Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Father is the source of our Spiritual gifts.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

This is a lesson in the gift’s of the Spirit but I am going to suggest to you that Spiritual gifts have the fingerprint of the entire trinity. He is God three in one. In James the gift in context is wisdom during trials and faith to believe that God will help you through the storms of life. Those “gifts” are supernatural spiritual gifts. What are your gifts? Don’t be sad if you can’t answer that question it is a thought provoker not a test to determine your spiritual acqumin or your confidence in your heavenly position

Every Believer is given a spiritual gift.

Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Spiritual gifts are given to us indirectly by Jesus.

Ephesians 4:8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”

There I go again throwing this entire gifts of the Holy Spirit topic out the window. No I am not I just want us to be honest. In the Old Testament things were different. YOU are blessed beyond measure. You are a Christian in the church. That is a big deal. Some people think they can have a relationship with God without the benefit of the church. That’s like having an engine without having the car body. Sure you have the main thing but I wouldn’t want to go down the road with an engine strapped to my back.

Ephesians 4 has been used so many times to talk about what Jesus did after His death. People focus on the captivity thing but think about context. I have to admit I’m guilty I have quoted this verse many times but ignored the end. The end is for the church. Jesus when HE ascended left us with gifts. This is exactly what He told the disciples He would do on the first day of His ministry when He said to Nathaniel because I said to you the fig tree you will see greater things than these and this is what He ended His ministry with in the upper room.

Spiritual gifts are given directly by the Holy Spirit.

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

Believers have different Spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

Spiritual Gifts are designed to benefit the entire church.

1 Corinthians 12:7–8 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,

Did you notice wisdom there tie that back to James and that EVERY Good and Perfect gift comes from the Father, sent by Jesus during passion week delivered by the Spirit today.

No one has all the Spiritual Gifts, there are no SUPER-CHRISTIANS!

1 Corinthians 12:12–19 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

Spiritual gifts are different so we don’t become too proud.

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Spiritual Gifts help us work together.

Romans 12:4–5 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

We all should have small measures of each Spiritual Gift. We are commanded to have most of them in our life. For instance Evangelism is a Spiritual Gift not everyone has it but all are commanded to evangelize in the great commission. Have you ever heard of Ray Comfort? That man has a Spiritual nack for evangelism. He can go out on the street and convince someone that he is a terrible sinner that needs Jesus. Not everyone has the Spiritual Gift. We aren’t supposed to, but that doesn’t mean that we say I don’t have the gift of Evangelism so I won’t share the gospel. No Spiritual Gifts are the Holy Spirit giving you one of the special GREATER THINGS that Jesus left us.

Some Spiritual Gifts are time-period sensitive.

1 Corinthians 13:8–9 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

I don’t want to argue with you about that verse. I will just present it. Read it in context and do with it what you will. It’s a good topic for a class. This sermon has a purpose and that is to equip and Edify.

2 List of the Gifts

Singleness and being Married are both Spiritual Gifts.

1 Corinthians 7:7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

The single people are saying you bet you being single is a spiritual gift. You have no idea how hard it is to be content and single. All the married people are saying you bet pastor being married is a Spiritual Gift. You’ve met my husband. The grass is always greener on the other side. But we life in a fallen world and it takes Godly strength to be content in your relationship status. If you thrive being single or married. That is a Spiritual Gift. Thank God for that.

Spiritual Gifts Taken from Ephesians 4, Romans 12, and 1 Corinthians 12 and 13

Apostleship - The one who is sent.

Our closest ministry to the apostle today is the missionary. I do not believe that the apostle of the New Testament and the Missionary of today are equal but they are similar. The difference Apostle was sent and commissioned directly by Christ. Missionary is sent by Christ commissioned by the church. That isn’t an attack on the missionary it is a credit to the apostles

Prophecy - The forth telling of God’s word.

Often associated with and authenticated by telling the future. But much of the prophets work was not telling the future. Sometimes the prophet may not have completely understood he was telling the future.

