Gifted by God

This is church! And I am glad to be a part of the body of Christ today! I am glad YOU are a part of the body of Christ… every believer is a part of the body!

So far, this series has focused in on how God desires to build this body today. Never forget that God IS building this body… God desires to add to this body those who are being saved.

This body is to be built upon the Word of God - the Word serves as our foundation. In order for this to be more than a proclamation or claim from the pulpit, two very important things must be happening.

One we must hear the Word. Our ears must be open to what the Word has to say.

Two, we must apply the Word. We must live out the instruction given in the Bible.

With this truth in mind, we have looked at important building blocks that God wants us to be aware of as we embrace His direction for this next year.

One, God wants to build us through prayer.

Two, God wants to build us through mission.

Three, God wants to build us through serving.

Four, God wants to build us through giving.

Five, God can only build us if we are all in - wholly surrendered to what He wants to do.

And with that… we transition a bit. Today and next week we are going to focus in on what God wants to do with the body that He s building.

Why would God build the body if He had nothing in store for the body?

Consider the building of this facility… this building was constructed with the purpose of being a place of worship and discipleship.

My point is… God is building this body… for His purpose. We spoke of this purpose when talked of His mission for the church. We communicate that mission in a simple way. This church, this body of believers exists for the purpose of “Loving God and Loving People.”

So… that’s great! I love this truth and I am thankful that God would us this body… for His glory! But… what does that look like? So far, we have spoken in general terms… but what does that look like practically for every part of the body?

What it looks like is… every part of the body doing what God has gifted it to do!

So… I’m a tool guy. And over the last several years, I have built up my tool box with the tools I need to accomplish certain tasks.

Most of those tasks are centered on home repair and remodel and automotive repair and restoration.

When I have a problem rise up that needs attention, I go to the box and use the appropriate tool for the job.

If I need to drive in a nail, I don’t go for the tire iron, I go for the hammer.

If I need to drill a hole, I don’t for for the hand saw, I reach for the powered drill.

If I need to tighten a bolt, I don’t go for the belt sander, I reach for the socket wrench.

Every tool in the box serves a purpose for the stated objective: Home repair and remodel OR automotive repair and restoration.

The body of Christ operates much in the same way. We know there is a mission to accomplish and God is building this body for the sake of His mission.

Look at 1 Corinthians 12:18

1 Corinthians 12:18 NIV

18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

We need to understand that WE ARE NOT HERE BY ACCIDENT. God has placed us here to carry out His mission in the heartland.

And.. we are BETTER TOGETHER at doing this than we are apart! And… He has placed you according to the gifting He has given you!

Gifting? What gifting are you talking about? I am talking about something that is way more than an acquired talent or ability. I am speaking of a spiritual gifting that can only come from the Lord!

God wants for all members of the body… to be aware of the gifting they have been given. In fact, it is in the area of spiritual gifting that Paul began his discussion with the Corinthians in the first place!

God’s church… the body of Christ… is a supernaturally gifted church! These spiritual giftings are what make each and every part of the body unique but also essential to the work and ministry of the body.

Listen, if I am in the middle of a major home repair and I go to my tool box and the tool I need is missing or broken… it hinders my ability to complete the task at hand. I might be able to use a different tool to complete the task, but not nearly as efficiently or effectively.

God… has gifted you… for His glory… and He has placed you… in this body.

If tat gifting is not utilized… it impacts the efficiency and effectiveness of this body.

So here we go… how many people in this church believe God has great things in store for this body? If we believe that… then every part of the body MUST be in operation according to his/her spiritual gifts.

It is the intention of this message today… to encourage all parts of this body to become aware of your giftings from God and to pursue the utilization of said giftings within the body. As we do this… there are three super important things we need to be aware of regarding how and why it is God gives us these giftings in the first place.

Like any gift we receive… these giftings can be misused or even abused. As Paul addressed the Corinthian church, we need to know the church in Corinth… was messed up! They had engaged in some… practices that were not of the Lord.

So Paul writes this letter and includes important instruction regarding spiritual gifts. This letter is corrective… and it serves as good instruction for a church looking to develop and deploy the gifts of the Spirit. First of all, we need to see...

