1 CORINTHIANS 12 SPIRITUAL GIFTS OVERVIEW2006 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 1 Corinthians 12 Spiritual Gifts Overview

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2006. We're taking a break from the Psalms as I shared on Sunday as well as last Wednesday. We'll be looking at an overview of spiritual gifts this evening and what the scripture has to teach about that. Of course, if you're looking at the subject of spiritual gifts,

There's not enough time in the day to cover really what the scripture has to say. And so there's so much more. And once again, I would ask that you would take these words to heart.

That you would write down the references, that you would spend some time this week meditating on the portions that we cover to allow God to even speak to you more about these areas. But it's important for us to have an understanding, an overview of what are spiritual gifts. What are they for? Who has them? Who gets to use them? And how are we to use them within the body of Christ?

Quick reminder, this coming Sunday, just so that you can be in prayer, the group is leaving for Israel. There's 14 of us from here, as well as 5 from Okinawa, 4 from the Philippines, and Rosie over in Jerusalem is going to be joining us. So keep us in prayer. We'll be back on the 30th, and I'm sure excited about what the Lord showed us that time. So we ask that you would just continue to pray that God would be with us. I know that things are heating up a little bit in the Middle East.

but God hasn't told us not to go yet, so we're going, and we'll see what God wants to do and speak to our hearts. Also, keep in prayer. You know, while we're gone, of course, the enemy is going to be attacking. Pastor Sisko will be having a lot of things on his plate, and so you can be praying for him as well as Pastor Pule, and I know that God's going to just do wonders as they teach and share and minister while we're all away. Spiritual gifts. Now, when you talk about spiritual gifts...

Oftentimes there can kind of be this mystical glow around the words. It's some kind of mysterious thing that a lot of times we're not too sure about. What does that mean? What are we talking about? What are spiritual gifts? Do they really work? Are they for today?

How do they function? You know, you kind of get the idea that in order for a spiritual gift to be at work, you have to be in a trance or have this vision or this extremely, you know, supernatural experience that you're not even sure, like Paul said, I wasn't sure if I was in the body or not. And sometimes we can get that impression when we're talking about spiritual gifts.

But the reality is, and what the Bible teaches, is not that spiritual gifts are some super elevated position or situation or experience, but that spiritual gifts are simply the evidence or the manifestation of the Holy Spirit being at work in our lives. And many times these spiritual gifts are not something that we might think of as out of the ordinary gifts,

but something that God works so naturally as we are sharing with people, as we are ministering to people, as we are praying for people, that the spiritual gifts are at work within our hearts, and we might not even be aware many times. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, though, Paul starts out, and he says, Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant."

He starts out chapter 12, and now he's going to be talking about the area of spiritual gifts. Please excuse my throat. Something happened earlier this afternoon. I don't know what it was, and so I've been having trouble with it. It's because God wants to speak to you tonight. Now...

He says concerning spiritual gifts. This word gifts you might notice if you have the New King James Bible. It's in italics, which means it's not originally there in the text, but it's kind of implied. And so the translators put it in there so that you can have an understanding. He actually uses the word gifts in a couple of verses down. But we see here Paul is switching subjects.

Now, 1 Corinthians, as many of you know, it's much a corrective book. And so, the past few chapters, he's been bringing lots of correction. Lots of really practical things that they should do and use in their worship services. About covering their heads and about, you know, taking time to consider and to meditate before they partake of communion.

He's been dealing with a lot of areas of carnality in the believers there at Corinth, where they're living according to the flesh and where they're doing things that are ungodly. But now he switches focus. He says, now that's the carnal things, that's the practical things, but new subject, here's something important concerning spiritual things or spiritual gifts.

And Paul says, I don't want you to be ignorant. He says this a few times throughout his epistles. A couple things that he doesn't want us to be ignorant about. And those who have passed away, for instance, that they're with the Lord and to not to sorrow without hope. But here he tells us specifically that

We are not to be ignorant. He doesn't want us to be ignorant of spiritual gifts, of spiritual things. Yet unfortunately, as Christians, we are often ignorant of spiritual things. You know, even pastors are ignorant many times of spiritual things. Pastor Brian Brodison, I had a chance to go and hear him on Tuesday. He was sharing with some of the other pastors in the area.

