DISCOVERING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS
OPENING TEXT:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:4-10).
• “For we are His workmanship” = His poema = His masterpiece!
• Created “for good works” = to do something! We are saved to serve.
ILLUSTRATION:
The Super Bowl today: Pittsburg Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals.
QUOTE: “Nicky Gumbel says the church is like a football game: “There are 22,000 people in the stands in desperate need of exercise, watching 22 people in desperate need of a rest.” (The Alpha Course).
• There are no spectators – or benchwarmers – in the kingdom of God!
KEY TEXT:
“God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you.” (1 Peter 4:10)
• EVERY Christian receives at least one spiritual gift.
PERSONAL TESTIMONY:
• The first year after I became a Christian, I got involved in my church.
• I served on the praise and worship team (singing) and teaching in the children’s ministry.
• Christianity is a contact sport. I didn’t just want to be a spectator.
IT REMINDS ME OF THE HUMOUROUS ANECDOTE:
A Sunday school teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?”
One bright little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping.”
• Maybe people would be less bored if they started doing something!
THE BIG IDEA: God has given everyone spiritual gifts. Our job is to discover and develop those gifts so that we can be a blessing to others.
DISCOVERING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS – WHAT ARE THEY?
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant…A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” (1 Cor. 12:1,7)
• Spiritual gifts are a God-given ability to do a task
• It allows you to do the work of the ministry effectively – to help and bless others.
“Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.” (Ephesians 5:16)
• God is more concerned about our AVAILABILITY than our natural ABILITY.
• “A mistake proves someone stopped talking long enough to do something.”
ILLUSTRATION:
A man applied for a job as a handyman.
The prospective employer asked, "Can you do carpentry?" The man said, “No.”
"How about bricklaying?" Again the man answered, "No."
The employer asked, "Well, what about electrical work?" The man said "No, I don’t know anything about that either."
Finally the employer said, "Well, tell me then what is handy about you?"
The man replied, "I live just around the corner."
• Sometimes the greatest ability we can have is availability.
• God has a calling and a gifting for your life – will you commit to fulfilling that purpose?
SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.” (Romans 12:4-5).
• Each of us has a different job to do. We belong to each other, and we need each other.
ILLUSTRATION:
After World War II ended, a group of German students volunteered to help rebuild a Cathedral in London. It had been severely damaged by bombing. They did well with most of the Cathedral, except one statue that had been broken into many pieces…a marble statue of Jesus. It once stood, with Christ standing with arms outstretched. The inscription under it read, “Come unto me.” They were able to find and reconstruct the entire statue, except for the hands, which had been completely demolished. When finished, they had a statue of Jesus with outstretched arms, and no hands. They couldn’t decide what to do…make new hands? Or leave it as it was? They decided to leave it be…but they changed the inscription… it now says, “He has no hands but ours.”
GIFTS FROM GOD THE FATHER:
“God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you.
If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well.
If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching.
If your gift is to encourage others, do it!
If you have money (giving), share it generously.
If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.
And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others (mercy), do it gladly.” (Rom. 12:6-8).
GIFTS FROM GOD THE SON – JESUS:
“And He (Jesus) Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” (Ephesians 4:11).
GIFTS FROM GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT:
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all; for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-10).
BIBLE STORY:
“14 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
• Notice that everyone in the kingdom of God has received at least one talent.
16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ’Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ’Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ’Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ’Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
• Notice that the Lord rewarded these two men in the same way, “I will make you ruler over many things – enter into the joy of your Lord.”
24 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ’Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
• Here is a picture of someone who is afraid to use their talents.
26 But his lord answered and said to him, ’You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 25:14-30).
• God wants us to be good stewards of our talents, time and money!
• One day we will have to give an account to God for what we have done on the Earth.
APPLICATION:
1. God wants you to discover and develop your gifts so you can bless those around you. (we have spiritual gift inventories you can do if you don’t know what your gift is)
2. God wants us to “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts.” (1 Cor. 14:1).
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
