Gifts of Grace

Intro

We live in a community of all kinds of different people. And we need all kinds of different people. It starts with the distiction between the sexes - male/female but we extend from there. Our communities need differences - We need farmers, farmers for meats and for plants. We need trademen - carepenters, boildermakers, electriticans. We need administrators and leaders. We need police and soldiers, doctors and nurses, tailors and chefs, mothers and fathers.

And this is good. Our community functions better when we specialise in some area and use our specialty for the benefit of our neighbour. If we loose all doctors or all capenters, we might be able to scrape by, but we’re better off when those people contribute.

Everyone has a role to play on our wider community, and it’s not just about profession, it includes our social contributions too.

We also don’t need people who think they are something that they are not. I’m sure you’ve heard horror stories of builders who bit off more than they could chew, or Doctors who commited malpractice outside their area of expertise.

Now if you take this picture of how the wider community functions, you can also apply it to the Church. We need all kinds of people using their specialisation for the benefit of the body. We can scrape by without some specialisations, but everything works better when each of us contributes.

But, unlike the wider society where we see the broad providence of God at play to bless the community, in the Church we see that God specifically equips beleivers by the Holy Spirit with special gifts.

God gives gifts or abilities to His people for each other’s benefit and the glory of God. These gifts fit with what other people have been given so that we all work together. We are one people in diversity - where aech has a role as part of the whole.

Recognising and using these gifts is part of giving ourselves as spiritual sacrifices (v12:1).

Flows on from the first part of Romans

Practical Christian living - scrafice. Sacrifice costs.

This living sacrifice is lived out in a local community fo beleivers.

As we come to look at gifting, we’re going to ask and answer three pertinent questions:

How should we think?

This is broad, but relevant. We need to have our thinking shaped and shanged by God. Often our thinking is part of the problem in our lives. While we need to change what we do, and change our affections, we also need to change the way we think.

When it comes to living in community, as a church, we have a whole bunch of different people from different walks of life and diffferent maturity levels.

It is important that we are humble when it comes to seeing where we fit into the church. Some of us have a too high opinion of ourselves and we need to be reigned in.

We need to start from the ground of the Gospel - all have fallen short, all are are in need of Jesus. Nothing we have is from our seleves, it is all a gift of grace. No boasting!

But as we approach the topic of gifts Paul cements this need for humility:

Romans 12:3 ESV

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.

By the “charis” - grace. Charis comes from the root Chiro meaning gladness or rejoicing. Grace is a blessing, a gift. From Paul’s grace, he instructs the Roman church.

There are levels of ability and honour, but it is not for you to assert to hold a particular place.

We need to be “sober” in our self reflection. Neither advancing ourselves too far or diminishing the work of faith that God has done in us.

Faith not a measure of “boldness” but in accordance with the nature or gifting of faith God has given us - which we will come too shortly.

Dunning Kruger Effect

Youth need especially to pay attention to this.

How are we like a body?

As we approach the topic of gifts we need to see how they fit. What is their purpose and placve? the cummunity of beleivers, the church, is like a body.

We are like a body universally, but the universal body is in local bodies with with local leaders.

When I joined a loyalty program I’m a faceless beneficiary among the masses.

But If I’m employed by a local business I have a vital role within the machinery and importance of that local business. There may come a time where I move on and become another key part in another business, but while I’m here I need to love and serve here.

Paul uses the imagery of the humany body to illustrate our connection:

Romans 12:4–5 ESV

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

We are many members - like arems and legs and eyes and ears.

True diversity - not fake diversity made by quotas

Yet despite our diversity we are one in Christ.

Members of one another - we belong to one another - we are connected. Selfishness and individualism undermines the body.

Paul makes a very similar point in corinthinas:

1 Corinthians 12:14–20 ESV

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ... But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

There’s no point having all eyes or all ears. We need the diversiity of types of people and gifts.

The problem of evy and rivalry - I want their job, I want their prestige.

God gives gifts, and you should be content.

One danger is is to say “I’m a nose, and this church doesn;t have enbough noses, so I’m going to look for another church that has more noses” - then they deprive the church of a nose.

How should we use our gifts?

Romans 12:6–8 ESV

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 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.

As they are given

Different ways for different people

What’s the deal with miraculous spiritual gifts?

What do we do with all this talk of miricles and prophecy? The miraculous gifts are predicting the future, healing the sick, speaking/interpreting languages you haven’t learned.

There are two ways that christians tend to approach these things, EITHER to beleive that these words apply to the first century church in the same way as they do to all christians down through history, and therefore we should expect to see miraculous gifts.

OR

To see the miraculous gifts as a temporary thing for the establishment of the church that has now passed away. This doesn’t mean they don’t beleive in miracles, just that specific people aren’t given miraculous powers.

Here at Flooding Creek we don’t teach one or the other as the definitive answer. But I can tell you this, if you claim to have a miraculous gift:

We will test any claims to miraculous giftings for autheniticity! We will see if it is authentic, deception or demonic. We have seen in history the damage done by those who claim to cpeak for God but do not (Mohummad, Jospeh Smith, Benny Hinn). That means testing both that it aligns with God’s word, and that it is real.

So many of the so-called healing ministries of self proclaimed healers are false and a blight on the name of Christ. If Jesus healed a man he could see, or he would get up and walk, or he would rise from the dead! And so if you are given that gift by God, the spirit will do real and powerful things!

So many of the so-called prophetic ministries of self proclaimed prophetsare false a blight on the name of Christ. When Jesus made predictions they were specific and they were fulfilled exactly. If you are given that Gift by the spirit you will not be just proclaiming vibes and vague ideas about the future.

The Gifts are for the building up of the Body, the confirmation of the Word and the Glory of God - not for personal prestige. They are deployed in love, and so if we discover miraculous giftings in our midst

This leads me to note that as we use our gifts they must be in accordance with the scriptures - God’s gifts do not lead us to disobey.

If God gives you the gift of administration, it’s not so you can administrate a crime syndicate, it is for serving Jesus. If God gifts you for preaching it is so you can preach the truth.

The gifts fit within God’s design and intent. A relevant example of where we have seen this is in when some women have said “I’m gifted to lead and teach the church” - this can’t be because it goes directly against what God has said. Perhaps she is a gifted teacher, but God’s Word teaches us how those gifts are to be deployed - not contrary to His desire.

LEt me give you an example:

1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

Although we are gifted, it’s still hard work. We need encouragement to continue on in our geft and not grow lazy, despondant or bitter.

Its ok to want to serve God better and with greater gifts

So What Now?