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
o If your off doing your own thing and are unaccountable to the leadership of the local church your not using your gift in the way God intended
o "Imagine what might happen if we all understood clearly and with conviction that God has us a supernatural ability to serve Him in a specific manner.
o If we understood this and lived a Christ centred spirit filled life this church would multiply substantially.
o But in order to live that out we have to change our minds based on the truths of scripture
o The lie of Satan is for you to believe that others have spiritual gifts but you have been left out of the process
o That is the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches
o What Spiritual Gifts are not:
1. Natural talents
o Those are given to us at birth or are learned
o They are making things, reading, playing an instrument, or just a natural sense of direction
o They are from God and should also be used to the glory of God but they are not a spiritual gift
o Spiritual gifts are given when we have spiritual birth, when we become a believer
2. Spiritual gifts are not the fruit of the spirit
o Paul tells us what the fruit of the Spirit is in Galatians 5
o The fruit of the Spirit comes from a daily surrender to the Holy Spirit, what I call living a Christ centred life
o So the fruit of the Spirit is a necessary pre-cursor to bearing fruit through the spiritual gift that the Holy Spirit gives us
o Remember this: Fruit does not pop into trees overnight
o When you see yourself growing in godly character qualities it is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life
o And when we live a Christ centred Spirit directed life our spiritual gifts bear fruit
Category 1. Serving Management Gifts
1. Gift of Mercy or Compassion - Romans 12:8
o Definition: The gift of mercy or compassion is a divine enablement to help those who are suffering or in need
o If there is one word that describes someone with this gift it is ‘caring’
o Christians are saved because of God’s mercy – so we all should have compassion for hurting people
o However some are specifically enabled by the Holy Spirit to lead the charge in this area
o I believe it is one of the strengths of this church
o You know you have this gift because the Holy Spirit brings to your mind those hurting in the Body of Christ
o You have a radar that senses those who need help and a deep desire to help them
o You show kindness naturally
o You are more concerned with the person than the reason why they are hurting
o You focus on the feelings of the hurting person
o You look for lonely and hurting people in a church service, a HOME group, or some other avenue and your drawn to them
o You are drawn to the ill, mentally and physically challenged, and neglected people like widows or those whose spouse has left them
o You want to make sure they feel welcomed and cared for
o Tears come easily as you see people in a sad state
o You wear your emotions on your sleeve
o You know how to help them and when to let them help themselves
o Your prayers tend to focus more on that segment of the church
o Your never bothered by their calls, day or night
o Your generally cheerful when ‘lending a helping hand’
o You may feel that the church should be more caring toward the hurting; you definitely feel that this is the way to grow the church
o You love verses like ‘True religion in the sight of God is looking after orphans and widows in their distress.’
o Your not prone to judge others who do not have the same level of compassion as you do
o You share your faith through the trials of people
o Some of you have been the recipient of someone with the gift of mercy – what a great gift
o Some of you have this gift of mercy
o The question I have for you is ‘are you using this gift?’
2. Gift of hospitality
o Definition: Is the divine enablement of making people feel warm, welcome, and at home in your house
o If there is one word that describes you it would be warmth
o You love to meet new people
o They immediately feel like they belong
o You know you have this gift when someone comes in and your thoughts are things like ‘are you cold?’ ‘Do you want some slippers or a sweater or blanket; how about a coffee, now or after dinner?
o They can stop by your house at any time and they never feel like they are putting you out
o You love to provide them with food and warm fellowship
o Your not uptight if the house is not altogether cleaned
o Your not uptight about the size of the house, the furniture you have, or the fact that the coffee cups are from the 1950’S
o You might say, I am tied up for a few minutes, grab some coffee, the cream is in the fridge, grab some moose sausage and give me a piece while your at it
o You love creating an atmosphere where people can relax
o Your constantly thinking ‘who can we have over’
o Your verse is 1st Peter 4:9 ‘Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling’
o People do not know you as a complainer; your generally joyful and glad to have others over
o Some of you have been the recipients of people with this marvelous gift
o Some of you have this marvelous gift
o The question I have for you is ‘Are you using it?’
3. Gift of helps (both Romans and Corinthians)
o Definition: this is the spiritual enabling to work behind the scenes by helping others rather than leading others
o If there is one word than could describe you it is helpful
o You prefer doing a job rather than delegating it to someone else
o Nobody has to know your doing this job; it really does not matter
o You come in and straighten up all the chairs after the service
o Organize the cards in the pouches
o Ask if anything needs to be copied and placed into binders
o Prepare bulletins and brochures
o You volunteer to manage the WEBSITE
o You come and shovel the snow without being asked
o You enjoy doing these things because you know it frees others to serve in their areas of giftedness
o You tend to be meticulous
o You show your love in deeds and actions more than in words
o The danger is those with this gift may feel it is unimportant
o Then pride is then preventing you from serving and being active
o I can tell you first hand people with this gift make me feel less stressed
o I can then focus on prayer and preaching knowing that these other critical tasks are being cared for
o I have been the recipient of this marvelous gift
o Some of you have this marvelous gift
o The question I have for you is ‘Are you using it?’
