Have you ever been married or attended a wedding? Weddings are a great time in our lives, for they are a party of joy! The sanctuary is specially decorated, there is the smell of roses in the air, the groomsmen are decorated in tuxes – for most men, this is the first – and last – time they will wear a tuxedo and the bridesmaids are telling them that they look pretty good and so for an hour or so these guys think about the advantages of wearing these unusual clothes – the bridesmaids are decorated in beautiful dresses – decorated children walk down the aisle in their uncomfortable outfits – the boys are pulling at their collars while the girls are practicing being all grown up, and even the minister has to dress up, because he is part of the decoration, too.
And then the bride appears, and she wears a dress that she will only wear once in her life, a dress that she will keep for decades, a dress that she will hold up to her body in a mirror in twenty years and wonder that she ever was that skinny, a dress that is lacy and silky and cost more than any outfit she has ever owned, or will ever own, and the dress is important because she had feared that she would never find anyone and she would be lonely and desolate and deserted for the rest of her life, because almost everyone feels that way who has not married by age 15, and we don’t do that anymore, and in her case that ugly, crude boy had said that she had chicken legs and a horse face and was fat as a cow and would never get married, yet she had met her knight on horseback and she was getting married today, so THERE!
And the dress is not all of her decoration, for the bride wears something glittering in her hair, the woman who learned in high school to brush her hair out plain in 30 seconds flat, she’s had her hair specially done for this and it took hours to do, she who never wore more than a bit of lip gloss now has on a made up face that took 45 minutes to get just right, and she is wearing something old and something new, something borrowed, and something blue. And she doesn’t look at all like the plastic bride that is on her wedding cake in the reception hall, but she glistens and gleams like a beautiful jewel, a diadem set in a crown. And when the groom sees her, at first he thinks that someone else has come through that doorway, but then he realizes that it is her, the girl that he proposed to months ago, the girl he first dated years ago, the girl that he delights in and wants to have in his life as his crown jewel on the day that he dies.
This beautiful gem walks forward, the pastor asks some questions, the two of them answer in a whirlwind and they don’t remember anything about the ceremony except each other’s face smiling back at them, but that’s why the man with the camera is there taking photos and the woman is there with the video camera, so they can look back and see what happened, because, you see, they won’t remember because they are so nervous, and then they kiss and speed down the aisle and then they go to the reception where there is music and food and dancing and gifts, gifts, gifts, beautiful vases, and bedspreads and blenders and silverware, and a shovel and rake for him and a toaster oven that they will never use and put in the basement to rust, and they meet a hundred people, many of whom they will not see again until his or her funeral decades later…for they will spend their time together with each other and not so much with these other people anymore, these other people who were so important in their lives up to that point, but who immediately begin to fade out because now it is about him and her and their life together.
In our romantic movies, have you ever noticed that the wedding is the end of the movie? Anyone who has been married for a few years will tell you that the wedding is just the beginning, that life before the wedding quickly dissolves into that mental scrapbook where we put the first day we remember anything, the first day we went to school, and those few things of any importance that happened when we were in elementary and high school.
So what do our readings mean for us today, when we look at Isaiah 62 and find
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you “Deserted”,
or name your land “Desolate”.
But you will be called Hephzibah, [which means “My delight is in her”]
and your land will be called Beulah, [which means “married”;]
for the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you. (NIV-2011)
And now we know just what the Lord thinks of Jerusalem and God's people. As David wrote in Psalm 36:7 "How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!"
In fact, God thought so much of how the wedding explains God’s deep love for people that God on earth, Jesus Christ, performed his first miracle at a wedding. Cana was a town a few miles from Nazareth. It was the home of Nathaniel, one of the disciples. From the reading of the Gospel text, it is clear that by this time Mary, Jesus’ mother, had shed any damage to her reputation from Jesus' questionable origin, and now she was a well-respected woman of good reputation, for the servants at the wedding listen to her and do what she says when she tells them to “do whatever He tells you”, pointing to her son, Jesus. And it is possible that the bridegroom was one of Jesus’ half-brothers, for Mary and the banquet master are certainly acting like she is hosting this party.
