SPIRITUAL GIFTS
I really enjoy studying the spiritual gifts.
I used to think we only got one gift.
As you learn about the gifts you'll see that God will bless us with gifts.
If there is a gift you are interested in pray about it.
Depending on Gods plan for your life what your gifts will receive.
Ephesians 4:7 says; But to each one of us grace was given accord-
ing to the measure of Christ's gifts.
Paul taught that every Christian receives a gift or several gifts.
The purpose for the spiritual gifts are to build up the church.
Within the Body of Christ all the gifts work together to get the Lords
work done.
1 Peter 4:10 says; As each one has received a gift minister it to one
another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
You are a steward of the gift (spiritual) given to you by God.
We are held accountable for using our gift or gifts.
You are to use your gift or gifts to glorify the Lord.
The more gifts you have the more responsibility you will have.
The Lord won't give us more than we can handle.
1Corinthians 12:7 says; But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to
each one for the profit of all.
This verse is pointing out the gifts are for the individual but also, your
gift is to benefit the whole body.
1Corinthians 12:11 says; But one and the same Spirit works all these
things, distributing to each on individually as He wills.
Because God knows us and we are all different so His will for us is
perfect.
Your spiritual gifts are important to you in your growth in the Lord.
As the whole Body of Christ your gift will help to make the body flow.
Ephesians 4:8 says; Therefore He says: When He ascended on high
He
lead captivity captive
And gave gifts to man.
Paul explains the receiving of the gifts.
First Jesus ascended up to heaven.
Then He defeated Satan.
Then He sent spiritual gifts to His on earth.
If we are faithful stewards with our gifts it will determine our position
when Christ Jesus reigns.
Ephesians 4:9 says; Now this He ascended what does it mean but
that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Paul talks about Jesus descended and some say it was when Jesus
went to Hades.
But it could also been the earth he was talking about.
Philippians 4:5-8 says; Let your gentleness be known to all men. The
Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving, let you request be made known
to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally,
brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever
things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is
anything praise worthy-meditate on these things.
Gentleness is someone who has a heart for others.
They will sacrufice something that is due them to help others.
They are calm in all things no matter what is going on arund them.
A Christian should not be anxious in anything.
We should pray about the situations and wait for the Lord to answer.
That will honor God because you are seeking all things through Him but
also you are showing faith and trust in God.
The peace of God protects us against all things that may come
against us.
God is protecting your mind and heart against the things of the world.
Paul is also speaking of things that are pure and holy.
When you meditate on things that you are confronted with, the good
things from the Lord, will renew your minds as to one with the
Lord.
Ephesians 4:10 says; He who descended is also the One who ascend-
ed far above all the heavens that He might fill all things.
Jesus is the One who desented to the earth and humbled Himself to be
a servant to man.
Then when things were finished on earth He ascended far beyond all
the heavens so He would be over all things.
Colossians 1:18 says; And He is the head of the body, the church,
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things
He may have the preeminence.
Paul is pointing out that Christ Jesus is the only intersesor for human
beings.
Jesus is the head of the church and the church is His body.
Jesus was the first to be ressurected.
Ephesians 4:11 says; And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some
prophets, some evangetlists, and some pastors and teachers,
Apostles are ambassedors who saw Christ Jesus in His resurrected
form, and did miracles.
They were chosen by Christ Jesus to go out and tell others what they
witnessed for themselves.
Prophets get revelations from God and then go out and deliver the
message to the person it was meant for.
They can also deliver revelation of what is to come in the future.
Sometimes situations can be changed by listening to the message
the prophet gives.
Other times it is things that cannot be changed but is a warning for
for His people to be prepared for what is to come to pass.
Evangelists are preachers who preach the gosspels
They lead others to the body of Christ by telling them about the free
salvation through Christ Jesus.
They also train others to go out and share their fath with the lost.
They teach free salvation by grace through faith.
Pastors are like shepherds, they have the flock,(people), and they
watch over them.
They feed the, (spiritual), food so they will grow in the Lord.
They watch over their flocks to make sure the wolves, (enemy), does
not get in and devour them.
The pastors job is not to acquire more sheep.
If they do their jobs right they will have a healthy flock.
Many put pastors and teacher into one.
