Priceless: Finding Your Value In God
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THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
“It’s the thought that counts.” That’s what our parents taught us when we received a gift that was ugly or “unique.” The giver may have meant well, but you knew never in a million years would you use it, wear it, or display it.
We’ve all been guilty of giving those kinds of gifts. It typically happens in situations where social convention requires us to give a gift, but we just don’t know what to buy. So, we search the aisles until we finally find something decent—and then hope for the best.
God gives gifts, too, but He knows exactly what you need. You may not know it at the time, but the gifts He gives—what we refer to as spiritual gifts—are perfect for you. You might wonder at first how you’ll use those gifts. But as we’ll see in this session, God has a plan for both you and your gifts.
And He expects you to use them.
Gifts from last week's lesson:
- Wisdom, knowledge
- Faith, healing
- Miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues
We approach our work and daily tasks with different motivations. Some people choose work that interests them; others choose a career based on income or prestige. Some people engage in work or accept a task simply because it is something that must be done. The service we do as followers of Christ is grounded in a different motivation. The Bible calls us to serve out of love for others and our desire to glorify God. Moreover, we are to serve the Lord because that is what He expects of us.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul emphasized that the diversity of spiritual gifts among the members was not to become an occasion for boasting by those who considered they had been given the superior gifts. Neither were those with what they might have regarded as lesser gifts to complain or grumble about what they had been given. Every gift had value because it was from the Spirit and could be beneficial to others. Similarly, in 1 Peter 4:9-11, Peter urged those to whom he wrote to use their gifts in godly service that would bring glory to God.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
1 Cor. 12:12-16,21-22; 1 Pet. 4:9-11 (NIV)
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
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21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”
22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.
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9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Given the one Spirit to drink (1 Cor. 12:13)—Paul was probably alluding to the words of Jesus found in John 7:37‑39. When an individual trusts Jesus as Lord and Savior, Jesus satisfies his or her deepest thirst by sending the Holy Spirit into that person’s life. All believers are able to drink from these “rivers of living water” (John 7:38).
1 Corinthians 12:12-16
When you look at a woman, you don’t see her as a collection of hands, feet, facial features, and kneecaps. Instead, you see her as a complete person. Jesus is the same way with His followers. When He looks at us, He sees us as a collection of individuals who make up a single body: the church.
Paul wanted to make it clear that all believers—regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender—are part of Christ’s body, the church. Racial and social diversity does exists in the church, which is why he said “whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free.” But we all have the same Holy Spirit.
Still, our differences can become a source of conflict. That’s a subject Paul continued to deal with in his letter to the Corinthians. We saw in the previous session that the church in Corinth had separated into different factions (see 1 Cor. 1:10-13). Sadly, it seems even their approach to spiritual gifts caused conflict. When some people became proud and arrogant about their abilities, it made others feel inferior—which caused disunity.
Ever feel like a nobody? Sometimes people thrust that feeling on us through their boastfulness. Other times we invite that feeling ourselves when we choose to play the comparison game. After all, when we take the time to look around, we can always find someone who’s better than we are in some way. It’s all too easy to compare yourself with others and feel like you’re less than you ought to be.
Frankly, it’s especially sad when we play the comparison game inside the church. Paul wanted to correct that in verses 15-16: “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.”
Your role in the body of Christ may not be as visible as others, but it’s no less important. Your spiritual gifts are important, and the way you use them in the body of Christ is important. The bottom line: inferiority has no place in the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit that lives in your pastor is the same Holy Spirit that lives in you. No one has cornered the market on His presence or His gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:21-22
We shouldn’t feel inferior about ourselves in the church; neither should we feel superior. Paul focused his attention on those who boast about their gifts, but both extremes are harmful. We’re not to question our value or the value of others.
Don’t be proud of your gifts, thinking they raise your value or importance in the church. Your effectiveness has nothing to do with you, but it has everything to do with the One who gave you that gift! God has planned and gifted every one of us to bring the greatest glory to Himself and the greatest good to the body of Christ. Of course, some Christians in the church are more visible than others. But those who are more private or who like to work behind the scenes are every bit as essential.
When was the last time you made a big deal about your big toe? Probably the last time you stubbed it. Even though we don’t think about it very often, the big toe is crucial to the human body. The first toe is known as the hallux and is responsible for 40 percent of the foot’s heavy lifting when we walk. Our big toes keep us balanced. Believe it or not, a recruit who is missing a big toe will be disqualified from the military, and someone who loses a big toe typically has to learn to walk again.
