Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and just leave them open there for a while this morning. I visited this week in the hospital rooms of three of our young women who have newborn babies. One of them, Sarah and Lou Otto, have named their child Matthew. And they said, you've been preaching in Matthew for so long the Lord has touched our lives. And Lou got turned to the Lord and got called to preach in the last few months under this series in Matthew. And hence they named their boy Matthew. I said, I'm glad I haven't been preaching on Lamentations or Proverbs or something like that. We are continuing our series this morning, the third and about probably eight Sunday mornings, teaching on the subject, the body of Christ, which will take us through February. And in the Sunday mornings of March, I shall bring a series on the cross leading up to Easter. And next Sunday night, we're going to begin a four -part series on the 51st Psalm. Tonight we shall initiate that with the observance of the Lord's Supper and an appropriate message and beautiful music. So it's going to be an exciting few months leading up to Easter as we study the Word of God together. Now, just by way of review for a moment, Jesus taught that there were several metaphors which describe believers, all saved ones, all Christians, the church. One of those metaphors he calls the body. He is the head in heaven, and all of us who are believers in Christ comprise his body. Now, the base of our operation is our unity, but there is diversity within the unity and harmony within the diversity. And all of this, Jesus says, as all of us are different, some are hands and eyes and feet and all have distinct gifts and different contributions to make to the totality of the body witness of Jesus Christ to the world, is that the world might see a composite of what Jesus Christ was like. And he who is the head in heaven, we are joined to him by blood, we are his body on earth, and people see our harmony and our unity, and it is a composite of what Jesus was and is. And we are like Jesus Christ, therefore, when we are one, and the world is witness to him because they see us in him. Now, that which makes us different is our gifts. We are all one, and yet there is a harmony of difference within the unity of the body. We're not all eyes or all feet or all internal organs. We are one and harmonize and function as one, and yet we are different. Now, that which makes us different, the New Testament calls gifts. Every believer has a gift or gifts. And as we exercise these gifts, we contribute to the unanimity and the health of the operation of the total body. And so today, I want us to look for a few moments at the subject of gifts, the gifts of the body. Your gift. My gift. Now, six things I would suggest to you about the gifts of the believer, which comprise the total body. When you became a Christian, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, gave you a gift. First of all, why do we have gifts? This is a very important question, and it is one with which the Apostle Paul posed the entire thesis of the matter, which he discusses beginning in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Look at the first verse, if you will, please. Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. What a pity that there is so much ignorance about gifts. Very few people know what gifts are or why they are given. Consequently, we have a vacuum between total ignorance and fanaticism. Most people get a little bit of information about the gifts. They get some bad information, and they go into total fanaticism. And they might emphasize one or two gifts, other than understanding the unanimity and the harmony of the divergent gifts as they operate together, making oneness. Some folks are so far out of left field, they've gone clear over the fence. And they're on the parking lot, and they're all confused about the gifts. It is a pity that fanaticism on the one hand and indifference and ignorance on the other seems to be the theological position of most people in relationship to what they know about the gifts. Unity is the base of our operation, but diversity is our harmony. We are distinct, and yet we function as one. Thus, the total health of the body is dependent upon each individual functioning his gift. And if you and I are not functioning our gift, if we are not contributing what we are, what the Spirit has energized and enables us to be able to do, to that degree we have a crippled body, and we have a sick body. Total body health depends on the corporate function of the entirety. I want you to turn for a moment to Ephesians. Now, we'll keep the string there in your Bible or your bulletin or something in 1 Corinthians 12 because we'll keep coming back there. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 8. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians. Right after Galatians and before Philippians. Philippians. Philippians, Ephesians chapter 4, verse 8. Wherefore? Well, let's back up. Look at verse 7. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Now, in Romans chapter 12, he tells us again that he has given us the measure of faith for the operation of our gift. The gift that the Holy Spirit gave you when you became a believer, he gave you a corresponding measure of faith to operate your gift. You do have the Spirit -energized capacity to function and to do what is necessary for you to do to contribute to the whole health of the body. He didn't give you too much, nor do you have too little. The exact measure of faith. But unto every one of us is given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. The measure matches the gift. Ephesians 4, now verse 8. Wherefore, he says, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity them that were enslaved, captive into freedom, and gave gifts unto men. Now, verse 10. He that descended in the same, is the same, also that ascended up far above all things, that he might fill all things. And he gave some to the apostles and prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity, oneness, unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man. The