1 Corinthians 12:7
April 17, 2011 · Pastor Miles DeBenedictis
In this teaching
Pastor Miles teaches that every believer is gifted by the Holy Spirit for the profit of the body of Christ, then begins working through the New Testament's lists of spiritual gifts—covering prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, and leadership. He urges believers to step out by faith to discover and exercise their gifts for God's glory and the church's edification.
- Spiritual gifts are freely given by God's grace, like salvation, and therefore cannot be boasted about.
- Every believer is gifted to some extent, and gifts are given for the profit of the body, not as a sign of spirituality or an end in themselves.
- Gifts are tools to be employed—not toys, trophies, or trifles—and should be desired but never envied.
- Prophecy is primarily forth-telling God's word in accord with Scripture, not chiefly foretelling the future.
- The gifts of service, teaching, exhortation, giving, and leadership each function under the Holy Spirit's direction and often need to be developed by use.
- The best way to discover your gift is to step out by faith, out of your comfort zone, and see how God meets you.
Readable is a lightly edited reading copy; Verbatim stays close to the spoken words. The audio and video are the record of what was said.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not that you would be ignorant... Now there are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit... But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man for the profit of all... For by one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. ()
Every believer has been gifted by the Spirit—the question is whether we will step out by faith and use what God has given for His glory and the building up of His body.
Palm Sunday and the Promise of the Spirit
This is an important day, as we observe and remember Jesus' triumphant entry. We call it Palm Sunday—that day when Jesus, with His disciples and multitudes from all over Israel, came down the Mount of Olives, through the Kidron Valley, and up into the temple precincts in Jerusalem, as people praised God, singing from , "Hosanna, blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord."
That triumphant entry began the week leading to His betrayal, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Daily Jesus was in the temple teaching and being examined by the religious establishment. During that week, He began with real clarity to tell His disciples that He was about to depart. In He comforts them: "Let not your heart be troubled... In my Father's house are many mansions... I go to prepare a place for you." When Thomas said they did not know where He was going, Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by me."
Because they were concerned about His soon departure, Jesus spoke to them three times—in , 15, and 16—of One who would come to them from God: the Holy Spirit. "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth... I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you." In He said the Comforter would testify of Him. In He said, "It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter will not come to you... when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth... he shall glorify me."
So Jesus gave His disciples the promise of the coming Holy Spirit. In , after His resurrection, He breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." With the Spirit would come enabling power to do the work He called them to—to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.
Gifts Given by Grace, Not Earned
We are the recipients of the Holy Spirit. If we have received Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, we have also received the Holy Spirit, baptized into one Spirit and one body. And all of this, as we've seen in , is ultimately for the profit of the body of Christ.
Spiritual gifts are given by God's grace to all believers for the benefit of the body. The gifting of the Spirit is not earned or deserved—just like salvation. Therefore, salvation and the gifting of the Spirit cannot be boasted about. Paul asks the Corinthians in , "Who makes you different from one another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did receive it, why do you boast, as if you had not received it?" Likewise : "For by grace are you saved, through faith... it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
God has gifted individuals within the body of Christ, gifting certain ones to fill offices, to exercise their gifts within the church, to equip members and build them up, that we all may work in the ministry to the edification of the body. The question is: are we doing this? Are we using the gifts God has given for His glory and the edification of His body?
What a Spiritual Gift Is—and Is Not
There are four listings of gifts in the New Testament—, , , and —identifying about twenty gifts. But before we look at them, recognize that these lists are not exhaustive. There are more spiritual gifts given by God's grace than are listed in these four passages.
A spiritual gift is any ability the Spirit gives a Christian to express his faith in order to strengthen another's faith. One author called it "a God-given capacity through which the Holy Spirit supernaturally ministers to the body." Some gifts—miracles, tongues, healing, prophecy—are supernatural in origin. Others—teaching, administration, helps—are God-given abilities to perform particular roles. Non-believers may have abilities to administer or lead through God's common grace, but they do not function under the Holy Spirit's direction. When a Christian is gifted, the Spirit takes these abilities and uses them for His purposes to bless and build up the body and glorify God.
A spiritual gift is something every believer has to some extent (), and it is given for the profit of the body. It is from God—all gifts ultimately come from Him, for "every good and perfect gift" comes from God (). But a spiritual gift is not the same as a natural talent. You do not have the spiritual gift of snowboarding, cooking, or photography. Those talents come from God by His common grace, and they should be used for His glory—"whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God" ()—but they are not spiritual gifts.
A spiritual gift is not a sign of spirituality. Someone apparently gifted is not necessarily walking in the Spirit. We can fail to walk in the Spirit and still exercise apparent giftedness, because the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable. The Corinthians are a perfect picture: they were "not lacking in any spiritual gift" (), yet they were also carnal and worldly (3:3).
A spiritual gift is not an end in itself. The Corinthians boasted about giftedness as if the gift were the whole focus. But the gift is given to glorify God and edify the body. As I've said the last two weeks, a spiritual gift is not a toy to be played with, a trifle to be passed over, or a trophy to parade around—it is a tool to be employed by the believer for God's glory and the edification of His body. Finally, a spiritual gift is not something to be envied, but to be desired. "Desire earnestly the best gifts" (12:31)—which could be translated "the most useful gifts." And "pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts" (14:1). We should desire that God work through us, but never envy the gifts others have.
