gifts of the Spirit – Tawa Baptist

December 7, 2025 Tawa Baptist

Teaching & Encouraging

Scripture: Romans 12:7

Video Link: https://youtu.be/WFz64Wj_FKk

Audio Link: Stream Sermon – 7 Dec 2025 – Teaching & Encouraging by tawabaptist | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Structure:

Introduction
Teaching
Encouraging
Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

We have had no shortage of rain lately but (according to the Wellington City Council) we could be in for a dry summer. Careful watering will be needed.

They reckon the best time to water your plants is in the morning. The soil is coolest then and the water has the best chance of seeping down to the roots.

They also say it is best to water your plants at the level of the soil, rather than pouring water all over the leaves. It’s the roots that take the water in not the leaves. Baptising the tree tends to waste the water.

When watering your plants take it slow, be gentle. You don’t want to knock the plant around or blast the soil away and expose the roots.

Of course, you don’t just water once and walk away. Watering is something we do on repeat. New plants generally need more frequent watering early on.

Watering then needs to be timely, focused, gentle and repeated.

Today we continue our series on spiritual gifts, this week focusing on the gifts of teaching and encouraging, in Romans 12. If we think of our faith as a plant, then teaching and encouraging are like watering the tree of our faith.

As a general rule, teaching and encouraging need to be timely, focused, gentle and repeated. To remind you of the context, let me read a few verses from Romans 12, starting at verse 6…

⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with yourfaith; ⁷if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Teaching:

I invite you to take a moment now to think back to when you were at school. Some of you may need more time than others. Who was your best teacher? Who was the teacher who really got you and helped you more than any other?

I was fortunate to have many good teachers when I was at school. One in particular was Mrs Smith. She was my teacher in standard 1, the equivalent of year 3. I could not read or write. Had no clue with words or with numbers either for that matter. But I enjoyed eating my lunch.

Mrs Smith could see that and knew what I needed. For a whole year she gave me individual coaching and special homework. The extra work required some effort from me and I probably complained to my parents quite a bit at the time, but Mrs Smith taught me how to read and write.

Her teaching was timely. Had Mrs Smith not intervened when she did, I would have fallen further and further behind and my life may have taken a very different path.

Mrs Smith’s teaching was focused on what I needed. She taught me basic sight words and this gave me confidence to learn more. There was a lot of repetition. Pretty much every morning before school, day in, day out Mrs Smith introduced new words and reinforced what we had learned. Mrs Smith was firm but gentle in her approach.

There was no stick but there was a carrot. At the end of year prizegiving I was awarded the most improved student. This was an acknowledgement of my work and a reflection of Mrs Smith’s skill as a teacher.

We are talking about the gift of teaching. What then does the apostle Paul mean by teaching? Is it the same as a modern schoolteacher or is it different?

Well, the Greek word used in the Bible for teaching covers a wide spectrum of roles and functions. It could mean someone who teaches children to read and write but, in the context of Romans 12, it probably refers more specifically to those who teach others about Jesus and the Bible.

At its heart, teaching in a church context, is about communicating truth, the truth of what we believe about God and Jesus. If prophecy is the revelation of new truth from God, then teaching is conveying old truth from God.

Teachers were vitally important in the early church. The Christians of the first century had the Hebrew Bible, what we know as the Old Testament, but they did not have the New Testament compiled in a book like we do.

People couldn’t just go to their bookshelf, pull out the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John and read for themselves about Jesus. Early Christians were reliant on teachers to recount the historical events of Jesus’ death and resurrection and explain the meaning of this for them.

Teachers in the early church had a huge responsibility. Without people to accurately pass on Jesus’ teachings, the core message of God’s grace in Christ would be diluted or lost altogether.

These days we do have a New Testament and stacks of books we can pick up and read anytime. However, it has been 2000 years since the events described in the New Testament and, without good Bible teachers to explain the meaning, much of the Bible is lost in translation, misunderstood and misapplied.

Someone who is good at maths once calculated that for every one degree you are off course, you will end up being 1 mile off course after traveling 60 miles.

For example, if you are flying from Wellington to Auckland and the plane is 1 degree off course you might end up in Indonesia or run out of fuel and crash into the Pacific Ocean.

Teachers are like navigators. Just as a ship or a plane needs the navigator to keep the craft on course, so too the church needs teachers to keep it on course.

The church’s teachers these days are not limited to people who offer sound Biblical preaching but extend to anyone who faithfully passes on the truths of the Christian faith. This might include, for example, Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, youth group leaders and parents.

Parents play an important role in watering the faith of their children. Parents might do this by reading Bible stories to their kids and praying with them so their children can see and hear how prayer is done. Children probably learn most from the model their parents give them.

In some ways teaching is like an iceberg. The presentation people see or hear from the teacher is just the tip of the iceberg. The bigger part of the work of teaching is the preparation. The preparation lies beneath the surface and is not usually seen.

Preparation is one of the key differences between prophecy and teaching.

A prophet may stand up in church on a Sunday and spontaneously speak the words given them by the Spirit.

A teacher, on the other hand, does not normally give an extemporaneous talk. Rather, they do their homework ahead of time. They carefully prepare their sermon through prayer, reading, research, reflection, and writing. The teacher is aiming to water the roots gently.

If you have a formal teaching role, whether in the pulpit or Kids’ Church or as a Bible study leader or a parent, then you cannot expect to pass on the truth of the gospel unless you have done the hard yards in learning the truth yourself.

Studying the Scriptures is not merely an intellectual exercise. Yes, it does involve using your brain, but the Bible asks more of you than that. The Scriptures contain the word of God. The Scriptures interpret us. They make claims on us, test us, discipline us, and ultimately put us to work.

Every believer has a responsibility to learn what they can about the Christian faith. We need to love God with our mind as well as our heart and soul.

We never know when a teaching moment might present itself. Maybe when you are sitting beside someone on the train or tucking the kids in at night or lying in a hospital bed. If someone asked, why are you a Christian, what would you say?

