Serving One Another

Serving Together

1 Cor 12:4-11

Iditarod

Serving Together

“Moses‟ hands grew weary, so they took a

stone and put it under him, and he sat on it,

while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one

on one side, and the other on the other side.

So his hands were steady until the going

down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed

Amalek and his people with the sword” (Ex

17:12-13, ESV).

Serving Together

“From that day on, half of my servants

worked on construction, and half held the

spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail.

And the leaders stood behind the whole

house of Judah, who were building on the

wall” (Neh 4:16-17a, ESV).

We Cooperate in the Lord’s Work

In Search of the Lord’s Way.



Potter‟s.



Potter‟s.

Surprise Valley.

DO WE COOPERATE, OR DO

WE EXPECT OTHERS TO

SERVE US?

Cooperation: A Problem in Corinth

In 12-14, Paul argues that no gift is better

than any other gift.




The Corinthians seem to have thought that

speaking in tongues was better than every

other gift.






other gift.

• No spirit of cooperation.






other gift.


Paul says that no gift is better than any other.






other gift.


Paul says that no gift is better than any other.

The Corinthians seem to have thought that speaking

in tongues was better than every other gift.






other gift.


• Paul argues for the unity of gifts.

Serving Together

ONE DEITY.

ONE DRIVE.

ONE DECIDER.

One Deity

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the

same Spirit; and there are varieties of

service, but the same Lord; and there are

varieties of activities, but it is the same God

who empowers them all in everyone” (vv 4-

6, ESV).

Trinity

Paul speaks of ONE Spirit, ONE Lord, &

ONE God.

Trinity


ONE God.

• “I and the Father are one” (Jn 10:30, ESV).

Trinity


ONE God.


• “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide

you into all the truth, for he will not speak on

his own authority, but whatever he hears he will

speak . . . . He will glorify me, for he will take

what is mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:13-

14, ESV).

Trinity


ONE God.


• “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide

you into all the truth, for he will not speak on

his own authority, but whatever he hears he will

speak . . . . He will glorify me, for he will take

what is mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:13-

14, ESV).

• Complete unity in the Godhead.

Trinity


ONE God.

• Jn 10:30.

• Jn 16:13-14.

• Complete unity in the Godhead.

Paul: “Because the God who gives these

gifts is unified, you, in using his gifts, need

to be unified.”

Varieties of Gifts but One Spirit

“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 one

Spirit, to another the working of miracles,

to another prophecy, to another the ability

to distinguish between spirits, to another

various kinds of tongues, to another the

interpretation of tongues” (vv 8-10, ESV).

Varieties of Gifts

We don‟t know exactly what these gifts

were.

• What is the difference in the utterance of

wisdom and the utterance of knowledge?

Varieties of Gifts


were.



• How did those gifts differ from prophecy?

Varieties of Gifts


were.




• What is the gift of faith, and how was it used?

Varieties of Gifts


were.





That‟s not important.

Varieties of Gifts


were.





That‟s not important. IMPORTANT:

These gifts come from the same Spirit.

DO WE NOT HAVE A TENDENCY

TO THINK OUR GIFTS ARE

BETTER THAN OTHERS?

Varieties of Service

Word for “service” is a form of the word for

“deacon.”

Varieties of Service

Word for “service” is a form of the word for

“deacon.”

We might serve in different ways, but we

serve the same Lord.

Varieties of Activities

Same God empowers them all.

Varieties of Activities

Same God empowers them all.

The same God works in all our activities.

A. T. Pierson

“Whatever is done for God, without respect

of its comparative character as related to

other acts, is service, and only that is

service. Service is, comprehensively

speaking, doing the will of God. He is the

object. All is for Him, for His sake, as unto

the Lord, not as unto man. Hence, even the

humblest act of humblest discipline acquires

a certain divine quality by its being done

with reference to Him.

A. T. Pierson

“The supreme test of service is this: „For whom

am I doing this?‟ Much that we call service to

Christ is not such at all . . . . If we are doing this

for Christ, we shall not care for human reward or

even recognition. Our work must again be tested

by three propositions: Is it work from God, as

given us to do from Him; for God, as finding in

Him its secret of power; and with God, as only a

part of His work in which we engage as co-

workers with Him.”

