NOTE:
This is a manuscript, and not a transcript of this message. The actual presentation of the message differed from the manuscript through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is possible, and even likely that there is material in this manuscript that was not included in the live presentation and that there was additional material in the live presentation that is not included in this manuscript.
ENGAGE
This morning we are going to deal with a topic about which there is a great deal of confusion and even different views within the body of Christ. And unfortunately over the years, I’ve probably contributed to some of that, not intentionally, but just because of my own lack of understanding. And even today, although I think God has given me a clearer understanding of this topic, I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I do believe that the passage that we’ll look at this morning will help us clarify some of the most important aspects of this topic.
TENSION
This morning we’ll be talking about spiritual gifts. And I’d like to get all of us to begin thinking about this topic by answering a few questions about your understanding of spiritual gifts. I’m not really looking for right or wrong answers or some long theological treatise. Just think about the first thing that comes to mind.
1. What is a spiritual gift?
2. How many different spiritual gifts are listed in the Bible? Are there any other spiritual gifts?
3. What is the purpose of spiritual gifts?
4. What is the best way to discover your spiritual gift(s)?
There are a lot of other questions I could ask, but I think those four are sufficient to get us thinking about this topic. Go ahead and keep those questions in the back of your mind as we see how the Bible helps us to answer those questions today.
TRUTH
[Read Romans 12:3-8]
Once again this morning, we’ll begin with the big idea and then use the Scripture to help us develop that further and to develop some principles that we can use to apply this idea in our day to day lives.
It is more important to use my spiritual gifts
than to understand them
Based on my own personal experience and from talking to some of you, it seems like the most common way the church approaches spiritual gifts is something like this: We use some kind of questionnaire, survey or inventory where we ask people to answer a bunch of questions. We then assign numerical values to each answer and add up the points a lo and behold the spiritual gift that has the most points is now identified as that person’s spiritual gift. And then we supplement that information with some teaching about those gifts. We study the meaning of the underlying Greek words and look at Biblical examples of people who had those gifts and even talk about where that person might use their gift in their church. How many of you have been through something like that?
I’m not saying that such an approach doesn’t have some value. I’ve been a part of a process like that both as a participant and as a leader and I think that there was some benefit in both. But over time, I’ve discovered two major drawbacks to such an approach:
• First, it makes some assumptions about spiritual gifts that I have come to see as just not being true. We’ll talk about some of those this morning.
• Second, while it helps people discover their spiritual gifts, it often falls short in helping them to actually use them.
So I have two goals this morning:
• I want to help you better understand the nature of spiritual gifts, and
• Even more importantly, I want to help you to either begin using your spiritual gifts if you’re not already doing that, or if you are using them, I want to help you do that even more effectively.
So I’m going to begin by identifying five important truths about spiritual gifts that we find in this passage and then I’ll talk about 4 practical steps that we can all take to use those gifts in the way God intends.
FIVE IMPORTANT TRUTHS ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS
1. God gives them as He determines
Paul expresses this idea in two different ways in this passage. First, at the end of verse 3, he writes that we are to think about ourselves “according to the measure of faith that God has assigned”. And then in verse 6 he writes about gifts that “differ according to the grace given to us”.
It is clear here that Paul is not referring to salvation here. There aren’t different levels of faith or grace when it comes to us being in right relationship with God through faith in Jesus. Given the context, Paul is making the point that we can’t boast about whatever gifts we have, because God has sovereignly assigned those gifts to us as He desires. Both the gifts we have and the faith to exercise those gifts have been given to us by God in varying measures.
We see this even more clearly in Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth:
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
(1 Corinthians 12:4–6 ESV)
So when Paul writes that we are not to think of ourselves “more highly than we ought to think”, he is reminding us that no one can either boast about his our her own gifts nor look down upon the gifts that others possess because every gift we possess is due only to the grace of God.
2. Every disciple of Jesus has them
Notice the key word “everyone” in verse 3. Spiritual gifts are not just reserved for some disciples of Jesus. If you are a disciple of Jesus because you have put your trust in Him, then you have at least one spiritual gift.
Peter reinforces this idea:
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:
(1 Peter 4:10 ESV)
3. They are primarily for the good of the entire body
Paul has already mentioned spiritual gifts in his letter to the churches in Rome all the way back in the opening words of that letter back in chapter 1:
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
(Romans 1:11–12 ESV)
One of Paul’s main purposes in writing his letter was to use his spiritual gifts to strengthen and encourage his readers. And in turn, he expected that he would be encouraged by the spiritual gifts that were operating in their lives.
Paul reinforces that idea here in verses 4 and 5 of Romans 12 where he uses one of his favorite analogies for the church – that of the human body. The church, he writes, is like a single human body that has many parts. And every single part of that body has a different function, each of which is indispensable for the proper functioning of the body.
Think about our physical bodies for a second. The heart doesn’t just serve itself. It is crucial to every other organ in the body and if it stops beating the entire body dies. And the same thing is true in the church. Every single member of the church is indispensable to the operation of the church and if even one member is not using his or her gift as God intends, then the church cannot possibly operate at full capacity.