word perfect in Old English is always complete. Complete. Unto the measure of the stature of whom? Of what? The fullness of Jesus Christ. So that when every person understands his gift and is exercising his gift with his appropriate measure of faith, in the unity and harmony of the body, what you have in the complete entity is the fullness of Jesus Christ. And if you do not know your gift, if you do not operate your gift, if you do not contribute it, we have a thick body. We have a partial picture, not a complete witness to the world of what Jesus Christ is really like. What do you say? I applied to the Sunday school and I've tried to use my gift, but they don't need a third grade teacher. You don't have to function your gift necessarily in the structure of the church. Now if there is a place here to use that gift that is in accordance with the structure, fine. But because we haven't thought of it yet, doesn't mean you cannot exercise your gift. What is your gift? Is your gift teaching? There are a whole church. There's a whole church here of brand new believers. You can strike up a friendship. You can teach over a cup of coffee. You can minister to someone whether or not it is in the structure that we've already preconceived. If you are in the mainstream of the body life, you will find a way to function your gift. Is it the gift of mercy? I talked to a young woman this morning coming in the auditorium who has more problems than you can possibly conceive. Now we don't have a formal appointment, but with a word of cheer, I was able, I hope, with a word of mercy and tenderness to say some encouraging word. You have the gift of compassion. We have a whole list of shut -ins. You don't have to go through Monday night visitation. We hope that you will, but you can witness in your office. You can come get a list of prospects any day. You can find the way to minister your gift if you know what it is and if you really do want to. I'll look at the 13th verse once again of Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13. Let's look at it again. Until we all come into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The purpose then of the total body witness is the likeness of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus had all of the permanent body gifts. Now, tongues is the only gift that Jesus Christ never exercised so far as we know. Now, don't get ahead of me. This is weeks to come, but we're going to be talking about temporary edification gifts, permanent edification gifts, and temporary sign gifts. But when all of the church is ministering all of its gifts, it is recreating the likeness of Jesus Christ, who was the embodiment of every gift. Let me ask you this. Did Jesus have all the gifts? What about the gift of preaching? Could he preach? Could he preach? Could he show mercy? He was the most merciful man that ever lived. You see, all of the attributes in Jesus Christ, he has given to his body so that we collectively are a picture of him. And he says, this is a new man. We are a new body, this composite man, something that has never, ever been done before. So it leaves no place for jealousy. It leaves no place for division. Look at verse 15. Now we're staying in 1 Corinthians 12 for a moment. If the foot shall say then, because I am not the hand, am I not of the body? Is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, I am not the eye, I am not nearly as pretty as the eye, am I not of the body? Is it therefore not of the body? Now look, in verse 18, now have God set, God hath set in the members, every one of them in the body, as it has pleased him. He has put the members what they are, where they are, when they're supposed to be. He has a master plan, and the master plan that he created, when he knew that in this day you would be a part of this church, in this town, he brought you here, led by the Spirit of God. That's why if you don't feel God wants you in this church, you must go where God does want you. And if you feel God does want you in this church, then you must join today. He is trying to build a master body which is like himself, and he sets every man where he wants him, in his will, in his place, with the right gifts, in the right time, at the right place. Why? That the world might see the fullness of the likeness of Jesus Christ in our collective body witness. Number two, what is a gift? Well, for one thing, a gift is not a talent. It is not an innate natural ability you were born with. Let me say that again. It is not an innate natural ability you were born with. A gift is something that is given to you only at the moment of conversion. Now, we have seen that the Spirit does three things. He does the work of regeneration. He engrafts us into the body of Jesus Christ. He gives us a gift, and he fills us. That's four things, isn't it? That's the Spirit's operation in the life of the believer. Now, the gift is a channel. It is a divinely spiritual energized channel through which the Spirit of God works, and it is given at salvation. It is not an end in itself. What a pity that to many people the gift has become the end. It is not the end. It is a means to an end. It is a vehicle toward an accomplishment. It is a purpose, a channel through which a desired goal is reached. It's not an innate ability. You say, well, she has a great gift of making pies. You may be a wonderful homemaker and a great cook, but making pies is not a Spirit -given gift. It is an ability. It is a talent. If you're not sure you've got, I'll be happy to verify whether you've got it or not. If you were just calling over for dinner, I'll be happy to determine that. You may have that ability. You may have the gift of playing the trumpet or of singing. Now, hang on, choir. Don't bail out on me. But singing is an ability. It is a talent. It is not one of the spiritual gifts. Now, you say, well, I feel that God wants me to use this for Him. There is the gift. It is the gift of helps, the gift which is an inclination in your personality to use that innate ability for the glory of God. I know some people who can sing as well as the average member of our choir, but they have no gift of music. They have no inclination in their personality to use that ability for the glory of God. They're wonderful Christians. There are people out here who can sing as well as members in the choir, but they may not have the gift of helps, the inclination. Now, the Spirit of God may or may not choose to use your native ability. I want you to look for a moment, if you will, over in Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians, back up to chapter 2. Chapter 2. 