Arrivals and Departures: The Church as an Airport

1. Arrivals and Departures: The Church as an Airport Jon Wright 9th Jan 2005

2. Departure does not have to mean ‘The End’ • People depart from Churches to new places / positions, sometimes happily and sometimes without the blessing of the Pastor • Sometimes people come back but perhaps to a different position • They can leave holes behind them • One man’s hole is another’s opportunity!

3. Departure and Arrival are often linked together • Arrival can be someone moving between Churches - they arrive in the new Church - perhaps to do something different there • Arrival can mean someone in the Church steps up to take the position that has been left as a hole • Arrival can mean someone taking a new position where before there was none

4. Arrivals and Departures: Free Gifts from God to help in Arrival • God has gifts for each and every person - John 3:16 for example promises the gift of life • God has gifts that are given to individuals - Rom 12:6-8 (prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, leading, showing mercy etc), 1Cor 12:7-10 (wisdom, healing, discernment, tongues, etc) • Different Christians are given different gifts as different parts of the Church - Eph 4:11 (five-fold: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher)

5. Gifts are given for the benefit of the Church not the individual • Parable of the Talents - Matt 25:14-30 (two servants invest their 5 and 2 talents and are commended, the third servant hides his 1 talent instead and is throw outside) • Gifts are like seeds, they need to develop, be cared for • Gifts can be taken back if not used, or not used correctly

6. Use of Gifts - 1 Cor 12-14. • They are to be used in love • They are for the profit of the Church not the individual • Gifts and talents are different things, a talented piano player is not a worship leader. Talents are what a person can do themselves, a gift is what God can do in and through one of his children • However a gift often requires work on the part of the person - Noah’s preservation was a gift from God but he had to build the ark himself!

7. Abuse of a Gift - will result in the loss of the Gift. • The parable of the talents shows that God will take a gift back. • Abuse of a gift can also affect others, for example, the gift of speaking in tongues when not used in love will sound like a resounding gong or clanging symbol - 1 Cor 13:1. This will drive people away and also prevent others from using their gifts in love.

8. Some people never accept or ask for gifts because of self-doubt • Satan is the great deceiver, if at all possible he will make you doubt that God has gifts for you • He may already seed the doubt years before you even realize that there may be a gift • Example, a teacher may have told you that you are not good at a subject, so you avoid any ministry related to subject. • However this is FALSE, gifts are what God does through you not what you do on your own.

9. God is the God of 2nd Chances • If we repent from not using/accepting or misusing a gift that God may have taken away then God will forgive us and the gift may be given/returned. • However this must be repentance and not self-pity • We must not use God forgiveness as a license to misuse gifts.

10. Earnestly Desire The Greater Gifts - 1 Cor 12:31 • If you want real joy, ask God want he wants to see in your life and then ask Him for it • Seek the gift through which you can best meet the needs of others - 1 Cor 12:13-31 • Seek the gift through which you can best manifest God’s love - 1 Cor 13 • Seek the gift through which you can best edify (build-up) the body of Christ - 1 Cor 14

11. Summary - God is in Control • Departures from the Church means opportunities for others (inside and outside the Church) to arrive • God has an abundance of gifts which operate through his children for the benefit of the Church • Gifts lost through misuse/nonuse can return • Earnestly seek the best gifts!