the church as the body of christ

8/13/2019 The Church as the Body of Christ

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Hillsong ChurchEvening College

7 Jan – 18 Feb 2014

Module: Introduction to

Leadership



Outcomes:

By the end of this Session, you will be able toexplain:

• from scripture, the idea of the church as the

“body of Christ”.

• how this concept is expressed through local

churches.

• the personal implications of the church as a

“Body of Christ”



THE BODY OF CHRIST (PART 1)

KEY PASSAGES

• 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31

• Romans 12: 4-8

• Ephesians 4: 11-13



Activity

10 minutes



Body of Christ

Parallels between a physical body and the Church:

• The body has a single head (Christ) and heart (cause).

• It works in unison as directed by the head (Christ).• All parts of the body are valuable – loss of any part causes

the body pain.

• It is often the hidden parts which make the biggestcontribution to the health of the body.

• The full variety and diversity of the body is required to fullyreflect the magnificence of Jesus.



Body of Christ

• While on earth Jesus reached out to peoplethrough His physical body

• Now He reaches out to the world throughHis church – in which He lives by His Spirit

• It works in unison as directed by the head(Christ).



Some things to remember when considering yourgiftedness:

1.They are given on the basis of grace rather than on

merit. The gifts of God should never be used to makeunfavourable comparisons with other believers.

2.They are meant to be used rather than admired.Imagine how you would react if you were to find out that agift that you gave someone was only placed on display

whenever you came over to visit.3.We should always react with thankfulness to the giver ofthe gift.

4.Every gift is priceless when it is used as intended byGod.

5.The gift is to be used for the common good, the benefitof others, not the glory or significance of the giftedperson.



Some of the errors we can make about gifts:

• We can start to see the church as a place which exists for me to

demonstrate my giftedness. The opposite is the truth – my gift exists for me to serve my church. Making

sure we have the right thinking about the purpose of our gift ensures that weare not using it as a way to draw attention to ourselves, but to keep our eyeson the real purpose of God in giving us our gift.

• We can think that a gift in a particular area disqualifies us from service inanother.

Gifts are not to separate us from other service, but to enrich them

• For example, we may start to see ourselves as a preacher or teacher and

therefore ineligible to serve in roles which require mercy or exhortation.

Again, this would be to misunderstand the purpose behind the gift



BREAK



Outcomes:

By the end of this Session, you should be able to:• explain the idea of the priesthood and giftedness

of all believers.

• describe the key spiritual gifts.

• explain the origin, identification and

development of a person‟s spiritual gifts

• explain the pathway in their own local church for

people to identify and get involved in using theirgifts to serve others.



The Spiritual Gifts

Having stated that all Christians are gifted in some way,

Paul lists a number of specific and different kinds of giftsin the following passage: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

The gifts listed here include:

• Word of wisdom• Word of knowledge

• Healing

• Miracles

• Prophecy

• Distinguishing spirits

• Tongues and interpretation of tongues



The Motivational Gifts

Romans 12:6-8

The gifts, not previously mentioned, found in these versesare:

• Teaching

• Service

• Exhortation• Giving

• Leading

• Mercy

They differ from the gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 since they arenot exclusively supernatural, but may also involve anindividual‟s God-given natural talent.



The Ministry Gifts

Read Ephesians 4:11-13

From these Scriptures we get the following gifts:

• Apostle

• Prophet

• Pastor

• Teacher• Evangelist

They differ from the gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 in that thegifts here are not abilities but people. The ministry gifts represent

particular gifted ministers who are given to the body to equip allbelievers for service, so that the church may be strengthened to fulfil itspurpose, reflecting the fullness of Christ into the world.



How do spiritual gifts work?

Things to realise about the gifts:

• They are sovereignly given – we don‟t decide which ones we want.

• They are empowered by the Spirit – they are more than just talents.

• Some gifts work with a person‟s natural (although still God-given) talent and personal

disposition or temperament:

Eg. Teaching, Leadership, Administration

• Some gifts are entirely supernatural, and do not work with any natural talent:

Eg. Tongues, miracles, prophecy.

• They are used in combination and partnership with other gifts in other people.

• The development of giftedness and character are of equal importance. Don‟t allow

your gift to take you where your character cannot keep you.

• We don‟t only serve where we are gifted, but in any area where there is a need in the

Body. It is essential to balance “gifting” and “servanthood.”

• Everyone is gifted, not just a select few. The Church us built by the gifted service and

sacrifice of all its members, not just by the prominent giftedness of a few.



Where and how do you use your spiritual gifts?

As you read through key texts on spiritual gifts, you discover that the main context for the

use of the gifts is within the body – the local church. Eph 4:16

Your spiritual gift is primarily identified, developed and used in the life and ministry of your

local church:

Identified – as people, especially experienced leaders, see you serve in a range of

areas and activities in church life, they will be able to tell you where you seem to begifted.

