In this sermon, Pastor Mark kicks off a short sermon series to help people determine their spiritual gifts and how God has uniquely designed them to serve His Kingdom. In this sermon, he talks about the Holy Spirit-filled ministry of Jesus as well as the differences between getting a gift vs using a gift, what God creates vs what Satan counterfeits, the physical body vs the church body, Christian ministry vs Christian maturity, and public vs private worship.
Spiritual Gifts: Finding Your Position on Team Jesus! (4 weeks, free book)
- We’ve all been on Teams (school, work, band, sports, military)
- 2 Teams early Church – Caesar is Lord vs Jesus is Lord (same today)
= God works 1. for you 2. in you 3. through you
= FANTASY LEAGUE (players v fans) = winning TEAM!
Spirit-Filled Ministry
Luke 3:21-22, 4:1, 4:14, 4:18 when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him… And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit… And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit…“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me…””
Acts 1:8, 2:1-2, 2:4 you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses… When the day of Pentecost arrived…suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting…And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
- The Holy Spirit is THE GIFT who also gives other spiritual gifts
- A. People are gifts B. People have gifts
Ministry –going work w/God Father Jn 5:17 “My Father is working…& I am working.”
Spiritual Gifts
Romans 1:11-12, “I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”
1 Corinthians 12:8–11, 12:28; Romans 12:6–8; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 4:10-11
A spiritual gift is any ability that the Holy Spirit uses to do ministry through you
- Every believer has at least one gift, & degrees of gifting
- HS chooses (content vs covet)
- Lists examples not exhaustive (OT artists; celibacy 1 Cor. 7:7; worship)
- Variety – Ordinary to Extraordinary. One-time events to ongoing roles.
= 1. Serving. 2. Speaking. 3. Sign (cessationism vs continuationism)
= Divine Design
1 Corinthians 12-14
Getting a Gift vs Using a Gift
1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
- #1. Discover your gift
A. Unique? B. How has God used you? C. Others input? D. Passion? E. Joy?
- #2. Learn how to use your gift (e.g. car, instrument)
= Trial & Error serving– me kids, Grace & I kids & meals, Bible studies, God spoke
God Creates vs Satan Counterfeits
1 Corinthians 12:2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
- God creates ministry, Satan counterfeits w/anti-ministry
- Warning/shadow
Physical Body vs Church Body
1 Corinthians 12:12 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. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…4 For the body does not consist of one member but of many…17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
- MIRACLE: 206 bones, 650 skeletal muscles, 210 types of cells
= 1. Unity. 2. Diversity (unity v uniformity). 3. Interdependence (Acts 13)
Christian Ministry vs Christian Maturity
13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, all things. 8 Love never ends…13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
- Jesus? You?
- OREO – 1 Cor. 12,14 Christian ministry 1 Cor. 13. Christian Maturity
- Diff’t gifts of Spirit, same Fruit off the Spirit = LOVE (Gal. 5:22) for ALL XN’s’
=Love languages (give & receive love) – spouse/kids/friends
=Love works outside of gift
Public vs Private Worship
1 Corinthians 14:4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church…7 If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played?…12 since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church…17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up…20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking… 40 But all things should be done decently and in order.
- Private – for just you (sing in car)
- Public – for others, not just you (sing in church)
= Leaders & processes