The Gifts...an introduction

Well, the last couple weeks we’ve been talking about the Holy Spirit. The Godhead expressed in three persons, Father, Son & Holy Spirit. And we’ve been specifically highlighting that everyone who has made a decision and confession to believe in Jesus Christ HAS received the Holy Spirit already. We read both Ephesians 1:13, / / And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit… And 2 Corinthians 1:22 / / …he has identified you as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

We also identified that the Holy Spirit will never leave us.

1 Corinthians 6:19 says / / Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?

Jesus said in John 14:16-17, / / I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit.

So, What we’ve learned about the Holy Spirit is this:

/ / PROMISE of the Holy Spirit

For thousands of years, the Holy Spirit was promised. In the Old Testament God promised that he would send the Holy Spirit. Peter quotes the Prophet Joel on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:17, ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.

/ / PREPARATION for the Holy Spirit

Jesus says while he is on earth that when he leaves is when that is going to happen. Him and the Father will send the Holy Spirit.

Both in John 14:16 …I will ask the Father, and he will give you… And in John 15:26 Jesus says, / / But I will send you the Advocate - the Spirit of Truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.

/ / FULFILLMENT of the PROMISE

There is the fulfilment of this promise. When we believe, we receive the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13

/ / FILLED with the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit lives INSIDE of us. Jesus again, in John 14:17, But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be IN you. and of course 1 Corinthians 6:19, / / …you are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

/ / This is FOREVER

The Holy Spirit will NEVER leave us. John 14:16, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.

Why am I going through this again after we just spent two weeks on it?

Because you need to keep all of these things in mind as we move into our new series, / / Everybody Loves a Gift!

See, not only have you received the Holy Spirit, not only is He never leaving. BUT, he comes with a special gifts that are given to each of us to make us better equipped to live life.

We’re going to be covering a broad perspective of what we call the Gifts of the Spirit talked about in a few different scriptures. We’re going to go over what they are, what their purpose is and why they are important.

Today I’m going to list them out, based on the various scriptures that talk about them, and look at why they are important, what their purpose is, why we should want them. But, we also have to recognize that this list I’m going to talk through today is by no means an exhaustive list of the abilities and gifts God can give us.

These gifts are talked about primarily in 3 different places in the bible. 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4. The first scripture we’re going to read is from 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 says, / / A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

That one’s pretty straight forward, isn’t it? Paul says directly, A spiritual gift is given to each of us…

OK, let’s jump over to Romans 12:6-8, where again, this is the Apostle Paul talking through some gifts that are given to Christians through the power of the Holy Spirit. / / In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift of showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Again, pretty straight forward, God has given us different gifts… And you may have noticed some overlap between the first and second scriptures. He’s added some, and listed a few we heard about in 1 Corinthians.

And one more scripture we’ll look at is from the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, starting in vs 11. / / Now, these are the gifts Christ gave the church: The apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

So, listed in these 3 separate scriptures are 15 gifts that we’re going to look at over the next few weeks. Some weeks we may cover multiple gifts while others may need a bit more of a deep dive into them.

These gifts are as follows:

/ / Apostle, Prophecy, Evangelism, Discernment, Pastor, Teaching (Word of Wisdom / Word of Knowledge), Encouragement,Miracles, Healing, Service / Helping, Leading / Administrating, Speaking in other Languages, Interpretation, Giving, Faith, & Mercy / Kindness.

15 gifts, again, there is no putting a cap or limit on what God can do, on what the Holy Spirit can do or give, but this is really a guideline for understanding that God HIMSELF doesn’t want to just sit back and do nothing, but that he wants to be very involved in our lives, very interactive in our lives, very generous towards us, AND that he doesn’t want US to just sit back and do nothing…but He wants to work with us and teach us how to use what He’s given us, ultimately because it benefits us, and it brings Glory to God.

Now, to break it down even just a little bit more, these gifts can be categorized as one of two different types: / / Gifts of Speaking & Gifts of Service.

Gifts of Speaking include: Apostle, Prophecy, Evangelism, Teaching, Encouragement, Discernment, Speaking Languages & Interpreting Languages

Gifts of Service include: Leadership / Administration, Helping / Serving, Mercy / Kindness, Giving, Faith, Healing & Miracles.

OK, so having listed these gifts, let’s as a few important questions:

/ / Who does God give these gifts to?

The answer to that question is in the scriptures that talk about these gifts, and it’s really pretty simple. We are a part of something that requires each of us to function. It’s called the Body of Christ, and that’s found in 1 Corinthians 12:27, / / All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church… And then he goes on to explain some of these gifts that have been given.

I posted something this morning that Sunday is for Church. I didn’t understand it, I didn’t get it growing up. Church wasn’t an option. Every Sunday. I took it as my parents MAKING me go to church. But It was actually my parents making a PRIORITY for THEIR lives that was teaching me how to make a priority in my life. Proverbs 22:6 says Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

If we want our kids to grow up valuing God, having good morals, making the right decisions, then we in our lives have to model that same thing. And we all know our kids don’t know what’s best for them, and I complained, and some days I didn’t want to go to church, and some days I was outright stubborn about it. But my parents modelled for me what it meant to follow after God and to be a part of something that is bigger than myself, and has so much value to it. So today, I’m really grateful for what I didn’t understand back then.

