The subject this morning as we continue in our series is on 'spiritual gifts'. Now, I contemplated omitting this study because not too long ago, in the fall of 1981 actually, we did a rather extended series on the subject of spiritual gifts. And as I went back and looked over my notes I felt that that had been covered pretty thoroughly. I wouldn't want to spend this morning just giving review or that which everyone had probably heard already. And so as I prayed about it. I thought about perhaps skipping this subject altogether. But having just finished dealing with the subject of the priesthood of the believer last week Sunday, and realizing that this is such an important part of that theme, the Lord has led me to just spend this morning - one message - dealing with this subject of spiritual gifts and I hope to approach it from a little different tact this morning than we've looked at it before. I think what I'd like to do is just read off the titles of that series that we gave before. There may be those who have questions about spiritual gifts. The tapes are available, and you may wonder why I'm not touching on certain subjects this morning. Well the answer is you can get those messages any time you wish.
There were ten subjects that we took up at that time. And I'll just read off what we did.
We spoke about the house of God as the sphere of the exercise of our gifts, not only in the assembly, but also among the people of God outside the assembly - the house of God.
And then in the second message we looked at four attitudes for the exercise of spiritual gifts. I had a lot of feed-back on that message. Many people were excited to know that God had something to say about our attitude in which we exercise our gifts and serve one another.
Then in the messages 3 through 6 we looked at the nineteen spiritual gifts. One by one, we looked at them individually.
In the seventh message we took a whole study on how to find your own spiritual gift.
We looked at spiritual gifts in use in the early church.
And then the last two messages we looked at the relationship between spiritual gifts and concept of fellowship.
And so, I want just to leave that now, and move into a different perspective of spiritual gifts.
This morning I'd like to speak about three areas, and the first two very briefly just touch on them. And then spend all of our time on the last one. I'd like to speak about the basis of spiritual gifts, and the attitude that we're to take concerning them; but then most important of all, the results that we can expect to see, for this is what really touches our assembly fellowship together.
So, first of all, the basis of spiritual gifts would be of course the fact that everyone of us is a priest to God. Now we looked at that last week in some detail. Spiritual gifts are given as tools for service. They're not ends in themselves. God never intended us to be Christmas trees in the assembly on which was hanging all the ornaments that we could show off and display. God has equipped us with tools for service, and God expects us to serve one another using those different tools.
Things like worship and prayer are not spiritual gifts. Every believer may and should engage in worship and prayer. Elders are not spiritual gifts. Deacons are not spiritual gifts. These are positions or functions of leadership in the assembly. And elders and deacons do have spiritual gifts. But no one should say, "Well I could never be an elder, I could never be a deacon, that's not my spiritual gift!"
So the basis then of our spiritual gifts is simply that we are in the body of Christ. Every believer has a spiritual gift or tool with which he or she may serve the body of Christ.
And then just a thought about the attitude that we should have towards the gifts of the Spirit. There's a lot of misunderstanding about that today. I suppose it wouldn't be edifying to go into all the areas. Many of you are well-acquainted with these things. It's very unfortunate that the church of Jesus Christ should come to be known in some areas as a place where competition and envy and jealousy and so forth spring up in these matters. We are to be on our guard that Satan does not gain an advantage against us and allow us to have wrong attitudes about spiritual gifts.
But I would like to suggest that we might just take a moment to notice this. I have never seen that in the four passages in the New Testament that deal with spiritual gifts. Each one has something to say about the word 'love'. Now I believe that a good definition for love is the meeting of needs to personal sacrifice. And I think we might just take a moment, and if you have some markers, just mark these four passages because we will go back and forth to them. Let's notice what the writers have to say about the relationship between the gifts of the Spirit and the concept of love, i.e. meeting the needs of one another to personal sacrifice.
We begin in Romans 12, and we notice in verses 1 and 2 the apostle Paul is speaking about the importance of becoming new people in Christ. In other words, we are saved but there should be a transformation that begins to take place. And then in verses 3 - 8, he brings in the place and the usefulness of spiritual gifts, I believe, in reaching that desired end. So verses 3 - 8 we have a little dissertation here on spiritual gifts, and their place. But then in verse 9 he closes that section and really enters into another section of practical advice, with this expression - "Let your love be without hypocrisy".
