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Sermon #3315

Spiritual Gifts (4)

A Sermon on Romans 12:7-8

Originally preached March 4, 1966

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Scripture

Romans 12:7-8 ESV KJV
if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (ESV)

Sermon Description

How does God ensure that the church is equipped for its mission? In this passage of Scripture, the apostle Paul tells that it is by the Holy Spirit giving gifts to those in the church. Some are given the gift of teaching and others the gift of giving. In this sermon on Romans 12:7–8 titled “Spiritual Gifts (4),” the important thing is that every Christian only seek to use the gifts God has actually given them, not what they want. He says that there is great danger in Christians trying to do things for which they have not been gifted. Those who do not have the gift of teaching ought not to seek to be teachers because they are doomed to fail. Christians are to trust in Jesus that He has granted them the gifts that are best for them and for the church as a whole. God in His wisdom gives all Christians what they need to be faithful servants of Jesus Christ.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The apostle Paul is dealing with the gifts of the Spirit and how they should be used in Romans 12:7-8.
  2. The first gift mentioned is prophecy. Those with the gift of prophecy should prophesy in proportion to their faith. Prophecy involves direct, immediate inspiration.
  3. The second gift is ministry or service. This refers to the general business and administration of the church. Those with this gift should serve.
  4. The third gift is teaching. This involves communicating instruction and is the result of study and preparation. Those with the gift of teaching should teach.
  5. The fourth gift is exhortation. This involves encouraging, rebuking, rousing, and stimulating others. It appeals to the heart and will. Those with the gift of exhortation should exhort.
  6. The fifth gift is giving. This refers to giving to meet the needs of others. Those with the gift of giving should give with simplicity, purity of motive, and without seeking publicity.
  7. The sixth gift is ruling or governing. This involves presiding over and taking care of the church. Those with the gift of ruling should rule with diligence.
  8. The seventh gift is showing mercy. This involves ministering to the suffering, distressed, and afflicted. Those with the gift of showing mercy should show mercy with cheerfulness.
  9. The overall point is that each person should exercise the particular gift they have been given and not covet other gifts. All gifts are equally from the Spirit.

The Book of Romans

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.