Welcome to the first in a series of six sermons on the theme of Spiritual Gifts. As the PCC considers the next steps in the Renewal Project, we have come to realise that there is a wealth of untapped potential amongst us. There are many tasks to be undertaken to help God’s kingdom as it is expressed in this church family of St Michael’s to grow, and to fulfil our purpose, to “Encounter God and Grow in Him”. Many will fear that I am about to appeal for money, but there is a more basic appeal than that. “What can I give him, poor as I am. If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man, I would do my part. Yet what I can, I give him, give him my heart.” The thought here is that each of us has been given a gift or gifts which we can use in God’s service and for the blessing of others.
When I mention the term Spiritual Gifts, many of us will think of the Greek word charismata, and perhaps of sections of the church known as “charismatic”. With this may come images of enthusiastic, relatively unrestrained worship, perhaps even “happy clappy”. We may express a preference against this, in the same way that we might not like incense or long serious sermons. Anything to do with Spiritual Gifts may seem to need a health warning!
First, charismata does not mean “spiritual gifts”. It means “gifts of grace”, or “unearned gifts”. I hope that we escaped from that Christmas trap of giving only because it was expected of us, or from that childish way of thinking that we are in some way “entitled” or “due” a present, especially if we have been good. In Christian terms, we have not been good, but God chooses to shower charismata on us, including eternal life (Romans 6:23), the calling to be his (Romans 11:29), and specific answers to prayer (2 Corinthians 1:11). There is also the major meaning of the gift of an ability, talent or calling that we can use in his service, and we will talk about that more in just a moment.
Second, in 1 Corinthians 12:1, Paul is not talking about charismata. He actually says that he does not want us to be ignorant about pneumatikos – that is “spirituals”. Nearly every translation gives this as “spiritual gifts”, and the AV used to put the word “gifts” in italics to show that they were supplying it.
One thing to say is there is a lot in the bible about spiritual gifts and the fact that God is a gracious giver. There is another Greek word (dorea) that I just don’t have time this morning to go into. The point is that Paul is not giving us a recipe, a law report, a GSCE specimen answer that can be learned off pat and reproduced exactly. Rather, he is opening the door for us to a wonderful world of possibility.
Also, we are being reminded that these are gifts “of the Spirit”. The “grace gifts” (charismata) are described as “spiritual gifts” precisely because they come from God, they are given by the Spirit. We often start a service with the words “The Lord is here: his Spirit is with us.” Although there are normal aspects of organising and planning, work and activity, to run a church or put on a service, we need to remind ourselves that this is pre-eminently a supernatural, spiritual exercise. Everything that we do is at the guidance of and made possible by the active participation of God the Holy Spirit. “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints ...” On this Sunday when we remember the baptism of Jesus Christ, we remember especially that the Holy Spirit descended upon him. It was almost as if Jesus could do nothing until baptised, immersed, plunged into the Spirit. Neither can we. The Gifts of the Spirit, the pneumatikos are not a side issue of interest only to a few who “like that sort of thing”: they are central to our Christian walk. If we want to Christ Centred, then we need to be filled with the Spirit of Christ. Our Gospel reading is considered by some to be added at the end of Mark; the point is that the supernatural activities recorded there seem to have been regarded as commonplace in the early church.
The Corinthians have written to Paul about pneumatikos, spiritual things or spiritual gifts. We do not know precisely what they asked, but Paul is careful to steer a course that will help them to agree and be united. He is teaching us how to handle difference. A basic point seems to have been how to recognise others as truly Christian. The temptation is to only recognise others who believe and act as we do, as truly Christian. There may be some here who would visit other Christian assemblies here in Camberley this morning and wonder if this is really Christian worship. (They might think the same of us!)
So the first point is that if anyone says that Jesus is Lord, this can only be by the Holy Spirit. No matter how hard it is to believe of some folk, they are to be counted as “one of us”. This does not mean that we should refrain from disciplining those who live flagrantly immoral lives. It does not mean that everyone is automatically saved: the Lord knows those who are his and will have the final word. Our part is to love and accept. If there are those who cause us grief, then God’s Spirit works this together for good to help us to grow into the image of his Son.
The second point is that there is one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and this one God bestows different kinds of gifts charismata, different kinds of service (diakoniai), and different kinds of working (energemata). God makes every snow flake unique, we make ice cubes. The armed services put everyone in identical uniform, God delights in our differences. He gives to each of us a unique palate of talents and abilities and sets us loose.
Every single one of us has been given the manifestation of the Holy Spirit – he has left his mark on us, and we have gifts and abilities to be used for the common good. Paul now lists nine gifts or abilities, and we should remember that this is not the GCSE pass list – it is not set in stone. You will find in the study material references to other lists.
Kim is going to talk next week about how we function together as part of the body, and Robert will speak in a fortnight about the essential quality, love, without which all our gifts are worth nothing.
In view of the time this morning, I am only going to review six of the nine gifts listed. I will come back to prophecy, tongues and interpretation of tongues in three weeks time. I remember being asked on our first ever Alpha course: “Vicar, do you speak in tongues?” I will give you my answer then. It does seem to me, though, reading what Paul has written to the church in Corinth, that there were those who spoke in tongues a lot, and others who were possibly quite dubious about it. Pauls widens the scope of the discussion.
He is talking about gifts, service and working, the activity of God in and through his Spirit-filled people. Some are given a message of wisdom, others a message of knowledge, but always by the same Spirit. Faith comes as a specific gift, to believe something that is not obvious or easy. Someone else may receive specific gifts of healings (note that no-one in scripture is said to have the Gift of Healing in a general way). Someone else may receive Workings of Powers: what we might call miracles, but is really only God rearranging his creation. Discerning of Spirits is the ability to see what is truly of God in a situation or person; it goes beyond common sense.
All of these are work of the one and same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. There are many more examples on the study guide of different ways that God can use us.
I hope that you are as excited by this as I am. When we doubt our abilities, or feel that we do not have much to offer, how wonderful it is that God gives us the gift of eternal life, the presence of his Spirit, and then gives to us, every single one of us, gifts and abilities with which to bless and help others and serve him.
I wonder what your giftings are? You may be very aware and have thought about this a lot. You might be asking for the very first time. Over the next few weeks and months, let us travel together to discover what God has for us and where he is leading us.
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