"DISCOVERING YOUR GIFTS"

Sermon by Pastor John Hollis

Sunday, October 22, 2006

First Corinthians 12:4-7, 14-26.

The importance of spiritual gifts cannot be denied. We often read and hear of how the Spirit gives gifts to us and enables us to use these gifts. Just as gifts are important, it is important that we understand the source of these gifts and how they work out in our lives.

It is important that we understand that the Spirit is not alone in the giving of gifts and the working of these gifts in us. We need to understand that the Spirit works in conjunction with the Father and the Son in the giving of gifts and in working out these gifts in our lives. From our text we read that it "is the same God who works all things in all persons." Eugene Peterson in The Message says: "But God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is."

I fear that we try to separate the works of the Spirit and the works of God; that God works in one situation and the Spirit works in another situation; and that Christ works independent of both. But this is not true: God works; Christ works; the Spirit works as one - in unity.

There are four places in the New Testament where gifts are mentioned in connection with the Spirit, God and Christ. These places are Acts 2:38; Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; and Ephesians 4:8, 11-13.

In Acts 2:38 we read: "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." This is often read to say that one receives the Holy Spirit at baptism. This may be true, but this is not what the text says. Note: "You" is the subject of this sentence. "shall receive" is a verb - it is a transitive verb. Now a transitive verb needs an object to complete its meaning. We ask the question: Shall receive what? "The gift" is what is received. "Of the Holy Spirit" is a prepositional phrase modifying "gift." In other words, it tells the source of the gift. The gift received is the "power" of the Spirit. Note that the word "gift" is in the singular. The statement is not you shall receive "gifts."

Now that is your grammar lesson for the morning - no extra charge for this.

In our text from First Corinthians the gifts are named: "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit." Now I believe that we all agree that Paul is writing about special gifts - miraculous gifts. And there was a unity of those gifts. One gift was not better than another. Paul goes on to illustrate that one member of the body is not of more importance than another member; all were important. In like manner, all the gifts were important, but one was not more important than another. They were all given "for the common good."

I believe these gifts were given for a special work in bringing the body of Christ to a full-grown status. Where Paul mentions gifts in Ephesians Four, they were given to bring the body of Christ to maturity, to the "unity of faith" so that the saints would not be children "tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, . . ." (Ephesians 4:7-15).

Now if you feel led by the Spirit to go out and speak in tongues, raise the dead, heal the crippled, move mountains, don't say that I said you shouldn't do these things. Just remember that one of those gifts was just as important as the other - they were all equal.

But we want to center our thoughts upon the gifts we are called to receive and use in our daily living. The people at Corinth and evidently also at Rome had some problems with the use of gifts. Some wanted to use what they thought were the greater gifts. But Paul reminds them of this fact: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." This is from Romans 12:2. Paul is setting the stage for some instructions concerning the use of gifts.

Look at verse three. "For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Faith was a gift, and God allotted to each one a measure of faith. We need more time to look at this gift of faith than we have this morning.

Paul answers their problem. "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." Don't conform yourselves to the world; God has given each of you a measure of faith. You all are members of the same body; you are "individually members one of another."

He further exhorts them: "And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: . . . according to the proportion of his faith." (Rom: 12:6). You see how he emphasizes faith? This was an important gift.

Let us look at several of these gifts Paul names in Romans chapter twelve.

First we look at service. Service can cover a multitude of things. In verse one Paul speaks of "your spiritual service of worship." The gift of "service" is a gift that leads us to serve in whatever capacity we are able to serve. It may be sweeping the floor, dusting the pews, or washing the windows. But it includes more than that measure of service. It means feeding the hungry, bathing the unclean, holding the hand of a lonesome person, encouraging the weak. The list of things to do in service is a long one.

Second is the gift of teaching. This does not necessarily mean that one must teach a class in the Sunday school. Teaching as a gift can be utilized in many ways. Teach someone to operate the sound system; someone to record the morning worship period. Teach someone to be a Stephen Minister, a deacon, an elder. Each one of us can teach someone how to be of service.

Paul speaks of exhorting. This means to earnestly urge someone to action. Or it may mean to urge someone to correct their behavior. In any case, it is a gift that must be done in the spirit of love.

There is giving. This is to be done with liberality. Giving involves more than money. Look around you and see all the giving that is done that does not appear in the financial report. How often do the ladies of the congregation prepare and serve meal for a family who has lost a loved one. Who gives the time to set up the tables and chairs for such an event? Probably unknown to many of you is our "Tool Belt Gang" that performs an untold number of tasks around the property. All of these and many more are done liberally.

