29 SPIRITUAL GIFTS - 20/02/11

SPIRITUAL GIFTS - 29 -   Pr. Suresh Ramachandran

Many of us think that the gifts of the Spirit is only nine taking into consideration 1cor12:8-10. But it is 29 and not 9. It is seen in New Testament. For four reasons it is divided into four sects from the new believers to matured christians. The Spirit is the one who strengthens the church. The Spirit shed so many gifts on us but we christians are ignorant of that. This message is to make you understand what kind of gifts you are anointed with, to know about all the other gifts, the difference between the Spirit dwelling inside you and the anointment.

Anointment means the Holy Spirit comes upon you and takes complete control of you. If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God.1Jn4:15. Paul says to the Ephesians "Be filled with the spirit everyday". Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together! It is like fine oil poured upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aaron’s beard, and then flows down his garments.Ps133:1,2. So anointing is not the one which is inside you or which fills you but it is the one which comes upon you and takes control of you completely under Him. Baptism is the water coming upon us likewise Anointing is the holyspirit coming upon us and we under Him.

First Sect:

This is for both new believers and matured christians.

And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness. Rom12:6-8.

Rom12:6 is the proof that the next coming things are gifts. Here Paul speaks to Christians in Rome. There lived Gentile christians and Jewish Christians and he tried to unite them, hence he spoke uniting them. Here Paul says about 7 gifts which is given to the matured christians and for the new christians. Atleast one of these 7 gifts will be definitely in you.

1. PROPHETICAL GIFT:

From Genesis 1:1- Revelation22:21 everything is prophesy. Prophesy is God's word. A part of this is 1.Foretelling the future. 2. Revealing the hidden secrets. Whoever preaches God's word in faith is prophesying. whenever God's word is needed for someone it will rightly given by the Holyspirit which is upon youat the right place to the right person. It is not a thing which comes from your memory, it is a gift. God uses such people as a mobile word.

2. SERVING GIFT:

Hospitality and helping tendancy comes naturally from their mind.Not only serving food but also helping others when they are in need expecting no returns. This is a gift.

3. PREACHING GIFT:

It is not the preaching done in a big church or in a grand stage. It is the one which is done among a small group like a sunday school ministry, care cell etc; A teacher should be a scientist and an artist. He should research the God's word deeply and should interestingly preach it in a way the hearers should enjoy it. In a village in Massuchusets there was a small church and they ran a sunday school which was of only 13 children.

There was a 12 year old boy who never gives attention to his sunday school teacher and when asked for his behaviour his reply was "Iam not interested in attending this class, because of my mom's compulsion I attend this". One year over and the boy went to the next class but this teacher was very much concerned about this boy. And he found out that he is working in a cobbler shop. So he waited for him outside the shop till he finishes his work and used to accompany him to his house preaching about Jesus. The boy was so vexed and asked that teacher to leave him alone but the teacher did not give up till he listened to him. That boy was D.L. Moodie. There was a great meeting arranged in U.S and D.L.Moodie was invited to preach there and no one attended that meeting except Billy Graham. And D.L.Moodie preached for Billy Graham alone and he got saved in that meeting and through him lakhs and lakhs of people got saved. You might be thinking that you are doing a small ministry but remember you will see a great reap.

4. ADVICING GIFT:

When you advice just know whether you are worthy to advice them. Do not think more than you ought to think and advice matured christians. You should not be advicing everyone knowing nothing or little. Do not advice people who knows more than you. I came across a girl who was married for only two years advicing a woman who was married for 10 years. How will this work out unless you learn by experience.

5. GIVING GIFT:

It doesn't mean that you should give more. It is a giving which we have to be done wisely. Use your wisdom. We once were helping some people as they were in so much of need. But once we came to know they never used to give tithes. So these kind of people cheated God's money and hence they suffer. People who do not give tithes will be cursed and he cannot be blessed. Ask God how much you give, whom to give, when to give and when to give. Do not listen to the advice who stops you from giving. So use this giving gift. God bless you.

