City Life Starter

The WORD: 1 Corinthians 12:12-19 (NLT)

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part!”

By Heather Mattingly

In this 12th chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul has been explaining to the Corinthian church the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This chapter is dedicated to explaining the varieties of gifts and how the gifts, manifesting through many people and in many ways, all work in unison since they are all from the same source: God the Holy Spirit, Himself.

In yesterday’s portion, you got to learn about some of the different typesof gifts of the Spirit. It’s alright to look at the list and say either, “well, I don’t think I have any of these gifts.” I assure you that if you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, you do have all of the gifts; for our Lord Jesus Christ “gives the Spirit without measure” (John 3:34). Secondly, not only do you have all of the gifts, but Holy Spirit has specifically anointed youwith particular gifts to equip you to not only “do the good works He appointed for you before the beginning of time,” (Eph 2:10), but to live this life in His power and overcome! (“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power.” 1 Cor 4:20).

Some may seem to be more anointed and/or active in a particular gift than others, but every believer of Jesus has all of the Holy Spirit’s gifts – ifhe/she is willing to accept them. The moment you accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life, His Holy Spirit came to make His home inside of you. When you became baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit was activated, or, “turned on” inside of you. Think of it like this: imagine the Holy Spirit in the form of a matchstick. When you said yes to Jesus, the Holy Spirit, in the form of this matchstick, came to live inside of you. When you said yes to the baptism of the Holy Spirit Himself, you gave Him permission to be activated inside of you, thereby lighting this matchstick on fire! If you are living in the Spirit, your life shouldphysically be marked by a fire for Jesus, for “our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29).

Pastor Randy Willis has said this multiple times: “if Jesus told His disciples to ‘tarry until [they were] filled with power from on high..’ (Luke 24:49) – these same 11 men who had for three years followed Jesus, walked with Him, talked with Him, ministered with Him, worked miracles for Him, seen Him walk on water and raise the dead multiple times, sawHis resurrected body, and watched Him ascend into Heaven…..if Jesus told them to not go out into the world until they had been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, how much more do we need the power of the Holy Spirit to victoriously live the Christian life in this world!”

The gifts of the Spirit are something God wants you to have, but He will not force them on you. Do you want them? Are you willing to receive them? If you do, and have not been baptized in the Holy Spirit, ask Him right now to fill you, but also call someone today – your life group leader, a brother or sister on fire for Jesus and filled with His Spirit, your life group leader – and let them pray for you, lay hands on you, and assist you in activating the Holy Spirit and His gifts inside of you.  (“And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them….”Acts 19:6).

You have all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but you are especially anointed in particular areas with particular gifts. This is for you to discover; no one else can discover it for you. And your gifts, just like you yourself, are custom-made for you. They will not look like anyone else. Your gifts are given to you by the Holy Spirit Himself for the purpose of fulfilling your destiny as a particular part of the Body of Christ and doing particular works. And He “distributes the gifts to each one as he wills” (1 Cor12:11). If you aren’t sure about your gifts, or where you fit in the Body of Christ, that is OK. Let’s start today in prayer together taking these questions to God. Don’t worry; not only does He want to answer you, He will indeed answer you (“but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.” Psalm 66:19).

PRAYER:

“Father, thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Living in a physical temple here on earth wasn’t good enough for You – You sacrificed Your only Son, Jesus Christ, in order to come and live inside of me and so we could spend eternity together! Holy Spirit, You are a miraculous gift, and I want all of You. Fill me to overflowing afresh with Yourself today, and light me on fire. Will you please reveal to me what gifts You’ve anointed me in, and what part I get to play in the Body of Christ? I want Your supernatural lifeof Your Spirit to be my natural, everyday life. I’m willing to do whatever You wish to make this happen; please help me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”