#8 GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Led by: Pastor Josh Franklin, Antioch Baptist Church The Pledge to the Bible This is my Bible. It is God s inerrant word. It is my most valuable earthly possession. I will, therefore, make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and I will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God. The Bible is God talking to me personally. I will, therefore, listen to it carefully and obey it fully. And I will endeavor to internalize it in my life by doing four things: I will know it in my head by diligent study, I will stow it in my heart by memorization and meditation, I will show it in my life by obeying its teachings, and I will sow it in my world by my witness. Hereafter, I will never be the same. Never, never, never! In the name of Jesus, for His honor and glory, both now and forever more, Amen. The Victory Pledge "I m too anointed to be disappointed, too blessed to be depressed, too chosen to be frozen, too elected to be rejected, too inspired to be tired, I have more to shout about than to pout about and more to sing about than complain about." 10 Imperatives for Continued Spiritual Growth: 1. Internalizing the Word Joshua 1:8; James 1:18-25 2. Infilling of the Holy Spirit Ephesians 5:18 3. Intimacy with the Father Psalm 27:4 4. Intentional Involvement in the World Mission of Christ Matt. 28:18-20 5. Interrelating with others to share one s life (Mentoring) - 1 Thess. 2:8 6. Investing your money redemptively with the Lord beginning with the tithe to your church Matt 6:19-20 7. Identification with, support of, and service in a local church Heb. 10:25 8. Intense devotion to one s family, especially his wife - Eph. 5:5 9. Intentional discipline of the physical body 1 Cor. 9:27 10. Instant repentance and cleansing from all sin Matthew 5:4 What is a Spiritual Gift? Special abilities, Spirit given, to every Christian, enabling the individual to perform a special service in the body of Christ. 1. Who is the Giver of spiritual gifts? There are different kinds of abilities or gifts that come from the same Spirit. These gifts serve in different ways, but come from the same Lord. These gifts produce different results, but the same God does the work in everyone (1 Cor. 12:4 6, author s paraphrase). 2. What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God s grace (1 Peter 4:10 NIV). 3. Who has spiritual gifts? As everyone has received a gift, even so let them minister to one another (1 Peter 4:10, author s paraphrase). 1
4. What can I do to increase my ability to minister (gifts)? Eagerly desire the greater gifts (1 Cor. 12:31 NIV). For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you (2 Tim. 1:6 NIV). 5. Can I have a dominant gift? Each one has his proper [unique] gift (1 Cor. 7:7, author s paraphrase). Where are they found in the Bible? 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 - 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. Romans 12:6-8 - 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Ephesians 4:11 -He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 1 Corinthians 12:28 -And 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. 1 Peter 4:9-10 -Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Corinthians 7:7 - For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. I. SPEAKING Gifts 1) Apostle 2) Prophet 3) Evangelism 4) Pastor 5) Teacher 6) Exhortation 7) The Word of Wisdom 8) The Word of Knowledge 22 Gifts in the Bible II. SERVING Gifts 1) Faith 2) Helps 3) Mercy 4) Hospitality 5) Giving 6) Discernment 7) Administration 8) Leadership 9) Chastity 10) Serving or Ministry III. SIGNIFYING Gifts 1) Gifts of Healings 2) Miracles 3) Gift of Tongues 4) Interpretation of Tongues DEFINITION OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [Dr. Bill Bennett] 1) Apostle - The unique gift bestowed upon the 12 men (called the Apostles or Sent Ones ) whereby they were empowered to establish the church and write down the revelation of God s truth in the Bible. 2) Prophet (or, prophecy) - the God-given ability to perceive God s truth and to announce it and apply that word of God to the Contemporary situation. Forth telling more than foretelling. 3) Evangelism - the God-given ability to share the good news of the gospel, one on one, that lost persons may repent, confess Christ publicly, be baptized, join the local church, and become an evangelist himself. 4) Pastor - the God-given ability to give one s life in feeding, shepherding, and protecting the flock of God. 5) Teacher - the God-given ability to present good Bible teaching in relevant ways, helping people gain a strong and mature spiritual education. 2