Developed – as we begin to use our gifts, experienced leaders are able to coach us,

giving us practical guidance and wisdom on how to use them most effectively.

Used – our gifts are not intended to be used in isolation, but alongside others, and

under the direction of the vision and leadership of a local church.

Attitude – we need to not be selective in our journey of spiritual giftedness and make sure

we have a “Whatever it takes attitude” to help build the body of Christ.



Identifying your spiritual gifts?

Often it is best to start by considering what you are passionate about because

you are more likely to develop your gifting in these areas first. Also, where youalready experience fruitfulness and acknowledgement from others is also a

strong indication of your spiritual gift.

For the purposes of this exercise, we have grouped together the gifts into the

following categories:• Word of wisdom/knowledge/prophecy

• Healing/Miracles

• Leadership

• Evangelism

• Teaching• Service/Administration

• Exhortation/Giving/Mercy



Activity



Identifying your spiritual gifts?Wisdom/Knowledge/Prophecy

Statement Strongly

Agree Agree Disagree Strongly

Disagree

I am comfortable explaining the Word of God

to others. I feel God prompts me when I speak

I am a fairly good judge of character. I can

quickly assess where someone is at.

For me prayer is a way of life. I find it easy to

talk to God whatever I am doing

When I give advice to other people it tends to

be well received.




Statement Strongly Agree Agree

Disagree

StronglyDisagree

I feel a real compassion for other people. I can‟t

stand by and see someone in distress.

I find it easy to step in an pray for someone if

they tell me they have a need I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty. I am

prepared to take a risk to do what God is asking

me to do

I actively look for opportunities to demonstrate

His strength through my faith

Healing/Miracles




Leadership

Strongly


Disagree I need to be involved in providing the

solution. I don‟t have a lot of time for

those who are just along for the ride People tend to look to me for guidance,

especially when they don‟t know what to

do next I like being the one to sort out a problem

– especially if the answer is not

immediately obvious I prefer breaking new ground and find I

need people around me who can fill inthe details




Evangelism

Statement Strongly


Disagree I am always looking for opportunities to share my faith

with others.

The fate of the unsaved concerns me greatly. I am

passionate about seeing them saved - more than

anything.

I regularly invite and bring people to church I have had a lot of success in seeing people won to

Christ.




Teaching

Statement Strongly


Disagree When I read my Bible, I like to take notes on what I have

learned from the passage I am reading. I also take notes in Church and review them later to think

through the implications of what has been said I love to read and listen to other people‟s interpretation ofthe Word. I find that I want to pass on what I have learned

to other people I find that people often ask me to explain things when they

don‟t understand them. I like to read and study, and not just the Bible.

I am happy to give my opinion and I find that people are

generally receptive to my ideas




Administration/Service

Statement Strongly


Disagree The vision thing is OK, but what I really want is a

concrete plan of action. I need to know the details

before I start I am a realist –it is almost always a question of

prioritisation. I am not easily distracted by the trivial

I like to think things through before I jump in. I believe in

detailed planning before action I am the person to go to when people are looking for a

way to make things happen I invariably end up being a part of a team, but rarely

lead. If I am honest, I am more comfortable that way

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Part 2 – Homework Revision No Barriers in Christ

Read Colossians 3:8-17 and answer the following questions:

Question 1: In verse 11, Paul talks about there being “no distinction in the body of

Christ, but rather that Christ is all and in all”. How might the following distinctions

have manifest themselves in a church or small group context in Colossae?

Distinction between What is the distinction? How would this appear? Jews and Greeks Circumcised and uncircumcised Barbarian and Scythian Slaves and freeman

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Part 2 – Homework Revision No Barriers in Christ

Question 2:

What might the modern equivalent of these instructions be?

Advanced work – Personal evaluation

In this passage Paul lists a number of attitudes we should have toward one another,for example compassion, forgiveness etc.

Select three such attitudes from this list on which you can improve and describe

how your relationships to others gets better as you do:

What things can you do this week to improve the attitudes you listed above?



Session 4 - Homework

Bible Study – The Use of Spiritual Gifts.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12:27 and answer the following:

• Q1: Discuss what happens when we make judgments about the attractiveness

or otherwise of various gifts. What are some of the dangers of making such

judgments?

• Q2: How can we make sure we are placing value on the gifts which may appear

less attractive to us?

• Q3: How do I make sure that I have been placed in the body „…just as he

desired‟ - 1 Corinthians 12: 18



Session 4 - Homework

Putting it Into Practice

Before the next class take note of a time where one of the spiritual gifts has been

exercised in a service, gathering, team or small group you were involved in.

Answer the following questions:

1. Which of the gifts was being exercised and what was the role of the personexercising it?

2. Is this gift exercised regularly in this context and, if so, does it tend to be the

same person in the group who exercised it?

3. What was the net effect of the exercise of the gift? How did you/others feel

about the gift being exercised in this context?

the church as the body of christ

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