“Now Concerning Spiritual Gifts…” (Part 4 of 6)

God has given each one of us is believed spiritual gifts for a very specific purpose.

What exactly are those gifts today untruthful life weekend. Alastair Ben continues his message in first Corinthians chapter 12 were examining the first three gifts on the apostle Paul's list the gift of wisdom, knowledge, and of faith. Marisol work for Jesus non-you can do.

How many of us are sitting around waiting to be ministered to. When the thrust of Scripture is to minister how many of us are disappointed with disgruntled by the absence of ministry to eyes when the Scriptures are about administering through neither a sense of spiritual defeatism nor elitism should prevent us from the kind of discovery that God wants us to me. So the gifts are given for the common good.

When we think about this in relationship to manifestation, which is a word that is used year in verse seven, it becomes obvious that these gifts are used in a public way to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. So I don't know that there even exists. Any spiritual gift that has been given, that is present in any individual's life so that it may be on impact and import to myself alone. So when we exercise our gifts.

Not only do we minister to others, but we in turn encourage them to be involved in ministry.

That's what I'm doing right now and exercising the spiritual gift of teaching of exhorting the encouraging Ephesians 4 God has given me the gift of bringing the Scriptures to bear clarity with relative clarity on the lives of people result of which are to be that you say hey I can do that. I can understand the Bible. I would like in turn to teach the black tremendous encouragement to me to have a young man come to me after I have the opportunity to exercise my spiritual gift are a spiritual gift and come to me and say that is what I want to be able to do. I want your help to be able to minister in that way of God is gifted in that way and I'll sure be glad to help them. If you have the gift of encouragement you exercise encouragement to another person.

It creates oftentimes a chain reaction you received the note he said that is a wonderful thing.

What a Barnabas that fellow is a Barnabas.

What a Mrs. Barnabas that garlands and then use it yourself, you know, I had to write someone a note so you do and so the exercise of the gift was for the common good, simple word of encouragement. A simple note so I know I was a spiritual gift that your life is a spiritual gift of encouragement by the same token, when we fail to minister our gifts. Not only does it affect ourselves, but it affects the wider body of Christ because the body of Christ is Ephesians 4 is I've referred to. It points out the only way that the body of Christ is built up as a result of each part doing its work. You can find that in Ephesians chapter 4 and in the end of verse 16. From Jesus, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love each part does its work, not as a part burns itself out. Not as six parts carryback can, but as each part does its work. I share briefly in the prayer time this evening that the future of this church and I may have said this to you before because it is heavy on my heart of the moment. The future of this church is tied up in this phrase as each part does its work. The future effectiveness, significance, development, growth impact of the people of God in this place is grounded in this whole notion that's why it's so timely.

Nothing much is going to change as far as Sundays are concerned in this church. What I mean by that is not that we don't want the spirit of God to come upon is in a unique and fresh way to give to his unction and anointing and enablement to stir up our worship to shake is up a little bit. Frankly, many is a time were doing less than we might, but in terms of the framework of forward and were not going to change much, were committed to teaching the Scriptures were committed to worshiping together were committed to the fellowship opportunities in the study, etc. that takes place in this building we've got that pretty well set but the church is not about the Lord's day alone is also the Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday and we got myriad people in multiple places. See I saw thing in the paper this week.

Did you that you could become a penpal of someone with AIDS.

Even as I speak that I remember that I put the newspaper someone I can record it because I said I think I like to do that misandry probably say yeah just like you need another letter to writer someone else right to, but that's a separate issue has not, as none of her business, but the VA, the issue is or was a response in my heart.

Now, how about in your heart's calendar will write to those age people at that number there in the plain dealer better be a bunch of well-meaning social types of better will be hardly any conservative evangelical Christian God gift to you the gift of compassion. So what are you doing with and who knows, you've got it. Apart from Jesus and yourself. I want that every time you walk out of here as we go through first Corinthians 12, particularly the you go away completely dissatisfied until you settle in your mind between you and the Lord your place your part. Your contribution in this body will help me as best we can. I'm not sure we can do all that we need to on framing to make these statements for fear that we let you down is where the level of leadership but I think if were honest with one another and open with one another. We can enter into new dimensions of ministry that are vital to us and that we haven't even conceived of you. Scott giving you the gift of evangelism or where in the world are you using I spoke with somebody this week we were driving down the street. They pointed out as we came within about four or 500 yards of Solon high school auditorium.

They said you know I live down the street for 2 1/2 years said really Cynthia, when was that in the last few years and uncertainly in the last six and a period of time so you know that's interesting. You could just walked up to the auditorium. Join us in worship. The individual replied.

I never knew you exist to think this crummy little spire sticking up in the air is some kind of magnetic draw for Mr. Mrs. America who are right now tuned into their TV is not going to happen if we were in any other context if we were in Hong Kong.

