INTRODUCTION || WHY TALK ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS?…

- When we talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, a lot of people either get really excited… or really nervous. Some of us have seen the gifts used in powerful, biblical ways. Others have seen them misused or even faked. So, we need clarity—not hype. We’re going to see what Scripture says to help us think clearly about this, and how each of us can discover the unique way God has gifted us for His glory and for the good of His church.

- If you’ve got your Bible, go ahead and open up to 1 COR 12. When you think of the church, what comes to mind? For a lot of people, it’s a building. For others, it’s a worship service, a Sunday morning gathering. But in the New Testament, the church is not described as an event or a location. It’s described as a body—a living, breathing, interconnected organism made up of believers who each have a part to play.

- Paul says in 1 COR 12:4-7...
“4 Now there are different GIFTS, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. 7 A manifestation [DISCLOSURE, REVELATION] of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good”

---> The Greek Word for “GIFTS’: χαρίσματα (charísmata)
---> Root: χάρις (cháris) = “grace”
---> Meaning: gifts of grace; gracious endowments [MANIFESTATIONS] of the Spirit
---> Emphasis: These are grace-given abilities distributed by the Holy Spirit for the good of the church (v. 7).
---> These are unearned, grace-based gifts that are not rewards, but empowerments from the Holy Spirit.

- Every believer has been given a spiritual gift—not for their own fame, not for their own platform, but for the good of the body and the glory of the Lord.

- Today and next week, we’re going to talk about these gifts...
-- Today we’ll focus on what the gifts are and why they exist
-- Next week, we’ll look at how to discover and use your gift, and how to think biblically about the miraculous gifts [tongues, prophecy, and healing.]

A. WHAT ARE SPIRITUAL GIFTS || THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

- Wayne Grudem Definition: “Any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church.”

- Let’s pause on that—any ability empowered by the Spirit. That means spiritual gifts aren’t just flashy, supernatural acts like miracles or tongues.

- They include teaching, serving, encouraging, giving, leadership, mercy—all empowered by the Spirit to build up the body.
- They’re Spirit-given and Christ-centered.
- They’re not for self-promotion.
- They’re not personality traits.
- They’re not natural talents, [though sometimes the Spirit builds on those].

- They are supernatural empowerments given for the purpose of building up the body of Christ (1 COR 12:7). Every believer has at least one spiritual gift

1 PET 4:10
“Just as each one has received a gift…”

- The gifts are about Jesus building His church through you.

B. THE VARIETY OF GIFTS || SURVEY OF KEY BIBLE VERSES

- The Bible gives us several lists of spiritual gifts found in four passages—
1. Romans 12:3-8
2. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 27-31
3. Ephesians 4:1-16
4. 1 Peter 4:7-11

- Let's read all of these passages and learn what gifts have been given to us by the Holy Spirit...

- None of these lists are exhaustive, but together they paint a picture of the diversity of the Spirit’s work. Let’s walk through some of them.

Wayne Grudem in his Systematic Theology divides these gifts into three categories:

1. Speaking Gifts
2. Serving Gifts
3. Sign Gifts

- Now, some of these gifts are more “ordinary,” like teaching or serving. Others are what we might call miraculous or sign gifts, like healing and tongues (** means we will talk about these next week).

- There’s a UNITY and a DIVERSITY in these gifts...
---> UNITY because they all come from the same Spirit
---> DIVERSITY because the Spirit loves variety in His church. No one has all the gifts, but everyone has some.

- Using those three categories, let's take a deeper look at each one and give some definitions...

--- SPEAKING GIFTS || Builds the church through TRUTH & TEACHING

1. Prophecy: Speaking a message that God brings spontaneously to mind for the purpose of edifying, encouraging, or comforting believers. Prophecy is not infallible & must be tested by Scripture…Not the same as OT Prophets who spoke authoritatively God’s message…It’s not equal to Scripture. It’s not new revelation that adds to the Bible. “We should never say, ‘Thus says the Lord,’ but rather, ‘I believe the Lord may be showing me

2. Teaching: Explaining and applying Scripture for understanding and obedience

3. Exhortation (Encouragement): Urging believers to trust, obey, and persevere in faith; strengthening the fainthearted

4. Message of Wisdom: Speaking insight into how to apply biblical truth to specific situations

5. Message of Knowledge: Speaking truth revealed by the Spirit to bring understanding or direction to specific situations

