Sermons

Every Day is Christmas

Details

Series: General Topics

Date: 20 November 2011

Speaker: Glen Ewart

Scripture: 1 Cor. 12:1-11

Length: 23:32

Flashplayer needs Javascript turned on

 

1 Cor. 12:1-11

It was supposed to be just a regular prayer meeting. You know the kind: One person opens in
prayer, the others pray as they “feel led,” and then, at the designated time, someone closes
in prayer. Everything was going according to plan until just after the closing words, “In Jesus
Name, Amen.”

It was already late at night and I was tired. I had been in meetings all day long with these
people, talking about the work God wanted to do through us on campus that year. Now it was
time to get some much needed sleep! We were supposed to just spend a bit of time in prayer
thanking Him for our day and asking Him to give us the rest we needed for the long day ahead.
I thought I was just minutes away from my pillow!

As we opened our eyes after praying and began to disperse, one person asked, “Did you guys
feel that we weren’t supposed to stop praying?” Now, even if I had felt those feelings I was not
likely to admit it at this late hour. I was more inclined to suggest that perhaps she was sensing
that Jesus wanted to spend some more time with her…alone…while the rest of us got some
sleep. But before I could get my suggestion in someone else asked the dreaded question –
“What do you mean?”

After explaining that she had a “sense” that God had something more for us, we returned
to prayer – but this time with an expectation that God also had something to say. So we
sat silently… waiting… expectantly… until he transformed our evening into one of the most
memorable and amazing prayer meetings any of us had ever experienced.

Before I tell you more about this prayer meeting let me ask if you, like me, have ever been part
of a prayer meeting, a Bible study, or even a church service with an attitude similar to mine?
Do you, too, sometimes catch yourself wondering more about “When is this going to end?”
than “How is God going to show up and what will my reaction be when he does?” Have you,
too, struggled at times with focusing more on what you want to do next than on what God
wants to do now?

One of the reasons many of us don’t receive fully what God has in store for us during our times
together is because we have lowered our expectations. In other words, we’ve become too
easily satisfied. And with our lowered expectations for what God might do among us, some of
us are susceptible to leaving content, as long as our lowest expectations were met.

Like you, it is my challenge to adjust my expectations during times of corporate worship from
what I think is humanly possible to what the Bible says God can, and wants, to do! The Bible
says “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to
his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout
all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:20, 21) Often this verse is read at the end of
a service, as part of the benediction. Perhaps we need to begin our services with this verse to
remind us that, no matter what our expectations are, God can always exceed them. This then
should be our expectation!

What are you asking God for? What are you imagining He could do in your life? What are
your expectations for what He could do among us right now? No matter what they are, let me
remind you, as John did last week, that God can exceed your expectations, according to the
power of the Holy Spirit at work in and through us.

As we wrap up our series on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, looking specifically at the
gifts God wants to give to us through the Holy Spirit, let me remind us again to have an open
heart and mind for the way in which God wants to do exceedingly more than we can ever ask or
imagine.

Our text this weekend is 1 Cor. 12:1-11.

 1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that
when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute
idols.
cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but
the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all
men.

 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there
is
means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by
that
between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the
interpretation
them to each one, just as he determines.

Spiritual gifts are one of those issues within the church at large where there is wide-spread
disagreement. On one extreme there are churches that believe anyone who claims to speak
in tongues is filled with the devil, clearly not a true follower of Christ. Others have quite an
opposing view. They teach that unless you speak in tongues you are not yet a Christian. There
are those who rank the spiritual gifts as if some are more spiritual than others. They then rank
those with these gifts accordingly, putting those with these special gifts in places of special
honor. Not surprisingly the more “supernatural” the gift the more esteemed it, and those who
have it, are.

Unfortunately, the disagreement about spiritual gifts isn’t new to the church. In fact, the
reason why Paul addressed this issue when writing to the church in Corinth was because of
confusion over the gifts. It seems some of them were confusing aspects of their former idol
worship practices with properly understanding and putting into practice authentic spiritual
gifts. To help sort this mess out Paul gives them a basic litmus test – anyone who affirms that
Jesus is LORD (meaning here, God) can be trusted. All others need salvation (and possibly
deliverance!) before their use of spiritual gifts is to be trusted. That most basic discernment
test probably solved a lot of their confusion.

In chapters 12 – 14 of 1 Corinthians we learn a lot about spiritual gifts - including their source,
their diversity, and their purpose. Though even a careful reading of these chapters leaves
many of us with some unanswered questions, and many biblical scholars debate the precise
meaning of certain words and ideas, we believe that what we do need to know about spiritual
gifts is clear from this passage.

First, what is the source of spiritual gifts? As we see from verse 11, the Holy Spirit is the source
of these gifts, “All
them to each one, just as he (i.e. the Spirit) determines.” Jesus promised, before his ascension
to heaven, that His followers would be filled with the Holy Spirit and entrusted with His power
to fulfill the work he called them to. Spiritual gifts are part of His power entrusted to us as
believers in Jesus Christ to fulfill his call upon our lives.

Second, there are many gifts. On this point, there is wide-spread agreement. However exactly
how many gifts there are is a matter of some dispute. We know the list of nine gifts named in
1 Corinthians 12:8-10 is meant to be illustrative, not exhaustive, because Paul mentions other
spiritual gifts elsewhere in his writings.

For instance, later in this same chapter, in vs. 28, Paul refers to one of my favorite gifts, the gift
of administration. In Romans 12:3-8 Paul wrote: “3 For by the grace given me I say to every
one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself
with
each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same
function,
others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying,
let him use it in proportion to his[a] faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him
teach;
give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it
cheerfully.”  

In these passages alone Paul refers to an additional seven gifts, not included in the 1 Corinthian

12:8-10 passage. This suggests that knowing exactly how many spiritual gifts are available isn’t
really the point. What seems more important to Paul isn’t the number of gifts, but the practice
of them - that is, how are the gifts we do know about being used?

Finally, whatever we’re doing with the spiritual gifts entrusted to us needs to be consistent with
why we are given spiritual gifts – which according to 1 Corinthians 12:7 is – “for the common
good.” In other words, spiritual gifts are entrusted to believers like you and me so that we can
encourage one another. Certainly using spiritual gifts is personally edifying, however, their
primary purpose is not to edify the individual alone, but the entire community of believers.

It’s important to point out that spiritual gifts are entrusted to all Christians. Verses 8-11 makes
it clear that the Holy Spirit gives these gifts to all believers - not just to the few, the brave, and
the proud. It’s also important to note that the gift(s) he gives to you will be different from
the ones he gives to me. He determines the gifts we are given according to what He knows is
needed for the building up of the body.

From this we learn that we don’t determine which gift(s) we receive and when we receive
them. He does. Sometimes I’ll hear people say, “I don’t have the gift of…” (fill in the bank). To
be biblically accurate in the way you speak it’s more precise to say, “God hasn’t given that gift
to me yet, but I’m open.”

God knows which gift(s) are needed for the edification of the body and he knows when it’s the
right time for each one of us to be given those gifts. Part of not being ignorant about spiritual
gifts, as Paul says in verse 1, is being open to receiving them. This sermon’s title is “Every Day is
Christmas.” I chose this because I believe that every day, and that every moment of every day,
God desires us to desire the gifts he wants to give us and to use them in ways that build up His
Church. Like children eagerly waiting to open Christmas presents, he wants us, his children,
eagerly ready to receive and use the gifts he is ready to give us.

For those wanting to better understand spiritual gifts, let me first exhort you to seek the
Lord, opening your heart and mind to receiving the gift(s) he wants to give you, gifts that
will encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ. To learn more about spiritual gifts let me
encourage you to sign up for the Network Class being offered here next spring. And of course
John, Bob, and I would be delighted to discuss this further with you. We too don’t want you to
be ignorant about spiritual gifts.

As we sat there silently…waiting…expectantly, none of us were quite sure what might happen
next. Being called back into prayer after thinking you were already done has a way of changing
your expectations about such things. Before, we were content to let God do all the listening
while we did all the talking. Now, we were afraid to speak at all.

When God did begin to speak, if you can call it that, it was clear he had a lot to say and do! In
response to his presence some of us began speaking in tongues for the very first time. Others
followed with interpretations of those tongues. One person received a spectacular healing and
anointing for ministry that is still with him today. Another was given sight to see angels whom,
he reported to us, were smiling down on us - rejoicing with us, God’s children -as we opened
and used the gifts He was giving us. Though it was a late October evening, to us it felt like
Christmas morning.

Again, what is it you are asking of God? What are you imagining He could do in your life? What
are your expectations for what He could do among us right now? God can and wants to exceed
our expectations. Are you ready to let him do it?

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his
power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all
generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:20,21)