Hey Gang,
We continue this week in our series on balancing your spiritual growth.
This week we look at how we grow spiritually, by serving people. One of the things we are going to do when we get to heaven is serve God. So guess what God wants us to do while we’re here on earth? He wants us to practice serving. We should encourage our children to start serving others in God’s name at an early age. If we don’t know how to serve him here, how will we be prepared to serve him in heaven? It's important that our children understand that God put them here to make a contribution, not just take up space watching TV or playing video games. It is only in giving our lives away that we find out what life’s all about.
What will be your contribution? What will be your children’s contribution? You need to help your kids answer this question. How will they give back? How will they use their God-given talents? Will they use them just to benefit themselves or will they use them to help others?
Everything in our society teaches us to use our talents for ourselves – make a lot of money, retire, be comfortable and die. That’s the dream. But deep down inside we know we were made for more than that. We know instinctively that there is a bigger purpose in life. It’s that deep desire inside us. We may have covered it up with our fear of failure, but it’s still there, the desire to make a difference.
What will be the contribution of your life? The Bible says, “God has given each of you some special abilities. Be sure to use them to help each other, passing on God’s many kind of blessing” (1 Peter 4:10 LB).
Scripture says that God allows us 70 years and some beyond.
We continue this week in our series on balancing your spiritual growth.
This week we look at how we grow spiritually, by serving people. One of the things we are going to do when we get to heaven is serve God. So guess what God wants us to do while we’re here on earth? He wants us to practice serving. We should encourage our children to start serving others in God’s name at an early age. If we don’t know how to serve him here, how will we be prepared to serve him in heaven? It's important that our children understand that God put them here to make a contribution, not just take up space watching TV or playing video games. It is only in giving our lives away that we find out what life’s all about.
What will be your contribution? What will be your children’s contribution? You need to help your kids answer this question. How will they give back? How will they use their God-given talents? Will they use them just to benefit themselves or will they use them to help others?
Everything in our society teaches us to use our talents for ourselves – make a lot of money, retire, be comfortable and die. That’s the dream. But deep down inside we know we were made for more than that. We know instinctively that there is a bigger purpose in life. It’s that deep desire inside us. We may have covered it up with our fear of failure, but it’s still there, the desire to make a difference.
What will be the contribution of your life? The Bible says, “God has given each of you some special abilities. Be sure to use them to help each other, passing on God’s many kind of blessing” (1 Peter 4:10 LB).
It’s only in giving our lives away that we find out what life’s all about.
John 13:1-17
Scripture says that God allows us 70 years and some beyond.
- First 15 are spent in childhood and early adolescence.
- 20 years are spent in bed
- Last 5, physical limitations start to curtail our activities.
- That gives us about 30 years in which to live as adults.
- We take time out for eating, recreation, and for figuring our taxes, and we are down to perhaps 15 years.
- Now suppose we spend 8 of those years watching television. That cuts us down to 7 years. Our time is short! The time we can invest for God, in creative things, in reaching people for Christ, is short!
What is your Calling? – Video – You are expected to contribute something in life!
What is your understanding of Spiritual gifts? What are they, where do they come from and what are they for?
The four major lists of gifts are found in Romans 12:3-8, 1 Cor. 12:1-11, 27 -31, Eph. 4:11- 12, and 1 Peter 4:9-11, and there are other passages that mention or illustrate gifts not included in these lists.
1. ADMINISTRATION I Cor. 12 (This is sometimes called “Organization”) The ability to recognize the gifts of others and recruit them to a ministry. The ability to organize and manage people, resources, and time for effective ministry.
2. APOSTLE I Cor. 12 The ability to start new churches/ventures and oversee their development.
3. DISCERNMENT 1 Cor. 12 The ability to distinguish between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. The ability to detect inconsistencies in another’s life and confront in love.
4. ENCOURAGEMENT Rom. 12 (This is sometimes called “Exhortation”) The ability to motivate God’s people to apply and act on biblical principles, especially when they are discouraged or wavering in their faith. The ability to bring out the best in others and challenge them to develop their potential.
5. EVANGELISM Eph. 4 The ability to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to unbelievers in a positive, non-threatening way. The ability to sense opportunities to share Christ and lead people to respond with faith.
