Pentecost — Spiritual Gifts

Pentecost 2020 – COVID 19

Have you ever had a job that you were completely unsuited for? 

One year I took a job doing data entry for medical billing for a company providing psychological services to seniors in long-care facilities. We had just moved, I and I knew I was probably only a year away from seminary, so I wasn’t really looking for a career job. A neighbor told me this place was hiring and I got the job. 

I was not very good at that job. I am just not made to deal with data day in and day out. I could never get very fast at it. I would much rather be talking to the therapists on the phone about other aspects of the work.  Luckily for me my boss decided that rather than fire me for being such a lousy medical coder, they’d make me the office manager to I could put more of my administrative and relational gifts to use. 

While it’s definitely not the job for me, I give God thanks for all those people who love dealing with data, and numbers, and who can do things like medical billing to help us get our insurance to pay for the procedures that we need when we go to the doctor. 

It should be no surprise that different people have different gifts, skills, abilities, passions, and personalities. We need all sorts of different skill sets in order to make the world go ‘round. 

But this is true not just for the business world. It’s true in our deepest vocation, both in our jobs and in our areas of ministry. The root word of Vocation – Vocare – means to call, and so our vocation and our ministries are meant to be our Calling. What are you called to? 

Our passage today from 1st Corinthians talks about some of the different Spiritual gifts given to believers by the Holy Spirit that help followers of Jesus serve Christ in their own unique way. 

After his resurrection and ascension, Jesus told the disciples were told to wait in Jerusalem until they had received power from on high. Then on the Jewish Festival Day of Pentecost, Shavuot, power from the Holy Spirit enflamed each one of them, and they were able to speak in different languages. As they boldly went out into Jerusalem, crowded with pilgrims from many different places, each could hear the great deeds of God being praised in their own language.  

On Pentecost, the miraculous gift of tongues put to use in a powerful way. All the Gifts of the Spirit are miraculous in their own way, which is especially evident as they are used to build up the body of Christ to do Christ’s work in the world.

When we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, we receive the Holy Spirit in us, and the Spirit endows each believer with spiritual gifts. It’s up to us to unwrapped them and begin to use them. Pentecost is sometimes called the “Birthday” of the Church. Well, if that’s the case, then we’re the ones who have received the gifts!

In our passage this morning, Paul lists quite a few spiritual gifts. Besides tongues and the interpretation of tongues, he includes wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, and discernment. And there are many other gifts outlined in other biblical passages. These include 

Teaching, Administration, Exhortation, Shepherding, Mercy, Leadership, Evangelism, Music, Craftsmanship, Artistry, Helps, Singleness, Giving, Hospitality, Humor, Martyrdom, and more. 

Of course, that last one, Martyrdom, is a gift that can really only be used Once! 

Do you know what your Spiritual Gifts are? If you’ve taken one of our Spiritual Gift classes, or served on the vestry in the last few years, you’ve been asked to take a Spiritual Gift inventory. I included a couple of inventories in the weekly email that went out on Friday this week.  If you don’t have a sense for your spiritual gifts, now would be a good time to discover them. The church and the mission of God are going to need everyone’s gifts as we figure out what our “New Normal” will look like as we move through and beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

Depending on the Spiritual Gift Assessment, some of my gifts move ranking a bit, but generally, my top gifts are Faith, Leadership, Apostleship, and Administration, … With Exhortation, Teaching,  Shepherding, and Hospitality coming up pretty high too. 

I’m not going to take time this morning to talk about all the various kinds of Spiritual Gifts… although I’m glad to recommend some websites or books for you if you want to learn more. I want to talk with you about what spiritual gifts are and what they are for, Why you would want to know your gifts, why its important the Christians use their gifts, and how it benefits us as individuals and as a community. 

Paul says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” 

At the end of the passage he uses the analogy of the body. “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

Later, Paul says, Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.

…if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?”

I recently read a beautiful story told by Gary Inrig in his book, Life in His Body.

“Several years ago, two students graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The highest ranking student in the class was a blind man named Overton and, when he received his honor, he insisted that half the credit should go to his friend, Kaspryzak. They had met one another in school when the armless Mr. Kaspryzak had guided the blind Mr. Overton down a flight of stairs. This acquaintance ripened into friendship and a beautiful example of interdependence. The blind man carried the books which the armless man read aloud in their common study, and thus the individual deficiency of each was compensated for by the other. After their graduation, they planned to practice law together.”

This shows in a tangible way what it’s like as we come together in the Body of Christ. We need each member of the Body exercising their particular gift. Working together we can do great things for God.

So here are some things we know about the Gifts of the Spirit:

  • When we receive the Spirit in baptism, we receive the gifts

  • They are given by God, as God chooses. We don’t get to pick our gifts. 

  • No gifts are better than others… they are just different. Some are “out front” and “Out loud” gifts like Teaching and Leadership, others are “behind the scenes” and “Quiet” like helps, mercy or healing. 

  • No one has all the gifts

  • Everyone has at least one, and most people have a whole set of gifts that work together. 

When you discover, develop and deploy your Spiritual Gifts in service to God.

  • You will feel fulfilled, in flow with God’s Spirit, and effective. The results are usually more than you could have accomplished all by yourself. God will be able to do great things through your work and you join with other members of the body. 

