Recognizing Spiritual Gifts and Using Them to Glorify God – Part 2

Posted by Chris on December 5, 2004 under Sermons

Paul outlines in Romans 12:1-8 the Christian way of thinking concerning spiritual gifts …read Romans 12:1-8.

Three practical suggestions may help you recognize and use your spiritual gift. Andto help you remember it I want you to think of 3-D. 3D is real and tangible, just as realand tangible as these three “D-suggestions:”

1. Devote yourself to God in worship – (Romans 12:1-3) Offer yourself to God as aliving sacrifice, out of gratitude for His mercies to you. Think of what it means to offer,to devote a sacrifice to God …
   • Focus on Jesus and His Cross – Worship is the constant among us. All of usstand before God the same – broken people loved by our merciful Creator. Eachof us is offered a place in his kingdom, we are extended forgiveness, and we arecalled to participate in God’s spirit. (Scene from Passion of the Christ -Distinctions were faded as they came near the cross – Joseph of Arimethea,Mary, Mary M., centurion and soldiers – women and men, former skeptics andfaithful, Jew and Roman, rich and poor, rulers and ruled)
   • Spiritual Worldview: Transforming of mind – Only a renewed, transformed mindcan think of spiritual gifts as Paul has exhorted here. Our culture would convinceus to do the opposite of what Paul teaches. Paul warns us not to “overthink” andnot to “think of [ourselves] more highly than we ought to think.” The worldtells us we do not have a good enough estimate of our own worth. In the secularway of thinking, we need to think more highly of ourselves. Many tell us there areno limits placed on our abilities except those we impose on ourselves. Thesolution, we are told, is to believe that within us (not apart from ourselves,enabled by the Holy Spirit) there is unlimited potential for success andachievement. We are told that if we but think more positively, more highly ofourselves, then success is guaranteed–the higher our thoughts and goals, thehigher our performance.
   • The world looks inward to what is within man and finds unlimited potential. TheBible instructs us to look Godward, to look to the Holy Spirit and Hisenablement, to live our lives in a way that will sacrificially serve God andmen.
   • Spiritual gifts are not intended to be a mystery. The teaching of spiritual gifts isboth fundamental and elementary. If you do not know your spiritual gift andministry, God is not hiding it from you, if you are seeking to be obedient to Him.Try to see yourself, your abilities, your experience with a biblical worldview – across-eyed perspective on the world (Woolridge’s at Lake Jackson Church of Christ – brought it to God,then to the church – and God made it clear to them – it starts in worshipfuldevotion to God!)

2. Develop Serious Relationships with other Christians (Nurturing &Growing) – Submit to others in friendship and accountability (Romans12:4-5) In verses 4 and 5, Paul calls Christians to think communally. Spiritualgifts must be understood and practiced in the context of the body of Christ. So itmakes sense that they would be discerned and discovered by others too. Thereare some Christians who have this gift of recognizing what others are gifted to do.(Christian Empowerment) Spiritual gifts mean that I am both weak and strong. Iam strong in the area of my gift; I am weak in the areas where others have beengifted. Thus, I must minister to the body of Christ and others out of my strength,and I am dependent upon the ministry of the rest of the body in my areas ofweakness.
   For the proper functioning of spiritual gifts, we must cease thinkingindividualistically and begin to think like a community. We cannot look atourselves as an island, independent of all others. That’s the spirit behind at leasttwo of our goals – (Increase in Love and Godly Behavior – Nurture SpiritualGrowth and Holiness)
   What’s Happening at West-Ark? – Talk to others, talk to minister, ask elders topray for you – try it!
   Who do you spend your time with? Think of the people you gather around you? Who do you pray with? In What’s Happening at West-Ark, you can look at theFAQ that says “How can I grow?” Get involved in these activities to grow and bespiritually nurtured and give it time.

3. Dedicate Time Serving others – (v. 6-8)
   In verses 7 and 8, Paul urges those who have the speaking gifts to likewisedevote themselves to doing that which they have been gifted to do. But why tell ateacher to teach or a servant to serve? Isn’t it just natural? Our natural tendencyis to be self-centered and self-serving. Paul assumes two potential problemswhen it comes to spiritual gifts: 1) The first is not devoting ourselves to doing thatwhich God gifted us to do; 2) The second is using our gifts in a way inconsistentwith the grace of God.
   Using Your Gift to Glorify God – by speaking for God and serving others. Thiscan be mundane, not just miraculous! Look for needs, and seek to meet them.When a gift is used for God and to help others it is no longer mundane. Simplethings become great. What may seem routine medicine to us, is a mighty work inMedical Mission field. We tend to think that miraculous means defiance of thenatural laws, but I tend to think it means defiance of the natural way we humansdo things in this world. When a gift is given in the name of Jesus, it is wondrous- and perhaps in that way miraculous.
   • You might recognize your gifts in this way. It is a sort of spiritual “on the job training.” Look forthose who are weaker than you, and serve them from your strength. Spiritualgifts are given in order to meet the needs of others. Others needs are allabout us. We need but the eyes to see them and the obedience to respond tothem by God’s grace and power. Look in What’s Happening at West-Ark – Getplugged in! Watch the announcements each week.
   • Did you notice the section in What’s Happening at West-Ark the FAQ “How can Iserve others?” Use that! Take a look at our bulletin and notices each week. Who are those in need this week? What needs are going unmet in the church? Isthere a need for …? What gifts do you have to meet an opportunity? What if youhave a gift for which there is no “program”? Make a ministry! Someone will beserved by it. How do you think all of these works in What’s Happening at West-Ark got started? It just takes a person and people willing to do what God wantsthem to do. Talk to people who are serving. How did they get started? In What’sHappening at West-Ark the last FAQ is “Who Do I Contact About?” – One sectionon last page is “Staying Informed.” There is always an opportunity to serve anduse your gift(s).

I am convinced that the matter of spiritual gifts is not as mysterious assome suggest and as it might seem at first. If you have first given yourselfto God, and you are seeking to obey Him in the strength He supplies, youwill know what He has given you to do, and you will have the faith and thegrace necessary to do it.

Jesus said that the one that gives a cup of cold water. “And if you give even acup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”- Matthew 10:42. Maybe it’s just that simple.

Chris Benjamin

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Morning Sermon, 5 December 2004