Empowered by the Spirit: Discovering Our Spiritual Gifts
Summary
This morning, we delved into 1 Corinthians 12, a passage that speaks profoundly about spiritual gifts and their role in the body of Christ. We began by acknowledging the significance of Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the Holy Spirit's descent upon the early church, empowering them to spread the gospel. This sets the stage for our exploration of spiritual gifts, emphasizing that these gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to build up the church and glorify Jesus Christ.
I shared a personal story from my youth about a minor injury that escalated into a significant issue, illustrating how even the smallest part of the body can impact the whole. This analogy mirrors Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 12, where he describes the church as a body with many parts, each essential for its proper functioning. Just as a minor injury can affect the entire body, so can the neglect of spiritual gifts impact the church's health and mission.
We then discussed the diversity of spiritual gifts and their purpose. Paul emphasizes that these gifts are given for the common good, to build up the body of Christ. He uses the analogy of the human body to illustrate that every member, regardless of their role, is vital. This means that no gift is superior to another; all are necessary for the church to function effectively.
I encouraged everyone to be curious about their spiritual gifts and to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance in discovering and using them. It's crucial to ask the Spirit and fellow believers to help identify these gifts. This communal aspect ensures that our gifts are affirmed and utilized within the body of Christ, fostering unity and growth.
We also touched on the importance of not being consumeristic in our approach to church. The church is not merely a place we attend but a community we are part of. This mindset shift is essential for understanding our role in the body of Christ. We are called to actively participate, using our gifts to serve others and glorify God.
As we concluded, I invited everyone to respond to the good news of the gospel through prayer, giving, and partaking in the Lord's Supper. This act of communion reminds us of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, empowering us to live out our faith and use our spiritual gifts for the common good.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Importance of Spiritual Gifts: Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to every believer for the common good. These gifts are not for personal gain but to build up the body of Christ. Each gift, whether seen or unseen, is vital for the church's health and mission. We must be curious and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance in discovering and using our gifts. [20:37]
2. Unity in Diversity: The church is like a body with many parts, each essential for its proper functioning. No gift is superior to another; all are necessary. This diversity in gifts fosters unity and growth within the church. When one member suffers, all suffer; when one is honored, all rejoice. This interconnectedness highlights the importance of every believer's contribution. [39:38]
3. Consumerism vs. Participation: The church is not something we attend but a community we are part of. This shift from a consumeristic mindset to active participation is crucial. We are called to use our gifts to serve others and glorify God, not just to receive. This active involvement helps us grow and become better disciples of Jesus Christ. [44:01]
4. The Role of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the true gift, empowering us with spiritual gifts. He promotes Jesus and the gospel in our lives. Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit involves being saturated in the Word of God, leaning into prayer, and responding to His conviction and encouragement. This sensitivity helps us recognize and use our spiritual gifts effectively. [54:04]
5. Practical Steps to Discovering Gifts: To discover our spiritual gifts, we must first be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and ask for His guidance. Additionally, we should seek confirmation from fellow believers. This communal affirmation ensures that our gifts are recognized and utilized within the body of Christ, fostering unity and growth. [56:57]
### Youtube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[20:37] - Significance of Pentecost Sunday
[24:21] - Personal Story: The Impact of a Small Injury
[28:40] - Understanding Spiritual Gifts
[39:38] - Unity in Diversity: The Body of Christ
[44:01] - Shifting from Consumerism to Participation
[54:04] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
[56:57] - Practical Steps to Discovering Gifts
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
2. John 14:25-26
3. John 16:12-14
### Observation Questions
1. According to 1 Corinthians 12, what is the purpose of spiritual gifts? How does Paul describe their role in the body of Christ? ([25:40])