That’s Paul’s point in verse 22: “On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” What’s true for the human body is true for the church. We may not think it’s important to be the “big toe” in the church, but Paul says otherwise.
Maybe it’s time we “toot the horn” of those who serve without much notice. The church should give special honor to its members who do not attract attention to themselves. We can do this to remind them—and all of us—that every member of the church is vitally important for it to function as God intended.
1 Peter 4:9-11
We find some brief instructions in 1 Peter about how to use our gifts. We can sum up the main idea like this: serve others as Jesus would serve them and speak to others as He would speak to them. Everything we do must be immersed in an attitude of love.
Hospitality is a very tangible expression of love, which is why Peter wrote, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (v. 9). Even among non-Christians in the first century, hospitality was simply a common courtesy. God’s people don’t welcome others out of duty; rather, we do it cheerfully, without complaining. That speaks of a joyous and loving attitude.
Love is expressed in whatever spiritual gift we use. We receive our spiritual gifts by the grace of God. So when we use our gifts in a loving manner—doing so in a way that extends grace to others—we point to the One who has extended grace to us. In Peter’s words, we use our gifts “so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (v. 11).
No two people will serve in exactly the same way, but each of us will serve with the gifts God has given us and wherever He’s placed us. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (v. 10). I like that word various. It means “multi-colored.” When you serve and I serve—each in our different ways, as God has gifted us—together we bring glory to God like a beautiful rainbow!
LIVE IT OUT
How will you actively use your spiritual gifts this week? Consider the following options:
- Just do it. Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of waiting for circumstances to be “just right” before you use the gifts God has given you. Make a plan right now to take action and do something in service to God’s kingdom.
- Find help. Using your spiritual gifts doesn’t have to be a solo operation. Find someone to join you in serving God and serving others through your spiritual gifts. (Doing so will provide the added value of accountability.)
- Encourage others. Find a way to encourage someone who is struggling with his or her sense of value in the church. Send a note or seek out a tangible way to remind that person of his or her value in the body of Christ.
We’ve all received gifts that left us unsatisfied. But your spiritual gifts from God need never drift into that dreaded territory of “it’s the thought that counts.” Your spiritual gifts are both useful and valuable in your context. The next step is up to you.
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Our Lesson this week:
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Have you opened your gift?
What’s one of the more useless gifts you’ve received?
“It’s the thought that counts.”
That’s what our parents taught us when we received a gift that was ugly or “unique.” The giver may have meant well, but you aren’t ever going to use it, wear it, or display it.
- Suppose you have a friend that lives miles away from you. Every Christmas you go to great effort to select, wrap, and send a gift to this friend. One day comes when you are able to go and see your friend at their home. Y’all talk just like old times and as you look around the home, you don’t see any of your gifts on display. When your friend goes to another room, you peek into the front closest, and what do you see? There, after all these years, are all the gifts you had sent, still wrapped and unused. How would you feel?
Well, God gives gifts, too and He feels the same way when we don’t use them.
The gifts He gives us—we call them spiritual gifts. You might wonder at first how you will use His gifts, but God has a plan for both you and your gifts. And He expects you to use them.
A couple of review questions from last week:
1. What is a spiritual gift?
A spiritual gift is an ability that enables each believer to perform a function in the body of Christ with ease and effectiveness.
2. Who gives the spiritual gifts?
God’s Holy Spirit is the empowerment behind the spiritual gifts. They are given according to His will and His purpose. We don’t need to pray, plan, plead, or wait for our gift. We should be wary of anyone who teaches that we can acquire spiritual gifts through and self-effort. God gives His gifts as an act of grace. That means that we do not own them, nor did we earn them.
3. Do all Christians have spiritual gifts?
Every Christian, without exception, has at least one spiritual gift. Paul emphasized that “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit” (v. 7); “the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills” (v. 11). Each believer has a gift and some may have more than one. Our giftedness is part of how God wired us.
4. Why are there a variety of gifts?
In this variety there is unity. And, this unity is enhanced by diversity. Most often we humans seek unity through conformity. The many gifts remind us that unity can be found in the church through each believer’s use of their unique gifts. God has given each church incredible potential—individually and corporately—in terms of its life and ministry. No limit exists to what the church could be if it really began to maximize the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. These spiritual gifts are not means for our own personal benefit. We are gifted by God’s Holy Spirit for the sake of the whole body of Christ. That’s why each gift is important and each gift is needed.
