The Christian Handbook - About Those Gifts

Welcome everyone in the Roots Community Church where it's all about Jesus. We love

God, we love people, we reach the lost, we make disciples.

We are continuing in our series called the Christian Handbook, in which we're examining

the fundamentals of our faith. We're trying to get a firm grasp and understanding

of what the Bible teaches us, what it tells us, who the Christian

is in Christ Jesus, and how we apply and act on those beliefs.

Before we get into my sermon, we're gonna pray, Lord Jesus, thank

you for this opportunity to learn from your word. I asked that you would

soften each of our hearts to trust in your word, to leave here changed

because of your word, and to leave here strengthened by your Holy Spirit and

by our unity as your body of believers in Jesus Name. Amen. So

the last several weeks, we've spent a lot of time looking at what believers

do, things like worship, discipleship, christian living. Continuing with that specific

focus of what believers do or what the church does, today, we're going

to look at what the church does concerning spiritual gifts. Stay with me because

a lot of you immediately go one way or the other, and I'll get

to that, but we're gonna look at what the Bible teaches about spiritual gifts.

So we're obviously going to touch on gifts like healing, prophecy, and

tongues. But what I want you all to remember as I'm teaching is that,

regardless of whether you believe that some of these gifts have ceased or what's

called cessationism, or you believe all of the gifts are active and useful for

today in the church i e. Continuationism, we must remember that each of

these positions, excuse me, each of these gifts I'm messing up. Each

of those physicians, desicianism continuationism have merit and can arguably be an error either

position. The doctrine of spiritual gifts is a side issue, meaning that a

believer can fall into either of these camps and still be considered within Orthodoxy.

What matters is what each of us do. From those positions. We are

to walk and love towards one another and be faithful to the Word of God.

So my sermon to day is titled about those gifts. So I hope

you all brought your bibles with you. We're gonna be spending a lot of

time in God's word today. If you need a bible, we have some

in the back on that black circle table. Take it, keep it,

read it, love it. Take it, keep it, read it,

love it. Okay, that being said, open your bibles to First Corinthians,

chapter twelve, which is where we're going to camp this afternoon. Let's

start in verse one through two. This is Paul in his letter to the

Church and corinth Paul writes, now about the gifts of the spirit, brothers

and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that

when you were pagans, somehow or other, you were influenced and led astray

to mute idols. Let's talk about these two verses real quick. To begin

with, Paul is addressing the topic of spiritual gifts because they were and are

active signs or fruits of the Holy Spirit's work in the church for the church,

and because Paul cares so much of the Church and corinth he wants them

to be well equipped. What do you say, I do not want you

to be uninformed. Next, Paul reminds the Corinthians about their previous state of

paganism. In verse two, they were worshiping false gods and idols influenced by

the culture or society at that time. Either way, they were led astray

to mute idols. There's only one true God. Now why is that important?

We're gonna read a bit further and find out. Let's go to verse

three. Therefore, I want you to know that no one who is speaking

by the Spirit of God says Jesus be cursed, and no one can say

Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. So these verses we've gone over

show us a few things. In verse three, someone practicing paganism worshiping false

gods or idols effectively deny and curse Jesus, and not in the sense that

they're putting an actual curse on him, because that can't happen. He is

God, but by mocking, belittling, or rebelling against his authority and deity

as God as great as the wonders of a pagan might appear to be,

the Spirit of God is not in them. And Paul adds, no one

can say Jesus's Lord, accept by the Holy Spirit. What that means is

those that submit to Jesus's Lord that proclaim that and like will see later on,

use their gifts in the proper way. Only do so because the Holy

Spirit has regenerated them and will use those gifts for strengthening the Church to the

glory of God. Last point of these three verses is if the Holy Spirit

truly dwells within a person, that person would not abuse their gifts. More

on that later, Actually, go on, I lied more on that right

now. So here's my first point. Intentional abuse or misuse of the spiritual

gifts, no matter how wondrous, are not of the Holy Spirit. So

this brings up an important matter I'm going to quickly address. Many of us,

myself included, have witnessed abuse of the spiritual gifts, primarily tongues,

prophecy, and miraculous healing. There are a lot of frauds out there,

a lot of false teachers. Some of you have a witnessed this abuse firsthand.

Now, whether the practitioners of the misuse do so willingly with ill intent

or unknowingly because of false teaching or culture, perhaps ignorance of what the Bible

teaches, we need to be in prayer for each of them. The false

teachers as well as those were taken in the misuse. They need to repent

and come back under the authority of Scripture. There is a time, a

place, a method, and a purpose for the use of every gift given

by the Spirit. We are to practice the gifts with discipline under submission to

the word of God. Why. Here's why. Because misusing God's gifts is

an affront to Him and harmful to the church. Misusing God's gifts is an

affront to him and harmful to the church. A quick example in a previous

church. In my youth, I was attending a church that taught a Pentecostal

belief that there's a second baptism in order to receive the gift of tongues.

But if you read Scripture, the gifts of tongues is not for everybody.

Paul desires everyone to speak in tongues, but that doesn't mean everyone gets it.

It also denies that when people are born again through the power of the

Holy Spirit, that somehow not all the Holy Spirit is dwelt within them.

Not true. It's an affront to God because when we misuse or abuse the

gifts, we disobey God's word, We sin, We sin when the gifts

are meant to bring glory to God. First Peter four eleven. That's about

verset up therms for you to reference if you want to look at up later.

Didn't mean to freak you out. And it's harmful to the church because

the gifts are meant to serve the church and strengthen it. They're not meant

to cause confusion or chaos. So how do we discern when the gifts are

being abused or misused? We know our Bibles. Let me just see,

that's always the answer. Know your Bibles. When we read and know the

Word of God, we can better test and discern when a gift is being

used appropriately or in ignorance or with ill intent. So to summarize, Oh,

I forgot how big this point was? Everyone right, really quick.

When practice under the authority of scripture and with a guidance and prompting of the

Holy Spirit, the gifts will strengthen the church and bring glory to God.

The gifts will strengthen the church and bring glory to God. So let's get

back to our primary text. We're gonna continue in chapter twelve First Corinthians,

starting in verse four YEP. Verse four Okay, this is when Paul starts

to list out some of the gifts, and we're gonna look at some of

his other epistles or letters to look at other gifts that he names. Verse

four. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit distributes them.

There are different kinds of service, the same Lord service. If you

have the ability to serve in humility, with energy, with zeal, that's

a gift. Don't discount that. Different kinds of service, but the same

Lord. There are different kinds of working working, but in all of them,

and in everyone, it is the same God at work. For Paul

to clarify this, it seems like the Corinthians were perhaps exaggerating the importance of

gifts like tongues and prophecy. That may sound sound familiar to a lot of

us. It did for me. It certainly in my younger I don't want

to say younger ears anymore. I'm only thirty three. Back in my day,

it's way too easy, especially these days, to compare ourselves to one

another and to compare our gifts. As Christians, we do the same thing

in the church. It's so easy to compare our gifts and end up thinking

our brothers and sisters in the church has been more spiritual than us. And

forget the point of verse twelve more and that later we are one body.

We're meant to use our gifts for one another, and each part of the

body serves its purpose. Let's look at verse six again, got you,

can you go back? Thank you? There are different kinds of working,

but in all of them, and in everyone, it is the same God

at work. Remember that Paul saw the need to remind them that each gift

and every ability to serve is given by the Holy Spirit. Why if we

continue on in verse seven, he explains why now to each one the manifestation

of the Spirit is given for the common good. To each one the manifestation

of the Spirit. Remember, the Holy Spirit is given for the common good.

It regardless of what our past experiences or influences have led us to immediately

think that the gift of tongues or prophecy or healing we might cause us to

put those in a higher pedestal than the other gifts. We need to remember

what God's words tell us. It is given for the common good. And

my next point to summarize this, each of the spiritual gifts is from the

same spirit, the Holy Spirit, for his purposes. And what are his

purposes? We just read it the common good. It's for the common good

of his church, for the believers to His glory. Now we touched on

that. I've touched on. You didn't do anything. This is all me.