So, Paul says again in Colossians 1:18 / / Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.

If you’re following along with our Daily Bible Reading, I’ve mentioned that reading through Paul’s letters in the New Testament, you often see recurring themes throughout the letters because he’s talking to a bunch of different groups, but all are newer churches, and all with new Christians. Some are Jews who are learning what it’s like to not be under the Old Testament law anymore, but the law of Christ, which is love, and others who were Gentiles, have no Jewish religious background, and have been introduce to being a disciple of Jesus. Either way, they all need this foundational teaching of what it means to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus and what it means to be the church, a group of believers together. And YES, that’s going to bring up some issues, some conflicts and some struggles, because as long as people are involved, there will be human issues! But that’s not something to be afraid of, or something to walk away from, it’s something to embrace because it makes us stronger together when we can work through our differences and our hurts. Forgiveness and reconciliation make our bonds stronger, resentment and shame only break us apart.

So, no surprise here, in Ephesians 5:23 Paul talks in a very similar fashion when he says, / / ..Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.

So we are the body of Christ, and Paul continues to use this analogy throughout his writings, especially when it comes to talking about these gifts and our function within this “church”. Listen to how he writes this in Romans 12:4-5. He says, / / Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 12:12 he writes, / / The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

Why is this important?

Because, when it comes to your body, it’s hard to say that one part is more important than another. All are absolutely necessary, and the body has a difficult time functioning without them. Yes, we have all seen great stories of triumph where someone has lost a limb, or lives blind, or unable to speak etc… but that is the exception, isn’t it? And to be clear, this is an analogy, so it’s not talking about people without body parts, it is simply using the idea of a body and body parts as a reference that we can all understand. I mean, that’s the purpose of analogy, to give you a visual in your mind to help you make sense of what you are learning.

And so he says in vs 14 of 1 Corinthians 12, / / Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not the hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not the eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

So, not only is it important to understand that we all have value, we are all important, and we aren’t meant to do this without each other. BUT, it is also important to understand that we are all on the same playing field. If you noticed, when I read through the scriptures outlining the gifts, there was no hierarchy. No ranking. No system of importance, but simply a list of gifts given to people for the mutual benefit of each other. This is so important to Paul as he is teaching these early churches that he continues this metaphor by saying in vs 22

/ / In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

So, no part greater than another, just different functions that require different parts, and if one is hurt, we all hurt. This is another great example of a level playing field in humanity. God never intended a hierarchal system, but rather a place where we would all rule and reign together.

Remember on Mother’s Day we read that even in the very beginning the mandate given to humanity was that both Adam AND Eve, both man and woman would rule and reign and have dominion in the earth. The same is true of whatever function or gifting we have in life.

This is a great lesson for humanity, we are all equal. We are all the same. There is no gender, race, age, gift, purpose, or function that any of us are or have that makes us any better, OR LESS, than anyone else. And I think knowing BOTH of those is incredibly important.

Maybe your gift in life is like one of those ones that Paul says is easier to honor.... That doesn’t make YOU more important than someone else. And the same is true looking at it the other way. Maybe the gift I have isn’t one of prominence, or in the forefront where I am visibly honored. That doesn’t make ME any less important than you. Just because you’re the janitor, doesn’t make you more important than the lawyer. Or just because you’re a doctor, doesn’t mean that you are less important than a mechanic. BUT, and I find this fascinating, BOTH are absolutely necessary dependent on the need at the time. If I have a clogged artery, I want the doctor. But if I have a clogged radiator, I want the mechanic.

We are all on this great playing field of life, which is a level playing field, designed and created by God for this purpose, / / that no matter who we approach, regardless of their station in life their stature is the same.

And if we can come to a place where we respect humanity on the basis of being God’s creation then we can truly begin to celebrate people for who they are and what God has given them. But until we do that it’s very difficult to actually even see what God has put into someone, when all we are looking at is what we see on the outside, or through our preconceptions and notions of what this life has taught us.

In fact, in Romans 12, when Paul is talking about these gifts, he actually says in vs 3, / / I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. And THEN he says, Just as our bodies have many parts…

C.S. Lewis said that true / / “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”

I agree, and true humility is understanding who you are and what you bring to the table while celebrating and encouraging those around you to also come to the table with who they are. Knowing who you are and celebrating who God created you to be is incredibly important, because denying who you are, what God gave you, simply denies God receiving the glory for you using those gifts.

In Matthew 22:37, Jesus told us that the Greatest Commandment is this: / / ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.

Everything rests on those two things. And he is clear to note, yes, I’m saying 1st and 2nd, but they are equal, love God, and love people, like you have learned how to love yourself.

