Greg Laurie - The Gifts That Keep on Giving

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Question, have you ever received a gift that, well, you just did not like? It's kind of hard to fake it, isn't it? You know, you open it up, maybe it's in a really nice box, and it's something you really don't want at all. And "Oh, wow, thank you so much". And you're already thinking, "Where did they buy it so I can return it"? And then there are the people that give you clothes. Can I offer a word of recommendation? Don't give clothes to people because they may not like what you chose. And then there are the people that give you the clothes and ask you when you're going to wear what it is they gave you 'cause they gave you this incredibly ugly shirt. And they want to know, when are you gonna wear the ugly shirt? And then, of course, there's the fruitcake. What is the deal with fruitcakes? First of all, they taste horrible. Number two, why do people give those out as a gift? And number three, I have a theory. There's only one fruitcake in existence.

Question, have you ever seen two fruitcakes next to each other? You have not because there's only one, and we just keep re-circulating it. That brings me to re-gifting. Re-gifting is when you receive a gift, you can't return it, and therefore you re-gift it. You give it to someone else. "I got this for you". The thing with a fruitcake, you could give it ten years later, it's basically the same thing. But the key is, don't re-gift and end up giving it to the person who gave it to you in the first place. So anyway, I'm using this as sort of a springboard to talk about a different kind of gift. I want to talk to you about the spiritual gifts, the gifts of the Spirit that God gives to us when we're filled with the Holy Spirit. He wants you to discover those gifts. He wants you to cultivate those gifts. And then he wants you to use those gifts. And whatever gift God gives you will be just the right gift, just the perfect gift. You will not want to re-gift it. You will discover how awesome it is. This is something we should not neglect. This is something we should be seeking after.

In fact, we're told in 1 Corinthians 14, "Earnestly desire the spiritual gifts". Then Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 1:7, "Don't lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed". Therefore, as Christians, we should have a real interest in, "What are the gifts that God has given to me"? God wants us to know about this because Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:1, "Concerning spiritual gifts, I would not have you ignorant". In other words, you need to know about this. You need to find your gifts, and you need to then use their gifts.

Now, here's the problem. We've seen excess and abuse of the spiritual gifts. Let me just say this, the supernatural gifts that God wants to give to a Christian are not toys to play with. They're tools to build with, and they're weapons to fight with. But sometimes people take these gifts and they sort of apply them in bizarre ways. We've all seen it, probably some preacher on television, and he, "Usually talks like this," I don't know why. And he'll say something like, "I'm just receiving the Spirit, yes, saying to the receive". Just, okay, that has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. That person is just weird. And then we see these preachers, oh, they lay hands on people, and the people fall over, they're rolling around on the ground or they're screaming and yelling, and then the preacher says, "This is the Holy Spirit". No it isn't, it's weird people doing weird things. The gifts of the Spirit are practical. It's practical power that God gives to you.

Acts 1:8 says, "You will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you to be a complete weirdo". No, it doesn't say that, it says, "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you to be a witness for me," again, practical power, power with a purpose. But because of the abuse and the excesses in the area of the gifts of the Spirit, some people recoil from them and say, "If that's the Holy Spirit, I want nothing to do with it". But that's a mistake, 'cause you're gonna end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater. So, Paul is talking about our place in the church where we use our gifts together. Takeaway point, we all have a part to play in the work that God wants to do. So, let's go to our text. It's Romans chapter 12, and I'm gonna read a few verses. Paul writes, "I have given to each of you this warning, don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith that God has given us".

Here's my first point, you're not all that and a bag of chips. Yes, that's an actual sermon point. You're not all that and a bag of chips. Ever heard that expression? Some people think they are. They just think they're that cat's meow. Where did that expression come from? But the idea is, they're just so amazing. They're more gifted than anybody else. They know more than anyone else. And, in fact, these people who think that way usually aren't even close to what they think they really are. Arrogant people love to tell you how well educated they are, how talented they are, how successful they are, how much money they make, what kind of car they drive. And whatever story you tell, they want to top your story, and on and on it goes.

