Message by Dr. David Drake
The Christian And Spiritual Gifts
Romans 12 / Ephesians 5:17
Romans 12:3-4 (NASB)
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,
* 7 Reasons why every Christian should know his / her spiritual gift
1. To help you understand God’s will for your life
Romans 12:2 (NASB) 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Ephesians 5:17 (NASB)
17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
2. To help you understand how the Holy Spirit works through your life
3. To help you know what God has “NOT “called you to do
4. To relieve you from serving God out of “DUTY”
5. To fulfill your deeper / inner spiritual need
6. To build “UNITY” within the Body of Christ
7. To add spiritual self-acceptance in your journey (a purpose-driven life)
“A spiritually – gifted oriented church family starts with its people, finds out exactly what their needs are; and designs all programs, teaching, and preaching to meet these needs. This is being people-centered … rather than program centered.”
* 5 Important truths to remember surrounding Spiritual Gifts
Romans 12:5-8 (NASB)
5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;
8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
- Spiritual gifts are not humanly developed talents – vs. 6
- Spiritual gifts are given for personal spiritual growth
- Spiritual gifts are given for corporate spiritual growth
- Spiritual gifts are revealed through the lives of spiritual believers / disciples
- Spiritual gifts are used in service to glorify God and builds up His people
* 3 Fundamentals to focus on when realizing the impact of spiritual gifts in our lives and churches
1 Corinthians 12:1-4 (NASB)
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.
2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.
3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1. The Holy Spirit is the AUTHOR / SOURCE of these gifts – vs. 11
Corinthians 12:11 (NASB)
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
2. There is not a hierarchy in the arena/distribution of spiritual gifts – vs. 15-18
1 Corinthians 12:15-18 (NASB)
15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.
3. When we use our spiritual gifts, the Body of Christ profits – vs. 7,12,25-27
1 Corinthians 12:7 (NASB) 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:12 (NASB)
12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:25-27 (NASB)
25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NASB)
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.