Some people have a special gift in teaching others. They understand their subject matter, they can see things from the perspective of the learner, and they know how to bridge the gap in understanding.

More than this, a good teacher possesses the patience to gently water the roots in a timely way, over and over again until the truth is firmly established.

Jesus prioritised teaching in his ministry. After healing people, the Lord often instructed the person he had healed to tell no one. For Jesus, the miracles were not the main thing. In fact, the miracles risked becoming a side show which distracted people from the main thing. The main thing being Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of God.

In Matthew 11 Jesus says: ²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

A yoke is a piece of equipment worn over the shoulders to make it easier to carry a load. Yokes could be worn by animals for pulling a plough or they could be worn by people for carrying water say.

In this little parable the yoke represents teaching. The Jews of Jesus’ day were weary and burdened by the yoke of the Pharisees’ teaching. The Pharisees insisted upon a whole lot of extra rules.

By contrast, Jesus’ yoke is easy and his burden is light. The word translated as easy means fitting, as in not rubbing or chaffing. Part of Jesus’ work as a carpenter may have involved making and shaping wooden yokes so they fitted easily over the animal’s shoulders, without causing injury to the animal.

To take Jesus’ yoke upon ourselves is to listen and learn from his teaching. Jesus’ teaching shows us how to love God and our neighbour in a way that fits who God made us to be.

Encouragement:

Closely related to the gift of teaching is the gift of encouragement. Now, when we hear the word ‘encouragement’, we tend to think of someone who says kind and affirming words to make another person feel better about themselves or their situation. Things like…

“That was really good. You are doing so well. Keep it up. You will get there.”

And while this is partly what Paul means by encouragement, the Biblical understanding of encouragement is broader than that.

The Greek word translated in verse 8 as encouragement is ‘parakaleo’. Para means beside or near and kaleo means to call. So parakaleo is literally ‘to call beside’. To be an encourager in this Biblical sense then is to come alongside another person and speak good words to them, words that build up and strengthen them.

Parakaleo has a range of meanings and is variously translated into English with words like encourage, exhort, urge, comfort and entreat. No one word in English does parakaleo justice, but in the context of Romans 12, Paul probably means those with the gift of encouraging Christians to live out the truth of the gospel.

Those with the gift of teaching give people an understanding of the truth of the gospel and those with the gift of encouraging come alongside to give people the courage to obey Jesus’ teaching in the gospel.

For example, the teacher might explain the way of Christ is to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. That is wonderful teaching but very difficult to put into action, especially by yourself. The encourager is the one who comes alongside you and by their presence and gentle words actually helps you to love your enemies.

John Stott comments that encouragement can be exercised from the pulpit when the preacher gives an inspiring talk, but more often it is used behind the scenes as the gift of counselling or in offering friendship to the lonely or giving fresh courage to those who have lost heart. [1]

Jesus sent his disciples out two by two so they would not be alone, so they could encourage one another.

Part of the role of a spiritual director is to help people hear what God is saying and encourage them to do what God is asking. (Incidentally, Kim is embarking on spiritual director training. She is looking for someone to encourage. So, if you want some help in your spiritual journey, talk to Kim.)

Like watering, encouragement needs to be timely, focused, gentle and repeated. Those with the gift of encouragement don’t carelessly pour a deluge of words over you. No. They listen first. They don’t assume. They seek to understand and they show empathy. Then they focus the water of their words on the roots. They gently speak to your heart the refreshment you need to hear. They believe in you, giving you confidence and hope.

In Luke 5, we read how Jesus encouraged Peter. When Jesus was calling his first disciples, Peter fell at Jesus’ knees and said: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” And Jesus replied, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” ¹¹So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Jesus gave Peter the courage and the comfort to become his disciple.

If teaching is about communicating truth, then encouraging is about giving hope. The teacher says, this is the way of God, and the encourager says but you don’t have walk it alone. I am here to walk it with you.

One of the most winsome souls we come across in the Bible is a man named Barnabas. Actually, his real name was Joseph, but he was given the nickname of Barnabas which means ‘son of encouragement’. In the book of Acts chapter 11 we learn how the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to the believers in Antioch. From verse 23 we read…

²³When he [Barnabas] arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Iron in your blood is essential for carrying oxygen and producing energy. Without sufficient iron your physical strength and immunity is weakened.

The right encouragement at the right time is like an iron infusion, it boosts your energy and strengthens your immunity. Barnabas’ encouragement was like an iron infusion for the church in Antioch.

Barnabas came alongside the believers and watered their roots by speaking good words to them, words that brought refreshment and strength. Barnabas’ presence reassured the believers in Antioch they were not alone and gave them courage to share their faith.

But wait, there’s more. From verse 25 of Acts 11 we continue…

²⁵Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.

The apostle Paul was first known as Saul of Tarsus. Before his conversion, Saul persecuted Christians. After his conversion, Saul repented and changed his ways. He became one of the church’s greatest missionaries.

I imagine though it was not easy for Saul in those early days after his conversion. Many Christians had suffered because of Saul and people still viewed him with suspicion. I expect it was quite isolating for Saul at times.

Verse 25 tells us Barnabas went out of his way to look for Saul. Barnabas sensed somehow that Saul needed some comfort and companionship. Barnabas brought Saul to Antioch and encouraged him to teach.

One wonders what might have happened to Saul / Paul had Barnabas not found him and encouraged him in his calling for the Lord. Barnabas put Saul on a good path in God’s purpose.

Conclusion:

Teaching and encouraging (like watering plants) needs to be timely, focused, gentle and repeated.

Two questions to ponder…

How are you watering your faith? And..

What opportunities has God given you to water other people’s faith?

(Who can you be a Barnabas to?)

May the Spirit of Jesus continue to fill each one of us and all of us together. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
Who was your best teacher and why?
What does Paul mean by the gift of teaching? Why is good teaching important in the church? In what ways can someone be a teacher?
If someone asked why you are a Christian, what would you say?
How is the gift of encouragement different from the gift of teaching? How do these two gifts complement each other?
Why do teaching and encouragement need to be timely, focused, gentle and repeated?
How are you watering your faith? What opportunities has God given you to water other people’s faith? (Who can you be a Barnabas to?)

