SCRIPTURE: Acts 8:14-17, 1 for. 12:1-11
TEXT: 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good THEME: God gives us gifts through the Spirit so we can participate in accomplishing God’s common good. INTRODUCTION The last series of sermons snow balled with the Reign of Christ. It packed up more snow with the Advent themes of the Reign of Peace, the Reign of Hope, The Reign of Love and the Reign of Joy. Then at Christmas we considered in the incarnate God that needed to be hanai by us, in the care of a woman to mother him. Christmas means that the Reign of Christ is every day. So, we dress like it, our identity is informed by our adoption into the family of God, and lastly, we are included to live in the community of believes, Jews and Gentiles, and an avalanche of People forming the church. For a long time, the church has been about making more believers and focused on a set of tenants to know and believe. Like a pyramid marketing strategy to convert more people. I have to admit, that I have never been very good at converting people. I began to wonder, “What is this evangelized army of believers supposed to do besides replicate themselves?” This is when we became a Pilot Church in the New Creation Initiative. We study the Bible to discover Good News, then asked how our lives might change because of this good new. Secondly, we look at stewardship not as a fund-raising drive, but the uses of the gifts of God in the way that God would like them to be used. More like the steward in charge of running a household while the master is gone. Then lastly, we behaved as the people of God with each other, we practice; respect, listening, believing, withholding condemnation, grace, forgiveness, faith and reconciliation. Okay one more thing we spent time observing and meditating on what God was doing around and among us to discern the will of God and then to figure out what God was calling us to do. This was a shift of gears for us, from evangelizing an army for God, to becoming missional as we take action in what God was calling us to participate in, as we discerned what God was doing. SCRIPTURE This long introduction is because, looking at the passage from Acts, we can see how the believers in Samaria were content with their personal salvation of knowledge and belief. But Christianity is not just for an inward transformation but also invites us to join God in what God is doing in the world. This is the outward or missional component to faith that takes more talent, skill, energy, ability and varieties of services, than what we can do on our own. We need each other and the Holy Spirit in each of us to do this. Peter and John see this when they get to Samaria and pray and lay their hand on them to receive the Holy Spirit so they can move from just believing, into action in Mission with God. The Apostle Paul addresses the continued formations and evolution of the people of God, as a church community, with the Holy Spirit, in his letter to the Corinthians. Remember, the gifts of the Spirit are for us to participate in what God is doing in mission. Power can be very seductive. Even the power given to us by the Spirit to do God’s work. We are easily tempted to use power for ourselves, to get what we want, rather than to use the power God gives to us for the ‘common Good’ (12:7) of what God wants. The Gifts of the Spirit are to be used in mission; for varieties of services that buildup of the people of God. Magic, idols, gods, soothsayers are ways that we want to have power over things so we can have our way in the world. But God’s Spirit is given to us so that we have the ability to participate in accomplishing God’s designs in our world that are liberating, missional, relational and transformational. This is the difference from our individual salvation, to participating in the gifted building of the Community of God. So, we look at the Spirit’s gifts in ways that build community, relationships and self-confidence. Inexpressible joy bubbles over in the proclamation that “Jesus is Lord”. Taking the facts of the matter and applying them in wise ways, Having insights into the present situation. Varied gifts, varied opportunities of service, and varied activities. No one person has all of the gifts, and no one is without any (12:7). We can have a combination of gifts that are unique to us, for what God is calling us to do. Gifted does not mean perfect but as with any talent, we have a propensity in that direction and can accomplish a level of proficiency in it, that is just what is needed by the community of God’s people to take action in God’s mission. There is no comprehensive list of the Gifts of the Spirit in the Bible because they could not possibly list them all and they come and go as they are needed for God mission to be accomplished through us. There are also new ones that come up as they are needed. Over the years I have considered praying as a spiritual gift as well as preaching, although these are not listed on any gift list. One last observation on this passage. We have a talkative God. Idols don’t give us flack, but our God does. God speaks to reveal God’s will and continues to speak to keep us engaged in what God is doing. APPLICATION The Holy Spirit gifts the church, to take action in rich varieties of services. What activities are we gifted for, to accomplish for God? My Family arrived on Maui on January 15, 1991. That was my first day as the Pastor of Wailuku Union Church, 31 years ago. We have been on a journey together for a long time. Over that time, God has brought varieties of services to the church: a roofer, contractor, retired Army officer, banker, attorney, purchase order clerk, affordable housing expert, architect, tree trimmers, grant writers, the wise, good listeners, church consultant, generous givers, strong backs, gifts of faith, stubborn pastor, and fund raisers. Each for the time that they have been here, were empowered by God to participate in the mission of God. Musicians, singers, worshipers, prayers, and healers, too. I remember people saying that this church has a healing ministry. I tried to see if there was someone in our congregation like Benny Hinn who had the gift of healing, but it was not evident. What was evident was when the church prayed there were people who were healed. It was not the power of any one gifted individual. Which brings me to another point. We have no power on our own, we are only stewards of God’s power through us. CONCLUSION The other night I played a board game called the Chicken Game. The chicks have run away. A lone chicken makes the journey back to the chicken coop. Players take turn on a spinner and counts the steps, to a sheep, dog, fox, tractor or pig and the path home. For each step they take, the same number of chicks are gathered off the board and placed in the hen house. The goal is to gather all of the chicks and place them in the hen house before the chicken gets there. Each player contributes something towards this goal. At the end, when the hen arrives at the chicken coop all of the chicks are there, and everybody wins. It is a cooperative game with no individual winner. Interesting concept, playing a game where the varied contribution of each player makes all of the players the winners together. This is how our gifts of the Spirit work. They enable us to make a contribution, that adds to the accomplishment of varieties of services which the church needs, in achieving God’s mission. The community of God, the church all wins together.
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