Building up the Body with Your Spiritual Gift – 1 Corinthians 12:4-31

God has put each of us you where you are for a reason. He has made us part of your family, community, and church for a reason. So today, we will look at how each of us can be part of the body and build up the body.

Our passage today will be from 1 Corinthians 12:4-31.

We will look at:

The Giver – The Source of the Gifts
The Gifts – For Every Occasion
The Body – One Body Many Members
The Mission – Using Your Gift to Build up The Body

I. The Giver – The source of the gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

A. Same Spirit, Same Lord, Same God

This is a beautiful and encouraging Scripture. The body of Christ is diverse. We have diverse giftings. Some are gifted in generosity, some in hospitality, some in teaching, some in serving, but we all have the same Lord. We are different in many ways. That is apparent in any church, but especially apparent in GICF.

In addition to the spiritual gifts, we have different backgrounds, cultures, languages, strengths, and weaknesses, but we have the same God.

Sometimes we look at people’s differences and we wonder, “Why can’t he be more like me?” Did any of you ever wonder this about your spouse? Why can’t my spouse be more tidy, be more organized, be more extroverted, like me?

God gave us different strengths. He made us unique. Yes, the body of Christ is diverse. But we have the same God. Our God loves variety. Look at the world He created. So many different colors, smells, and tastes. So many fruits and vegetables and grains. Even the stars and planets are different colors, sizes, and materials.

Next time you are frustrated that other members of the body are not more like you, take a moment and remember that she has the same Holy Spirit as you do. God chose to give us different spiritual gifts.

That is a good thing. Imagine that the worship team is made up of 8 drummers all drumming the same beat or 8 guitar players playing the same chords to the same rhythm. That would be boring! Our God is not boring. Instead of being annoyed or jealous of other believers, be thankful that we have the same God who made us different.

B. The Holy Spirit apportions according to His will

1 Corinthians 12:11 – All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

A bit of background – The Corinthian church was a bit of a mess. People were dividing and being contentious because they wanted the more visible gifts and were using them for self-promotion. Some wanted the spotlight. Some were jealous, “Why did he get that spiritual gift and I didn’t?”

Paul doesn’t want them to divide over the gifts or misuse them. At the beginning of this chapter, he says that he does not want them to be uninformed.

Thus, he tells them it is the Holy Spirit who gives the spiritual gifts. He apportions to each one according to His will. It says that He does this individually.

He is not like the person throwing toys into a crowd. Whatever you happen to catch is yours. It is purposeful, not random. He may give a mixture of multiple gifts. He may give one person a greater amount of one gift. To one person, He might give 30% encouragement, 20% hospitality, and 50% generosity. To another, He might give 150% prophecy.

He does it individually. It is not like mass-produced factory items. Each of us is handmade, hand-painted, designed by Him. If you were labelled, you wouldn’t read, “Made in China,” you would read, “Fashioned by God.”

Psalms 139:14 – I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Is this encouraging to you? It is to me!

It also says that He gives to each one of us. Every believer, not just some of us, has at least one spiritual gift.

He gives you exactly what you need to fulfill His mission for your life. He gives you a spiritual gift and then He puts you into a specific place at a specific time to fulfill a specific purpose in the body of Christ.

It is much better that the Holy Spirit chooses my spiritual giftings than me. The Holy Spirit is the master orchestrator building His church. He not only knows the future, but He knows how each person will interact and work together for building the church.

1 Corinthians 12:18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

It is as if we are pieces in His puzzle and He is fitting us together to make a beautiful picture. By ourselves, we are out of place and isolated. But put together with other believers, we make a full and vibrant image reflecting His glory.

How should we react to this truth?

We should be thankful for what He has given to us. We should be thankful for what He has given others, affirming and encouraging them to use their gift instead of being jealous. We should give praise to Him because we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

C. The Holy Spirit empowers

In verses 6 and 11, it uses the word “empowers.” God gives us a mission and He empowers us to accomplish that mission through the spiritual gifts.

This truth is empowering. You are not alone. Each of us has a role. We all have work to do. But it is not about you or me or our intelligence or natural ability. I’m going to tell you something. If I had to stand up here in my own strength, I would freak out. I am a naturally introverted and shy person. Standing up here on the stage and looking at hundreds of faces staring back at me can be very unnerving. It is not a natural thing at all for me. Sometimes I am comfortable. And I am not self-confident at all.

But I don’t lack confidence. I am God-confident, not self-confident. Paul once said and I wholeheartedly concur, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God.” His Word is living and active. He promises that it will not return void. My standing up on stage to preach is an act of faith in those promises and the knowledge that the Holy Spirit will use His Word in our hearts. Every breath and every word is from the strength which He gives.

