Grace Community Church, Arlington, TX

Most of you know that the church in the book of Acts got off to a great start. Believers understood that they were not primarily an audience, they were an army. They realized that every believer had a calling and every believer had at least one spiritual gift that empowered him or her to fulfill that calling. Every believer was a minister. That is how the church started, and that is how the church was supposed to continue.

But it didn’t take long before the church became something quite different. The leaders of the church became the only called, and it was them and them only that did the ministry. And they turned the rest of the church into an audience. And in doing so they made something that was once so strong, so weak.

The Word of God is quite clear on how the church is supposed to function.

This passage tells us Five important things about the ministry of the church.

1. Every Believer Is Gifted (v. 10a) “As each one has received a special gift…”

Every believer has received a spiritual gift. You have a gift! It is a gift. It is given, not earned. And we discover what it is through prayer, community, and humble service to others.

What does God require of us to be able to effectively use that gift?

So, surrender yourself to God. Ask Him to cleanse you and fill you with His empowering presence. This is where ministry starts.

2. Gifts Are for Serving Others (v. 10b) “…use it to serve one another…”

Gifts are for ministry, not for self-promotion.

**Ill: Mailman. He brings you a package. But the package is not for him or from him. He is simply a vessel that delivers the package. Gifts come from God. He sends them through us, to bless others.

3. We Are Stewards, Not Owners (v. 10c) “…as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

We manage what God gives. It is His grace that has come upon us.And God’s grace shows up in many different forms and gifts.

And as stewards, we will one day give an account to the Lord for what we did with what He gave us.

**Ill: Judgment Seat of Christ. You will stand before Christ one day and He will ask you what you did with what He gave you. You need to have a good answer to that question.

4. Serve in God's Strength, Not Yours (v. 11a) “…as one who serves by the strength that God supplies…”

Don’t rely on your own energy—lean into God’s power.

5. The Goal is the Glory of God (v. 11b) “…that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ…”

Our purpose in ministry is not our fame, but God’s glory. We live for the glory of Christ. That is why we exist. That is why He has gifted and empowered us. It is all about Him. It is not all about us.

Live for the glory of Christ, because that is what is worth living for.

But how do you do that?

Which is the same as Peter saying, “Serve in the strength that God supplies.”

How do you do that?

We admit we can do nothing. We pray for his help. We trust His promises. We act. And we exult together that to Him belongs the glory and the dominion forever and ever.