One Spirit, One Body

Zephyr United Methodist Church

Early First United Methodist Church

Rev. Eddie Smart

May 7, 2006

1 Cor. 12:1-11 (NRSV)

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ²You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. ³Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; ⁶and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. ⁷To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

1 Cor. 12:27-31 (NRSV)

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. ²⁸And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

When I was in the second or third grade, I started piano lessons. We lived in Knox City. I think that may have lasted a couple years. I did not have a piano for practice. When I started the sixth grade, we moved to Haskell, and I started piano lessons again. I must have taken those lessons for six or seven years. I never did get very good. My parents probably got their money’s worth for the first few years. I am thankful for the exposure, but I just wasn’t very good.

I admire people who can pick up a musical instrument almost as if it were no effort at all. It is like they are just have this “natural” ability to play.

In Jr. High and High School, I did what so many boys in Texas do. I played football. I got to the point that I was better than average, but there was no doubt that what ability I had came from hard work. I was not, nor have I ever been what people would call a “natural” athlete.

You have seen those people who are natural musicians or natural athletes. Some of you are I have no doubt. Born with an ability to do things exceptionally that other struggle to do in a mediocre way.

Well, today’s text is not talking about things that we are born with a special ability to do. Those we might call a God given talent, but they are not the gifts Paul discusses in his letter to the church in Corinth. He is talking about gifts given by the Holy Spirit as a result of our belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Paul is addressing believers.

Today’s text begins with these words, “Now concerning spiritual gifts.” We can conclude from that phrase that Paul is about to respond to some concerns he has about the attitude of the Corinthians toward spiritual gifts. In this book we call, 1 Corinthians, Paul spends all of chapters 12, 13 and 14 addressing his concerns. Apparently the Corinthians were using these gifts as a way of setting themselves apart from one another. The gifts were becoming divisive within their community. They were claiming one person was better than another because they had a particular gift from the Holy Spirit.

Paul gives us a list of gifts in this 12^th chapter. He adds to the list in his letters to the Romans and the Ephesians. Rather than focus on the individual gifts, I want us to hear what Paul has to say in a more general sense.

The list is long, so there are obviously many gifts. He points out that the gifts are different, BUT they have one source. These are gifts that are bestowed by the Holy Spirit as gifts of grace. Paul makes it clear to the Corinthians that they cannot discriminate against each other based on these gifts for two reasons.

First these are gifts that come from one source, the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that gives the gifts. The people do not develop the gifts by practicing day and night. They come from the Holy Spirit.

Not only do these gifts come from the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit choose what gift will be given to you. It is not our choice, but the choice of the Spirit. We have no part in determining which gifts will be ours.

Paul tells the Corinthians that these gifts are given to everyone. Now every person does not receive every gift, but every person does receive one or more gifts. Bill Bouknight in a sermon he preached at Christ UMC in Memphis three years ago makes the point that the Spirit makes two gifts available to everyone. We can all have the gift of wisdom or discernment and the gift of power. In Acts 1 Jesus tells the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit who will give them the power to be Christ’s witnesses. In John’s gospel, Jesus promises the disciples that the Holy Spirit will guide them into all truth. John 16:13

Paul gives the Corinthians a very clear indication of whether a gift is from the Spirit. He makes it clear that spiritual gifts are given for the common good. If it is a gift from the Holy Spirit, it will be for the good of the whole community.

Paul wants us to know that spiritual gifts bring unity not divisiveness. There is a diversity in the gifts, but not divisiveness. There are differences, but they should not cause division. The diversity is not an obstacle to overcome, but a resource to be used by the church.

Paul wants us to know that we are each given individual gifts, and we should know what gift we have been given. He wants us to never forget that we are to use our gifts for the common good.

Would you rather have a teacher with the gift of knowledge or the gift of teaching? I have had “teachers” who know the material. They just didn’t know how to teach it. I bet some of you have experienced the same thing.

Would you rather have counselor with the gift of faith or the gift of discernment? Would you rather have a doctor with the gift of healing or the gift of tongues?

I have come to the conclusion that all medical doctors are not equal. I reminded someone the other day that maybe it is because they all don’t graduate from medical school with a 100 average. But could it be that some may be gifted by the Holy Spirit to heal?

Do you know what gift the Holy Spirit has given you? If not, how will you use it for the good of others? The church of Jesus Christ is at its best only when its people are utilizing the gifts the Holy Spirit has bestowed on them for doing its ministry.

In the coming weeks you will have the opportunity to discover your Spiritual gifts. We will explore the other ways that God has equipped you to “serve from the heart” in our weekly study group.