Do you ever feel like that? I know that some of you do. I have talked to singers who are introverted, but God empowers you to sing in public, beautifully, to His glory. I have talked to teachers who go out of their comfort zone to teach Sunday School, but they do it through the strength that God provides.

Many of you are serving already because you are confident, not in yourself, but in God. For the rest of you, I want to encourage you today as well. Do not be afraid. Do not remain silent. Do not stay in your comfort zone. Trust that if the Holy Spirit calls you to serve Him, He will empower you to do the same!

Have you ever read through Hebrews 11, the hall of fame of the faithful? These Biblical heroes were flesh and blood like you and me. They often fell short. They often stumbled. But they also possessed great faith. They trusted in God’s power and took steps of obedience in line with that faith. David, Moses, Gideon, Rahab and more. They were empowered by God to do great things for Him. So are you.

II. The Gifts – For every occasion (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 + Romans 12:3-8)

So what are the gifts? There are several places they are mentioned, most notably here and in Romans 12.

Romans 12:3-8 – For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

I compiled a list of spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible. My belief is that this is not an exhaustive list, but a representative list. It shows the types of gifts that God gives to us, but there are almost certainly others.

1. Prophecy – Romans 12:6
2. Service (or Ministry) – Romans 12:7
3. Teaching – Romans 12:7
4. Exhortation (Encouragement) – Romans 12:8
5. Giving (Generosity) – Romans 12:8
6. Leadership (Administration) – Romans 12:8
7. Mercy – Romans 12:8
8. Word of Wisdom – 1 Corinthians 12:8
9. Word of Knowledge – 1 Corinthians 12:8
10. Faith – 1 Corinthians 12:9
11. Gifts of Healing – 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28, 30
12. Miracles (Working of Miracles) – 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28
13. Prophecy – 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28
14. Distinguishing (Discerning) of Spirits – 1 Corinthians 12:10
15. Tongues – 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28, 30
16. Interpretation of Tongues – 1 Corinthians 12:10, 30
17. Helping (or Helps) – 1 Corinthians 12:28
18. Administration (or Guidance) – 1 Corinthians 12:28
19. Hospitality – 1 Peter 4:9-10
20. Evangelism – Ephesians 4:11
What does this list mean for you and me? It means that God is like a Master Chef. He is a God of variety. And He has every situation covered. He has every need covered by equipping a variety of workers.

1 Corinthians 12:6 – And there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

This is an amazing and beautiful thing. I have been in China for over 20 years and I have met many people who serve God in different ways, through different platforms, with different styles, in different fields.

• Through sports ministry (one of my favorites)
• Through counselling
• Through orphanage ministry
• Through providing jobs and training to trafficked women
• Through providing medical surgeries and help
• Through business and entrepreneurial leadership
• Even through water filtration – ICF in Siem Reap and the Woman at the Well video

In each of these, we serve people and share the good news that because of Jesus’ loving sacrifice, you can be forgiven of your sin and saved. There are many methods and many activities, but the same Lord. We have the same goal: to share the good news of the gospel.

III. One Body Many Members (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)

A. One body

The first two verses repeat “one, one, one”. We are not many bodies. There is not one church for Africans, one for Asians, and one for South Americans. We don’t divide by age or sex or denomination. In Christ, we are one church. I thank God for GICF because I think in GICF we see that truth. We come from all over the world. We have different languages, different customs, and different backgrounds, but we are still one body. We raise our voices and worship God together as one. Ephesians 4 says that we are one body and have “one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father.”

One of God’s key goals for us to have that unity. Division not only hurts our walk with God, but is a bad testimony to the world. Jesus said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. How could you have gotten here this morning if one foot and one hand decided they weren’t coming? If your body is divided and does not cooperate, you can’t get anywhere. In the same way, if we are divided, we won’t go anywhere.

Look at the person next to you. Whether you like it or not, you are stuck with them. We are a family that cannot escape each other. So the best choice is to learn to love them.

B. One head

When you walk across the room, do you think about how to do it? Do you think about how to coordinate your feet and hands? No. These move smoothly and in sync because they all follow the directions of the brain. If your body had two heads with two command centers, you would not function because you would get competing instructions. The same is true in a family, a company, and the church.

There is one head of the church. It’s not my church. It’s not your church. It’s not the pastor’s church. It is Christ’s. He is the head. In my hometown in the US, one church was literally named after its pastor. Every believer who is in leadership needs to guard against this mentality. The sheep are not your sheep. You did not build the church. They should not be first and foremost loyal to you. Our job is to say as John the Baptist did, “He must increase and I must decrease.”

Let us together submit to our head, Jesus Christ.

C. Many members

Your body has many parts, but it is still one.

