Vince Deagler

last week i started looking into the fact christ said he would build his church.  my thought process was primarally on a number of predictions that said the evangelical church as we presently know it will soon collapse.  how could that be if christ said he would build his church?  i will not re-write last weeks content, but would recomend you check it out.  today i want to explore the practical side of this promise.  if jesus is in the church building business, i think it behooves us to know how he is doing it, so we can join him in that work.

the first issue to understand is the dynamic of the church itself.  it is, after all, what jesus said he would build.  the church (body of christ) is made up of many distinct people (body parts).  the diversity of the body includes social standing, ethnicity, race, demographics, functionality, etc.  yet this diverse collection of body parts is arranged into a functional, unified whole designed to work harmoniously to accomplish the mission god has given the church.

to get to where we are to specifically serve, i believe god gives us passion.  for instance paul refers to being compeled to preach the gospel.  he said woe is unto me if i do not.  he refers to passion again in 1 tim 3:1 when he uses the phrase “sets his heart on” or “desires” in conjunction with the position of overseer.  passion is integral to the plan, not only for the compulsion and motivation to serve in a given area, but also in the ability to persevere in that ministry.  to the corinthians paul mentioned that though the outward man was wasting away, the inner man was being renewed day by day.  this inner renewal would include the passion to keep going even when it gets tough to do so.

once we get to the place we are to serve, i believe spiritual gifts becomes the determining factor in what exactly we will do.  now, i don’t know about you, but i believe there has been a lot of disinformation and as a result a lot of misunderstanding in the area of spiritual gifts.  i do not plan to clear that up today, i am not sure that is even possible.  but when i look at what the bible actually says in this area, i do see some very simple, clear steps we can take to find our place in christ’s plan to build his church.  first, everyone has a gift or gift mix.  these gifts are designed to work with the activity of the body as directed by christ.  all of this is empowered by god to accomplish his intended result. (see i cor 12:4-7)  but then there is the issue, what exactly is a spiritual gift.  there are several lists in scripture that describe spiritual gifts.  my personal understanding in this area is that those lists are representative rather than exhaustive.   thus i see the list as a ”these are the kind of things that fall under the heading of spiritual gifts”.  and as such i personally would define them as a god given ability (whether this was natural or supernatural), through the holy spirit, designed for the ministry of the body of christ, so that the mission can be accomplished.  in my mind that encompasses natural abilities that as a believer god can use to accomplish his work, and more specialized/supernatural gifts, again for the good of the body.  there are many tools out there to help discover what your spiritual gift/gifts are.  if you have never worked through this, our church (prescott church of modesto, ca) can help.  drop me a line to get the ball rolling.  it is these gifts that enable the church to be effective.  they are vital to christ building his church.

let me suggest one other line of thought, i think of it as fine tuning.  we really are diverse.  i believe god uses that diversity.  do you remember when paul and barnabus split up in acts 15?  it was over john mark.  i do not see this as a right wrong issue as much as i see it as a we are different issue, and that difference led them to see john mark differently.  out of that, 2 missionary teams were formed and the ministry expanded.  i think this is still true, so that when we minister in line with our unique personal styles we will be more effective and the ministry will be the better for it.  now, the world of personal style is far reaching.  some are introverts, others extroverts.  some are people oriented while others are more task oriented.  some are very organized while others are more spontaneous.  some are glass half full while others are glass half empty.  some are serious types, others fun loving.  some are assertive, others passive.  do you get the picture.  the fine tuning is designed to arrive at the perfect fit (at least as perfect as we can come up with in a fallen world).  when we are able to minister according to our unique personal style, the ability of christ to build the church through us is increased.

christ said i will build my church and the gates of hades will not overcome it.  i think this is how he does it.  by following this design we give him a much better chance to actually build his church because we are working with him.  isn’t that the idea.  he is described as the head of the church, directing the functionality of the body.  may we hear his voice, follow his leading, minister in his empowerment, so that he can accomplish all he plans to do in and through us.  thanks for following along.  give me some feedback.  blessings.  vince