6. TRAVEL TIES AND HARD GOODBYES

6. TRAVEL TIES AND HARD GOODBYES

During Paul’s third missionary journey he penned the letters to the Corinthians.

I Corinthians 12:1-11, 27-30; Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11-13

Understanding of Spiritual Gifts

1. We do not need to be intimidated by the subject of spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 12:1).

There has been fear cast on this particular study. Anything involving spiritual gifts will often make people shy off and fear a coming division.

The word “ignorant” means “to not have understanding, not to be able to recognize, to not know it when you see it.”

The enemy wants us to be very intimidated by this subject, because he knows it is the key to the healthy and functioning church.

2. Scripture seems to suggest we should resist being overly dogmatic about spiritual gifts.

Not one of these lists is totally inclusive of all the others. God inspired that under the direction of His Holy Spirit. God is saying “Be really careful here to presume what I will or will not do.” This is a subject where He will not allow us to be dogmatic. We are not to tell God what He can do and what He cannot do. God is sovereign.

3. Spiritual gifts are products of grace. “Charisma” means “a gift of grace, an undeserved benefit.”

Not one of our spiritual gifts is earned. It is a pure gift of grace given to us by Christ (Ephesians 4:8). This is how the Holy Spirit shares the ministry of Christ with us. It is something never to be taken for granted.

4. God gives different kinds of spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 12:4). 

This is the number one subject the enemy uses to keep us divided. God divided it so that we would have to unify. Satan continually uses us through this particular subject to be divided over and over again. What God gave for unity, he constantly uses to pull us apart, to separate us, and to divide us.

“Different” means "division, distribution, classification, apportionment." God purposely divided the gifts among us so we would be compelled to be unified in order to function properly as a church (I Peter 4:10). “Various forms” means "variegated, multi-colored!" (I Corinthians 12:4).

1 Peter 4:10 – Various forms (poikilos, Greek), is the word from which we derive the English work “polkadot.” Spiritual gifts are the ways God through His Holy Spirit splashes color all over the pristine white walls of the church. He meant for us to have splashes of bright color, through the way of spiritual gifts. We are supposed to be different so that we can find our way together. God divided the gifts among us so that we can unify.

1 Corinthians 12:4 – If we have the same Lord we have our basis for unity in the church.

5. Spiritual gifts are manifestations of the Spirit (I Corinthians 12:7). 

“Manifestation” means “to make visible or observable.”

Your spiritual gifts are ways that Christ wants to make Himself observable; ways that God wants to make His Son conspicuous in you. The manifestation of His Spirit is given to us to manifest Him.

6. God give spiritual gifts to every believer (I Corinthians 12:11).

You will never open the wrong present when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit. He knew exactly what He was doing when He gave you that particular one. What He gave you by way of His Spirit is exactly what He wanted for you, and fitted into this generation, into this present body of Christ, before the foundation of the world.

7. Your spiritual gifts are given to you but not primarily for you (I Peter 4:10; I Corinthians 12:7).

1 Peter 4:10 – We are to use what gift we have received for the edification of the body.

1 Corinthians 12:7 – It is a very, very serious thing, not to use our spiritual gifts. Once we are aware we have been gifted in the Spirit, we have a responsibility. It is a very serious thing to withhold your spiritual gifts from the body of Christ, and to not serve with them; because we are robbing the body, and it was for them.

8. Spiritual gifts remind us how much we need each other (I Corinthians 12:21).

Christ made sure we needed each other so that we would seek one another out. The tragedy of trying to be a one-man show; somehow do it all by ourselves, is that we have missed finding that other puzzle-piece that would have worked with us to make us a team. There is no way to do it all by yourself. God fits us together and shows us our need.

9. Spiritual gifts can be counterfeited or exercised “in the flesh” (I Pet. 4:11; I Corinthians 13:1-3).

1 Peter 4:11 – One way that we can know we are using our spiritual gifts incorrectly is if man is praised.

Ways gifts can be counterfeited in the flesh:

A. Giving – Wanting people to know how much you’ve given.

B. Discernment – Sometimes, a judgmental or critical attitude.

C. Leadership / Administration – Domineering attitude/No accountability.

Nobody in the body of Christ should be above question. Everyone should stay in check with the other members of the body.

D. Serving – To emphasize it more than the relationship we have with Christ.

E. Teaching / Prophecy – Where these gifts are used to teach or speak for their own personal opinions.

F. Mercy – Completely excusing every kind of sin.

G. Shepherding – By leading a flock to follow the shepherd, instead of the Great Shepherd Himself.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 – One check on our spiritual gifts is our exercising them in love for the body of Christ; flowing out of love we have for Christ Himself. We cannot serve in love if we’ve slipped into the flesh.

10. Our spiritual gifts accompany the residence of the Holy Spirit in us when we receive Christ, but they are developed through spiritual maturity and practice. Paul told Timothy to “fan into flames the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6).

It is our direct responsibility to fan our gift into a flame, to use it, and to practice it. God gives us the gift and then tells us to study; to fan our gift into a flame.

I Corinthians 2:9-10

God has plans in your life to use the manifestations and the Spirit through your life to do what you could never have dreamed.