These have been the large questions that have shaped our preaching for this year and the answers have been found throughout scripture. Today we are seeing that the spiritual work God has given us to do is supported by a wide range of spiritual gifts. Like the special tool enclosed with my tie rack, God encloses special gifts for the work of the church. Who we are , what we do and what we say are the three ways the missional calling of the church is expressed in the world. Now, notice, all three of these tasks emerge again in this text.
Gifts are to be used for the building up the church.
In I Cor. Now, don't get Paul wrong. He is not making the gift of tongues into a bad gift, just dangerous. We have members of our church who speak in tongues, but they do not use that gift as the measure of all the rest of us, nor do they use that gift to show off. God regards the church as the Body of Christ, the continual presence of Christ in this world.