The Consistency of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:1–3 NIV

1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

As Paul was addressing concerns in the church at Corinth, God inspired him to communicate that the people of God need to be informed regarding the gifts of the Spirit.

We live in a day of information. In fact, most of us have devices in our pockets that give us access to more information than we know what to do with.

Truly, when it comes to knowledge of this world… a person almost has to choose to be uninformed. Let me give some examples:

When working on a car, if I run into an issue I do not understand, I can go to the internet, do a search or two, and come up with some great information that points me in the right direction.

If I am trying to travel to a place I’ve never been, I can type in the address and receive information in real time as I travel to that destination.

If I am listening to the radio and a song is playing that I like but don’t know the title to, I can ask my phone to identify the song. It will listen to the song then give the name and the artist of the song. I get the information I need.

But how many know that… not all of the information on the internet is good or truthful information?

A current term used today is fake news or misinformation. We need to be careful what we receive as truth before we apply that information to our current situation.

For instance, we had our youth group in Denver Colorado for a retreat and we were looking for a mall. I asked Siri to find us one and it plotted the course. But instead of a mall, it took us to an abandoned building in a terrible part of the city. It gave us bad information.

God desires for us to be informed regarding spiritual gifts AND not to fall for bad information regarding the gifts. When it comes to the gifts of the Spirit… you can expect CONSISTENCY.

What is consistency?

Websters tells us consistency is agreement or harmony of parts or features to one another or a whole.

I like that word, harmony. In music, harmony is achieved when the right notes are played to form a chord. Certain notes work well together to create one pleasing sound.

When things are out of tune or… out of harmony… well, we don’t like that sound. In fact it often makes us cringe. Why? Because clearly the notes are not working well together.

When it comes to the gifts of the Spirit… you can expect total and complete harmony or unity. These giftings work hand in hand with the Word and its truth.

Paul is informing the Corinthian church of an apparent danger. DON’T BE FOOLED BY MISINFORMATION!

He takes them back to their pagan days… when they were led astray by MUTE idols. They were somehow influenced by these false “truths.” But the Spirit of God will NEVER lead the people of God away from the truth of God.

Paul plainly lays it out:

No one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed.” Why? Such would be a contradiction. It is through the Spirit of God we are able to say, “Jesus is Lord.” The same Spirit will not lead in two different directions.

The spiritual giftings that we desire to develop and deploy are all distributed by the Holy Spirit. Look at what 1 Corinthians 12:4 says

1 Corinthians 12:4 NIV

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

The point here is simple: Yes… there are different kinds of giftings BUT they are all given by the same Spirit.

He doesn’t give one person a gift that honors God and another person a gift that dishonors God.

Why do we need to be aware of this? Because God does not want us uninformed or misinformed regarding spiritual giftings.

Hear me, church… I’ve said this before and I pray you take it to heart. There are a lot of things out there that are being done in the name of the Lord… that God has nothing to do with. How do I know this? Because I know His Word and Spirit. God does not contradict His truth and way.

God is not going to gift you in a way that dishonors Him! The giftings He pours out on His people will always operate in a way that draws people closer to Him… not in a way that will cause confusion or doubt.

The problem is… many remain susceptible to this issue due to a lack of biblical knowledge and understanding.

It’s kind of like taking everything you read or see on the internet as fact… taking it all in as truth. But never forget this amazing and famous quote by one of America’s most important leaders:

“Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.”

Abraham Lincoln

Okay, so maybe you aren’t into quotes… then maybe this meme will speak more to your heart.

At pastor’s instruction, show “Jesus” slide.

Or maybe you think copying and pasting a disclosure on your Facebook account will really change what you see or exempt you from Facebook stomping on your privacy, or sharing a dealership’s contest will put your name in the running for an exotic car.

The world is going to try to lure you in with misinformation… this practice started in the Garden of Eden! Today, we have a resource we can lean on so we can know the truth!

Paul is lovingly telling the church at Corinth to stop being so gullible in the area of spiritual giftings! You can expect COMPLETE CONSISTENCY between the gifts and the Word… they will ALWAYS operate in harmony or unity with one another.

