A Purpose and A Promise
Dr Rev Mark Porizky
5/18/08
1
Corinthians 12:3-14
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.
Friends, if you want to be overcome with the notion that life is just a
hollow series of meaningless events leading toward a miserable conclusion, it
isn't hard to do. I'll tell you how. Focus only on the physical nature of your
existence. Think only about the natural world. Tell yourself that this life is
all there is and this is all there is to life, and despair will overtake you
before you can say, "sub-prime mortgage.”
Why? Because humans are made
in such a way that they cannot be satisfied with only the material world. We
have a built-in spiritual vacuum that must be filled. This is why all
cultures—no matter how remote or primitive—have developed some system of
theology. It is in our nature to yearn for something more—something spiritual.
Otherwise, what is our purpose for being here?
Pentecost is about that something more, about the secret is in living a
Spirit-filled life. We come alive spiritually through the Holy Spirit, and he is
the difference that makes a difference in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit that
transforms us from being merely religious to being truly spiritual.
Bill Bright, founder for Campus Crusade for Christ, once said, "If
there were only one truth I could share with the Christian world, it would be
'how to be filled with the Holy Spirit,' for there is no single truth that is
more important to the believer."
In fact, it is impossible to make your life a masterpiece without
experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Too often our lives are lived out
in black and white; the Holy Spirit transforms life into living color. Today,
we're going to talk about how to experience the fullness of the Spirit-filled
life. First of all, Paul commands us...
1. Learn more about the Holy Spirit. (v. 1) Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
Don’t be ignorant. There
are two mistakes we make when it comes to spiritual things. One is to disregard
spiritual things altogether with the attitude "If I can't see it, I don't
believe it." This person is focused only on the material world and rejects
(or is at least uncomfortable with) any reference to the supernatural. This
person is likely to say, "Why pray for God to help me? I can get more done
by rolling up my sleeves and working hard." This type of person is a
"practical atheist." He or she may claim to believe in God, but
there is nothing in their personal life that would show any sign of a spiritual
pulse.
The other mistake we make is to embrace everything related to
spirituality without any sense of discernment or spiritual perception. Life
is all Spirit and no us, no personal responsibility.
Fanatics
live on both ends of the spectrum. We must be able to reach an informed level of
balance in our spiritual lives, so that we aren't tossed around by everyone
else's opinion. This is the reason Paul says, "Do not be ignorant."
How is this balance achieved? Through the Bible, through prayer, and
through teaching based on the authority of Scripture.
The Bible tells us everything we need to know about the nature and work
of the Holy Spirit. Through the Bible that we learn that the Holy Spirit is not
just some Star Wars type of "force"; the Holy Spirit is
personal and should be referred to as "he,” or even “she,” but not
"it." Through the Bible we learn how the Holy Spirit speaks to us and
gives us direction from day to day. Through
the Bible we learn how to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. So take
Paul's advice. Do not be ignorant about spiritual things. If you want to make
your life into a masterpiece—if you want to live in the fullness of the
Spirit—it begins with a commitment to learn more about the Holy Spirit's work
in your life. Be aware of spiritual things. Secondly...
2. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul
said,(v. 13) For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body...and were
all given one Spirit to drink.
The obvious question, then, is "How do I get filled with the Holy
Spirit?" Ask.
That's it. If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you must ask
God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. That's what it takes. You receive the Holy
Spirit the same way you receive salvation—through asking.
Simple, yet dangerous. Why,
because God will also give you some work to do.
(My story—Psalms)
Finally, after learning about the Holy Spirit, after asking for the
Spirit to be present in your life, the third part of Spirit-filled living is
3. Discover your spiritual gift and use it. (v.
7) Now to each one the manifestation
of the Spirit is given for the common good.
In this section of the book of Corinthians, Paul talks at length about
spiritual gifts. He mentions several gifts of the Spirit, including wisdom,
knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, discernment of
spirits, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues. Many times we get distracted
by the types of gifts and start arguing until we miss the point Paul is making:
everyone has been given a spiritual gift that can be used to serve others.
By the way, this list of spiritual gifts is not exhaustive. Your gift may
not be one of the ones mentioned here. In Romans 12 Paul mentions more spiritual
gifts, and he adds a few more in Ephesians. Your spiritual gift could be giving,
or service, or prophecy, or wisdom, or encouragement, or teaching, or helping,
or any number of possibilities. The common characteristic of all spiritual gifts
is they build up others. Paul said,
(v. 7)...the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
Ask yourself, "What gift (or gifts) has God given me that I can use
to help others?" Gifts are defined by the benefit they give.
That's
why there is a big difference between a talent and a spiritual gift. For
example, piano playing isn't a spiritual gift. Lots of people can play the
piano. However, our piano player, and organist, Eilleen Newton, plays for very
little money and not nearly enough recognition, although we aim to correct that
next week. She could make more
playing at weddings and funerals, or even the piano bar in the Marriot Lounge.
But she's more than a piano player; she's a servant. Her spiritual gift is
service, and her musical ability gives her the opportunity to practice her
spiritual gift. If Eilleen were suddenly unable to play the piano, I am
confident she would find another way to serve.
You don't have to be talented to be gifted. The Spirit has given you a
gift that you can use to build up others. Maybe it is giving. Maybe it is
teaching. Maybe it leadership. What do you think it could be? (Jane
Ackley’s gift)
Using your spiritual gift puts purpose into everything you do. It becomes
an act of obedience to God. It goes from being a hobby or an interest to being a
ministry. You're not just playing the piano, or working in the nursery, or
leading a committee, or dropping a few bucks in the plate—you are ministering
to others. You are doing the work of God. The result is the seemingly mundane
details of your life take on a whole new meaning—suddenly they are rife with
eternal significance. Discover your spiritual gift and put it to use—it will
help you make your life a masterpiece.
Will you pray with me now?
St.
Andrew Presbyterian Church, Groton
,
Web Site: WWW.SAPC-CT.ORG
Office Email: OFFICE@SAPC-CT.ORG
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