06 – Spirit of truth – Receiving the Spirit’s gifts
Problems we face
… out of the biblical context of what the gift is actually for.
Results in
– filled with pride
– filled with a self focus
– a wrong perspective of genuine Christianity
The purpose of gifts
1 Cor 12:7 … for the common good.
1 Cor 14:26… to build the church up.
1 Cor 12:25 … should not bring about division in the body but should result in equal concern for one another.
Qu: Are we using the gifts God has given us to build unity in our church?
Qu: Are we using them to build an equal concern for one another regardless of the background these people come from?
How do we get them?
… you do not get them.
– See 1 Cor 12:4, 11
… God’s Spirit gives different gifts, just as he determines
Different gifts … different churches … different generations
… each gift given is a work of the one and the same Spirit and each gift is given to build up the church.
Recognising the Spirit’s Gifts
1) Test # 1 = Scripture
… used in a way that is consistent scripture.
Eg: the gift of prophecy.
if that message has come from God, then it must be consistent with God’s word.
1 Thess 5:20-21, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil”.
NT prophecy different to OT prophecy
Danger of false teachers – Acts 20:29-30, “savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
2 Timothy 4:1-4 … people will not put up with sound doctrine
… used in a correct way
1 Cor 14:26ff
– V 28 – people who have the gift of tongues are told to remain silent if the tongue is not interpreted
– V 29 people who have the gift of prophecy are told to stop or the remain silent if too many people have already spoken.
2) Test # 2 – Unity of Body
3) Test # 3 – Glorifying to God or a person?
1 Cor 12:3, “no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit”
4) Test # 4 – Given or Ordered