“SPIRITUAL GIFTS.”
“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.”
Who was the word? The word was Christ.
We are in I Corinthians 12, and Paul in the opening verse says:
v.1 “Now concerning spiritual gifts.”
-The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Father, and Christ are given to the Church as original equipment.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit have been given to build the Church and make it whole. We neglect them to our own loss. The Holy Spirit has been given, complete with nine beautiful Gifts, to help us to minister the love, life, and power of Jesus through the supernatural.
TEXT: I Corinthians 12:7-9, 12-28
4 passages(I Cor. 12:8-10, 28-30; Romans 12:6-8; I Peter 4:10-11)
These passages yield approximately 23 giftings.
1. DIVERSITY OF THE GIFTS.
God knows us before we were born from our Mother’s Womb. He knows about us. He has written things down about us. Whether you are a believer or not. Whether you have been born once or twice.
- Motivational Gifts- ROMANS 12
Everyone has a motivational gift, it has to do with your birthing. Book of Ps. 139
POINT: Every person has one of the 7 motivational gifts found in Romans 12.
When we use our motivational gifting, we are motivated.
We are encouraged on our walk of the Lord.
Motivational Gifts: Encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy, prophecy, service, teaching
- Encourager-who gives comfort and entreats. Gives instruction. Usually, there are two or more that some of us have, and some will be more dominant than others. –Many may have 2 or 3.
- A giver-That person is generous, and they do it without a show of pride or a desire to get recognition. Some give only for the purpose of recognition. When a true giver gives, they give and don’t want anyone to know.
- Leader – A leader is a motivational gift. That means standing in front. They set an example. They model an example of functionality. There are people out there who are leaders, that have no part in the body of Christ.
- Mercy- Generally sympathetic towards people. Full of compassion. Do you know your motivational gift? Is it mercy, leadership? Giving? These are motivational gifts from the father.
- The prophet- is that person that is forthright, everything is black and white, there is no gray, they don’t have a lot of mercy. They are those finger pointers. These are basic personality traits. (Prophets don’t make the best pastors
- The servant- is someone that is gifted by God to give loving service to meet the needs of others. There are people from their earliest years, just love to do for others.
- Teacher- is someone that is detailed insight, they are always interested in minute details of information, and they have the ability to teach that to other people. A TEACHING GIFT.
People who have a teaching gift have never been inside a church, this is not the kind of teaching gift that you have just in the ministry. This is a basic personality of, being a teacher.
2. The gifts of Christ: Eph. 4:11
Most only recognize 3, but I see 5 ministry gifts to the Church.
The motivational gifts are to every man, but the ministry gifts are to the CHURCH.
GIFTS OF CHRIST: Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors & teachers.
There are some called to the anointing of this gift, but not the office of this gift.
- Apostles-Spokesmen who open up the works. Oversee the works.
- Prophets-Who clearly focuses with a specific word for the world or individual.
- Evangelist– who is gifted to speak as a witness to unbelievers. To help convert people to Christ. Evangelist=One who converts to Christ.
- Pastor-Root word: Protect, from where the shepherd comes from. The shepherd/Leader of a congregation is nurturing/caring for the spiritual needs of that flock.
- Teacher-Who is called to teach to a Church doctrine.
FUNCTION IN YOUR UNCTION! TO NOT USE YOUR GIFT IS TO ABUSE YOUR GIFT!
- How are Gifts Given? I Cor. 12:7-11
2 things to point out here:
- 1. 7 –Notice: “Now to each one”……each one has a spiritual gift.
- The Bible says to desire spiritual gifts.
- The Bible says to desire the more excellent gifts. 8,9,10
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, many denominations list only 7
3 Wisdom Gifts: Discernment, Knowledge, and Wisdom
3 Verbal Gifts: Prophesy, Tongues, and Interpretation
3 Power Gifts: Faith, Healing, and Miracles
Not only does the Bible tell us that these 9 gifts of the Spirit are available to all believers, but then it takes it one step further and tells us that we can actually try and stir these 9 gifts up with the Lord.
