11.13.16~The Fundamentals of Spiritual Gifts: Part Two

Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Basic Christianity |

November 13, 2016
The Fundamentals of Spiritual Gifts: Part Two

Last week we studied the temporary gifts of the Spirit that were given to the church during that 1st century, prior to the completion of the New Testament: signs & wonders, miracles, healings, speaking in tongues, etc.

Today I’m going teach about the permanent gifts of the Spirit, present in the church until the return of Christ, when He will call all true believers to Himself, first those who have already died and then those who are still alive.

The gifts of the Spirit that are still active today are in two major categories, speaking gifts and serving gifts, and these are listed in Romans 12. But before we look at those, I want to share with you some thoughts about the recognition, distribution, and use of these spiritual gifts.

1Corinthians 13:1-7 tells us that no matter what our gift is, if we don’t offer and exercise it in love, we are like “a noisy gong or clanging symbol,” i.e., we are not a pleasant benefit to the body of Christ, but instead we are out of tune, out of step with the plan and purpose of God.

Every believer is meant to be a unique blessing to the body of Christ, living in harmony with other believers, single minded and unified in purpose, as we individually, yet corporately, serve the Lord as one people, through the bond of peace, in one body, through one baptism, with one faith, one hope, one God and Father Who is over all (Ephesians 4:3-6).

The unique giftedness God grants to every believer is similar to an artist who takes a pallet, with small amounts of many different colors on it, dips a brush into one of the colors, and then another, and perhaps another, creating a unique color, different from all the others.

Each member of the body of Christ is a unique gift to the other members, with various talents, attributes, experiences, weaknesses and strengths.
1Corinthians 12:18, “But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be,” 27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” [placed where you are by God, in order to serve Go. Romans 12:6a… Paul begins by stating the different gifts in the body of believers are provided by the grace of God; for it is God alone Who determines what gifts His children will have and exercise (1Corinthians 12:7), “for the common good,” and (v. 11) “[God] gives them to each one just as He determines.”

1Peter 4:10 tells us that God gives us spiritual gifts in order that we might “serve one another.” John MacArthur says it this way, “God gives His gifts to us for others.”
Romans 12:6b… prophecy – to speak forth, proclaiming publicly God’s Word by revelation (prior to the completion of the Bible), and reiteration [repeating, explaining, re-emphasizing], after the completion of the Bible.

1Corinthians 14:3, “Everyone who prophecies speaks to men for their strengthening [instruction, edification], encouragement [exhortation], and comfort [consolation, support].”
Romans 12:7a… service – This is every kind of practical service, [like table waiters and dishwashers], this same Greek word gives us the term “deacon” [lit. servant] i.e., wherever there is a need among the body of believers.

In 1Corinthians 12:28 it is called the gift of “helps,” i.e., helping in the church (social committee, buildings & grounds, music, slides, janitorial, visiting the sick and shut-ins, giving to the poor, helping those in need, ushering, greeting, arranging flowers, paying the bills, preparing and serving communion, making refreshments, serving in Sunday School and the nursery, etc., etc.).

Romans 12:7b… teaching – This is the ability to interpret, expose, clarify, systematically explain God’s Word in public proclamation, “house to house,” or more privately, i.e., individually, person to person.
Acts 20:20-21, “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

This is pastoral teaching from the pulpit, at Bible College or Seminary, in Sunday School, at VBA, i.e., wherever God’s truth is taught, as well as proclaiming the Good News to individuals; as Jesus commanded.
Matthew 28:19-20, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Romans 12:8a… encourage [exhortation]– This is the ability to come alongside other believers, exhorting (strongly encouraging) them to obey and follow God’s Word; warning and reproving them concerning sin in their lives, and also consoling and strengthening those who are struggling or injured, in order to bring comfort and counsel from the Word of God.

1Corinthians 4:14, “I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn [counsel] you as my dear children.”
1Thessalonians 5:11, “Encourage one another and build each other up.”
Hebrews 10:24, “let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds…,” “let us encourage one another.”

Romans 12:8b… giving – This is not giving out of your abundance, but sacrificially sharing your resources with those who are in need; with openhearted generosity, not looking for recognition, but giving quietly, out of a genuine concern and compassionate response to needs.
Acts 2:44-45, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”

Romans 12:8c… leading – Literally “to stand before,” to steer, pilot, guide or govern, with dilligence. This describes leadership in the home and church. 1Timothy 3:1, 4-5, “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” He must manage [lead] his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?).”

Romans 12:8d… showing mercy – This is to express sympathy and sensitivity to those who are suffering, in a way that helps lessen their afflictions or sorrows. James 2:15-16, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”

1John 3:16-18, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Showing mercy is expressed when we visit those in the hospital, or those confined to their home, those in jail, those who are homeless and perhaps friendless, those who have or are suffering loss, those with special needs that aren’t commonly met or fulfilled by others.
Proverbs 14:31, “He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors God.”

Showing mercy is most exemplary of Christ Himself, and if it were up to me to pick a gift from God that all believers would have in abundance and would use with great frequency, it would be showing mercy.
Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

What a different world it would be, if Christians would exercise mercy frequently and cheerfully; there would be fewer needy, especially among the Family of God; and perhaps more would come to salvation through the mercy shown them by those who have received God’s mercy.

All spiritual gifts (and natural talents ) are given by God, to be used for the edification of the whole Church, through which we are to honor and serve God by loving and encouraging one another.

The Bible does not tell us exactly how to determine our or anybody else’s spiritual giftedness; nor does it instruct us to take some type of spiritual gift inventory, go to a spiritual gift seminar, or waste our time seeking out what our giftedness is to the church.

What it tells us to do is to prayerfully study and apply God’s Word to our lives, while also actively participating in fellowship and serving in the local church, as we serve, our giftedness becomes quite clear; for we are many members, in one body, with a diversity of gifts seeking a unity of purpose — caring for one another, while sharing the message of Christ with anyone who will listen, so they might receive forgiveness for sins and eternal life.
Romans 10:13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Ephesians 2:8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith –and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

The greatest work we can do is to love one another, serving God, telling others about God’s Son, Jesus Christ, Who was put to death in order to make full payment for all our sins, according to the scriptures, He was then buried, and raised from the dead on the third day, according to the scriptures, in order to grant forgiveness for sins and eternal life to all who believe in Him.

At the moment of genuine repentance (Romans 10:9-10) confessing Christ as Lord, believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we are saved.

1Corinthians 12:13 says, that at that moment, God’s Spirit fills us, so that we are equipped to serve, and places us in the body of Christ, of which He is the head, where we are to serve.
1Peter 4:10-11, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it 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 for ever and ever. Amen.”

Pastor Mike <‘(((><