Notice that Jesus is reluctant to get involved. Even at age 30, He isn’t ready to reveal Himself to the world as a miracle worker. But good sons will do almost anything their mother’s ask them to do, so Jesus turns ordinary water, meant for hand-washing, meant for wiping away evil and dirt and contamination – and Jesus does this beautiful thing. He gives this wonderful gift to this wedding party, turns this ordinary washing water into wine. Not just ordinary wine, but the best that has been tasted at the party so far. And how much wine? 6 25- gallon jars – Jesus made a hundred and fifty GALLONS of top grade wine in a few minutes with God’s power working through Him. Can you imagine the party that was had that evening! Jesus shows us how with His generous intervention, a situation which was about to be a disaster for the hostess is turned into something abundant, luxurious, and beautiful beyond imagination! It is something to remember – invite Jesus to help out – “do whatever He tells you” – the next time trouble brews in your life or household, and watch for something beautiful to happen.
(This miracle is confusing for many people, particularly those who have been raised in a household who have never drank alcohol because of religious reasons. Let me see if I can clarify this for you.
In those days, there were only a few types of drink. You could drink water, but that water was likely to be contaminated with bacteria, even typhoid or salmonella or cholera or something similar. Water was dangerous to drink in the days before chlorine treatment was understood in the mid-1800’s.
You could drink cow or goat or sheep’s milk. But that milk went bad quickly, within a few hours, for it was not pasteurized - a process not invented until the late 1700's - and the milk was more often turned into butter or cheese than drank raw.
Or you could drink beer, wine, or a distilled drink similar to whiskey.
There are some people who argue that this "wine" must have been sweet grape juice, preserved in some sort of sealed container. No, sorry! In those days before pasteurization, in the heat of that land without refrigeration, sweet grape juice was only available for less than a week after the grapes were harvested and pressed in the early fall. The yeast spores on the grapes themselves would move into the juice and begin the fermentation process, which releases considerable carbon dioxide - remember that new wine cannot be put into old wineskins because they will burst? Besides, the guests were already getting drunk from the other wine - this is clear from John's narrative. The people at the party were drinking real wine.
Then – as now – beer was the cheaper drink. Wine was more costly to produce. And so wine was preferred at weddings of wealthy people – and Mary was wealthy – it appears that Joseph and Mary and Jesus had made good use of the gold and incense that the wise men had brought. The myrrh would be used later, about three years later.
No, Jesus made actual wine, good wine, superior wine, the type of wine that costs $50 a bottle or more today because… when you have the power of God behind you, why do a job halfway?
“But pastor, isn’t wine evil?”
No. Only living creatures can be evil. And this is the point of confusion. Jesus is making wine, but many churches teach people not to drink alcohol.
In the old days, wine was a form of food preservation. It was a way of saving those calories which were so desperately needed in a land where famine could appear any year. For the wine-making process takes the sugar in the grape juice, turns it into alcohol, and then when the wine was drunk, the body could live off those calories. But there were always people who could not stop drinking until they passed out.
About a hundred and fifty years ago, many people were falling under the slavery of alcoholism. In those days, alcoholism was not recognized as a physical disease as it is today, a sensitivity to alcohol which makes some people particularly prone to drink in preference to anything else. In those days, the temperance movement urged people to simply give up alcohol – and some people began to notice that those cases that succeeded were almost always because a person asked for God’s help at a revival or church meeting and began attending church regularly. So when a minister in Vineland, NJ realized that alcoholic communion wine might be contributing to the problem, he decided to pasteurize grape juice and serve it as his communion wine. That man’s name was Welch. Word of his product got around.
It was about this same time that chlorine treatment for water began to happen. And so two things happened at once – safe water was now available, and sweet grape juice was now available year-round. And so today, with soft drinks and juices and pasteurization of milk and other liquids, a person who is sensitive to alcohol or who has a family history of alcoholism can safely avoid alcohol, enjoying the joy given by the sugar in the nonalcoholic drinks without the dangers of uncontrollable alcohol addiction. Of course, we now have a problem with diabetes – but alcohol makes even that worse.
