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Good morning friends,
Today is Thursday June 20 and we’re reading the fascinating chapter 1 Corinthians 12.
I wonder.. .when you compare a healthy, vibrant, Christian life, to what you know of any other religion in the world… how many differences can you identify?
Paul was writing this letter to Christians in the city of Corinth, which had many different religions with widely diverse religious practices. Sorcery and the power of demons, were prevalent in Corinth. Truth is, much of America today is like Corinth was in Paul’s day.
So in this chapter Paul gives some wonderful detail about the powerful work of the Holy Spirit of God, which should be evident in the lives of authentic Christians. This should set us distinctively, apart from people of all other religious systems in the world.
Look at vs. 4-6 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all people.”
We’ve probably all used the phrase, “a work of God in his life” ,when speaking about a person who has been greatly changed by the power of God. Paul wants us to understand, that spiritual change work in people, is accomplished. everywhere in the world, by the same one, true, Holy, Almighty, Majestic, God. In fact, He’s the same God who did His work in the people of Corinth in Paul’s day!
When Christians serve, no matter what type of service it is, anywhere in the world, we are all serving the same Lord Jesus Christ, who saved us.
Do you see how those statements break down all the walls and unite us, as a people of God, the global Church of Jesus Christ?
Now link vs. 4 & 7 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit… Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
The work of the Holy Spirit of God in our lives, as born-again Christ followers, is remarkable, and unlike any other religious system in the world. God, by the power of the Presence of His Spirit, is living inside you! Can your mind grasp that? Paul uses the word ‘gifts’ to indicate a work of the Spirit of God in our lives, that we do not earn, and do you see, the Holy Spirit does this ‘gifting’ work in the life of every authentic Christian, everywhere in the world?
Verse 8-10 is a description of what Paul calls ‘the manifestation of the Spirit’. “Manifestation” means evidence. So these are evidences of the work of the Holy Spirit, who is alive in us, and empowering our spiritual lives. Read the list carefully…then look at your life and the lives of your Christian friends. Can you see some of these manifestations, evidences, of the Spirit’s work? If not, why not?
Now consider vs. 11 “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just at He determines.”
Ok, let’s pause and ask ourselves some questions. Based on what we just read, what does 1 Corinthians 12 say about…
1. WHO is at work in our lives causing these unusual manifestations?
2. WHO determines which of these ‘manifestations’ will appear in your life and mine?
3. WHY does the Holy Spirit do this work in us? WHO is supposed to benefit from this work of the Spirit?
Paul writes about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in several of his letters, so we’ll dig into this again several times this summer.
Now beginning in verse 12 of 1 Corinthians 12 Paul develops a wonderful word picture. Each of us has a human body, and we take care of it don’t we? We understand we have two eyes, two ears, one nose, two feet, 10 fingers, two kidneys, one heart, two lungs… and miraculously, God designed and developed all these various parts in our body, to function both independently, each with a unique role and function, but also they work inter-dependently, in perfect harmony, as a healthy, properly functioning body.
You see how Paul uses that picture to help us understand what he calls the “Body of Christ”. Link vs. 12 & 27: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” What does it mean?
When Jesus was here on earth, God had a physical body for all to see. It’s how God lived among us, visible, engaging us, and Jesus was an active, visible part of society. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit of God, guiding Him, empowering Him.
Now consider this… Jesus returned to heaven, He is no longer here in His visible, physical body. But you and I, as redeemed, Christians, are filled with the same Holy Spirit of God who was alive and working in Jesus. We are guided and empowered by the same Holy Spirit of God, as Jesus was. We are intended to be the physical presence of God living in society as Jesus was.
Now be careful, I did not say we are gods, nor that we are little “Jesus’s”. But as Jesus provided the human presence for the Holy Spirit of God here on earth, so we, Christians, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God as Jesus was, and thus we provide the human bodies, through which the Spirit of God can work in our world, as He did through Jesus. Now ponder that a while…and go back and read vs. 7-11 with this in your mind.
Do you see the phrase “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body…” (vs. 13)? Link it with Galatians 3:26,27 “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ, have clothed yourselves with Christ.” It means that as part of our salvation experience, the Holy Spirit of God united us with the risen, glorified Jesus Christ in a very special, holy, union. It’s part of what Paul challenged the Corinthians with in chapter 6:18-20, remember?
Now as you read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and the beautiful description of how God wants you to see yourself ‘fitting’ in this Body of Christ. . .I wonder what wells up inside you? I sure hope you have a wonderful sense of BELONGING! As an authentic, born again, follower of Jesus, you BELONG in the family of God…because God the Father ADOPTED you as His son or daughter (John 1:12; Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:14-17). You didn’t earn your way in, God brought you in because He loves you, and you trusted in Jesus!
I hope you have a great sense of your UNIQUENESS, there is no one in the world exactly like you, and God designed you that way, and loves it when you think, choose and act as the Holy Spirit leads you, to be all and uniquely what God designed you to BE!
I hope you have a sense of being NEEDED! Every part of the body is important and unique and needed… don’t ever think we’ll be just fine without you. Oh no friends, you fill a role that no one else fills, in the global Body of Christ.
Now you see in vs 28 Paul writes “And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others…” etc. Look at this as two sides of one coin. Consider the word “church” to be the global church, all Christians everywhere. Then also consider the word “church” to be the local group of Christians you are part of, where-ever you worship. In both cases, you are a vital part of what God is doing where He has placed you, do you see this friends?
Now don’t let this chapter cause you to try to be someone you are not designed by God to be. Let this chapter awaken in you a great joy that you are uniquely designed by God, and if you are authentically born-again, redeemed, transformed by the saving work of Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit lives in you and is wanting to do a unique and empowering work in you, that will manifest itself for all to recognize His work. You will, in a wonderful way, participate in what God is trying to accomplish where you live your life and in your local church. Do you see that friends?
As we close today, consider looking back at some of what Jesus promised His disciples about the Holy Spirit…
John 14:16 “I will ask the Father and He will send another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth…you know Him for He lives with you and will be in you.”
John 14:26 “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send you in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of all I have said to you.”
John 16:13 “When He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth…He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”
Acts 1:8 “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
Have a great day friends, living the truth of that!
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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