GOD S SOLUTION FOR TROUBLED CHURCHES. Unity in Diversity: The Body of Christ and Spiritual Gifts. I Corinthians 12:1-31

Transcription

1 I. INTRODUCTION GOD S SOLUTION FOR TROUBLED CHURCHES Unity in Diversity: The Body of Christ and Spiritual Gifts I Corinthians 12:1-31 a. Read text I Corinthians 12:1-31 b. Pray c. Opener Barking like dogs, laughing in the Spirit, being slain, and other unbiblical, abhorrent mockeries of the Spirit of God d. Main Point of the Text Paul tells the believers at Corinth that a true manifestation of the Holy Spirit glorifies the risen Jesus, operates for the common good, and unifies the body e. Main Point of the Sermon In whatever ways the Holy Spirit manifests Himself today, and He does manifest Himself in the lives of believers through spiritual gifts, He does so to glorify the risen Jesus and to edify and unify the body of Christ. f. Purpose I want the members of Reddicks Grove to begin serving in the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of King Jesus and the common good and unity of the body. g. Transition statement. Our text lists three purposes for the Holy Spirit s manifesting Himself in the lives of His people and in the corporate body. Purpose #1 The Holy Spirit manifests Himself to glorify the risen Jesus. II. PURPOSE #1 THE HOLY SPIRIT MANIFESTS HIMSELF TO GLORIFY THE RISEN JESUS a. EXPLANATION i. The Holy Spirit glorifies the risen Jesus through the revelation of the Word of Jesus, the Bible, to the apostles. 1. John 16:14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. ii. The Holy Spirit glorifies the risen Jesus through the preaching and teaching of the Word of Jesus, the Bible, by those who lead in the body.

2 1. Those who lead do so from the Word the parallel between led astray and speaking 2. Those who lead from the Word do so by the Spirit of God The parallel between however you were led and by the Spirit of God 3. Those who lead from the Word preach and teach the real Jesus of the Scriptures The parallel between mute idols and Jesus a. What does it mean to say Jesus is accursed. i. Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith. b. Is it enough to say Jesus is Lord? i. Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. ii. James 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. iii. I John 4:1-3, 6 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not

3 listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1. Confession of Christ vv Confession of Christ according to His Word (the apostolic Word, the us ), that which was given to His apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit v. 6 b. ILLUSTRATION Confirmation of the Spirit s presence was not to be found in the gift itself but rather in one s proper confession about Christ. c. APPLICATION Test the spirits (a preacher, a teacher, a worship service, the manifestation of gifts, etc.) i. Does he confess Christ? ii. Does he confess the Christ of the Scriptures? 1. His person 2. His work a. In salvation b. In sanctification c. In glorification d. Transition statement. Purpose #1 The Holy Spirit manifests Himself to glorify the risen Jesus. Purpose #2 The Holy Spirit manifests Himself for the common good of His people. III.PURPOSE #2 THE HOLY SPIRIT MANIFESTS HIMSELF FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF HIS PEOPLE a. EXPLANATION i. The manifestation of spiritual gifts is Trinitarian which is to say much about the Holy Spirit 1. Parallels a. Parallel between Spirit, Lord, and God. b. Parallel between gifts, ministries, effects, and manifestation 2. This is to say that a. This is to say that the Holy Spirit is God

4 b. This is to say that God is distributing gifts to His people c. This is to say that God in Christ by the Holy Spirit is equipping His people i. Ephesians 4:1-12 ii. The manifestation of spiritual gifts is Trinitarian which is to imply much about the body In a similar way that God is One God in three persons, equal but each person possessing a different role within the godhead, the body of Christ is one yet displays a diversity of gifts. 1. The nature of the gifts a. More specific in nature i. In the church at Corinth I Co. 12: Wisdom 2. Knowledge 3. Faith 4. Healing 5. Miracles 6. Prophecy 7. Discernment 8. Tongues 9. Interpretation ii. In Romans 12: Serving 2. Teaching 3. Exhortation 4. Giving 5. Leadership 6. Mercy b. General by office I Co. 12:27-31 i. Apostles ii. Prophets iii. Teachers iv. Workers of Miracles c. Even more general I Peter 4:11 i. Speaking gifts ii. Gifts of service 2. The distribution of the gifts a. For the common good