There is no prohibition against drinking in the Bible. In fact, the Word of God celebrates the joy that comes with wine. But there are commands against getting drunk, particularly for those who would lead the church, and recommendations to avoid strong drink. And so for all these reasons we avoid alcoholic wine simply because there are several arguments against drinking it today - you may become an alcoholic, you may get drunk and ruin your good reputation, alcoholic drinks cost more than non-alcoholic drinks, water is cheaper and healthy - up against the sole argument that a person has in favor – “I like it.” Consider phasing alcohol out of your life – but do not worry – if you are a person who drinks a glass or two of wine or beer occasionally, you are not going to hell because of it. Even Paul recommended to Timothy that he drink wine occasionally, particularly when he had stomach problems - probably because it killed the bacteria that were causing the problems. And even today, some medical studies suggest that a glass of red wine a day is good for cardiovascular health because of the anti-oxidant compounds found in it. Of course, anti-oxidants are also found in sweet grape juice as well as in most other juices, so this argument is not compelling - you don't need the alcohol to get the anti-oxidants. In fact, alcohol gives you extra calories that cause many problems.
About a hundred and fifty years ago, many people were falling under the slavery of alcoholism. In those days, alcoholism was not recognized as a physical disease as it is today, a sensitivity to alcohol which makes some people particularly prone to drink in preference to anything else. In those days, the temperance movement urged people to simply give up alcohol – and some people began to notice that those cases that succeeded were almost always because a person asked for God’s help at a revival or church meeting and began attending church regularly. So when a minister in Vineland, NJ realized that alcoholic communion wine might be contributing to the problem, he decided to pasteurize grape juice and serve it as his communion wine. That man’s name was Welch. Word of his product got around.
It was about this same time that chlorine treatment for water began to happen. And so two things happened at once – safe water was now available, and sweet grape juice was now available year-round. And so today, with soft drinks and juices and pasteurization of milk and other liquids, a person who is sensitive to alcohol or who has a family history of alcoholism can safely avoid alcohol, enjoying the joy given by the sugar in the nonalcoholic drinks without the dangers of uncontrollable alcohol addiction. Of course, we now have a problem with diabetes – but alcohol makes even that worse.
There is no prohibition against drinking in the Bible. In fact, the Word of God celebrates the joy that comes with wine. But there are commands against getting drunk, particularly for those who would lead the church, and recommendations to avoid strong drink. And so for all these reasons we avoid alcoholic wine simply because there are several arguments against drinking it today - you may become an alcoholic, you may get drunk and ruin your good reputation, alcoholic drinks cost more than non-alcoholic drinks, water is cheaper and healthy - up against the sole argument that a person has in favor – “I like it.” Consider phasing alcohol out of your life – but do not worry – if you are a person who drinks a glass or two of wine or beer occasionally, you are not going to hell because of it. Even Paul recommended to Timothy that he drink wine occasionally, particularly when he had stomach problems - probably because it killed the bacteria that were causing the problems. And even today, some medical studies suggest that a glass of red wine a day is good for cardiovascular health because of the anti-oxidant compounds found in it. Of course, anti-oxidants are also found in sweet grape juice as well as in most other juices, so this argument is not compelling - you don't need the alcohol to get the anti-oxidants. In fact, alcohol gives you extra calories that cause many problems.
Perhaps you find alcohol relaxing. That is true for most people. But perhaps you'd also like to consider why you need relaxing - what in your life have you not turned over to God, what burdens are you holding onto, what tense situations do you need to relax from because you insist on handling the problems yourself instead of relaxing and letting God handle them?
In short - drinking wine is a person preference. There are no sound reasons to drink it - the only real reason is "I like it." So be honest and admit that fact. And if you are an occasional drinker who does not binge and can afford the cost of the alcohol, then you shouldn't worry about it.
