Spiritually Gifted Church 1 Corinthians 12v1-11

Well, let's pray and ask for the Holy Spirit's help as we look at this together.

Father, we thank you for your word.

Lord, we thank you for this letter of 1 Corinthians and all that it teaches us about the gathering of your people.

We pray that we today, as a local church here, as believers meeting together,

we would know your help so that we may better become the church that you call us to be.

That we would be a people who serve one another, filled with the power of your Spirit,

all for the glory and all for the honour of the Lord Jesus.

So please help us now, we pray.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Well, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being not so good and 10 being excellent,

how spiritual would you say you are between 1 and 10?

What would you rate yourself?

Well, let's put it another way.

What is the sign of a spiritual church?

Is Carigoline Baptist Church a spiritual church?

Well, the church in Corinth thought themselves to be very spiritual.

And it seems that the way to decide who is more spiritual than another,

or which church was more spiritual than another, was by their particular gift.

So the more spectacular the gift, well, the more spiritual that you are.

So if I have the gift of healing, well, then I'm far more spiritual than you if you just welcome at the door.

Or if you have the gift of miraculous powers,

then you're more spiritual than the person who's just served tea or coffee.

You see, the church in Corinth had confused spiritual gifts with true spirituality.

And the particular issue, it seems, over chapters 12 and 14,

is the issue of speaking in tongues.

And if you could speak in tongues, you were super spiritual.

Speaking in tongues, as we see in chapter 13.

Verse 1, if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,

is it the gift of an unlearned language or another kind of language,

like French or Spanish or Japanese or something like that?

Well, if you could speak in tongues, you were part of the spiritual elite.

And obviously, if you couldn't, well, then you were spiritually inferior.

You were a second-class kind of citizen.

And all of this was causing great confusion and division as the church in Corinth gathered together.

And I'm sure if we were to ask each one of us here,

there would be a variety of opinions and no doubt confusion about gifts.

And it seems, therefore, that this all needs to be corrected.

So, in chapter 12, verse 1, starting, if you like, a new topic in his letter,

chapter 12, verse 1, he says,

Now, about spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters.

Now, some of your Bibles, if you're using an ESV,

you might have a little small letter beside spiritual gift,

and at the bottom of the page it might say spiritual persons.

So, it can actually be translated both ways.

So, about spiritual gifts, or about those who think themselves to be spiritual people.

Or we could group it all together and say,

Now, about spiritual matters, brothers and sisters.

I do not want you to be ignorant.

So, let me show you, he goes on to say,

let me show you then what true spirituality is all about.

It's not how spectacular your gifts are,

but how you are using your gifts.

So, chapter 13, verse 1,

as he deals with this issue of speaking in tongues,

he says,

If I speak in tongues of men and of angels,

but if I don't have the gift of love,

well, I'm only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

I'm just making a whole lot of noise,

and nobody understands what I'm saying.

Or chapter 14, verse 2,

For if anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men,

but to God,

indeed no one understands him,

he utters mysteries with his spirit.

Verse 4,

But he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself,

but he who prophesies edifies the church.

Verse 18,

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you,

but in the church,

so when the church gathers together,

I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others

than ten thousand words in a tongue.

So you see,

true spirituality isn't so much about the particular gift,

or how spectacular it may seem to other people,

it's about how you use your gift to build up the church.

That's the measure of true spirituality.

So chapters 12 to 14 are not so much about gifts,

and how do I figure out what my particular gift is,

but how we use our gifts in the context of the local church.

So this morning we're going to look at three marks of a spiritual church,

as chapter 12 through verses 1 to 11 are like a foundation

to the remaining verses up to chapter 14 and the end.

So here's the first mark.

A spiritual church submits to Jesus as Lord.

Verse 1 of chapter 12.

Now about spiritual matters,

spiritual things,

brothers and sisters,

I do not want you to be ignorant.

