Let’s Have Church: You Have Something to Bring

Have you ever felt prompted to encourage someone, offer to pray, or respond during worship—and then talked yourself out of it? What if I’m wrong? What if I don’t know what to say? What if somebody thinks I’m being strange? Sometimes we spend so much time second-guessing the next step that we never take it.

Last week, I preached a message called “Let’s Have Church.” It is a phrase many of us grew up hearing when people began worshiping with greater freedom and expectation. But the invitation reaches beyond a familiar phrase or a particular style of worship. It is an invitation to gather with hearts open to Jesus, attentive to His Word, and willing to respond to the Holy Spirit. And that invitation includes you.

Someone May Need What You Bring

It is easy to think of church as something a few people prepare and everyone else attends. The musicians rehearse. The pastor studies. Volunteers get everything ready. Then we arrive and receive what has been prepared. There is real value in that preparation, and we all need opportunities to receive ministry. Some Sundays, you may come through the doors exhausted, grieving, or barely holding on. There is room for you to be cared for.

But there is also a beautiful possibility we can overlook: God may want to use you to strengthen someone else.

In 1 Corinthians 12:7, Paul explains that the Spirit gives gifts to believers so we can help one another. In 1 Corinthians 14:26, he describes a gathering in which people bring different contributions, with the shared purpose of strengthening the church. That gives us another question to carry into Sunday: “Holy Spirit, how do You want to use me today?” Perhaps someone needs the encouragement you can offer. Perhaps you will notice a person who seems alone. Perhaps someone will share a burden, and you will have the opportunity to pray with them. You may never hold a microphone. You can still be part of what God is doing.

Begin With Love and Availability

When people hear about spiritual gifts, they sometimes imagine something far beyond their experience. They wonder whether they are spiritual enough, knowledgeable enough, or confident enough to participate. Paul gives us a helpful starting point in 1 Corinthians 14:1: pursue love and earnestly desire spiritual gifts.

Love gives our desire a direction. We want people to be helped, encouraged, strengthened, and drawn closer to Jesus. Begin there. Ask God to make you attentive to people. Read Scripture so you become more familiar with His character and truth. Pray for a willing heart. Be open to learning how He has gifted you to serve. That willingness may begin with a simple conversation. “I’ve been thinking about you. How are you doing?” “Would it be okay if I prayed with you?” “I wanted you to know you haven’t been forgotten.”

As you grow, you may also begin to recognize the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit wants to develop in your life. Scripture speaks of gifts such as wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, tongues, and interpretation. These are gifts to steward with humility and love. We can desire them, study what Scripture teaches about them, and seek guidance as we learn.

You Can Learn as You Grow

One of the things that holds people back is the belief that they should already know exactly what they are doing. But spiritual growth involves learning. We become more familiar with Scripture. We learn to pray for people. We develop discernment. We receive instruction and correction. We grow in our understanding of how to serve others well. A willingness to be taught is a strength.

If you believe God has placed an encouragement on your heart for someone, approach them humbly. Give them room to respond. If you believe you have something intended for the whole congregation, follow your church’s process and speak with pastoral leadership. You can ask questions. You can seek help. You can allow mature believers to walk alongside you. A healthy church should help people develop, offering patient instruction and gracious correction.

God gives gifts, and we learn to steward them faithfully.

Biblical Order Gives Us Room to Grow

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul encourages the use of spiritual gifts and gives instructions for their use in the gathered church. He addresses interpretation, the weighing of prophetic messages, taking turns, and strengthening those who are present. Those instructions help us understand how freedom and responsibility work together.

Think about a fireplace. The structure gives a fire somewhere to burn safely. Within those boundaries, the fire can bring warmth to the house. That is a helpful picture of biblical order. Scripture, love, humility, discernment, and accountable leadership help us steward spiritual activity so people are strengthened.

We should expect everything attributed to the Holy Spirit to agree with the Word He inspired. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19–21, Paul brings together openness to the Spirit, the testing of what is said, and holding on to what is good. We can take those instructions seriously as we ask: Does this agree with Scripture? Does it honor Jesus? Does it help people? Is there love and humility? Can it be weighed and corrected? Those questions give us a faithful way to grow in confidence and discernment.

Make Room to Respond

Sometimes our hesitation concerns something as simple as our own response to God. We feel moved to lift our hands, kneel in prayer, weep, or express gratitude, but become preoccupied with what others might think. You can bring your whole heart before the Lord. There is room for joyful praise, heartfelt tears, and quiet, sincere prayer. As you worship, give your attention to Jesus and respond honestly to Him.

We can also come with expectation. After the songs have been rehearsed, the sermon prepared, and the volunteers scheduled, we still need the Holy Spirit. We depend on Him to convict, comfort, give wisdom, strengthen faith, and draw people to Jesus. Preparation is valuable. Our dependence on God belongs in everything we prepare.

My prayer is that our children will grow up seeing people pray with faith and love. That new believers will have people who can open the Bible and help them understand. That hurting people will encounter a church attentive enough to notice them and willing enough to respond. Every believer has a place in that kind of church.

An Invitation for This Sunday

Before you arrive at church, take a few moments to pray: “Holy Spirit, help me be attentive today. Prepare my heart to receive Your Word. Help me notice people. Give me courage to respond to You and humility to keep learning.” Then come ready to worship, listen, receive, and contribute as God gives opportunity. Perhaps your next step is asking someone to pray with you. Perhaps it is offering encouragement. Perhaps it is talking with your pastor about a spiritual gift you want to understand and develop.

Begin with the step in front of you. Keep Jesus at the center. Let Scripture guide you. Let love shape your response. You belong in the life of the church, and someone may need what God has entrusted to you.

Come hungry. Come available. Come ready to respond.

Let’s have church.

—Pastor Travis