Here are 5 verses telling us to not only desire spiritual gifts but to also not be afraid to stir these gifts up with the Lord:
I Corinthians 14:39; I Corinthians 14:1; I Thessalonians 5:19; I Timothy 4:14; I Timothy 1:6
Every believer should go to the Lord in prayer and ask God to release these 9 gifts through them anytime that He will want to do so.
In the “School of the Spirit” we desire to know more about the Gifts, what they do, how we can release them in an exciting practical way, and then to develop them through our becoming more excellent.
Notice verse 7 says that these 9 gifts are given to each one for the “profit of all.”
Just stop and think about what all 9 of these gifts from the Holy Spirit are really about. We are talking about God Almighty Himself coming down and manifesting a part of Himself through these 9 gifts, since God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are perfectly one with one another in the Divine Trinity.
Every single one of these 9 gifts are direct, miraculous manifestations from the Holy Spirit. We are treading into deeper waters with the Lord. That is exactly what God is asking all of us to do with these 9 special gifts.
POINT: When the apostle Paul, who I believe was the greatest of all of the New Testament apostles, tells us to “desire earnestly” these spiritual gifts and not to be afraid to try and stir these gifts up with the Lord, then you know God the Father is giving all us a big, fat green light to come after these 9 specific gifts.
Just think how many more people you can help and save if you will allow the Holy Spirit to manifest some of these 9 gifts through you from time to time.
POINT: Each one of these 9 gifts are major power gifts, and they allow the Lord to come and manifest Himself for ministry. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are unique: “Gifts of Encouragement.”
Though Jesus is in heaven right now with His Father, we all still have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us. And through the Holy Spirit, both God the Father and Jesus Christ can still manifest themselves into our daily lives and any situations that we will need their help on.
God and Jesus are still in the rescue, help, and deliverance business – and if you will allow God to manifest these 9 gifts through you from time to time, you yourself can become an actual partaker in the divine supernatural ministry that Jesus left behind when He ascended to His Father.=
ILLUS.: Difference in a BB gun and a 300 win mag.
Combine these 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit with the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit so God can transform and mold you into the kind of person
He wants you to become in Him, and you will then become a truly sanctified, fully-loaded, God-warrior like King David and Joshua were.
It is OK for a person to desire a gift, and ask for a gift. HOWEVER, when a gift is given. I believe that it is the sovereign choice of the HS, and to whom. These gifts are given to the church.
v.11..”He gives to each one as He determines. “
- We have a tendency to exalt someone or lift them up, when we see a gift operating in their life.
You see a gift in someone….a pastor…evangelist.
ALL THE GLORY MUST BELONG TO THE KING OF KINGS……THE VIRGIN BORN SON OF GOD.
These are the manifestation gifts of the HOLY SPIRIT. V.11
I recommend the spirit-filled FIRE STUDY BIBLE. Uniquely, this is the best-selling study Bible in the world.
3. HOW THE GIFTS WORK IN THE CHURCH BODY. I Corinthians 12:12-26.
The bible is a wonderful book, and it is great to go through the Bible verse by verse. You are hearing the sermon of Paul. What a teaching, if we can ever grasp and learn that…..then we would never have comparisons and jealousies. You wouldn’t have that. Who goes around saying…”My eye is better than my foot. My nose is better than my knee.”
“My toe is greater than my wrist”…..you need it all. You need to be able to use all areas.
There have to be people whose perspective is different. There have to be those who think differently. There must be those with a different function so that they will all work toward a common cause as a unified team.
- What is unity? It is being diversified, in harmony.
The biggest problem in Churches has always been the problem of conformity.
ILLUS.: I have always been amazed how many people worried about what the preacher wore as styles. I hear comments every week.
ILLUS: Gray hair is in. I never dreamed that would ever happen.
WHO CARES……CONFORMITY- ALWAYS A CULTURAL BATTLE!
EVERYBODY BE LIKE ME – EVERYBODY DO WHAT I DO.
NO ! – The Bible teaches that unity is diversity, working in harmony. It is a gall-bladder working with a set of lungs. A esophagus working with a stomach. A pancreas with a liver. A hand working with a foot. A brain working with a mouth. WOULDN’T THAT BE WONDERFUL?
To put the hand and feet together…you can hit the baseball. THANK GOD we are not all alike.
Thank God we are different…..AND DIVERSITY.
