72) * THE PRAYERS & SERMONS OF OUR STANDING MINISTERS FOR PEOPLE TO READ - 36
Daniel
Pasaribu
Monday Sermon for LJUSC, April 23, 2012
" MOVING
IN THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ACCOMPLISH THE GREAT COMMISSION UNTIL THE
RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH”- Part 1 of 3 : (1Corinthians 12:7-11)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
God equips each of us with special abilities or
"spiritual gifts" to edify (buildup, strengthen) ourselves and others
for the perfecting of the saints and for the work of the ministry in the Body
of Christ until all come in the unity of the faith while the use of these gifts
helps the "spiritual health" of all Christians around the world.
Paul drives home this point in 1 Corinthians 12, where
he explains how Christians form the body of Christ and how the gifts are used
within the body. Consider these two excerpts:
"7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to
each one for the profit of all: 8for to one is given the word of wisdom through
the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9to
another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same
Spirit, 10to 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. 11But one and the same Spirit works all these
things, distributing to each one individually as He wills."( 1 Corinthians
12: 7-11).
"25that there should be no schism in the body, but
that the members should have the same care for one another. 26And if one member
suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the
members rejoice with it. 27Now you are the body of Christ, and members
individually. 28And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles,
second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings,
helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all
prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30Do all have gifts of
healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly desire
the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. "(1 Corinthians
12: 25-31).
Each person, with their gifts, is part of the body of
Christ. In order for the body to function properly, the person needs to be
connected with the body and allowed to fulfill his or her role. For example,
someone with the gift of discerning spirits could represent a liver in the body
of Christ. If that person is prohibited from using her gift to minister to the
body, the body will suffer, just as someone would suffer physically from liver
failure. This helps us see why the enemy tries to stop the ministry of the
gifts of the Spirit. A weakened body of Christ will be less able to fight the
devil's forces in spiritual warfare. It also will not be able to effectively establish
and expand God's kingdom on earth.
The Bible gives us clear guidance on how to approach
spiritual gifts. Specifically, we are to:
• Learn about our gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1)
• Use our gifts (Romans 12:6-8)
• Not lack in any gift (1 Corinthians 1:5-7)
• Pursue love and "eagerly" desire spiritual
gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1)
• Avoid thinking our gifts make us better than other
Christians (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Romans 12:3-5)
What are the gifts? The most common list of the
spiritual gifts is found in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11. I've included a short
descriptions borrowed from Harold Horton's valuable book, The Gifts of the
Spirit.
1. Word of wisdom: "Supernatural knowledge
supernaturally and divinely applied"* (1 Corinthians 2:10). Word of wisdom
addresses things that will happen in the future.
2. Word of knowledge: "Supernatural revelation by
the Holy Spirit of certain facts in the mind of God"* (knowledge that only
God could know) Word of knowledge addresses information about the past and
present.
3. Discerning spirits: "Supernatural insight into
the secret realm of spirits...It supernaturally conveys information that could
not be had apart from this gift. By its operation we may know the true source
and nature of any supernatural manifestation, whether divine or satanic"
4. Gifts of healings: "Supernatural healing of
diseases and infirmities without natural means of any sort"
5. The working of miracles: "Operates by the energy
or dynamic force of the Spirit in reversals or suspensions of natural laws. A
miracle is a sovereign act of the Spirit of God irrespective of laws or
systems" and "a miracle is a supernatural intervention in the
ordinary course of nature."
6. Faith : "A gift of the Spirit to the saint that
he might work miracles, or rather receive them...Those who possess Faith the
Gift of the Spirit believe God is such a way that God honors their word as His
own and miraculously brings it to pass...Faith's operation is more passive than
active. Miracles' power does things by the Spirit: Faith's power receives or
enjoys things by the Spirit."
7. Different kinds of tongues: "Supernatural
utterance by the Holy Spirit in languages never learned by the speaker - not
understood by the mind of the speaker - nearly always not understood by the
hearer"
8. Interpretation of tongues: "Supernatural showing
forth by the Spirit of the meaning of an utterance in other tongues. This
interpretation is not an operation of the mind of the interpreter but the mind
of the Spirit of God."
