Spiritual Gifts: Discerning of Spirits
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-OOS
I. Welcome
A. Dustin
II. Opening Prayer
A. Grace S.
III. Worship - 4 Songs
A. Song b4 Offering: All Things are Possible
B. Offering
IV. Announcements
A. Prayer & Praise: Aug 18 6pm @ Missionary Alliance
B. Youth Taking Break through Aug.
a. New & Exciting things on horizon
C. 1st Friday Celebration & Next Month (Sept 6th)
V. Sermon
VI. Baptism
-SERMON
I. INTRO
A. Where We’ve Been
B. Where We’re Going
C. Main Text
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.
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
D. Pray
II. BODY
A. Spiritual gift of discerning spirits
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.
a. What discerning spirits is not
1. Discerning spirits is not judging people
i. That is, it is not “discerning” the faults of others
ii. It’s not the spiritual gift of uncovering human failure
iii. In fact, Jesus said, do not judge or you’ll be judged
-If u r going to judge some1…Paul says judge urself in...
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Ro 12:3
-That is, rather than thinking of ourselves self-righteously, like we have it 2gether & so, can judge others
*lets judge ourselves clearly (what he means by sober judgement)
iv. Some folks
b. Discerning spirits is not psychological insight
i. sometimes people know things by the Spirit of God, but that doesn’t mean it’s really discernment.
-The Gospels r full of ex. where Jesus was recorded to have known the heart of a person.
Hagin, Kenneth E. The Holy Spirit And His Gifts Study Course . Faith Library Publications. Kindle Edition.
*The ability 2 understand a situation/person’s motives so as to make a wise decision might be called spiritual discernment…but that’s not discerning of spirits
*discernment is a good thing when we use it 2 help us make decisions
b. What discerning spirits is
1. Discerning spirits is the supernatural gift from the Holy Spirit to see or hear into the spiritual realm.
Hagin, Kenneth E. The Holy Spirit And His Gifts Study Course . Faith Library Publications. Kindle Edition.
2. It’s a supernatural gift given by God’s Spirit
11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
i. This is a gift given by the H.S. 2 folks whom he choses...
-That means we don’t all have this gift, but in ea. Jesus centered church some1 should be operating w/this gift
2. Discerning spirits is testing spirits
i. The Apostle John encourages in...
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
-all kinds o folks w/critters attached saying all kinds o flowery things
*So let one’s w/the gift o discerning o spirits test what’s said!
ii. Just cause u don’t like what is said, doesn’t mean it’s from an evil spirit
-Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in...
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophecies,
21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.
B. Elisha had the gift of discerning spirits
Discerning of spirits
Elijah had the gift of discerning spirits
(Tell the story o Elisha & his servant 2 kings 6:8-23)
-Syrian King sends out an army surrounding the city where Elisha & servant was
-like if army sent to surround Bennington, how would u feel?
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
: When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
-Servant saw it, woke up Elisha & said “ah, we goin’ 2 die”
-Servant saw it, woke up Elisha & said “ah, we goin’ 2 die”
-Elisha said Don’t fear, our army is bigger than their army
-Servant looked around like, “um, what army?!”
16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
2 kings:
-Elisha prayed God would open the servants eyes
He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
-Elisha prayed God would open the servants eyes
-Look @ what happened next in...
-God did & servant saw...
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.
2 kings 6: 17-18:
the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha
a. Discerning spirits is seeing into the spirit realm revealing what God is up to
1. Sometimes we think of discerning of spirits as insight only into the demonic workings
i. but a lot of times it’s seeing God, Jesus, / angels working
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
-Consider Stephen in acts 7 (describe scene)
*who saw the heavens open & Jesus standing at His Father’s right hand.
C. Paul had the gift of discerning spirits
Paul had the gift of discerning spirits
(describe the scene Acts 16:16-24)
17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”
18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”
a. Discerning of spirits is seeing into the spirit realm revealing what demons are up to
John saw God while on Patmos
1. with the gift it Paul heard & saw the kind of spirit that was in operation behind a supernatural manifestation.
i. She was saying all the right things, but Paul recognized what kind of spirit was speaking & dealt with it!
Stephen saw Jesus while being stoned
Hagin, Kenneth E. The Holy Spirit And His Gifts Study Course . Faith Library Publications. Kindle Edition.
D. Examples today
a. Mel
b. A pastor I served under While he was at college