In other words, our love or our willingness to serve one another is to be from a genuine and pure motive - and not a double-minded way in which we have an ulterior motive. We're trying to build ourselves up, and that becomes more important than any good we might do for others. And that's something that's very important because we want to make sure that, when we're crusading for spiritual gifts or their exercise, what we're not really saying in a veiled sort of a way is I want an opportunity first and foremost to benefit myself, and any good that may come to the people of God is strictly a by-product, and I'm not all that interested in it. All that we do, all our service, whatever sort it is (both in and out of the assembly) is to be without hypocrisy - is to be with a genuine motive of concern that the other Christians be built up and blessed.
Let's go over to 1 Corinthians. Chapters 12 through 14 is really the largest section dealing with spiritual gifts in the New Testament, as you know. Chapter 12 gives us the distribution of spiritual gifts - where they come from, and who has them, and some of them are mentioned. Chapter 14 deals more with the exercise of gifts within the assembly; i.e. to say that chapter 14 has a lot to say about the local church meeting. But sandwiched right between these two chapters on the gifts of the spirit, we find chapter 13 - the love chapter.
Now it's interesting to reflect upon the fact that Paul or any writer could have put this chapter anywhere in the Bible. Chapter 13 is very often used quite apart from the matter of spiritual gifts - just to enjoy love among believers. But it could have been put really anywhere, and how instructive it is for us to remember that God chose to put it here, in this vital matter, so that never would we ever have the idea that as long as we were serving, the attitude or heart or motive wasn't important. Chapter 13 - the whole chapter - deals with love. And I just want to call your attention to verse 5, a little expression right in the middle of the verse, one of the things that's said about love -
(1 Cor 13:5 KJV) [Love] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
"Love seeketh not its own". In other words, true love is not selfish or self-centered. And I believe that goes right along with what we've been saying a minute ago - love has the other one's best good, or the other one's needs uppermost, and then any blessing that may come to me is the by-product. Not the other way around. So, certainly the section on gifts on 1 Corinthians has much to say about the subject of love.
Now, over to Ephesians. And here again we find a passage 4:1-16 dealing with the subject of spiritual gift and its purpose and place in the body of Christ. But I just ask you to notice back in 3:13-21, the apostle Paul prays for the believers - his second-nature prayer in the book, and this prayer has to do with love. He says, in verse 19,
(Eph 3:19 KJV) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
"To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge," and he mentions in verse 18 that this is something that requires the participation of all saints that we may with all saints be able to comprehend (or "enter into") the love of Christ.
(Eph 3:18 KJV) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
So, coming to know the love of Christ then, Paul is praying about this matter, this precedes what he has to say about spiritual gifts. Then if you go to the end of this section, 4:16 - the very last line in that important verse ends - "maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love".
(Eph 4:16 KJV) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
So what you really have in 4:16 there is the answer to the prayer prayed in chapter 3. Paul says, my prayer for you is that you will come to know and experience the love of Christ. And then he goes on to open out some of the spiritual gifts in the body. And he closes this section and he says the bottom-line is, the final result is, that the body is growing. It is edifying itself in love. There's real spiritual growth occurring.
Let's go over finally to 1 Peter 4 and see how he brings this in here. 1 Peter 4:7-11, Peter deals with the subject of spiritual gifts. And he says, as we've noticed in times past, in verse 10,
(1 Pet 4:10 KJV) As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
"As each one has received a special gift," (not 'the' gift : there's no definite article there as your margins may make clear), that everyone has received A gift and be responsible to minister the same one to another, because we are stewards, and we should be good stewards of God's manifold grace.
But go back to verse 8 and notice what he says, "Above all things have fervent love among yourselves". There's the command by the apostle Peter that we are to have a boiling (that's what the word 'fervent' means) - a boiling love, a red-hot fervent love, one for another.
Now he opens this little section in verse 7 - I guess we're kind-of going backwards here - but he opens by saying, "the end of all things is at hand".
So if we put it all together then, Peter is saying, "Look, the last days are coming near, the end is very close; watch, pray, but more important than anything else, have fervent love for one another." And I believe he might say this, "Lest anyone get the idea that what I'm saying is just to have an emotional feeling toward one another, or talk about love, what I'm really suggesting here is a sacrificial serving of one another." And he goes on to mention how spiritual gifts have a place in this.
