Welcome to the defender bible study, a weekly encouragement to equip the body of Christ through the study of scripture and prayer to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children around the world. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children Services where we believe that defending the fatherless begins by being rooted in God's word.

Good morning. It is Monday, March 18th, and this is Blake Wilson, Lifeline's vice president of operations. Glad to be with you guys again this morning, and we're gonna be looking at 1st Corinthians chapter 12 today. It's hard to believe that we're almost wrapping up 1st Corinthians, And we have covered everything in this book. And we have looked at, the Lord's supper.

We've looked at head coverings. Now we're looking at spiritual gifts saying Paul has not left any stone unturned as he is writing this letter to the church of Corinth. He is addressing everything. And to me, it's just almost like a playbook. It's a guidebook for this new church to keep them on track, to set expectations.

And it's just like a policy manual of, like, these are the things you have to focus on and the things that are important of when it what it looks like to be a believer, what it looks like to be a church, how we follow Christ, the things we put our focus on. And he keeps reminding the church of this over and over again in the book of 1st Corinthians, but that's not changing. Our and that's not changing in 1st Corinthians chapter 12. He starts off the first three verses again as a reminder because he knows the tendencies of what this church has done. He says in 1st Corinthians 12:1:3, now about the gifts of the spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

You know that when you were pagans, somehow or another, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore, I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the spirit of God says, Jesus be cursed, and no one can say, Jesus is lord, except by the Holy Spirit. He is reminding them that they have easily been led astray in this before. They have easily been misled through other, other idols and he is reminding them that he doesn't want that to happen again. He's saying you have been misled.

Let's not let that happen again. And then in verse 4, he continues and he says, there are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in in everyone, it is the same God at work. You see in those three verses, the word same is repetitive.

He describes gifts, service, and working, but all of those all of those are from the same spirit, the same lord, the same god. He is reminding them that is it is the the spirit of god that gives these gifts that allows you to work diligently, that that puts in your heart the desire to serve. It is all from the same source, and that is from God. You know, I think you can look at even even our ministry and look at that diversity within our ministry and how each and every one of us has a different skill set, a different ability of working, different levels of service. Those are all from God.

He is he is the source. He is the the well in which we draw our water. You know? And we have creative people on our team. We have graphic designers.

But then we have those that are have have more of a systematic way of thinking. You know, think about our accounting team, our IT team. We have those that are relational. I think about our counselors and our pregnancy counselors, and those are social services, you know, assessing families, serving families along the journey. Our our team is made up of a very unique set of gifts, but those are all coming from God.

Verse 7 says this, and to each one, the manifest manifestation of the spirit is given for the common good. To one, there is given through the spirit a message of wisdom. To another, a message of knowledge by the means of the same spirit, to another, faith by the same spirit, to another, gifts of healing by that one spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and still another interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of 1 and the same spirit, and he distributes them just as he determines. I like how Paul wraps this up in verse number 11, and he says, and he distributes them each one just as he determines.

Let's remember that God has uniquely gifted us. Each one of us has a unique skill set and a unique gift that are all necessary for the furtherance of the gospel. He has distributed those gifts just as he determined. He has gifted us just to the measure that he sees fit for us, and I love that. I think it's so easy for us to want to be, gifted in a different way.

Right? We may look at this passage with, you know, these these 6 verses here and say, I wish I had more faith, or I wish I had the gift of prophecy, or I wish I had more discernment or wisdom. Let's embrace the fact that the Lord has distributed these gifts just as he sees fit to the way he has determined, and let's he he's the he's the creator of the heavens and the earth. We are his image bearers. Let's embrace how he has made us into whatever measure he has gifted us.

Let's let's determine to use those gifts for his gospel. He does not make mistakes, and whatever he has gifted you with, let's be devoted and intentional to use those gifts for his glory. He says just as this verse 12, just as the body, the one, has many parts, but all its many parts are of the body, form 1 body, so it is with Christ. So we were all baptized 1 spirit, so as to form 1 body, whether Jew or Gentile, slave or free, and we were all given the one spirit to drink. Paul levels the playing field here in verses 12 and 13.