But if you do have a problem with alcohol – if alcohol controls your behavior more than you control the alcohol – then stop by the church some Saturday evening and talk with about 30 men and women who have had the same problems – and learned how to keep alcohol from ordering them around. And now, you can also stop by at 4:00 on Tuesdays, because there is a smaller group that gets together at that time.)
But Jesus was the life of the party that evening in Cana, when Jesus created 150 gallons of the best type of wine. That was a party the town long remembered – even today, you can visit Cana, where 6 stone jars have remained.
But there is more to a wedding reception than wine.
Wedding receptions have gifts, like other joyous occasions such as birthdays and Christmas and visiting a friend.
And when we decide to join our lives to Jesus, God’s Holy Spirit gives us gifts, just as when gifts are given in a wedding reception, because in many ways our baptism is a ceremony that joins us to God just as a wedding ceremony joins together two people. And just as the servants understood what Jesus had done, we have the chance to do service for Jesus and understand Him better.
But the gifts given by the Holy Spirit are slightly different than the gifts given in a wedding reception. In a wedding, gifts are given to help the couple settle into their new home. I have a niece who got married about 15 years ago, and most of her gifts were crystal vases, serving trays, and decorative items for their apartment. But when the Holy Spirit gives gifts, they are gifts which are tremendously useful gifts – like 30 years ago when one of the guys I worked with got married, and since I was a single guy at the time I didn’t quite understand what to get Mark and Vicki for their wedding, so, knowing they were moving into a new house, I got them a shovel and a rake and a hoe…Which they used almost immediately.
But even more so, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are gifts to be used in the great war between God and Satan, the spiritual war over the eternal destiny of souls. These gifts are for battle – weapons and armor and supplies – to defeat the evil enemy.
In the book and movie, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the children have entered a war between good and evil. They have been running from the evil witch, when Father Christmas – the British equivalent of Santa Claus – tracks them down…
This video clip shows Father Christmas giving the children gifts, useful gifts which they will bring into battle against the Witch, who is the personification of evil in the movie.
But if you do have a problem with alcohol – if alcohol controls your behavior more than you control the alcohol – then stop by the church some Saturday evening and talk with about 30 men and women who have had the same problems – and learned how to keep alcohol from ordering them around. And now, you can also stop by at 4:00 on Tuesdays, because there is a smaller group that gets together at that time.)
But Jesus was the life of the party that evening in Cana, when Jesus created 150 gallons of the best type of wine. That was a party the town long remembered – even today, you can visit Cana, where 6 stone jars have remained.
But there is more to a wedding reception than wine.
Wedding receptions have gifts, like other joyous occasions such as birthdays and Christmas and visiting a friend.
And when we decide to join our lives to Jesus, God’s Holy Spirit gives us gifts, just as when gifts are given in a wedding reception, because in many ways our baptism is a ceremony that joins us to God just as a wedding ceremony joins together two people. And just as the servants understood what Jesus had done, we have the chance to do service for Jesus and understand Him better.
But the gifts given by the Holy Spirit are slightly different than the gifts given in a wedding reception. In a wedding, gifts are given to help the couple settle into their new home. I have a niece who got married about 15 years ago, and most of her gifts were crystal vases, serving trays, and decorative items for their apartment. But when the Holy Spirit gives gifts, they are gifts which are tremendously useful gifts – like 30 years ago when one of the guys I worked with got married, and since I was a single guy at the time I didn’t quite understand what to get Mark and Vicki for their wedding, so, knowing they were moving into a new house, I got them a shovel and a rake and a hoe…Which they used almost immediately.
But even more so, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are gifts to be used in the great war between God and Satan, the spiritual war over the eternal destiny of souls. These gifts are for battle – weapons and armor and supplies – to defeat the evil enemy.
In the book and movie, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the children have entered a war between good and evil. They have been running from the evil witch, when Father Christmas – the British equivalent of Santa Claus – tracks them down…
This video clip shows Father Christmas giving the children gifts, useful gifts which they will bring into battle against the Witch, who is the personification of evil in the movie.
According to what Paul tells us in I Corinthians 12: :
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.
