Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Statement Of Faith

The Church Part 7

I. Walk in the manner of your gifting. (Eph. 4:7-12)
Intro: When young boys get their first pen knife from their grandpop, what do they usually do with it? Well, if they are like me, they use it to play games like 'chew the peg' (explain) and 'between the fingers' (explain) and we all learn how to throw it so the knife point sticks in a tree trunk.

     I wish I had a grandfather around when I was young to do what grandpops usually do when they see how their special gift is being used. Grandpop's say 'let me show you what you can do with that pen knife.' So he finds a piece of wood and begins to whittle away at it and carves a bird. Then he takes it in the kitchen and shows his grandson that with this other piece of the pen knife, he can open a bottle of soda, that they share.

     Little boys get a new perspective on the special gift their grandpops give  to them when they are shown how to use it properly.

Explanation: Christians have all been given special gifts, spiritual gifts and like most young boys with their first pen knife, we take off to play with them without ever asking the how, where or why of their use. Eventually we lose interest or get hurt because we won't be using the gifts correctly. When  that happens, we put them away, like boys put their old pen knife away in a junk drawer, to be forgotten.

    Paul in 1 Cor. 12:1 says this 'Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant' I believe that applies to us as well. We should not be uninformed about the how, where and why of the spiritual gifts God has given to us.

    I believe Paul was saying this because the church in Cornith had all the spiritual gifts but they were being misused. I also believe Paul was saying this because spiritual gifts that are dormant or hidden away, due to ignorance, immaturity or apathy  must be revived, rekindled and put into action.

     BUT, this kind of rekindling or revival can not happen in a church where nothing more than the status quo and mediocrity of the Holy Spirit's activity is anticipated or requested. You see, for CBC, our problem is not the misuse of spiritual gifts but their neglect in the church.

    In Rev. 3:15-16 God is speaking to the church at Laodicea and He says

Read: Rev. 3:15-16

     You see, the topic of spiritual gifts frightens many and causes them to run and hide, because it is safer, it is more comfortable..it is more lukewarm, and we like it that way.

     This is where we come in because the Inreach ministry of the local church involves teaching, encouraging and giving opportunity for those who attend to properly and regularly use the spiritual gifts given to them for the glory of God and the building up of the body of Christ.

Trans: Open you Bibles to Eph. 4:7 where we will find that the local church is to teach Believers how to walk in the manner of their gifting.

    A. Your gifting is by God's Grace
Read: Eph. 4:7-10

     Although the words 'spiritual gifts' are not specifically used here in this text, it is the topic of conversation. It is spiritual gifts that Paul is referring to when he mentions  the words 'grace' and 'Christ's gifts'.  Let  me explain.

     The Greek work most often used for spiritual gifts in the Bible is 'charismata' where we get the word 'charismatic'. Charismata means grace gifts. It is unfortunate and biblically incorrect that the word 'charismatic' has been limited to just the experience of speaking in tongues.

    Often, because of the incorrect redefining of Charismatic, we deny it's teaching in the more conservative churches. But, to deny that you, as a Christian, are not charismatic is to say that you are not the recipient of 'grace gifts' from Christ. Remember, vs 7 of Ephesians tell us 'But to each one of us, believers, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.'

     In vss. 8-10 Paul explains the authority by which Christ can bestow these grace-gifts. He descended from heaven, defeated the powers of evil and as victor ascended to heaven giving gifts to those He has redeemed. It was common in battle for the victor to divide the spoils with his men. This is what Paul was saying. We share in the victory of Christ when we recognize and use the grace gifts He has given to us.

DEF: Spiritual Gifts are a supernatural ability given by God and empowered through the Holy Spirit to express our faith effectively for the strengthening of someone else's faith.

     So, Paul tells us that all Believers have grace-gifts, no one is left out., no one can feel unimportant or useless in the life of the church. It also means you are all........... 'charismatics'.

Transition: What are the grace-gifts and how are they given to believers in the church? Although not a complete list, Paul gives us the general idea in vs 11.

Read: Eph. 4:11

    B. Your gifting is by God's choice
         Grace gifts, spiritual gifts are given by the grace of God, and they are given by the choice of God as well. Key to this is the word, SOME. It doesn't say He gave all gifts to everyone, but that He gave to each one, particular gifts. He is implying that there is a diversity in the giving of these gifts. Paul states this more completely in  1Cor. 12:29-30

Read: 1 Cor. 12:29-30

     God has chosen to use a variety of ways to empower and equip His people for Christian service. Make no mistake, He is saying that the choice of our gifting is not ours but God's. Christ gave, the text says, and the implications here are many.

