What The Trailblazers Taught Me

Basketball is my favorite sport and the Trailblazers are my favorite team. I was one year old when my family took me to the parade where they were celebrated as the new NBA champions in 1977.  Later, as I matured into a nine year old I began playing intramural basketball. By this time I knew some of the basic rules, like free throws, but I hadn’t yet grasped the concept of being a team player. During one of our games we were running a man-to-man defense. However, I was trying to defend any man who had the ball. The coach called me aside and explained that each player was to defend one guy (for the most part), thus I needed to stick with one guy, defend only him, and allow my teammates to defend their guys too.

Basketball is a team sport. Within that team there are various positions that each player plays. Every player does not have the same function, they work together and bring their own strengths or gifts to the game. This is basic; you know this. But do you know that the church needs team players too? Just as I could not defend every player, not one member is to do more than his or her share within the church. Each person’s share is to be done according to gifting, and may vary according to calling and time. Furthermore, another trailblazer (Paul) teaches us that “all the members do not have the same function” (Romans 12:4). If everyone had the function of preaching then we would not be able to do much in the way of serving. If everyone’s function was only to serve then the Word of God and baptism may be left behind. Within the church, God gives a variety of gifts so that when functioning properly the members work harmoniously unto the glory of God.

Several of the gifts given to the church appear in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. Read the passage below and notice the details that he provides:

                       

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God,  [which is] your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, [each of us is to exercise them accordingly]: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:1-8).

By gazing at verses one and two it is obvious that Paul’s instruction to the Roman believers is that they pursue actual Christlikeness. Then the rest of the passage teaches us what this new Christlike community (i.e. the church) should look like. These marks, as it were, are the things that we do, the thoughts that we think, and the gifts that we posses.

We who make up the church consist of many members and various gifts that differ according to God’s grace toward each one (12:6). We are to exercise our gift(s) according to our faith. This faith isn’t saving faith, but the faith that the Spirit has given us so that we would be good stewards of our gift within this local body called Prineville Community Church. Now, the gifts are many but limited, these are the ones listed in Romans 12:7-8:

Prophecy-the ability to clearly understand and proclaim Scripture with conviction, to preach.

Service-the ability to help or assist by performing certain duties, often with humility.

Teaching-the ability to understand the Bible and present it clearly, similar to prophecy (or preaching) but less emotive and spontaneous.

Exhorting-the ability to lift up and encourage someone’s heart.

Giving-the ability to give of one’s money and items freely and sacrificially.

Leading-the ability to guide others.

Mercy-the ability to show sensitivity and sympathy toward those who are hurting and suffering.

Now, you are probably expecting me to ask you to try to figure out your own gift. Well, I’m not; and I probably won’t anytime soon. Paul’s point in listing out these gifts wasn’t necessarily for us to pick one out and decide that it’s ours but to encourage us to be team players. To respect the diversity of gifts. If you are a believer, then you have a gift. And if you are part of a local church then you are using your gift. It just happens according to God’s design and our faith.

But I find it interesting that before Paul delves into gifts he speaks of humility and unity in the church (Romans 12:3-5). Then, after listing several examples of the various gifts, Paul instructs us to bless our persecutors and to “be of the same mind toward one another” (Rom 12:16). Could it be that the Bible lists the gifts given by the Spirit and instructs us to exercise them properly to give us a glimpse into what God is doing with the members who make up the church? I think so. Paul assumes that the members are employing their gifts. But he isn’t assuming that they do so with humility. He knows that certain people in the church like to hog all the ministry. On the other hand, he understands that some in the church think that they are immune from doing much of anything, expecting the energetic ones to do it all. When we understand Romans 12, we understand that the church is a team. Not all have the same role. We work together to advance His kingdom unto the glory of God. To do this, all of us need someone who will listen and cry with us as we deal with the pain that life chucks into our faces. To do this, we all need someone to give to us (money or otherwise) when we are facing a time of need. To do this, we all need someone, like Paul needed Barnabus, to stand up for us and excite us about life and serving Christ once again.

Are you thankful for this church? Are you thankful to God for this church? With little amusement, I’ve listened to a few one man bands. Not one of them was as good as a three piece band. The Central Oregon Symphony is amazing and so were those 1977 Portland Trailblazers because each team member had their own gift and they played with all their heart. Let’s be team players. We’ll amaze our neighbors and bring glory to our heavenly Father.