He says, we are all sinners at the foot of the cross. There is there is no difference whether you're Jew, Gentile, slave, free, it is the same spirit that the Lord puts in us when we choose to follow him. It is the same spirit as we read in verses, in verses 4 through 6. The same spirit, the same Lord, the same God. It is him that that and that gives us the gifts that he has he has predetermined for us.

There's no difference. This is there's no difference in the spirit, uniqueness and gifts, but the same spirit that is choosing to give this to us. You know, you can see in acts 2 when Pentecost happens and the spirit, begins to dwell in believers for the first time after Jesus' ascension. And it describes the the sound as of roaring and mighty windstorm that filled the house, And then it said, you know, flames and tongues of fire appeared and it settled upon on those believers. And then ultimately, they were filled with the spirit is what we read in acts 2.

But it says, the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. The holy spirit indwelled in them and they began to speak in tongues and it's because the spirit indwelled them and gifted them in this gift of tongues. And it says that the people that were in Jerusalem for the festival and the celebration, they heard this loud noise. They became curious. They ran to figure out what it was, and they were so is the the word in the NIV says bewildered to hear their own languages spoken by the believers.

God empowered these believers to begin speaking in different languages and all of the people that were there from all the other countries and different dialects were able to hear the speaking of the gospel in their tongues because the board gifted these believers in that way. It says they were completely amazed. Because I think we need to stand in that same view of amazement that the lord has gifted us, and let's be thankful for the way he has gifted us and embrace that giftedness because that is how the Lord determined to shape us. So we all have to function as ultimately one body. We have unique gifts, but these unique gifts all work together in unison for one purpose.

Verses 14 through 20 describe this. It says, even so the body is not made up of 1 part, but of many. Now if the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, it would not, for that reason, stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, because I am not an eye, I did not belong with the body, it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?

If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact, God has placed the parts of As it is, there are many parts, but one body. If you see the example of just our physical body and the uniqueness of each part of our body and how it functions as one complete package. He Paul begins to share with the church that they have one body, but each of them make up those unique parts. The church at Corinth had people in the church, some that were gifted in prophecy, some that were gifted in tongues, some that were gifted in wisdom and discernment, but they were all necessary for the for the greater purpose.

So as a body of believers, let's use those gifts to accomplish that mission. He says, an eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you, and the head cannot say to the feet, I don't need you. On the contrary, these parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. And the parts that we think are less honorable, we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable, we treat with special modesty.

While our presentable parts need no special treatment, but God has put the whole body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it. So that there should be no division in the body and that its part should have equal concern for each other. Because we're called to care for one another. You know, when when when part of your physical body is injured or, is hurting, the whole body suffers. It can be something as small as a as a thorn in in your finger, maybe a bruise on your foot, or maybe a cut on on your arm or your finger, maybe even a broken fingernail.

You think about the smallest little facets of your body, and how when one of those things isn't working, it impacts the entire body. The body accommodates to keep moving. You know, what what, you know, when one ankle or leg is is weaker, the other leg steps up. Right? It compensates.

It overcompensates. When we see people in the body of Christ that are hurting or suffering or maybe celebrating, It is our responsibility as believers to do that, to support them in that hurting, to pray for them, to encourage them, to celebrate with them, whatever it may be. We are to have what Paul says equal concern for each other. In verse 26, if one part suffers, every part suffers. If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it. And God has placed in the church 1st apostles, 2nd prophets, 3rd teachers, then miracles, then the gift of healing, helping, guidance, and of the different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?

Do all work miracles? Do all have the gift of healing, do all speak in tongues, do all interpret. Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. Paul, again, is reminding the church of Corinth as he wraps this up that everybody is gifted in a unique way. Not everybody is a teacher, Not everybody is a prophet.

