Sun. 6/4/2014
Quarter’s Theme: THE HOLY SPIRIT
Unit 2 Theme: The Exploits Of The Holy Spirit (Lessons 4-8)
SOUL WINNERS CROWN COMPETITION MONTHS
6/4/2014 LESSON 6
THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (PART 1)
Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 150, 152
Devotional Reading: ROMANS 12:1-8
Topic For Adults
YOUR GIFT IS NOT FOR SHOW OFF
Topic For Youths
GIFTS ARE GIVEN, NOT EARNED
Scripture Lesson
1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-9
Memory verse: Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. (1 Cor. 12:1) NKJV
DAILY BIBLE READING
They Were All Healed
Acts 5:12-16
In the early Church, some of the apostles were endowed with the gifts of healing. One of them was apostle Peter. When the people realised this and discovered that it was impossible for Peter to be coming to them, they decided to be taking their sick people beside the road where Peter would pass so that Peter’s shadow could heal. And the Bible records that as many sick that were brought were all healed. Apostle Paul was another one whose apron was also healing the sick (Acts 19:11-12). In our contemporary time, there are some servants of God that God has endowed with this gift. They need to use it so that members of the body of Christ may stay healthy.
Point of Emphasis: Freely you have received, freely give it out.
Prayer Point: Holy Spirit, let the gift of healing be multiplied in Your Church.
BACKGROUND
The Holy Spirit did not only come to be in the world with us alone but He also came with His gifts for the Church. Perhaps this aspect of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church makes it quite unique from ordinary societies in the world. As there are nine aspects of the fruit, there are also nine gifts of the Holy Spirit as highlighted in 1 Corinthians 12. This week’s lesson will consider some of them and the remaining gifts will be considered next week.
NOTES ON THE TEXT
I. MANY GIFTS, ONE SPIRIT – 1 COR. 12:4-7
A gift is something that is given by somebody to another person, usually in order to provide pleasure or to show gratitude. In another vein, a gift is also a natural ability that somebody appears to have been born with, especially in artistic ability or social skill. However, when we talk about the gifts of the Spirit, it is not natural gift, but supernatural enablement that a person is endowed with by the Holy Spirit. In the passage of this section, we are made to understand that there are diversities of gifts and there are many operations of these gifts but the most important thing to note is that it is the same Holy Spirit that gives all of them.
This means that when a Christian receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, apart from the power, anointing and the fruit of the Spirit deposited in him or her, gift(s) is (are) still deposited into the life of the person. Also, there is a purpose for giving the gift to the person by the Holy Spirit and that is for the profit of all (v. 7). This profit comes as one is using the gift for the edification of the body of Christ and for the expansion of the kingdom of God (Eph. 4:11-15).
II. THE WORD OF WISDOM – 1 COR. 12:8
This gift stands at the head of the list in terms of importance. It enables us to speak and act with divine wisdom and thus ensures the correct use and application of other gifts. The word of wisdom is a fragment of divine wisdom supernaturally imparted by the Holy Spirit. It supplies one with the immediate wisdom to know what to say or do in a given situation. In other words, it is the special ability given by God to certain members of the Church to know the mind of the Holy Spirit in such a way as to receive insight into how a given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising in the body of Christ – the Church. The individual who is endowed with this gift knows how to quickly get into the heart of the problem and solve it. Joseph and Solomon in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament are good examples of the possessors of this gift.
III. THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE – 1 COR. 12:8
A word of knowledge is a fragment or small item of God’s knowledge, given to a person by the Holy Spirit. It gives certain facts and information to the person who has it through the supernatural revelation of the Holy Spirit. This information is previously unknown to the person and the knowledge could not be gained by any natural means. It is the gift given to some members of the Church by the Holy Spirit to discover, accumulate, analyze and clarify information and ideas that are pertinent to the growth and well being of the Church. This gift cannot be gained by intellectual learning. It is not the ability to study and interpret the Bible. It is not the knowledge of God gained by our experience as we walk with God. Rather, it is a supernatural revelation from God to solve a particular problem or for a particular situation at a particular time.
IV. THE GIFT OF FAITH – 1 COR. 12:9
The gift of faith is the special endowment given to someone God is calling upon to take impossible action steps because of what God has spoken to him or her. God supernaturally empties the person the gift has been given to and fills him or her with special faith that enables him or her to accomplish God’s purpose despite every contrary and contradictory circumstances of life. This gift is different from the general faith we have at salvation or to believe the word and promises of God but it is supernaturally endowed by the Holy Spirit. General faith grows as a result of feeding on the word of God, however, the gift of faith has a superior function to even the highest degrees of general faith.
Some Bible translators refer to the gift of faith as “special faith”. This indicates a faith bestowed by the Holy Spirit to meet the need of the Church in a special and extenuating circumstance. This suggests further that the gift of faith is not permanently resident in any believer but rather that each manifestation is a separate gift of faith.
V. THE GIFTS OF HEALING – 1 COR. 12:9
The gift of healing is the supernatural power that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to heal illness and restore health apart from using the natural means. It is the power of the Holy Spirit which comes upon a person’s body, dissolving his or her disease and driving out his or her pain to heal them.
One will note that there is a plural noun used for this gift which illustrates that there are many gifts of healing for different diseases. Some with a gift of healing many have great success with blindness, others may have success with deafness or cancer etc. This gift was demonstrated widely among the apostles but dated back to some Old Testament Prophets like Elijah and Elisha and largely in the ministry of Christ.
CONCLUSION
We have seen in this lesson that there are many gifts and the giver is the Holy Spirit. There is no genuine child of God, who has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, who does not have a gift. You need to check your life well, what is the gift that the Holy Spirit has given to you? If you cannot answer the question without mincing word, then you need to go back to the Holy Spirit and start working for God for those gifts cannot manifest in the lives of idle Christians.
QUESTIONS
1. Explain the term “supernatural gift”.
2. What is the purpose of these spiritual gifts in the lives of believers?
3. Describe word of wisdom and word of knowledge. What is the difference between them?
4. How is gift of faith different from the general saving faith?
5. Why are the gifts of healing mentioned in the plural?
French
DIMANCHE 06/04/2014
ILS ETAIENT TOUS GUERIS
ACTES 5 :12-16
Dans l’église primitive, certains apôtres étaient dotés du don des guérisons. L’un d’entre eux était l’apôtre Pierre. Quand les gens se rendirent compte de cela et découvrirent qu’il était impossible à Pierre de venir vers eux, ils décidèrent d’apporter leurs malades près de la route que Pierre devait emprunter afin que son ombre puisse les guérir. La Bible rapporte que ceux (les malades) qu’on lui apportait étaient tous guéris. L’apôtre Paul était un autre exemple dont les linges (qui l’avaient touché) guérissaient aussi les malades. (Actes 19:11-12). Il y a de nos jours certains serviteurs de Dieu que Dieu a dotés de ce don. Ils ont besoin de l’utiliser afin que les membres du corps de Christ restent sains.
Point essentiel : Vous avez reçu gratuitement, donnez gratuitement
Axe de prière : Saint-Esprit, que le don des guérisons soit donné en abondance dans Ton Eglise.