The Gifts of the Spirit

Acts 2:1–4 ESV

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

1 Corinthians 12:3–13 ESV

3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Last week, we discussed the last words that Jesus gave his disciples before ascending to heaven: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” After ten days of prayer and seeking after God, 120 people who were gathered in the upper room received the promised Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in tongues. The events surrounding Pentecost and the subsequent sending out of the disciples to the world were evidence of the power they had received. They healed the sick, raised the dead, spoke in tongues, prophesied, and set up churches. All of this was empowered by the Holy Spirit that was poured out upon all flesh in accordance with Joel 2:28-32.

‌Two thousand years later, these same gifts operate in the church. As some have tried to say, they did not suddenly disappear when the last apostle died. In fact, all the gifts are still practiced across the world. As Methodists, the gifts of the Spirit were part of the movement. John Wesley was not a cessationist. He believed the gifts were active because he saw them working in various places. People would speak in tongues. There would be an interpretation of tongues. People would be healed. Prophetic words would be given. If you go back and read through some of his journal accounts and letters, you will find dozens of accounts of these things happening within Methodism.

‌What happened? Why are we theologically continuationists but practically cessationists? The short answer is that in seeking to become a dominant denomination within America, the Methodist church left behind its charismatic roots to be more palatable to the masses. In doing so, we left behind the power of the Spirit necessary for the church to grow and produce disciples. We decided that having members and money was more important than proclaiming the gospel and all the gifts associated with the Spirit. We wanted a tamer and less intrusive God that let us do our thing while not offending anyone.

‌This old self must be thrown off if we are to reclaim what it means to be Methodist in the 21st century. When we look at places like Africa, South America, and Asia where the Methodist church is booming, it is because they have not caved into the materialist and naturalist mindset that is so pervasive in the West. They have held onto the move of the Spirit and the supernatural power that comes when we place our trust and faith in a God who can do mighty things. We must wear the Spirit’s new garments and proclaim the gospel fully.

‌So, today, we will look at what Paul says about the gifts of the Spirit. This is by no means an exhaustive look. I want us to rethink what we believe about the gifts and their place in the church today so that we as a body can reclaim using all the gifts maturely in our private lives and in the church's public worship on Sundays.

1. All who profess Christ have the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4; 1 Cor. 12:3)

The coming of the Holy Spirit was not a respecter of person. All people who had faith in Christ received the Holy Spirit. This means that each of us has the Holy Spirit alive in us. Classic Pentecostalism and the Holiness tradition believe that there is a second blessing when it comes to the Holy Spirit and that the evidence of this blessing is speaking in tongues. It is often identified as “baptism in the Holy Spirit.” They believe that what happened on Pentecost should be normative within the church. That is, all people should speak in tongues. However, this is not what Scripture teaches us.

‌The Holy Spirit comes into every believer, no matter what, when he or she accepts Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Savior. Methodists say that the Holy Spirit works through prevenient grace in a child's life when the child is baptized. We pray for the Holy Spirit to work within the person to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. We are asking that God would move in the individual’s life so that at the proper time, that person will accept the work of the Spirit and accept Christ as Savior. So, we believe and see in scripture that God is doing this work in us early on by calling us to that place of acceptance. Paul tells us in Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact, the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

‌The Holy Spirit is alive and working in us from the beginning.

2. The gifts are given for the common good. (1 Cor. 12:4-11)

There are a variety of gifts that come from God. He is the one that gives the gifts and not a magical formula. All the gifts are important for the church. We do not have gifts, so others may think of us as more holy than someone else. The gifts are given for the common good of the church. They are to build up the body of Christ and produce faith in God. This means that the gifts of the Spirit are supposed to be part of the church. We are missing the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the gospel witness if they are not. The gifts are active in a congregation for the purpose of helping the body to place more and more of its faith in Christ. Paul rejects the idea that you are a better Christian than another person if you have certain gifts. On the other hand, we can make the mistake of thinking we are just passively waiting for the gifts to come. Being passive in seeking the gifts of the Spirit does not bring power. It produces a powerless faith.

‌The example the disciples give us in Acts 1-2 is that they were actively seeking the power from on high that was promised to them. They sought God in prayer. The Holy Spirit will not push himself on anyone. As Christians, we are to desire to have the gifts manifest in our lives. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:1, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” This is a command for us. We are to desire spiritual gifts to be present in our lives, especially prophecy.

‌But let me be clear. Not everyone will receive all the gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12:11, Paul says, “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” The gifts are given according to how God wants to give them. God may not desire us to have certain gifts. But that does not mean we should not seek gifts. Seeking and desiring gifts draws us closer to God. The fact that God distributes the gifts means they are not from us. It is not something that is just made up and faked.

‌Now, you may be asking yourself, “How am I supposed to pray for the gifts of the Spirit in my life?” We simply ask. Most of us may have never prayed this way, mainly because we grew up in a denomination that did not teach us how to pray for gifts or rarely talked about them. Understand that these gifts are not for you. They are for the body. Jesus tells us that we do not receive because we do not ask. Ask, and you shall receive. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Jesus is not talking about material things when he says this but spiritual things. We must simply pray that God will pour his Spirit on us so that we might receive the gifts he needs to give us now. What happens when you pray, and nothing happens? Keep seeking and placing your faith in him.

3. Though we are many, we are one body. (1 Cor. 12:12-13)

The list of gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12 is not Paul’s only list. There are two more places where Paul talks about gifts: Romans 12:3-8 and Ephesians 4:11-13. Some of the things are the same. Others are different. However, in all three cases, the point of the gifts is for the body, not the individual. Certainly, the gifts draw us closer to the Lord in our personal lives, but the function of these gifts is to show the power of God working among his people. That is why Paul makes the statement as he transitions from talking specifically about the gifts of the Spirit to the body of Christ, we are many, but all the same body. It is a recognition that the gifts do not operate in a vacuum. They operate in the body and for the edification of the body. Paul says in Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” The work of the Holy Spirit is rooted in our baptism so that we may be faithful disciples as part of Christ’s body, the Church. We are not lone rangers in our faith. The gifts are only important if they are given among others.

‌The gifts of the Spirit are to be a regular part of our worship together. That way, the gifts given to God’s people will be displayed for the church’s edification. Paul outlines this further in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33. There are to be hymns sung, the scriptures read, a prophecy given, followed by tongues and an interpretation. He gives an order to the service rather than it be a free-for-all. His point is that God has poured out his Spirit upon the church and given individuals various gifts to be used in a regular service so that God may be glorified, and the church built up. He does not want the Holy Spirit to be stopped, but there should be order in worship because God is not a God of confusion but peace. The body is called to allow the movement of the Holy Spirit while worshiping God but not in a hodgepodge way. All things are done with purpose so that people in the church and visiting can see the work of God in their midst.

‌Today is not an exhaustive teaching on gifts. As Methodists, I hope you can see that we must reclaim our charismatic roots to be what God intends us to be. We can no longer be continuationists theologically and cessationists practically. Do I expect someone to stand up next week and speak in tongues during a service? It is not out of the realm of possibility and would certainly welcome it if it happened in an orderly way. But we are going to slowly get there. We have already begun seeing the gifts at work in our healing services. My plea to us has let us not quench the Spirit. But I ask you to earnestly seek and desire the gifts of the Spirit in your life. Do not be afraid of what God can do in your life. Let the Spirit have room to bring you to a new experience of his love and goodness. God has much in store for us if we allow the Spirit to truly move in the church today.