Through Our Works of Service - Spiritual Gifts & Heart?
Gladstone Baptist Church - 5/6/05
During experiments aboard the space shuttle “Columbia,” scientists discovered that there are twenty-six lakes underneath the Sahara desert. It’s heartrending to think of the people who are starving and dying of thirst because these hidden resources have not yet been tapped.
In a similar way, there are some churches and even individuals in our church that are starving and dying physically and spiritually because there are spiritual resources that are untapped. My fear is that we’re missing out on what the Christian life is all about. Some of us are settling for something far less than what God intended.
One of the 5 purposes that we learnt about in the 40 days of purpose was ministry or service. We were Shaped to serve. Can anyone remember the memory verses we learnt...
What on earth are we here for? For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do - Eph 2:10
That says that we were created to do good works prepared for us.
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others - 1 Pet 4:10
Peter says that we have gifts and should use them to serve others.
Our church’s mission statement affirms this. It says. Through our Worship, Witness and Works of service, we aim to reach people with the good news of Jesus and lead them to Maturity in the Family of God.
We’ve all got works of service we can do to influence people for Christ.
Did you know that there are 3 different types of service or ministry. Another way to put this is that you minister in three different directions.
1. First we minister to GOD - That’s upwards. We do it through worship. When we worship, we are actually ministering to God. We’re using what God has given us to serve Him.
2. Then we minister to OTHER BELIEVERS - That’s inwards. Many of the things we do here at our church are mainly for the benefit of other believers. The musicians for example, morning tea servers, welcomers, children’s church - they are all focussed on believers.
3. Then we also minister to UNBELIEVERS - That’s outwards. Matthew 5:13 talks about "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world." Some of the things we do in this church reach out to people outside of this church. Brigades, KOGs, BYG House, Craft Group, the missionaries we support are examples.
Which of these are you involved with. I believe that every believer should in some way be involved with all 3 types of ministry. On your sheets - there is space to jot down some of the things you are doing in each of these areas. If one area is a bit blank, I suggest you focus your attention on trying to bring back some balance.
That is all well and good, you say, but I don’t know what I should do. There are basically 3 reasons why people don’t serve God and others.
„X they want to meet their own needs rather than meeting others needs. They are selfish. Sometimes they put God at the bottom of their list of priorities.
„X they don’t plan ahead to serve God. They don’t make preparations. They never actually get around to it. They are lazy. Basically they are not intentional about it and so it doesn’t happen.
„X they don’t think they are able to serve God. They don’t think they have anything to offer. They think that others could do a better job. But that is a lie - God has designed you with something to give.
A young boy came to church one cold winter day to get out of the blowing snow. He had been trying to sell newspapers but not a single customer had passed by because of the weather. He slipped into the back of the church, just hoping to get warm and catch up on his sleep. The boy really paid attention to the sermon that morning and was greatly moved by it. When the pastor was done, he called for the offering. The ushers went from row to row, and when the offering plate came to the boy, he stared at it for a while and then put it on the floor.
He then did something very strange and very special. He stood up and stepped right into the offering plate. By then, all the people had turned around and were staring at the boy. When he looked up, he had big tears running down his face as he said, “Pastor, I don’t have any money because I haven’t sold any newspapers today. All I have to give is me.” The person who has nothing to give but himself is able to give the greatest gift of all.
Tonight, I want to begin to help you figure out how God has SHAPED you for service. You see, you were created by God, to do good works. These are things which God has designed specifically for you to do. They are custom made for you. I can’t do the things God created for you to do, you can’t do the things I was designed to do - Why? Because we have different SHAPEs. The memory verse we learnt last year says ... Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others 1 Pet 4:10. You are unique. Look at your fingerprints - there is not another person with the same finger print. Look into the eyes of the person sitting next to you. Not too closely and not too long - you might fall in love. Did you know that there is not another person with the same eyes as you - they are unique. Your DNA is unique. God created you for a special purpose.
What’s My Shape?
