The Gifts of the Spirit

Welcome to the InTouch podcast with Charles Stanley for Wednesday, September 16th. God gives every believer in Christ at least one spiritual gift that shapes how they think and serve. Continue the series, Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit, to discover and understand our God-given gifts. Do you realize that the Holy Spirit has gifted you with a spiritual gift? that is perfectly suited for God's plan for your life, His work for your life, and the way He wants you to live.

And the tragedy is that many, many believers will go through their entire life Many of them trying to serve God. And wondering why things don't turn out the way they think they ought to, or why they don't seem to be very comfortable serving God in this position or that or the other.

Well, God's got a better plan than just guessing. He has a plan that's perfectly suited for your life. He has a gift for you that will make it possible for you to relate to other people better. Understand how the people act and why they act the way they act. In fact, it'll make a lot of difference in your life, whether it's in your vocation or in your church life, when you discover.

That primary motivational gift that God has given you. And then you begin to function out of that gift.

So that's what we're talking about. Beginning in this particular message. This is the third part in our series: Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit. And the first message had to do with who He is, who is the Holy Spirit. He is the promise of the Father.

He is the part of the Trinity, the person of the Trinity. He's the seal that God has given to every single believer. Our guide Our teacher That is many, many activities that the Holy Spirit works in our life. But each one specifically relating to us according to our needs. And when it comes to why he came, the second message, why did he come?

It was absolutely essential because he's so involved in our salvation. in our sanctification and in our service to Him. And the primary purpose of the gifts is that you and I would be able to serve God to the maximum of our potential in such a way that, listen, the fruit will be abundant. Secondly, we will be blessed, and thirdly, other people are going to be blessed, and the kingdom of God will be stronger, and the work of God will go on successfully.

Well, Turn, if you will, to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, beginning in verse 1. And we're talking about the gifts of the Spirit.

Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols.

However you were led, 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.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit. There are varieties of ministries in the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God, there's the whole Trinity right there. who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

And one thing I want us to recognize right up front, that is, when God gives spiritual gifts, which He does, He always gives it for the common good, not for some individual's sake, or to make us feel good or to get prideful and puffy about what we have or don't have. It's always for the common good of the whole body of Christ.

Now one of the first things we need to do is to clarify terms because sometimes people get them a little confused.

So let's look first of all at the idea of The gift of the Spirit, G-I-F-T, and that is. We're talking about the person of the Holy Spirit who is given To every single believer upon our salvation. This is what Peter was preaching in Acts chapter 2, verse 38. When you were saved, the Holy Spirit came into your life to indwell and to seal you as a child of God. That was God's gift.

Secondly, the gifts of the Spirit, G-I-F-T-S, are those capabilities, those abilities that God gives to each individual that fit His purpose and plan for our life. The third word is the fruit. That is, the fruit of the Spirit, which you know in Galatians chapter 5, speaks of the character that the Holy Spirit intends to build in and through our life as a result of our being submissive to Him and walking in His will and in His way. And that is the fruit of the Spirit, which we know well, of love, joy, peace, goodness, gentleness, self-control.

So, we're talking about primarily the gifts of the Spirit. That is, those abilities and those capacities that God gives us when we trust Him as our personal Savior and then we begin to walk out and live out the life.

Now let's distinguish between something else. between human talent and a spiritual gift. Human talents are those capacities, those abilities that God gives to each and every person at their birth. That is, you come into this world and you have a certain personality.

Well, God gives you, that is, those talents. Those skills, shall we say, that are given to you at that moment because He gives them to you in the purpose. Of what he wants to do in your life. But these are natural talents, and sometimes a person can be very, very multi-talented. They just seem to be able to do many things very well.

Some of the rest of us think, well, if I can just do half what they can do, or maybe they can do well in three or four areas or whatever it might be. They're from God, and He certainly wants them and desires that we use them for His glory, but it's not a spiritual gift, it's a natural talent.

So, many people who are not Christians. Listen, they are very gifted in some areas. Many things that you and I use every day were probably invented by people who are not even Christian. But all of us who are believers, we profit from that. and we are grateful for it.

But a spiritual gift is a specific ability and skill that God gives you in order, listen, in order to enable you to serve Him wisely and to the best of your God-given ability. It is that special gift He gives you, it becomes the motivation. for all of your service for the Lord.

So there is a difference.

Now, a spiritual gift, for example, Will naturally use, utilize the talent. For example, let's say you have a talent to do one thing, you have a spiritual gift. God's, listen, when you're a believer, you're to use your spiritual gift, understand what that is, and then your talents, you're to exercise your spiritual gift through that talent. Exercise your talent through that spiritual gift so that the two work beautifully together. That is, you don't have one and say, well, what about this?