6. FAITH I Cor. 12 The ability to trust God for what cannot be seen and to act on God’s promise, regardless of what the circumstances indicate. The willingness to risk failure in pursuit of a God-given vision, expecting God to handle the obstacles.
7. GIVING Rom. 12 The ability to generously contribute material resources and/or money beyond the 10% tithe so that the Body may grow and be strengthened. The ability to manage money so it may be given to support the ministry of others.
8. HEALING I Cor. 12 The ability to pray, in faith, specifically for people who need physical, emotional, or spiritual healing and see God answer. The ability to sense when God is prompting you to pray this kind of prayer.
9. HOSPITALITY 1 Peter 4:9-10 The ability to make others, especially strangers, feel warmly welcomed, accepted, and comfortable in the church family. The ability to coordinate factors that promote fellowship.
10. LEADERSHIP Rom. 12 The ability to clarify and communicate the purpose and direction (“vision”) of a ministry in a way that attracts others to get involved. The ability to motivate others, by example, to work together in accomplishing a ministry goal.
11. MERCY Rom. 12 The ability to manifest practical, compassionate, cheerful love toward suffering members of the Body of Christ.
12. MIRACLES I Cor. 12 The ability to pray, in faith, specifically for God’s supernatural intervention into an impossible situation and see God answer. The ability to sense when God is prompting you to pray this kind of prayer.
13. PASTORING Eph. 4 (This is sometimes called “Shepherding”) The ability to care for the spiritual needs of a group of believers and equip them for ministry. The ability to nurture a small group in spiritual growth and assume responsibility for their welfare.
14. PRAYING WITH MY SPIRIT I Cor. 12 (This is sometimes called “Tongues/Interpretation”) The ability to pray in a language understood only by God or one who is given the gift of interpretation at that time.
15. PREACHING Rom. 12 (This is sometimes called “Prophecy”) The ability to publicly communicate God’s Word in an inspired way that convinces unbelievers and both challenges and comforts believers. The ability to persuasively declare God’s will.
16. SERVICE Rom. 12 The ability to recognize unmet needs in the church family, and take the initiative to provide practical assistance quickly, cheerfully, and without a need for recognition.
17. TEACHING Eph. 4 The ability to educate God’s people by clearly explaining and applying the Bible in a way that causes them to learn. The ability to equip and train other believers for ministry.
18. WISDOM 1 Cor. 12 The ability to understand God’s perspective on life situations and share those insights in a simple, understandable way. The ability to explain what to do and how to do it.
Your Life Is Part Of A Plan!
Before architects design any new building they first ask, “What will be its purpose? How will it be used?” Before God created you, He decided what role He wanted you to play on earth. He planned exactly how He wanted you to serve Him, and then He shaped you for those tasks. You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry.
David said, “Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:16) This means that nothing that happens in your life is insignificant. God uses all of it to mold you for your ministry to others and shape you for your service to Him.
Paul tells us this morning in Romans that God called each of us and gave us these gifts so that we would serve Him by working together.
Two major points to today's lesson:
- God saved you to serve! In 2 Timothy 1:9 it says, “It is God who saved us and chose us for his holy work, not because we deserved it but because that was his plan.” (LB)
- You were put here on earth to make a contribution. You weren’t created just to consume resources – to eat, breathe, and take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life.
- If you have been born again and Christ is at the center of your life then your priority in life is to love Him in everything that you do. You are also expected to commit to other believers just as much as you do to Christ in fellowship. And together we are expected to mature in our spiritual walk to develop a character like that of Christ. All of this provides us with a means and motivation to serve God and others here on earth.
- God has SHAPED you to serve Him and others! · God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play, based on the way it was shaped by God. The same is true with humans. Each of us was uniquely designed, or “shaped,” to do certain things.
- Remember the Rick Warren acrostic for SHAPE – Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences.
What is your understanding of Spiritual gifts? What are they, where do they come from and what are they for?
The four major lists of gifts are found in Romans 12:3-8, 1 Cor. 12:1-11, 27 -31, Eph. 4:11- 12, and 1 Peter 4:9-11, and there are other passages that mention or illustrate gifts not included in these lists.
A SHORT LIST OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
(From 1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4, Rom. 12, 1 Pet. 4)
1. ADMINISTRATION I Cor. 12 (This is sometimes called “Organization”) The ability to recognize the gifts of others and recruit them to a ministry. The ability to organize and manage people, resources, and time for effective ministry.