And he was sharing about working and functioning in the power and walking in the Spirit. And he was talking about how many pastors are incapable of really understanding what it means to operate in the realm of the Spirit. And he said, frankly, they're uncomfortable with the whole idea. Not sure if they want to, you know, partake in ministry.

and movings of the Spirit and walking in the Spirit and working in the Spirit in the Christian church. As we shared on Sunday, we talked about the lack of effectiveness of the church in Ephesians chapter 4, about the body coming together as one and that's when we're effective. But another aspect of that, another part of our ineffectiveness many times in our own lives personally, as well as the body of Christ in general,

is the lack of the power of the Spirit within our lives. The lack of the power of the Spirit working through us to overcome temptation, to minister and to meet needs supernaturally. Not just, well, I heard this on Oprah and this is some good advice, but this is a word from the Lord for you, specifically spiritual gifts.

So important and vital for the body of Christ. I would encourage you to ask yourself this evening, is there a lack in your spiritual life? Is there an absence, a void? Maybe it's just not as exciting as it used to be. Maybe it's not as fresh as it used to be or powerful as it used to be. Is there a lack in your spiritual life?

Do you feel like you need a fresh move of God in your heart and upon your heart? That feeling, that absence, that void, that lack is the lack of, the absence of the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to be filled with the Spirit.

To be baptized with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is vital in our lives as Christians. The Bible teaches that, and we're not going to spend a lot of time on that. But know and understand, we need the Spirit in our lives.

We need a constant reliance upon Him for all that we do. And so I would encourage you this evening as we look at spiritual gifts that you personally would ask God for a fresh work of His Spirit in your life because you need His Spirit and you need spiritual gifts and you need to be empowered, revived. You need to be set on fire by the Holy Spirit.

You need to be healed and touched by the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit in our lives. Now, if you lack the power of the Spirit in your life, why do you think that is?

We could look at several reasons and you might think, well, it's because I really mess up a lot. You know, I struggle in this area and I gave into it a couple times last week or I fell into sin in this area or I caught myself involved in something in this area and so as a result I know that's why I'm not in the Spirit this week or it's not really powerful or exciting this week. You know, Corinth was a very carnal church living in sexual immorality.

Yet the Spirit was powerfully at work. The gifts of the Spirit were in operation. Yet there was much carnality within the body of Christ. The gifts of the Spirit are just that, they're gifts. The word gift, as we'll look at, it comes from the word grace. The word for grace in the Greek is charis. Charis.

And the word for gift is charismat. Which means that the gifts that God gives to us are not because we earn them or deserve them or we've been really good in reading our Bible faithfully or coming to church on time or anything like that. No, but he gives them to us simply because he wants to give us wonderful things that we don't deserve. So if that's the case, if it's not based on our merits or working it up or...

In a sense, how spiritual we are. Why is it that we confine ourselves with these times of lack, of need, of void in our spiritual life? Very simply, because we don't ask. We need to ask for the power of the Spirit. We need to ask God to pour His Spirit into our lives. In Luke chapter 11, verses 9 through 13, it says,

Awesome portion of scripture. Jesus says, ask and it will be given to you. Not it might be given to you. Hopefully, if you ask, it will be given to you. He says, seek and you will find. Not seek and perhaps, you know, like a needle in a haystack, you might find. Seek and you will find. He says, knock.

and it will be open to you. Not perhaps, not maybe, not if I feel like it, not if you've been good. No, knock and it will be open to you. Continuing on in that portion of Scripture, in verse 13 of Luke 11, Jesus says, If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

The key for the Spirit being at work in our hearts and in our lives is not how good we are, not how well we perform, but how much we ask. That's it. Jesus says, ask. Hey, if an evil father knows how to give good gifts to their sons and daughters, how much more the Heavenly Father will give, in every case, without exception, the Holy Spirit to those who ask.

It's as simple as that. Now, the real heart of the matter then is, do you believe that? And that becomes the issue. We need to ask in faith, believing that, yes, God will give us the Holy Spirit. Are you willing to ask for God to pour out His Spirit? Are you willing to let go? You know, oftentimes we're afraid of the Spirit in our life because, well, frankly, we know that there's things that He wants to deal with and work on. Are you willing to let go?

