Lesson 6 August 1-7
Unlimited Possibilities Commentary in Navy Inspiration in Maroon
Sabbath AfternoonRead for This Week’s Study: 1 Cor. 12:12; Matt. 3:16, 17; 1 Cor. 12:7; 1 Cor. 1:4-9; Matt. 25:14-30.
Memory Text: “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11, NKJV).
God calls us to witness for Him (Acts 1:8, Isa. 43:10). Witnessing is not a special spiritual gift that only a select few possess. Witnessing is the divine calling of each Christian.
The Bible uses different expressions to describe our calling before God. We are to be “the light of the world”, “ambassadors for Christ”, and a “royal priesthood” (Matt. 5:14, 2 Cor. 5:20, 1 Pet. 2:9). This same God who calls us to witness and for service equips us for the task. He imparts spiritual gifts to each believer. God does not call the qualified. He qualifies those whom He has called. Just as He gives salvation freely to all who believe, He gives His gifts to them freely, as well.
As we consecrate ourselves to God and dedicate our lives to His service, our possibilities to serve are endless. “There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, putting aside self, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God”. — Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 159.
In this week’s lesson, we will study our unlimited possibilities for service through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 8.
Sunday ↥ August 2
Differing Gifts: United in ServiceHave you ever considered how different from each other the disciples were? Their backgrounds, personalities, temperaments, and gifts greatly varied. But this was not a liability for the church. It was a strength. Matthew, a tax collector, was precise, exact, and accurate. In contrast, Peter often spoke quickly, and was enthusiastic and impulsive, but he also had natural leadership qualities. John was tender-hearted but outspoken, as well. Andrew was a people person, extremely aware of his surroundings, and sensitive to others. Thomas had the natural inclination to question, and he often doubted. Each of these disciples, though having different personalities and gifts, was powerfully used by God in witnessing for Him.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13, 18-22. What do we discover in these passages about the need for people of different gifts in the body of Christ, the church?
God delights in taking people of different backgrounds with different talents and abilities and imparting to them gifts for service. The body of Christ is not a homogenous group of people that are all alike. It is not a country club with people of the same backgrounds who all think the same. It is a dynamic movement of people of different gifts, united in their love for Christ and for Scripture, and who are committed to share His love and truth with the world (Rom. 12:4, 1 Cor. 12:12). The members of the body of Christ have different gifts, but each one is valuable; each one is critical to the healthy functioning of the body of Christ. Just as the eyes, ears, and nose have different functions but are necessary to the body, all gifts are necessary, as well (1 Cor. 12:21, 22).
If you carefully consider the human body, even the smallest parts have a crucial role. Consider our eyelashes. What if we did not have something as apparently insignificant as eyelashes? Dust particles would blur our vision, and the resulting consequences could potentially cause irreparable damage. The member of the church who seems the most “insignificant” is an essential part of the body of Christ and has been gifted by the Holy Spirit. When we dedicate these gifts totally to God, each one of us can make an eternal difference.
No matter how talented you might be, what are the things that you are not very good at but that others in the church are? How should this help keep you in your proper place?
Monday ↥ August 3
God: The Giver of All Good GiftsAccording to 1 Corinthians 12:11, 18; Ephesians 4:7, 8; and James 1:17, God is the originator of all gifts, and “every perfect gift” comes from Him. Thus, we can rest assured that He will impart to us the very gifts of the Holy Spirit that are best suited to our personalities, and He will best use our skills to serve His cause and glorify His name.
Read Mark 13:34 and 1 Corinthians 12:11. To whom does God give spiritual gifts?
The Bible is clear. God has a special assignment for each one of us in sharing the gospel with others. In Jesus’ parable of the householder who leaves his house to his servants and asks them to care for it, the master of the house gives his servants their appointed work (Mark 13:34). There is an assignment for every individual, and God gives spiritual gifts to all to accomplish the divine task or ministry that they are called to. When we surrender our lives to Christ, and through baptism become members of His body, the church, the Holy Spirit imparts gifts so that we can serve the body and witness to the world.
In 1903, Ellen G. White wrote a letter to a certain man to encourage him to use the gifts God had given him in service. “We are all members of God’s family, all in a greater or less degree entrusted with God-given talents, for the use of which we are held responsible. Whether our talent be great or small, we are to use it in God’s service, and we are to recognize the right of every one else to use the gifts entrusted to them. “Never should we disparage the smallest physical, intellectual, or spiritual capital”. — Letter 260, December 2, 1903.
Read Acts 10:36-38; Matthew 3:16, 17; and Acts 2:38-42. What do these texts teach us about the promise of the Holy Spirit at baptism?
Just as Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism to prepare and fully equip Him for His ministry to the world, each one of us is promised the Holy Spirit at our baptism. God longs for us to have the positive assurance that He has fulfilled His Word and imparted spiritual gifts to us to bless His church and the world.