The Holy Spirit - Part 8
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or to be used for a sermon group discussion. CLICK HERE to find a discussion group. Enjoy!
THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT, PART 2
1 Corinthians 12: 1-11
RECAP
God always has and always will desire to be with His people through the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual gifts are God’s grace and favor in order to edify the church.
Fruit of the Spirit builds up the believer; Gifts builds up the church.
Gifts should not be confused with spirituality. Spiritual gifts are not given so we can be superstars.
Gifts are not MY gifts to use when I want to – they are God’s.
Gifts work anywhere at any time.
Wisdom – a greater revelation about God and His Word; different from wisdom gained daily.
Knowledge – a greater knowledge about people, circumstances, or Biblical truth; not book learning.
Faith – a supernatural faith for the extraordinary and miraculous; especially in trial or impossible situations.
GIFT OF HEALING
Given to the church to restore physical health by supernatural means.
Plural indicates healing of various illnesses and suggests that every act of healing is a special gift of God.
Although gifts of healing are not given to every member of the body in a special way, all may pray for the sick.
James 5: 14-16
“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
George Wood, Former General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God describes the Gift of Healing,
“Different ways healing is administered – through the laying on of hands, through speaking an authoritative word, or through anointing with oil. There are a variety of gifts and varieties of healings – physical, emotional, spiritual, gradual healings, and instant healings. There are needs for healing and varying gifts of healing to be administered.”
Jesus’ Healing
He touched the man with leprosy, Matthew 8
Healed the centurion’s servant of palsy by speaking only, Matthew 8
Healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever by touching her hand, Matthew 8
Drove out demons from two men into a herd of swine, Matthew 8
Healed a woman with an issue of blood by her touching the hem of His garment, Matthew 9
Healed two blind men by touching their eyes, Matthew 9
Matthew 15:30-31
“Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.”
Healed a blind man in Bethsaida by spitting on his eyes, Mark 8
Healed an invalid of 38 years at the pool of Bethesda, John 5
“Do you want to get well?”
Healed a man’s blindness by spitting on the ground, putting mud on his eyes, and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, John 9
MIRACULOUS POWERS
Deeds of supernatural power that alter the normal course of nature. They include divine acts in which God’s kingdom is manifested against Satan and evil spirits.
Miracles are distinguished from healings in that miracles include a demonstration of God’s power in an unusual measure.
They especially relate to miracles in the realm of nature, such as Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 or His miracles that involved the resurrection of the dead.
The gift of miracles may deliver God’s people from the hands of the enemy, as with Moses and the Israelites.
A miracle may provide for someone in need, as with Elijah and the widow at Zarephath.
Example – Elijah facing the prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 18
PROPHECY
A special gift that enables a believer to bring a word or revelation directly from God under the impulse of the Holy Spirit.
Proclaiming God’s will and exhorting and encouraging God’s people to righteousness, faithfulness, and endurance.
The message may expose the condition of a person’s heart, or offer strengthening, encouragement, comfort, warning, and judgment.
George Wood,
Prophecy involves both forth-telling – declaring the word of God now to our hearts; and foretelling – telling of the future, someone literally speaks for God
Someone has called the gift of prophecy when functioning in a church setting as the gift of inspired utterance
Believer – 1 Corinthians 14:3 – prophecy speaks to the individual to strengthen, encourage, and comfort.
To Unbeliever – 1 Corinthians 14: 24-25 – “But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while there is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you.’”
DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN SPIRITS
A special Spirit-given ability to properly discern and judge prophecies and to distinguish whether or not an utterance is from the Holy Spirit.
Combats false teachers and distortions of Biblical Christianity.
Allows someone to determine whether or not a person brings a spiritual message from God. Whether or not a person or message is sent by God.
Paul warned the pastors in Ephesus to distinguish between those who come as wolves in sheep’s clothing and those who bear a true message from God.
It is needed to distinguish the Spirit of God from the Spirit of man or an evil spirit.
Acts 8:9-23
Simon outwardly appeared to be an earnest seeker but Peter saw him as a fraud who wanted the gift of the Spirit for his own advancement.
TONGUES
It may be an existing spoken language or a language unknown on earth.
Not learned and often unintelligible both to the speaker and to the hearers.
Involves the human spirit and the Spirit of God intermingling so that God gives expression or utterance at the level of one’s spirit rather than the mind.
In congregations, must be accompanied by a Spirit-given interpretation that communicates the content and meaning of the utterance to the community of believers.
It may contain revelation, knowledge, prophecy, or teaching for the assembly.
Public setting as opposed to personal prayer.
Romans 8: 26-27
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
NOTE: Done in control, with prayer for interpretation, no more than two or three in a service, and appropriate time and in an appropriate way.
1 Corinthians 14: 2
“For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 14: 13-15
“For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.”
1 Corinthians 14: 27-28
“If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.”
1 Corinthians 14: 39-40
“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”
INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
Spirit-given ability to understand and communicate the meaning of an utterance spoken in tongues.
Functions as a directive to worship and prayer or as prophecy.
A means of edification as the whole congregation responds to the utterance
May be given to the one who speaks in tongues or to someone else.
Tongues spoken in a public church service requires an interpretation.
THROUGH THE GIFTS
God wants us to be –
Wise with His wisdom
Help others with His knowledge
Increased in our faith for the impossible
Healed and whole
Miraculously strong against evil to do the impossible
Able to hear from him about our future or to strengthen us
Able to distinguish between Him and a counterfeit
Hear directly from him verbally in the church
The most important decision you will ever make!
Are you ready to experience salvation and be transformed we encourage you to say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I see my sin and how wrong it is. I see how without Jesus I’m lost. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me from my sin, my past, this world, and your judgment. I repent, I turn away from that life and I put my faith and life in Jesus! Amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!