Notes
Week 1
God’s Grace is the foundation for who we are and what we do.
God’s Grace puts you Into Debt-love him and love others.
God’s Grace is given to make us one body with many parts: unity, diversity, interdependence, and worth.
Week 2
Spiritual Gifts Strengthen Faith in Others
Spiritual gifts serve the lordship of Jesus
Spiritual gifts are given by the Trinity
Spiritual gifts each exist to benefit the whole church
Spiritual gifts are appointed by God
Spiritual Gifts Are Given in Varying Measure
All for the Glory of God
Week 3-Ministry of Reconciliation (Col. 3:13) (2 Cor. 5:17-21)
Certain people tend to draw the boundaries of orthodoxy more narrowly, insisting that theological agreement on a wide range of issues is essential for meaningful cooperative engagement. While others, draw them more broadly and look to a shared experience of the Spirit and a devotion to Jesus as sufficient grounds for unified action.
Different Churches-Nazarene, Southern Baptist, American Baptist, Free Will Baptist, General Association of Regular Baptists, Community Church, Bible Church, Calvary Chapel, Vineyard, United Methodist, Free Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutherans, Catholic, Assemblies of God, Church of Christ
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Cessationist |
Charismatic |
Charismaniac |
Pentecostal |
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Supernatural gifts (e.g., tongues and prophecy) functioned only in the early church and are not to be practiced today.
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Supernatural gifts are given to every generation and should be practiced today according to the limits of Scripture.
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Supernatural gifts are given to every generation. Contemporary revelations are, in effect, equal to Scripture. |
Essentially the same as the charismatic position, but only Christians who speak in tongues have the Holy Spirit. |
Word and Spirit are not against each other yet we are fallible as human beings and this is why mercy triumphs over judgment.
Heart-Wrenching Uncertainty
I confess that as far as I can remember there has been no question in all my preaching ministry that has caused me more heart-wrenching uncertainty. I sit at my desk with my head in my hands and plead with the Lord, on the one hand, “Oh, Lord, if there is a wind of true, biblical, spiritual power blowing in our day with signs and wonders and healing and prophecy, forbid that I should stand in the way! Don’t pass Bethlehem by. Make me the leader you want me to be for the greatest blessing of this church, and the greatest missionary effectiveness.” But then, on the other hand I pray, “Oh, Lord, forbid that we should lose our biblical bearings; forbid that we become trendy or faddish and begin to substitute the sand of experience for the rock of revealed truth. Show us the fullness of the power of the gospel, Lord, and keep us from preoccupation with secondary things, no matter how spectacular.”
On my shelves are two stacks of books by evangelical pastors and teachers. One stack argues that signs and wonders (like healings) were designed by God to help people recognize and believe in the Son of God and then to vindicate the authority of his apostles as they laid the foundation for the church with their inspired teachings and writings. After the apostles died and their writings were gathered in the New Testament, the place of signs and wonders was past, and we should not seek them today. The other stack of books argues that signs and wonders should be sought and performed today in Jesus’ name. The reason we don’t see so many is because of how little expectancy there is in the church. But God is at work doing a new thing in our day awakening the church to the reality of these things.
I read these two stacks of books. I comb the Scriptures. I pray. And I wind up again and again somewhere in the middle with a lot of questions about the particulars.
Balance? John 4:23-24
I’ve often been told that what we need is neither an emphasis on the Word or the Spirit but some sort of nebulous, elusive thing called “balance”. If by that one has in mind an avoidance of destructive extremes, it would be hard to disagree. But I have frequently found that in the name of “balance” people have justified a theologically spineless “gospel” that bears little resemblance to what we read in the New Testament. So, perhaps an attempt to define this word is in order.
I hope we can agree that if a Biblical Command is worth obeying it is worth obeying wholeheartedly and with abandon. One cannot be “somewhat” committed to the Spirit and “some what” committed to the Word. One must be wholly and radically committed to both. Otherwise, both Spirit and Word will end up being diluted and underemphasized. Spirit and Word were never meant to be “balanced” with each other, far less played off against each other, but “wedded” to each other!
