David Jeremiah - The Gifts of the Spirit
- Watch
- Donate
DL Moody was one of the most influential evangelists of the 19th century. You’ve heard me talk about him over the years; he’s one of my favorite characters. He left a successful career in the shoe business to share the gospel. During his brief 62 years of life, it is estimated that he preached to more than one million people and led over one million people to Christ. However, what may surprise you, if you’ve never read his story, is that Moody wasn’t a polished speaker, nor was he a trained evangelist or theologian.
In fact, when he spoke, he often stumbled over his words and mangled the English language. He split infinitives and made other grammatical errors. After one of his sermons, a man came up to him and said, «Mr. Moody, I listened while you were speaking, and you made 17 grammatical errors in your sermon. God bless people like that.» The man then held out a piece of paper and showed Moody his list of mistakes. Moody just smiled and said, «I’m doing my best with what God has given me. Are you?»
Now, that’s a very good question. In fact, that’s a question we all need to wrestle with because the Bible says God is the great giver of gifts. What are you doing, and what am I doing with everything we have been gifted? Ephesians chapter 4 tells us that when the Lord ascended to heaven, He gave gifts to men. In Ephesians 4:7, we read, «And to each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.» What the Bible teaches men and women is that you and I, apart from the gift of salvation, which we receive when we repent of our sins and become Christians, each have been endowed with gifts of ministry from Almighty God. So, every person who’s a Christian has a spiritual gift.
I know that some of you are smiling and saying, «Well, I must have been left off that list because I don’t have any spiritual gifts.» Well, you have to argue not with me, but with the Word of God. Because the Word of God says we all have spiritual gifts. The fact that we don’t know what they are is not God’s fault; it’s our fault. Today, we’re going to deal with that a little bit and talk about what it means to have a spiritual gift and the joy of using that gift for the honor and glory of the Lord. Every Christian has been uniquely equipped for ministry. But before we go any further, let me remind you there’s a difference between spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit has to do with who we are. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and all those things. But the gifts of the Spirit have to do with what we do-the things that we do for the Lord and how we serve the Lord. We don’t all get the same gift. And if we’re honest, sometimes we wish we had a different gift than the one we have. Maybe you look around and think, «Why couldn’t I be the preacher?» or «Why didn’t God make me the singer?» But spiritual gifts aren’t something we get to choose.
They' re something the Holy Spirit assigns. In fact, the Bible says, «The same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.» The Holy Spirit decides, not us. And ladies and gentlemen, the Holy Spirit never gets it wrong; He’s always right. He never misses. So, if you belong to Christ, you already have at least one spiritual gift. You may not have discovered it yet, but it’s there, and it’s waiting to be used. Pearson was a Bible teacher from an earlier day, and he said, «Everyone has some gift; therefore, all should be encouraged. Not all have all the gifts; therefore, all should be humble. All gifts are for one body; therefore, all should be in harmony. And all gifts are needful; therefore, all should be faithful.»
Today, I want to unwrap the gifts of the Spirit- what they are, how they work, and how we can recognize the ones God has given us. I must confess to you that in years past, I have given entire series of messages on every gift, which I cannot do today. So, I’m going to give all those messages to you in one message. I’m going to bring the truck up and dump it all right in one place. And I want you to listen carefully because bringing this all together is very helpful for us to understand how we fit into the plan God has for us and how we can find the joy we have. I tell you the truth: the greatest joy I’ve ever had was to become a Christian. The second greatest joy I’ve ever had is being a Christian and being able to serve the Lord. That comes through understanding how this works, and we’re going to talk about it today.
First of all, remember this, and you want to write this down: there are three major passages in the Bible that tell you about spiritual gifts. It’s kind of easy to remember. One of them is Romans 12, one of them is 1 Corinthians 12, and one of them is Ephesians 4. In Romans 12, we are told that we, being many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. «Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.»
