A Gifted People Series

A Gifted People Sermon #2 of LifeSong Series

Link for Video

http://www.forministry.com/USTNUMETCVFUMC/Sermon.dsp?sermonsite_action=view_sermon&sermonsite_sermonid=13398

1CO 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

1CO 12:14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be 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 cease to be 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 arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

A good place to stop.

I. Sometimes we fail to let our life song sing because we underestimate the gifts that the Lord has given us.

For certain, to be saved is to be born again, born of Spirit….receiving the Holy Spirit into you.

I cannot stress enough that each member of the body is given gifts and abilities to do a work for God by the Spirit.

In these verses Paul is addressing the notion that people sometimes think lowly of themselves and their ability to work for Christ. Because I am the foot, rather than the hand I am not really a part of the body. We are each given special gifts through which we can let our life song sing.

What kinds of gifts do we have?

One person loves to pray, and they pray people into the church as others invite.

One person has abilities to go and do things for others, work around yards and houses. And, their testimony speaks louder than any of my sermons.

One person has a gift of evangelism, they love to tell the story, and people come to the church.

One person has a gift of decorating or building, they make the church beautiful and people come for the atmosphere, yet leave with the Holy Spirit.

One person has a gift of encouragement. This is a great gift.

Writing letters, making phone calls, inviting others to church can inspire others to let their life song sing.

Some have a gift to teach, or preach, or sing, or teach others to sing.

We need gifted people to plan and organize our worship and evangelism efforts.

Many have a mixture of gifts.

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Yet, there is someone who says, my gifts are not important, I’m not really a part of the growth of this church or the Kingdom of God.

Moses stood in the presence of Almighty God, who said, “I want you to lead my people, go and speak to them.” How did Moses respond? He basically said, “I have a speech problem, find someone else.” Moses didn’t think highly of his own abilities did he?

Yet, Moses went and let his life song sing before the LORD.

Jesus was walking along the sea shore with a crowd following. He asked Simon Peter if he would let him use his boat to speak from. Peter obliged. He would honor the rabbi. He pushed out, Jesus spoke, and then the main reason Jesus came to Peter starts coming to light. Jesus said, push out and we will catch some fish. Peter had fished all night without catching anything. Yet, he obeyed. He had enough religion to honor the rabbi. As these boats began to sink from the haul Peter realized this was no ordinary rabbi. And this rabbi had come to call Peter to ministry. Peter’s response to the great catch is found in Luke 5:8. His call to ministry if found there as well.

Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord. From now on you will be fishers of men, the Bible tells us that they forsook all and followed Jesus.

Peter was faithful in a little, and his life was forever changed as Jesus made him faithful in a lot as he went forth letting his life song sing.

What if Noah had said, surely Lord you did not mean for me to make a boat the size of the great pyramid? What excuse could he have offered? “I’m over 500 years old!”