Am I Special? Our Gifting in Christ

  

Good morning everyone!  We are closing in on the end of our series “In Christ, With Christ, and For Christ” about “Our Identity, Belonging and Purpose.”  We’ll have one more message after today.  If you remember, our last two messages were specifically about our purpose and about how we grow.
 
Fred shared that our purpose is demonstrated in the life of Jesus.  We are created for God’s pleasure, to reflect His image.  If you know incredibly talented people, you may have recognized that they just create abundantly.  I’m always interested by actors and actresses and sometimes wrestlers and other athletes that suddenly pop up as impressive singers.
 
We were listening to some Disney songs one evening this week, and Dwayne Johnson starts singing.  Dwayne Johnson is a wrestler, but he can also sing and rap for that matter.  He’s also a successful actor.  He just seems to have abundant talent and creativity.  It is like it oozes out of him.  There are many entertainers who seem to be able crossover, not in styles but into entirely different genres of talent.
 
A little closer to home, I think of Nataliya.  She’s always doing something creatively amazing.  If you asked her about it, I think she would say that it’s almost unavoidable.  She creates beautiful things whether music or tatting or artwork or I know not what because it would be nearly  impossible not to do those things.
 
I don’t want us to get caught in the comparison trap, but rather to think about God and His creativity.  If we readily know people who are so expressive in a broad palette of talent and creativity, how much greater is God’s creative capacity than any person we know?  One of the key ways that God’s creativity is expressed is through us.  We are each uniquely, fearfully, and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) God creates us each individually out of his omni-creativity.  Omni- means all, like in omnipotent which means all-powerful or omniscient which means all-knowing.  God is also omni-creative.  He creates each of us at His choosing and for His pleasure.  It gives Him joy to create us. (Genesis 1:31) And, we glorify God when we are creative.
 
That leads right into our topic today, answering the question, “Am I special?”  I think you know the answer, and that’s okay.  But, we are a forgetful people because all people are forgetful. (Psalm 106:13, Hosea 13:6) So, let’s be reminded together of our gifting in Christ.  And, let’s pray.
 
Father God, You are omni-creative, and out of your all-creativity, You have created us.  I pray for each one here to grasp that reality.  Of all the things You could have done, You created us.  May we continue to recognize the great honor and love You have shown to each one of us.  Teach us now from Your Word, we pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
I have to tell you that when I looked at the title of this message, the first thing that popped to mind was … VeggieTales.  Do you remember the tag line at the end of every episode?  Bob, Larry or some combination of the two would say, “God made you special, and He loves you very much.”
 
I did a little research, and I found that VeggieTales contains at least 70 occurrences of that phrase.  I was also disappointed to find out that the line was edited out of the TV version of the series aired by NBC.  In those episodes, Bob instead says, “Thanks for coming over to my house, kids. See you next week.”
 
That’s the opposite of what Philippians 4:8 exhorts us to do.  It says there …
 
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Philippians 4:8
 
Broadcast television stripped away the beauty and loveliness of the truth that God made us, that He made us special, and that He loves us, very much.
 
If I hadn’t read it, I don’t think I would have ever thought of this, but the reason why the vegetables say “God made you special,” and not “God made us special,” is the originators of VeggieTales did not want to imply that vegetables can have redemptive relationships with God.  That’s kind of an aside, but I think it also reinforces the message.  People have a specialness that is unique and relational that vegetables do not have even if they are animated.
 
What we’ve been talking about up till now is the gifting of God of our lives, the fact that we are here and uniquely created.  But, God’s gifts to us do not stop there.  We can reflect on Jesus words from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7.
 
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! – Matthew 7:11 
 
The Greek word that gets translated evil has that connotation, but it can also mean full of trouble, hardships, or problems.  So even people with all our messed up thinking know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more does God know how to give good gifts to us?  Jesus says “gifts.”  So, we are here and uniquely created.  Let’s continue to examine several of these gifts.
 
Staying in the gospels, let’s consider Jesus’ exchange with the woman at the well in John 4.  After Jesus asks her for a drink from the well, and she rebuffs him asking in return how a Jew can ask a Samaritan for a drink because Jews were supposed to think of Samaritans as unclean.
 
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” – John 4:10 
 
The gift in this case is the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.  Romans 5 gives us a deeper explanation contrasting the gift of God to the trespass or sin which separates us from God.
 
The gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!  Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.  For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! – Romans 5:15-17
 
This is our greatest gift from God, His gift of righteousness or right standing before Him.  How do we gain this gift of righteousness?  It is through Jesus Christ.  He is our source of eternal life, the living water that Jesus told the Samaritan woman about.
 
God created us to be in relationship with Him, but humankind fell into sin and separation from God.  In response to that, God created the solution to our problem and gave us the gift of salvation and restoration in our relationship to Him.
 
