"Variety Pack"
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
(Show Box of Chocolates Picture)
You all recognize what this is, right?
Yep....It's a box of chocolates....
....A certain percentage of you are now thinking about Christmas.
....Others of you are thinking about how expensive these chocolates are
....And I know some of you are thinking about Forrest Gump (You know who you are)
Well....In most gift boxes....you have around 5 varieties of chocolates.
You have your Caramels & Toffee....Your Nuts and peanut butter....Your creams and soft centers....You have your Truffles and dark chocolates....and - finally – you have your marshmallow and nougat.
I have no idea what nougat is....but its a fun word to say...Nougat!
Anyway....in these boxes of chocolates, there are similarities....and differences...amongst all of the pieces...
They are similar in that they all come in the same box....they are a 'family of candy', so to speak...
Another commonality is that they all are covered with a layer of chocolate...
Lastly, all of these candies are designed for the same general purpose....that being....to bring great joy to someone's taste buds...
So....we have a family of candy..... covered with chocolate....created for a singular purpose....
But....there are also differences.
One difference is that each piece of candy has its own shape and size.
Some are circular...some are more like squares...while others are triangular.
Another difference has to do with the flavor and consistency of what's inside each of them – down beneath the chocolate covering....
Each piece of candy is unique....Some are hard, while some are soft....some are gooey...while others are "crummy"
Even those containing the same filling can taste a bit different from each other...
So.....we have a situation where both similarities and differences are needed in order for the box of candy to be what it is supposed to be.
Our passage of scripture for today introduces the subject of spiritual gifts...
A theme that actually runs through the next few chapters of 1st Corinthians.
Spiritual gifts are special tools for ministry that the Holy Spirit gives in some measure to every believer....
They are to be used for the encouragement & building up of the Church....something we call edification....
AND...for glorifying the savior, Jesus Christ.
Like a box of chocolates, the genuine Church (Those congregations consisting of the real sugar of sound biblical doctrine) are a family of believers
....A family of believers who are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ...
All designed with the purpose of edifying the saints....and glorifying God.
The believers in Corinth – like many of us today – had a lot of questions concerning spiritual gifts...
What are they?....How many are there?...Does every believer have them?...How does a person know which spiritual gift – or gifts – they possess?...How important are they?......
Are all of the gifts still active today? – or were some meant for a specific time and purpose?....Can the gifts be counterfeited?
Paul addresses many of these questions over the course of the next few chapters of 1st Corinthians...
...And at the same time, addressing other themes as well.
...So, consequently, you'll be hearing about spiritual gifts from time-to-time over the next few sermons....
....but they'll also be tied in with larger topics such as love...and unity....and salvation.
Lets's begin looking at our passage for today.
In the first 3 verses of the chapter, Paul is laying the groundwork for a proper understanding of what spiritual gifts are...and how believers are to properly use them....
Paul wants the Corinthian believers to understand how important – and how powerful - the utilization of spiritual gifts are in the Church....
Essentially....Spiritual Gifts are the method by which Jesus continues to operate in this world...while no longer being here in the flesh...
One commentator put it this way: "Spiritual gifts are the Lord's primary channel of making Christians become Christ in the world, his visible and manifest body."
....and there is power in these spiritual gifts.
It's interesting that the Greek word for Spirit (pneumatikos) is where we get our word pneaumatic.
....All of you carpenters here today who use pneumatic tools know how powerful compressed air can be....
There is power in these gifts of the Holy Spirit...
....And it is our responsibility to use our gifts in a way that glorifies God...and advances His kingdom here on earth.
Well....as we all know
For every good thing that comes from above...
Satan will try to introduce a counterfeit...a fake.
And Paul wants the Corinthian believers to be on guard against the evil one's craftiness in the area of mimicking true spiritual gifts....
....especially while in corporate worship.
Apparently, during worship services, some of the church members in Corinth were mixing their old pagan traditions with their spiritual gifts....
