Rev. David Holwick A We Are Gifted, #1
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 11, 2009
Romans 12:4-6a
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I. When the rest of the world opens Christmas presents.
A. This last week was Epiphany.
1) Liturgical churches celebrate the coming of the Wise Men
on January 6.
a) Hispanic Catholics had a parade with made-up camels in
New York City.
b) Christians in Orthodox churches give gifts on this day.
2) This is the basis for the "12 days of Christmas."
a) December 25 to January 6 is twelve days.
b) Their Christmas is much less efficient than ours.
B. God's gifts are not limited to Christmas, either.
1) His best gift is Jesus at Christmas, of course.
2) But the Bible also says he gives us to each other.
In Ephesians 4:11, after describing the ascension of Jesus
into heaven in terms of a Roman army "triumph," Paul says:
"It was he who GAVE some to be apostles, some to be
prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be
pastors and teachers...."
All of these leadership positions are considered God's
gifts to the church.
C. Sermon series on spiritual gifts.
1) Our new building has generated a lot of discussion on what
we should do with it.
a) What new ministries can we start?
b) How can we use it to reach the community?
2) The building by itself won't advance God's kingdom.
a) Some locals even think it is a stumbling block.
After the Daily Record's front page article on our
dedication was posted on the interest, a reader
nicknamed "babbs" wrote this comment:
"This is so bizarre to me.
They spend a million dollars on a gymnasium that will
hardly be used by anyone there.
They tell people that God commands them to give the
church 10% of their income . . . for a gym?!
Then their kids might use it a few nights a week for
some sport, if that often.
What does that have to do with Christianity?
"Since when do churches have sports teams anyway?" [1]
I should have written back that our church has had a
baseball team since the 1890s!
But the concern for making good use of what we have,
and having the priorities Jesus would have, are
certainly valid concerns.
3) Christians, not buildings, make things happen.
a) It's not just the super-Christians, either.
b) Every one of us has a part to play in God's plan.
II. We are not a building but a body.
A. The metaphor of the body of Christ. Rom 12:4
1) It is used in three out of the four New Testament passages
that deal with spiritual gifts.
2) Sounds kind of "new-agey".
a) Does he mean "body of Christ" literally or figuratively?
b) I think it is figurative, just like in Jesus' parable
of the Sheep and Goats -
"Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of
mine, you did for me." Matt 25:33
3) Even today we use this imagery when we speak of
corporations. "Corpus" is Latin for body.
4) It is a very apt symbol for what churches should be about.
B. Lots of pieces, one unit. 1 Cor 12:12
1) We have differences in functions.
a) In 1 Cor 12, Paul says some are heads, others hands.
b) Some are even "unmentionable". 1 Cor 12:23
2) We have no difference in importance.
a) Christians should never look down on one another.
b) Paul emphasizes that we all belong to one another. 12:5
C. Every time the church has revived, it has rediscovered this.
1) Five hundred years ago, the church was dominated by
professionals: priests, bishops, cardinals, popes.
a) Power flowed from the head (the Pope) down.
b) If you wanted forgiveness or salvation, you had to
go to the professionals.
2) A monk named Martin Luther changed all that.
a) He said that every Christian is a priest.
1> We can pray or confess directly to God.
2> We don't have to go through a human.
b) But there is another aspect of priesthood: serving
others.
1> Everyone can serve, not just preachers.
III. Spiritual gifts cover a wide range.
A. Some passages emphasize leadership positions. Eph 4:11
1) Pastors, teachers, apostles.
2) The overall goal is to build the church to maturity
in doctrine.
B. Other passages emphasize interpersonal relationships. Rom 12
1) Serving, encouraging, showing mercy.
2) Baptist are very comfortable with these.
a) Typical church work focuses on them.
C. The most interesting involve supernatural abilities. 1 Cor 14
1) Speaking in tongues, healing, miracles.
2) Pentecostals have sort of cornered them.
a) Other Christians sometimes reject them outright,
limiting them to the period of the original apostles.
b) Paul himself accepts these gifts, but put limits on
them.
1> Not everything that is personally edifying is
good for the whole church.
IV. Spiritual gifts are not limited to natural abilities.
A. They are given by God. "according to the grace given us." 12:6
1) God can certainly use the abilities we are born with.
2) But he can also give us new ones at any time.
B. Spiritual gifts only come after conversion.
1) The gift of teaching is more than being a talented teacher.
2) It means your teaching will bear spiritual fruit, not
just "head knowledge."
C. Every Christian has at least one gift.
1) This is assumed more than stated.
2) God will give us the ability, and the desire to use it.
a) Many Christians seem to sit on that desire.
Steve Goodier shares the story of a piano player.
He played in bars and he was pretty good at it.
People came out just to hear him play.
But one night, a customer told him he didn't want to hear
him just play anymore.
He wanted him to sing a song.
The piano player said, "I don't sing."
But the customer was persistent.
He told the bartender, "I'm tired of listening to the
piano.
I want that guy to sing!"
The bartender shouted across the room, "If you want to get
paid, sing a song.
The customers are asking you to sing!"
So he sang a song.
A piano player who had never sung in public did so for the
very first time.
And nobody had ever heard the song, "Mona Lisa" sung the
way it was sung that night by Nat King Cole!
He had talent he was sitting on.
He might have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano
player in a no-name bar.
But because he HAD to sing, he went on to become one of
the best-known entertainers in America.
#25561
b) The best way to find out what your gift is, is to
do something.
1> Try teaching, or a leadership position.
2> Go visiting and see if people appreciate your
encouragement.
c) If you strike out, that is God's answer to you.
1> But don't assume you know what your gifts are,
until you try them.
V. Our church has some amazing people.
A. Recent examples.
1) Some calls up about the dedication service: had we lined
up the newspaper reporter?
a) Of course not. So she did it, and they came.
2) Another member drove by the church on the way to work.
a) He noticed the air conditioners were still in the
windows.
b) So he brought down a power tool and took them all out.
c) The Apostle Paul didn't mention that particular gift,
but I am sure it is one of them.
3) After our first "family gym night," a members spontaneously
led a devotional for the kids.
4) The little things all add up to make big things.
B. You are gifted, too.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
[1] http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090105/COMMUNITIES44/901050316/~
1005/NEWS0. Comment by "babbs" posted on January 5, 2009.
#25561 "When the Piano Player Was Forced To Sing," by Steve Goodier,
Wit And Wisdom at http://www.witandwisdom.org by
Richard G. Wimer, August 27, 2003.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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