New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Romans 12:4-6 “Spiritual Gifts
February 17, 2019
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I am continuing today with my sermon series drawn from Believe, Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus. We started last Fall, by looking at what we believe. Since the beginning of the year, we have been looking at what we do as a result of what we believe. So, what are some of the things we do?
We worship, pray and study the Bible. We have a single-minded focus on Jesus, submit to God’s will, and be part of a biblical community. As we do these things we become more like Jesus. Today we turn to another important biblical practice, discerning and using the Spiritual Gifts we receive from God. We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.
“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
There are two kinds of gifts that we receive from God, physical gifts and spiritual gifts. Physical gifts are things we see, touch, weigh, and measure. God has given us hands and feet. God has given us a world with ample food and water. God has given us air to breathe. All of these are physical gifts.
But what are spiritual gifts? Suppose that this week your true love gave you a dozen roses for Valentine’s day. These roses are physical gifts. But the physical gift is not nearly as important as the spiritual gift of the love that motivated someone to give you a dozen roses. Love is a spiritual gift from God. It cannot be measured and weighed. But it exists and we know it.
There are many spiritual gifts from God. What we have to do is discern which gifts we have received and then use those gifts in service to God.
When I was a kid I took piano lessons. I loved playing the piano. I would play classical music and show tunes. The themes from Exodus and Hello Dolly were my favorite. But as I grew older I lost interest in music and stopped playing the piano.
Then as a young adult, I start playing again. I relearned some of the classical music I played as a kid and I started playing hymns. I loved it. And I thought that God would use my music ability in the church. I heard some wonderful musicians at my church I wanted to do what they did. So I signed up for piano lessons. The wife of the Director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington was a piano teacher. She taught from a concert Bosendorfer piano in a special room she added to her house. I went there weekly, and I practiced every day. I got better, but never good enough. I realized that even if I practiced for hours every day I could never get to the point where I felt comfortable performing in church.
I had the desire to play the piano, but I did not have the spiritual gift for music. Jenny on the other hand does. I am certain that Jen practices a lot. But she also has a spiritual gift from God that allows her to play the piano as an act of worship and through her playing, all of us can worship through singing.
Jenny has both recognized her spiritual gift of music and uses this gift in service to God by playing the piano for this church.
Ken has another spiritual gift. His gift is teaching. He has the God-given ability to teach people how to sing and play bells. And now he is working with the youth teaching them to play instruments for a praise band. Ken has discerned his gift for teaching music and is using this gift in service to God right here at New Covenant Church.
And this brings us to today scripture.
Romans 12:4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.
I discerned that I did not have the gift of music, and could not use music in service to God. So I started to look for other gifts I might have and how I could serve. I took a Bethel class at National Presbyterian Church. I watch my teacher, Jennifer Walter, very carefully. I admired the ease with which she presented the lesson. She clearly had a gift for teaching the Bible. And I thought that I might have this spiritual gift too.
In order to discern if God had provided me with the gift of being able to teach the Bible, I got involved in a Bethel teacher class with my pastor. I studied as much as I could about techniques for teaching scripture. And I could test out some of these techniques as a Bethel teacher at the church. Though all of this I was able to discern that I did have the spiritual gift of being able to teach the Bible. And I have used this gift in God’s service as a Bible teacher and as a pastor.
There are many people in the Bible who had received spiritual gifts from God. When the Israelites were wandering in the desert they needed a tent where Moses could talk with God. They needed people with spiritual gifts who could design and build an appropriate tabernacle for the presence of God. Here are the people who applied for these jobs.
Exodus35:30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.
So God provided the Israelites with people with the spiritual gifts they needed. Bezalel and Oholiab were both given the spiritual gifts of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to design and build a beautiful tabernacle for God. These same gifts were given to New Covenant Church as evidenced by the beautiful banner adorning our northern wall.
Jesus knew that the church would need spiritual gifts. And he promised to send his Spirit to the church to equip us with the gifts we need.
John 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
And Jesus kept his promise. He sent his Spirit and equipped his church.
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
Acts2:17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[c]
So the promise of the prophet Joel and realized on Pentecost was that the church would receive the gifts of prophecy, visions, and dreams.
Some of you may have these gifts. You may have other gifts. What’s important is that you discern which gifts God has given you, that you nurture those gifts and use them in service to God. The Apostle Peter put it this way.
1 Peter 4:10 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.
God had given each of us spiritual gifts. We are to discern which gifts we have received. We are to nurture these gifts in love and use them in service to others. This biblical practice, discerning and using spiritual gifts, will make us more and more like Jesus. Let’s pray.
Father in heaven, help us to know the spiritual gifts you have given us. Guide us as we develop these gifts and use them to bless others. This we pray in your son’s name. Amen.
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