Just a few years ago, Dave Barry, a columnist for the Washington Post, posted his comments about the typical male in the first week of December. He wrote, “Your standard man, at this point in the Christmas season, has purchased zero gifts. He has not yet gotten around to purchasing an acceptable gift for his wife for last Christmas. He did give her something last year, but he could tell by her reaction to it that she had not been dreaming of getting an auto emergency kit, even though it was the deluxe model with booster cables and an air compressor. Clearly this gift violated an important rule, but the man had no idea what this rule was, and his wife was too upset to tell him.” (Dave Barry, “Your Gift Is in the Male,” Washington Post, December 7, 2004)
Sometimes, at Christmas, we get gifts we don’t really appreciate. But there is Someone who knows exactly what we need, and He delights in giving us good gifts. That One, of course, is the Lord. He is one God who exists in three separate and distinct persons, and each person in this Holy Trinity has a gift for you this Christmas. They are gifts you can really appreciate if you choose to accept them. And in these three Sunday’s before Christmas, I want us to explore each of their gifts.
If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Romans 12, Romans 12, where we have, 1st of all, the Holy Spirit’s gift.
Romans 12:6-8 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (ESV)
These, of course, are the spiritual gifts, which 1 Corinthians 12:11 says, “The Holy Spirit gives to each one, just as he determines” (NIV). Spiritual gifts are supernatural abilities that the Holy Spirit gives to each and every believer, so they can serve His church. None of us, who have trusted Christ, are without such a gift. All of us have received this supernatural ability to serve. Every single believer, from the youngest child to the oldest adult, can serve in some way to effectively advance the cause of Christ in this world through His church.
That’s the gift the Holy Spirit gives to every believer, but so few believers appreciate or utilize this gift to its fullest. How about you? Do you want to utilize your spiritual gift to the fullest? Do you want God to use you to effectively advance the cause of Christ? Do you want to employ the Spirit’s wonderful gift to see people come to faith in Christ and to help His church grow? Then backup a few verses in the text to find out how you can use your spiritual gift fully and effectively to the glory of God. You’re in Romans 12. Look at verse 3.
Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (ESV)
There are some people who think they are God’s gift to the church. They overestimate their own importance and skills, but if you’re going to utilize the Holy Spirit’s gift effectively, don’t do that.
DON’T OVERESTIMATE YOURSELF.
Don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought.
Don’t be like the Pufferfish, which blow themselves up to seem bigger than they normally are. They do this to discourage potential predators. Some people call them “blowfish”, because these clumsy swimmers fill their elastic stomachs with huge amounts of water (and sometimes air) to blow themselves up to several times their normal size.
Additionally, most pufferfish contain a toxic substance that makes them foul tasting and potentially deadly to other fish. The toxin is deadly to humans – 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide. There is enough poison in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote. ("Pufferfish," National Geographic Kids; https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/ pufferfish/#pufferfish-inflated-closeup.jpg; www.Preaching Today.com)
Pride does the same thing to people. It blows them up to make them look bigger than they are, and it is toxic to a marriage, a friendship, and even to the church. So don’t overestimate yourself. Don’t blow yourself up to seem more important than you really are. Otherwise, the forward progress of the church comes to a grinding halt.
A sea captain and his chief engineer were arguing over who was most important to the ship. To prove their point to each other, they decided to swap places. The chief engineer went up to the bridge, and the captain went down to the engine room.
Several hours later, the captain suddenly appeared on deck covered with oil and dirt. “Chief!” he yelled, waving a monkey wrench in the air. “You have to get down here; I can’t make her go!”
“Of course you can’t,” replied the chief. She’s aground!” (Leadership, Vol.12, No.4)
You see, on a team, none of us excel each other. Rather, we depend on each other, and that’s especially true in the church. The preacher is not more important than the person in the pew. The one who wags his tongue is not more important than the one who uses his hands. The one who leads is not more important than the one who serves.
On the contrary, we need each other to advance the cause of Christ in the world. Each part of the body must do its work if the whole body is going to grow. Every believer in the body of Christ is important to the work God has called us to do.
So let’s all be careful: Don’t overestimate yourself. But on the other hand, if you want to effectively utilize your gifts…
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE YOURSELF either.
Don’t negate or minimize your importance to the church.
While it’s true that none of us are indispensable, it’s also true that none of us are unnecessary. As I said, every one of us is important to the work. That’s why the Holy Spirit has given each of us a supernatural ability to serve.
Romans 12:4-5 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (ESV)
Every part of the body HAS a function, and every part of the body NEEDS to function if the body is to remain healthy.
The three smallest bones in the human body are in the middle ear – the malleus, incus, and stapes – more commonly known as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup. The hammer is arranged so that one end is attached to the eardrum, while the other end forms a lever-like hinge with the anvil. The opposite end of the anvil is fused with the stirrup (so anvil and stirrup act as one bone).
Though these bones in the middle ear work in obscurity, completely invisible to the outside world, they are absolutely essential to our ability to hear. Without them, only 0.1 percent of the sound energy that hits the eardrum would be transferred to the inner ear. But because God has arranged these tiny parts in a way that maximizes their leverage, they produce a sonic effect far beyond their tiny little size. (James Robison, Living Amazed, Revell, 2017, pages 203-204; www.PreachingToday.com)
You may think that you’re little and insignificant in the body of Christ; but you can have an impact far beyond your size. You are very important to the functioning of a healthy church, and if you don’t participate, then the whole church suffers.