You see, the Spirit doesn’t give everyone the same gifts, because everyone is unique and requires different gifts. Peter was given a sword and shield, Susan a bow and a horn, and Lucy was given a healing potion and a dagger. Yet all have the same Holy Spirit at work in them. In the same way, you have different gifts given to you by the Holy Spirit, special abilities which are rare and can help build up other people or lead people to God or help the church operate. And because the Holy Spirit is God the Spirit – the gifts are always the perfect gifts for you! Paul continues:
5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
Some people serve by preaching. Some people serve by setting up chairs in the fellowship hall. Some of you may serve by leading a discussion group at Primanti Brothers or at Five Guys and others of you may serve by watching toddlers during Friday evening Parent’s Night Out event. Still others may serve by singing – and others serve by making sure the newspaper knows what we’re doing. And everyone can serve by praising God to friends, neighbors, and family.
6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
Think back to your understanding of God and how it has changed over the last few years. Each person grows – not only at different rates, but in different ways. Some people become more emotional – others become more logical. Some people become more outgoing – others learn to sit alone with themselves and God. Some people finally develop a methodical nature, yet others develop an impulsiveness that they’ve needed. Still others stop dreaming so much and put their ideas into practical use – and others, who have been oh-so practical – learn to dream. God develops us all in different ways through different ways of working with us. In the book and movie, Peter became a great war leader, Susan a sharpshooter, and Lucy became the gentle healer. Who will you become with the Spirit’s leading?
Paul continues:
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
But the Spirit always works for the common good. If you listen to the Spirit, the Spirit is wise enough to lead us to do and say things which not only help ourselves, but help all the people around us. And just what types of gifts does the Spirit give us?
8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a 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 distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Let’s look at each of these gifts in some detail:
Wisdom – how to live life properly in a way that leads to happiness and joy.
Knowledge – facts and stories which help us. Knowledge is what – Wisdom is the how and why and whether we should. Knowledge tells us that wine is dangerous for some people and can destroy their lives, but is fine for other people who are not sensitive to it. – Wisdom tells us whether or not we should drink wine. I have known people who had tremendous knowledge and ability to quote scripture, but little wisdom. I have also known people who have a bit of scripture, but have taken that little bit of scripture and become wise. And I’ve know a few people who had both knowledge and wisdom, and these are the men and women I have tried to find and listen to over the years.
Faith – a deep trust in God’s goodness and power and will toward goodness for each of us. It is a gift – a gift to pray for. Faith tells us that we shouldn’t worry about money or health or other people – that God will take care of us and them. Faith tells us that even though both of you have lost your jobs, even though there are major bills coming due, God will find a way to pay the bills – or nothing truly bad will happen if the bills aren’t paid.
Healing – I have known people who pray, and speak to people and sometimes lay hands upon them and people are healed through God’s power. And this is not only physical healing, but also emotional and spiritual healing. Remember that the word healing in the Greek actually means “to make whole”, which often means to help another person be made whole through finally connecting with that Holy Spirit of God that fills the void in their heart. Gene McCann, a friend, has apparently been given this gift – in his case, his prayers for healing people with rheumatoid arthritis seem to be answered by God. Gifts can be very specific – talk to Gene and ask him.
Miraculous power – what can I say – God is good and sometimes God gives a person the gift of doing things like turning water into wine or raising the dead to life. Rarely, but it has happened. Read the Book of Acts.
Prophesy – some people can see what will happen. Sometimes it appears to them to be a vision – other times it is simply a gift of putting together things and making predictions that come true. Early on during my friend Fred's recent illness, my wife Saundra told me, “God just told me Fred will be OK.” And he has been OK despite everything he has gone through.
Distinguishing between spirits – some people are gifted with the ability to sniff out evil in people at first meeting. They can spot the wolves that look like sheep.