So, I think then we can say justly that in all the portions in the New Testament that deal with the subject of the gifts of the Spirit, the concept of love is there in the context, and really helps us to understand the attitudes that we should have towards this whole matter. So, we need to examine our hearts, and we need to be very honest with ourselves, and hopefully with one another about this. Is each one of us exercising our gift or serving God's people, both in and out of the assembly, with a pure heart and a loving motive that we really desire to see others built up and blessed? And then if there is any benefit or blessing that comes to us - and there WILL certainly be - well, that's just part of the kindness and grace of God. But that's not really why I'm in it. Why I'm in it is because Christ loves me; He gave Himself for me; and now I'm able to love because He first loved me. And my love goes out to my brothers and sisters in the Lord, and it's not just a love in word "that well I want you to know that I want to say once in a while 'I love you'," but that you have to see that I'm willing to make the sacrifices of my own time, of my own efforts, of my own whatever it takes me for YOUR good. And I expect to see God bless that.
Now, let's go back to Romans 12, if we might, and I want to work through those four passages again and this time really zero in on the results of this matter of spiritual gifts. What CAN we expect to see happening? What SHOULD we expect to see happening? You know, one of the great failings of the church today, I believe, is their unwillingness to be accountable. Accountability is such an important matter. The longer I live, the more I believe that God wants us as Christians to learn to be accountable - both in our businesses and our homes and also in the things of God. It's so easy to say, "My plans for this year are to grow in the Lord." Well, you know, I can come to the end of the year and say, "Ha, ha. I'm sure I'm off the hook because I'm sure I've grown." But if I make some concrete goals, then when I come to the end of the year, and if I've made concrete goals and especially if I've written them down, then I'm really holding myself to accountability, and I might have to face the fact that the growth that I fancy in my mind is really just sort-of wishful thinking, but it's not very realistic in real life change. And so we need then to be accountable. What does the Spirit of God have to say to us as far as what we can expect to see what we should expect to see? Are we willing to ask hard questions if we don't see things happening in the lives of the people who fellowship in the assembly?
Let's begin with chapter 12 of Romans, and see what we can find. I believe in each one of these passages, the result can be summed up by one phrase, and I'd like to share that with you , and then open out on it. The first result we can expect to see is a transformed person. We want to see the person being transformed. Paul beseeches the Christians by the mercies of God (verse 1) that they present their bodies a living sacrifice. And this brings us back, does it not?, to our study last week, in which one of the sacrifices in which the believer- priest could offer to God was the sacrifice of his body. So then here is the appeal - present your body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. But Paul does not stop there.
He goes on to speak about not only the body, but also to the mind. He says, be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. May I suggest that the reason many young Christians are not seeing their minds transformed or renewed is because they had not been willing to put this in the area of their body. They had not been willing to present their body to the Lord as a living sacrifice. Now, let's face it, even though the Bible makes a distinction between the body, the soul, and the spirit, and the mind, and the person, we nevertheless are one whole person. And our bodies and their activities are greatly affecting our minds and our thoughts. So, Paul then appeals to the believers that they would present their bodies a living sacrifice to God. And he implies this is going to have a real bearing on the renewal of their minds. I want to encourage any young people especially who are here today, ... and you are caught in, perhaps, in a tug-of-war between the values and the priorities and the behavior of this world and the priorities as revealed in the word of God ... that you might seriously think of presenting your physical body, and your physical bodily members to God as the best beginning or best step of beginning as a Christian towards seeing your minds renewed. We all want to see a mind that doesn't dwell on evil, not filled with fears and regrets and guilt and remorse and all these other things that seem to plaque people. But when we allow our bodies to be in places doing things, being with other people that so far from bringing forth spiritual growth in the new man, all we do is providing more weapons of warfare for our old nature against ourselves.
So let's take these two verses then very much to heart, and we're not to be conformed to this world. In other words, we're not to be moulding ourselves be after the value systems of the world in which we live, but there's to be a transformation going on because we're being renewed in our minds.
Notice also at the end of verse 2 that this to do with discerning the will of God. Many ask, "What about God's will for my life? What should I do? Whom should I marry? Where should I live? Where should I work?" These are questions young people ask constantly. "I want to know the will of God. And I don't want to just know the good will of God, or even the acceptable or well-pleasing will of God, I want to know the PERFECT will of God." I had a young person tell me on the phone this week, in fact it was just yesterday, "I'm not interested in just the good will of God. I want to find the perfect will of God and I don't want to miss it." Well, certainly this passage has got to be a major hint to us as to finding the perfect will of God in our lives. God is interested that our minds be transformed.
By the way, there are at least four different things said about the mind of the believer in this part of Romans 12. Let's just notice them.
