Outbreak Of Spiritual Gifts

“Father, I am your servant, willing and desiring to be used to bless your people.”

Sermon Summary: Are the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit being manifested in your life?

Acts 5:32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

•• Be always mindful of the fact that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God.

John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

•• Two sons of the high priest Aaron disobeyed God and offered “strange fire”, and they were killed by God (Leviticus 10:1-2, KJV). Aaron’s other two sons obeyed and were able to continue in their priestly ministry.

• If we obey God’s revealed pattern, we too can expect to experience God’s true fire.

• Let’s take a look in Scripture at God’s pattern, and by obedience to that pattern experience an outbreak of spiritual gifts in our lives and ministries.

1 Corinthians 14:12, 26 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.... [26] When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

•• What is the motive for tongues, prophecies, revelations, and other spiritual gifts? The answer? — to build up and strengthen the church.

• This is a God-honoring motive. We are not looking to draw attention to ourselves or our ministries. Our intent in seeking to be used in gifts of the Spirit is to benefit the Lord’s church by the expression of those gifts.

• It is for this reason only, to God-centered believers that the Holy Spirit can and will freely impart His spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. [4] 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.

•• Remember, the reason for the “demonstration of the Spirit's power” is to build people’s faith on God’s power, not on man’s so-called wisdom or eloquence.

•• The apostle Paul ministered in his human “weakness ... fear ... and trembling”. God responded with “a demonstration of the Spirit’s power”. Why? So that the listeners’ faith would be built upon Gods power only, and not on man’s abilities.

•• As we acknowledge our weakness and seek God for His power, the Holy Spirit can then consider us to be proper vessels in which to place His supernatural gifts.

Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

KJV: ...faith which worketh by love.

•• “The greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13b). Jesus summarized the Law and the Prophets in two great commandments — (1) love God, and (2) love your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40).

•• Faith works by love. The underlying foundation, the empowering principle for all ministry, must be love. For us to experience an outbreak of spiritual gifts, we must be men and women who, first and foremost, love God and love people.

•• Moved by love and compassion, Jesus touched and cured the leper (Mark 1:40-42), raised the widow’s son from the dead (Luke 7:12-15), and healed the multitudes (Matthew 14:14).

•• So it is with us. Our faith works by and expresses itself through love. The man or woman who genuinely loves others becomes an appropriate candidate to be used powerfully in supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.... [14:1] Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

KJV: Covet earnestly the best gifts.

•• Do you desire to experience an outbreak of God’s gifts and power? You need to long for it, to eagerly desire it, to covet it earnestly.

• In other words, this cannot be a casual issue for you, not just a take-it-or-leave-it option.