4. Leadership (Romans 12:7)
o Definition: The divine enablement to cast vision for the church, presenting the big picture
o If there is one word that could describe you it would be focused
o Your able to motivate people to get on the team and take ownership of the vision
o You may get knocked down but you take it to the Lord in prayer and your right back up on your feet ready for the next lap
o You take a long term view and refuse to let personal and corporate setbacks deter you from the vision God has given you
o You will take personal criticism and shield it from the church so the mission does not get off base
o You have a sense of when complacency is setting in
o Even when others are discouraged you have faith and are enabled to see God working
o You bring out the best in people
o Your not jealous and in fact your desire is to see others succeed in their areas of giftedness
o There are others who are following you
o If you think you have the gift of leadership and nobody is following you your only going for a walk
o Some of you have seen people with that gift and been blessed to have a leader with a vision
o Some of you have that spiritual gift
o The question I have for you is ‘Are you using it?’
5. Administration
o Definition: It is the Holy Spirit enablement that a person receives to help the church achieve its God given mission
o If there was one word that described you it would be ‘Initiator’
o This is the spiritual gift that is evident to many
o An example of this is in Acts 6:1 where the disciples appointed people to help care for widows and other needs of the church
o You know you have this gift when you hear the vision and want to organize things to attain that vision
o You are organized and conscientious
o You see the big picture and keep everyone on track
o You have a strong sense of duty to those leading
o You like to find things for people to do
o You lead by example and not by manipulation
o You’re the type whose socks are all organized by color and style
o You know the type, the socks go here, the underwear hear, the shirts here; you can put your fingers on a tool you need within seconds
o I am sure many of have this fantastic spiritual gift
The question I have for you is ‘Are you using it?’
6. Pastoring/shepherding (Eh. 4:11)
o Definition: A person who thoroughly enjoys leading others to serve the Lord
o If there is one word that describe you it is nurturing
o This gift involves a motivation to lead
o That person is compelled to encourage others to work together for the body’s sake
o You have a pastors heart
o You model with your life and words what people should be doing with their lives
o Your passionate about Jesus, the Christian church and believe the church is the hope of the world
o People trust you because your in submission to God and your life is Spirit filled
o Your in submission to those in authority over you
o Your life is accountable to one or more godly mentors
o Your desire is for people to excel in ministry
o You emphasize church harmony and are really grieved to hear any contention or criticism in the local church
o You feel strong about the need for church health
o Even if someone leaves the church – even after a long time you are still praying and desire reconciliation and restoration with that person
o You may lead a church but also you may nurture a small group
o Leading a small group is not different than leading a church
o Except you don’t have to focus on budgets and boards
o I believe this is the largest vacancy in our church today – at least in terms of HOME group leaders
o I know many of you have benefited from someone with this important gift
o I know some of you have this important gift
o The question I have for you is ‘Are you using it?’
Speaking and Motivational Gifts
7. Teaching and Preaching
o Definition: Teaching is the divine enablement to study the Word of God, explain it simply, and help people apply it to their lives
o Your goal is to proclaim Christ in such a way that people see it clearly
o When you teach and have the gift of prophecy (which I will deal with later) you have the gift of preaching
o Preaching is an added dimension to teaching because someone with the gift of preaching has a passion to motivate people to make decisions for God about some area in their lives
o They often preach about commitment and challenging people to step up to the plate – decide about Jesus – decide about baptism – decide about membership – decide about giving – decide about reading the Bible - decide to love your wives more deeply – rejoicing whenever commitments are made
o A preacher a guy like me will actually be sad if someone does not show up on a Sunday; grieved if they are drifting or walking away
o Preachers have a warning (James 3:2)
o The danger is we must always be aware of our influence over others and whether were practicing what we preach
o You know you have this gift if:
o People are becoming deeper in their walk and commitment to Christ and they affirm that to you regularly
o You love to teach and preach and cannot wait to do it
o You wish there was a service every day, never mind once a week
o You always have another service at the back of your mind; your praying about it and want to see it happen
o You spend a lot of time studying God’s word and learning from others who teach and preach
o Your humble enough to listen to the Holy Spirit for his direction for your ministry and pray for clear direction
o This gift is not just evident in our pulpits
o It is evident in Bible schools, HOME group leaders, youth and children’s teachers
o I know that many of you have benefited from people with this gift
o In know that some of you may have this gift
o The question I have for you is ‘Are you using it?’