For you know that when you were pagans,

when you were not believers in Christ,

somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

You were off down at the pagan temple,

worshipping other gods.

Rather than Jesus being your Lord and Saviour,

you had turned entrusted to idols.

Idols, mute idols,

those that couldn't even talk or do anything for you.

They can't even save you,

but yet he says you followed them.

Of course we today mightn't go to our pagan temple,

but we've all got our idols and our gods that we follow.

We look to our work,

we look to our children or our family,

we look to money as things that are most important,

as things that can save us.

But in reality,

they are like a mute idol.

They can do nothing for us.

But then,

for these people,

everything changed, didn't it?

Look at verse 3.

Therefore I tell you 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.

In other words,

these pagan people,

who had been down at the local temple,

who perhaps as part of their so-called worship,

used to curse Jesus,

have now been radically changed,

and now rather than saying,

Jesus be cursed,

they can now say,

Jesus is Lord.

We submit to Jesus.

And how did that change all come about?

Well, look at the end of verse 3.

No one can say,

Jesus is Lord,

except by the Holy Spirit.

Do you remember how Paul described his visit

when he first came to Corinth?

Have a look back to chapter 2,

verses 4 to 5.

Chapter 2, verses 4 to 5.

He describes here how it was

when he first arrived in the city of Corinth,

chapter 2, verse 4.

And he tells us there,

he says,

my message,

and my preaching,

so as he explained the cross of Jesus Christ,

he says,

we're not with wise and persuasive words,

but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power,

so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom,

but on God's power.

You see,

it is the Holy Spirit

that enables people

and causes people

to turn and accept Jesus Christ as Lord.

And if you accept Jesus Christ as Lord,

the only reason you can

is because of the Spirit's work in your life.

So look at chapter 2, verse 14.

The person without the Spirit

does not accept the things

that come from the Spirit of God,

for they are foolishness to him,

and he cannot understand them

because they are spiritually discerned.

You see,

it is the work of the Spirit

that causes us

to cry out and submit to Jesus as Lord.

Go back with me to chapter 12.

So you see,

if you are a Christian here this morning,

you are a spiritual person.

The Holy Spirit has changed you.

So your spirituality

is not dependent on the gift you might have,

but that the fact that you have been changed

and you are now convinced

that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life,

that he now rules your life.

So true spirituality

isn't about your ability to speak in tongues

or give a message of wisdom

or heal the sick.

It is about Christ being Lord of your life.

Now, if Jesus is Lord of our lives

and if Jesus is Lord of this church,

then we will bow in humble submission

to the authority of the Lord's Word.

So have a look at chapter 14, verse 37.

Chapter 14, verse 37.

This is as he comes to a conclusion

of his whole argument

and his whole correcting

of what had been going on in the church.

So verse 37, he says,

if anybody thinks he is a prophet

or spiritually gifted,

if any of you think you are

a super spiritual person,

well then let him acknowledge

that what I am writing to you

is the Lord's command.

If he ignores this,

in other words,

if he ignores the Lord's word,

he himself will be ignored.

So you see,

to say the words,

Jesus is Lord,

is not just a verbal consent.

It is to live your life

under the authority

of the Lord's command

to live under his word,

under scripture.

So that means as we step

into this whole subject

and topic of spiritual gifts,

well we need to submit

our own personal experience

and our own church traditions,

whatever they may be,

we must submit them

to the authority

of the Lord's command,

scripture itself.

We are to let God's word

shape our understanding

and practice of God's gifts

to us.

It's not what I think

or what you think,

but what does God say?

So first,

a spiritual church

will submit to Jesus

as Lord.

Second mark

of a spiritual church

is that the spiritual church

will celebrate

a diversity of gifts.

So chapter 12, verse 4.

Chapter 12, verse 4.

There are different kinds of gifts,

but the same spirit.

There are different kinds

of service,

but the same Lord.

There are different kinds

of working,

but the same God

works all of them

in all people.

