Spiritual Gifts - Stir Up the Gifts!

Spiritual Gifts in the Bible

• Prophecy
• Serving
• Teaching
• Exhortation
• Giving
• Leading (Administration)
• Mercy
• Wisdom
• Knowledge
• Faith
• Discernment
• Evangelism
• Hospitality
• Speaking
• Celibacy

Today I want to highlight prophecy.

Not all of those who prophesy are prophets Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:31 that all can prophesy, but he also asks, “Are all prophets?” and the answer is “no.” Paul speaks both of “spirituals” and of “gifts of the spirit” and the two are not the same. A “spiritual” is a manifestation – a breaking forth – of the power of the Holy Spirit in prophecy (or in healing, working a miracle, etc.) 

A “gift of the Holy Spirit” is the equipment which fits an individual to take his or her particular role among God’s people. In other words, Paul says that many can prophesy by a “working of the Holy Spirit,” but that only some have the “gift” to be a prophet.

The Prophet's Role

• Receiving and proclaiming the “word.”  A more apt description of this responsibility would perhaps be “obeying the promptings of the Spirit.” A crucial part of the prophetic ministry is immediate and obedient response to the urging of the Holy Spirit, whether that be a prompting to speak a message, perform a prophetic action, or even to refrain from speaking for a time. The Lord said to Ezekiel “Whenever you hear a word from me, warn them in my name” (Ezekiel 3:17). When the Lord told Jeremiah to go visit the house of the potter, Jeremiah went (Jeremiah 18). When the Lord told Isaiah that King Hezekiah would recover from an illness, Isaiah immediately went to the king with that message, even though he had prophesied only moments before that the king would not recover (2 Kings 20). When Agabus heard the Spirit telling him to bind the hands of Paul and prophesy, he did so at once (Acts 21:11).

• Actively seeking out God’s will and God’s word. The prophet bears a responsibility to place himself or herself continually in the presence of God, seeking to hear the word of the Lord and asking the Lord for guidance and direction, for encouragement or rebuke.

• “Stirring up” the prophetic gift. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians that “prophets can always control their prophetic spirits,” or as another translation puts it, “The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets” (1 Corinthians 14:32). Paul means primarily that prophets can refrain from prophesying when that is appropriate.

• “Watching over” the prophetic word. The Lord told Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and the other prophets of Israel that their responsibility went beyond the first time they spoke the word he gave them; they were to continue speaking that word until Israel either responded to it or finally rejected it.

Praying for the church

I believe that an integral and important part of the prophet’s task is unceasing prayer for the Christian community. The prophets, because they knew what the mind of the Lord was, were in a position to pray more effectually than other members of the community. They had a clearer picture of what God was doing, and so they knew when prayer was most needed. They were also able to pray true “prophetic prayers,” in which the Holy Spirit directed and guided their very manner and words. “Upon your wall, Jerusalem, I set watchmen. Day or night they must never be silent. You who keep Yahweh mindful must take no rest. Nor let him take rest till he has restored Jerusalem” (Isaiah 62:6, emphasis mine).

Prophets, then, are not people who simply leave themselves open to the possible inspiration of the Spirit. Rather, they are entrusted with a task demanding responsibility and vigilance on their part. They are to make themselves active in the role which God has assigned them.


The life of the prophetNo one can effectively serve God in a position of real responsibility unless his or her life is solid and stable, in both its Christian and its normal human aspects. A person afflicted with serious emotional or psychological problems cannot be trusted with a place of responsibility and authority within the community. God offers healing and strength to those who need it, but they should receive that healing before they are allowed to function in a prophetic service

Manifestation of spiritual gifts

• An ongoing and consistent exercise of prophecy.
• A prophet should manifest a powerful and effective exercise of prophetic gifts. True prophecy can be manifested with more or less spiritual power.
• A prophet should have the ability to “stir up” the gift.
• An abiding prophetic gift usually includes a true gift of revelation which operates consistently.

One clear mark of a true prophet is revelation!

Through the prophets God reveals mysteries, brings to light his plan, and makes known things which have been hidden.Paul tells us that each person should use the gift he or she has received according to the measure of the gift given (Romans 12:3). Not all prophets are called to prophetic service in the same way or to the same degree. But there is among them a true “family resemblance.”

Christianity should be inherently mystical, because that's God's nature.

Seek to understand. The fact is, if you don’t experience the supernatural like these individuals then you potentially won’t understand their experiences.
Romans 11:29 says, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” “Without repentance” means that God won’t change His mind about what He has called you to do. If God has called you, that calling is still there, whether or not you have obeyed. And if God gave you a gift—if He gifted you along a certain line—that gift is still there!

