Using God's gifts to His glory (CC)
0 (0 Likes / 0 Dislikes)
KNOW THE TRUTH - SERMON TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11
LET US RISE FOR THE READING OF THIS MORNING'S SERMON TEXT
RECORDED FOR US BY THE APOSTLE PAUL
IN HIS FIRST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS, WHERE WE READ
THE FIRST ELEVEN VERSES OF CHAPTER 12:
NOW ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS, BROTHERS,
I DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE IGNORANT.
YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU WERE PAGANS, SOMEHOW OR OTHER YOU
WERE INFLUENCED AND LED ASTRAY TO DUMB IDOLS.
THEREFORE I TELL YOU THAT NO ONE WHO IS SPEAKING BY THE
SPIRIT OF GOD SAYS, "JESUS BE CURSED,"
AND NO ONE CAN SAY, "JESUS IS LORD,"
EXCEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
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. TO ONE THERE IS GIVEN THROUGH THE
SPIRIT THE MESSAGE OF WISDOM, TO ANOTHER
THE MESSAGE OF KNOWLEDGE BY MEANS OF THE SAME SPIRIT,
TO ANOTHER FAITH BY THE SAME SPIRIT,
TO ANOTHER GIFTS OF HEALING BY THAT ONE SPIRIT,
TO ANOTHER MIRACULOUS POWERS,
TO ANOTHER PROPHECY, TO ANOTHER THE ABILITY TO
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SPIRITS, TO ANOTHER THE ABILITY TO
SPEAK IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF TONGUES, AND TO STILL ANOTHER
THE INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES. ALL THESE
ARE THE WORK OF ONE AND THE SAME SPIRIT,
AND HE GIVES THEM TO EACH ONE, JUST AS HE DETERMINES.
THIS IS THE WORD OF OUR LORD.
LET US PRAY:
GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS GOD, MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE
MEDITATION OF EACH OF OUR HEARTS BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR
SIGHT, OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE AND COMFORT.
AMEN.
[TEXT TAKEN FROM THE HOLY BIBLE:
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, 1973, 1978, 1984,
USED BY PERMISSION OF ZONDERVAN BIBLE PUBLISHING]
DEAR FOLLOWERS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST:
IN OUR GOSPEL LESSON FOR THIS MORNING,
WE HEARD OF JESUS' FIRST
MIRACLE. AND I THINK THAT SOMETIMES FOR US,
AS THE PRESENT DAY CHURCH, WE ARE
KIND OF HOPING AND WISHING THAT SOMEHOW
WE COULD HAVE BEEN THERE
TO WITNESS THAT WONDERFUL AWESOME
MIRACULOUS POWER OF GOD THROUGH HIS SON
JESUS CHRIST. TO BE LIKE
THOSE SERVANTS WHO HEARD JESUS TELL THEM
TO FILL THOSE JARS WITH WATER
AND THEN TO DRAW FROM THOSE JARS,
AND TAKE IT IN TO THE WEDDING BANQUET.
THEY KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
THEY KNEW THAT THAT WATER HAD BEEN
CHANGED INTO WINE. AND THEY KNEW
THAT JESUS HAD DONE THAT.
WE CAN THINK THROUGHOUT OF JESUS' MINISTRY
ON THIS EARTH, OF THE MANY TIMES
HE PERFORMED THOSE MIRACULOUS HEALINGS. GIVING SIGHT
TO BLIND PEOPLE. TAKING PEOPLE WHO COULD NOT SPEAK,
AND GIVING THEM A VOICE.
AND OPENING UP EARS THAT COULD NOT HEAR
TO THE WONDERFUL SOUNDS OF GOD'S CREATION.
THAT JESUS PERFORMED MIRACLE AFTER MIRACLE
SHOWING THAT HE WAS THE SON OF GOD.
AND SOMETIMES I WONDER
IF WE, AS THE CHURCH TODAY, THINK
WE'VE MISSED OUT ON SOMETHING
BY NOT LIVING DURING THAT ERA. BUT YET WE HAVE
SEEN THEM WITH THE EYES OF FAITH. WE HAVE WITNESSED
THEM ON THE PAGES OF SCRIPTURE.
BUT YET SOMETIMES,
IN OUR SINFUL NATURE, WE WANT GOD
TO DO THOSE MIRACLES ... IN US.
