuel, God with us, but now he is raised from the dead and he ascends to his Father and his God, seated at the right hand, the perfect work of salvation completed. And now, as the ascended Christ, he gives gifts to the church. The Roman times, the Roman emperor would go to war and he'd be victorious and they would come back to Rome.

If you've studied Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, which I did do at school, you'll remember what happened when Caesar came back to Rome. And he brings the spoils of victory and he gives gifts. When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, every boy, every girl in the United Kingdom received a gift. I don't know if Charles is going to do that when he's crowned in May.

It'll be interesting. But the point is this, that the monarch is crowned and they give gifts to their subjects. Our magnificent Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished the work of reconciliation and he ascends to the Father and he now, as part of the celebration of ascension, he gives gifts to every believer, to each one, this gift. Verse 7, grace, it's the Greek word charis. It's a gift, it's a grace gift. He's given, he's given a grace gift to you and me.

Just wonderful to know. But not only he gives us the church, not only we come together, but in his grace he gives us a gift, a spiritual gift, which is a supernatural ability for Christian service and is given to every believer. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 4, verse 10, writes, as each one has received a gift. You're a believer in Jesus Christ, you're an authentic follower of Christ, you have received a gift. He's sovereignly given us a gift and that gift is to be used.

It's not buried. You give someone a gift, you don't want them just to put it aside. The gift is to be unwrapped, is to be used. And I wonder if everyone is using their gift. You say, well John, I'm not sure what my spiritual gift is.

I understand that. Where do you begin? You begin by prayer. You begin by serving the Lord where there's a need. You come to Calvary Church and you find out we need some coach as a champ.

You find out we need some more ushers. We need people in the kitchen, whatever it is, there is a need. We need people to serve in the nursery. We need people for children's ministry or special needs ministry and you think, well I'm not sure if I'm gifted there. Don't just sit in the pew, get involved and begin humbly to serve. And as you serve, try and obtain feedback from others and prayerfully discern, is the Lord using me in this position?

If I'm a greeter at one of the doors, is it the case that after three Sundays no one is coming in that door and everyone is avoiding me? Maybe I need to join the choir. But if you join the choir, I think you still check the voice, Tim, don't you? Yeah, I think I failed my test.

But the point is, obtain feedback from others. Is the Lord blessing you? Do you see the Lord at work in you? And there is variety and diversity in these spiritual gifts. Look at verse 11. He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers. Now in the early church, the gift of apostle and the gift of prophet were vital in laying the foundation of the church.

Look back to Ephesians 2, verse 20. There Paul writes, talking about the church, it's built on what? What's the doctrinal basis of the church? It's built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone. He's building the church. In the New Testament, there were apostles.

They were sent out. There were prophets before we had the full canon of Scripture who could give the fresh revelation coming from God. And these were foundational gifts for the establishment and the authentication of the early church. Now, contrary to what we hear more and more, there are no apostles. We have here in North Carolina a woman who claims to be an apostle. She's made an edict that if you're a Christian, you can't go to baseball games.

What is this? And with all these people who are prophets and claiming to hear from God. You know what the sign of the apostle was? 2 Corinthians 12, just back a few pages in your Bible.

2 Corinthians 12, verse 12. Paul tells us, 2 Corinthians 12, 12, the signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty words. The apostles were men who had seen the risen Christ, and they could perform miracles. They could raise the dead. They could give sight to the blind. And as people saw that, it was authenticating the message of the gospel. There were signs and wonders. Now, if today the person who claims to be an apostle can raise the dead, you get my attention.

If you can get someone age 40 who has been blind from birth and you can give them sight, you've got my vote. That's not what happens, is it? Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters, by these apostles. There's no apostles today.

An apostle was, in the technical sense, was someone who had seen the Lord. You say, what about prophets? Well, we get many people claiming to have words from God.

God told me this. Sometimes I get emails from people saying that God told them to tell me such and such. And I always disregard it. I do read the email.

I disregard it. Fresh revelation. If it is truly a word from God, God can't lie, can He? God's Word is absolute truth. That's why in the Old Testament, if the prophecy the prophet made didn't come true, he was stoned.