1 Corinthians, chapter 2, and let's look at verse number 1. Paul was the most schooled, the most brilliant philosopher and educator and orator, perhaps, of his generation and maybe in the world. And what does he say? He said, when I came preaching to you, I came with my own skill. No, he didn't. Brethren, when I came to you, I came not with excellency of speech, he could have, or words of wisdom, he was extremely educated, declaring to note, do you, the testimony of God. He says in verse 3, No, I was with you in weakness and in fear. And my speech and my preaching was not in enticing words of man's wisdom. He could have. He was a brilliant orator. He was an incomparable attorney. He was a fantastic defender of truth. And he could have used that innate skill that was his as a lawyer, as a scholar, to preach. But he said, I have set aside that native ability. I cast aside that natural talent and inclination. And I depend on the gift of communication by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, Peter says the same thing. Look over in 1 Peter, if you will, please, over to Hebrews, James, and then 1 Peter. Turn back to the right now of your New Testament. I always have to help our Methodist friends find where these books are, you see. Over in 1 Peter. Look with me for just a moment. Chapter 4, verse number 11. Chapter 4, verse 11. He says, If any man speak, don't get up in your own skill and ability. Let him speak as the oracles of God. That's the difference. If you're going to teach, if you're going to communicate the Word of God, let him do it by his natural ability that he learned in the classroom on the debating team, which he's always been able to do. No! Let him do it as God giveth the ability. With the ability which God giveth. Now, you see, God may or may not choose to take your native ability and apply to it an inclination, which is a spiritual gift, to use it in a certain way. But there are only so many gifts. And these inclinations, these God -given, God -energized talents and channels, which are a spirit -electrified means to an end, are the gifts of God. And they may or may not parallel the native ability which you were born. He may choose to use them. He may choose to go around them. I was born with a natural ability to play the trumpet. The first time I ever picked up a trumpet, in about 10 or 15 minutes, I was playing two or three songs. God did not choose to use that as the vehicle of my life. He gave me another gift. He gave me the gift of faith. It's easy for me to believe. He gave me the gift of prophecy, to preach in his spirit. But now listen, just because you have a gift doesn't mean you're spiritual. Even carnal believers have gifts. And there are some people who think that they can get to a quick, easy, hurry -up kind of spirituality. And the more spiritual you become, the more gifts you're going to receive. Spirituality and gifts have nothing to do with each other. When you become a believer, Christ, the Spirit of God, gives you a gift. You can choose to use it or not to use it. But you still have the gifts. The carnal believer simply allows himself to be plugged up and disallows the Spirit of God to energize that channel as a means to an end to contribute to the health of the total body witness. By the same token, the fact that a man is spiritual and uses his gifts doesn't mean that he'll get more gifts. As we shall see in our study of tongues, when the Spirit of God says, when Paul says by the Spirit, covet earnestly the best gifts, he is talking about the church having a proper balance in which all of the gifts are in place. It is a collective unity, not an individual praying for more gifts. That simply doesn't happen. It's not intended to be. I'm not spiritual just because I preach. You are not spiritual just because you have the ability. It is whether or not you use that God -given ability in the energy of the flesh. And you don't lose your gifts, you simply cripple the body, and you hurt me, and you hurt all of us, because you see, here's what happens. I have two or three areas in which I am gifted. I have about 15 areas in which I'm not. Some of you have five or ten areas in which you're gifted, and several in which you are not. Maybe one area. As you minister to me, I am built up in my weaker areas such that I am more like Christ. I am a total rounded better person, and it is possible for me then to edify you more in your weak areas by using my gifted areas, and we harmonize and contribute to each other so that we all grow in the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ. And when we're not doing that, we are a sick and crippled body giving an ineffective witness. And so a gift is not an innate talent. It is a spiritual given channel through which the Spirit of God chooses to energize the being, the believer, who will use it faithfully by the power of the Spirit for the glory of God to the health of the total body. Number three, what kinds of gifts are there? Well, the word is charismata, which means literally grace gifts. Grace gifts. Now, there are two kinds of grace gifts. First of all, there are gifts of edification, gifts of ministry to each other, and then there are gifts of love. And we'll see these. Some people say there are 20 and some 21. Most agree this is about the number, and I'll show you how to find your gift between now and next Sunday morning if you really want to know it. Again, there are permanent edifying gifts which are given for the edification mutually in unity and harmony of the body. But there is, as we shall see in subsequent weeks, another classification of gifts. There are also temporary sign gifts. Signed gifts. Signed