5 b. As He wills i. Do all have each gift? No. 3. The hierarchy of the gifts a. The reality of the hierarchy greater gifts v. 31 b. The purpose of the hierarchy 14:1-4 i. Instruction ii. Encouragement iii. Comfort 4. The common good a. I Co. 10:23 b. I Co. 10:31-33 c. I Co. 14:26 b. ILLUSTRATION John Piper some Christians try to experience God s manifestations alone, but do not do I t in the context of an interdependent body, and so they may have ecstatic experiences, but they don t see God as he really is, because is the kind of God who manifests himself for the common good, not for individualistic religious raptures. So this verse (v. 7) is right at the heart of what it means to be Christians individually, and what it means to be the church corporately. c. APPLICATION i. The Bible s teaching destroys much of the Pentecostal/Charismatic teaching regarding the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts 1. The Bible destroys the teaching that one must have the gift of tongues to be saved 2. The Bible destroys the teaching that all must have the gift of tongues 3. The Bible destroys the overwhelming exaltation of tongues over other gifts within the body ii. The Bible s teaching on spiritual gifts destroys the traditional understanding of ministry in the church 1. Nominating committee 2. Deacon nomination 3. Pastoral selection iii. The emphasis in Scripture is on the instruction, encouragement, and comfort of God s people. 1. The primacy placed on the preaching and teaching of God s Word is undeniable.

6 a. II Timothy 3:16-4:5 d. Transition statement. Purpose #1 The Holy Spirit manifests Himself to glorify the risen Jesus. Purpose #2 The Holy Spirit manifests Himself for the common good of His people. Purpose #3 The Holy Spirit manifests Himself for the unity of His people. IV. PURPOSE #3 THE HOLY SPIRIT MANIFESTS HIMSELF FOR THE UNITY OF HIS PEOPLE a. ILLUSTRATION Dr. Roger Barrier et. al Christ-like maturity is primarily indicated by the manifestation of the fruit of the spirit, not by the presence of spiritual gifts. i. Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. b. EXPLANATION Implied in Galatians and explicit in our text for this morning is the idea of unity. Unity, the oneness in Christ established by the Holy Spirit and exemplified in the lives of believers, is the foundation for spiritual gifting in the body. i. Ephesians 4 ii. One Spirit, One body unity 1. Christ is not divided a. Christ is not divided by race or ethnicity b. Christ is not divided by socio-economic status c. Christ is not divided by sex 2. References a. Galatians 3:28 iii. One body, many members diversity 1. Each member, though gifted individually, is equally vital to the body vv Each member, though equally vital, has been gifted individually

7 a. What does Paul mean by weaker and less honorable with regard to certain members? i. Note seem and we deem ii. Note that which lacked 1. These are those without the greater gifts b. Why do we honor those with lesser gifts? i. That there be no division ii. That the members have the same care for one another 1. Mutual encouragement 2. Mutual suffering c. APPLICATION i. There is no place in the body of Christ for racial segregation or discrimination. ii. There is no place in the body of Christ for segregation or discrimination based on socio-economic grounds. iii. There is no place in the body of Christ for discrimination or unnecessary segregation based upon sex. 1. Necessary segregation I Timothy 2:12-14 V. SUMMATION AND RESPONSE a. Main Point of the Text Paul tells the believers at Corinth that a true manifestation of the Holy Spirit glorifies the risen Jesus, operates for the common good, and unifies the body b. Main Point of the Sermon In whatever ways the Holy Spirit manifests Himself today, and He does manifest Himself in the lives of believers through spiritual gifts, He does so to glorify the risen Jesus and to edify and unify the body of Christ. c. Purpose I want the members of Reddicks Grove to begin serving in the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of King Jesus and the common good and unity of the body. d. Questions to ask i. Do these elements point to and glorify the risen Christ of the Scriptures? ii. Do these elements rightly instruct, encourage, and comfort us primarily from God s Word? iii. Do these elements operate for the common good of the body?

8 VI. Let us pray. iv. Do these elements emanate from a heart of unity or divisiveness? 1. In other words, do they discriminate racially, socioeconomically or according to sex? 2. In other words, do they give equal weight to everyone s gift? 3. In other words, do they give more honor to the less presentable members of the body?