1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-72004 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 1 Corinthians 12:1-7

Amen. 1 Corinthians 12.

For the next few weeks, we'll be looking at 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14, which is an area where Paul deals with the subject of spiritual gifts. The subject of spiritual gifts are very interesting and very awesome. I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks and just excited to see what God is going to speak, what he's going to say, and how he's going to encourage us to use our gifts and to edify and bless the body of Christ with them.

In dealing with the subject of spiritual gifts, though, we need to know a couple of things. And so this morning will more serve as an introduction as we look at the first few verses of chapter 12 and get kind of a foundation for what spiritual gifts are and how they are to be used. Now,

Now, many believers, many people within the body of Christ shy away from the subject, from the topics, or from the use of spiritual gifts because of so much abuse that has been going on or has gone on.

in different scenarios, in different areas that, you know, there's much abuse. There's lots of weird things going on. Things that don't really seem like they're from the Lord. You might have heard of maybe people, you know, dancing in the Spirit and doing all kinds of howling and crazy barking and laughter and all the, you know, different waves of trends and things that have gone through and kind of been put under the heading of spiritual gifts. But really in the Scripture we see nothing of that at all. There's nothing that even...

You know, remotely hints toward those things. But spiritual gifts are always done in decency and in order. It's always done in the proper time and in a way that edifies not the person using the gift, but the body of Christ as a whole. And so as we look at this, we want to understand that we don't need to shy away, that the gifts are real. The Bible speaks about them and it gives very clear instruction.

to what the gifts are and how they are to be used so that we can properly understand the role that they should play in our life and in the life of the body of Christ.

Spiritual gifts are essential, really, to the body of Christ, to us as a church. We must have the spiritual gifts in play if we're to grow as Christians, if we're to continue on in the things that God has called us to. And so, since they're essential, since they're very important, and since Paul will spend the next few chapters talking about them, we need to make sure that we educate ourselves, that we understand and know what spiritual gifts are, and Paul will address that.

I would encourage you, you know, there's several ways that we can educate ourselves. We can educate ourselves by spending time on our own in the Word of God. We can also educate ourselves by spending time in service as we'll be looking at it the next few weeks. I would also encourage you, there's a book by Pastor Chuck, it's called Living Water, not named after us.

but it's named after the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. And he goes through very much detail what the Holy Spirit's role is in your life and in my life. And the gifts that he's given are available to us and the way that he wants to use those gifts. He goes in great detail but puts it very simply so that you and I can understand, we can be familiar with the things that

of the Spirit, with the things that are supernatural that we cannot understand in our own natural mind, but we need God's Spirit to reveal to us and to empower us to do. There's also one last thing I would also encourage you in, and that is the next few weeks after Sunday evening service, we'll be having...

an afterglow. So that not only are we reading about it and studying it and learning what God is saying about spiritual gifts, but we want to give God the opportunity to put them into practice, that we could apply the things we learn because it's not just, you know, an academic study that we do here on Sunday mornings, but this is real life stuff. God wants to use these spiritual gifts and work these things within us and we want to give him that opportunity. And so I would encourage you for the next few weeks

to come to evening service as we spend time in worship and the word and then afterwards a time just allowing the spirit to do whatever the spirit wants to do and maybe there will be gifts of prophecy or wisdom or knowledge that are used and God will use those to minister to us and so I'd encourage you to come on down we have evening service at 6pm and then the afterglow will be immediately following

Well, let's read together the foundation, the initial lesson that Paul will teach us. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 1 through 7, it says this.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore, I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. Verse 7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.

Paul here, as he begins 1 Corinthians chapter 12, he begins by saying, now concerning, telling us that he's changing subjects, essentially. We looked last week at the Lord's Supper and communion and what that means and the role that that plays in our life. And he was answering a question about that as he was looking at communion. And now he goes on to another question that they had concerning spiritual gifts. And so he says, now concerning these things, he says, I would not have you ignorant.

