Good evening all. It would be great if you could get the service outline in front of you, the sermon outline.
There's paper copies floating around. If you don't have a paper copy, then you can go on the St Paul's app and you can get it there.
It would be really handy in terms of where we're going tonight.
John Mackay was the former president of Princeton University in the US and a missionary in South America.
From his conversion in Scotland at the age of 15, he was captivated by the book of Ephesians, which is what we're going through now.
We've got a little bit of chapter 2 as well as chapter 4 tonight, which is great.
I'm always happy to preach chapter 2. It's a fantastic chapter.
But he was captivated right from the very moment of conversion, at the age of 15, captivated by this book.
And he declared it in Lateran Life, right towards the end of his life, he declared it to be his favorite book in the Bible.
And he wrote this about the book of Ephesians.
I did not understand what it all meant.
What he's saying there is, he understood the book of Ephesians.
That's basically what he's saying.
What he's saying is, I'm captivated by God's cosmic agenda in the Lord Jesus, the center of his cosmic agenda, which is declared in the book of Ephesians.
That's what he's saying there.
And what he went on to say is that it's not so much a question of what we are to do with the book of Ephesians, but what has Ephesians got to do with you?
What is it going to do to your life?
With the scope of God's eternal plan, the Lord Jesus, as it did for John Mackay, will it captivate you?
Will it captivate you of God's cosmic plan through the Lord Jesus and through his church with Jesus as the center?
Will it captivate you?
Will it become your life story?
Will you set your life on contributing to that great unity of all things?
That's our agenda in our vision series this year.
As we've seen so far in this vision series, as we've gone through Ephesians, the Christian church, even with all of its faults, is a product of God's reconciling work.
And it will, in fact, be an agent in the ultimate cosmic reconciliation of all things.
In his book, God's New Society, John Stott writes that the church is central to history, is central to the gospel, and central to Christian living.
The bottom line is, as Stott declares it, and as John Mackay has been captivated, and in fact the Bible says it, the church is not an option for Christians.
Nor is supporting it an option for Christians.
It is what Ephesians has confirmed right from the word go, and what I'm calling us to together in this series.
To give your life, to serve God's global agenda, may your worldview be shaped by what God is doing in this world, first and foremost.
Essentially, to serve God and each other and our neighbourhood through his church with our time, treasures and talents, is what I'm calling you to.
Ephesians 1-3 is the grand vista of God's plan to be bringing everything together under the Lord Jesus.
Chapter 4 onwards is how we engage with God's work in this world, what difference it makes.
If this is what God's doing from all time and eternity, then the last three chapters is how we connect into that, and how that impacts the life that we live.
And today, my plan is to spend, this is the third week in Ephesians 4, 1-16, and I want to continue to address this issue of spiritual gifts,
and especially today, on how we discover spiritual gifts.
So, I've got the outline in front of you, three main points and a lot of little sub points.
So, it would be helpful if you had it in front of you.
So, first of all, God's gifts, God gifts all people with talents.
As Christians, we are stewards of the resources God has given us for serving the human community.
And the Bible tells us that one of the most important resources that God has given us is our gifts, aptitudes, talents, and abilities.
Now, a little bit of a history lesson.
The church in the Middle Ages divided the world into two major categories, the religious and the secular.
And those who went into full-time Christian religious work, into Christian ministry, such as priests and monks and nuns and that sort of stuff,
they were regarded in the Middle Ages as being on a different spiritual footing from the rest of the people who did not go into that kind of work.
One of the achievements of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s was to overturn the secular-sacred divide in humanity.
One of its achievements was to rediscover the biblical teaching of the priesthood of all believers.
Martin Luther insisted that all forms of work are God-honoring callings.
Martin Luther broke down the secular-sacred divide.
And so he suggested to be a farmer, a builder, an artist, was just as much of a vocation,
that is just as much as a calling from God, which is where the word vocation comes from.
It's a calling, divine calling, just as much a vocation as to be a preacher.
He came to see that from this particular view, from the Bible.
He looked at the Bible and said, this is where it says,
He says, God made the created world by his spirit in Genesis 1, 1-3,
continues to care for and sustain it by his spirit.