gifts do not edify the body. They edify, they inspire, they validate the gospel to the unbelieving Jew. And there is a difference, as we shall see. Now, there's another classification of gifts. There are also attractive gifts and less attractive gifts. Now, there's another classification of gifts. There are also attractive gifts and less attractive gifts. Look, if you will, please, in first Corinthians chapter 12. Let's stay right there and look now at verse number 22, three and four. Verses 22, three and four. The eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more these members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon them we bestow more honor. We show more abundant honor. And our uncomely, unlovely parts have more abundant comeliness or loveliness. What does that mean? Simply this. There are some unlovely parts of the body. The spleen. The spleen. The liver. The kidneys. You can get along without a foot. You can get along without a beautiful pair of eyes. You can get along without rosy cheeks. And so the more important body members, which are the internal organs, which are not visible, which are not up front, which don't get the display and the attraction and the honor, he has placed on them more noble honor because they're less lovely. Every time I deal with someone at this altar, every time I go in to the experience behind a person who has come to Christ, I am always finding out that there's somebody that nobody knows about that has been loving them and witnessing to them and helping them through the week to come to Jesus Christ. And they're not up front. Their names are out of the marquee. Nobody knows who they are, but they are the organs. They're the heart. They're the lifeblood that pumps reality and being into the total health of the body. So there are those two divisions, as we shall see. Now, number four uh let's look back in verse number 11 and ask the question who gives these gifts to the body verse 11 but all these were in first corinthians 12 verse 11 number four who gives the gifts all these worketh that one and the self same spirit capital s holy spirit dividing to every man servily as he will the holy spirit gives the gift as he will and he gives them in a beautiful balance because he knows what is needed and where it's needed i want you to look for just a minute please at verses at verse number 19 uh we'll back up to 17 he says if the whole body were a bunch of eyes how would you hear if the whole body were a bunch of ears how could you smell but now god has set members everyone in them in the body as it has pleased him he knows what gifts are needed where in what body by whom and when and at what time and he says if they were all one member where were the body let's answer that question a moment if the whole church were characterized by one main member where would the body be i tell you a lot of you it ought to be in a carnival it ought to be in a freak show suppose there were a body 2 000 of us here today suppose all of us were nothing but but but uh healers all of us had only the gift of faith we'd be a monstrosity we'd look like a freak suppose there were a body with 2 000 arms had no feet no eyes no nose no ears only a bunch of arms well boy you'd put it in a side show in a circus and everybody'd come and it'd be the greatest freak the world ever saw i was in a i've been in two cities recently one in the east and one in the west in which they were advertising in the newspaper that this particular church that was advertising in the in the religious section was the largest group in all of that state of the charismatic people and what they meant was they talk in tongues and they heal here is the largest concentration of tongues talkers in the county and they were advertising it man that's freakish where is the body he said if all the body gets together and it's all the same gift no he gives the gift i don't know how we ever got off on this that we're supposed to seek this gift and everybody is supposed to get one gift and unless you've all got one gift you're not right man the truth of matter is if you all have one gift it's kind of a screwy looking thing don't you think no he says he gives the gifts he divides as he will now the fifth thing is who then receives these gifts verse 11 let's look at it again he divides to whom every man every man severally that word severally is a con is a an inclusive and into a collective individualism a collective individualism within the totality within the group there is specific individualism as he will to whom every man you mean i have a gift i mean you have a gift i have a gift or gifts that the spirit gave you and wants for you to have the word charismata grace means not earned it is not something you have worked for it is not something to which you attain it is not something for which you strive it deals in the sovereignty of god with the gift god wanted you to have when he saved you and you do not by becoming more spiritual get some other gift the carnal believer has the same gifts the difference is whether he chooses to use them or not some people develop artificial gimmicks that are almost satanic because they have come to believe that one gift is the priority by which everybody knows quote they've got it and it is so often connected with the sign gifts miracles healing tongues and interpretations i heard i saw a little booklet in pasadena the other day a few weeks ago now months actually 10 steps to the gift of the holy spirit and what they really were saying was 10 gas steps to the gift of tongues and the first step was that you start to say a certain word over and over and over again and then you hit yourself on the chin now that is the most ludicrous kind of biblical scholarship imaginable the gifts given of the spirit are given at salvation to every man collectively individualistically as he will. Dear and I added, the more spiritual you become, and we shall see that he was talking to the church, that to be a good balance, not to individuals, to seek any specific gifts. They are given by divine choice by the one who knows what he is doing. But the sixth and last word is this, how