6) Exhortation (Encouragement) - the God-given ability to come alongside of someone with words of encouragement, comfort, consolation, and counsel to help them be all God wants them to be. 7) The Word of Wisdom The ability to apply scriptural knowledge to real-life situations in a way that transcends human insights. Regardless of education, this person is able to be a spiritual problemsolver. Their counsel consistently bears good fruit. 8) The Word of Knowledge - the God-given ability to discover, accumulate and clarify the vast teachings of God s Word on many subjects. 9) Faith - the God-given ability to see God (not circumstances) as all-powerful and able to accomplish anything within His will for His people and His church. 10) Helps - the God-given ability to assist others that they might accomplish their ministries, Examples: Nursery, bus ministry, tape, youth and music ministries, and maintenance of building. 11) Mercy - the God-given compassion to empathize with those in great need and to meet those needs as much as possible, the poor, ignorant, displaced, broken hearted, bereaved, ill, unloved. 12) Hospitality - the God-given ability to minister to people in your home. Hospitality puts people before things. It doesn t try to impress but to serve. 13) Giving - the God-given ability to give over and beyond the tithe, both cheerfully and gladly, that the extraordinary objects of the Kingdom may become a reality. 14) Discernment - the God-given ability to recognize truth or error within a person, message or event. 15) Administration - the God-given ability to organize people so they can accomplish the goals of the Kingdom effectively in relationships one to another. 16) Leadership - the God-given ability to stand at the front and inspire and motivate others to do a needed task in the Kingdom of God. 17) Chastity the God-given ability to deny ourselves the marriage relationship without regret and with the ability to maintain controlled sexual impulses so as to serve the Lord without distraction. 18) Serving or Ministry The God-given ability to serve in a supporting role, in any place needed, with great joy and gratitude. (This is the same Greek word for Deacon). 19) Gifts of Healings - the miraculous gift of being able to bestow physical, emotional, and spiritual healings upon individuals through the power of Christ. 20) Miracles - the miraculous gift of being an instrument through whom God performs miracles suspending natural law and the normal operation of things. 21) Gift of Tongues The special ability: a) to speak to God in a language they have never learned and/or b) to communicate God s message in a special language unknown to the speaker in order to make known the gospel. Even in apostolic times, this gift was exercised under very restricted conditions! (see 1 Cor. 14.) * Dr. Jerry Rankin, President of the International Mission Board, spoke in a language he had never studied. 22) Interpretation of Tongues The special ability to understand, at a specific time, God s message when spoken by another using a special language unknown to the others in attendance. FIVE POSITIONS ON THE MIRACULOUS GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [Dr. Bill Bennett] The evangelical world is divided into five camps regarding their views of the operation of miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit in the church today. Dr. Wayne Grudem, professor of theology at Trinity Evangelical Seminary, Deerfield, Illinois, summarizes the five views as follows, concluding with this statement, I THINK WHAT PEOPLE REALLY WANT IS TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. (Are Miraculous Gifts for Today, p. 347) 1) The CESSATIONIST Position: The cessationist position argues that there are no miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit today. Gifts such as prophecy, tongues, and healing were confined to the first century, and were used at the time the apostles were establishing the churches and the New Testament was not yet complete. This is a well-defined and often-defended position within 3
evangelical scholarship. There are cessationists within both the Reformed and the dispensational segments of evangelicalism. Reformed cessationism is represented by many of the faculty at Westminster Seminary, especially Richard Gaffin. Dispensational cessationists hold similar positions on this question but are in different institutions; they are represented by institutions such as Dallas Seminary and The Master s Seminary. Within the Lutheran tradition, conservative groups such as the Missouri Synod also hold mostly to a cessationist position. 2) The PENTECOSTAL Position: Pentecostal refers to any denomination or group that traces its historical origin back to the Pentecostal revival that began in the United States in 1901, and that holds the following doctrines: (1) All the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament are intended for today; (2) baptism in the Holy Spirit is an empowering experience subsequent to conversion and should be sought by Christians today; and (3) when baptism in the Holy Spirit occurs, people will speak in tongues as a sign that they have received this experience. Pentecostal groups usually have their own distinct denominational structures, among which are the Assemblies of God, the Church of God in Christ, and many others. 3) The CHARISMATIC Position: Charismatic, on the other hand, refers to any groups (or people) that trace their historical origin to the charismatic renewal movement of the 1960s and 1970s and that seek to practice all the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament (including prophecy, healing, miracles, tongues, interpretation, and distinguishing between spirits). Among charismatics there are differing viewpoints on whether baptism in the Holy Spirit is subsequent to conversion and whether speaking in tongues is a sign of baptism in the Spirit. Charismatics by and large have refrained from forming their own denominations, but view themselves as a force for renewal within existing Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. There is no representative charismatic denomination in the United States today, but the most prominent charismatic spokesman is probably Pat Robertson with his Christian Broadcasting Network, the television program The 700 Club, and Regent University (formerly CBN University). 