Are you willing to allow God to do in your heart, in your life, what He wants to do? Are you willing to give the Spirit free reign in your life? He'll cleanse us. Sure, He'll purge us. He'll draw us close to God. He'll empower us. We need the Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit in our lives. He says, ask and you will receive.

And so I encourage you this evening, ask for the power of the Spirit. Ask for God to fill you, because you will receive if you ask. Now, of course, that is the first step to learning about spiritual gifts. Because if you're going to be using spiritual gifts, you need to be in the Spirit. You need to know about the Holy Spirit. You need to walk with the Spirit and have a relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.

But now as we look at the subject of spiritual gifts, we'll continue on in 1 Corinthians 12, but jump down a couple of verses with me to verse 4.

So Paul is saying now about spiritual things, and here's what he has to say in verse 4. 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. And I want to stop there, because this really provides for us this evening the outline, for the overview of spiritual gifts.

These three specific areas in which gifts are given for the body of Christ. And so these three areas are important for us to know and to understand. Now, as I shared last week as well as on Sunday, the three primary portions of Scripture where spiritual gifts are talked about are Romans chapter 12, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and Ephesians chapter 4.

And I hope you had a chance to look those over because we'll be looking at them, but not in too much detail for the lack of time. But there in those portions of Scripture, they all emphasize and point out

That there is one body. It's one body of Christ. We are united together. And yet at the same time, they also all point out that we are all members individually. And so the importance of our unity, but also the importance of us individually and our part within the body of Christ. Within that one body, we all have various ways that God uses us.

Now you might ask, well, how does God use us? That's really what tonight is about. What do spiritual gifts mean to me? What does that have to do with me? Well, I'd like you to notice again in verses 4, 5, and 6, there's a distinction that Paul makes. He says there's 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. There's different gifts, different ministries, different activities. One body, but different roles, different ways that God is manifested. Notice also that we see the triune nature of God in these verses. In verse 4, he makes reference to the Holy Spirit. In verse 5, he makes reference to the Lord who is Jesus Christ.

And then in verse 6, he makes reference to God, who is the Father. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, all at work in the gifts that are given to the body of Christ. Now, understanding the distinctions between the gifts of the Father, the gifts of the Son, and the gifts of the Spirit will help us learn to operate in the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit and fulfill our role within the body of Christ. So,

Point number one, the gifts of the Spirit. According to 1 Corinthians 12.4, there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There's different gifts, but it's the same Spirit. One Spirit operates in several different ways, manifests Himself in several different ways, not just one. We see this as we jump down to verse 7.

1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 7, talking about the diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. It says in verse 7,

to another, working of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, discerning of spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, the interpretation of tongues. Verse 11. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. Notice, which person of the Trinity is emphasized in this portion of Scripture?

The Holy Spirit, the manifestation of the Spirit, the word of wisdom through the Spirit, the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, gifts of healings by the same Spirit. And then verse 11, but one in the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills. Now this portion, when we talk about spiritual gifts, this portion,

The concept here, the gifts of the Spirit that we're looking at in verses 7 through 11, is generally what we are referring to when we talk about gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The gifts of the Spirit are these. Now, I'm going to touch on these briefly, but again, we won't be able to go into them in depth. I would encourage you, if you would like to examine these some more, that you would pick up the book called Living Water by Pastor Chuck Smith. And he goes in great detail and covers all of the aspects of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. But the first gift that he mentions here is the Word of Wisdom.

The word of wisdom is the perfect, right, exact answer that's necessary. An example of that is when, well, many times the Pharisees would try to trap Jesus in his words and what to say.

One example, should we pay taxes or not? And he asked for the coin and he says, whose inscription is this? Whose image? Caesar's. And he says, give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. That was a word of wisdom. It was the right answer for that situation to take care of the need. Words of wisdom can vary in all kinds of different situations, but essentially that's what it is. It's the right perfect answer for the situation at hand.

The word of knowledge...

A word of knowledge, it's a little bit different than the word of wisdom, but it's specific knowledge, and that's important because anybody can generalize. You know, I just have a word from the Lord that, you know, someone here is having car trouble or marriage trouble or, you know, who's not having marriage trouble or hard times with their cars and things like that. I mean, that's general. That's... The fake psychics do that. No. A word of knowledge is something specific from God specifically.

