The Holy Spirit, A Gift Giver
Notes
Transcript
Intro; How many here this morning like to receive gifts? I know I do.
My birthday is just a week away and I’m sure I’m gonna get some great gifts! [LOL]
I bought tickets to the Rodeo, and then I bought tickets to The Fourth Cross. Those are great gifts but I had to buy them myself.
Even though those are wonderful gifts, they do not compare to the gifts that God gives. God gave His Son for our salvation. Then He gives us the Holy Spirit as a gift to seal us till the day of redemption and to guide us into truth every day. And then on top of all that, the Holy Spirit gives every born again believer a spiritual gift in which to serve God with while here on earth.
This morning as we continue to study the Holy Spirit of God, I want us to look at “The Holy Spirit, A Gift Giver”.
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:
2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.
3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
1. Spiritual Gifts; 4-6
1. Spiritual Gifts; 4-6
“Spiritual gifts” refer to special abilities that are from the Holy Spirit and are given to every single Christian to be used to serve. These abilities are given to Christians to enable and empower them to do God’s work and fulfill the will of God for their lives. They help to edify or strengthen the church body, meet the needs of others, and to evangelize those without Christ.
Apart from the direct energizing of God’s Spirit in salvation, nothing is more vital to believers than the ministry of their spiritual gifts.
There are three biblical lists of spiritual gifts that include at least 17 specific “gifts of the Spirit”. The three main passages describing the spiritual gifts are Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; and 1 Corinthians 12:28.
Spiritual gifts include prophesy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, ministry, administration, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues and helps.
[4] Diversities of Gifts- various kinds, allotments, distributions
It is the Spirit that disburses the gifts to the individual. It is the Spirit that decides what gift/gifts a believer may get.
Romans 12:6 (NKJV)
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them:
10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
[5] Differences of Ministries- different uses of spiritual gifts in ministry.
Even though many have the same gift, that gift can be used in different ways in ministry.
One teacher may be especially gifted in teaching young children; another may have special ability with the original biblical languages and be highly qualified to teach seminarians. One evangelist may be able to powerfully address large crowds, while another’s strength is in one-on-one witnessing
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
[6] Diversities of Activities- energy to make effective
Regardless of your spiritual gift or the area of ministry it will be used in, it is the power of God [Holy Spirit] that makes that gift and ministry effective.
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.
Matthew 13:23 (NKJV)
23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
2. Purpose of Your Spiritual Gift; 7
2. Purpose of Your Spiritual Gift; 7
I have already stated that “spiritual gifts” are for the purpose of empowering the believer to serve God in various ways and means in the church and out in the world. But we need to take that a step farther.
Manifestation of the Spirit- make visible or observable; ‘to make known, to make plain, to reveal, to bring to the light, to disclose, revelation.
Spiritual gifts are to make the Lord Jesus Christ known, clear and evident in the church and to the world, through the working of the Holy Spirit in the believers life!
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Profit of all- for the common good, bring together, benefit, advantageous
The exercise/use of our “spiritual gifts” are to encourage one another in the body of Christ and helps us be better stewards of the gifts the Holy Spirit has given to each one. To use them!
The faithful pastor who preaches/teaches the whole council of God, builds up the body of believers to use their spiritual gifts appropriately.
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
If it was important for the Son of God to “go to church”, it should be all the more important for us! Church is where we grow in the Lord and learn how to serve in our spiritual gifts!
3. Don’t Be Ignorant of Your Spiritual Gifts; 1-3
3. Don’t Be Ignorant of Your Spiritual Gifts; 1-3
There was a problem in the church at Corinth. Many were using their spiritual gifts improperly and some were not using them at all.
These people came out of pagan backgrounds just like us. And many were trying to keep one foot in the world while trying to serve the Lord. It doesn’t work like that.
Worship of “dumb idols” means that they worshiped things that were not alive and of the influence of the evil one.
Many of the pagan practices in worship were of ecstatic speech, chants, taking of hallucinatory drugs, and sexual perversion. And many young believers were struggling to break free of these things [or maybe not wanting too] because Satan was influencing them to believe it was okay to just add them to Christianity. In doing so they were causing divisions in the church.
11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”
Too many christians today are struggling in the same way. Dragging their worldly ways with them into the church and causing divisions and hurting yourself the body of Christ.
You either belong to Jesus or you don’t. You need to break free from the idols this world offers and walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh!
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
Close;
Spiritual gifts are the means through which believers are to grow, worship, witness, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are gifts that some of us will never have. There are gifts some of us are not fit to exercise.
But the gifts that are given us are to be used. They are not to be put in a drawer or closet and never be worn or forgotten.
So this morning, I urge you to stoke the fires of salvation you recieved in Jesus Christ, and stir up the gift of God through the Holy Spirit to His glory!