4) The THIRD WAVE Position: In the 1980s a third renewal movement arose, a movement called The Third Wave by missions professor C. Peter Wagner at Fuller Seminary (he referred to the Pentecostal renewal as the first wave of the Holy Spirit s renewing work in the modern church, and the charismatic movement as the second wave). Third Wave people encourage the equipping of all believers to use New Testament spiritual gifts today and say that the proclamation of the gospel should ordinarily be accompanied by signs, wonders, and miracles, according to the New Testament pattern. They teach, however, that baptism in the Holy Spirit happens to all Christians at conversion and that subsequent experiences are better called fillings or empowerings with the Holy Spirit. Though they believe the gift of tongues exists today, they do not emphasize it to the extent that Pentecostals and charismatics do. The most prominent representative of the Third Wave is John Wimber, a pastor of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Anaheim, California, and leader of the Association of Vineyard Churches. 5) The OPEN BUT CAUTIOUS Position: There is yet another position, held by a vast number of evangelicals who think of themselves as belonging to none of these groups. These people have not been convinced by the cessationist arguments that relegate certain gifts to the first century, but they are not really convinced by the doctrine or practice of those who emphasize such gifts today either. They are open to the possibility of miraculous gifts today, but they are concerned about the possibility of abuses that they have seen in groups that practice these gifts. They do not think speaking in tongues is ruled out by Scripture, but they see many modern examples as not conforming to scriptural guidelines; some also are concerned that it often leads to divisiveness and negative results in churches today. They think churches should emphasize evangelism, Bible study, and faithful obedience as keys to personal and church growth, rather than miraculous gifts. Yet they appreciate some of the benefits that Pentecostal, charismatic, and Third Wave churches have brought to the evangelical world, especially a refreshing contemporary tone in worship and a challenge to renewal in faith and prayer. The Open but Cautious Position is the one held by the majority of evangelicals today. 4
The renewal of interest in the gifts of the Holy Spirit is perhaps the most encouraging development of our time. Why? Because it says that God s people are tired of religion without reality and hunger for the reality of the living God in their lives. I agree with Dr. Grudem, What people really want is to be in the presence of God. Church leaders and pastors must see to it that this hunger of our people is met through our ministry to them. If we do so, the church faces its most glorious future. If not, churches by the thousand face their demise. How does all this affect our personal ministries? 1. The Local Church - Each pastor should search the New Testament and decide his position on the miraculous gifts. Then he should fully explain his position to his people and specify in writing the policy he would follow in the church. For instance how he would handle speaking in tongues, words of prophecy, etc. 2. Inter-denominational (ecumenical) meetings - In such meetings essentials which unify must be stressed, not the matters about which there are disagreements. All evangelicals agree on the authority of the Word, the deity of Jesus, salvation by grace, etc., but not on such matters as tongues, words of prophecy, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord s supper, church government, details of the second coming, etc. The rule has long been stated In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty, and in all things charity. SIX PRATICAL WAYS TO DISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT (s) 1. EXPLORE YOUR POSSIBILITIES. Secure a list and definitions of all the 22 gifts of the Holy Spirit. Read these definitions carefully with an open heart and note those ministries which touch your heart and appeal to your interests. 2. EXPERIMENT WITH THE GIFT(s) YOU BELIEVE GOD HAS GIVEN YOU. For example, if you feel you would like to teach, ask some teacher for the privilege of teaching his or her class some Sunday. Consult with the pastor as to how you might use your gift. 3. EXAMINE YOUR FEELINGS AFTER YOU HAVE USED THE GIFT YOU THINK YOU HAVE. Somewhere the idea crept into Christian circles that if you do God s will you won t be happy. It is just the opposite. When you begin to use your gift in serving as God intended you will have a sense of fulfillment and excitement. Example: When I began to use my gifts of preaching and teaching, I experienced an incredible joy and fulfillment. If you do not experience a measure of satisfaction, that would be a good indication you are on the wrong track and you need to come back to the spiritual drawing board and go in another direction. 4. EVALUATE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS. Ethel Waters (made famous by Billy Graham s Crusades) used to say, God don t sponsor no flops. Amen. When you use your gifts God has entrusted to you, you will be effective. Your gift will develop as you exercise it for the glory of Christ, but even from the outset you will have a degree of success. 