Dr. Montia Setzler, Senior Pastor
April 24, 2016
Series: It’s Your Serve
Understanding Your Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 12:1–11 (HCSB)
1 Now concerning what comes from the Spirit: brothers, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you used to be led off to the idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I am informing you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. 7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages, to another, interpretation of languages. 11 But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.
1. SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE GIVEN AND CONTROLLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT vv 1-3
• Spiritual gifts are determined and given by the Holy Spirit.
v 11 But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.
• You cannot curse Jesus and be Spirit-led at the same time.
• Our spiritual gifting is evidence of the lordship of Jesus.
2. WHILE THERE IS DIVERSITY IN THE GIFTS, THERE IS UNITY IN THE SPIRIT vv 4-6
• The Holy Spirit provides an arsenal of spiritual gifts.
• The diversity of gifts supports the diversity of ministries in the church.
• Spiritual gifts reflect the activity of the Holy Trinity in our spiritual activities.
3. EVERY BELIEVER IS GIVEN SPIRITUAL GIFTS, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM vv 7-10
• The purpose of gifts is to produce what is beneficial – building up the church.
1 Corinthians 14:12 (HCSB)
So also you – since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in building up the church.
• We have some gifts, not all the gifts – that is why we need one another.
• Talents and abilities are not the same as spiritual gifts.
• When the whole body is present, the church has all the gifts it needs.
Practical steps of discovering and using your spiritual gifts:
1. Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal your spiritual gifts to you.
2. Ask others who know you well what gifts they see in you.
3. Attend the SERVE class that will help you discover your spiritual gifts.
4. Use your spiritual gifts to build up the church.
There are a host of spiritual gifts that God gives to believers. While we do not possess all of them, we do all get some of them. The purpose of these gifts centers on building up the body of Christ. When we exercise our gifts, the church has all the gifts needed to accomplish the assignment God gives to it.