In that passage, we run into the serving gifts like teaching, encouraging, generosity, and mercy. Then, in 1 Corinthians 12, we have the gifts of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. In chapter 4 of Ephesians, we find the gifts of prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Now, when you take all these gifts and put them together, they sort of fall into some groups, and I think that by understanding the groups, we’ll understand the gifts.
First of all, there are special gifts. These are gifts that were used in the early days of the church to help the church get established, like apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. These had a very special part in the founding of the church, and some of them remain in operation today. Then there are speaking gifts. These are gifts that involve the mouth: they include prophecy, teaching, exhortation, the word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge. Then there are serving gifts, and this is my favorite list because this is where most of us find our gifts. These gifts, given throughout these passages, tell us that we can serve, we can help, we can lead, we can administrate, we can give, we can show mercy, we can discern spirits, we can show faith, and we can demonstrate hospitality.
You may be busy serving in one of these capacities and not even realize you’ve been gifted. You are involved in serving God, and you didn’t even know you were gifted to do it. But you have followed your inclinations to do what God has called you to do, and you’re doing it, and you’re effective in the doing of it. Then, there is one other set of gifts that cause a lot of consternation for people, and we get asked questions about this a lot through our radio and television ministry and even here in the church. These are the sign gifts, and these gifts cause so much consternation. One of the reasons there’s so much controversy over all these gifts is that we have thrown them all in one big package and think they all have to be used in the same way. But what is the use for special gifts, for serving gifts, for speaking gifts, and for sign gifts?
Sign gifts were given to establish God’s authority. I don’t have time to go through all the arguments about this in this sermon, but if you’ll listen carefully, I’ll give you the core answer to the questions that sometimes you’re asked. In the New Testament, when Jesus was on this earth and His apostles were preaching, they had no New Testament; they had no authority for what they said. How could people know whether they truly came from God? Their words were authenticated by miracles and visible signs that proved their authority. The apostles were recognized as God’s messengers because of the sign gifts. But when the written Word of God was completed, when we got this blessed book called the Bible, those sign gifts began to fade from the center.
Because, ladies and gentlemen, God has no higher authority than the Bible. When people want to know if something is true, they should not seek for some special gift to be exhibited; they should go to the Word of God. If you say God says it, open your Bible and see if God says it. The Bereans did that. The Bible says the Bereans searched the scriptures to see whether or not the things the apostles were saying were true. At our church, we do not practice sign gifts because we have the highest authority in our hands that has ever been produced. This is the ultimate authority of our faith, and the Bible says that God has exalted His Word above His name. When experience becomes our authority, confusion follows.
Because you see, the Bible is very objective. It says what it says; it means what it says. If you find out what it means, you’ll discover it doesn’t mean two things; it means one thing. It’s an objective truth. But signs are subjective-they are interpreted by the people who experience them, and they’re all different. They mean different things to different people. When we speak the word of truth, we speak the word of truth, and it’s based upon the Word of God. Where the Word of God is central, people grow strong in their faith. Where it is removed from the center, confusion takes its place.
So we do not practice the sign gifts at Shadow Mountain because we know we have the authority that’s greater than all. We have the Word of God, and we rest our case on the Word of God. If God said it, I believe it, and that settles it. Amen. So let me tell you what the purpose of these gifts is that God gives to us. First of all, the Bible says these gifts are given to us to build up others in the family of God.
Now, there’s a word that is used; I remember this word growing up in the church, wondering what in the world it meant to be edified. People were always talking about being sanctified and edified, and I didn’t know what it meant. One day, I realized that the word «edify» comes from the word «edifice,» which means building. So the word «to edify» means «to build up.» The Bible says we are given gifts, according to Ephesians 4:12, «for the edifying of the body of Christ.» The reason God has gifted you and me with these several gifts that we’ve talked about is so that when we utilize these gifts, we are building up the body of Christ.