But this idea, well, America's going to go through a difficult time or such and such, I mean, anyone can come up with that kind of thing. The canon of Scripture is closed. There is warnings in the Old Testament and the New Testament not to add or to take away from the Word of God. Martin Luther says, I have asked God to send me neither dreams nor visions nor angels, but to give me the right understanding of His Word, the Holy Scriptures.

That's it. God has given us His Word, His final Word. This is where we look to God's truth, not to someone coming and writing a book or presenting a video and saying God told me this.

No. The foundation of the church is laid. But today, as we look back on Ephesians 2 verse 11, there are today evangelists. Was an evangelist someone who is the gift of evangelism, who is able in a very persuasive way, whether it's individually or in front of a large crowd, to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some of you here at Calvary know of the gift of evangelism. And then there's the shepherds, the pastors, and teachers. But the point is that in the church of Jesus Christ, there is tremendous diversity of gifts. So Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12 verse 4, he says there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit. There are varieties of service but the same Lord. There are varieties of activities but it's the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Notice that. And then verse 11, all these are empowered by one and the same Spirit who apportions to each one individually as he wills. So here's the church of Jesus Christ founded by Christ. The ascended Christ gives gifts to the church. Within that body, such as Calvary Church, there's tremendous varieties of gifts. And as we use our gift, there's not a loss of our individual identity but rather the complementing of distinct personalities and gifts and talents. That's why we must appreciate the body. We must appreciate one another.

We're dependent upon one another in this diversity of gifts. What do you have in a cult? In a cult, it's like clones. Everyone has to think the same way. Everyone has to dress the same way. Everyone has to buy into the teaching, as it were. The church of Jesus Christ is not a cult.

We don't produce clones. We respect the integrity and the individuality and the image of God in each individual. And that individual is a unique individual with a unique personality and background and so on with God-given talents and gifts.

But we use them to serve God. Whatever your gift is, it's to be used in serving God. So first, in the church, there's diversity of spiritual gifts. Secondly, in the church, there is unity of the spiritual gifts. There is diversity, that's true, different gifts to different people. But as we use them, according to Scripture, in the power of the Spirit, there is unity.

Please grasp this. These gifts are usually called spiritual gifts, and they are, but they are also grace gifts. Verse 7, but grace, charis, was given. Peter in 1 Peter 4 verse 10, when he says to each one, is given a gift, he uses the Greek word charisma from which we get charismatic. These gifts are the evidence of the grace of God. And so as we use them, we are to use them in a loving, gracious, and unifying way.

And in that way, the body, such as Calvary Church, displays the beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ. Two or three years ago, I found myself in a jewelry shop. I don't normally go to jewelry shops.

I was brought up in Scotland. The real man didn't wear jewelry. I mean, we did wear kilts, but that's another story. But real men, you know, some men have bangles and stuff around their ankles and necks and so on, but not us.

We're tough people. So, the only jewelry I ever wear is the ring, which shows you that I'm married, and a watch, which tells me the time when I'm preaching. Not that I look at it very much. Some have suggested an alarm clock, but that's a bit heavy for me. But anyhow, to go back to my story, I'm in this jewelry shop, and I was there to get a new battery for my watch.

The battery had gone. And as I'm there, I saw this beautiful necklace. I'm not good at buying gifts for my wife as she knows. It's not because I'm Scottish. It's just that that is not my gift in buying gifts.

That's my excuse. But anyhow, I saw this necklace and I thought, you know, I think that would look good on my wife for her birthday, which was coming up in a couple of months. And so, I did something I really did. I bought this beautiful necklace. Now you say, John, why would you buy this? I can hear some man saying, well, I don't buy jewelry for my wife. She's beautiful without it. Well, I don't know. I don't know your wife. That may be true or may not be true. But I think my wife is beautiful.

But the jewelry, the gift is given to her, one is an evidence of my love for her, but secondly, it enhances her beauty. Here is the church of Jesus Christ. We are saved by God's grace, coming from different cultures and perspectives, a very diverse group. Let's face it, at Calvary, we've got some real oddballs here, including myself. So, we're very different. God calls us all together.