Tongues – I have this gift in a limited way - but not in the "unintelligible utterance" manner. I can speak English and Spanish fairly well. With a dictionary for occasional help, I can make my way reading through those two languages, plus French, German, Dutch, Italian, Greek, Latin, and I can slowly speak some limited Japanese. I’m almost there with understanding Chinese and Portuguese. But this doesn’t compare to a tour guide I met in Amsterdam, who gave her entire spiel in English, Dutch, German, and French, one after the other during the entire tour, complete with jokes. She could jump back and forth between languages easily and fluently to answer questions, so she really, deeply understood all those languages. But why would the Spirit give a gift of languages? What better gift could a missionary - or the pastor of a diverse congregation have? This gift has helped me immensely when communicating with foreigners about Christ, and in understanding the Bible in the original languages.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.
You see, the Spirit doesn’t give everyone the same gifts, because everyone is unique and requires different gifts. Peter was given a sword and shield, Susan a bow and a horn, and Lucy was given a healing potion and a dagger. Yet all have the same Holy Spirit at work in them. In the same way, you have different gifts given to you by the Holy Spirit, special abilities which are rare and can help build up other people or lead people to God or help the church operate. And because the Holy Spirit is God the Spirit – the gifts are always the perfect gifts for you! Paul continues:
5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
Some people serve by preaching. Some people serve by setting up chairs in the fellowship hall. Some of you may serve by leading a discussion group at Primanti Brothers or at Five Guys and others of you may serve by watching toddlers during Friday evening Parent’s Night Out event. Still others may serve by singing – and others serve by making sure the newspaper knows what we’re doing. And everyone can serve by praising God to friends, neighbors, and family.
6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
Think back to your understanding of God and how it has changed over the last few years. Each person grows – not only at different rates, but in different ways. Some people become more emotional – others become more logical. Some people become more outgoing – others learn to sit alone with themselves and God. Some people finally develop a methodical nature, yet others develop an impulsiveness that they’ve needed. Still others stop dreaming so much and put their ideas into practical use – and others, who have been oh-so practical – learn to dream. God develops us all in different ways through different ways of working with us. In the book and movie, Peter became a great war leader, Susan a sharpshooter, and Lucy became the gentle healer. Who will you become with the Spirit’s leading?
Paul continues:
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
But the Spirit always works for the common good. If you listen to the Spirit, the Spirit is wise enough to lead us to do and say things which not only help ourselves, but help all the people around us. And just what types of gifts does the Spirit give us?
8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a 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 distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Let’s look at each of these gifts in some detail:
Wisdom – how to live life properly in a way that leads to happiness and joy.
Knowledge – facts and stories which help us. Knowledge is what – Wisdom is the how and why and whether we should. Knowledge tells us that wine is dangerous for some people and can destroy their lives, but is fine for other people who are not sensitive to it. – Wisdom tells us whether or not we should drink wine. I have known people who had tremendous knowledge and ability to quote scripture, but little wisdom. I have also known people who have a bit of scripture, but have taken that little bit of scripture and become wise. And I’ve know a few people who had both knowledge and wisdom, and these are the men and women I have tried to find and listen to over the years.
Faith – a deep trust in God’s goodness and power and will toward goodness for each of us. It is a gift – a gift to pray for. Faith tells us that we shouldn’t worry about money or health or other people – that God will take care of us and them. Faith tells us that even though both of you have lost your jobs, even though there are major bills coming due, God will find a way to pay the bills – or nothing truly bad will happen if the bills aren’t paid.
Healing – I have known people who pray, and speak to people and sometimes lay hands upon them and people are healed through God’s power. And this is not only physical healing, but also emotional and spiritual healing. Remember that the word healing in the Greek actually means “to make whole”, which often means to help another person be made whole through finally connecting with that Holy Spirit of God that fills the void in their heart. Gene McCann, a friend, has apparently been given this gift – in his case, his prayers for healing people with rheumatoid arthritis seem to be answered by God. Gifts can be very specific – talk to Gene and ask him.
Miraculous power – what can I say – God is good and sometimes God gives a person the gift of doing things like turning water into wine or raising the dead to life. Rarely, but it has happened. Read the Book of Acts.