If you don’t know how to honor who God created YOU to be, are you truly honoring anyone else? This is what we would call False Humility, which is really just another form of pride. See, Paul warns us, don’t think you are better than you really are. I think we all recognize that one. Pride is pretty ugly, and usually pretty noticeable. But what about when someone asks you to do something and you respond with, “Ohhhh, I don’t know, maybe let someone else do it. I’m sure there’s someone else that’s more qualified. I’m not a limelight person, I don’t need to do that. I mean, They deserve it more. I don’t need to do it this time.” That’s no different than saying, “Of course you’re asking me, who else are you going to ask?”

Both responses fail to meet the mark. One is downplaying who you are, the other is overplaying who you are. When Paul says, Don’t think you are better than you really are, he doesn’t say, you should think less of yourself. C.S. Lewis is right, True humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. You are incredible, God created you uniquely. How many times have I told you that he broke the mold with you??? And it’s TRUE! But it’s not just saying that of yourself, it’s understanding that if it’s true of you, it’s true of the person next to you, and the person across the room from you, the person you love, and the person you don’t even like.

Why does that need to be a focus? Because without understanding that, the next question we’re going to ask about the gifts of the Spirit would be really awkward.

/ / What are these gifts for, what is their purpose?

Let’s look at those initial scriptures we read about the gifts and see what they say about their purpose.

Ok, let’s start in Romans 12. We read vs 6-8, which talks about the giving of the gifts by God, and then in vs 9 it says, / / Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Ok, so here’s a bunch of gifts, now go love each other! honor each other, work hard together, rejoice together, be patient with each other and when you see someone in need, be ready to help them. Be hospitable.

/ / The Gifts of the Spirit are not or us, but are for serving others.

These gifts that God gives us are not gifts for our own personal use. In vs 6-8 he has really already shown that: If prophecy, speak out. If serving others, serve well. If teaching, teach well. If encouragement, BE encouraging. If giving, give generously. If leadership, own that responsibility. If kindness, do it gladly.

/ / The Gifts of the Spirit are OUTWARDLY focused.

What about 1 Corinthians 12. We read vs 7-11, and Paul continues to write about this idea of the body of Christ through the rest of the chapter, identifying that we each carry different and unique gifts, we aren’t meant to be everything. And he ends with this thought, in vs 31 / / So you should earnestly desire the most HELPFUL gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Ok, we’re about to get something really important. And I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone read 1 Corinthians 13, without making the connection to 1 Corinthians 12, but we have to remember, there were no chapters and verses when the Bible was written. This was one thought. There is no separation here.

And, so after explaining that God gives us gifts, that we are all the body of Christ and equally important and no more important than anyone else, but we are all needed, regardless of our gift, he says, desire to be the most helpful, and this is why... 1 Corinthians 13:1 / / If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

Wow. So, all the gifts. All the power. All the ability. But without love?..it means nothing.

Paul is almost over explaining this. BUT, to a point. 1 Corinthians 14:1 starts with, / / Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives...

Because he’s just said, Without love, those gifts means nothing, do all that great stuff and it’s like being a noisy gong in someone’s ear, a clanging cymbal. If I go over there and play you a beat on the drums, ok, that’s one thing, but if I go over and start banging away and just making a bunch of noise, I’m gonna clear the room pretty quick.

Love… / / These gifts are about love. They are a gift for us to be able to SHOW that love to others.

Remember, Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and love each other. And so he says, ‘I’m going to make this enjoyable. I’ll even give you gifts that really help to show that love for each other. And I’ll give you different gifts so you’re not all the same. And you get to rely on each other. You get to lean on each other. You get to see each other shine in different ways and different times and celebrate each other for it!

And the last scripture we read on the gifts was in Ephesians 4:11, and after describing the gifts which are primarily the speaking gifts, what we traditionally call the 5 ministry gifts, Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor & Teacher, Paul says this in vs 12, / / Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. vs 16, He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

OK, the reason these gifts are given is because we now have a responsibility to use those gifts to equip God’s people to do God’s work, AND build up the church.

As each part does its special work, it helps the other parts grow, which means we are healthy and growing and full of......LOVE.

If you think of this outward expression of love that these gifts are meant to employ, and if you think about the two different types of gifts we categorized them as, the speaking gifts and the serving gifts, we see that these gifts are all about helping us grow, be healthy, and feel loved.

The speaking gifts train us and equip us, direct us to God and His truth, teaching us how to live as followers of Jesus. / / They build us spiritually.

The serving gifts honor us, make sure we’re looked after, make sure things are running smoothly and efficiently. / / They build us up physically.

And I would say both together really have an element of / / building us up emotionally because it’s all centered around our love for each other and our desire to see each other grow and flourish, and that’s just good for the soul, isn’t it. A word used quite a few times throughout these scriptures is unity. And when there is true unity, there is peace, understanding, comfort and safety. So we find that place of being built up emotionally as well.

These gifts are all about our Spiritual, Physical & Emotional well being. And when we focus on what our gifts are, and employ those gifts, learn how to use them well and learn how to serve others with them, we all get a whole lot healthier.

Over the next few weeks we’re going to break these gifts down, and my hope is that as we are looking at them, and through various resources that we can use, you’ll feel the direction and prompting of the Holy Spirit to what God has uniquely equipped you with. Because like Paul says, / / If we are the body of Christ, and each of us members of that body, we can’t do this without you!