If God’s gifts stopped there, I’m afraid we would still be in a bit of a pickle.  Okay, so it’s a really big pickle.  How can we stay in a right relationship with God from that point of receiving the gift of salvation in Jesus?  Well, at the time of Pentecost, Peter gave a sermon to a large group of people, at least 3000.  As he concluded, it says the people were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
 
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 2:38 
 
And so, after turning away from sin (that’s what repent means) and being identified with Christ and His death (that’s what baptism is) and receiving the forgiveness for your sins, then you also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
 
Jesus introduces us to the gift of His Holy Spirit in several passages in John 14-16.  We are told that the Spirit is with us forever (14:16), He helps us (14:16), He is the Spirit of truth (14:17, 16:13), He is our helper, comforter and advocate (14:16, 26), He will teach us all things (14:26), He will remind us of everything Jesus said (14:26), He will testify about Jesus (15:26), He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment (16:8), He will guide us into truth (16:13), He will tell us what is yet to come (16:13), and He will glorify Jesus (16:14).  In fact, I Corinthians 2:12 says that Spirit allows us to understand what God has freely given us.
 
Many of you have heard the Greek word for helper, comforter, and advocate.  It is parakletos.  I was looking at the word on Friday, and the bible dictionary called it a root word.  But it just looks like a compound word para- and -kletos.  Para- in the Greek has the meaning of beside.  Kletos means called or invited.  The name parakletos is in the noun form and literally means the one called beside us.  He is indeed a gift of God in Christ to be with us forever.
 
In addition to the Spirit Himself, most of us have heard about spiritual gifts.  I think this message would be incomplete if we didn’t at least touch on spiritual gifts.  I also am reminded that at the beginning of the message I said it wasn’t good to fall into the comparison trap.  But, it is clear in scripture.
 
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. – Romans 12:6 
 
There are going to be differences among us with respect to spiritual gifts and giftings.  But at the same time, Paul also explained to the Corinthians …
 
I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.  For in him you have been enriched in every way … Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. – I Corinthians 1:4-5, 7
 
Yes, we have different gifts.  And yet, we do not lack any spiritual gift.  How does that work exactly?  Well, we’ve talked already in this series how we are part of a community, a family, a body of believers.  Through that body, gifts are distributed according to the needs of the body and the Lord’s plan for us.
 
Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed … There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them … Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. – I Corinthians 12:1, 4, 7
 
After this, we have a list of spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12.  Romans 12 also has a list.  Ephesians 4 has a list of roles or callings which some also view as spiritual gifts.
 
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. – I Corinthians 12:8-11
 
All these spiritual gifts exist and others besides.  I have at least heard from people who have either performed these sorts of spiritual gifts or they have seen them performed by others.  In many cases, the miraculous powers are seen in times and places where they validate who God is (glorify God) in addition to meeting a specific need only although that also happens.  (Hebrews 2:3-4)
 
These gifts are important, but they are not the most excellent.  Paul goes on to explain in I Corinthians …
 
Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way … If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing … Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy … So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. – I Corinthians 12:31, 13:2, 14:1, 12 
 
We are not discouraged from desiring gifts, but it is important to keep the right view.  The gifts apart from love are nothing.  The focus is to follow the way of love.  Eagerly desire the gifts that build up the church.
 
There is one other particular spiritual gift that I wanted to draw out.  Romans 1:11 says a curious thing …
 
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong. – Romans 1:11
 
Believers have the ability to impart spiritual blessings or gifts to others.  The giving of those gifts will strengthen others.  This is a real thing.  I’m sure we all have remembrances of how others have strengthened us through their own faith.  In the next verse, Paul expresses his desire to be mutually encouraged by the Romans.  I think this is good to keep in mind.  Yes, spiritual gifts are for glorifying God, and they also are one way we build one another up.
 
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. – I Peter 4:10 
 
Strength is for service not for status. – Romans 15:2 (The Message)
 
Abigail and Matthew are staying with us for a few days.  Friday morning, I’m running a little late to work.  Matthew happens to get up before I’m ready to leave.  To start with, Matthew is an incredibly encouraging person to talk to.  And, he’s most definitely a morning person.  As we’re talking, he tells me that he has two songs that he wants me to write down before he forgets them.  I didn’t really have time to spare on Friday morning, but you can be sure I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to transcribe Matthew’s creative works. 
 

Never Give Up

 

Never give up because thy God is always with thee, all the time.

 

Never Be Afraid

 

Never be afraid. God is with you all the time.  No, no, no, never be afraid

 
Matthew woke up Friday with those songs on his heart, special creative expressions that glorified God and encouraged me.  And even though Matthew wasn’t trying to display his gifts, we can still say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21, 23)
 
As one final word of encouragement, I want to conclude with Romans 11:29.
 
God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. – Romans 11:29
 
These gifts we have talked about are real and true in each person who is a follower of Jesus.
 
1.    Our lives – body, mind, and soul uniquely created to display the image of God
2.    Gift of salvation in Jesus Christ
3.    Gift of righteousness before God
4.    Gift of the Holy Spirit who is with us forever
5.    Spiritual gifts to glorify God, to make Him known, to strengthen and encourage one another
6.    Gift of Irrevocability of God’s gifts
 
And that in itself is a gift, these gifts of God cannot and will not be revoked.  They will not be taken away.  God’s call and His purposes for our lives will not be taken away.  The word call there is the Greek word kletos that we talked about earlier.  The same word that is part of parakletos, the Holy Spirit who is called to be beside and in us forever.  You are made special by God, you are eternally special in Christ.  Let’s pray.
 
Lord Jesus, help us to live out the call that You have placed on each of our lives.  May we follow Your commands and glorify Your Name because “every good gift comes from above.” (James 1:17)  Amen.