Let The Holy Spirit Orchestrate a Harmonious Symphony In Your Family and Fellowship
1 Corinthians 12:6-24
Illustration: The great violinist, Nicolo Paganini, willed his marvelous violin to Genoa -- the city of his birth -- but only on condition that the instrument never be played upon. It was an unfortunate condition, for it is a peculiarity of wood that as long as it is used and handled, it shows little wear. As soon as it is discarded, it begins to decay.
The exquisite, mellow-toned violin has become worm-eaten in its beautiful case, valueless except as a relic. The moldering instrument is a reminder that a life withdrawn from all service to others loses its meaning.
Bits & Pieces, June 25, 1992.
Definition: a spiritual gift is spiritual in character (pneumatikon), sovereignly given by God the Holy Spirit (charismata), to others (diakonia), in the power of God (energeema), with an evident manifestation of the Holy Spirit through the Christian as he serves God (phanerosis).
To summarize spiritual fruit, it: (1) is given to all believers; (2) produces spiritual character; (3) is singular (fruit is singular, meaning one’s character is a unit); (4) is permanent (1 Cor. 13:8-10); and (5) grows internally.
To summarize spiritual gifts, note the contrast to the previous five points. Spiritual gifts: (1) are given to specific believers; (2) produce spiritual service; (3) are plural (Flynn lists nineteen, Wagner, twenty-seven); (4) will cease; and (5) operate externally.
Jerry Falwell, Elmer Towns, Stepping out on Faith, p. 127.
1. COMPLEMENTARY GIFTS - The Holy Spirit harmonizes people by blending complementary spiritual gifts together to form a synergistic result. Paul wrote, "There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." (I Cor. 12:6,7) Ask the Lord to give you a greater cooperative attitude to work in harmony with all members of Christ’s body for a more effective mutual result.
2. COMPATABILITY IN LEADERSHIP STYLES - The Holy Spirit helps bring compatibility between various styles of leadership and their members. Paul wrote, "All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." (I Cor. 12:11) The Spirit tends to match director type leaders with unstable followers who enjoy being given explicit instructions. God’s Spirit generally brings together analytical leaders with independent thinking followers who tend to agree on being careful about doing things correctly. The Holy Spirit often brings facilitating leaders together with cooperative followers as they tend to encourage one another to bring out their best efforts. The Spirit is able to blend encouraging leaders with interactive followers as they both tend to excel in buoyant relationships and ministries. Ask the Lord to help you find your best blend of gifts, talents, and styles of ministry with people who complement how God has shaped you.
3. CONGRUOUS MINISTRIES - The Holy Spirit helps create congruous ministries through people with different experiences. Paul wrote, "There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called." (Eph. 4:4) Ask the Lord for help in simultaneously producing harmonious ministries from the various experiential backgrounds represented in your organization or church.
4. FREES FROM DISHARMONY - The Holy Spirit frees organization from disharmony by helping people agree on the essentials of their ministries in Christ’s church. Paul wrote, "Everything is permissible for me - but not everything is beneficial." (I Cor. 6:12) Ask the Lord to help you come to agreement about the essential priorities for your particular organization, church or institution around Christ and His kingdom.
5. BRINGS UNITY - The Holy Spirit brings unity to Christ’s body by showing everyone how valuable they are to one another. Paul wrote, "The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don’t need you! On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable." (I Cor. 12:21,22) Ask the Lord to help you gain a greater appreciation for all people in your church, organization or institution.
6. FACILITATING SIMILAR PURPOSES - The Holy Spirit brings Christians together through the facilitating of our similar identity, purpose and eternal rewards. God knew that Christians would be able to work more effectively if they shared a common identity, purpose and eternal reward so He created the body of Christ. Paul wrote, "So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other." (I Cor. 12:25) Ask the Lord to help you gain greater facility in working harmoniously with members of the universal body of Christ, even if they are from a different ethnic group than your own.
7. MAKING MELODIES WITH ABILITIES - The Holy Spirit makes sweet melodies with a diversity of abilities, ages and social classes through the applications of His spiritual fruits. Paul wrote, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control." (Gal. 5:22,23) Ask the Lord for help in finding a greater quality and quantity of the fruits of the Spirit through His using a wide variety of abilities, ages and social classes to make sweeter music in your ministries and relationships.
8. POINTING TOWARD HIS PURPOSES - The Holy Spirit brings unity to a wide spectrum of educational levels in every group by pointing the members toward God’s glory, honor and kingdom’s purposes. Paul wrote, "But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be." (I Cor. 12:18) Ask the Lord to give your leaders wisdom in utilizing all of the educational levels represented in your organization without creating any feelings of superiority or inferiority.
9. CONGENIAL PERSONALITY BLENDING - The Holy Spirit helps bring congenial relations in every church through the application of the four basic personality types. Paul wrote, "And we urge you brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone." (I Thes. 5:14) Ask the Lord to use the choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine and melancholy temperaments in your organization to create greater balance in your relationships and ministry approaches for God’s glory.
10. UTLIZING ALL LEARNING STYLES - The Holy Spirit utilizes the four basic teaching and learning styles to insure everyone learns most effectively God’s truth. Paul wrote, "Scripture is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Tim. 3:16) Ask the Lord for wisdom in harmonizing teaching and learning around "what learner’s style, "why learner’s style", "how learner’s style", and "what if learner’s style". The Spirit is able to bring the best learning, maturing and transformation using a variety of learning & teaching approaches.
