Using God's gifts to His glory (CC)

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.