One Body by Design The Body of Christ

One Body by Design The Body of Christ and Our Spiritual Gifts / Functions In It – Part Two

Romans 12: 4 -8 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 4

if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 7

1 Corinthians 12: 27 - 13: 13 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. 27

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, love I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 13: 1

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 4

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did 8

away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Peter 4: 10 -11 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 10

One Body by Design Thesis: God designed Christ’s Body to be one body, composed of many diverse members, each one with gifts (functions) uniquely tailored to him or her and absolutely necessary for the health, growth, viability, and continuity of the body in love.

One Body by Design I. The gifts of the Spirit have something to do with God’s grace.

Look at the Words • X‹riw [charis] = “grace” • X risma [charisma] = “(grace) gift” • Pneumatikñw [pneumatikos] = “spiritual (things, gifts, people)”

What Is a Spiritual Gift? • A Spiritual Gift is a supernatural enabling (ability, capacity), given by the Holy Spirit at our spiritual rebirth, according to His will, for the common good of the Body. • “These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. ” (Wikipedia) • “A spiritual gift is the God-given capacity of every Christian to carry out his function in the body of Christ. ” (bible. org)

Stewart’s Personal Website www. stewb. com/gifts

One Body by Design I. The gifts of the Spirit have something to do with God’s grace. A. They are given by Him according to His grace.

One Body by Design I. The gifts of the Spirit have something to do with God’s grace. A. They are given by Him according to His grace. B. They are a stewardship entrusted to us by God.

1 Peter 4: 10 -11 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 10

One Body by Design I. The gifts of the Spirit have something to do with God’s grace. II. The gifts of the Spirit are for the body.

One Body by Design II. The gifts of the Spirit are for the body. A. There are various ways of categorizing the gifts.

Categorizing the Gifts by Passage Romans 12 exhortation giving leadership mercy prophecy service teaching Ephesians 4 apostle evangelism pastor prophecy teaching 1 Corinthians 12 administration apostle discernment faith healing helps knowledge miracles prophecy teaching tongues interpretation wisdom Source: www. mintools. com/gifts-list. htm Misc. Passages celibacy hospitality martyrdom missionary voluntary poverty

Categorizing the Gifts by Passage Romans 12: 6 -8 1 Corinthians 12: 8 -10 • Prophecy • Serving • Teaching • Exhortatio n • Giving • Leadership • Mercy • Word of wisdom • Word of knowledge • Faith • Gifts of healings • Miracles • Prophecy • Distinguishing between spirits • Tongues • Interpretation of tongues 1 Corinthians 12: 28 Ephesians 4: 11 • Apostle • Prophet • Teacher • Miracles • Kinds of healings • Helps • Administration • Tongues • Apostle • Whoever speaks • Prophet • Whoever renders • Evangelist service • Pastorteacher Source: en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Spiritual_gift 1 Peter 4: 11

Categorizing the Gifts by Type Speaking Gifts Serving Gifts Word of Wisdom Faith Word of Knowledge Healing Prophecy Miraculous powers Tongues Service Interpretation Discernment Apostle Helps Teacher Administration Encouragement Giving Leadership Mercy Evangelist Pastor-teacher Source: ldolphin. org/rrrgifts. html

Categorizing the Gifts by Type Foundational apostles prophets Service ruling governing exhortation faith giving helping mercy ministry Support evangelism teaching pastor-teacher Sign wisdom knowledge discerning of spirits miracles healings tongues interpreting tongues Source: www. biblicalstudies. com/bstudy/spiritualgifts/ch 04. htm

One Body by Design II. The gifts of the Spirit are for the body. A. There are various ways of categorizing the gifts. B. Each and every gift is for service.

One Body by Design II. The gifts of the Spirit are for the body. A. There are various ways of categorizing the gifts. B. Each and every gift is for service. C. Each and every gift has a place in the Body of Christ.

One Body by Design I. The gifts of the Spirit have something to do with God’s grace. II. The gifts of the Spirit are for the body. III. The gifts of the Spirit must be exercised in love.

One Body by Design III. The gifts of the Spirit must be exercised in love. A. This will not end controversies, but it will render them unimportant.

One Body by Design III. The gifts of the Spirit must be exercised in love. A. This will not end controversies, but it will render them unimportant. B. They are used to build up the Body of Christ.

Ephesians 4: 7 -8 “ 7 But to each one of grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, ‘WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN. ’”

Ephesians 4: 11 -12 “ 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ…. ”

One Body by Design III. The gifts of the Spirit must be exercised in love. A. This will not end controversies, but it will render them unimportant. B. They are used to build up the Body of Christ. C. The ultimate goal is the maturity of the Body.

Ephesians 4: 13 -16 “… to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children … 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. ”

One Body by Design I. The gifts of the Spirit have something to do with God’s grace. II. The gifts of the Spirit are for the body. III. The gifts of the Spirit must be exercised in love. IV. Finding, using, and enjoying your spiritual gift.

Stewart’s Personal Website www. stewb. com/gifts

One Body by Design Thesis: God designed Christ’s Body to be one body, composed of many diverse members, each one with gifts (functions) uniquely tailored to him or her and absolutely necessary for the health, growth, viability, and continuity of the body in love.

One Body by Design Thesis: God designed Christ’s Body to be one body, composed of many diverse members, each one with gifts (functions) uniquely tailored to him or her and absolutely necessary for the health, growth, viability, and continuity of the body in love. NOT the End … Barely the Beginning!