Gifts of The Spirit
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1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.
3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
Our tolerance to live without the manifestations of the Spirit.
If I had the choice and could only pick 1 of the 2 between love and gifts I would go with the fruit of the Spirit.
Must be a balance of gifts and fruit. The dove has 9 flight feathers.
Reasons why the Church isn’t flowing in the Spirit and His manifestations:
= ignorance, wrong teaching, and no desire for more of God and seeing Him move.
IGNORANCE:
He said that Mr. Spurgeon was a bighearted man. Because he loved to interest himself in poor people, he had almshouses connected with his tabernacle, and he would make pastoral visits in these apartments where the old people lived.
One old lady had brought all her belongings that were so sentimentally valuable to her (but not to anybody else), such as an old faded photograph, a couple of china dogs on the mantelpiece, and the clock that wouldn’t go. Mr. Spurgeon would go around the room inspecting the treasures.
In this old lady’s apartment he saw on the wall a piece of paper with some writing. Mr. Spurgeon asked the old lady, “What is this that you have framed?”
She said, “Sir, that reminds me of an old man that I nursed years ago. He was a patient old man, and when he was dying he said, ‘What can I give you to show my appreciation of all that you’ve done for me?
And, Sir, he wrote his name on that piece of paper and that’s why I put it in the frame; it reminds me of the old man.” Mr. Spurgeon said, “Could I borrow this? I will take very great care of it.” She said, “Oh, but that’s very dear to me; I would not like to lose that slip of paper with the old man’s name on.”
But finally he persuaded her to let him have it. He removed it from the frame and took it to the bank. Maybe you have already guessed that this dear old lady had framed a check!
Charles Spurgeon said to the bank manager, “Do you know anything about this money?” and the bank manager said, “It has been lying here for a long time and nobody has ever claimed it.” Spurgeon said, “I have come to claim it for an old lady who lives in the almshouses connected with the tabernacle.”
He went back to the old lady and asked, “Why are you living in poverty here?” She said, “I have no money, Sir.” He said, “Lady, you are mistaken; you are ignorant of what you possess; you have been worth money—hundreds of pounds—for a long time.
That piece of paper is a check assigning you a lot of money.” So he set her up in a comfortable little home of her own with her own money.[1]
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
So, you can have water as rain, water as hail, water as snow, water as ice, water as steam, water as frost, and water as clouds; yet all these will, in a given temperature, flow as water.
How diverse they are, and yet they are all water. So we have an illustration of the verse, “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are differences of administration, but the same Lord.”
Gift of Prophecy: But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification,and exhortation, and comfort.
Spiritual Gifts and Their Operation 7. Prophecy
Some people have thought that prophecy was inspired preaching, and indeed we could do with more inspired preaching
Spiritual Gifts and Their Operation 7. Prophecy
Prophecy cannot be preaching because prophecy requires no preparation—and believe me, preaching does, and plenty of it—for the Bible says, “Labor in the word and in doctrine” (
Spiritual Gifts and Their Operation 7. Prophecy
when we prophesy we speak under the unction of the Spirit.
Spiritual Gifts and Their Operation 7. Prophecy
Prophecy is not simply quoting Scripture verses; it is the flow of the Spirit as God gives utterance.
Tongues and Interpretation:
Divers kinds of tongues is supernatural
utterance by the Holy Spirit in languages never learned by
the speaker, not understood by the mind of the speaker, nor
necessarily always understood by the hearer.
The interpretation of tongues is the
supernatural showing forth by the Spirit the meaning of an
utterance in other tongues.
THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
Not to bring guilt or condemnation.
Gifts need to be operated in love. They also need to honor Jesus.
Prophecy draws others to God not from God.
Judge the word: 7 ways
29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.
30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,
32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
Does it line up with the Word?
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
2. What is the fruit of the person?
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
3. Does it glorify Jesus?
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
4. Does it come to pass?
20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’
21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’—
22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
25 For I am the Lord; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord God.”
5. Does it lead towards God?
1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’
3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
6. Does it lead to liberty?
3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
7. The inner witness of our spirit.
20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Closing:
Closing of a Sermon on the Gift of Prophecy
Closing of a Sermon on the Gift of Prophecy
Beloved, as we’ve learned today, the gift of prophecy is not about elevating ourselves — it’s about edifying the body of Christ. It’s about hearing the heart of God and speaking His truth in love, to build up, encourage, and comfort His people.
In these last days, God is still speaking. The same Spirit that inspired the prophets of old is the same Spirit that lives within us. But let us remember: every word must align with Scripture, every message must glorify Jesus, and every prophecy must flow from a heart of humility and love.
So as we go forth this week, let’s not be afraid to listen for His voice. Let’s be sensitive to the Spirit’s prompting — whether it comes as a whisper of encouragement, a warning of correction, or a revelation of hope. God wants to use each of us as vessels of His message, carriers of His truth, and instruments of His grace.
May we pray as Samuel did, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” And may our lives become living prophecies — testifying that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Let’s pray.
(pause for prayer)
“Father, thank You for the gift of prophecy. Teach us to discern Your voice, to walk in obedience, and to speak only what builds and blesses. Let Your Spirit guide us in truth, that all we do may point others to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Would you like me to make it sound more Pentecostal, Evangelical, or formal/liturgical in tone? I can tailor it for your audience.