2. APOSTLE I Cor. 12 The ability to start new churches/ventures and oversee their development.
3. DISCERNMENT 1 Cor. 12 The ability to distinguish between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. The ability to detect inconsistencies in another’s life and confront in love.
4. ENCOURAGEMENT Rom. 12 (This is sometimes called “Exhortation”) The ability to motivate God’s people to apply and act on biblical principles, especially when they are discouraged or wavering in their faith. The ability to bring out the best in others and challenge them to develop their potential.
5. EVANGELISM Eph. 4 The ability to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to unbelievers in a positive, non-threatening way. The ability to sense opportunities to share Christ and lead people to respond with faith.
6. FAITH I Cor. 12 The ability to trust God for what cannot be seen and to act on God’s promise, regardless of what the circumstances indicate. The willingness to risk failure in pursuit of a God-given vision, expecting God to handle the obstacles.
7. GIVING Rom. 12 The ability to generously contribute material resources and/or money beyond the 10% tithe so that the Body may grow and be strengthened. The ability to manage money so it may be given to support the ministry of others.
8. HEALING I Cor. 12 The ability to pray, in faith, specifically for people who need physical, emotional, or spiritual healing and see God answer. The ability to sense when God is prompting you to pray this kind of prayer.
9. HOSPITALITY 1 Peter 4:9-10 The ability to make others, especially strangers, feel warmly welcomed, accepted, and comfortable in the church family. The ability to coordinate factors that promote fellowship.
10. LEADERSHIP Rom. 12 The ability to clarify and communicate the purpose and direction (“vision”) of a ministry in a way that attracts others to get involved. The ability to motivate others, by example, to work together in accomplishing a ministry goal.
11. MERCY Rom. 12 The ability to manifest practical, compassionate, cheerful love toward suffering members of the Body of Christ.
12. MIRACLES I Cor. 12 The ability to pray, in faith, specifically for God’s supernatural intervention into an impossible situation and see God answer. The ability to sense when God is prompting you to pray this kind of prayer.
13. PASTORING Eph. 4 (This is sometimes called “Shepherding”) The ability to care for the spiritual needs of a group of believers and equip them for ministry. The ability to nurture a small group in spiritual growth and assume responsibility for their welfare.
14. PRAYING WITH MY SPIRIT I Cor. 12 (This is sometimes called “Tongues/Interpretation”) The ability to pray in a language understood only by God or one who is given the gift of interpretation at that time.
15. PREACHING Rom. 12 (This is sometimes called “Prophecy”) The ability to publicly communicate God’s Word in an inspired way that convinces unbelievers and both challenges and comforts believers. The ability to persuasively declare God’s will.
16. SERVICE Rom. 12 The ability to recognize unmet needs in the church family, and take the initiative to provide practical assistance quickly, cheerfully, and without a need for recognition.
17. TEACHING Eph. 4 The ability to educate God’s people by clearly explaining and applying the Bible in a way that causes them to learn. The ability to equip and train other believers for ministry.
18. WISDOM 1 Cor. 12 The ability to understand God’s perspective on life situations and share those insights in a simple, understandable way. The ability to explain what to do and how to do it.
I may have this gift - I’m pretty sure I have this gift - I don’t think I have this gift
Your Life Is Part Of A Plan!
Before architects design any new building they first ask, “What will be its purpose? How will it be used?” Before God created you, He decided what role He wanted you to play on earth. He planned exactly how He wanted you to serve Him, and then He shaped you for those tasks. You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry.
David said, “Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:16) This means that nothing that happens in your life is insignificant. God uses all of it to mold you for your ministry to others and shape you for your service to Him.
Paul tells us this morning in Romans that God called each of us and gave us these gifts so that we would serve Him by working together.
I. WORK TOGETHER – ROMANS 12:3-5
For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.
There are a multitude of gifted people who may never be named serving for the love of serving Christ! Unfortunately our society has completely misunderstood what the Bible teaches about service in God's kingdom. To be gifted by the Holy Spirit is not a cognitive but an actionable experience by which we work for the common good of the body of believers. Christ Himself said He did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). We are designed to serve, and godly attitudes make that process delightful.