The Gift of Prophecy
The first gift we'll consider is prophecy. says, "having then gifts according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy." Not everyone has this gift—Paul asks, "Are all prophets?" (12:29), and the answer is no. says Jesus ordained prophets within the body.
Whenever we talk about prophecy, our minds go immediately to foretelling the future. In our day, many claim to be prophets, predicting the end of the world—some say May 21st, others December 2012. We'll find out soon enough. If they truly believe they are foretelling the future, perhaps we should apply the Old Testament rules: if they say "Thus saith the Lord" and it doesn't come to pass, they were to be stoned with stones—not marijuana, stones. Clearly we don't do that.
It's important to recognize that the gift of prophecy is not only foretelling the future—that is a very small aspect of it. Prophecy is primarily forth-telling God's word. If you study the major and minor prophets from Isaiah to Malachi, the majority of what they said was forth-telling God's word and calling people to repent and follow the Lord, far more than foretelling the future. In my years of ministry, at least two people have told me, "I am a prophet," with a "Thus saith the Lord" for me that did not come to pass. They were not prophets.
Forth-telling God's word is an important aspect of the ministry of the pastor-teacher. What takes place from this pulpit week in and week out is, in some ways, the use of the gift of prophecy—providing a word from God to a specific group of people, exposing the Scriptures. And it should always be in accord with God's written word. If someone says, "Thus saith the Lord," and it cannot be substantiated by Scripture, it is to be rejected. The Bible is our final authority. I believe the gift of prophecy is still in use today.
The Gift of Service
Second is the gift of service, called "ministry" in . The Greek word is diakonia, from which we get our English word deacon—the ability to identify and care for the physical needs of the body. It is my opinion that every disciple of Christ can and should exhibit this gift in some way, because at the base level we are all called to be servants, and God empowers us by His Spirit to serve.
We may employ natural talents or learned abilities to do that service. Some in our church have technical ability—they look at that soundboard and know what all those knobs do, while most of us would wonder if one is a self-destruct button. They use their God-given abilities to serve on the worship team, in the children's ministry, or teaching God's word to a third grader—which requires gifting.
You may say you don't know if you have the gift of service. It's very likely that you do, and the only way to find out is to step out by faith and see if God meets you there with power to do it. It will become evident very quickly—to you and to the third graders—within a few weeks. Sometimes we conclude through stepping out that we are not gifted in an area, and that's not a bad thing. You'd be better off not serving where you're not gifted, and seeking where the Lord would have you serve. You'll continually frustrate yourself and others trying to do something God hasn't gifted or called you to.
Over the years I've learned a number of things I'm not gifted or called to do, and that's helpful, because it lets me actually say no—which I have a hard time doing. A non-gifted person can occupy a work God hasn't called them to and keep someone who is gifted from functioning in that capacity. So it's important to come to the place where we recognize what the Lord has and hasn't gifted us for. Most, if not all believers, are gifted in some capacity for service.
The Gift of Teaching
Third is the gift of teaching. says, "he that teaches, on teaching." First Corinthians 12:28 says God set in the church "first apostles, second prophets, third teachers," and then asks, "Are all teachers?"—the answer being no. Teaching is the ability to clearly explain and effectively apply the truths of God's word so others will learn. It requires the capacity to accurately interpret Scripture, which God enables, but it is also something that needs to be developed. You don't instantly know how to rightly parse or exegete the Scriptures; some of that takes development.
I recognize that one of the gifts God has given me is teaching, and through it I've learned several things. First, it is clearly a God-given gift. As a junior in high school, I sensed God calling me to teach His word, so I took speech class, thinking it would help. What I found was that I was not naturally talented as a public speaker—my mom can testify to that. I was scared to death every time I had to stand up.
About that same time, our church offered a class on expository teaching, led by Pastor Pat. You had to prepare a Bible study and teach it before the elders. Again I found that in my own strength I could not effectively teach. But a month after I came on staff as an intern in 1999, Pastor Tony asked me to take over the junior high. I was apprehensive and wanted to say no. I said I'd pray about it—the Christian equivalent of no—but I reluctantly agreed. On February 14th, 1999, I began teaching the junior high. The moment I stepped out by faith to do what God was calling me to, He met me with the gift and power to fulfill it.
Still, in my own strength I am weak. When I approach an unfamiliar or difficult text, I quickly become timid and wonder how I'll possibly study it. Thankfully, God is faithful and will lead and direct us. God's giftings are also miraculous. Years ago, a man from our church who taught public speaking professionally came up after a service and asked, "Miles, who taught you how to speak?" I thought it could go either way. I told him I'd never had formal training, and he said, "What you did this morning is exactly what we teach speakers to do—you followed perfectly the classic Greek rules of rhetoric: logos, pathos, and ethos." At the time I had no idea what he meant. It's a miraculous gift God enables.
But many of God's gifts, like teaching, must be developed by exercise. You've got to use them if they're to become strong and effective. If you don't use them, you can squander, hide, or atrophy them. This is why Paul told Timothy to "stir up the gift" given to him—to take that coal about to go out and breathe on it until it's vibrant again.