I would not have you ignorant. Look to the person next to you and say, hey, are you ignorant? Don't answer him, okay? Are you ignorant? It's a good question. Paul says, I don't want you to be ignorant. What does that mean? Well, it doesn't mean that, you know, hey, I don't want you to be stupid. He's saying, I don't want you to lack understanding. I don't want you to be unfamiliar with the gifts of the Spirit. I don't want you to lack understanding in the area of spiritual gifts. Paul says,

Now, there's a couple of things that we can look at in that question. Are you ignorant? Are you and I lacking in understanding in the area of spiritual gifts? Number one, we can see that we could lack in the general knowledge of spiritual gifts, what they are, how they're used, their proper context.

We need to know and understand what God's word has to say about spiritual gifts. They are real and they do have their place, but what is that place? And so in general, number one, are we ignorant in the general use of the gifts and the general understanding of the gifts? But the second question I would ask is, are you ignorant? Do you lack understanding? Are you unfamiliar with your own spiritual gifts? The gifts that God has given to you because we see very clearly from scripture that

That every believer has been given gifts of the Spirit. Every believer has this opportunity, this capability available to be supernaturally empowered to do a work that glorifies God. And so the question is, are you ignorant about your own gifts?

Do you know what God has gifted you to do in the place that he's given you within the body of Christ? So as we look at this, we want to make sure as we continue the next few weeks, as you continue on your own, we want to make sure that we educate ourselves, that we don't leave this subject still being ignorant, still being unfamiliar with spiritual gifts, but being very familiar with all that God has given us.

Pastor Chuck, in this book, Living Water, I'd like to read to you a quick quote from it, talking about spiritual gifts. He says this, I do not know of any subject concerning which there is greater ignorance in the church today than the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This ignorance occurs on both sides of the issue. On one side, some people lack understanding that the gifts of the Spirit are available for the church today.

On the other side, some who revel in these gifts display a strong lack of knowledge concerning their proper spiritual exercise. Pastor Chuck says, look, there's no greater subject about which Christians are more ignorant than the area of spiritual gifts. It's an area where we lack greatly.

And he says, there's some who say, not say, but who don't know, their lack of understanding leaves them in a place where they don't know or you don't know or I don't know that the gifts are available to us, that God has gifted us, that he supernaturally empowered us with certain things.

Then he says there's the other side. There's two ends of the spectrum. The other side is they're so focused on the gift. They're so focused on those things and in the excitement of that all that they don't really understand the proper context. They don't understand the way that scripture talks about them. And so the gifts are being abused and used in a way that God never meant them to be.

So we need to educate ourselves. We need to spend time in the word. We need to look up different portions of scripture. In fact, if you'd like to, I'll give you three portions of scripture that the Apostle Paul deals with the subject of spiritual gifts. The first portion is found in Romans chapter 12 as he deals there with the body of Christ as well as spiritual gifts.

Also in Ephesians chapter 4, again dealing with the body of Christ and how each of us need to be doing our part within the body. He talks about some of the spiritual gifts. And then also in 1 Corinthians where we're at, chapters 12 through 14. Those are the three primary portions of scripture to look up and understand the gifts of the Spirit. So let's take a look at this. What are spiritual gifts? What does that really mean to have a spiritual gift? Now,

I think it's very simple as we look at it and we break it down. And so I want to take a look at the word spiritual and the word gifts, that we would understand what it is exactly that we are talking about. First, he says it's a spiritual gift. Let me tell you what it's not.

Spiritual gifts are not natural. They're not natural. It's not a natural talent. It's not something that comes naturally to you. The things that you're naturally good at are natural things. But the things of the spirit are foreign to our natural minds, to our natural body, to our natural self. They're foreign because they're spiritual things and we're not naturally spiritual people. Naturally, we're natural people. So it's not a natural talent.