But straight off the bat, there is a problem here ... because often we don’t know what we are supposed to do. We don’t know what our SHAPE is - Are you are circle or a square or a triangle or maybe your a bit more complicated - a 3D object? If you don’t know what shape you are, you are likely to be pressured or encouraged to try to fill a different shaped hole. Instead of trying to fit the circles in the circular hole and the squares in the square holes, we try to squeeze a square into a circular hole or a triangle into a square hole. It doesn’t fit and it is uncomfortable, unfulfilling and eventually burns people out. This is all because we don’t know what our shape is ...
Over the next 2 weeks we will be trying to help you figure out what your shape is and we are going to use the acrostic SHAPE. Tonight I’ll look at the S & H - Spiritual Gifts & Heart. Next Sunday morning, I’ll look at the A & P. Then next Sunday night Pastor Roger will look at the E.
1 ) SPIRITUAL GIFTS - The S in SHAPE stands for Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are special abilities which God gives when you become a Christian. 5 things you need to know about Spiritual Gifts ...
o They are GOD GIVEN (1 Cor 12:11) - you can’t earn them. You can’t enrole in a TAFE course and learn them. (If you think you have learnt any spiritual gifts, you are confusing them with natural abilities which we’ll talk about next Sunday). You can not twist God’s arm to get them. They are given by God as He sees fit. They are special abilities which enable us to do things that we normally couldn’t do. They are supernatural abilities and equip us our special task.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 - Now to each one the manifestation (or outworking) of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, a and to still another the interpretation of tongues. b 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
If they are given by God, that means that ...
o There is no right or wrong Spiritual Gift - Every Spiritual gift is given by God and is good. There is no gift that is better than any other. God has given you the gift that he knows our church needs.
o Every Christian has at least ONE spiritual gift (1 Cor 7:7). No one has ALL the gifts (1 Cor 12:27-30). That means we need everyone playing their part. If you are not playing your part, you are cheating everyone else in this church.
o The gifts are not for MY BENEFIT but for Others. 1 Pet 4:10 - Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve ... Who??? - Others. You serve others. Your gift of wisdom is to help others, not help you figure out what car to buy. Your gift of hospitality is to entertain others, not just feed your face on yummy food. Your gifts are for other’s benefit.
o Spiritual Gifts also Help answer the “WHAT” question - What do I do when I serve? What will I be most effective at? What will I feel most fulfilled doing?
There are plenty of spiritual gifts mentioned in the bible ... Here are some ...
„X Gifts That Communicate God’s Word - Preaching, Prophecy, Evangelism, Missions, Apostle
„X Gifts That Educate God’s People - Teaching, Encouragement, Wisdom, Discernment, Knowledge
„X Gifts That Demonstrate God’s Love - Service, Mercy, Hospitality, Pastoring, Giving
„X Gifts that help the church - Administration, Leadership, Faith
„X Gifts That Celebrate God’s Presence - Music, Arts & Crafts
„X Prayer-Related Gifts - Intercession, Healing, Miracles, Praying With My Spirit ("Tongues/Interpretation")
There is a bit of a description and list of verses on these gifts on the back of your handout tonight. If you want to know more, about any of them, come and see me.
What gift have you been given? Some of you will be uncertain of your giftings. That’s alright. Don’t be worried about that. Here are 3 things you can do to help you discover your gift.
By STUDY - read up on the gifts. There are plenty of good books around and some good courses that help you work through it. There are even some questionaires that you can do which will give you an indication of what you might be gifted in.
By TRIAL AND ERROR. I can’t emphasise this enough. Don’t wait to discover your gifts before you start to serve. The way you’re going to discover your spiritual gifts is simply by getting out there and experimenting with different areas of service. Some will start doing something and you’ll realize you’re pretty good at it. People respond and are blessed. You can care for people and you feel good. Others will say, "No, that’s not me." I want to give you permission to try various ministries until you find your niche. That’s how you’re going to discover it. A year from now you’re going to have a better handle on what your gifts are than simply sitting here, looking at them.
By ASKING OTHERS. You ask other people, "What gifts do you see in me?" After we’ve gone through this list, ask the people closest to you "What do you see in me?" Many times we’re blind to areas we’re really good at.
So that is the S - S stands for Spiritual Gifts.