God in his goodness

has given to his church

gifts,

services,

workings.

In other words,

we're not all clones

sitting here together

doing the same thing.

there is a vast variety

within the body

of the church.

And an example

is provided for us,

isn't it,

in verses 8 to 10.

And we can get very fixated

with this list

and look at all these

various gifts

and wonder,

well, what do they all mean?

Well, as I've been reading

and thinking afresh

about this through the week,

it seems that we don't know

what all of them

actually do mean

because some of them

only appear here

and they're not even explained

and we're not even told

what they are.

So it's sometimes hard

to discern exactly

what each gift is.

However, having said that,

let me just go through the list

and look at each

of these gifts

and suggest a few things

with caution.

So, verse 8,

to one there is given

the Spirit,

sorry, verse 8,

to one there is given

through the Spirit

the message of wisdom.

So what's the message

of wisdom?

Is it a word

about the wisdom

of the cross

which saves people

that he was talking about

back in chapter 1?

The wisdom,

the power of God

to save people?

To another,

verse 8,

there is the message

of knowledge.

Is it a word

of knowledge

whereby someone

can give us

an understanding

from the Word of God

as to who God is

and how he works?

Verse 9,

to another faith

by the same Spirit.

Is it the conviction

or the confidence

that God's purposes

are going to be

worked out

in a certain way

and so in faith

we step out

trusting God?

To another,

gifts of healing

by that one Spirit.

I think that is

straightforward

to some extent,

healing those

who are sick.

But let me make

just one comment

on that.

The emphasis

here is on

the person

who does

the healing.

Not the person

who is receiving

the healing.

So sometimes

we say,

oh well the reason

you're not healed

is because of your faith.

You don't have

enough faith.

Well no,

actually the emphasis

is on the healer.

So if you're not healed

it's not your fault,

it's the person,

well they don't have

the gift.

Working on.

Verse 10,

to another,

miraculous powers.

Supernatural events

or workings

to fulfill

the purposes of God.

Perhaps to provide

something

or to change

a certain circumstance.

To another,

prophecy.

We'll come across

this more so

in chapter 14

which I think

is clear.

It's speaking

God's word

into the context

of our lives

to build up

and encourage.

To another,

verse 10,

distinguishing

between the spirits.

Is it the ability

to discern

what is from God

so that it protects

the church family

from those

who do not

speak the truth?

And then to another,

speaking in different

kinds of tongues.

Well,

what is tongues?

Is it,

chapter 13,

verse 1,

if I speak

in the tongues

of men?

Is that a known

language,

as we said earlier,

like French

or Spanish

or sign language?

Or is it

the language

of angels?

So something

that is unlearned

and something

we just don't know

what it is.

And then finally,

to still another,

the interpretation

interpretation

of tongues.

Interpreting

what somebody

has spoken

in tongues

to encourage

and build up

the church.

Now,

having gone

through that,

part of it

is just an exercise

to think about

these gifts.

But I think

the reason why

they're listed here

is not so much

to get us bogged

down into

what is the meaning

of each one,

but to help us

see that,

look,

look at the gifts here.

There is a huge

diversity of gifts

within the church.

In fact,

some of you

may know

that within

the New Testament

there are four

other places

where we have

a list

of different gifts.

One of them

being 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:28

12 verse 28.

We have a few

more gifts.

Or in Romans 12

and Ephesians 4

and 1 Peter 4.

And if we had time

to compare

all of these,

we would see

that, well,

they're actually

all generally

different.

Each list

is somewhat

different.

Let's have a look

at one of these lists.

Go back to Romans 12.

It's the book

just before

1 Corinthians.

Romans chapter 12

Romans 12:6–8

verses 6 to 8.

Romans 12

6 to 8.

1 Corinthians 12

1 Corinthians 12

1 Corinthians 12

Same author,

but writing

to a different

church.

Here's what he says.

