Having Gifts That Differ: Discerning Your Spiritual Gift
Scripture Texts: Romans 12:4-6
This morning we come to the conclusion of our series on spiritual gifts in Romans 12. We started with ten truths about spiritual gifts and then six things they are not and shouldn’t be confused with. Then we considered the three speaking gifts (teaching, exhorting and prophecy), and the four serving gifts (serving, giving, leading and mercy).
We started this series with the story of a Rabbi being questioned by a Roman centurion, “who are you and what are you doing here?” The Rabbi thought those were such great question that they should be asked of him every day.
That would be a fruitful spiritual discipline, if we were to ask ourselves every day, who are we and what are we doing here? It might lift us out of the humdrum of our ordinary, earth-centered lives, into the rarer air of the spiritual meaning behind what God is doing in and through us.
Why do you get up every morning? What are you living for? Who are you living for?
Is it possible there is more to you and your life than you think or imagine?
Do you know “Who you are and what on earth are you doing here?”
Our text says we are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. Does that have implications for why we get up and what we do all day? What does that mean?
Romans 1-11 makes it clear, we are not our own, we did not choose God, He chose us. It is staggering to consider such undeserved mercy. You should shake your head in disbelief that God did that. We are not our own.
You are a member of His body and you are members of each other. You have a God-ordained place and a part to play. We are not as independent and autonomous as we like to think. We need others and others need us. God wants us to humble ourselves to serve others and be served by others.
We think far too little of our lives and the spiritual gifts God has given to each of us. And by each one of us I am talking about each of you. To the student in ninth grade; the single seeking God’s direction for their future; the mom at home with little ones; the man in the barn or shop; the person in the office or on the road; and the widow in the retirement center or care home.
God has called all of us to good works, works of ministry or service in His Church and in the world. He could have done it Himself, He could have sent angels to do it, but He didn’t. It is His will that we do the work of building up and edifying the body.