Assessing Your Spiritual Gifts And Its Use By God Text: 1 Cor 12; Rom 12; Eph 4

 

Assessing Your Spiritual Gifts And Their Use By God

Text: 1 Cor 12; Rom 12; Eph 4

Introduction: Good as Your Dog

If you can start the day without caffeine, If you can get going without pep pills, If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches & pains, If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles, If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it, If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time, If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, though no fault of yours, something goes wrong, If you can take criticism and blame without resentment, If you can ignore a friends limited education and never correct him/her, If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend, If you can face the world without lies and deceit, If you can conquer tension without medical help, If you can relax without liquor, If you can sleep without the aid of drugs, If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion, or politics, Then, my friend, You are ALMOST as good as your dog.

We are going to talk about spiritual gifts but I have to tell none of them are going to make better than what we just read. Its just not going to happen.

The Gifts Understood in the Bible (Purpose)

Gifts were given for a purpose

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

According to Paul's letter to the church at Corinth, a church that was having some major problems with understanding the purpose of God's gifts, The reason God have each believer gifts was to bless or profit all the church.

Romans 12:4-8 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Similarly in his letter to the Romans Paul says the purpose of individual gifts  is for the work of the whole body, the whole local church.

Spiritual gifts then are not given for personal or selfish reasons. In fact, they are not giving for your use at all. God gave these gifts to you for the benefit of others. To use them for yourself is a misuse of your gift. You and your gifts are given to the church.

The gift should remind us of all we owe to God. It should humble us not make us “think of ourselves more highly then we ought.” The gifts given to each individual within the church is for the unity we need in the work of the Lord.

Buddy The Blind Horse

Sometimes though we don’t use our gifts as they should be used. We are a little like Buddy the Blind horse.

An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area.  Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy.  He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't move. Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn't respond. Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Coco, pull!" Nothing. Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.  The motorist was most appreciative and very curious.  He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times. The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try."

That can often be our problem, we are centered on ourselves instead of on others. Focused on what we are supposed to do, instead of focused on what the Lord has called us to do. Spiritual gifts are God's way of using each of us in His local church to edify one another and do the work of the Gospel we are commission to carry out.