But that is not what the Lord had in mind when He gave us gifts.
Ephesians 4:12 says; for equipping of the saints for the work of
ministery, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
Paul is explaining the job of the teachers.
Romans 12:7 says; or ministry let us use it in our ministering; he who
teaches, in teaching,
You can see here that they are different gifts.
Teachers prepare the saints to start ministries and go out and do the
Lords work and increase the church.
Close but not the same at all.
Ephesians 4:13 says; till we all come to the unity of the faith and of
the kinowledge of the Son of God to a perfect men, to the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
All of the gifts listed above are the gifted leaders who prepare the
saints to go out.
The saints start ministires and the result is the body of Christ
is increased.
The final goal is that we become mature in Christ.
The truth and love going out to the lost.
Colossians 2:2 says; that their hearts may be encouraged being knit
together in love, and attaining to all the riches of the full assur-
ance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God,
both of the Father and of Christ,
Paul was telling them about the truths of Christ Jesus and that there
was hope.
They had been taught false truths and Paul was telling them to seek
the truth in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 14:20 says; Brethren, do not be children in understand-
ing; how ever, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.
The people were arguing and turning against each other.
Paul was trying to get them to work together.
The only way they were going to mature was to seek the Lord for the
truths and set their goals to know and be in Gods will.
Ephesians 4:14 says; that we should no longer be children, tossed to
and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrin, by the
trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.
Paul is warning them that children are easily deceived.
That we have to work dilegently toward maturing the babies in Christ.
The enemy will find the babies and try to take them off and devour all
that the Lord has done for them and plant bad seeds in them.
1 Peter 2:2 says; As new born babies, desire the pure milk of the
word, that you may grow therefore,
Peter is saying that you start with the basic and work up to the real
meat in the word so they don't get frustrated and confussed and
walk away.
To desire something is to long for it.
A new Christian desires all that they can absorb, kind of like a sponge
with water.
But you must not give too much at one time.
Make sure they understand and then go on to something new.
With the word comes maturity so we are responsible for the babies in
your church group.
Ephesians 4:15 says; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in
all things into Him who is the head-Christ-
This verse is saying that, as Christians, we should always speak the
truth.
But it should be done in loving manner so we don't discourage some-
one in coming to the Lord.
We should always give to others in love what the Lord has given to us
in love.
Ephesians 4:16 says; From whom the whole body, joined and knit to-
gether by what every joint supplies, according to the effective
working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the
body for the edifying of itself in love.
Anything that builds up believers and the church is edifying.
The scriptures I used in this lesson are: Ephesians 4:7-16, 1:22,
1:23, 1 Peter 4:10, 5:2, 2:2, 2:9-11, 1 Corinthians 12:7,
12:11, 14:26, 12:14-27, 1:4, Psalms 68:18, John 3:13, 20:17,
Philippians 2:5-8, 2:9-11, Colossians 2:19, 2:2, 1:24, 1:18,
Romans 16:18, 12:7, Acts 1:9.
This study was done on the spiritual gifts with the most responsibilities
But one thing you must remember is that all the gifts are very impor-
tant so that the body can work together.
If all the spiritual gifts don't work together the body of Christ will not
grow.
Too many times someone will say I can't make a difference.
That is a lie the enemy wants everyone of Gods children to believe.
You will never know, while on earth, just how much you life effected a
lost soul.
By a simple kindness you did could have planted the seed to bring
them into the light.
Find out what your gifts are.
Find a ministry that will help the lost souls as well as the Christians
that are discouraged.
We need to quit argueing among ourselves and remember that we are
all Gods children.
That the body of Christ is not effective if we are not working in unity.
My prayer is that who ever reads these words, the Lord has given me,
Will be encouraged to seek the Lord about their spiritual gifts.
Read the scriptures and see which ones fit you. There are a lot
more scriptures that I didn't use in this lesson. I pray that the
desire to grow and become a mature Christian will fill you hearts.
Find a ministry that fits you but always do these things with pray-
er. Let the Lord lead you where you are suppose to be.
God bless you and your family, may the Lord keep you close to Him.
PRAISE GOD THE FATHER, JESUS OUR SAVIOR, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
THAT LIVES WITHIN ALL CHRISTIANS.