The Gift of Exhortation
Fourth is the gift of exhortation. says, "he that exhorts, on exhortation"—the ability to motivate others to respond to truth by providing timely words of counsel, encouragement, consolation, or even rebuke; using the right word, in the right way, at the right time, to produce the right response. The Greek word is parakaleo—para, "with," and kaleo, "a call"—the idea of coming alongside and calling someone along to admonish, instruct, exhort, and comfort.
This gift is often used during a teaching, especially calling people to action. By God's common grace, some non-believers are gifted in exhortation, but if it isn't used by God's Spirit for His glory and the body's edification, it isn't functioning as a gift of the Spirit. You can usually find a person with this gift because they're the one who encourages, exhorts, and challenges you to step out of your comfort zone. A number of people in our body have it—one of the clearest examples I see regularly is Pastor Josh.
The Gift of Giving
Fifth is the gift of giving. says, "he that gives, let him do it with simplicity." But before we consider this gift, we need to recognize that all believers are to give—whether apparently gifted with it or not. You can never say, "I'm not gifted with giving, so I ought not to give," any more than you can say, "I don't have the gift of mercy, so I'm not merciful," or, "I have the gift of judgment"—no, God is the judge. There are gifts every individual ought to use whether especially gifted or not. The same is true of evangelism: Paul told Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist," and every believer ought to share his faith, gifted or not.
Giving is the ability to contribute resources with generosity and cheerfulness for the benefit of others and the glory of God. Christians with this gift don't need to be wealthy. I know a number of people in our church with the gift of giving who are constantly frustrated because they lack the means to give financially. This exposes something important: the gift of giving is not only monetary. It also means giving our time and talents to serve and do the work of the ministry. All believers are called to give sacrificially, cheerfully, and willingly, but some have a supernatural ability to give liberally and abundantly.
gives us a perfect picture in Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus, who sold a parcel of land and laid the money at the apostles' feet—no strings attached. He had the gift of giving. But this sparked something in Acts 5: Ananias and Sapphira also sold land and brought money, but claimed they were giving everything when they weren't. They feigned the gift of giving for their own glorification, seeing the notoriety Barnabas received—though he never sought it. They did not have the gift, and they were judged for their hypocrisy. This reveals that some pretend to be gifted where they are not, for their own building up—and such people will be exposed. It's important to function within the gifting God has given, and to do so heartily, as unto the Lord.
The Gift of Leadership
Sixth and finally for today is the gift of leadership. says, "he that rules, with diligence"—the ability to discern God's purpose for a group, set and communicate appropriate goals, motivate others to work together to fulfill the service of God, and oversee that task.
The gift of leadership often works in concert with other gifts—administration, which we'll look at in a couple of weeks, and exhortation. A person with this gift often uses several gifts together. It's often easy to identify because the person is able and willing to delegate tasks and responsibilities to others. Delegation is one of the key signs.
We often point to charismatic, one-man-show leaders and say they have the gift of leadership. Not so. What generally happens is that person burns out or dies, and the work dies with them—it doesn't continue. That person wasn't as good a leader as we first thought. True spiritual leadership shows itself in the ability to delegate to other gifted people the tasks they can do, so the work goes forward and flourishes.
Step Out by Faith
As we close, recognize that all believers are gifted by God in some capacity to do the work of the ministry. We are all part of one body. As says, "as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body." We are joined together, each with specific tasks, so the body corporately can effectively do the work God has called us to. Some gifts are more visible, but every believer connected to the body through the baptism of the Holy Spirit is gifted and called to serve. As we discover those gifts, we ought to minister them as good stewards—good managers—of what God has graciously given.
You may say you haven't identified yourself in these first six gifts, and that you don't know what you're gifted with. The best way to find out is to step out by faith, out of your comfort zone, to do something you may not feel like doing, and see if God has gifted you for it. Another way: you may have a talent and there's a need in the body you can fill.
gives a perfect picture. A problem arose in the early church—a group not being ministered to, a need greater than the apostles could meet. So the apostles told the church to choose seven men full of the Holy Spirit and of good report, and appoint them to the task. Among them were Philip and Stephen. As they served, God opened new doors. Philip had the gift of evangelism, and God used him as an evangelist. Stephen had a prophetic gift, and God used him to speak to the people of his day. New doors of opportunity opened where they could function more fully—but only because they stepped forward and said, "Lord, here am I, send me."
I believe we're in this passage for a reason right now—not arbitrarily. God wants to do a work through us as a church that is much bigger than what we can currently undertake. The vision of what God has called us to is larger than any one person can do. But as every joint supplies the need, God works through us to do what would be impossible if left to us individually. My prayer is that we would discover God has gifted and called every one of us, and that we would step out by faith—sink or swim—to see how God might work through us. Amen?
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank You for Your word, and for the gifting and empowering of Your Spirit. Lord, You have saved us, called us forth, and gifted us. We pray You would stir up within each of us the gifts You've given, that we might use them for Your glorification and for the edification of the body. Work in and through Your church here at Calvary Chapel of Escondido. Stretch us outside of our comfort zone, into areas where we don't feel like going, that we might see You move in a powerful, miraculous way. When we take a step without perfectly seeing how that foot will land, support us as we walk by faith and not by sight.