I touched on that. Some of us tend to put different gifts on

different pedicels. And when we continue reading today, you're going to see that

Paul is going to say that some gifts are higher than others and that we

should strive for those. But he does that because each gift serves a purpose.

If we look at marriage or leadership, we find that God built and

defined men and women differently, unique in their abilities and roles, but equal

in their value and purposes. And what we'll see later on is the spiritual

gifts are distributed in much the same way. Each have their own role,

but all have the same purpose of working for the common good. Let's continue

on looking at these different gifts. I lied, We're gonna we are gonna

do that. I'm gonna skip ahead though, We're gonna move to verse twenty

seven of chapter twelve. Now you are the body of Christ, the body

of Christ is the Church. It's Christ's bride whom he died for. And

each one of you is a part of it. Every believer is a part

of it. And God has placed in the church. First of all,

see here it begins to list out different gifts. First of all, apostles.

These are people that were with Jesus, that saw Jesus. Paul included.

And let me just add there are no apostles today. If you see

someone claiming to be an apostle, just get out. Second prophet. Third,

teachers, Then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of

guidance, and of different kinds of tongues? He continues, Are all apostles?

Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do

all have gifts of healing? Do all speaking tongues? Do all interpret?

Now? Eagerly desire the greater gifts? He says, all this to point

out that not everyone is going to have these gifts. Should we eagerly desire

them? Yes, we should eagerly desire to give a word from God and

then bring it to someone else to be tested against scripture. The Bible tells

us bring it to your elders, that's mean by the way, Greg Doug

Doug Doug Duncan, Paul Kirk, duggan Bata, Okay, that's all I

want to say on that. My next point, every gift is meant for

the body, and each part of the body serves a crucial role to fulfilling

its purpose. And what is its purpose? The common Good? I said

it twice, okay, House, that's okay. I know every gift is

meant for the body, and each part of the body serves a crucial role

to fulfilling its purpose Common Good. Yeah, it is for We're getting there,

all right. Let's go on. Verse eight. These are more gifts

to one There is given through the spirit a message of wisdom, as to

literally to deliver a message of wisdom to someone in the church to another,

a message of knowledge by means of the same spirit. I love that Paul

comes back there to reiterate it's from the same spirit. A message of wisdom

is a gift to offer insight into truth from God in a way that helps

others. That's as easily as I could put it. A message of knowledge

might be the ability to proclaim God's revelation to those who need to hear it

or to offer understanding of how it applies to specific areas of life. Continuing

on in verse nine, we have faith and healing to another faith by the

same spirit. And let's talk about this for a second. Any believer,

once they say Jesus is Lord, they submit to him as Jesus is Lord.

They believe it in their heart, they say it with their mouths,

they declare it. The Bible says, they are saying that faith is in

them. So what this is pointing to is a greater faith. Have you

ever been around someone who's just always ready to go, who's always just so

positive and happy, and in the mornings you're just like, come on,

bring it down to like a four. But those people seem to be unshakable.

Paul, you're that guy for me. I love your brother's gift of

faith to another gifts of healing by that one spirit lost my place every born

again. I already read that. I'm gonna I riff that good Jordan,

the common good thing again through the Holy Spirit. The gift of healing provides

the person that's given the supernatural ability to restore health, to heal, to

miraculously heal. And this is separate from going to a hospital or a doctor

where you were healed with medication, with therapy. This is someone who threw

the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit working through them heals a person, miraculously

heals a person. Let's move on verse ten. What are all these gifts

for the common? Get the front row, and you guys got it to

another. Miraculous powers to another. Prophecy. I'll get to explaining each of

these to another, distinguishing between spirits to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,

and to still another the interpretation of tongues. So starting with miraculous powers

miracles, it's the gift to supernaturally display God's power for the purpose of furthering

the Gospel mess. If you go read through the New Testament and you look

at Jesus's use of miracles or his disciples uses of miracles, the outcome was

always to display the authority and power of Christ and further his message of repentance

and redemption. Prophecy, I think it would most easily be understood as delivering

a message from God. Some believe that the gift of prophecy includes the supernatural

ability to describe things that cannot be known by the speaker beyond special revelation from

the spirit of God. So someone who has the gifts of prophecy would say,

I feel like God is telling me to share this with you. This

is I feel like this is a word for you. These things might be

things that bring happening in the presence or things that will happen in the future.