2. In John 14:25-26, what does Jesus say the Holy Spirit will do for believers?
3. How does Paul illustrate the importance of each member of the church in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27? What analogy does he use? ([39:38])
4. What are the three primary views of spiritual gifts mentioned in the sermon, and how do they differ? ([29:59])
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul emphasize that no gift is superior to another in 1 Corinthians 12? How does this foster unity within the church? ([39:38])
2. How does the role of the Holy Spirit, as described in John 14:25-26 and John 16:12-14, influence our understanding of spiritual gifts? ([32:50])
3. What does it mean to shift from a consumeristic mindset to active participation in the church, according to the sermon? How does this relate to using spiritual gifts? ([44:01])
4. How can the communal aspect of discovering and affirming spiritual gifts, as mentioned in the sermon, enhance the unity and growth of the church? ([56:57])
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own spiritual gifts. Have you taken steps to discover and use them within the church? If not, what practical steps can you take this week to begin this process? ([55:34])
2. How can you actively participate in your church community rather than just attending? What specific actions can you take to shift from a consumeristic mindset to one of active involvement? ([44:01])
3. Think about a time when you felt disconnected from your church community. How might discovering and using your spiritual gifts help you feel more connected and valued within the body of Christ? ([25:40])
4. How can you encourage others in your church to discover and use their spiritual gifts? What role can you play in fostering a supportive and affirming environment for this process? ([56:57])
5. The sermon mentioned the importance of being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. What practices can you incorporate into your daily routine to become more attuned to the Spirit's guidance? ([54:04])
6. How can you ensure that your use of spiritual gifts promotes Jesus and the gospel, rather than drawing attention to yourself? Reflect on specific ways you can keep your focus on glorifying God. ([32:50])
7. Identify one area in your church where you see a need for service or improvement. How can you use your spiritual gifts to address this need and contribute to the common good of the church? ([38:22])
Devotional
Day 1: The Importance of Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to every believer for the common good. These gifts are not for personal gain but to build up the body of Christ. Each gift, whether seen or unseen, is vital for the church's health and mission. We must be curious and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance in discovering and using our gifts. [20:37]
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (ESV): "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 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. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."
Reflection: What spiritual gifts do you believe the Holy Spirit has given you? How can you use these gifts to serve others in your church community this week?
Day 2: Unity in Diversity
The church is like a body with many parts, each essential for its proper functioning. No gift is superior to another; all are necessary. This diversity in gifts fosters unity and growth within the church. When one member suffers, all suffer; when one is honored, all rejoice. This interconnectedness highlights the importance of every believer's contribution. [39:38]
1 Corinthians 12:24-26 (ESV): "But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."
Reflection: Think of a time when you felt either honored or neglected in your church community. How can you ensure that others feel valued and included, regardless of their role or gift?
Day 3: Consumerism vs. Participation
The church is not something we attend but a community we are part of. This shift from a consumeristic mindset to active participation is crucial. We are called to use our gifts to serve others and glorify God, not just to receive. This active involvement helps us grow and become better disciples of Jesus Christ. [44:01]
Romans 12:4-6 (ESV): "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith."
Reflection: In what ways have you been a consumer rather than a participant in your church? What is one specific action you can take this week to actively serve and engage with your church community?
Day 4: The Role of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the true gift, empowering us with spiritual gifts. He promotes Jesus and the gospel in our lives. Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit involves being saturated in the Word of God, leaning into prayer, and responding to His conviction and encouragement. This sensitivity helps us recognize and use our spiritual gifts effectively. [54:04]
John 14:26 (ESV): "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
Reflection: How can you create more space in your daily routine to listen to the Holy Spirit? What steps can you take to be more sensitive to His guidance and conviction?
