1 Corinthians 12 | The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Series: The Holy Spirit: God’s Empowering Presence

Topic: The gifts of the Holy Spirit

Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Clarify: Controversial (defensive bc of abuse, arrogant attitude, fear of…)

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1 Corinthians 12:1–11 “1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 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.”

Pray for message!

This morning I want to share six things about the gifts of the Holy Spirit (i.e. spiritual gifts)

(1) Spiritual Gifts Defined

What are spiritual gifts? There are four primary passages in the New Testament which discuss spiritual gifts: 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4.

Definition: Spiritual gifts are abilities empowered by the Holy Spirit, given to every believer for the benefit of others in order to carry out the mission of Jesus.

Theological Foundation: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (Jn 16:7)

From the Upper Room in the gospels to the Upper Room in Acts

The Empowering Presence of the Holy Spirit in Luke & Acts (Adapted from Jesus, Continued...: Why the Spirit Inside You Is Better than Jesus Beside You by J.D. Greear)

Luke: Jesus’ ministry begins with the Spirit at baptism (3:22).

Acts: The church is born through the Spirit’s baptism (2:1–4).

Luke: Jesus’ first sermon explains how the Spirit had come upon him (4:18).

Acts: Peter’s first sermon explains how the Spirit had come upon them (2:14 – 36). (c.f. Joel 2:28-29)

Luke: The Spirit empowers Jesus to set the captives free (4:18).

Acts: The Spirit empowers Paul to set a girl free from bondage (16:16–34).

Luke: Full of the Spirit, Jesus resists Satan in the wilderness (4:1).

Acts: Full of the Spirit, the apostles boldly face the Sanhedrin (4:8).

Luke: Empowered by the Spirit, Jesus preaches across Israel (4:14).

Acts: Empowered by the Spirit, the disciples preach across the world (1:8).

Luke: The Spirit fills Jesus with joy in persecution (10:21–22).

Acts: The Spirit fills the disciples with joy in suffering (5:42).

(2) Spiritual Gifts Are Distributed to Be Distributed

Spiritual gifts are abilities empowered by the Holy Spirit, given to every believer for the benefit of others in order to carry out the mission of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 12:7 “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

1 Corinthians 12:11 “All these [gifts] are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

1 Corinthians 14:12 “So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.”

1 Peter 4:10 “10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:”

(3) Spiritual Gifts Are Described

There are four primary passages in the New Testament which discuss spiritual gifts: Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4; and 1 Peter 4.

Administration.

Apostle

Contributing

Distinguishing Between Spirits

Exhortation / Encouraging

Evangelist

Faith

Gifts of Healing / Kinds of Healings

Helps

Interpretation of Tongues

Leadership

Mercy

Miracles

Pastor (Shepherd)

Prophet/Prophecy

Serving

Teacher/ Teaching

Tongues

Word of Knowledge

Word of Wisdom

*The gifts mentioned in the NT are not an exhaustive list, but examples. (i.e. intercessory prayer is related to the gift of faith)

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Pet 4:10, NIV)

Speaking of diversity…

(4) Spiritual Gifts Are Diverse

Paul use the body analogy.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

1 Corinthians 12:12–27“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. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

Each person in the body of Christ is given different gifts in order that we might depend on each other. This goes against the spirit of the world (i.e. independence).

For this reason, no one person possesses all the gifts.

Every person in the body of Christ has been given different gifts:

1 Corinthians 12:29–30 “29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?”

(6) Spiritual Gifts Are to Be Desired

1 Corinthians 12:31 “But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.”

1 Corinthians 14:1 “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”

1 Corinthians 14:39 “So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.”

(5) Spiritual Gifts Are to Be Discovered

Pray!

Ask God to show you your spiritual gift(s).

Ask God to search your heart for your heart motive (i.e. more prominence, more influence). Ex: Simon the Sorcerer

Do something! The best way to discover one’s spiritual gift(s) is by engaging in serving according to one’s God given ability, affinity, and affirmation.

I found the following diagram helpful. Affinity, Ability, and Affirmation.

Ability: What are you particularly good at? Affinity: What are you really passionate about in the body of Christ or the mission of God? Need: Can you think of a time when people told you that God used you in their lives?

Personal testimony: I preached my first sermon at 17 (16?) for a youth group rally.

Start somewhere!

(6) Spiritual Gifts Are to Be Desired

1 Corinthians 12:31 “But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.”

1 Corinthians 14:1 “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”

1 Corinthians 14:39 “So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.”

Conclusion: As we’ve seen, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not about elevating ourselves. Rather, Spiritual gifts are abilities empowered by the Holy Spirit, given to every believer for the benefit of others in order to carry out the mission of Jesus.

The world needs to experience Christ’s transforming power. We can only accomplish that in the power of the Holy Spirit through the gifts that he has given each one of us.

Pray: Nichole Asmus going to Burnsville, North Carolina with Samaritan’s Purse for rebuild Sept. 28 - Oct. 10.

For next time

Gifts of the Holy Spirit does not equal spiritual maturity (i.e. The fruit of the Spirit)

Gifts ≠ maturity. Fruit of the Spirit is the true measure of maturity.

Corinth proves this: they were not lacking in gifts, but lacking in love.

Smooth transition to 1 Cor. 13 → “the more excellent way.”

How To receive Spiritual Gifts

Pray with an open and humble attitude

Fully surrender

Confess and forsake any open/known sin

Quotes:

“If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.” A. W. Tozer

My friend, resist the conviction of the Holy Spirit at great peril—the peril that your conscience will become seared by your own repeated resistance so that you can no longer feel it being pricked anymore. (Nancy Guthrie)

We do not need to wait for the Holy Spirit to come: he came on the day of Pentecost. He has never left the church.

John Robert Walmsley Stott (English Preacher)

A definition, therefore, which I would put to your consideration is something like this: the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the initial experience of glory and the reality and the love of the Father and of the Son. Yes, you may have many further experiences of that but the first experience, I would suggest, is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The saintly John Fletcher of Madeley put it like this: ‘Every Christian should have his Pentecost.’

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)

The day of Pentecost was the point of transition between the old covenant work and ministry of the Holy Spirit and the new covenant work and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Wayne Grudem