What You Need To Know About The Holy Spirit, Pt. 3 Series

What You Need to Know about the Holy Spirit

Chuck Sligh

Parts 3

TEXT: Turn to 1 Corinthians 12

INTRODUCTION

For the past two weeks we have been talking about the Holy Spirit—Who He is; when He came; what He does.

1. First we saw that He is a Person, not an impersonal force or entity, and He is God—one of the three persons of the Trinity.

2. Then we discovered that the “baptism with the Holy Spirit” is not an individual experience that a person has after his salvation, but a collective event that occurred once in history—on the day of Pentecost—when Jesus baptized ALL believers of EVERY age with the Holy Spirit at the same time.

3. Last week we looked into the ministries, or works, of the Holy Spirit and we saw that they break down into activities in the lives of the saved and activities in the life of those who have not yet found Christ.

4. First we looked at four ministries of the Holy Spirit in your life if you are a follower of Jesus Christ:

a. The first is to keep you eternally saved. - What a blessing to know that God will never let one of His children ever go into eternal judgment of hell!

b. The second ministry, of the Holy Spirit in your life if you are believer is to teach and guide you into truth—which He does through His Word—the Bible, which He authored.

c. Third, He develops in you godly character, specifically what Galatians 5:22-23 calls the “fruit of the Spirit”—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control.

d. Number four—the Holy Spirit comforts you in times of trouble.

Let’s continue our study a examine two more works of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those of you here who are saved:

5. The fifth significant activity of the Holy Spirit in your life, believer, is to impart a spiritual gift for service.

Look with me at 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 - “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

When you are saved, the Holy Spirit gives you a spiritual gift. Every believer in this auditorium today has one of the spiritual gifts mentioned in Romans 12:6-8 - “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Why are we given these spiritual gifts? In a section dealing with spiritual gifts, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:7- “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” What that means in today’s English is that your spiritual gift is given to you to profit everybody in the church body. God gave you a spiritual gift to use for the benefit of others!

Now, let me ask you a question: Are you using your spiritual gift and abilities in the Lord’s service to profit the church body?

Illus. - Suppose I were a millionaire and you are poor as church mice, and your family is really struggling with a lot of medical problems, financial struggles, and just properly feeding and clothing your family. I call you up and say, “You know, I’m really concerned about you and your family, so I have deposited 10 million dollars into your account for you to help your family out and just be a blessing to them and take care of them.” One month later I call you and say, “Hey, how’s the family doing?” You say, “Oh, man are they having a lot of struggles. Johnny’s hospital bills are overdue, the rent’s overdue, and it’s just so tough!” I say, “Wait a minute! I gave you enough money to cover all that and more. Why haven’t you been using it to take care of your family.”

That’s the way it is with some Christians: God’s given you a spiritual gift to use for the benefit of others in your church family, but you’re not using it for the profit of all. What are you doing for your church family to serve and bless them?

Think of the opportunities you have to serve the Lord with your spiritual gift in this local church—

teaching in K.I.D.S. church,

teaching a kids’ Sunday School class,

playing an instrument for a church special (I would not be surprised if there is some hidden talent out there being un-utilized) or in the orchestra or on a worship team,