Sermon Tone Analysis

*Spiritual Gifts II: Gifted to Serve*

*Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11*

*/November 8, 2009/*

 

* *

*Prep: *

·         Dedication (read leftovers)

·         IT Crowd

·         Leftovers (esp.

Piper), “Preach for Commitment”

·         081, 069, 040

 

*Scripture reading: Romans 12:3-8*

 

 

Intro: Last Week

 

My goal for this series is *twofold*:

 

1.

To help us become *Biblically* *grounded* in what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit and his gifts.

2.

To see The Gathering become more *filled* with the Spirit, more dependent upon him, and *more* *empowered* by him for life and ministry, through *whatever* *manifestation* he chooses.

*Last* *week’s* *emphasis* was on the *Holy* *Spirit* himself, what he does and how we should seek to be *filled* by him *continually*.

Over the *next* *three* sermons we will look at his gifts.

·         The goal here is to *exhort* the church to *discover*, *develop*, and *deploy* their Spirit-empowered gifts to the glory of God.

Prayer

 

 

spectator or PARTICIPANT?

Have you ever thought that *some* *sports* are more fun to *play* than *watch*?

*Soccer* is about as interesting to watch as competitive knitting, but is a lot of sun to play.

Q   How do you view church, as a *spectator* or *participant* *sport*?

I have heard *professional* *sports* described as several guys running around a filed in *desperate* *need* of *rest*, being watched by thousands of people in *desperate* *need* of *exercise*.

·         All *too* *often*, this is how churches function.

Any given Sunday, too *many* *people* come to church *watch*, sing along, but *aren’t* *part* of the *team*, but they’re about 2,000 years too late.

This is how it worked in the *OT*, when *worship* was left in the hands of the *professionals*: Only the *Levites* and the *priests* were allowed to serve God.

Q   Why?

Because they were *not* *holy* *enough*.

But in the *OT* it is *promised* that it would change.

When *Jesus* *died*, the *curtain* in the *temple* was torn representing not just *relationship* with God, but that we *all* could *serve* him, not just the special class.

Just important was the *baptism* of the Holy *Spirit*: In the past, only the *specially* *ordained* people received the Spirit’s *empowerment* for *ministry*, now *all* *believers* are filled.

This is all part of what we call this “*priesthood* of all *believers*,” meaning that everyone one of us has been called and *ordained* to *serve* God and *be* the church, not *just* *go* to church.

*1 Peter 2:9 *But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Equip for service

 

But there has always been a *slide* back into having “*professional* *minister*.”

The *Reformation* was birthed out of growing desire by the “common folk” to minister.

It sought to remove an error that saw the clergy as the *minister* and the *laity* as the common folk.

·         God’s *plan* and *intention* is for *all* *believers* to be *ministers*.

*Ephesians 4:11-13 *  11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,  12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up  13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Our job as *elders* and *deacons* is to *equip* you to be the church (*deacons* are expected to *manage*, not just do).

All of us are the church, not just the elders and deacons.

As it is, some people are *doing* *too* *much*, while some of us *watch*.

Things have really *improved*, but *ministry* does *not* get *done* because the church (all of us) is not doing it.

In “*Pillars* of *Community*” I defined community as a place we *belong*, *grow*, and *serve*.

This community needs each and every one of you home call this your church to serve.

A dead sea?

I don’t just say this for the sake of the church.

We need to serve.

The *individual* becomes *stagnant* without because we have been *designed* to give and serve.

·         The only difference between the Sea of *Galilee* and the *Dead* *Sea* is that the Dead Sea receives but doesn’t give.

I say we’re designed to serve because we’re made in *God’s* *image*, and God is a servant.

We find our *greatest* *joy* when we serve.

In “Pillars of Community” I defined community as a place we *belong*, *grow*, and *serve*.

This community needs each and every one of you home call this your church to serve.

Body parts

 

Q   Does this mean that all of us have to *preach*, or lead *worship* or be *Biblical* *scholars*?

This is where spiritual gifts come in: God has *equipped* us all to serve in *specific* *way* that fit how he made us.

NIV *1 Corinthians 12:14-18* Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?

If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

In this body, God has assembled a *remarkable* *assortment* of *skills* and *gifts*, and the church functions best when we are all functioning accordingly, neither *proud* nor *ashamed* of the gifts God has given us.

·         The basic point here is that we all *need* *each* *other* – God designed the church to be *interdependent*

·         If anyone isn’t doing their part, we *all* *suffer*.

What makes a gift spiritual?

Another way of describing “*doing* your *part*” is “using your *spiritual* *gifts*.”

NIV *1 Corinthians 12:4-7* There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

God has given each one of us spiritual gifts “for the *common* *good*.”

*Each* of us, without exception.

Some people feel as if they have *nothing* to *offer*, but we *all* have been *given* *gifts*.

The problem is that we *frequently* *undervalue* the gifts we are given because they don’t seem *spiritual* *enough*.

·         I choose *Romans* for the opening reading because it highlights the more “*everyday*” *gifts*.

Some people teach that it is only a spiritual gift if you got it *after* you became a *Christian*.

I don’t see that in Scripture.

When we look at a lot of the spiritual gifts, and many of them seem so *common* *place*.

·         Perhaps the term “spiritual gift” has become *misleading* to us.

Paul is not trying describe over-the-top *miraculous*, but rather a *variety* of ways that the Holy Spirit works through Christians to build the church.

Other terms might help: *Talent*, *skill*, *ability*, *personality*.

·         That’s not to say there are *no* *miraculous* gifts, but only that the *ordinary* ones are *no* *less* *spiritual*.

purpose and Power

 

Q   What makes a spiritual gift *spiritual*?

Is there a difference between a *servant*-hearted, *mercy*-filled *unbeliever* building a house in the name of the *Peace* *Corp* and a servant-hearted, mercy-filled building it in the name of *Jesus*?

There is a huge *difference*, *two* of them actually:

 

*/1.

/**/Purpose/*

 

The believer is doing it to the *glory* of *God* and to *build* the *kingdom* of *God*.

This gives it an *eternal* *value*.

The house will eventually be *destroyed* and its *occupants* will *die*.

The fact that the Gospel goes with the hammer means *eternal* *life* may be given in addition to a house.

Remember that *Jesus* considered the *Gospel* far more *important* than *feeding* the *poor*.

·         *Natural* *abilities* only transmit *natural* *things*, *spiritual* gifts transmit *spiritual* things.

*/2.

/**/Power/*

 

The *power* behind the *talent*, *skill*, or *gift* is other thing that makes it spiritual.

If we are submitted to God and using our gifts to glorify him, the Holy Spirit *empowers* them *beyond* our natural ability.

·         *Talking* with a *non*-*Christian*: The wisdom came from natural ability, but the *guiding* of the *conversation* was *supernatural*.

The gift list

 

Let’s briefly look at the *Spiritual* *gifts* the Bible.