TEXT: Matthew 2:10,11; 1 Corinthians 12:1,4-6
TITLE: WORSHIP FOR DUMMIES: A Wiseman’s guide for Worship!
TOPIC: THE PRAISING CHURCH!
OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, February 17th, 2008
PROP.: Use the gift you’ve been given (spiritual gifts) as worship to God!
Good morning! Our Jr. Church age kids are dismissed for Jr. Worship. And would you please pass the attendance pad down the aisle you’re sitting in?
This morning, we are focusing on the topic of worship. I want to show you a movie clip to introduce things:
INTRODUCTION: SPIDER MAN 2: The Spiderman trilogy has quickly become one of my favorite series of movies. Spiderman 2 is probably the most interesting plot out of the three of them. Here is what it is about:
Peter Parker’s having a rough time. His double life as the super hero Spider-Man is having a devastating impact on his civilian life. Things are so bad he declares that he’s quitting and never putting on the suit again. However, he decides to use his gift / his power as he realizes that he is the only one who can stop the evil but brilliant scientist Dr. Otto Octavius who was transformed in an accident and becomes Dr. Octopus.
If you had Peter Parker’s gift….if you had THAT kind of power…would you use it to help others? What are you doing with your gift? Are you tired of using your gift?
The scripture I’ve chosen to introduce this morning’s message is a familiar one. I’ve chosen this text to introduce this morning’s message because it’s speaks so perfectly to us here at Burnside Christian Church. The month of February we are focusing on becoming the Praising Church! It’s our desire to worship God.
Definition of worship: My response of who God is and what God has done!
Keeping our definition of worship in mind, let’s turn to our introduction text:
Matthew 2:10,11
10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
LESSON LEARNED FROM THE WISEMEN: PRESENT YOUR GIFTS!!!!
You see, the Wisemen were simply responding to Who God was and What God has done! Their response was to worship with gifts!
If you’re tired and weary of using your gift to help others, remember why you are using your gift. You are using your gift to worship God!
That is what I want you to do commit to today: USE YOUR GIFT IN WORSHIP TO GOD!
I want to start by having you consider the two questions in your bulletin:
1. If you had no restrictions and were free to get involved in any spiritual activity
or task, what would you like to do?
2. What does my church need?
If you are having trouble answering these two questions, don’t answer them just yet. Take time to really consider these questions. Pray about it for a while. Just focus on soaking this morning’s message in.
Let’s turn to our main text. It comes to us from:
1st Corinthians 12:1,4-6
1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
T.S.: To clear up any misunderstanding, I (like Paul) want you to know three truths concerning gift(s)
If you are going to use your gifts to worship, it is vital to understand all there is to know about spiritual gifts! Let’s continue reading…
VERSE 4: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.”
TRUTH #1:
1. The Holy Spirit has given you your gift (vs. 4)
The Holy Spirit is the giver of each and every spiritual gift!
3 myths concerning gifts:
A. “I don’t have a gift!“
--The Bible tells us that each one has been given gifts! (1st Cor. 7:7)
1st Cor. 7:7 (ASK CECIL)
7I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
--Paul states that there are different kinds of gifts! Amen to that!
There are three categories of spiritual gifts:
1. Supernatural spiritual gifts: healing, speaking in tongues, NO ONE TODAY
HAS THESE GIFTS…they were for a specific time and purpose (to validate
the message and the messenger)…these gifts are done! (1 Corinthians 13:8-
10)
2. Natural spiritual gifts: Discernment, knowledge, mercy, etc etc. These are
gifts that use your mind and heart in a special way.
3. Spiritual talent - I believe that the Holy Spirit also gives each of us talents and
abilities. But the problem is that these talents aren’t realized as spiritual gifts
because they aren’t used as worship! They are used as hobbies. Turn your
hobby into service!
Myth number 2:
B. “My gift isn’t important!“
Each gift is important! (1st Cor. 12:21-26) (JIM PRINTY WILL READ)
This issue of “mine is better than yours” was the reason that Paul wrote chapter 12 of his letter to the church located in Corinth! They were making others feel insignificant or small by telling them that their gift wasn’t important! THIS IS A LIE FROM SATAN! Each spiritual gift is important!!!!
Listen to how Paul addresses someone who might say: “My gift isn’t important..”
Jim, will you read that for us today?
21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don’t need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don’t need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Myth number 3:
C. “My Gift is only for me!“
Your gift was meant to be shared! (1st Peter 4:10) (BRIG DION..WILL YOU READ)
1 Pet 4:10
10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
ILLUSTRATION: Christmas time: My dad loves cashews. Each Christmas we would give him cashews. You know the first thing he would do after unwrapping the cashews? Open them up and share them! YOUR GIFT WAS MEANT TO BE SHARED!
