Jan 15
11:52 PM
Spiritual Gifts | Part 5 | Why Should We Use Spiritual Gifts?
Jan 15
11:52 PM
Jan 15
11:52 PM
Friday, January 15, 2021
1 Corinthians 12:27
I want to end today in talking about this fascinating subject of spiritual gifts by answering this final question: why should I use them? Why should I use my spiritual gifts? Why should you use your spiritual gifts? Here's the answer: because we're needed in the church and in the world. Your gifts are needed.
If you put together a symphony, (and I'm not a big person in the symphony hall, but I like to go to the RPO and Jazz Fest) you have a string section, a brass section, and so on. So let's say you chose to have a string section but there's no violin, cello, or bass. You get the sound, but it's not complete. If you have the string section, but you don't have the brass section, or you don't have the percussion section, you get the sound, but it's not complete.
Unfortunately, the church has mostly been like an incomplete symphony. We have a lot of the pieces and parts, but we don't have all of it. I say that because the Bible says you are necessary to complete the symphony of gifts in the church. I get that from 1 Corinthians 12:27 out of the Living Bible where it says, "now here's what I'm trying to say", Paul says to the Corinthians, "all of you together are the one body of Christ, and each of you is a separate and necessary part." Separate meaning, in this sense, you have unique gifts. We talked about this earlier in the week—the gift lists of Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 4—all have different spiritual gifts. You don't have all of them. You might only have one, two or three of them, but you have separate gifts. The text says you are each not only a separate but necessary part. You are needed.
Who needs you? The church needs you. People in the church need you. People outside the church need you. Take this the right way: God needs you. Now, here's the thing, God needs you, but he doesn't need you in an absolute sense. If you won't use your gifts, God will find someone else who will. But the great thing about letting God use you is that when He does use you, he doesn't use you to abuse you. Imagine you're in a relationship and you go, man, I was in this relationship and I got used. That's a bad thing, right? Unless it's God, who's doing the using. When God uses you, that's important. Here's what I want to say: you are a necessary part. If Lakeshore Community Church is your home, you are needed here. Every single team in this church can use more people, which tells you what? There are lots of different ways and lots of different gifts, and lots of different people that are needed. You can find a spot if you want to. We have people that do all kinds of things in our 20+ ministry teams here at Lakeshore. You are needed. The question is, will you exercise your gifts? Have you ever heard the saying, "if you don't use it, you lose it"? Now, you don't lose your spiritual gifts. It's not if you don't use it, you lose it. When it comes to spiritual gifts, if you don't use them, you lose out. You miss the joy and thrill of being used by God.
So I encourage you to use your gifts. This is what the Bible says about spiritual gifts. I've given you the five basics. If you want to find out more, take Discover Lakeshore. After that, you can take Discover Your Purpose and it will help you know your gifts. More importantly, it will help you know them so you can use them.
Let's pray. Father in heaven, thanks for this week of study on spiritual gifts. Thank you that we are needed. It's nice to feel needed. And this church needs people's gifts and I pray that you inspire them. If people go to other churches, I pray they'd be inspired to plug into their church. It may not be be clean and easy in their first thing they try may or may not be the right ministry for them. But I pray they be persistent and patient so they can find a place for their gifts to be used in the church because they are a separate, unique and necessary and valued part. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.