St. Andrews URC, Canterbury

Sunday 4th April 2018

The Spirit as Giver.

1 Cor 12:1-11

What is the best present you have ever had?

Geology hammer when I was 16

Bible when I left St. Andrews

Gary Chapman Love languages …….

Words of affirmation

Acts of Service

Receiving of gifts

Quality time

Physical touch

LUKE 11 11-13

11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f]a fish, will give him a snake instead?12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Need to understand the HS and the gifts of the HS is good.

Jesus says the spirit is given and Paul speaks of the gifts being distributed buy the spirit.

What I feel compelled to share with you today is the word ………

St.Andrew’s seek the giver not just the gift.

At my 50th I was blessed with loads of gifts. I didn’t ask for them but they were given freely because people wanted to bless me.

Think for a moment what it wold be like if I’d just taken the gifts and not thanked the giver.

Story of when I received the gift of tongues.

Prayed for years.

Rom 8:26

Inthesame way,theSpirithelps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, buttheSpirithimselfintercedesfor us through wordless groans.

Story of G. – It’s not about trying harder it’s about letting go.

So we have to ask ourselves do we seek God’s presence or his presents?

The church in Corinth was in trouble

It had the problems with:

Immorality 1 Cor 5

Immaturity 1 Cor 2 We have more books and information available to us and yet we are still immature. You look at the church in other parts of the world and you see them living spriti empowered lives that produce fruit.

Immortality 1 Cor 15

Would this be a church you would join? If you were looking around would you join up?

This is where they were at. We look at them and think they were in a pretty poor place yet Paul was convinced God wanted them to be filled with the spirit and he wanted to pour out his gifts upon them.

What does the fact that God gives gifts tell us about his character?

  1. He is generous. It was a long time ago and a man called John Jury who used to worship hear who taught me that we can never out give God. He was one of the most generous people I have ever come across but he used ot say ‘We can never out give God’. He gave his son, he gave his spirit and he gives us his word to teach us and train us in all righteousness. Everything we need to live life is here in the pages of this book. John 3:16, luke 11:11
  2. He cares for his creation He doesn’t abandon his creation to get by on its own.
  3. He cares for his peopleeg the church they are for the mutual upbuilding of the body v7 and 1 Cor 14:12 Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit,try to excel in those that build upthe church.

So what about these gifts?

  1. They are supernatural – v7 the manifestation of the spirit. Remember our faith is a supernatural faith.
  2. Each Christian is given gifts. V7 TO EACH ONE. He doesn’t say its just for elders or apostles, its for the special Christians its for each of us.
  3. There is a time and a place. V11 as he determines.