WE WANT GOD TO TAKE THE
ILLNESS THAT HE HAS GIVEN TO US
AND MIRACULOUSLY HEAL IT
BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD KNOW THAT HE TRULY IS
THE ALMIGHTY GOD. THEN WE WOULD SURELY AND TRULY
TRUST IN HIM WITH ALL OF OUR HEARTS AND WITH ALL OF OUR
SOUL AND WITH ALL OF OUR STRENGTH
BECAUSE HE DID A MIRACLE
THAT WE ASKED HIM TO DO.
THAT HE PERFORMED WHAT WE
WANTED.
AND ISN'T THAT THE ISSUE?
HOW OFTEN WE ...
WANT GOD TO DO WHAT WE
WANT HIM TO DO
INSTEAD OF FLIPPING THAT AROUND,
AND ALLOWING GOD TO BE GOD,
AND WE DO ... WHAT GOD WANTS
US ... TO DO.
BECAUSE IT WAS GOD HIMSELF WHO CALLED US,
AS THE APOSTLE PAUL WROTE ... WHEN WE WERE STILL PAGANS.
WHEN WE WERE UNBELIEVERS.
WHEN WE HAD NO CLUE OF GOD'S LOVE;
NO UNDERSTANDING OF HIS GREAT COMPASSION.
ALL WE KNEW,
BY OUR CONSCIENCE, WAS THERE WAS A DIVINE BEING
THAT PUNISHED SIN AND THAT WE DID WRONG.
BUT YET GOD CAME TO US.
GOD BROUGHT HIS WORD TO US;
BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
CREATING FAITH IN US.
AND MAKING US HIS OWN; ALLOWING US TO BE A PEOPLE
THAT PROCLAIM HIM AS OUR LORD.
THAT WE WILLINGLY CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST
IS MY LORD.
HE IS MY SAVIOR. I HAVE SEEN
AND UNDERSTAND THE WORKING THAT HE DID TO ACCOMPLISH
MY SALVATION. THAT HE WAS TRUE MAN AND
TRUE GOD; CAME INTO THIS WORLD BORN OF THE
VIRGIN MARY, CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
WITH ONE PURPOSE AND ONE GOAL
AND THAT WAS TO SAVE
SINNERS. AND HE SAVED
US.
AND THAT IS THE GREATEST NEWS THAT ANYONE
COULD EVER HAVE BROUGHT INTO THEIR LIFE BECAUSE
IT BRINGS LASTING COMFORT ...
AND JOY ... AND PEACE. THAT SALVATION
IS OURS AND WE WILL LIVE ETERNALLY
WITH GOD. AND WHILE WE LIVE IN THIS WORLD,
GOD ALSO WANTS US TO KNOW WHAT IS
OF IMPORTANCE. HE DOESN'T WANT US TO BE
IGNORANT OF WHAT IS GOING ON. THROUGH THE
APOSTLE PAUL HE WROTE TO THE CHURCH AND HE SAID:
I ALSO WANT YOU AS THE CHURCH OF GOD TO UNDERSTAND
SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE,
AND HOW THAT THEY ARE USED. THAT THERE ARE MANY AND
VARIED SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
BUT THEY ALL COME FROM THE SAME SPIRIT.
THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF SERVICE, BUT THEY ALL
COME FROM THE SAME GOD.
THAT WE REALIZE THAT AS WE CONFESS JESUS CHRIST
AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR ... WE ARE HIS CHURCH.
WE DO HIS WORK.
THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT, SENT FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON,
BESTOWS ON EACH OF US
GIFTS TO BE USED IN HIS CHURCH
FOR THE GOOD OF THE CHURCH AND THE GOOD
OF EACH OTHER. THAT IT IS GOD WHO HAS
BROUGHT US TOGETHER AT THIS MOMENT,
AS HIS CONGREGATION BLESSING US
WITH MANY AND VARIED GIFTS.
TREMENDOUS VARIETY THAT EACH
OF US HAVE AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE GIFTS
TO BE USED IN GOD'S CHURCH.
TO BE USED IN HELP PROCLAIMING
JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR.
AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, PAUL REMINDS US, IS THE ONE
WHO HAS GIVEN THOSE GIFTS OUT TO US AS HE DETERMINED.
GOD HAS SELECTED THOSE GIFTS,
AND GIVEN THEM TO EACH OF US
AS HE WANTS THEM TO BE.
AND HE IS THE ONE WHO ENCOURAGES US
TO USE THOSE GIFTS.