To put it simply and shortly, Biblical balance is pursuing everything the Bible demands with a degree of emphasis in energy that the bible commands. Nothing in Scripture is to be pursued or obeyed halfheartedly. Every truth is to be passionately embraced. Every activity is to be implemented without hesitation or qualification. That doesn’t mean everything will be spoken of as frequently or given as much time as everything else. Thus being “balanced”, both as an individual Christian and as a church, means that we need to embrace with appropriate fervor and emphasis all the priorities of Scripture.
- I am not trying to draw a rigid distinction between “Word” and “Spirit”, as if everyone falls neatly on one side of the fence of the other.
- I am not trying to suggest those who are more “Spirit” prone are soft on Scripture or that “Word” people long for anything less than what they believe the Bible says about the ministry of the Spirit.
- I am also not trying to say that one is more fervently committed to the Glory of God and expansion of the Kingdom than the other.
Paul advocates praying with the spirit and with the mind in 1 Corinthians 14: 14. Let’s remember Paul is the man who wrote Romans. His incomparable mind rendered helpless his theological opponents. He is the man who took out the philosophers in Acts 17 yet he claims to pray in tongues more than anyone else.
Misconceptions-Taken from Sam Storms book on Spiritual Gifts
- Spiritual gifts aren’t necessary now that we have the Bible.
· Many people claim that the Bible itself has replaced miraculous phenomena in the life of the church. The biggest problem with this is that the Bible itself makes no such claim. Why should we think the church in our century stands in any less need of this activity of the Holy Spirit? Here is something to think about: if miracles were essential in the physical presence of the Son of God, how much more so now in his absence? Jesus himself consistently drew upon the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit throughout the course of his earthly ministry. If the glorious presence of the Son of God himself did not preclude the need for miraculous phenomenon, how dare we suggest that our possession of the Bible does?
- Miraculous gifts were given primarily to authenticate apostles.
· The primary, but not exclusive, purpose of spiritual gifts is to edify others. Gifts are other oriented. Some people believe that it is sinful and selfish ever to enjoy ones gift or to be personally edified from its use. However, Jude 20 actually commands us to “edify” ourselves. These gifts are given for the welfare and growth of everyone in the church. All gifts of the Spirit, whether tongues or teaching, whether prophesy or mercy, whether healing or helps, were given, for the edification and building up, encouraging, instructing, consoling and sanctifying of the body of Christ.
- Seeking spiritual gifts means you probably don’t believe in the sovereignty of God.
· Doesn’t Paul say that the Holy Spirit decides who will get what gift? Yes. 1 Corinthians 12:11, 18. But if it is God who bestows gifts according to his will, how can we pray for and seek after gifts according to our will? The answer is that our desire is itself often the fruit of God’s antecedent work in our hearts, stirring us to ask him for what he wants to give.
· Different ways in which we can receive gifts-prophetic utterance in the laying on of hands (one Timothy 4:14), prayer (first Corinthians 14:13),
- If people abuse spiritual gifts, they should cease to use spiritual gifts.
· In 1 Corinthians 1:5-7 we see that the church in Corinth is full of spiritual gifts, yet they were abusing them terribly. Surprising to most of us Paul in his response over in chapter 14:1 tells them to earnestly desire spiritual gifts. It shocks many people because it is so different from the counsel most might have given the Corinthians. Paul doesn’t tell them to slow down or stop in seeking and using the gifts. He tells those aflame with charismata to honestly seek for more (1Corinthians 12:31; 14:1, 39). It seems as if Paul is pouring gasoline on the fire. He tells them not to stop using spiritual gifts which would be prohibition, but he corrects them and tells them how to do it better. The solution to abuse is not disuse but proper use. So many people today are disillusioned over what they see in churches that are full of or claim to be full of the charismata that they want nothing to do with it. As hard as it may be for us, we must remember that the existence of a fake is not proof of the nonexistence of the real. Many Christians sub-consciously formulate their theological beliefs based not on the beauty of what the Bible describes but in reaction to the ugliness of what they have seen and others who have fabricated an experience or abused some good gift of God.
- Only ordained pastors or other super saints have miraculous spiritual gifts.
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- Spiritual gifts are an aspect of the grace that a person has received from God (Romans 12:3; Ephesians 4:7; 1 Peter 4:10).
- Spiritual gifts are not the exclusive privilege of elders, deacons, pastors, youth leaders, church secretaries, mother Theresa, monks, nuns, or some unique class of alleged super saints (Acts 2:17-18).
- Some argue that only apostles perform signs and wonders or exercised spiritual gifts. But the New Testament says otherwise.
1. 70 followers of Jesus cast out demons-Luke 10:9, 19-20
2. Over 100 people among the 120 gathered in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, as well as Stephen, Phillip and Ananias
3. Church members in Antioch heard God’s voice and prophesied-Acts 13:1
4. Followers of John the Baptist in Ephesus prophesied and spoke in tongues-Acts 19:6
5. 4 young single women at Caesarea were prophetesses-Acts 21:8-9
6. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10-suggest that ordinary people were endowed with these gifts. Prophecy, faith, miracles and other supernatural manifestations are given by the sovereign Spirit to ordinary Christians in the church for the daily, routine, building up of the body. Not merely apostles and Elders and deacons, but also homemakers and carpenters and farmers received manifestation of the spirit–all for the common good of the church.
- When you are converted you got all the gifts you will ever get.
· Can anyone tell me where it says that in the Bible?
· On several occasions we are told to seek or pursue gifts that we desire but don’t yet have (1 Corinthians 12: 31; 14:1, 12-13, 39). In 1 Corinthians 14:1 we see that it is not a suggestion but a command to pursue and desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy. This is stated as an imperative command just like in the Great Commission to “make disciples.”
- If you have ever used a spiritual gift, you can always use it.
· Many mistakenly believe that if you have prophesied once, you can prophesy at will, or if you’ve ever prayed and someone is healed, you can heal at will. The issue at stake is whether spiritual gifts are permanent or occasional and circumstantial. Should we say that a person has a gift, or does one simply use a gift? For example, is it possible that someone may on occasion perform a miracle without having the gift of miracles?
· There are several factors that support the notion of permanency (1 Corinthians 13:2; Romans 12: 6).
· On the other hand, Paul consistently use the present tense in his discussion of the gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11), as if to suggest that gifts are bestowed to meet the needs of the moment. Prophecy, for example, is dependent on the spontaneity of revelation and evidently cannot be an exercise of will. Healing, too, is always subject to the sovereign will of God.
· Perhaps the best answer is to say that some gifts, such as teaching, leadership, tongues, mercy, and so on are more likely permanent and can be exercised at will, whereas others such as prophecy, healing, and miracles are always subject to the sovereign purpose and timing of the Spirit.
- Those with more spectacular gifts are more spiritual.
· This is a myth that few people will affirm but many believe. It’s not unusual for those with gifts such as mercy and exhortation and helps to feel inferior to those with prophesy and teaching and tongues. Worse still is that those with the latter gifts often make other people feel this way. People with gifts that draw attention and applause are especially prone to measure personal value by gifting (or lack of it). We mistakenly think that if the manifestation of the Spirit is more outward then the individual is more mature or at least more favored of God, or surely, if nothing else, more useful to the church. Or we think that because someone has more than one gift the person has more of the Holy Spirit. The fact is that a person with 10 gifts may be less mature than a person with only one.
COMMOM CAUSE GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What has been your experience with spiritual gifts? (Read-Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Corinthians 12:8)
2. Have you had a bad experience with spiritual gifts that has caused you to shy away from some of the more spectacular ones we see in 1 Corinthians?
3. Do you still believe the gifts are in effect today? Why or why not?
4. Looking at the graph above where do you find yourself?
5. Do you see the need to focus on both sides of each point?
6. What is your plan to focus on both sides?
7. If time permits ask the people what they are doing to use their gifts to build up the church.