You are Designed to be Different to Make a Difference

 Rev Jasmine Ooi

Romans 12:4-8

4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

We have different gifts. Why do we want to make a difference? Because fruitfulness in our lives increases according to how we are designed.

We are made to multiply. Adam and Eve was told to be fruitful and multiply. And not just biologically. We are created to contribute and not just consume.

There are three main points I want to share.

1. How you are designed differently
2. How you can make a difference
3. How you are designed to function as part of your church

How you are designed differently

You are gifted differently to express different facets of God's character.

Romans 12:6-8

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

You are given the gift of serving. Jesus came to serve.

Matthew 20:28

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

And the gift of mercy is given to most of us. God is rich in mercy. And it's a reflection of the image of God. And the gift of giving is like God who gives bountifully.

You are designed to function in your different gift.

A gift is a "God given ability/capacity, and desire to perform a function within the body of Christ with supernatural joy, energy and effectiveness."

How can we discover where we can make a difference?

All of us have different passion and talents or gifting. How do we combine this by meeting a need that is around us. Is there a need?

Like in Sunday School there are two kids who comes to church on their own by walking. And sometimes we wonder why are they here when they are not paying attention or listening? We need to instead bond with them. We who have a heart for children can connect and mentor them.

What other needs can you see in your community? Find that sweet spot. Like if you play golf, you will know when you hit the sweet spot, the ball will fly. Find your sweet spot, not the sweet tooth.

This is a tool to discover how God has designed you, to achieve his purpose and fulfill his plan. Explore the S.T.O.R.Y. God has written in your life.

Strength

Topic (enjoy working with?)

Optimal conditions (what motivates you?)

Relationship pattern (people/task)

Yes! (I was made to do this)

Use your S.T.O.R.Y. for God's glory.

All of you have strength. Or topics you enjoy working with or talking about. And what optimal conditions motivates you. Like some who likes the limelight while some likes to be in the background. God can use you.

What is your relationship pattern. You work well, in a team or maybe you work better alone.

Are you people oriented or task oriented.

God gave gifts us to:

Equip the Saints. Edify the body and unite us in the faith.

Ephesians 4:11-13

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,

12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Some of you are good at encouraging or evangelism. Some may be able to pray or have compassion for the poor.

An example is the church in Acts. How did the church use the gifts?

Acts 4:34-37

34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Barnabas saw the needs at that time. He is an encourager. He had a piece of land and he sold it to give money to the needy. What do you have? David had a sling. Maybe you have a car. What can you do with what you have? Dorcas used her gift to do good and to help the poor.

Acts 9:36-42

36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

Philip used his gift to evangelise an Ethiopian official. He went near to the carriage. Sometimes all we need is to listen to a need and to lead them to the Lord Jesus.

Acts 8:26-39

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,

and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

Who can speak of his descendants?

For his life was taken from the earth.”

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37 ] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

In the Acts church there were prophets and teachers, apostles and evangelists. How can you use your gift today. You can edify (build up) one another.

Today you can make a difference with your gifts. You are designed to function as a part of the church. We are living stones. You make up the church. Not bricks but it is people that make up the church.

You are designed to function as a part of your church.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by supporting ligament. Grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4:16

from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

You are designed to function as a part of your church. There was a pastor who lost his toe to gangrene due to diabetes and he said with his missing toe, he had to learn to walk again. You may think the toe is not important but it is vitally important. If you are missing on Sunday, it makes a difference.

We are all designed to pull together. We are a team. If one of you decide to stop, you will slow the team down or it may stop completely.

God has designed different people/ages to serve various roles, like members of a championship football team. You have different gifts to serve different roles and different positions. Ruben, what position you play? Defender. That is his role. He is not a striker and cannot paly that role.

Lessons from the geese. Do you see how geese fly in a V position? As they flap their wings, they create an uplift that will help the one behind him. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if any bird were to fly alone. What can we learn?

Share a common direction and a sense of community, we can get where we are going quickly and easily because we are travelling on the thrust of one another!

Whenever a goose fall out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take the advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those who are headed in the same direction. Be willing to accept their help as well as give our help to others.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position. This is important also for the church. Take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing responsibilities. Like geese, we are interdependent on each other's unique arrangements of gifts, skills and resources.

Some of those in the children's church have been serving for more than ten years and they miss the service to be a teacher. We can offer our help and rotate so that they too can enjoy the service.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

If we honk, we need to make sure it is positive and encouraging. Where there is encouragement, production is greater. Speaking the truth in love… cause growth and edification. (4:15,16)

When a goose gets sick or wounded or is shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. They then launch out on their own, with another formation or catch up with the flock.

If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong. Look alongside every great achiever and you will find caring people offering encouragement, support and able assistance.

Lesson learnt on team building.

Stand by each other.

Let us try to fly in formation and remember to drop back to help those who might need it!

1 Thessalonians 5:14

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

The greatest accomplishments in life are not achieved by individuals alone, but by proactive people pulling together for a common good.

How did the church help members to function as a team to resolve a crisis in the midst of revival? Grecian Jews complained against Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

Acts 6:1-7

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Apostle Peter stood up and he said choose seven men from among you who are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and ministry of the word. So the word of God spread. The numbers of disciples increased rapidly.

Our significance has to be in God. We have needs yet we can help others. We can help each one, hear them out and help them understand that their needs can be met by God.

Conclusion :

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 4:10

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Do not neglect the gift.

1 Timothy 4:14

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.

Stir up the gift.

2 Timothy 1:6

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

What I am is God's gift to me; what I do with it is my gift to Him. TOP, your tagline is blessed to be a blessing. Have you blessed someone. 

Rev Ronald Ooi praying for the youth and young adults.