How many of you know that some people have the gift of tearing down the body of Christ? But it didn’t come from God; it came from the other direction. God has called you and me to develop the gifts that He’s placed within us so that when we utilize those gifts, we’re helping others grow, be strengthened in their faith, and become better Christians and better followers of Christ. We build up, and then the scripture says that we are also given these gifts so that we might establish believers. It says in this same passage of scripture «for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,»
and in 1 Corinthians, we read, «Since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.» God has given you and me a gift of ministry so that we will build people up instead of tearing them down. If your gift is encouragement, you speak hope instead of criticism. If your gift is serving, you meet needs instead of ignoring them. If your gift is teaching, you bring truth instead of confusion. When you use your gifts, you push back against the negativity of the world, and you help make the church and the people in it stronger.
Let me just say a word about the small group ministry in this. It’s in your small groups where often your spiritual gifts can be utilized to their best use. There, you have a small group of people. You interact with those people, receive their gifts, they receive your gifts, and you grow together as a small community in the larger body of Christ. We are given these gifts to establish believers. So you say, «Pastor Jeremiah, what does it mean to be established?» Well, it means that you don’t get blown around by everything that happens. When some new thing comes that someone says is from God, you know whether or not it’s from God because you’ve dug your roots down deep into the scripture; you know what is true.
And let me say something to you: when you know what is true, you know what is false, right? When you know what is true from the Word of God, the things that aren’t true to the Word of God become really evident to you. You may not even be able to express it; you may be saying, «That doesn’t sound right to me.» And it doesn’t sound right to you because it’s not right. It’s not from the Word of God; the Word of God tests everything. When we have spiritual gifts, the Bible says what happens is we help each other to be established in the faith. We encourage one another; we strengthen one another; we go through difficult times with one another; and together, we help one another in their faith. Paul wrote in Romans 1, «I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift that you may be established.»
You might ask, «How do I get established?» Well, when people use their spiritual gifts within the church, they bless us with those gifts. They help you and me become more established in what we believe. When I use the gift that God has given to me, my great honor and purpose is to build you up and to establish you in the faith. Even as today, I want you to know what the Bible says about spiritual gifts so that when someone comes and tells you something that’s not true, you know where to find the truth. What am I doing? I’m using the gift that God has given me to instruct, encourage, and build up and to establish.
And here’s the last thing that spiritual gifts do, and this is really neat and pretty special. The Bible says that when you and I use our spiritual gifts, we bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ. We exalt Him. Listen to 1 Peter 4:11: «If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it with the ability which God supplies that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.» What is the scripture saying? It is saying if you have a gift of speaking, speak for the glory of God, and God will be glorified. If you have the gift of serving, serve God with all your heart, and God will be glorified.
The Bible says, «Let men see your good works, that they may glorify your Father who is in heaven.» If you have the gift of teaching, study diligently, teach creatively, and do it with the strength and skill within you. The God of glory will gain even more glory because of what you’re doing. Bringing glory to God is one of our chief purposes as Christians. We might as well roll up our sleeves and, in the power of the Spirit, get after it. Use your gift. And when you do, you bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that’s not just for people like me; that’s for all of us.
Because as we’ve learned so far in this little tutorial, we all have a spiritual gift from God. Now, in the whole doctrine of spiritual gifts, some issues come up. Let me just deal with three of them before we bring the conclusion to this message. I don’t know that there’s anything that has been more controversial among Christians than this, and sometimes it’s just that we don’t know. First of all, I’d like to call out the spirituality problem. Have you ever encountered somebody who’s got a spiritual gift, and it may be obvious to you that they do? Because of that, they flaunt this gift, and they make sure you know that they’re spiritual people.
