March 7, 2014
HAS YOUR GIFT ARRIVED?
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Traci Hughes
Central Truth
There are different gifts, given by one God, for His purpose.
Key Verse | 1 Corinthians 12:7
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Spiritual Gifts
1 Now concerning 1 12:1 The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians' letter; see 7:1 spiritual gifts, 2 12:1 Or spiritual persons brothers, 3 12:1 Or brothers and sisters I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
Dive Deeper | 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Is the gift of telling the truth really a gift if it hurts someone's feelings? Why is it some people can share the message of Jesus so openly, while others break into a sweat just thinking about it? How can some people read a verse of Scripture and then teach a whole lesson, when the same verse seems like Greek to the rest of us?
The Holy Spirit distributes gifts to each of us to meet His desires and help the Church function effectively. They are different gifts, given by one God, for His purpose. I've been blessed to serve in our GriefShare ministry, and two of the times I shared the gospel, it was received. They accepted the gift of Jesus! Both times I felt as if my heart were going to beat right out of my chest. My mouth got really dry, and then suddenly I had a boldness that was NOT normally me. I hope that the person on the receiving end got an answer they'd been searching for or much needed encouragement. Other times, He has blessed me with the ability to love people who are hurting. Our "quick fix" society wants to put band-aids on wounds that need much deeper healing -- healing that only comes through Christ's love and forgiveness.
We spend days, weeks, maybe even months carefully determining what to give someone for the joy of watching them receive and cherish a gift. We have a responsibility to use and sharpen the gifts the Lord blesses us with. In community groups, if someone is in need, the Lord empowers others to step in and minister! Through gifts like wisdom and encouragement, we are able to deliver His message and minister to others. Those who love to cook might deliver meals. Some love collecting school supplies and serve by donating through "Stuff the Truck." These are gifts given to you from God -- your gifts chosen by Him to use for Him! How cool is that?!
The true blessing of a gift is how it's received. Are you giving yours away?
Discussion Questions
1. What's the best gift you ever gave someone?
2. Do you know what your gifts are? Check out Romans 12:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, Ephesians 4:11-13, and 1 Peter 4:10-11.
3. Are you exercising the gifts God has given you?
4. Are you looking for opportunities to serve? If you don't know where/how, are you praying and asking God to show you?
5. We have a responsibility to use and sharpen our gifts. What are some of the tools you could use to sharpen yours?