....producing a recipe that looked good....but was toxic to the health of the local assembly of believers.
Years ago when our daughters were in elementary school, we were watching a modern-day remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves....
In one particular scene, Snow White is offered a big, red, juicy apple...
And after she takes a bite, the entire apple turns into a hideous, deformed, moldy, piece of fruit....
Satan can do the same thing with spiritual gifts....
For instance....there can be sweet-sounding....but heretical....doctrines taught by people who are talented in the art of teaching...
...Or....Exciting – but unbiblical – emotional worship experiences that can grab people's attention and interest....but also lead people away from the truth of God's Word.
Evil doesn't just try to manipulate and deceive people outside the walls of the sanctualry...
In fact, Satan loves to go to church.
What better time and place to deceive, distract, and disorient the people of God than while they are congregated to worship God....
So....as Paul states in verse 2 (1 Corinthians 12:2) let us not be "Influenced and led astray" when it comes to recognizing and using our spiritual gifts.
In verse 4 (1 Corinthians 12:4) we read that there are "Different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit."
Think box of chocolates....different flavors...but they're all sweet.
...Different gifts, but the same Spirit.
This is echoed in verse 5 (1 Corinthians 12:5) "....Different kinds of service, but the same Lord."
...And in verse 6 (1 Corinthians 12:6) "....Different kinds of working, but the same God"
It's imperative to the edification of the church....and to the advancement of God's Kingdom - that Spiritual gifts come in a variety pack, so to speak.
There must be a certain level of diversity - for there to be true unity.
As we all know, Reedsburg has a very talented football program these days...
...And every player on that team understands that they have a specific role to play in order for the team to be successful....
...and if everyone performs their duty well...the entire team will benefit from it.
....A football team made up entirely of quarterbacks....or entirely of wide receivers....or defensive tackles....or kickers....will never be successful.
They would have uniformity....but not unity.
...Teams need players with a diverse set of physical attributes and talents in order to be successful.
...And so it is with the body of Christ.
The church can only be effective – and united - in its mission when a diversity of gifts are utilized....and utilized correctly.
In verses 8 through 10, we see a list of various spiritual gifts....
...and I say "a" list because this list is not exhaustive.
We see 2 other lists of spiritual gifts in scripture....and one of these lists contains a few gifts that are not mentioned here in 1 Corinthians...
Romans chapter 12 adds the gifts of: showing mercy, leadership, and contributing to the needs of others.
The other passage is in 1 Peter chapter 4, where Peter writes about many of the same gifts we see here in 1 Corinthians.
But for the remainder of our time today, I'd like to briefly look at the individual gifts listed here in today's passage...
...and how they operate in bringing unity to the Church....and glory to God.
The first gift that Paul mentions in verse 8 (1 Corinthians 12:8) is that of wisdom.
A good biblical definition of wisdom is "the ability to understand God's will and to obediently apply it to one's life."
Those who possess the gift of wisdom are exceptionally talented at life application of God's Word.
Christian counselors – and those of you who are naturally good at coming alongside others in their time of need – are displaying the gift of wisdom.
...that art of passing along to others what God's word says regarding a particular life situation.
This is one of the most important gifts of the Spirit - especially in today's world where so many stresses and sources of anxiety have the potential to affect everyone....including those in the church....
I am so glad that many of you here this morning are empowered with this essential gift....keep using it!
The second gift mentioned is similar to that of wisdom...it's the gift of knowledge.
This involves an enhanced ability to perceive and understand the truths of God's word in an academic – or educational - way.
It's the Spirit-empowered ability to grasp some of the deep truths of God's Word that may not be evident to all believers....
Obviously, this is an important gift for those involved in Christian ministry.... especially teachers, preachers, elders, missionaries, and evangelists.
At the same time....It is true that the Holy Spirit guides every single believer into the truth of God's Word...
Jesus actually says this in John 16:13 "But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth...."
