GIFTED TOGETHER

1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:4-13; Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Peter 4:10-11

GIFTED TOGETHER

ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE

Answer this question: How do spiritual gifts bring us together as the body of Christ?

Do you realize that you are a vital part of something so much bigger than yourself?

Do you realize that you have the opportunity to be a part of God’s team, not only through salvation, but through your unique giftings, talents, and passions?

 Well…you ARE a vital part of something bigger than yourself!!

The opportunity is right in front of you to take a step as part of God’s team to use your gifts, talents, and passions.

Would you believe me when I tell you that once you became a believer and received the gift of salvation, not only were you reconciled to God and became a brand new person, but you were given special gifts to be used to bring Him glory and honor.

When you said, “Yes,” to Jesus, you joined His army.

• Upon joining that army, you received a uniform called the “armor of God” – boots, shield, sword, helmet, etc.

• You willingly put on the new you, clothed in righteousness, and stand ready to be on the offense in fighting the battle against evil.

• You join other like-minded soldiers also equipped for battle. You’re not on your own in this quest.

• As you stand at attention, the officer brings each of you something extra special.

• This is your special power, given to you by the General Himself – God.

• It is explained to you that this special gift of the Holy Spirit will

• unite you with the rest of the soldiers,

• it will empower you to support your comrades in arms,

• it will prove to be a key element in winning the war….

• if you hold onto it, embrace it, and use it as part of the quest. The choice is yours.

This extraordinary power is your spiritual gift, given to you by God through the Holy Spirit living in you.

Within the church – the body of Christ (a metaphor for the whole church, a unity of believers connected with and dependent on Christ), each of us has a special role to play, a contribution towards the benefit of the whole. It is the oneness of a living organism

Spiritual gifts are at the very heart of why fellowship and being TOGETHER with the church isn’t optional — they’re one of the main ways God designed believers to need one another and to strengthen each other’s relationship with Him.

TOGETHER we shine brightly, we march uniformly, we take on battles hand in hand, we overcome, we encourage, and we make a difference for the kingdom of God. 

And it is within the BODY OF CHRIST we are one. One body made up of many parts. Each of you is a part of one unit. And we’ve got work to do.  

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

One Body with Many Parts

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So, it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

We aren’t supposed to do life alone. The Christian life is not a solo journey.

This scripture is referring to coveting gifts in the body of Christ. Believing that specific spiritual gifts have more power, authority, are used more, etc. Paul wrote this to show that we are not to compare ourselves in our ministry or on our spiritual journey. We are all used in the fashion that God sees fit. And He needs each gift to be in operation.

The word “weak,” in the statement – “some parts of the body that seem weakest and less important” can be translated as frail, fragile, without strength. In much the same way we have those who are newer in their journey with Christ, infants, dependent, as they begin their discipleship journey. These young believers need the strength of the body of Christ to support them, protect them, nurture them, and encourage them to come along on the journey.

Just as the physical parts of the body are obliged to care for one another; the hand is as anxious to guard the eye or the stomach, to help the mouth or the foot, as to serve itself; the eye is watchman for every other organ; each feels its own usefulness and cherishes its fellows; all “have the same care,” since they have the same interest—that of “the one body”.

Once a person comes into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, they become part of the church, the body of Christ. Becoming a part of this unit, this team, the entity of the body, means that, each of us, united together, become something so much larger than themselves. We have now teamed up with other like-minded people, who all believe that Jesus is Lord and He has called us to something more than we could ever imagine. By weaving ourselves into the tapestry of the body of Christ, we become part of the majesty, the beauty, the light/beacon that shines forth to the world and our community.

Once, we were independent, on our own to face life’s challenges and obstacles, we are now

INTERDEPENDENT

Interdependence is the state of being dependent upon one another: mutual dependence

A mutually dependent relationship

That means we are not only independent, just relying on ourselves, or dependent where we rely on others to help us grow. We give and receive. We form one UNIT, one TEAM, one ENTITY, one ARMY.

OUR GOAL is to become INTERDEPENDENT. Two are better than one and many are better than none. To compliment the body of Christ, God has given each one of us a spiritual gift.

How do spiritual gifts fit into the work of the church, the ministry, the forward motion.

What is a SPIRITUAL GIFT?

Spiritual gifts are abilities given to individual believers by the Holy Spirit in order to equip God’s people for ministry, both for the edification of the church and for God’s mission to save the world.

IT’S GOD’S ENABLEMENT

• God’s power at work within us to accomplish His purposes.

• Remember, at salvation, the HS becomes alive in us.

• So much happens within us when our spirit becomes alive in Christ.

• One of those unique bestowments is a SPIRITUAL GIFT.

