The Gifts & The Body 44: The Order of the Assembly
The Gifts & The Boby 43: The Purpose of Tongues
The Gifts & The Body 42: Edifying One Another
The Gifts & The Body 41: The Permanence of Love
The Gifts & The Body 40: What Love Is...
"Agape characterizes God and what He manifested in the gift of His Son. It is more than mutual affection; it expresses unselfish esteem of the object loved. Christ’s love for us is undeserved and without thought of return. The love that His followers show, Paul now says, should be the same."
Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, Expanded ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 1836.
The Gifts & The Body 39: What Love is NOT
1 Peter 4:10-11
1. Each believer has received a gift (v.10a)
2. This gift is for serving other believers (v.10b)
3. Serving one another makes us good stewards of this gift (grace) (v.10c)
4. Spiritual gifts demonstrate the manifold grace of God among the Church (v.10d)
5. The first category of spiritual gifts is "speaking" (v.11a)
6. Those with "speaking" gifts are to use them as "speaking the utterances of God" (v.11b)
7. The second category of spiritual gifts is "serving" (v.11c)
8. Those with "serving" gifts are to use them as "serving by the strength that God supplies" (v.11d)
9. God is glorified through our use of spiritual gifts when they are used His way (v.11e)
* #6 & #8 show that spiritual gifts must be done
by faith, not by flesh. When done by faith, they are then being exercised spiritually.
Faith is how the believer accesses the glorious benefits of the Spirit.
What are the Implications of 1 Peter 4:10-11
1. Every believer has a gift! Therefore, every believer can serve!
2. By giving gifts, this means that God has plans for us- His will/good works- Eph 2:10
3. By giving gifts, His will/good works can only be accomplished by what He supplies. It's His way, done with His Word, done in His power which is by His Spirit in us. We are simply the tools that He chooses to work through.
If it is Him working through us, our submission is the only way to experience the supernatural.
4. We must handle these grace gifts faithfully. Exercising God's gifts in God's way will be a major factor regarding our faithfulness at the Judgment Seat of Christ -2 Cor 5:10.
Imperative- "A command or exhortation”
"But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
And I show you a still more excellent way."
Indicative- "A statement of fact"
"You are desiring the sensational gifts.
And I show you a still more excellent way.
"Agape characterizes God and what He manifested in the gift of His Son. It is more than mutual affection; it expresses unselfish esteem of the object loved. Christ’s love for us is undeserved and without thought of return. The love that His followers show, Paul now says, should be the same."
-Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, Expanded ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 1836.
The Gifts & The Body 38: Valuing One Another
The Gifts & The Body 37: Many Members, But One Body
The Gifts & The Body 36: Identifying Your Spiritual Gift
What is a "spiritual gift?"
"Gift"- charisma- A supernatural endowment graciously bestowed on believers in Christ for the sole purpose of building up one another.
This may be more properly understood as "grace gifts."
1 Peter 4:10-11
1. Each believer has received a gift (v.10a)
2. This gift is for serving other believers (v.10b)
3. Serving one another makes us good stewards of this gift (v.10c)
4. Spiritual gifts demonstrate the manifold grace of God among the Church (v.10d)
5. The first category of spiritual gifts is "speaking" (v.11a)
6. Those with "speaking" gifts are to use them as "speaking the utterances of God" (v.11b)
7. The second category of spiritual gifts is "serving" (v.11c)
8. Those with "serving" gifts are to use them as "serving by the strength that God supplies" (v.11d)
* #6 & #8 show that spiritual gifts must be done by faith, not by flesh.
9. God is glorified through our use of spiritual gifts when they are used His way (v.11e)
Spiritual Gifts Inventory
1. I speak up for Christian principles even when what I say is not popular.
2. I enjoy encouraging and giving counsel to those who are discouraged.
3. I have an ability to study a passage of Scripture thoroughly and effectively share its truth with others.
4. I often have insights offering practical solutions to difficult problems.
5. I enjoy studying difficult questions about God’s Word and tend to find answers more easily and more quickly than others.
