What we can do….
Real change in our world is impossible apart from the Holy Spirit’s moving in our world. God is waiting for us but not for us to do it in our own strength but we can do anything and expect amazing things as we learn to allow the Lord to empower us by the Holy Spirit.
Several weeks ago I talked about the gift of tongues, a spiritual prayer language given by God as a means of building ourselves up and a way to pray God’s perfect prayer…this is only the beginning of what God wants to do so we might walk in dominion in the Kingdom of heaven and winning the war against the kingdom of darkness (ignorance) by our walking in the Kingdom of light (knowledge, God’s knowledge not man’s)
Paul tries to make it plain here in his second letter to the Corinthian church
Later we will be praying for people to be baptized in the Holy Spirit
2 Corinthians 2:4-9
And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. 6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
Paul is telling us that as he spoke and ministered, he did not do it in his human strength. He was the best student, of the greatest teacher of his day but found that his strength was weak compared to the wisdom the Holy Spirit could pour through him. The power of the Holy Spirit in him and pouring through him enabled him to share of the Kingdom of God, God’s original plan for mankind and something that we have not yet seen but soon will!
If we were to read on, Paul is saying that God reveals the deep things to those that are spiritual, and the Holy Spirit gives us everything we need to bring hope, life, and freedom to the world but to the rest of the world this is foolishness.
I started out last week teaching about tongues and the real and practical application of a gift the Lord offers to us.
Today, I’m going to get through two more of the gifts and then at the end of the service if you are willing, we will pray for you to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and you will receive it and begin to understand the deeper practical application of these gifts so you can function in your role as an ambassador of the Kingdom of heaven
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
There are diversities (distinctive) of gifts [special abilities given by the grace and extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit operating in believers], but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all [inspiring, energizing, and empowering them]. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Each of these gifts is given freely by the Lord to strengthen and encourage Christians and to touch a world so they know God is real and loves them. We witness that in the book of Acts….
Allow me to try to explain them, starting with the most powerful according to Paul’s distinction
Word of wisdom
1) Wisdom insight into something unknown
2) Right application of truth.
3) Divine direction.
4) Seeing the world through God’s perspective.
5) Supernatural perspective to ascertain the divine means for accomplishing God’s will.
The one who uses this gift and the one who is benefited by this gift begin to have a healthy understanding of awe or fear of the Lord
“fear, awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” – Proverbs 1:7
1 Corinthians 2: 6,7
Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
In 1 Corinthians 1:17Paul says
“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”
In other words he came with divine words or words of wisdom to preach the Gospel
Someone who speaks with this gift will help others understand the Lord’s will and purpose
It is the “next step” gift it gives us 20/20 foresight into understanding what the Lord wants to do, what His heart is. We all have 20/20 hindsight but this helps us to have no regrets as we know what to do next especially in this age which is like the book of Judges 21:25
“….all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”
Wisdom, as James puts it brings peace and all good fruit
James 3:17
It is “first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
The gift of wisdom as James describes it comes the nearest of the gifts of the Spirit to seem to be like the fruit of the Spirit.
Wisdom is not only the words that are spoken but often it can be the manner in which they are spoken.
Word of wisdom takes the next gift word of knowledge and knows how to apply the divine knowledge given
Paul speaks next about a gift of divine knowledge, God knows everything and he is willing to give freely what we need as we learn to listen
Word of Knowledge
- Information that was not be obtained naturally
- An utterance of facts given by divine inspiration through, mind, vision, dream, or some other insight that would otherwise remain unknown
- teaching based on divine insight and revelation.
Ephesians 3:3-5
that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;–
Old Testament reference to both gifts they only were with these people to accomplish the task
Exodus 31:1-5
Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship
This gift can refer to special knowledge as may be needed in a crisis, which, borders on the gift of wisdom. It could refer to supernatural knowledge about someone in a particular crisis, which then borders on the gift of prophecy. A word of knowledge may disclose a person’s illness, concern, or specific need.
In Russia this last time one of the leaders came to me, he is in his late 30’s and still not married and I gave him a word that it would happen and described her to him
Both of these “word” or utterance gifts may occur in conversation, counseling, or public speaking.
These are just a couple of things that can help you in your day to day life to bring others out of ignorance into the truth of who God wants them to be
How many decisions do you make every day that would be much better if guided by wisdom or knowledge from the Holy Spirit?
How many times have you hurt yourself by things you have said when the Holy Spirit could have given you the correct words to say that would have brought life instead of pain?
Pray for people to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit!