Gifted to Serve

September 21, 2003

 

1 Peter 4:10,11

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

 

Ephesians 2:8-10

⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 

Don’t waste your life

– make it count.
Be all that God made you to be.

God wants us to know we belong

Romans 12:4,5

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

 

A spiritual gift is a

God-given special ability

given at salvation

through which

the Holy Spirit

ministers to people

through you.

Spiritual Gifts

          1 Peter 4

                            Romans 12

                                       1 Corinthians 12-14

In the Bible we see:

Miraculous Gifts – the ability to:

- speak God’s word in another language                                tongues

- understand another language                                     interpretation

- impart physical healing                                            gifts of healing

- foretell future events                                                        prophecy

- work beyond the laws of science                          miraculous powers

Today we see:

1.  Miracles of speaking and healing
 

2.   Serving Gifts – the ability to:

- lead and direct                                         leadership/administration

- help & serve                                                                       serving

- give                                                                                    giving

- discern truth from error                      distinguishing between spirits

- trust God’s promises                                                               faith

- show mercy and compassion                                                 mercy

 

3.  Speaking Gifts – the ability to:

- teach God’s word                                                              teaching

- understand God’s word                                 message of knowledge

- apply God’s word                                              message of wisdom

- restore with God’s word                                           encouragement

- publicly proclaim God’s word                                            prophecy

 

Spiritual gifts in action:

Loving one another

Offering hospitality

Sharing your faith

 

Spiritual gifts help us understand the “how” not the “what”

How do we nurture our gifts?  Do something!

What needs are there within our church?

What needs are there within our community?

What needs are there within our world?