So....every believer possesses this gift to a certain extent...
...While - at the same time - It also seems that the Spirit allows for some individuals to serve others through an enhanced ability to grasp some of the more difficult passages of scripture....
....and not only grasp them for themselves....but to faithfully convey them to others through conversations, Bible studies, sermons, or small group settings.
The third gift listed here in today's passage is that of faith.
Wait...Faith?
But, pastor Andy, don't we all need faith in order to be saved?
Countless passages speak of the essential element of faith in the equation of salvation....
Ephesians 2:8 says that "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...."
Romans 5:1 states that we have been justified by faith
Galatians 2:16 says that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
...So many verses that say everyone needs to have faith in order to be saved.
So....why on earth would faith be a unique spiritual gift given to some – and not others?
Well....the answer – I believe – is that Paul is referencing a particular aspect of faith that has nothing to do with our salvation....or saving faith...
...but - rather – it has to do with possessing a deep trust in the promises of God.
One commentator defines the gift of faith as: "The ability to trust Him in the face of overwhelming obstacles and human impossibilities."
In other words, the believer possessing the gift of faith is that person who has absolutely no doubt that everything will work out just fine...
....because they understand - to an enhanced degree - that God is completely sovereign...and faithful...and in control of every single facet of life.
My wife....she is one of those individuals possessing the gift of faith.
She – literally - does not worry about anything....ANYTHING!
And – quite honestly – it can get annoying at times.
If I'm stressing out about something....whether its ministry related ....or health....or time...or finances....
Lisa is exceptionally gifted at reminding me that I need to up my game in the area of faith....
.....the art of simply trusting God that everything is going to be alright...
Some of you this morning also possess the Spiritual gift of faith....
You are people I love to be around....You embody a biblical Hakuna Matata....and I so wish that I had your gift!!
Many of you knew the late Delores Nash....she attended this church for many years before Lisa and I were called to serve here...
I knew Delores through conversations at my old music store....and I'll always remember how she was so faith-filled in completely trusting that everything was going to turn out alright....
She was literally too blessed to be stressed....
These people have a soothing effect on everyone around them...
They're like human chloraseptic!
...especially to those of us who can get a little stressed out from time to time.
The fourth gift mentioned in today's passage is the gift of healing.
Here's where things get a bit interesting.
A few of the remaining gifts that Paul mentions here in our passage are generally referred to as sign gifts....
These are the gifts of healing, the gift of miracles, and the gift of tongues.
Sign gifts were not only used to edify fellow believers....and to glorify God...
But – in the days of the early church before the New Testament was written and compiled – these gifts were also instrumental in providing evidence and authenticity for the Christian faith....
They not only encouraged believers in their faith...
...but also forced non-believers to seriously consider the truth claims of Christianity...
In the pages of scripture, those with a gift of healing included Jesus himself....
....but also the 12 disciples....and the 70 followers who were sent out and commissioned by Christ....a few associates of the apostles, such as Philip....
....and - of course - Paul himself possessed the gift of healing as well....
It's interesting to note that whenever this gift was utilized in the passages of scripture...it was always for the intent and purpose of confirming the power of the gospel....not simply to make people healthy.
Health was important...but it was secondary to spiritual restoration and growth.
The next sign gift is that of miracles.
A miracle can be defined as "A supernatural intrusion into the natural world and its natural laws, explainable only by divine intervention.
As with the gift of healing...which is a specific kind of miraculous gift – the gift of miracles is one that we see primarily in the ministry years of Jesus Christ...
We are all familiar with many of Jesus' miracles....
Everything from turning water into wine...to walking on water...
From calming the storm....to creating bread and fish out of thin air...
Even...raising dead people back to life!
Jesus was the primary example of what the gift of miracles looked like in the life of a human being....
However, Jesus wasn't the only person seen performing miracles in the pages of scripture....
We also see the apostles perform miracles....as well as the 70 commissioned followers mentioned before....and a few other early church leaders....