Verse 6,

We have

different gifts

according to

the grace

given us.

If a person's

gift is

prophesying,

well,

let him use it

in proportion

to his faith

or according

to the faith.

If it is

serving,

let him serve.

If it is

teaching,

let him teach.

If it is

encouraging,

let him encourage.

If it is

contributing to

the needs of

others,

let him give

generously.

If it's

leadership,

well,

let him govern

diligently.

If it is

showing mercy,

let him do it

cheerfully.

prophecy.

Now,

I wonder if

you noticed

what was

common between

the list in

1 Corinthians

and the list

in Romans.

Did you see

anything that

was common?

There's actually

only one.

That is the

gift of

prophecy.

The rest are

all different.

So what are we

to say when we

compare the two?

Does that mean

to say that the

church in Corinth

is far more

spiritual than

the church in

Rome?

Or is the

church in Rome

more spiritual

than the church

in Corinth?

Does that mean

to say that the

church in Corinth

didn't have the

gift of healing?

Or that the

church in Corinth

didn't have the

gift of leadership?

In fact,

as we go through

Scripture and look

at all these lists,

some gifts are not

even mentioned.

So in all of the

lists when we

compare them,

there isn't the

gift of music.

Is music a gift?

Is singing a gift?

Quite clearly, I know

some are better than

others.

We know that.

What about DIY?

Fixing the wheels on

the screens.

Can you all do that?

What about art?

What about IT when it

comes to computers?

Are these not all

different kinds of

gifts?

gifts?

So I think when we're

looking at 1 Corinthians

12, if we go back

there, this is not an

exhaustive list of the

gifts.

This is not the one

master list that we

shape our whole life

and our whole church

by.

It's representative of

the kinds of gifts that

there are within the

church.

Does each church have

every gift?

I don't think it does.

Does each person have

the same gift?

I don't think they do.

Does each church have

the same gift all of

the time?

No, they don't.

I think it changes.

The point is, there is

a diversity of gifts.

Even when we look at

1 Peter 4, he doesn't

even go into a big list.

He just says, gifts of

speaking, gifts of

serving.

Now, this diversity of

gifts is all part of

God's good design for

the local church.

Have a look at 1

1 Corinthians 12:11

Corinthians 12, verse

11.

1 Corinthians 12, verse

1 Corinthians 12:11

11.

All these, all these

gifts, these diversity

of gifts, are the work

of the one and the same

spirit.

And he gives them

to each one

just as

God

determines.

Or just as

God

wills.

So you see,

within this diversity

of gifts,

I don't get to decide

what gift I might have.

It's not like we all

go walking into

the sweetie shop

and we're all

there to pick out

our favourite

sweeties down in

Antinelli's.

That we kind of go

into the gift shop

and we come before

God and we go,

mmm, healing.

I think I'd like

that one.

But you know what?

Hold off on the gift

of financial giving.

I don't really like

that one.

Gift of miraculous

powers.

I'll take that,

but don't want the

gift of cleaning

the loose.

Hold on that one

too.

You see,

it's not up to us

to decide

what gift I have

or what gifts

this church

should have.

It's not for me

to determine

or for you

to determine.

God gives

to his church

different kind

of gifts,

end of verse 11,

as he

determines.

We can't

manipulate God

into getting

what we want.

It doesn't matter

how hard I pray

or what I do.

This is God's

church and he is

Lord over the

church.

So that means

as a church

we should not

be thinking,

you know,

am I lacking

some spiritual

gift?

Is there something

wrong with me?

We should never

think that God

gets it wrong.

Do you think

God has designed

his church

wrong?

Just as he

has given us

the gift of

salvation,

God determines

and gives the

gift of these

diverse gifts.

So second,

the spiritual

church celebrates

a diversity

of gifts

as God

chooses to

give.

The third

mark,

a spiritual

church

builds up

the church

body.

Now while we

have a diversity

of gifts,

they all come

from the same

source.