That you could not know any other way except that God revealed it to you. Now as a word of knowledge is given, then you also need wisdom of how to apply what has been given to you. Because you might receive a word of knowledge about someone, a need, or a situation, a problem, etc.

And it might not be your responsibility to announce it, but maybe God just showed it to you so that you could pray for that person or that situation. Or he might show it to you because he wants you to deal with that situation.

But words of wisdom, words of knowledge, specific words given by God through the Spirit. They're manifestations or evidences of the Spirit that take place in our lives. The next one we see is faith. Faith to believe God at His word, to accomplish His purposes, to do the things that He has set before us. The next one we see is gifts of healings.

Gifts of healings. Now, we might forget about this one sometimes and think it's the radical kind of crazy church thing to do, but no, the Holy Spirit is still at work in manifesting Himself in the area of healings. Diseases, wounds, whatever, God can heal them and oftentimes desires to use us through the power of the Spirit and the gift of healing to pray.

and to bring healing into the lives of people around us. The next one we see is the working of miracles. The working of miracles, provision, raising the dead, you name it. Whatever God wants to do, whatever God needs to accomplish His purposes, can be accomplished through a believer as the Spirit is manifested and miracles are performed. Prophecy. Now prophecy we automatically think of telling the future,

But that's not really what this word prophecy means. It's talking about or it speaks about a word from God or on God's behalf about His will or what He has to say. It's His will, His word for an individual, for a situation, for a congregation. It's a message from God, essentially. Now, it might contain elements that refer to the future.

And we can wait and see if those come to pass. But it doesn't necessarily have to involve the future. It's up to the Spirit, what He wants to reveal and what He wants to minister through the word of prophecy.

Discerning of spirits. This is the ability to know if a word or a work or situation is of God or not. Remember Paul? And he had this girl coming behind him constantly and shouting out that Paul and Barnabas were preachers of the gospel and were preaching Jesus Christ.

And it says Paul was annoyed by her. She was bugging him like crazy. And so finally he turns around and he rebukes the demon that is possessing her and casts him out. He had discerning of spirits. He knew that wasn't of God, but that was something that was demonic. Kinds of tongues. Scripture speaks of the tongues of angels as well as the tongues of men. There's different kinds of tongues. But speaking in tongues...

It's sometimes called a prayer language because that's what it's used for. Speaking in tongues refers to praying in a language that you don't know, that you don't understand, to God. You say, well, how could that be? Well, exactly. That's why they're called spiritual gifts, not natural gifts, not talents, not abilities, but supernaturally empowered by God to do something that he's called you to do.

Speaking in tongues and then along with that interpretation of tongues. Now if you think about some of these things, they are pretty phenomenal. What do you mean? Are you trying to say that I can speak in a language that I don't know in prayer to God? Yes. Yes. Well, what good is that? What sense does that make? Well, it's something that God has chosen to do.

To enable us to communicate with Him. For our spirit to communicate with Him. To rejoice in who He is and how great He is. It's something, as Paul will go on in chapter 14, and we won't look at that, but Paul says it's edifying. It builds you up and encourages you. Now, speaking in tongues is kind of a minority among the gifts. In the sense that it's the one that really is for yourself.

Speaking in tongues is not something that's generally used for the congregation, for the body, but it's used between you and the Lord personally. However, words of prophecy and wisdom and knowledge, those are used to edify and to build up the body of Christ. And that's why Paul in chapter 14 will encourage you to pray. Ask God that you may prophesy. Because that's really what people need. They need to hear God's word for them.

They don't need our words for them. They don't need everybody else's opinion. They need to know what God has to say. And so Paul says, earnestly pray that you may prophesy because then others are built up, others are edified in a congregation, in a setting where there's others around. Now, all of these, there's nine here that Paul lists in chapter 12.

They're all manifestations or evidences of the Spirit. They cannot be done in our own strength or by anything that we supply. And let me emphasize that. By anything that we supply. They are all supernatural, given to us by God, have nothing to do with our strengths or weaknesses. But they're gifts. They're graces, charismas. Things that God gives simply because He desires them.

to pour out unmerited favor and kindness. These gifts are only used by the power and the working of the Holy Spirit. They're the manifestations or the evidences that the Spirit is at work in our lives. To use any of these gifts does not mean that we are more spiritual. God took away the gift of teaching just for a moment to illustrate. It doesn't mean that anybody is more spiritual than anyone else.

