1 Corinthians 12:8 - Part A

Natural talents are what you were born with their a result of the natural birth spiritual gifts are a result of the new birth when you are born again, God might work with you virtual supernatural abilities that you should learn what they are and let them interface with your natural town spirit is vital for believers equips us with specific talents and skills can encourage others and bring more people into God's kingdom today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip shares insight to help you discover your spiritual want to tell you about respect to be a part of cultivating a more loving church than ever before United States got the devastating civil war to overcome the fighting issue was of Jesus and people who represent his life. We can help one another deal with this topic today Skip Heitzig again Tony Clark speak to white evangelical pastors about how churches we can create spaces for black and brown voices to be heard in a loving atmosphere concerning the atmosphere. The turkeys find this moment because he racism is a safe is a sin in the eye now inside job began to die them and to have a biblical mindset and also happen sympathy and empathy for those who are trying them about this Christianity and their skin may be a little bit darker than yours cultivate the entity that comes from gaining a biblical perspective on racism. Get your copy of this conversation between Pastor Skip and Tony when you get $20 or more today will also send you Pastor Skip's booklet the church and racism, call 892 1888, or give online securely connectwithskip.com/offer first: in chapter 12 is rejoining Skip Heitzig reported a study the subject of this chapter is the use in the next few chapters the use and abuse of spiritual gifts within the context of the assembly and that that use should be moderated by love. That's why the love chapters right in between chapter 12 and 13 so that the context but it's literally spiritual roles and the Greek word is pneumatic cone pneumatic cone Numa is the Greek word for spirit. It's also the Greek word same word for breath is also the same word for wind so spirit breath and wind in Greek are all use the same word Numa. It's interesting because in the Hebrew language. It's exactly the same, though the Hebrew word is Rue and rule means spirit beings when and it means breath.

So when he says concerning spirituals.

I don't want you ignorant the context demands the added word for gifts. Last week we told you about the extremes when it comes to spiritual gifts being exercised in the church we set the beef far and extreme are the cessation us believe that spiritual gifts have as the word implies ceased stopped but they were there only for the early church. Once the entire body of Scripture. The New Testament was written spiritual gifts ceased. We showed you why they believe that we told you why that's not a good way to look at it because the Scripture bears out the fact that spiritual gifts according to the old and New Testament, especially the New Testament predicted to go on to the end of the age so we we we talked about sensationalism.

Then we said the other extreme is sensationalism and that is people who who think that unless there's a wild display of ecstatic utterances and miracles happening all the time that the gifts of the spirit are not being utilized or acknowledging the Holy Spirit's work and so we told you last week. It's always important to walk with balance and I told you I'm not a fundamentalist, per se, though I am very fundamental in the doctrines of the Bible are not a charismatic, per se, I don't identify with that movement that I'm probably a fund to magic I'm in between elective balance those two extremes and and walk through the middle when we looked at the first seven verses we noted the gifts of the spirit are varied. There various gifts that they're not all identical. There's a variety of gifts it says in verse four, diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. Differences of ministries, but the same Lord died diversities of activities but the same God who works all in all. So, we noted that there are a list of nine gifts of the spirit in first Corinthians chapter 12 the first part when you get to the end of chapter 12.

He adds a few more gifts when you get to Romans chapter 12 Ephesians chapter 4 a few more gifts are added so in totality. There are between some say 18 gifts. Some say 21 gifts.

I sort of lien around 19 but it really doesn't matter exactly how many there are.

There's an infinite number of combinations because typically gifts aren't just singular. There's a multiplicity of them working simultaneously and I want to demonstrate that a little bit tonight but you can see that one gift at the same gift.

In five different people organ at five different ways depending on the personality and depending what other gifts might be present in that person's makeup so that there is differences of operation of the gifts. That's number one. We noted last week gifts are buried there are not identical, not singular. They're not monotone and then second gifts are given not earned.

You don't like it if I'm faithful at the gift of the evangelism. Maybe God will give me the gift of teaching know you God.

God gives you the gift you don't burn them or work your way up in the body, you discover the gifts God has given you, and in whom God made you to be and you find that out and just enjoy that arena. The uniqueness of the blend of those spiritual gifts in your own life and then number three we noted last week: by the way, that is in verse seven it says the manifestation of the Spirit is given notice the word given to each one for the profit of all been in verse eight to one is given the word of wisdom so the gifts their gifts their gifts to God and and gifts mean divine enablement's divine enablement's and then thirdly we noted last week that gifts are the gateway, not the goal. The gateway what I mean by that.

Why noted last time that the reason God would give you a gift isn't so you would feel fulfilled in the use of your gift.