You can use natural talents for God's glory, but that's not what Paul is talking about. Are you confused yet? Naturally? Let me give you an example. You might know someone or you might be someone who is a successful businessman or a great public speaker or maybe a good teacher in the outside world, in the world around them, in the job place, in the workplace.

But being a successful business person, being a great public speaker, being a great teacher in school does not mean that within the body of Christ you have the gift of teaching. It doesn't mean that that is your calling, that is your place within the body of Christ. You might also understand that good musicians are not necessarily gifted as worship leaders.

There's just different calls, different rules, different responsibilities. God will use natural talents for his glory. Yes, he will. But it's more than natural talents that God wants to use within our lives. Just the things that we're good at, the things that our parents passed down to us or whatever. It's more than that. Because if I use my natural talents, I get the glory. If I use my natural talents, then it's all about, well, it just comes naturally to me and I'm good at it. And so it's all about me and not about God.

Spiritual gifts are not natural talents. That's not what God is saying here. Another thing that spiritual gifts are not is, I would say that they're not magical or mystical in the sense of, whoo-hoo!

You know, you have to do some chant or some mantra or something to conjure up something and say these magic words and then somehow magically, mystically, you'll be empowered. No, no, it's not anything like voodoo magic or anything like that. There's no magical, mystical sense to it. It's something that is spiritual. A spiritual gift is not natural and it's also not magical or mystical. Well, what is it then?

Well, very simply, it's spiritual, which means that a spiritual gift will be done or used in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit, which also means that since it's done in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit, that everything that's done in the Spirit will glorify Jesus Christ. And that's how we can know if it's a spiritual gift or not, if it brings glory to Jesus Christ.

Because it's not something that we can rely upon ourselves, but we have to rely upon the Holy Spirit to supply. We have to rely upon the Holy Spirit for the wisdom, for the discernment, the understanding, the empowerment in order to enable us to do our gift, to use our gift.

Now, being that it's spiritual, being that it's a work relying upon the Holy Spirit, it means and it tells us that every use, every time the spiritual gift is used, it is always, in every case without exception, an act of faith. It's an act of faith, trusting in and relying upon God to get us through, to do the work and to provide for our needs.

Spiritual gifts. They're not natural. They're not magical. But they're spiritual. Done by the power of the Holy Spirit as we step out in faith and rely upon the Spirit to give us what we need to perform the task that He's called us to do. So the first word is spiritual. The second word is gift. It's a spiritual gift. Again, let me tell you what it's not. Number one, it's not earned. He doesn't call them spiritual rewards.

You know, hey, if you do this good, then I'll give you this gift. But if you do this good, hey, I'll give you a greater gift. No, no, it's not spiritual rewards. If you have your kids with you right now, you might want to cover their ears for a moment as I talk about Christmas. Because as parents, as people, we know that as much as we try to tell the kids, as much as we try to convince them,

that, you know, if they're naughty, they don't get any gifts. But if they're nice, they get gifts. We know that that's not true. Whether they're naughty or nice doesn't really matter because we love kids and we love to bless them. And Christmas time is the opportunity to do that. And so we give them gifts, whether they've been naughty or nice.

Generally speaking, right? We understand. We know that. That it's not about really how you are, how good you are, but it's just a gift. I had plenty of opportunities when I was young to be coming to Christmas morning and finding coal in my stocking, but I never did because my parents didn't give me gifts based on my actions or what I did, but they gave me gifts based on their love for me. And so I would say it's not earned. It's not whether you've been naughty or nice.

It's not spiritual rewards. You know, many times we might think, well, I don't think I have any gifts because, you know, I'm such a new Christian. I just got saved, you know, 35 minutes ago. And so, you know, I don't think I have any spiritual gifts. Well, that's not biblical. The Bible teaches that every Christian, every believer, everybody who's a part of the body of Christ has been saved.

or has been gifted in some way. We see that in 1 Peter 4, verse 10, as well as here in 1 Corinthians 12, 7. That was 1 Peter 4, 10 and 1 Corinthians 12, 7.