Prophesy – some people can see what will happen. Sometimes it appears to them to be a vision – other times it is simply a gift of putting together things and making predictions that come true. Early on during my friend Fred's recent illness, my wife Saundra told me, “God just told me Fred will be OK.” And he has been OK despite everything he has gone through.
Distinguishing between spirits – some people are gifted with the ability to sniff out evil in people at first meeting. They can spot the wolves that look like sheep.
Tongues – I have this gift in a limited way - but not in the "unintelligible utterance" manner. I can speak English and Spanish fairly well. With a dictionary for occasional help, I can make my way reading through those two languages, plus French, German, Dutch, Italian, Greek, Latin, and I can slowly speak some limited Japanese. I’m almost there with understanding Chinese and Portuguese. But this doesn’t compare to a tour guide I met in Amsterdam, who gave her entire spiel in English, Dutch, German, and French, one after the other during the entire tour, complete with jokes. She could jump back and forth between languages easily and fluently to answer questions, so she really, deeply understood all those languages. But why would the Spirit give a gift of languages? What better gift could a missionary - or the pastor of a diverse congregation have? This gift has helped me immensely when communicating with foreigners about Christ, and in understanding the Bible in the original languages.
(A word about "speaking in tongues". There are those who argue that this gift is THE definitive sign of God's salvation. And there are those who argue that this "gift" is always faked in some way. I don't believe either position is correct - legitimate "speaking in tongues" in a supernatural sense does exist, rarely - but not nearly as often as many people would like. And there are many people who are clearly following Christ deeply and reverently who do not "speak in tongues". More about this perhaps in a future posting.)
And this list of gifts is not complete. There are people who have been gifted with musical gifts, with administrative gifts – such as the person who knows exactly how to file everything – or with the gifts of teaching or creativity in art or in engineering or in technical and computer skills, which is not something you’ll see anywhere in the New Testament, but which surely makes a difference today in the church. And all these gifts are given by the same Spirit to build up the body of Christ and to perform God’s will. Look how they all come together when people begin to shed their fear of getting involved, their fear of becoming caught up in a wave of the Spirit, their fear of losing control to God!
Can you imagine a church where every person understood and used their Spirit-given gifts for God’s purposes? One day in Sunday school, Suzie said, “I can’t preach, but I can file – how can I help?” Then John said, “I can’t file, but I am really good at laying brick, could I build an extra room onto the church?” When Sarah said, “I’ve always been good at writing, so I’d like to write press releases for all of our events, but I don’t like making phone calls.” And Bill steps up and says, “I love making phone calls and I’m good at selling things. If you’ll write the press releases, I’ll make sure the newspaper and the radio and tv stations will run them.” And Jane said, “Last night I had a vision of a wonderful room off the fellowship hall with big plush chairs and a fireplace and twenty young people sitting around listening to an old man with a beard telling about what God had done for him.” And Bob said, “I can tell stories pretty well and I’ve got a beard.” And then Anita and Catherine and Laura and Pam and Julie and Virginia got together and began to pray, they prayed deep prayers, they prayed for hours, and they loved it because that is what they do so well, because God has given them that gift.
And so, after the wedding, in the reception hall, after the baptism, we are given gifts, gifts for the great spiritual war that is going on in the world today.
Yet one question remains. Will you use the gifts? Many times we treat our gifts like a toaster oven that you never wanted and put into the basement, still in its original box. Will you put your beautiful, useful gifts from the Spirit into your spiritual basement, to stay there until you move on, slowly rusting in the original box because you are afraid, afraid your life might actually change because you committed to God something which was already God’s, worried that you might get busy again, and worried that you might get involved?
And this list of gifts is not complete. There are people who have been gifted with musical gifts, with administrative gifts – such as the person who knows exactly how to file everything – or with the gifts of teaching or creativity in art or in engineering or in technical and computer skills, which is not something you’ll see anywhere in the New Testament, but which surely makes a difference today in the church. And all these gifts are given by the same Spirit to build up the body of Christ and to perform God’s will. Look how they all come together when people begin to shed their fear of getting involved, their fear of becoming caught up in a wave of the Spirit, their fear of losing control to God!