I love the way that Pastor John Piper defines a spiritual gift because of the way it emphasizes this important truth:
…a spiritual gift is an ability given by the Holy Spirit to express our faith effectively (in word or deed) for the strengthening of someone else’s faith.
- John Piper
While there is no doubt that each of us do receive some personal benefit when we exercise our gifts, that is not their primary purpose. They are primarily for the good of others and for the body as a whole.
4. They are a lot more fluid that we usually think
If you’ve done any study at all on spiritual gifts or if you’ve ever taken any kind of spiritual gifts inventory, you have probably been exposed to the different ways people try to list, categorize and define spiritual gifts. I find it a bit amusing that all these different tests and inventories can’t even agree on how many spiritual gifts there are. I’ve seen lists that contain anywhere from the seven we see here in Romans 12 to nearly 30 different gifts.
In addition to the seven gifts listed here in Romans 12, there are also lists in 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Peter 4 and Ephesians 4 as well as a few mentioned in various other places in the New Testament. And there is some overlap in those lists. And Paul and the other Biblical writers even use several different Greek words to describe spiritual gifts, each of which emphasize different aspects of those gifts. Here in Romans 12, Paul uses the word charismata, which comes from the root word for “grace” to emphasize that these are grace gifts.
So it seems to me that spiritual gifts aren’t just limited to the activities enumerated in these lists. And even if they were, the gifts in these lists are kind of like the colors on an artist’s palette that are mixed together by the artist in order to create unique combinations of colors.
God, as the master artist, takes these building blocks and combines them as he sees fit to create a gifting for each of us that is as unique as our fingerprints. And that blend changes throughout our lives as God uses those gifts to express our faith to strengthen the faith of those He brings into our lives at different times.
That means that God has so uniquely gifted each of us here this morning that there is no one else like each of us. And therefore if we don’t do what we were gifted to do, we cripple the body.
5. They are not an excuse for disobedience
Most of the spiritual gifts that Paul lists here, as well as the other ones listed in the New Testament, also have corresponding commandments for all disciples of Jesus. We are all to serve, we are all to encourage others, we are all to give generously, we are all to share our faith with others, we are all to show mercy. As we’re going to see shortly, in many cases a spiritual gift is merely a virtue that is to be present in the life of every disciple of Jesus that God takes to a higher level of joy and fruitfulness.
So that means that we can’t opt out of being obedient to those commands by claiming that is just not my spiritual gift.
Our main idea this morning is…
It is more important to use my spiritual gifts
than to understand them
So far, we’ve primarily focused on understanding some important truths about spiritual gifts. But obviously that isn’t our final goal today. So let’s close with a discussion of…
APPLICATION
HOW TO DISCOVER AND USE MY SPIRITUAL GIFTS
So if taking a spiritual gifts inventory or studying about spiritual gifts isn’t the most effective way to discover and use my gifts, what is? Let me suggest four things we can all do.
1. Start serving
Notice the command in verse 6: “…Let us use them…” That is really the key idea here in this passage. Spiritual gifts are worthless if we don’t use them.
Have you ever tried to steer a parked car? You can turn the wheel all you want but the car isn’t going to change directions. And the same thing is true when it comes to using our spiritual gifts. God has a hard time directing us when we’re not doing anything. But once we start serving, God has the ability to redirect us.
So in a sense, it doesn’t really matter where you serve at first. Certainly you may have some talents and some desires that would lead you to serve in a certain area, but often the best way to get started is to just see where there is a need and jump in. Try out some different areas and employ the next two principles we’re going to talk about and let God direct you to where He wants you to be.
I’ve shared this before, but I can personally testify to the importance of taking this first step. About six months after Mary and I were married we moved to Albuquerque and we eventually found a church to attend there. But like some of you here this morning, we weren’t really involved at all other than just to attend the Sunday morning worship service. But one morning the head usher asked me if I could serve as an usher and I agreed to do that. It turned out that the head usher was also the director of the young married Sunday School department and it wasn’t long until he had convinced us to start attending that class. Eventually that lead to me being involved in teaching and becoming a deacon.
Looking back, I don’t particularly think that I was using any of my spiritual gifts by being an usher. But because I was willing to start serving, God was able to direct me to the place where I was able to use my spiritual gifts of teaching and leadership.
Many of you here are already serving here at TFC. Thank you for that service. But there are many of you who are not. And over the years, I’ve generally seen three excuses that people have for not serving:
1) I’m too busy. “I have a job and a family to raise and house to take care of and I just don’t have time to serve”. Certainly we all have seasons of life and some of them are more conducive to allowing us time to serve the church. But my understanding of the Bible, and this passage in particular, leads me to conclude that there is no such thing as a genuine, obedient disciple of Jesus who is not involved in ministry. So it seems to me that if you’re too busy for ministry, there may be some other things you’re doing that you need to quit doing.
2) I’m not qualified. I know it’s a cliché, but it is nonetheless true that God doesn’t called the qualified, He qualifies the called. I can assure you that if God wants you to serve in a certain ministry, He will equip you with whatever you need. But He can’t do that until you start serving.
