One of the reasons that the Church is great is that God assigned specific roles to each believer and gave them spiritual gifts to ably serve their local church, and the universal Church, in those roles. Discover what spiritual gifts are, how they work, what gift you have, and how to use it.
By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA
The Apostle Paul wrote to the fractious Christians in Corinth that the kingdom of God is not merely in word but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20). People differ in how they view the Church. Some see the Church as billions of people from every race and tongue for all history led by the Almighty Himself and trampling every opponent, physical and spiritual. Paul would agree. Sadly, such a picture of the Church escapes most people, including Christians.
To many, the church is an old (maybe historic) building visited weekly by aged and foolish (or at least uneducated) people who listen to fables from an ancient book. Greedy pastors pressure parishioners to give money while preaching about a supposed God who Himself is cruel and vain. The Church is anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-science, and anti-progress. Some consider the Church to be against “people of color.”[1]
Devoted Christians read the news about the decline of the Church. From the biased media reports, they fear that young people outside are ignoring the church and young people inside are charging for the door. Christians of all ages pine for the past and fret about the future. The rich and powerful raise their glasses to celebrate the supposed triumph of secular humanism which Voltaire prophesied in the 18th century. These “elites,” like Satan himself, try to turn our eyes away from the local church, the universal Church, and its Divine Source.
Ultimately, God, through the Church will prevail. The gates of hell will not stand against it (Matthew 16:17-19). Jesus created His Church with exactly the right amounts and types of teachings on freedom, order, doctrine, ritual, peace, war, earth, and heaven. He did not require large sums of money, warriors, or a slick marketing plan. Jesus and His successors did not allow Greek or Jewish cultural baggage to hinder the Church (Acts 15). He left the Holy Spirit to ensure the success of His venture.
In the first century “the Way” movement developed into the enduring organization of the Church, in its many forms. The transformation happened through the establishment of the deaconate (Acts 6), elder leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-7), and the adaptation of a congregational structure and practices like the Jewish synagogues. Another contributor to the endurance of the Church was the God-ordained use of complementary roles in the Church and in local churches. Everyone had work to do, but the Lord wanted them to do it in accordance with His assignments. God provides each of His children (those who believe in and follow Jesus) with a special ability to serve Him in a unique way. These abilities are called spiritual gifts (Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 4:11-12). Spiritual gifts are mentioned in many places in the New Testament.
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