A side note on prophecy. We shouldn't just wait around for a We

shouldn't just wait around for a prophecy to be told to us to know what

God, to know what God, to know what word God has for us.

I'm gonna say that again so I don't stumble. We shouldn't just wait

around for a prophecy to be told to us to know what word God has

for us. This word is the word that's for us, and it's the

word that was written to us for the common good. You got it,

Paul. His word is for us, and it is his word to us.

It tells us what to do. I just gotta read it next.

In this verse, the ability to stinguish between spirits goes hand in hand with

prophecy, much like the gifts of tongues and interpretation. It seems to be

the supernatural ability to tell whether a speaker truly represents God or is a false

or demonic spirit attempting to mislead God's people through that person. If the Holy

Spirit is not in that person, and they say this is a word from

God, and it contradicts the Bible, that is not from God. This

is why we always test and discern those words against holy scripture. Now let's

let's talk about these a little bit, a little bit more in depth.

If you read ahead in chapter fourteen, I'm not going to have it on

here. I'll have the first first verse, and Patrician, you put that

up. Now, Paul tells us more about tongues and prophesying and interpretation.

He begins by saying, follow the way of love, and eagerly desire gifts

of the spirit, especially prophesied. Now we're going to get to this in

a second. Follow the way of love. Now, if you go back

to chapter thirteen again, it's not gonna be on here. Paul tells the

Corinthians that love is greater than any spiritual gift. I stopped. I stopped

here because when reading chapter thirteen, Paul insists that without love, spiritual gifts

become worthless and even destructive. But Paul doesn't dismiss the importance of spiritual gifts

in the life of the church, including the gifts of tongues and prophecy.

When we are practicing our gifts, we follow the way of love. What

is love? No singing love as a verb one of the songs. What

is love? Go read chapter thirteen. Paul lays it out. Love is

patient, love is kind. It's the classic let's get married verse when,

in fact, and I'm guilty of this, I've used this verse when marrying

people when I was just lazy, lazy in my Bible reading. The verse

has nothing to do with marriage, but still true. Still good to practice

that kind of love in our marriage. But if you want to know how

to follow the way of love, read chapter thirteen. So moving on,

why does he say, especially prophecy. If we go to verse two in

chapter fourteen, we're going to find out for anyone who speaks in tongues does

not speak to people, but to God. Let's stop there for a second.

There are two understandings of tongues. One is a heavenly language, an

utterance of the Holy Spirit that not even the speaker understands. The other is

an actual tongue of If you go it acts in the day of Pentecost,

when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were given the gift of tongues,

and they were speaking in languages they didn't know, but others around them

said, I know that language. Two understandings of tongues. The other understanding

is that this may speak to Now I'm gonna move on side note focus Jordan.

Okay. Indeed, no one understands them. They utter mysteries by this

spirit. Again, their utterances that not even the speaker understands, but the

one who prophesizes speaks to the people for their strengthening, encouraging, and comfort.

This is why Paul tells the Corinthians that he would rather they seek the

gift of prophesying. Its strengthens and encourages and comforts the church. Why because

it's a word from God. Tongues. If you go read in Acts and

further on, and I want to say chapter at the end of chapter fourteen,

we see that Paul says that tongues are useful for the unbeliever because tongues

were used to evangelize and when that happened, the speaker. I'm not talking

about you spent seven years. It probably takes less than that to learn Chinese.

No, it's the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you speak a language

you don't understand it. That's what it is. So tongues was often affiliated

with evangelism, to an unbeliever, to someone who spoke a foreign language in

the church or Corinth. Prophesying is for the church because it encourages and comforts,

it strengthens, moving on. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies himself

themselves. But the one who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every

one of you to beak in tongues, Remember Paul said, different verse Paul

says we should eagerly seek out the greater gifts. No, we did read

that. I don't remember which one it was. I'm sure you guys took

notes. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but

I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesize is greater than the

one who speaks in tongues. Remember, different roles, different purposes. The

one who prophesies is greater because it edifies the church. Tongues edifies themselves.

