Fire…Works
Pt. 3 – Pretty & Loud
I. Introduction
We want fireworks at ball games, bowl games, birthday parties, and even at concerts. Without them we leave feeling cheated or short changed.
If we don’t have Fire…works at church I feel cheated too. If you will remember last week we discussed the fact that the Holy Spirit is so crucial to our lives because of His job description. Do you remember what function the Holy Spirit plays in our daily lives? I know He has the ability to show up a certain moments and those are exciting moments that we will talk about today. However, there are also daily things that He does in and through us.
1. The Holy Spirit brings Regeneration – new birth – he has a hand in bringing us to Jesus.
2. The Holy Spirit Convicts Of Sin – He blows the whistle on our sin so that we live at a higher level of holiness.
3. The Holy Spirit Comforts In Time Of Sorrow – when everything is falling apart, when tragedy strikes He brings peace that passes all understanding.
4. He Teaches Us God’s Will – He helps us find truth and direction.
5. He Helps Us To Remember – which I am thankful for because I am on info. overload.
6. He Gives Us Power To Overcome The Devil – supernatural power for a supernatural fight.
7. He Empowers Us For Service – more than goose bumps and feel goods. His power is for service in and to His body.
8. He communicates for us and through us – He empowers our prayer life through tongues and groaning that give us a direct pipe line to God.
9. To Witness – perhaps the least emphasized and utilized aspect of the Holy Spirit is that He gives us power to evangelize the world.
10. He gives Gifts – You will remember this where we stopped. I want us to look carefully at the gifts that Holy Spirit gives to us.
Loud or pretty? When you talk to people about fireworks it seems that they are split over which they like the best. Some like the loud bangs that rattle your teeth while others are simply mesmerized by the shower of the sparks that create the beautiful flowers in the sky.
However, what I would say to you is that it takes both. A fireworks show with only the loud explosions feels more like a bombing or a war zone than an enjoyable experience. While at the same time only sparks gets boring and lacks the ability to keep or get your attention. Balance is the key.
When it comes to the gifts of the Holy Spirit this true as well. We need a balance of the loud and the pretty gifts to have a quality experience in our lives and services. Some of the gifts are very loud and some might even go one step further and say scary. If you don’t understand that, then you have never been in a service where the gift of knowledge is flowing. It can be rattling. Other gifts seem to be pretty. These gifts make us feel good like service or even administration. They are often behind the scene type gifts that we feel safe and comfortable around.
If you will allow me I want to take a few moments and examine these big bangs and glow shows to try to help us understand what the gifts are and how they are to be used.
I. fire…works List
The Scriptural basis for the gifts is:
Ephesians 4:11-12
11And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:
Romans 12:5-8
5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another. 6And having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; 7or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry; or he that teacheth, to his teaching; 8or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, let him do it with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.
I Peter 4:9
9using hospitality one to another without murmuring:
I Corinthians 12:4-10
4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all. 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. 8For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: 9to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; 10and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues:
These 4 passages of Scripture list for us the fire..works that should be in operation in our church and in our lives. These fire…works or gifts can be separated into two categories and each category has specific characteristics.
The two categories are ministry gifts and manifestation gifts or pretty and loud.
Let me show you the way that most people categorize these is as follows:
Ministry Gifts (pretty) Manifestation Gifts (loud)
Apostle Word of Wisdom
Prophet Word of Knowledge
Evangelist Faith
Pastor/Teacher Healing
Service (helps) Miracles
Teaching Prophecy
Exhorter Discerning of Spirits
Giving Tongues
Administration Interpretation of Tongues
Benevolence (Mercy)
II. Characteristics of fire…works
1. All the gifts are given to edify the body which means to build it up. Gifts are not given to make a name of you or someone else. These gifts are to draw attention to Jesus.
2. Ministry gifts (pretty fire…works)
a. Related to your natural abilities. These gifts build on your natural ability.
b. These gifts reveal your role/position in the body of Christ. It gives you a glimpse of how we should serve in the body.
c. These gifts often cannot be separated from the person with the gift. In other words, in most cases these gifts are permanent.
3. Manifestation gifts (loud fire…works)
a. These gifts take place in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. In other words, you don’t lose control of yourself in some unconscious state. The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet. You can hold your tongue; you can hold the word of wisdom.
b. Everything that is done with a manifestation gift must be affirmed and backed up by Scripture. Nothing that comes as a message, word, or prophecy can override or go against Scripture. It will be backed up and supported by Scripture.
c. Unlike the ministry gifts these gifts are temporary. No one can claim that one of these gifts are theirs. They may be used on a regular basis in a particular gift, but they don’t own that gift.
Another way to say this is that a ministry gift can be exercised at will while a manifestation gift only at that unction of the Holy Spirit. May be used often, but not permanently residing in person.
d. Manifestation gifts have nothing to do with your natural abilities.
e. While ministry gifts determine your role in the body, manifestation gifts have no relationship to a role or position.
