Grace and Gifts

Turn to your neighbor and tell them your in the right place.

Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry and I am the lead Pastor here at Freedom Chapel. If you are new with us this this morning thank you for joining us. Please fill out the welcome card in your bulletin or online by using the QR Code

Our mission as a church is to bring Hope to our community. We do that by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family. We want every person who attends here to have the opportunity to Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and to Go out and Make a Difference.

Last week we began something new. I am calling it Our Story! Each week for the next several weeks I am asking people to share the testimony of what they have seen God do through their trusting him with their finances. this week I have asked our Worship Director Hannah Litwiller to come an share.

Pray and then pass the Buckets.

I have a couple of things I want to remind you of.

Party with a Pastor.

Hill Toppers Lunch

Rib Cook

Big Game Party

Let’s get together this week.

Last Week marked our fifth year of serving you here at Freedom Chapel as Lead Pastors. Wow how time has flown. I look around and see Old Faces and New Faces. You are all an answer to prayer. I am so thankful for all of you that has made this place so great. Thank you for making this an easy place to be Called to be the Pastor.

If you have a your Bibles Turn with me to Romans Chapter 12.

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:3–8 (ESV)

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,

5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;

7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;

8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

1. God’s grace should determine how we think about ourselves and others.

Romans 12:3 (ESV)

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober [thinking] judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

The Dumpster Pastor

Romans 12:3 (ESV)

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

From the moment you were created you have had Faith Assigned to you.

Blind Faith

When we come to Jesus We get a different Faith assigned to us. There are three type of Faith Mentioned in the Bible.

Romans 12:3 (ESV)

each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

1.Saving Faith

Romans 10:17 ESV

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

This is why you will hear me say over and over share what you have with everyone you meet.

2. Serving Faith

Romans 12:3 (ESV)

each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

3. Supernatural Faith

1 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

9 to another faith by the same Spirit,

This kind of Faith is when something wells up inside you to make audacious prayers and then know that it is done.

Rusty and the Aneurysm

Today we are going to talk about Serving Faith.

Serving Faith is stepping from Saving Faith into Making a Difference Faith

Romans 12:4 ESV

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,

Romans 12:4 ESV

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,

Look around this room. We are a Body of Believers all brought together to communally work together for the movement of God’s Kingdom.

We are not all arms!

Romans 12:5 ESV

5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Romans 12:5 (NLT)

5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Why?

2. God’s grace directs how we present our bodies.

Romans 12:6a (ESV)

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:

1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

Each one of us has been assigned a Spiritual Personality and we are about to go through each on of those personalities............

Church is not about what you can get is about what you can give.

You Only Find Joy when you put Jesus First, Others Second, and Yourself Last.

We gain Joy by contributing. You know who the worst people in the church to be around are? Those contributing the least.

I do want to differentiate one thing here Thes Gifts are Serving Gifts and do not replace Spiritual Gifts. Paul is not cancelling our the gifts spoken about in 1 Corinthians 12.

Romans 12:6a (ESV)

6 Having [grace] gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:

1. The Gift of Prophecy

Romans 12:6a (ESV)

if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;

Prophesying according to the New Testament is not always predicting the future. Often times it means effectively communicating God’s message. “I feel like God wants me to tell you”

It always lines up with the Word of God. If not it is not God.

God’s Gifts are not about having they are about Using.

I have heard so many times throughout my life I have the Gift of: Usually it is Discernment. Which can easily be translated to I have the gift of criticism.

God’s gifts are not about Having they are about using means that God’s gifts only fulfill their value when they are being utilized for the benefit of others.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:1

1 Corinthians 14:1 ESV

1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

We should desire to serve each other with prophecy.

Prophecy therefore benefits others when.

1 Corinthians 14:3 NLT

3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.

2. The Gift of Serving

Romans 12:7a (ESV)

7 if service, in our serving;

3. The Gift of Teaching

Romans 12:7b (ESV)

the one who teaches, in his teaching;

4. The Gift of Exhortation (encouraging)

Romans 12:8a (ESV)

8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation;

5. The Gift of Giving

Romans 12:8b (ESV)

the one who contributes, in generosity;

6. The Gift of Leadership

Romans 12:8c (ESV)

the one who leads, with zeal;

with

7. The Gift of Mercy

Romans 12:8 (ESV)

the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

What we find though is that very few people embody all theses gifts and that is exactly why Paul tells us we are one body but different members. Everyone is needed and without everyone thing fall though the cracks.

Church God uniquely designed each one of you with a purpose maybe it is time that you start seeking that purpose and using your gifts.

We are Spiritual Contributors Not Spiritual Consumers

Today we are taking communion:

Mark 14:22–24 ESV

22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.