Gifted for a Purpose

This morning we begin a new sermon series on the Spiritual Gifts. I am excited about this opportunity to examine the biblical teaching on the Gifts and how God has designed and equipped us to minister together as a church. The title of the series is Equipped to Serve and over the next 5 weeks we are going to tackle this important, but often neglected area of study. I am going to try to answer questions such as “what is a spiritual gift?” “how do I know if I have one?” “do I get to choose my gift?” “what is the purpose of spiritual gifts?” and maybe some are even thinking, “will I be able to heal people like Benny Hinn?” [No - and the heretic Hinn doesn’t really heal people either!]

Transition:

A way of thinking about the Gifts that may be helpful is to consider how different professions use specific tools. Think of a surgeon in the Operating Room. He calls the nurse to hand him retractors and she gives him a hammer; he asks for a scalpel and she hands him a pocket knife; he asks for forceps and she hands him a pair of pliers.

That surgeon would find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to perform surgery with such tools. Surgical instruments are precise and formed for a specific function. Likewise, the church has been given spiritual gifts in order that the purposes of the church can be carried out in an effective manner. When the members are not using their gifts, or using them improperly, the mission of the church suffers accordingly.

The topic of Spiritual Gifts is covered in several areas of the NT including Romans, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, and 1 Peter. The most extensive teaching on the Gifts is found in , and this is the section of Scripture we will be looking at together.

Now before we read the text this morning, a quick bit of background will be helpful. Paul was the Apostle who founded the Church at Corinth, and he stayed with them about 1 1/2 years. After Paul moved on with his mission of planting churches, other leaders took over the shepherding and teaching ministry. After an unknown amount of time had passed, the Church began experiencing difficulties and had reached out to Paul for help.

But before we read the text this morning, a quick bit of background will be helpful. Paul was the Apostle who founded the Church at Corinth, and he stayed with them about 1 1/2 years. After Paul moved on with his mission of planting churches, other leaders took over the shepherding and teaching ministry. After an unknown amount of time, the Church began experiencing difficulties and had reached out to Paul for help.

Paul discovered that the church was divided into several different groups (cliques) that weren’t getting along; they had confusion about marriage principles, they were abusing the Lord’s supper, Christian liberty was being manipulated, and some were even giving approval to sexual immorality within the Church! On top of all that, they were also confused about the means and principles of the Spiritual Gifts.

The letter of 1 Corinthians contains Paul’s response to these and other problems. Our attention will be given specifically to the issue of Spiritual Gifts, so we will only be looking at chapters 12-14. These three chapters form one cohesive unit on the Gifts, and they need to be studied together. Over the next 5 weeks, we are going to look at the nature and purpose of the gifts with a desired outcome of seeing the Kingdom advance as we become more effective for ministry.

Read The Text:

From this text, along with other passages, it seems that God’s plan is for ALL Believers to be active in serving. Let’s take a closer look and see if we can find some indicators that support this idea.

One indicator that supports this idea of all believers serving is that all believers are spiritual equals (1-3)

Explanation: One of the major issues facing the Corinthian believers was the existence of a group of spiritual elites. This group of believers was instrumental in the confusion and division. They considered themselves as superior Christians, and they looked down on the others. This attitude created the feeling amongst others that they were only second-class believers. The “spirituals” lorded it over the rest, and made them feel inferior and unable to contribute.

One of the marks that set the “spirituals” apart from the other believers was the presence of the sign Gifts, especially the gifts of tongues. These “spirituals” were proud of their ability, and they used it to form an exclusive group within the fellowship. The idea was that if you didn’t speak in tongues you had not yet advanced to the rank of a genuine, meaningful believer.

Illustrate: Security badge system at CNSYD. Yellow badges were limited; red badge indicated a Secret Level of clearance. The red badge gave access to the submarines and the industrial area.

Argument: Clearance levels are appropriate for the government, but they don’t work well in the Church. A genuine Church of Jesus doesn’t have restricted access levels and advanced levels. ALL the knowledge of the Bible is open to all believers. The only requirement is desire and time. The Church doesn’t confer degrees or levels along with previously hidden knowledge to the elites

In these first three verses, Paul is making a case for all believers to be recognized as equally spiritual. He does this by declaring that what make a person spiritual is the Indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. Only a person who has the Spirit is going to genuinely proclaim “Jesus is Lord!”

Paul is declaring that the key factor is the presence of the Holy Spirit Himself. Whether a believer spoke in tongues was not the issue. It was not a sign of a Second Blessing then, and it is not now. Speaking in tongues is not a sign of spiritual elevation, because none of the gifts elevate one Christian over another.

Not being Charismatic, we may not relate to this issue of speaking in tongues as being the sign of spiritual maturity. We Baptists can still be elitist, and this can be seen in the way we tend to elevate missionaries (and some celebrity pastors) to a special status. These are indeed specialized roles to which God calls some of His servants. This calling, however, does not elevate the one called to a higher level of sainthood.

