Read Luke 15:11-24 (The Prodigal Son)
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 fit.
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,
no doubt, people reading this 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.