How The Holy Spirit Gifts Us - Part 10 Series

How the Holy Spirit Gifts Us – Part 10 – Romans 12:3-8

What We Believe Series – March 16-08

Acknowledgement: Dr. Henry Schorr, Centre St. Church, Calgary AB

Good morning. Were continuing in our ‘what we believe series.’ We have looked at what Christians believe about the God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, the Holy Spirit, and now were looking at spiritual gifts.

Let’s start with a short review:

A. Every person, the moment they become a Christian, receives the Holy Spirit.

B. It is one thing for you to have the Holy Spirit; it is another thing for the Holy Spirit to have you.

C. Every Christian, the moment they receive Jesus, receives at least one spiritual gift and likely more

o Paul uses the term charisma, meaning God’s grace. It is through God’s grace that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to the church to build up the body of Christ to effectively serve one another (1 Co. 12:27).

Paul is concerned with:

o The exercise of these gifts

o The order in church services

o Inordinate zeal for some sign gifts at the expense of other gifts in the church

o He is passionate that spiritual gifts are used in a spirit of love

o The Apostle John wrote ‘Our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life.’

o John simply means ‘if I have no love for others, no desire to serve others, and I’m only concerned about my own needs, I should question whether Christ is really in my life at all

o One evidence of a Christian is he has a heart that wants to serve

o If you’re a Christian you’re a minister and when your serving your ministering

o Rick Warren in his excellent book the Purpose Driven Life wrote ‘you were saved to serve God, you are called to serve God, and you are commanded to serve God.’

o Sure we need to learn about the Bible; but we need to put it into practice

o James wrote that if faith not accompanied by action it is a dead faith

o So the mature follower of Christ doesn’t ask ‘who is going to meet my needs?’

o They ask ‘whose has needs that I can meet?

o Do you ever ask that question?

o Because if your not serving your just existing, because life is meant for ministry

o Well you say pastor I believe you? But where can I start?

o How do I get involved?

o Some would say just jump in and start serving somewhere

o That is great and in a way I say yes

o But the Apostle Paul said the Corinthian church was ignorant about spiritual gifts

o I want to encourage you not to miss these messages

o Were going ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you your spiritual gift

o Were going to break the gifts down into five broad areas (handout)

Serving and Management Gifts

Speaking and Motivational Gifts

Support and Mentoring Gifts

Sign/Manifestation Gifts

Special Ministry Gifts

o Keep this list and as I preach - put a check mark next to one you may think you have

o There is a place for you – but also for you encourage others (that’s Bill)

o There are four main passages that deal with spiritual gifts. They are 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 1 Corinthians 12:27-30, Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 4:11-13.

o Last week we said all of us have a God given desire that longs for significance (Eph. 2:10)

o We want to be used by God, and until we do we will not be fulfilled

o God placed you here to make a difference, to serve Him (Jer. 1:5)

o So God had in mind the work He created you to do

o But the Holy Spirit does not force you into believing or serving God

o God gave you a free will

o God works within your free choices even though he knows in advance what they will be.

o Joshua, Moses successor understood this when he challenged the people (Joshua 24:15)

o Many Christians do not know how to make a choice because they don’t even know what gift they have

o In a 2001 George Barna survey on spiritual gifts 1 of 5 do not know what gift they have

o Many think gifts are something others have, not myself

o The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and said ‘do not neglect the gift that is in you’

o For our purposes I am defining spiritual gifts as: a spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit to every to enable Calvary to become all that God intends this church to be

o All these gifts are written by Paul in the context of the local church