5. EXAMINE YOURSELF BY SCIENTIFIC TEST. Tests are available which will show you the area(s) you are gifted in and weak in. I would highly recommend this for any person interested in being a leader and certainly for those persons who do not know their gifts. 6. EXPECT CONFIRMATION FROM THE BODY. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for our individual ego trip, but for the upbuilding of the entire body of Christ, the church. Thus if you have a spiritual gift and exercise it in the body, individuals will confirm it. If you apply all these steps and still do not know your gift(s), I suggest that you start serving any place in the church where you are needed. If that place is not in the area of your greatest giftedness, the Lord will move you to it in due course. Stephen began serving as a deacon (gift of service), and a little later the Lord clearly led him to his real gift evangelism (Acts 6 and 8). If you are willing to do God s will even before you know it, He will reveal it. 5
10 Truths about Spiritual Gifts 1. Only believers have spiritual gifts. 1 Cor. 2:14 2. Every Christian has at least one gift. 1 Cor. 7:7 3. No one receives all the gifts. 1 Cor. 12:27-30 4. No single gift is given to everyone. 1 Cor. 12:29-30 5. You can't earn or work for a spiritual gift. Eph. 4:7 6. The Holy Spirit decides what gifts I get. 1 Cor. 12:11 7. The gifts I'm given are permanent. Rom. 11:29 8. I am to develop the gifts God gives me. 1 Tim. 4:14 9. It's a sin to waste the gifts God gave me. 1 Cor. 4;1-2 Mt. 25:14-30 10. Using my gifts glorifies God and grows me. John 15;8 THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS A. NOT FOR MY BENEFIT, BUT FOR OTHERS. "Each one of you, as a good manager of God's different gifts, must use for the good of others, the spiritual gift he has received from God." 1 Peter 4:10 (GN) "The Holy Spirit displays God's power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church." 1 Cor. 12:7 (LB) B. TO PRODUCE MATURITY AND STABILITY IN OUR CHURCH FAMILY. "It was He who gave gifts to men... to build up the Body of Christ so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith... and become mature... Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind..." Eph. 4:11, 13-14 (GN) CAUTIONS ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS 1. Don't confuse gifts with natural talents. 2. Don't confuse gifts with the Fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22-23 "Fruit" shows my Maturity. "Gifts" show my Ministry. 3. Don't confuse gifts with Christian roles. 4. Be aware of the "gift projection" tendency. (Expecting others to serve the way you do and have similar results) 5. Don't feel my gift makes me superior to others. 1 Cor. 12:21 6. Realize that using my gifts without love is worthless! "I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels... I may have the gift of inspired preaching... I may have all knowledge... and all the faith to move mountains -- but if I have not love, I am nothing... it does no good." 1 Cor. 13:1-3 (GN) 7. Recognize that I have both a Primary and a Secondary ministry in my church: * My PRIMARY MINISTRY commitment should be in the area where I am GIFTED. * My SECONDARY MINISTRY includes serving in any other area of the Body where I am NEEDED. Three Ways God Wants You to Use Your Gifts 1. Through an Ongoing Ministry 2. Through Short-Term Projects 3. Through Spontaneous Situations IT'S EASIER TO DISCOVER YOUR GIFT THROUGH MINISTRY THAN TO DISCOVER YOUR MINISTRY THROUGH YOUR GIFT ASSIGNMENTS FOR THIS WEEK: 1. INTERNALIZE Victory Pledge and Pledge to the Bible; Ephesians 5:18 and Galatians 5:16; 10 Comm. and 8 Beatt. Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 6
Once upon a time, the animals decided they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school. They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that - except the duck. The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up work in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start form the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed "charlie horses" from overexertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running. The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there..." The obvious moral of that story is a simple one - each creature has its own set of capabilities in which it will naturally excel -unless it is expected or forced to fill a mold that doesn't fit. When that happens, frustration, discouragement, and even guilt bring overall mediocrity or complete defeat. A duck is a duck -and only a duck. It is built to swim, not to run or fly and certainly not to climb. A squirrel is a squirrel - and only that. To move it out of its forte, climbing, and then expect it to swim or fly will drive a squirrel not. Eagles are beautiful creatures in the air but not in a foot race. The rabbit will win every time unless, of course, the eagle gets hungry. What is true of creatures in the forest is true of Christians in the family; both the family of believers and the family under your roof. God has not made us all the same. He never intended to. It was He who planned and designed the differences, unique capabilities, and variations in the Body. Pages 51-52 Standing Out by Charles Swindoll 7