The Gifts Of The Spirit Series

The Gifts of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 12 & 14 part 1

Introduction to the work and gifts of the Spirit

PowerPoint Slide 1 1 Cor 12:1-=11

One of the greatest ignorance’s today is in the area of spiritual gifts, and their operation within the church

The power of the Church is the Holy Spirit

Slide 2:1

Is it any wonder that Satan distorts this teaching of the Word more than anything else?

If he can render us weak in that which should be our strength, he has gained his mission

Not many Christians go and study in depth the scriptures relating to the gifts

They listen or read what others tell them (some good and bad stuff around) care needed

Within some Pentecostal churches there is a lot of abuse of the gifts of the Spirit, because people are ignorant of their true operation

On the other side of the fence, in some of the fundamental churches there is a lot of ignorance of the gifts of the Spirit because they dismiss them, not seeing any use for them today (died out with the 1st church)

So where Paul says, "I would not have you to be ignorant," sad but true, there is a great deal of ignorance today

The Corinthians knew well what the power of Satan was, for they had come out of paganism

They had been under the influence and control of evil spirits and idolatrous worship

Satan came into the Church with counterfeits of the manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit

This is still true today

Satan transforms himself into an angel of light and produces manifestations, but remember that Satan never professes that Jesus is Lord

Evidently there was a rumor in Paul’s day that someone speaking in tongues was overheard by someone who understood the language that he was speaking in, and he was actually blaspheming God. Paul said, "Impossible. No man by the Spirit calls Jesus accursed." Now that rumor probably started in Corinth

Slide 2:2

The work of the Holy Spirit is to exalt Jesus Christ

Paul’s writing to the Corinthians suggests the abuse that was going on there with the gifts

It would be blasphemous to say that God would ever allow a false or evil spirit to come in and take control of my life!

Slide 3

There are many different gifts. This is a partial listing here:

• the word of wisdom

• the word of knowledge

• faith

• the gift of healing

• the working of miracles

• prophecy

• discerning of spirits

• tongues

• interpretations of tongues

• In verse 28 helps and governments

Not self-choosing

Paul gives us another list in Romans 12, in which he adds some that are not here

Sometimes our hearts become so set on manifestations that we forget the greatest manifestation is the work of the Holy Spirit in the birth of souls and adding to the body of believers

Don’t lose sight of God’s working in the hearts of unbelievers

Slide 4:1

There are many different types of gifts, but there is just one Spirit, the same Spirit

Slide 4:2

Even with the diversities of gifts, there are diversities of operations

Slide 5:1 & 2

Ministry in the body of Christ is to exercise of the gifts of the Spirit

Slide 5:3 & 4

They are supernatural

I may hold a certain gift of the Spirit and you may hold the same gift, but it may operate in my life differently to yours

He allows Himself the liberty of working as He wills and as He desires

The way it works in me is different to the way it works in you

Faith should never be in the feelings or ‘sensual’ that I have, because I may not have any feelings at all that I can describe

The same is with salvation. Some people describe some marvelous feelings when they received Jesus Christ

This causes other people to look for some kind of feeling rather than taking the Word of God at face value

God said it, He has promised it; I put my faith in the Word and the promise of God

It is important that our faith be established in the Word, because it doesn’t change, my feelings do

My feelings can change radically from today to tomorrow morning, but the Word of God doesn’t change

If God does give me a gift, it isn’t for my own personal gratification

It isn’t a toy for me to play with; it is to benefit of the whole body

There is only one gift spoken of that is to be used in one’s own personal devotion and it is for personal benefit, that is the gift of tongues

The gifts are given for the profit of the whole body of Christ