The Spirit's Work in the Church (Gifts and Mission) – Empowered for Witness

Part 1: The Spirit and the Church – A Divine Community

A. The Church Is Not a Building; It Is a Body

Before we can understand spiritual gifts, we must understand what the church is. The New Testament uses several images for the church, but one of the most important is the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13: "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. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."

Romans 12:4-5: "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

Ephesians 1:22-23: "And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

What does this image teach us?

1. The church is organic, not organizational.

• A body is alive. It grows, breathes, moves, and functions. The church is not a human organization (though it has organizational aspects); it is a living organism, animated by the Spirit.

2. The church is diverse, not uniform.

• A body has many different parts—eyes, ears, hands, feet. Each part is different, and each is essential. The church is not a collection of identical copies; it is a community of diverse people with diverse gifts.

3. The church is interconnected, not independent.

• An eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you." Every part needs every other part. You cannot be a healthy Christian in isolation. You need the body, and the body needs you.

4. The church has one Head.

• The body is not a decapitated creature. Christ is the Head. He directs, leads, and governs. The Spirit ensures that the body functions in submission to the Head.

B. The Spirit Creates and Unites the Body

Notice in 1 Corinthians 12:13 that the Spirit is the One who creates the body: "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. "

This "baptism of the Spirit" is not a second experience after salvation; it is what happens to every believer at the moment of conversion. The Spirit places you into the body of Christ, uniting you to Christ and to every other believer.

The Stunning Truth:
When you were saved, you were not saved into isolation. You were saved into a family, a body, a temple. The Spirit who indwells you individually also indwells the church corporately. You are connected to every other believer in a way that is real, spiritual, and eternal. You cannot love God and ignore His people.

C. The Spirit Manifests Himself Through the Body

1 Corinthians 12:7: "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

The phrase "manifestation of the Spirit" is striking. It means that the Spirit becomes visible through your gifts. When you serve, teach, encourage, give, or lead in the way the Spirit has equipped you, people see the Spirit at work.

You are a display case for the Spirit. Your gifts are not about you; they are about making the invisible Spirit visible to the church and to the world.

Part 2: Spiritual Gifts – What They Are and Are Not

A. Defining Spiritual Gifts

The Greek word for spiritual gifts is charismata—from charis (grace). A spiritual gift is a grace-gift. It is not something you earn, achieve, or develop through natural ability (though natural abilities can be Spirit-empowered). It is a supernatural enabling given by the Spirit for the purpose of serving others.

Key Characteristics:

1. They are given by grace. You did not deserve your gift. You did not earn it. It is a gift.

2. They are given to every believer. "To each one is given" (1 Corinthians 12:7). No believer is giftless. If you are in the body, you have a function.

3. They are given for the common good. Your gift is not for you. It is for the body. If you use your gift only for yourself, you are misusing it.

4. They are sovereignly distributed. "Distributing to each one individually just as He wills" (1 Corinthians 12:11). You do not choose your gift. The Spirit chooses. Your job is to discover and steward what He has given.

B. What Spiritual Gifts Are NOT

To avoid confusion, it is important to clarify what spiritual gifts are not:

1. They are not the same as natural talents.

• A natural talent (like musical ability, athletic skill, or artistic creativity) is given at birth and can be used for secular purposes. A spiritual gift is given at the new birth and is specifically for building up the body. However, natural talents can be sanctified and used by the Spirit for spiritual purposes.

2. They are not measures of spirituality.

• Having a visible gift (like teaching or prophecy) does not make you more spiritual than someone with a hidden gift (like helps or mercy). The Spirit distributes as He wills, and all gifts are essential.

3. They are not for personal exaltation.

• Gifts are for serving, not showing off. If your gift draws attention to you instead of to Christ, you are misusing it.

4. They are not optional.

• Some believers treat spiritual gifts as optional extras for the "super-committed." But the Spirit has given every believer at least one gift, and you are responsible to use it.

C. The Lists of Gifts in Scripture

The New Testament contains several lists of spiritual gifts. They are not exhaustive (the church has probably never discovered all the ways the Spirit can gift), but they are representative.

Let's briefly define the major gifts mentioned:

Speaking Gifts:

• Prophecy: Speaking forth the Word of God—not necessarily predicting the future, but proclaiming God's truth with power and application. In the New Testament, prophecy is for "edification, exhortation, and consolation" (1 Corinthians 14:3).

• Teaching: Explaining and applying Scripture in a way that builds understanding and promotes growth.

• Exhortation: Coming alongside to encourage, urge, comfort, and motivate others to action.

• Word of Wisdom / Word of Knowledge: Supernatural insights into truth or situations—wisdom for decision-making or knowledge of facts not naturally known.

• Tongues and Interpretation: Speaking in a language not learned (whether human or angelic) and interpreting that speech for the edification of the church. (We will discuss this gift more in Part 5.)

Serving Gifts:

• Service/Helps: Practical assistance to others—meeting physical needs, doing behind-the-scenes work, supporting others' ministries.

• Giving: Sharing material resources with generosity, cheerfulness, and wisdom.

• Mercy: Showing compassion to the suffering, the sick, the marginalized—with patience and kindness.

• Leadership/Administration: Guiding, organizing, and directing the church's life and ministry.

Sign Gifts:

• Healing: Being used by God to restore physical health.

• Miracles: Being used by God to perform supernatural acts that transcend natural law.

• Faith: Extraordinary trust in God that enables great things to be accomplished.

D. The Purpose of the Gifts

Why did the Spirit give gifts? Paul answers this clearly:

Ephesians 4:12-13: "For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 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."

1 Peter 4:10: "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

The purposes are:

1. Equipping: Gifts prepare others for ministry.

2. Serving: Gifts meet needs in the body.

3. Building up: Gifts strengthen and edify the church.

4. Unity: Gifts, properly used, create interdependence and unity.

5. Maturity: Gifts help believers grow to Christlike maturity.

The Stunning Truth:
Your gift is not about you. It is about others. The Spirit gave you exactly what you have so that you could serve exactly who He places in your path. When you use your gift, you are not just being helpful; you are being the hands of Christ to His body.

Part 3: The Diversity and Unity of Gifts

A. Diversity: Not Everyone Does Everything

1 Corinthians 12:14-20: "For the body is not one member, but many. 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. 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. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body."

This passage is crucial because it addresses two common errors:

Error #1: The Inferiority Complex

• "I'm not a hand (a visible, important gift), so I must not be part of the body."

• Paul says: Every part is essential. The foot, though hidden in a shoe, carries the whole body. Your hidden gift is vital.

Error #2: The Superiority Complex

• "I'm an eye (a visible gift), and I don't need the rest."

• Paul says: The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you." The most "spiritual" gift cannot function without the "practical" gifts.

The Stunning Truth:
You are not supposed to do everything. You are not supposed to have every gift. The Spirit has designed the body so that you need others, and others need you. Your limitations are not failures; they are invitations to depend on your brothers and sisters.

B. Unity: Same Spirit, Same Lord, Same God

1 Corinthians 12:4-6: "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons."

Paul emphasizes unity in the midst of diversity:

• Same Spirit: All gifts come from one Spirit. There is no competition between gifts because they all flow from the same source.

• Same Lord: All gifts are for serving the same Lord Jesus. There is no rivalry because all serve the same Master.

• Same God: All gifts produce effects that come from the same Father. There is no contradiction because all work together under His sovereignty.

The Trinity is involved in your gift!

• The Spirit gives the gift.

• The Lord Jesus is served by the gift.

• The Father produces effects through the gift.

When you use your gift, you are participating in the life of the Trinity.

C. The Most Excellent Way: Love

After spending three chapters on spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14), Paul interrupts himself in chapter 13 to say something startling:

1 Corinthians 12:31: "But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way. "

Then comes 1 Corinthians 13—the love chapter.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3: "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing."

The Stunning Truth:
You can have spectacular gifts and be nothing. You can speak in tongues, prophesy, perform miracles, give away everything, and even die as a martyr—and if love is absent, it is all worthless.

Gifts without love are:

• Noisy: They draw attention to themselves but produce nothing.

• Empty: The person is "nothing" regardless of their gifts.

• Profitless: There is no eternal gain.

Love is the "more excellent way" because love is the goal of all gifts. Gifts build the body so that it can love. Gifts serve others so that love can be expressed. Gifts without love are like a hammer without a hand—useless.

Part 4: Discovering and Using Your Gifts

A. How Do You Discover Your Gifts?

Many believers sincerely want to serve but don't know what their gifts are. Here is a practical path to discovery:

1. Ask the Giver.

• The Spirit gave your gift. Ask Him to show you what it is. Pray: "Lord, You have given me a gift. Show me what it is and how to use it."