  • On the other hand, When you try to serve outside of your areas of giftedness, you can often feel depleted, ineffective, and out of synch. Maybe you’ve had that experience. It can be disheartening because you wanted to serve, but somehow ended up serving in an area that was not the best fit. It can make you feel like you have nothing to offer. But that isn’t true. You just need the right fit, and maybe some practice and growth in your gift area. 

So one thing that is good about knowing your areas of giftedness is that you can say Yes or No to opportunities in ministry without guilt. Let’s say you know that you don’t have gifts in administration. If someone asks you to organize a church event, you can, without any guilt at all say, “I’m sorry, No. organization and administration are not my gifts. But, I do have gifts in Hospitality and Prayer. Would those gifts be helpful for this effort?”  

Another important thing to remember, is that While we all have different Gifts of the Spirit that vary, we are all supposed to exhibit ALL of the Fruits of the Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit is what Grows in our life when we allow God’s Spirit to continually form and transform us. 

In Galatians, Paul says “the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, generosity, and self-control.”  So, it’s not like I can Say, “I’ll take the Love, Joy & Peace, and you take the Patience, Generosity and Self-Control!” 

When the Holy Spirit is active in our lives, ALL this fruit continually blossoms and grows in our lives. 

The main thing to remember with this talk about the Gifts of the Spirit, is that it is not about Doing – Doing more for the church or doing more for God. It’s about Being. It’s about discovering and Being the person God imagined you to be when God created you.  When we understand our beloved-ness as Children of God and members of Christ’s Own Body, then the Gifts God’s Holy Spirit has given us are released to be a blessing to us and to others. 

Let me end by sharing a famous poem by Marianne Williamson that some of you may have heard before. It was quoted by Nelson Mandela in one of his famous speeches.

Our Greatest Fear —Marianne Williamson

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,talented and fabulous?Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you.We were born to make manifest the glory ofGod that is within us.It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,we unconsciously give other peoplepermission to do the same.As we are liberated from our own fear,Our presence automatically liberates others.—Marianne Williamson

When you unwrap and deploy the Gifts of the Spirit God has set within you, you Shine, and give glory to God. Amen. 

Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

[Other Languages]

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

`In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,and your old men shall dream dreams.

Even upon my slaves, both men and women,in those days I will pour out my Spirit;and they shall prophesy.

And I will show portents in the heaven aboveand signs on the earth below,blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

The sun shall be turned to darknessand the moon to blood,before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.

Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "

Psalm 104:25-35, 37

25 O Lord, how manifold are your works! *in wisdom you have made them all;the earth is full of your creatures.

26 Yonder is the great and wide seawith its living things too many to number, *creatures both small and great.

27 There move the ships,and there is that Leviathan, *which you have made for the sport of it.

28 All of them look to you *to give them their food in due season.

29 You give it to them; they gather it; *you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.

30 You hide your face, and they are terrified; *you take away their breath,and they die and return to their dust.

31 You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *and so you renew the face of the earth.

32 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; *may the Lord rejoice in all his works.

33 He looks at the earth and it trembles; *he touches the mountains and they smoke.

34 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; *I will praise my God while I have my being.

35 May these words of mine please him; *I will rejoice in the Lord.

37 Bless the Lord, O my soul. *Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

John 7:37-39

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 

From Psalm 139: 1, 12-13

O LORD, you have searched me and known me… For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.

Romans 12:4-8 

For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Ephesians 4:7-13 

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. … The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.   

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 

1 Corinthians 12: 27-31  

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.   And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.   Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?   Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?   But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. Love

Exodus 31:1-11 

The LORD spoke to Moses:

See, I have called [him] by name… and I have filled him with divine spirit, with ability, intelligence, and knowledge in every kind of craft, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, in every kind of craft. Moreover, I have appointed with him [others] of the tribe of Dan; and I have given skill to all the skillful, so that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the covenant, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and the pure lamp stand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, and the finely worked vestments, the holy vestments for the priest Aaron and the vestments of his sons, for their service as priests, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the holy place. They shall do just as I have commanded you.

Psalm 150

 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!

 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!

 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!

 Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

 Let everything that breathes praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

1 Peter 4:10-11

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. Administration

Apostle

Battle

Craftsmanship - Artist 

Discernment

Evangelism

Exhortation

Exorcism

Faith

Giving

Healings

Helps

Hospitality

Humor

Intercessory Prayer

Knowledge

Leadership

Martyrdom

Mercy

Miracles

Missionary

Music

Pastor

Poverty

Prophecy

Service

Singleness

Suffering

Teaching

Tongues - Interpretation

Tongues - Prayer Language

Wisdom

What are spiritual gifts?

Spiritual Gifts are special, extraordinary abilities God gives 

to build up the body of Christ, the church, for ministry to its members and, through its members, the world.

Spiritual Gifts are not:

  • Acquired skills or natural talents

  • Expected Roles or Particular Offices or Orders (ie, a “Pastor” may or may not have a strong gift of “pastoring”) 

  • For self-gain or divisive

  • The same for everyone

Spiritual Gifts are:

  • Unmerited Blessings from God

  • Means for discovering God’s will

  • Means and guarantees for effective Christian service

  • Revelation of the presence of the Risen Christ