Lord, we pray for the resurrection services next week at the Center for the Arts. This week, give us opportunity and stir us up to share with our friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Perhaps they wouldn't come into a church building, but maybe they'd come there—and in coming, be touched by Your Spirit, by the worship and praise of the one true God, and by Your word as it goes forth. Transform lives in our community, and continue to bring into the body and into the kingdom those You have gifted and called, that we would fulfill the work whereunto You've called us. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you be ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb idols, even as you were led. Wherefore, I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and that no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but the same God which works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man for the profit of all. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another diverse kinds of tongues, to another interpretation of tongues. But all these work that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.
For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Our Father, we thank You for the unity that we have in Christ, that we who were not a people are now the people of God. We that had not obtained mercy have received mercy by Your hand, and in You we stand as one body. We ask, Lord, that You would work in us by Your Spirit, that we would endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace, loving one another and loving You. We ask, Lord, that You would work in us.
That the manifestation of Your Spirit would be evident, that it would be clear, that we would walk in truth, walk in power, glorifying You and edifying one another. Teach us, we pray. Give us insight. In Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying, Amen. You can be seated.
Amen. This, of course, is an important day, being the day we observe and remember Jesus' triumphant entry. We call this, of course, Palm Sunday. On that day, Jesus, with His disciples and with multitudes of people from all around the nation of Israel, came down the Mount of Olives and into the Kidron Valley, and back up into the temple precincts in Jerusalem. People were praising and glorifying God, singing from , "Hosanna! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord," exalting and glorifying Jesus as Christ, as Messiah.
It was that week leading up to His betrayal, crucifixion, death, and ultimately His resurrection. After that triumphant entry, Jesus was daily in the temple teaching. He was being examined and questioned by the religious establishment, the leaders of the nation of Israel there in the temple. During that week, Jesus began to, with real clarity, tell His disciples that He was about to depart.
He says to them in , "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go, you know, and the way, you know."
One of His disciples, Thomas, said, "Lord, we don't know where You're going and how to get there." Jesus replied, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me." They were concerned about Jesus' soon departure, so He begins in and speaks of it again in chapter 15 and a third time in chapter 16. He speaks to them of one that would come to them from Him.
From God afterwards, the Holy Spirit. In , it says, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither does it know him. But you know him, for he dwells with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you," says Jesus.
Then in , again, words of comfort are given. He said, "But this comes to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in the law: They hated me without cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me, and you shall bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning." So, Jesus says, "You're going to be witnesses, and you are going to receive the Spirit, who shall testify of me."
He goes on in chapter 16, verse 7, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you. And when he has come, he will reprove the world, or convince the world, or convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."
"I have yet many things to say unto you," said Jesus, "but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father has are mine; therefore said I, that he shall take of mine and show them unto you."
And so, Jesus gave to his disciples the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit. In , after Jesus rose from the dead, he met with his disciples, breathed on them, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." Then he promised them that with the Holy Spirit would also come enabling power to do the work that he was calling them to do, to be witnesses unto him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.
We are the recipients of the Holy Spirit of God. If we have received Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, then we have also received, with Him, the Holy Spirit. We are baptized into one Spirit, baptized into one body. All of this, as we've been looking at in , is ultimately for the profit of the body of Christ.
We have considered extensively, over the last two weeks, that spiritual gifts are given by God's grace to all believers for the benefit of the body of Christ. The gifting or empowering of the Holy Spirit is not earned; it is not deserved, just like salvation. Salvation is not earned or deserved; it is freely given by God's grace. Therefore, salvation and the gifting of the Spirit cannot be boasted about.
In , Paul spoke to the Corinthians, who had received God, His Spirit, and gifting from the Spirit. He asks them, "Who makes you different from one another?" and "What do you have that you did not receive?" He continues, "Now, if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" There is no boasting because of the gifting.
In the same way, with salvation, as Paul says in , "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Salvation is a free gift. The Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are freely given by God.
God has gifted individuals within the body of Christ. Every believer, I believe, is gifted by the Holy Spirit. He has gifted certain individuals within the church to fill offices within the body of Christ, to exercise their gifts within the context of the church, and to equip the church. This is to build up members in particular so that we all may work in the ministry for the edification of the body.
The question is, are we doing this? Are we using the gifts that God has given to us for the glorification of God and the edification of God's body, the body of Christ? Now, you may say, "Well, I don't even know what the gifts are." And that's kind of where we left off last week.
And I said that we would begin this week to get into the gifts that are mentioned in the Scriptures. You may say, "Well, I don't even know what those gifts are. I'm not sure if I'm using them, or how to use them, or when and where to use them." We want to take the remainder of the time that we have today to look at the gifts of the Spirit, or begin to do so.
There are four different listings given in the New Testament: , , , and . In those four different listings, there are about 20 gifts that we can identify. We want to look at those, but before we do, I think it's important to recognize that these lists are not exhaustive. What I mean by that is that there are more spiritual gifts given by God's grace than are listed in these four lists in the Bible.
Secondly, something we need to consider is that a spiritual gift is any ability that the Spirit gives you, a Christian, to express your faith in order to strengthen another person's faith. One author said that a spiritual gift is a God-given capacity through which the Holy Spirit supernaturally ministers to the body. Spiritual gifts are either supernatural abilities that God has bestowed on individuals, or they are God-given natural abilities that function through the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Gifts such as miracles, tongues, healing, and prophecy are supernatural in origin. However, other spiritual gifts, such as teaching, administration, and helps, are God-given abilities to perform particular roles within God's program, the work that God is doing. Although non-believers may have certain abilities to administer or lead, they do not function under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
When a Christian is gifted by God, the Holy Spirit takes these God-given abilities and uses them for His purposes in the lives of Christians, to bless the body of Christ, to build up the body of Christ, and to glorify God. Secondly, a spiritual gift is something that every believer has to some extent. As we saw last week,
states that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man, speaking in the context of the church. A spiritual gift is given for the profit or the edification of the body of Christ. Again, emphasizes that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man for the profit of all.