then may I discover my gifts? This is where we're going to start up next week. How can I know what my gift is? Remember when 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 4, the Apostle Paul wrote Timothy, and he said, Timothy, I want you to not neglect the gift that is in you. Timothy was having some problems. He was a young preacher, and he was frustrated, and he was making some mistakes. And he wasn't sure who he was, and he got ulcers. Remember Paul told him to take a little wine for his stomach's sake? That was the only kind of medicine they had. He was really uptight about who he was and what he was. He didn't understand his gift, and he didn't know how to exercise his gift, and he was frustrated. And Paul, in 2 Timothy, writes him again because, obviously, he still hadn't straightened out his problem. And this pastor who was trying to help the young preacher said, Timothy, I want to remind you what I told you in the first epistle, and in 2 Timothy 1, 6, he says, stir up the gift. I want you, church, to know your gift. I want you to get busy about using it. As the teenagers say, get it on, fast. You say, how can I do that? I don't know what my gifts are. Here's how you can find your gift. This week, I want you to do something. Between now and Sunday, next. Read, make a note of this, or write it down. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Romans chapter 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Romans chapter 12, Ephesians chapter 4. You read the harmony of the gifts in those three chapters. You read them every day, and you pray and ask the Spirit of God to reveal to you what are your gifts, or what is your gift. Make a checklist. And try to come as close as possible between now and next Sunday morning, when we shall start a detailed study of them, of determining what are your gifts that you have to contribute to the total life or the health of the church. Now, let me assure you that if you will do that, and if you want to know, you can. And will know. Let me say this in closing. Jesus said that the purpose for all of this is that they might all be one. Why did he want us all to be one? John chapter 17, review. Remember, that they might believe that I am come from you. Jesus is saying mass evangelism is good, and revivals are good, and soul winning is good. But he's saying, look, Father, please help them to be one. To operate in harmony. To be a complete body so that the world can visibly see me through their collective witness. That's why folks like to come to church here. They sense Jesus. They sense unity. They sense something that is like Christ. That's literally what's happening. We are becoming the body of Christ. And when Jesus prayed that they all might be one, would it be nice if all of the world could be one? Oh, the poor missionaries on the field. The assemblies of God say one thing. The church of Christ says one thing. The Baptists say one thing. The Catholics say another thing. What is the poor unbeliever supposed to think? And it's not any better in the world here. Now, I'm not saying that we need an ecumenicism where all the denominations get together like so many are trying to do. Because, you see, that's not going to work. It would be ideal, but it won't work. Here's why. Because they can't even agree on who Jesus is. Is God? Did he rise from the dead? What about the vicarious nature of his death on the cross? Is he the son of God? Or is he just a great man? You see, you cannot build a body witness to the world around liberal theology and social action. You cannot build it around higher education or denominational lines or missionary outreach. It must be built on the person of a Christ of God. And somewhere, somehow, someone, somebody's got to start there. And I don't know. I think it's probably too late. I think we've already blown our worldwide witness because of the fractioning up of the body because people disagree on who Jesus is. But I'll tell you what we can do. We can start right here in Houston. And that's my prayer for us. that we can be at least one portion of the body that the world can look at and see Jesus Christ. And I want you to know that the more you and I are like that, the more impact Jesus said we'll have on the world. In an unprecedented day in which we are seeing the first overtones of what may be worldwide depression, in which churches and evangelistic causes and soul winning and missionary advance all over the world is slowing down and pulling in its horns while millions of people are going to hell. If the first Baptist church can have a spirit, a togetherness, an advance that will be such a sterling witness to the world, it will inspire other churches that we shall believe and love and give and go forward and we can have an immeasurable contribution to the cause of Jesus Christ worldwide. I believe that with all my heart. God is saying I'm depending on you. I think the total body witness has long since been blown worldwide and somewhere it's going to have to start in some individual churches who know their gifts and harmony operate as one and are such a witness to the world of the Lord Jesus. Let's be that church. Let's be that church in humility and love and honor preferring one another, in ministry one to another. Read those gifts over this week. Read those chapters. Pray about them. We'll start in there next Sunday morning and I'll begin to teach you for a Sunday or two and how to know your gift. Let's bow our heads and pray. Heavenly Father, we just ask you that what Jesus prayed for may be a reality. Lord, grant that we shall not contribute to causing Jesus' prayer not to be answered. Grant that we may be one. We know there are people in this church who have the gifts of understanding and love and help to be to us what no one else in the world can be. And that if we fail to be sensitive in love to ministering, to contribute to other people's lives what only we can give them, then we fail. And then they're not built up and they can't minister to us and others. And the whole cause of Jesus is negatively affected. Help us to be faithful to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.