In Psalm 104, verse 30, watering it, enriching it, Psalm 65,
feeding and meeting the needs of every living thing in Psalm 145 and 147.
And then he goes right at the end of the Bible, in Revelation 21 and 22,
we see the very purpose of God's eternal plan of redemption
is to massively and to finally restore the material creation back into a place of perfection.
That is, Luther made the point, as did the other reformers,
that God loves this created world so much
that he sent his son to redeem it.
That is, this world is a good in and of itself.
This world in which we live is not just a temporary theatre for individual salvation.
Very important point.
It's not just a temporary theatre of individual salvation.
If the Holy Spirit is not only a preacher that convicts people of sin and grace,
but also a gardener, an artist, an investor in creation,
who renews the material world,
it cannot be more spiritual and God-honouring to be a preacher
than to be a farmer or an artist or a banker.
That was one of the really crucial points from the Protestant Reformation.
That we are all, all those who are in Jesus,
are all priests serving God in his world,
bringing about his work in the world.
So to give one example of that,
proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus,
such as what I'm doing now as a preacher,
what I'm doing now is temporary work.
It's temporary work.
While musicianship is permanent work.
In the new heavens and the new earth,
when Jesus finally winds the whole show up,
I won't be needed.
Jesus isn't going to say,
Steve, he's the pulpit for a bit,
you know, tell them, Steve, how it is.
It's not going to happen.
My job's not needed.
However, from what I can gather,
from Revelations and other parts of the Bible,
we are going to be singing the praises of our God
for a very long time.
And so, from what I can gather,
therefore, that Nick will be gainfully employed,
but I won't be.
In fact, I can't even go back to my old profession
of feral animal control,
because I'm figuring that's not going to happen in heaven either.
So, who knows what I'm going to be doing.
I've got no idea.
Handing out the cheese platters, maybe.
Who knows?
I'll carry Nick's guitar case.
So, all work, according to God's design,
is service.
And through work,
we enrich one another
and become more and more interwoven.
So, the first point is that God gifts every single person,
Christian or not,
with talents to serve his purpose.
His work in the world.
When Christians do secular work,
they function as salt and light in the world,
according to Matthew 5.
Farming and business, childcare and law,
medicine and music,
all these forms of work,
cultivate, care for and sustain
the created world that God made and loves.
We are all ministers,
all full-time priests to the human community,
serving others on God's behalf.
So, you got the point?
All forms of work in God's world
are based on God's gifting of all people.
Isaiah 28,
verses 24 to 29,
we read,
when a farmer plows for planting
and has leveled the surface.
Does he not plant wheat in its place,
barley in its plot,
and svelte in its field?
Has God,
his God,
instructs him
and teaches him the right way?
All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,
wonderful in counsel
and magnificent in wisdom.
Isaiah is teaching here
that anyone who becomes a skillful farmer
is being taught by God
to be a skillful farmer.
Isaiah 45, verse 1,
we read of Cyrus,
pagan king,
whom God anoints with his spirit
and chooses for world leadership.
This shows that God's spirit
can equip people for work
even though they are not believers
and are not directly witnessing
to God in their work.
God gives wisdom,
he gives courage,
he gives insight to people
to do their work.
That shouldn't surprise us
because James 1, 17 says
that every good and perfect gift
is from above,
from the Father of the heavenly lights.
Every act of goodness,
wisdom,
justice and beauty,
no matter who does it,
is being enabled by God.
It is a gift
and therefore,
it's a form of grace
even though it's not saving grace.
So that's the first point.
God gives all people,
not just Christians,
talents,
abilities
for serving
the human community
that we might flourish together.
However, secondly,
God gives his people
spiritual gifts.
Ephesians 4,
as we've gone through,
we just had it read again tonight,
last couple of weeks,
Romans 12,
1 Corinthians 12, 14,
have lists of gifts
to minister to others
in Jesus' name.
As people creating God's image,
Christians have natural talents
that God's gifted them with
and as people regenerated
by the Holy Spirit,
they also have spiritual gifts
that equip them for ministry
in and through the church.
in essence,
a spiritual gift
is a God-given capacity
to express
or minister
Jesus Christ
so that those
who receive the service
will see Jesus
and grow in him
to his glory.
when our gifts,
spiritual gifts,
are used
in the power
of the Holy Spirit
from whom they come,
then Christ himself
is ministering
directly
through us
to his people.
