How many of you just absolutely love picking out unique gifts for the people in your life? How many of you would rather give your people a gift card or just have them tell you exactly what they want – what color, what size, and any other detail they want included? That’s me. If you’re like me and you prefer to give gift cards or just ask the person what they want, it might be because you’re lazy. Or it might be because, like me, you just don’t want them to be disappointed in the gift you give them.

But imagine that you’re the perfect gift-giver. You know exactly what the people in your life need. And you know how to give them something that makes them come alive and it makes the lives of everyone around them better too. But how heart-breaking would it be if you were the perfect gift-giver and the gifts you gave were never used or at least they weren’t being fully utilized?

‍What are you doing with the gifts God has given you?‍

One of the main reasons we’re doing this series on The Holy Spirit is because we want you to see what a gift it is to have the Spirit of God in us, on us, guiding us, and empowering us. And today I want to turn our attention to the gifts of the Spirit or what are also called, spiritual gifts.

My teaching flow is different today than normal. I want to look at the four main passages that give us insight into spiritual gifts. We’ll look at all four of them and then I’ll summarize what spiritual gifts are, why we have them, what we’re supposed to do with them. Then we’ll finish our time by looking at a real-life example of how they were used in a church community and what happened as a result. And it’s my hope and prayer that today’s teaching will light a fire in us as we begin to imagine what the future of Epic Church could look like as we come to understand and activate our spiritual gifts.‍

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Romans 12:3-8 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. If it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Ephesians 4:11-13 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 

1 Peter 4:10-11 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

These lists on spiritual gifts are not exhaustive, but there is quite a bit of overlap. Let me summarize some things we can and should know about spiritual gifts.‍

Spiritual Gifts – Abilities given by the Holy Spirit that enable us to serve the Christian community and beyond ‍

When it comes to all of our spiritual gifts, it is important to know what is different and what is the same. ‍

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Different kinds of gifts, same Spirit. Different kinds of service, same Lord. Different kinds of working, same God. (Romans 12:6) We are part of one body, but we have different gifts.‍

Every Christian receives at least one spiritual gift.

When you use your spiritual gift, the church is built up and grows stronger.

Ephesians 4:12-13‍

If no one is helped by you using your gift, then it’s not a spiritual gift.‍

Your gift isn’t about you having an ecstatic experience. It’s about others receiving what God intends to give them – through you. (1 Peter 4:10 – Use the gift you have received to serve others.)‍

You cannot boast about gifts you have received.

Romans 12:3 Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but with sober judgment. Your gift isn’t the most important or the least important here. But each of our gifts is needed for us to fulfill God’s vision for this church. Never forget – you cannot take credit for a gift you have received from someone else. You know what you do when you get an incredible gift? You brag on the Gift-giver. Your gifts? My gifts? They’re all grace.‍

If your gift is ______________, then use it.‍

1 Peter 4 and Romans 12

Are your spiritual gifts lying dormant or are they being deployed?‍

Dormant – temporarily inactive or inoperative. 

Deployed – bring into effective action; utilize

Let’s be honest: COVID delayed or sidelined our ability to use many of the gifts we have. Don’t stay in that mode – get back into the game and start deploying your gifts.

This is a stewardship issue.

‍The question of stewardship is this: What am I doing with what I’ve been given by God?‍

This is the question when it comes to our time, when it comes to our money, and when it comes to our spiritual gifts.

What gifts has the Spirit of God given to you? What are you doing with them?‍

giftstest.com ‍

Take this test and begin to learn more about the ways God has gifted you. Invite others in to help you identity your gifts.

Now I want to show you the fun part of this. It’s one thing to learn about something, but it’s so much better when you just get to do the thing you’ve been hearing about.‍

Acts 6:1-7 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

The first church is growing and all of a sudden, widows were being overlooked when it comes to the food distribution. What are these church leaders going to do? Will they just tell these widows they can’t help them? Will they burn out by trying to do all the work themselves? Here’s what they say.

“It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.” We cannot neglect our gifts, but as a church, we cannot neglect the ministry and mission God has given to us. The same is true for us Epic Church: You cannot neglect your gift. I cannot neglect my gift. This is the beauty of the church. 

“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Full of Spirit. Full of wisdom. In other words, those who have the spiritual gifts that fit this need.

They chose them, prayed for them, and laid their hands on them. They set them apart. They knew that this ministry was important, just like their ministry was. Different gifts, same Spirit, same God working.

So what happened? I’ll tell you what happened. What happened is exactly the kind of thing that happens when the Spirit shows up and everyone in a community plays their part by deploying their gifts.

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

You know this sounds like to me? It sounds like the vision God has given us as a church being lived out.‍

The vision of Epic Church is to see an increasing number of people in San Francisco orient their entire lives around Jesus.‍

Imagine what could happen in our church if every Christian began to identity and deploy their spiritual gifts, while being filled with the Spirit of God.

One of the best way to deploy your gifts is through one of our serving teams. You can see all about our teams and sign up here:‍

epicsf.com/teams‍

God is building his church. You don’t have the power to stop that. But you do have an invitation to join in on what God is building here. If you don’t use your gifts, it’s not like we can use them…they’re YOUR gifts.‍

“With the participation of the whole congregation, a church can afford a big vision.” - Tricia Neil, From Vision to Action

‍So you tell me: As we move towards this fall, how much vision can Epic Church afford?