9. Prophecy: "Divinely inspired and anointed
utterance. It is entirely supernatural...a supernatural utterance in a known
tongue" * It often operates in conjunction with words of wisdom and/or
knowledge.
Additional spiritual gifts are:
1. Ministry (Romans 12:6-8)
2. Teaching (Romans 12:6-8)
3. Exhortation (Romans 12:6-8)
4. Leadership (Romans 12:6-8)
5. Mercy (Romans 12:6-8)
6. Helps (1 Corinthians 12:28)
7. Administrations (1 Corinthians 12:28)
Discussion of each gift could warrant a book in itself.
Unfortunately, there are only a handful of good books written with balanced and
accurate teaching about the gifts of the Spirit and you can check them out on
our Christian Books page.
Discover your gifts: The Bible encourages us to learn
about our gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1). As you step out to discover your gifts,
remember that God wants to reveal them to you and that your particular gifts
will be tailored to God's purpose for your life. This time of discovery should
be a wonderful and exciting blessing for you.
1. Seek God for guidance and teaching concerning the
gifts he has given you. The word says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let
him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be
given to him" (James 1:5 NKJV). A simple daily prayer for this could be:
God will respond through the Holy Spirit by teaching you
about your gifts (1 John 2:27). The Spirit teaches us in different ways.
Generally he teaches through scripture, circumstances, dreams, visions,
impressions and people. Guidance from these different avenues should always be
checked with scripture. God will never lead you to do something that
contradicts the Bible's instructions.
2. Keep yourself tapped into God through a daily quiet
time (prayer, praise, worship, Bible study). This is vital to maintaining
forward momentum in your relationship with God and protecting yourself from
backsliding. It will also be helpful to review the Bible's instruction
concerning the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14 periodically as you learn about
your gifts.
3. Obey the Spirit's instructions regarding your gifts.
For example, when my wife was discovering her gift of knowledge, God brought
her into several situations where she was to share his word with complete
strangers. She obeyed in all but one situation. When she obeyed, she was filled
with joy and faith, and she was used by God in awesome ways to minister to the
people. When she resisted the Spirit, she felt terrible that she had let God
down and missed the opportunity to touch that person's life.
A friend of mine had a similar prompting from the Lord
to stand up on a bus during his morning commute and share about Jesus. He did
not and missed an incredible opportunity. What he didn't know until later was
that there was a front page article in the morning newspaper about Jesus
Christ, and that most people on the bus had been reading the paper. My friend
grieved the lost opportunity. There was no way to go back in time to recover
that particular moment.
Thankfully, God does not give up on us when we don't
follow through on his instructions. Our disobedience will cause lost
opportunities, but it will not cause him to abandon us. He will work with us
patiently. Even so, it behooves us to obey his instructions the first time, as
we don't want miss the opportunities to bear fruit for his kingdom. If we
disobey him habitually, we risk quenching the "fire" of the Spirit,
thus bringing us into a time of spiritual dryness.
Use Your Gifts! If we stick with the Bible's instruction
concerning the gifts, we'll best avoid falling into error. Knowing the
guidelines will help us recognize God-ordained opportunities to use them and
avoid the devil's deception. Specifically, we should use our gifts:
1. In love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3,13): Love is the
essential ingredient to the pure operation of the gifts. When we are not
grounded in love, Satan can use us to bring division, doubt and destruction
into the body of Christ. Consider what Paul wrote about love and the gifts:
"1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but
have not love, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the
poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me
nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NKJV
When love is absent, pride, selfish ambition and
religious control can corrupt our motives. Keeping our motives pure when
ministering through the gifts is a continual challenge. We live in a world that
is tuned for lust...sex, materialism, gluttony and power are some of the big
attractions. These influences can easily rub off on us if we're not staying
daily connected with God and keeping vigilant watch over our hearts. Since lust
is the opposite of love, giving in to its influences will subvert our love, and
scuttle the effectiveness of our gifts.