[1] Refer John Stott’s commentary on Romans, page 328.

November 30, 2025 Tawa Baptist

Practical Helps

Scripture: Romans 12:3-8

Video Link: https://youtu.be/u8-QxbcMRtI

Audio Link: Stream Sermon – 30 Nov 2025 – Practical Helps by tawabaptist | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Structure:

Introduction
Service
Giving
Mercy
Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

It’s almost summer. Our trees and hedges are growing faster now. They will need a trim soon.

For many years I trimmed my hedges by hand, with a pair of manual shears.

It’s a bit of a workout and some of the branches are bit tougher to cut through. About a year ago I was given a petrol hedge trimmer. It is more powerful than my manual shears, and way quicker, like a hot knife through butter.

Both tools get the job done. One just requires a bit more time and effort that’s all. As much as I like my power tools, they are not suitable for every job. I still use my manual tools for certain tasks. Both are needed.

Today we continue our series on spiritual gifts. Most of the gifts we have looked at so far (in Corinthians 12) have been like my petrol hedge trimmer, they are like power tools, enabling you to accomplish more than you could by hand. Things like prophecy and discernment, healing and miraculous powers, as well as tongues and their interpretation. However, Corinthians 12 is not the only list of spiritual gifts in the New Testament.

In Romans 12 Paul has another list of spiritual gifts, most of which are more like manual tools (like my hand shears), more basic, requiring time and effort from us. Let’s read then from Romans 12, verses 3-8…

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with yourfaith; ⁷if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Some of you here may enjoy watching superhero movies. Films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Justice League, the Avengers and so on. One of the themes running through many of these movies is that no one person can do everything on their own. We are better together.

The individual superhero (whoever he or she is) inevitably comes to the realisation that, despite their special abilities, they cannot fight evil by themselves. They need to work together with others who have different abilities in order to save the world.

And this is Paul’s point in Romans 12. Each member of the church (the body of Christ) has a different gift. Some have a power gift and others have a manual gift. But all the gifts are needed for the body as a whole to function. No one individual can do everything on their own.

We (as the church) don’t need to save the world. Jesus has already done that. Rather we need to think of ourselves with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has given us. In other words, we should not try to do it all ourselves. We need to understand our gift and exercise it in a Christ like way.

In Romans 12 Paul lists seven gifts: prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading and mercy. With the exception of prophesying, which is a power gift, the other six gifts are more like manual tools. They are what we might consider regular or everyday abilities. But that does not diminish their value. They are still spiritual gifts given by God.

Today we focus on the gifts of serving, giving and mercy. These three go together. They could be thought of as practical helping gifts. What then do we mean by serving?

Serving:

The gift of ‘serving’, mentioned in verse 7, originally meant ‘waiting at table’. Like someone who cooks your meal and brings it to you. The kind of service in view here is usually of a personal nature. It could mean mowing the lawns, making tea & coffee or looking after someone’s children. Any practical thing that helps other people.

Jesus described his own intention in terms of service and urged his followers to emulate him. For example, in Mark 10 we read: whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

As a demonstration of serving, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet at the last supper, the night before his crucifixion and death. Although serving others may seem quite menial and mundane, we never know how God might use our acts of service.

In John 2, Jesus instructed the servants at a wedding to fill six stone jars with water, each holding 20 to 30 gallons.

This was heavy time-consuming work. The servants had to get the water from the well. They couldn’t just turn on a tap. Backwards and forwards carrying water. Mundane manual labour. And yet these servants participated in Jesus’ first power miracle of turning water into wine.

Now there is more than one way to understand the gift of serving. We might think of the gift of serving as an enhanced ability possessed by certain individuals. Some people are better wired for doing manual tasks. They think in a practical way. Working with their hands to solve practical problems just comes naturally to them. They enjoy it.

We might also think of the gift of serving as an opportunity provided by God for a specific situation. Have you ever found yourself in the right place at the right time, with the right resources to help someone in need? Maybe a little thing like carrying their groceries or giving them a ride when they had been walking in the rain or fixing their car.

You might not always give them a ride or carry their groceries or fix their car, but on some specific occasion God gifted you with the opportunity to help someone and in helping them trust was strengthened and God’s love was shown.

As many of you know, Robyn and I recently took time off work to support our parents. For months I could see the day was coming when they would need our help and so I had been praying that God would allow us to honour our parents in their time of need.

God answered my prayer. Our time in Tauranga supporting parents was a gift of service to them. In between managing various crisis’s, we were cooking, cleaning, mowing, shopping and doing whatever practical tasks needed doing. It was a privilege. We got to be there for our parents and help them.

At the same time some of you helped us in practical ways also. Ewan led a couple of services for me. Brodie picked up some of the tasks I would normally do in the office. Angela mowed our lawns and Maddy weeded our vege garden. Others of you helped in different ways too. We received your practical help as a gift of service.

As followers of Christ, we are people of the way. It is not just the act of service that is important but also the way we serve. We are to serve in the way Jesus serves, with grace and humility.

Exercising the gift of serving requires more than simply having the time and skills to help others. It also takes a special understanding. The ability to sense what is helpful without needing to be told. Knowing when to serve and when to step back. Serving in a way that touches a person’s heart with God’s love.

In his paraphrase of Romans 12, verse 7, Eugene Peterson (author of the Message) says: ‘If you help, just help, don’t take over’.

The point is, whenever we exercise our gifts, we need to be careful not to overstep the mark. All the gifts have a potential shadow side. One danger with serving is that we might do too much for the other person. We might create a dependency or rob them of the joy and dignity of doing it themselves.

While it was a privilege to serve our parents, I would not still want to be there now. That would not be good for them or us. There is a time to serve and a time to let people do for themselves.