Look at verses

four and five

again.

Diversity

but yet

unity

all from the

same source.

Let's read

verse four

again.

There's different

kinds of

gifts

but the

same

spirit.

there are

different

kinds of

service

but it's

the same

Lord.

There are

different kinds

of working

but the

same God

works all

of them

in all

men.

So do you

see there?

Same spirit,

same Lord,

same God.

Father,

Son and

Spirit.

Spirit.

It's the

Trinity.

There's a

diversity

within the

Trinity.

Isn't there

Father,

Son and

Spirit?

But yet

they're united

together

in one's

purpose.

They are of

the one

source.

So the

same point

is underlined

as we go

through

verses eight

through to

ten.

It's about

the same

spirit,

the one

spirit.

All gifts

come from

the one

Godhead.

Now if our

gifts all

come from

the one

source,

then they

must also

have the

one purpose.

For God

is united

in his

one purpose.

Verse

seven.

Now to

each one

the

manifestation

of the

Spirit is

given for

the common

good.

So the

purpose of

our gifts

is not to

gain promotion

or popularity.

They are

for the

common

good.

They are

for the

building up

of God's

church.

And he

gets on to

this again

in chapter

14.

Just have

a sneak

look ahead.

Chapter

14,

verse 12.

In the

middle of

verse 12,

he says,

since you

are eager

to have

spiritual

gifts,

try to

excel in

gifts that

what?

Build up

the church.

Or

verse 26,

as he

gets to

the

conclusion

of

talking

all

about

it.

What

shall

we

say

then,

brothers

and

sisters,

when we

come

together,

everyone

has a

hymn,

one word

of

instruction,

a

revelation,

a

tongue,

or an

interpretation.

All of

these must

be done

for the

strengthening

of the

church.

So the

purpose of

these diverse

gifts,

which come

from the

one source,

God

himself,

is so

that we

would serve

one another

for the

common good,

for the

building up

and the

growing of

his church.

And there's

no escape

in this

work either.

This isn't

just for a

select few.

Back at

verse 7 of

chapter 12,

to each

one,

the Spirit

is given

for the

common good.

Down at

verse 11,

all these

are the

work of

the one

and the

same

Spirit,

and he

gives to

each

one,

just as

he

determines.

So there's

no exclusion

or no

discrimination.

Each one

has been

given a

gift,

or gifts

from God

by his

Spirit,

for the

common good,

for the

building up

and the

growing of

his

church.

So it

seems that

as he

sets out

his

argument,

he's saying

to the

church,

and we're

learning for

ourselves

here,

there should

be no

arguing and

no fighting

over gifts,

but there

should be a

celebration

of the

diversity of

gifts,

and together

working for

the building

up of

his

church.

church.

So let

me ask the

question that

we started

with at the

beginning.

Are you a

spiritual

person?

Well, if

you have the

Holy Spirit

within you,

you are a

spiritual

person.

And what's

most important

is that we

can cry from

our heart,

Jesus is

Lord,

he is

Lord over

our lives,

and I am

submitting to

his authority.

That is the

sign.

of a

spiritual

person.

Are we a

spiritual

church?

Do we

recognize

amongst each

other the

variety and

the diversity

of gifts

that God

has given?

Or do we

look down in

inferiority and

in superiority

over one

another and

go,

hmm,

mine is

better than

yours?

Or do we

recognize that

God is

determined to

give just

as he

planned to

one another

for the

building up

and the

growing up

of each

one of

us and

for the

growing of

his church?

What's all

these gifts

going to look

like in

practice as

we seek to

gather together

as church and

live out as

church?

Well, you'll

need to come

next week and

discover what

Ralph has to

say.

well, let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

God, we

will be

together as

the

Lord.

Our

Father God,

we come

before you

as Father,

Son, and

Holy Spirit.

And we

submit ourselves

afresh before

you,

acknowledging that you