A lot of people seek that when I do this I feel so fulfilled. That's good, that's a byproduct that is not why you have you have the gift, not so that you get edified as much as other people get out if I that's the gateway so the gift itself isn't the goal. The gift is only the gateway and the goal is the edification of the rest of the body of Christ again verse seven, the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. Now let me tell you further about spiritual gifts were to begin in verse eight tonight if we make it through verse eight and nine.

It will be amazing going to look at at least two gifts that font that are in verse eight, and then maybe two more gifts that are in verse nine, Marina take them gift by gift spiritual gifts are not the same as natural talents you might have a natural aptitude and natural talent.

You might be musically inclined. Doyle Dykes is very talented our worship team has musical talents you might have an aptitude toward mechanics or an aptitude for learning languages but that doesn't require that you have to be a saved person to be musically inclined, or mathematically inclined, or linguistically inclined. So unsaved people as well as say people can play the piano unsaved people as well as say people can have an attitude and matter mechanics or languages so it's not the same as natural talents, natural talents are what you are born with their a result of the natural birth spiritual gifts are a result of the new birth when you are born again, God might work with your talents but give you spiritual supernatural capabilities that you should learn what they are and let them interface with your natural talents. So for example somebody might have an aptitude toward speaking they're not afraid of public speaking. They're good at it like doing it. It could be that the Lord will give them a gift of evangelism or gift of teaching they would go those gifts or prophecy or the word of wisdom or knowledge is will describe those spiritual enablement's couple where well or pair well with the natural aptitude, natural talents, but you need to understand that natural talents and spiritual gifts are different from one another that they can work in combination with each other.

You might be. Naturally, a visionary, is another example. And as a visionary or a leader you're a pioneer kind of a personality.

The gift of faith. Pairs well with that but again one is different from the other a natural talent is not the same as a spiritual gift so I'm gonna read all the way from verse one down to verse eight and within the look at these two gifts that are in the eighth verse now concerning spirituals, brethren, pneumatic home, spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore, I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit differences of ministries, but the same Lord. Diversities of activities, but it is the same God works all in all, but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same spirit. Let's take the first gift in the eighth verse, the word of wisdom.

I think we ended last week by noting that a certain amount of wisdom is guaranteed or offered to all believers right if anyone lacked wisdom. James wrote, let him ask of God, who gives liberally to all and does not reproach, it will be given to him but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. So if you need wisdom you ask for, but we also noted as we close last week that there are in Scripture. Certain people who were given on the usual wisdom and the one that is most notable is Solomon.

It says in the Old Testament that Solomon had understanding and wisdom and largeness of heart more than anyone else on the earth at that time he was an incredibly wise person. The gift of the word of wisdom is different than what Solomon experience an exercise. Solomon had in the usual gift as a leader of the second king of his 13 of Israel.

Saul and David and Solomon.

He asked specifically for wisdom, God gave them wisdom, but it seemed that Solomon had a reservoir of wisdom like it any time he could just make a wise decision to write down wise things and people would come to him and asked wise counsel I see in the Scripture, the word of wisdom as being a supernatural enablement for a very particular time when wisdom is required is not a reservoir of wisdom. It's an episode of wisdom.

It's a special anointing to say something that is wise to die fuse a situation or to bring something that's just perfect for that moment. Let me give you what I think is an example of somebody doing that in the New Testament somebody whose unique and that is the Lord Jesus Christ and you expect Jesus to be wise of the book of Colossians says that the Jesus was the repository of all knowledge and wisdom dwelt within him, but on one occasion, they came to Jesus and they said Rabbi is it right is a lawful should we pay taxes to Caesar or not. Now Jesus called the people who ask him that question hypocrites because he knew why they asked that question they asked him the question should we pay taxes to Caesar because they knew that they were putting Jesus in a Catch-22 situation a difficult situation no matter how he would answer it if you would say yes you should or know you certain that that would trap him with certain people.

If he were friends and say yes you should pay taxes to Caesar. He knew that he had a lot of people following him who were very antigovernment anti-Herod anti-Rome kind a revolutionary type who would immediately turn against him. If he were to say no I don't think you should pay any taxes to Caesar only give your allegiance to God. Forget Caesar well than he could be guilty of subverting the Roman government could get arrested could get into trouble so Jesus gave this answer.

Show me a coin and he said whose faces on the coin whose mug is on it whose inscription is on his Caesar's inscription handed aback to miss it and give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and get the gobble belongs to God. It says the people marveled at that, they marveled at his wisdom, it was just the perfect answer was just the right thing to say.

So why well what is what is that play into a spiritual gift will if you remember the Lord Jesus promised his followers that they would be in difficult situations, but that God would give them wisdom. During those situations.