Every believer has one. Now we might think, well, I know I am gifted, but I really haven't been reading enough, and so I don't really think I can use that gift, or I don't think I have that gift anymore. I don't go to church enough, or I don't pray enough, or whatever it is that you think you need to do enough of before you get there. It's not about that. It's not about the rewards. It's not about what we can do or have done or will do. None of that even matters. It's a gift. It's given to us without strings attached, without exception,

It's given to us by the grace of God, by the grace of God. So it's not earned, number one. The second thing it's not is it's not forced, just like as if you were going to give a gift to someone. You would not force them to open it. You would give it to them and unless you're weird, you would just allow them to open it and take it and receive it.

I hope I didn't call any of you weird, okay? But it's not forced. It's your choice. You can open it. You can use it. The same thing with spiritual gifts. God gives us these gifts and it's our choice whether we open it and use it or not. We can just keep it wrapped up or we can open it and look at it and say, hmm, I don't think I want to be using that and stick it on the shelf. There's plenty of opportunities we can do that. But we have the choice. It's not forced. God doesn't make you do that, make you receive that gift.

It's your choice to open it and to use it. It's also not forced in the sense of, I can't help it. I can't help it. I just got to prophesy. The Lord's coming over me right now. Thus saith the Lord. Okay? It's not forced. It's not forced. It's not forced.

The Spirit doesn't overtake you and force you to do what the Spirit wants to do. You guys are laughing, but you know what's funny? It's even, I'm just embarrassing myself, but in my notes I have jerking motions in parentheses to remind me to do that so that you guys can laugh. But it's not forced. The Spirit doesn't say, hey, you have to use this gift and you have no choice about it. No, no, no. It's a gift. It's given to you and you have the choice.

Whether you're going to use it or not, it's not based on your merit. It's not based on if you've earned it or not. It's a free gift. So number one, it's not earned. Number two, it's not forced. Well, what is it? Well, it's a gift. It's free. The word that's used in talking about spiritual gifts is charisma in the Greek charisma, which is very closely related to the word for grace, which is charis.

It's something that's related to grace. Now, if you've been around for a little bit, you know what grace is. Grace is undeserved. It's unearned favor and kindness. It's not something we deserve or earn. Salvation is of grace because we don't earn it. We don't deserve it, but we get it. We receive it. And we understand that. We recognize that. I hope that you have understood and recognize that salvation is grace. It's not about what we've done or what we can do for God.

But it's about what God has done for us. The same thing is true with spiritual gifts. It is a blessing that God has given to us because he is good, not because we're good. Gifts are also given to us for the church. It's not to us for us, but to us for the body of Christ, that the body of Christ might be edified. So let's take a look at what Paul says here in the rest of the portion of Scripture. Verse 2, it says this,

He says, He says,

to these dumb idols. Now, he's using that word dumb in a way that we typically don't use it today. Typically, when we say dumb, it's like, dumb car broke down again, or, you know, dumb sidewalk, I tripped on it, or, you know, hey, you dummy. You know, it's like that. It's something kind of slang or derogatory. But what he's saying here is not saying, you know, dumb idol. He's saying, hey, these idols are dumb, which means that they cannot speak. They're mute. They cannot communicate. They're speechless. They're speechless.

So it's not the way that we use it today. In fact, in Acts chapter 8 verse 32, in describing Jesus and how he was, it says, That word silent there is that same word.

It's about silence. What he's saying basically is the idols are dead. They're not alive. They cannot communicate. They cannot talk. They cannot give direction or guidance. They cannot lead us. He said you were following, you were carried away by these idols that were dead, that were unable to speak or communicate.

