THE GIFT-GIVING MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
1 Corinthians 12
The church at Corinth had everything --EXCEPT LOVE!
When you look carefully at it’s characteristics, it wasn’t pretty!
It wasn’t a church you’d want to go to!
They fought about everything!
Divisions and personality cults Fights over rights Indifference to sin
Women's rights Legal feuds Hoarding food at potlucks
Cheating one another Pride over spiritual gifts Self-centered relationships
No interest in giving Legalism
Last major issue which caused difficulty at Corinth was WORSHIP.
How could anyone ever get upset about WORSHIP?!
Satan uses the one thing that OUGHT to draw God’s people together to pull us apart!
Paul deals with several worship-related issues.
The final problem in their worship was their use of spiritual gifts.
Some people placed inappropriate emphasis on the gift of tongues.
Some decided this was the gift of the Spirit—everyone ought to have.
It was the one that proved that you have the Spirit.
If you don't have THIS gift, you don't have the Spirit!
“Have you received the Holy Spirit? . . . the baptism of the Holy Spirit?”
[In response to this misconception Paul wants to help them understand the . . . ]
DIVERSITY OF GIFTS 12:1-31a
Tongues is only one of the gifts, and not the most important one at that.
In fact, no spiritual gift is the most important thing we should go after.
[He begins this discussion with an . . . ]
ARGUMENT FROM EXPERIENCE 12:1-3
[He uses their own experience to help them understand that . . . ]
ALL BELIEVERS ARE BAPTIZED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body . . . and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
[Therefore, . . . ] ALL TRUE BELIEVERS GIVE SOME EVIDENCE
OF THE PRESENCE OF THE SPIRIT IN THEIR LIFE!
Paul wants us to understand that all who confess Jesus as Lord do so because they have been led by the Spirit of God. 1-2
1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
What turned you around? What changed you?
3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
Pagan people, follow man-made religions and man-made idols!
No one but a true believer, led by the Holy Spirit, turns from idols to serve the true and living God
No one but a true believer acknowledges Christ as their Lord.
Anyone who recognizes Jesus as Lord is led to that conclusion by the Spirit of God who is in them.
Every true believer recognizes who He is and thereby demonstrates that he has the Spirit because the Spirit reveals HIM.
The best evidence that we have the Spirit is NOT an external sign, but our profession of who Jesus is.
Among those who have trusted Jesus and received the Spirit, some demonstrate that by speaking in tongues.
That is one evidence that the Spirit of God is in a person.
BUT, it isn't the only one, nor even the most important one.
Public confession of Him is a better proof-AND it's universal.
DIVERSITY OF GIFTS EXPLAINED 12:4-11
[ Other ways H.S. demonstrates His presence in our life: ] 4-6
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
There are different gifts.
There are different ways to serve
There are different activities.
BUT there’s only ONE GOD! One Spirit; One Lord
No matter where you fit, you demonstrate the presence of God’s Spirit through your service for God and His body. 7-11 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [some of those manifestations include: ] 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[BUT WE ALL HAVE SOME EVIDENCE =>] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
ALL TRUE BELIEVERS GIVE SOME EVIDENCE
OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD’S SPIRIT IN THEIR LIVES!
Spiritual gifts are given to all believers by the Spirit of God.
GOD’S SPIRIT DECIDES WHAT GIFTS ARE NEEDED IN THE CHURCH.
HE DISTRIBUTES THEM ACCORDING TO HIS PLAN—NOT OURS!
11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
HE’S THE HEAD! HE CALLS THE SHOTS--NOT US!
DIVERSITY OF GIFTS ILLUSTRATED 12:12-31a
The illustration: the church is THE BODY of Christ
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
All genuine believers in Christ are members of the body
13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
• It doesn't matter what your social status is.
• It doesn't matter how old you are!
• It doesn't matter what your function is.
We have all received the same Spirit.
We have all become part of His body.
The church is made up of many different members 14-26
All the gifts are necessary for the body to be complete.
NO PLACE FOR INFERIORITY NOR SUPERIORITY!
14 Now the body is not made up of [just] one part but of many.
[ Confusion concerning gifts causes two problems: First, it produces a . . . ]
1)False concept about myself 15-20
Jealousy—consider myself unimportant or insignificant
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
Because I can’t speak like Ben, . . .or sing like the Pollmans . . .
or play like Kara . . .I’m not important to the Body
I had an old friend named Charlie (Davis)
Charlie had been a business executive for years. When I met him he was about to retire.
He was crippled.
One day after we had been talking about spiritual gifts, Charlie turned to me and said, “You know, Ralph, I don’t have a spiritual gift.”
Now, either Charlie was wrong; or God’s a liar!
I know lots of young people who think like Charlie did.
When you’re young, it’s hard to imagine “what you’re going to be when you grow up!”
You ask yourself, how could God ever use ME?!!!
God didn’t make YOU to preach like ME!
He made each of us to do what He wired US to do!
Solution: [to a false concept about myself ]
(1) Recognize the necessity of diversity 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
(2) Recognize God's sovereignty 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
(3) Recognize that all members are necessary for the body to function 19-20 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
2) False concept about others 21-26
Pride—think of self as more important
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”
Meeting of the tools. It was the result of all their abilities, placed in the master's hands.
Tongues is important; but it’s not the only gift.
Solution: [to a false concept about others ]
(1) Recognize the value of each member
• . . . those that seem weak 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
• . . . those that seem unworthy 23a and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor
• . . . those that seem less attractive 23b-24a And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment.
God hides important parts where no one can see them.
It’s not parts you see up front that are most important!
The parts you see and hear are the parts of the body you can most easily live without!
No one wants to see my liver. But when the liver goes bad, see how long you function without that.
Or the kidney!
Those are the parts God has hidden away, well protected, where no one can see them!
(2) Recognize God's sovereignty
24b But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,
(3) Recognize mutual responsibility (to one another) 25-26 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
God made each of us different—
He made —some to use their brains —some to use their voice
—some to use their hands —some to pray for others!
We are all valuable in God’s sight—just the way He made us!
But He made each of us to DO SOMETHING in His church!
Conclusion 27-31
IF YOU MUST SEEK A GIFT, GO FOR AN IMPORTANT ONE
—NOT THE SPECTACULAR!
We are one body 27a Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
We are all different 27b Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a [different] part of it.
God has given each of us different gifts 28-30 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, 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. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
There is order (NOT chronological, has to be order of importance)
There are differences—Not ALL have the same gifts!
Negative answers: [NAS] “All are not _____, are they? [Of course not!]”
Emphasize the more important gifts 31a But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
Follow the most excellent way 12:31b-13:13
And now I will show you the MOST excellent way.
=> SUPERIORITY OF LOVE 12:31b-13:13
SPIRITUAL FRUIT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPIRITUAL GIFTS!
1 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. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love comes first!
Don't get hung up on the secondary!
Any spiritual gift used without love is just NOISE!!!
"PURSUE LOVE . . . ." 14:1
LESSONS FROM PHYSIOLOGY 101-
1) A body has many parts, with different functions, all of which are essential 12, 14
2) My usefulness is not determined by my view of my own worth 15-16
3) My usefulness is not determined by others' views of my worth 21
4) Less attractive, more sensitive (delicate, fragile) members of the body are of greater value 22-24a
5) No part can accomplish anything without the support of the rest of the body 24b-25
6) When one part hurts, the whole body suffers. 26a
7) When one part triumphs, the whole body triumphs. 26b
WHAT DOES ALL THIS HAVE TO DO WITH US?
WHAT DOES GOD WANT YOU TO DO as a member of His body?