Now I have pre-marked my Bible and you can turn there if you'd like to Matthew chapter 10, where Jesus makes this promise, this is Matthew chapter 10 I'm reading Matthew 10 verse 16. Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.

Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

That's the command. Be wise as serpents.

Why do you do that. Listen to what he says but beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak, for it will be given you in that hour what you should speak, for it is not you who speaks but the spirit of your father who speaks in you while do we see this happening, do we see this promise happening this wise episode will kind of experiences speaking wisdom. Yes, we do in the New Testament book of acts Stephen, who was one of the deacons in the early church says he was a man filled with faith and wisdom and also in that chapter, filled with power and wisdom, and when he spoke in the synagogue and he gives gives his testimony in acts chapter 7 it says and they were not able to resist the spirit of the wisdom and the spirit by which Stephen spoke. He spoke such this young man spoke such words of wisdom and such spirit filled words. It's an incredible testimony in that moment God gave him the ability to do that later on we find in the acts chapter 15 there was a problem in the early church. The problem is, how does a person get saved.

How do we in a Jewish culture tell people's non-Jewish people how to get saved.

That was a problem because Paul and Barnabas had been up in Antioch. They preach the gospel Gentiles are coming to Christ people from Jerusalem came up to Antioch and said, unless you are circumcised and keep the laws of Moses. You can't be saved. So Paul says let's take this to the Council down in Jerusalem.

So Paul and Barnabas went down to Jerusalem and the very first Council meeting of the church took place in the 15th chapter of the book of acts. Paul told them what was going on in this division that had occurred because you know you have non-Jewish people who don't keep the laws of Moses having circumcised what they believe in Jesus and that you have these legal essay know you have to go to Judaism to be said so Peter stands up and exercises. I think a word of wisdom, followed by James standing up and also speaking a word of wisdom, Peter says, why do you test God and place upon the disciples are yoke which neither our fathers nor we were ever able to bear. So then James that leader of the Council in Jerusalem says let's send a letter to the Gentiles in Antioch and say abstain from things offered to idols abstain from blood taking blood drinking blood. I want to explain that. Now I have in the past they did it make them abstain from animals that have been strangled and from fornication. If you do this you do well, that's all they said those were only the things they said to do you believe in Jesus Christ don't offend her Jewish brethren, by just stay away from these things. If you do that you define.

It says when they read the letter.

They were greatly encouraged by that letter so there's a few instances right there of the word of wisdom just the right wise thing to say to quell the disturbance or to give a witness for the gospel.

Here's another example of the word of wisdom I believe and the reason I'm giving you these examples is because unlike the gift of prophecy or tongues which are written about in detail and profit, prophecy, tongues in a couple of others miracles and fate of those are written about in detail in the Scripture. These are. It just mentions word of wisdom, word of knowledge, etc. so I need to kinda take you to these different portions of Scripture. That's when Avenue turn.

Here's another example in acts 23 when Paul is in Jerusalem and he there. He's been arrested and he's been arrested because they brought an accusation saying that he had brought in Ephesian Gentile into the temple court of the court of the men. It was a false accusation anyway. Paul gets arrested and is brought before the Jewish Sanhedrin and they are ready to tear into him the Artie started beating him up. The Romans took him and now he's standing trial again before the Jewish Sanhedrin. It says in acts 23 Paul perceived that one part was Pharisee and the other part were Sadducees and so he said this man and brethren, I am standing here today because I believe in the resurrection of the dead faith in the resurrection of the dead. Because I'm a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee and I am being judged because I believe in the resurrection of the dead.

Well, at that point, the Pharisees that witness any problem with this guys a Pharisee son of a Pharisee and that Sadducees who deny that there is a resurrection denies spirits deny the miraculous on it says the group was divided and instead of trying to kill Paul and fight against Paul.

There was a division between the Council itself.

The Pharisees and the Sadducees, and this division caused them to fight and argue with each other so that sort of weld the disturbance. As far as Paul was concerned, and the Roman soldiers could extricate Paul to safety. After that, so he said just the wisest thing to take the spotlight off of himself that his life would be spared so that he could continue in his witness to the gospel and that set them at odds with each other.

So I think all of these are examples of the word was Skip the message from the series expound first coming to Skip to share how you can keep these messages coming your way and connect others around the world with God's truth for all the wisdom that the Bible does contain it's worthless if you don't apply it to your life.

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Skip Heitzigs of shares how God empowers you with his wisdom, sought a reservoir of wisdom episode was where God gives you the wisest thing to say at that time. How does one get such a well and you see the Lord with