Remember,
that's what this passage
is about,
Ephesians 4.
He ascended
and gave
his gifts,
his ministering ability
to his people.
We become
his mouth,
his hands,
his feet
to fulfill
each day
his ministry
to others.
So this means
that Christians
not only must determine
how their talents
equip them
for a certain range
of work,
but also
how their
spiritual gifts
equip them
for a certain range
of ministry
in Christ's name.
God may
adopt
a talent
that he's given you
as a human being.
He may
adopt a talent
and use it
spiritually
to build others
up in the church
but he also
may not.
He also
may not.
Just because
you're a banker
doesn't mean
that your
spiritual gift
in the church
is to be
the treasurer.
There may be
no correlation
between the two.
Ultimately,
however,
both talents
and gifts
are from the
spirit of God.
So,
last point,
let's focus
on this one.
How do we
discover
gifts
to serve?
A Christian
has to consider,
as I said,
both questions.
What has God
called and
equipped me for
in my vocation,
my career,
my work
in the world
and how is God
calling me to
serve in and
through the church?
Now,
the difficulty
of this
is that
very little
appears in the
Bible
about the
process
by which
you discover
your
spiritual
gifts.
There are,
therefore,
problems
with
almost
any
prescribed
definitive
10-step
process
towards
discovering
gifts.
The traditional
approach
that has
happened,
you can go
to Coorong
and buy
books on
this sort
of stuff,
leads people
to test
themselves
in ways
which are
very similar
to what
you would
call
apt
test
that you
would get
in a
secular
workforce.
The problem
with this
approach
is that
it assumes
that you
know
yourself
quite well
and the
fact is
majority
of people
don't
know
themselves
very well.
In some
rare cases
a person's
church
ministry
becomes
their
full-time
vocation.
That is
your
spiritual
gifting
also
becomes
your
job
as in
my
case.
And then
at this
point
the answer
to both
those
questions
collide
so it's
kind of
easy.
In most
cases
however
Christians
must answer
each
question
separately.
Sometimes
what you
do in
your
vocation
is very
similar
to what
you will
do
in the
church.
You may
be a
teacher
a
strategic
planner
or an
artist
outside
the
church
and
you
will
use
those
same
talents
because
God
has
taken
them
and
utilized
them
as
spiritual
gifts
inside
the
church.
In other
cases
you might
find God
calling you
to do
almost
completely
different
sort of
work
in the
church
than
what you
do
outside
in your
vocation.
The
banker
is not
necessarily
the
treasurer
but their
gifting
might be
to be
a
wonderful
kids
church
teacher.
That's
possible.
There's
no
correlation
between
your
vocation
and
your
spiritual
gifting.
So
having
said
there's
all
kinds
of
problems
with
any
system
let me
just
throw
one
in
front
of
you.
This
is a
three
part
method
for
discerning
a
call
whether
to
secular
work
or
church
work
or
anything
else
really.
And
I
get
this
from
the
great
Anglican
minister
of
amazing
grace
fame
John
Newton.
Newton
suggested
that to
discern
a
ministry
call
we
consult
three
factors
affinity
ability
and
opportunity.
So
affinity
is
looking
outward
beyond
you.
And
it's
asking
the
question
what
people
need
do I
resonate
to?
Do I
kind
of
like
vibrate
towards?
Contrary
to what
many
books
on
spiritual
gifting
will
say
to
you
do
not
start
with
yourself.
Do
not
begin
with
you.
Begin
beyond
you.
Don't
start
with
the
abstract
inventory
of
your
gifts
and
skills
to
discern
your
aptitudes.
Aptitude
tests
are based
on
past
experience
and
self
knowledge
and
self
knowledge
is
incredibly
limited.
We've
already
seen
that
in the
last
couple
of
weeks.
Even
though
it is
one
of
the
ways
God
shows
you
your
ministry,
I
don't
suggest
that
you
start
here
though.
Look
to
the
concrete
needs
where
God
has
placed
you.