If we were in the fall. If we were in Bolivia and we had this number of people or even 1/20 of this number of people. The all-consuming passion of our heart would be how may we get the good news of Christ into the minds and hearts of those who have never heard and not everybody will immediately respond to that but some will. And then the responsibility to whom gifts have been given is to discover the way in which those gifts might be expressed while the fourth and final question to which we come is what are these gifts. First of all we need to notice that the gifts are diverse Paul says this in three different ways between verses four and six. The word which is used in verse four is the plural form of charisma carries matter.

There are different kinds of charisma, but the same kind of spirit. This word simply means a free gift or a gift of grace. It's not a natural talent is not something that a man or woman had before coming to faith in Jesus Christ. There are many talented people in the world who don't know Jesus and don't know the fullness of the Spirit in their lives.

They have tons of talent.

You and I have talents natural talents that had nothing to do with our conversion we had them before we were converted the spirit of God may have baptized them into usefulness since conversion. They were there before, when the word is used here it refers not simply to a natural talent but to a gift given by the Holy Spirit and given in a diverse way for a unique purpose different kinds of gifts. If everyone in the orchestra played at you, but the sound would be awesome but rather dull in the same way God is not given the same gift to everyone within the church because the sound would be incredible. For example, if everybody believe themselves to have the gift of teaching the list which are given are here in first Corinthians 12 and then in Romans 12 and also in first Peter 4B take a listen at them altogether. You will find that are not identical. The fact that they're not identical probably helps us to assume that God didn't intend for us to have an exhaustive list, but rather to provide for is if you like some indications of selective descriptive indications categories. If you like of the areas of giftedness that he gives to his people the list.

In other words, is not exhaustive. I don't think you have to choose from Romans 12 first Corinthians 12 first Peter four selective not exhaustive. The diversity of what he is given in these different kinds of gifts is emphasized in the next phrase there in verse four.

There are different kinds of service. He says individuals may share the same gift by they will often use it in ministry differently. Five is maybe gifted in teaching.

Not all of us will be given a task such as this. Some of us will teach girls.

Some of us may teach women.

Some of us may teach children. Some of his may teaching a in another context altogether.

There are different dancers and diversely there and there's a diversity of the way in which those different gifts are used in the third phrase is helpful as well because there are not only different kinds of service from the same Lord. But there are different kinds of working on the same God works all of them in all men. What is that mean I think it means this that the way in which God chooses to work through certain gifts he has given will also differ.

So God has given the gift of teaching to an individual given to them the ability to to do this and in the same way he is given that to someone else here and someone else there I'd overhear. As a result of this guy teaching and he doesn't even seem to be that great teaching all manner of stuff is going on hundreds and thousands of people are coming and when we rate them on our top five heaters and even get there by God gifted him and made him a teacher and we wonder why it is that if that is happening there why it's not happening because God sovereignly gives gifts he chooses that the gifts would be used in a variety of services and he is the one who determines what will happen as a result of the exercise of spiritual one can plant another can water, but only God can make things go so we don't have to sit around worrying about how good our gift is or how well it's being used. We just have to exercise. Let us take care of the depth of the ministry that God has given us and then allow the Lord Jesus to take care of the bread of any ministry that he chooses to give the Corinthians were badly in need of this instruction because they were apparently paying more attention to dramatic things than they were to recognize the diversity which God intended. Well first of all, he says, there is the gift of wisdom to wonder, is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom. This word of wisdom in the context in which Paul is using it would seem to have been particularly a gift granted to the unlearned. In view of situations in which they were called to preach the word and to defend the gospel as a bit of a mouthful what you mean will turn to acts chapter 4 and I'll show you what I mean. Remember, it was said that the people listen to Peter and John and they were amazed at what came out of their mouths because they were unlearned and unschooled.

They were untaught as the King James version says it on taught and ignorant men. And yet there was an unmanaged power in the proclamation that came from their lips.

I believe that God gave to them this great gift of wisdom you're a member of the in the context of acts chapter 4. They have been seized. That is, Peter and John. They been put in jail.

The RR just is just this amazing thing going on where 5000 people now are believers.

The 3000 has almost doubled itself. The thing is how to control religious people are going. Goodness sake we thought. With the death of Jesus of Nazareth with dad this thing button-down we can keep it under control at all. And in verse seven they had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them by what power or what name did you do this, then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, and he runs out a sermon that would knock your socks, if ever, in a moment, a man needed the gift of wisdom he needed in that moment and he got what about two chapters later in acts chapter 6 where you have five Stephen called to give an account. Acts chapter 6 and Stephen Amand. This is verse eight.

Full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people opposition arose. However, from the members of the synagogue that I do know that these men began to argue with Stephen but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the spirit by whom he spoke.

