The Importance of Spiritual GIfts
Introduction
- we're into our new series on Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts.
- last week we talked about our overall approach to this study.
- INPUT - Do you remember the two possible approaches we discussed?
1) Topical
2) Expository
- INPUT - Which approach are we planning to take and why? [Expository]
- because of that, we want to have a working knowledge of the most extended passage on spiritual gifts, the book of I Corinthians.
- this morning I'd like to ask you to return to I Corinthians 1 and we're going to wrap up a few ideas we began developing.
- you may recall that we said last week that…
I. The Corinthian Church Was Poised for Strategic Ministry
INPUT - what were some of the ways that was true?
A. Geographically
B. Athletically
C. Spiritually
- we tried to show how you could certainly make an equally compelling case for the situation in which God has placed us.
- we also said that…
II. The Corinthian Church had been Blessed by God in Many Ways
- let's read these verses again and think about how this point is true…READ I Corinthians 1:1-9
A. Sanctified in Christ Jesus - v. 2
B. Saints by calling - v. 2
C. Recipients of the grace of God - v. 3-4
D. Enriched in Him in everything - v. 5
E. Not lacking in any gift - v. 7
- the point is that…
III. The Corinthian Church Needed to Decide if They Would Capitalize on their Position and Blessing
- INPUT - How does all of this dovetail with the issue of spiritual gifts?
- with all of this in mind, let's jump ahead to chapter 12 where this topic is raised more completely.
- read 12:1-3
IV. God Wants His Children to Understand Spiritual Gifts.
A. The "lost letter"?
- the way Paul raises this issue gives you the impression that they have already spoken about this topic.
- many Bible students believe that is exactly what happened.
- there is evidence in other places in the book that the Corinthians had written a letter to Paul, and that the book we know as I Corinthians was in part an answer to that letter.
- cf. I Cor. 7:1….Read and develop
- we also know that Paul had information about the Corinthian church as a result of a conversation with "Cloe's people" (I Cor. 1:11) and a report from Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus (I Cor. 16:17).
B. Possible questions
- of course we can only speculate on the contents of this lost letter, but based on the way Paul develops this topic, John MacArthur suggests several possible questions:
1. What are spiritual gifts?
2. How many are there?
3. Does every believer have them?
4. How can a person know which one or ones he has?
5. How important are they to individual Christian living and to the Fife of the church?
6. What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit and how does it relate to spiritual gifts?
7. Are all of the gifts given for every age of the church, or were some given only for a special purpose and a limited time?
8. Can the gifts be counterfeited and, if so, how can believers tell the true ones from the false?
C. "Spirituals"?
- in your Bible, the word "gifts" is probably italicized.
- the reason is that the word doesn't actually appear in the original text, but was supplied by the translators of our English Bibles to make the verses flow in a more understandable way.
- the fact that that is true helps us see an important emphasis in this study…that these gifts are in fact spiritual and divine enablements from God.
- John MacArthur's comments are helpful here…
Perhaps no area of biblical doctrine has been more misunderstood and abused, even within evangelicalism, than that of spiritual gifts. Yet no area of doctrine is more important to the spiritual health and effectiveness of the church. Apart from the direct energizing of God’s Spirit, nothing is more vital to believers than the ministry of their spiritual gifts, their God–given endowments for Christian service.
Contrary to the thinking of many people, the true church of Jesus Christ is not a visible human organization run by a hierarchy of officials. It is not a social agency to meet the needs and demands of the community or simply a convenient place in which to be married, buried, or baptized. It is certainly not a religious social club in which people of like–minded beliefs and standards get together for fellowship and occasional service activities.
The church, as established by Jesus Christ and described and defined in the New Testament, is a living organism. It is the spiritual body of Christ, who is its Head, its Lord. The members of that body are entirely and exclusively those who have become new creatures through faith in Him as their Savior and Lord. Though composed of human members, it is not a human organization. It is a supernatural organism, created, established, empowered, and led by the Lord Himself. Because its Head is eternal and indestructible, the church is eternal and indestructible. Jesus assures us that even “the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18).
Every member of Christ’s church has been given supernatural endowments, gifts of God’s Holy Spirit, which through the Spirit are God’s divine means of ministering His Word and power among His people and to the world. They are God’s supernatural provision for the edification of the church and the evangelization of the world. They are the means through which believers are to grow, worship, witness, and serve.
INPUT - Response to this quote?
D. Paul's point.
- the word "unaware" is the word agnoew - from which we get our word agnostic.
- the point here is, God doesn't want His children to be uninformed regarding spiritual gifts.
- INPUT - what does that say about the importance of this study?
II. As Unbelievers, We Were Enslaved to Idols.
A. Meaning of "led astray".
Apago - used of prisoners being taken under armed guard to prison or execution.
B. Relationship to topic of spiritual gifts?
INPUT?
- for anyone who might view the following instruction by Paul as restrictive, they needed to think about what life as an unbeliever had truly been like.
- cf. Eph. 4:17-18, Titus 3:3, Romans 6:17
III. Using Spiritual Gifts Properly Requires Submission to the Lordship of Christ.
- because the Corinthians church had such an interest in the supernatural, there were some people who had been allowed to engage in ecstatic utterances that even blasphemed Christ---because they appeared supernatural, they were allowed.
