#4 The gifts that God gives! (Spiritual)
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
GOOD NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU CHOOSE!
1. Nothing is as bad as it first appears.
2. The Bible will still have all the answers.
3. Prayer will still work.
4. Don’t sweat the small stuff, by the way, everything is small stuff!
5. The Holy Spirit is still moving, TRUST GOD!
6. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
7. Fix your eyes on Jesus, don’t watch and judge other people!
8. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
9. You can not overcome negativeness, you must overwhelm it!
10. There will still be singing of praise to God.
11. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
12. Enjoy the scenery on your detours of life.
13. There will still be room at the Cross.
14. Feeble oaks from sickly acorns grow!
15. Jesus will still love you.
16. Doubt is the hell of the human soul!
17. Jesus will still save the lost. Jesus needs a vehicle of truth.
18. Difficulties are the things that show what you are made out of.
19. The smallest deed is better than the greatest intentions.
20. A bad mood is a way of punishing yourself!
As we have looked at the gifts that God gives, let us remember the gift is never more valuable than the giver.
21. The person that needs your love the most probably deserves it the least,
invest love in them anyway!
Often believers seek gifts, in my opinion the proper path is to seek the
PRESENCE OF GOD first and then the gifts will come with a proper attitude.
WHAT ARE YOU GIVING? HAVE YOU EVER GAVE WHAT YOU LOVED?
V. JESUS GIVES US THE SWEET COMFORT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD.
A. We believe that Jesus needed to go away, to return to the Father.
B. Jesus knew we would need a teacher, a guide, and someone to lead us when we faced danger and when we faced danger the Spirit would hide us.
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
C. THE COMFORTER WILL TEACH US TRUTH.
Truth will set us free.
John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
D. Jesus left to send the Comforter.
We know Jesus made it to heaven because the COMFORTER HAS COME!
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
VI. JESUS GIVES US VISION WHERE WE HAVE NO HUMAN HOPE. WE MUST EXPECT A MIRACLE AND DREAM BIG. WE NEED THE GIFT OF GODLY VISION.
A. THERE MIGHT BE THE REALM OF HUMAN VISION, BUT MY FRIEND WE NEED TELESCOPIC VISION THAT CAN SEE INTO THE REALM OF DIVINE POSSIBILITIES.
Proverbs 20:12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.
B. DO YOU HAVE A DREAM THAT COULD SPEAK TO DRY BONES/ HOW ABOUT VERY DRY BONES?
Ezekiel 37:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.
4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
C. LET THE BLIND LEAD THE BLIND, AND WE WILL ALL FALL INTO THE DITCH.
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
D. THERE CAN BE HIRLING VISIONS, AND THESE ARE GOOD.
THERE IS THE VISION OF THE SON...REACH HIGHER
GO FARTHER...TRUST THE UNSEEN HAND.
VII. WE HAVE SOME SWEET AND ENDURING FRUIT THAT GOD GIVES.
WE HAVE SOME FRUITS THAT ARE AUTOMATIC FROM GOD, AND THERE ARE NO LAWS TO LIMIT THEM.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
A. LOOK AT THE WONDERFUL SIDE EFFECTS OF SERVING JESUS.
1. LOVE
2. JOY
3. PEACE
4. LONGSUFFERING
5. GENTLENESS
6. GOODNESS
7. FAITH
8. MEEKNESS
9. TEMPERANCE, SELF-CONTROL
B. The works of the flesh have many laws and rules, but the fruit God gives.
VIII. GOD GIVES SOME WONDERFUL SPIRITUAL GIFTS TO THE CHURCH.
LOOK AT 1 CORINTHIANS 12, 13, 14.
AS WE LOOK AT THE FOUR AREAS OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS WE NEED TO REMEMBER WE SHOULD SEEK FOR THE GIFTS THAT OUR LOCAL BODY NEEDS.
Many seek the showy gifts for personal edification. We need to seek for the gifts our church needs. Seek what is best for the whole!
1 Cor. 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
A. THE FIRST SET OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE GIFTS OF UNDERSTANDING.
Today the church is desperate for God’s Spiritual Gifts.
1. WISDOM
2. KNOWLEDGE
3. DISCERNMENT
B. THE SECOND SET OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS AVAILABLE TO THE CHURCH ARE THE POWER GIFTS:
4. FAITH
5. HEALING
6. MIRACLES
C. THE THIRD SET OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE DEALING WITH COMMUNICATION.
7. TONGUES
8. INTERPRETATION
9. PROPHESY, PREACHING
D. GOD’S FOURTH SET OF GIFTS TO GIVE TO THE CHURCH ARE LEADERSHIP SKILLS:
10. HELPS
11. GOVERNMENT/ADMINISTRATION
12. SERVING
13. TEACHING
14. EXHORT
E. As God was giving us the lessons on the spiritual gifts, He stops the lesson to warn us ---
SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE NOTHING WITHOUT LOVE.
IX. GOD GIVES AN ORDER OF LEADERSHIP FOR HIS BODY.
THIS FIVE FOLD MINISTRY IS ILLUSTRATED ON THE FINGERS.
Ephes. 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
A. GOD GIVES:
1. APOSTLES
2. PROPHETS
3. EVANGELIST
4. PASTORS
5. TEACHERS
B. LET ME TELL YOU MY OPINION. EVERY GOOD CHRISTIAN NEEDS TO OPERATE AND DEVELOP SKILLS IN ALL 5 OF THESE AREAS.
X. GOD CAN GIVE A NEW HEART AND A NEW MIND.
A. Have you ever seemed trapped in a rut?
I HAVE FALLEN AND I CAN’T GET UP?
God has a plan for you!
Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
B. WHILE SAUL WAS OUT CHASING HIS DAD’S DONKEY’S, HE WENT TO SEE THE OLD PREACHER, SAMUEL. God forever changed this man.
1 Samuel 10:9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
C. While you are doing your every day menial chores, God can visit you with a special gift. GOD LOOKS ON THE HEART!
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
D. WHILE DAVID’S BROTHERS SAW A SHEPHERD BOY, THE PREACHER SAW A KING.
XI. GOD GIVES RESTORATION AND HEALING.
A. There are times when we need to fix that which is broken.
God has a plan to restore unto us what the enemy has taken.
Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
B. God please heal our land!
2 Chron. 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
C. God not only heals the sick but he can heal the broken.
Psalm 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
D. IF I CAN BUT TOUCH HIM….
Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.
XII. GOD CAN GIVE REAL PEACE!
A. God can give peace in a time of trouble.
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
B. PEACE IS A DIVINE GIFT, YOU DON’T EARN IT…GOD GIVES IT.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
C. GOD GIVES GREAT GIFTS THAT GO ON AND ON, WHAT SHALL WE GIVE HIM?
I heard of a man in a Central American country that came to the altar.
He asked God to forgive him. The man felt that he owed God a debt.
The man laid his billfold on the altar, and was lacking?
The man went out and brought his family to the altar, and still lacked?
The man brought his donkey and tied it to the altar? He was still lacking?
Finally the man laid down on the altar and said, God I give you me!
The man felt a new peace.
WHAT SHALL WE GIVE UNTO OUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Pass it on to another?
