The Holy Spirit Gives Gifts (#3 in the Holy Spirit series)

What Does The Holy Spirit Do?

Last week we had an intense time of worship, where many of us admitted that we weren’t where we want to be in relation to the Holy Spirit, that there are times when we don’t experience the Spirit’s presence. There was an outpouring of the Spirit as many came forward for prayer. I hope and pray that this isn’t simply a play on the emotion of the day but a time of listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking.

One of our problems seems to be that we want control. A long time ago I received a small pamphlet by Robert Boyd Munger, called My Heart – Christ’s Home. He describes his heart as a home for Christ. Toward the end, he realizes that he has been trying to keep his heart clean and available for Christ, but when he gets one area clean, he discovers another area that is dirty. When he cleans it, he finds the first area is dirty again.

Suddenly I asked, “Lord is there a possibility that you would be willing to manage the whole house and operate it for me…? Could I give to you the responsibility of keeping my heart what it ought to be and myself doing what I ought to be doing?”

I could see his face light up as he replied, “I’d love to! This is exactly what I came to do. You can’t live out the Christian life in your own strength. That is impossible. Let me do it for you and through you. That’s the only way it will really work. But,” he added slowly, “I am here as your guest. I have no authority to take charge since this property is not mine.”

In a flash it all became clear. Excitedly I exclaimed, “Lord, you have been my guest and I have been trying to play the host. From now on you are going to be the owner and master of the house. I’m going to be the servant!”

Last week, many of us here determined to finally completely turn over the ownership of our lives to God. But remember, even with the servant language I spoke of a moment ago, we are not servants or slaves. No, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:14-17)

We are heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ. Which means we share in the inheritance. This also means we are enabled to speak and act with God’s authority. Does that mean we can do whatever we want? No, but it does mean that our own wills are bowing according to God’s. It’s not like God beats us into submission; if you have ever been in love, you know what I’m talking about here. You are your own person, but you fall in love, and over time, you start to actually enjoy some of the things your partner likes. You do things just because you know someone you love will be happy.

Some people get confused when thinking about our relationship with God. It can be easy to think of God as “up there” and apart from us, as God is wholly other than us. We often remember that God’s thoughts are above ours and his wisdom often runs counter to human wisdom and we can lose sight of God’s immense love for us. We can lose sight that in the Holy Spirit, we have been given God’s own Spirit.

But the Spirit never comes empty-handed. The Spirit comes, bearing gifts. 1 Corinthians 12 is one place where Paul talks about Spiritual Gifts, that is, gifts given by the Holy Spirit.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

Later in the same chapter, he lists apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, healers, behind the scene helpers, and administrators as those gifted and commissioned by the Spirit.

The list he gives in Romans 12 also includes encouragement, generosity, leadership, and mercy. His list in Ephesians 4 also includes evangelist and pastor. As you can see, there are many gifts that the Spirit gives to empower the church.

But then problems arise. We aren’t all given the same gifts, so sometimes people get jealous of others’ gifts. But 1 Corinthians 12:4 tells us that there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.(1 Corinthians 12:4). So this means if you are complaining about your gift or comparing yours to someone else’s, you are really only questioning God. You are saying, “God, you don’t know what you’re doing.” Or you’re saying, “I know better than God.”

I once had a colleague who liked to brag that he had all the spiritual gifts. There are all kinds of problems with this. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 12:3-6a: 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 sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

My colleague who bragged about all his spiritual gifts was certainly thinking more highly of himself than he ought to. He also put down others’ gifts. He wasn’t acting biblically. But if he really had all the spiritual gifts, it would have meant that he didn’t need the rest of the Body. And that’s not how the Spirit gives out gifts!

The Spirit gives out gifts for a purpose – to edify and uplift the church and together to form one body. Some people question whether they can be a Christian and not  be part of a church – the question usually presents itself in a “I can worship God better on the golf course or in the forest all by myself – why do I need to be in church?” This is an individualistic self-centered non-Christian idea, because to do so is to ignore the fact that when the Holy Spirit gives gifts, obedience is required! The Spirit actually expects us to use the gifts we’ve been given. I know someone who I’ve given gifts to, only to later find the gift, still unopened and unused. Guess how I feel about giving that person gifts? And if we don’t use our gifts, how do you think God feels about giving more to us?

So skipping church shouldn’t be an option. Neither should just showing up and not being part of the ministry of the church. Not if you are a Christian. Because the Holy Spirit gives every Christian spiritual gifts, and expects us each to use them. Not using them is pure and simple disobedience.

In most churches, you will find 10-20% of the people doing all of the work. I heard a saying a long time ago: if you want something to get done, ask a busy person. Because that person is likely someone who gets things done. But this unfortunately leads to some Christians not using their spiritual gifts. And others working in their own strength.

As we close this morning I want to ask a serious question. Was there anything different this week than last? Many of you came forward for prayers. I want to hear, was anything different? Did God do anything different in your life? Did you do anything different in anticipation for God to do something different? This drives me mad when it comes to long-time church members. We often ask God to do something new, to do something different, but we ourselves are unwilling to do anything different. The big question is, what will you do differently this week? We came forward last week as the Holy Spirit drew us toward himself. How will we continue that momentum? How will we keep moving toward the Spirit and toward Christlikeness?

Have you been meeting together to study scripture and to pray for one another? Will you do that? Have you been feeding the hungry and clothing the naked? Will you do that? Have you been taking intentional time to listen in your prayers, to listen to that still, small voice? Have you spent time fasting and praying? These are what we call the “means of grace” – in other words, these are the practices that God uses to make us Holy. These are the regular channels by which God pours out his grace. Remember that these are not the goal of Christianity. The goal is Christlikeness.

Remember that the reason we become more Christlike when we follow these “means of grace” isn’t because somehow these acts give us magical powers; these acts have the power to convey all forms of grace precisely because Jesus Christ himself is present in prayer, in the reading of Scripture, and in the Lord’s Supper. 

So may we go together toward sanctification, toward Christlikeness, toward deeper holiness. And may we go, walking in the steps the Holy Spirit guides us into.