Think of this. Today, someone walked through these doors and is sitting in a pew here for the very first time. This is the first time you've been at Calvary. Wouldn't it be wonderful? But if someone is greeted at the door, if someone is shown a seat, if someone interacts with us, if someone listens to the music, if someone hears the preaching of the Word, whether they're a believer or an unbeliever, they say, God is here. That the grace and love and beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ is shown to others. Wouldn't it be wonderful that God gives us these gifts so that we would serve one another, but they would all be used for the glory of God? Because these gifts are grace gifts. They're an evidence of the love that Christ loved us so much that we're saved by grace, but also the grace of God doesn't end at salvation. No, it's grace upon grace. And one of the evidences that God loves us is that He's given you a gift to use it. And as we receive these gifts, think of this, we express our love to one another by using these gifts, by serving one another. Yesterday morning, I met some of the men who are meeting with hearts and hammers. Praise God for them.

I'm in history. Here are men who I hope can use a hammer. They have a certain gift, a certain expertise, but they also have a gift of encouragement, a gift of serving. So they can go to a widow's home.

So they can go to the home of a single parent. They can go to a home of someone who is in deep need and show the love of Christ and the grace of Christ to that individual as they use their gift in serving others. So the person who receives it realizes that it's coming from God Himself through His people, that this is the church in action. If you use your gift without love and grace, it produces division.

It produces destruction rather than building up. If you use your gift without grace, it's putting the spotlight on you rather than on Christ. And this is why in the New Testament, the church is to be full of one another's, that we are to pray for one another, we are to encourage one another, we are to help one another, we are to bear one another's burdens, and that when we're down and when we think we can hardly move to the next day, there's a brother or sister there who's at our side who's encouraging us, who's singing to us, is testifying to us, and building us up so that we in turn can build others up and so glorify God. You see, Paul, as he moves from the first three chapters into the last three chapters, is now moving more from the doctrinal to the practical. He's presented this brilliant theology as it were in the first three chapters, but then he begins chapter 4 by urging us to walk in a manner of the calling to which you've been called. You've been… you've got this wonderful salvation that through the grace of God, you know whether you die of a heart attack or in an earthquake, you're going to be immediately with the Lord. What a wonderful privilege, what a wonderful way to live without fear, trusting in God.

Now, God has done all of that. I want you to live in a way that's worthy of the gospel. You're changed.

You're different. How can you go on living as you did prior to knowing Christ and to help you? Christ gives you a gift, and He gives you a new community, not a perfect community, but He gives us a new community where we can serve together and use our gifts in a unifying and edifying way. Notice verse 12. How are we to use these gifts?

To equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ. Yes, your gift is not to be used for your own ego. Look how good I am. It's not to be used to entertain people.

Look at me. No. Our gifts are to be used to serve others, to equip others, to encourage others, to build up others. So Peter says in 1 Peter 4 verse 11, dealing with gifts, he said, whoever speaks, let them speak as it were the utterances of God. Whoever serves, let them do so as by the strength which God supplies so that in all things, here it is, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen. Who is to receive the glory? You, Calvary Church, no.

It's God. It's our great Lord Jesus Christ that as we use these gifts to help others, that they're built up, that they're equipped, that we're glorifying God. Paul has said, 1 Corinthians 12 verse 7, to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Do you get it? We're serving one another. It's for the common good. And Paul later says in 1 Corinthians 14, let all things be done unto edification.

That's the principle, edifying each other. And so the gifts I have are to be used to equip others for ministry, to build them up. You're building up others. You're helping others.

You're living in this little cocoon, isolated, maybe feeling a little sorry for yourself. What's the answer? Serve. Use your gifts. And notice, the New Testament does not teach that all of the work of the church is to be done by one person. Don't look to me to do everything at Calvary Church. Don't look to our pastoral staff. Don't look to our elders and deacons as a word to do everything. No, we're all involved in this verse 12, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. You are a minister.

You say, no I'm not. I'm a volunteer. No, you're not a volunteer. In the church, in one sense, I understand there's volunteers.

