The Unity of our Spiritual Gifts

INTRODUCTION

We are continuing our spiritual gift study tonight

But we will not be discussing more gifts

We will be discussing how these gifts are placed together to make one functioning church body

I believe if more church members understood their spiritual gifts and served in that capacity they would be much more effective

What is a spiritual gift?

ANSWER: Spiritual gifts are not some kind of superpower we receive to use at our convenience, but a channel by which God has given to us by which expresses His power through us to do ministry.

The church body is a supernatural organization by which works through each individual member

MESSAGE

There is to be unity within the diversity of gifts

1 Cor 12:12-14 “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”

A church body will be severely limited if it is not unified

What is unity

Webster:

“the state of not being multiples”

Anyone ever seek cliques in churches?

Groups within the body of a church?

a condition of harmony

We watched one of my favorite movies last night “The Resurrection of Gavin Stone”

"Row, Row, Row your boat”

The quality or state of being made one

This is must be our hearts

We all have one Lord, one mission, one way of life, and one common enemy

body metaphor

Think about the human body

How all members work together

My left hands works in conjunction with my right hand

My left leg assists my right leg as I walk and supports my body, my arms, and my head

Both my arms, legs, mouth, eyes, obey my mind that tells them what to do

How well could I make it through life if my left arm had something against my right arm

Instead of working in unison, it worked against it

Or if my leg would not move to catch the body when the other leg took a step (I would fall down on my face)

Or if my arms and legs did what they wanted and did not listen to my brain who was telling everything what to do

The same is true for the church

When the members of the church do not work together, or do not seek unity within the church it becomes broken

This can happen because of resentment towards others for whatever reason

This can happen because of jealousy towards others gifts (this was true in Corinth)

This can happen because of laziness

Each of us must strive to keep this church unified

We must do our part by serving out of our spiritual gift

That is our place of service here

Questions?

God calls people to a church with a diversity of gifts to make it complete and effective

1 Cor 12:15-16 “If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.

Do not think you are inferior because your gift is different

“Because I am a hand, “I am not a part of the body” OR “Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body”

Some may feel like their gift is less important than someone else’s gift

Some may feel their contribution does not matter

Paul refutes that idea and says, “they are not any less a part of the body”

Every person has an equal contribution to make

And one contribution is no less important than another

That is important for us each to know who serves

That is important for each of us to know about others who serve (we may feel like our contribution is greater, we are wrong)

God has gives a diversity of gifts to make a church complete

(v 17) “If the whole body were an eye, where would hearing be?” OR “If the body were hearing, where would smelling be?”

It is a good thing that we are not all alike!

What a useless church we would be if we were all preachers!

Who would give encouragement?

Who would teach

Who would administrate?

Who would offer spiritual discernment?

Who would show mercy?

Who would help??

BUT God brings sovereignly builds each church with a variety of gifts

1 Cor 12:18-20 “But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body.”

That means God brought you here to this church because you have a unique gift that this church needs

It is not mistake you stumbled in New beginnings Baptist church!

God called you here because you have a gift that this body needs

Application

We will do this church no service by trying to serve in a gift that is not our gift

You may want to administrate, but if your gift is not administration then you will hurt the church and it will be lacking

You may want to help, but your gift is mercy (The church needs you to serve in your gift)

The Spirit of God has given you a gift when you were born again that you did not have before you were born again, and that is the gift you need to serve in

Do not try to choose your gift

We must discover what God has gives us

No members are dispensable

1 Cor 12:21-25 “And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”

We must not get a big head and think we do not need others or that we have a superior gift

This likely was a major problem in Corinth

Members viewed speaking in tongues with superiority over others

(v 21) “And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”

Don’t underestimate the importance of someone’s gift

Don’t overestimate the importance of your gift

Why?

(v 22) “even the members that seem weaker are necessary”

Those people who serve but seem to do so in a lesser way are necessary to the function of this church body

If we are to be healthy church, we need both the strong and the weak

We are all dependent upon one another

We should honor the weaker members that are not obvious

(v 24-25) “But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”

What member of the body does Paul have in mind here?

The parts that are hidden under our clothes that we cannot see and do not show others (do I need say more?)

But their function is absolutely vital to our survival (procreation)

What we often do in churches is showcase the greater giftedness

That man can preach so good!

Gifted singers

Gifted writers and teachers

But this says we should showcase who have less obvious gifts, BUT walk faithful walk with Christ, and often go unrecognized

Those who sacrifice great things in secret

Those who serve with humility and meekness without any or little recognition

Who serve in their gifts in secret and in faithfulness

Those who put in the work behind scenes and we think nothing about it

Our honor should not be given to the obvious, but the less obvious

For this is the will of God

What affects one member affects all members

(v 26-27) “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

What happens when a hand gets a splinter?

The whole body suffers

Or when the lungs get a cold?

Or when you win a footrace with your kids?

There is a unified rejoicing OR a unified suffering

This is to be the spirit of the church

If one suffers we all suffer

If one receives honor, then we are rejoice with him

We are individually members of one another

CONCLUSION