Well, I’m here to tell you something that will surprise you: you can have a spiritual gift and be a carnal Christian. You can have a spiritual gift. The Bible says about the Corinthians they fell behind in no spiritual gift. In other words, they had all the gifts. And yet, the Church in Corinth was the most carnal church in the New Testament history book. When I was a pastor in Fort Wayne, Indiana, there was another church there that was quite large. They decided to open a bookstore, and lo and behold, they opened the bookstore and called it the Corinthian Bookstore. I called the pastor one day and said, «Have you ever read Corinthians?»
He said, «What do you mean?» I said, «Why in the world would you call your bookstore the Corinthian Bookstore? It’s the most carnal church! I wouldn’t want to be associated with Corinthian anything.» About two months later, he changed it and got it right. But the Corinthians were not good people; they were carnal people. All of this information you read in the first book of Corinthians- go home and read it today, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. But that church was told that they were number one in spiritual gifts. They all had spiritual gifts. But because they had spiritual gifts, they weren’t spiritual. They held those gifts because they were from God, and they used them in many cases for their own purposes, and they got into a lot of trouble. And Paul scolded them in 1 Corinthians; he let them have it, and he should have because of what they were doing.
The ironic fact is you can be greatly gifted and still not be walking with the Lord. So don’t let spiritual gifts be the standard of your Christianity. The second problem is what I call the specialist problem. This is really common, believe it or not. Sometimes someone will say to me, «Pastor, you’ve been encouraging us to share our faith, but I don’t do that because I don’t have the gift of evangelism.» Well, that doesn’t get you off the hook-not even close. Because while there are people who have the gift of evangelism, all of us are called to go into the world and share our faith. Somebody says, «I don’t give because I don’t have the gift of giving.» Come on now!
You know there are people, according to the Bible, who have the gift of giving. It says if you have that gift, you should use it liberally. Did you see that? But the Bible also knows that we might not have that gift, but we still have the responsibility. All of the gifts have both a special and a general application. Generally speaking, we all should be evangelists; we should all be serving; we should all be speaking the truth. But sometimes the Lord comes along and puts His hand on someone and gives them a special ability in one of these things, and that is a spiritual gift. But it doesn’t take you away from your responsibility to do the things that the Bible tells you to do. Just because you don’t have the gift of evangelism doesn’t mean you can’t share the gospel with somebody you love. You may feel like you don’t do it well, but do it because that’s what God has called us to do. God calls every one of us to teach, encourage, and serve. And these are not just gifts for a few; they’re a part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
Thirdly, there’s the self-centered problem. There are people who fall into a self-centered problem; they start to think, «My spiritual gifts are for me.» That’s not true; God didn’t give you a gift for yourself. That’s not what God is up to. God gave you gifts to help others. Once again, scripture says that these gifts are to profit all. There’s an old adage that goes something like this: «If God has given you a gift, use it. Don’t abuse it, or you will lose it.» And that is a good admonition. You can let a gift atrophy. A gift that isn’t used is ultimately lost in terms of its effectiveness for God. Once you figure out what God has gifted you to do, your goal should be to polish that gift, sharpen that tool, and use it all that you can for the glory of God while there is still time.
When I was a senior at Cedarville College, as a student, God called me to preach. He did so by taking me every week to a little church up near Columbus, Ohio, to the Fairfield Baptist Church in Thirsten, where there were about 30 people. I went up there to preach, and I was so shocked because when I got done preaching, people would come up and tell me they understood what I said. That was a major thing-knowing that people were listening. But when I knew that God had called me to preach, I didn’t say, «Okay, that’s it-God’s called me to preach, go preach.» No, I realized I wasn’t prepared yet to preach. I needed to work hard to learn how to do that. So, I went to seminary and polished my gift. And that’s what all of us should do. If God calls you to do something and gives you an ability, don’t just sit on the ability and say, «Well, I guess I’m okay now; I’ve got an ability.»
