In our last few visits we have been studying what is found in 1 Corinthians 12&13 regarding spiritual gifts and their place in the life and ministry of the church. Chapter 14 primarily adds to the theme of spiritual gifts the importance of doing what we do in the church decently and orderly. This would be natural if indeed everything is done as an expression of love and with the desire to enrich others and glorify God.
If you were to take the material we have studied and spread it out before you, you would notice a number of points into which you could sort this information. This would make it possible to develop an outline. An outline helps you organize and remember what is in the portion you have studied. Once you’ve done that you could summarize what you have learned into some applications to your life.
When I did this I entitled the outline: Honoring Christ by Enriching Others. The main points were:
1. Christ brings us together.
2. Christians need each other.
3. Christian synergism takes place when each one does his part.
4. Christ is honored.
The applications for me were to make sure I am primarily concerned about the honor of Christ and the enriching and affirming of others. As I become aware of my spiritual gift or gifts I need to engage primarily in the activities that fit my giftedness. I need to be sensitive to the hurts and needs of fellow believers as well as affirm the giftedness and importance of others. And finally, I need to rely on the Holy Spirit to fill me with God’s love as the primary motivator for all I do.
