The Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Intro
“If we’re not careful, we can settle into a functional deism, where we say we believe in God’s power to heal, but we rarely if ever pray boldly and expectantly for healing to happen.” [Alan Kraft, More: When a Little Bit of the Spirit Is Not Enough, ©2014] Dr. Ramsay MacMullan … [said] that early Christians “took miracles quite for granted. That was the general starting point. Not to believe them would have made you seem more than odd.” [Dr. Ramsay MacMullan, Christianizing the Roman Empire: A.D. 100-400 (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1984) 22. 2.]
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
Nobody is left out.
Use it. Stir it up.
Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado: “The Holy Spirit at work through us to glorify Jesus and to help people.”
As a Christian, you are a gateway to the supernatural.
The gifts of the Spirit are grace gifts from God.
His kingdom is being more fully established as we use the gifts to help people. And it’s because we are redeemed children of God that we can use those gifts.
Community
In community, there is a collective-ness to our faith.
“I try to pray in a team whenever possible. Multiple people listening in prayer helps lessen the sense of pressure we feel to always hear the Spirit.” [Alan Kraft, More: When a Little Bit of the Spirit Is Not Enough, ©2014]
Word gifts
Writing a letter Brady Boyd and his teenage son Roy Libby, engineer with Kodak
Faith, healing and miracles
The faith to be healed and to pray for the sick is nothing other than childlike trust in the loving character and purpose of our Heavenly Father. ... True Christian faith in all its expressions looks away from self to God and what he has done for us in Jesus Christ. The real question is not: “Do I believe strongly enough to be healed or to pray for the sick?” but, “Is God the sort of person I can trust, and am I willing to be open to his love?” [Ken Blue, Authority to Heal, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 103]
Are we approaching our Father in childlike faith?
Ultimately, healing is God’s responsibility. So, we leave the results in His hands.
Types and shadows.
“Gods fellow workers.” (1 Corinthians 3:9) “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) “For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me...” (Romans 15:18) “But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites...” (vs. 21) “Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages...” (vs. 27) “And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer...”(vs. 29) “Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron...” (vs. 30) “Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco...” (vs. 31) “Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh...” (vs. 33)
“For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.” (Joshua 17:18) “And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron.” (Judges 1:19) “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell.” (Numbers 33:55, see also Judges 2:1-3) “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12) It is a faith issue.
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12)
“We walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Our job is to bring the kingdom more fully, more completely into this world. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
He has given us the necessary tools—His eternal Word and the gifts of the Holy Spirit—to advance His kingdom. “Holy Spirit, what are You saying to me in this?”