Take that ability and take it as far as you can and make it as strong as it can be, and use it for the glory of God to affect as many people as you can for as long as you can. That’s what the Bible teaches. Amen. So, some of you are going to say, «Pastor Jeremiah, how do I know what my gift is?» So, here’s the practical part-five things. They’re real quick and really important. Number one: investigation. The first thing you should do is, when you get some time this afternoon or this week, go through 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4. Write down all of the gifts. There are supposedly 19 of them. You’ll see some of them listed in more than one passage. Get the gifts on a list. Now you know what the spiritual gifts are that the Bible tells us are available.
Begin by finding out everything you can about them. Learn what they are, how they work, and whether or not you see them evident in your life. Number two, after investigation, I want to throw in this word: involvement. This is so important because you might say, «Pastor, until I know what it is that God wants me to do, I’m just going to sit here and wait.» Let me tell you something I’ve learned: you cannot steer a parked car. If you aren’t moving, God’s not going to tell you what to do. You cannot steer a car that is not moving. Once it’s rolling, you can guide it in the right direction.
And that’s true in your spiritual life. When God sees you serving the best you know how from where you are right now, He can direct you and redirect you. But it is hard for you to receive God’s steering and direction when you’re standing still. Don’t use your desire to know your spiritual gift as an excuse not to do something until you find out what it is. You will delay the process by doing that. So get involved-try different kinds of ministry. How else are you going to know what you’re gifted to do if you never experience it? I keep a little saying in my office that goes like this: «Lord, someday I hope to do something perfectly. In the meantime, help me to do something.» Amen.
You know, isn’t that true? If you wait until you’ve got it all figured out, you will never go anywhere. Start where you are, do what you can do, and watch how God leads you. There’s a passage in the Old Testament where this little phrase is so paramount: «I, being in the way, the Lord led me.» That’s how you find out what God wants you to do. Be in the way. Do what God has called you to do now. Start today to follow His direction, and when you do that, God will take you to the next step.
So, investigation-find out what the gifts are. Involvement-get started doing what you know to do. Number three, interest. The third word is interest. Ask yourself, «What do I really enjoy doing for the Lord?» Usually, what you enjoy is what you are capable of doing. God often uses your interests to point you toward your gifts. When I was a student, as I’ve told you on occasion, one of the things I loved to do more than anything was to be a radio fanatic, believe it or not. Before I ever spoke on the radio, I was one of those kids who bought Allied radio kits and Heath kits. I got those; I got the magazine every week; I bought the kits; I built them. My little bedroom growing up in my parents' home was like an electronic nightmare. My mother said I was going to electrocute everybody before I was 20, but I didn’t do that; I just kept building.
I loved radio. I became a shortwave person. I loved listening to shortwave. I would find missionary stations all over the world on shortwave. I loved it. When God called me to preach, I thought, «Well, I guess my radio career’s over.» You know what the Bible says? The Bible says, «Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.» You do not need to be afraid of what God might ask you to do; He will give you both the desire and the joy to do what He equips you to do.
Can you imagine God being anything other than that? You think He’s sitting up in heaven, «I’m going to give them a gift, and then I’m going to frustrate them to death until they give up»? God doesn’t do that. If God calls you, He’s obligated to help you. If He equips you, He’s using that in your life not only for your own spiritual growth and enjoyment and joy, but to help other people. So don’t get caught up in finding out what God wants you to do. Usually, it goes along with some ability you’ve noticed in your life-something that you love to do; something that you’re good at.
I know some gifts I don’t have, and I wouldn’t have to ask too many people if I have those gifts or not. They would say, «Absolutely not, pastor; you do not have that gift.» And that’s probably true of you. One of the great things about discovering your spiritual gift is discovering what it is not. You can get off that track when you know what God has called you to do. So, investigation, involvement, interest. Here’s introspection, the fourth thing. Ask yourself, «Where do I seem to be most effective?» The Holy Spirit gives abilities for certain kinds of ministry, and the effectiveness is often a good indicator of where you are gifted.
Let me tell you something: if you think you have the gift of leading and you look around and nobody’s following, you do not have the gift of leading. We’ve said this about music. We’ve said it about others. When you determine what God wants you to do, there will be evidence in your life and affirmation in your life. Yes! This is the direction I want you to go. Dr. H.A. Ironside once said that he often thought of the sad situation of those who believe they have the gift of preaching but complain that no one has the gift of listening. Isn’t that true? If you have the gift of preaching and you notice nobody’s got the gift of listening, you probably don’t have the gift of preaching. At least I hope for your sake you don’t!
Don’t go and try that out on some small group of people. If you have the gift of preaching or communicating, it will resonate with people; they will understand. You may not be the greatest, but there will be evidence that you have that gift. Over a hundred years ago, the Holy Spirit gifted an Irish farmer named Jeremiah Manili with the gift of evangelism. That great awakening in Northern Ireland began when Jeremiah and three young men met nightly in an old schoolhouse to pray for revival. For three months, nothing happened until New Year’s Day when one person came to Christ. Soon, conversions were happening nightly, and 50 men joined the prayer meetings.
When crowds of unbelievers began showing up, they urged Jeremiah to preach, which he had never done before, but he agreed, and many were saved. Later, Jeremiah was invited to preach in a nearby town. The building overflowed. He preached once and dismissed the crowd, but no one left. So, he preached again and then again. After the fourth sermon, he went outside, rang the sweat from his shirt, put it back on, and preached one more time before going home at night. Moments later, he was at home, and a man stood there asking how to be saved. It was late; it was dark. Jeremiah cried out to his neighbors, «What in the world? I’m lying in bed, and souls are seeking Christ!»
What happens when you start to use your gift? The Holy Spirit comes alongside and helps you to understand: God is using me in this; He’s helping me to be effective in this. Effectiveness matters! Look at where God seems to be blessing your efforts, and that’s often where you will find your spiritual gift. Finally, one more thing: interaction. Another helpful key is interaction. Talk to others about what they see in you. Ask trusted friends or leaders where they have noticed God using your life. I’ve been doing that a little bit this week with some staff members, telling them what I view and see in their lives.
It’s so joyful because you can see what their gift is. If you’re around them for very long, they have this gift, and you notice it. When you tell them they have that gift, you can see the smile on their face because they know it themselves. When you ask people about yourself, they will give you honest feedback if you give them the opportunity. I mean, if you say, «Do you think I have the gift of preaching?» and nobody says anything; they just look at you -what’s the second thought you have about what your gift is? Investigation, involvement, interest, introspection, and interaction. These steps will help you understand how God has gifted you.
And one of the best parts of discovering your gift is, as I said before, finding out what it is not. That can lift a heavy burden from your shoulders when you know what God wants you to do and realize He doesn’t want you to do something else. I believe it is absolutely impossible-listen to me carefully -absolutely impossible for a believer who sincerely wants to know how God can use them not to find out. God delights in showing His will to hearts that are humble and open before Him. Come with a spirit that says, «Lord, show me what you want me to do, and I will do it.» That kind of heart is the heart that God always guides.
My father was a Baptist preacher. Some of you are old enough to remember about 40 years ago there was an absolute craze about spiritual gifts in the church. They were doing seminars everywhere; you could go to conferences. My dad was a little bit reluctant; he wasn’t sure about that. One day, he said something to me that was among the many things he told me when I was growing up that I’ve never forgotten. He said, «David, I don’t know about all the spiritual gift stuff. What I do know is this: the greatest spiritual gift you will ever get is the gift of availability.» And was he ever right about that!
If I could say one thing to you after all this talk today about spiritual gifts, it would be this: you can find out what your spiritual gift is if you are absolutely determined to do it before you find out what it is. If you say, «Lord God, I don’t know what it is you’ve caused me to do what you’ve created me to do, but I want you to know I am available. Here am I, Lord. Send me. I will do what you’ve called me to do.» If you do that, you will know what your gift is before next week is here, because that’s how God works.
