Stewardship of Spiritual Gifts in the Church

Stewardship of Spiritual Gifts in the Church

1 Cor. 12:1-31

Introduction:

I have entitled the sermon “The Stewardship of Spiritual Gifts in the Church”.

There are three crucial keywords that I would like for us to note as we study our passage; these 3 Keywords relate to the reason we are gathering here today - to encourage the believers to be good stewards of the Spiritual gifts we have received from God.

These 3 Keywords are found in the Title of the sermon: Stewardship, Spiritual Gifts, Church

We will begin by looking at the word - Stewardship.

I. What is the Biblical meaning of Stewardship

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Stewardship)

STEWARDSHIP Responsibility to manage all the resources of life for the glory of God, acknowledging God as provider.

Luke 12:42 NASB95

42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?

Jesus links stewardship with “watchfulness” as a characteristic mark of Christ’s true disciples.

1 Corinthians 4:1–2 NASB95

1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

Paul applies the concept of the steward explicitly to himself and implicitly to the church at large: “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.”

STEWARDSHIP Responsibility to manage all the resources of life for the glory of God, acknowledging God as provider.

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Stewardship)

Individually, whether financial resources, real property, other valuable items, time, influence, or opportunity, the believer is to seek the mind and will of God for every decision. God not only expects that we return a portion of what He gives us as tithes and offerings, He expects for all that we have to be used in ways which please and honor Him. He expects that we, regardless of vocation, will exercise responsible stewardship, on His behalf, of every day that we live.

Now, we will look at the 2nd important keyword - SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

II. What is/are Spiritual Gifts

“Spiritual gift is defined as a capacity for service which is given to every true Christian without exception and which was something each did not possess before he became a Christian - Ray Stedman

The passage we have read tells us of the SPIRITUAL GIFTS that God gives and distributes to the church. I want to point you to 2 important observations here:

1. God gives variety of spiritual gifts to all believers. (vv. 4-6)

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 NASB95

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

1 Corinthians 12:11 NASB95

11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

2. The variety of gifts given to believers are for the building up of one another and of the body of Christ. (v.7; 25;)

1 Corinthians 12:7 NASB95

7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

1 Corinthians 12:25 NASB95

25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

It’s never been about personal benefits but for the church as a whole - it is for the common good.

What we find in the Bible is that “A spiritual gift may be intended to equip its recipient for a specific function or appointment. Those who are equipped in this way need the enabling power of God’s spirit to carry out their appointed tasks.”

Spiritual Gift is to be distinguished from what we call a natural talent.

Natural talents are also gifts of God.

We are told that “every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above,” which is true of talents and for Christians and non-Christians alike (Jas. 1:17).

It is also true that a Christian may exercise a spiritual gift through a natural talent. Examples would be one who fulfills the gift of “helping” through a talent for carpentry, baking, financial management or similar things, or one who fulfills the gift of “exhortation” through a natural ability to get close to people.

Still, spiritual gifts are not talents for the simple reason that they are given for spiritual ends only, and only to Christians. They are “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12).

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Now, we will look at the 3rd Keyword - Church

The Church is defined as the assembly of people belonging to the same faith in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior - It is both visible and invisible.

The invisible church is the universal church - composed of believers from the past and present, those who are dead and alive. The visible church is the local church - the local assembly. We belong to both - the universal and the local.

The church is described metaphorically as the body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:27 NASB95

27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

In this one body, has many parts and organs. These parts and organs have different functions and responsibilities.

So that leads me to my 3rd point.

III. The Church and the Christians Responsibilities in the stewardship of spiritual gifts

Christians are to be wise stewards of their God-given gifts

A. We are to use our gifts to benefit others

1 Peter 4:10–11 NASB95

10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

B. We are to develop these gift (s)

1 Tim. 4:14-15

1 Timothy 4:14–15 NASB95

14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.

IV. Finding Your Gift

You may be saying, “I recognize the importance of the spiritual gifts and am aware now of what they are. But I am still puzzled because I don’t know where I fit into the picture. How can I discover what my own gifts are?” A good question

1. Begin by studying what the Bible has to say about spiritual gifts.

The Bible is God’s primary provision for spiritual growth and sanctification. God speaks to us in the Bible.

As we study the Bible’s teaching we must be careful to discern what God’s purpose in giving spiritual gifts is. It is for the growth of the body and not merely for personal growth or satisfaction.

2. We must pray.

This is not a matter to be taken lightly or one in which we may feel free to trust our own judgment. We do not know our hearts. We may find ourselves wanting a gift that exalts our sense of self-importance but that God does not have in mind for us. We may find ourselves resisting the gift he actually has in mind. The only way we will get past this hurdle is to lay the entire matter before the Lord in serious, soul-searching prayer and ask him, as he speaks through his Word, to show us the gift he actually has given us.

3. Make a faithful assessment of our own spiritual strengths and abilities.

If we do not do this on the basis of a careful study of the Word of God and through prayer, we will be misled. But if we have first sought the wisdom and mind of God, we can then go back and look at ourselves through spiritual eyes.

We can ask, What do I like to do?

That is not a sure guide to what our gift or gifts are, but it is one indication. God’s leading is always toward that for which he has prepared us and which we therefore naturally find enjoyable and satisfying.

Another question we can ask is, What am I good at?

If you are seeking to fulfill a certain ministry in the church but are constantly failing and feel frustrated, it is quite likely that you are working in the wrong area and have assessed your gifts improperly. If God is blessing your work, if you see spiritual fruit from your efforts, you are probably on the right track and should pursue it even more vigorously. As skill in exercising this gift develops, you will find that the results are even better

You can ask, What are my talents?

Spiritual gifts are not talents, but they are often related. We are seldom wrong if we try to exercise our talents spiritually and for spiritual ends.

4. Seek the wisdom of other Christians.

The church does not always function as it should, but where it functions properly one of the things that should happen is that others with the gift of insight or wisdom should be able to sense what your gifts are and point them out in terms of the needs of your particular Christian congregation. Others are almost always more objective about ourselves than we are. We must cultivate the ability to listen to these other members of the family of God and follow their guidance

Application

GCCC, is part of God’s local church, and we believe that God gave varieties of SPIRITUAL gifts to each member of this church.

so let me ask you, and I want you do a short examination of your self;

Am I aware of my gift or gifts?

Am I a good steward of the spiritual gifts that God has gifted me with? Am I using my gifts to glorify God and build others?

Conclusion:

God is the source of Spiritual Gifts, and He give to each believer for the purpose of glorifying God and for the building up of the church. Each Christian must use the gift(s) they received as a response to God’s love and grace.