Use the Gift

April 25, 2021 Speaker: Ted Detiveaux Series: Holy Spirit

Topic: Holy Spirit Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:4– :11

Use the Gifts (of the Holy Spirit)

 

Recap:

 

In the first week of our series, we talked about the Person of Holy Spirit and that He has many roles in our lives.  Such as leading us to repentance, convicting us of sin, He is our helper, teacher & our comforter.

 

Last week we talked about our need for the Power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be effective witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We also stressed the importance of becoming a conduit to allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us and into the lives of those around us.  Finally, we talked about our need to be continuously filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit as we tend to burn out over time.

 

Today we want to talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.   

 

(miter saw) Has anyone ever received a gift that was helpful to you in some way or another. 

 

It was a gift that was and still is extremely helpful in accomplishing projects that are before me.  But as good as a gift that was, God is a better gift giver.  Because eventually this saw will be given to rust and/or decay just as everything of the earth is subject to rust and decay. 

 

But the gift that God gives is an eternal gift, meaning it will last forever. 

 

Luke 11:13

 

13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

 

The gift He gives is the gift of the Holy Spirit.   He gives to us as He sees fit to do so.  In a similar way we give gifts to our children for Christmas according to what suits them we don’t just get them all the same thing.  But each gift that we buy for our kids has been catered to each one’s interest.

 

God is a good Father, and He knows us best and He gives to us the best gifts to use to build others up.

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

 

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;

 

The apostle Paul will begin to list some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but first he wants us to understand that all the gifts come from the same Holy Spirit.   They also serve the same purpose, which is ultimately to bring God glory through the building up and edifying of the body of Christ.

 

Though one person may have a gift that is completely different than the next person, both gifts come from the same Holy Spirit.

 

5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Manifestation- visible expression

God the Son (Jesus) manifested Himself in flesh and blood so that He was visible for all to see.  The gifts of the Holy Spirt are manifestations (visible expressions) that the Holy Spirit is indeed active in our lives.

 

Let us consider deeply the reason for God giving us these gifts; The gifts are given for the common good. We have spiritual gifts in order to help others keep the faith.

 

John Piper- a spiritual gift is an ability given by the Holy Spirit to express our faith effectively (in word or deed) for the strengthening of someone else’s faith.

 

Simply put, the gift is given by God to strengthen and encourage others.

 

8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

 

  • The Gift of Wisdom - the gift to make choices and give leadership that is according to God's will.

 

  • The Gift of Knowledge - the gift to have a comprehensive understanding of a spiritual issue or circumstance and to be able to give advice or counsel.

 

  • The Gift of Faith - the gift to trust God and inspire others to trust God, no matter the conditions.

 

  • The Gift of Healing - the wondrous gift to use God's healing power to cure a person who is ill, wounded or suffering.

 

  • The Gift of Miracles - the gift to display signs and miracles that give credibility to God's Word and the Gospel message.

 

  • The Gift of Prophecy - the gift to declare a message from God including foretelling future events.

 

  • The Gift of Discerning Spirits - the gift to recognize whether or not something is truly from God or in accordance with righteousness.

 

  • The Gift of Tongues

 

  • the gift to communicate in a foreign language that you do not have experience with, in order to converse with those who speak that language.
  • The gift to communicate to God and utter mysteries through the spirit

 

1 Corinthians 14:14

14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 

 

  • The Gift of Interpreting Tongues - the gift to interpret the speech and writings of a different language and translate it back to others in your own.

 

1 Corinthians 14:6, 12-13

 

6 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 

12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. 13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.

Two other gifts are mentioned in

1 Corinthians 12:27-31

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helpingadministrating, and various kinds of tongues. 

  • The Gift of Administration - the gift to keep things ordered and in agreement with God's principles.
  • The Gift of Helps - the gift of a desire and capacity to always help others, to do whatever it takes to get a task achieved.

 

These gifts are not given for the honor and advantage of those who have them, but for the benefit of the church, to edify the body, and advance the gospel.  They are not given for show, nor to make a spectacle, nor to magnify oneself but to edify.

 

Perhaps that is why many people shun away from the gifts of the spirit is because for too long people have used the gifts to promote themselves rather than edify the body. 

 

29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.  And I will show you a still more excellent way.

 

The Spiritual gifts are different than natural abilities. Many unbelievers have great abilities in teaching and in administration, for and these abilities are God-given, whether they realize it or not. But these would not be called “spiritual gifts” of teaching or administration because they are not aimed at strengthening the faith of another.

 

But if you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then you have been given a unique spiritual gift which God has specifically designedfor you.  You may or may not have the same gift as your neighbor and it is very probable that you will be given more than one gift throughout the course of your lifetime.  As we are faithful to using our gifts to build up others, God will give us even more gifts.

So, we find not everyone will speak in tongues, not everyone will prophecy, not everyone will be teachers, but all will have some gift or another for the edifying of the body of Christ.  Just to reemphasize that the gifts are to be used for building the church, taking the gospel to the lost, and edifying the body of Christ.

 

  • How do you know what gift you have?

 

If there is anybody around you whose faith is being tried in any way at all, take inventory whether you may have a spiritual giftpeculiarly suited to strengthen that person.

 

  • Perhaps they have a sickness in their body, and you have the faith to believe that God will heal them, then stretch outyour hand and lay it upon them and believe that God will heal them. This is exercising the gifts of healing. 

 

  • Or perhaps you encounter someone who feels like giving up, and you know what it is like to have trusted in God to bring you through some trying times, then you in turn begin to encourage them to trust God no matter how difficult their season may be. This is exercising the gift of faith.

 

  • Maybe you have a desire to help someone, then exercise that gift of helping.

 

1 Peter 4:10-11

 

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen

 

This means that God’s aim in giving us gifts, and in giving us the faith to exercise them, is that his glory might be displayed. He wants us and the world to marvel at him and to think he is fantastic.

In romans we see a similar type of exhortation to use the gifts

 

Romans 12:6-8

 

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

 

The message in both passages is clear, Use the gifts that God has given you and use them to the best of your ability.  The more you use them the better you will be at them.

 

                  In proportion to our faith, we have different gifts we have different levels of faith to use the gifts

                  In our serving, we give it all we got

                  In His teaching -we study diligently to show ourselves approved unto God

                  In exhortation, do so passionately

                  In Generosity (KJV uses the word simplicity-honesty, sincerity)

                  With Zeal (KJV uses diligence- steady, earnest, and energetic effort

With Cheerfulness “it is our Pleasure” to use our gifts to serve others. 

More in Holy Spirit

April 18, 2021

The Power of the Holy Spirit

April 11, 2021

Who is the Holy Spirit?