We, on the contrast, serve a living God. He is active all over the place. As we've heard this morning in Idaho and Okinawa and Sheba, Pastor Oscar from American Samoa's wife,

Boy, that was confusing. She was here today as well. And we see all kinds of things that God is doing all over the place. Even this last couple of weeks as Pastor Dylan was here last week sharing with us about Watsonville. And we continue to hear about the exciting things. God is a living God. We serve a living God. He's active all over and in all kinds of ways. He's not a speechless. He's not unable to communicate to us.

But he does communicate with us. He does empower us. He does send us out and he calls us to specific things. So Paul says, look, you were carried away by these dumb idols. Before in the past, you weren't used to the fact that spiritual things, that your God would speak to you and give you spiritual gifts.

But in verse 3, he says, therefore, since you weren't used to that, since that's not how it used to be, I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. He says, therefore, because you didn't know these things, you weren't familiar with these things, it's not how your previous gods worked, he says, let me make known to you, let me

encourage you, let me educate you because of the ignorance or the lack of understanding that you have. He says, lesson number one, basically, the spirit will not contradict himself. The spirit will not contradict himself. He will not contradict Jesus, God, or the Bible. The spirit will always speak things that are in accordance to the things of God's word. He says in verse three, hey, no one speaking by the spirit of God calls Jesus accursed or cut off or condemned.

Now, you might think, well, why would that even be a question? Well, we're not exactly sure, but there was some situation that was going on in the church of Corinth. Now, it could be as we look at chapter 14, we understand that the church of Corinth was kind of going through some chaotic services because Paul says that everybody was suffering.

Speaking in tongues. Everybody was prophesying all at the same time. There was all kinds of chaos going on. It wasn't, you know, as you are this morning, you're sitting here very respectfully listening to me and hearing the words that I say or really what the Lord wants to say through me. But at that time, what they would do is everybody would just kind of stand up and do their own thing and it would be very chaotic. And so you can imagine at some point as the excitement is growing, the frenzy is going, that someone says something, not of the Spirit, but just says something different.

regarding Jesus being accursed. And now the question is, well, was that of the Lord? Was that of the Spirit? Well, no. The Spirit's not going to come in and contradict Himself. The Spirit's not going to come in and contradict anything that God has ever said. But the Spirit is only going to confirm those things and speak about those things and speak about the things of God. So He says, hey, no one's going to call Jesus accursed. The Spirit's job, we learn in John 16, verse 14,

We find that the Spirit's job is to glorify Jesus Christ. That's what the Spirit is to do. That's why the Spirit was sent among us, to glorify and to bring glory to Jesus' name.

Anything that's done in the Spirit then will glorify His name as well. Anything that's done in the Spirit will go along with that and will not contradict Jesus Christ, will not contradict anything the Holy Spirit has said or that God has said or that God's Word says. And so it leaves room for discernment as spiritual gifts are in operation that we need to understand that, hey, if it's not according to God's Word, then it's not of the Spirit.

And so he says the Spirit's not going to contradict himself. That's the first lesson. There is diversity he'll talk about now, but it's all united. It's all with the same message. It's all from the same God. And so we need to understand that it's God speaking and he's not going to contradict himself. Well, verses 4 through 6, we read it says this.

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. There are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

As we see in verses 4, 5, and 6, actually kind of a side note, it's kind of a reference to the Trinity as well as we see in verse 4 talking about the same Spirit. Verse 5, the same Lord Jesus Christ. And then verse 6, the same God who is the Father. The Father, Son, Holy Spirit are all at work in the spiritual gifts and enabling us to do what he's called us to do.

So as he looks at verses 4, 5, and 6, as we check it out, we find the answer to three things. What, where, and how. What, where, and how in regards to spiritual gifts. What are the spiritual gifts? Well, we're not going to cover them all tonight. But in verse 4, he says there's diversities of gifts. And it's not tonight. It's today, by the way. My bad.

There's diversities of gifts. What are the gifts? Well, there's commonly accepted number is 21. There's 21 different gifts that are talked about throughout the New Testament.