In verse 2, you have the RENEWED MIND, and by the way, that is a PRESENT CONTINUOUS THING. That's an on-going thing. My brother Bob was here yesterday, and we're speaking about an individual that we know who has just had a marvelous transformation the past few years of their mind - going from a dull and mixed-up and unable to hold a sensible conversation with anyone, and through being just in the word of God, saturated with the word of God, we have seen a real healing of the mind, to the point where this person now is really sharp and bright and a clear thinker. It's been exciting for me. And the renewing process of our mind is something that the word of God works on and works with.
In verse 3, we also have the SOBER MIND, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every one that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly. ..." The sober or the serious mind is one that takes life seriously. We're not just here for a silly joy-ride to further away our time. We have been saved to serve. And it's time we face up to that as a responsibility. So we have the sober mind.
In verse 16, and Paul says, "be of the SAME MIND". So we have the unified mind here - the same mind. And this is set forth before us in other scriptures AS THE MIND OF CHRIST. How important for believers to work and struggle and pray and arrive at the mind of Christ. You know the Lord only has one mind. And in every issue, or every topic, or every disagreement among Christians, we all should take heart that there is one mind that we are all striving to reach, and that's the mind of Christ. It's not whether "You're right and I'm wrong", or "I'm right. You're wrong", the question is, "What is the mind of Christ? Am I headed in the direction of that mind? This is the third characteristic of the believer's mind.
And then, in the next phrase in verse 16, he says
Here we have the HUMBLE MIND.
So God then is interested in the mind of the believer, that it be renewed, that it be sober or serious, that it be the mind of Christ, and that it be a humble mind. Now this is something that God wants to work in each one of us. This is not a selective goal, opened only to a favorite few, this is part of the work of God in the believer.
May I suggest that sandwiched again right in the middle of this material about the mind of the believer is verse 3-8. And I believe that this little dissertation Paul gives here on spiritual gifts is the Spirit of God helping us to see that our serving of one another in the body is going to go a long way toward God working on our minds, and the renewing and the other good things that are supposed to be happening.
Paul in verses 4 and 5 begins to speak about the body with its very different members, different functions, and he likens that to the body of Christ in verse 5. We're all part of the body of Christ. We're all members one of another, but he says we have gifts differing. We all have different gifts. And they differ, because God's grace is given to us in different ways. And then he mentions there are prophets, and those who minister and teach and exhort, those who have the gift of giving, ruling, showing of mercy - these are vital gifts for the happiness and growth of the body of Christ, and the on-going of the work of God.
Have you ever come to see the work of God as set forth in Romans 12:1,2 as vitally linked to the subject of spiritual gifts? Well, that's the way the context right here reads. And I believe it is not stating too much to say that the transformation of the person, the renewing of the mind, and all that is good in our spiritual growth as individuals is really linked with our willingness to take up service in the body of Christ, and serve one another.
It's so easy to draw aside and say, "Well, you know if I don't do anything, then I won't make a mistake. And if I don't make a mistake, no one will criticize me. And if no one criticizes me, then I'll feel much better." And I often wonder how much blessing have you gotten as a Christian since you've been saved from Didymus, one of the twelve disciples? Well, not a lot because Didymus didn't ever seem to do anything. That's not much written about him. But how much blessing have you gotten about from Peter? Every time you talk to a Christian about the disciples, you always find them saying, "Well, you know I like Peter." Well, I'm sure you're aware of the fact that Peter made an awfully lot of mistakes as revealed in scripture. He said the wrong thing. And he did the wrong thing. And he seemed to step out of line. And all the rest. Well, I know that you know that but he also is such a blessing. And I'm sure he was and I'm really thankful that Peter didn't have the attitude: "I just won't say anything, do anything, I won't be involved, and that way I won't make any mistakes." Then none of us would have gotten the great blessings that we receive from that man. So we need then to see that vital link between the renewing of the mind and the exercise of gifts, as we serve one another.