The vast majority of miraculous works granted to these individuals to perform were in the areas of healing....as well as the driving out of demons....
No one except Jesus is ever seen performing a nature-based miracle...such as calming a storm....or producing food out of thin air....
These types of mind-blowing miracles were the domain of one person....and one person only...the God-man Jesus Christ.
The third sign gift is that of tongues.
Biblically speaking, the gift of tongues involves being given the miraculous ability to communicate in an earthly language unknown to the speaker....
....and - at the same time – it involves an individual with the gift of interpretation whose job it is to translate the words of the speaker back into the language of the local people...
Chapter 14 of 1st Corinthians deals extensively with the topic of speaking in tongues....so we'll return to this in more detail in a few weeks....
It does need to be said, however, that – in the modern era - the perception of this this gift has caused a certain amount of division within the church...
Not only division regarding whether or not the gift is still active today....
But also the unbiblical idea that to be a truly mature Christian, one must possess the gift of tongues....
Don't ever let anyone try to convince you of that....it simply isn't true.
Again, we'll come back to the topic of tongues in chapter 14...and - at that time – we'll flesh out some of these questions from a biblical perspective.
Lastly, Paul mentions another couple of Spiritual gifts....
....the gifts of prophecy....and distinguishing between spirits (Also called Discernment)
Normally, when we think of prophecy, we think of the OT prophets....and how God used them to reveal new information to the Israelites...
But the NT gift of prophecy is a bit different.
We know from numerous passages of scripture such as Revelation 22:18-19 that adding or taking away from the established canon of scripture – what we call the Bible – is forbidden....
God's Word is complete.
He no longer reveals new information to people as He once did to the prophets in the Old Testament....
So....what does the gift of prophecy look like today?....in the church age?
Well....the Greek word for prophecy (propheteuo) simply means to "Proclaim"...or to "Speak Forth"
So...most Bible scholars believe that the gift of prophecy is the ability to publicly proclaim the established, unchanging truth of God's Word in a way that touches people's hearts....
When I was at the Billy Graham museum a few weeks ago, I was reminded of how he most certainly possessed the modern-day gift of prophecy....
When he spoke – people listened....and God convicted millions of people through the gift of prophecy given to Dr. Graham.
I think of other talented communicators who are rooted in God's word....
People such as Tony Evans, or Charles Stanley, or Francis Chan....
These church leaders have a special ability to grab our attention when they speak....and we remember what they say....and remembering a teaching from scripture allows us to more easily apply it to our lives....
...and life application leads to spiritual maturity....becoming more like our savior, Jesus Christ.
That is the gift of prophecy here in the age of the church.
And – finally.....the gift of distinguishing between Spirits....or some of your translations may use the word discernment.
The gift of discernment is one of the most important spiritual gifts...
...especially today when Satan has deceived so many people with twisted lies and erroneous doctrine ...outside - AND inside – the Church.
People who have been granted the gift of discernment have the ability to smell out a spiritual rat....when others may not yet notice it.
They are more easily able to recognize when something they hear - or read - does not line up with God's Word....
Not too long ago, someone from this congregation asked me to listen to a sermon they had recently heard online at a men's conference...
....and it took place at a Bible-based church where there should not have been any theological red-flags popping up during any of the presentations....
...And yet, after I listened to the message....this individual was right.
There was a problem with the speaker's sermon...
This is an example of someone from this church who is gifted with the ability to discern the truth of God when others may not catch it....
So...in conclusion...we are very much like a box of chocolates here at LACC
We are a family of believers, covered by the blood of Christ....assembled for advancing God's kingdom through the consistent utilization of our varied – and different - spiritual gifts...
Over the past 4 years – I've had the opportunity to see how the Holy Spirit has gifted each and every one of you for service in this church.
...And it is so inspiring.
Keep using your supernatural spiritual gifts - both for the church....and for the glorification of our savior – Jesus Christ.
Let's Pray.