It's just simply the Spirit manifesting Himself through the body of Christ. Now it's possible for any one of these nine gifts to be manifested in us through the power of the Spirit. Really, at any time. Wherever we might be. There might be words of wisdom that God wants to give to the mechanic that's working on your car. Or the neighbor that came across the street. Or the person that's here this evening. Words of prophecy or wisdom. There may be...

A need for the gift of faith this evening or tomorrow or healings or miracles. These nine gifts are the manifestations of the Spirit. And as we ask the Spirit to be a part of our life and we ask the Spirit to fill our lives and we ask God to overflow us and baptize us with His Holy Spirit, these will be manifested. As I shared before,

It won't always be some trance situation. In fact, it rarely is. But it'll be natural. As you're sharing, things come into your mind you don't remember knowing. God's speaking through you. Sometimes it will be conscious. Sometimes you'll know. Man, the Lord's speaking this to my heart. But it'll work itself out often in very natural ways. Our greatest need...

is for the Spirit to manifest Himself in our lives. That's what we need more than anything else. If we're saved, that is. We need the Spirit to be at work in our hearts and in our lives. So the ministry of the Holy Spirit, or the gifts of the Spirit, are these things. They're to equip us and enable us to do the things that God has called us to do, to meet the needs and to build up the body of Christ.

Going back to 1 Corinthians 12, verse 5 now, we see the next point in our overview of spiritual gifts. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. So the Spirit gives those nine gifts that we saw. But what about the Lord? Well, here we jump back now to Ephesians. Actually, it's forward. Ephesians chapter 4, where we were on Sunday morning. The gifts that Jesus gives are different than the gifts of the Spirit.

The ministries of the Lord we find in Ephesians chapter 4, specifically in verse 11. Now, we already know the context because we were there on Sunday, so I won't dive into that. But it talks about how Jesus gave gifts to men. And what did he give? Verse 11 says, He himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.

Who's he? Jesus. Jesus gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor teachers. Now, as we looked at this on Sunday, we saw these things in depth, and I would encourage you to meditate on those things and get the CD if you weren't here. But these four specific areas are the gifts that are given by Jesus Christ. Now,

These gifts are different than the gifts of the Spirit that we just looked at in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. These gifts are given by Jesus Christ, not to an individual, but to the body of Christ. They're roles of leadership, of authority within the body of Christ.

The role of the apostle, the prophet, the evangelist, the pastor and teacher. Or, using the word from 1 Corinthians 12.5, these are the ministries that are given to the body of Christ by Jesus Christ. The ministry of an apostle, the ministry of a prophet, evangelist, or pastor and teacher. They're not gifts given to an individual, but they're individuals given to the body of Christ.

For the purpose of, what is the purpose actually? Well, we saw it in verse 12. It's for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. Jesus gave to the body of Christ, apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor teachers, to the body of Christ, that the body of Christ might be equipped to do the work of ministry.

And so these four gifts are specifically given by Jesus to his body to build up, to edify, to establish the body. These are offices or leadership that God has given, that Jesus specifically has given to the body of Christ. As I shared, we spent some time on that on Sunday, and so we'll move on now to the next one. So we have gifts given by the Spirit,

Ministries given by Jesus Christ. And finally, activities by God. 1 Corinthians 12, verse 6 talks about the ministries or the different activities, but it's the same God. And so let's turn for that into Romans 12. Romans 12. Starting in verse 3, it says this, For I say...

Verse 4,

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith. Or ministry, let us use it in our ministering. He who teaches in teaching. He who exhorts in exhortation. He who gives with liberality. He who leads with diligence. He who shows mercy with cheerfulness.

Here we see in verse 3, we're not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to, but to realize who we are and that God has dealt to each one of us a measure of faith. Now there's gifts that are given by the Spirit. There's leadership that was given by our Lord Jesus Christ. The gifts of God is our membership in the body of Christ.

