1
Cor 12:4-7 Now there are
varieties of gifts, but the same
Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries,
and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects,
but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the
common good.
Varieties of Gifts – Spirit-given
ability
Varieties of Ministries –
opportunity to use our gifts
Varieties of Effects – what God
accomplishes through our service
Your gift applied
in a ministry opportunity produces multiple effects. Those effects are the
privilege of seeing God at work through your life.
First Misunderstanding: downplaying the importance of the gifts.
Second Misunderstanding: limiting our service to what we believe is our gift.
Third Misunderstanding: making the gifts about us instead of about
God and His intentions.
A wise person values not so much the gift of
the lover as the love of the giver. -Thomas A Kempis.
Rom 12:3-8 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone 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. [Leveling the playing field] 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. Since we
have gifts that differ according to the
grace given to us, each of us is
to exercise them accordingly:
if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches,
in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he
who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy,
with cheerfulness.
The Gifts come
from God’s GRACE.
The Context
within which the gift is Exercised is FAITH.
Because of the
Gift we are Capable for whatever God wants to accomplish through us.
Paul wasn’t just
a brilliant and well-educated man. He was gifted. Much more was packaged in
God’s statement: My Grace is sufficient
for you. To make Paul sufficient, Paul would need equipment to service God
he didn’t naturally have. That equipment came from God’s Grace. They are Grace
Gifts. They were given out of God’s desire to use Paul for His purposes. Gifts
are God pouring His grace in and through us.
Grace is God doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves:
1.
Granting
the righteousness necessary to have a relationship with Him.
2.
Equipping
us to serve Him as He chooses to be served.
GRACE: God’s Riches
at Christ’s Expense
All we are all containers from which God’s
riches can be dispensed.
Remember the
wedding feast in Cana? The host ran out of wine. In a culture steeped in
hospitality, to run out of wine was a family disgrace. Jesus stepped in and had
men fill some pots with water. He had the head-waiter draw some out and it was
seasoned wine. The moment was saved.
What about the
pots? Anybody care about them? A miracle was performed inside them. And nobody
is celebrating? You’d think someone could have put them in a room and sold
tickets for people to come and see the pots in which water was turned to wine.
They would be famous.
They were just
pots that were available for Jesus to use. The miracle wasn’t about them. They
were merely the containers from which the wine was dispensed.
2
Cor 4:7 We have this treasure in
earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God
and not from ourselves;
We are containers from which God’s Riches at
Christ’s Expense, can be ladled out to others.
The wine wasn’t
about the pots. The gifts aren’t about us. It’s all about Him.
A famous pastor
once taught if you want a gift you don’t seem to have, ask God for it. No! Ask
for opportunity to serve and God will gift you with what you need to be able to
do so.
Ron Dunn's parable: once there was a body where the eyes
convinced all the other parts of the body that the gift of SIGHT was the only
important gift. They admitted that there were other gifts, but they ranked all
of them below SIGHT. They wanted all of those in leadership positions within
the body to have SIGHT as they did. They insisted that if all the other body
parts and organs were spiritual enough and asked God enough, they could have
the gift of SIGHT, too. They scheduled prayer meetings for the other organs and
body parts to pray through for SIGHT. They scheduled training courses on
"Learning to See."
Now in that same
body, there were some toes which had low self-esteem. They didn't understand
that God had given them the gift of STABILITY. They didn't understand that even
though they were often hidden and were never given any praise, God had called
them to the vital ministry of BALANCE. They felt guilty that their gift
couldn't do more. They felt like they weren't spiritual enough. So, they prayed
and prayed, begging God to give them the gift of SIGHT. To prove His point, God
gave the toes sight. And do you know what they saw? They saw the inside of a
sock.
The gifts are not
about us. They are God’s tools to help Him accomplish His work. It’s not the
tools of the mechanic that get the praise for fixing your car. It’s the
mechanic.
Rom
12:6 Since we have gifts that differ
according to the grace given to us, each
of us is to exercise them accordingly:
1 Pet 4:10-11 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving
one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking
the utterances of God; whoever serves is
to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so
that in all things God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen.
John 16:13-14 But when
He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He
will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and
He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me,
1Co 14:12 So also you, since you are zealous of
spiritual gifts, seek to abound
for the edification of the
church.
You want me to
tell you what your gift is? It is the ability to do whatever the moment demands
to lift up Jesus and build up or strengthen the church and touch a life.
Your gift is not a skill, a talent or a personality trait.
It isn’t something you were born with or learned how to do. It’s an ability God
gives you to accomplish ministry that draws people to Jesus.
Singing is my gift. All I want to do is sing. No. Singing
isn’t a gift it’s a talent. Your gift is how God uses that talent to glorify
Jesus and edify the church and touch a life.
Writing is my gift. All I want to do is write. No. Writing
isn’t a gift it’s a skill. Your gift is when God uses that skill to glorify
Jesus and edify the church and touch a life.
I’m a people person. That’s my gift. No, that’s a
personality trait. Your gift comes in when God uses your personality to glorify
Jesus and edify the church and touch a life.
TEST: Is there an area of ministry that speaks to
you? Children, Missions, Greeting, Teaching, Sewing, Evangelism,
Hospitality.
What type of service draws
you? Organizing, leading, helping, hosting, sharing
What are you doing
when you find the greatest fulfillment? Encouraging, comforting, serving,
solving problems.
What do you do, that doing
so, lets you sense God is working through your life? That verse just popped
into my head, I actually got through to him about his problems, I saw God’s
love come out of me and touch her.
When we focus on Him and make ourselves available, He takes
our availability and uses us however He chooses.
Ability is not the requirement, availability is. When we’re
available He makes us able.
We don’t need to focus on specific gifts. God will provide
the right gift at the right time.
Jesus laid this out to His disciples: Luke 12:11 When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the
authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense,
or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour
what you ought to say."
Pastor John Ortberg told about walking with some friends past
one of the local bars just as a fight spilled out onto the street. As they
watched, three men proceeded to beat up a single opponent. Realizing they had
to do something, Ortberg began to warn the men to break it up. Suddenly the
thugs looked up with fear in their eyes, let their victim go and turned to walk
away. At that point he noticed the men had actually been looking over his
shoulder at a 6 foot 7, 250-pound bouncer, standing there with muscles bulging,
looking as if he hoped they would try to take him on. Ortberg’s attitude was
transformed. He was released from anxiety and fear and was filled with boldness
and confidence. “You’d better not let us catch you hanging around here again!”
he called out after the fleeing thugs. And why? Because he realized that he was
not alone. The bouncer was standing beside him putting the power into his words.
TAKEAWAYS:
- The Power of God lives within you.
- That Power enables you to accomplish what God wants from you.
- Trust Him and obey what God shows you to do.
- If you are available, He will make you able.
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