Exhortation or Encouragement (Romans 12)
Definition: It is the ability to come along side someone and encourage them in their faith and God given vision and passion for their life
o Those who have this gift continually look for ways to encourage and exhort anybody and everybody
o It does not matter how stormy the sky looks they talk about the coming rainbow
o You compliment people in front of others
o You say the right words at the right time
o You encourage the dreams of others
o The household name in the Christian church who exercises this gift is John Maxwell
o John Maxwell says ‘if someone has entrusted you with their vision or dream they have shared their soul. That is no small matter. A wrong word can crush a person’s dream; the right word can inspire him to pursue it’
o An encourager knows that death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we live.’
o An encourager understands the dreams of others and asks what they can do to help them achieve that dream
o John Maxwell says: Forget about: critiquing another persons dream. Instead, affirm his lofty vision and his pursuit to realize it
o Ask this: who can I encourage today to reach their dreams
o Do it: offer specific help in bringing another person closer to making his dream a reality
o Remember: when a person shares his dream with you it is the center of that persons soul
o If you have that gift people like to be around you – you cheer them up by your attitude
o I am sure that we have all had times of great discouragement
o But I can attest to times when people in this church have come along at the right time and said to me ‘were with you 110%’
o God called you here and I affirm it
o Hang in there, be patient, God is at work here
o Your messages really mean a lot to me
o I will be your prayer partner – lets watch – God is going to bless this church
o People find an encourager friendly, understanding, and practical
o I am convinced that many of you have this gift and I know your using it
o This church would not be what it is without people exercising this gift
o But I also know there are others who have this gift but it’s dormant
o The question I have for you is ‘when are you going to start using it’
8. Evangelism (Eph. 4)
o Definition: the divine enablement to effectively communicate to gospel of Jesus Christ whereby people are moved to accept Christ or keep seeking him
o If there is one word to describe you it is ‘zealous’
o Every Christian should be a witness to other people (1 Peter 3:15).’
o My concern is that too many of us operate out of fear and say little when we have golden opportunities
o We should know the basics of the gospel and be able to share it with others
o The second concern is Peter says to share with gentleness and respect
o The danger is some with this gift are abrasive with people
o Let’s say this ‘when I’m abrasive I am never persuasive’
o But there is probably a third warning flag
o They are often off doing their own thing and refuse to be accountable to the local church, even though this gift was given by the Holy Spirit to grow the church
o On a positive note they you have the ability to speak to a larger group or to a complete stranger
o You have a deep burden for those who do not know Jesus and may weep about that; you pray for them
o You always thinking of ways to connect with the unchurched
o I can remember as a young Christian I had a friend who shared joyfully and quietly with people who were interested in spiritual things
o As a result of that I caught a fire for sharing the good news with others that has never gone out
o I have seen the joy of a person and entire family changed
o Those with this gift are ecstatic when people claim Jesus and follow him in baptism
o Missions and outreach are important to them
o Conversations normally turn to spiritual things
o They want every message to be a evangelistic one
o I believe many of you have this gift but are not using it
o The question is ’are you willing to step out in faith and use it?’
9. Faith (first of the Support and Mentoring Gifts)
o Definition: To act on God’s promises, believing that God will fulfill His promises and is trustworthy
o If there is one word to describe you it is faith
o You lead by believing
o So for example Jesus said ‘I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.’
o So the person of faith hears someone say the church is in trouble but the person of faith turn that person God’s promises about the church
o In other words they can trust God through the most difficult circumstances
o For example, you may say I am in financial trouble; the person of faith with say when you take care of the things of God, He will take care of you
o People say I don’t feel God with me but the person of faith points to the Bible where God’s says ‘don’t fear. I am with you. I have called you by name.’
o Your goal oriented and you thank God for what He is going to do before He even does it
o The person with the gift of faith is not deterred
o You love verses like ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain move and it will be cast into the sea.’
o George Mueller – cared for 10,000 orphans and he started with pennies in his pocket
o Received enough to house and care for all of them
o Help always arrived at the nick of time
o He prayed for the food even though the bowls were empty’
o Knock – bread
o Knock – milk
o Knew God’s word and claimed his promises
o What a challenge it is to have those around you who believe God for great things
o Those who say God will not let you down Randy
o What a blessing they are
o Remember that even if you do not have the gift of faith God wants all of us to grow in our faith
o God wants us to be a church who believes him for the seemingly impossible
o What is it that seems impossible in your life right now?
o What is it that seems impossible in our faith community right now?
o Are you trusting God to use you to lead one person to Jesus this year?
o How many of us are willing to tithe, trusting God that He will take care of all our needs?
o How many of us are willing to step out in faith and serve God in this local church
o God does not call 20% of us to serve the entire church
o No God calls 100% of us to serve one another to the glory of God at Calvary Church
Conclusion and Closing Prayer
o Calvary it is time for us to make a declaration
o I am asking you to make this declaration to serve God in this local church
o Say it prayerfully and ask God to give you the power to live it boldly
o Here it is!
o I am a disciple of Jesus Christ
o “I will no longer be ashamed to be a Christian
o I have the power of the Holy Spirit
o The decision has been made
o I choose to follow Jesus with all my heart
o I won’t look back, slow down, back away or be still
o My past is redeemed, my future is secure, Holy Spirit your with me today
o I am finished with mediocre Christianity, smooth knees, mundane talking, selfishness, and wasting time
o I will discover my gift and serve Jesus with all my heart!
