Spiritual Gifts
Notes
Transcript
The next several weeks I want to look at what are called Spiritual Gifts.
1 Peter 4:1-10
We are not to live in the flesh but in the Spirit.
This is the Purpose of the Gospel – vs 6
But do it all in Love – vs 8
Use the gift God has given you! – v. 10
Spiritual gifts are an expression of the manifold grace of God to us.
There are many gifts, and there are many ways to organize or explain the spiritual gifts.
The way I will explain and organize the gifts are the way I was taught and has helped me.
I. What are Spiritual Gifts?
I. What are Spiritual Gifts?
Drives – God gives us the desire to do His will.
Philippians 2:13
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Opportunities
To do of his good pleasure
Results by God
Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40
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.
Diversities of gifts
Charisma – gift of grace, and undeserved benefit.
But the same Spirit that gives to all.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
Administrations – diakonia - Service
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
Operations – energema – to effect – the results energized by God’s Grace.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
Manifestation – Phanerosis -To make visible or observable. Revealed
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Notice it is up to the Holy Spirit to decide and give according to His Will!
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.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
The body of Christ, the church, is not one person, it is all of you!
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:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Then He begins teaching the importance of love, and what love looks like.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
All Spiritual gifts must be tempered with love!
II. So Who Has a Spiritual Gift?
II. So Who Has a Spiritual Gift?
Every Christian!
At salvation the Holy Spirit comes and unites with our spirit.
Romans 8:16
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
When we are born God gives us a personality, natural abilities.
When we are born spiritually, God uses those natural abilities and uses them so that He can work through us supernaturally.
Ephesians 4:8
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Ephesians 4:12-13
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
III. How Many Gifts Does Each Christian Have?
III. How Many Gifts Does Each Christian Have?
· I believe there are three types of gifts.
· Motivation, Ministry and Manifestation
· We will look at the gifts of ministry and Manifestation at a later time, but today let’s focus on the first one:
A. Motivations
A. Motivations
1 Corinthians 12:4
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
I like the word motivation because it describes the drive in us given by God through the gift.
I believe that these are the gifts listed in Romans 12:3-9
Romans 12:3-9
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
I believe we are given one motivational gift.
1 Peter 4:10
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
That is that it will be the most noticeable above the others in our life.
However, I do believe that every Christian should strive to show the character traits that are often exemplified in the other gifts as well.
We will get to that as we study these gifts through the coming weeks.
Why do we receive one predominate motivational gift?
So we can concentrate on it!
Romans 12:6-8
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Just as the body has different members that perform different duties, the church members have gifts that need to be exercised in order to accomplish what God wants accomplished.
Romans 12:3-6
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
IV. Discovering Your Motivational Gift
IV. Discovering Your Motivational Gift
A. Accept Salvation
A. Accept Salvation
These are the gifts of the Spirit.
They are given to those whose Spirit have been made alive in Christ.
This happens at Salvation.
Ephesians 2:5
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
B. Yield to the Holy Spirit
B. Yield to the Holy Spirit
Romans 6-8 are incredible chapters dealing with gaining victory over sin in our lives.
Verses like
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Romans 6:6
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Romans 6:12
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Romans 7:18
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Romans 7:24
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Romans 8:1
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:14
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
God emphasizes yielding not to unrighteousness, but rather yielding to Righteousness through the power of the Holy Spirit.
It is no accident that these chapters come before the chapters dealing with the Spiritual Gifts that God wants to use in our lives.
C. Concentrate on the Needs of Others
C. Concentrate on the Needs of Others
Philippians 2:4
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Ephesians 4:12-13
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
D. Allow God to Show You
D. Allow God to Show You
1. Through Your Own Character Traits
1. Through Your Own Character Traits
What are your natural motivations?
What seems to drive you?
Filtered through God’s Word that can begin to reveal God’s gifts.
2. Through Other Christians
2. Through Other Christians
What irritates you?
How you view others can reveal How God wants to use you!
We will be spending some weeks on this topic.
I want to challenge each of you to be as faithful as you can during this time.
If you must miss a week, please watch it after it is up on YouTube or Facebook.
If we want our church to grow, we need to do it God’s way!
Many churches die because they are focused on what they have always done, rather than what God is leading them to do now!
This church has a lot of history, and I do not want to forget that history!
But I do not want to get so concerned with preserving history that we miss the present and our future!