Leadership through 'given lives' - 1 Cor 9:15 - 23

Paul was free in Christ. Yet he strategically gave up his freedom in order to enter the world of different types of people in the hope of bringing them the gospel. He accepted limitations and embraced inconvenience for this purpose.

So who is God calling you to bring good news to?

How can we do that in the mix of all the other stuff in our lives. Our family, our work etc. pose legitimate calls on us. Can we be 'given over' to God's call without trashing these other life departments?

Christians have offered answers, for example suggesting a pecking order of God - spouse - children - and then church stuff. There is good reason for this: sadly there have been casualties in churches from time to time. Yet is that simple? If we put God as number one, then doesn't that compel us to serve ... and won't we do that with our faith community (i.e. do 'church stuff')?

Perhaps better to consider balancing a ball on a tray. The tray has various things on it that call for our attention, yet tip only in one direction and the others are neglected. Plus things change - family members get sick, redundancy at work comes along ... many things that change the landscape, requiring a re-balancing. Life is one long balancing act!

A couple of tips.

1. Let your relationship with God permeate all departments, don't compartment off different aspects of life. Let your children see your faith in action ... even in the struggles of life.
2. Work out your calling - what is your life (your 'tray') supposed to be about? Maybe there is stuff that shouldn't even be on your tray, or you can sit light with. If you honestly and prayerfully balance with your calling in mind, you can trust into God's hands the important factors in life (e.g. your children's longterm wellbeing). In other words, honour God and He will honour you.

An application of these tips is to bring your children to serve with you. Not always easy, and sometimes the source of conflict to be prayed and worked through.

Paul dialogues with the Corinthians about how they relate and view leaders. Paul makes it clear that it is not about rights but about 'given lives' - lives given to God's call and the ministry work. A church can only function with such lives operating at all levels (from the routine tasks up to strategic leadership). In Seeking to Worship, Seeking to Serve we will try to ensure what we do makes sense in terms of our mission purpose, simplifying where possible, re-arranging and re-distributing where that helps. Yet the bottom line is that each ministry area of the church can only happen if there are given lives.

We have different roles to play, but as per 1 Cor 3 it is God who brings the spiritual change, doing it through our efforts. Its not all about who has the most 'up front' personality, but who can God use through their character, gifting, and giving themselves to God's call. Hence the key question and challenge this week:

Key Qn: [OUT] Who is God calling you to bring good news to?
Challenge: Adjust your life balance to reflect this

How are you challenged, what do you need to adjust, to balance the tray that represents your life?

[OUT] Who is God calling you to bring good news to?

Challenge: Adjust your life balance to reflect this

Spiritual Gifts II - 1 Cor 12:27 - 31 and 14:1 - 5

Acts 19 gives a story of some earnestly seeking believers who somehow seem to be missing something. They had John's baptism but not the overwhelming experience of receiving Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Receiving prayer they start speaking in tongues and speaking the words of God.

How many Christians live an earnest life yet seem to be missing something?

Any tradesman who comes to do a job will turn up with their toolbox - proper tools for the job. Recall from last week that to each one is given the Spirit for the common good. Some are given the ability to supernaturally know, others to speak God-directed words, others incredible Spirit-given faith, others see God work miraculously. These are like tools in the toolbox - why go out and try to serve with an empty toolbox?

I suspect the reason we often don't receive is that we are British - we like to be in full control. To receive and operate in the spiritual gifts means letting the Spirit work through us, i.e. surrender, allowing, risk and letting God be God. Yet the Spirit longs to empower us, each differently as He determines. Hence the key question and challenge:

Key Qn: [IN] What is God placing in you to play your part?
Key Challenge: Eagerly desire the spiritual gifts, especially prophecy → have someone pray with you

We hope to take God given life across the city, where people are broken and hurting. For this we need the Spirit to be empowering us with tools for the task.

A sensible suggestion for starters is to seek God regarding the gift of tongues - it can be viewed as an entry level gift, just as it signified the Spirit's first outpouring in Acts 2, initiating the Gentile church in Acts 10, and the Acts 19 story. It gives Christians a tangible experience of the supernatural. It is also uniquely a gift that individuals can use at their will.

The most common objection I hear is that people don't see the point. Yet that is because they are British - they want to be in control.The real point is to let the Spirit be in control, and pray through us. When I'm in a tight-spot I need God-prayers, not my own inadequate words!

Beyond tongues Paul clearly stresses prophesy, because it goes beyond the individual to benefiting the whole group by revealing the mind of God. For believers and even un-believers it can become very apparent that God is among you when the Spirit enables people to speak God's thoughts into the situation!

Whether you experience the Spirit in a whacky experience, an over-whelming sensation, or just a gentle breeze doesn't matter. Paul repeatedly says 'eagerly desire' ... so go on, take the challenge, step up and be open to receive.

[IN] What is God placing in you to play your part?

Key Challenge: Eagerly desire the spiritual gifts, especially prophecy → have someone pray with you

Spiritual Gifts I - 1 Cor 12:4 - 14

New life in Christ for every Christian is a Spirit-animated life. It is no longer just a biochemical reaction, no longer just to consume. It is filled with God given purpose, and God given enabling and ability to strive towards that purpose.

The important words are often the little words. In Paul's letter it is quite clear that each one has a part to play. The Spirit gifting is not just for a select few or for some keenies, but for every believer. The parts will of course be different, and operate to varying degrees, but all have a role nonetheless.