2. To edify the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:12):
The primary purpose of the gifts is to edify the body of Christ, although they
may also be used to share God's love with non-Christians. This underscores the
need for us to be plugged into a good church or at least a small group where we
are able to mutually minister to one another through our respective gifts. If
we are not involved in such a group, it will be difficult to learn and grow in
the operation of our gifts.
The gifts have different but valuable roles and all
should work together for the good of the body as a whole (1 Corinthians
12:14-27). When any one gift is separated and exalted above the other gifts, it
can be an easy target for abuse. For example, in the scriptures the gift of miracles
is always combined with the preaching of the word. This combination provides a
powerful inspiration for people to place faith in God. When the gift of
miracles is exalted by itself without the preaching of the word, it can easily
become something akin to a magic show for entertainment. Another example is the
use of tongues in the group ministry gathering. Paul prescribed that when
tongues are spoken, they should be balanced with the gift of interpretation of
tongues so that all present can be edified (1 Corinthians 14).
3. In the fear and character of God: Everything should
be done in a fitting and orderly way. Paul wrote, "For God is not a God of
disorder but of peace....But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly
way" (1 Corinthians 14:33,40). For example, lots of noise and hype in a
church service can generate distractions that can get people's focus off God
and onto whatever is going on. This too can cause the operation of the gifts to
become more like a show than a time of ministry. I'm not saying that we can't
be joyful or exuberant in the Lord's presence, but it needs to be done in a
worshipful way. Finding the delicate line between worshipful exuberance and
confusion is something that ministry leaders have the privilege and responsibility
of determining.
If these guidelines are ignored, it a virtual guarantee
that the enemy will try to use the abuse of the gift to divide and destroy the
body of Christ.
What if I don't want the gifts? God will not force the
gifts on you if you don't want to use them. God is gentle, kind and patient
(James 3:17; Psalm 145:8-9). He will simply leave them for you like unopened
presents under a Christmas tree. Even so, if you don't open your gifts you
could be missing out on some wonderful opportunities to be used by God to
minister to people.
Consider also that your fellow believers in your church
or small group would never experience the edification that your gifts could
have brought them. A final thing to consider is that you will have to give an
account to the Lord ultimately for how you employed the gifts (or talents) that
he gave you (2 Corinthians 5:10, Matthew 25:14-30).
Can I lose my gifts? Some people worry that they may
have lost their gifts because they failed to seek and employ them earlier in
their lives. The Bible says that God gives spiritual gifts irrevocably (Romans
11:29). That means he will not take a gift away from you, even if you are a)
not using your gift or b) not using it properly.
THE GREAT COMMISSION AND THE ROLE OF THE GIFTS OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT
It is vitally important that we Christians of the 21st
century understand that Jesus intended the Great Commission to be pursued
throughout the Church Age as He originally established it — that is, WITH
accompanying supernatural signs. Sadly, for too much of history, the Church has
been content to try to reach the world with the preached word only, thereby
violating the Apostle Paul’s great declaration: “Our gospel came to you not
simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep
conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).
1 Corinthians 1:7-8 Therefore you do not lack any
spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
[8] He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day
of our Lord Jesus Christ. (underlining mine)
Recall our opening list of spiritual gifts given by the
Holy Spirit, taken from chapter 12 of this epistle to the Corinthians. Here the
apostle Paul is opening this same epistle by assuring them that they will lack
no spiritual gifts all the way “to the end”! Contrary to teaching in some
modern circles, the early Church was promised that all the way to the end of
the Church Age, up to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, they would “not lack
any spiritual gift.” Millions of Christians around the world today continue to
believe straightforward Bible promises from God like this one, and they are
personally receiving gifts of the Spirit and seeing them regularly manifested
by God in their midst — exactly as promised!
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 My message and my preaching were not
with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
[5] so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Today as then, it is vitally important that our
preaching of the Gospel be accompanied with a “demonstration of the Spirit’s
power.” Such demonstrations in Paul’s ministry included healings and miracles,
along with other gifts of the Holy Spirit. This principle still applies today.
