I. Introduction
A. Ear Wiggling
1. It is thought that only 15% of the population can wiggle their ears on purpose. Weird fact.
a. It involves the use of muscles known as auricular muscles, which are three muscles that connect the outer ear to the skull and scalp.
b. While this may not be the greatest ability of all time, not everyone can do it.
2. The same is true of the spiritual gifts in the church.
a. God has blessed each of us with something that is meant to benefit the church for the growth of the church and to glorify God.
b. Not everyone can do what you do for God.
B. Review
1. Defining spiritual gifts
a. Even though we primarily think of spiritual gifts in terms of being miraculous, they still exist today, though they are not miraculous.
b. Spiritual Gifts are abilities, talents, and skills that are God-given for the purpose of building up the body of Christ to glorify God.
2. Discerning
a. Why is it important to identify your gift? Because it is a matter of your faith.
b. We are not meant to consume only; we are meant to contribute.
3. As we continue our study this morning, let’s look at two things related to equipping ourselves for service so that we can receive the blessing of growing in love as we read in Ephesians 4:15-16.
II. Finding Your Place
A.
1. God designed the church with in mind.
2. When we examine 1 Corinthians 12, we find two problems:
a. In verses 12-20, Paul deals with the issue of self-.
i. We should not undervalue ourselves in the eyes of God.
ii. There is a blessing God has given to you that He desires for you to use.
b. In verses 21-24, Paul deals with the issue of self-.
i. We sometimes struggle to see the importance of people’s gifts that differ from our own.
ii. Pride creates division, not unity.
3. When we consider our place in the body of Christ, we must see it with the understanding that we are simply instruments through which God does His work.
4. God wants us to learn how to use our diverse gifts and backgrounds to the church.
5. In our theme passage for the year, Paul says that the church can grow only when each part is doing its part. (Eph 4:15-16)
B.
1. One of the reasons we might struggle with finding our spiritual gift is that we think we have to be at it right away.
a. People like Moses and Gideon didn’t think of themselves as leaders, but God did.
b. God worked through them; they didn’t achieve the things they did on their own.
2. Even if we are gifted with a natural gift, we still need to that skillset within the church to bring glory to God.
3. Illustration: In most careers that require some kind of licensure, there is a requirement to continue learning (teachers, medical professionals, etc.).
4. Even the young preacher Timothy was told that he needed to continue developing his skill set.
a. 1 Timothy 1:18; 4:7; 4:14-16; 2 Timothy 1:6
b. Roper observes that Timothy’s gift was most likely a reference to his role as a minister.
5. As we develop our gift, we see more opportunities to serve and we find more fulfillment in the body.
III. Conclusion
A. Maturity
1. Each of us has something we can do that brings glory to God, but God expects us to use it in service to others.
2. We should appreciate the fact that everyone has something they can contribute without thinking too highly about what we contribute and dismissing what others do.
3. We should strive to develop our gift(s) to help the body reach its full potential.
B. Invitation