Giving:

Giving is closely related to serving. Giving means contributing to the needs of others. Making donations of money or food or clothes or whatever is needed.

Giving may be of a personal nature, from one individual to another, or it could be giving to support an organisation or a worthy cause. Jesus gave his life for us.

Giving (like serving) is a responsibility everyone has. Some people feel freer in themselves to give than others though. Marva Dawn puts it this way…

“One who is gifted with liberality gives generously not because they have much to give, but because they have a freer understanding of possessions and their importance.” [1]

If we truly believe all that we have is a gift from God and is his in any case.

And if we believe this life is not all there is, then we come to value material possessions in right proportion. It’s not that money does not matter. Money and possessions serve a helpful purpose in this life. But you cannot take it with you when you die.

In Matthew 6 Jesus says: ¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Giving out of love for others has eternal value.

We are people of the way and as people of the way we are to exercise the gifts we have been given in a way that reveals something of the character of God. Generosity is a characteristic of God and so we are to give generously.

Again, in Matthew 6, Jesus says this…

²“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Generosity is not only about the amount we give, but also about our intent.

To give generously is to give with simple kindness. Giving for the sheer pleasure of giving. Giving with pure motives, not for leverage or optics.

When the kids were young, we used to grow Dwarf beans over summer.

The remarkable thing about Dwarf beans is the more you pick them the more they grow. If we went away on holiday to the beach and stopped picking our beans for a couple of weeks, they would stop producing.

If we wanted beans when we came back from holiday, then it paid to ask someone to keep harvesting them in our absence, then the plants would still be giving a crop for weeks after our return.

God is generous. He gives us more than we need. When we share our excess with others, he has a way of making our crop fruit for longer.

Every gift has its shadow side. Giving should never become a substitute for justice. Giving large sums away to strangers, at the expense of your family, is not being generous. It is neglect. Being generous includes taking care of those closest to you.

If you are an employer, then pay your workers and your creditors fairly and on time. Justice is better than charity.

Mercy:

The last gift in Paul’s list in Romans 12 is mercy. Last but not least. Showing mercy is about helping people in distress. Lifting people out of a hole. Doing something for someone they cannot do for themselves. The good Samaritan (in Jesus’ parable) showed mercy to the wounded man on the side of the road.

Jesus showed mercy on the cross when he said “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”. Forgiveness is an act of mercy. Saving someone from shame or embarrassment is an act of mercy. Donating blood (or a kidney) is an act of mercy. Doctors and nurses and home care workers are all agents of mercy.

Mercy includes acts of service and giving generously to those in need. There is considerable overlap with these three.

One of the reasons we went to Tauranga was to support Robyn’s dad who was having hip surgery. I took Malcolm to the hospital around 11am on a Friday. He was scheduled for his hip replacement at 1pm.

Malcolm went through all the pre-op checks with the nurse, then got changed into his (elegant) hospital gown and we waited… and waited… and waited… (like the Mainland cheese ad.) They say waiting is the hardest part, but that’s not true. Waiting is the second hardest part.

1pm came and went. 2pm came and went. Eventually, they took us through to the pre-op lounge, which is a room with lots of lazy boy chairs in it. The last room you wait in before being taken to the operating theatre.

Just before 3pm a different surgeon (not my father-in-law’s surgeon) came and told us a more urgent case had come in which meant Malcolm’s surgery had to be postponed. It was not the surgeon’s fault. The health system is under a great deal of pressure. You know the story.

My father-in-law was in a lot of pain. Bone grinding on bone. He had been on the waiting list for over a year. To get this close and be told you have to wait even longer, that was the hardest part.

This was out of our hands. We had no power, no agency in this situation.

We were at the mercy of strangers. They took us back to the waiting room we had been in before, the one without the lazy boy chairs. We sat in silence collecting our thoughts, nursing our disappointment, silently praying.

Fifteen minutes later the surgeon who had given us the bad news came back and told us he had managed to pull together a team and, although Malcolm was not his patient, he would do the operation instead. This was the best part.

The surgeon and his team showed us mercy. They went the extra mile for us. Who knows how many hours they had worked that week. We thanked the surgeon and Robyn’s dad had his hip replacement done, the last one that day.

I have no idea whether the doctor who operated on Robyn’s dad was a professing Christian or not, but he did show us mercy in a Christlike way.

He was willing to do the surgery. He cared about people and wanted good outcomes for his patients. He was not irritable or grumpy about it. He showed us kindness and compassion.

Jesus said, blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.

Mercy is about the right use of power. To be able to show mercy you have to be in a position of power, relative to the person in need.

We are not all surgeons. We may not find ourselves in a position to help and heal like doctors and nurses can. As we get older, we may feel more and more like we are at the mercy of others.

Nevertheless, there will inevitably be times in our life when we are entrusted with power and have the opportunity to show mercy. In the same way the gift of service can be circumstantial, so too the gift of mercy can be circumstantial; an opportunity provided by God for a specific situation.

When it is in our power to help someone in distress, we are to recognise that opportunity as a gift from God and exercise mercy cheerfully. We need to keep our eyes open for the opportunities God provides to help others and be quick to respond.

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard about the gifts of practical helps, including serving, giving and mercy. These may be manual gifts, requiring some time, effort and sacrifice from us, but they are no less important and no less spiritual than the more spectacular power gifts.

What opportunities has God given you to serve, to give and to show mercy?

Let us pray…

God of love, we thank you for the different ways you have gifted each of us. Grant us eyes to see our neighbour in need, skilful hands to serve, generous hearts to give and a cheerful spirit to show mercy. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
How are the spiritual gifts in Romans 12 different from the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12? How are they similar?
Discuss / reflect on the two ways of understanding the gift of serving mentioned in the sermon.
Have you ever found yourself in the right place at the right time, with the right resources to help someone in need? What happened? How did you feel?
What does generous giving look like? How might you know if someone has the gift of giving?
Can you think of some examples of showing mercy? Perhaps from the Bible or from your own experience.
What gift has God given you? What opportunities to help others and glorify him?

