Recognizing Spiritual Gifts and Using Them to Glorify God – Part 1

Posted by Chris on November 28, 2004 under Sermons

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Misunderstandings about spiritual gifts – We can become hung up on controversies about spiritual gifts or conscious of abilities and experiences we don’t have …
There have always been two dangers with spiritual abilities (not just in Charismatic and Pentecostal movement):

1. Reduce spiritual gifts and spirituality to a set of particular items (i.e. speaking in tongues =the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or business success and public influence for elders – a certain church had 27 qualifications for elders with the result being a loss of vision for future growth – they just wanted to be absolutely right!);
2. Ranking gifts -Problem is people either get too ambitious or not ambitious at all – the result when we forget that the source of the spiritual gifts and that they are given for the church

There were misunderstandings in Corinth about spiritual gifts. We have our own misunderstanding as well. Paul used the body language of 1 Cor 12 to explain what spiritual gifts are all about …

1. We Are One Body With Many Members
   1. Every member partakes of the same spirit – (not just a fortunate few)
      v. 13-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
   2. The variety of spiritual abilities (gifts, services, activities) are for the common good
      • This is a new standard for the Corinthians
      • Public display or individual experience are not the highest standard
      • v. 7- To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

2. We Are All Vital
   1. God has arranged us intentionally to make a "body"
      • ¹⁸ But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
   2. So no more overconfidence and underconfidence
      • Our view of our abilities is too often self-centered
      • And the greatest temptation among us is not that we will be arrogant or elitist like some at Corinth, rather we will tend to devalue our worthiness.
      • Do not do this! You are underestimating the God, Lord and Spirit that works in every member of the body in some way.
      • Were you baptized? Then God has given you some gift, service or experience for the common good. Do not boast about it, but do not bury it either!
   3. Challenge: What would happen if we honestly believed that each member is gifted and invaluable to the spiritual health of the community?
      • Things like the 80/20 rule would be rejected
      • Comparisons would end – No one would be considered less needed or more needed (v. 24)
      • Anxieties would go away – we wouldn’t be dependent on a select few or worried about who is in charge – we would be focused on using what God has given to glorify him and make disciples!
      • We would understand that our gifts are meant to work together

3. We Need One Another
   1. We are not independent, we are interdependent
      • No one is an island – we are the less when we lose a small part (link to John Donne)
      • This is why disassociation hurts
      • The health of the body depends on every part
4. God has assembled us so we can share the blessing of unity –
   • A unity with diversity but without discord – A mature community that shares in sorrow and joy –
   • In the church, the center is Jesus Christ – not me or you. We cannot separate ourselves because we "get nothing from church." That is a customer/consumer attitude.We’re more loyal to sports teams than church – because we feel a connection!

   But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, ²⁵ that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

5. I challenge you to recognize your gifts so that you can glorify God – Each gift expresses love

   • Illustration about my children and their gifts. And if they love each other and their family, then they will use their gift to express that love (1 Corinthians 13)

Chris Benjamin

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Morning Sermon, 28 November 2004