What
do
you
vibrate
towards?
What
problems
and
kinds
of
people
or
ministry
needs
move
you?
Where
are you
moved
internally?
In
Acts
17
verse
16
we
are
told
that
the
apostle
Paul
experienced
inner
grief
and
turmoil.
He
was
moved
in
his
affections.
He
experienced
inner
grief
and
turmoil
as
he
comes
into
Athens
and
sees
all
the
idols
of
Athens.
And
he
finds
one
idol
to
the
unknown
God.
And
from
that
the
very
next
verse
we
see
this
led
him
having
been
moved
in
his
affections
he
launches
into
a
ministry
apologetics
to
help
them
see
what
they
cannot
see.
It's
important
that we
get
into
ministry
with
a
passion
for
a
certain
cause
or
unmet
need.
Paul
was
moved
by
their
need
and
sought
to
meet
it
with
the
gospel.
See
one of
the
reasons
not
to
start
with
a
knowledge
of
your
abilities
is
because
gifts
often
pop up
and out
and surprise
us
as we
start to
participate
in
serving.
They're
kind of
like
dormant
until
you
start
serving
in
all
kinds
of
different
capacities.
When
I
first
became
a
Christian
I
put
my
hand
up
to
do
whatever
was
required
in
the
church.
23
just
loved
the
church
and
just
wanted
to
be
involved.
I
was
captivated
by
the
gospel
involved
in
the
community
that
I
was
a
part
of.
I
inevitably
started
with
what
I
knew
where
my
aptitudes
my
talents
were.
I
could
cut
the
grass
so
I
cut
the
grass.
I
repaired
buildings.
I
dealt
with
vermin.
I
was
what
I
was
used
to.
I
just
did
that
sort
of
stuff.
Soon
enough
the
minister
of the
church
started
to push
me
beyond
my
natural
talents
and
aptitudes
to test
my
spiritual
gifting
and
started
to
encourage
me
to
do
hospital
visiting,
trained
me
in
evangelism,
service
leading,
leading
community
groups.
I was
on parish
council
organizing
camps.
Bit
by bit
just
kept
pushing
me
to do
a
whole
range
of
things.
gifts
started
to
pop
up
over
time.
And
I
would
never
have
known
it
until
he
pushed
me
into
it.
Say,
give
that
a go,
have
that
a
crack
at
that.
The
first
time
I
ever
preached
a
sermon,
no
one
would
have
said,
oh,
he's
got
a
gifting.
Not
a
single
person,
except
the
one
preacher
sitting
in
the
room.
I
think
he
called
me
a
rough
rock
that
need
if
you
had
just
knocked
off
it.
He
said,
but I
think
we
can
do
that.
It
didn't
start
with my
talents
and my
aptitudes,
or it
sort of
did,
but
very
short
time,
and
it
moved
quickly
beyond
that.
And
ultimately,
it
started
with a
need.
When
he
started
to push
me
into
ministry,
he
said,
we
need
a
youth
group
here,
you
should
start
one.
That's
the job
description.
That was
it.
What
became
obvious to
the leaders
of my
first
church
was I
had
gifting
for church
leadership
that
would
develop
and be
fruitful,
providing
my
character
developed.
Because
what they
noticed
is that
when I
cut the
grass,
I was
able to
galvanize
people to
come with
me and
to cut
the grass.
when I
went and
did
hospital
visiting,
I took
other
people
with
me.
They
noticed
that
people
would
follow.
When I
organized
camps,
I could
pull a
team
together.
What
they
didn't
know,
what they
could never
have seen,
was God
would give
me a
passion for
cross-cultural
ministry and
multi-ethnic
church
leadership.
And I
didn't even
see that
12 years
ago.
And still
I started
working in
that space.
Gifts
pop out
when you
just do
it.
You just
serve.
So that's
the first
one.
Affinity.
Look out.
Secondly,
ability,
which is
look in.
That is,
what are my
abilities,
what are my
skills,
what are my
talents,
what are my
deficiencies?
It's important
to look at
your abilities.
Many people
become burdened
to see a
ministry
begin,
but they're
not realistic
about their
own abilities
and limitations.