3) I’m already serving outside the church. Most of you are already serving your families. Some of you are involved in other charitable organizations. And hopefully all of us are serving the people around us in some way. And that is great and we ought to be doing those things. But what we can’t ignore is that the primary purpose of our gifts is to build of the faith of those within the church. And I just don’t know of any other way to do that other than by engaging in some kind of ministry within the body of Christ.
2. Serve with excellence
Because our goal is to focus on the big picture today, we’re not going to spend any time this morning focusing on the individual gifts listed in verse 6-8. But the one thread we do see running throughout that list is that when we serve, we are to do it with excellence. We especially see that in verse 8 where the one who has the gift of giving is to give generously and the one who has the gift of leadership is to lead with zeal and the one who has the gift of mercy is to exercise that gift with cheerfulness.
Not surprisingly, Paul confirms this principle in one of his other letters:
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
(Colossians 3:23–24 ESV)
Obviously there is a difference between excellence and perfection. None of us are capable of serving God perfectly. But whenever we serve God, even if it is something that we’re not particularly excited about, we need to do it as if we’re serving Jesus Himself.
3. Look for joy and fruit
This is a principle that I’ve borrowed from Pastor John Piper. As we serve within the church, there will be some things that both give us great joy and which also bear fruit. And when both of those things occur, that is likely an indication that we are utilizing a spiritual gift. Let’s consider each of them separately.
There is a lot of biblical evidence to support the idea that the Holy Spirit shapes our hearts so that when we serve in a way that is consistent with our spiritual gifts we find unusual joy in that service. Sometimes that may be for only a season and in other cases it may be for a lifetime. I have observed that both in my life and in the lives of others right here at TFC.
For me personally, I get a great deal of joy and satisfaction out of teaching the Word of God. In fact, I love it so much that I rarely take off a Sunday. And whenever I’m in a worship gathering where someone else is preaching, although I really enjoy listening to the teaching of others, there is a part of me that longs to be up there in their place. And I can honestly say it’s not because I think I could do it better or because I want the spotlight. It’s because God gives me so much joy in teaching and preaching. That’s why I can’t see myself retiring completely from doing that as long as I’m capable.
But I’ve also seen a lot of people who find joy in an area of service that frankly they just aren’t very good at. That’s where the fruitfulness part comes in. Part of the process of making sober judgment as Paul commands in verse 3 is to be honest with ourselves about our gifts. And that often requires listening to others and also evaluating whether our gifts are producing fruit.
Obviously that can be difficult to do. When I get up here and preach, it’s often impossible to measure whether what I do is producing fruit. I suppose to at least some degree people “vote with their feet” so that fact that all of you keep coming back for more indicates that hopefully there is some fruit being produced. And from time to time I do get to see that fruit in more tangible ways. And I also trust that if my preaching wasn’t producing fruit our Elders would be honest enough to confront me about that.
So I would suggest to you that when both joy and fruit are present, that’s a good indication that I’m using my spiritual gifts.
4. Appreciate the gifts of others
While each of us has our own unique spiritual gifts, we’ve also been made to function in community with one another. As Paul writes, we are “members one of another”. In order for the body to function properly each of us must serve in the areas where God has gifted us and then be dependent on others to serve in areas where they have been gifted – usually in the areas of my weakness.
So that means that rather than envy the gifts of others that I might not have, I need to be content with those gifts that God has entrusted to me and to appreciate the gifts that He has entrusted to others. One practical way I can do that is to thank others for their service and encourage them to continue to use their gifts. That is something I sure know I could do much better.
INSPIRATION
It is more important to use my spiritual gifts
than to understand them
I am grateful for the way God is working here at TFC. But I often think about how much more He could do if this body was operating at full strength. I wonder how many more people would come to know Jesus, how many more people would be growing and serving, how many more people would be going and sharing if every one of us was doing our part and using the spiritual gifts God has entrusted to us.
I know some of you may think that your gift isn’t significant or important, but I can assure you, based on what we’ve learned today that it is indispensable. So will you put it to work?
ACTION
Probably more than any recent message, this is a message that calls us all to a very practical and concrete response. So during the response time this morning, I’m going to ask all of us to respond to the questions that you’ll find on the back of your sermon outline and then to commit to take at least one concrete step this week to put your answers into action.
1. Am I already serving here at Thornydale Family Church? If so, where? If not, where is an area where I could begin serving?
2. Do I know my spiritual gift(s)? If so, how am I using them to serve here at TFC? If not, what could I do to discover and use my gifts?
3. What other people do I see using their spiritual gifts here at TFC. What could I do this week to show appreciation and encourage someone for his or her gift(s)?
Discussion questions for Bible Roundtable
1. What did you learn about spiritual gifts today that was different or new for you?
2. Have you ever taken a spiritual gifts test/inventory? If so, how was that helpful? What were its shortcomings?
3. Do you think a person gets one or more spiritual gifts that remain constant throughout life or do those gifts change over time? Support your answer biblically.
4. Are spiritual gifts the same as natural talents? Is there any relationship between them?
5. What are some things that are identified in the Bible as spiritual gifts that all Christians are commanded to do?
6. Do you know what your spiritual gift(s) is (are)? If so, how did you discover that gift?
