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Review last week.
Enriched in every way because we are in Christ.
In giving us his son, God has given us everything he had.
He could give us nothing greater and more valuable.
When you are not here, you cannot experience just how deep, and mysterious, and glorious the riches of Christ are and neither can we.
We need each other in this way.
We are interdependent upon each other in this manner.
Last week we also explored how God builds his church – through proclamation and confirmation.
We proclaim, God confirms.
It is our joyful duty to proclaim Christ vocally, and it is God’s work to confirm in the lives of those who hear it.
I shall start by making the connection between this verse and the previous ones.
Notice it begins with “therefore” and as many have said before in teaching how to study your bible, when you see “therefore” you should ask yourself what is it “there for.”
The reason it is there is to summarize what has preceded.
The summary goes something like this – you do not lack any spiritual gift because of the grace of God given in Christ Jesus.
This grace of God has enriched you not just a little bit, or in a few areas, but in every way, especially in all your speech and knowledge.
In other words, verse seven is telling us the effect of Gods’ confirming grace in the church at Corinth.
Paul preached Christ to the Corinthians, God confirmed it by enriching them in every way so now Paul can even say they are not lacking in any spiritual gift.
1) A Gifted Church
a) “Spiritual gift?”
i) It is simply referring to any expression or manifestation of God’s grace evidenced in the life of a believer.
The fullest manifestations of these gracious spiritual gifts are the gifts of eternal life and righteousness in Jesus Christ.
When we stop and consider how enriched we are in Christ, as we did last week, we can fully understand how Paul can say to the church of Corinth, you are not lacking in any spiritual gifts.
Spiritual gift can refer to the miraculous gifts of speaking in tongues, prophesying, divine revelation or to something less supernatural like the gift of preaching, teaching, serving, encouraging, etc.
At any rate, the church of Corinth is not lacking in any spiritual gifts.
b) Not lacking
i) We would do well to notice here again Paul’s use of the plural pronoun “you.”
It cannot be said of one individual believer, “you do not lack any spiritual gift.”
Paul is not saying each individual possesses every gift there is to have.
In fact, for one to claim so would be ludicrous and flatly reject all that Scripture says about community.
(1) If 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 make any point at all, it is that we are each given different gifts for the edification of each other.
One person has the gift of teaching, another preaching, and another serving so we are dependent upon each other in this manner.
Nowhere does it teach that to one person is given all the gifts.
(2) Certainly to some more are given and this is all to the praise of his glorious grace and for the benefit of his church.
It is not to be a cause of envy or strife or division.
If we each possessed all of the gifts, we would not need each other.
We would be an island unto ourselves.
ii) Therefore, “you” do not lack any spiritual gifts refers to the entire local church of Corinth.
As a whole, as an entire community, they do not lack any spiritual gifts.
“But the local church potentially does have every spiritual gift within its corporate life, and should prayerfully expect God to bring them into mature expression (Prior, 24).”
The church as a whole has an abundance of spiritual talents.
It is not lacking.
c) Each Individual - Now, having emphasized the abundance of spiritual talents the church has as a whole, let me stop and focus on the nature of gifts in each individual.
i) First, God gives the gifts.
A theological seminary or a Christian college cannot dispense spiritual gifts to its students.
(1) Ephesians 4:7-13 teaches Christ, “ascended on high, he led captives to his train and gave gifts to men…he gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.
(2) 1 Corinthians 12:11 says, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
These verses clarify that it is Christ through the Holy Spirit that determines who in the body of Christ will have which gifts.
ii) Second, scripture teaches if you are a believer you have at least one spiritual gift, maybe more.
(1) Believe it or not, if you are a believer it is settled that you have a spiritual gift.
Each passage of Scripture that gives any discussion to spiritual gifts dramatically emphasizes this fact.
(a) 1 Corinthians 12:7 – “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
(b) 1 Corinthians 12:11 – “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”
(c) Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”
(d) 1 Peter 4:10 – “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
In each of these verses you have heard the phrase, “to each one.”
(2) This individualizes each member with his gift.
You can never say I have no spiritual gift to use.
As a believer, God has given you a gift.
iii) Third, the purpose of your God given gift.
Spiritual gifts are given to equip the church to carry out its ministry until Christ returns.
Our verse here makes this point for us doesn’t it?
(1) In 1 Peter 4:10 we are told we are given these gifts “to serve others”
(2) Ephesians 4:12 we read we are given these gifts, “to equip God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ might be built up.”
iv) Fourth, put the gift into practice.
It is not enough to know that you have them.
You have to put the gift into practice to develop it.
(1) In 1 Timothy 4:13, Paul tells Timothy to give himself to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching.
In verse 14, Paul tells Timothy not to neglect the gift of God which is in him.
The gift spoken of in the singular is apparently a combination of all the gifts possessed by Timothy, including exhortation, teaching, and whatever other gifts were his.
Paul’s direction to him is that he is not to neglect them, but pay close attention to them with a view to sharpening and developing them into greater and greater effectiveness.
(2) In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul tells Timothy to kindle afresh, or build a fire under, the gift that he has.
He was to do everything in his power to enhance that gift.
He was to study ways that the gift could become more effective.
He was to practice and practice and practice until the gift developed into a very smooth technique.
Over the passage of time, the gift would increase in effectiveness, its value and contribution toward the growth of the body of Christ becoming greater and greater.
(3) This serves to teach us that servants of God must continue developing their gifts.
They must constantly seek improvement, always looking for ways to enhance their gifts and make them more profitable for people whom they serve.
Ongoing development is of prime importance in the use of our spiritual gifts.
d) Entire Church - Having briefly discussed spiritual gifts for each individual, let us make a few points of application for how this should work out in the entire church at large.
i) First, remember that each member of the body of Christ is needed.
(1) It is true with the body of Christ as it is true with the human body.
If any individual member of the human body fails to function, it cripples the human body.
The body cannot operate at its maximum efficiency and effectiveness without that member.
So it is in the body of Christ.
Every single member is absolutely necessary for the smooth operation of the spiritual body.
(2) Every gift, no matter how apparently insignificant, is vital to the effective functioning of the body of Christ.
Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 12 that no member of the body can look at itself and say, “I am not needed.”
Variety is necessary; all functions must be operative.
(3) An individual contribution may appear to be quite small, but I assure it is not.
Its absence initiates a chain reaction of hindrances and far-reaching losses in the growth of the body.
(4) Illustration - *Dizzy Dean *Dizzy Dean, famous baseball pitcher, once was hit by a line drive directly on his toe.
Not too big a deal.
But he didn’t give it adequate time to heal and instead kept pitching.
Because of the pain he felt whenever he put any weight on that toe, he changed his delivery.
This put additional stress on his pitching arm, and forced him into retirement.
A “little thing” like a stubbed toe ended up having major and unforeseen consequences.
Source unknown
(5) Never in this life will a time come when we can sit back and assume that the church no longer needs our gifts.
We must continue contributing our part, even though it may seem very small in comparison to the contribution of others.
ii) The second point of application is that while the church as a whole may not be lacking in any spiritual gift, it is lacking in its exercising of them.
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