Have you ever spoken in tongues or heard someone else speak in tongues?  Chris Brannon wraps up our sermon series, talking about the gift of tongues and interpretation.

There are three different types of tongues in the Bible.  The first is a missiological use of tongues.  This is when someone doesn’t know a language and is supernaturally given that language so that other might hear, in their own language, and come to Jesus Christ.  There is the use of tongues that is personal, used for building ourselves up.  The last is the corporate use of tongues that is for the building up of the church (when coupled with the gift of interpretation) through praise and worship to God.

Chris continues by explaining the difference between the gifts of tongues and prophecy.  When you bring a tongue, it is from man to God.  When a prophecy is given, it’s from God to man.

As a church, we eagerly desire to see supernatural breakthrough.  We want to see more people healed than have been healed.  We want to see more breakthrough into the ordinary from the Spirit of God.  Here at Cedar Springs, we are eager to see God do God stuff!

The clear teaching of the New Testament is that God gives spiritual gifts to the church for the common good of the saints. To empower her mission to evangelize the world.  Chris Brannon continues in our series about spiritual gifts.  Paul tell us that we should “earnestly desire” them.

Why should we desire spiritual gifts?  One reason is because the Bible tells us to.  Another reason is because spiritual gifts build up the Church.  The last reason is because spiritual gifts are given to help us love one another.  Pursuing love and desiring spiritual gifts are not disconnected.  These gifts are given tot he church to help us love one another.  The Spirit doesn’t give us gifts in order that each of us gets our self-important moment in the spotlight.  He gives us gifts so that, for the greater glory of Christ, we are able to pursue love through serving one another.  We are to earnestly desire the spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 as a means to pursue the love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13.

There are three important details regarding spiritual gifts.  The first detail is that all spiritual gifts need to be accountable to leadership.  One of the roles of leadership is ensuring that gifts are being used “decently and in order”.  Another detail is that all the gifts are equally “spiritual”.  Although some gifts, such as prophecy, may sound more “spiritual” than others, such as serving, but they are all equally important and equally “spiritual”.  The last detail is that each person and gift will vary in capacity and context.  Within a certain spiritual gift there will be variety.  For example, come teachers will flourish in a small-group setting, while others will flourish in front of large crowds.

Chris talks about seven of the nine gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and their operation in the church:  the discerning of spirits, the gift of the word of wisdom, the gift of the word of knowledge, the gift of faith, the gift of healing, the gift of working of miracles and the gift of prophecy.

The Greeks understood that love has different meanings in different contexts.  They even used different words to capture some of those meanings.  Joe Crocker continues in our series talking about love.  The word “philos” is used to talk about friendship love.  “Eros” is used to describe romantic love.  The word Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 13 is “agape” love.  This was the word that the Greek translation used most often to speak of God’s love.  It’s the love of choice and commitment – choosing to love another person.  Joe continues on by talking about the value of love and the action of love.

Many of us have some, or even a great deal of hesitation when it comes to God moving in supernatural ways.  Chris Brannon continues in our series about spiritual gifts.  There are a lot of misperceptions and strange ideas surrounding spiritual gifts.  So much of how we view supernatural gifts comes out of personal experience, religious upbringing and background or even just the world we live in.

Why does God give us spiritual gifts?  He gives spiritual gifts to the church for the common good of the saints.  God gives spiritual gifts to empower the church’s mission to evangelize the world.  He also gives spiritual gifts to build up the church.

We are called and equipped to be a supernatural community, but all too often we are weak and anemic.  It’s easy to shrink back to be satisfied with the church as usual: good worship, friendly people, uplifting preaching.  We can be content to live a life of powerlessness.

What does earnestly desiring spiritual gifts look like?  It looks like desiring them.  How do you do that?  Begin with the Bible.  Soak in 1 Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4.  Read the book of Acts over and over.  Then pray.  A major step into supernatural, Holy Spirit presence and power in the life of a church, in the life of a believer involves slowing down and asking the Lord to speak.  The next step would be to consume sound teaching and testimonies.  These will fuel your desire, as well as your knowledge.  Lastly, meet a need.  The spiritual gifts are not fireworks for our awe.  They are mainly given as a means to extend love and the grace of God to others.  Taking steps for the sake of Christ to love others whose needs extend beyond our capacities puts us (and them) squarely in the path of God’s grace.  When we asked God to help us walk on water, we must then get out of the boat.

God is the ultimate gift giver!  Chris Brannon continues in our series on Spiritual gifts.  God has given us forgiveness, grace, redemption, the Holy Spirit and an eternal reward.

What is the purpose of spiritual gifts?  What does God intend us to do with these gifts He’s given to us?  Spiritual gifts are not for the purpose of building ourselves up, increasing our status or stature in the group we run with.  There are a few things that we should keep in mind as we consider them:  gifts can vary in strength, can and should be developed, and are tools for ministry and not necessarily related to Christian maturity.

You shouldn’t bend your mind too much trying to label your spiritual gift before you use it.  The way to think is this:  the reason we have spiritual gifts is so that we can strengthen other people’s faith.  We should seek to desire to strengthen faith in others.  When you become this kind of person, the Holy Spirit will not let your longings go to waste.  He will help you find ways to strengthen the faith of others, and that will be the discovery of your gifts.  We should also seek to encourage others by our faith.

God has not just given us this mission, He gave us the gifts of the Spirit to accomplish it.  Tom Maus kicks off our new series by introducing us to the Spiritual Gifts.  He starts off by telling us what the gifts are.  There are motivational gifts, five-fold gifts and gifts of the Spirit.  The gifts of the Spirit are words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits and tongues.

We are in a spiritual war and need the gifts to fight the battle!  God wants to use them to build up the body of Christ.  We need them to become the family in the fellowship that He wants us to be.  Are you aware of the gifts and value them?  Do you know what gifting God has blessed you with?