- Paul makes it clear that anyone speaking in such a fashion does not have the Holy Spirit…conversely, those who do genuinely acknowledge Christ as Lord give evidence that the Holy Spirit resides within.
- INPUT - How are the topics of spiritual gifts and the Lordship of Christ related?
Adult Bible Fellowship
Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts
The Importance of Spiritual Gifts
Introduction
INPUT - Do you remember the two possible approaches we discussed?
INPUT - Which approach are we planning to take and why?
I. The Corinthian Church Was Poised for Strategic Ministry.
INPUT - What were some of the ways that was true?
A. Geographically
B. Athletically
C. Spiritually
II. The Corinthian Church had been _______________ by God in Many Ways.
A. ________________ in Christ Jesus - v. 2
B. ______________ by calling - v. 2
C. ________________ of the grace of God - vv. 3-4
D. _________________ in Him in everything - v. 5
E. Not _______________ in any gift - v. 7
III. The Corinthian Church Needed to Decide if They Would Capitalize on Their _________________ and _________________.
INPUT - How does all of this dovetail with the issue of spiritual gifts?
IV. God Wants His Children to ____________________ Spiritual Gifts.
A. The "_________ ___________"?
B. Possible questions:
1. What are ________________ gifts?
2. How ___________ are there?
3. Does every ______________ have them?
4. How can a person ___________ which one or ones he has?
5. How important are they to individual Christian _____________ and to the _________ of the church?
6. What is the ________________ of the Holy Spirit and how does it relate to spiritual gifts?
7. Are all of the gifts given for ____________ age of the church, or were some given only for a special purpose and a _______________ time?
8. Can the gifts be ___________________ and, if so, how can believers tell the _________ ones from the _____________?
C. "________________"?
Perhaps no area of biblical doctrine has been more misunderstood and abused, even within evangelicalism, than that of spiritual gifts. Yet no area of doctrine is more important to the spiritual health and effectiveness of the church. Apart from the direct energizing of God’s Spirit, nothing is more vital to believers than the ministry of their spiritual gifts, their God–given endowments for Christian service.
Contrary to the thinking of many people, the true church of Jesus Christ is not a visible human organization run by a hierarchy of officials. It is not a social agency to meet the needs and demands of the community or simply a convenient place in which to be married, buried, or baptized. It is certainly not a religious social club in which people of like–minded beliefs and standards get together for fellowship and occasional service activities.
The church, as established by Jesus Christ and described and defined in the New Testament, is a living organism. It is the spiritual body of Christ, who is its Head, its Lord. The members of that body are entirely and exclusively those who have become new creatures through faith in Him as their Savior and Lord. Though composed of human members, it is not a human organization. It is a supernatural organism, created, established, empowered, and led by the Lord Himself. Because its Head is eternal and indestructible, the church is eternal and indestructible. Jesus assures us that even “the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18).
Every member of Christ’s church has been given supernatural endowments, gifts of God’s Holy Spirit, which through the Spirit are God’s divine means of ministering His Word and power among His people and to the world. They are God’s supernatural provision for the edification of the church and the evangelization of the world. They are the means through which believers are to grow, worship, witness, and serve.
INPUT - Response to this quote?
D. _____________ point.
INPUT - What does that say about the importance of this study?
V. As __________________, We Were Enslaved to Idols.
A. Meaning of "_______ ____________".
B. __________________ to topic of spiritual gifts?
INPUT?
VI. Using Spiritual Gifts Properly Requires _________________ to the Lordship of Christ.
INPUT - How are the topics of spiritual gifts and the Lordship of Christ related?
Adult Bible Fellowship
Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts
The Importance of Spiritual Gifts
Introduction
I. The Corinthian Church Was Poised for Strategic Ministry.
A. Geographically
B. Athletically
C. Spiritually
II. The Corinthian Church Had Been Blessed by God in Many Ways.
A. Sanctified in Christ Jesus - v. 2
B. Saints by calling - v. 2
C. Recipients of the grace of God - v. 3-4
D. Enriched in Him in everything - v. 5
E. Not lacking in any gift - v. 7
III. The Corinthian Church Needed to Decide if They Would Capitalize on Their Position and Blessing.
INPUT - How does all of this dovetail with the issue of spiritual gifts?
IV. God Wants His Children to Understand Spiritual Gifts.
A. The "lost letter"?
B. Possible questions:
1. What are spiritual gifts?
2. How many are there?
3. Does every believer have them?
4. How can a person know which one or ones he has?
5. How important are they to individual Christian living and to the life of the church?
6. What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit and how does it relate to spiritual gifts?
7. Are all of the gifts given for every age of the church, or were some given only for a special purpose and a limited time?
8. Can the gifts be counterfeited and, if so, how can believers tell the true ones from the false?
C. "Spirituals"?
D. Paul’s point.
INPUT - What does that say about the importance of this study?
V. As Unbelievers, We Were Enslaved to Idols.
A. Meaning of "led astray".
B. Relationship to topic of spiritual gifts?
INPUT?
VI. Using Spiritual Gifts Properly Requires Submission to the Lordship of Christ.
INPUT - How are the topics of spiritual gifts and the Lordship of Christ related?