6. LEADER:

It is a leader of a small group, may be a worship leader, care cell leader etc; A leader should not be proud or hurt anyone. They should be meek and careful.

7. MERCY:

When someone suffers they feel sorry for them. They have sympathy for them and  compassion. Only these kind of people can earnestly pray for others.

SECOND SECT

This is for the people who is matured in the Lord to use the gifts right away and not for the immatured or new christians.

For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things. 1Cor12:8.

1.PREACH WISDOM:

Through wisdom God reveals others problems through the Spirit. This is not prophesying. It is the word of wisdom. Do not use this word of wisdom infront of everyone revealing ones personal secrets and insult him. To use this word of wisdom we need another gift, the word of knowledge.

2.WORD OF KNOWLEDGE:

Through this we have a knowledge of how to approach that person and how to direct them towards God instead of putting him in a further big trouble. So if you word of wisdom ask God for word of knowledge or else approach a person who has the word of knowledge and get proper guidance from him.

3.FAITH:

With 1pound and 18cents in my pocket I was sitting in the Manchester airport in UK waiting to travel to U.S. In my faith I know I am going to U.S now as God said to me. If I had told somebody about this before I reached there to U.S many would have called me as a mad. So after reaching U.S I testified this. This seems to be a madness to others but that's how faith works. Only people who experienced this can understand this. Christians should have this faith. But if you do not have such faith do not practice this taking risk.

4.HEALINGS:

God gives His disciples the power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils.

5.MIRACLES:

Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Acts6:8. Likewise Jesus gives this gifts also to some of you.

6.PROPHESY:

This prophesy is about the church and this is done to edify the church like a builder of the house and not to separate the people.1cor14:4.

7.DISCERNING:

Three kinds of SPirit acts in the church. They are 1.Holy. 2. Evil. 3. Human. Many cannot identify what kind of spirit it is. In a church a lady was shouting and dancing as if she was possessed. Five pastors stood around her, two of them holding her hands and the other three were trying to cast the devil out of her in the name of Jesus. I went there as I was restless waiting for these pastors as the service was going on there. At once I saw that lady I identified she was not possessed but she was acting. I just told the pastors to leave her and slapped on her face straight away. She became very quiet and went out and sat and attended the service. But I assure you now I am not like this. So do not worry.

8.TONGUES:

This is the one we do in the church and we should know that this is for improving the church.

9.INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES:

It is not necessary who has the gift of tongues should also interpret. Both gifts are different. When one person speaks in tongues another can also interpret this.

THIRD SECT

This is for the heads (God's Ministers)

And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, gifts of healing, helps, gifts of leadership, different kinds of tongues. 1Cor12:28. But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided. 1Cor12:18.

1.  APOSTLES: Here the apostles mentioned is not an apostle of the world but an apostle for his church. apo/stelo- apo-sent, stelo-news or duty. As this pastor is sent with a news for his church, he is an apostle of his church. He will continue this till the coming of Jesus Christ. Apostleship is not a designation but it is a gift.

2.  PROPHETS: Through thses prphets God will reveal the plans for the church, may be a long time plan. God has some calls for each and every church. For example Philadelphia church had a calling for ministry of sending missionaries. My church is called for preaching ministry. We train many people as preachers and sent them all over the world to preach Jesus. And we have to see what kind of church we are in.

3. TEACHERS: He teaches the God's word deeply to the church. A church can run without a worship leader, a musician, organizer etc; but it cannot run without a good teacher.

4. MIRACLES:

5. GIFTS OF HEALING: It is the gift of healing sicknesses and casting out devils.

6. HELPS: This one naturally comes to some people. They will voluntarily come down to help people, to do some work in the church, to cook, to support the church etc; This is a gift.

7. GIFTS OF LEADERSHIP:

8. DIFFERENT KINDS OF TONGUES:

FOURTH SECT

It was He who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ. Eph4:11.

1. APOSTLES: To them God says about the things to happen or things to come in the world. This apostle will be heading so many churches all around the world.

2. PROPHETS:

3. EVANGELISTS:

4. PASTORS:

5. TEACHERS: