Second Sunday after Epiphany – January 17, 2010

1 Corinthians 12 - Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. ² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. ⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Someone once told me about a friend they had who up until a few years ago had lived his life whatever way he wanted. He didn’t know Jesus as his Savior. He didn’t care about any of the commandments. It was eat, drink and be merry…until that is, he came into contact with the gospel. As the Holy Spirit did his miraculous work, the man’s heart, which had been opposed to God, was brought to faith. Since that time, the man had thrown himself into the work of God. Everywhere he went he passionately talked about his Savior. He became active in his congregation: with the youth, missionary work, and whatever else he could do. The person who was telling me this story was very happy for their friend, but you could still sense sadness in their voice. The reason for this came out as they asked, “Why am I not like that - on fire for my Savior? I’ve been a Christian all my life!”

Isn’t that the way it seems to go sometimes? We get into a rut and then service to our Savior seems like a burden, not a joy. We convince ourselves, whether it be laziness or on purpose, that all God really requires or expects of us is to show up in church every once in a while. If only there were some way for our souls to be energized so we could be sent on our way, equipped and empowered and excited to use our gifts and abilities to do battle in God’s kingdom! You know, to be like the Energizer Bunny, who keeps going and going and going.

Well, thanks be to God, because we do have such a high powered source of energy. It is the Holy Spirit who works powerfully in us through Word and Sacrament. The Holy Spirit is to us Christians what batteries are to toys and games. It is He who keeps us going and going and going.

Today we begin a four week series of sermons from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. As we do, let us study this particular text under the theme: Lord, Energize Me! To appreciate the gifts your Spirit has given me; to use these gifts to your glory.

So, why does Paul spend all this time talking about spiritual gifts? To understand this, we need to understand a little something about the history of this Corinthian congregation. It was on Paul’s Second Missionary journey that he came to Corinth, the leading city in Greece. He found great success as the Holy Spirit working through the gospel brought many people to faith, and so Paul stayed for a year and a half. Yet, along with this big city came big city problems. It was a breeding ground of moral filth and depravity. So much so, that if you lived in Corinth for any amount of time it was often said of you that you had been “Corinthianized” – not intended as a compliment, but as a criticism.

And it wasn’t long after Paul left Corinth that he heard of problems arising within the congregation. They had lowered their moral standards and their old heathen ways were beginning to reassert themselves. They were abusing Christian liberty; advocating sexual freedom; ready to disregard the roles God had established for men and women; and were tolerating disorderly service. Cliques had developed among them, and some claimed their gifts of the Spirit were greater and more important. They were in danger of splitting into factions. Their faith, which had bloomed so quickly and so beautifully, was fading.

I wonder, if Paul were to visit our congregation today, would he find that we are not all that much different than that 1^st Century Corinthian congregation? While it cannot be said of us that we have been “Corinthianized,” it surely can be said that we have been “Americanized” – and that not as a complement either. Sadly, like the Corinthians, we cannot claim innocence when it comes to things like our moral standards or keeping a tight rein on our tongues. Instead, we must admit that far too often we refrain from living our faith and find ourselves serving our own idols.

One of our biggest idols today is the desire and drive for free time and leisure activities. We are so intent upon worshiping and serving this god that we will do almost anything to arrange time for recreation and play. Not that leisure time is wrong; it is a gift of God’s grace. But what all too often happens is that in this desire for leisure we fail to use, or even recognize, the gifts that God has given us for service in his kingdom. Our schedules and priorities are so out of control that the gifts of the Spirit are the farthest things from our mind.

Another idol that we have become accustomed to serving in our got-to-have-everything society is materialism. To put it bluntly, we love things – and the more of them, the better. If you have difficulty believing me, go home from church today and look at all the things you have. Look in every room of the house, the basement, and the attic. Look in the garage and the shed out back. Look at everything you have and determine how much of it you really need. Could you live without it? Honesty would lead you to say yes! And yet, the fact of the matter is that, while you and I don’t really need most of these things, they have become so much a part of our lives and we have become so accustomed to having them, that we feel that we could not live without them. As a result, most if not all of our efforts go into getting more stuff or keeping the stuff that we have that we don’t even know that the Spirit has given us gifts that he expects us to use. We are so busy making the next buck that serving God’s kingdom isn’t just an afterthought, it isn’t even a thought.

Of these sins of idolatry we need to repent. They are no less serious than murder or divorce or adultery. We need to run again to the cross of our Savior Jesus Christ and confess our idolatry, confess that we have been more concerned about pleasing ourselves than glorifying him, confess that we have ignored the gifts that he has given us. Then in faith receive the forgiveness he won for us with the blood he shed. Then, in faith we also need to appreciate the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given us. Paul wrote, “I do not want you to be ignorant…to each one” the gifts of the Spirit are given. In other words, each one of us has been given a set of gifts to use in serving God and his Church. Personally stop and consider what they might be. Start pondering more often on things spiritual. First, make the use of his Word and Sacrament the highest priority in your life. Then, be active in doing what you know is pleasing to God and what he desires so that you might be able to see what your spiritual gifts are and fully appreciate the rich spiritual gifts with which he has blessed us.

And why? Why should we put ourselves second? Why should we give up doing something we want to do just to do something someone else can do? Well, just ask yourself, “Has Jesus done anything to deserve our lives of glory and praise?” Paul gives the answer, “No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” In those twelve short words Paul reminds us that God’s plan of salvation – from beginning to end – is to the credit and glory of God. He promised to send Jesus when Adam and Eve sinned. He put into motion all the events of history so that Jesus would be born at just the right time and just the right place. He placed his saving name on us in Baptism. He broke down the walls of unbelief in our heart so that faith could be created and we could become the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Just consider: Do you believe that your sins are forgiven because Jesus paid for them with his death on the cross? That’s the result of our Triune God! Do you believe that Jesus rose from the grave after being dead three days, assuring you he is the Son of God and that he won the victory over death and the devil? That’s the work of the Holy Spirit through the gospel message! Do you believe that through Jesus you have a mansion in heaven waiting for you? Do you claim Jesus as your LORD? That’s all God’s doing! So, perhaps a better question would be: “What hasn’t our God done that we should spend our lives thanking and praise, serving and obeying him?”

But do we sometimes underestimate the miracle of faith that has been performed in our lives? God has taken our lives, as corrupt and defiled as they were, with all of their sins and idol worship, and has converted us to a new life of faith in Christ. But sometimes we so take for granted our conversion, we so minimize it, that we don’t always feel the need to thank God, to say nothing of doing anything for him in return. And that’s what tends to lead to that question, “Why am I not like that – on fire for my Savior?” That’s what so easily leads to the casual approach and use of our gifts.

That brings us back to Paul’s words of our text. God has given each of you a spiritual gift. He has not left one of you out. He has given you the motivation to use that gift – to his glory as thanks and praise for our salvation and to his glory for the common good of his believers. And while we won’t expect God to give us the gifts of healing, speaking in tongues, or miraculous signs like he did his apostles to confirm their message, there is no shortage of others that he has given us. Whether it be serving or teaching or encouraging. Whether it be giving or administration or showing mercy. There is the gift of faith – not referring to a saving faith but, rather, to a faith that allows us to face and overcome all the obstacles of life with confidence. It’s the kind of faith that Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego had as they faced being fried in the furnace. There is the gifts of wisdom and knowledge: the gift of understanding and communicating the truths of God Word and applying them to specific life situations.

So next time someone approaches you about serving, ask yourself, “Might I not have the gift to do that?” Then, try it. Maybe you will find it is right where you belong, maybe you will have to try something else. When you see something that needs to be done, ask, “Could I do that?” Then try it. What about canvassing with the evangelism committee or serving on another? What about allowing yourself to be nominated to council? What about teaching Sunday school, becoming involved with the youth group, or helping with keeping God’s house tidy? Dear fellow redeemed, there is no shortage of gifts and no shortage of opportunities to use those gifts. So, may our prayer always be, “Lord, energize me! Energize me to appreciate the gifts your Spirit has given me and energize me to use these gifts to your glory.” Amen.