Furthermore, a spiritual gift is from God. In reality, all gifts that humanity possesses ultimately come from God. Every talent and every ability is a gift from Him. says that every good and perfect gift comes from God.
It is important to note that a spiritual gift is not the same as a natural talent. For example, you do not have the spiritual gift of snowboarding, cooking, or photography. While those talents do come from God, as stated in , they are a result of God's common grace extended to all humanity. However, these talents are not the same as spiritual gifts. They should be used for the glory of God and given back to Him in the sense that they are used to glorify Him.
Paul said in , "Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God." Similarly, instructs us that in whatever we do, in word or deed, we should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him. also reminds us to do everything heartily, as to the Lord. Therefore, any talent or ability we have should be used for the glorification of God. If it is not being used for that purpose and is instead being used for self-promotion or self-glorification, it is not being utilized to its fullest extent.
Lastly, a spiritual gift is not a sign of spirituality. Just because someone appears to be gifted does not necessarily mean that they are very spiritual or walking in the Spirit. Unfortunately, it is a very real fact that we can be not walking in the Spirit and still exercising apparent gifts.
Spiritual giftedness is significant because the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable. The Corinthians are a perfect picture of this. First Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 7, says that they were not lacking in any spiritual gift. However, chapter 3, verse 3, also states that they were carnal and worldly.
A spiritual gift is not an end in and of itself. The Corinthians were boasting about the gifts they had or the giftedness of individual believers, as if the gift was the whole focus. The gift is given for the glorification of God and the edification of the body. Therefore, if it is not being used to glorify God and build up the body, it is not being used effectively. We can become so enamored with and focused on the gift that it is not truly being utilized to glorify God.
As I have mentioned in the last two weeks, a spiritual gift is not a toy to be played with, nor is it a trifle to be passed over, or a trophy to parade around. It is a tool to be employed by the believer for the glorification of God and the edification of His body.
Ninth, and finally, a spiritual gift is not something to be envied, but it is something to be desired. First Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 31, states, "Desire earnestly the best gifts." We are not going to delve into this verse today, but the best gifts could also be translated as the most useful gifts. Paul continues in chapter 14, verse 1, saying, "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts."
We ought to desire that God would work in and through us by the gifts He supplies, but we should not envy gifted people or the gifts that others have. We should recognize that God has gifted us in a way as He wills, and we should use what He has given to us.
This brings us to the actual gifts themselves. As I mentioned, there are four different listings in the New Testament: , , which is the passage we are looking at, , and .
The gift of prophecy is what we'll look at. says, "Having then gifts according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy." We have been given differing gifts according to God's grace and His choosing. Some people have been gifted by God with the gift of prophecy, and therefore, Paul says we ought to use that gift.
In , it states that to another is given prophecy. Verses 28 and 29 of talk about prophets. In verse 29, it asks, "Are all prophets?" The answer to this rhetorical question is no. Not everybody within the body of Christ has the gift of prophecy or fulfills the office or role of a prophetic individual. says that Jesus is the one who ordained prophets within the body of Christ.
Any time we talk about prophecy, our minds immediately go to foretelling the future, and that's what we often think it's all about. A person who can tell you what's going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. In our day and age, there are a lot of people who think that they are prophets. Many people today are prophesying all over the internet and in newsstands around grocery stores, claiming that the end of the world is going to happen on various dates. Some will say May 21st, while others predict December 23rd or 21st, 2012. Again, we'll find out here real soon.
Now, the question is, if they really believe that they are foretelling the future, maybe we should employ the same rules governing prophets in the Old Testament. This means that if they say, "Thus saith the Lord, this is going to happen," and it doesn't happen, they are to be taken outside and stoned—with stones, not marijuana. Clearly, we don't do that.
It's so important to recognize that the gift of prophecy, as given to individuals within the body of Christ, is not only about foretelling the future. In fact,
That is a very small aspect of the gift of prophecy. The gift of prophecy is primarily foretelling God's word. Even in the Old Testament, if you study the major and minor prophets, from Isaiah to Malachi, you will find that the majority of the things they said were more about foretelling God's word and calling the people to action—to repent and to follow the Lord—than about foretelling the future. However, we often become enamored with the whole idea of foretelling the future.
In my time in ministry, I have met at least two people who have told me, "I am a prophet," and they had a "thus saith the Lord" for me, which did not come to pass. Luckily for them, they no longer attend the church, but they were not prophets. Foretelling God's word is an important aspect of the ministry of the pastor-teacher. What takes place from this pulpit week in and week out is, in some ways, the use of the gift of prophecy. The gift provides a word from God to a specific group of people, exposing the Scriptures so that we might understand what God is speaking to us. It should always be in accord with God's written word. If someone comes and says, "thus saith the Lord, this is my word for you," and it cannot be substantiated or supported by the Scriptures, it is to be rejected. This is our final authority on that which is apparently from God and a prophetic utterance.