III. The fire...works defined
A. Ministry Gifts
1. Apostle – someone who is called and sent by the Holy Spirit to spread the message of Jesus. They often provide leadership and vision to groups of people. Assume and exercise general leadership over and equipping the Church with an extraordinary authority in spiritual matters. The divine enablement to start churches and oversee their development. This person tends to lack longevity they are already moving on to something new. They aren’t the best in one-on-one, but tend to deal with groups.
2. Prophet – someone who declares the word of the Lord to build up, exhort, and comfort the church. They bring conviction of sin. They call forth, reveal, and affirm. They have the supernatural ability to interpret the Scriptures in light of the present situation in the church. Tends to be judgmental, blunt, and dwells on the negative. Words must be judged by Word of God.
3. Evangelist – Have supernatural ability to communicate the gospel with conviction and see many won to the Lord. (Say “boo” and 40 people get saved.) The evangelist also has the ability to prepare others for their ministry of evangelizing. Has burden for the lost. If they are not careful they can be judgmental towards others who are not involved in evangelism. Remember we aren’t all called to be evangelists, but are called to be witnesses.
4. Pastor/Teacher – They care for people of God and they have the supernatural ability to teach and impart information, knowledge, and wisdom to others. They assume long-term personal responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of believers. 1)To Guide 2)To Graze 3)To Guard.
5. Service (helps) - Special ability to invest the talents they have which enables the person helped to be more effective in his or her spiritual gifts.
They identify unmet needs and make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired goals.
These people are often overlooked. This gift is crucial and vital to the body. Without these people nothing gets done. Often considered not to be very spiritual. Essential! God send us more helpers.
6. Exhorter or Encouragement– brings encouragement to someone. They bring love and hope into the lives of people who are in need. Who do you know that fits this description? Constantly sees the good. Constantly wants to lift up and encourage.
7. Giving – people with this gift don’t give for recognition or personal favor or influence. They have a supernatural desire to give. While most of us are reservoirs these folks are rivers of giving. Dorcas – Acts 9 – made clothes for the poor.
8. Administration (leadership) - The special ability to understand clearly the immediate and long-range goals of a particular unit of the Body of Christ and to devise effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals. These folks are gifted at planning and putting systems into place to carry out the plan. They are usually very task oriented and out of my own life usually pretty anal! We think that these folks are often control freaks when the truth is they are gifted by Holy Spirit to help produce order.
9. Mercy – this gift causes a person to wholeheartedly respond with extraordinary compassion to those who are in need, particularly spiritually. It often means the person with the gift is inconvenienced. We need more people with mercy. Our cultural has caused most of us to become suspicious and judgmental. We need mercy.
LOUD -
10. Word of Wisdom
A supernatural word that usually provides a solution to a vexing problem and brings healing, unity, and edification. Brings an understanding that could not be figured out naturally.
People with problems need answers.
11. Word of Knowledge
A revelation of facts about a person or situation, which is not learned through the efforts of the natural mind, but is a fragment of knowledge freely given by God, disclosing the truth which the Spirit wishes to be make known concerning a particular person or situation.
12. Faith
This gift of faith is related to miracles. It is an active conviction that God has revealed His will for a given situation. There is absolute trust.
13. Healing
The ability that God gives to cure illness and restore health apart from the use of natural means. Instantaneous, complete, permanent restoration. Requires previous gift.
14. Miracles
Performing powerful acts that are perceived by observers to have altered the ordinary course of nature. Broader range than just healings. Also called signs and wonders.
15. Prophecy
Receiving and communicating an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance. Being used in prophecy doesn’t make a person a prophet. Should be submitted authority.
16. Discerning of Spirits
To know with assurance whether behavior purported to be of God is in reality divine, human, or satanic. Not to be used to judge people, but spirits.
17. Tongues
To speak to God in a language never learned and/or to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance in a language they have never learned. This should be interpreted.
18. Interpretation of Tongues
The ability to make known in the vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues. Not translation which is an attempt to get exact phrasing and words. Interpretation is getting the essence and application.
IV. What do I want us to take away from all this?
1. There are plenty of gifts and we can all be used in some way. We won’t all be used in the same way. In fact, according to Paul we should desire spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14:1).
2. Stir up the gifts (Ministry gifts (pretty) are already there – we need them).
3. Be Open (Manifestation gifts (loud) – don’t close them off – we need them).
4. Stay humble – your gift isn’t the only one, isn’t the best one, it is a necessary one.
5. Be obedient – don’t quench Holy Spirit. This is a safe zone. Try them out! You may fail. We will still love you. If you quench the gift you cheat the Body. If you don’t obey we all miss out.
I am praying that we obedient, humble, open, and that the gifts will be stirred up in us.