So, here's what Paul is actually saying. Be honest in your evaluation of yourself. Be balanced, be sensible, be realistic. He's saying don't think you're better than you are. But he's also saying don't think you're worse than you are. Think realistically, and if God has given to you a spiritual gift, it's not humble to deny that gift. I'll take it a step further. It's an act of disobedience to not acknowledge that gift. There's a lot of fake humility that people have. You know, people say, "I'm so 'umble. I'm so 'umble, I don't even say humble. I drop the H. I'm just 'umble". No, you're, again, just being strange, okay? If God's given you a gift, discover the gift and use the gift. So, basically Paul is saying, be realistic as you look at yourself.

Point number two, whatever gift you have, it's been given to you by God. Whatever gift you have, it's been given to you by God. Romans 12:5 says, "We, being many, are one body in Christ. Everyone is a member one of another, having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us". So, notice that. We're members of a body. The church is compared to a body. And just as you have a human body, each part of your body plays a part. Your ears have a role. Your eyes have a role. Your fingers, your toes, your internal organs, everything has a part to play. As Paul says, he says, "If the body was a giant eye, how would we hear? If the body were a giant ear, how would we see"? And I think that was a humorous illustration. Every part of the body matters. We all have a part to play in the body of Christ. So, we're different and these gifts are given to us by the grace of God. Coming back to a point I already made. If God has given you a gift, it's irresponsible to not use it.

James 4:17 says, "To him that knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin". So, pray that God would show you what your supernatural gifts are, and then begin to use them. And I'll identify a few for you in a moment. Number three, we all have a part to play in the church with our spiritual gifts, we all have a part to play. And so, Paul says in Romans 12:4 just says, "Our bodies have many parts, and each part has a special function". So it is with the body of Christ. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other, but we're not all the same. We have different makeups, different gifting. Some are more outgoing by nature. Some are more reserved. Some are more big picture. Some are more detail oriented, but every one of us matters. So, let's read some of the gifts of the Spirit. And by the way, there's other lists that you can look at later. For instance, if you go to 1 Corinthians 12, and also over to Ephesians 4, other gifts of the Spirit are identified.

Let me say one thing before we read these verses. There's a difference between natural talent and a spiritual gift. Now, God gives us all certain talents, and that's a great thing too, that is a gift from the Lord. I'm talking about a supernatural gifting God will give to you as a Christian who has been filled with the Holy Spirit. So, I just wanted to make that distinction. Romans 12, verse 6 Paul writes, "In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you". Prophecy means to speak for another, literal translation. Sometimes it's predicting the future, though it's not limited to that. It's an insight into what God is doing.

Then Paul continues on and he says, "As he's given you a gifting to speak, then speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you're a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others or the gift of exhortation, well, be encouraging. If your gift is giving, then give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take that responsibility seriously. If you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly". So practical, don't you think? Certain terms bubble up. Do it generously. Do it gladly. Take this responsibility seriously. And that brings us to the spiritual gift of serving. If you're called to serve others, then serve them well. It's interesting, this gift is right next to the spiritual gift of prophecy.

Now, someone who would prophesy or would speak prophetically would draw a lot of attention. Like, "Wow, that's a special gift". But right next to that gift is this gift of serving, kind of a behind-the-scenes person. We sometimes think the people that are on the stage are the most important. They're not the most important. They're just using their gift. And the people behind the scenes are less important. They're not less important. They're just using their gift. All of us are just using our gift to work together and bring glory to God because it's not about us. It's about him and seeing what we can do to extend his kingdom. So, the person who's called to serve just does it. You know, they see a need, they meet the need. And not only do they meet the need, they meet the need joyfully. Others are called to teach the Word of God.

