A Brief Look at Spiritual Gifts

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Title: Gifts of the Spirit

Text: “To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7 NIV).
Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 12:1–7 AV
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

Introduction

This is an introductory message to a series of studies on the gifts of the Spirit. Even though the Lord gives each of his children one or more gifts, there are some basic facts that relate to all of them. Keep these in mind as we consider the Spirit’s gifts.

All gifts are to honor Jesus

1 Corinthians 12:3 AV
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

A. Jesus is at the very center of all Christendom.

Acts 17:28 AV
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
All that Christians have and all that they do are to honor Jesus.

B. Jesus is the central message of the New Testament.

All the messages and promises in the New Testament point either directly or indirectly to him.

C. Jesus is to be honored by all the gifts.

The only purpose of the gifts is to honor Jesus.
Any gift that does not honor him is not of the Spirit. If a gift of the Spirit is not used to honor God, the person using the gift sins against God.
Every gift begins and ends with Jesus.

All gifts are to build up the church

1 Corinthians 12:7 AV
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

A. The church is the body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12–13 AV
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
For the body to be strong and to function as it should, it needs to be built up. The gifts of the Spirit are for this purpose.

B. The church is a divinely established institution

Matthew 16:18 AV
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The Lord placed the church on his earth for the propagation of the gospel. The gifts of the Spirit enable the church to accomplish their mission.
Spiritual gifts do not opperate outside of the church, since they are for the church.

All gifts are for a common cause.

A. Each gift is to supplement and complement all the others.

No gift of the Spirit works independently of the others. Instead, each gift is to function in relation to all the others.
Tongues works with interpretation.
Wisdom works with knowledge.
healing works with miracles.
They all work together.

B. Each Christian is to use his or her gifts to supplement and complement other Christians’ gifts.

This cooperation is what enables the Lord’s work to progress.
He endows some of his children with one ability and others with another gift; they are to use these gifts together for the Lord’s work.
The church is to work somewhat like a team, for example. On a team, some members are assigned to block and some to run with the ball. It takes both to be a successful team.

All gifts are important.

A. This is a fact that each Christian needs to thoroughly fix in his or her mind.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are the gifts of a sovereign God.
Anything that anyone does for the Lord is important. Each person is to take inventory of his or her abilities, thank God for them, and use them according to God’s plan.
Every gift, nok metter how seemingly small matters.
1 Corinthians 12:14–24 AV
14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:

B. This is a fact that will make the world take notice.

The gifts of the Spirit make each individual important.
No one is ignored, and no one is more important than another in God’s sight. When others see the personal interest God takes in each person, they will be attracted to God.

All gifts are according to the Bible.

A. The Bible is the inspired Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16 AV
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
There is no way the Spirit could inspire the writing of the Bible and then contradict himself in bestowing gifts.

B. The Bible is the recorded revelation of God.

The Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures to inspire and inform. He also gives the human mind the ability to understand the revelation found in the Bible.
No gifts other than listed in scripture exist. The charismaina is a prime example of this. Barking like dogs, shacking like a rag doll, the everr classic fire tunlle - none of these are given by inspration of the spirit therfore none of them are from the spirit.

Conclusion

As a Christian, you have one or more gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is your privilege to discover them and use them for God’s glory.
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