Untitled Sermon (21)

Spiritual Gifts - Questions

What is the difference between a natural gift and a spiritual gift? For a Christian there may be no difference between a natural gift and a spiritual gift. A spiritual gift may be something one does not naturally possess, or it may be something one possesses naturally, sanctified. Before he was a Christian leader, Paul was a Jewish leader. So many of the skills and talents he had to lead before he was a Christian were still present when he was saved but those gifts and talents were sanctified. John Piper on the other hand did not have a natural speaking gift before he became one of the most used preachers of our generation. He could not speak in public, he froze, he literally could not, his body said, “I can’t even” but he made a vow to God that if God would help him overcome his crippling anxiety once he would not turn down a speaking request for fear. I am sure we are all glad he did not.

What is the difference between a spiritual gift and the fruit of the Spirit? The fruit of the Spirit is the character the Spirit produces in us. He produces love, joy, peace, and all the other components of a well rounded Christian character. A spiritual gift is distinct from Christian character. When Christians first spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost they all had a lot more growing to do. The gift they received was not the same as the character God would produce in them. The Corinthians are famous for having amazing gifts and amazingly bad character. Now, the ideal is that the two should walk hand in hand. That is how they are used best. A person with a gift of teaching should grow up to Christian maturity if they would use that gift regularly as an Elder. A person with low character will harm others if they regularly use their gifts with no character.

How do I discern my spiritual gifts? Well there is not a one size fits all answer for that. The first thing I would say to do is to pursue love. Seek to serve. We do not have any command in the Bible that says ‘find your Spiritual gift’ but we have lots of commands to love. Just start loving. As you are loving you will find God discern Spiritual gifts. For example some of you walk into a room and you see needs, you hear a story and you think how will they get supper. That sounds like a gift of service. Others hear the story and they sense heresy, that can be a gift of discerning the Spirits. As you pursue love you will probably have believers in the body encourage you that you are gifted for this or that thing. How do you know if they are right? Well here we must go back to first principles, are they a wise counselor? Do multiple counselors agree? Another way you might detect a Spiritual gift is through a word of prophecy, Timothy was told in his ordination that he had a gift, some of us will experience the same.

What is the difference between a Spiritual Gift and a Sphere of Service? Some will say I am gifted for missions, but missions is really more about a sphere of service than it is about a particular gift. When the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to go out from their local Church he did not give them new gifts that we know of, he gave them a new sphere of service. They were teachers in their home Church and teachers in their new fields of service. Paul and Peter both had similar gifts they were gifted to be Apostles, but one was called to the Jews and the other to the Gentiles. Same gifts, different spheres of service. I have been researching the army as of late and one thing you find out when you research the armed forces is that if you can do it as a civilian you can do it in the army, HR, plumber, mechanic, it is all there, in the armed forces and outside of them. The same is true with spheres, we need Christian teachers here at home and on the mission field. Where there are Chrsitan schools we need Christian plumbers here and there, my point is we should not confuse the sphere God calls you with a gift of grace.

You are not faithful by attending a local Church! You are equipped to be faithful by attending a local Church.

What is the difference between a natural and a Spiritual Gift? A spiritual gift is a gift that spiritually edifying. It ministers Christ. It helps someone grow in Christ. Spiritual gifts must be defined in terms of Christ, as actualized powers of expressing, displaying and so communicating Christ in one way or another, either by word or by deed. They would not be edifying otherwise. But does that mean I am not serving Christ when I use my gifts at work, no it does not mean that at all. When you do good administration at work you serve the Lord Christ. You serve Christ, but your adminstration does not in any kind of direct way minister Christ.

Gifts and Offices are different

Our head is a direction

Speach and Samaritanship Gifts - Paul goes back and forth between them in 12:5-8 and they are ultimately not theologically different.

Spiritual gifts are Christ Himself ministering to the bride of Christ

PA - A low view of the Church - We have come out of that and we are united in a high view of the Church, but those of us with a high view of the Church can fall into a mistake, we can get focused on the things we do because we have a high view of the Church. Expository preaching, discipline, membership, Elders, singing rich theological songs, ALL GOOD. But none of those get at why we have a high view of the Church. We have a high view of the Church not because of what the Church does, but because of who the Church is. We are the body of Christ.

Gifts do not qualify you for an office?

Christ moves us

Christ fills us.

Ferguson - The Word is central, foundational, and controlling to the Spiritual gifts

English Standard Version Chapter 12

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,

English Standard Version Chapter 12

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

English Standard Version Chapter 12

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

English Standard Version Chapter 10

17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

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.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29

English Standard Version Chapter 1

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24

English Standard Version Chapter 5

29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “

English Standard Version Chapter 1

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25

English Standard Version Chapter 1

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

English Standard Version Chapter 2

19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25

The ministry of the body is destroyed by not holding on to the head. Or, getting side tracked from the gospel will stop the growth of the body. (Col 2:19)

Christ himself nourishes and cherishes the body of Christ ()

The body has a head and that head is Christ (, ) and the body is the fullness of the reign of Christ.

We are the body of Christ and individually members of it (12:27, 20) The body has many parts but it is still one body. We all have a different function.

Paul wants us to think of ourselves as people who have been assigned a spiritual gift, or in other words, a measure of faith. We should do this because we are part of the body of Christ with individual gifts that belong to one another.

As backing for why we should think about ourselves as those with Spiritual gifts Paul tells us this is because we are in the body of Christ.

We are one in the body of Christ -

What does this mean - The fullness of Christ’s rule and reign is in us. ()

This should shape our expectations of what the Church should be like - We should be like Christ

This is what we see in Acts

The actions of having a high view of the Church flow out of this and not vice versa.

We have different functions in the body of Christ

We belong to each other in the body of Christ

WE ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST

WE DO NOT ALL HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION

WE BELONG TO ONE ANOTHER