Gifts of The Spirit-Fellow Helpers of the Church (Part 1)
GOD’S WAY BIBLE STUDY
Gifts of The Spirit-Fellow Helpers of the Church (Part 1)
Tuesday September 24, 2024
Minister Juanita Garvin Graham
1 Corinthians 12: KJV, NIV, NLV as well as other versions
I) Understanding Your Potential –
When we take the spirit of God on as a partner, we can apply
A. Scripture references:
1.) St. Mark 10:27 - And Jesus looking upon them saith, with men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
2) 3 John 2 - Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
3) St. Luke 24:49 - 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
4) St. John 10:10 – ...I am come, that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
B. The Holy Spirit is our Helper
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, holiness, and of life – past, present and future. It is present in the mind.
1. enforcing truth,
2. restraining evil,
3. exemplifying good,
4. imparting wisdom, knowledge and understanding
5. Imparting strength-
6. and it does so -when, where and at what measure it warrants.
C. The Benefit -
EXCELLENT Gifts of the Father’s Divine Spirit are for the benefit of the people and His church. When you understand your potential, you know you are 2 things:
1) a Benefit to the people because -
the Holy Spirit by Common GRACE, in a universal call to faith, reveals the gospel through us to the unsaved, the lost and those who have fallen away (backslider)
2) a Benefit to the Church because -
we are God’s elect – by EF-FI-CA CIOUS GRACE, The Holy Spirit moves us through effective faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, as God sovereignly and effectively directs all events to fulfill his purposes in our lives and in the earth.
A. Ephesians 2:1-10 (8*)
2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.******************* It’s the Supernatural Gifts from God!
D) Why shouldn’t we have bragging rights?
Ephesians 2:1-10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
2. “We are signed, sealed and delivered by the function and purpose of the Holy Spirit to assist in the most important work of God in the earth and that is to win souls for Christ. We are the preachers, ministers, ambassadors and children of the MOST HIGH GOD. We are His representatives in the earth’s realm not just to get ourselves saved but others as well.!”
A. Sealed- John 6:27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father SEALED.
B. 2 Corinthians 1:22 KJV - Who hath also SEALED us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (Earnest- a pledge or token given as the assurance of the fulfillment of a promise.) So, in this case the work the Holy Spirit does in our heart is a token and pledge of a perfect redemption and a heavenly inheritance. (2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV)
C. Ephesians 1:13 KJV – In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard in the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with that Holy Spirit of promise.
2.) The Nature and Importance of Spiritual Gifts
A) Indwelling - The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit is related to every aspect of the reality of the believer’s life. The abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian should reflect God's grace, divine purpose in fruitfulness and in sanctification ( holiness without no man can please God) Hebrews 12:14-15. For we are the TEMPLE of God revealing His spirit in us, resident in the earth today.
1. His sanctification
2. His spiritual understanding, wisdom and knowledge
3. His assurance
4. His service
5. His prayer life
6. His praise and worship
7. Inspiration -Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
NOTE: “I believe there has been a gross under-appreciation of the importance of God’s spiritual gifts and their use in the church today.
B) Fruitful - These gifts of the Holy Spirit are most useful in the spiritual fruitfulness of every ministry in the church from the pulpit to the pew and every activity of the church in between.”
1. The nature of the gifts is determined only from the scriptures.
2. The gifts must be examined and analyzed within its proper context
(Were certain spiritual gifts temporary. Given only to the disciples or apostles for specific purposed (a specific time) and ceased after they died.) (ask your pastor)
We need to understand both the gift and the operation!
3) The Gifts and the works
James 2:14-26 KJV
(What gift is being used?)
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works
A) “This is not a philosophy of salvation by works but by faith”
By Faith, the Gifts of God given to men and the Works men do by faith in God, determines the place and fruitfulness of the believer. Five Greek words explains it best.
1. Pneumatikon -spiritual character, visibility or manifestation of the gift,
2. Charismata – Sovereignly or (freely) given to you by God the Holy Spirit ( from ordinary to extraordinary power)
3. Diakonia –distributed to equip God's people for service and charity to others in the congregation, neighborhood, ministry or office
4. Energeema – to work In the Power of God (at work, to operate in, an internal working, to do the work, perform the work of
5. Phanerosis – An evident manifestation of the Holy Spirit throughout a Christians life as he serves God: a visibility, to exhibit, to express, to make known.
I Corinthians 13:1-8 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels(Read)
4) Basic Known Facts - There are some basic know facts of God's Gifts to man: Gifted men and spiritual gifts
A) Gifted Men /Women – are called, anointed and placed by Christ or God.
God in his sovereignty places gifted men/ women in the church for the purpose of ministering to the body.
Ephesians 4:11 – 12
11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
B) Spiritual Gifts - are assigned by the Holy Spirit but sovereignly given by God.
A. Spiritual Gifts are supernaturally given
B. Bestowed by grace and undeserved. Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
C. Distinct from the natural powers of man or universal spiritual powers of the saved.
1 Corinthians 12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities (many different types) of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, (SERVICE) ( different types and levels) but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations (Different kinds of work), but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
“WORSHIP GOD BY USING YOUR GIFT”
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of 1. )wisdom; to another the word of
2) knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another 3)faith by the same Spirit; to another the
4)gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the
5)working of miracles; to another 6)prophecy; to another 7)discerning of spirits; to another 8)diver’s kinds of tongues; to another the 9) interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
