Our Mission
The mission of First Baptist Church is to develop missionary disciples who worship God, grow spiritually, and share the Gospel and their spiritual gifts.
Luke 10:27, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Matthew 28:19-20
WORSHIP – Our lives are made to glorify God and recognize Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
GROW – Developing Disciples, Spiritual Growth & Maturity, Fellowship
SHARE – Called to share the Good News of the Gospel and God’s love with our community & the world and to share our spiritual gifts and abilities.
Last week we saw how to share the Gospel – the Good News. It is our main purpose as individuals and as a church. Today’s message is Share 2.0. Sharing in Service.
Great Commandment
Mark 12:28-34
Love God
Love our Neighbors – see The Art of Neighboring sermon series for more on how to love your neighbors.
Love other Believers
Romans 12:1-8
Sacrifice yourself for others
Renew your thinking from self focus to doing God’s will
Gifts versus Talents
Sometimes there is confusion between gifts and talents or abilities. Scripture gives us examples of spiritual gifts that believers are supernaturally given by the Holy Spirit. Talents and abilities are things that you may develop by learning and practicing to become better. Sports, music, art, fixing things, problem solving are talents or abilities. They can all be used in ministry but they are not spiritual by nature.
Spiritual Gifts
Paul lists the gifts of the Spirit three times in 1 Cor. 12 (vv. 8–10, 28, 29–30), and gives a fourth list again in Rom. 12:6–8.
Gifts of “utterance” like “utterance of wisdom, utterance of knowledge” (1 Cor. 12:8), prophecy (vv. 10, 28, 29; Rom. 12:6), discernment of spirits (1 Cor. 12:10), teaching (v. 28; Rom. 12:7; cf. 1 Cor. 14:6), speaking or interpreting tongues (1 Cor. 12:10, 28, 30; cf. 14:5, 13).
Gifts of practical ministry like helping, administration (1 Cor. 12:28), serving, comforting, contributing, giving aid, and working acts of mercy (Rom. 12:7–8).
Gifts of wonder-working like healing, miracles, acts of powerful faith (1 Cor. 12:9–10, 28–30).
Are miraculous Signs and Wonders gifts for today?
The Bible clearly records miraculous signs and wonders in the early church. These sign gifts included prophetic revelation, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, healing, and other miracles. Our church and fellowship hold what is called the Cessationist position about the sign gifts. We believe the sign gifts were unique aspects of the early church and apostolic era to authenticate their ministry and complete the New Testament. God can heal people at any time, but it is in his will and sovereign plan, not because someone has “hot hands.” The apostle Paul had a physical ailment he described as a thorn in the flesh, but God did not heal him. Why would we think we know better than God and can heal anyone based on our own will?
Cessationism is also an affirmation of sola scriptura—the Bible as a complete canon, and the Bible alone is the authoritative, inspired, inerrant Word of God. Many charismatic churches including the wealth and prosperity churches are looking for new revelation from God. They offer signs and wonders to draw crowds. When the Jewish leaders asked Jesus to do a miracle, He said “an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign” and he left them. Many charismatic pastors and leaders consider themselves apostles because they “met” Jesus in a vision and they now claim they can speak directly on his behalf and do any of the apostolic sign gifts. This clearly devalues the authority of God’s Word and it opens the door for anyone to say anything as thought they were speaking for God. If you struggle with these areas or have questions about any of these issues, please come talk to me.
One Anothers – Positive Commands (What to do)
- Be at peace with one another. (Mark 9:50)
- Be devoted to one another with genuine brotherly affection. (Romans 12:10)
- Outdo one another in showing preference and honor to each other. (Romans 12:10)
- Mutually build up one another. (Romans 14:19)
- Welcome, accept, and receive one another as Christ accepted you (Romans 15:7)
- Instruct or Teach one another (Romans 15:14)
- Serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13)
- Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
- Patiently bear with one another (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13)
- Be kind, compassionate, and forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32)
- Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21)
- Esteem one another as more significant than yourselves (Philippians 2:3)
- Encourage and comfort one another with eternal truths (1 Thessalonians 4:18; 5:11)
- Are you using God’s Word or just your own advice?
- Strive to do what is good to one another (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
- Consider one another, how to motivate each other unto love and good works (Hebrews 10:24)
- Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16)
- What are really struggling with? How can your brother or sister help you? Having accountability with someone else really helps with sin you are fighting to overcome.
- Pray for one another (James 5:16)
- Not just health needs. If you are sick, are you trusting God or are you worrying? If your kids are driving you crazy, are you handling it in a way that glorifies God? Do you need help? Let’s be REAL with each other.
- Be hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
- Have fellowship with one another by Obeying God (walking in the light) (1 John 1:7)
These are commandments. Love is action not feeling that comes and goes. We show that we are followers of Christ by our love in actions (John 13:34-35; 1 John 3:11)
Take Homes – So what do I do?
Sacrificially love one another and your neighbors earnestly as Christ loves you
Are you sharing your spiritual gifts, talents, abilities to build up the church?
Are you sharing God’s love by serving your neighbors and others in His name?
Do you know where you can get involved here at FBC?
Every member should be serving in some area of the church. Pray and ask God to help make that clear to you.
DOWNLOAD the SHARE flyer: Areas of ministry I would like to serve in…