6. Evangelism: Effectively sharing the gospel so others come to faith

7. Pastor-Teacher: Shepherding, teaching, and caring for believers through the Word

8. Tongues w/ Interpretation: Speaking in an unlearned language to God or others, interpreted for the edification of believers

--- SERVING GIFTS || Builds the church through practical LOVE & CARE

1. Serving (Helps): Meeting practical needs so others can succeed in the ministry they are called to

2. Giving: Cheerfully and generously contributing your resources to meet needs and advance the work of God

3. Leadership / Administration: Guiding and organizing others with wisdom and diligence for the good of the body

4. Mercy: Showing compassion and care to those who are suffering

5. Faith: Extraordinary confidence in God’s power and promises, especially in difficulty

6. Hospitality: Welcoming and caring for others, often through one’s home and/or personal presence

--- SIGN GIFTS || Builds the church through VISIBLE DEMONSTRATIONS OF GOD'S POWER & PRESENCE

1. Healing: The Spirit’s empowerment to restore health as a visible sign of God’s compassion and power

2. Miracles: Acts of divine power beyond natural explanation, demonstrating God’s authority

3. Tongues Uninterpreted: Speaking to God in an unknown language for personal prayer and worship

4. Interpretation of Tongues: Explaining the meaning of a tongue/language so that it edifies the body

5. Discernment of Spirits: Distinguishing between what is truly from the Holy Spirit and what is not.

C. WHY ARE THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS GIVEN?…

---> To edify [improve, be a blessing to] the church…
1 COR 12:7
“for the common good.”

EPH 4:12-13
“…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness…"

- They’re given to strengthen and build up the church. Every time you use your gift, someone else is encouraged, built up, or drawn closer to Jesus. We don’t always get to see it or know about it…but when we use our gifts for the glory of God and the good of the body the Holy Spirit blesses the church.
- Contrary to the motivations of some…The goal isn’t to find your gift so you can feel significant or important or have value — it’s so that the church can thrive, so that the mission of Jesus can move forward. When you don’t use your gift, the church really does suffer.

---> To serve one another in love and to display God’s glory and power
1 PET 4:10–11
"10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."

---> To demonstrate the reality of the gospel in tangible ways...
HEB 2:3-4
“3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation had its beginning when it was spoken of by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to his will.”

—> Gifts are given to us to edify/bless the church, to serve each other in love, to display God’s glory and power and to demonstrate the reality of the gospel in tangible ways…

D. THERE IS A CAUTION…

- There are two ditches we can fall into when it comes to spiritual gifts:
--> Pride: “My gift is more important than yours.”
--> Passivity: “I don’t have a gift like teaching or prophecy, so I guess I’m not that important.” That’s like your kidney saying, ‘I’m no good because I’m not a hand.’ Try living without a kidney.

- Both of these rob the church. God designed us to need each other. The teacher needs the encourager. The giver needs the leader. The one with mercy needs the one with discernment. If we all function in our gifts with humility and love, the church becomes a living, breathing reflection of Christ on earth.

- We have to understand the nature of our ‘body’ and its parts…no one part is more important and all parts matter.

- We are one body and many parts. Each part is necessary — no gift is “greater” than another…The absence or neglect of a gift weakens the whole body.

- 1 COR 12:12-27 lays all of this out plainly...

E. CLOSING THOUGHTS FOR PART ONE…

- You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to say ‘yes’ to the Spirit’s leading and start the journey…or continue it like I am doing

- Homework: Read 1 COR 12–14 this next week and review the list of gifts that we read about today in ROM 12, EPH 4 & 1 PET 4

- Pray and ask...“Lord, how have You gifted me to bless Your people? Holy Spirit guide me and enlighten me about the gifts you have given me. Help me to put them into practice for your glory and the good of your church”

- Next week, we’ll look at how to discover and use your gift, and how to think biblically about the miraculous gifts [tongues, prophecy, and healing.]

RESPOND, REFLECT & COMMUNION

I would like to give you a chance to respond to God…

-- What did God reveal about who he is to you today in our time in God’s word?
-- What did God reveal about what he has done or is doing in our time in God’s word?
-- What did you learn about who you are as we looked at these stories today?
-- What did you learn about what you are supposed to do?

—> Let's take a minute to thank Him, respond to Him, confess our sins to Him, examine our hearts before we take communion...

—> WHAT IS JESUS SAYING TO YOU TODAY?
—> WHAT IS JESUS ASKING YOU TO DO?