Gifts of Grace

Introduction

Read Romans 12:3-8

A few weeks ago, I was playing basketball in our gym. I jumped up with the ball in a drive to the goal. Whether it happened when I jumped up or when I landed, I felt a horrible pain in my quad. I had never felt a pain like that before.

I limped home, feeling defeated. I quickly got over the pain, but it reminded me of just how much our body depend on the rest of our body.

That night I felt pain that was distracting, it was harder for me to get something to eat and walk around, etc. etc.

Our church body is the exact same way. When one of us hurt, all of us hurt. When one of us is out of commission for whatever reason, we all suffer. When one of us doesn’t want to serve, the rest of us take the hit, because someone is specifically gifted to do what the rest of us cannot do.

Withholding our gifts is an unfortunate consequence of people who are more self-interested than Christ-exalting or others-oriented.

CIT: God commands us to wisely use the gifts that He has given us.

Observations

English Standard Version Chapter 12

Gifts of Grace

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.

Firstly, the phrase, “each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

The ultimate measure of one’s life isn’t the things they do… it is faith in Jesus Christ to save them.

Before we realize how we are different, we must realize how we are the same. We may be different parts, but we are the same body.

We have the same faith in Christ. Your gifts are not as important as your faith in Jesus.

Plenty of pastors use their gifts week after week with a rotten heart.

Plenty of church members serve only for what they can get out of it.

We often evaluate church members, pastors, leaders, and deacons more upon their competency than their character. Character outweighs competency every time.

The Gospel completely calls us out. Our gifts are not our own, because we are bought with a price. We had to be saved and redeemed. Our gifts without Jesus only serve wickedness.

Paul encourages the church to have self awareness of the gifts that God has given them.

You are responsible for your gifts. You are responsible to cultivate them and use them.

Sober judgement: You don’t inflate or deflate your gifts.

We often inflate our gifts above what they truly are. We think they make us who we are.

We minimize the gifts that God has given us. We are being unthankful and downplay how God desires to use us.

We cherish the gift that God has given us, and we use it to build up the body, not create our own kingdoms.

The gospel frees us to be truthful about God’s gifts, because we know that we are accepted because of Christ’s work, not ours.

God will hold you accountable for the way you used what He has given to you. Your gift is not yours.

Large pharmaceutical companies have withheld helpful medications or increased the price behold what is reasonable.

Sometimes, we withhold our gifts or we only use them in ways that benefit us.

We often to this to the detriment of others.

God calls us to give our gifts for the benefits of others.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

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.

God has created amazing diversity in His church. Diversity of race, culture, and language. Paul directly speaks in this text of giftedness.

God has given great diversity of gifts. God gives each church what they need to accomplish the mission.

1 Corinthians 12 is a greater list of these gifts and qualities.

God cares that we use our gifts, but he also cares that we use them with the right motive. Each gift has a qualification. Some of the qualifications are different than the actual gift. Some are the same. Some are “in” meaning you show your gift “while you do it.”

Prophecy must be in “the standard” of faith. The prophet cannot contradict Christian doctrine.

Service must be done in serving. Show that you serve by serving. Administration, physical tasks, and often outside of the spotlight.

Teaching must be done through one adheres to what he teaches. Tim Keller // The gift of making truth clean and understandable. // The gift of teaching is not just for the pastor.

Exhorting must be done in exhortation. Exhortation means helping someone to live more righteously. Telling them what to do and what not to do. It is often more pointed than teaching.

Contribution must be done in generosity. They give in large proportions and with wisdom.

Leadership must be done with zeal. Some people are particularly gifted at getting other people to follow them. Great energy or enthusiasm toward what they are doing.

Mercy must be done with cheerfulness. They are moved to work with the sick, elderly, hurting, grieving, etc.

Application

How to understand and use your gifts?

What are your gifts?

How can you develop them?

How can you use them?

How have you been abusing/misusing them?

Conclusion

The greatest gift is the gift of Jesus.

Jesus gives us an opportunity to serve.

We need to use our gifts wisely.