Lord Thank You For The Gifts
There’s something about the name Jesus, yes? When we call on the name of Jesus, He responds! His Spirit fills the place. That is how it was Sunday as the Spirit of God moved mightily as our choir helped us reflect on how good it is to know Him. Oh, how good it is to know Jesus as our Peace, Joy, Help, Way Maker, Healer, Problem Solver, Lily of the valley, and Bright and Morning Star! The choir reminded us that God has brought us all the way from January to December, and for that reason alone, we have a right to thank Him, give Him praise, and call on His name. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! No other name is as sweet. Our choir reminded us that Jesus is our Redeemer who called us out of the graves. He is the Deliverer who will always carry us through. Praise His holy name!
Not only were we encouraged through the powerful worship, but we also experienced God through His word. Pastor Denny encouraged us not to give up on the year of reaping and to expect God to move on our prayers. Next, he told us that we were transitioning from the #ThankYou series to the new #Gifted series, beginning with the sermon “Lord Thank You for the Gifts.” His foundational text was 1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT, and he told us that God has given each of us gifts from His vast variety of spiritual gifts. These gifts can be blessings to change our families, communities, or even the people who read our posts. These gifts are for us to serve people well for the glory of God.
So, just what are these gifts? Pastor Denny told us that spiritual gifts are the supernatural assets God gives to every believer to carry out his or her calling and assignments in God’s kingdom. There are motivational gifts, situational gifts, and equipping gifts. Motivational gifts are specific ways God motivates us that can often seem like they are simply extensions of our personalities. Some motivational gifts are discussed in Romans 12:2-8. Other gifts are situational gifts. Pastor Denny taught us that situational gifts are power-oriented supernatural gifts that are expressed in various situations. These gifts are not second nature, but they show up when circumstances necessitate them. Examples of situational gifts are gifts of healing, a word of wisdom, and miracles. These situational gifts and more are found in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10. Finally, there are equipping gifts, which are the five-fold ministry gifts found in Ephesians 4:11-12. Pastor Denny emphasized that the apostolic gift must touch on the other equipping gifts of teacher, prophet, evangelist, and pastor. All equipping gifts are necessary for building up the body of Christ, and when these gifts are missing from our churches, we must invite them in.
Knowing about spiritual gifts can empower us to affect positive change both inside and outside the walls of the church. APastor Denny said that we should be thankful that God chose us and gave us a gift. Now that we’ve learned we’re equipped, next week we will learn how God wants to use us in His kingdom.