August 26, 2001

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Spiritual Gifts Are for Spiritual People

  1. Introduction
    1. Illustration – Brien McGarvey tells the story of a city dweller who moved to a farm and bought a cow. Shortly after he did, the cow went dry. When he reported this fact to a neighbor farmer, the farmer expressed surprise. The city man said he was surprised too. "I can’t understand it either, for if ever a person was considerate of an animal, I was of that cow. If I didn’t need any milk, I didn’t milk her. If I only needed a quart, I only took a quart." The farmer tried to explain that the only way to keep milk flowing is not to take as little as possible, but to take as much as possible. Is that not also true of the Christian life? Those who only turn to God in need miss the real joy that flows from a daily infilling of His Spirit.
    2. Context – This idea of asking God for as much of Himself as He’ll give us is what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11.
  1. Scripture Passage
    1. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 – Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
    2. Paul has just finished correcting misunderstandings the Corinthian church had about what being a Christian is all about. He has taught them about divisions in the church, moral and ethical problems in the church, marriage, things that they were doing that were a bit questionable. Beginning in chapter twelve, Paul starts to correct misconceptions the Corinthians had about spirituality and public worship. This concept of spirituality and spiritual gifts is what we’re going to be looking at for the next few weeks.
  1. What Spiritual People Are Like
    1. In verse one, Paul says, Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. The Greek word pneumatikwn is translated in the NIV and many other versions as "spiritual gifts." The word "gifts" is inserted because of the context, and that is one accurate translation of the word. But Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the New Testament, notes that "The words peri twn pneumatikwn may as well be translated concerning spiritual persons, as spiritual gifts; and indeed the former agrees much better with the context." The New Revised Standard translates the word as "spiritual persons," while Young’s Literal Translation translates it as "spiritual things." I bring this out to show you that there is in fact a connection between spiritual gifts, spiritual people, and spiritual things. It’s this connection that Paul’s trying to address here. Spiritual gifts, spiritual things, and spiritual people are all too important for the church to be ignorant about.
    2. Paul goes on. He says that when the Corinthians were pagans, or God-haters, they were "influenced and led astray" to idols. The word used here means "being carried away in ecstasy." Have you ever been carried away in ecstasy? In this case, Paul is talking about the moments of ecstasy in pagan rituals when a person is being supernaturally possessed. And if you are not supernaturally possessed by the Spirit of God living within you, then you are supernaturally possessed by the opposite spiritual forces, the devil and his demons. Because of this possession, there is an extreme chaos and disorder and emotionalism that takes place in this kind of ritual. That’s the kind of ecstasy that Paul’s talking about. He’s contrasting that kind of spiritualism with the true spirituality found in Christ. He’s saying that chaos has no place in the church. He gives the acid test – you can’t curse Jesus and be under the control of the Spirit of God. He’s also saying that you can’t say "Jesus is Lord" and mean it with all that you are unless you are in the Holy Spirit. A truly spiritual Christian is one who is under the power and control of the Holy Spirit, who isn’t ignorant about spiritual things, who doesn’t fall into the same kind of chaotic emotionalism that the pagans did, who acknowledges that Jesus is Lord with all their heart. That’s who a truly spiritual Christian is.
    3. Jim Cymbala, in his book Fresh Power, writes about the Spirit of God and what He wants to do. But he also comments on some of the abuses that are taking place in the church today: The term Spirit-filled has gone into disuse in many circles since Moody’s time because of certain groups who arrogantly and condescendingly misuse it. Often it is identified with mere emotionalism and pulpit tricks that stir the crowd. There is such a thing as Pentecostal or charismatic culture, which although often noisy is not the same as the power of Pentecost and is in fact totally predictable. Cymbala goes on to say, The Bible…clearly shows us that being God’s child involves more than just spiritual euphoria all day long. That kind of spiritual euphoria is what Paul is talking about. And we as conservative Evangelicals can very easily jump on the bandwagon and condemn charismatic and Pentecostal churches. While I do agree that many of those churches are off base spiritually and scripturally, I’m not too sure we’re not a bit off base ourselves. Cymbala talks about these churches being "in fact totally predictable." How predictable are we? There absolutely has to be order in worship – that is what Scripture teaches us. But the question we have to ask ourselves as a church is "Have we programmed the moving of the Holy Spirit totally out of our worship?" Or maybe it should be "To what degree have we programmed the moving of the Holy Spirit out of our worship?" I like church to be a certain way just as much as anyone else does. But does the way I like it line up with the way God likes it. These are questions we as a church are going to have to take a hard look at if we want to experience the power of the Holy Spirit within our lives of worship. Truly spiritual Christians do God’s things God’s way, and that is what all of us have got to strive to be if we are going to see God’s power manifested in the life of our church. That’s what Paul is driving at.