Miracles and Healings

1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

Paul is a good example for understanding the Spiritual Gift of healing.

Paul excised the gift of healing in Ephesus.

Acts 19:11–12 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

Paul did not use healing in three cases.

2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.

Not eveyone will be healed if they would all Christians would still be alive. Sometimes God takes people home. It is a direct result of sin in this world. Paul could pray that Elymas the socerer would be blind but couldn’t pray for the healing of his own eyesight. Paul is a good example of Biblical healing.

Tongues and interpretations of tongues.

Acts 2:6–8 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?

Let me tell you a story about tongue. My wife and I were serving the LORD in Costa Rica. We were invited to a fancy restaurant. You know my missionary theory. You know I’m a picky eater. I saw some beef. Started eating it, it was great. I loved it. I found out it was cow tongue. I thought to myself that was great no problem I’ll eat cow tongue from now on. I didn’t make it through the cow tongue. That is kind of like how I view tongues in the Bible. Biblical tongues are wonderful. THE People heard in their own language. It was a miracle of people hearing and understanding the gospel. Some people speak in tongues and it is gibberish. That turns me off from speaking in tongues. It shouldn’t I believe that it was a gift for the early church, I believe the Holy Spirit can still use it today. I am not going to fight with you about it.

Evangelism - Proclaiming the gospel with exceptional clarity

Billy Graham, Ray Comfort

Pastor - Shepherding the flock (Equip and Edify)

Ephesians 4:11–12 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

Not everyone is pastor, but you should be doing more pastoring than you think. Mom’s you are a pastor to your children. The Job is to Equip and Edify

Teachers - Instruction in Godly living

James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

This is not talking about math and english teachers. But they can include those people. The topic came up at a recent teacher’s inservice day how do we teach Biblical concepts in Math Class. Science is easy to do that but math. Well you can be a good math teacher without having the Spiritual Gift of teaching Godly Principles I just wouldn’t want to stand before God as a teacher who turned children away from God instead of towards them. Some will hear and run anyway

Serving - Helping and serving others in the name of Jesus

This is the one I hear the most, but it shouldn’t take precedent over any of the others. You who clean the church don’t look down on the Sunday School teacher and vice versa. How many of you feel like you are the only one serving in the church. I think most of us, but you have your job do it well.

Exhortation - The ability to encourage, comfort, and admonish people

1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

Distinguishing Spirits - ability to discern between things that true and false

This is the person who can see through the propoganda of the world. They aren’t swayed with colorful words and false pretenses. They are like the tribe of Issachar who the times and knew what to do.

1 Chronicles 12:32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;

If I ever tell you that you are a son of Issachar that means that you aren’t someone parroting your favorite news channel, web site, or favorite TV preacher. You have Biblical discernment.

Mercy - Ministering to the sick and afflicted

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

Mercy is Jesus blood on the cross that pays for our sins. Mercy is God sparing us from what we deserve. In that heart it is looking on someone who is most pitiful. The drunk, the drug addict, the homeless, the sick because of smoking or overweight and instead of judging them you show compassion. Commanded but also a gift

Giving - beyond generous in that it is supernatural

Remember the story of the widows two mites. She had the gift of giving. The story of James Cash Penney who invested $2,000 in a store called the golden rule store in 1902 and grew it to a 120 stores by 1920 and 1400 by 1929 but then the great depression ruined him. He heard the song “God will take care of you.” he grew the business back wouldn’t allow his stores to be open on Sunday. He carried his stores through the great depression on his life insurance and had over a billion sales by 1951 and he gave away a lot of money with his second life of success like a guy named Job

Administration - ability to make sure a church runs smoothly

Wisdom and knowledge - pray for it!

Greatest Gifts

Faith - the ability to believe God and His promises

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

We all should have it but some have a super natural gift for it

Hope - An expected end

Lamentations 3:21–26 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.

Love - God’s agape self sacrificing love

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.