Verse 7, "If you're a teacher, teach well". I love that. If you're a teacher, teach well. Do a good job. Don't do a shabby job. Don't just get up there, if you're a teacher, and wing it. You have to prepare. You have to study. Paul says, "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed as he rightly divides the word of truth". We read over in James 3:1, "Brothers and sisters, don't become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly". The main thing you want to do is just find the gift that God has given you and develop it.

Here's one way to find out what you're called to do, volunteer for everything. I'm serious, so at your church when they say, "We need Sunday school teachers," say, "I'm in". "Hey, we need people to help people park their cars," "I'll do that". "Hey, we need people to work over in this area," "I'll do that". Well, you say, "What if I'm not called"? How you gonna find out till you try? So, you get out there and you try to find people places to park. And you get everything confused, and people are driving off the road, maybe that's not your gifting. You go in the Sunday school class and after an hour, they have you tied up, that, maybe that's not good. But then suddenly, you discover, "Wow, I have a gift over here". Sometimes discovering what your gift is, is by first discovering what your gift isn't. I call it process of elimination.

Years ago in the Jesus movement, bands were forming every week. And so, we were attending Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, which was like the epicenter of the Jesus movement in Southern California, and these bands would form. And so, I was at a home Bible study with a group of friends, and a couple of them were very talented musicians. One played guitar and wrote a song. And another was a flutist, right? So, they were doing this song, and we're all singing along. And I'm kind of like keeping rhythm on the little dining room table... not dining room, coffee table. So, they said, "Let's form a band". So, they came up with a name for their band. Next thing we knew, we're at Calvary Chapel in a packed house, and I'm in a band. I'm thinking, "How did I get up here"? I had a conga drum.

So, my friend who plays guitar sang the song. My friend who plays the flute, played his flute. And I'm banging on a conga drum out of rhythm. And I'm thinking, "I am not called to do this". You see, process of elimination, and sometimes by just trying, you find out that's not what you're called to do. But then you might be shocked to find out it is what you're called to do. So, here's another one, God has given some the gift of encouraging others. Look at verse 8, "If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging," I love that. It said, okay, if you're called to encourage others, sometimes called the gift of exhortation, well then, be encouraging. You know, I think that some people believe they actually have this spiritual gift of criticism. They always find things that are wrong. They're always nitpicking. They're always negative. They'll never affirm you. They'll always say, "Well, you didn't do this right. You mispronounced that word. You got this other thing wrong. You weren't on time. You messed up," always criticizing.

Paul is saying if you have this gift of exhortation or encouragement, then be encouraging. Now listen, when we exhort people, it's a word that means to encourage, but it also means sometimes to criticize. So, just learn how to criticize. You know, the Bible says, "Speak the truth in love". So, I'm gonna tell you the truth. Maybe you won't like what I'm gonna say to you, but I'm gonna say it to you because I love you and I care about you. Jesus modeled this for us perfectly in his words to the church of Ephesus. First, he compliments them. "Hey, I know you guys work hard. I know you're discerning. I know you test those who say they are apostles and are not". So, lots of compliments. "But I have this against you. You have left your first love, so remember from where you have fallen and repent and do the first works quickly".

See what Jesus did there? He started with affirmation, then he got to his moment of critique. Deposit a compliment before you make the withdrawal of a criticism. So, start with a compliment when you can. That's called productive criticism, not destructive criticism, which we have far too much of. We need people that teach and we need people that exhort. A teacher gives you the nuts and bolts of things. A teacher breaks down a text and they exposit it. They explain it in its original context, in the original languages, what it meant in the original setting in that culture, and then they apply it. But an exhorter, a person with a gift of exhortation, makes you want to do it.

So, think about it, you've gone to some messages and really insightful, and you feel like you've learned a lot. But then there's a person with the gift of exhortation and after they've spoken you think, "Man, I want to do more of that. I want to pray more, I want to share the gospel more". "I want to be a better wife". "I want to be a better husband," et cetera. The word means to correct, motivate, encourage, and stimulate. Maybe God has given you the gift of exhortation. Paul and Silas went to visit one of the churches. In Acts 14:22, "They confirmed the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith that we must, through much tribulation, enter into the Kingdom of God". Sometimes you've heard messages that help you to just keep pressing on. You know, you're really discouraged, you're really down, and that message just lifted you up. And it helped you to get your eyes back on the Lord.