I believe the gift of prophecy is still in use today, and we will be talking about it in five to ten years from now. The gift of prophecy is clearly revealed in these passages in Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians.
Secondly, the gift of service is spoken of in Romans, chapter 12, verse 7, as the gift of ministry. The Greek word "diakonia," from which we get our English word "deacon," refers to the ability to identify and care for the physical needs of the body through a variety of means. The Greek word for this gift is the same as the ministry of a deacon, as I said. And so, it is my opinion...
Every disciple of Christ can and should exhibit this gift in some way. At the base level, we are all called to be servants. I believe that God empowers us and gifts us by His Spirit to be servants within the body of Christ.
We may employ natural talents or learned abilities to do that service. There are some within our church who have a technical ability. They can look at that soundboard in the back and know what all those knobs do. Most of us would look at that and scratch our heads, wondering if one of those is a self-destruct button, because we don't want to go near that one. However, there are people who are using their natural abilities and talents, gifted by God, to serve in that capacity, on the worship team, or in the children's ministry. They are using the gifts, abilities, and talents that God has given them to serve for the edification of the body of Christ.
To be able to teach God's Word to a third grader, you need to be gifted for that. You may say, "Well, I don't know if I have the gift of service." I would say it's very likely that you do. The only way to really find out if you do is to step out by faith and see if God meets you there with the power to do it. It will become evident very quickly whether or not you should be in the third grade as a teacher. It will become evident to you and to the third graders. Everyone will know very fast, within just a few weeks.
This is an important thing for us to recognize. Sometimes, we come to the conclusion through stepping out by faith that we are not gifted in that area, and that's not a bad thing. You would be better off not serving in that area if you're not gifted for it. Instead, seek the Lord as to where He would have you serve, because He has gifted you for something else. You will be continually frustrated and frustrate others if you're trying to do something God has not gifted you for or called you to.
Over the years that I've been serving the Lord, there are a number of things that I have come to see that I'm not gifted or called to do. Sometimes, it's very helpful to know what you're not called to versus what you are called to. This knowledge gives you the ability to actually say no, and I have a real hard time saying no. When people come and say, "Hey, we'd really like you to help with this," I often find myself unsure. But when I've come to the conclusion that I should say no, it becomes much clearer.
The Lord has not called me or gifted me for that, but I can recognize that somebody else is. A non-gifted individual can be doing a work that God has not gifted them for or called them to, which can keep someone who is called and gifted for that from being able to function in that capacity. Therefore, it is important for us to come to the place where we recognize that this is not what the Lord has gifted me for.
However, I do believe, and again, it's my opinion, that most, if not all, believers are gifted in some capacity for service. There are gifts of ministry, and thirdly, the gift of teaching. In , Paul says, "Those that are gifted for ministry, let them wait on their ministering; and he that teaches, on teaching." First Corinthians chapter 12, verse 28, states that God has set some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, and third teachers.
Then he asks the question in verse 29, "Are all teachers?" The rhetorical question implies that no, not all are teachers, but some are gifted and called by God to be teachers. The ability to clearly explain and effectively apply the truths of God's Word so that others will learn does require the capacity to accurately interpret the Scriptures. God will enable a person to do this if they are gifted to be a teacher. However, I have come to discover that this is something that also needs to be developed.
You don't just instantly know how to rightly parse the Scriptures or to rightly exegete the passages when God has gifted you to become a teacher. Some of that does take development. I recognize that one of the gifts God has given to me is the gift of teaching. As I have utilized this gift, I have discovered several important things about spiritual gifts that I want to share for your consideration.
First and foremost, the gift of teaching is clearly a God-given gift. When I was a junior in high school, I had a sense that God was calling me to teach His Word. I figured one of the good things I should do to help me in that was to take a speech class. I thought that would probably help me with public speaking and so forth. However, what I found when I took the speech class at Orange Glen High School was that I was not, in and of myself, naturally talented.
To be a public speaker is a daunting task. My mom often says she agrees with that sentiment. I was scared to death every time I had to stand up and teach, and many of you can probably testify that you have been in that place as well. I clearly saw, as I took that class, that I was not naturally gifted or talented to do that in my own strength.
Around the same time, our church, Calvary Chapel, was offering a class on expository teaching in our School of the Ministry. In that class, there were maybe a little more than half a dozen guys, and Pastor Pat was leading it at the time. A significant part of the class required us to prepare a Bible study and present it before all those guys. Pastor Pat and several of the elders were in the class, and we had to give a teaching. Again, I found that in my own strength, I could not effectively teach.
However, about a month after I came on staff here as an intern in 1999, I was asked by our youth pastor at the time, Pastor Tony, if I would take over the junior high ministry. I was rather apprehensive and wanted to say no. I said I would pray about it, which is the Christian equivalent of no. As I prayed about it, I reluctantly agreed to do so. On February 14th, Valentine's Day, 1999, I began teaching the junior high ministry here at the church.
Immediately, when I stepped out in faith to do what God was calling me to do, He met me with the gift and power to fulfill that ministry. Since that time, I have seen that He has fulfilled His part of the deal, might I say. Now, I still find that in my own strength, I am weak. Regularly, I discover that when I approach a text that is unfamiliar to me, or a passage that I haven't really studied before, or a topic that is rather difficult, I quickly become timid about that passage. I even start to ask questions like, "How am I possibly going to study this? I don't understand this. Where am I going to start with this?"
