What are your spiritual gifts?

I Cor. 12:1-10

Children’s message:

Things to say to the idols-

Let’s pretend that we are really scared and see if they will come help us. Everybody say, “Help me!” Did it work? Maybe we should be louder. It still didn’t work.

Ask, “How do I get to Heaven?”

Did you hear an answer? Why not?

What is the problem? They are mute. They can’t talk. They aren’t even alive. They aren’t God either. They don’t give us presents or put food on our tables. They can’t save us or tell us how to get to heaven.

Deuteronomy 4:35/39

There is only one God and He has spoken to His people, heard their cries for help, and saved them from their enemies. He sent Jesus to save us from sin and death, and He sent His Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. God is so close to us. He always hears our cries, He talks to us in the Bible and tells us how to get to heaven (along with everything else we need to know).

We worship the real God!

1 Cor. 12 and many other places in God’s Word tell us that Jesus is Lord. He is God! And God the Holy Spirit is the one who guides us, helps us when we pray, and uses us to

Intro

Tantalizing gifts and powers

Who

Gets them? For the super spiritual ones?

How do I get them? Where from?

What are they? Purpose? Do I have one?

Different than virtues/fruits of the Spirit

1. (vv.1-3) Who is leading you?

A. False religion leading you to mute idols?

Being lead or carried along. A sense of being pulled away

not based on understanding, wisdom, or faith

the blind leading the blind

Astray -

chaotic - sense of erratic/emotional/spiritual experience

not beneficial

They Don’t give gifts, they don’t speak, they aren’t alive. they are mute/dumb.

B. The Holy Spirit leading you to the living, speaking Lord Jesus

Spiritual gifts don’t “go beyond simple confession of Jesus as Lord, but fundamentally and ultimately point to Him!

THE CROSS!!!! Your spiritual gift is your Lord Jesus

2. (vv.4-6) The Trinity at Work

i. varieties of Gifts/graces (SAME SPIRIT)

not wages

ii. varieties of Service (SAME LORD a.k.a. Jesus)

not a talent show.

Purpose not for your glory, your benefit, but for the congregation.

iii. varieties of activities (SAME GOD, a.k.a. the Father)

Energy/power comes from God- not from you

Transition: Diversity/variety from a single Source- not idols, not you, but the Spirit.

3. (vv.7-11) To you individually, but not for you individually

A. (v.7) To each (and every) believer,

not just the super spiritual ones

B. The Manifestation of the Spirit

in other words the spirit is manifesting these gifts in each believer

Miraculous or sanctifying and augmenting?

Both, but now it is normally the latter

Vocation

Larry the construction worker in mission in Mexico

C. For the common good

Priority gifts focus on What makes a gift beneficial

Everything spiritual gift is beneficial for the congregation, the body of Christ

thus everything that is only beneficial for the individual or that is not beneficial for the body of Christ is not a spiritual gift

D. (Some of) The Specific Gifts

*This is not an exhaustive list by Paul or an exhaustive explanation by me

i. UTTERANCE OF (emphasis on the the proclamation) Wisdom

(Christ is wisdom, the Cross is the Wisdom of God though it is foolishness to the world)

THE CROSS! THE GOSPEL!!!!

&

ii. the UTTERANCE OF Knowledge-

The facts of the Gospel, of biblical doctrine, of truth

BEN Baker and Pastor Lee (history & names),

-------------------------------------------------------------

iii. Faith-

Not saving faith, but a gift to serve the congregation, the body of Christ. Like the faith that Jesus said could move mountains. The faith that Jesus disciples failed in when they couldn’t exorcise some demons and Jesus taught them how to use this gift through prayer & fasting.

?? persecuted Christians who willingly endure trials by God’s grace??

iv. Graces/Gifts of healing-

not something that any person wields by their own power or spirituality, nor uses at their own will

Each time the Holy Spirit tells people when they are to miraculously heal someone and it works every time!

Vocation: Nurses- not me! I get queasy and weak in the knees.

v. Working/energies of miracles-

doing the impossible by the energizing work of the Holy Spirit.

-?? Grandpa Bill lifting a car off of his neighbor.

vi. Prophecy-

proclaiming God’s truth, the Gospel of Christ. (Not usually referring to telling the future or some extra-biblical message for an individual)

vii. Testing the spirits/discernment

false teachers will try to deceive the Church

-------------------------------------------------

viii. Various kinds of Tongues-

See the day of Pentecost in Acts 2

a gift of speaking in human languages that they didn’t know

in a way a gift of hearing

ix. Interpretation of tongues-

This makes the speaking of tongues beneficial to the whole body of Christ

Translators - example of ministry in Tanzania. The Uganda Mission team may be relying heavily on this as well.

E. As he wills-

not for you to decide what gifts you get. Don’t be envious of the gifts given to others, but use the one He gives you

The Cross