Now let's go over to 1 Corinthians 14. God has in mind not only the person being transformed. But in this section we see, in a very precious way, the Lord Jesus manifested. 1 Cor 14 has much to say about the assembly gathering - the assembly meeting. I just want to break in at verse 23, and read a few verses down to verse 23 - about a little situation here, a hypothetical situation that did occur perhaps back in Corinth and might occur in our own day - Paul says, "If, therefore, the whole church be come together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? (literally, "that ye rave") But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or is unlearned, he is convicted of all, he is judged of all. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth." Here is a wonderful change in the attitude of a visitor in the assembly. Someone who is either an unlearned or a plain unbeliever, who comes in as perhaps a skeptic, not aware of what the assembly is for, or what it does, or who's there or its purpose, comes in just as a bystander or a skeptic, and is not too long brought to a place of frustration, falling down on his face before the Lord, worshipping God, and becomes a very worshipper of God, and not only that, gives testimony. And his testimony even though brief is a real blessing - 'God is truly among you people." Why that should. raise the hearts and joy of every Christian who is in that assembly! "God is truly among you people." The rumors that I've heard about this church, the rumors that I've heard about this congregation, they are true and I'm a witness, and I worship God for His ability to manifest Himself to me in this group of people. So then we want to see not only the believer or the person transformed, but we want to see the Lord manifested.
Now, how does the Lord manifest His presence? Well, in verse 25, we find out that He does it through the exercise of a particular spiritual gift - the gift of prophesy. Prophesy, as we could learn from verse 3 of the same chapter - "he who prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." All these things are necessary. Believers need to be edified. They need from time to time to be exhorted, and they certainly need to be comforted.
Maybe we could just take a moment and go back to John 14 in this connection before we hurry on. In the upper room gathered around the table, the disciples before the Passover meal, before the Lord went to the cross, were asking the Master certain questions that were on their hearts. And Judas, not Judas Iscariot, but the other Judas, asked the question here that we might just notice. The Lord Jesus had just said something in John 14:21 that drew forth a question from Judas. The Lord Jesus said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." I realize we've looked at this portion before, but we need to see it in connection with what we are considering today. The Lord said, "I'm going away, but if you love me, you have my commandments, and you're going to keep them, then we're going to manifest; ourselves. I'm going to manifest myself to you. I'm going to show myself to you." And of course this is the great desire of His disciples' hearts. "Lord, we want to see you. We want your presence. We don't want you to go away. But if you have to go away, oh, it would be wonderful if you could show yourself to us." But Judas said in verse 22, "Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" ("Lord, how are you ever going to find a way to meet with us so that the people in the world aren't going to see you? How are you going to bring this about about?")
Jesus answered and said unto him, "If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we - the Father and the Son - we'll come unto him, and make our abode with him." (14:23) Verse 26, "but the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you ,.." Here is a promise that the whole Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - will manifest themselves, I believe, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to the believer.
Of course this was what was responsible for the great joy on the day of Pentecost. They really encountered the risen living Christ, and it filled their hearts with joy. Now we could have the same question - "Lord how are you going to manifest yourself to us? Why don't you manifest yourself to us? How come my Christian friends, or the elders, or the ones I look up to in the Lord, they seem to enjoy the presence of the Lord, but me - Lord you never seem to show yourself to me." How comforting that the promise is opened to every child of God - that you love me and keep my commandments, we will manifest ourselves to you.
And so we find then back in I Corinthians - the believers meeting together, saying, "Jesus is in our midst; Jesus is truly among us." The unbeliever coming in saying, "I doubt it, I don't see Him", passing through a short series or a service or a meeting or whatever it is, coming to a place where he falls down and worships God, and says, "You are right, I am wrong, God is among you people." This is connected, in fact, it is the very context of the exercise of spiritual gifts.
So, spiritual gifts then not only provide for a transformed person, but also the manifestation of the Lord.
Let's go over to Ephesians 4, and here the result that can be expected is rather an obvious one, not only the person transformed, and the Lord manifested, but here the whole body edified. Now, we're not thinking so much of the individual, as we are of the whole corporate meeting of the saints. Here we find the body being edified. And we've already mentioned that in connection with verse 16 - the body increases unto the edifying of itself in love. How does this really take place? As you read from verse 11 down, you'll notice that Paul keeps talking about the Christian who is pressing toward perfection or maturity. This is not perhaps the new Christian of Romans 12 or is so new in his faith that he is contemplating whether he should present his body and his bodily members to God. This is perhaps the more growing Christian, the more matured Christian, really wanting to strive for a full maturity and the things of God.
May I suggest that as we look at this section, we can notice at least four things about this maturing Christian. Let's look at them.
First of all in verse 12, we notice two things - he is being perfected, or equipped or matured for the work of the ministry and the edifying of the body. So, first and second then, we know that this person is involved in ministry and up-building. And please notice it says, 'the work or ministry.' Ministry is work, and sometimes serving is work. In fact it is very rare that you find a way you can serve that isn't work. It says ' the work of the ministry', and the edifying or the up-building of the body.