Leo Biskelia, affectionately known as Dr. Love, was a professor at the University of Southern California and one of the most engaging speakers of his time. He taught a class called «Love,» and it became so popular that students filled every seat-They sat on the floor and lined the hallway into his classroom so they could hear what he said. After losing one of his students to suicide, Leo realized how many people go through life never knowing that they are loved or gifted by God. From then on, he made it his mission to help people see their worth. He was known for striking up conversations with strangers in the elevator and for saying, «We need five hugs a day to survive, eight hugs to maintain, and 12 hugs to thrive.»
But his most memorable words were these: «Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.» That is true for the gifts of the Spirit. Your gift is God’s gift to you, but what you do with it is your gift back to God. He was talking about talents, but the same is true of spiritual gifts. God has placed something unique inside of you-something that’s not inside of anyone else. And someone’s blessing will depend on whether or not you use that gift. If you’ll just use it, you might be amazed at what God will do through you.
So spiritual gifts are for all of us. We’re not going to have any seminars or questionnaires or send you any letters to find out what you learned about yourself. We don’t do that kind of thing very much here. This is up to you. I’ve given you the path that I understand from the scripture. Here’s what you do: take those steps, follow those things, and all of a sudden you’ll be coming to someone saying, «I think God has gifted me to do this,» and then you’ll begin to do it. You’ll find joy in your life. That’s how the body works.
That’s why I’m so excited to share this truth with you. Before we say our final concluding statement, let me remind you that the gifts of the Spirit are important, but they’re not as important as the gift of eternal life. And you know, if you haven’t received that gift, you won’t get any of the other gifts. They’re subsequent to receiving the gift of eternal life. In other words, if you’re not a Christian, you won’t get spiritual gifts. But you can become a Christian by accepting the gift of God, which He has provided for you, celebrated in our communion today through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He wants you to have forgiveness of your sin.
If you will receive that, the Bible says you will get the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. When you become a Christian, you are gifted with eternal life. And when you get the gift of eternal life, then you proceed to understand the gifts of the Spirit. But my main concern for you today is this: the gifts of the Spirit are important, but the gift of God, which is eternal life, is way more important than that. That’s where it all begins. If you’ve never received that gift, I’m going to ask you to do it today. I’m going to ask you to pray with me in just a moment of prayer that will enable you to receive Jesus Christ.
The Bible says that if we accept Him, He never ever refuses to do what He said He would do. He will give you eternal life and the forgiveness of your sins. Your guilt will be gone, and you will have a relationship with Almighty God you never dreamed possible. So let me encourage you to take that opportunity. Pray with me today. You don’t have to pray out loud; pray in your heart, but I’ll lead you in this prayer. Whether you’re here, listening, watching, or in a church someplace available to this service, let’s do that right now together.
Father, I thank you for your wonderful gift to us of Jesus Christ. As wonderful as the gifts of the Spirit are, they pale in comparison to this wonderful opportunity we have to pass from death to life-to know that we are headed for heaven to be with the Lord forever because our sins are forgiven and we have been accepted in the beloved. So today, as people listen to my voice, help them to pray this simple prayer and make that decision, that transaction, that will determine where they spend eternity. Simply pray: «Dear God, I know I’m a sinner; I know I have failed you, and Lord, I’m sorry for that. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. I believe that He came to this earth and that He died and was buried and rose again, and I want to put my trust in Him and accept Him as my Savior.
So, Lord Jesus Christ, please come into my life and be my Savior, my personal Savior. I receive you today, totally without condition, and I will determine by the grace of God to live for you from this day forward.» Thank you for hearing my prayer, Lord. Wherever that prayer has been prayed, I know that it has been heard and that those who have asked have received. Even today, there is rejoicing in heaven over those who have become Christians. And we thank you for that; we give you praise in Jesus' name. Amen.