Spiritual Gifts: There was a man named Yates that ran a sheep ranch in Texas. Yates and his wife struggled to even keep food on the table; they did all they could to survive. One day, a geological crew from a large oil company came knocking. They wanted to drill a wildcat well on Yates’ property, promising him a large portion of the profits if they struck oil. At 1100 feet they tapped into one of the richest oil reserves in Texas. Overnight, Yates and his family became millionaires. Here was a man who all along had the potential to make millions and yet, was living on welfare. If you think about it, many Christians are just like him. We struggle along at the spiritual poverty level, unaware of the vast power and resources God has given us in the Holy Spirit and His spiritual gifts.
Last week you looked at 9 gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11:
The spiritual gifts listed below are found in three passages: Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; 28-30, and Ephesians 4:11
· Administration, Apostleship, Discernment, Evangelism, Exhortation, Faith, Giving, Healing, Interpretation of Tongues, Knowledge, Leadership, Mercy, Miracles, Pastor/Shepherd, Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Tongues, Wisdom
Take the Test
USED IN GOD’S SERVICE
God’s expects us to use the gifts He has given us.
As we continue in 1 Corinthians today, Paul emphasizes that the diversity of spiritual gifts. He goes on to emphasize that these gifts are not for boasting, complaining about, or being jealous of. Every gift has a value because it is from the Spirit and is beneficial to others. And in 1 Peter 4:9-11, we’ll see that all of our abilities should be used in serving others; none of these are supposed to be for our own exclusive enjoyment.
I. Your Spiritual Gift is Essential to the Body
1 Corinthians 12:12-16
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
In what way is the church similar to the human body?
- When you look at a woman, you don’t see her as a collection of hands, feet, facial features, and kneecaps. Instead, you see her as a complete person. Jesus is the same way with His followers. When He looks at us, He sees us as a collection of individuals who make up a single body: the church.
- The church is the body of Christ made up of believers who have differing but compatible functions.
In what ways are believers bound together regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender as one?
- Paul wanted to make it clear that all believers—regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender—are part of Christ’s body, the church. Racial and social diversity does exist in the church, which is why he said “whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free.” We all have the same Holy Spirit. Though diverse in composition, the church is made one in the Spirit.
In our lesson today, Paul has to deal with differences in the Corinthian church because they had become a source of conflict. Some people became proud and arrogant about their abilities (spiritual gifts), and it made others feel inferior—which caused disunity in the church.
Why are we often tempted to compare ourselves to others?
- It’s especially sad when we play the comparison game inside the church. Paul wanted to correct that in verses 15-16: “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.”
- Your role in the body of Christ may not be as visible as others, but it’s no less important. Your spiritual gifts are important, and the way you use them in the body of Christ is important. The bottom line: inferiority has no place in the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit that lives in your pastor is the same Holy Spirit that lives in you. No one has cornered the market on His presence or His gifts. Instead of comparing ourselves to one another, we should use our different gifts, together, to spread the Good News of salvation. Despite our differences, all believers have one thing in common – faith in Christ. As members of God’s family, we may have different interests and gifts, but we have a common goal.
- Thinking that your gift is more important than someone else’s is an expression of spiritual pride. We should not look down on those who seem unimportant, and we should not be jealous of others who have impressive gifts. Instead, we should use the gifts we have been given and encourage others to use theirs. If we don’t, the body of believers will be less effective.
2 important points Paul makes:
1. We are to live as one. (vv. 12-13)
Paul appealed to the one body and the one Spirit as a basis for unity in the church. Though the body has many members, the church is still one. And, though the church is made of many people from various backgrounds it exists as one. Paul’s teaching, in fact, his very happiness was dependent on believers coming together as one. Paul is not asking for uniformity. Uniformity comes from without. He is not asking for unanimity. We will never agree on everything. In fact sometimes, we must agree to disagree. He is calling for unity that comes from within, a matter of the heart. He is calling for harmony of relationships, mutual concern and love for one another, a caring for the quality of fellowship in order that Christ may perform His ministry through the body.
2. Recognize your differences as good thing. (vv. 14-16)
The body needs all the parts to function effectively. Take any part away and disaster strikes. The differences keep the body balanced. The variety of spiritual gifts keeps the church moving in many directions, meeting various needs, touching many lives, and safeguarding against extremes.
The differences allows for shared ministry that prevents from a few being overburdened and overworked. Too often ministries collapse from a few doing everything. They become exhausted, stressed, and burnout. Everyone working together, utilizing their gifts allows for everyone to shoulder the weight of ministry and maintains health. When believers work together using their gifts, the focus is on the Giver of the gifts not the individual gifts. When Christ is glorified people are drawn to Him.