Thankfully, God is faithful, and He will lead and direct us. Another thing I have learned about the gift of teaching, as I have exercised it, is that God's giftings are miraculous. Several years ago, when I had not yet taken over the church as the senior pastor, I taught on a Sunday morning.
A gentleman came up to me from our church at the time. He no longer lives in our area, but he had been in the field of teaching people public speaking. After the service, he said, "Miles, who taught you how to speak, how to teach?" I thought instantly that this could go one of two ways; it could be really bad. I replied that I had never received any sort of formal training or instruction. He said, "What you did this morning is exactly what we teach speakers to do." He added that I actually followed perfectly the classic Greek rules of rhetoric: logos, pathos, and ethos. At the time, when he said that, I had no idea what he was talking about. Logos? What? Pathos? What? Thankfully, I understand a little bit more fully what he was talking about now. I've since read a little about that.
I told him that I didn't know anything about those concepts from a formal education standpoint. So clearly, it's a miraculous gift that God is able to enable us to do. As I mentioned before, one of the other things I've learned is that many of God's gifts, like teaching, need to be developed by exercise. They need to be developed by exercise. You've got to use them if they're to become strong and effective in your life, or if you are to become effective in using those things for the glory of God and the edification of the body. If you don't use them, you can, in many ways, squander or hide them, and they can atrophy.
This is why I believe Paul tells Timothy in his letters to him to stir up the gift that was given to you. The idea is to take that coal that is about to go out and to breathe onto it so that it is stirred up and vibrant once again. The gift of prophecy, the gift of service, the gift of teaching, and number four, the gift of exhortation. Paul, in , says, "He that exhorts, exhort with the gift of exhortation." This is the ability to motivate others to respond to the truth by providing timely words of counsel, encouragement, or consolation. Sometimes, it involves an exhortation or even a rebuke, using the right word in the right way at the right time to produce the right response. This is the gift of exhortation.
The gift of exhortation is very important. The Greek word for this gift is "parakaleo," which is actually two words: "para," meaning "with," and "kaleo," meaning "a call." The idea is to come alongside and call someone along, or to call to one side, to admonish, to instruct, to exhort, and even to comfort. The gift of exhortation is often used during a teaching or preaching time, especially when calling people to action.
We see this gift all around us, and we recognize that there are some people, because of God's common grace, who are not believers but are also gifted in exhortation. However, if they are not using it by God's Spirit and His direction for the glorification of God and the edification of the body, it is not functioning as a gift of the Spirit and is not being used in the proper way. It ought to be used by the believer, the person who possesses it. Generally, you can find a person with this gift because they are the ones who encourage you, exhort you, and challenge you to step out and do something you would normally not do, perhaps contrary to your comfort zone.
A number of people in our church, within our body, have this gift. One of the individuals who clearly demonstrates this gift on a regular basis is Pastor Josh. He has the gift of exhortation, among other gifts, and several others do as well.
Next, we consider the gift of giving. states that "he who gives, let him do it with simplicity." Before we delve into the spiritual gift of giving, we need to recognize that all believers, whether they are apparently gifted with the gift of giving or not, are called to give. You can never say, "Well, I'm not gifted with giving, so therefore, I ought not to give." Nor can you say, "I'm not gifted with the gift of mercy, so I'm not merciful. I have the gift of judgment." No, God is the judge.
There are a number of gifts that every single individual within the body of Christ ought to use, whether they are gifted in that area or not. Uniquely gifted individuals can use their gifts in a powerful way.
The gift of evangelism is another important aspect. There are some who are gifted evangelists, called by God to share the gospel and bring in a harvest. However, Paul tells Timothy to fulfill his ministry and do the work of an evangelist. Every person within the body of Christ ought to be sharing their faith, whether they are gifted or not. The same is true for all believers.
The ability to contribute material resources with generosity and cheerfulness is for the benefit of others and the glory of God. Christians with the spiritual gift of giving do not need to be wealthy. I actually know a number of people in our church who have the gift of giving and are constantly frustrated because they do not have the means to give financially. This exposes us to something very important to recognize: the gift of giving does not only mean financial or monetary treasure giving. It also means giving of our time and giving of our talents to serve and to do the work of the ministry, whatever it may be. So, giving does not necessarily mean monetary giving.
All believers are called to give sacrificially, as we will see when we get to chapter 16, cheerfully and willingly. However, some have a supernatural ability to willingly give, liberally and abundantly. In , we have a perfect picture of someone who had the gift of giving—a man by the name of Barnabas. , introduces us to Barnabas. He was a Levite from the island of Cyprus. In chapter 4, verse 37, it says that he had a parcel of land, sold it, and brought the money, laying it at the apostles' feet. No strings attached; he just gave it to the church. He had the gift of giving.
Now, this sparked something rather interesting in the church. In , we are introduced to two more people, a couple named Ananias and Sapphira, who also sold a parcel of land. They brought money from the land and gave it to the church, but they claimed they were giving everything when, in reality, they were not. What this reveals is that they feigned the gift of giving for their own glorification, seeking to be lifted up. They saw that Barnabas had given and that it had earned him some sort of notoriety within the body of Christ, although he had not done it for that purpose. They did not have the gift of giving, and they were judged for their hypocrisy.