Paul's letter to the Romans outlines the essence of the gospel more clearly and succinctly than perhaps any other book in the New Testament. Rome was the cosmopolitan city by which all other cities in the first-century Greco-Roman world were judged. With no less than 80 temples to various gods and the ever popular Circus Maximus, the city was one of both ancient splendor and privileged debauchery. Roman Christians were the fledging church God had established in a dark city. Jews and Gentiles alike made up this church - a unique bridge of the old and new dedicated to God. It was to these Christians that Paul wrote Romans so that he might establish them in their faith.
Why can’t we just attend church and study Scripture to grow healthy spiritual lives? Why find a place of service within the church?
How would it impact a believer to connect and grow but not to serve?
How would it impact a church to connect and grow but not to serve?
2 main reasons people don’t serve:
1. We have become too busy to serve – Luke 14:16-26 Jesus tells His disciples that many would be called to serve in God’s kingdom, but most would give excuses why they couldn’t. Too many obligations.
2. We have too many distractions to serve – the more we accumulate, the more distractions they cause: 2 cars break down twice as often, 2 computers cause twice the errors, 2 mortgages cost 2 times the interest and so on. Jesus said in Matt. 6:24 “No one can serve two masters…”
Paul goes on to say that we have been gifted to serve.
II. SERVE THROUGH GIFTEDNESS – ROMANS 12:6-8
According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the standard of faith; if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
The word gifts here denotes a special endowment or bestowal by God upon the believer. These gifts are to be used in the service of Christ and of the church in general. Each and every believer has been entrusted with at least one spiritual gift. Each gift any believer has received is the result of God's grace and riches poured out on the church.
Can we earn our Spiritual gift(s)?
Can we choose our Spiritual gift(s)?
Why were we given Spiritual gift(s)?
Whenever we forget these basic truths about gifts, it always causes trouble in the church.
Two common problems are:
1. Gift Envy - The first occurs when we compare our gifts to others, feel dissatisfied with what God gave us, and become resentful or jealous of how God uses others.
2. Gift Protection - The second problem happens when you expect everyone else to have your gifts, do what you're called to do, and feel as passionate about it as you do. The Bible says, "There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving" (1 Corinthians 12:5, NLT).
Many of us have heard of spiritual gifts, but we are not quite sure we understand them. A spiritual gift is a special ability, given by the Holy Spirit to every believer at their conversion, to be used to minister to others and therefore build up the Body of Christ. Although spiritual gifts are given when the Holy Spirit enters new believers, their use and purpose need to be understood and developed as we grow spiritually.
A Few Truths about Spiritual Gifts
1. Only believers have spiritual gifts. (1 Cor 2:14)
2. You can’t earn or work for a spiritual gift. (Eph 4:7)
3. The Holy Spirit decides what gifts I get. (1 Cor 12:11)
4. I am to develop the gifts God gives me. (Rom 11:29)
5. It’s a sin to waste the gifts God gave me. (1 Cor 4:1-2 and Mt 25:14-30)
6. Using my gifts honors God and expands me. (John 15:8)
Some try to find the greatest spiritual gift, but any gift empowered by the Holy Spirit with expressed love is great. We do damage in our churches when we elevate one spiritual gift over another. Instead serve alongside God with the gifts that He has given. If you don't know your spiritual gift(s), prayerfully ask God to show you. Consult with trustworthy Christians. Once you know your gift, put it to use in the church. Do so out of love for Him, His church, and our fellow believers.
III. GROW GOOD CHARACTER – ROMANS 12:9-15
Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
What does it look like to use gifts of prophesy, service, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, and mercy without love? Are some gifts easier to use selfishly?
Paul makes an important statement about love when he says that "without love I am nothing!" – Not stated as "I have nothing," but rather, "I AM NOTHING!" A church or believer cannot be healthy without love no matter how gifted! Without love all sacrifices made by us gain us nothing! Love is foundational even for the gifts!
God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play, based on the way it was shaped by God. The same is true with humans. Each of us was uniquely designed, or “shaped,” to do certain things.
How would it impact a believer to connect and grow but not to serve?
How would it impact a church to connect and grow but not to serve?
2 main reasons people don’t serve:
1. We have become too busy to serve – Luke 14:16-26 Jesus tells His disciples that many would be called to serve in God’s kingdom, but most would give excuses why they couldn’t. Too many obligations.
