Dr. Ron Sumners
March 14, 2010
[Play classical music piece]
You have just heard an orchestra composed of many musical instruments:
Brass instruments: trumpet, trombone, French horn, Tuba
Percussion instruments: Woodwinds: clarinets, saxophone, oboe
Harp and cello
Violin and Timpani
Piano and Triangle
These instruments produce music that is capable of lifting the soul and spirit to glorious heights.
None of these various instruments we heard is capable, all alone, of duplicating what we just heard. But, together, when you combine the crisp tones of the trumpet with the rumble of the tuba and the cascading notes of the harp and the singing of the violin, the effect is powerful. The created music of the orchestra produces more than any one instrument could do alone.
My dear friends that is a picture of the church. The church is not the performance of one entity, even if it is a virtuoso performance. The church is like an orchestra made up of a wide range of instruments played by a diverse group of musicians.
God Himself selects who will play what instrument. As the Master Composer and Conductor, the music He writes is perfectly suited to each member of the orchestra; and perfectly designed to accomplish His purposes.
Every Christian here this morning, every person who has experienced salvation by trusting Christ and thus received new life by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, is a member of that vast orchestra. God has placed in your hands, whether you know it or not, an instrument that is perfectly suited to you.
I am not necessarily talking about a trumpet, though Steve Adwell does play one of those; nor a flute, though Janet and Jennifer Adwell and Leah Reeve play a flute; nor drums, though Patrick Cleveland plays drums; nor the spoons, though Wes Kent played the spoons. I am talking about another kind of instrument, the kind that the Bible calls a “spiritual gift.”
We here at Meadow Brook Baptist have been meeting together for twenty-five years. Through those years many different people have played their instrument and beautiful music to the Lord has been made.
We want to be a church that produces joy and fulfillment. That happens when every member plays their instrument, and utilizes their gifts for the Lord!
Let’s look at 1 Corinthians: 12. Paul is writing about spiritual gifts. Paul begins by saying that he does not want the Christians in Corinth to be ignorant. He mentions this six times in his letters, He wants the people to understand spiritual gifts! The way a statement is said can make a great deal of difference in the meaning. Paul said, “I would not have you ignorant, brothers.” It could be read, “I would not have, you ignorant brothers!”
My grandfather told the story from Ephesians 4:28, Paul is giving instruction in righteousness and says, “Let him who steals, steal no more, let him work for his daily bread.” There was a fellow who was a notorious thief. He was converted and began studying the Bible. In just a few weeks he was caught stealing again. His pastor was very upset and asked him, “Why did you go back to stealing?” The man answered, “You told me to follow the Bible and do what it said, and that is what I did. I read Ephesians 4:28 and it reads, ‘Let him who stole, steal; no more let him work for his daily bread.’”
Paul reminds the Corinthians that one cannot say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. We are all wooed and guided by the Holy Spirit. We all have different gifts, but they come from the same spirit! There are different services but the same Lord. There are different workings, but the same God works all of them in men. (1 Corinthians 12:2-6).
Let’s concentrate on verses 7 – 11 for a few moments. I want to point out three things Paul has to say about spiritual gifts. In verse 7, he defines spiritual gifts, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
Paul affirms that a spiritual gift comes as a gift from God. It is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
When you become a Christian, you receive the indwelling of that Spirit. And part of that manifestation or indwelling is the giving of spiritual gifts. This distinguishes a spiritual gift from a natural gift or talent. Those things may interact with your gifts, and spiritual gifts are often exercised in areas where talent or skill already exists, but a spiritual gift is a manifestation of the Spirit. It may look like a skill or a talent, but it is more than that.
Paul also tells us that spiritual gifts are given to “each one!” That means that you have at least one spiritual gift. Many of you have multiple gifts. All these gifts are for the “common good.”
The gifts that the Holy Spirit conveys to you are not for your own glory or advancement. Your gift is not given to make you feel important; or to make you better than someone else. They are given to benefit others and for the good of the Church.
Chuck Swindoll defines a spiritual gift as “an ability or skill that enables the recipient to perform a function in the Body of Christ with ease and effectiveness.”
There is not a Christian here who can say that they do not have a spiritual gift. To say that is to call Paul a liar and to dismiss the clear teaching of the Word of God.
There is not a Christian here with any reason to feel cheated. There is not a Christian here who has not been supernaturally enabled by God to do something important and valuable to help this body of believers! And, I would add to this, it is the enablement that makes joy and fellowship possible. I believe that when you are exercising your Spiritual gifts, you are more likely to be filled with joy and enjoy the work and fellowship of the church. It will also give you a passion for the mission of the church. It has been proven to me over and again in my 40 years of ministry that the discontent grumblers and the fault finders seldom are people who use their spiritual gifts – unless bad attitude is one of the gifts, and I assure you that it is not!
Paul goes on to say in verse 8-10 “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 the gift of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous power, to another prophesy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and still to another the interpretation of tongues.”
Paul is saying that there are all kinds of Spiritual Gifts and he lists just a few. This not a definitive list – just a representative one. He mentions others in other sections of scripture, they include:
Encouragement
Leadership
Pastoring
Teaching
Service
Evangelism
Giving
Mercy
There are many more. You may be gifted in ways that do not appear on any of Paul’s lists. Spiritual Gifts are as varied as the personalities of Christian people. They might include music composition, loyalty, hospitality and empathy.
Notice what Paul says in verse 11, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each of us, just as He determines.” Paul makes it clear that it is God who determines what gift we receive.
You can learn a skill. You can acquire a talent. You can only receive a gift. Skills and talents may be helpful in exercising your gift, and you can certainly learn to use your gift more often and more effectively, but it is not something that you can earn or acquire by your own efforts.
If you are a Christian, you have a Spiritual Gift right now! God has given it to you for his glory and to be used in His service. What are you doing with it?
If you can identify your Spiritual Gifts and find a way to use them for God’s kingdom, you will find joy and fulfillment. Your ownership of what we do here will grow because your investment here will grow.
So, how do you find your Spiritual Gift? Let me suggest four things that will prove helpful:
1. Prayer is one way to learn your Spiritual Gift. Ask God to reveal it to you. If you are serious, He is too and will make you aware in the way He chooses.
2. Trial and error, some people figure it out by trying this and that until they find the right fit.
3. Observation and counsel, ask mature Christians who know you what they see as your Spiritual Gift.
4. Use an assessment tool. You should have received just such a tool from your deacon. Please take the time to complete it. You may find that will be one of the most important things you will do this year.
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