I’m so thankful for people in this body who use their Spiritual talent as worship! We have: mechanics, fishermen, wood workers, electricians, carpenters, roofers, painters, baby sitters, musicians, teachers, greeters…the list goes on and on. I know there are dozens of people who have been helped by the generous spiritual gifts each one uses to serve!
What has the Holy Spirit gifted you with? Are you using it as worship?
There are several opportunities to use your gift. THIS is why we have ministry teams! Our ministry teams include:
Prayer Team - if you want to join see me
Buildings and grounds - if you want to join see Jim Snyder
Benevolence team - if you want to join see Larry Smith or Wayne Caparoon
Worship team - if you want to join see Rick Dixon
Missions team - if you want to join see Kevin Dietrich
Hospitality team - if you want to join see Wilma Snyder
Education team - if you want to join see Jamie Pettit
DISCOVER YOUR GIFT…THEN GET INVOLVED!!
Let’s read verse 5 of our text today to discover our second truth.
VERSE 5: 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
TRUTH #2
2. Jesus places you where He needs you! (vs. 5)
You see, there are many ways for you to use your gift, but Jesus gives you the opportunity to use your gift for God’s glory!
A. The providence of God is shown by where you are!
--God has placed you in this century, in this country, in this state, in this
county, in your family and in this body of believers!
--Why? TO USE YOUR GIFTS!
Ephesians 2:10
“10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
--You are exactly where you need to be!
Each person was created to do different things in this life. I was created to be in full time ministry. I couldn’t do anything else! We are God’s piece of art! Designed to do exactly what God wants us to do! God wants you to use your gift to the full extent possible!
ILLUSTRATION: puzzle piece. Each piece of the puzzle was created to fit EXACTLY where it was meant to be. It was cut, crafted, and shaped to fit in one place and one place alone. What would happen if that puzzle piece wasn’t used as it was meant to? The big picture would be incomplete!
You have been cut, crafted, and shaped to fit God’s divine purposes in this life. What happens if you don’t use your gifts and talents as God has designed? The big picture won’t be complete!
You are right where God wants you…but there’s another question:
B. What will you do with where your led? JONAH vs. PAUL
The Bible gives clear examples of those who followed where they were being led and those who chose to go their own way. Probably the two most familiar stories concerning this is JONAH and PAUL.
JONAH: Jonah 1
God was leading Jonah to Nineveh. Where did he end up? In the belly of a fish. Why? Because Jonah didn’t want to do what God had asked him to do! He eventually went to Nineveh.
PAUL: May I remind you of the Apostle Paul in Acts 9? Paul on the road to Damascus: Jesus showed up and told Paul exactly where to go. Paul of course listened and he reached a countless number of Gentiles!
--I wish Jesus would make it THAT obvious to me how I’m to use my
spiritual gifts.
ILLUSTRATION: Erwin McManus speaks of seizing your divine moment. He says that each day, events unfold that are God ordained. In other words, God places people in your life that He wants you to impact. Will make the most of each and every opportunity that God chooses to place in our path or will we simply shrug it off as coincidence?
JESUS PLACES YOU EXACTLY WHERE HE WANTS YOU SO THAT YOU CAN USE YOUR GIFTS AS WORSHIP!
Let’s read verse 6 of our text:
VERSE 6: “There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”
TRUTH #3
3. God gives the results (if you use your gift!) (vs. 6)
A. God is the great giver of blessings!
When you are faithful to use your gift to worship God, He will faithfully follow through with results! Those results may vary. But one thing you can be sure of, when you use your gifts to serve others, you haven’t wasted your time or your efforts. God “will work all things together for Good!”
Listen to what Paul write in 1st Cor. 3:6...
1 Cor. 3:6
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
--God is the one who provides the results! That makes your job easy! All you have to do is show up to do what you were created to do!
And if you do that…then:
B. Your gift will be multiplied!
Turn to John 6. This is probably one of my favorite miracles that Jesus performs.
John 6:5-12
5When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7Philip answered him, "Eight months’ wages[a] would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
8Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
10Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."
The reason I love this miracle so much is not because of Jesus feeding the masses, but because it all started with a young boy who decided to give what he had.
And to those present, it didn’t look like enough. But in the hands of Christ, this simple, yet sincere gift of 5 loaves and 2 fish were multiplied!
If you trust God with what you have, He’ll provide the results!
CONCLUSION: ILLUSTRATION: What is the difference between a super hero and a super villain? They both have super powers and abilities. The difference is quite simply: How they choose to use their gifts. One for bad. One for good. What are you doing with your gift? Start using it to worship God!!!!!! CHOOSE TO BE A BLESSING!
We come now to our time of decision….if you have a decision that needs to be made, we invite you to come forward and do so as we stand together and sing our hymn of decision…
