Understanding Spiritual Gifts

Church is growing… Apollos went to Corinth and Paul went to Ephesus.

Acts 19:1–2 NLT

1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. 2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

People understand Father, Son… but struggle with HS

Week 1 - unpacked who HS is is. He is a breath of fresh air… our best friend… 3rd person of Trinity

Week 2 - Pentecost or Pentecostal - Holiday … Jesus fulfilled 3 Jewish Holidays. Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles.

God gives us gifts.

Charismatic - gift

Eternal Life.

Romans 6:23 NLT

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Option - you can pay your wage or bill or Jesus can. If you pay for it, the amount is death. Jesus didn’t want you to die so he died for you.

God gave you this gift… there was nothing you can do to earn it.

Post salvation there is nothing you can do to keep it.

Ephesians 2:8 NLT

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

You did not earn it or deserve it… it is a gift.

The Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:4–5 NLT

4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

NW we will talk about being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Today we want to talk about Charisama…

Spiritual Gifts.

SG are divine enablements.

1 Corinthians 12:1 NIV

1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

Secessionism or dispensations - all the gifts ceased when the disciples died.

Most people are not turned off by SG, but by one of them… tongues. People have been taught to avoid. You never need to avoid anything God has for you. God does not want to give you anything that you need or should be afraid of.

All the gifts are good and all of the attention should not be on one… they are all good.

1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

Enemy will do everything he can to prevent you from experience this.

OT, the HS was on the priests. At Pentecost, HS was poured out on everyone. Then the church began to have people they called clergy and the rest were laymen.

1500’s in Europe - Protestant revelation - Priesthood of the Believer. The power and presence of God is on everyone. You don’t need a Priest to interpret the Bible for you… HS will. Right after this, it went right back to the way it is today… where everyone lays around and looks to the pastor to do something.

People will look at me when something is going on… playing golf and it’s fixing to rain… they look at you… I’m in sales not management.

We want you to discover your spiritual gifts. Growth Trac will have a class where you discover your gifts.

A spiritual gift is a special supernatural ability that God gives each of his children, so that together we can advance His purposes in this world.

Dream Team members - using their gifts: Greeting; children...

Growth Trac coming this Fall will be a 4 week class we will do on Sunday evenings.

Understanding Spiritual Gifts

1. Discover the gifts God has for me.

SG is not your natural talent or skill set. It is something that God divinely enables you to do.

Romans 12:6 NLT

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

27 plus that the Bible mentioned. I don’t believe this is an exhaustive list.

Charisma - Grace Gift.

God will give you gifts. Childrens vol are gifted… I could not do that.

Talk about the difference of operating in diff gifts.

Psalm 139:13–16 NLT

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Helps - you see stuff that needs to be straightened...

Mercy - you saw the person sitting by themself and went to encourage them.

God’s design in me reveals God’s destiny for me.

We want to help you understand your design.

2. Develop the gifts God has given me.

Gifts change and mature as you change and mature.

ILL - when you first came to Christ, maybe you started out greeting or making coffee. But now you are growing in your faith and you see your potential changing… CG leader

1 Corinthians 14:1 NIV84

1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

Desire spiritual gifts.

It doesn’t matter how off path you get, God can always get you to where he wants you to be.

2 Timothy 1:6 NLT

6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.

3. Use the Gifts God has given me.

If you don’t know Jesus, your life is about discovering who he is.

If you know Jesus, your life is about using your gifts for the Lord. You don’t know how much time you have.

1 Peter 4:10 NLT

10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

We use our gifts to do what God wants us to accomplish together. Use your gifts so God’s love can flow through you.

River Church exists to take you on a spiritual journey to...

Know God

Find Freedom

Discover Purpose

Make a Difference

until I am able to say,

I was made for this.