4 Spiritual Principles Concerning Spiritual Gifts 1 Corinthians

4 Spiritual Principles Concerning Spiritual Gifts 1 Corinthians 12

• One of the primary aspects of church leadership is how it seeks to develop each individual in the church to realize the fullness of Christ within them. • One of the biggest aspects to Christian growth is the proper use of spiritual gifts within the church

• All true use of Spiritual Gifts results in the glorification of Christ

• It is important because it ties in very closely with their spiritual growth both individually and corporately as a church. • It was unfamiliar to them because the Corinthians were primarily Gentiles; • As pagans they could do whatever their debased and sinful nature wanted to do.

• These people were Stoics or Epicureans. Both these systems of philosophy were evolutionary based. • With no desire to please a holy God to what depths will an unregenerate heart descend? • Paul wants to make a strong contrast between what they knew previously and their situation now as Christians.

• Paul is telling the Corinthians that in contrast to the way you used to serve your god, where anything goes, as a Christian, whatever you do will never belittle or derogate Christ, and contrary -wise any true ministry, under the direction of the Holy Spirit will always glorify Him.

The Triune God is sovereign over the Gift

• Notice that there are three phrases each phrase mentions that there are varieties of something and each phrase mentions a member of the Trinity. • But I believe that we can say that in contrast to the pagan doing whatever he wants to do We have the Triune Lord God of heaven in sovereign control of us to use us to glorify His Son.

• Just think about it, Here is the God of the universe, who has gifted you and me, placed us in the exact position where He wants us to minister, both in the church and in our jobs, and equipped and empowered us to do that task for Him; a task which He from eternity past decreed that we would do.

• Each and every saved individual has a gift or gifts given to them by the Holy Spirit. There is not a single Christian left out. • Every individual is gifted so that everyone else in the church will benefit from that gift.

• I have heard people say of their gift, “It makes me feel so good, I pray better …. ” That entire attitude is wrong and sinful and will come out as wood, hay and stubble. • The third issue here is Who is in charge of the distribution of the gifts. It is the sovereign Lord God in the person of the Holy Spirit that chooses for us exactly what gift we have.

• Here Paul introduces his metaphor comparing the church to a human body. • Paul is going to extend this illustration with two absurd and silly examples to confront problems within the church. • First Problem – Jealousy.

• • That is exactly what we are doing when we say, I can’t preach like …. I can’t sing like …. I can’t do anything in the church. No you can’t preach or sing like anyone else. There is not one ministry in the church, but many. That is why all of us aren’t eyes.

• Second Problem – Arrogance • One of the dangers of being a pastor is that we have so many people listening to us and believing what we say, we get enamored with our own importance. The entire body ministers to itself by each member caring for each other member. •

• Paul ends this section by listing in an order of priority various gifts within the church

Lessons for our Lives • The ultimate product of our lives is to glorify Christ. What a great privilege it is to know that if we do what we are designed to do, because we desire to please the Lord, the Holy Spirit will ensure that will happen. We cannot fail if we just seek to serve Him.

Lessons for our Lives • Aren’t you glad the Lord does not save us then abandon us to muddle through this world on our own? He is intimately involved in every aspect of our life, leading us, teaching us all things.

Lessons for our Lives • This is true to the point that He has designed and built and gifted you exactly as He would have you to be. There is not another person like you. As such there is not another person who can do things you can do in the way you can do them. That is not merely humanistic flattery talk. There is a real responsibility to follow through and serve. There are great blessings to be enjoyed by those who do serve as He would. There is great sorrow ahead for those who choose not to. Question: How do I know how I am gifted? Answer: Not “Spiritual Gift Assessment tests” Just serve however you can and pay attention to how God uses you.

Lessons for our Lives • Remember: we are all one body. God has formed us together to minister to one another and care for one another. Don’t think of yourself as superior or inferior to anyone else within the church. Just different from everyone else within the church; equipped uniquely to accomplish the task God from eternity past formed you to do.