Not everybody is a healer. Not everybody can perform miracles. But he says, embrace what the lord has given you and how he has shaped you. We are all needed in the body of Christ. You know, I can look introspectively at my life and know what the areas where I'm going to need help.

The parts where I'm going to need the body of Christ to step in for me, because it's just not my natural. It's not my natural gifting. There are some people that are just, the, you know, natural, encouragers. Right? Or they can be just the natural discerners or prayer warriors or maybe they just they're just the kind of people that know when something's not right.

And they can intercede for you and they can they can ask you and you feel comfortable share whatever it may be. There's uniqueness in the body of Christ. But let's celebrate with one another that uniqueness and let's embrace what the Lord has given us and let's commit to use that for his glory. So the challenge this week is just to look at your own life. How has the Lord gifted you, what are those gifts he has given you, and what is your part in the bigger picture?

Commit to devote your life, to the to what the Lord has called you to do, and use those gifts to the furtherance of the gospel. Today, we're gonna be closing out our time praying for the country of the Philippines. We're super excited as a ministry to be launching efforts in the Philippines to see what the Lord is going to do there and to to to soon, see children enter, forever families through this program. So we wanna pray as we launch this program for the central authority there, which is called the National Authority of Child Care. So I'm gonna pray for the n a c c in the Philippines for that staff there as they make decisions for the best interest of of children in their country.

Pray that they have the staffing that they need to work in a timely manner. I think this is a, you know, often something we see, globally. It's just a lack of manpower and systems and processes. So let's just pray that the Lord will provide, the right staff so they can process these these paper these paperwork. And then also let's pray for our staff and our relationship with the NACC.

Just because this is a new relationship, let's just pray for stability, as we enter into it. And just that their staff will will embrace our team, and then it'll just open up opportunities for us to build relationships and then just shine the light of Christ in this conversation. So let's just begin our week, thanking the lord for his goodness, embracing the gifts that he's given us, and then also praying for the country of the Philippines. God, we are thankful for your word. We're thankful for the book and for the ability to open up your word.

Lord, what a gift we often take for granted is having your word at our disposal to be able to open up the gospels, to open up the words of Paul, and to see documents of your miracles, of your goodness, of your spirit, entering into believers for the first time. God, we are so blessed to live in this season with the opportunity to have your word. So god, I pray that we apply it to our hearts, and embrace the gifts at which you've given us. God, this morning, we pray for, the Philippines. Lord, what an opportunity for us to just launch a new program, for us to be able to enter into a new country and to receive that approval with the n a c c.

So God, I pray for this central authority. I pray for our team here, at Lifeline to be able to build strong relationships with the NACC. God, I pray that, they are able to to fill any kind of vacant positions that they have to have that manpower to process things in a timely and efficient manner. And I pray for those families that have already committed to enter this process, these families that have already applied, that are waiting for more information. So, god, I just pray for the stability of this Philippines program.

I also pray for our staff here as we enter into these relationships and opportunities for future trainings and programs for children, that are aging out. Lord, may this child welfare system see our heart to care for all of these children, to to understand that, each and every one of them is created in your image, god, regardless of age, or medical status or any kind of health, struggles that they are facing, god. Help help our families to, serve, love, and care for these children and and what we pray for, the NACC to give us the opportunity to serve them well. So, god, we know that you have gone before us and, lord, we know that there is a great opportunity for the Philippines, in the coming in the coming months and coming years in this program. So we just thank you in advance for the kids that you're gonna bring home, the families that are gonna be impacted by these children and God may may we just see your gospel as we read in acts and in in first Corinthians, just take root in the heart of these kids.

Lord, may your spirit indwell in them and Lord, may they use their gifts to the furtherance of your kingdom. And we ask these things in your name. Amen.

Thanks again for joining us for the defender bible study. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the defender bible study to make it easier for more people to find. For more resources and information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, please visit us at lifelinechild.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child. You can email us directly at info at lifelinechild.org.

We look forward to seeing you again next week for the defender bible study.