[1] Marva Dawn, ‘Truly the Community’, page 126.

November 23, 2025 Tawa Baptist

Singleness & Marriage

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 and Matthew 19:10-12

Video Link: https://youtu.be/56rXw4c8vso

Audio Link: Stream Sermon – 23 Nov 2025 – Singleness & Marriage by tawabaptist | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Structure:

Introduction
Paul on singleness and marriage – 1 Corinthians 7:1-7
Jesus on singleness – Matthew 19:10-12
Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

There was a documentary series on TV recently called, ‘Counting the Beat’.

The show explored some of New Zealand’s statistics. In the first episode they said 48% of kiwis are single. Which means 52% are in some kind of relationship, whether that be marriage or a de-facto relationship or simply going steady.

Looking at our church statistics, about one third of the adults who regularly attend Sunday services at Tawa Baptist are single. Which means the proportion of married couples in the church is higher than the general population.

People may be single for a variety of different reasons. Some choose to be single and prefer it that way. Others may wish to be in a relationship but for whatever reason have not been able to find the right person yet. And still others have been married before but are now divorced or widowed or abandoned by their spouse.

Today we continue our series on spiritual gifts. We have had four Sundays off with video sermons while I was away. Prior to that, we heard about the gifts of knowledge and wisdom, prophecy and discernment, faith, healing, and miraculous powers, as well as tongues and their interpretation.

Paul on singleness and marriage – 1 Corinthians 7:1-7

This morning though, we focus on the gifts of singleness and marriage. Let us begin then with a reading from First Corinthians 7…

Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.

²But since there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. ³The husband should fulfil his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. ⁴The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.

⁵Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶I say this as a concession, not as a command. ⁷I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In this sermon series we are learning about the gifts God gives. When talking about gifts we need to be clear on the meaning of the word. A gift is something offered willingly, without duress or payment.

A gift is not the fulfilment of an obligation, nor is it an entitlement. Freedom and love are at the heart of true gift giving. A gift may come easily enough, but taking care of the gift often involves some effort on the part of the receiver.

In Corinthians 7 Paul talks about singleness and marriage as good gifts from God. This means that marriage and singleness are not entitlements. They are not things we necessarily have a right to. They are gifts to be received, treasured and looked after.

Some are given the gift of marriage and with it the gift of sex with their partner in marriage. While others are given the gift of singleness and with it the gift of freedom to spend more time with and for the Lord.

We cannot be sure, but it appears from what Paul was writing that some in the Corinthian church were advocating celibacy within marriage. Celibacy is the state of abstaining from sexual relations. Perhaps these advocates of celibacy thought it was more ‘spiritual’ or ‘holy’ not to have sex.

But Paul warns against this, saying those who are married should not try to be celibate. Abstaining from sex with your partner in marriage makes you more vulnerable to temptation.

According to the documentary ‘Counting the Beat’, 1 in 4 kiwis cheat on their partner. This seems quite high to me. According to Paul, one of the best things you can do to prevent cheating is maintain a healthy sex life with your spouse.

Sex within marriage is God’s intention for humankind. Sex within marriage is something to be enjoyed, not just for the sake of having children but also for mutual pleasure and the wellbeing of the marriage relationship.

Before I got married, I thought sex was like the icing on the cake of marriage. But after I got married, I realised that sex is not the icing. You can eat cake without icing. Sex within marriage is more basic, more essential than icing.

Sex is like the egg in the mixture of the cake of marriage. Sex is a binding agent. It is not the only binding agent, but it is pretty important. At its best, sex within marriage is an expression of intimacy, it becomes a sacrament, something physical which creates a spiritual connection.

As important as sex is, in a marriage relationship, it is not everything. You need more than eggs to make a cake. There will inevitably be times in a marriage when you need to go without sex. And, as you grow older, sex will likely become less important.

Keep in mind the four C’s of marriage: Commitment, Communication, Companionship and Christ. A married couple need to be 100% committed to each other’s wellbeing, through thick and thin.

They need to have good communication. That means listening well to each other and speaking kindly. Not sweeping problems under the carpet, but talking honestly and graciously, seeking understanding.

Companionship is about spending time together, enjoying each other’s company. Eating and working and resting together.

Including Christ in your marriage is vitally important. Love each other as Christ loves the church. Pray together. Think of your marriage as part of your discipleship. Marriage is one way we learn to be more like Jesus.

Okay, if marriage is a good gift from God, why does Paul say in verse 1 of First Corinthians 7, It is good for a man not to marry and then in verse 7, I wish that all of you were as I am, (that is: single and celibate)?

What Paul has in mind here is the kingdom of God. Paul was an apostle of Jesus. As an apostle for Christ he travelled a great deal, preaching the gospel. This often resulted in him being persecuted. If Paul was married, he would not be free to do the work of an apostle. He would be torn between his duty to his wife and his duty to Christ.

Being single and celibate gives one a certain freedom that being married does not allow. It would not be fair for Paul to take a wife and then essentially abandon her in the name of Jesus.

This is not to say that one must be single to engage in fulltime Christian ministry. Married couples can and do serve the Lord in a variety of ways.

But where someone is required to travel a lot or where they may be subject to persecution and abuse, it is less painful and more practical to be single.

As someone who is married and in fulltime Christian ministry I would say there are pros and cons. On the plus side, marriage enriches pastoral ministry. Marriage provides me with an understanding of what it is to a husband and a father. I walk in your shoes.

Robyn provides me with balance and perspective. Her kindness softens me. What’s more, I am a practical help to Robyn in her ministry as a teacher. There are things Robyn can do that I can’t and things I can do which she can’t. We support each other.

That said, pastoral ministry is no friend to marriage. I am not persecuted and I don’t have to travel much, but church ministry places a strain on marriage. Pastors and their spouses face pressures that most other people don’t. There are pros and cons with everything.

For Paul to name singleness as a good gift of God was no small thing. In the Jewish culture of the first century, being single put you on the outer. The ideal for first century Jews was marriage. Embedded in the Jewish psyche was this idea that faithfulness to God included getting married and having kids. The more the merrier. Go forth and multiply.

