Last week I attended the South Atlantic District Convention. It is a constitutional requirement for me to attend that convention, but even if it wasn’t I would still go. You see conventions in the South Atlantic District are different than the ones in other districts. For one, other districts hold their conventions in places like a high school gymnasium in the middle of the cow pastures of Wisconsin. The South Atlantic Districts holds its convention on a golf course along the coast of Florida. Another benefit of going to convention in the South Atlantic District is families are encouraged to travel with the delegates to the convention. These families spend the day by the pool or hanging out at the beach while the pastors and teachers are in meetings. This allows cheapskate pastors and teachers to convince their families that they are on a family vacation.
Probably the main reason I like going to conferences and conventions in the South Atlantic District is the called workers that attend. There are so many gifted men and women in our district that it almost doesn’t seem fair to the other districts. There are top notch academics in our district. I have the same education as any WELS pastor. Like all other WELS pastors, I am competent and capable. In the world’s eyes I am considered a theologian. Yet I have sat through more than one paper or presentation delivered by a man or woman in our district where I felt like a 5-year-old trying to read a Ken Follett novel. The intellectual capacity of some of the people in our district is truly remarkable. But we aren’t just a bunch of brainiacs. We also have talented vocalists and musicians in our district. During worship services in our District I have stopped singing a hymn halfway through a verse because the sound of my brothers and sisters singing around me was so overwhelming that it was all I could do to fight back the tears. If I were more confident in my manhood, I would let the tears flow and simply bask in the beauty of the music. Our district is full of people who have highly developed social skills. Now we are in the people business, so that is not surprising, but some of my fellow called workers make Dale Carnegie look like an awkward introvert. They remember people’s names, their spouses’ names, their children’s names, their pets’ names. They know where everyone is serving and has served, and they are truly interested to learn more about you. It’s weird. Nice, but weird.
I always look forward to going to conferences and conventions in the South Atlantic District where I am surrounded by such gifted men and women, but, if I am being completely honest, part of me also dreads it. It is hard for a person to be surrounded by so many gifted people and not help but notice that you are, by comparison, somewhat less than they. Now, everyone knows you should never compare yourself to other people, no good can come from it. Yet I will confess, at more than one conference or convention, I have given in to that temptation and compared myself to my brothers and sisters in the ministry and every time I have, I have left feeling depressed, insecure, and, worst of all, guilty of sin. If you have ever given in to the same temptation than you know exactly what I am talking about.
That is why I am so grateful we have this section of Paul’s letter to the Christians in Corinth before us today. It is a powerful reminder that through the working of the Holy Spirit we are different. Today, through the inspired words of Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 we are going to celebrate the fact that we are different.
The Christians in Corinth struggled with their differences. They struggled with the differences between men and women, Jews and Gentiles, married and single. This struggle with their differences was tearing the church in Corinth apart. The church was plagued with cliques, factions, and rifts. The church in Corinth was a church divided and if we don’t want the same thing to happen to us, we will need to pay close attention to the words that are before us today.
Instead of denying there were any differences among the Christians in Corinth, Paul highlights their differences. In verses 4-6 Paul writes, “4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.” Painting with a broad brush, Paul points out that we all have different gifts, are called upon to perform different services, and accomplish different works for each other. Paul then proceeds to list 9 examples of ways in which God’s people are differently gifted. He writes of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, powers, prophecy, distinguishing, speaking, and interpreting. It is clear that this is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all the different gifts that God’s people possess. Rather, this list is meant to show us the variety and abundance of different gifts that are possessed by God’s people.
We are different. We are different genders, different ages, and have different physical features. We come from different places, have had different experiences, and do different things. We have different talents, abilities, and skills. We are different. Each and every one of us, different in a multitude of ways.
The devil would like to use these differences to divide us as he divided the Christians in Corinth. The devil would like us to compare ourselves to each other and come to one of two conclusions. The devil wants you think about the gifts that the people around you possess, compare the gifts they possess to the gifts you possess, and come to the conclusion that either your gifts are better than their gifts or their gifts are better than your gifts. You see the devil doesn’t really care if our differences fill you full of pride or jealousy. Either way you have filled yourself with sin. And the more people the devil can convince to do the same, the deeper the divisions in the church. And the deeper the divisions in the church the more dysfunctional the church. And the more dysfunctional the church the more ineffective the proclamation of the gospel from that church.
The devil would like to use our differences to divide us, but God would like to use our differences to unite us. In verse 7 Paul invites us to think of our differences as “manifestations of the Spirit”. When we think of our gifts as “manifestations of the Spirit”, we realize that our gifts are not our gifts. The talents, skills and abilities that are associated with us are really the work the Holy Spirit does through us. Paul drives this point home in verse 11 where he writes, “11 All these (that is our different talents, skills, and abilities) are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” The Holy Spirit determines how He is going to work through me, and He determines how He is going to work through you. And He has determined that He will work differently through me than He works through you. The more we realize our gifts are not our gifts the more it becomes increasingly difficult for the devil to fill us full of sin and cause divisions among us. When we realize our gifts are not our gifts it is clear that there is no such thing as a good gift or a bad gift, there are only different manifestations of the Spirit.
Also, in verse 7, Paul informed us that these different manifestations of the Spirit were “given for the common good”. It is common that similarities draw people together, but it is our differences that make that make coming together essential. You see if you had all the gifts then you wouldn’t need anybody. But that is just it, you would be all by yourself. You would be alone and isolated from everyone else. But God does not want us to be alone. God wants us to be a part of a community. And the easiest way to do that is to make us different. Because we are different, I need you, and you need me, we need each other. The Holy Spirit manifests Himself differently in each one of us so that through me He can meet your needs and through you He can meet my needs. The Holy Spirit gives us different gifts for the common good.
We are different, the devil wants to use our differences to divide, God wants to use our differences to unite, but when we focus on our differences, we kind of burry the headline of the story. Paul began this discussion on our differences by pointing out that we are different from the pagans. In verse 3 Paul wrote, “3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” It is not how the Holy Spirit has made us different from one another that should occupy our attention. Rather, it is how the Holy Spirit has made us different from people who by their words and actions curse Jesus. The Holy Spirit has made us different from them. Because of the Holy Spirit you know that Jesus used the different gifts assigned to His human nature for the common good, for your good. Because of the Holy Spirit you know the service Jesus performed for you as He hung on the cross. Because of the Holy Spirit you know the work Jesus accomplished for you was the salvation of your soul. The Holy Spirit has made you different than the pagan. He has created faith inside of you that allows you to confess, “Jesus is Lord”.
Like the pastors and teachers of the South Atlantic District the members of Messiah are a gifted group of people. Y’all are so gifted that it almost doesn’t seem fair to the other churches. Being surrounded by so many gifted people is a tremendous blessing. But the devil will do everything he can to use that blessing to fill us full of sin and cause divisions among us. That is why it is so important for us to be reminded that our differences are manifestations of the Spirit given for the common good and that the greatest difference is not the one that exists between fellow believers like you and me, but rather the greatest difference is the one that exists between we who confess Jesus is Lord and those who don’t. We are different. Because of the Holy Spirit we are different. Praise God! We are different. Amen.