• God births within us the desire to be a part of His plan, and we look for and seek Him to show us how He can use us as part of the BODY.

In the same way you do not have to work for your salvation, you do not need to work for or receive a spiritual gift. You don’t need some special certification or degree to have a spiritual gift or to operate in your spiritual gift. The gift is just as free as salvation and available to all believers.

WHY ARE SPIRITUAL GIFTS NEEDED

God has given his gifts to ALL believers for a purpose

1 Corinthians 12:7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

Romans 12:6a In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.

1 Peter 4:10 God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

Ephesians 4:11-13

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

2 Timothy 1:6 instructs us to FAN INTO FLAME THE GIFT GOD HAS GIVEN US

1 Timothy 4:14 instructs us NOT TO NEGLECT OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

Discovering, embracing, owning, and using our spiritual gifts is not optional – God needs each of us to be who He needs us to be to advance the kingdom of God.

The ultimate purpose of spiritual gifts is the building up of the Church; that is, they are to be used in the service of one another for the benefit of all.  

THROUGH OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS, GOD USES US TO FULFILL OUR ROLE IN THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY

You are a crucial piece to God’s plan. You may not feel that you have anything to offer. However, that is contradictory to God’s word. He empowers. He equips. He supplies…..through us to fulfill His purpose within this church, within this community, and around the world.

If we are to fan into flame the Gift God has given us, and not neglect our spiritual gifts, how do we discover what our spiritual gift(s) are?

ONE, it would help to know what the Bible describes as a spiritual gift.

WHAT ARE THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS AS SEEN IN SCRIPTURE

Scripture describes many gifts that God used in people to accomplish His purpose.

Bezalel– Skilled Craftsmen Anointed by God, Exodus 31:1–6 (beh-zuh-lel)

Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 4 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. 5 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!

He was a master craftsman – woodworking, metalwork, design, and artistry (natural ability).

God filled him with His Spirit, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise to contribute to building of the tabernacle according to divine patterns.

Old Testament Examples

• Numbers 11:25 – The Spirit came upon the seventy elders, and they prophesied to help share the burden of leadership with Moses, for the good of all the people.

• Daniel 2:19–23, 47 – Daniel’s gift of interpreting dreams was not only for himself but for the deliverance and guidance of others (even saving lives in Babylon).

The New Testament gives us real-life demonstrations of spiritual gifts in action—from prophecy and healing to teaching, serving, and leading. These individuals remind us that the gifts are practical, visible, and meant to serve others and glorify Christ.

Peter (Acts 3:6–7; Acts 5:15–16) At the temple gate, Peter healed the lame man: “Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

Peter, as the leader of the early church, confronted Ananias and Sapphira for lying about the money they received from selling property. The Holy Spirit revealed their deception to Peter, who accused them of lying to the Holy Spirit by keeping a portion of the money for themselves while pretending to give it all to the church.

Barnabas (Acts 4:36–37; Acts 11:22–24) Nicknamed “Son of Encouragement”

We’ve PUT the list of gifts we are exploring from the scripture into two categories. Scholars and theologians have placed spiritual gifts in a number of categories to help better understand them.

These two categories are MANIFESTATION GIFTS and MINISTRY/OFFICE GIFTS.

 MANIFESTATION GIFTS These are gifts of the Holy Spirit that are manifested (shown, revealed, made visible) in specific situations for the building up of the Church. They are not permanent “possessions” of the believer, but rather momentary empowerments of the Spirit. They manifest the Spirit’s presence for a particular need at a particular time.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 to describe the role of MANIFESTATION GIFTS in the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

These manifestation gifts can be used at any time as the Holy Spirit deems necessary to provide godly insight that the human being would not be able to distinguish on their own.

SEE THIS LINK FOR A LIST OF THE SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION GIFTS with definitions for each one.

WORDS OF WISDOM

WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE

FAITH

HEALINGS

MIRACLES

PROPHECY

DISCERNMENT

SPEAK IN TONGUES

INTERPRETATION

• Again, these MANIFESTATION GIFTS can be used at any time as the Holy Spirit deems necessary to provide supernatural insight and ability that the human mind would not be able to distinguish on its own.

• This could be in a church service, in discipleship, in meetings, in mentoring, anywhere there is a need for God to reveal Himself in the moment for edification, revelation of sin or personal issue, to bring guidance in a decision or choice.

• Manifestation gifts are not ours to own. While some may be used in these gifts more often than others, we all yield ourselves to the Lord to be used as He desires.