2. Examine Your Desires.

• What do you enjoy doing for the body? What brings you life? The Spirit often aligns our gifts with our passions. If you love teaching, you may have the gift of teaching. If you love helping behind the scenes, you may have the gift of service.

3. Test Through Service.

• You don't discover your gifts by sitting in a classroom; you discover them by serving. Try different areas of ministry. See what bears fruit. See what brings joy. See what others affirm.

4. Listen to the Body.

• Other believers can often see your gifts more clearly than you can. Ask trusted Christians: "Where do you see the Spirit using me? What do you think my gifts are?"

5. Look for Fruit.

• When you use your gift, does it build up others? Does it produce life? Does it make a difference? Fruit is evidence of the Spirit's work.

6. Consider Your Season.

• Gifts can emerge at different times. You may discover a gift later in life that you didn't have (or didn't recognize) earlier. Stay open.

B. How Should You Use Your Gifts?

1. Use them in humility.

• Remember: you didn't earn your gift. It was given. Use it with gratitude, not pride.

2. Use them in dependence.

• Your gift is not your natural ability; it is the Spirit working through you. Stay dependent. Pray before you serve.

3. Use them in love.

• The goal is not to display your gift but to build up others. Ask: "Is this serving? Is this loving?"

4. Use them in the body.

• Gifts are for the church. Use them in community, not in isolation. Your gift is one part of a larger whole.

5. Use them faithfully, not frantically.

• You are responsible to use your gift, but you are not responsible to do everything. Serve with faithfulness, not burnout.

6. Use them for mission.

• Ultimately, gifts serve the mission. As the body is built up, it becomes more effective in reaching the world.

C. The Danger of Neglecting Your Gift

1 Timothy 4:14: "Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you."

2 Timothy 1:6: "For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you."

It is possible to neglect, ignore, or let your gift grow cold. This happens when:

• You are lazy or indifferent.

• You are afraid of failure or rejection.

• You are busy with other things.

• You are discouraged by lack of response.

• You are waiting for the "perfect" opportunity.

The Stunning Truth:
The Spirit gave you a gift. If you do not use it, the body is missing a part. Someone is not being served. The church is weaker because you are withholding what the Spirit gave. You will give an account for how you stewarded His gift.

Part 5: Controversial Gifts – Tongues, Prophecy, and Healing

No study of spiritual gifts would be complete without addressing the gifts that have caused controversy in the church. It is important to handle these with humility, grace, and fidelity to Scripture.

A. Principles for Understanding Controversial Gifts

1. All gifts are sovereignly given.

• The Spirit distributes "just as He wills" (1 Corinthians 12:11). No one has the right to say the Spirit cannot give a certain gift today.

2. All gifts must be tested by Scripture.

• Any manifestation of a gift must align with biblical teaching. Experience must be subordinate to Scripture.

3. All gifts must be exercised in order.

• 1 Corinthians 14:33: "God is not a God of confusion but of peace."

• 1 Corinthians 14:40: "All things must be done properly and in an orderly manner."

• Gifts should never produce chaos, disorder, or loss of control.

4. All gifts must be exercised in love.

• If a gift divides the body rather than building it up, it is being misused.

5. All gifts point to Jesus.

• The Spirit's work is to glorify Christ (John 16:14). Any gift that draws attention to itself or its user is suspect.

B. The Gift of Tongues

Tongues is perhaps the most controversial gift. What does the Bible teach?

In Acts:

• Acts 2:4-11: At Pentecost, tongues were known languages. People from many nations heard the disciples speaking in their own languages. This was a sign to unbelieving Jews.

• Acts 10:44-46: At Cornelius's house, tongues confirmed that Gentiles had received the Spirit.

• Acts 19:6: At Ephesus, tongues accompanied the reception of the Spirit.

In 1 Corinthians:

• 1 Corinthians 14: Paul regulates the use of tongues in public worship.

• Tongues without interpretation do not edify the church (v. 5-12).

• Tongues should be interpreted (v. 13, 27-28).

• No more than two or three should speak in tongues in a service, and only if there is interpretation (v. 27).

• Prophecy is preferable because it builds up the church (v. 1-5).

• Tongues are a sign for unbelievers (v. 22).

• Paul thanks God that he speaks in tongues more than all (v. 18), but in church he would rather speak five words with understanding than ten thousand in a tongue (v. 19).

