The Gifts Of The Spirit Series

Gifts of the Spirit

Romans 12:4-8

This morning we are continuing to talk about the Holy Spirit and the things He produces and provides in our life. For the last 2 weeks we have talked about the fruit that the Lord grows in us through His Spirit.

Slide

This week we are transitioning to the Gifts that the Holy Spirit gives us when we trust in Jesus as our Savior.

Did you know you have been gifted?

Perhaps you are thinking to yourself, “I don’t feel very gifted.”

Maybe when you look around at others you think that they are the ones who have been gifted, but you sure don’t feel like it.

I have felt that way at times myself.

I see people who can sing and think “Oh how I could worship the Lord if I could sing like Billy or play the piano like Nancy, but I have not been gifted in that way.”

Sometimes, I do feel like I have been gifted in that way, but it seems to come and go. It comes when I am in my car and have the radio playing, but this gift seems to go away when people are around because my voice doesn’t seem to sound to them like I think it does when I am by myself!

Anyway I am sure there are things that each one of us wish we could do, but we can’t, and that sometimes makes us think we can’t do anything.

Well, I want to tell you today, that if you are a Christian, if you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have a Spiritual gift from the Lord with unique abilities that only you can do in the particular church you are a part of.

Transition

This morning I want us to learn about Spiritual gifts by asking some questions.

And the first thing we need to know is

What are Spiritual gifts?

Slide

A Spiritual gift is a divine ability or enablement given to those who have received Christ.

There are 3 main sections of Scripture with teaching about Spiritual gifts, plus a few other miscellaneous Scriptures. We find teaching along with some of the individual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and Romans 12, along with a couple of other Scriptures that might list an individual gift that is available.

Paul is the apostle that talks most about these gifs and in 1 Corinthians 12,

Slide

Paul says “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant…”(1 Corinthians 12:1)

Paul wants us to know about and understand that we have been given spiritual gifts. These gifts are received by those who have the Spirit of God indwelling them and we only have the Spirit of God indwelling us when we believe in Christ.

Ephesians 1:13 - And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit indwells us as we receive Christ as Savior and He gives us a Spiritual gift, an ability to do something that we could not do before, or He enables us to use a talent that we have already been given, in such a way that we are using it for His glory and not our own.

And that leads to our second question that we need to answer about Spiritual gifts.

What is the purpose of Spiritual Gifts?

Slide

Spiritual gifts are given for the common good and the building up of the church

1 Corinthians 12:7 - Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good

Ephesians 4:12 tells us the gifts are “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up”

Slide

A spiritual gift is something that God gives to or enables his followers to do for the benefit and building up of the church.

He has given each one of us who follow Him a gift. It is not something we are to use for own benefit but for the common good and we should be using our gift to build up others in the church to be able to use their gifts even more effectively.

Are you using your gift for the building up of the church?

Maybe you are sitting here today and thinking, I don’t even know what the gifts are, let alone if which one I have.

Well, throughout the Scripture we see many types of gifts given to Christians.

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Within Christianity there is not complete agreement on what all the gifts are or on if some of the gifts that were given are still relevant or available for believers today.