Spiritual Gifts: The SOURCE of gifts

Who is picked for the game?

God chooses us for his team, we don’t earn our position. In 1 Peter 1:1-2, Peter refers to God’s people as ‘God’s elect… who have been chosen’. In 1 Peter 4:10, Peter says that our gifts are given by God, and received by us. Hence, we are chosen for his team and we don’t even have the abilities we need to play on this team until he gives the ability to help the team. This means there can be no boasting about our gifts, they are given and received. I am on the winning team not because I play so well, but because God picked and equipped the right team. This also means that no one is indispensible. If your minister were to die or be sent out for mission do you really think the gates of hell are going to overcome our church? If this happened at St Philips church, where I serve, there are at least 5 guys who could step up and preach the gospel and lead us. Sure we might need more training, but we could do it. No one is indispensable (but remember everyone is needed).

Last week I was running with my mate Chris Thompson. He grew up in Bathurst and he was telling me about the church that he grew up in which was started in 1994. I asked how it started and he said that a bunch of families just got together and formed a little community around the gospel and that’s how it started. No minister, no one getting paid, no one with formal training. Just a bunch of people who loved one another and who spoke the story of Christ into one another’s lives. So why bother have a minister? Because his job is to equip us to do what we do better. That little community in Bathurst was good enough, but they realised in a couple of years that they needed someone to coach them as they played the game. The point: no one is indispensible, but everyone is needed. God equips his church. Should we loose someone to death or we send them out for mission, the gates of hell are not going to overcome us.

God has chosen us to be on his team, and given us talents to play the game. Sadly some people sit on the bench fearing getting hurt or injured or being too tired or getting too close to people or getting dirty. Others stay in the stands thinking they have no gifts and never chat to the coach to find out what position they are built for. Sadly sometimes coaches are so busy that they forget to go and find those players which are urgently needed but who think they are useless. Others are just lazy: they sit in the stands with their beer and meat pie watching the game. Still others have been incredibly gifted yet hang back on the sideline. Once in a while they will move forward and score a goal, and everyone thinks they are a hero, because no one expected them to come and score a goal. But as soon as things get risky, they slip back to the sidelines where they are safe and go unnoticed and don’t risk getting injured or looking bad, but they are poised ready to identify their next moment of glory. This is sad. What we need are courageous players and inspiring coaches.

[This series on Spiritual Gifts belongs to the sermon titled 'Charisma (1 Peter 4:10)' which I preached at St Philips, York Street on Sunday night. You can downloaded it here or on the resource page.]