From Sunday's Sermon

A few notes on G.A.T.E. (Gifted and Talented Evangelists) from Sunday's Sermon January 21st.

A gate is the entryway and the place where one comes and goes from a place. Today's text from 1 Corinthians 12 reminds us of Jesus Christ as the gate to Heaven, and the Holy Spirit as the gate to Christ.

Let me first start by saying that today's sermon is for those who have already said in their hearts and with their voices that "Jesus is Lord". If you have not made this claim then I encourage you to make that claim, to stay and to listen, to hear what can happen if you do.

I want you to get your Bibles out, to grab the bulletin copy of the text for today, and a pencil, a pen or a highlighter to follow along.

Let us look at what it is that God tells us happens in the Holy Spirit, the gifts we are to use on the outside walls of the church, reminded again that we are to be in the world, not holed up behind the walls of the building. We are also gifted to be sharing the word of God with the world around us.

(Borrowing from the NRSV, from some notes from Willow Creek spiritual gifts definitions, and Wikipedia)

1 Corinthians 12

Spiritual Gifts

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore 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.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to 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. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

One Body with Many Members

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And 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. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

the body does not consist of one member but of many

Utterance of Wisdom

See It is the special gift whereby the Spirit endows particular Christians with an understanding of God's will and work as it relates to the living of life.

See James 3:13-17

Utterance of Knowledge

It is the special gift whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to understand in an exceptional way the great truths of God's Word and to make them relevant to specific situations in the church.

See Ephesians 3:14-19.

Faith

It is the special gift whereby the Spirit provides Christians with extraordinary confidence in God's promises, power, and presence so that they can take heroic stands for their future of God's work in the church.

See Hebrews 11.

Healing

It is the special gift whereby the Spirit employs certain Christians to restore health to the sick.

See James 5:13-16, Luke 9:1-2.

Working of Miracles

A striking interposition of divine intervention by God in the universe by which the ordinary course and operation of nature is overruled, suspended, or modified.

prophecy (see prophet)

Discernment of Spirits

It is the special gift whereby the Spirit certain Christians to know with assurance whether some behavior is of God or of Satan.

See Acts 5:3-6, Acts 16:16-18.

Speaking in Tongues:

It is the ability "to speak in the tongues of Men or Angels" for the edification of the body.

See: 1 Cor. 12:10

Interpretation of Tongues:

It is the ability to discern the languages of another for the edification of the body.

See: 1 Cor. 12:10

Apostle

It is the gift whereby the Spirit appoints certain Christians to lead, inspire and develop the churches of God by the proclamation and the teaching of true doctrine.

See Acts 12:1-5, Acts 14:21-23.

Prophet

It is the special gift whereby the Spirit empowers certain Christians to interpret and apply God's revelation in a given situation.

See 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 1 Corinthians 14:30-33, 1 Corinthians 14:37-40

Teacher

It is the special gift whereby the Spirit enables particular Christians to communicate the truths of God's Word so that others can learn.

See Hebrews 5:12-14.

deeds of power (see Miracles)

Helps

It is the spiritual gift whereby the Spirit empowers certain Christians to willingly bear the burdens of other Christains and help them in such a way that they can do their tasks more effectively.

See Acts 6:2-4.

Leadership

It is the special gift whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to motivate, direct and inspire God's people in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to do the Church's work effectively.

See Hebrews 13:7, Judges 3:10, Exodus 18:13-16.

(At the end of the sermon I was reminded of this video from "the church you know"
We are indeed one body with many parts, and we need all the parts, in the church and especially once we "go to work" for the building up of the entire community of God beyond the walls of the church)