ListenDaily - 03 March 2009; The Common Good
We will take a few days to look over the 1 Corinthians passages on tongues; all of the remaining New Testament references to tongues are in 1 Corinthians, chapters 12, 13, and 14.
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12: 1-12 (find this or any other passages at www.Biblegateway.org)
This chapter is where we started, some weeks ago, the discussion of spiritual gifts bringing us to this discussion on tongues. This phrase "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good" is of no little importance. The church at Corinth was rife with divisions over a variety of issues and Paul sought, through this letter,to bring their focus back to Christ.
Whether it be tongues or any other subject, nothing can be settled in the church until the body of the church, settles its gaze on Christ, and opens itself to the Holy Spirit, only then can the church glorify God and work toward 'the common good''.
Those who are called into leadership of local churches are responsible for maintaining their own focus on Christ and submission to the Spirit, and leading their followers into the same.
Those who have ascended into leadership positions by means other than God's call, must repent for accepting those positions and seek His guidance out of that particular predicament.
Unity in the Body can only come from the Body's unity with Christ. Then, and only then, can the gifts of the Spirit be properly utilized for 'the common good''.
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Questions:
1. No Earthly church is perfect, but do you see your church as unified?
2. What characterizes the leaders of your local church; capability or spirituality?
3. How does this affect the manifestation of the Spirit's gifts?
AN INVITATION!
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INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organization do not constitute a church
any more than eleven dead men make a football team. The first requisite is life, always."
A.W. Tozer
"Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other?
They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.
So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become unity conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.
Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified. The body becomes stronger as its members become healthier.
The whole church of God gains when the members that compose it begin to seek a better and a higher life."
A.W. Tozer
"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees.
He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness,
in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day.
If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day."
E.M. Bounds
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