1 Corinthians 12:18-20 – 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 parts, yet one body.

Every part is important. The eye can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

Every part is valuable. Some are less visible, but that does not make them less valuable. When was the last time you saw your heart or lungs? Yet you need them. Every part of the body has a function. In the past, scientists thought that tonsils or the appendix were unnecessary. But later they found that they also had important functions.

A founding document in the US says that all people are created equal. That is not totally true in the world. Some are born rich and don’t have to work a day in their lives. Others are born in a low caste in India and can’t get out of it.

But though it is not true in the world, it is true in God’s church.

Galatians 3:28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Each of you is made in the image of God. He loved you enough to send His Son to die for you. In God’s sight, you are very valuable.

Each of you has a role. Paul makes it clear that every believer has an important role in the body. The Corinthians were experiencing division and disunity because they misunderstood the gifts. They thought that the more public and visible gifts were somehow more important. The ones with those gifts would receive more honor and they wanted that honor. Paul says, “No, it is not that way.”

Some serve more publicly. Some serve behind the scenes. All are important. He says the weaker parts are indispensable.

1 Corinthians 12:23-26 – And on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

One year I played on my church men’s soccer team. I haven’t played much soccer, but have played a lot of basketball. Nonetheless, I joined to run around with the guys and get fit. I enjoy almost any sport. The team had many good players on it. We had guys from Korea, Uganda, Nigeria, China, and the US. Very early in the season, they asked me to play goalie. I am tall and was a decent goalie, but out of the goal my feet don’t cooperate. Week after week, I looked forward to getting out of the goal and onto the field. We kept winning. One game, we were finally well ahead. We we were up 3-0 at halftime. So my teammates relented and I was allowed to play on the field. After five minutes, we were up only 3-1. Then it was 3-2. Then it was 3-3. “Go back to the goal, Jason,” they commanded. I went back to the goal and our team preceded to run away with it and we won going away. I stayed in the goal most of the rest of the year and our team ended up winning the championship.

When I went out of the goal, our team became weaker. We were weaker in the goal and we were weaker on the field. I learned that it was important for each person to play their best position. The team was strongest when everyone put aside their personal dreams of glory and did what they were best at and what was best for the team. When each one is humble and is willing to take a less visible role, doing what they are best at, the team benefits. 

The same is true for the body of Christ. We don’t have the same spiritual gifts. We don’t have the same role. We don’t all have the same level of visibility. But each person’s gift and role are valuable. All are needed for a healthy and strong body.

IV. The mission – Building up the Body with Your Gift

So far, we have learned that the Holy Spirit is the one who gives the gifts and He gives according to His purpose. We have seen that there are many types of gifts for every type of Christian service and activity. We have seen that there is one head, one body, and many members.

Now we come to the final point: what is the purpose of the gifts?

1 Corinthians 12:7 – Each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Our theme this year is Building up the Body. The spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to us so that we can effectively build one another up.

If you are a follower of Jesus, God has equipped you with a spiritual gift. He has given you everything you need to go forward in your mission to serve Him by building up the body.

Using your gift

The simple application for today is this. Use it. Use your gift. Not for recognition like some of the Corinthian believers. Use it to serve other believers. We are a team. A strong team is not when a few people are giving all-out effort and others are dragged along. A team is strong when every person is giving full effort.

You may think, “I don’t know what my spiritual gift is. I need to figure it out first and then I will start serving.”

That is backwards. You won’t figure out what you are good at by not doing it. As you start to serve, you will naturally start to move toward the area God has gifted you. That might be from other people giving you advice. Sometimes it could be negative, “Brother Jason, we don’t think you are gifted in singing. Move along to another ministry.” Or it could be positive. Someone might tell you, “I see that you are gifted in hospitality. You know how to make people feel welcome.”

At other times, it is through your own observations. You may find that you really enjoy serving in a specific area and that God has gifted you in that area. Then keep doing it!

A cruise ship that is anchored in place will not be able to change directions. But once that behemoth starts moving, a tiny adjustment to the rudder and the entire ship will change direction.

Start moving. Start serving. As you do, God will direct you.

Exercising spiritual muscles

One amazing truth I have discovered about serving is that often, the one serving will benefit the most. We often think that we will serve to benefit others in the body. And we do. But it is through serving and participating that you grow. When a life group leader starts teaching, he probably learns the most of anyone in the group.

Spiritual muscles that are not exercised atrophy. But as you move and exercise them, you grow stronger. Thus, we build up our body and the whole body at the same time.

It is not just the pastor’s job. The leader’s job. The seminary graduate’s job. It is for each of us. God has put you in where you are for a reason. God has placed you next to the people in your life for a reason. He has gifted you with a specific spiritual gift for a reason. Be a worker, not a spectator. Jump into the arena.

In the book of Isaiah, God asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

Isaiah answered. He didn’t say “Send somebody else.” He said, “Here I am! Send me.” Will you say that to the Lord today?