That is, the faith of those we lead to Jesus Christ must not rest on the skill
and wisdom of our words, but on the Word of God confirmed with genuine
manifestations “of the Spirit’s power.” In other words, the supernatural gifts
of the Spirit provide Christians in every century with powerful testimony to
the reality of the Gospel we preach.
John 14:11-12 ...at least believe on the evidence of the
miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do
what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am
going to the Father.
Jesus promised that believers (not just apostles) may do
the works that He did, and even greater, because He has returned to the Father
and given us His Spirit. Ministering your spiritual gifts is very much a part
of "full gospel" ministry. Christ’s disciples in the early Church did
indeed do the works that He had done. They healed the sick, raised the dead,
cleansed the lepers, cast out devils, and more. But note that Jesus’ promise
was not just to the disciples of that first generation, but to “ANYONE who has
FAITH IN ME.” If you have faith in Jesus, then in His Name YOU can heal the
sick, cast out demons, etc.
Romans 11:29 God’s gifts and his call are IRREVOCABLE.
God’s charisma are irrevocable. The Amplified Bible
says: “For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable -- He never withdraws them
when once they are given.”
The Greek word here for “gifts” is charisma, from which
we derive our English word “charismatic.” The Bible is assuring us that the
charismatic gifts, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, are never revoked or withdrawn
when once they have been given. In fact, the bible encourages you to increase
in your spiritual gifts.
Hebrews 2:4 God also testified to [our great salvation]
by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit
distributed according to his will.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who DOES NOT CHANGE like
shifting shadows.
God the Father does not change, including in His giving
of spiritual gifts. He confirmed the preached Gospel in the first century with
“signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit.” And He who
“does not change” confirms the same Gospel in the 21st century with the same
supernatural manifestations.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday and
TODAY and forever.
Jesus ministered in power, signs, wonders, and miracles
in the first century. And the Bible clearly records Him empowering the early Church
to minister with supernatural manifestations and spiritual gifts. Well, Jesus
is the “same...today.” Jesus has not changed. As in the early Church, so today
He empowers His followers to minister in the power and the gifts of the Holy
Spirit.
Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with
the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by
the flesh?
Jesus began His Church in the power of the Holy Spirit.
He will bring His Church to maturity and completion in the same power of the
Holy Spirit, not by “the flesh.”
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“MOVING IN THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ACCOMPLISH
THE GREAT COMMISSION UNTIL THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH”- Part 2 of 3 : (1Corinthians
12:7-11)
THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SUPERNATURAL GIFTS WITH SIGN,
WONDERS AND WORKING OF MIRACLES
The early Church was born of the Spirit and baptized in
the Spirit. They ministered in the power of the Holy Ghost and manifested the
supernatural gifts of the Spirit. But as Paul notes above, even in the first
century there began a drift away from living and ministering in the Spirit to
living and ministering in “the flesh,” that is, by man’s human abilities.
Some segments of Christianity in our day have made this
same error — that is, believing that “human effort” can successfully accomplish
Christ’s Great Commission. To correct this error, Paul called them back to
remembrance of their beginnings “by the Spirit”. That is my desire to call the
Church back to its beginnings, when the Word of God was preached and confirmed
in the power of the Holy Spirit with signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the
Spirit.
1 Corinthians 13:8-12 Love never fails. But where there
are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is KNOWLEDGE, it will PASS AWAY. [9] For we know in part and we
prophesy in part, [10] but when PERFECTION COMES, the imperfect disappears.
[11] When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I
reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. [12]
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see FACE TO
FACE. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
This portion of Scripture has been used by some
allegedly to prove that the gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased at some arbitrary
time long ago. In fact, these verses prove exactly the opposite! They are among
the New Testament’s strongest references to the continuing validity of the
spiritual gifts.
Will prophecies, tongues and knowledge “cease ... be
stilled ... [and] pass away”? Certainly. These verses clearly declare that. But
the relevant question is WHEN and in what sense? The answers are clear from the
very text itself — that is, in the perfected state that occurs upon the Second
Coming of Jesus, not before.
