I Corinthians 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Gifts are the tools that God gives us to build His kingdom with supernatural grace.
Love is the way that these gifts are to be administered.
Don't Be Fooled
I Corinthians 12:31
But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
The higher gifts are those that build up others in love. As an example, Paul teaches about the gift of tongues, which God gives you as a prayer language to build yourself up, unless there is an interpretation so that others may be edified (I Corinthians 14:1-5).
The gifts of God can cause us to be a distraction if used improperly. A resounding gong or a clanging cymbal are distractions unless they are played in harmony with the rest of the orchestra. You need to be unified with your local church and find ways to play in concert. When used properly, these instruments were effective in times of war to call people to arms.
The gifts of God can cause us to think that we are something in the sight of God and man when we are not. Love allows prophetic revelation to be utilized for the strengthening, encouragment and comfort of other believers as we look to serve God together (I Corinthians 14:3). It allows the possessor of knowledge to come as a servant to those by whom they are surrounded to engender a greater love for Jesus and others expressed through obedience to God's holy commands (I Corinthians 8:1-3). Love motivates those with the gift of faith to roll up their sleeves in the trenches with those who need mountains moved. Those with the gift of faith begin calling upon God faithfully in prayer, repeatedly declaring the promises of His Word and contributing to life-transforming action until the mountains of life are moved. What matters is being able to (as we did with Christ) see your "blood on the ground" - how like Christ in humble service, your life, time, resources and efforts have been utilized to directly impact others' lives through Christ's church. This is where you are transformed from a pundit into a participant in the kingdom.
The gifts of God can cause you to think that you will have or deserve a reward that is not truly yours. Love is the motivation through which God honors our sacrifices (Matthew 6).
Double Down on Love
I Corinthians 13:4-6
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
If I don't have these character traits in my interaction with family members, co-workers, church family and the community on a daily basis, I am missing God and what He requires. Our focus on not just what, but how things need to be done is just as important to God.
Don't Be Worried You Missed It
I Corinthians 13:8-13
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
How do I know I haven't missed my chance to walk in the gifts of God?
"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face."
"Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
When we meet God in judgement, as Christians it will be in the righteousness Jesus Christ made available to us through His sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. As now on earth we've put our faith in Christ and chosen to love Him, we will then bow humbly, seeing Jesus face to face, knowing Him fully (I Corinthians 15:50-58). No Christian can say that they are walking with God in the body yet, able to see Him face to face (II Corinthians 5:1-10) or know Him fully at this point. We have the Word of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to both prepare us and strengthen us for that time to come.
How can I discover my gifts?
- Find an outlet for your natural skills within and through your church.
- Pray. Ask God for the greater supernatural gifts that point people to the truth of Jesus' gospel and build others up in Christ. (Come to the training for a practicum.)
- Ask what needs to be done, not just what I want to do. God gives gifts to meet the needs of His people, His church, His kingdom and world, not just our interests. If you haven't found your gifts, it may be that you are not looking for the actual needs. Don't hold out until you see where you prefer to use your skills.
I Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
Childish thinking causes me to think only about doing what I want, when I want, not what Mom and Dad had to do to run a household in love.
“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
- John F. Kennedy
4. Commit to doing everything in love and God will make you aware of your gifts that will actually be useful in building His church and kingdom.
Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Second City Church- Gifted Sermon Series - Rollan Fisher 2017