ILLUS.: Tell the person next to you. “I’m glad that you’re not like me.” Now ” ” ” ” ” ” ” I’m sure glad that I’m not like you.”
There are seven basic points from the APOSTLE PAUL to the Church Body
a. THE CHURCH BODY IS SIMILAR TO THE HUMAN BODY. Vs.12-14
Everything from the Adrenalin rush to the need for rest. Everything is similar from the nervous system, to the digestive system, to the muscle system..there are so many analogies from the human body to the Church body.
b. THERE ARE DIFFERENT ROLES AND FUNCTIONS. Vs.15-17
There have to be different functions. It has to be that way. When you see different people function in different capacities…it reminds us that we have a body and not just organs alike.
We were all alike..then we would be stored in an organ donor room. Since we are different, then we can live, and move and be a habitation unto God.
c. THESE DIVERSE MEMBERS ARE PLACED IN THE BODY BY GOD. v.18-22
I can’t make you a preacher, and I can’t keep you from being one.
I can’t make you a singer, and I can’t keep you from being one.
If you have gifts of the spirit and motivational gifts of the father.
Or if you have one of the ministry gifts of Christ. Allow God to use it in you. God is running the show, and He places people in the body as He sees fit.
d. EVERY MEMBER HAS EQUAL VALUE. V.23-24
-God gives greater honor to the positions that seem to lack.
“The parts we think are less honorable, God will bestow greater honor.”
-The kingdom of God is unique..the last shall be first. The first shall be last.
He who is the servant of all will be the greatest in the kingdom of God. The person who has the least important role, will receive the more abundant honor.
That will be proved up in heaven.
e.THE BODY SHOULD WORK IN HARMONY WITHOUT DIVISION.v.25
As one unit. We all have different functions, but we must work together in harmony for God’s purpose. Otherwise, we get a dismembered body. A torn body, a body that is ripped apart.
-We get schism and chism, we must work to a common goal.
One body with many parts. People can get hurt
f. THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF ONE SHOULD BE SENSED BY ALL. Vs.26
We should have the ability to feel what others feel. When someone is happy be HAPPY! When someone is sad, then be sad with them. v. 26
PRACTICAL: Challenge is to fulfill this verse. Because on any given Sunday, someone is weeping, and someone is happy. Someone has been born, and someone has died.
We see people on any given Sunday people who have been promoted, and others who may have been laid off. It is always a challenge, but we must have the nucleus of people who can be sensitive to both needs. We must help each other. We must be sensitive to each other. We must have concern for our brother and sister.
v.26 “If one part is honored then every part rejoices.”
When someone is hurting, let us surround them. Never be envious.
Different Duties Assigned in the Body. v. 27 -31
I thank God I am part of His body. Sometimes I have been a foot, and sometimes a hand, but I thank God for my part in His kingdom. How many ever felt like you were a problem…But thank God you are in the body!
v.28 Apostles, prophets, pastor/teacher is mentioned first before the working of miracles. If you get the miracles and gifts of healing before the foundation..then you will be in trouble.
There is a high price, when we look for something that looks good and flashy, you can pull rabbits out of the hat if you go to the right circus. God, give us the wisdom to know. What is SOLID, and what is of God. The HS would not have us get involved in a bunch of crazy stuff……DON’T PUT THE SUPERNATURAL FIRST…PUT JESUS FIRST.
ILLUS.:One of the things about the ministry is that we need accountability. Accountability is a covering…His ministry.. Vs.29…31….
v.31-Earnestly desire the best gifts, and yet will I show you a more excellent way.
If I speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not love, it profits me nothing. If you have love, you have something greater than tongues. Greater than prophecy. But if you are able to move mountains, and have not the Agape love of God, and give your body to be burned, and give your goods to feed the poor…..unless it comes from the genuine divine agape love of God…it is useless. Love is supreme… Now abideth faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.
FOR GOD IS LOVE
ILLUS.: If you don’t know your gift. We can help you. Don’t be envious of other people’s gifts, but bloom where you are planted. Serve God with what you have. Be happy with what God has given.
One of these days He will come and say will say: “MY REWARD IS WITH ME.” No one will be cheated when Jesus comes you will be paid.
PRAYER