Even today, in some quarters of 21^st century New Zealand society, people who are single might feel like they are on the outer, like they don’t quite fit.

But Paul is not having any of that. Being single is not bad. In a Christian understanding being single is equal in status with marriage. Your value as a human being does not depend on whether or not you have a partner. You can still fulfil God’s purpose for your life as a single person, in fact you may have more freedom to fulfil God’s purpose if you are single.

The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah was called to singleness. In Jeremiah 16 we read how God told Jeremiah not to get married or have children because the city of Jerusalem (where Jeremiah lived) was soon to be destroyed and most of its inhabitants killed.

For Jeremiah to get married and start a family would be a contradiction of his message of impending doom. It would also create unnecessary suffering for himself and his would-be family.

Jesus on singleness – Matthew 19:10-12

In many ways, Jeremiah points to Jesus, the Christ. Like Jeremiah, Jesus had a special calling on his life, a calling that required him to be single and celibate. Jesus was called by God to die on a cross as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.

In Matthew 19, Jesus talks about singleness. Paul’s words about singleness, in Corinthains 7, draw their inspiration from Jesus’ words in Matthew 19. From verse 10 we read…

¹⁰The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

¹¹Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹²For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

In the context of Matthew 19, Jesus had been talking about marriage and divorce. This caused the disciples to make the wry comment that it is better not to marry. In other words, it is better to remain single.

In response, Jesus goes on to talk about the reality of singleness. In effect, Jesus is saying, ‘You joke, but being single is not easy. Singleness is not for everyone. But the one who can accept the gift of singleness should accept it.’

In verse 12 Jesus uses the analogy of the eunuch as a way of addressing the topic of singleness. A literal eunuch is a man who has been castrated.

In ancient times some slaves were castrated and put to work guarding women’s living areas or serving in some other capacity in the royal court. Some of you heard about the Ethiopian eunuch last week.

Due to the loss of his genitals a eunuch had no choice but to be single.

He could not function sexually as a husband.

Jesus explains that some people are born eunuchs. In other words, some are born to be single. Through no fault or choice of their own they will never be able to marry. We might think of someone born with a disability that makes marriage untenable for them.

Then there are those who are made eunuchs by others. These are people who suffer some misfortune with the effect they are not able to marry. We might think of someone who sustains permanent injuries in a car accident or someone who was so badly abused as a child they cannot stand to be touched as an adult much less function in a marriage relationship.

Like those who are born to singleness, there is no blame or shame attached. Tragedy, yes. Loneliness, most likely. But no guilt. Jesus is all compassion here.

The Lord then introduces a third reason for being single, saying: and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

Said another way, there are those who choose to be single for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. People like the apostle Paul, for example. People like the prophet Jeremiah. People like Jesus.

Paul, Jeremiah and Jesus did not literally castrate themselves, but they did make a conscious choice not to marry for the sake of God’s purpose. Please do not mutilate yourself. Jesus is not talking literally here.

Jesus could have married anyone he wanted. He could have had a harem with a thousand women in it, like king Solomon. But he chose to be single, for our sake and for the sake of the kingdom of God.

Jesus stood in solidarity with eunuchs, with those who are single. Do you understand what that means?

It means if you are single, for whatever reason, then Jesus, the Son of God, stands with you. He identifies with you. You have dignity. You are not alone.

In verses 11 and 12 of Matthew 19, Jesus frames his comments about singleness by saying: “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.” And, “The one who can accept this should accept it.”

The point here is the same as the point Paul makes in Corinthians 7. Singleness is not for everyone. The ability to accept a single life is a gift of God. However, the gift of singleness does not automatically imply an easy celibacy.

In the same way that being married does not make one immune from developing feelings for someone else, so too the gift of being single does not make one immune from sexual temptation.

The famous 20 Century preacher, John Stott, never married. He had no children and remained celibate his whole life. Stott once wrote: “The gift of singleness is more a vocation than an empowerment, although to be sure God is faithful in supporting those he calls.”

In other words, like any of God’s gifts, singleness requires discipline and self-control. It involves some effort to take care of the gift God has given you.

Taking care of the gift of singleness will probably mean being intentional about developing healthy friendships with a variety of people. You cannot afford to be become too isolated. It will also usually involve avoiding situations that might strain the limits of your resolve to remain celibate.

Apparently, Stott wanted to be married, but the right person never came along. He almost got engaged once but came to feel that it was not God’s calling for them to get married.

Stott never idealized celibacy. He encouraged young people to marry if they found the right person and on at least one occasion discouraged a man from following his example of singleness.

In Genesis 2, God said, ‘It is not good for man to be alone’. In relation to this verse, we need to say that being single does not necessarily mean being alone. Jeremiah was single but he maintained some good friendships with people who supported him and got him out of a spot of bother on more than one occasion.

Jesus was single and he too developed friendships, with his twelve disciples yes, but also with others like Mary and Martha and Lazarus. Likewise, the apostle Paul was single, but he did not operate like a lone ranger. Paul relied greatly on his friends, people like Timothy and Titus and Silas.

Paul’s friendship with a married couple, Priscilla and Aquila, is instructive.

Like Paul, Priscilla and Aquila were tent makers by trade. They were among the Jews expelled from Rome by the Emperor Claudius around AD 49.

After their expulsion, Priscilla and Aquila went to live in Corinth where they met Paul. Paul stayed with Priscilla and Aquila for about a year and a half.

Later they accompanied Paul to Syria before stopping in Ephesus.

Paul mentions Priscilla and Aquila in some of his letters to the churches. The three of them together provide a model of friendship and shared hospitality between those with the gift of marriage and those with the gift of singleness.

A rope of three strands is not easily broken.

Conclusion

So how might you know whether you have the gift of singleness or the gift of marriage? The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates famously said, ‘Know thyself’. Unfortunately, the way most of us come to know ourselves is the hard way, through trial and error. Perhaps there is no other way.