If it's a foreign language, it's evangelism. That's certainly great. But the

purpose of the tongues, remember, is what the purpose of gifts? Excuse

me, common good, all right? The one who prophesies is greater than

the one who speaks in tongues unless someone interprets so that the church maybe edify.

And see Paul as further clarification that tongues is still useful in church,

but you need an interpreter there, someone there to understand what is being said

and can deliver that word to edify the church. You're following me, all

right? Any minutes of Remember where I was next page? That's why I

couldn't find it, all right? Going back to Paul listening out with the

spiritual gifts, we're gonna jump to Romans. Paul writes, we have different

gifts according to the grace given to each of us, which, by the

way, is the greatest gift. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy

in accordance with your faith. If it is serving, then sir. If

it is teaching, then teach. If it is to encourage, then give

encouragement. If it is giving, then give generously. Even even giving is

a gift. The Bible instructs us all to give with a cheerful heart,

but some people just take. They love to give. My brother Kirk,

one of the other elders here, he man probably the most generous person I've

ever met. That's a gift. That's a spiritual gift. To give,

to want to give, to love, to give, encouragement, teaching,

serving, these are all gifts. Moving on. If it is to lead,

do it diligently. I know there's a lot of leaders in here.

It's a very important one. If it is to show mercy, do it

cheerfully. Again, similarly to giving, we are all directed by scripture to

show mercy, as Christ has shown us mercy. Some people are just man.

They hold nothing against anyone. They are quick to show mercy and quick

to show others how showing mercy should look. Moving on to Ephesians chapter four.

So Christ himself gave the apostles. Apostleship was a gift the prophets,

the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers to equip his people for works of

service. Why so that the body of Christ may be built up until we

all reach unity in the faith, Until we all reach unity in the faith

and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and becomes mature and become

Excuse me, I'm gonna start it over. Until we all reach unity in

the faith. Why am I having such a hard time to this? I

have my glasses on. I'm gonna read it from my notes verse thirteen.

Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son

of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of

Christ. That's the common good. That's the common good. So reading through

these verses and Paul's letters, we see that there are many gifts. But

what do we do with them? How do we treat each one? And

how should we think of each one? Whenever we have a question about scripture,

what do we do? Read more scripture? You'll need some coffee today,

or maybe I have too much. I shouldn't expect you to be on

my level if I'm drinking too much? All right? Verse eleven. All

these speaking of the gifts are the work of one and the same spirit,

and He distributes them to each one just as he determines. God decides.

Just as a body, the one has many parts, but all its many

parts form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all

baptized by one spirit so as to form one body. And remember this baptism

happens when we are regenerated so as to form one body, whether Jews or

Gentiles, slave or free. And we were all given the one Spirit to

drink. This is Paul's talking metaphorically. All right, you don't actually drink

the Holy Spirit, man, my Joe, just not landing today. Even

so, the body is not made up of one part, but of many.

Now, if the foot should say, because I am not a hand,

I do not belong to the body, it would not for that reason

stop being a part of the body. It's still a foot, even if

it wants to be a hand. If the ear should say, because I

am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, it would

not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body

were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole

body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be. Paul's saying

this, because if everyone had the same gift, how would that edify anyone?

But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one

of them just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one

part, where would the body be? As it is? There are many

parts but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, I don't

need you, and the hand cannot say to the feet, I don't need

you. On the contrary, these parts of the body that seem to be

weaker are indispensable. Remember Paul listed out apostleship prophesigned evangelists in these different orders

because they serve a specific purpose, much like marriage, the man is the

head of the wife. Each to their purpose or role. They seem to

be weaker are indispensable. And the parts that we think are less honorable we

treat with special honor. And the parts that are unresent yep unpresentable, are

treated with special modesty. Cover your junk, oh that one, that one,

really, they'll need to go pray, While our presentable parts need no

special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to

the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the

body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If

one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored,

every part rejoices with it. So these verses tell us, excuse me,

what do these verses tell us? How do they help us understand the

purpose of the gifts or what we do with them? And furthermore, what

do all the gifts have in common this Every gift is meant for the body,

and each part of the body serves a crucial role to fulfilling its purpose,

which is, hey, we're getting somewhere. I get the band to

come up. Every gift is meant for the body, and each part of

the body serves a crucial role to fulfilling its purpose, the common good.

