A Spiritual Gifting
Notes
Transcript
Kept by Christ -
It is a blessing to see another person put their trust in the Lord
God provides power and stability to His church
God gives spiritual empowering, spiritual gifts
The body of Christ needs one-another
When you operate in your spiritual gift you provide stability to the body
If my foot decides to not work - i’m crippled
Your work in the church is not just to show up, but to use your enabling that God has gifted you with
The degree of gifting you have has been established by Jesus.
The portion of your gift is able to meet whatever degree of ministry God has planned for you.
12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
Comparing ourselves
Patting ourselves on the back
Apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, are the gifts of the risen Christ to His Church. There should be no rivalry among them. Each has his own work to do, as each wheel in a watch has its special function. None can do the work of another, and none should try to do it. The Apostles laid the foundations of the City of God, and the work of each is represented by a different stone. The pastor prepares the ground and sows the seed for the harvest which the evangelist reaps; but God will proportion the reward between them. The teacher is as much needed as the evangelist, but neither is so essential as God, who giveth the increase. Without that all labor would be in vain.
We learn from Eph 4:12 that the prime duty of all these agents is not to baptize, marry, and bury the saints, to comfort and console them, and to get them somehow into heaven, as the Arab guides get travelers to the top of the Pyramids. Their duty is to perfect, that is, to adjust the saints for the work of ministry, that they may contribute to the building up of the Church. A minister is a failure if he does all the work himself. The people must all be at work-in the quarries, or shaping the stones, or fitting them into their places.
Measuring ourselves with people who do less than us
Measure - God gave you a measure of what he wants you to have
We dont glory in men
Nobody is more important than anyone in the church
We don’t measure ourselves by others -
We are members in particular
These men did great works
Growing to the degree of your present
Motivational gifts
Your gift will grow to the proportion of your spiritual development
Vs 8 Wherefore
Ye men of Galilee -
These men saw Jesus ascend and they were told - Jesus is coming back
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; Yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
Thou has ascended on High - led captivity captive
Giving gifts to men
David prophesied the ascension
Jesus is the triumphant conqueror of all creation
The keys of death and hell’
Col 2:13 - 15
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances
Crucified and written below were all the things they had done wrong
Your sins were nailed to the cross - every evil thing, every sin
Spoiled - stripped the principalities and powers - Shamed them
Vs 9 Ascended then went to the lower parts - conquered death and hell
So shall the son of man”
By his stripes
There is no license to sin
His soul was not left in hell
No resurrection from the dead
Your faith is in vain
Our life is in vain
vs 16
If there is no resurrection there is no life
Vs 18, 19
there is nothing if Jesus didn’t raise front the dead
Do we believe that - really
Conquered sin, Satan
We live like what we believe
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Fill all things -
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Jesus is gloriously sitting at the right hand of the father
Jesus glorified body did not take care of his wounds
Joh 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Joh 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
By His stripes are ye healed - Jesus took our pain so we don’t have to internalize our pain
Jesus wounds are not covered - What an amazing savior
1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
We can enjoy a King that healed us, conquered the grave, death, and sin.
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Jesus paid the price on the cross, descended, ascended he provided for us salvation, forgiveness, victory over sin, death, grave, and the devil.
Home in heaven for all eternity
Before Jesus went ascended, he had to descend into hell
Before Jesus would be the Lord of Lords he became subject to men, subject to death, and subject to hell
Before He reached the heights
Before Jesus filled all, He had to empty himself of all
We have a wonderful redemption