TO USE THOSE GIFTS SO THAT OTHERS MAY KNOW
THE JOY THAT IS OURS. SO THAT OTHERS MAY KNOW
OF JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.
AND THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, GOD HAS
USED VARIOUS AND MANY GIFTS.
PAUL LISTS A NUMBER OF THOSE GIFTS IN THIS SECTION
TO THE CORINTHIANS. HE TALKS ABOUT THE GIFT
OF KNOWLEDGE. THE MEANS
TO BE ABLE TO DISCERN BETWEEN SPIRIT. TO BE ABLE TO KNOW
WHICH SPIRITS ARE FROM GOD, AND WHICH SPIRITS
ARE NOT. TO BE ABLE TO TEST THEM AND KNOW
WHAT IS GOOD. AND HOLD ONTO THAT GOOD.
THERE'S THE GIFT OF PROPHECY THAT GOD HAD GIVEN TO HIS
CHURCH EVEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WHERE HE REVEALED
TO PEOPLE THE MESSAGE HE WANTED SHARED
WITH HIS PEOPLE. MEN THAT
HE RAISED UP TO SHARE WITH HIS PEOPLE
WHAT GOD WAS DOING; WHAT HE WANTED THEM TO KNOW,
AND WHAT HE WAS GOING TO ACCOMPLISH.
HE ALSO GAVE GIFTS OF HEALING
TO SHOW THAT POWER THAT ONLY
IS OF GOD ALONE. AND HE ALSO GAVE THE GIFT OF TONGUES.
ACTUALLY SPEAKING
IN A LANGUAGE THAT SOMEONE COULD HEAR
AND UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHAT WAS BEING SPOKEN OF.
PROBABLY THE GREATEST REMINDER OF THAT TO US
WAS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST WHEN THE DISCIPLES
SPOKE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES THAT OTHER PEOPLE
COULD HEAR AND UNDERSTAND.
AND THEN THE GIFT OF INTERPRETING THOSE TONGUES
SO THAT SOMEONE COULD HEAR AND KNOW WHAT
GOD WAS PROCLAIMING.
WHAT THE LORD WAS SAYING. THOSE GIFTS WERE GIVEN
TO THE CHURCH AT THAT SPECIFIC TIME
TO CARRY OUT GOD'S WILL.
AND TO PROCLAIM JESUS AS THE SAVIOR OF ALL.
SOME OF THOSE GIFTS ARE NO LONGER IN USE
IN THE CHURCH. WE THINK OF THAT GIFT OF
PROPHESYING, WHERE GOD HAS NOW SAID THAT IN THE PAST
HE SPOKE TO US BY HIS PROPHETS.
BUT IN THESE DAYS HE HAS SPOKEN TO US
BY HIS SON. THAT JESUS CHRIST
HAS REVEALED GOD TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY
TO US AS HIS WILL AND HIS SALVATION
FOR US TO PUT OUR TRUST AND OUR HOPE IN.
BUT WE STILL HAVE VARIED AND DIFFERENT GIFTS
THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO EACH OF US.
THE ABILITY TO WORK IN THE CHURCH.
FOR SOME HE HAS GIVEN A GREAT DEAL OF
KNOWLEDGE OF NUMBERS TO HELP US WITH OUR
FINANCES. TO SOME HE HAS GIVEN THE ABILITY
TO TEACH AT VARIOUS AND DIFFERENT LEVELS ...
TEACHING LITTLE CHILDREN
THE TRUTHS OF GOD'S WORD.
OR ALSO REACHING MINDS THAT ARE MUCH MORE HIGHLY EDUCATED.
HE HAS GIVEN US GIFTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
WHERE PEOPLE CAN ENCOURAGE
EACH OTHER IN THE FAITH; BOLSTER
THEIR FAITH AND COMFORT THEM. ALL OF THESE GIFTS
TO BE USED IN THE CHURCH
AND WE ARE REMINDED THAT GOD LOOKS FOR THOSE GIFTS IN US.
BUT WE ARE TO LOOK FOR THOSE GIFTS
IN OURSELVES. AND TO SAY: THIS IS
WHAT I CAN DO AND THIS
IS WHAT I AM WILLING TO DO.
AND THIS IS WHAT I NOW STEP UP
AND DO AS A MEMBER OF GOD'S CHURCH.
NOT SAYING I'M TOO BUSY WITH MY LIFE.
BUT SAYING: I WILL MAKE TIME
TO USE THIS GIFT
FOR THE GOOD OF GOD'S CHURCH.