IS THAT A DESCRIPTION OF

OUR SERVICE?

One Drive

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For 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 ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues” (vv 7-10, ESV).

To Each is Given the Manifestation of the Spirit

The Gr article (“the manifestation”)

indicates a specific manifestation.




• Even though the Corinthians had different

gifts, they had the same manifestation of the

Spirit.






Spirit.

• The gifts had the same source, the same power,

and the same purpose.






Spirit.

• The gifts had the same source, the same power,

and the same purpose.

Regardless of what gift we have, God is

working through us.

Manifestation Given to Each

God overlooked no Corinthians in

distributing his gifts.

Manifestation Given to Each

God overlooked no Corinthians in

distributing his gifts.

We each have some sort of spiritual gift.

Spiritual Gifts

“Having gifts that differ according to the

grace given to us, let us use them: if

prophecy, in proportion to our faith;

service, in our serving; the one who teaches,

in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his

exhortation; the one who contributes, in his

generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the

one who does acts of mercy, with

cheerfulness” (Rm 12:6-8, ESV).

Spiritual Gifts of Romans 12

Prophecy is obviously not available today.

Spiritual Gifts of Romans 12

Prophecy is obviously not available today.

However, the other gifts are available: we

still have servers, teachers, exhorters, etc.

We Each Have a Gift

“A man [was] going on a journey, [and he]

called his servants and entrusted to them his

property. To one he gave five talents, to

another two, to another one, to each

according to his ability” (Mt 25:14-15,

ESV).

We Each Have a Gift

“A man [was] going on a journey, [and he]

called his servants and entrusted to them his

property. To one he gave five talents, to

another two, to another one, to each

according to his ability” (Mt 25:14-15,

ESV).

“Grace was given to each one of us

according to the measure of Christ‟s gift”

(Eph 4:7, ESV).

We Each Have a Gift (Eph 4:7)

In v 11, Paul mentions four gifts that God

has given.

We Each Have a Gift (Eph 4:7)

In v 11, Paul mentions four gifts that God

has given.

Two are unavailable (apostles and prophets)

and two are still available (evangelists and

teaching-shepherds).

For the Common Good

“On the other hand, the one who prophesies

speaks to people for their upbuilding and

encouragement and consolation” (1 Cor

14:3, ESV).

Our Gifts: For the Common Good

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve

one another, as good stewards of God‟s

varied grace” (1 Pt 4:10, ESV).





• Not like Simon and seek gifts for my profit.






• Not like Ananias and Sapphira and use gifts for

my own glory.






• Not like Ananias and Sapphira and use gifts for

my own glory.

• Not like the Corinthians and use gifts to look

better than others.

ARE YOU USING YOUR GIFTS

FOR YOUR GLORY OR THE

COMMON GOOD?

One Decider

“All these are empowered by one and the

same Spirit, who apportions to each one

individually as he wills” (v 11, ESV).

One Decider




The Spirit alone decides what gifts I get.

One Decider





• Pentecostalism: “You must speak in tongues to

be a Christian.”

One Decider





• Pentecostalism: “You must speak in tongues to

be a Christian.”

• Even if miraculous gifts were still available, the

Spirit gives gifts according to his will.

Reasonable

None could claim superiority.

Reasonable


God knows far more than I do.

Reasonable



They are gifts for his honor and glory.

Reasonable




These are gifts for the common good.

Reasonable





• Rest of the chapter: Human body.

Reasonable





• Rest of the chapter: Human body.

• If we all wanted and received the same gift, we

would be sorely disadvantaged.

The Spirit’s Gift

“The Spirit and the Bride say, „Come.‟ And

let the one who hears say, „Come.‟ And let

the one who is thirsty come; let the one who

desires take the water of life without price”

(Rv 22:17, ESV).

The Spirit’s Gift

“The Spirit and the Bride say, „Come.‟ And

let the one who hears say, „Come.‟ And let

the one who is thirsty come; let the one who

desires take the water of life without price”

(Rv 22:17, ESV).

Will you receive that living and free water

this day?