The Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Isaiah 11:1-5
When I began this week’s study, I have to admit that I went, “Yeah! This is week is going to be good!” because this idea has underpinnings that tell us of vast and great discernment about this world that we can tap in to. The Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit gives believers spiritual abilities and/or gifts….miraculous abilities. There are a few scriptures I want you to read this week about them. They are:
1 Corinthians 12, 14 and Ephesians 4 [Spiritual gifts]
>>>How do you see the gifts of the Holy Spirit operating today? What type of Christian has it/fully utilizes them? Is it just for the charismatic movement? Let’s look at them and define them. I want to jump right into these gifts and spend some time trying to understand what exactly they are.
>>>First off, have you ever read this scripture in reference to the Holy Spirit?
>>>Did you know it existed? Perhaps you have not been as aware of certain aspects of the Holy Spirit just simply because this type of sermon series is not that common? Let’s learn a bit about this then
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
Wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety and Fear of the Lord [meaning wonder and awe].
• Wisdom: Is the ability for us as humans to actually love spiritual things versus the material world that we see in front of us. Loving to tithe and giving a full tithe stem from this.
• Understanding: When we have spiritual understanding, we can comprehend how we need to operate as followers of Jesus daily. B A person with understanding is not confused by the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live versus what God says. The gift of understanding perfects a person's speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. It is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known.
• Counsel (right judgment): with the gift of counsel/right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus. It involves the giving as wel as the receiving of council and the ability to discern which is Godly.
• Fortitude : with the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risks as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or physical harm. The gift of courage allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil.
• Knowledge: with the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God. The gift of knowledge is more than an accumulation of facts.
• Piety (reverence): with the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father.
• Fear of the Lord (wonder and awe): with the gift of fear of the Lord we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love. This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Thomas Aquinas said that four of these gifts (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel) direct the intellect, while the other three gifts (fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) direct the will toward God.
In some respects, the gifts are similar to the 7 virtues.
>>>What are the 7 virtues? They are a list of seven heavenly virtues, to oppose the seven deadly sins. They appear in a poem entitled Battle/Contest of the Soul. It was written by Aurelius Prudentius, he was a Christian governor who died around 410 A.D. It talks about the battle between good virtues and evil vices. What we must note as a huge difference is that the 7 virtues operate under the influence of human reason (prompted by grace), whereas the gifts operate under the influence of the Holy Spirit; the first can be used when we want, but the latter operate only when the Holy Spirit wishes or where it resides.
Just to show you the virtues briefly since they closely relate are: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility
• The gift of wisdom corresponds to the virtue of charity.
• The gifts of understanding and knowledge correspond to the virtue of faith.
• The gift of counsel (right judgment) corresponds to the virtue of prudence.
• The gift of fortitude corresponds to the virtue of courage.
• The gift of fear of the Lord corresponds to the virtue of hope.
• The gift of Reverence corresponds to the virtue of justice.
Other gifts/abilities available:
Perhaps you have taken the spiritual gifts test at one time or another. We had a Bible study on it and it offers people an idea of other means that we have to work in the Heavenly Kingdom while on Earth. Some call them talents; I prefer gifts because it seems to acknowledge more.
Quickly those are: Prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy.
I feel as though some Spiritual gifts, Gifts of the Spirit or Holy Talents are overlooked in their importance. We like some more than others, why? I speak in reference to prophesy in particular since, at least in my mind, people seem to flock to it as primary gift. My thoughts are that, well tell me this…Do some seem more miraculous than others? Do some gifts make us go “WOW” while others are, not as admired?
Even in the prophets, those who prophesied in one fashion or another, we only REALLY know but a few, the rest don’t make it quite to the top.
The terms Major Prophets and Minor Prophets are simply a way to divide the Old Testament prophetic books. The Major Prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The Minor Prophets are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The Minor Prophets are also sometimes called The Twelve. The minor prophets even lose their name, they are called the 12.
We all know the prophecies of Isaiah, but I’ll give $5 to the one who knows a major prophesy of Zephaniah. He foretold the destruction of Ninevah.
All this really does is to show you that we have an order of importance in almost everything we do. Prophesy is at the top. I would put it to you that today, serving is at the bottom. Not many are servants to others, are they? Is not a sefvant a great gift?
God loved David why? Because he was a man after God’s own heart. Acts 13:22 says,
“But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.'” David was a servant.
John 13:12 says,
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them.
A servant is such a remarkable gift.
>>> Leaders and teachers are admired for what they do, but who lifts up the cheerful giver? It is a gift overlooked in those who perform such a noble task. It is minimized by most Christians as an option.
General Characteristics
A giver’s basic motivational drive is to conserve and share resources in order to meet needs. Givers take special delight in discovering needs that others overlook and then meeting those needs.
• Givers particularly enjoy preventing waste by exercising wisdom and accountability.
• A giver gets joy by finding less costly ways to do things, whether the cost is measured in time, money, or energy.
• Their families often think givers are very stingy—much too concerned about counting pennies—but the people to whom they give think they are extremely generous.
• Givers like to stay out of the limelight, often giving anonymously in order to avoid recognition for their giving.
• Givers evaluate spirituality in terms of resources, accountability, and dependability.
• Saving resources brings a giver almost as much pleasure as giving them, because they regard saving as the key that opens the door to even more resources. They seem to be able to accumulate savings, even in hard times.
A Giver’s Strengths
• A giver saves money by making wise purchases. He also tends to avoid impulsive spending.
• Givers tend to have an excellent understanding of authority and accountability. More than those with other motivational gifts, givers expect to be held accountable and diligently hold others accountable.
• They usually are hard workers
• Givers often like to become personally involved in the lives of the people to whom they give support.
• Regardless of his economic status, a giver hardly ever spends more than he makes. Consequently, he rarely incurs debt other than what is absolutely needed.
• Givers love to motivate others to save and to give generously.
No believer can say that they have no gift of the Spirit from God. God has given all believers gifts; some have several gifts, but everyone has at least one gift.
>>>What does that mean we should see in every believer? Intrinsic value
So, why do we have these gifts?
These gifts of the Spirit are given not for you or you, but for the Body of Christ. It is to make the Body complete. These gifts are intended for the church to edify it, to strengthen it, to feed it, to exhort it, to encourage it and to have the Body of Christ empowered to do the work of Christ. These gifts are always to exalt Christ, to witness of God’s power, to build up the Body, and to work to enlarge the Body of Christ by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost.
Many Gifts, Many Members, One Body
According to 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, each and every church member is clearly a part of “… the body of Christ”, and each one of you are a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts”. I pray you not only seek and discover your gifts but that you utilize them to the strengthening of the Body of Christ, for which you are a part. If you are not, then today is the time to become fully part of Christ’s church because members of this body need your help.
Ubuntu
Ubuntu:
Zulu term roughly translating to "human kindness." It is an idea from the Southern African region which means literally "human-ness," and is often translated as "humanity toward others," but is often used in a more philosophical sense to mean "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity"
So in the church it defines as “I can’t be who I am without you and you can’t be who you are without me. We can be nothing without Christ.
