The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual Gifts and the Church series • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro
Intro
Text - 1 Corinthians 12.1-11
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:
2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.
3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Title - The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts
Series - Spiritual Gifts and the Church
Key Questions
what are spiritual gifts
why are they given to the church
do all have s gift or gifts
how do spiritual gifts work
What are spiritual gifts
What are spiritual gifts
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
they are “spirituals” (gifts)
grk - PNEUMATIKOS
they belong to the Holy Spirit
they are given only to members of the body of Christ
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Spiritual gifts are manifestations of the Spirit of God through the Church
Spiritual gifts are manifestations of the Spirit of God through the Church
1 Corinthians 12:7 (NKJV)
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
manifest - to make known; to become evident
24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.
25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.
Illustration
Jesus’s works manifested the Father
John 10:38 (NKJV)
38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
Lists of the Gifts
Lists of the Gifts
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
prophecy
ministry (service)
teaching
exhortation
giving
leadership
mercy
Spiritual gifts list no 1
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
word of wisdom
word of knowledge
faith
healing
miracles
prophecy
discerning of spirits
speaking in tongues
interpretation of tongues
28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
apostles
helps
administrations
Spiritual gifts list no 2
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
evangelists
pastors
Spiritual gifts list no 3
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging 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, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
voluntary poverty
martyrdom
Spiritual gifts list no 4
9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
hospitality
Spiritual gifts list no 5
7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.
8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;
9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
celibacy
Spiritual gifts list no 6
7 + 12 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 25 gifts
Warning - Do not confuse spiritual gifts with natural talents and skills
there are similarities between spiritual gifts and natural talents
natural talents are natural abilities
non-believers and atheists all have talents
spiitual gifts are a work of the Holy Spirit
Spiritual gifts are given for the profit of all members
Spiritual gifts are given for the profit of all members
1 Corinthians 12:7 (NKJV)
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
profit - grk, SYMPHERO, to be advantageous; beneficial; for good
Illustration
Jesus said it more profitable to lose a part of the body, than for your whole body to be cast into hell - Matthew 5.29
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
The benefits of the body in the spiritual gifts
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
equipping for the work of ministry
edifying of the body of Christ
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Growth of the body of Christ
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—
12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
impart - share
Paul wants to share his gift of teaching, etc.
establishing
encouragement
Warning - Do not confuse spiritual gifts with the fruit of the Spirit
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
the fruits are for all -
the fruits are for maturity
Notice - the church in Corinth are rich in gifts but poor in fruit of the Spirit
the church should be the fruits of the Spirit as well as in the gifts of the Spirit
Spiritual gifts are for functions of each member of the body of Christ
Spiritual gifts are for functions of each member of the body of Christ
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
The church is a “body”
a body has many members
each member has at least one function
each function is for the benefit of the whole
Each member of the Church should function according to their gifting.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
Notice - Paul equates one member to a function
Notice - 2 different views on spiritual gifts
Situational
gifts operate as only as needed
everyone as all the gifts
everyone can be activated by the Holy Spirit to operate any gift He wants to use
Constitutional
gifts are given to members of the body as a “lifetime possession”
eyes are always eyes; hands are always hands;
every member is responsible for using his/her gift/s over the long haul - for a lifetime
Warning - Do not confuse spiritual gifts with Christian “roles”
some Christian roles are for everyone
giving
helping
believing (faith)
being merciful
exhorting (one another)
serving (ministering)
praying (intercession)
some Christian roles are used as the need arise
Examples
if there is fire - you extinguish it while waiting for the firemen to arrive
teaching, exhortation, hospitality, etc - can be done as needed
Warning - Do not confuse spiritual gifts with counterfeit gifts
counterfeit prophecy
counterfeit teaching
counterfeit
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
test every spirit
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Are you a member of the body of Christ?
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
if you are - then you have a function or functions
if you have a function - you have a spiritual gift
Because of your spiritual gift you are important to the whole body
[see lists again]
What are your gifts?
know them
develop them
use them - Imagine how many souls will benefit from your gift!
SONG
This is your house