#5
SERIES ON THE HOLY SPIRIT
"THE HOLY SPIRIT EQUIPS!"
TEXT: 1
Cor. 12:1-31
INTRO: One of the
great strengths of the church is the diversity of the gifts that God places in
it. It is never the intent of the
Holy Spirit to gift everyone in the church in the same way ... it is however the intent of the Holy Spirit to gift every
believer in some way!
We
need to learn to be open to the Holy Spirit to be used as He sees fit, the
ministry of the "gifts of the Holy Spirit" through various
believers will build up the body of Christ. We need to learn what our gifts are and
be ready to be used, we don't all have the same gift, but we have the same
Spirit!
ILLUS: ONE
LITTLE BOY DECIDED ONE DAY THAT HE WAS A GIFTED BASEBALL HITTER, SO PUTTING ON
HIS BASEBALL CAP HE GRABBED A BAT AND BALL AND OUT INTO THE BACKYARD HE WENT TO
PROVE HOW GIFTED HE WAS! HE STOOD
READY WITH BAT AND BALL IN HAND AND SHOUTED OUT LOUD, "I’M THE GREATEST HITTER
IN THE WORLD!" THEN HE TOSSED THE
BALL INTO THE AIR AND SWUNG AT THE BALL ... BUT HE MISSED! HE YELLED OUT LOUD, "STRIKE ONE!" THEN ONCE AGAIN HE READIED HIMSELF AND
SAID, "I'M THE GREATEST BASEBALL HITTER IN THE WORLD!" AND WITH THIS HE ONCE
AGAIN THREW THE BALL UP AND SWUNG ... AND AGAIN HE MISSED! "STRIKE TWO" HE SHOUTED. STILL UNDAUNTED HE AGAIN YELLED, "I'M
THE GREATEST HITTER THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN!" NOW A THIRD TIME HE THREW THE BALL UP
INTO THE AIR AND SWUNG ... AND MISSED AGAIN! HE CRIED OUT, “WOW ... THIRD STRIKE!”
THEN … “WOW, WHAT A PITCHER, I'M THE GREATEST PITCHER IN THE WORLD!” IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF DISCOVERING WHAT
HIS REAL GIFT WAS!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
Too
often we want someone else's gift when what we need to learn is what our own
gifts are. The more prominent gifts
are not always the most important ones ... the best gift is the one that is
needed most at that particular time!
Paul encourages the believers to desire the "best
gift"… not necessarily the flashiest!
ILLUS: A
$50,000 VIOLIN HANGING SILENTLY AND DUSTY ON THE WALL IS NOT WORTH AS MUCH AS A
KITCHEN SPOON THAT IS USED!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
The
Holy Spirit will equip His church with everything needed to do the work that He
calls us to do and to build up the body of Christ! We need to discover what our gifts are,
and to make ourselves available for whatever gifts He desires us to
have.
PROP.
SENT: The Bible teaches us that
the Holy Spirit gives gifts to His church for the building up of the body of
Christ and that all the gifts are needed and is to be
appreciated.
I. THE NEED OF THE GIFTS 1 Cor. 12:1-11
A. Corporate
1 Cor.
12:1-7
1. The purpose of the gifts was to
build up the body of Christ and to testify to the Lordship of
Christ.
a. It is in this sense that Paul says
that a gift of the Holy Spirit will never take away from Christ's Lordship; if
it does it is not from the Holy Spirit – they do not lift up man, they build up
the body of Christ!
b. The gifts of the Holy Spirit
therefore will not elevate any individual and make them great, they will elevate
Jesus and make Him great!
2. These "gifts" are for the church and they are varied,
but they all come from the same Spirit.
a. The
gifts of the Holy Spirit therefore are not given for personal exaltation, they
are for corporate edification!
b. While there are a variety of gifts
that may express themselves in the body of Christ they all come from the same
source, the Holy Spirit.
3. Weak churches are usually weak
because a small percentage of believers are attempting to do all the work, only
a few are usually using their gifts!
ILLUS: LIKE
THE MOVIE YEARS AGO ABOUT A
4. The work of the Holy Spirit in the
church is to set us up to minister in a variety of ways, no matter the gift they
all benefit the church and build it up!
a. The focus of these introductory
verses is the plan of God for the corporate body.
b. The church cannot do the work of
God without these gifts of the Holy Spirit!