His gift to us is a role, a function, is the word that Paul uses here, within the body of Christ. A part to play, that he involves us in his work, in his activity. He says, for we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function. So we being many are one body and individually members of one another.

God has given to us a place, a part in his body, in the body of Christ. He's made us a member of the body of Christ. And that is the gift that God gives to us. These gifts have to do with our place or again, our function within the body of Christ. God gives us a specific part to play. Every believer...

Everyone who has received Jesus Christ is a part of the body of Christ. And that doesn't just mean that you're part of the family. You can say that you're part of the family of God. But what that means is that every single one of us have a function or a role within the body of Christ. That God doesn't just save us and say, sit on the couch and have a nice time.

But he says, alright, now that you know the truth, I want to use you to reach others with the truth. And I'm going to use you to do that in these functions. I'm going to use you to do that in this way, to build up the body of Christ. And to have a part in my work. And of course, he gives us everything that we need and then he rewards us for doing it.

But we've got to get off the couch and we've got to do it. And play our part and do our role within the body of Christ. Now, there's seven that he lists here specifically. And I believe that these are seven examples, but that in reality...

There are as many roles in the body of Christ as there are members in your body. But the seven he lists are prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, or administration is another word for that, and showing mercy. These are roles that are given to us by God. These are functions within the body of Christ that God gives us,

In order for us to do our part. Now, jump back again to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. It's actually forward. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Just to reiterate what Paul has been saying in Romans chapter 12. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 18. Says, But now God has set the members, each of them, in the body just as he pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you. Nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. No, much rather those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor. And our unpresentable parts have greater modesty. But our presentable parts have no need.

But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism within the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice in it.

Verse 27, Now you are the body of Christ and members individually. Again, the point emphasized, we are members. We're together corporately the body of Christ. But we're members individually. That God has a specific place for us within His kingdom, within His plan, in edifying the church and reaching the lost.

There's specific roles that God has set aside for us. Just like your hand is set aside to do specific things for your body, you have a place. And Paul says there's no part that's unimportant. There's no member that's insignificant. Every member of the body of Christ is essential, necessary, important.

in order for that body to be effective. Every member. It's not one person. It's not just the leadership that Jesus gave in Ephesians 4. But it's the body of Christ coming together. Each doing their part as we saw on Sunday in Ephesians chapter 4. That is how you grow as you do your part within the body. It's also how the body as a whole grows as you do your part within the body of Christ.

So in these three portions of Scripture, outlined by 1 Corinthians 12, verses 4, 5, and 6, we have the distinction between diversities of gifts but the same Spirit, differences of ministries but the same Lord, and there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. Now, as I shared, so much more we could look at. So much more I would love to share.

But this evening, why does God have us here? Why does God have us in this subject? As I shared at the beginning, we need the power of the Spirit in our lives. As simple as that.

We cannot live the Christian life without the power of the Spirit. We cannot perform our role, our function, within the body of Christ without the power of the Spirit. Why are we here this evening? I would point you back to 1 Corinthians 12. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. I don't want you to be ignorant, Paul says. You need to know about spiritual gifts. You need to. It's necessary.

You need to know how God wants to work in your life and through your life. You need to know what He has for you as you endeavor to fulfill the role that God has given to you and to play the part that you're called to play. It's necessary and it's important for us. You know, it's so important that you do your part in the body because you will not be able to grow

if you're not fulfilling the function that God has given to you. And the body of Christ will be lacking. Now, recapping these areas, why are they important? Well, Jesus gives to his body ministries, leadership, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher. The purpose of this is stated again in Ephesians 4.12, so that the saints may be equipped for the work of ministry.

It's important for you to know about the gifts that Jesus has given to his body so that you can be equipped for the ministry that God has called you to do. You need to be equipped and he's given the means, the method to the apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor teachers.

And so you need to know about the gifts that Jesus has given. You also need to know about the gifts that God has given. It's important for you to know that God has given you a place within the body of Christ, a function to perform.

A part to play. He's made you a member. And he's set you, 1 Corinthians 12 says this, exactly where he wants you. Now sometimes, you might not like where he's placed you. I don't like being the big toe. But maybe that's where God has you. And it doesn't necessarily mean that that's for all of eternity either.