Now, there's some debates over is it 20 or 21 or 19 and there is some overlapping and that's not so much important as knowing that God has given us gifts. God has given different gifts to different people and we need to understand our own gift and look at what this God's word has to say and it's not so important if we define it right, but if we live it right and that's what's most important.

So what are spiritual gifts? Well, he describes that. We'll spend the next couple of weeks looking at those spiritual gifts. But then he goes on in verse five to answer the question where he says there's differences of ministries. There's difference of ministries, which means he's talking about where the gifts that he's talking about, where those are used, what ministries those are used in. There's many areas in which we can serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

There's a lot of opportunities available to those who are willing, to those who are gifted by God to serve in the ministry. I mean, we've heard from Idaho. We've heard from Okinawa. Within this body here, we have many different ministries going on

That you have the opportunity to serve and to use your gifts. There's differences of ministries. There's a variety of different ministries. Aren't you glad it's not just, you know, you got to do it only one way. It's only Jerry's way. And that's the only way to minister to people. No, it's not like that. You have different unique callings and giftings to use in ways that other people might not have.

You might be gifted in the area of children's ministry. And so that's where you use the gifts that God has given you, in that ministry, or in the shockwave in junior high, or in the bookstore, or in the parking lot, or wherever God has called you. There's different ministries, but it's the same Lord. It's the same God. He's working it all together under His plan and not our own.

So there's different gifts. There's different ministries, different areas we can use those gifts. And then finally, he answers the question, how in verse six, diversities of activities, but the same God. Diversities of activities are in the King James Version. It says diversities of operations, activities.

Not only is there different gifts, not only is there different areas where you can use that gift, but there's different ways that you can use the gifts that God has given you. Well, what do you mean? Well, let's say you have the gift of service.

The gift of service, the gift of helps, that you're just available and able to serve the body of Christ. Well, one person might have the gift of service and they perform that, they use that gift. The activity they do requires that they hold a mop and they use that mop and they use their gift and they fulfill what God has called in their life. Another person might have that same gift, but the activity they do is quite different and requires that they use a wrench or a plunger.

or a steering wheel, whatever the case may be. There's different activities, even though it's the same gift. You might have the gift of teaching. One person might use the pulpit.

in their gift of teaching. Another person might use a flannel graph in the children's ministry trailer or a skit or something else. There's different activities. There's different gifts. There's different areas to use those gifts and there's different ways within those ministries that you can use those gifts.

Lots of diversity, lots of different things. God's not just a simple mundane thing that, okay, you got to do it this way. No, no. He gives a variety of things. That's why we have had in the past skateboard ministries or the harvest carnivals. There's different ways. There's different activities that God wants us to do in order to reach out and minister the gospel to those around us.

So we see the diversities of gifts, the differences of ministries, and the diversities of activities. But the emphasis that Paul is giving here is that it's the same Spirit, it's the same Lord, it's the same God in all of those. It's the united work of God. It's the organized plan of God. It's like a big team, if you want to think of it that way, accomplishing the plan or the play that God has laid out for us.

He's apportioned some with the gifts of this or that so that they can take care of this area and some others over here with this area and some others over here with this area so that his work gets accomplished, his work gets done, and we all do our part in bringing glory to the name of Jesus Christ. That's what spiritual gifts are for.

Well, he says in verse 7 that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. The manifestation, not a word we use very much anymore, but what he's saying is it's the demonstration of the Spirit or a display of the Spirit. Now, if you can, underline in your Bible the words of the Spirit. It should be a demonstration, a manifestation of the Spirit.

Not of myself, not of what I can do or how good I am or how great I am or how much I studied or whatever the case may be, but it's a demonstration of the Spirit. The Spirit of God should be shining through the use of the gifts. The Spirit of God should be clearly evident that we can look and we know, hey, that had nothing to do with this person or that person, but it has everything to do with that. The Spirit of God was working through them, enabling them and empowering them to perform that and to do that.

