Scripture Reading
1Co. 12:4-30
Ro. 12:4-9
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Introduction
This morning I’d like to discuss something we Christians frequently talk about, but maybe don’t really study or understand too well: The spiritual gifts. The reason I’m bringing this to you is because I think it is becoming more and more crucial for us. Father is about to take us to encounters and situations we haven’t been to before, and we are going to need a greater filling of His Holy Spirit and His power working in us.
Our doctrinal statement says, "We believe in the person and work of the Holy Spirit with His gifts available in the church today." This is what our church believes. So, we need to understand, embrace, and properly express the spiritual gifts. The spiritual gifts are some of the primary tools Father equips us with to carry out personal and corporate ministry.
This speaks to where Father wants to take this church. So I’m here to prepare the way for what I think the next thing Holy Spirit intends to release in us.
Perhaps when I mention the spiritual gifts, it might bring to your mind the biggies, like tongues, prophecy, or healing. While these are certainly important, there are many other gifts listed in the NT, and they all are by definition supernatural. It’s easy enough to overlook or minimize certain spiritual gifts while exalting others. But according to the Bible, every part of the Body is important, and every gift we have is crucial.
Also when we think of the spiritual gifts, for some of us it might seem mystical. After all, How does one verify or quantify a supernatural thing? How do I know? The chance of fraud and abuse seems like a risk, and this might dissuade us from considering the biblical case and how it all might apply to our lives.
That’s a justifiable concern. But if you can accept the premise that we are no longer natural people because of our salvation and the infilling by Holy Spirit, then to me it doesn’t seem like such a long step to accept the truth of the supernatural nature of the spiritual gifts.
It’s Not About Talent
The spiritual gifts are spiritual.
There are other things described as gifts in the Bible, like life, salvation, joy, and grace, but they are not described as spiritual gifts.
The spiritual gifts are different than our natural skills or talents, although there could be some overlap. I make this distinction because we might assume that a banker is the perfect choice to be on the financial committee, for example. Or, someone who is outgoing and gregarious might be a good choice for hospitality ministry. Or someone who is a department manager in a business would be a good elder.
Granted, a person’s talent might commend them for work in the church. And people tend to gravitate to things they are good at. The big difference is that a talent is a natural human ability, while a spiritual gift is a supernatural empowerment by His Holy Spirit. This is not Usain Bolt running the 100 meters 9.58 seconds.
It would be impossible to discuss each gift in depth this morning, so today we will spend our time looking at some principles. And hopefully, your takeaway will be seek out in a deeper way what God has deposited in you.
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Background
I need to start with an important idea. I don’t want to dive too deeply into this complicated subject, but I do want to touch on it. There are many Christians who call themselves cessationists. They believe the supernatural ended with the death of the last apostle in the first century.
The cessationist believes the Bible is the final and complete revelation of God. There is nothing further. God does not speak to the individual believer any more.
This is the way Justin Peters phrases it: "If you want to hear God speak, read your Bible. If you want to hear God speak audibly, read your Bible out loud." Mr. Peters is trying to be funny, but the point he’s making is serious. He is a cessationist, so that means God is not speaking to us in any other way but through the Bible.
However, for reasons I don’t want to get into here, I believe the Bible is quite clear that God continues to move supernaturally in the believer today. He still speaks, He still prompts us, He still communicates His purposes and will to us today in ways beyond the Bible. And He still gives every spiritual gift.
I believe Father has not ceased the supernatural in His church. He still does miracles. Christians still prophesy. Christians still heal. Christians still speak Words of knowledge.
Part One: General Principles
Why Spiritual Gifts?
The primary purpose of the spiritual gifts is for the church to build up and encourage each other. That is, in the gathering of the saints, the spiritual gifts should
- operate in seamless and powerful ministry among all the people
- according to Father’s desire
- by the empowering of Holy Spirit
- so as to bring hope, understanding, maturity, and destiny to the church and its people.
Definition: Strong’s exhaustive concordance defines the word “spiritual” (πνευματικός, ή, όν
Pneumatikosas) as emanating from the Divine Spirit, or exhibiting its effects and so its character.
“Gift” (χάρισμα, charisma), is extraordinary powers, distinguishing certain Christians and enabling them to serve the church of Christ, the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating in their souls by the Holy Spirit.
Charisma. That’s where we get the term sometimes controversial term “charismatic.”
The spiritual gifts are an endowment of spiritual skills given by Father. They are manifestations of the Spirit in the individual believer, supernatural abilities given to carry out God’s desires.
Say “abilities.”
A Semi-Comprehensive List of Gifts
Hospitality: 1Pe. 4:9
Prophecy: 1 Co. 12:10
Serving: Ro. 12:7
Teaching: Ro. 12:7
Encouraging: Ro. 12:8
Giving to the needs of others: Ro. 12:8
Leadership: Ro. 12:8
Mercy: Ro. 12:8
Word of wisdom: 1 Co. 12:7
Word of knowledge: 1 Co. 12:8
Gifts of healing: 1 Co. 12:9
Miraculous powers: 1 Co. 12:10
Distinguishing between spirits: 1 Co. 12:10
Speaking in tongues: 1 Co. 12:10
Interpretation of tongues: 1 Co. 12:10
Take a look at that list for a moment. Everyone ought to see themselves somewhere, either because you know you have one (or more) of these, or you aspire to have one of them. Wait a second! Did he just say I can aspire to have spiritual gifts? Yes, I did. There is nothing wrong with wanting a spiritual gift. You do not have to stay in your present status, because…
Gifts Can Be Desired
You might think that people receive a spiritual gift in sort of a semi-random way, like they just happen to you. Or, perhaps you think you have no choice in the matter. Sort of like being bitten by a radioactive spider.
This might be somewhat true in a sense, but the point is, Scripture tells us they can be sought out:
1Co. 12:31 …eagerly desire the greater gifts.
Definition: “Desire:” Ζηλόω (zéloó) Pursue, to desire one earnestly, to strive after.
Here, Paul commands the Corinthian church to seek out the spiritual gifts with enthusiasm. And it seems some are better or more desirable than others.
So we as Christians have a mandate to not only be a spiritual people with spiritual gifts, but also we are to pursue them so as to be equipped to minister according to Holy Spirit’s power.
Gifts Are Distributed According to Father’s Desire
Ep. 4:7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
1Co. 7:7 …each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
1Co. 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
Father apportions gifts just as He desires. According to your spiritual gifts you have a place that’s important to Father from which to minister, according to those gifts. It’s not necessarily a title or church position. It doesn’t necessarily mean a spectacular ministry where all eyes are fixed on you. It’s quite possible that the general public might not even know.
What is important to Father is likely quite different than what’s important to man.
And, we each have different gifts. You might not have the gift of tongues, but you do have the gift of mercy. You might not have the gift of hospitality, but you do have the gift of words of knowledge.
It falls to you to serve according to your gifts. Do not wait for the leadership to give you a task. Do not sit on the sidelines and watch the world go by.
But also, I don’t want you to misunderstand. I’m not saying you’re exempt from being hospitable if you don’t have the gift of hospitality. I’m not saying you don’t have to be encouraging if you don’t have the gift of encouragement. Oh, um yeah, about that, sorry. It’s not my gifting.
Nope. You cannot excuse yourself from acting in accordance with the good fruit of every gift. In fact, I believe that everyone has perhaps a small apportionment of all the gifts, as well as a larger apportionment of specific gifts.
Gifts Are From God Via His Grace
Ro.12:6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.
The spiritual gifts are expressions of Father’s power working in you by His grace. They are extraordinary, heaven-sent abilities. Every Christian has at least one and maybe more, and every Christian should use them.
Grace and the spiritual gifts are intertwined. They are given directly from the grace that flows from Father to us. Grace is first, and the spiritual gifts come from grace. So to talk about the spiritual gifts, we have to understand grace.
Definition: "Grace" is χάρις (charis). The Lord's favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is always leaning toward them…) reaching (inclining) to people because He is disposed to bless (be near) them.
Do you notice that charis and charisma are similar?
So grace is His predisposition to prefer us, to be close to us. He extends Himself out. He gives Himself to us. Imagine Him getting up off His throne and leaning over toward us with a smile so as to get in our space.
Say this with me: I want Father… in my space.
Grace is not undeserved. This doesn’t even enter the equation. Read the definition again. Grace is His presence, His nearness, His predisposition to bless. His Spirit comes to dwell in us and imparts grace. It’s a result of the fact of us being born again, born of the Spirit. Grace is what necessarily follows from being saved.
And from that charis He gives us charisma. From grace (His desire to be near) comes the spiritual gifts (His supernatural empowerment.) We get charisma from charis.
Imagine you’re you, an average person. You get a phone call one day, and it’s the president of the United States. He wants you to take charge of a project, even though you’ve never had a position like this. Strangely, he never asks you if you’re qualified. He doesn’t even ask for a resume.
So now you’re the boss of this project. In charge. Your name on the door of your corner office. Your own copier, computer, scheduling software, expense account; every conceivable tool you could need to do this job. But despite the title, the backing of the President, and the best tools, you still act like you have always acted, and as a result, you walk around the office without confidence, like you don’t belong there. People notice. Here you have this authority, but you don’t act like it.
The president calls you into his office and asks you why you aren’t taking charge. He says, “I gave you the position. I gave you the tools. You have the authority. This is who you are now. Start acting like it.”
That is grace. By His mercy He saved you, but by His grace he positioned you. No resume required. Father set you up with everything you need. And from that, He gives you spiritual empowerment through His gifts. And now He expects you to act according to the position you’ve been given. This is who you are now.
Say this with me: Father brought me up… and told me who I am.
Gifts Are Primarily to Serve the Body
1Pe. 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
You are to faithfully administer grace via your spiritual gifts. You have a calling in this local Body to use what God has given you. You are one of the living stones being built into a dwelling place of Holy Spirit. Your gift isn’t for you.
It’s easy to be critical about people and about the church. I know, because I have done it. But as you begin to grow in your spiritual gift, you start putting off the things of the Old Man and begin to serve and bless rather than divide and curse.
I think this is crucial for this church. This is serious stuff. I think God is calling us up to a new level of Body ministry supernaturally infused with life-giving power via His spiritual gifts. We are being asked to step up. Everyone.
Gifts Can Be Imparted
Ro. 1:11-12 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong — 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
1Ti. 4:14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
Not only can gifts be desired, they can be imparted. Impart is μεταδίδωμι (metadidómi, offered so that a change of owner is produced, I share, I impart, bestow.
The laying on of hands is one way impartation happens. I believe the laying on of hands is a spiritual transfer from one who possesses to another who receives.
We see the laying on of hands all over the Bible, often in the context of setting apart someone for a spiritual mission or task; that is, purpose, blessing, calling, and destiny. Those who possess impart to those who do not. This done in the presence of witnesses who give their amen, their affirmation.
This church wants you to have what Father intends for you to have, so that you will in turn go and do what Father intends for you to do.
There will be time at the end of the service for you to receive.
Gifts Can Ebb and Flow
2Ti. 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Spiritual gifts can fade or go dormant if we neglect them. Here we see Paul reminding Timothy of the impartation he had received. He was encouraging Timothy to continue to embrace and develop his spiritual gift.
Has your gift been on the shelf, out of sight and out of mind? Do you have an anointing to do something, but are ignoring it? When is the last time you showed hospitality or prayed for someone’s healing? Have you sat in a restaurant and had a word of knowledge for someone at the next table, but remained silent?
May I suggest you fan into flame your spiritual gifts? Let the wind of the Spirit blow on the ember. Rekindle your spiritual passion. Get the fire burning again.
Don’t let your disappointment or failure or rejection or bitterness or hurt negate your service, your ministry, or your destiny. It’s now time to forgive, to heal, to move on in faith and vision. Don’t stay on the bench, get in the game.
There is a Hierarchy of Gifts
1Co. 12:31 31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
1Co. 14:12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church
The greater gifts are the gifts the build others up. That’s why Paul discusses tongues and prophecy quite a bit in 1 Cor. 14. He wants them speak in tongues, but he would rather they prophesy. Prophecy edifies others, while tongues edify one's self.
Let’s look at that list of gifts again:
Hospitality
Prophecy
Serving
Teaching
Encouraging
Giving to the needs of others
Leadership
Mercy
Word of wisdom
Word of knowledge
Gifts of healing
Miraculous powers
Distinguishing between spirits
Speaking in tongues
Interpretation of tongues
Some of these gifts are greater than others, because they edify. Which ones can you identify as specifically edifying the church?
Gifts Can Vary in Strength
1Co. 12:22, 24 …those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable… 24 God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it…
Have you noticed that some people are strongly empowered of God in a spiritual gift in a remarkable way?
We’ve all appreciated preachers who can stand at the pulpit and capture our very hearts with a timely and powerful message. We’ve been amazed when prophetic words have spoken directly to our situations. We’ve all experienced the ministry of encouragers who seem to know exactly what to say to lift our spirits.
Some have a greater measure of something, while someone else is particularly gifted in another thing. Some people just seem to be extraordinarily blessed in certain areas, while others, maybe not so much.
It’s very easy to hold highly gifted people in too high esteem, as if the rest of us should sort of step aside. They’re the gifted ones, so that excuses me from doing anything.
Or perhaps we try to copy what they do. After all, if it works for them, it has to work for us, right?
In some circles it is common to refer to a noteworthy person in the church with a title like "Bishop Kitto," or "prophet Runia." The title is given, or taken on, and is sort of an honorific, like being a senator or a CEO. But you never someone say, "hi, I am Gary, the toilet cleaner." We should therefore reject the idea that having any particular gift means we should have special position in the church.
We need to stop placing people on pedestals. Give them honor, but honor also what Father has uniquely apportioned in everyone else. Everyone has a unique combination of gifts, and the unique work Father has ordained for each one of us. You say you ain’t much? Well, you have greater honor. You feel outside the circle? You are being combined together as a member of the Body. You’re unpresentable? Father honors you and positions and empowers you to do what He wants.
Don’t begrudge your low or no position in the church. Don’t let anything dissuade you from being a blessing to others. And don’t be arrogant that you have a powerful gift or a public position. You should seek to lift others up, even higher than you.
Don’t judge according to the flesh, rather, judge according to the Spirit.
Gifts Do Not Mean Spiritual Maturity
Paul commends the Corinthian church:
1Co. 1:7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
But only a couple of chapters later, he criticizes them:
1Co. 3:1-2 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly — mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
The Corinthian church is notable for its spiritual gifts. Paul says they didn’t lack any. But yet they were infants. They had many gifts, but they had problems. They were blessed, but they were not mature or in order.
Paul criticizes their worldliness. So do not mistake someone’s incredible gift for their maturity. Do not think that someone delivering powerful prophetic words is a mature Christian. A person who can expound upon deep Bible teaching is not necessarily a grown-up in faith. Giftedness does not mean maturity.
That’s why we must work to hone and foster our character as we hone and foster our spiritual gifts. We can do great damage with the careless or immature use of our gifts.
Say this with me: Father, I want Your gifts… but make me mature in them.
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Part Two – A Closer Look
I would personally divide the gifts into two rough categories.
Practical
There are some gifts that seem to have a more practical application. These seem to function in a way that allows us to help make things work better, or to help us give counsel on how people can lead a more godly life, or to help them to get along in difficult circumstances. I would put these gifts in that category:
- Hospitality
- Serving
- Teaching
- Encouraging
- Giving to the needs of others
- Leadership
- Mercy
"Supernatural" gifts would include:
- Prophecy
- Message of wisdom
- Message of knowledge
- Miraculous powers
- Distinguishing between spirits
- Speaking in tongues
- Interpretation of tongues
- Gifts of healing
But, they can build or destroy, depending on how the gift is wielded.
So there is a certain risk involved in these things. There is a potential for abuse and manipulation. A fleshly prophecy, a colored word of knowledge, or a false discernment can cause problems.
It takes a mature church to operate in these gifts, but sadly, many churches prefer to sidestep or explain them away. But that’s not what Father wants.
Maturity in the Ministry to the Body
1Co. 14:26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.
So despite the character deficiencies of the Corinthian church, Paul tells them that these “supernatural” gifts still must be expressed in the gathering of the saints. He tells them that everyone contributes to the edification of the church. And it must be done, he says.
Then he goes on to establish order in the proceedings.
1Co. 14:29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.
Definition: ”Weigh” is διακρίνω (diakrinó'), to separate wholly; then, to distinguish, decide. That is, everyone engages in a process of separating out the various parts of a prophecy, and then together decides what parts are valuable and what are not.
Notice he says the others should weigh carefully what is said. The "others" is everyone present. All of us. Not just the elders. Not just professionals. All of us. You need to understand:
- The prophetic is not to be filtered, it is to be weighed.
- We don’t need to be protected from false prophecy, we need to be taught discernment.
- We don’t need to be shielded from a mistaken word of knowledge, we need to be exposed to it and judge it.
- We don’t need to wonder about the truth of a word of wisdom, we need be able to evaluate it.
- We don’t need to avoid tongues, we need to be able to interpret them.
Why are we so afraid? Do we think so we’re easily deceived or led astray? Oh, mercy. Somebody spoke something that violates my doctrine. I do believe I’m gettin' the vapors.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful. But let me tell you, you are not sheep anymore if you’ve been a Christian for more than, say, five years. By that time you ought to be mature enough to confidently enter any spiritual situation without fear, and with full assurance that the Truth resides in you.
End of rant.
**Worship team***
This Changes Things
I wonder if you’re starting to see how all this changes our understanding about relationships, church, and how we live out our faith.
- Our relationships change from what can be gained to what can be given.
- Our church changes from singing and a lecture to a family gathering.
- Our faith changes from a duty or routine to a power-infused, grace-infused, purpose-infused ministry.
- We look for opportunities to bless and build up, to heal, to restore, and to encourage.
- We worship as the power of God touches peoples’ lives in salvation, deliverance, and reconciliation.
- We see the value in people from Father’s viewpoint rather than what someone can do for us.
- We get vision that takes us up and up and up, and our desire then is to look around for others and say, “let’s go up. Come with me.”
Conclusion - Vision
My purpose today has been to encourage you to engage in an earnest pursuit, not just for a spiritual gift, but that you would obtain everything Father has purposed for you in Christ.
There is something very unique and powerful about
- a gifted church that is merciful;
- a powerful church that is humble; and
- a supernatural church that regards the lowly with honor.
We can be this kind of church. I think the elders are moving us in that direction. It has to happen, in fact. Believe, Belong, and Become. We must become.
Earlier I mentioned that there would be opportunity to receive impartation. We are going to have some people circulating in the crowd, offering to pray for people. If they ask you, please say yes. If there is someone you prefer, seek them out.
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