Day 5: Practical Steps to Discovering Gifts
To discover our spiritual gifts, we must first be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and ask for His guidance. Additionally, we should seek confirmation from fellow believers. This communal affirmation ensures that our gifts are recognized and utilized within the body of Christ, fostering unity and growth. [56:57]
1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Reflection: Who are the trusted believers in your life that you can ask to help you identify your spiritual gifts? How can you begin to use these gifts to serve your church community this week?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "The church is not something that you attend, but it's actually something that you are a part of. Where we grow and we discover our gifts and we use them so that others will grow and become better disciples of Jesus Christ. That is the important aspect of knowing this concept of the body of Christ and you using it for the common good for the building up of the body of Christ." [44:01]
2. "Imagine just a moment, if you will, if all of us used our strengths, our abilities, our gifts, our resources, our passions, and we brought them together to build up the kingdom of God. And I firmly believe that if a church, a body of believers does that, and we maximize our talents, our time, our treasures, we could see the world change for the gospel." [27:08]
3. "The church then is not something that you attend, is it? It's something that you actually are. And I say that because one of my biggest frustrations, honestly, in American culture, in American church, is that we become way too consumeristic when it comes to church. That we condense it down to honestly just a few gifts. Well, how well is the teaching? How well is the hospitality? And so those are a few gifts and we kind of gauge it on that. But what if it says, what does it mean for me to be a part of this? And how do I use my gift to build it up? That's a different mindset." [44:01]
4. "The Holy Spirit is actually God in you. That each one of us, if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you have the fullness of the Holy Spirit. And if you follow Jesus, He dwells in you. And so to be in tune with the Holy Spirit is, and to be aware of the gifts that He has given you. First of all, you got to be saturated in the Word of God. And the more you're leaning into relying on Him through prayer, the more you're responding to the Spirit's conviction in your heart and encouragement in your life, the more you will recognize the gifts that He has given you." [54:04]
5. "I want to tell you this morning, no matter what age or income or race or education, every believer in Jesus is given a gift that is equally important to the body of Christ through the Holy Spirit. So I just dare you this morning to ask the Holy Spirit, show me, show me, Holy Spirit, what is it? And even as I say that this morning, what is coming to your mind right now? How will you be obedient to the Spirit's work in your life, right now as he's showing you?" [55:34]
### Quotes for Members
1. "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. And so for in one's spirit, we were all baptized into one body. Jews and Greeks, slave or free, and all were made to drink of one spirit. I love this, because no matter what race, no matter where you came from, no matter your background, he says he's given those gifts equally to us." [39:38]
2. "If one member suffers, we all suffer together. And if one member is honored, we all rejoice together. You know what this means, church? That if you don't use your gifts, that we miss out. That's what that means. And it also means when you use your gifts, we rejoice together. It builds it up. It encourages us. It helps us grow. It helps us make an impact on the community. That's why there exists." [45:06]
3. "The church is something where the people of God are absolutely essential to the building up of the body. The church then is not something that you attend, is it? It's something that you actually are. And I say that because one of my biggest frustrations, honestly, in American culture, in American church, is that we become way too consumeristic when it comes to church." [44:01]
4. "The Holy Spirit promotes Jesus in your life. The Holy Spirit makes you more like Jesus in how you live your life and how you are with your family, how you are with your friends, how you are in your neighborhood, how you are at work. The Holy Spirit is doing that in your life right now if you're a believer in Christ. That's what he does. So spiritual gifts, where do they come from? Well, spiritual gifts, they do the same thing. They promote Jesus." [34:19]
5. "Imagine what could happen if we could use 100%, 100% the people here gave and served and they used their spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ. Imagine the incredible opportunities we'd have to build up one another and make disciples of Jesus and make an impact on this community. The opportunities we'd have to serve others, the opportunity we'd have to send out people that would go on mission for Jesus, imagine the opportunities." [52:49]
6. "The gifts are not the gifts themselves. The gift is the Spirit. He is the gift, right? And so the Spirit, He's a person, first of all. And we get all messed up and we think the Spirit is like a kind of a fuzzy haze that floats around. Or like we watch Star Wars, we think the Holy Spirit's like the force who comes in and gives us like an extra power. But I want to tell you the Spirit is actually God in you." [54:04]
7. "The church cannot be built on the gifts that we just see on Sunday. It's got to be gifts that can impact the whole body throughout the week. The people that interact with the church in our everyday life. Imagine if we use our gifts in those ways to proclaim Jesus." [52:49]
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