Vs. 10 says “...when perfection comes...” As of today,
some twenty centuries later, this has not yet occurred. Jesus is the Perfect One.
“Perfection ... comes” to us at His Second Coming, when we see Him “FACE TO
FACE”! (vs. 12) Then, when we see the Perfect One “face to face,” tongues will
be stilled, prophecies will cease, and knowledge will pass away.
But in what sense will they “cease ... be stilled ...
[and] pass away”? This is a crucially important question. The answer is given
in verse 12, using the specific illustration of “knowledge ...[which vs. 8 says
is to] pass away.” Verse 12 shows us that knowledge as we know it now “passes
away” NOT in the sense of going from some to none, but in the sense of going
from “know[ing] IN PART” (vs. 9) to “know[ing] FULLY” (vs. 12).
This well-known portion of Scripture says nothing about
the gifts of the Spirit ceasing in the sense of disappearing. The flow of
thought, as clearly illustrated in verse 12, is that spiritual gifts that are
partial now (tongues, prophecy, knowledge...) will go not from partiality to
zero, but from partiality to FULLNESS. For the entire Church Age we can expect to
“know in part and [to] prophesy in part” (9). Then, at Jesus’ Second Coming,
“when PERFECTION COMES, the imperfect disappears” and that which has been “in
part” will (verse 12) be brought to fullness!
1 Corinthians 1:7-8 Therefore you do NOT LACK any SPIRITUAL
GIFT as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep
you strong to the END, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote to this Corinthian church about the gifts of
the Holy Spirit (chapter 12). He showed (chapter 13) how those spiritual gifts
would continue during the Church Age in their partial, incomplete state and
then would be brought to fullness at the Second Coming of Christ.
And Paul (ch. 1:7-8 above) clearly encouraged his hearers
to expect to “not lack any spiritual gift ... to the end,” right up to the “day
of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
And that is my encouragement to the Lord’s Church today.
Preach the Word of God. Teach the Word of God. Share the Word of God in your
personal testimony and witnessing. And expect God to confirm His word with
“signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit” (Hebrews
2:4).
WHAT IS THE NINE SPIRITUAL GIFTS
The gifts are imparted at the time of need for ministry
purposes, not for personal use. The specific gift is given for the type of
ministry needed at the time. For example, the gift of healing would not be
needed when one is prophesying.
Ask the Holy Spirit BEFORE you begin to minister, as He
will give several for the work to be completed. For example, physical healing
could involve discerning of spirits, word of knowledge, healing and word of
wisdom.
Remember, gifts are the power of the Spirit of God
working through you. God, and only God, should receive the glory!
Note that Jesus operated in all gifts at all times, as
He had the fullness of the Spirit.
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
THERE ARE NINE SPIRITUAL GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH
MORE DETAILED IN EXPLANATION ( I Corinthians 12:8-10)
"for to one is given the word of wisdom through the
Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another
faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to
another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of
spirits, to another different kind of tongues, to another the interpretation of
tongues”.
1.GIFT OF PROPHECY
The gift of prophecy is intended as a sign to the
believers. It is received by thought, impression, vision or the audible voice
of God.
(1) A believer is able to bring a word from God to the
church, for yourself, or for the person being counseled. The message should
build up and encourage.
(2) The words are for edification (building up),
exhortation (encouragement) and comfort.
(3) In 1 Corinthians 14:31 we are told that all should
prophesy:
"For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may
learn and all may be encouraged”.
(4) It is important to make a start, speaking out a few
words from your mind or Scripture-the natural first, then the spiritual.
(5) As we act in faith God will bring words to our mind.
(6) It is important to that as many as possible receive
this gift as it encourages them tremendously in their personal faith.
2. GIFT OF A PUBLIC TONGUE
(1) We should wait for the anointing or presence of God.
(2) Boldly speak out in our tongue and believe God will
bless it.
(3) As we make a start, believing that the Holy Spirit
is directing us, we will know the confirmation that God is speaking through us.
(4) The Scriptural basis is explained in: 1 Corinthians
14:5,27,28,29 and 39.