6. I am confident of achieving great things for the glory of God.
7. I enjoy giving money to those in serious financial need.
8. I enjoy comforting people in hospitals, prisons, or nursing homes.
9. I enjoy working behind the scenes without public recognition.
10. People seem to look to me for leadership in a group where none exists.
11. People often say I have good spiritual judgment.
12. I feel a need to speak God’s messages from the Bible to help people know what God expects of them.
13. After I talk one-on-one with people, they often are spurred to take positive action.
14. When a question arises from a difficult Bible passage, I am motivated to research the answer.
15. When they don’t know what to do, people often ask my advice.
16. Gathering information from multiple sources to find answers or information is one of my abilities.
17. I often step out and start successful projects other people won’t attempt.
18. I joyfully give money to the church well above my tithe.
19. I feel compassion for hurting and lonely people and like to spend time with them to encourage.
20. I would like to assist my pastor and other church leaders so they will have more time to accomplish their essential ministries.
21. I can easily delegate significant responsibilities to other people.
22. I am a good judge of character and can discern spiritual falsehood.
23. It is comfortable for me to apply biblical principles to present day situations.
24. I feel a need to challenge others to better themselves in their spiritual growth without condemning them.
25. Others listen to and appreciate my teaching of Scripture.
26. The Lord enables me to make appropriate application of biblical truth to practical solutions.
27. I can independently recognize difficult biblical truths and principles.
28. I trust God’s faithfulness even when everything looks bad.
29. I wouldn’t mind lowering my standard of living in order to be able to give more to the church or to others in need.
30. I want to do whatever I can for the needy people around me, even if I have to give up something.
31. I enjoy relieving others of routine tasks so they can get special projects done.
32. I am able to organize people, ideas, and projects to reach a specific goal.
33. I am able to distinguish between right and wrong in complex spiritual matters that other people can’t seem to figure out.
34. I speak clearly and am able to organize and present biblical truth so that others understand what I have to say.
35. People will tell me things they won’t tell anyone else because they find it easy to talk to me.
36. My thinking is organized and my approach systematic when presenting Bible lessons to a group.
37. I am able to interpret and apply Scripture with keen insight.
38. I will stick with a study once begun in order to develop a more complete picture.
39. I often exercise my faith through prayer, and the Lord answers my prayers in exciting ways.
40. When I give money to someone, I don’t expect anything in return, and often give anonymously.
41. When I hear of people without jobs who can’t pay their bills, I do what I can to help them.
42. I enjoy helping others get their work done.
43. I can work under pressure with discipline to accomplish established goals and objectives.
44. People come to me for help in distinguishing between spiritual truth and error.
45. I find the fundamental truths of Scripture to be worth repeating over and over.
46. I will stay with people and encourage them to finish a task once they have started it.
47. I can explain the teaching of the Bible clearly and concisely.
48. I can put ideas into words easily and can analyze and explain situations well.
49. I have understood issues or problems in the church and seen answers when others didn’t.
50. I am willing to take on difficult assignments with a determination to meet obstacles head on.
51. I desire to share my personal financial resources with others and to assist them in worthy endeavors.
52. I will lay aside my own personal desires in order to help others.
53. In difficult situations I am able to get to the heart of the problem and take steps to resolve it.
54. I can see the “big picture” of a project and am able to coordinate others who only see various parts.
55. I am able to pinpoint the sources of difficulty when evaluating a situation.
56. I challenge people to set high standards of biblical conduct for their daily activities.
57. I have deep concern for the spiritual welfare of Christians who are in a crisis.
58. I have shared biblical truth with others in a way that they have found it meaningful and helpful.
59. While discussing a problem I can share in such a way that clarifies what is needed to resolve it.
60. I study the Bible systematically, trying to see how one part relates to another.
61. I confidently expect God to respond to situations committed to Him in prayer.
62. Sharing of my financial resources for Christian ministry is one of the greatest joys of my Christian walk.
63. People tend to call on me when help is needed for someone in distress.
64. I openly share my material possessions with others when they are in need.
65. I enjoy working out the necessary details in order to organize people and resources for a more effective ministry.
66. I seem to know when a situation is not right.
67. I desire to proclaim the truth of God’s Word with authority and with conviction.
68. I enjoy sharing God’s promises from Scripture as a means of encouragement.
69. I enjoy communicating biblical truth to others and then seeing growth in their knowledge of the Christian faith.
70. I apply spiritual truth effectively in my own life.
71. I study matters thoroughly so as to locate information others often overlook.
72. I have had great dreams and aspirations which have turned into reality despite the unlikeliness of accomplishing them.
73. I feel confident when I give sacrificially that the Lord will provide for my needs.
74. I receive great satisfaction and pleasure in preparing meals or in helping those less fortunate.
75. I enjoy short-term tasks rather than long-term projects.
76. People often respect my opinion and follow my direction.
77. When counseling a person, I can identify a problem correctly.