B. Categories 1 Cor.
12:8-11
1. Here Paul identifies several
categories of giftedness:
a. Gifts of
REVELATION:
(1. Knowledge
(2. Wisdom
(3. Discernment of spirits
b. Gifts of
POWER:
(1. Faith
(2. Miracles
(3. Healings
c. Gifts of
WORSHIP:
(1. Prophecy
(2. Tongues
(3. Interpretation of
Tongues
d. Gifts of
SERVICE:
(1. Helps (verse
28)
(2. Administrations (verse 28)
(3. Leadership -- See also Rom. 12 & Eph
4
2. While 9 are listed here in 1 Cor.
12 it is not intended that these are exhaustive lists, they are representative
of the kinds of gifts God's Holy Spirit may give! The possibilities are as unlimited as
the Holy Spirit is!
a. These are not
the only categories therefore ... they are
examples!
b. The Corinthians had elevated
certain categories above others and thereby created an “upper class” of spiritual giftedness,
they had elevated certain gifts and people above others!
c. The truth about the gifts is that
they are all from the Holy Spirit and they are all important!
3. The purpose of this variety is to
maximize the abilities of the church energized by the Holy
Spirit!
a. In other words, the church would
need all the gifts in order to do a supernatural
work!
b. The more variety, the more versatile the
church's ability to minister to any situation!
c. These gifts are not static; we can
receive a variety of them at different times
4. The church is strengthened by the
variety:
ILLUS: WE
ARE LIKE A JIGSAW PUZZLE, THE PROTRUSIONS ARE LIKE OUR STRENGTHS OR GIFTS AND
THE INDENTATIONS ARE LIKE OUR WEAKNESSES.
AS SINGLE PIECES WE DON'T LOOK TOO GOOD OR HAVE AN AWKWARD APPEARANCE,
BUT WHEN PIECED TOGETHER, A VERY GOOD PICTURE APPEARS. WE NEED EACH PIECE FOR THE PUZZLE TO BE
COMPLETE!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
II. THE NATURE OF THE GIFTS 1 Cor.
A. Complimentary
1 Cor. 12:12-26
1. Paul begins to teach the absolute
necessity of all the gifts, though not equal in type they are equal in
importance to the whole body!
a. He uses the image of the body with
its various parts, some which are more hidden or not seen yet as important as
other parts. But yet, no body wants
to give up any part.
b. Each part does something different
but each needs the other to be a whole body, they each compliment the other, the
ear helps the eye and vice versa.
2. Some parts may seem more
important, or be in use at times when other parts aren’t being used, but no part
is willingly discarded!
a. How would you feel when watching TV
one night if your eyes told your feet to get lost, that they weren't needed
anymore since you are sitting down and watching TV! Your brain would argue with the eyes and
say that though the feet are not being used at the moment you still want the
parts to stay!!
b. It takes all the parts to make the
whole work!
ILLUS: LIKE
THE FOLLOWING POEM STATES:
“WHO
FLIES THE KITE?” “I," SAID THE BOY;
“IT IS MY JOY; I FLY THE KITE.”
“WHO
FLIES THE KITE?” “I,” SAID THE
WIND; “IT IS MY WHIM; I FLY THE KITE.”
“WHO
FLIES THE KITE?” “I,” SAID THE
STRING; “I AM THE THING THAT FLIES THE KITE.”
“WHO
FLIES THE KITE?” “I,” SAID THE
TAIL; “I MAKE IT SAIL; I FLY THE KITE.”
“WHO
FLIES THE KITE?” ALL ARE WRONG; ALL
ARE RIGHT; ALL FLY THE KITE!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
3. Too often we give much attention to
the more spectacular gifts and ignore the less spectacular ones that in some
ways can be more important!
a. People like to be used by God in
great ways; few people are willing to be used by God in small
ways!
b. How often though it is the small
ways that keep things going!
ILLUS: IN
MARCH OF 1981 PRESIDENT REAGAN WAS SHOT BY JOHN HINKLEY JR. THE PRESIDENT WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR
SEVERAL WEEKS AND YET THE COUNTRY MOVED RIGHT ALONG QUITE WELL. YET, WHEN THE GARBAGE COLLECTORS WENT ON
STRIKE IN
4. The parts are meant to compliment
each other so that there is no division within the body of Christ! 1 Cor.
12:25
a. The gift of prophecy or tongues
will mean little to the life of the church if there is no one willing to have
the gift of service or teaching!
b. Every gift is
important!
c. No gift is to be despised or
treated with contempt – and this even includes the gift of tongues as well as
those of service! Note that Paul at
the end of the gifts teaching also added that they were not to forbid speaking
in tongues 1 Cor. 14:39 it has always struck
me odd today that people do forbid this gift but encourage the
others.
d. All the gifts are to be considered
equal in importance and honor – the one most needed at any one moment is the
most important one!