“Most spiritual gifts die not by outright rejection, but by distraction. Our gifts won’t reach the heights of their potential if we refuse to use them on our knees.”

Warnings

• Beware when spiritual gifts are used as a means of manipulation, power, or control in personal and/or church relationships. And notice, they're all going to start with “beware.” That's a warning sign. 
• Beware when spiritual gifts are used as a means of manipulation, power, or control in personal and/or church relationships. When God is working, and the Lord Jesus is exalted, and the Spirit of God is bestowing gifts and operating in the body of Christ, it’s for the common good. It builds people up. The focus is on the Godhead, not on the gifts. Any time someone comes to you, or someone you know, and says, “God revealed to me that you're supposed to do this, or do that,” a big, red light ought to flash on the dashboard.
• Beware when anyone claims to have the ability to give, or bestow, any particular gift, if you follow their formula. Notice what it says in 1 Corinthians 12:11. He goes on to say, “All these gifts are of the same Spirit, and He gives to each one just as He determines.” He is speaking of the spiritual gifts. He says, “God gives, or bestows, gifts,” literally, it's, “as He wills.” The Greek word is a very interesting one. It means “as He chooses, after careful deliberation.” Remember, we said, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” If God has a plan for your life, and He's going to gift you to fulfill the plan for your life, then the gifts that He gives you are not going to be given through some other person, somewhere, sometime, some way. Truth is, people don't bestow gifts, God does.
• Beware when any particular gift is made universal evidence of spirituality, salvation, or other spiritual blessing. Skip down to verses 29 and 30, chapter 12. By the way, as I read this, too – in English we can't quite do it. But he's going to ask questions. But, grammatically, you can ask a question, and you can use just one little word that automatically tells you that it's a rhetorical question, and the answer is “no.” And that's this case. So, these are not just questions, “Are all apostles?” It's “Are all apostles?” Emphatically, “No.” Okay?
• Beware (spiritual abuse) when the focus of a church service ministry or religious event is on spiritual gifts and their manifestation, rather than on the giver of the gifts, and His agenda for the Church. This is where you hear about “the miracle service,” as advertised.
• Beware of comparing your gifts with anyone else’s. It always leads to carnality. Do not compare your gifts.
• Beware (warning light) of using spiritual gifts and the energy of the flesh to fulfill personal ego needs or impress other people. This is another one that I don't think you grow out of. Beware. Beware. Be on your guard. Watch over your heart with all diligence. When you have a spiritual gift, you can take a gift – it’s like a tool. God doesn't take away the tool. You can be in the flesh. God will honor His Word, and He will honor the tool, or the gift, that He's placed in your hand. But I can use my gift, and you can use your gift, not in submission to the Spirit, but in the energy of the flesh, and it produces not good things.Beware of confusing spiritual gifts with spiritual fruit as the evidence of spiritual growth and maturity. 
• The final warning here is, beware of viewing the discovery, development, and deployment of your spiritual gift as either an optional exercise, or interesting but not serious responsibility. Now, I've given you two passages: Ephesians 4:7, and 2 Corinthians 5:9 and 10.

Your spiritual gift action plan

• Write the word: commit to discover, develop, and deploy your spiritual gift in the local body. And when I say “commit,” what I mean is, “God, before You” – this is lordship.
• Pray seriously, seeking divine guidance. Don't you think God wants to show you? Didn't Jesus say, “Ask, seek, knock”?
• Study the gift passages in God's Word. This isn't just some mystical thing. Get your nose in the Word.
• Get quality counsel. Quality counsel. Find people who really know you, people who are spiritually mature, and people who will tell you the truth. And, by the way, that's a rare combination.
• Test the waters. And I just put for six or eight weeks. Maybe it's better for three or four months.
• Examine the fulfillment factor. This is not the easy factor. When you're in your gifts.
• And the final one here is, recognize God's evident blessing. When you are in your gifts, it doesn't mean that things are going to change overnight. But God will use your life.

You are His workmanship. He has wonderful works for you to walk in. And those works are going to be highly determined by the supernatural endowments given to you by Jesus.

“The short prevailing prayer cannot be prayed by one who has not prevailed with God in a mightier struggle of long continuance.”- E M Bounds

* Romans 11:29 says, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” “Without repentance” means that God won’t change His mind about what He has called you to do. If God has called you, that calling is still there, whether or not you have obeyed. And if God gave you a gift—if He gifted you along a certain line—that gift is still there!

Paul told Timothy to “stir up” the gift that was within him, saying, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6). If you want to walk out God’s plan for your life, it’s time to stir up that gift within you!

Ephesians 4:8,11–12
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men...
11 And 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.

The “gifts” in this passage refer to the fivefold ministry gifts: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. You may or may not be called to the fivefold ministry.