1 Corinthians 12:27-31 

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

Where is the key?

What could be the most important thing in your pocket? Wallet, what else? House key, car key, office key! With much advance technology, keyless vehicles offer some sort of convenience and not worried about keys left inside your car. Are doors in your home keyless? Not everyone has access to keyless doors yet.

Many years ago, I went home very early, about 2 in the morning. The gate was closed, and I forgot to bring with me my keys. The building has no doorbell. My family was sleeping on the second floor.  I tried throwing pebbles on the rooftop in the hope that someone may wake up. No one opened the gate. I slept on the ground next to the gate for few hours until the gate was opened.

         Can you imagine how terrible it was to sleep on the ground on cold night? How many times have you misplaced your house keys? Misplacing your house keys during winter in Canada is not very funny moment. It’s very terrible actually!

         Forgetting important things exposes human limits; misplacing trivial things practically exhibits imperfection. And still, Christ requires us in Matthew 5:48,

⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

         Think about that for a while. Godly requirements can only be accomplished with God’s help and not by human strength. Our human faculties are limited, and yet Christ requires us to be perfect, why? Why would the Lord require us to be perfect when we are easily distracted and even forgetful of many things?

         The Lord knows that by our human initiatives, we cannot be perfect. Christ requires perfection should help us realize our limitation so that we seek his help. As inspired by his Holy Spirit, we seek his help always as proof of trust in Christ the Lord of all. Seeking help from Christ pragmatically exhibits active faith in him.

         To decide which practical step to take, our brain processes it. Similarly, Christ the head of the church decides for everything we do as congregation of believers. Christ is the head of the church. Believers are part of his body, the church. And as God determined the function of each part of our physical body, he also determined our responsibility as part of the body of Christ, the church.

1.  Determine

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 

         The Scripture testifies that all believers are parts of the church the body of Christ. All believers in the church are parts of the body of Christ. What if they do not want to be part of the church? They prefer not to be part of the body of Christ.

         God determined and placed every part of the body of Christ, the church.

When a local church is established, was it not God who determined and placed every believer in the church? Of course, Jesus Christ himself builds his church, and he declared in Matthew 18:18, ¹⁸I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 

         When Christ said, “On this rock I will build my church,” what rock did he pertain to? Interestingly, the English term, “Rock” is “Petra” in Greek which is particularly a huge rock, cliff, stony ground that cannot be moved by human strength. In comparison, the English name “Peter” was translated from Greek word “Petros” which is particularly an isolated “stone, rock, boulder” that can be carried, thrown or moved away from its place by human strength.

         If a stone can be moved, it’s Petros; if a rock cannot be moved, it’s Petra.

When Christ told Peter, “You are “Petros,” it was transition to his message, “On this ‘Petra’ I will build my church.” Surely, it is very logical to build on “Petra” or solid stony ground as foundation rather than on “Petros” or movable little stone.

It declared in Ephesians 2:19-22, ¹⁹God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²²And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

         Believers belong to the household of God, and God determined and placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, ofguidance, and of different kinds of tongues.

The term apostle was translated from Greek apostolos which literally means “a messenger sent on a mission.” Modern-day missionary is apostolos.

         Missionaries are sent on mission to establish a church. After a local church starts to function regularly, missionaries will go to their next mission point, and that was exactly what Apostle Paul and his mission team had done. They planted churches wherever they went, but Paul was not long-term pastor of any church.

         Next prophets. New Testament prophets interpret, forth-tell divine will of God. Prophets are modern day preachers who have a gift of expositing divine truth. God has placed in the church apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.

         In the 1 Corinthians, pastor is not included in the list of spiritual gifts? Interestingly, pastors are included in Ephesians 4:11-13, ¹¹Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹²to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Pastors should be teachers and take care of the spiritual feeding in the body of Christ. Have you discovered it, if you are gifted in expositing divine truth?

There are many activities in the church but the primarily responsibility of pastors is to preach or provide spiritual food to the body of Christ, the family of believers.

         The Holy Spirit determined if being a pastor is kind of service he wants us to excel; he distributed different kinds of spiritual gifts that we utilize to serve him. Serving the Lord may appear to be taxing or demanding, but it is the only way we can explore life toward its fullness that Christ designed for us to experience him.

         How can we practically identify the kind of service that the Lord determined for us to excel? Try any church ministry or activity that may attract your attention! When you participate in particular ministry without being told, you can sense joy and peace. So, get ready to be responsible part of the body of Christ, the church.

 Sorry

         A young man told his father, “Dad, I think I am ready to get married!” His Dad replied, “Say, sorry!”  The son was surprised, “Why would I say sorry?” His Dad said calmly, “Say, sorry!” Still the son hesitated, “Why would I say sorry. I did nothing wrong!” So, his Dad explained, “Did you not say that you are ready to get married? Then, say sorry!” And all the more the son was confused, “That’s right! So, why would I say sorry? I don’t understand.” His Dad replied, “Just say, sorry!”