2. We have too many distractions to serve – the more we accumulate, the more distractions they cause: 2 cars break down twice as often, 2 computers cause twice the errors, 2 mortgages cost 2 times the interest and so on. Jesus said in Matt. 6:24 “No one can serve two masters…”
Paul goes on to say that we have been gifted to serve.
II. SERVE THROUGH GIFTEDNESS – ROMANS 12:6-8
According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the standard of faith; if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
The word gifts here denotes a special endowment or bestowal by God upon the believer. These gifts are to be used in the service of Christ and of the church in general. Each and every believer has been entrusted with at least one spiritual gift. Each gift any believer has received is the result of God's grace and riches poured out on the church.
Can we earn our Spiritual gift(s)?
- You can't earn your spiritual gifts or deserve them -- that's why they are called gifts! They're an expression of God's grace to you: "Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us." (Ephesians 4:7, CEV)
Can we choose our Spiritual gift(s)?
- Nor do you get to choose which gifts you'd like to have. Paul explains that God determines that, "It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have." (1 Corinthians 12:11, NLT).
- Because God loves variety, and he wants us to be special, there's no one single gift given to everyone, and no individual receives all the gifts. If you had them all, you'd have no need of anyone else, and that would defeat one of God's purposes -- to teach us to depend on each other.
Why were we given Spiritual gift(s)?
- Your spiritual gifts were not given for your own benefit but for the benefit of others, just as other people were given gifts for your benefit. The Bible says, "A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church" (1 Corinthians 12:7, NLT). When we use our gifts together, we all benefit. If others don't use their gifts, you get cheated, but if you don't use your gifts, they get cheated. This is why God wants us to discover and develop our spiritual gifts.
Whenever we forget these basic truths about gifts, it always causes trouble in the church.
Two common problems are:
1. Gift Envy - The first occurs when we compare our gifts to others, feel dissatisfied with what God gave us, and become resentful or jealous of how God uses others.
2. Gift Protection - The second problem happens when you expect everyone else to have your gifts, do what you're called to do, and feel as passionate about it as you do. The Bible says, "There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving" (1 Corinthians 12:5, NLT).
Many of us have heard of spiritual gifts, but we are not quite sure we understand them. A spiritual gift is a special ability, given by the Holy Spirit to every believer at their conversion, to be used to minister to others and therefore build up the Body of Christ. Although spiritual gifts are given when the Holy Spirit enters new believers, their use and purpose need to be understood and developed as we grow spiritually.
A spiritual gift is much like a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it becomes.
A Few Truths about Spiritual Gifts
1. Only believers have spiritual gifts. (1 Cor 2:14)
2. You can’t earn or work for a spiritual gift. (Eph 4:7)
3. The Holy Spirit decides what gifts I get. (1 Cor 12:11)
4. I am to develop the gifts God gives me. (Rom 11:29)
5. It’s a sin to waste the gifts God gave me. (1 Cor 4:1-2 and Mt 25:14-30)
6. Using my gifts honors God and expands me. (John 15:8)
Some try to find the greatest spiritual gift, but any gift empowered by the Holy Spirit with expressed love is great. We do damage in our churches when we elevate one spiritual gift over another. Instead serve alongside God with the gifts that He has given. If you don't know your spiritual gift(s), prayerfully ask God to show you. Consult with trustworthy Christians. Once you know your gift, put it to use in the church. Do so out of love for Him, His church, and our fellow believers.
III. GROW GOOD CHARACTER – ROMANS 12:9-15
Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
What does it look like to use gifts of prophesy, service, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, and mercy without love? Are some gifts easier to use selfishly?
Spirituality is not measured by giftedness; it is measured by love, God's love!
Paul makes an important statement about love when he says that "without love I am nothing!" – Not stated as "I have nothing," but rather, "I AM NOTHING!" A church or believer cannot be healthy without love no matter how gifted! Without love all sacrifices made by us gain us nothing! Love is foundational even for the gifts!
God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play, based on the way it was shaped by God. The same is true with humans. Each of us was uniquely designed, or “shaped,” to do certain things.
What a powerful series on measuring our growth in Christ - how tall are you today? Please continue to study our lesson this week as we prepare to discuss the importance of each believer's God given gift to the church - serve people!
Have a blessed week and we'll see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