God intends for you to work them just like that.

So, let's think about these cautions. Remember, you will have a spiritual gift. And it's interesting how Peter says this because he mentions it in a little different way. He says, for example, the fourth chapter of 1 Peter in verse 10: Watch this: as each one has received a special gift. Employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

That is, whatever your gift is, He says, employ it in serving one another. We're talking about serving God. Whether what no matter what your vocation is or where you go to church or what your church is, you have a spiritual gift. It's your obligation before God to utilize. Listen, this is a grace gift.

This is something that God chose to give you out of his love for you. And therefore, he wants you to exercise that for the benefit of all concerned. And um When I think about how that works in some people's lives and And how it doesn't work in some other people's lives is simply because somewhere along the way they have missed the whole point, and that is they want something for themselves. Likewise, Put it this way. That is You can't require, another caution, you can't tell somebody else that you need this gift.

You ought to have it. If you're spiritual, you'd have it. Or if somebody says, for example, but if you had enough faith, you'd be healed.

So, you can't put a manifestation or a gift, for example, on somebody else and say, Well, you ought to have thus and so. That's not your business or my business. It's God's business and His business alone to do what? To decide which gift we have.

Some people have more faith than other people have.

Some people can just believe God. I mean, it's. But you see, That is a manifestation of something God is doing in their life, something He wants them to do. And so it is with all the gifts. If somebody says, well, some gifts just ended back on the end of the first century, that's not in the Bible.

That's what some people think, but it's not in the scripture. Is God still in the miracle working business? Yes, he is. What we want to be sure is that we understand what the cautions are. Then We are not to seek a particular manifestation of the gift, for example, because we think that we can serve better that way.

And I'm repeating something I said: it's the Holy Spirit's job to choose which ones we have. It's my job to figure out what it is for me, and then, however, the ministry or whatever function I have, I'm to operate on that basis. Likewise, Having a spiritual gift or any particular spiritual gift doesn't make you spiritually minded. It doesn't make you a spiritually-minded person. Because you have a particular gift.

Listen, you get out of fellowship with God. You can be honored as the devil. doing whatever you're doing because you're out of fellowship with God. And so it doesn't mean that you're spiritual because you have a particular gift, and sometimes people sort of feel that way.

Now, With those cautions, Let me get to one thing here. I want you to go back to Romans chapter 12 for a moment and I want you to look at these verses and I want to give you illustration. Uh that will help. When he says, for example, in the 12th chapter.

Now listen carefully. Different people interpret these lists of gifts in different ways. And this is certainly not original of me to say that I came up with this because I didn't. But I've studied it long enough over a number of many, many years, for example, watching how this works. I've watched in the staff.

I've watched it among my friends. I've watched it in different aspects of the church, and I've seen it for years and years and years. That's why I believe this is true. Because if you'll notice in this 12th chapter of Romans, he speaks of these different gifts and I call them, and other people call them, motivational gifts. That is, and when you watch this, you're going to understand what I'm saying.

There is one of these That's the ultimate driving motivation in your life or what you do. And Once you are able to identify it, you know what you're going to do? You say, yeah, that is the way I respond. That's true.

Well has been true all along. Romans chapter 12, and listen to what he says, beginning. in verse 4 of this 12th chapter of Romans. He says four. Just as we have many members in one body, And all the members do not have the same function.

And here's what he's getting to show us. And he gives this in detail later. For example, God gave you eyes for what reason? to see, ears to hear, hands to handle, feet to take you where he wants to take you. And that is, so each member of your physical body has its own purpose.

For example, you do not see through your ears. You may have fantastic hearing. you do not smell through your eyes. In other words, every single aspect of the body has its own particular reason for being there.

So it is in the body of Christ. That is, the church needs all seven of these gifts. These are motivational gifts, and I'll explain that in a moment.

So, look, if you will, in verse 5.

So, we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. We all relate to each other. Since we have gifts that differ, Now, what makes them differ? According to the grace given to us, that is, God in His grace has chosen to give you these gifts. Then he says, For example, since we have gifts That differ according to the grace given to us, each of us.

is to exercise them accordingly. For example, if prophecy, which does not mean foretelling the future here, but proclaiming the truth. according to the proportion of his faith. If service in his serving, or he who teaches in his teaching, he who exhorts in his exhortation, he who gives with liberality, and he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness.

Now, I want to give you an example.

