We’ve been talking in Sunday school about ‘knowing God.’ What we’re learning is that we should want to get to know Him better, as He is described in the scriptures. We can’t make God who we want Him to be. We must understand who He has revealed Himself to be. That is also the idea behind the words on our church logo, Rooted Deeper – Growing Stronger. Our new sermon series titled ‘Holiness’ will also be looking at how God is described in the bible. The Holiness of God described in the bible is not something we find easy to understand. However, understanding holiness is essential for us to know who God is and what He is doing in us. What we’re studying has a two-fold purpose: First, to get to know God as He has revealed Himself. The second is to cause us to respond. God doesn’t call us to a static relationship with Him where we know more about Him without it changing our lives. Instead, He reveals Himself so that when we get to know Him, we will be changed. And that change will cause us to actively serve His kingdom.
I hope you already knew that serving in God’s kingdom is something He requires. Scripture tells us that God has gifted each of His children with the talents needed to build His church. It says in Romans 12:3-8,
“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
Are you wondering where you can serve in the church at Timber Ridge? Look through the list above. There’s service (which could include lots of areas of ‘helping’ in the church), teaching, exhorting, contributing, leading, and acts of mercy. I hope you see two things in this Romans passage. First, we are one body. This body is meant to have unity in Spirit, but notice it’s not to have unity in gifts. Second, I hope you see that God says you have been given a gift to use. Are you using that gift? Remember, God intended the body of Christ to function through your gift.
And one more thing, sometimes your gift may change. When you’re younger, you may be service-oriented, but as you get older, that may be gifted to ‘contributing’ since now you have more disposable income than you had earlier in life. Your relationship with God is not meant to be static, and neither is your gifting – it’s meant to be growing. My prayer is that we can grow together this next year as we learn more about God and submit to His will as we learn how He wants us to serve Him.