Now what about our Heart
2) HEART - The H in SHAPE stands for Heart
Another word for this your Passion or your motivation. What’s your passion? What makes you laugh? What makes you cry? What makes you sing? What makes you angry?
Prov 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Our passions give us a reason for living. Moses had a passion for his people. It actually got him into trouble. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Exodus 2:11b-12.
Moses was wrong in what he did. The Bible does not commend his murder of the Egyptian. We do see here his heart for the slaves and their plight.
Agatha Burgess lives in the small mill town of Buffalo, South Carolina. She gets up every morning to cook at five o’clock. Eighty-year-old Agatha has been doing this five days a week for fifteen years. She gets up and cooks food for Meals on Wheels, which is picked up by volunteers at 11:00 a.m. By noon another group of people come, mill workers and judges and truck drivers. Agatha feeds anyone who comes to the door, and she makes them feel welcome. She encourages them to fill their plates and go back for seconds. For all this, they pay $2.75. She knows that’s too much for some people, and she doesn’t ask them for anything. When asked why she does what she does, Agatha replied, "I love it." She always wanted "to be a person that lived by the side of the road, and be a friend to man." She was asked why she didn’t stop and rest. "Wouldn’t have anything to live for," she replied. "Because these people coming everyday, they mean so much to me."
You’ve got a passion too. James White, in his book You Can Experience a Purposeful Life, provides some questions you can ask to see where your heart lies.
„X What do I really care about?
„X When I have an afternoon all to myself, free of family and work responsibilities, how do I want to spend it?
„X When I look around and think something needs to be changed, what area does my mind tend to travel toward?
„X What do I dream about?
„X What would I do to make every morning feel like Christmas day?
„X If I could leave my mark on any area of life, what would it be?
Not all of our desires and passions line up with God’s purposes. Some of the things we are passionate about come from our selfishness. Some people are passionate about making Money. Their goal is $1 Million by the age of 30. Now that is not bad in itself, but what is your motive for doing it. You see our passions can be self centred or God centred. The Bible tells us that if we align our hearts with God he’ll make our true, divinely inspired passions shine through. He’ll also give us the means to fulfill it if we commit ourselves completely to him.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (NIV)
You’d be surprised at the passions that God places within people’s hearts. Maybe your passion is being outdoors (walking, hiking, hunting, fishing, camping). Have you thought about how God wants you to use that passion? Some of you have a passion for golf. Have you ever thought about how God could use your passion for golf to minister to others? Maybe inviting people to go and play golf with you and talk to them about Jesus as you walk around the course. Maybe your passion is music or cooking or scrap-booking or gardening. How can God use your passion to for his purposes? Maybe your passion is helping those who are down and out?
Phil 2:12 & 13 says ... Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Again, I want to tell you that God gives you passions and wants us to use them to motivate us in service. What’s the first thing you think of when I say “James Dobson?” - Families? What about “Billy Graham” - preaching, evangelism? What about “Mother Teresa” - care for the poor and needy. What we think of when we think of these people is their Passion. It is what excites them. It is what motivates them. They’ve figured out their passion and are using it to serve God.
Passion is the GOD-GIVEN desire that compels us to make a difference in a particular ministry. It gives us the direction, the motivation and energy to make a difference for God. It helps us figure out WHERE we are to serve.
So that is the first 2 letters of SHAPE. The first 2 elements of us considering what God would have us do in ministry. S - for Spiritual Gifts God has given you a gift - so find out what it is, unwrap it and start to use it. Spiritual gifts help to tell you what you do when you minister. H - for Heart. God has laid something special on your heart that excites you so much. Your Heart, tells you where you are to minister.
There is a story told of a water bearer in India who had two large pots which hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the masters house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his masters house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been unable to deliver a full load of water because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your masters house.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the masters house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had again leaked out half its load, and so again began to apologize for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pots side? That’s because I have always known about the crack in you, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my masters table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Fathers table. In Gods great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don’t be afraid of your flaws. God wants to use your spiritual gifts and heart in his ministry despite your imperfections. Next week we’ll look at the other 3 areas.