Key Conclusions:

• Tongues is a valid gift of the Spirit.

• It can be used in private prayer (v. 2, 4, 14-15, 18, 28) for personal edification.

• In public worship, it must be interpreted to edify the church.

• Order, not chaos, must govern its use.

• It is not a sign of spirituality; all believers have the Spirit regardless of whether they speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 12:30).

C. The Gift of Prophecy

Prophecy in the New Testament is not primarily about predicting the future. It is speaking forth God's Word for "edification, exhortation, and consolation" (1 Corinthians 14:3).

Key Principles:

• Prophecy must be tested (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21; 1 John 4:1).

• It is subject to the prophets (1 Corinthians 14:32)—the speaker can control it.

• It should be evaluated by the church.

• It is not equal to Scripture in authority. Scripture is the final test.

D. The Gift of Healing

The Bible records many healings through the apostles and others. What about today?

Key Principles:

• God absolutely still heals. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Many believers have experienced miraculous healings.

• The gift of healing is not the same as being a healer. No human being has a "healing ministry" in the sense that they possess healing power. The Spirit heals; He may use a person as an instrument.

• Not all are healed (2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 2 Timothy 4:20; Philippians 2:27). Faith does not guarantee healing. God's purposes are higher than our understanding.

• Ultimate healing comes at the resurrection. Even those healed in the Bible eventually died.

E. A Spirit of Humility

On controversial gifts, let us remember:

• Those who experience these gifts should not look down on those who don't. The Spirit distributes as He wills.

• Those who do not experience these gifts should not forbid or despise what the Spirit may be doing. Test everything; hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

• All of us should pursue love above all. Love is the more excellent way.

Part 6: The Spirit and Mission – Empowered for Witness

A. The Great Commission and the Spirit

The church does not exist for itself. It exists for mission. And the Spirit is the One who empowers that mission.

Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

This verse is the key to the book of Acts and to the entire mission of the church:

1. The Source of Power: The Holy Spirit.

• "You will receive power." The power for mission does not come from eloquence, strategy, or resources. It comes from the Spirit.

2. The Nature of Power: Witness.

• "You shall be My witnesses." The power is for witness. Not for self-exaltation. Not for personal experience. Not for building impressive ministries. For witness.

3. The Scope of Witness: The Ends of the Earth.

• "Jerusalem... Judea... Samaria... remotest part." The mission is global. The Spirit empowers the church to reach every nation, tribe, and tongue.

B. How the Spirit Empowers Witness

1. The Spirit Gives Boldness.

• Acts 4:31: "And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. "

• Ordinary, frightened believers became bold proclaimers when the Spirit filled them.

2. The Spirit Opens Hearts.

• Acts 16:14: "A woman named Lydia... was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul."

• You cannot open a dead heart. Only the Spirit can. He prepares people to receive the gospel.

3. The Spirit Confirms the Word.

• Hebrews 2:4: "God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."

• The Spirit confirms the message of the gospel through signs, wonders, and the transformed lives of believers.

4. The Spirit Guides Missionaries.

• Acts 13:2-4: "While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' ... So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia."

• The Spirit directs the mission. He calls, He sends, He guides.

5. The Spirit Overcomes Barriers.

• Acts 10: The Spirit led Peter to Cornelius, a Gentile, breaking down centuries of Jewish-Gentile division. The Spirit is a missionary Spirit who crosses every boundary.

C. Your Part in the Mission

You may not be called to go to the "remotest part of the earth" as a missionary. But you are called to be a witness wherever you are.

Jerusalem = your immediate context: family, neighbors, coworkers, friends.
Judea = your region: your city, your state, your country.
Samaria = the places you'd rather not go: people different from you, people who make you uncomfortable.
Ends of the earth = the nations: through prayer, giving, sending, and going.

The Spirit empowers you for all of it.

Practical Ways to Participate in the Spirit's Mission:

1. Pray for the lost. The Spirit moves through prayer. Ask Him to open hearts.

2. Share your testimony. You are a witness of what Jesus has done. Tell your story.

3. Use your gifts in evangelism. However the Spirit has gifted you, use it to reach others.

4. Support missionaries. Give, pray, encourage, send.

5. Go. If the Spirit calls, go. Be available.

Part 7: Putting It All Together – Living in This Truth

A. Common Fears Answered by Scripture