Secondly, we see another important aspect of spiritual giftings. We see...

The Community of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:7 NIV

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

This one is simple. The gift is given to you but the gift is not given for you. Wait… what? As verse 7 just said, spiritual gifts are given for the COMMON GOOD.

Spiritual gifts are specific God-given abilities that serve the primary purpose of promoting the spiritual growth and development of the church.

To be clear, these gifting are not the same as the gifts and ministries mentioned in Romans 12:6-8 and Ephesians 4:11. Those giftings commission and empower certain believers to minister in a more permanent or full-time manner in the church.

And… as a believer places that gift into motion for the betterment and growth of God’s church… God will also initiate growth within the heart and life of the believer.

But what we need to understand is the Spirit of God does not distribute these gifts for the personal gain of any one person… but He distributes the giftings for the collective gain and growth of the faith community.

The gifting or giftings that God gives you… helps to make up a beautiful community of believers working together for the cause of Jesus Christ.

I see it somewhat like a puzzle. You can’t make out the entire picture until all the pieces are in place. And… if a piece goes missing, it is very obvious to the overall picture.

I want us to quickly revisit 1 Corinthians 12:27 as we talk about this. That verse says

1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Each is a part… each helps to make up the community or the body that God is building. God will in fact work in you… but He also desires to work through you.

As every part of the body functions according to the giftings God has given them… the body is able to serve more efficiently and effectively as they serve the community that God has called them to reach.

God desires for our giftings to work together in community… in harmony… in unity with HIS purpose and within HIS church.

As as this takes places… we see a beautiful picture emerge which brings us to our closing point…

The Completeness of the Spirit

You need to understand something very important today… the body of Christ is NOT complete… without you.

If you are a believer and you are not utilizing the spiritual gifts God has given you for His purposes… the body is incomplete. Paul, again, makes this clear in his instruction in 1 Corinthians 12:15-20

1 Corinthians 12:15–20 NIV

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

I want to give some caution on some thoughts that can keep us from serving as the Spirit would lead us to serve. EVERY BELIEVER IS A PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST. EVERY PART OF THE BODY IS IMPORTANT.

If we’re not careful, we can get caught up in a dangerous comparison game that keeps us on the sideline instead of engaged on the front line.

The enemy will play on your heart and try to make you feel… insignificant… like your role doesn’t matter. It takes ALL parts to make the body… and when one part is missing… the body cannot function as God designed it to function.

The Spirit of God distributes giftings throughout the church to complete the body… It is up to the pars of the body to respond accordingly. God will gift you… will you use that gift for His glory?

So… what are the gifts of the Spirit? We are given a list by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. That list includes:

Message of wisdom

Message of knowledge

The gift of faith

The gift of healing

The gift of miraculous powers

The gift of prophecy

The gift of distinguishing between spirits (discernment)

The gift of tongues

The gift of interpretation of tongues

These truly are amazing gifts given by our Lord! AND… when these gifts come into operation for the common good… the ministry of the body of Christ is able to run on all cylinders. There are no misfires, no loss of power, no hiccups in the timing.

So what do we need to do in response to this teaching today?

First, we need to recognize that… the the Spirit gives no believer the gift of sideliner’s faith. ALL believers are an important part of the body!

Secondly, if we don’t know what our spiritual gifting is, we need to pray about and DISCOVER what that might be.

Third, as that discovery is made, we need to work to DEVELOP that gift and exercise that gift.

And lastly, we need to fully DEPLOY that gift within the body. If you’re not already actively engaged in some way, we need to get you actively engaged.

Bottom line… the church in general has been trying to operate on a non-sustainable ministry model… and not by choice. That model is 20% of the people doing 80% of the work. That is NOT God’s design for His church.

Imagine what the church would look like if… 100% of believers operated in the gift the Spirit distributed to them. That is how we are going to see God do more than He has ever done before! God doesn’t want to work around His church… He wants to work THROUGH His church!

Pray for the gift God has for you.

If you need help in discovering that gift, we have a tool in the office that might be of assistance.