• It is also important to realize that it is both unbiblical and unwise to assume that because someone exercises a gift in an outwardly impressive way, that person is more spiritual than those with less spectacular gifts

• ALL SPIRITUAL GIFTS ALIGN WITH THE WORD OF GOD, AND ANY USE OF THAT GIFT SHOULD DRAW US CLOSER TO GOD.

Then we have MINISTRY/OFFICE GIFTS

SEE THIS LINK FOR A LIST OF THE SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION GIFTS with definitions for each one. 

Ministry gifts do not indicate that only the person with that gift needs to carry out the role!!

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

• We are all instructed in the Bible to show mercy, grace, compassion, hospitality, evangelize the lost, give, etc.

• Take caution and do not allow yourself to excuse what God instructs us to do in our walk with Him.

• There are standards in the word for all of us to walk out.

Spiritual Gifts may be mistaken for our NATURAL TALENTS.

Natural talents depend on natural ability – some of us are born leaders, teachers, helpers, or naturally hospitable.

A ministry gift is godly enablement, the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us.

Natural talents coupled with a person’s spiritual gift, enabled by the HS can bring eternal results.

• Naturally good writer, God can use your ministry gift of encouragement to be a part of our CARE Team.

• Naturally good carpenter, God can use your ministry gift of teaching to have a group where you not only teach individuals – men or boys, but also teach a verse of the Bible when you meet.

1 Corinthians 12:28-31

28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.

29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

APOSTLES

PROPHETS

TEACHERS

MIRACLES

HEALING

HELPS

ADMINISTRATION

SPEAKING IN TONGUES

Ephesians 4:11-13

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

APOSTLES

PROPHETS

EVANGELISTS

PASTORS

TEACHERS

Romans 12:4-13

4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

PROPHESY

SERVING

TEACHER

ENCOURAGE or EXHORATION

GIVING

LEADERSHIP

MERCY

HOSPITALITY

1 Peter 4:10-11

10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

SPEAKING

HELPS

• After reviewing what the Bible says about both manifestation gifts and ministry gifts, the conclusion can be drawn that manifestation gifts and ministry gifts work hand in hand.

• It is not either/or, but both/and.

• The manifestation gifts, as Paul writes, are used in the ministry gifts as a necessary part of fulfilling the role within the church.

While we are operating in our ministry gift, God supernaturally empowers us to function in a way that is beyond our own abilities.

• Administration – wanting an employee to succeed and asking God to give me knowledge and supernatural wisdom on how to manage their performance for the benefit of the whole.

• Giving – God speaks to your heart regarding giving to a project and in faith you believe for God for more than you can imagine.

• Mercy – you’re in the worship service and see someone go forward for prayer. God speaks to you to go pray with them. While your praying, you discern in the spirit the need and pray accordingly.

If, according to scripture, we are to fan into flame the Gift God has given us and not neglect our spiritual gifts, how do we discover what our spiritual ministry gifts are?

ONE, pray for God to reveal His gift in you. What is stirring inside of you? What is God calling you to do?

TWO, study the scripture we’ve shared today. Look over the list we’ve made available to you.,

THREE, join groups that are teaching about the spiritual gifts – Discipleship Journey; Starting Point.

FOUR, connect with a CALVARY GROW COACH and take a spiritual gift assessment.

FIVE, start serving. In keeping with our earlier Army theme, there’s no need to hang out in the fort. Join us on the frontline.

Believe that God will ignite within you a passion and calling as you seek out an area you believe He would like you to serve.  As you serve, you begin to see gifts of the Spirit in operation through you.

TAKE AWAY

WE ARE ALL A PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST, A UNITY OF BELIEVERS CONNECTED WITH AND DEPENDENT UPON CHRIST.

TAKE AWAY

TOGETHER we are gifted. Spiritual gifts are at the very heart of why fellowship TOGETHER with the church isn’t optional. God designed believers to need one another.

TAKE AWAY

All the gifts given by the Spirit of God are essential for the proper functioning of the Church. This means your gift — whether teaching, serving, encouragement, mercy, leadership, giving, or something else — is not primarily for you. God gave it to you so that others in the church can be built up in faith, hope, and love.

The opportunity is right in front of you to take a step as part of God’s team to use your gifts, talents, and passion.

Ultimately –

A healthy and unified church, with strong fellowship, serves as a powerful witness to the world, reflecting God's love and the transformative power of the Gospel. When people see believers from diverse backgrounds coming together in love and unity, operating in their gifts to advance the work of ministry, it demonstrates the reality of God's presence and inspires others to seek a relationship with Him.

WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS TO BE A LIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY, genuine believers in Christ who allow Him to continue the work in our hearts. We are yielded, real, authentic, honest in our journey, understanding our need to connect and grow, to be empowered so we can go.