Just a few years ago (2008), Orthodox Church officials in Russia discovered that one of their church buildings had disappeared. Poof—gone! The 200-year-old building northeast of Moscow had not been used for a decade. Then the Orthodox Church started growing. So they decided to reopen the old church building, and that's when they discovered it wasn't there.
After an investigation, they determined that villagers from a nearby town had taken the bricks from the building and sold them to a businessman for one ruble (about 4 cents) each. The building didn’t come down in one fell swoop. No. Instead, lots of people, over a period of years, had chiseled out the bricks one-by-one until there was no church building left. (“Russian Orthodox church stolen brick by brick,” Associated Press, 11-13-08; www.PreachingToday.com)
Sad to say, that’s what’s happening to some of our churches right here in the United States of America. They are not being felled in one fatal stroke. Rather, lots of believers, who are the “living stones” of a church, one-by-one, are choosing not to get involved, and each decision means one less living stone. Eventually, the church is chiseled away, and its witness is completely gone from the community.
Please, don’t you do the same. Don’t underestimate yourself and so remove yourself. You ARE important to the life and ministry of this church. So please, participate as much as you can. Get involved.
USE YOUR GOD-GIVEN GIFTS to further the cause of Christ through His church.
Romans 12:6-8 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (ESV)
Whatever your gift, whatever your ability, whatever your talent, use it to the full to serve God with all your heart. You may not be able to preach, but you can serve. You may not be able to teach, but you can give. You may not be able to lead, but you can show mercy. Don’t worry about what you can’t do. Do what you can, and God will use it to further the cause of Christ through His church.
A 38-year-old scrubwoman used to go to the movies and sigh, “If only I had her looks.” She used to listen to a singer and moan, “If only I had her voice.” Then one day, she stopped comparing herself to actresses and singers. She stopped crying about what she didn’t have and started concentrating on what she did have. She took inventory of herself and remembered that in high school she had a reputation for being the funniest girl around. Then she began to turn her liabilities into assets and eventually earned over $1 million a year. Her name is Phyllis Diller, perhaps one of the greatest female comedians of all time. She wasn’t good looking and she had a scratchy voice, but she could make people laugh. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, p.282)
How about you? Stop comparing yourself with other believers. Stop crying about what you don’t have. Instead, find out what God has given you, and use it for His glory. Get involved in the ministry of the church, and God will use you in supernatural ways to change people’s lives forever.
That’s the Holy Spirit’s gift to you this Christmas. It’s the opportunity and the ability to be used of God to make a real difference in people’s lives that will count for eternity.
On Saturday November 5th, 2011, University of Tennessee freshman Derrick Brodus was lying on the couch at his fraternity that evening, waiting for the Tennessee Volunteers college football game to start at 7 P.M. Less than an hour before kickoff, Derrick fumbled for his cell phone as it began to ring. Imagine his surprise as the voice on the other end told him the coach was sending a police escort to get him to the stadium immediately.
“I thought it was a dream,” Derrick said. “I was just lying on my couch relaxing, and I answer my phone, and they just tell me that I need to come to the stadium as soon as possible.”
Just minutes before that call, Tennessee backup kicker Chip Rhome pulled a muscle during pregame warm-ups. Starting kicker Michael Pardy was already out, injured in Thursday's practice. One hour before kickoff, and the Volunteers were out of kickers.
Derrick, a freshman, had tried out as a placekicker when he enrolled at Tennessee, but never made the team. But on that Saturday Derrick emerged as the Volunteers only option.
Coach Derek Dooley told the press, “I said, ‘Let's get an APB out on Brodus. It's a good thing he wasn't [intoxicated]. Get him. Just get him here. Give him a Breathalyzer.’ Fortunately, he didn't do anything bad.”
Minutes after Derrick hung up his phone, the police escort arrived at the fraternity to rush him to the stadium. The team's trainer stretched him in the locker room while he put on his pads and a jersey that didn't even have his name on the back.
Early in the game, Derrick was called into duty, and he quickly made the most of his opportunity. Derrick made all three of his extra points, and he kicked a 21-yard field goal at the end of the first half. His team won 24-0.
Back in the locker room after the final whistle, the kicker who began the evening lying on the couch with a bag of chips was celebrated as the hero. The team cheered as Coach Dooley gave Derrick the game ball. (Graham Watson, “Tennessee grabs last-second kicker off his frat house couch,” Yahoo Sports, 11-8-11; www.PreachingToday.com)
Today, your Coach, the Lord Jesus Christ, is calling you. Get off the couch and get into the game! Jump right in and enjoy being a part of what God is doing through His church right here in Rice County.
Don’t overestimate yourself and don’t underestimate yourself either. Just use your God-given gifts to serve. While none of us are indispensable, all of us are important to the functioning of a healthy church. Please, get a grip and get involved. Enjoy the Holy Spirit’s gift to you this Christmas, and use it to the full to serve with all your heart.
Dr. F. B. Meyer put it well when he said, “It is urgently needful that…Christian people come to understand that they are not a company of invalids, to be wheeled about, or fed by hand, nursed, and comforted, the minister being the Head Physician and Nurse; but [they are] a garrison in an enemy’s country, every soldier of which should have some post or duty, at which he should be prepared to make any sacrifice rather than quitting.” (Ron Rhodes, The Heart of Christianity, Harvest House, p.169)
My friends, because of the Holy Spirit’s gift to all of you, you are not invalids in a hospital. You are specialists in God’s army with the ability, the supernatural ability, to storm the gates of hell and prevail. Now, get up from here and do your job!
Rise up, O Church of God!
Have done with lesser things;
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
To serve the King of kings. (William P. Merrill, altered)
