The Spirit As Gift Giver Series

Introduction:

A. The story is told about a young schoolboy who was trying out for a part in the school play.

1. His mother knew that he had set his heart on getting a part, but she was afraid that he would not be given a part in the play.

2. On the day the parts were awarded, she drove to school to pick him up.

3. His mom was relieved when she saw her son rushing towards her with eyes shining with excitement and giving her a “thumbs up.”

4. The boy burst out the words: “I have been chosen to be part of the group that claps and cheers.”

5. It is a lesson that all of us need to learn: God has lovingly assigned each of us different gifts and special parts to play – some get to play the leads and others get to clap and cheer.

B. For a couple of months, we have been engaged in a sermon series about the Holy Spirit called “The Holy Spirit, Our Helper.”

1. I hope we have been learning to appreciate how the Spirit helps us and have been learning to rely more on the Spirit as our helper.

2. So far in our series, we have learned that the Holy Spirit is not an IT or an impersonal force, but is the third person of the Godhead – the trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

3. We have learned that the Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide.

4. We have learned that the Holy Spirit is like the wind and that the Christian life should be more like sailing a boat than rowing a boat as the power of the Spirit carries us along.

5. We have learned that the Holy Spirit is our intercessor and how the Holy Spirit prays for us and does so especially when we don’t know what to pray for.

6. We have learned that the Holy Spirit is our seal; marking God’s permanent ownership and guaranteeing our place in God’s family and our heavenly inheritance.

7. We have learned that the Holy Spirit is like a dove bringing us peace, protection and comfort as we are under His wings.

8. We have learned that the Holy Spirit is a fire that purifies us, energizes us, melts us and protects us.

9. Finally, last week, we learned that the Holy Spirit is a stream of living water that flows from within us; refreshing us and allowing us to refresh others.

I. The Holy Spirit is the Gift Giver

A. Today, we want to explore the fact that the Holy Spirit is not only a gift, but is the gift giver.

1. All of us like to give and receive gifts, right?

a. Many of us exchange gifts with our family and friends – wedding gifts, anniversary gifts, graduation gifts, birthday gifts, and Christmas gifts.

b. It is fun to give and to receive gifts!

B. Where did we learn this joy of giving? We learned the joy of giving gifts from our God who loves to give gifts.

1. Jesus tells us: “For God so loved the world He gave His only Son…” (Jn. 3:16)

2. On another occasion during Jesus’ ministry, Jesus said: 9 Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. (Mt. 7:9-11)

3. God’s love is greater and purer than our own love, so if we love our children and give them good and appropriate gifts, then we can know that God will give even better and more appropriate gifts.

C. And so, we see that God gives gifts to His children, but more specifically, it is God the Holy Spirit who has the role of gift giver.

1. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul explains: 4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. 7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills. (1 Cor. 12:4-11)