But in a theological sense, it's not a matter of volunteering. You're a servant. You're a minister. God uses you to serve you. You say, well I'm not a minister. I don't get paid.

I'm going to tell you something wonderful. You are going to get paid. And when you get paid, it's much, much more than you deserve. Because there's a coming a day when all of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for what we've done, whether good or bad. And we know that there are rewards and there are crowns. Do you think God is any man's debtor? And that everything you do, that that cup of cold water, as it were, given to that person who's need is taken account by your heavenly Father? When the widow gave her two mites, the Lord Jesus Christ was looking on and said, listen, this woman is given more than everyone else. God is watching. God is taking account. Do you think God isn't going to bless you? You say, well I spend a lot of time at Calvary Church in ministry. I don't get paid for it.

No? Do you think God is not going to bless you? God's got the ability if He wants to make you a billionaire or to reduce you to poverty. Our trust is in God. We're to live by faith. We're to serve God.

We're to use the gifts that God has given us. So we've learned first in the church there's diversity of spiritual gifts. Secondly, in the church there is unity in the use of these gifts. Third, here's the result, in the church diversity of spiritual gifts used in unity results in maturity. Diversity of spiritual gifts used in unity results in maturity. Spiritual growth takes place not in isolation, but in unity. That means we're to appreciate and value others, their gifts, their personalities, the way they look at things.

Paul has addressed this in the opening verses of Ephesians 4, to be humble, to be patient, to be gentle with one another. You see, it's not all about you. One of the marks of immaturity is that we're just concerned about ourselves. You're a parent, you love it when little Johnny or little Susie one day actually is concerned about someone else. Babies are very self-centered, and it's all about me. No, a sign of maturity is that we begin to realize that our actions impact other people, and that we're to think of others, and that we are in fact to prefer others beyond ourselves. We're not just to look on our own interests, but the interests of others. It's called maturity in life, but in the church. It's not all about you.

It's not all about me. That's why sometimes people leave the church, they don't get what they want. They want to serve in a certain way. For some reason that doesn't happen. They feel they're not appreciated. Someone has offended them, and they leave.

Don't do that. It's a sign of immaturity. We need each other for spiritual balance and consistent growth. That can be difficult sometimes.

That can be even painful sometimes. But it's a recognition that none of us have all of the gifts, and our diverse spiritual gifts are to be used in unity for the equipping and the perfecting of our fellow believers to help them do the work of ministry. So if you've got a gift of evangelism, you can help others with evangelism. I preached in the open air. How did I learn? I didn't go through a course, how to preach in the open air.

I'm not saying that there can't be such a course. No. I observed others. And so at one point someone said, John, can you have a word? You ever preached in the open air? That's a frightening experience, isn't it? You get heckled.

The dog can bark at you, and it may be the only person listening. It's hard. But I learned. I learned from watching others. You say, I feel I've got a gift of encouragement, but I'm not quite sure how to do it. Listen, at Calvary we've got many people who encourage.

Do you know this? Some of my greatest encouragers here are our children. When they write the notes on the worship brochure, when they send a little note, speak to someone who's got that gift. Learn from them. Be humble. You say, I'd love to serve in children's ministry, but I feel really inadequate. Well, I'm glad you feel inadequate. But we can teach you. We can help you.

We can put you with a teacher who's taught for many years. And if you're humble, you can learn and realize the beauty of serving in the body of Christ. Because when Paul is writing here, he's not writing so much to individual believers, he's writing to the church at Ephesus.

You see, we are so individualistic. Listen to what he says, verse 13, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, no longer immature, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes, rather speaking the truth in love. We are to grow up in every way into Him who is the Head, even Christ, from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

When we use our gifts in a spiritual way, as Paul has demonstrated from the beginning of chapter 4, with humility, with patience, with unity, respecting others, when we do that, something supernatural happens. The church matures to the fullness of Christ, and the growth of the body takes place then when all of the members use their gifts in mutual edification. This is the body of Christ.

He's the Head. The Holy Spirit indwells us. Think of it, verse 13, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.

