Kingdom Warriors

�         1 Corinthians 12:1-14

�         Spiritual gifts are part of God?s plan to bring the Church to the highest possible level of maturity and unity.

�         Pastor John MacArthur says, ?No local congregation will be what it should be, what Jesus prayed that it should be, what the Holy Spirit gifted it and empowered it to be, until it understands spiritual gifts.?

�         Definition:  A definition of a spiritual gift will help us to understand more fully what we?re talking about:

�         Dr. Ken Kinghorn:  ?A supernatural ability or capacity given by God to enable the Christian to minister (serve).?

�         Dr. C. Peter Wagner:  ?A spiritual gift is a special attribute given by the Holy Spirit to every member of the Body of Christ according to God?s grace for use within the context of the Body.?

�         All of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit are supernatural gifts.   None of them is a natural gift.  

�         In other words, the gifts of the Holy Spirit don?t come from you; they come from heaven.  

�         God gives them to us for designated tasks and mandated purposes.

�         When a light shines into a reflector, it looks like it has a light on the inside of it.   BUT it doesn?t.   A reflector only reflects what is shone into it.   We are GOD?S reflectors.   We reflect the Glory of GOD.  

�         You are the vessel through which the gifts flow.

�         The gifts aren?t ours; they?re God?s.  

�         God uses whom He chooses!   

�          The gift is never an end in itself; it is only a means to an end. 

�         The end is MINISTRY, touching people for the Lord. 

�         We are only the channels through which the Holy Spirit flows. 

�         Gifts do not end with the believer they flow through the believer.

�         The most important key is to have an intimate relationship with your best friend, the Holy Spirit.

�         We flow with the Holy Spirit, and He flows through us.  

�         We yield our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, to Him.   By yielding our self to the Spirit of God, He flows through us - but it?s always God!   It?s never to be you.

�         Start to see yourself as a mighty instrument in the hands of God.  Never disregard the Lord?s calling upon your life.    GOD WANTS TO USE YOU!

Diversities and Differences:

�         If you look at 1 Corinthians 12, you will see that it speaks of ?diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit? (verse 4).  

�         In verse 5 you will find that there are ?differences of administrations, but the same Lord.?  

�         The next verse tells us there are ?differences of operations, but it is the same God who works all in all.?  

�         So there are then diversities in gifts, differences in administration, and diversities of operations by the same Spirit of God.  

�         What does that tell us?   It tells us that God does not move the same way all the time.  

�         It means that God is a unique God.  

�         God is a God of Diversity.

�         God made every one of us unique, and when the Spirit of God flows through you, the gift comes through with your personality behind it.  

�         God wants to use you, and when He does, it will be different.  

�         You might not flow as your neighbour, but it is the same Spirit who works all in all.  

�         Don?t criticise something just because it doesn?t work the way you think it should.  

�         Some critic in ancient Palestine once said, ?I don?t know about that guy?He spits on the ground and puts clay in people?s eyes.?  Jesus was different, wasn?t He?   Think about it- Jesus spat on the ground, made clay, put the clay on the blind man?s eyes, and instructed him, ?Go wash?.

�         1 Corinthians 12:7 is very important.   ?But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to prophet withal?.

�         What you find, as you study the operation of these gifts, is that they often overlap.  

�         For example, a word of prophecy may come forth, but it?s not only prophecy; it?s a word of knowledge linked with a word of wisdom, and it comes forth to bless a person.  

�         Sometimes there will be two or three different gifts in operation at one time.  

�         That?s what happens with the working of miracles.  

�         They work together in one glove.   E.g., when you find someone who yields to the Holy Spirit concerning the gift of faith, they will have miracles, healing, etc.  

�         We need to bear in mind that the gifts are divided as the Holy Spirit wills, not as we will. 1 Corinthians 12:11

�         This is the biggest key to operating and flowing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit: It?s as He wills.  

�         All we need to do is make ourselves available to be a vessel through which God?s power can flow in the form of the nine manifestations, or gifts, of the Holy Spirit.

The Role of Faith:

�         Faith is a major element in operating in the gifts of the Spirit.  

�         God is limited to the proportion or measure that you yield yourself to His flow through you. Romans 12:6

The Role of Love:

�         It is by love that the gifts operate.   You can prophesy and operate in all the other gifts, but the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:1 that if you don?t have love, you?re like ?sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal?.  

�         Love is the envelope in which you deliver the gift.   So it is not only by faith?  

�         It?s by love- the love of God- that the gifts will operate.  

�         Loving people and desiring to see them be healed, blessed, touched, and reached by the love of God cause the gifts to operate.  

�         The more you love people, the stronger the gifts will begin to operate.  

�         Love is the wings on which the gifts flow.  

�         The power of God will start to fall on you when you love people.  

The Role of the Anointing:

�         Thirdly, the operation of the gifts of the Spirit works by the anointing.  

�         The anointing is that awesome presence of God that will come and begin to touch people.  

�         1 John 2:20 says, ?But you have an unction of the Holy One, and know all things?.  

�         You can?t function without the unction!   

�         Don?t move without the anointing.

�         You must wait for that unction, that anointing; especially with the vocal gifts.

�         When the anointing comes, FLOW with it.   But when it stops, STOP!

�         Remember: it is as the Spirit wills, not as you will.

Mental vs. Spiritual- 1 Corinthians 2:14-16; 1 Corinthians 14:14,15

�         Always be sensitive to the Spirit of God.   Don?t try to work the gifts with your head.  