This reveals that some people pretend to be gifted in areas in which they are not gifted, for their own building up and for their own recognition.
Strokes, whatever you want to call it, such people are and will be exposed. It's important to function within the gifting that we've been given by God and to do so heartily, as unto the Lord.
We actually got to the place I wanted to get to today: sixth, and finally for today, the gift of leadership. Paul says in , "He that exhorts, on exhortation; he that gives, let him do it with simplicity; he that rules, with diligence." The ability to discern God's purpose for a group, set appropriate goals, motivate others to work together to fulfill the service of God, and oversee that task is essential.
The gift of leadership is often connected with several other spiritual gifts. A person who has the gift of leadership often has other gifts, like the gift of administration, which we'll look at in a couple of weeks, and the gift of exhortation, which we've already considered. Therefore, a person who has the gift of leadership often has that coupled with other gifts, and they use those things in concert.
However, it's often easy to identify a person who is spiritually gifted in leadership because that person is able and willing to delegate tasks and responsibilities to others. One of the key signs of a person who has the gift of leadership is delegation. A lot of times, we point to people who are charismatic, one-man-show leaders, and say, "He has the gift of leadership." Not so, because what generally happens is that if that person doesn't burn out, then they die, and the work dies out with them. The work does not continue, and that person was not exactly as good of a leader as we may have thought when we first saw them.
The gift of leadership is often shown forth in that they are able to delegate to other gifted people the tasks that those people can do, so that the work can go forward and flourish.
As we close today, I want us to recognize that all believers are gifted by God in some capacity to do the work of the ministry. As we see here in , we are all part of one body. In verse 12 of chapter 12, it says, "As the body is one..."
The body of Christ has many members, and all the members, being many, are one body. We are all joined together, and we all have specific tasks within the body of Christ that God is calling us to do so that the body, corporately, can effectively do the work that God has called us to do. Some parts are more visible, and some gifts are more evident, but every single individual who is a believer and connected to the body of Christ through baptism by the Holy Spirit is gifted and called to serve.
As we discover the gifts that God has given us, we ought to minister them as good stewards—good managers—of what God has graciously given to us for the glorification of God and the edification of the body of Christ. You may say, "Well, I haven't really identified myself in these first six verses or these first six gifts." We will look at some others, but these are not exhaustive lists. You might feel uncertain about what you are gifted with. The best way to find out if we are gifted in an area is to step out by faith, out of our comfort zone, to do something that we may not really want or feel like doing, and to see if God has actually gifted us for that.
Another way to identify your gifts is to recognize if you have a certain ability and if there is a need within the body of Christ that you can fill. In , we have a perfect picture of this. A problem arose in the early church, and there was a group of people who were not being ministered to. The need was greater than what the apostles could fulfill. So, the apostles brought the church together and said, "Listen, there's this need, there's this problem. Choose out for yourselves seven men who are full of the Holy Spirit, evidencing gifts of the Spirit and the call of God, who are of good report, and appoint them to the task."
There were seven men chosen, two of whom were Philip and Stephen. They were all called forth to serve in an area of need. The interesting thing about that is, as they served, God opened up new doors and started to move them into new places according to the gifts they had. Philip had the gift of evangelism, and God started to use him as an evangelist. Stephen had a very prophetic gift, and God used him in a prophetic way.
To speak to the people in His day, new doors of opportunity opened where they could function more fully in their gifts. But you'll only ever find out what that is if you step out of your comfort zone and say, "Lord, here am I, send me. I want to do whatever you called me to do, whatever you've gifted me to do. Would you open a door of opportunity so that I can serve?"
You see, I believe that we're in this passage of Scripture for a reason right now, and it's not just because I chose arbitrarily the book of First Corinthians, because I didn't. I believe we're in this passage because God is wanting to do a work through us as a church that's much bigger than what we can currently undertake. The vision we have of what God has called us to is much larger than what any one person can do. But as every joint supplies the need, God effectively works through us to do things that would be impossible if it was just left to us individually.
It is my prayer that we would discover that God has gifted and called every single one of us, and that we would step out by faith, sink or swim, to see if God might work in and through us in that way. I believe that God is doing that and will continue to do that as we discover these things together. Amen?
Let's stand and pray together. Father, we thank you for your Word. Lord, we thank you for the gifting and the empowering by your Spirit. We thank you that you have saved us, called us forth, and gifted us. We pray that you would stir up within each of us the gifts that you've given, that we might use them for your glorification and for the edification of the body. Work in and through your church here at Calvary Chapel of Escondido. Stretch us, Lord. Stretch us outside of our comfort zone into areas where we don't feel like going, that we might see you move in a powerful, miraculous way.
When we take a step, although we don't perfectly see how that foot is going to land, we ask that you would support us as we walk by faith and not by sight. Lord, we pray for the resurrection services next week at the Center for the Arts. Father, this week, would you give us opportunity?
And stir us up to share with our friends, our neighbors, and our co-workers about the opportunity of this service. Perhaps they wouldn't come into a church building at Calvary Chapel, but maybe they'd go to the Center for the Arts.
In coming, Lord, may they be touched by Your Spirit, by the worship and praise of the one true God, and by Your Word as it goes forth. We ask that You would transform lives in our community and continue to bring into the body, into the kingdom, those whom You have gifted and called.
We desire to fulfill the work whereunto You have called us. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
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