So it'll better clarify what we mean by motivational gifts. And then we'll deal with each one of these in the next message. Let's say, for example, that at your house you're having a birthday party, there are eight people there. And it's a surprise, surprise birthday party. And so um In this surprise birthday party, you want to do something very special for this person, so you've done your best to bake them.

This awesome cake. I mean, it's big. It's got all the candles on it. And you've sort of finished dinner now. And now comes the time of surprise.

So you start singing happy birthday to you. And then here comes the cake. You're all excited and what's going to happen and all of a sudden Bringing it out on this beautiful cake plate, stumbles and falls right for the kitchen table and smashes the plate. Cake everywhere, candles burning over here, just a big mess.

Now. I want to take these seven people. who are left around that table. and show you how each gift will respond. And you're going to see yourself.

Now you watch this. You're going to see yourself.

So get ready. Remember what we said now? that you're going to respond according to your underlying motivational gift. Prophecy is going to say, you shouldn't be a little bit clumsy there, aren't you? In other words, they want to correct something.

Then the gift of mercy, for example. Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. I just, oh, it just hurts me that that happened. They're motivated to eliminate embarrassment. A person who's merciful wants to help in any way they can.

Then there, for example, is a gift of administration. Here's what a gift of administration would do.

Okay, all right.

So you go get the broom, you get the mop. You pick up the pieces, watch the glass, move the chairs back. Let's clean this mess up right now. They gonna be in charge. Administration is going to be in charge, ruling, or administration, whichever word you want to call it.

Then, for example, This is a gift of service. Gift of service, that's okay. Listen, you let me do it. I'll take care of this. Don't worry about it.

I'm going to get it all up. Because they want to meet a need. There's a need there, and so the gift of service is going to operate in that fashion. Then there's a gift of giving. The gift of giving says, Oh, you know what?

I'll buy you another cake plate. Don't worry about that. Just let it go. Don't let that body do all we can take care of that. Because they want to meet.

a particular financial need. And then, for example, there's a gift of teaching. And here's what teaching would say. The reason you dropped the plate That's exactly right. Amazing you dropped the plate.

Then exhortation would say.

Well, next time, maybe you shouldn't bring it in here holding it by the stem, but you should bring it holding like this, so you'd have a good grip on it.

Now, what did each person do? They responded out of their motivation. The gift of mercy would never have said. You're a little clumsy. Never say that.

The gift of service wouldn't just sit there and watch somebody do something, they're going to be up and at it. The gift administration would die if he had to just sit there and say nothing. Because that's our motivation.

So what happens? Can you imagine what would have happened if everybody around that table had to get administration? They be fighting each other. Or if everybody had to give them mercy, nobody clean up, they'd just be saying, oh, I'm so sorry. Ha ha ha ha.

Yeah. Or if everybody had the gift of given, they'd be say who could give the most and who could give it first to buy. And so what happens? We all respond according to our gift. And the better you understand that.

Here's what's going to happen: several things. Because there's some results. Number one, When you understand your spiritual gift, you are going, listen, you are going to be confident about what you do in serving God. You're serving God of your gift, you're going to be confident. Second thing is, listen, you're going to be more committed because now that you feel confident you're doing what God wants you to do, here's what's going to happen: you're going to be more committed to doing it.

You're going to have a joy in your heart about serving God you have not had before. You're going to begin to understand other people and their ways that you had not understood before. You're going to understand why people act the way they act. And I may think about this. People getting married have two different gifts.

One of them has the gift of administration, the other has the gift of mercy.

Well, he's always telling me what to do. And no matter what, he's just telling me what to do. Or, if you have two mercies, they don't ever get anything done. Not necessarily. What I want you to see is this.

We all respond accordingly. And every believer has a gift. And when we get it right, And the body of believers get it right. That's what makes a church function absolutely in the most awesome fashion. When you're doing what God wants you to do, And you're exercising your spiritual gift, not just working out of some talent you have.

You know what, Apples? Everything around you changes. and you're a service for God. is the most effective. And it's my goal.

to help you understand what your gift is. Don't dare miss the next message. But as we talk about how you respond to others, How you act when you're in the spirit, how you act when you're in the flesh, while other people misunderstand you, it'll be helpful in every area of your life. And that's my prayer to build you up. Help you to understand according to God's word, not what you see, but according to God's word.

How can you be the best? servant of God you possibly can. And Father, how grateful we are that you help us through these times. How I do pray that the Spirit of the Living God Who's granted every believer a gift that people will understand this, grasp it, utilize it, put it to work, and watch it. operate in every aspect of their life is my prayer in Jesus' name.

Amen. Thank you for listening to The Gifts of the Spirit. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or NTouch Ministries, stop by intouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.