There is a flow of the Holy Spirit, a work of God, which occurs throughout our churches to allow them to grow and be strong. People within our churches are given specific gifts to enable them to minister to others that the church might be healthy and wise.
However, it is common to find many churches not recognizing these gifts and not involving gifted people to the support of the church. This also was a situation in Corinth.
What gifts would a lawyer, a carpenter, a school teacher, or a city worker have to offer inside the church?
Every person in our church is gifted by the Holy Spirit and often they are using those gifts solely as a way to bring home income. Yet these can provide valued feedback, advice, organization, and excellent service into the church by their gifts.
A church with a plumber should have the best plumbing around and also children who are learning spiritual applications of plumbing in the scriptures. Remember the fountain which cannot produce muddy water and clean water without the source of the water being clean. That's an adage about spiritual plumbing!
Yet many churches get stuck in a way of thinking which stifles it. They think the pastor is the only one who can preach. They think an elder is the only one who can lead or visit the sick. They take each position in the church and fill it with what makes sense to them and do not stop to think God may want to raise up a fisherman to catch people like fish through evangelism.
Churches should not set rules which restrict members to a lifestyle, a conduct, or limiting criteria. Paul says, let a person be who they are; let them be the way God called them. Yet in Corinth the opposite was true.
There are so many churches which try to mold people to be a person which fits their group. Unknowingly, church leaders have quenched the Spirit of God by trying to make someone into something they are not. They try to make them act a certain way and dress a certain way and do certain jobs.
But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches. 1 Corinthians 7:17 (NKJV)
God wants to reach out of the box of our minds to call people to His work.
The Spirit of God wants people from all walks of life; remember He chose fishermen off the docks to start His church. When He brings people to us, we should accept them the way they are and be ready to let them have an influence on His church.
It is when churches try to control people that the spirit of God is quenched and often moves on to find others who will listen. Whole churches have lost the leading of the Spirit because they quench His spirit.
Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.. 1 Corinthians 7:18-20 (NKJV)
There was a church with a small congregation which had a pastor who carried a burdened to reach the youth which frequented a local beach. He saw his congregation growing older and there was not many youth. This pastor recognized a stifling of the Holy Spirit
His burden became heavy to have these youth in his church and living their lifestyles inside his church. So he went down to the beach and preached the word of God to these young adults and they began to give their life to Christ.
The problems came when the kids showed up on Sunday at his church. They came as they were with long hair, bare feet, shorts and some not so clean.
The problem was not the kids, but the older adults of the congregation. These, who were older, became upset with the way the younger looked, dressed, and acted. Some went to the pastor and demanded he get the youth in line, wanting to conform them to their own ways.
This caused the Pastor to preach on this very same chapter saying let them come the way they are.
Soon, the youth began to learn the word of God and took the message to their friends. The church started to grow; even the isles became full and the stage was packed with these youth sitting on its floor.
Others started to use their musical abilities and soon everything about that church changed. God was in control and bringing thousands of kids from all over Southern California; it was such an influx the building would not hold them all and a new building was built.
From this small church came a group of believers which would start churches throughout the world and change the face of Christianity.
From this small church came contemporary Christian music. Worship became fresh and alive to the whole world. The ripple effect of accepting people the way God brings them was enormous and because this church was faithful to let them come they way they were they were used of God.
Currently there are tens of thousands churches, ministries, and missions projects which have blanked the planet in every country, because of the willingness and obedience of this pastor to go and invite these beach youth into his the church.
Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.. 1 Corinthians 7:21-23 (NKJV)
Our church must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in the lives of others. Each person’s vocation is important and to be used within the church. We should not try to mold people into our church image, but allow them to change our church image for God has called these people. The Lord wants the people to remain as they are and continue to work.
Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called. 1 Corinthians 7:24 (NKJV)
If we let the Spirit of God work within the church, to bring who he wants, and if people are different let them remain who they are.
For the small church I told you about, little things like they way people act, how they dress, and how they looked was too important to some of the members and these left the church. Those who left missed out on a work of God which was and is incredible.
“Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking God uses only “special” people—the strong, the intelligent, the beautiful. We don’t think He has a place for the rest of us. We are so wrong!” - Chuck Smith
Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa California has directly and indirectly contributed to the Lord's work in starting churches numbering 951 in the United States and 213 churches world wide. Some have congregations which are the largest in the world.