So we've covered what the gifts are and what they are not. We've looked

at their purposes and how God wants us his church to be informed about them.

So in closing, I have one final thought or instruction to share with

you all to really drive home the purpose of the gifts and what they accomplish

and and how we are to act when using them. For this, we're

gonna go to First Peter, chapter four. Do we have that? Oh,

it's right in front of me. I saw a ten. I was

like, this is verse ten. Isn't that right? You're awesome? This

is my fault. I should have erased that each of you, each of

you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of

God's grace in its various forms. This is what we do. Use whatever

gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace in its

various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks

the very words of God. How do we know the very words of God?

Thank you, Stephanie, Isaiah, you got it. Read the Bible.

If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,

so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him

be the glory and the power forever and ever. This letter for Peter perfectly.

It's the perfect bow tie, ribbon, whatever you put on your presence,

it's the perfect bow on what we've just read, and it gives us.

It helps us understand what we are to do with these gifts and what

the accomplish we've seen that it edifies the church. It strengthens the church in

unity for the purpose of giving glory to God. So whatever gift we've been

given, they belong first to God. In order to use these gifts for

His glory, we must use them to serve others as faithful stewards of His

grace. For what that comic? Yep, I'll put them right here.

All right, we're gonna move on to our response time. Thank you for

bearing with me. I know I was a little it seemed a little manic,

a little all over the place. I'm feeling good, yeah, thanks

Paul. So our response time, this is our time to worship, to

continue worship with each other to God's glory, and we do that several different

ways. First, if you prepared to give. If you came prepared to

give, we have giving envelopes. You can drop them in that white box

right outside the doors. If you need prayer, we're gonna have the elders

that are available on the side. It's here, and their wives that they're

available to pray with you if you want a prayer. But you're like,

I don't know if I want to pray with Jordan, He's gonna give me

a hard time for not remembering what he says. That's okay. You can

still write your prayer requests on this connect card. These are awesome tools that

we use to make sure that each request is met. We send these out

first to the elders and leaders of the church, but also to community groups

because the more people praying about your need, the better. If your prayer,

you want your prayer to be private, just write private on there and

it'll just go to the elders. Connect card also serves another purpose. It's

dual purpose. This is your next steps. If you committed your life to

Jesus today, Praise God, we want to celebrate with you. You're ready

to get baptized, you want to be a church member. Filling this out

and dropping it in that offering box that allows us to connect with you and

help you in those next steps. And lastly, we're going to sing songs

of praise to God. And by the way, thank you Creative Arts team

for leading us in worship earlier. It was fantastic. At our membership meeting,

we found out that the Connect team calls everyone connect agents, connect Agents,

and I was like, why don't we have a cool name, So

I nicknamed the team the Worship Assassins. So thank you Worship Assassins for leading

us in worship and for doing it again coming up. Praise God. It's

okay. To be silly in church, folks. All right, let's pray,

Lord Jesus, thank you for the spiritual gifts. Thank you for your

word that instructs us how to use them, how to recognize them, how

to discern when a spiritual gift is being abused. I asked you would give

us wisdom through your scripture to know and recognize that misuse, and to repent

of it ourselves. I thank you that the gifts are here to build your

church up, and that through them you are glorified. There will never be

enough time or enough resources to praise you, Lord for what you've done.

But I thank you that these gifts give us such a great opportunity to start.

We thank you for this day that we could spend together learning from your

word, praising your name. Help us each to leave here with a new

understanding and with a new eagerness to get into your word more, to learn

more about the gifts and about you. We love you, We praise your

mighty name. Amen.