(5) Be aware that the Lord may anoint for a song in the
Spirit. This is a very beautiful gift.
(6) A message in a public tongue and interpretation is
for the unbelievers.
3. INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
The gift of interpretation of tongues is received by a
thought, impression, vision or audible voice of God.
(1) An interpretation is NOT a translation of a tongues
message – it is similar to prophecy.
(2) There should be a maximum of three tongues messages
in a meeting, with the interpretation.
(3) Sense the anointing and then make a start in faith
and God will give us the ability to interpret.
(4) A message brought in song may be interpreted by the
same person, sung in English.
(5) Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:5, 27 & 28.
4. WORD OF KNOWLEDGE
The word of knowledge is received as an impression, a
thought, or the audible voice of the Holy Spirit.
(1) The word is ABOUT a situation. Example: health,
relationships, finances, emotions, etc.
(2) The woman at the well John 4:16-17: "Jesus said
to her, "Go, call your husband and come here”.
The woman answered and said, "I have no
husband.”Jesus said to her,” You have well said,’I have no husband’, for you
have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband, in
that you spoke truly”.
5. WORDS OF WISDOM
The word of wisdom is received as an impression, a
thought, or the audible voice of the Holy Spirit.
(1) The gift of the word of wisdom is HOW to deal with a
situation.
(2) King Solomon - 1 Kings 3:16-28.
Two women had babies at the same time. One woman lay on
her baby. It died. She changed babies with the first woman. They spoke to King
Solomon. He said,” Bring me a sword, you can have half each”. The real mother
said,” No, give him to the other woman, by no means kill him,” The other woman
wanted him divided. The King knew the real mother and gave the baby to her and
gave the baby to her.
John 8:3-7 The woman caught in adultery.
Jesus said, verse 7 "He who is without sin among
you , let him throw a stone at her first,” The accusers left. Jesus said to
her,” Go and sin no more”.
6. DISCERNING OF SPIRITS
The gift of discerning of spirits is received by a
thought, impression, vision, or audible voice of God.
(1) It reveals the spiritual forces affecting a person
or even ourselves.
(2) These forces are revealed in order that they can be
dealt with , through prayer.
(3) Important when praying for the sick.
Acts 16:16-18:
Slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination –
fortune teller.
Verse 18 "Paul, greatly annoyed by her, 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”.
7. GIFT OF FAITH
The gift of faith is described in:
(1) Romans 10:17:
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God”.
(2) As we believe the Word of God absolutely, read it
and trust it entirely, God is able to implant the gift in our hearts.
.(3) Matthew 17:20:
"Jesus said to them, "Because of your
unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as mustard seed, you
will say to this mountain ,’Move from here to there, and it will move; and
nothing will be impossible for you”.
Mark 11:22-24:
Verse 22:
So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in
God”.
Verse 23:
"For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this
mountain,’ Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his
heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have
whatever he says”.
As we believe God in small things, He can then extend
our faith for larger things.
8.GIFTS OF HEALINGS
Mark 16:18:
"..... they will lay hands on the sick, and they
will recover”.
Healing may be gradual.
(1) We must act in love when we pray for healing.
(2) We must centre our thoughts totally on Jesus Christ
at the right hand of God.
(3) There should be no unbelief.
(4) A person must be counseled in the area of repentance
from sin, unforgiveness, occult involvement, wrong relationships.
.(5) Without repentance the Holy Spirit is quenched and
healing will be blocked.
(6) Self acceptance. If God has accepted us we should
accept ourselves.
Ephesians 1:6:” by which He has made us accepted in the
Beloved”.
Other Scriptures
1 Peter 2:24:”….by whose stripes you were healed”.
Isaiah 53:5:”…..And By His stripes we are healed”.
James 5:14-16:
"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the
elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord.
And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord
will raise him up. And if he committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one
another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous
man avails much”.
9. MIRACLES
Miracles are 'instantaneous' healings.
John 4:46-54
Healing of the nobleman's son.
Verse 50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way: your son
lives".
He was healed that same hour.
