Bible Study - GOD'S Will (4) - GOD'S Will and the Church - 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - November 3, 2019

Bible Study – GOD’S Will (4) – GOD’S Will and the Church – November 3, 2019


This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled “How to Know GOD’S Will.”


Our focus scripture is 1 Corinthians 12:1-11.


GOD often reveals HIS plans for us through HIS church.


What is the true church? Is it a structure? Yes, it is. But what kind of structure? Is it made with human hands? Yes and no!


The true church is the Spiritual body of born-again believers who through faith in JESUS are joined together in unity of purpose to obediently serve GOD. Born-again believers are led by the indwelling Holy Spirit to function in unity, harmony, yet a diverse group.


Natural church growth and development is like a born-again believer who grows Spiritually. The body of believers is led by the Holy Spirit to grow Spiritually. The Spiritual body needs nourishment. The Spiritual body moves from the milk of the Word to the meat of the Word. The order of Spiritual growth comes through the pastor of that body of believers to the congregation. Then GOD gifts those in that body of believers with certain Spiritual gifts for that body of born-again believers to function and grow through the leadership of GOD through faith in JESUS. The body is diverse but in unity and harmony of purpose as led by the Holy Spirit using its diversity of Spiritual gifts.


The Apostle Paul used the human body to help explain how the Spiritual body/true church functions as recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31:

Unity Yet Diversity in the Body

¹² For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴ So the body is not one part but many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. ¹⁹ And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? ²⁰ Now there are many parts, yet one body.

²¹ So the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² But even more, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³ And those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have a better presentation. ²⁴ But our presentable parts have no need of clothing. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, ²⁵ so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. ²⁶ So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. ²⁸ And God has placed these in the church:

first apostles, second prophets,
third teachers, next miracles,
then gifts of healing, helping,
managing, various kinds of languages.
²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets?
Are all teachers? Do all do miracles?
³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in other languages?
Do all interpret?

³¹ But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

Dr. Henry Blackaby used an example of a person walking along a railroad track. He used a stick-figure drawing to represent the person. In the distance, in front of the stick figure representing a person, as far as the eyes could see the railroad track no was train coming. In fact, the eyes could see all the way to the earth’s horizon. No train.

The ears of the stick-figure person pick up the sound of a train. The ears told the eyes, “I hear the sound of a train coming. But the eyes told the ears that as far as the eyes can see, there is no train. But then the feet picked up a vibration and told the eyes, my feet feel like a train is coming. But the eyes told the feet no train is coming because as far the eyes can see there is no train. The sad truth was the train was coming from behind the stick figure person.”

Unity of the body of born-again believers is vital in the true church functioning as a Spiritual body. The true Spiritual body is not a one-person event. Those with certain Spiritual gifts function within the true body of believers, as led by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Does church leadership listen to those who are gifted with certain Spiritual gifts when they speak? GOD’S design is diversity with unity. The true Spiritual church functions as one under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. It is vital that church leadership listen to what GOD is saying. HE may be speaking through others but will leadership pay attention or get hit from their blind or deaf side?

The Apostle Paul listed some of the Spiritual Gifts GOD uses to equip the Spiritual body. Let’s explore!

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 12:1-3:

Diversity of Spiritual Gifts

12 Now concerning what comes from the Spirit:^[a] brothers, I do not want you to be unaware. ² You know that when you were pagans, you used to be led off to the idols that could not speak. ³ Therefore I am informing you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 12:4-6:

⁴ Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person.^[b]

Diversity is vital. When it is combined with unity, it equals the power of GOD being manifested through the Spiritual church to meet the needs of the body and serve the area where GOD has called the true Spiritual body.

When we grow from an infant into an adult, do we have to think I have to grow today? NO! When we were born, those who loved us made sure we were fed. As we matured, our part was to eat properly, exercise and develop mentally. Our genetic make-up helps us to develop. As a born-again Christian, the Holy Spirit has united with our spirit to produce our born-again Spirit which develops within each Christian. The born-again Christian develops through the renewing of our minds. The born-again Christian must take in the right Spiritual food (Reading and studying GOD’S Word), exercise Spiritually and develop their Spiritual muscles (Praying and applying what the Holy Spirit is revealing).  Christians are grafted into the true vine, JESUS. Spiritual nutrients flow through the true vine and produces, fruit that remains.


What a joy it is when you see those in whom you have made an investment grow and produce lasting fruit. We need to keep in mind that fruit has seeds and when replanted, they also produce fruit.


Let’s read 1 Corinthians 12:7-11:

⁷ A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial:

⁸ to one is given a message of wisdom
through the Spirit,
to another, a message of knowledge
by the same Spirit,
⁹ to another, faith by the same Spirit,
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
¹⁰ to another, the performing of miracles,
to another, prophecy,
to another, distinguishing between spirits,
to another, different kinds of languages,
to another, interpretation of languages.

¹¹ But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.      

GOD equips the Spiritual body with various Spiritual gifts to accomplish HIS plan and purpose.


Often, the Spiritual body gets side-tracked and chases after the Spiritual gifts rather than seeking the GOD the giver of all Spiritual gifts. When that happens, the Spiritual fails to be about using their Spiritual gifts to meet the needs of others.


What is your Spiritual gift? Are you using it or them as led by the Holy Spirit? If not, why not?


Every Christian has at least one Spiritual gift. What is yours and are you using it for GOD’S Glory?

Blessings!!!