Can you imagine a church where every person understood and used their Spirit-given gifts for God’s purposes? One day in Sunday school, Suzie said, “I can’t preach, but I can file – how can I help?” Then John said, “I can’t file, but I am really good at laying brick, could I build an extra room onto the church?” When Sarah said, “I’ve always been good at writing, so I’d like to write press releases for all of our events, but I don’t like making phone calls.” And Bill steps up and says, “I love making phone calls and I’m good at selling things. If you’ll write the press releases, I’ll make sure the newspaper and the radio and tv stations will run them.” And Jane said, “Last night I had a vision of a wonderful room off the fellowship hall with big plush chairs and a fireplace and twenty young people sitting around listening to an old man with a beard telling about what God had done for him.” And Bob said, “I can tell stories pretty well and I’ve got a beard.” And then Anita and Catherine and Laura and Pam and Julie and Virginia got together and began to pray, they prayed deep prayers, they prayed for hours, and they loved it because that is what they do so well, because God has given them that gift.
And so, after the wedding, in the reception hall, after the baptism, we are given gifts, gifts for the great spiritual war that is going on in the world today.
Yet one question remains. Will you use the gifts? Many times we treat our gifts like a toaster oven that you never wanted and put into the basement, still in its original box. Will you put your beautiful, useful gifts from the Spirit into your spiritual basement, to stay there until you move on, slowly rusting in the original box because you are afraid, afraid your life might actually change because you committed to God something which was already God’s, worried that you might get busy again, and worried that you might get involved?
Or will you use your spiritual gifts, and working with other people who have different spiritual gifts, will you change this part of the world for the better, will you help clear the addictions and fighting and poverty and trouble from this county and make it a place which is known throughout the state and even the nation as a place of peace, beauty, and joy for all who live here?
Do you realize that the Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries, Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross all began as church-related ministries? Do you realize that Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by a Christian doctor? Do you know that the Church started a third of the hospitals in America? Almost any organization that has done lasting good was started in a church, often by a Sunday school-sized group that decided to use their combined gifts to make a difference.
The first step is to honestly and boldly look to see what you do better than most people, what is the special gift set that God has given you. And if you can’t see your gifts, ask your friends. They will see those gifts. Sometimes, a gift is as simple as the ability to make people feel welcome, to cheer people up, to cheer people onward. Sometimes, the gift we really all need is the gift of meeting a cheerleader who will tell us “You can do it!”
Try to discover your spiritual gifts this week – in Sunday school, at lunch, in discussions, over the telephone and through prayer. Pick up those gifts. And when you realize what those gifts are – tell people about them. Let me know what they are. Look to use them. And ask someone how you can use them here for God’s glory. After all, God’s Son died so you would be forgiven and put right with God, joined to God as in a most excellent marriage, given gifts for which Jesus paid a tremendous price. Surely, you can pick up your gifts and begin to use them, to join us in changing the world for good!
Do you realize that the Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries, Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross all began as church-related ministries? Do you realize that Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by a Christian doctor? Do you know that the Church started a third of the hospitals in America? Almost any organization that has done lasting good was started in a church, often by a Sunday school-sized group that decided to use their combined gifts to make a difference.
The first step is to honestly and boldly look to see what you do better than most people, what is the special gift set that God has given you. And if you can’t see your gifts, ask your friends. They will see those gifts. Sometimes, a gift is as simple as the ability to make people feel welcome, to cheer people up, to cheer people onward. Sometimes, the gift we really all need is the gift of meeting a cheerleader who will tell us “You can do it!”
Try to discover your spiritual gifts this week – in Sunday school, at lunch, in discussions, over the telephone and through prayer. Pick up those gifts. And when you realize what those gifts are – tell people about them. Let me know what they are. Look to use them. And ask someone how you can use them here for God’s glory. After all, God’s Son died so you would be forgiven and put right with God, joined to God as in a most excellent marriage, given gifts for which Jesus paid a tremendous price. Surely, you can pick up your gifts and begin to use them, to join us in changing the world for good!