For example,
there might be
some people
who are just
so keen to
be leaders,
even though
they don't
have the
gifting of
organizing,
and they
haven't even
noticed that
no one's
actually following
them at this
moment.
They don't
have the
ability to
galvanize
people.
It's one of
the questions I
ask of people
who are
considering
vocational
ministries,
to go
into my
kind of
role.
What
ministries
have you
started?
What
ministries
have you
changed?
What
ministries
have you
shut
down?
Really
important.
It
takes
courage to
start
something,
it takes
leadership to
stop it.
you must
be very
aware of
the part
you are
able to
play in
the ministry.
What
should you
be doing
and what
you need
someone else
to be
doing?
Also have
the maturity
recognize how
young and old
you are in
the faith.
You may
realize that
your godliness
does not
cover your
gift deficiencies
very well and
you therefore
need a strong
team around
you.
Just a
warning here,
on this
one.
As we
exercise our
spiritual gifts
we need to
avoid the
great problem
of gift
cop-out.
Every
single one
of the
gifts,
the spiritual
gifts,
is also a
task or
an assignment
given to
all Christians.
Not all
are evangelists
but every
one of us
are called
to witness.
Not all
of us have
the specific
gift of
giving but
all of us
are called
to a
life of
radical
generosity.
Not all
of us
have the
gifts of
service and
care of
another
individual but
all of us
are called
into a
ministry of
serving others
and caring
for people.
Gift cop-out
is saying
since I'm not
gifted in that
I won't have
to do that.
And normally
we practice
gift cop-out
when we look
at our
vocational
work and
can't see a
connection.
I'm a
banker and
unless you
make me the
treasurer
there's no
way I'm doing
anything else.
That's the
only job I
can do here.
That's gift
cop-out.
So lastly
of opportunity.
This is
looking up.
And the
question here
is where
does the
church and
its leaders
tell me
where I'm
needed?
This is where
the character
of humility
comes in.
The third
leg in
identifying
our
spiritual
gifts
is
opportunity.
Now with
this one
we need
to be aware
of the
opposite
danger
of
gift
cop-out
and that
is
gift
projection.
Based on
everything we've
seen in the
past few
weeks we
must fight
against
individualism
in the way
we discern
our
ministry
giftings.
Gift
projection
works in a
whole different
number of
ways.
It can be
as simple
as saying
this is my
gift
and it's
your job
to make
this gift
work in
this place.
This is my
spiritual
gifting.
Self-identified
gifting.
This is my
role.
This is my
gifting.
You use
it.
That's it.
I won't do
anything else.
Or it can
be making
yourself feel
guilty if
you aren't as
gifted or as
good as
someone else
is in that
space.
Or on the
other hand
it may be
making others
feel guilty
that they
aren't as
passionate or
as good at
you at
doing what
you are
doing.
That's gift
projection.
In projecting
our gifts
and our
passions
it is all
too easy
to try
to make
the whole
church
into our
own image.
You know
I've got the
gift of
evangelism
for instance
and so I
want to make
this strictly
an evangelistic
church.
Everyone should
be evangelized.
everyone needs
to evangelize
like me.
Or I've
got the
passion for
justice
ministry so
this has to
be a
justice
church and
everyone else
has to have
the same
passion and
gifting for
justice ministry
that I do.
Or for it to
be a cultural
center.
I'm so focused
on one-to-one
discipleship and
everyone should
be doing one-to-one
discipleship.
That's gift
projection.
That's passion
projection.
And it's making
everyone in the
same image.
huge.
The third
leg of gift
discovery looks
to the
community, my
brothers and
sisters, for
guidance.
The doctrine of
sin alone should
be enough to
prove that you
should not be
trying to make
this decision by
yourself.
Ephesians 4
teaches that when
we become
Christians we
become members
of one another.
We cannot
understand ourselves
without paying
attention to what
our brothers and
sisters can see
in us.
there may be
opportunities for
us to serve
that we have
never considered
but for which we
are perfect.
Now one key
factor here
and that is that
we are under the
authority of our
leaders.
Hebrews 13
7 says
remember your
leaders who
spoke the word
of God to you
consider the
outcome of their
way of life and
imitate their
faith.
