The ‘church’ is not a building.  It is the word used for all the people who belong to God because they have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The ‘Church Triumphant’ is already with Christ; the ‘Church Militant’ is made up of every believer on earth.  The ‘Local Church’ is the gathering of believers who live and work near to each other (Romans 16:1-5).  Each believer has been given gifts by the Holy Spirit. These are spiritual tools which enable God to do His work, through His people.  And He gives a different selection of gifts to each believer so that they are uniquely gifted to serve Him (1 Corinthians 12:27-28).

These gifts all come because of His grace (Ephesians 4:7) … by His grace we have been saved … by His grace we serve with the gifts He gives.  This is not of ourselves, otherwise we would want to boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).  It honours Him when we use His gifts (they are tools for His service and not toys for our pleasure).  How we use them will show the kind of relationship we have with God who has given them to us.  

Prophesying (speaking out God’s Word) heads the list as it definitively connects the church to their Maker.  God is speaking to them through people He chooses – not that their message comes from them, but that they have received it and passed it on. But to speak in God’s Name without God’s love is vacuous (1 Corinthians 13:1-2).  Likewise teaching and leading: the Pharisees gloried in their teaching but have no part in God’s kingdom because they have not obeyed what they taught (Matthew 23:13-15).  Serving is always sacrificial:  if we have a gift of giving, we need to be generous; if we have responsibility for others, we must be diligent; and if we are called to help others who are in very difficult circumstances, we must cheerfully put up with things which we might not like.

We all have only some of these gifts (1 Corinthians 12:29-30), but like any tools they are useless if we do not use them.   Many believers think that because they are not clergy, they have no gifts; but that is not true.  God has given spiritual gifts to all according to His wisdom and purpose.  So, we need to find out what gifts we have, and then learn to use them wisely (Ephesians 5:10).  Other more mature Christians may help us in this.  We may not use the gifts perfectly at first, but we need to keep practising and asking the Lord for His help.  Alas, we may try to use His gifts for our own glory. That is not right; but we can and must repent of self-centred serving so that we may become useful to Him and give Him the glory.