It's a demonstration of the Spirit of God, a testimony to all those around us that God is real, He is alive, and He is working within us to accomplish His work here on this earth.

He says the manifestation, the demonstration or display of the Spirit is given to each one. To each one. To each and every one it could be literally translated. Every Christian has at least one gift. Every Christian has an enabling of the Spirit to perform ministry, to accomplish things for the glory of God.

What's your gift? What has God called you to do? You know, he might gift you in one area for a season and then say, okay, now I want to use you in this area. And he'll give you different gifts that you would be able to glorify him in another way. And so maybe what you've been doing or been doing for a long time, maybe that's not what you're gifted in anymore. Maybe God's changed it. We need to be open and available. Lord, what have you given me for this season, for right now?

That I could minister your name, that I could glorify your name, that people around me could be edified and built up because that's what the gifts are for. Because he says they're given to each one for the profit of all. It's not for our own profit. It's not so that we can be built up and be great. Although, yes, by using our gifts, by stepping out in faith, God does a work in us. But that's not the purpose. That's not why we use the gifts. We use them to bless others.

We use them to edify and to build up the body of Christ. The body of Christ is not complete. The church, this church, living water is not complete if you're not doing your part. If you're not using the gift that God has given you to perform the task that he's called you to perform within this body. It's not complete. We're missing something if you're not using your gift in this body.

Are you using your gift? Well, what does God give to me? Well, that's a good question. Don't be ignorant. Don't lack understanding. Don't be unfamiliar with the gifts, with what God has gifted you in.

But instead, be a part, play a part, and do the things that God has called you to do. As we look at these seven verses, kind of just the foundation, like I said, the beginning of this topic, spiritual gifts. We'll go in greater detail next week and the weeks on as we continue on. But we need to understand that they're spiritual. That it's not about some natural talent I have. It's not some magical thing that I conjure up.

but it's by stepping out in faith and obedience to what God has been speaking to me and doing the things that he's called me to do. Trusting that he's gifted me, he's enabled me, free of charge, no strings attached, to do what he wants to accomplish, to do what he wants to do. And so in our life, we should have some demonstration of the Spirit of God. What do you mean by demonstration of the Spirit of God? Well, think about it.

I should be a living testimony. I should be a demonstration to those around me that the Holy Spirit is real, that the Holy Spirit is powerful and is alive. You should be a demonstration to those around you, to your co-workers, to your family, to your friends, to us here at the Body of Christ at Living Water. Say, wow, God is real. Look at so-and-so.

Look at so-and-so, him or her. Look at them. It's amazing. You know they couldn't do that on their own strength. You know that that's not them, that they would never be able to do that. But the Spirit of God, man, He's incredible. Jesus Christ, His name is glorified because we demonstrate not our own strength, but the strength of God.

And so we need to be using our gifts. We need to have those opportunities, those times where people do look and say, I can't believe your parents say you're doing what? And what's happening? People are getting saved. What are you talking about? That's not you. Where did you learn how to do that? How did that happen? Well, it's the spirit of God. It's God's work. It's not my work. It's not your work, but it's God's work.

And it's important, it's our responsibility as Christians to be involved in that work and to use those gifts that God has given us.

This morning I'd like to close with four things that I would encourage you to do in this area, in this topic of spiritual gifts. Four things. Number one, educate yourself, as I said in the beginning. Educate yourself. Do some homework. Learn about the gifts in general. Learn about what is available to the body of Christ and what God has given so that you can better understand the spiritual gifts, the context that they're supposed to be used in, the way that they're supposed to be used and ministered through.

So educate yourself. Number two, ask God to show you your gifts. Ask God to show you the gifts that he's given you, the ministry that he wants you to be involved in, and the activity or the way that he wants you to use that gift. As we looked at verses four, five, and six, each of those

have a role to play in our lives. He's given us a gift. He's called us to a ministry. And He's called us to a specific way, a specific activity or operation of that gift. Whether it be with a flannel graph or a mop or a wrench, whatever the case may be. He's given us those gifts. And we need to ask God to show us what they are. Number three, use the gift that God shows you you have. Use it. Put your faith into action.