    4. Illustration – In Fresh Faith, Jim Cymbala wrote, When I was growing up, I thought the greatest Christian must be the person who walks around with shoulders thrown back because of tremendous inner strength and power, quoting Scripture and letting everyone know he has arrived. I have since learned that the most mature believer is the one who is bent over, leaning most heavily on the Lord, and admitting his total inability to do anything without Christ. The greatest Christian is not the one who has achieved the most but rather the one who has received the most. God's grace, love and mercy flow through him abundantly because he walks in total dependence. God’s power is the only source for true spiritual people. True spiritual people do God’s things God’s way with God’s power.
  1. What are Spiritual Gifts and How Do They Work?
    1. Once we’ve settled the issue of whether or not we are true spiritual people and a true spiritual church, then we can take a look at what it is that God wants to do with our spirituality. Paul says in verse four that there are different kinds of gifts and different kinds of service and different kinds of working, but God is the one who works them in us. What does he mean by this? Paul is saying that what is given by God to each truly spiritual person will differ from person to person, but that the source is the same. The source is God. And God uses all of the gifts and all of the truly spiritual people for His glory. So what are spiritual gifts?
    2. My study Bible commentator writes that "According to chapters 12-14, a spiritual gift is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit enabling one to minister to the needs of Christ’s body, the church." Dr. John Sills mentioned that a spiritual gift can be a natural talent or ability used by God for His glory for service to the church body. Dr. Don Hohensee, in Your Spiritual Gifts, writes that the root of the Greek word for gifts means "grace." He adds, This helps in our understanding. All these gifts are graciously given by God. He is the source of the gifts; they are to be used for His service. They are gifts given by the grace of God. A real key to understanding spiritual gifts is that they involve a supernatural empowering. God through the working of the Holy Spirit takes the gift as it is used and makes things happen because of it. Whether it is a child "getting" the point of a Sunday School lesson or there is rejoicing in someone’s heart who is being brought a meal, people are blessed and God is glorified through the use of a spiritual gift.
    3. Paul then goes on to explain in more detail how this whole thing works. In verse seven he says that to each true spiritual person the manifestation, the making clear of the Spirit is given for the common good. For the bringing together of, the conferring a benefit to, the advantage of everyone. This doesn’t mean that the church is to look to meet the needs of its people only, because many of the gifts minister to the needs of those who don’t know Christ. Then he goes into greater detail about some of the gifts. He says that through the Spirit one person is given words of wisdom. Through the Spirit another is given words of knowledge. Through the Spirit someone else is given faith, another gifts of healing, another performances of power, someone else prophecy (which is forthtelling God’s truth), another a judging between things of the spirit, another different languages, another interpretation of languages. All are given through the Spirit. Verse eleven - All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. Notice what it says – "just as he determines." Just as the Spirit determines. Not as we determine, but as the Spirit determines or wills. According to the desire of God’s own heart we are given spiritual gifts to accomplish His work on earth. In other words, God knows what work needs to be done where, so He gifts His people accordingly to do His work.
    4. Illustration – William Willimon, in Christian Century magazine, wrote, This is really unacceptable, I told the first-year divinity student who had just informed me that she would once again not have her paper in on time. You're going to be a pastor. Pastors must be punctual. You can't stand up on Sunday and say, 'I had hoped to have a sermon for you today, but first one thing and then another came up. We're going to break up into buzz groups instead of listening to me preach today.' I agree with you, she told me. I have few obvious gifts for ministry. I'm always late. I'm too old. I know I have no business being in seminary. I've told God that repeatedly. My being here is God's idea, not mine. Upon reflection, I thought she had it about right. We are in ministry, in service to God and God's world, because we have been called and put here by a God who just loves to make something out of nothing. God gives the gifts and the power. Are we willing to use them for His glory by becoming true spiritual people?
  1. Conclusion
    1. There are three issues we are dealing with here today. First, are you a true spiritual person? Are you under the power and control of the Holy Spirit? If not, why not? Are we a true spiritual body of Christ? Are we as a body operating under the power and control of the Holy Spirit? The second issue is this: Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? If not, why not? And last, if you know what they are, are you allowing God to use them for His glory? If not, why aren’t you? This is such a critical area in the life of the church we can’t afford to take it casually. Are you where God wants you to be in regard to these three issues – being a true spiritual person, knowing your spiritual gifts, and using them for God’s glory? Let’s take a few moments and consider what God is saying to us in these three areas.
    2. With every head bowed and every eye closed, what’s God been saying to you? If you aren’t a true spiritual person as defined by Paul in this passage, and you want to become one, please raise your hand. If you are a true spiritual person but haven’t taken the effort to find out what your spiritual gifts are, and you’d like to, please raise your hand. Now if you have known what your spiritual gifts are but haven’t been using them the way God wants you to, please raise your hand.
    3. When the service is over, if you want to find out what your spiritual gifts are, please see me after the service. Let’s pray.
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