But he's placed you exactly where he wants you so that you can perform the function that he's called you to perform so that the work of God can be accomplished in you as well as through you. And then the Spirit, the things that we refer to typically when we say spiritual gifts. The Spirit gives us what we need to help us fulfill that role within the body of Christ.

It's so important for you to know about spiritual gifts and the way that the Spirit manifests Himself in you so that you can be equipped and prepared for the task that God has laid before you. Whatever role that you have within the body of Christ, you need the Spirit at work. You need the manifestations of the Spirit. We cannot minister without

on our own strength, with our own wisdom, with our thoughts, with our ideas, with what we have to offer. There's nothing that we can offer that is lasting, that is effective, that can bring healing into the life of a person. The only one who can truly minister is God. And that is why it's so essential that we have the Spirit working through us, that we ask, seek, and knock

For the Lord to pour out His Spirit so that we may be able to fulfill the function that God has given to us. Because otherwise, it won't last. It's useless. You know, I can come up here and... I haven't been a pastor that long, but I've been teaching for the last 12 years or so. I could come up here and I could talk this whole time and never really rely on God at all.

But no ministry would actually take place. I need, I've got experience, but I need the power of the Spirit. I need for God to give the gift of teaching and words of wisdom and knowledge and prophecy as I'm sharing. And so I ask continually for God to do that in my life. And that is what the body needs.

Every member needs the manifestations of the Spirit. You might say, well, I'm just a Sunday school teacher, you know? It's not that difficult. I've got four and five year olds and it's pretty basic. It's not something I really need to rely upon God a whole lot for because I have to simplify it to such a level that, well, step back a second. Does God want to reach those

Precious children, absolutely. Is he able to? Absolutely. Are you able to in your strength? No way. They need words of wisdom and knowledge and words of prophecy just like any other part of the body of Christ. And so Sunday school teacher, you better be on your knees before God and praying for the Spirit to speak through you exactly what they need to hear because God loves them and he wants to reach out to them and minister to them.

He wants to have relationship with them. And children are able to have relationship with God. And so it doesn't matter our role. We say, well, I'm just an usher. Or I just work in the parking lot. Or I just warm the seats. You need to fulfill the role that God has given you in the body of Christ. Your growth will be prohibited until then. And the growth of the body will be prohibited until then. And as you seek to perform that role,

Rely upon the Holy Spirit. Those nine gifts that we talked about at the beginning, those are not gifts that are only for pastors. They're not gifts that are only for the super spiritual or the elite, but they're gifts that are given to the body of Christ, to each member, to bless, to benefit the rest of the body.

Again, 1 Corinthians 12, 11. But one in the same spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills. These are gifts. Nobody has a ministry of word of wisdom. Well, if you need wisdom, come to me. I have the word of wisdom ministry. No, that doesn't happen. You know, God might use you at times to share words of wisdom. And then there might be times that he doesn't use you to share words of wisdom.

Words of knowledge, same thing. Nobody has a word of knowledge ministry, and if they do, it's not of God. But He might use you. Faith, healings, miracles, those aren't ministries. Those aren't callings within the body. Those are gifts that the Spirit gives as He wills, to whichever member He wills to give it to. Do you believe that God desires to use you

Do you believe that the Spirit desires to manifest Himself in your life in these ways? This evening, tomorrow, the rest of your life. This is not something that is only for afterglows or only within the walls of this sanctuary. But we need to realize the Spirit is alive. He is real. He dwells within our hearts.

And He wants to manifest Himself in all that we do. Spiritual life is not about reading in the morning and going to church on Sundays and Wednesdays and praying occasionally or throughout the day. But spiritual life is about relying upon the Spirit and allowing God's Spirit to work through us. Asking God's Spirit, knocking and seeking for God to work through us. For His Spirit to be working and manifesting Himself in us.

in our lives and in our hearts. As I shared on Sunday, every single one of us is in the ministry full-time. And so Paul says in chapter 12, verse 31 of 1 Corinthians, that we should earnestly desire the best gifts. What's the best gift? Well, it depends on what you need. Do you need to communicate to God better in your prayers? Ask God for the gift of tongues. Ask Him.

to manifest His Spirit in your life in that way. Do you need to know what to say to someone that you ran into at the store? Ask God for words of wisdom and knowledge and words of prophecy. Ask the Spirit to manifest Himself through you.