Mercy is to be done with "cheerfulness." To receive mercy, one must show mercy (Matt. 5:7). Mercy isn't always easy to give. We sometimes tend toward seeking revenge than showing mercy; but Paul exhorts: "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God." (12:19).

Devotion is another gift. "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love," Paul says in verse 10. This devotion comes out of true fellowship. It is a true companion of love. This gift leads one to leave important chores of one's own and go take care of the chores of a brother or sister who is in stress. Too often we think devotions means hiding in a quiet place, reading a portion of Scripture, or reading a brief lesson from a book, and engaging in prayer. But the gift of devotion goes much deeper and farther than this.

Diligence never lets one be negligent in one's duties. This is a unique gift. It isn't always easy to be diligent in all that we have to do. We look around us and see all kinds of excuses - which we call reasons - as to why we cannot perform certain tasks we have agreed to perform.

The tendency to avoid diligence may be the reason Paul linked it to being fervent in spirit, V. ll. There is a fervency that is needed in all that we do. When there is no enthusiasm for the work that needs to be done, the fire begins to fade and we lose our fervency. This fervency is not the fervency of the Holy Spirit but the fervency of our spirit. It is the enthusiasm of the inner person.

There is a rejoicing that is a gift. In verse twelve it is "rejoicing in hope," and in verse fifteen in "rejoicing with those who rejoice." Do we really think about this gift when we hear good news about something in the life of a fellow-Christian, a fellow-worker, a neighbor, a schoolmate? Why do we not discover this gift in our lives and share it with those who have been blessed with good things? This rejoicing does not have to be manifested in a great celebration. It can be a simple note of congratulations, a phone call, and email, a handshake, etc. But it is a simple gift that we can give.

On the opposite side of rejoicing is weeping. There are those who weep, and we should be ready to weep with them. This may not appear at first to be a gift; but it is a gift that is deeply appreciated by the one who is weeping. Sometimes this gift can be given in silent weeping. Sitting and holding the hand of the one who weeps is an appropriate way to weep with someone.

Going back to verse twelve, we have the gift of persevering in tribulation. We often think of tribulation as being some kind of persecution. And it is true that persecution is tribulation; but often there are other things and circumstance that bring tribulation to our lives. Dealing with divisive issues within the family of God can be a tribulation. We can share the gift of perseverance with those who suffer from this tribulation. Lifting up someone who is seeking to persevere in tribulation is a wonderful way to share a gift. Through prayer and encouragement, we can strengthen someone in their perseverance.

In verse twelve we have the words devoted to prayer. Maybe everyone cannot pray a public prayer; but everyone can pray a prayer in secret. In face, Jesus instructs us to "go into your inner room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you." (Matt. 6:6). This devotion to prayer is a great gift.

Contributing to the needs of the saint is a gift we can discover. Contributing to the needs of others does not always involve material things. People have needs that cannot be met with material gifts. Kind words, a smile, an offer of assistance with some task may be all that is needed to help someone get through a bothersome time.

Hospitality is a gift we have been given. Paul says to practice this gift, Verse 13. This gift is unique because it is given only when it is practiced. The marginal reading is pursuing hospitality. The indication is that hospitality is not something that comes naturally; we must pursue it. Paul tells us in First Timothy 3:2 that a leader of God's people must practice hospitality.

Other gifts could be added to this list, but this list is sufficient for us to find a gift that we can share with others. Surely we cannot say that we don't have a gift to use and share.

At the beginning of this lesson, we spoke of miraculous gifts. But we have tried to concentrate on those gifts that can be used by us that do not come under the umbrella of miraculous manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Rather we have tried to highlight gifts that can be used, and will be used, because of the Spirit's presence in our daily living. With the leading of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit, we cannot go wrong.

These gifts must be wrapped in loved and tied with the cords of grace and mercy. Following what Paul wrote about the use of spiritual gifts, he says that there was something greater that those gifts. that greater element was - and is - love. The miraculous would pass away with the coming of the perfect. Faith, hope, and love would abide, "but the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor. 13:13).

Discover your gift. Wrap it in love, decorate it with bows of grace and mercy, deliver it with humility and you will be blessed abundantly. Remembering the gift God shared with us makes it easy for us to share gifts with others.

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