Again, these are all very important gifts. Now, there's the gift of giving, a spiritual gift of giving. Romans 12:8, "If your gift is giving, then give generously". Now let me say, before I address this gift, every believer should give of their finances to the Lord. This is clearly taught in scripture. In fact, in the book of Malachi God says, "Test me in this, says the Lord, bring your tithes into the storehouse, and watch what I will do. Because if you will do this, I will open up the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that you cannot receive". But then he begins by saying, "Have you robbed God"? And someone says, "How have we robbed God"? And he says, "In your tithes and offerings". Look, the money that God gives to you is from him. The very breath you draw in your lungs is from him. You should take a percentage.

The word "tithe" means 10%. You should take a percentage of your income and give it back to the kingdom of God. And when you do that, you're laying up for yourself treasures in heaven. And know this, God will never be your debtor. And you cannot out-give God. But that's not what Paul's talking about. He's talking about a person with a specific gift of giving. And he says, "If you have the gift of giving, be generous. Give with no thought of repayment," you just give it.

The story is told of Billy Graham in a church, and the offering was being received. And the bag passed by, and Billy dropped in $50. But he meant to drop in a $5 bill. And he was a little shocked, but he couldn't take it back. And he said to Ruth, "Oh, well, at least it was for the Lord, you know, I gave it to the Lord". And Ruth says, "God's only given you credit for $5 because that's all you intended to give," that's pretty funny. Be generous, be a generous person. And by the way, you don't have to be wealthy to have the gift of giving because it might be finances, it might be another area. You're just a giving person. You're the person that goes the extra mile. You're the person that notices another individual's need, and you give to them. That's a beautiful gift, it's a spiritual gift, and if you have it, use that gift.

And we're gonna look at one more gift in this message, the gift of showing kindness and mercy. See, we miss this one. We see the teacher, we see the preacher, we see the evangelists, we might even see the giver or the exhorter. But here's a person that works behind the scenes, but oh my, what a valuable gift this is. Romans 12:8, "If you have a gift for showing kindness, do it gladly". These are people who have a supernatural ability to show mercy and kindness to those who are in need. It might be showing compassion to a person who's older, or maybe in a hospital bed. Listen, if you're in a hospital bed and you're discouraged and down, you don't necessarily need someone with the gift of teaching or evangelism. Well, maybe you do but really what you could use is someone with a gift of mercy, someone who would sit down behind you and take you by the hand and say, "I'm here for you, and I'm praying for you". And that's a beautiful gift.

I believe my wife has this gift. She just has this way of connecting with people and caring and showing empathy. And maybe you have that gift. So, these are just some of the gifts of the Spirit. There are many more I did not talk about. All of them are important. Remember, I reminded you there's a complete list in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians chapter 4. Read over those gifts and say, "Lord, have you given me one of these gifts"? Listen, here's what I'm encouraging you to do. Take a bold step of faith, leave your comfort zone, and volunteer for everything. The main thing is just get out there and serve the Lord. "I will do that. Let me try that. I'm willing to take a risk". Maybe you'll fail, okay? But I would rather try and fail than never try at all. I like to call it failing forward which means I learn from my mistakes, okay?

"I won't do that again or next time I teach, I'm going to prepare more," as I step into that position of talking to people about Jesus or whatever it is. You have gifts that God has given to you. It might be a musical gift. It might be an artistic ability. You might be good at crunching numbers. You might be a great visionary, but not very good with nuts and bolts. Then again, you might be more of a detail person. Everyone has a role to play. "These are the walls of Sparta," said the king. I could say for our ministry, these are the walls of Harvest. You have a role to play. You have something you can do, and we want you to find that gift, develop that gift, and use that gift because there's so much to do.