When we know the anointing of the Holy Spirit and sense
the power of God flowing through a person, we believe that an instantaneous
healing is taking place.
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“MOVING IN THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ACCOMPLISH
THE GREAT COMMISSION UNTIL THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH”- Part 3 of 3 :
(1Corinthians 12:7-11)
MORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING IN MOVING IN THE
SPIRITUAL GIFTS FOR THE GOAL OF THE MINISTRY
We need to move quickly to know the Knowing Gifts. First
on the list is Prophecy [propheteia Romans 12:6, I Corinthians 12:10, I Corinthians
12:28]. Often we think of a prophet as one who tells the future, and this can
be the case, but in a broader sense, the prophet is one who makes known the
word of God, whether that word interprets past or present events or describes a
future toward which we are headed. A brief glance through the prophets in the
Hebrew Scriptures will show that a prophet is not always appreciated. Unlike
the evangelist who is always bringing good news, the prophet brings all the
news from God...God's pleasure and displeasure with what we are doing.
Prophecy can take different forms. There are those who
are primarily verbal. They sense God' s message and either speak or write it.
Jeremiah is a verbal prophet. Others are non-verbal, like the prophet Ezekiel.
Ezekiel sees visions and has out of body experiences where God shows him things
and interprets them.
Ezekiel does report some of this in words, but he also
shows a lot of it in symbolic action. Today we would give Ezekiel a nice padded
cell somewhere. We have forgotten that God gives gifts that speak to us through
non-rational as well as rational means.
Prophecy is similar to the gift of Knowledge [gnosis I
Corinthians 12:8], but they are distinct. The prophet tends to present God's
opinion and thought and interpretation. The one with the gift of knowledge is a
channel for God's information. The woman who had a vision of where the diamond
was, had the gift of knowledge. It wasn't symbolic of a larger truth, it was
needed information to solve someone's distress. When police call on a psychic
to help with a case, they are looking for someone with the gift of knowledge.
Where is the body? Who made the call?
Related to that gift is Discernment [diakrisis I
Corinthians 12:10]. Discernment is a kind of knowledge, but rather than
straight fact or instruction it represents the ability to discern between good
and evil, right and wrong, health and illness. Often you will hear it described
as the discernment of spirits. If you find that sometimes when you meet someone
you have either very good or very bad feelings about them...even though you
don't know anything about them, that is an indication that you might have the
gift of discernment. It operates with people, with places, and also with
things. This can be the troubleshooter...the technician who knows exactly where
the problem is...with your phone line, with your relationship, or with your
digestive system.
That is not to say that everyone engaged in those
activities is doing God's work. But it is to say that there is some Biblical
support for gifts from God operating in that ways and in other ways that we
tend to simply label "occult" or "new age." It might mean
that the psychic down the street needs not our condemnation, but our
encouragement to see a higher source and greater power for those same gifts.
Maybe they don't need to quit what they're doing. Maybe they just need to
ground what they are doing in the God of Jesus Christ.
Wisdom [sophia I Corinthians 12:8] is the ability to
unite the practical and theoretical to see the whole picture of the forest and
the trees both. If you can not only envision a program but can also know what
details need to be taken care of to make the thing happen, that is wisdom.
Therapists of various sorts often have the gift of wisdom. They can identify
the general problem of whatever type of mental, spiritual, or physical and can
also come up with concrete things to do to help. Judges can be wise when they
can see the big picture they are dealing with and then figure out the detailed
legal steps that will result in justice. To simply figure out what is going on
is discernment. To also know what to do about it is wisdom.
There could be a whole sermon on Healing [iamata I
Corinthians 12:9, I Corinthians 12:28]. In its natural form, healing is the ability
to help someone through a process...emotional healing through months or years
of therapy, physical healing through medical treatment. Those natural processes
are forms of the gift of healing. It also takes supernatural forms of instant
healing...again in physical, emotional or spiritual ways. If you have ever
prayed for someone and right then and there the problem is gone, that is the
supernatural form.