Fortunately, God is wise and gracious, able to work our choices for good.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, we thank you for the different ways you have gifted each of us. We ask your blessing on our relationships together. Whether we be married or single, make us fruitful for your glory. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
What is your experience of singleness? What is your experience of marriage?
Why is sex important in marriage? Why is celibacy important in singleness?
Discuss / reflect on the four C’s of marriage: commitment, communication, companionship and Christ. How might a married couple apply these four C’s in their marriage relationship?
Why does Paul say in verse 1 of First Corinthians 7, It is good for a man not to marry and then in verse 7, I wish that all of you were as I am, (that is: single and celibate)? What are the benefits of being single? What are the challenges?
Discuss / reflect on Jesus’ words about singleness in Matthew 19:10-12. What strikes you as significant or meaningful here? Who are the (metaphorical) eunuchs of today?
How might those who are single guard against loneliness and sexual temptation? How might those who are married offer hospitality and friendship to those who are single?

September 14, 2025November 30, 2025 Tawa Baptist

Wisdom & Knowledge

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:8

Video Link: https://youtu.be/NW9ykX-QVGk

Structure:

Introduction
The gift of wisdom
Words of knowledge
Knowledge needs wisdom
Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Both my grandfathers had a shadow board for their tools. A shadow board is normally hung on a wall in a garage with an outline of the tools on it so you can see where the tools go and whether a tool is missing.

My shadow board is much less impressive than my grandfathers’ ones. The tools that get used often look in good condition. But the tools I don’t use all that much have gathered a bit of rust over the years.

Today we begin a new sermon series on spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are like tools, given by God to help the church. Different jobs require a different tool. Of course, if we don’t use the tools God provides, they tend to gather rust.

Over the years, I have not paid much attention to the topic of spiritual gifts in my preaching. This series is overdue. My aim is simply to explore what the Bible says about the gifts of the Spirit and let God do with that whatever he wants.

In First Corinthians 12, Paul lists nine spiritual gifts. Paul’s list is not exhaustive; it is an ad hoc sample. There are any number of ways in which the Holy Spirit equips the church. We come across other spiritual gifts in other parts of the Bible too. I’m starting with Corinthians 12 because that’s as good a place as any to start. From verse 4 we read…

⁴There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

⁵There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. ⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸To one there is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰to 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.¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Our message today does not cover all those verses. I read that passage from Corinthians 12 to give you some context. In a nutshell, what Paul is saying here is this: the one Holy Spirit of God distributes a variety of different gifts for the common good of the church and by extension the world.

So, as we consider each of these gifts over the coming weeks, we need to keep that in mind. There are many gifts which all come from the one Spirit to be used for the common good.

Our sermon today focuses on the first two gifts in Paul’s list: wisdom and knowledge, or more accurately the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. We will begin with the gift of wisdom, before considering the word of knowledge.

The gift of wisdom:

Wisdom is slightly different from knowledge. Knowledge is about knowing facts and information. While wisdom is about how you handle life and people. True wisdom always serves justice, the kind of justice that leads to genuine peace.

King Solomon was known for his wisdom. He asked God for wisdom and God gave it to him. Earlier in the service I read an account of Spirit inspired wisdom from First Kings chapter 3.

Two women were living in the same house. Each of them gave birth to a baby just days apart. One of the babies died during the night. Now the two women were arguing over whose was the living child. They wanted Solomon to decide.

When Solomon ordered the child to be cut in two, one of the women said to the king, “Please, your majesty, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Don’t give him to either of us; go ahead and cut him in two!”

Then Solomon gave his ruling: “Do not kill the child. Give him to the first woman; she is his real mother.”

That is an example of the spiritual gift of wisdom. Solomon knew how to handle the situation so that justice was done and peace was restored.

Some people think of the gifts of the Spirit like a superpower. You know, Superman has the ability to fly, Wolverine can recover from mortal wounds, and Spiderman climbs buildings and spins webs.

But with spiritual gifts it’s different from that. The gift is not necessarily your possession to keep forever. It’s not a power you can pull out to use whenever and however you want. The exercise of a gift depends on the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit, more than it does us.

The Spirit of God clearly gave Solomon wisdom to deal with certain problems, but the king did not always act with wisdom. He did a lot of things that were unwise, including marrying hundreds of women and oppressing his own people with heavy taxation.

Spiritual gifts are not a reward for good character. The Spirit is pure and holy, but the gifts are given to imperfect human beings, and we are full of contradictions.

We find another example of Spirit inspired wisdom in Mark 12, when Jesus responds to some Pharisees who try to trap him in his words…

The Pharisees begin by flattering Jesus. They say: “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You are not swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

Then, after coating the bait in honey, they ask: “Is it right to pay the imperial taxto Caesar or not?” ¹⁵…But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”

¹⁶They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

¹⁷Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.

Jesus exercised the gift of wisdom by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit enabled Jesus to see what was really going on and gave him the right words to handle his opponents, without getting himself into trouble.

Not sure about you, but I don’t usually think of the wise thing to say until a few days later. The wisdom of hindsight is not the same as the wisdom the Spirit lends in real time.

Okay, so there’s a couple of examples of what Paul means when he writes about the gift of wisdom. What about the word of knowledge? What does that look like?

The word of knowledge:

Some of you probably watch the Chase on TV 1 before the six o’clock news. Although the Chasers have a great general knowledge, they are not exercising the gift of knowledge when they play the Chase. The kind of knowledge Paul has in mind here is not acquired by reading books.

In Corinthians 12 the gift of knowledge probably refers to a supernatural endowment of factual information, that could not otherwise have been known without the Spirit’s help. [1]

Last Wednesday the photocopier in the church office was playing up. I opened the copier door to find a paper jam. Now you have to be very careful when removing paper jams because, if you rip the paper, it can be very difficult to get all of it out. You need to take it slow and remove the paper in one piece.

There I was carefully removing the paper when I noticed a component of the hardware was not sitting right. It was loose. I tried to put the component back properly, but it would not stay in place.