Ask, seek, knock. Do you need to pray for someone who is ill? Ask for the gift of healing. Do you need a miracle to take place? Ask for the gift of miracles. These are not things that we just kind of learn about and say that's nice or things that God used to do a long time ago. These are things and ways that God wants to work in this room tonight and in your life tomorrow and next week.

It's a reality. God working through us. Incredible. The gifts of the Spirit. We need them. The manifestation of the Spirit. We need them. We cannot minister. We cannot perform our role or our function within the body without these gifts. I could think of some clever things to say, but if it's not words from the Lord, it's useless. Meaningless.

I've just wasted your time. But if the Spirit works through us, He can reach lives and touch hearts in ways that we are incapable of, in ways that we can never expect. It doesn't have to be the perfect situation. I can't minister to that person. I mean, look, they're all tattooed up and I'm afraid of needles and I don't like tattoos and it kind of scares me. I can't minister to that guy.

That doesn't matter. That's not limiting to God. Even a little old lady could minister to the hardest criminal, scariest guy, if it's the power of the Spirit at work. There's no limitation for what God wants to do through us. Now, the important thing to notice is the Spirit distributes individually as He wills. It's not on demand. I want a word of wisdom. Got it.

I want to do this. No. It's about surrendering and submitting to His will. Lord, what do you want to do? And I'll do that. And give me the strength and give me all that I need to do that. These are gifts that we exercise as we perform the function, the role that God has given to us. Don't be ignorant about spiritual gifts. Ask. Seek. Knock. You know, we're going to spend...

the rest of our time this evening, just allowing God to work in our hearts. I want to encourage you. Let the Spirit have free reign in your heart. Let God do tonight what He wants to do, as He wills. It's not about what we desire or what we need. We need God, and we need Him to work in our lives. And if there's things in your heart, if there's things in your life that you know

God wants to work on. Let him go. Just let him go. And ask God to have free reign in your heart. It's important for us not to be ignorant. And it's important for us to ask, why?

In John chapter 4 verse 10, Jesus says to the woman at the well, if you knew the gift of God and who it was who says to you, give me a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. The implication being, you don't know, you didn't ask and that's why you have not yet received. Now later she does learn who he is and receives him. But we need to know it's important for us not to be ignorant so that we can ask.

Because again, in James chapter 4, verse 3, James tells us, you ask and you do not receive because you ask amiss. He also tells us in another portion in James that you don't have, you have not because you ask not. We need to ask with a genuine heart, not asking amiss that we could show off

some spiritual gift, but that we could accomplish God's work that He desires to do in the body of Christ. The worship team is going to come up now and I want to read to you Luke chapter 11. Don't turn there, just close your Bibles and prepare your heart to hear from God and what He wants to say, what He wants to do. Jesus is speaking.

And he says,

Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Ask, and you will receive. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. God wants to pour out His Spirit.

He wants to revive you and refresh you and quicken you and ignite you and empower you and embolden you. He wants to manifest himself through you and he wants to use you to accomplish his work. A work that lasts for eternity and that he rewards you for. Why do we lack the power of the Spirit, the work of the Spirit? Simply because we don't ask. Or if we ask, we ask amiss.

Search your heart. Let God do a work. And as we worship the Lord in the next few moments, ask God. Pastor Cisco is up here and I'll be up here as well. I feel like the Lord just wants you to come up and have hands laid upon you to receive the baptism, the filling of the Holy Spirit. We would love to do so. But you sit before the Lord and ask. Seek and you will find. Knock, it will be opened. Ask.

Because it will be given. God wants to do wonders and miracles in you and through you. So let's ask the Lord to pour out His Spirit this evening. Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word. Lord, we're so unworthy for You to work in us and through us. But Lord, we ask, not because we're worthy, not because we deserve it, but Lord, on the basis of Your grace, Lord, that You would wash us and cleanse us, and that You'd pour out Your Spirit into our lives.

Lord, we ask that you would send your Spirit now to do a refreshing and reviving work in our hearts. Take us into your presence, Lord. Lord, we give you free reign. We ask that your Spirit would be in control of the rest of this evening, in complete control of our hearts. You be glorified. Have your will and your way. In Jesus' name, 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.