Yes, there are shams and scams. But just because some
doctors are quacks does not mean there is no truth in medicine or no doctors
worth their fees. It's the same way with all of these supernatural gifts.
Because some healers are in it for the money and the glory and everything is
staged does not mean that all of them are or that God never heals that way.
It's the same with the other gifts. Some are crocks or crooks. Some are
committed to powers other than God. But there are some Tarot card readers that
pray before readings and others who feel exiled from a faith they would like to
explore because their particular gifts are seen as evil, even though the Bible
seems to be full of their use.
To be complete, to be whole as the people of God, we
need all the gifts among us. All of them need to be well grounded in the God of
the Bible. But let's be sure that everyone gets that opportunity. Let's be sure
that we don't label the work of God as the work of evil or as nonsense by
mistake. Dare we be open to all of the gifts of the Spirit?
HOW TO RECEIVE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRITS
1. The first requirement is that the person must be born
again, filled with the Holy Spirit , and speak in tongues.
2. Gifts of the Holy Spirit are given by God for the
purpose of ministry. The fruit of the Spirit is the outworking of evidence of
the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, for example in Galatians 5: 22-23: “ The
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”.
3. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the building up
of the Body of Christ.
4. They are to be exercised in love. (1 Corinthians
13:1-13)
5. There should be no involvement in the occult now. Any
past involvement should be repented of and sinners’ prayer prayed.
6. Test any leadings with the Bible and the Body of
Christ.
We must always seek the anointing or presence of God
when
ministering in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The conclusion of this sermon today is to know how to
move with the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the ministry is so important in these
Last Days. However, we have seen so many people around the world have not been
participated in the moving in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts can
be best described as gifts given of God and given to us by Him and delivered by
the Holy Spirit to achieve God’s supernatural goals .These spiritual gifts are
the working tools of ministry and they are the success formula for victory over
the world and the forces of all evil. Just as we have five physical senses that
allow us to function in the natural realm of the sin failed world that we as
the Children must walk through on or journey to the promise land as who are
truly His.
Performing work that God has called all of us to do as
Christians and true men and women of God and if we are truly His Children
living our lives for His glory and living on Him and His causes and not ours,
then God will fill us with the nine spiritual gifts by His mighty working power
from the Holy Spirit to fulfill our calling to do the Great Commandment and the
Great Commission instructed by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39 and Matthew
28:19-20.
Consequently, God will bless us, prosper us and help us
to complete our ministrial works in Christ and will enable us to function
properly in the spiritual realm and receive from God all of His promises and
the world will see the spiritual light shines forth from any Christian believer
who brings the gospel to every mankind on this earth with God’s power and
miracles through the moving of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
As the end conclusion of this sermon, let me ask all of
you to pray to God to receive the kinds of the spiritual gifts from the Holy
Spirit for the unity of the Body of Christ:
"Lord Jesus, I ask for your forgiveness from my
sin. I turn from my sin now and thank you for the forgiveness I have through
your shed blood on the cross. I thank you that you have sent your Holy Spirit
to live in me, to empower me to live a life pleasing to you. Lord, I pray that
you will baptize me afresh with your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, I welcome you
now into my life and invite your fullness to fall on me. Please sharpen my ears
to your voice and train my eyes and heart to the truth in the scriptures. Guide
me in all my ways and convict me of the sin in my life.
Please equip and prepare me to carry out God's work
through my life. Please fill me with God's love for people and reclaim all
areas of my life for Jesus Christ. I give you praise, now and forever, hallowed
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Father in heaven, thank you for creating me with special
gifts to minister to your people these Last Days until the Rapture will take
place at your appointed time. I ask for wisdom concerning my spiritual gifts.
Please guide me and instruct me today concerning the spiritual gifts I have.
Please help me to be sensitive to the situations I'm in throughout the day and
help me sense where your hand is working around me. Please protect me from the
deception and temptation of the enemy. Father, I praise you and thank you for
including me in your wonderful work on earth! In Jesus' name, Amen."
To God Be All The Glory And Honor Forever And Ever, A m
e n .
Daniel Pasaribu
End of Sermon
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