     First, we are to be assured that each one of us has a spiritual gift that God wants us to use for the building up of His church.

     Second, we can not be prideful about our gifting because it is a gift of God, like salvation, where we did nothing to deserve or merit the gifts we have been blessed with.

     Third, diversity is a necessity in the local church. Therefore we need each believer to recognize and use their grace gifts within the context of the local church.

    Fourth, because God has given these grace-gifts to us by His own choice, and they are not deserved or merited by us, we are to be content with the spiritual gifts we have been given. Envy and jealousy have no place in the body of Christ.

     In order to save a little time, I have put a list of the Spiritual Gifts mentioned in Scripture and where they are described in the Bible. I have also given you a partial list of how these grace-gifts can be used in local church ministry. Take them home and look at them. If you have any questions on your particular gifting, or if you don't know how God has gifted you, talk to me.

Trans: Well, what is the purpose of these grace-gifts given to each Believer? Paul tells us in vs. 12.

Read: Eph. 4:12

    C. You gifting is for God's use

ILL: Oscar Feucht, in his book, Everyone Is A Minister, shares this interesting story:  A gang of laborers were drilling holes five feet deep in a street. Their boss did not tell them the purpose. In fact, he would quickly look into each hole and then say, "Okay, fill'er up!" At noon, the men announced, "We quit! Pay us off!" When the boss asked, "Why?" they replied, "Digging holes and filling them up only makes fools of us."  Then he told them why the drilling was being done--to find the location of a very important water main that supplied many people with water.

     Christian ministry and service is so much more meaningful when it is connected with a clear sense of personal mission and calling!  Wouldn't you agree? The aim or purpose of our grace-gifts is to equip all God's people for service.

     'Equipping' means to prepare or to put right. It is used to describe the setting of a broken bone. You want it set right so that it will continue to grow and function in the way it was intended to. Get the idea?  We are all to use our grace-gifts so that each one of us will be able to do that which we were called to do by God...and what is that? Build up the body of Christ...the church...you and I.

     In a day when the Holy Spirit seems especially active, there are some in the church who are not open to seeking to use the gifts of the Spirit in ministry because they are fearful of the outward manifestations of the Spirits power. And this topic has brought great division in the church.

    But Paul is saying that we must get past that because in the free exercise of our spiritual gifts within the clear parameters of God's Word, we will build up His church. In using our gifts, we become ministers (servants) of Christ TO one another.

     You see, the local church is not built up by getting together for meeting after meeting, but by encouraging and making opportunities for each member to be servants and use their grace gifts for the common good of the body of Christ.

Conclusion
     Having discovered that all Believer are charismatic..that is, recipients of grace gifts.

     Having discovered that these spiritual gifts come by God's grace and choice.

     Having discovered that these spiritual gifts are given to all but not all have the same gifting.

     Having discovered that these spiritual gifts are to be used for God's purpose of building up the church.

     Will our gifts be 'tools' for daily ministry and service or 'trophies' collecting dust on a shelf?

     Here in our church there are many with undiscovered gifts and there are many who know what their gifts are but refuse to use them. There are people who have perhaps, been coming here for years, who have been sitting and listening but never stepping out in faith to use the grace gifts they have been given. There are people who have never experienced the resurrection power of God that He gives through the Holy Spirit to empower them to use their gifts for the building up of His church.

     And to that degree, the body of Christ that we know as CBC is weak and unable to fully touch the world around us.

 In Matt. 10:8 Jesus says 'freely you have received, freely give'.

     Is it possible that we are so entrenched, so fixed on the 'receiving' side of Christianity that we have neglected the 'giving' side?  Our greatest joy as Believers comes when we give freely in response to the gracious way in which God has freely given to us.

     When this motive under girds our efforts to serve, the burdened spirit which once said ' serving and giving are my duties' can be replaced with the bountiful spirit which says 'serving and giving are my privileges.'

Paul, in 2 Tim. 1:6 wrote to Timothy and said 'Stir up the gift that is in you, which was given to you.' And he is saying the same thing to all of us this morning and challenging us to walk in the manner of our gifting.