I WILL FIND THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE
IN THE ACTIVITIES OF MY
CONGREGATION
TO PROMOTE JESUS CHRIST AND HIS MESSAGE OF SALVATION.
BECAUSE WE ALL COME TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD.
IT IS FOR OUR OWN GOOD
THAT WE WORK TOGETHER.
THAT WE USE ALL OF THE GIFTS THAT
GOD HAS ARRAYED IN THIS ROOM
TO DO HIS WILL.
SO OFTEN SCRIPTURE USES THAT TERM OF "THE BODY"
FOR THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. JESUS BEING
THE HEAD AND DIRECTING THE AFFAIRS OF THE BODY.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT WHEN OUR BODY WORKS TOGETHER IT'S A
WONDERFUL THING. BUT IF ONE PART STOPS WORKING
THE REST OF THE BODY HAS TO COMPENSATE
AND HAS TO OVERWORK.
IF MORE PARTS OF THE BODY START SHUTTING DOWN
THE BODY'S ON THE WAY TO
CEASING TO FUNCTION.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT
THE WORK THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE
OF US DO IN THE NAME OF CHRIST
TO SEE THAT THE GOAL OF
PROCLAIMING CHRIST IS DONE IN THIS BUILDING.
IS DONE THROUGH US.
THAT WE LOOK TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER
IN THAT WORK; ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER
ALONG THAT WAY. BECAUSE SKILLS OR GIFTS ARE NOT THERE
FOR THE GLORY AND EDIFICATION AND THE FACT THAT
ONE OF US CAN FEEL GOOD.
ONE OF US CAN SAY: I HAVE THIS WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD.
IT'S MINE AND NONE OF THE REST OF YOU HAVE IT.
LOOK AT HOW WONDERFUL IT IS THAT I CAN DO THIS FOR YOU.
IT'S NOT WHAT SPIRITUAL GIFTS
ARE ALL ABOUT.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE GIVEN TO EACH OF US
AS THE SERVANTS OF GOD TO FULFILL
HIS WILL.
FOR AS THE SERVANTS OF GOD TO HUMBLY SAY: I CAN STEP UP
AND DO THIS.
AND THAT WORK IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS PART OF
MY SERVICE TO MY GOD
THROUGH MY CONGREGATION.
MY GIFTS ARE NOT ABOUT MAKING
ME LOOK GOOD. YOUR GIFTS ARE NOT
SOMETHING THAT ARE THERE TO PROMOTE YOU AS BEING
A GOOD CHRISTIAN. SOMEONE WHO'S
BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE WHO DOESN'T HAVE THAT SAME GIFT.
AND WE SHOULD NEVER LOOK AT OUR OWN GIFTS AND THINK
THAT THEY ARE SOMEHOW INSIGNIFICANT OR LESS
THAN SOMEONE ELSE'S GIFTS.
THAT WE USE ALL OF OUR GIFTS
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND FOR HIS PURPOSE. SO THAT
THE CHURCH OF GOD IS FOCUSED ON WHAT IS IMPORTANT
AND DOING THAT WORK.
AND DOING IT TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY.
COMING TOGETHER AS THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF CHRIST
AND PROCLAIMING HIM.
TO SEE HIM STILL WORKING IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
STILL CREATING FAITH
THROUGH THE POWER OF THE WORD AND THE WATERS OF BAPTISM;
STILL COMING TO US WITH
HIS TRUE BODY AND HIS TRUE BLOOD
IN THE SACRAMENTS FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
LOOKING AT WHAT GOD DOES FOR US
DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY AND
ACKNOWLEDGING THOSE BLESSINGS.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE SIMPLE GIFTS THAT HE HAS GIVEN TO US.
AND THEN NOT DEMANDING MORE FROM HIM,
BUT IN RETURN SAYING:
HERE I AM;
TAKE ME; USE MY GIFTS
BECAUSE I GIVE THEM
IN SERVICE TO YOU
TO PROCLAIM JESUS CHRIST AS LORD BY THE POWER
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
AND TO HELP AND SUPPORT MY CONGREGATION
IN DOING THE GOOD WORK
OF PROCLAIMING CHRIST.
AMEN.
LET US RISE. NOW MAY THE
PEACE OF GOD WHICH GOES BEYOND ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING
KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR
LIVES IN THE ONE TRUE FAITH UNTO LIFE EVERLASTING. AMEN.