Application: accept your status in Christ. What a blessing that is of itself! Every believer is equally saved and sealed by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Also realize that this means Christian Service is open to all believers - of which you are one!

A second indicator that all believers are to serve is because God has empowered the church for service through spiritual gifts

Explanation: Paul takes pains to show the Corinthian believers that God is the Giver of the Spiritual Gifts. Paul indicates that although there are a variety of these gifts, it is the same God who gives them. The fact that Paul uses the different words of gifts, service, and activities doesn’t indicate separate categories. What is important is the Trinitarian formula of God that Paul uses to define the Giver. Paul emphasizes it is the same Spirit, it is the same Lord, and it is the same God who is behind the Gifts.

There may be confusion and division in the church, but there is absolutely no confusion or division in Heaven! Each of the Persons of the Godhead are in complete agreement. Our God is One God in Nature, but He reveals Himself to us through the unique personalities of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God has deliberately chosen to Gift His church

Illustrate: Why are students required to have a pencil or pen and paper? Because they will need to use them in class to complete assignments.

Why is a carpenter required to have a hammer and nails, and a saw and tape measure? Because he needs these things to build things.

Why does a surgeon have a scalpel, retractors, forceps and other instruments? So he can perform surgery.

Argument: God has given his Church a mission and a mandate. The church of the first century was tasked with the spread of the Gospel and the important duty of making disciples. That mission has not been changed, and believers are still called to share the Gospel and make disciples.

God, because of His infinite power and His limitless resources could directly intervene and complete the task Himself. He could send angels to the Capitol Buidling, the Kremlin, and all the caves in Afghanistan to proclaim the truth about Jesus as the world’s only hope. He could do it that way, but He has chosen to use the Church.

Because God is the One who gave the mission, He is also the One who enables His children to complete the mission. God gives Himself to us in the person of the Holy Spirit, and He gives us His Word that we might learn how to live. In addition, He also empowers and energizes the Church through the Gifts of the Spirit.

Application: Doctors, students, and carpenters are expected to use the tools and training they have been given tools. Since God equips the Church with Spiritual Gifts, why do we think His expectations will be lower?

A third indicator that each believer is to serve is because each one has been gifted

Explanation: Paul was giving the Corinthians this teaching as a corrective. The “spirituals” were being exclusive and looking on the other believers as lower class Christians. A very important truth that would serve to correct this misunderstanding is that each and every believer has been given a Spiritual Gift. The Gifts are not just for a certain group, and they have not been given so a particular group could feel superior. There is no place in the Church for spiritual snobbery!

Argument: In our present day the great danger is the view of the professional clergy. The idea is that churches financially support the pastor, so he is the one who is expected to do the ministry. A common refrain in Baptist Churches is, “that’s what we pay the pastor for!” And rightfully, they are many tasks and duties that a pastor is to perform.

In the Divine ordering of the Church, nowhere is the elder called on to perform all of the ministry in the local church. As a matter of fact, the main ministry of a pastor is to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (). That is what I try to do an a daily and weekly basis: I give you spiritual truth that you might stand firm against the lies and deceptions of the enemy; I try to encourage you through prayer and messages that you might have strong families that flourish, and I challenge you through the Word that you might grow into effective disciple-makers.

The equipping part of the ministry is very important. This is what I am doing right now. I want to make sure you don’t miss this truth - if you are a believer, you have been given a Spiritual Gift. And if you have been given one, God expects you to use it!

Application: Get an accurate understanding of your mission. It is not just to show up here and sit and soak. You are here to be equipped and trained for ministry, and to be challenged to accept the mission. God is the General who sets the strategy and empowers His people. I am just the encourager who reminds you of what God has done, and what He expects.

And one very important reason for believers to serve is that if you aren’t serving, the Kingdom advance is weakened

Explanation: Paul tells them that each of them has been given a gift so that, as a whole, the Church might be built up (v. 7). The gifts are given for the common good, not for individual glory. In the next few verses, Paul lists several of the different types of gifts. He tells these believers that some of them have the gift of Wisdom, some have the gift of knowledge, while others have been given a specialized faith, and then some have the gift of spiritual discernment, and finally some had been given the ability to speak in other languages.

Paul’s point is that God had given this variety of Spiritual Gifts to the various members. In His wisdom, God equips the members of His Church in different ways because He expects each of them to perform different acts of Kingdom ministry.

Illustrate: what would a high school marching band sound like if the percussion section didn’t show up? The instruments are there, but no one to play them? What would happen to this country if the truck drivers didn’t drive? What happens when the garbage collectors go on strike?

Argument: Each member of the Church is important. There are no “special” people who are more important than others. Some may have positions within the body that are more visible or prominent than others, but that doesn’t make them more important to God. After all, He is the One who gave them the gift and called them to that position. No one does any Kingdom work through his or her own effort.

Application: Because God is the One who gives the Gifts, He is also the One with the expectations of service. It comes down to the issue of obedience. Are you willing to use what He has given you for the common good of the Church and for the advancement of the Kingdom? Without your unique contribution, the mission suffers and the advance weakens while the darkness grows.

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