1 John 2:5-6 English Standard Version

5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1 Corinthians 13:5b English Standard Version(in part) [love] It does not insist on its own way;

Continuing from yesterday. What we learned about this self-proclaimed teacher was that he was very insistent on having his own way. He had not learned to let love lead the way. That does not mean that he was not saved, or gifted, only that the love of God did not take first place in his heart.

Eldership has a responsibility to God and to the congregation to see to it that no one is put up before them in service that has not been examined. That is order and structure, which a church will find itself crumbling under the weight of error.

Do all churches operate in this way? I don’t know, I’ve only been a member of three different churches. In each one I learned these lessons for which wisdom might be extracted.

Paul was the architect of the church and the Word of God tells us how to behave. One thing Paul made very clear was that teachers should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us.

Titus 2:7-8 English Standard Version

7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

The newborns in Christ are placed in the hands of teachers and if they are to grow up in Christ and mature properly, they must have the best of the best teaching them sound doctrine. Apostle may call, shepard may protect, prophets might warn but it is the teacher that builds up the body of Christ in the bond of unity.

Ephesians 4:8,11-16 English Standard Version

8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Here we discover what gifts were given and why. These are the service gifts, they are not the natural gifts. The natural gifts serve a different purpose but they can serve the will of God.

What we seek to discover is which of these service gifts has any of us been given.

Over my decades of being in more than one church ministry I can bear witness to some events that might help shed light on how we might discover our callings in the gift(s) we have been given.

A man came into church one day and announced he was a bible teacher. He was pulled aside by the elders and was told that he would not be given a position to teach in the congregation simply on his word. Over time it was discovered that he desired the gift of teaching which was not given by the Lord. 

The lesson there is that our fellow believers will discover what our gifts are because we have allowed others to search out our hearts and submit properly as God intended.

Nothing brings out the identity of a calling as quickly as submission of will to others. That frees up the Spirit to speak into the hearts of others what Christ has done in us. Verse 14 above was included with this purpose,”by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes”.

1 Corinthians 12:31 English Standard Version(ESV) But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Some will seek a gift without discovering the way.