This is growing deep. This is the kind of church we want to be, doesn't it? A church that is growing and attaining to the unity of the faith, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Here's the point then, as we use our gifts, as Paul is setting out, that Christ is being displayed through us. Isn't it wonderful to see something of Jesus in a brother or sister? Someone serves you.

Someone uses their gift. Someone stands up here and sings, and we're sitting there, and we're a little out of sorts, and something marvelous happens, doesn't it? The Holy Spirit speaks to us, and we listen to the words, and we realize that God, the Holy Spirit, is speaking to us. When the Word of God is preached, we realize that God is speaking to me, is speaking to you, and we're becoming as a congregation, as a community, more and more like Jesus Christ. And in that church, verse 14, there will be doctrinal stability and purity, rather than being tossed to and fro by the winds and carried away by every wind of doctrine. That's what I'm talking about, these false prophets and apostles, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes of all these schemes to make money for themselves.

No, we're not to be like that. Many churches don't preach doctrine. Instead of being called to repentance and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, they're offered inspirational platitudes to make them feel good about themselves.

Life is not all about your feelings. It is about Christ. I read the other day someone saying, we want God to hold our hand.

I do, don't you? To be held by Christ. We want God to hold our hand, but not to tell us how to live.

And I thought, well, that sums up a lot of contemporary Christianity, doesn't it? We want God. We want God to help us, particularly in emergencies. I want to know God is there, but don't tell me what to do. Don't give me any teaching that's tough.

Make me feel good about myself. We want God to hold our hand, but not to tell us how to live. But the shepherds, the pastors and teachers in the church have a particular responsibility to give wholesome and sound teaching from this book. Not to give their ideas.

Someone's given their own ideas, wherever they come from in your life group, tell them you're not in the life group to hear their ideas. We want to hear God speaking to us, and leaders in the church are also able to refute false doctrine so that the church is stable. It's not blown around by every wind or the latest church gimmick or by the philosophy that in church everything is to be fun, everything is to be entertaining. That produces childishness. That produces immaturity, and Paul is saying, look, this is the way for maturity in the church.

And it will be a wonderful display of the grace of God. Here then is the beauty, the sheer delight of the community of Jesus Christ. When you and I use our gifts, our diverse gifts in unity and love, the result is a mature and Christ-like community.

That's encouraging, isn't it? Listen, you're feeling lonely and you're feeling disconnected. I want to say that God has a plan for you, that God seeks to use you. He's given you gifts. He's given you experiences of life.

You're a unique individual. He's your Creator. He's your Redeemer. He's your friend.

He's holding your hand. Will you listen to Him? Will you humbly say, Lord, what you have me to do? And those talents, those abilities, those gifts that God has given you, all surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ that you will have the wonderful experience of serving the Lord.

Whether it's behind the scenes or whether it's openly. It can happen in a million different ways that God is using you. The gift that God has given you. This is why the writer of Hebrews tells us, don't forsake the assembling of yourself together. No, come together to stir up people to love and good works. This is why it's so important that you're here in person. We praise God for Livestream, for those who are watching far away from Charlotte, for those who are ill, for those who are elderly, for those who can't come.

We praise God for Livestream, but Livestream, if you're able to come here, is to be no substitute. We need one another so that you are serving and participating and interacting in this wonderful community that Christ has given us, the church of Jesus Christ. And the writer of Hebrews says we do that all the more as we wait that day, that glorious day when our Savior will come for the bride, and we shall be forever with Him.

What am I saying today? Diversity of spiritual gifts used in unity results in maturity. So use your gift for the glory of God. It begins, doesn't it, by surrendering ourselves to Christ.

Everything that we have. Father, we thank You for this word. We thank You for the church. We're sometimes more critical of the church than thankful. We confess our sin, Father.

We confess our sometimes critical attitude at others. Help us to appreciate one another, to love one another, to encourage one another, to admonish one another. And for those here without Christ, I pray for them, Father. I pray that they will repent, that they'll believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. And for those who are lonely, for those who feel disconnected, Father, I thank You that they're here. Guide them so they can make good Christian friends, be part of a community where they're loved and cared for, and where they can serve You here and in our society. We ask this in our Savior's name. Amen.