Several years ago I started to attend a local Catholic church during the week. On weekend I would go to my local Protestant church. One thing that really surprised me is how much of the Catholic Mass is taken from Scripture.
Straight away I was saying to myself this is from John, this is from James and that is from Jude. The prayers, the responses, the blessings were straight from Scripture. And even though I did not know when to stand, sit or kneel, I recognised the Bible.
To be honest this really surprised me about the Catholic Mass. Being Protestant I had no idea it was so Scriptural. In the video below you can see a description of the Mass and all the Bible references. It is really worth watching.
Saying you do not go to church because people there are sinners and hypocrites, is like saying, I do not go to the gym as there are people that are out of shape.
The reality is there are sinners and hypocrites at church. It is the best place for us to be, myself included!
We should be in a place where we can pray, hear the Bible read, listen to homilies, receive forgiveness and partake in the sacraments. These are what sinners need to be made holy.
The reality is that like people who are out of shape at the gym trying to improve, there are also many people who are in shape to inspire us. The same goes for church.
When we go to church there are people there who are further along the journey, who are more holy, more learned in the Bible, who pray with a closeness to God that we can aim for.
When I go to church I focus less on people’s sin and more on the areas where they shine. I try to come alongside them and learn from them. That keeps me growing.
Remember there is no perfect church full of perfect people, just sinners and hypocrites who need the love and grace of God to keep growing closer to Christ.
I just watched a really good overview of the church councils over the past 2000 years. These councils were called to make decisions on doctrine, heresy, church life and leadership and responding to an ever changing world. The 15 minute video below gives a really good explanation of them all and why they were called.
When I first became a Christian the Refiner’s Fire song was just released. It quickly became a favourite and a prayer of my heart.
I have not heard it for years, but I started singing it during my devotions this morning. Many years later it still speaks to my heart. It is still a prayer for me.
Looking back I can see how it shaped my life. In church I could hardly get through it without crying. Even now it is hard to fully sing it through.
If you are interested you can find it here on YouTube.
All of us have a purpose from God. We were born at this time in history to fulfil our God given purpose. God has made us and gifted us all to do His work.
The great news is we do not have to fulfil His purpose alone. He gives us His Holy Spirit to empower us and the Holy Spirit gifts us to complete our tasks.
In the Bible we see there are four main places that talk about gifts from God to individuals to serve and gifts to the church for equipping.
The first group of gifts is found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. These are often called the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit decides who gets what gift.
[4] There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. [5] There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. [6] God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. [7] A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. [8] To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. [9] The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. [10] He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. [11] It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
The second group of gifts is found in Romans 12:6-8. Bible scholars sometimes call these the gifts of the Father. In this list it tells us the gift and the importance of using them well.
[6] In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. [7] If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. [8] If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
In the third list of gifts it talks about different roles within the church. These are sometimes called Christ’s gifts to the church. These gifts are found in Ephesians 4:11-12. The purpose is to equip the church for service.
[11] Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
In the final list of gifts it only lists two gifts, but it gives us information on how to use them – for the good of others and to use the strength and energy God provides. It also reminds that the reason for our service is to bring glory to God. This list is found in 1 Peter 4:10-11.
[10] God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. [11] Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
I really find these lists of gifts helpful in our service of God. God has a purpose and destiny for each of us. Just like God said to Jeremiah, He knit us together in our mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). He made us and gifted us to serve Him in this time.
As Christians we have the Holy Spirit within us as and this is the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11). He gifts us to serve God, by serving others, and He empowers us to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8).
Today I would like to remind us all that not only were we made by God for this times in history, but He made us to serve Him by giving us gifts and power from heaven. Let us purpose in our hearts to use our gift well.
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