Does God work in the church only in extraordinary ways, through pastors, preachers, and giants of spirituality, while simply passing ordinary people by? We look for the answer in 1 Corinthians 12, where Paul reminds a community dazzled by spectacular gifts that the same Spirit also works through quiet, unassuming service. The story of an old man who, after years of serving as a pastor, ended up setting out chairs before the service shows that in God’s eyes there are no second-rate tasks. Listen if you have ever felt that your service goes unseen.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Paul reminds the Corinthians that as pagans they were led astray to idols through ecstatic experiences. According to verses 1-3, why is confessing that Jesus is Lord the sign of the Holy Spirit at work?
- Paul writes that the foot does not stop belonging to the body just because it is not a hand. What did this picture in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 say to believers in Corinth who divided people into more and less important?
- The man in the addiction recovery center did not feel the Spirit working until he saw how his thinking about his wife, his children and God had changed. In what ordinary changes in your life do you see the Spirit at work today?
- The sermon describes three attitudes: seeking a special position, feeling unimportant, and chasing spiritual fireworks. Which one is closest to you, and how does it affect the unity of the church?
- Paul says the gifts are given for the common good and that the parts that seem weaker are especially needed. How does this change the way you see less visible ministries, like setting out chairs or cleaning?
- What is one ordinary, unnoticed task you can do this week out of love for the good of others, in the church or beyond?