After a few failed attempts I began to feel a bit annoyed. I had a lot to do and did not need another hold up. I wish I could say my first thought was to pray, but it wasn’t.

Eventually though, after taking a few deep breaths, I did pray. My prayer went something like this: ‘God, please help me to see the problem’. No sooner had I prayed and a thought came into my mind: ‘You are looking at the wrong end. Look at the other end.’

So, I turned the component over and noticed a piece of plastic was missing. The component would not sit right because the piece of plastic which held it in place was broken. The copier repair guy had to come and replace the part.

The information I needed to remove the paper jam did not come by a word of knowledge. I learned that knowledge through previous experience.

But the information I needed to identify the problem with the hardware, that came the moment I prayed. Was the thought that came to mind as I prayed a word of knowledge or was it just common sense? I’ll let you decide.

What about when you lose your keys and after rushing around for 20 minutes in a panic, you finally pray (in desperation) for God to help you. Then, within seconds, you are reminded of where you left your keys. Is that a word of knowledge or just blind luck? I’ll let you decide.

We come across people giving words of knowledge in the Bible quite a bit.

Like when Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman at the well, in John 4. Without knowing the woman at all, Jesus received a word of knowledge that she had been married five times and the man she was currently with was not her husband.

This word of knowledge established Jesus’ credentials as a prophet and helped the woman to trust Jesus.

But it seems Jesus did not always possess this kind of supernatural knowledge. On a different occasion, when a woman with a bleeding complaint touched the fringe of Jesus’ cloak, Jesus knew power had gone out from him, but he did not appear to know who had touched him. He kept looking around and asking, ‘Who touched my clothes?’

We come across another instance of a word of knowledge in Acts 10. From verse 19 we read: While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them.”

Peter obeyed the Spirit and went with the men who took him to the home of Cornelius the Roman Centurion. Through that word of knowledge, Peter was directed by the Spirit to preach the gospel to the gentiles with the result that Cornelius and his household believed in Jesus and were saved.

You may be wondering, how do we know when a word of knowledge is from the Holy Spirit? How can we tell the difference between the Holy Spirit’s thoughts and our thoughts? Well, in John 16, Jesus said this…

¹³…when the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.

These verses show us that a Spirit inspired word of knowledge is true and it glorifies Jesus. If a word of knowledge proves false or if it does not glorify Jesus, then it is not the real deal.

We could add a third test also. In Corinthians 12, Paul says the gifts of the Spirit are given for the common good. Therefore, we need to ask if the word of knowledge serves the common good. Is it helpful to others in the church?

We know a word of knowledge is genuinely Spirit inspired when it is true, it glorifies Jesus and it serves the common good.

The problem with these tests is that the results may only be known after the fact. How did Peter know the word of knowledge he had received was true beforehand? Indeed, how can we be confident to act on a word of knowledge?

Hmm. I expect this kind of sensitivity to the Spirit is developed through faith and experience. Peter was able to recognise a genuine word of knowledge because he knew the Holy Spirit personally. He spent time in prayer and study of the word, so he was tuned in to the Spirit.

Ultimately though, Peter had to take a step in faith and act in obedience to the word of knowledge he was given. Proof follows obedience.

Knowledge needs wisdom:

Although Paul lists the gifts of wisdom and knowledge separately, they tend to work better together. Wisdom and knowledge need each other like a right hand needs a left hand.

Have you ever tried to cut a piece of steak with just one hand? It’s really difficult. You need both hands; one to hold the steak with a fork and the other to cut the steak with a knife.

What about tying your shoe laces with one hand? How hard would that be?

You need two hands to tie laces. Knowledge needs wisdom like the left hand needs the right hand.

You may know the story of David and Bathsheba. While Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, was away fighting in the war for Israel, David slept with Bathsheba and Bathsheba got pregnant. Wanting to hide what he had done, David arranged to have Uriah killed on the front line, making it look like Uriah was just another casualty of war.

But the thing David had done displeased the Lord. God, in his justice and mercy, could not turn a blind eye to David’s abuse of power. Therefore, the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to confront David over his sin.

This means Nathan must have received a word of knowledge from the Lord. How else would the prophet know David had committed adultery and murder? David had kept his wrong doing well hidden.

Knowing this inside information about David was one thing, but communicating it to David, without getting his head chopped off, was another thing altogether. David was a soldier king, he was a man of power and violence, and he had a lot to lose. Nathan needed to approach David with wisdom.

In Second Samuel chapter 12, we read the wise way in which Nathan handled the king. Nathan began by telling David a parable…

When Nathan came to David, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. ²The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, ³but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. ⁴“Now a traveller came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveller who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.” ⁵David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! ⁶He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

⁷Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!

Nathan then went on tell the king how God was not pleased with the way David stole Uriah’s wife and had Uriah killed. Nathan also spelled out the consequences for David. The king would reap what he sowed.

To his credit, David admitted his fault and the Lord took away David’s sin, but he did not take away David’s consequences.

Conclusion:

A word of knowledge from the Lord is always true and truth is sometimes difficult to receive. A word of knowledge needs to be given with wisdom.

Let us pray. Gracious God, thank you for the gifts you bestow. Help us to tune in to the truth of your Spirit, to be quick to listen and faithful to obey, for the glory of Jesus and the common good of your people. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
Why does God give spiritual gifts to people?
What does Paul mean by the gift of wisdom? How is the gift of wisdom different from the word of knowledge? How do we see the gift of wisdom at work in the Bible?
What does Paul mean by a word of knowledge? How is a word of knowledge different from general knowledge or learned knowledge? Have you ever received a word of knowledge? What happened?
How do we know when a word of knowledge is from the Holy Spirit? How might we tune into the Holy Spirit?
Discuss / reflect on the interaction of wisdom and knowledge in the story of Nathan confronting David. Why does knowledge need wisdom?

[1] Refer Gordon Fee, ‘NICNT, The First Epistle to the Corinthians’, page 592.