And verse 17
goes on to say
have confidence
in your leaders
and submit to
their authority
because they
keep watch over
you as those
who must give
an account.
Do this so
that their work
will be a joy
not a burden
for that would
be of no
benefit to you.
The reality
is we should
bow to what
our leaders
may tell us
are the
church's needs.
These are the
areas of needs.
God put us
into a community
and we discern
his will and
his calling
together.
So I
propose
as John
Newton did
200 years
before me
that the
place to
start
when you
look at
these three
categories
these three
legs
the place
to start
is opportunity.
That's where
you begin.
Our
self-centered
individualistic
natures
want us to
go with
affinity
first
or ability
ability
first
then affinity
then opportunity.
I would suggest
that we start
with opportunity.
In other words
find
the ministry
needs of the
church
things that
need to be
done
and just
do them.
Just serve.
Don't even
begin with
does this
fulfill me?
Does it
make me
happy?
the only
way you
will ever
really come
to know
the kind
of ministry
that you
are best
at
if you
do a
whole heap
of different
things
then you
will know
what God
blesses.
Don't look
first of all
at your
proven
abilities.
Don't look
first of all
at your
day job
and your
natural
talents
to determine
what you
do in
the church
because as
mentioned
earlier
God may
have no
plan to
use them
as your
spiritual
gifts.
Likewise
don't look
first of all
at your
deepest
affinities
the things
that excite
you
the things
that interest
you.
If you
gravitate
too quickly
to those
areas
you may
miss out
on gifts
that you
aren't even
aware of.
Just
serve.
That's the
simple call.
Plug the
gaps in
the church
and help
out.
Go through
the door
of opportunity
in the
church
doing what
needs to
be done
and then
as time
goes by
check your
affinities
check your
abilities
and begin
to specialise.
As your
brothers and
sisters around
you encourage
you to do
that.
There may be
and in fact
there are
many opportunities
right now.
Right now.
I'll mention
them to you
but this
morning one
thing that I
threw in
this morning
was actually
we've been
looking for a
treasurer for
some time.
No one's
stepping up for
that.
By the end
of the service
someone had put
their hand up
and said I
think I can
do the
treasury roll.
Praise God.
So God's
already at work
and maybe he's
working at you
right now.
Working at you
right now.
He did it this
morning and
maybe right now
for you.
We just need
people willing
to serve in
all sorts
areas and
membership.
We want to
be a
community.
A community
that is
engaging,
welcome,
inclusive.
We want
people to
belong here.
We've just
seen the
video.
We need
people who
are welcoming,
people in
the car park.
As soon as
someone sets
foot on this
site to be
engaged with,
for their name
to be known,
for them to
feel like they
belong.
We need
people who are
prepared to
serve food
for us in
our corporate
gatherings.
We want to
be an open
engaging
community.
Right now,
we need
people in
membership.
Secondly,
we need
more people
willing to
serve in
our ESL
classes.
That's a
great way to
serve people
who are not
able to
easily
communicate in
the common
language of
our neighborhood.
That is,
ESL is about
serving vulnerable
people in our
neighborhood.
That's what it's
about.
At the
moment,
we've got
two or
three people,
that's it,
who are
currently running
it.
Massive need
in that area.
Thirdly,
there's grace
ministries.
This is our
ministry to
sex workers in
our area.
They need
another prayer
team.
This is really
simple.
You just sit
in the car
with one
other person
and you pray
with them
while a couple
of our members
go in and
visit the
brothels.
You don't
even have to
go in.
You just need
to sit in the
car and pray
for goodness
sake.
There's another
great way to be
engaged.
We need
people in
that area.
The bottom
line here is
just do it.
That's how you
discover it.
You just do
it.
Be captivated.
This is the whole
point of Ephesians
here, where we get
to here.
Be captivated by
the gospel.
Be captivated by
God's eternal
plan in the
Lord Jesus.
service.
And be
captivated by
jumping in and
signing up to
serve.
That's what you
do.
So for your
sake, for the
sake of the
church, for the
glory of the
Lord Jesus
Christ, for the
blessing of the
world, do not
rest until every
member serving is
a reality in
this church.