�         The gifts don?t operate in the mental realm; they operate in the spiritual realm.  

�         It is God working through your spirit (inner man).  

�         You must stir yourself up for the gifts to begin to operate.  

�         The Bible says, ?David encouraged himself in the Lord?.  

�         You, too, need to build yourself up, or edify yourself.  

�         Jude 20 says, ?But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.?

�         ?He who speaks in an unknown tongue edifies and improves himself? -  1 Corinthians 14:4  

�         Acts 10:46 When Cornelius and his household began to speak with tongues, the Bible says, ??they heard them speak with tongues, and Magnify God?.

�         Speaking with tongues is the Supernatural way to magnify God!

�         Speaking with tongues is the initial, supernatural sign or evidence of the Holy Spirit?s indwelling.

�         Speaking with tongues is the door into the Spiritual Gifts.

�         The more edified you are, the more you can edify others.   The more exhorted you are, the more you can exhort others.   The more comforted you are, the more you can comfort others.   The more joyful you are, the more joy you can bring to others.

�         If you?re sad, down, and distraught, you will take that with you wherever you go.  

�         But if you?re full of the Spirit of God, the anointing of God will flow forth from you.  

�         It will just happen.   You can?t make it happen.  

�         Walking in the supernatural must become a way of life to you.  

�         It?s time to get out of the natural, and enter the supernatural dimension!

�         Enter the Glory Zone!

�         Anything can happen in the Glory realm?

The importance of the Fruit of the Spirit- Galatians 5:22,23

�         The fruit of the Spirit is a prerequisite for the effective exercise of spiritual gifts. 

�         Gifts without fruit are worthless. 

�         The fruit of the Holy Spirit describes the character of God. 

�         They are the character of Jesus. 

�         He was a walking manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. 

�         In a very real sense, the fruit of the Spirit is the image of Christ. 

�         Please take note that the possession of gifts does not indicate godliness of life. 

�         Samson, Judas and the Corinthian church are all illustrations of this truth. 

�         Fruit is the indicator of spiritual godliness, not gifts. 

�         It is far better to be godly than gifted, but better still, to be both.

�         When people try to operate in a gift of the Holy Spirit without the fruit of the Spirit, the gift becomes corrupted and does not operate in its fullness. 

�         The Gifts must be used in harmony with and under the powerful influence of the fruit of the Spirit.

�         There are numerous differences between the Fruit (singular) and the Gifts (plural).  Here are a few of those differences:

Gifts are functional                                                 Fruit is a quality of life

Gifts are bestowed                                                 Fruit is growth

Gifts are given                                                           Fruit is implanted

Gifts are complete                                                  Fruit is gradually developed

Gifts are temporal                                                   Fruit is eternal

Guidelines for the Use of Spiritual Gifts

�         Regulations. 1 Corinthians calls for these regulations:

a.                   Motivation ? LOVE (chapter 13)

b.                  Maturity ? ?Be not children in understanding?be mature men? (1 Cor. 14:20)

c.                   Edification ? called for seven times (14: 3-5, 12, 17, 26). All is to edify, to build up, to add to,    to contribute to the common good.

d.                  Order ? all is to be ?done decently and in order.? (14:33, 40)

�         Judging a Gift.  The exercise of an utterance gift can be judged (14:29) by asking these questions.

a.       Does it agree with the Word of God?             

b.      Does it glorify the Lord Jesus?

c.       Does it witness with your own spirit?

d.      Is it ministered in love?

e.      Can it stand the test of being judged by others?

�         Guidelines for use.  Further guidelines are given in the following Scripture passages:

a.  Forbid not     (1 Cor. 14:39)                     b.  Desire earnestly        (1 Cor. 12:31; 14:1,39)

c.  Evaluate         (1Cor. 14:26-33)                d.  Despise not                  (1 Thes. 5:20)

e.  Prove              (1 Thes. vs. 21)                   f.  Hold fast                       (1 Thes. vs. 21)

g.  Neglect not  (1 Tim. 4:14)                       h.  Stir up                             (2 Tim. 1:6)

i.  Take heed (to fulfill) (Col. 4:17)

HOW TO RECEIVE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ? Luke 11:11-13

�         Desire earnestly and be zealous of it ? 1 Cor. 12:31, 1 Cor. 14:1, 12, 39.

�         By revelation ? Gal. 1:17, 18, Matt. 16:17, 2 Cor. 1:21.

�         By impartation: laying on of hands  -  1 Tim. 4:14, 2 Tim. 1:6, Rom. 1:11.

�         Praying in the Holy Spirit- Acts 19:1-6, 1 Corinthians 14:4, 5, 14, 18, 39.

Confession:

I?m not afraid to miss it.   I?m not afraid to step out of the boat and walk on the water of the supernatural.   I?d rather be a wet water walker than a dry boat sitter.   I?m going to walk on the water of the things of the Spirit of God.   I?m going to walk in the supernatural.   I?m going to stir myself up in the Holy Spirit.   I?m going to stir myself up in the anointing.   I?m going to stir myself up to move in the supernatural.   I?m hungry for the nine gifts!   I covet earnestly the best gifts, especially that I may prophesy!   Amen!

Put into practice the things you have learnt.   Stir yourself up to walk in the supernatural.   If you do these things, you will see God move through you.   Your life will become an exciting adventure!