Sermon Summary
This week, Pastor Chris continued in our Healthy Church series with a word on spiritual gifts. In our text, Paul brings correction and clarity to believers competing with one another in their gifting, sowing division in the church instead of unifying power. If you are a follower of Jesus, you have been given supernatural power to operate in your spiritual gifts. We are not designed to operate in our own authority and strength for our own benefit. Our unique giftings unify us together to push forward the common goal of building the church and extending the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 12:1–3 (ESV)
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual Gifts: Holy Spirit given supernatural abilities to glorify God and do ministry.
You Are Gifted
• God works…for you, in you, and through you.
Discover and Use Your Gift(s)
- Discover your gift.
- Learn how to use your gift.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (ESV)
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same 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.
• Varieties: Capacity or function given to us directly by the Holy Spirit.
• Service: Sphere in which a gift is performed (people, group, geography).
• Activities: Degree of power by which a gift is manifested/ministered on a specific occasion.
Ephesians 4:12, 15-16 (ESV)
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Spiritual Gifts
Romans 1:11-12
“I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”
Three Categories of Spiritual Gifts
- Serving Gifts (Deeds)
- Speaking Gifts (Words)
- Sign Gifts (Supernatural)
1 Corinthians 12:8 (ESV)
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
1. Wisdom (Speaking) ~ The special ability to know the mind of the Holy Spirit in such a way as to receive insight into how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising in the body of Christ.
Do you have this gift?
- Do you have a pattern of making wise decisions for your life and family first?
- When studying the Bible do you find yourself moving toward practical actions?
Ministry Areas: Connect Team, Facilities/Maintenance, Graphic Design, Hospitality, Safety Team.
- Knowledge (Speaking) ~ The special ability to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas which are pertinent to the well-being of the body.
2. Knowledge (Speaking) ~ The special ability to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas which are pertinent to the well-being of the body.
Do you have this gift?
1. Do you love accruing lots of information?
2. Have others frequently pointed out your ability to know and understand God’s Word?
Ministry Areas: Kingdom Kids, Connect Team, Graphic Design, Audio Visual.
- Do you love accruing lots of information?
- Have others frequently pointed out your ability to know and understand God’s Word?
2. Knowledge (Speaking) ~ The special ability to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas which are pertinent to the well-being of the body.
Do you have this gift?
1. Do you love accruing lots of information?
2. Have others frequently pointed out your ability to know and understand God’s Word?
Ministry Areas: Kingdom Kids, Connect Team, Graphic Design, Audio Visual.
1 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)
to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit
3. Faith (Serving) ~ The special ability that God gives to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for His work
Do you have this gift?
- Do you view obstacles as opportunities and trust God for the impossible?
- Do you tell stories about the power of God and what you have seen Him do?
Ministry Areas: Prayer Teams, Outreach, Kingdom Kids.
4. Healing (Sign Gift) ~ The special ability to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to cure illness and restore health apart from the use of natural means.
Do you have this gift?
- Do you enjoy laying hands on the sick and praying for their healing in faith?
- Do you have deep compassion for those who are sick?
Ministry Areas: Prayer teams, Worship, Kingdom Kids.
1 Corinthians 12:10–11 (ESV)
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.
5. Miracles (Sign Gift) ~ The special ability to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to perform such powerful acts that are perceived by observers to have altered the ordinary course of nature.
Do you have this gift?
- Do you believe God can do the impossible and have you seen Him do just that?
- Have you seen God do extraordinary things in times of prayer and worship?
Ministry Areas: Prayer teams, Worship, Kingdom Kids.
6. Prophecy (Speaking) ~ The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance. ~ The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance.
1 Corinthians 14:3
the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
Do you have this gift?
- Do you have a history of sharing something you received in prayer, and it encourages others?
- Do people regularly come to you for prayer?
Ministry Areas: Prayer teams, Worship, Kingdom Kids.
7. Discernment (Serving) ~ The special ability to quickly perceive whether such things as people, events, or beliefs are from God or Satan.
Do you have this gift?
- Do you have a solid understanding of Scripture and a sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit?
- Do you have an awareness of demonic presence & how to help people free demonic oppression?
Ministry Areas: Prayer teams, Kingdom Kids, Safety Team/Ushers.
8. Tongues (Sign Gift) ~ The special ability to pray in the Spirit in the language of Heaven or speak to others in their native earthly language which is unknown to the speaker.
4 Kinds of Tongues
Public Ministry Tongues
- Tongues as a sign to the unbeliever (Acts 2:6-7).
- Tongues for interpretation (1 Cor. 12:10).
Private Personal Tongues
- Tongues for intercession (Romans 8:26-28).
- Tongues for self–edification of the believer (1 Cor. 14:4-5).
Do You Have This Gift?
- Do you have a private prayer language of tongues?
- Are there times in your private prayer that you communicate at a soul level too deep for words that unburden you and unlocks spiritual growth?
Ministry Areas: Prayer teams, Worship, Kingdom Kids.
9. Interpretation (Sign Gift) ~ The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to make known in a vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues.
Do You Have This Gift?
- Have you ever had a word that was given through you in a language that was foreign to you?
- Have you ever interpreted a word given through another person in a language that was foreign to you?
Discussion Questions
- What are spiritual gifts and what are their purpose?
- How are spiritual gifts a means of worship?
- The believers in the Corinthian church became covetous and divided as they learned their spiritual gifts. Have you ever struggled to envy another person’s gift? How can we guard ourselves against this scheme?
- Is there a spiritual gift that you sense you have, but you don’t know how to be activated in it?
- What are your top three spiritual gifts? Are you currently operating in them?
Application Questions
- If you don’t know your spiritual gifts, take our spiritual gift inventory is week. Ask God to highlight a ministry you can begin to serve in so that you can start to operate in your unique gifts.
- Are you operating in your talents rather than your spiritual gifts? This week, ask the Holy Spirit to manifest supernatural power in you to operate in your unique, God-given gifts for the common good of the body of Christ.