Diversity of our Father | June 18, 2023

Main Point: We are each uniquely shaped by our Father with distinct giftings; we serve, love, and worship in unity and diversity.

Diversely shaped for purpose

Isaiah 64:8 NIV

⁸  But now, O Lord, you are our Father; We are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Diversity in the way we serve 

1 Corinthians 12:15-20 NIV

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 

1 Corinthians 12:27-31 NIV

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. 

Diversity in the way we love

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NIV

⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

• Another diverse way to love is Gary Chapman’s 5 love languages: words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, physical touch, or gifts
• There is diversity in the way we receive love…God is the same

Diversity in the way we worship

John 4:24 NIV

²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

1 Corinthians 14:15 NIV

¹⁵ So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 

1 Corinthians 14:26 NIV

²⁶ “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.”

1 Corinthians 14:40 NIV

⁴⁰“But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”

• The early church was so ecstatic about being used by the Holy Spirit that Paul had to bring unity to the diversity
• May we continue to find a profound unity in our diversity

Conclusion: Father God wants each one of us to know that we are uniquely shaped by Him for a specific purpose. We see this in the way we serve, we love, and we worship.