Consider an orchestra. A good orchestra is not made up of just trombone players. Rather, they have a brass section, a woodwind section, a string section, and a percussion section. Each of these has a variety of instruments. Not all of them play at the same time. But they all are needed. Likewise, the church needs an enormous amount of diversity.
II. No One’s Spiritual Gift is Unimportant
1 Corinthians 12:21-22
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.
What’s Paul’s main point here? Understand that each gift is necessary. (vv. 21-22)
- The various gifts, however small and insignificant, and however large and important, are necessary for the church to function properly. A football team requires players of varying size, speed, agility, and type. If every player was sleek as a wide receiver or as large as an offensive lineman, no matter how good they were, the team would not be successful. Likewise, the church requires and needs each member with their varying gifts. Each is necessary and valuable to the functioning of the body.
Why are all the parts of the body necessary?
- Paul likes to compare the body of Christ to the human body, each part having a specific function that’s necessary to the body as a whole. The parts are different for a purpose, and in their differences they must work together.
As Christians, Paul says we must avoid two common errors:
1. Being too proud of our abilities.
2. And thinking we have nothing to offer.
There is no room for inferiority or superiority in the church.
- Both extremes are harmful. We’re not to question our value or the value of others.
What is wrong with being proud of your spiritual gifts?
- Don’t be proud of your gifts, thinking they raise your value or importance in the church.
- Your effectiveness has nothing to do with you, but it has everything to do with the One who gave you that gift! God has planned and gifted every one of us to bring the greatest glory to Himself and the greatest good to the body of Christ. Some Christians in the church are more visible than others. But those who are more private or who like to work behind the scenes are every bit as essential.
- When was the last time you made a big deal about your big toe? Even though we don’t think about it very often, the big toe is crucial to the human body. The first toe is responsible for 40 percent of the foot’s heavy lifting when we walk. Our big toes keep us balanced. Believe it or not, a recruit who is missing a big toe will be disqualified from the military, and someone who loses a big toe typically has to learn to walk again. That’s Paul’s point in verse 22: “On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” What’s true for the human body is true for the church. We may not think it’s important to be the “big toe” in the church, but Paul says otherwise.
How do these verses help you understand your place within the church?
III. Using Our Spiritual Gifts Serves Others and Brings Glory to God
1 Peter 4:9-11
9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
How can we ensure that we use our gifts in a way that glorifies God instead of ourselves?
- Serve as Jesus would serve and speak as He would speak to them. Everything we do must be in an attitude of love. Hospitality is a tangible expression of love, which is why Peter wrote, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (v. 9). Even among non-Christians in the first century, hospitality was simply a common courtesy. God’s people don’t welcome others out of duty; rather, we do it cheerfully, without complaining. That speaks of a joyous and loving attitude.
- Love is expressed in whatever spiritual gift we use. We receive our spiritual gifts by the grace of God. So when we use our gifts in a loving manner—doing so in a way that extends grace to others—we point to the One who has extended grace to us. In Peter’s words, we use our gifts “so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (v. 11).
- Peter recognized what we need to recognize that God has gifted us with gifts to be put to use in serving one another. Believers have a spiritual responsibility to use the gifts to serve others. We serve because it is good stewardship. Spiritual gifts like the money we possess has been given to us by God. They are not ours. Our responsibility is to employ those gifts in service to others. A failure to do so would result in poor stewardship.
- No two people will serve in exactly the same way, but each of us will serve with the gifts God has given us and wherever He’s placed us. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (v. 10)
What are some practical ways to appreciate and celebrate the spiritual gifts of others?
Conclusion: Technically speaking, David Ring was born dead. Quick acting medical personnel were able to get him breathing, but oxygen deprivation left him with cerebral palsy. He suffers from a speech impediment, hands that don’t cooperate and a limp. As a young teenager, David surrendered his life to God and came to see his disability as a gift. Once he began to see his circumstances as being chosen for him by God, he began moving forward. Today he is married, has four beautiful children, drives a car and speaks to more than 250 audiences a year. At his speaking engagements he sells T-shirts bearing the slogan, “Don’t whine…SHINE." Now tell me this…what is your excuse for not putting your spiritual gift to use?
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We’ve all received gifts that left us unsatisfied. But your spiritual gifts from God need never drift into that dreaded territory of “it’s the thought that counts.” Your spiritual gifts are both useful and valuable in your context. The next step is up to you.
Prayer of Commitment
Father, I commit myself to serving You, using faithfully the gift You have given me for Your glory. Amen.
Hope to see you this Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
