Spiritual Gifts

INTRODUCTION

We are starting a series on spiritual gifts tonight

I hope that through this study we will walk away with better BIBLICAL understanding of what spiritual gifts are, and which gift we have

Any questions about spiritual gifts that you have before we start?

If I do not know the answer, I will try to find it out for you

1 Cor 12:1-3 “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren…”

Spiritual gift is not found in the Greek

The word “gifts” in “spiritual gifts” is not found in the Greek.

The translation is not wrong, but it could be misleading if it leads us to think that God gives us supernatural abilities rather than God working through us in ministries empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Does everyone understand that?

Spiritual gifts are not some kind of superpower we receive to use at our convenience, but a channel by which God has given to us by which expresses His power through us to do ministry.

1) Paul begins this section by explaining that all truly charsmatic churches will exalt Jesus over the Holy Spirit

1 Cor 12:1-3 I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”

No one can say, “Jesus is lord” except by the Holy Spirit

This does not refer to a simple confession that Jesus is Lord

Lost people can say that, anyone could say that

He must be expressing something different

He is talking about utterances in the Spirit

When the Spirit or God manifest through people, they will always exalt King Jesus

The focus of a church is not to be on the Spirit but the exalted Lord. A truly charismatic community, therefore, is not Spirit-centered but Christ-centered”. Jesus is Lord, then, is the preeminent sign of the presence and authentic ministries of the Spirit.

Have you ever been to a church today where the emphasis is on the Spirit of God rather than the Son of God?

Beware of a church that exalts the Spirit over the Son.

Spiritual gifts are only give to those who have been born again spiritually… “no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit”

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.””

When God saves someone, the Holy Spirit indwells them, and He gives them a grace gift.

It is something that thye did not have before they came to Christ.

It is not a natural giftedness

It is Supernatural giftedness to be used in ministry and for the work of God

2) All Believers are called to do ministry

1 Cor 12:4-7 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

It is God who is the source of all gifts

“the same Spirit”

“the same Lord”

“The same God”

God is the power and source behind all gifts

He is power and source behind ministry and success

These gifts are for the “common good”

What do you think that means?

ANSWER: Gifts are for the advantage of the whole church

If I have the gift of faith, then it is not for me, but for the good of the whole church

If someone has the gift of prophecy, it is not for themselves, but for the benefit of the whole church

If someone has the gift of the distinguishing spirits, or tongues, or knowledge it is for the benefit of the church, not personal benefit.

Our gifts are for the benefit of others

So when we look to discover our gifts, we must remember this!

They Will always be for the benefit of others

3) Paul lists 9 different gifts

1 Cor 12:8-10 “For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.”

As we go down through here, ask questions and think about what your gift is and do any of these sound like your gift!

THE WORD OF WISDOM

This is not worldly wisdom or being smart

It is having a unique insight into the ways and will of God

These are not people who have figured it out, but God has supernaturally gifted them with wisdom

What is wisdom?

It is the ability to see life the way God sees it

A WORD OF KNOWLEDGE

This is not worldly knowledge or the ability to accumulate and know a lot of things

This is knowing things that God has revealed to you

It is receiving a revelation from God

I do not have this gift

Peter when he confronted Ananias and Sapphira

He knew they were lying about giving all the money from selling their property

FAITH

All believers have faith, or they’re are not believers

For by brace You have been saved through faith

But this is supernatural faith

Supernatural faith, Mountain moving faith

Faith to believe God and take Him t His Word despite the way things my seem to our eyes

One way this manifests is in patience

The ability to wait on God

GIFTS OF HEALING

Do you think supernatural “healings” take place today?

I absolutely do!

Notice this is plural “gifts”

I think God gives gifts of healings through these individuals who have his gift

I do not think it happens my time they ask, that is why it is called “gifts” not “The Gift”

This is often a gift that is emphasized in money schemes and fakes

Benny Hinn

Kenneth Copeland

All healing is temporary

Everyone is healed will die

Supernatural healing therefore is the greater good

Jesus and the paralytic

MIRACLES

Do miracles happen?

YES

They happened in the Bible (OT and NT) and they certainly can happen today

Paul saw miracles

Peter raised the dead

John saw the manifested Jesus Christ on the Island of Patmos

What is miracle?

It is the supernatural moving into the natural

This happens when God answer prayer

This happens when someone gets saved

But to some God has given this gift

I have never met someone with this gift

But I dare not say it does not exist

PROPHECY

Prophecy is the ability to speak for God

Prophets foretold the future

They spoke things that had not happened but did happen

Prophecy also involves forth-telling

This is speaking the things of God with power and conviction

1 cor 14:3 “But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.”

Notice the ministry of a prophet

edifies: to build up and strengthen

exhort: strongly encourage someone to do something

Consolation: to comfort

DISTINGUISHING OF SPIRITS

This so the ability to distinguish between a spirit that is from God and a spirit that is from the evil one

1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

This I not the spirit of judgement

Or the ability to tell who is good and bad

It is the ability to distinguish

This is I,poet at to the church because they give insight in new people

VARIOUS KINDS OF TONGUES

Tougues means a language

It is language never learned but one can speak

We will learn more about this in the following chapters

INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES

This is the ability to interpret the spoken tongues

One cannot be done without the other in a church service

4) God is Sovereign in giving gifts

1 Cor 12:11 “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”