         The son obliged and said, “I’m sorry!” Then his Dad said, “Now I know that you are ready to get married. In marriage, you will be forced to say sorry, even if you don’t know the reason why you should say sorry.” “I get it,” his son nodded.

         Well young people, how do you know when you’re ready for married life? Listen carefully: In marriage, expect nobody to tell you do household chores. You initiate doing household chores. It prepares you to be responsible with your own family if you practice doing household chores in your home without being told to do them. So, how about being responsible as part of the body of Christ?

         Together, let us reflect seriously on what has prescribed us in Titus 3:8,

⁸This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

         Surely, it is good to discover and practice spiritual gift in serving the Lord in ministries he prepared for us. Someone said that if we diligently practice what the Lord prescribes for us, observers may reflect on their confusion toward God. God placed us in a situation where he determines for us to excel. The Holy Spirit distributed spiritual gifts as instrument, tool or vehicle to explore life in its fullness.

2.  Distribute

²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 

         The Holy Spirit distributed gifts in the body of Christ, the church, among us.

God prepared ministry activities for us. He determines the kind of services for us to excel as individual believers. Excellence in various ministries practically manifests the different kinds of transformational work of Christ in each believer.

God is eternal. He is eternally creative. The different kinds of spiritual gifts, services and workings among us realistically testify to his boundless creativity.

         Of course, we believe that God created everything in heaven and on earth but, we are very slow to realize the infinite creativity of God. Most often, we are very apprehensive to explore where faith in Christ leads or offers us. Why? Our understanding about God is restricted to our personal experiences with him.

         If you evaluate and check your relationship with Christ, will you personally testify how much you are gratified in him? Or are you still seeking contentment?

         Together, let us seriously reflect on what Apostle Paul personally testified in Philippians 4:11-13, ¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

         No doubt! It’s easy to be satisfied when well fed. But, will you still say, “I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength,” when you are hungry?

         Take note of that! Christ can give strength to be satisfied when well fed or hungry. Have you personally explored or proven it? What is your practical proof?

Celebrity

         An infamous celebrity wasted all his money. He said, “If you have money, many people know you; if you have no money, no one knows you; you’re nothing!” Sadly, a widow struggles to provide for her family and expressed her confusion, “How can my family survive? Utility bills piled up. Electricity was cut off. How can I provide for my family?” Friends advised her, “Hang on there, God will provide!”

         Most often, God allows difficulties for us to seek his help, but we are very slow to realize that his prescriptions lead to fullness of life. Despite abundance or scarcity, it is possible to experience joy and peace from God when we utilize our spiritual gift and get involved in services that the Lord prepared for us to excel.

How many among us are bemused when Apostle Paul rhetorically asked,

“Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?” 

         These rhetorical questions accentuated verse 28, but the gifts of helping and of guidance in verse 28 are missing in verses 29 and 30. Additionally, verse 30 asked about the gift of interpretation but absent in verse 28. Do spiritual gifts of helping and of guidance have lesser value? Why interpret gift is added later?

Verse 31 did not clearly explain, but it should ignite a desire for the greater gifts.

3.  Desire

³¹Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

         The spiritual gifts of helping and of guidance, as well as the spiritual gift of interpretation may not be necessarily mentioned in other biblical passages, but are equally important as the other spiritual gifts. If you desire to understand the reason behind inclusion or absence of particular spiritual gifts, we are advised to rather eagerly desire to acquire the greater gifts. What greater gifts will translate into eternity that we should eagerly desire for? 1 Corinthians 13:13 declares,

      ¹³These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

         If we desire the gift of faith, hope and especially love, will the Lord grant it all to us? As the Holy Spirit determined the kind of service he wants us to excel, he distributed different kinds of spiritual gifts, right? The gift of faith, hope and love are available to all believers. And we are advised to eagerly desire them.

         We will talk more about faith, hope and love in the succeeding sermons.

         For now we learn about the different kinds of spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit particularly distributed to each of us. Discover your spiritual gift and practice it until you grow stronger in your concern with the different parts of the body of Christ. The more we practice our spiritual gift, the more we care for each other.

Listen and understand carefully the prescription of Christ, our ultimate healer.

Carbohydrate

         Personally, are there particular foods that you religiously avoid at all cost? Many people testified that they lost weight after they limited their intake of rice or any source of carbohydrate. Some people totally eliminated carbohydrate from their diet. Be prayerful before believing anything you read or heard. Seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit. It declares in Ecclesiastes 7:18, ¹⁸It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.

         Fear of God is obedience to him. If you are very much concerned about your physical health, be more concerned as Christian, about your spiritual health.

By faith we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We belong to the body of Christ, the church. As we grow stronger spiritually in our faith, we participate in the body of Christ. We grow stronger and very sure that Christ takes us into heaven, as we practice what he prescribes for Christian behavior.

Christ takes all believers into heaven when he returns. Pray for increase of faith and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Why? The Holy Spirit guarantees that Christ takes us into heaven when he returns. And as our reminder that Christ is about to return and take us into his heaven, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

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