So Paul says that have been gathered been given the gift of wisdom to some. I think the difference between the kind of special enjoyment of power that we find and ask for the next six and amongst the apostles and what we find today is simply a matter of degree. I did not believe that a message of wisdom is some esoteric little kind of ex cathedra a red telephone ditty that comes through from who knows where, but I believe that the gift of wisdom is the ability to be able to understand and apply God's word to the express circumstances of God's people and those who do not know God in the same way I believe knowledge to be much along the same lines in the time of the apostles.

It's there can be little doubt that there was a reveille to read. I mentioned to this message or this gift of knowledge to one that is given the spirit of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same spirit. For example, was not a gift of knowledge that allowed Peter to address Ananias and Sapphire in the way that he did. How else would he have known that Ananias and Sophia were monkeying around with their with their finances where pretending in their hearts that what they were doing was reality when I'm going to find what they were saying what they were doing. There was a big gap and Peter is able to look them in the eye and cedar Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you receive from the land and then when his wife comes in the hits over the same information was if you like it. He was granted a gift of knowledge. I do not believe, and I might as well just tell you this upfront so there's no confusion in your minds.

The fight that I do not believe it does not make it infallible, but I want you to know where I stand.

I'm not impressed, fly, nor do I believe that so-called charismatic words of knowledge have any relationship whatsoever to this spiritual gift, defined here in first Corinthians 12, i.e. that I would stand up and say to a group like this. There is a lady out here who has a stiff neck, and I believe God wants to heal loved ones. That's a long way from Ananias, who has moved in your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. That was an apostle putting himself on the line, was it not for after all, if Ananias had not lied to the Holy Spirit.

It would become apparent not only to the apostolate to everyone including Ananias and Sapphire. Who would've written letters for a long time to be apostle, accusing him of really bad behavior in front of the larger, what then is this knowledge the gift of knowledge as it exists today in whatever capacity seems to me the gift of being able to grasp the meaning of God's present revelation in the Scripture which is a mystery to the natural mind and it is a gift which is basic to all Christian preaching and teaching. I believe it's possible for you to have the gift of being a pastor and teacher. Without the God has granted to you the gift of wisdom and of knowledge, faith is clearly not the faith of justifying faith or saving faith. It's a special enjoyment or special something from God.

It's a peculiar confidence in peculiar boldness and assurance in advance of the gospel is being seen not only in apostolic times, but it is seen down through history.

For example, do you not think that Hudson Taylor either was the most presumptuous of manner was granted such a gift of faith to believe that the unreached nation of China can be touched with the cause of the gospel. The odd thing that Mueller in the founding of his orphanages was granted a unique gift of faith to trust God for resources that were apparently beyond the human imaginations of men and what then of the issue of healing will, in fairness, we do have to stop and and so I must. I'll be glad and I'm looking forward to coming back to this and I value your prayers as we come to the issue of healing. Until then to the question of prophecy suddenly to the question of tongues but loved ones don't get stuck on all that stuff because irrespective of what people believe and sincere people believe differently concerning the dramatic and the apparently spectacular the ultimate purpose of God in giving gifts to his people is in order that God's world might be drawn to God's for our friends and our neighbors. They never read first Corinthians 12, they would be confused and bemused by such apparently persnickety attention to detail, but they will understand the compassionate heart they will respond to the spirit of care they will be open to the word of concern and they are probably far more open to the claims of the gospel than we are actually open to be brave enough to go and tell.

Life is short.

The worst thing that would come from a study of spiritual gifts would be a dreadful N-word self defeating focus fell foul of the idea that God gave us these gifts so that we could all sit around and show them to each other rather than that we would all granted in order that we could go out and show Jesus to those who have never met God has given us spiritual gifts that are meant to point others to Jesus. Are we using our gifts for his glory listing to Alistair Begg this is Truth for Life weekend.

If you're a regular listener than you know that you can count on hearing clear and relevant Bible teaching on this program. That's because we believe Scripture is the very word of God. It's truth is unchanging and without error.

And when God's word is taught churches are strengthened pastors and members begin to understand more about their spiritual gifts and as a result they serve the local body of believers. One of our passions, a Truth for Life is to provide you with books that help you deepen your relationship with God right now will recommending the book by Alister that can help revive your prayer life.

The book is titled great big learn to pray like an apostle and comes bundled with the corresponding study guide. The book pray big examines the prayers of the apostle Paul. Forgive fusion church in order to show ordinary Christians like you and me how we can pray.

Alister shows five key characteristics putter that will energize your prayer life. You can find out more about the book pray big when you visit our website Truth for Life.Bob Lapine. I hope you'll join us next weekend is Alister examines what the Bible teaches about the gifts of healing, miraculous powers and prophecy.

These gifts still present in the church today find out is to listen next week. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life for the Learning is for Living