Sermons and Devotions

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. 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.                                                                                       Gospel: – Mark 1: 1-16
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord make His paths straight.’”
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

                                                  John Baptizes Jesus
9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

In verse 3 of the Epistle we learn that God has dealt to each one of us a measure of faith and that suggests faith being rolled out or distributed out as if from a container into smaller portions according to God’s grace and God determines what quantity each one gets depending on criteria that only God knows. This idea of faith being distributed is the norm for how we are endowed, and the Apostle then writes about the body and its members and a list of seven illustrative gifts follows: prophesy, ministry, teaching, exhorting or encouraging, giving, leading and mercy.
It is imperative we not just receive but that having received the gifts differing according to the grace given to us LET US USE THEM.
It is a common saying especially in sports and in activities demonstrative of talent, special skills etc. USE IT OR LOSE IT! More so, in the age of technology one is guaranteed to get overtaken unless one keeps up. A while back I took a year off my job after 10 years on it. It was painful after I got back to discover I had forgotten how to do many things, some I thought were quite elementary. We forget so quickly.
Prophecy is the inspired utterance of truth or teaching, and we are to exercise it according to the proportion of faith. The exercise of it is to be illustrative of a prophet’s walk with God and must be relevant to the context, the time and is in harmony with what God is doing at the time. Prophecy clears and does not muddy the waters. Ministry should be understood in the context of a Deacon’s work which is about service and more to do with material rather than spiritual matters. Ministry works together with teaching and exhortation, not in isolation but as like one leg of a three-legged stool. These three complement each other, each in its place otherwise they will be ineffectual. Giving must be exercised with simplicity and without any PARADE and purely because of the need for the gift. Ruling must be due to the ability of leadership be it home, congregation and in every setting. Mercy is demonstrated in Christian kindness as we serve others gladly like the sick, elderly, the poor or those with disabilities and should be done with cheer.
In verse 9 the Apostle writes on the topic of Christian love, the agape love that is a combination of intellect, volition as well as feeling. Love is to be without hypocrisy, pure and sincere in its outflowing and the Apostle says that this love has certain active characteristics such as: –
• A loathing for evil and a hungering for what is good.
• It inspires a mutual affection for kindred souls.
• It helps us put the interest of others before our own and a desire we may surpass others in doing praiseworthy works.
• This love when it is ruling manifests enthusiasm; and
• There is always a glow and much fervency in its practice.
• Its focus is on serving the Lord Jesus Christ.
• It regards with cheerfulness the reality of the Christian HOPE.
• It has endurance in suffering for the cause.
• It has perseverance in prayer.
• It’s found in sharing the needs of Christian brothers and sisters.
• In it is the practice of hospitality; and
• It is very much aware of the dangers of self-conceit.
The Gospel reading illustrates the gift of prophesy being lived out in the life of a real person namely John the Baptist. In the Gospel of Matthew 11:11 Jesus Himself says, “Assuredly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.” THAT WAS THE MEASURE OF JOHN’S FAITH. His calling was one GRAND in scale, EXTENSIVE in scope covering the Old Testament dispensation UNTILL the Christ. For that reason, the life that Prophet John lived was commensurate with and was demonstrative of THIS calling and walk with God, the context and time and was in harmony with the plan of God. John cleared the waters and did NOT MUDDY THEM, in the spiritual sense. He kept himself unspotted from the world, he lived in humility, was not conceited, and he endured suffering for the cause, was totally focused on service of Christ, manifested enthusiasm and had a loathing for evil that was cause for his death and had a hungering for good (called people to repentance) and was full of zeal and the desire to see the fulfilment of the ministry of his calling.
In renewing our baptism vows today, we remember how we each have been dealt a measure of faith and we need to use our gifts of grace lest we lose them; whether prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, hospitality, mercy exercised in Christian love.

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN.