Notes
God’s Grace is the foundation for who we are and what we do.
God’s Grace puts you Into Debt-love him and love others.
God’s Grace is given to make us one body with many parts: unity, diversity, interdependence, and worth.
BIG IDEA: Look at the Spiritual Gifts listed in the Bible, how we receive them how and what God intends for us to do with them.
Typical Gifts in the Bible-
- Eph. 4:11-apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, evangelist
- Romans 12:6-8-prophecy, service, teaching, encouraging, giving generously, leadership, showing mercy
- 1 Cor. 12:8-10-message of wisdom, message of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues
Spiritual Gift Inventory-slide
- 1 Cor. 7:7-marriage and being single
- 1 Peter 4:10-11-Peter takes the easy way out
People try and categorize the gifts-slide
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The Father (operative gifts) |
The Son (administrative gifts) |
The Holy Spirit (charismatic gifts) |
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How we typically respond to spiritual gifts
- Dismiss some, at least the ones I am not comfortable with.
- I got burned so I want nothing to do with them.
- I’m happy just the way I am.
- Not in my job description.-not on my Spiritual Inventory Gift List-roles. Spiritual gifts are not roles, necessarily. Roles are those opportunities for ministry common to all and available to anyone. All of us are to be witnesses, but not all have the gift of evangelism. All are to give, but not all have the gift of giving. All pray, but not all have the gift of intercession.
- It’s only spiritual if it’s spectacular.
- We only want the ones we don’t have.
Spiritual gifts vs Natural Talents
The spiritual gifts differ from natural talents (e.g., musical ability, creativity, athletic prowess, computer skills) in that one is given at new birth and the other is given at birth.
Grudem-A spiritual gift is any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church. This broad definition includes both gifts that are related to natural abilities (such as teaching, showing mercy, or administration) and gifts that seem to be more “miraculous” and less related to natural abilities (such as prophecy, healing, or distinguishing between spirits). The reason for this is that when Paul lists spiritual gifts (in Romans 12; 1st Corinthians 7 and 12; Ephesians 4) he includes both kinds of gifts. Yet not every natural ability that people have is included here, because Paul is clear that all spiritual gifts must be empowered “by one in the same Spirit” (1st Corinthians 12:11), that they are given for the common good and that they are all to be used for edification, or for building up the church.
A church where the Holy Spirit is alive and powerful will be a church very sensitive to the difference between natural abilities and spiritual gifts.
So any virtue at all in the believer’s life which he is enabled to do with zest and with benefit to others can be called his gift.
A natural talent is no less of a gift than a “spiritual gift” is. Being smart and using that gift is no less spectacular than healing someone in God’s eyes. Speaking in tongues is no more valuable than doing finances in the church.
Some natural talents God uses for his glory yet He also gives certain abilities to people to carry out the task He has called them not because they are special but because he is faithful and full of grace.
Spiritual Gifts Strengthen Faith in Others
If you were reading through the New Testament, the first place you would run into the term “spiritual gift” is Romans 1:11, 12. The translation “impart to you some spiritual gift” is misleading because it sounds like Paul wants to help them have a gift, but the text actually means that he wants to give them the benefit of his gifts. “I long to see you, that I may use my gifts to strengthen you.”
The first and most obvious thing we learn from this text is that spiritual gifts are for strengthening others. This, of course, does not mean that the person who has a spiritual gift gets no joy or benefit from it. (We will see differently in a moment.) But it does suggest that gifts are given to be given. They are not given to be hoarded. “I desire to share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you.”
Spiritual gifts serve the lordship of Jesus
1 Cor. 12:2-3
The entire point of ministry and spiritual gifts is to reveal the lordship of Jesus Christ as God over all people and things. Therefore, if someone says they are a Christian or want to do ministry but they do not affirm the lordship of Jesus Christ, they do not have the Holy Spirit. The primary evidence of a person having the Holy Spirit is their love and submission to Jesus.
Spiritual gifts are given by the Trinity
1 Cor. 12:4-6
Here we see that the entire Trinity is involved in gifting the church for ministry.
Spiritual gifts each exist to benefit the whole church
1 Cor. 12:7
Whatever someone’s gift, the purpose of the gift is to build up and benefit the entire church, not just edify the individual using the gift.
Spiritual gifts are appointed by God
1 Cor. 12:11
Spiritual gifts are given by God’s choice; we cannot choose our gift. So, anyone who is unhappy about how God has designed them is, in effect, complaining about God not giving them the gift they wanted. This is like a spoiled kid unwrapping a present only to complain about it.
Having laid some foundational principles regarding spiritual gifts, Paul then begins to list some of the spiritual gifts: “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit” (v. 8). In the following weeks we will examine all of the spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament.
Spiritual Gifts Are Given in Varying Measure
The second thing I want to point out from this text is that both the gifts we have and the faith to exercise them are given to us by God in varying measure. The reason Paul teaches this truth is to help us think soberly about ourselves and not too highly. The gifted are always in danger of pride—it was a terrible problem at Corinth (and perhaps at Rome, too). So Paul uncovers a profound truth that is intended to blow away all pride—all self-reliance or boasting. He says in v. 6 that we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. In other words, any distinction that sets you off from others in ability is owing to grace—i.e., it is freely given and not earned or deserved. So you can’t boast in it.
So not only the gift but the measure of faith we have to exercise the gift is a gift from God. And God has revealed this to us not to lessen our hunger and yearning for great faith, but to humble us and cause us to look to him for everything. God has done all things “so that no human being might boast in his presence . . . Let him who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:29, 31). Few things keep our pride quelled and our thinking about ourselves sober and humble like the awareness that the Spirit of God is absolutely sovereign and gives both the gifts and the faith to use them to whomever he pleases, in whatever degree he pleases, for the upbuilding of his body. The church should be the humblest and happiest fellowship on the earth.
All for the Glory of God
1 Peter 4:10-11 echoes 1 Cor. 10:31
If your gift involves speaking, do not rely on your own insight, but look to God to give his words through you. We impart grace to our listener when we give them a word of God. It may not be an exact word of Scripture, but a word prompted and guided by God, so that attention is directed to him, not us. Our aim is to strengthen faith.
Then it says, “Whoever renders service (let him do it) as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies.” So, if your gift involves practical deeds of service, do not try to do them in your own strength. For then your gift will cease to be a “spiritual gift.” It must come from faith and reliance on grace in order to be a “spiritual gift.” So then grace can be disbursed to other people either by gifts of word or gifts of deed, if we speak with the words and act with the strength that God supplies.
The final point from this text, and my final one this morning, is that the aim of all spiritual gifts is “that in everything God might be glorified through Jesus Christ” (v. 11). This means that God’s aim in giving us gifts, and in giving us the faith to exercise them, is that his glory might be displayed. He wants us and the world to marvel at him and to think he is fantastic. The stupendous reality of God is all encompassing. “For from him and through him and to him are all things” (Romans 11:36). And there is nothing more thrilling, more joyful, more meaningful, more satisfying than to find our niche in the eternal unfolding of God’s glory. Our gift may look small, but as a part of the revelation of God’s infinite glory it takes on stupendous proportions.
Be transformed and continue to be transformed by the Gospel, using the gifts you currently have to love God and love others serving them according to the clear guidelines in Scripture, while asking God if there is something specific that He wants you to do trusting that He will gift and empower you to do what He has called you to do.
COMMON CAUSE GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Review how we get and how God intends for us to use our spiritual gifts.
- Looking at the spiritual gifts listed in Romans 12, 1 Cor. 12 and Eph. 4, do you see the evidence of any of these in your life? If so, which ones?
- Are you using these gifts in accordance with #1?
- Do you have any gifts that you don’t see on the list that God is using for his glory?
- Can you recall an instance in which God asked you to do something that you were not capable of but he proved himself faithful and empowered you with the necessary gifting to perform the task?