Arise, Shine
Chapter seven
TAKE YOUR PLACE
And he
said, "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property
that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his
journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine
arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent
him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But
when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with
hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am
no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”' And he arose and came to his father. But while
he was yet a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him,
'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his
servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry;
for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry."
Luke 15:11-24
Let's suppose a few days after this wonderful homecoming banquet, the younger brother gets up in the
morning to start carrying his load on the farm but he just doesn't know where he fits. The older brother is out cutting in the
hay, the father is busy roofing his barn, the servants all seem to know what they are doing. The younger brother feels quite
useless.
"What's there for me to do around here. They don't need me!" That's how we feel so often. We got
saved. We came into the kingdom and it was wonderful to know that our sins are forgiven ... to be free from those chains of fear
or addiction ... but now what?
One morning at breakfast the father says to his younger son, "We need a retaining wall up by the olive
grove. Could you build it?"
"Of course," answers the younger son. And as he builds that wall he begins to feel for the first
time, that he really belongs ... he has a place. And that's what we need. We need to have a clear place in the kingdom. We need to
know exactly how to fit into the Body ... how to spend each day ... where to aim our eyes ... how to bring the vision of glory
down into this world.
Many of us are still uncertain as to exactly where we fit in the purpose of the kingdom. We look around and
see others who seem to know where they tit. They've found their niche in the Body. They've found their place in the kingdom, but
we're still at loose ends.
The good news is that the same God who chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world and destined
us in love to be his sons and daughters also has a specific place for each one of us ... a specific function to fulfil ... and
specific gifts to enable us to fulfil it. We don't come to the Salvation Banquet and then wander around in the kingdom for years
looking for something worthwhile to do ... we have a place ... now.
Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in
love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he
freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to
the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us. For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in
heaven and things on earth.
Ephesians 1:3-10
And he fits us into that plan. He gives each one of us a place in that plan. Jesus unites all things in
heaven and earth through his Body ... through us.
Jesus, the crucified and risen Lord, is bringing this age to an end and bringing every living thing and
every living spirit under his judgment. And he's doing it through his Body on earth. Wherever the Body of Christ is doing what it
was called to do, the world around it feels the impact of the kingdom. And what are we called to do as the Body of Christ? Three
things:
1. To worship God.
2. To strengthen each other.
3. To manifest the kingdom to the world by proclaiming Jesus, and showing his mercy ....
.... healing for the sick,
.... food for the hungry,
....welcome for the stranger.
Worship God, strengthen each other, manifest the kingdom by proclaiming Jesus in word and deed. Each member
of the Body has a function in the Body that relates to that three-fold purpose. God has a place for each one of us....
.... from which we contribute to that glorious worship,
.... from which we strengthen our brothers and sisters,
.... from which we proclaim the kingdom to the world.
For as
in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ,
and individually
members
one of another. Romans 12:4-5
Each of us has a different function, but each has a function. If you take hold of your function and
exercise it....
.... you help the Body worship,
.... you strengthen your brothers and sisters,
.... you proclaim Jesus to the world.
For the
body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the
body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not
belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the
hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each
one of them, as he chose. If all were a single organ, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
I
Corinthians 12:14-20
"But that's just it. I don't know if I'm an ear or an eye or a hand or a foot. When will I know what I
am and what my function is?"
Don't wait around for the Father to give you a label..."There, you're a foot, start walking." No,
we find our function by simply taking active steps toward the Body's purpose:
we worship God,
we strengthen our brothers and sisters,
we proclaim Jesus.
As we do, certain gifts begin to emerge.
Notice, the gifts that make us an eye or an ear or a mouth or a foot come to us only as we begin to
function. For example, don't wait for an angel to tell you you have the gift of healing.... go visit the sick. Pray for
them...love them. A gift will emerge. Don't wait to be told you have the gift of prophecy.... speak that word which is already
burning in your heart. As you do, gifts will emerge. Don't wait for a telegram from heaven to tell you you have a gift of
service.... start washing feet.... start serving.
Barnabas had a divine gift of encouragement. Anytime Barnabas walked into a room he brought with him the
atmosphere of hope. It didn't happen that one night Barnabas had a dream in which he was told he had this gift. No, Barnabas
started encouraging people. And the Spirit came behind him like a mighty wind and confirmed those blessed words he spoke.
Having
gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our
serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid,
with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans
12:6-8
Just start using what you have. Do something with it in the name of the Lord and you'll get more.
Now
there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties
of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the
common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to
the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of
miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to
another the interpretation of tongues. All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually
as he wills.
For
just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all were made to drink of one Spirit. I Corinthians 12:4-13
And when we drink of the Spirit and move in the will of the Spirit we worship God in Spirit and in
truth...we strengthen our brothers and sisters by the Spirit ... we proclaim Jesus by the Spirit, and gifts emerge... supernatural
gifts, wonderful gifts.
This is a special time for the emerging of gifts in this Body. There are people here today whose gift has
laid dormant for years, on a shelf in heaven waiting to be called. Start to function. Move from passive to active in worship, in
strengthening brothers and sisters, in proclaiming Jesus, and the gift will come, like a wind at your back.
Arise,
shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and
thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your
light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Isaiah 60:1-3
Spoken to the individual, to you and to me, this means to get up and take your place in the Body so the
Body can arise and shine. Just as surely as God the Father chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world, he has a place
for you in the Body...a
specific function... specific gifts. You will catch fire and so will the Body when you get up and take that place. That
place is not hard to find. We will find it, each of us, if we will put our hearts into three things:
1.
Put our heart into the worship of God today ... worship him.
2.
Put our heart into strengthening each other today ... love one another,
build one another up, care for each other, pray for each other.
3.
Put our heart into manifesting the kingdom to the world out there by proclaiming Jesus in word and deed.
And the gifts will come and we will take our place, our special place in the Father's purpose.
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