Don't just read about it and understand it, but do it. Live it out. And it might be scary. It might take a step of faith. In fact, I know it will require a step of faith because it's a spiritual gift. It's not a natural talent. It's not magical. But it's something where you can only accomplish it if you rely upon God. Remember I've quoted John Corson with saying that before, that every Christian should be involved in something that will fail unless God is involved.

That's true of you and I, every Christian, that we need to be involved in things. We need to be using our gifts because we have to be trusting God and putting our faith into action by using the gifts that he's given us. So number one, educate yourself. Number two, ask God to show you yours. Number three, use your gift. And then number four, I would encourage you to join us tonight as we have our study, as we go on into the afterglow.

And give the Spirit an opportunity to speak to us. Now, we don't know. We can't force the Spirit to do a marvelous work and we can't guarantee, well, there's going to be words of prophecy and wisdom and knowledge and all those spectacular things. Well, we don't know what God wants to do. But we want to give the Spirit opportunity. And so at the very least, what we're going to do is we're going to worship the Lord. We're going to spend time in the presence of God and give Him an opportunity to speak to us, to use those vocal gifts, the verbal gifts,

of encouragement, of wisdom, of knowledge, of prophecy, of insight. We want to give opportunity for those. And so I'd ask that you would join us. Educate yourself. Learn about what God is doing and what God wants to do through the use of spiritual gifts. We're all called to use them. We're all called to have them. And you know, this morning, if you're here and you're not a believer, if you're not born again, if you can't really say that you're a Christian or maybe you've been backslidden, remember to...

Paul said in verse 2, hey, when you were unbelievers, you were following, you were carried away by dumb idols, by idols and gods that could not speak, that had no power to communicate. I want to let you know that there is a God who is not a dumb idol, who is not speechless, who is able to communicate, who is able to perform mighty and wonderful things to give us peace that passes all understanding. There's a God who is alive and real and active right here and right now.

And you can receive him simply by asking and saying, yes, Jesus, I do believe that you are real. I believe that I can't make it to heaven on my own because I sin and I fall short. But Jesus, with your help, forgive me. Come into my life and change me. You can pray that prayer in your heart at any time. And I would encourage you to pray that as we pray together now. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we do thank you for your work. God, for the differences in gifts and ministries and activities, God, that you don't want a bunch of robots, Lord, but you've blessed us and enabled us in different ways to bless and to edify the body of Christ. So God, I ask that you would help us to understand spiritual gifts and the things that you've given us. Lord, I ask that you would help us to understand the gifts that you've given to us personally and

Lord, that we might use them. Lord, that we might step out in faith and watch your name be magnified through our lives. And God, I ask that you would speak to us tonight as we spend time in your presence and after the evening service, God, that you would just do a powerful work, that you would send your spirit to minister, to speak to us, to encourage us in all the gifts that you've given to the body of Christ. And Lord, I lift up those who do not know you or need to come back to you.

God, may they seek you with all of their heart. Lord, touch them right now and forgive them. For all those who are saying in their heart right now that they need to receive you, Jesus, bless them and speak to them. Lord, may we glorify your name as a body of Christ here on the corner of Lincoln and Railroad. Fill us with your spirit. Put your gifts within this body, Lord, that we might magnify your name. Lord, that we might edify one another. God, it's so amazing.

Lord, because you could have done everything personally within us as Christians. You could have used angels or did other things, God. But you chose to use us to minister to each other and to build up each other and to take those steps of faith and allow you to be demonstrated in our lives that you are real, that you are alive, that you are powerful. So, God, fill us and flow through us, we pray. It's in your name we pray, Jesus. Amen.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.