Notes of Faith May 29, 2026
Pastor’s Pen Pulpit Accountability Series
July 6, 2003
GOD AND YOUR GIFTS
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. I Peter 4:10-11
So far in this series we have considered the accountability factor regarding the use of our time, our money and finally, the use of our spiritual gifts. When God created the Body of Christ in Acts 2, it was His purpose for that body to grow and to project an accurate portrayal of Jesus Christ to the world of men. This growth is to take place both in quantity and quality. God placed within that body the elements that would properly facilitate both dimensions of that growth. Those elements are called spiritual gifts or spiritual abilities. The way these spiritual abilities are activated and utilized is through the members of the Body of Christ.
Every believer receives at least one spiritual gift at the moment of salvation, “as each one has received” our text tells us. Every person is important in this thing called ministry. God does not leave the job of building the Body of Christ to professionals. This is seen very graphically in I Corinthians 12 where the “each one” concept is stressed.
“Employ it (your gift) in serving one another.” As you have received the gift, minister or use that gift toward the building up of others. A body member that is non-functional is non-productive. A non-productive member means that there is a void, a lack in the congregation.
The non-function of some members can impair a total ministry. The reason many churches aren’t functioning efficiently is because some believers feel they are not important. Someone else has to pick up the slack. No one can do your job as well as you. The church needs your ministry (I Corinthians 12:7). Two things are necessary in becoming an efficient body member: 1) determine the nature of your gift and delight in it (Psalm 37:4), and 2) develop that gift.
We must rely on God’s strength to minister our gift. Speaking gifts are to be centered in the Word of God and serving gifts are to be ministered according to God’s ability. This means that, while gifts can be exercised in the power of our flesh, they will be effective to the extent that they are energized by God the Holy Spirit. This means also that there will be varying degrees of effectiveness within the ministry of the gifts. This means that you are not to get up tight if someone else in the congregation seems to be more effective in the use of their gift of administration than you are in your gift of administration – or teaching or whatever gift (Corinthians 12:4-7).
The inevitable result when our gifts are used properly is that God will be glorified. And how will this come about? In Ephesians 3:20-21 we see that - 1) we are HIS people, 2) these are HIS gifts, 3) it is HIS Word that qualifies one to speak, and 4) it is with HIS ability that we serve.
God has given each of us a responsibility for which we are personally accountable. Are we concerned enough to pursue an interest in our great task of building the body? God bless.
Serving Him together,
Pastor Charles Covington
Rom 12:3-18
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Use of our spiritual gifts should produce the fruit of the Spirit…
Gal 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control…
Eph 4:11-13
He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
The gift(s) of every believer in the church are to be used for other believers to strengthen the body of Christ. When the use of gifts are undeveloped, ignored, not used at all, the church suffers and is not as healthy as it could be if the believer with these gifts used them for the sake of everyone else in the body.
2 Tim 1:6-7
For this reason, I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
Phil 2:1-4
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Love God! Love others!
Pastor Dale