Spiritual Gifts: The Gifts

if you have your Bibles, I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and we're going to read a few verses. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. We ought to read chapters 12, chapters 13 and chapters 14. I'm not going to do that. I'm going to read just a few verses out of chapter 12, but please read all of those chapters and the other assignments that I've given you.

Let's start at verse 3. 1 Corinthians 12, 3. Everybody with me? Therefore, I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus be cursed, and no one can say, sentence is no one can say genuinely or truthfully Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord.

There are different kinds of working but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there's given through the spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and still to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are work of one and the same spirit and he gives them to each one just as he determines now go to verse 18 with me but in fact God has arranged the parts in the body every one of them just as he wanted them to be if they were all one part where would the body be as it is there are many parts but one body. And then verse 27. Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church, God has appointed first of all, apostles, second prophets, third teachers, and then workers of miracles. Also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues are all apostles, are all prophets, are all teachers, do all work miracles, do all have gifts of healing, Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And that's where I'm going to stop reading for today. Today we will not focus on the individual gifts. We're going to do that in more detail next week. Today we're going to start with some beginning truths about gifts.

do churches talk about gifts enough?

Well, sometimes I think we talk about them ad nauseum. It seems like we want to talk about gifts and we emphasize people need to have gifts and sometimes I'm tired personally of hearing about the gifts. But at the same time, I'm going to say we can't study them too much, I don't think. The problem is, though, is not knowing about the gifts. The greater problem is the implementation.

It's not lack of knowledge, I'm going to submit, that's the problem. It's lack of fervent implementation of what God has given us. But let's start with knowledge about gifts, and then I'm going to press us, and I'm going to press. And I'm going to start today, and I'm going to press next week, and I'm going to press the following week. It's time to quit talking about the gifts and start doing the gifts.

But let's start with knowledge, which is where we should always begin. Before we act, we ought to think. We get in trouble when we act without thinking. So let's think first about spirit gifts. And I'm going to emphasize several points.

First, they are gifts. The Greek word for gifts is charismata. And I put that Greek word there for this reason, to show you it's related to another Greek word. You don't have to know Greek to see that charismata is in your handout. You see your handout?

Charismata has a word in it, charis. And the word charis in Greek means grace. These gifts are grace gifts. Gifts that we don't deserve. but they have been given to us by God's grace most immediately through the work of his spirit but because they are gifts let's understand there is no place for pride here whatever gift you have at root you had nothing to do with it it was given to you you didn't deserve it It wasn't because you were worthy or good looking or that you had so much hair or so little hair, whatever.

It was because God through His Spirit was gracious and gave it to you. Remember, any gifts you have at root are gifts from His Spirit. Secondly, gifts are given to each believer. And maybe we ought to say to each and every believer.

1 Corinthians 4 7 says now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given 1 Peter 4 10 says as each one has received a special gift so the emphasis and the ones he is talking to here are believers so that's why I've said to each believer there's a gift George Barna has done some surveys of born again people who say they're born again believers this notion of spiritual gifts. In the year 2000, about three years ago, when he did polling of people who professed to be born again believers, 21% said they did not believe that God had given them any gift. 21%, over one-fifth of those surveyed claiming to be born again believers said they did not believe that God had given them any gift. Part of the problem was they weren't sure that God bestowed gifts on every person, and some of them maybe didn't have a view that what their particular gift was was so, they thought it was of such little importance, probably, that they didn't think it was really a gift from God. So there may have been a couple of things going on in that survey.

But it is a significant problem, I submit, if over one-fifth of born-again believers start out with the notion they don't have a gift from God. The testimony of Scripture is, and the truth is, that every believer has a gift from God. So all of you are special. God in His grace, though you didn't deserve it, has given you something special. It's a treasure.

you need to recognize that you have been that special recipient.

And then you need to use it.

Thirdly, as determined by the Spirit.

I don't know why God gifted you in the way He gifted you. I don't know why He gifted me in the way He gifted me. it's hard for me to understand but let's understand in the first place that the gifts have been arranged in the body by the spirit of God as he determined this is not human choice this is God's choice about who he would give gifts to and how he would gather certain believers together in certain places at certain times having a variety of gifts to do his work Why is it that all of us are here in this class? How is it that all of us are here part of the church? You are here by God's determined plan.

So there are three notions here when I say is determined by the Spirit. The first is sovereignty. God is sovereign in the distribution of gifts. He gives them to who He wants, where He wants.

Secondly, He does it for a purpose.

he does it for a purpose it is not an accident that the body of believers at Greer First Baptist Church are arranged the way they are or the body of believers at Fairview or the bodies of believer at First Pres or the body of believers wherever there is a purpose for your being here

and you need to recognize that and thirdly because the gifts are given by the spirit the same spirit we have one faith we have one lord and we have one spirit that has given these gifts this spirit does not arrange things in a way to work at odds against himself He gives these diversities of gifts, these different gifts, but in a way that will promote his purposes. And it has to be a unified purpose, otherwise he's working against himself. So we are arranged in a certain way so that we'll be unified, a unit of a variety of people that can function most effectively to accomplish his purposes. It's a whole new way of thinking about church if we're not just here to sit and listen, but to recognize we have a unique role among the body. There's a unique purpose for you in the body because this body has certain purposes, but it needs each little part in order to accomplish those purposes.

Fourthly, these spirit gifts are given in ways that are visible. visible. These gifts are not to be hidden. As the text says in verse 7, to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given. That word manifestation has the idea of revelation.

Something that can be seen, something that can be known. You don't take these gifts in a way that they are hidden. They produce outward, visible expressions and outward, visible workings so that you can see in your own life what your gift is, but others around you can see. These gifts are to be fleshed out, lived out, practiced, seen.

If you take them and just bury them under a bushel, or if you unplug the lamp and try to hide, you're not doing what you're supposed to. You're supposed to, these expressions of gifts are supposed to be visible and outward. They are all necessary.

The word used in verse 22 is translated by the NIV, indispensable, indispensable. And you know that Paul in this passage uses the picture of the body. But the point he makes with this imagery part is needed. No matter how small, and I'm going to put that in quotes, you may think your gift is, it's necessary. And the point of your individual gift being necessary means that we are all dependent on one another. You know, the body works when all its parts work. And the body of Christ is dependent on each member doing its part. I'm dependent on you. You are dependent on me to do my part so that the body then functions properly. I think one reason people are so frustrated in church sometimes is that they feel like the church is not doing all it's supposed to do. The church, you know, just doesn't tickle my fancy. It's not meeting my needs. Well, some of the problem is that some aren't doing their part and when they don't do their part other parts of the body hurt we are dependent on one another to build up this body we are dependent upon one another for the work of Christ to be carried out it's just like the football team on the field you might the quarterback might can't go out there and play by himself but he's going to be hurting before the game is over because he didn't have the line that was running the interference for him for him. The same is true in the church. When we don't do our part, we all hurt and we are not as effective as we should be in accomplishing Christ's mission here on earth. Next, gifts are to promote the common good for God's glory. The common good. These gifts aren't just for your self-gratification.

promote the common good. In other words, to build up the whole body, to strengthen the whole body, to help the body mature so that it can better function, to make the body stable. When all the parts are working together, the body functions more appropriately. It's able to ward off bad elements, diseases. It's able to go out into the world and take on enemies of the church more effectively.

an army doesn't go out with just part of its army you need the folks doing support you need the artillery you need the infantrymen you need all of the parts working together and folks we are in the battle and we need all the soldiers on the front lines and behind the lines wherever god has placed them so that the whole army functions effectively the reason that satan is so effective against the church is the army isn't working together often to do what God has called it to do we need to be working together we do it ultimately for God's glory as first Peter 4 11 says if anyone speaks he should do it as one speaking the very words of God if anyone serves he should do it with the strength that God provides so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. How does God get glory on earth? He gets glory when we are serving effectively as the church.

Because when we're serving effectively, what are we doing? We're lifting up the name of Christ as the only way of salvation. We're helping the poor. We're helping the sick. We're helping the needy.

We're clothing the naked. We're going into the prisons. And when people say, ask, why are you doing this? You say, because I love Jesus. And he gets the glory for what happens.

So let's always remember the ultimate goal is not self-gratification. Some have confused the song, My Jesus, I love thee, and have changed the title to say, My Jesus, I love me. And we live sort of in a culture, and unfortunately in churches, well, that's sort of our motto, My Jesus, I love me, and if my fancy isn't being tickled, I'll just go somewhere else. You are not here primarily for yourself. You're here primarily for the king.

and you're in his army and he's called you to go die for him, live for him, whichever it is, it's for him. And until we get our eyes off of ourselves, until we are always interested in self-gratification, we'll still, if we don't get our eyes off of ourselves, we're going to have people floating from church to church, searching for the perfect church, looking for some other place to tickle their fancy because it's all about me, me, me. It is not about us. It's about Him.

Lastly, the necessity of love. I hope I gave you the quote here. Gifts of the Spirit should always be wrapped in the fruit of the Spirit.

Sometimes, sometimes we can practice these gifts without it being wrapped in the fruit. And if you read the Apostle Paul, he says the most, he really emphasizes the importance of that premier part of the fruit, love. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries, and if I have a fate that can move mountains but I have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not love, I gain nothing.

If people don't see us as agents of love, I don't care how gifted we are. We're zilch.

So make sure the gifts are practiced by being wrapped in the fruit of the Spirit.

so here's my definition of a spirit gift and i use the word spirit gift i didn't talk about that i call them spirit gifts with a capital s spirit to emphasize its deity that's giving this gift i don't use a little spiritual i use a capital s spirit and i use the word spirit gift instead of spiritual gift because some of the spirit gifts are to do very physical things to feed people To serve people, some may not see that as, quote, spiritual. It is, in a sense. But spirit gifts can have us do things that maybe we don't always think of as spiritual. They're more dealing with the physical. So that's why I call it spirit gifts.

But here's my definition. And we could probably, you could probably work out a definition. But here's the one I've worked out. A spirit gift is a specific ability given to a Christian by God, most directly by his spirit, and that the Christian is to employ in order to strengthen and build up the church for the glory of God.

So how is a gift different from a talent? There's some relation. talents are given by God just as gifts are and our gifts and talents may be very much related but the real difference is that gifts are for believers

and they have a distinct purpose gifts have a distinct purpose to build up the church and to glorify God unlike just talents that unbelievers have

so now here are my life's lessons and this is I started several years well I don't know when I started but I started a while back doing these lessons for life and I finally found myself as a teacher often imparting knowledge but not pressing people to take the knowledge and apply it and I will tell you folks there is a real disconnect in the Christian church is we come and hear all this truth and then we go live like pagans. We don't change. We're no different. Our marriages aren't different. The way we work isn't different. We chase after all the same junk that the world chases after. We seek after all the same power and wealth and status.

There's a real disconnect. We need to integrate what we know with what we do. So that's why I do Lessons for Life. So I hope that when I do these, you're thinking and trying to apply what you've learned to yourself. Find your focus.

Then focus, focus, focus. If your gift is serving, then serve. If it's singing, sing. If it's teaching, teach. But don't get distracted.

do what God has primarily called you to do. Hannah Whitehall Smith, who wrote a book called The Christian Secret of a Happy Life, says it this way, The Master does not say to us, go and do everything, but He marks out a special path for each of us and gives to each one of us a special duty. And it's our job to find that special path or special duty and focus on it. Focus on it. Focus on it.

The people that have had the most impact in this world are people who had focus. If I say Billy Graham, you know who Billy Graham is because he has a focus. He stands up and preaches the gospel. If I say Mother Teresa, you know who I'm talking about. Because she goes and cares for the dying poor.

And she does it, and she does it, and she does it. When I say the Apostle Paul, you know who he is, because his job was to take the gospel, his mission, where no man had taken it before. And that was his focus, and he would not be distracted. We're too distracted in the church. We're distracted by the things of this world.

We're chasing after riches and all sorts of other stuff. And we're sometimes distracted by things that seem good, take us away from our focus. If Satan can't get you into sinful stuff, he's going to try to distract you. He doesn't want you focused doing primarily what God has called you to do. He will do anything he can to distract you and that's sometimes offering you something that looks pretty good. It's not in and of itself sinful, but it takes you away from your primary focus. Say no to things that take you away from your focus. Say no.

I will tell you my personal journey has been that at one time I was trying to do a lot of things in the church. Serving on team committees, various positions and so forth. And I finally realized it was distracting me. And so over the years I have said no to a number of things so I can teach and focus. That's not to say we only do one thing, but one thing should be our primary focus.

And anything else we agree to will not take us away from being able to accomplish that purpose. Secondly, show some passion and intensity in serving Christ. The enemy wants us to be passionate about everything except Christ and serving Him. He wants you to be passionate about football. He wants you to be passionate about your job.

He wants you to be passionate about seeking wealth. Anything, anything except Jesus Christ. And when it comes to Jesus Christ, He's going to try to persuade you that too much zeal is not a good thing. You can be too fanatical about Jesus Christ. So why don't you just be a little lukewarm?

Not too hot. Not too cold. Just a little lukewarm. And Jesus Christ knows his tactics. And that's why we're told in Scripture he hates lukewarmness.

Jesus hates lukewarmness. And one day he's going to spew the lukewarm out of his mouth. If you're not burning hot for Jesus Christ, watch out. May the fire of zeal burn in our hearts and minds for Jesus in such a way that people will say, maybe they're nuts.

If you're nuts for Jesus, let them say it.

I'm saying keep everything wrapped with the fruit of the Spirit so we're treating people with love and so forth. But zeal is good. I was at a graduation yesterday in Boston for Gordon Common. I love going to graduations of folks who are going to give their lives for Jesus. There's something about worship You know, we kind of stayed here in the First Baptist Church particularly.

We have a hard time getting our hands from under our seats and putting them together and so forth. Well, New England's even worse most of the time. I mean, those New Englanders are really, they're frozen up there. Well, we had a black Baptist pastor who came and gave the graduation speech. and there were a lot of hallelujahs during that speech from a lot of people and part of it was because he was passionate and he served Christ with intensity he said when I had my first heart attack people told me to quit preaching and he said but I kept on preaching and when I had my second what he called heart episode I kept on preaching and when I had my third heart episode And he said, I'm going to preach as long as Jesus gives me breath.

And when He takes me home, I want Him to know that I died doing that for which He had called me with passion. The reason the church makes people sick is because we have no passion. We have no intention. We're no different. We need some passion.

Because it's going to take it if we're going to help take the world back for Christ. Thirdly, don't just sit there and do something for Jesus. You've got a gift. Use it. At this point, I don't much care how your past has been.

I want you to start living in the now, which means you've got to do something for Jesus. Fourthly, don't stifle the Spirit.

Or as many translations say, don't quench the Spirit. The NIV captures what's being said. It's don't put out the Spirit's fire.

don't quench it in your own heart and please don't quench it in the hearts of others if people are on fire with God's spirit get out of their way don't slow them down some of us who are in less charismatic churches are often worried about those who are too charismatic you want to know what I'm worried about I'm worried about we're quenching the spirit stifling the gifts, we're stifling worship, we're stifling evidences of the Spirit being present. The early church was, hear me, the early church was, the early church was, and we should be charismatic. That's where, if we're not charismatic, we're not being biblical. We're supposed to have charismata, gifts that are to be expressed.

so if you say well we're not charismatic you just said we're not a biblical New Testament church a biblical New Testament church is always always always always charismatic because if we're what we're supposed to be we've got the gifts and we're expressing those traditional churches like Greer First Baptist tend and I'm talking about tendencies here tend to be dignified reverent self-sufficient that's our tendency there tends to be pride of position we're the first you know the first are going to be last

and we need to be careful

that we don't stifle the spirit of God because if we stifle it, we'll never be what God wants us to be. It is by His power and through His Spirit that we will be. Three more. I ask if I've done my part to make the church all it should be. Let's pray not first for bigger budgets or bigger buildings.

Let us pray for Pentecost. And lastly, let's pray more often. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me. Break me. Melt me.

Mold me. Fill me.

Did you hear it? Those words are important. Break me. Melt me. Then mold me.

Then fill me. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your spirit. And we pray that we will live more fully by it each day. help us in our own lives not to stifle your spirit more importantly please Jesus don't let us stifle it in others fill us with your spirit so that we can be all that you want us to be for it's in Christ's name we pray Amen