As I went down this week through the list of spiritual gifts, and asked myself "How would a person use that particular gift to upbuild, to edify the body?", it was striking just how many things just popped into my mind. So many opportunities to take a tool - a spiritual gift - and serve in such a way that the people of God are built up, and encouraged. We're either building up or we're tearing down - there's no middle ground.
We are either those who helped or we are hindering. We are to build up the body of Christ. So, first and second then, a maturing Christian is involved in participating in ministry, participating in upbuilding.
And then in verse 13 it says "till we all come in the unity of the faith". So, thirdly, it's characterized by HAVING GOALS - Biblical goals. I love to see a person who sets goals - getting back to accountability. With the help of God this is my plan. Now of course when I say "Thy will be done", I'm opened to the fact that things may not go at all the way I had planned. But at least I show the Lord I'm dead serious about this matter of Christianity. I make a plan for the good of my brothers and sisters, this is my intention, I commit it to God, and I am willing to add 'Thy will be done' and I'm willing to be steered in a different direction. But the one thing that I am NOT willing for, is to sit around and say 'Well when the Lord moves me I'll do something." I purpose to move, I purpose to serve, I purpose to give myself, I know that there will be criticism, dissatisfaction, other view-points, not withstanding all that, I purpose to meet the need of one or two or some and I'll be faithful to that until God steers me in a different direction. So this person then has as a goal - the unity of the faith.
What does this involve? It involves bringing together into oneness - that's a great goal. He says "unto the knowledge of the Son of God" - coming to know Christ better; knowledge of Christ - that's a great goal. To be perfect man - the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ - in other words, to full maturity, not only for me but for all my brothers and sisters - that's a worthy goal. So, here's a person thirdly with real goals.
And then finally, down verse 14, we notice the immature Christian , like a child, always tossed to and fro, battered around, everytime they hear a new teaching, a new doctrine, they're all upset. No, Paul says, not that, but, in verse 15, someone who would "speak the truth in love", growing up into the Head, Christ. So then one who is characterized with CAREFUL AND GUARDED CHRISTIAN SPEECH. Isn't that really a finer point of Christian maturity? One who can be very careful of his speech and his words - his communications - at all times. Very important - it has to do with a mature Christian.
So then so far we've had the person transformed (in Romans), we've had the Lord manifested (in 1 Cor), in Ephesians we find the body edified.
Let's close by quickly looking up over in 1 Peter 4:11. Here we find the result will be that God is glorified. He said, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. The glory of God should be a result that we expect as we exercise spiritual gifts.
Notice just one more time, just by way of reminder, in verse 10, Paul speaks about our stewardship of the manifold grace of God. As we have spent time earlier this morning tracing the concept of love in the context of every spiritual gift, you could take that very same thought and go back through all four passages and you could see that Paul speaks about the gifts of God are the result or product in our lives of the grace of God.
So, with thoughts like these - love, grace and the results that God wants to bring forth - we as Christians as believer-priests have a responsibility to discover and use for the good of others our spiritual gifts. Let us pray for one another that God will deliver us from a self-centered and selfish attitude, that the assembly exists to bless me and as long as it's blessing me and I can sit there and soak up whatever it has to give, I'll be contented and happy. But at the moment that it begins to ask me to serve, or me to reach out in love, well perhaps it's time that I move down to another place where they can meet my needs better.
Now when a person is young, most of it has to be giving toward them, that's the way it is with babes. We give a great deal, perhaps the only satisfaction a parent gets from a new-born child is just looking at the child. And the child isn't really trying to do anything, he just lays there and 'goo-goo' and parents find that very rewarding. But you know that's not going to satisfy their hearts for too many years - there comes a time when 'goo-goo' is not sufficient, and mum and dad want to see some home-work done and the room picked up, and some of these other things. Of course it's not that we're mercenary, or that we hope to make a profit on our children. The real proof is that these are necessary signs that the child is growing up. We want to see the evidences of growing.
So in the early years then of a new believer - I might say here at West Woods - we want to give to you, we want to serve you, and we hope that you can come and. enjoy us. But after a period of time, when we have seen your face for enough months and a couple of years, it's time for your own good that you try and reach out and serve others in love. Not that we may be blessed or try to make some profit of you, but that's the way that God is going to work in your life. That's the way God is going to move you towards maturity. And that's what the assembly is all about really. God glorified to the upbuilding of His saints. And then the unbeliever of course is won because his testimony is 'God is really among you people."