I. GOD’S DISPENSER OF GRACE
A.God intends to give us grace.
1. Grace is God’s empowering Presence that enables us to be and to do what He has called us to be and to do.
2. Saints are not those who need less grace, but “consume” the most grace. Saints learn to live by grace.
B. God intends to dispense grace through us.
1.“Stewardship” or “Dispensation” of grace (vs 2)
2. God intends to fill us with grace and dispense grace to others through us, like He did with the Apostle Paul.
3. However, how He dispenses grace through each one of us will be different and unique to each. There will be more than one way!
II. DISCERNING GOD’S CALL
A. God Given (vs 2)
1. He chooses (1 Cor. 12:11) No sign up sheet!
2. By grace: we don’t earn it. No “ladder” to climb to earn more.
3. Comparison kills
B. Spirit Confirmed (vs 5)
1. Through others: similar revelations (vs 5), conversations, by leaders (Acts 13:1-4)
2. Effect (vs 7) ordinary human event of preaching but God back it up with supernatural results. Kingdom of God not in word but in power. (1 Cor. 4:20) All the churches planted, miracles demonstrated were a result of Paul saying “yes” to the ordinary event of preaching.
3. Produces humility (vs 8) when operating in calling one is aware they are not the one’s getting the results. That produces humility.
C. Fulfills God’s purposes
1. Glorifies Christ (vs 8) makes much of Jesus, draws people to Christ not to you. Results in gratitude toward God. They see our good works and glory God.
2. Pushes back Darkness (vs 8,9) light to what was hidden, challenges the “rulers and authorities in heavenly places”
3. Eternal Impact (vs 11) in being apart of the purposes of God we impact peoples souls which are eternal, challenge spiritual beings who are eternal, for the glory of Jesus Christ who is eternal.
4. To be a dispenser of God’s grace will require boldness and risk. (v. 12)
5. Creates supernatural perseverance (vs 13) Paul could suffer much because he knew his calling. (1 Cor. 16:9 “for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”)
III. The Call of the Church A. The first task of the Church is to witness. (“made known” v. 10)
1. The church is first to witness of God’s wisdom to principalities and powers. (“rulers and authorities in heavenly places” v. 10)
2. As we live in and by God’s grace with one-another, God dispenses His grace to and through each of the saints (in our ordinary lives together) in which the world benefits from this grace and God’s wisdom is made know to principalities and powers.
3. God’s wisdom is “made known” because it was God’s wisdom and not His power that was questioned and challenged by Satan. God could have crushed Satan right after Genesis 3, but that only proves that God was more powerful not that He was right (wise).
B. The Corporate Call of the Church
1. People of every tribe, tongue, and ethnicity living together in the grace and love of God, bears witness to the fact that we are God’s children and thus, God made a flawless choice in choosing humans to be His heirs and not angels, animals, etc.
2. This is why the unity of the church is so important. Unity is a gift of grace by God’s Spirit. We do not produce unity, we maintain or “keep” the unity that God has made by uniting us each with Christ. (see Eph. 4:3 “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”)
3. This is why each saint contributing the grace that God has given them is important to the overall call of the church in the world. (Eph. 4:7; 1Cor. 12:7)
IV. Conclusion
God intends to make known His wisdom to principalities and powers through the church. He gives grace to each one for their salvation, restoration, healing, and sanctification. He also intend to give grace through each saint to others in both the church and the world. In so doing, each of us play a part in making God’s wisdom known, thus, fulfilling the call given to the New Testament Church.