Sermon Tone Analysis

Rainbow

I love rainbows...

Just like the edges of the rainbow blur together, often the edges of the gifts of the Spirit merge together.

God’s Spirit supplies His people with gifts as needed, although most of us do not recognize the wealth of resources we have to work with.

His power is not limited by artificial definitions, including our interpretations of His written Word.

His range is so much broader and bigger and brighter and more beautiful than any “spectrum analyzer” can reveal.

Link to Word of Wisdom

Omniscience - God is all knowing

We’re talking about a supernatural gift from God to be able to know something.

We might say that a scholar, or someone gifted with being able to retain and sift through a lot of information to gain knowledge.

In our tradition, the evangelical charismatic tradition, we often understand the spiritual gift of a word of knowledge as information that God gives by revelation for a certain situation [including details about a person’s life].

It “does not come by natural reasoning, education, or training but directly by the Holy Spirit.”

Looking at it this way, the word of knowledge is the gift that is used to “call out” someone for further ministry in a meeting in which the spiritual gifts are active.

The revelation of details about a person that could not otherwise be known by the speaker, such as the person’s name, physical circumstances, and hidden needs, provides convincing proof that God wants to bless that person beyond his or her limited expectations.

Such a word is “an utterance inspired by God and spoken by an individual.

It is an insight into the things freely given us by God.

Example - Terri

Words of knowledge are sometimes given from the front of church, but are more often given to us when we’re praying for someone and something comes to mind.

Sometimes a word of knowledge is given for preparation as we see when Paul says farewell to the church of Epehsus in

The Holy Spirit called Paul to continue his journey, and giving Paul enough insight to know that persecution in the form of imprisonment and hardship were ahead.

Paul wasn’t worried, he just followed the Spirit.

We’re living under a word of knowledge as a church.

It was one I received in March 2019.

We trusted God, we had no idea what that word looked like, but we felt God reveal it to us, we tested whether it was from God, and once we were certain we started living under that word of knowledge.

Invite Linda Holland up to share for 5 mins

How to we receive the gift of a word of knowledge

Most of the time it’s a quiet impression or sense that you get

The Vicar who trained me used to say to me, “You just know it in your knower” others my say that “I had a gut feeling about it”

You don’t know how you know but you do

Now of course, feelings, emotions and intuition are prone to misunderstanding which is why testing a word is so important.

More on that in a minute.

I find the moments the Lord gives me words of knowledge are either in big worship gatherings when I’ve laid aside time to just be with Him, or in times when I’m listening or supporting someone.

As they’re speaking, I get a sense or an impression of what may be helpful to share.

What we do with the word is critical.

As I’ve said, we’re all prone to self deception and this impression might not be from God.

So a bit of discernment is important.

But if it feels like God speaking it it’s essential that we offer what we have heard.

Offer not tell.

I often say “I sense that maybe God is sayin...” and often the Lord speaks to me through visions and pictures so I offer that picture... “as we were praying a picture came to mind which won’t go away.

I saw..and then I share the picture…I don’t know if that means anything to you or resonates in anyway.”

If the person I’m with looks puzzled or blank I often leave it but if their eyes light up and it has connected I then pray with them that if it is of God, that he will reveal it to them.

Spiritual abuse happens when we try to force the things of God.

It’s abuse against the Spirit to try to force the gifts, and it’s abusive toward the individual.

But if we come in humility, asking God to use us, inviting Him to share his knowledge with us, then when he does, if we offer it, we’re allowing the person we’ve received the word for a chance to test it.

We never want to live under the words that people speak over us, but we seek to live under the words God is speaking over us.

In Church, we find people who speak the words of God over us.

As long as we test what is being shared with us, we will open ourselves up to the God who loves us.

God will never give you a word that is counter to scripture, nor that is outside of the fruit of the Spirit.

This is where our second passage comes in.

While I don’t agree with every part of Sid Roth’s teaching on the supernatural gifts of the Spirit, I found his experiences and His chapter on words of Knowledge really insightful.

He says

Even if a word of knowledge never gets delivered, it can inform intercessory prayer.

As always, humility matters.

You may never have the honor of speaking out a word of knowledge or prophecy, but that is not the kind of honor you should desire, anyway.

Honor lies in God trusting you.

Believers’ spheres of influence and their effectiveness will never be identical.

Your special sphere might be a particular congregation, your favorite coffee shop, your workplace, or your family.

Just be faithful to the Lord and to whatever words He gives you, wherever He gives them, and God will reward your faithfulness with true spiritual riches.

I’d love us to start sharing words of knowledge in our gatherings together.

If it’s in smaller meetings, then it’s easier.

You can share it with the room and allow them to test the word with you.

But if we’re gathered for a service celebration, then I’d ask you to come and speak with the leader of the service.

Just share what you feel God has said, and if they agree that it’s for the church, it would be wonderful to hear these words after our set of sung worship.

Every word that’s offered needs to be offered for testing in the Church.

But the power of seeing God reveal His love and purposes for individuals is so amazing, this is something we don’t want to miss out on if God chooses to use us in this way.

A good way to share the word with the leader is to jot down what you feel God has given you and if it is still burning in your heart, then share it.

As a teenager I was arrogant and was desperate to share a word from God because it would make me look spiritual.

I really struggled to hear God back then particularly due to my arrogance.

One day the Lord convicted me and I prayed a dangerous prayer “Lord will you humble me” and I experienced many failures in areas where I thought I was strong.

Since being humbled (and He still humbles me when the arrogance rears it’s ugly head) I’ve found hearing from God much easier, and I am not afraid to share what He says to me.

A tip with sharing a word from God is ‘don’t talk to much’.

Allow God’s words to be the ones you use, and don’t add to what you’ve heard.

My friends, I want you to open yourselves to the God who loves you, to the Holy Spirit who is ready to equip you.

Let us ask God for words of knowledge and if you feel the Lord sharing with you, then please come and speak to me and Alison and if we feel it is for the whole Church, then we will invite you to share it.

Please don’t be offended if we discern that it’s perhaps for you or we invite you to pray more into it to test if it is from God. That’s all part of growing in this gift.

So come humbly before the Holy Spirit now and let’s be open to hearing from Him.