5. EACH gift is to be held in honor as
complimenting the whole body!
a. If any part suffers, the whole body
suffers!
b. If any part rejoices, the whole
body rejoices!
6. The very fact that there would be
variety would cause them to need each other, not to separate
them!
B. Capable 1 Cor.
12:27-31
1. Paul's point here is to emphasize
the fact that God puts order in the church, these include not only spectacular
gifts like tongues which he chooses here to list last as if to make his point
against their excessive emphasis on this one gift, and he puts at the top of the
list things like Apostles, teachers, etc., as though to balance their excesses
and create the importance of leadership gifts and their priority which was
presently lacking in the church at Corinth.
a. Paul's point was to restore balance
in this church.
b. These gifts of leadership mentioned
are given to maintain that balance.
2. The point here is to tell them that
these gifts are all necessary for them to be a capable, effective force as the
church!
3. In this sense Paul then concludes
this section by letting them know that no one will have all the gifts, the gifts
will be distributed throughout the body of Christ!
a. Thus, anyone attempting to do it
all will find themselves and the church becoming very
frustrated!
ILLUS: YEARS
AGO A MAN WANTED TO BE A CONDUCTOR.
HIS CONDUCTING STYLE HOWEVER WAS IDIOSYNCRATIC. DURING SOFT PARTS HE'D CROUCH EXTREMELY
LOW, AND FOR LOUD PARTS HE'D OFTEN JUMP INTO THE AIR, SOMETIMES EVEN SHOUTING TO
THE ORCHESTRA! HIS MEMORY WAS POOR,
ONCE HE FORGOT THAT HE HAD INSTRUCTED THE ORCHESTRA NOT TO REPEAT A SECTION OF
MUSIC BUT DURING THE PERFORMANCE HE WENT BACK TO THAT POINT, BUT THE ORCHESTRA
DID NOT. HE STOPPED THE MUSIC
HOLLERING AT THEM "STOP, WRONG ... THAT WILL NOT DO, AGAIN! AGAIN!" ONCE HE TRIED CONDUCTING FROM THE PIANO,
AT ONE POINT JUMPING FROM THE BENCH AND KNOCKING THE CANDLES OFF, AT
ANOTHER TIME HE KNOCKED OVER A CHOIR BOY! AT ANOTHER PIECE HE JUMPED HIGH TO CUE
IN THE ORCHESTRA BUT HE HAD LOST COUNT AND IT WAS THE
b. It is very clear from these verses
that not ALL will have ALL the gifts!
c. It is also clear however, that
ALL will have some gift!
4. The very nature of the gifts will
make the church diverse ... and strong!
a. Diversity is a strength; not a
weakness!
b. Diversity strengthens the ability
of the body.
c. Diversity is not a divisive force
but a force that brings unity!
d. This variety of giftedness gives
greater capability to the body of Christ!
5. Therefore, all gifts are to be
appreciated ... though they have different functions!
a. The flashier gifts can also be
good.
b. And the not so flashy gifts are
good too!
c. The body of Christ is diverse and
thus capable of handling a variety of things that come its
way.
6. Paul ends this chapter with an
important statement: "EAGERLY DESIRE THE GREATER
GIFTS!"
a. But I thought he just said that no
one gift is greater than the others!??
b. So what does this mean
then?
c. Simply this: THE BEST GIFT IS
THE ONE THAT IS NEEDED AT THAT MOMENT ... AND THIS MIGHT MEAN A DIFFERENT GIFT
AT DIFFERENT TIMES FOR DIFFERENT NEEDS!
(1. For instance, if someone needs healing
the “Gift of healing” would be the “Best gift” ... not
tongues!
(2. If an important decision needed to be
made by the church the “Gift of wisdom” would be the best gift, not
healing!
d. In this sense the gifts are all
equal ... but not equally needed at the same time for different
situations!
e. It is important not to look for
what we want but for what is needed!
7. The Holy Spirit will truly equip
the church for everything it needs!
We must be available however to be used!
CONCLUSION: The Holy Spirit equips us with
gifts to bless and benefit the entire church. The gifts are not given for personal
exaltation but for corporate edification! The gifts are not badges of spiritual
superiority; they are practical ways God's Spirit builds up the body of
Christ! The entire purpose of the
gifts is to edify or build up the church, not just to tickle our fancy! There is great diversity within the body
of Christ, yet one body! Thank God
He equips us to grow together!