The other important phrase in this passage is for the common good. The Spirit enables for God's purposes that build up everyone and reach out. As a church we want to take this God given life out across the city - God will do this by His Spirit working in each and every one of us.

You may feel God cannot possibly work through them, perhaps looking at how you have messed up so much in the past. Yet it is not about you, nor your mess. God has already come down in Jesus Christ to put that right, allowing the people of the day to consume and discard him, but in so doing setting down life as we know it. God raised this Jesus to new life: a Spirit-animated life which we can all now participate in.

Our past mistakes, the brokenness and fractures that result from them are all taken on that same cross. If we are prepared to let him, that old way of life can be washed away, drowned, lost for good. It is replaced by new life, with the Spirit working in us, giving us a whole new perspective, a purpose. Not just for us to feel better about ourselves, but to help restore a hurting world.

Love - 1 Cor 13

The way of Christ is the way of love, and is the 'most excellent way'. It lays down human strength and power. It waits for God to raise up.

Human strength will bash its way through, drawing attention to itself, boasting and being proud. It will pick on weaknesses, re-surfacing past incidents in the other and capitalising on opportunity to do the other down. It will quickly and easily flare up, horns ready to be locked in combat.

Even apparently helping and serving others can carry these traits of human strength, undermining the very thing being offered. With such traits operating underneath the way of love is not seen.

Yet with all our pretence laid down, with kindness patiently holding out for the best in others, looking for truth, hoping and persevering for what surely 'can be' with God, the way of love becomes visible. God and the love that He had for the world that caused Him to come down, to die, to be raised to new life, is brought into view through our own actions.

This way of love is the most excellent way. It does not fail.

Wisdom of Christ - Teaching Resources

Here is the full resource pack of teaching resources on Love, Spiritual Gifts, Leadership, Giving and New Life New Lifestyle that were used with this the Wisdom of Christ Part II message.

Wisdom of Christ - Part 2 - 2 Cor 1:3 - 11

Last week we considered the incredible power dynamic that God uses: laying down power in human terms - going even to death on a cross - for God to raise up again. This confounding principle runs through both letters and is seen here in the first chapter of the second letter, only this time seemingly in Paul's own life.

Paul talks of sharing in the sufferings of Christ for the benefit of the Corinthian Christians and others, and yet also the comfort from God. Paul is no stranger to hardship. Later in the letter he will spill out a whole list of times, many of which taking him close to death.

Yet each time God brought him through, and Paul is convinced that it all has a purpose: to show the world the power of God. Paul is a living parable, a story-told-through-life, telling the story of power-laid-down-for-God-to-raise over and over. This is for the benefit of others, so that they may come to believe. They can then share in the sufferings too, i.e. also become living parables.

So the Key Qn introduced last week remains pertinent. If we are not prepared to lay things down, even through suffering, we will not be able to live the story, and thus not tell the story.

This is why this principle underpins every aspect of teaching we can get from these important letters. Whether it is love, spiritual gifts, giving, leadership, or living the 'new life' in Christ, all of it is informed by this same principle of life laid down for God to raise. For it is in this principle that the power of God is revealed, i.e. the ability to 'get things right' in all the various departments of Christian life.

The Wisdom of Christ - Part 1 1 Cor 1:18-2:5 and 2 Cor 10:1-18

The King of Denmark stands out in World War II as one who quietly defied the Germans, by riding un-guarded through Copenhagen each day, and by suggesting that should the Jews be required to wear badges then all Danish people should wear the same badge too. This was simple non-violent opposition, laying down power.

This and other examples echo the principle Paul writes of in Corinthians: that God came down and allowed himself to be taken to death, even death on a cross, to be raised again by God alone. This is the power of God - totally different to the power of the world.

Its a nonsense message for most ('foolishness' 1:18). For Greeks and Jews alike it just didn't compute. Today, for Secularists and Muslims to name a few, it also simply does not add up. Yet this is the power of God all the same. So much so that Paul resolved to nothing but this power (2:2). He didn't need clever words, just this basic power (2:4-5).

We too must return to this principle in our churches. Like us the Corinthian church had various issues - the pair of letters makes this clear! Yet see Paul's approach - in the 2nd letter he appeals with the 'meekness and gentleness of Christ' (10:1). He will not use the world's ways, but instead looks again to the power of God, i.e. the power of Christ crucified-yet-raised (10:3-4).

Rather than wading in with fists, law-suits, tribunals, or plain institutional authority, he lays his apostleship on the line, seemingly prepared to give it all up ... in the hope that the church members can be 'built up' rather than torn down (10:8). Don't forget Paul had every right to lay into them, but instead he lays down his right to power.

We must surely do this too. Its not about appearances (10:7), or cleverness. In fact as per the 1st letter chapter 1 God is pleased to use the 'lowly, despised' for His work (1:26,28). So no matter how uneducated, how messed up you feel, you have a role to play. God laid down everything for you, so that you can be raised with Him in His purposes. Hence the key question:

Key Qn: [UP] Where is God calling you to lay things down and trust Him?
Key Challenge: Offer to pray for someone, knowing the power is from God

Let us resolve to know nothing but God's power made available through Christ crucified and then raised. Paul urged the Corinthians to be a spent people, lives laid down for others. Let us be the same for Ely and whoever we meet. As we encounter people, we do not bring our CV, our cleverness, our strength ... but our own experience of the risen Christ. We can offer this for people, praying in their situation to know this same power - the power of the Spirit made available when human power is laid down.

[UP] Where is God calling you to lay things down and trust Him?

Key Challenge: Offer to pray for someone, knowing the power is from God