hsgifts6
We're going to continue on t ministry of t H.S. So far we've covered t inspiration gifts, which were prophecy , tongues & t interpretation of tongues. Then we went on to t revelation gifts, which are, t Word of Wisdom, t Word of Knowledge, & t one that were going to be covering today which is t Discerning of Spirits. 1COR 12:10
I. This gift gives us insight into t spirit world, & it is actually more limited than t other revelation gifts, because it is limited to just spirits where t other revelation gifts could also include spirits & many other things.
A. I want to make one point clear before we go on, this gift is not t discerning of Devils, it is called t Discerning of Spirits.
1. This gift is not just t discerning of evil spirits.
a. Someone that only seeing Devils or demons are not operating in t gift of Discerning of Spirits.
b. This gift is t Discerning of all Spirits.
2. It doesn't matter if there are evil spirits or God's heavenly host.
a. ACTS 27:23
b. Paul had a vision of an angel of God.
3. Some have had visions of t Lord Jesus Christ.
a. God opened Moses eyes. God spoke to him & said that you can't see my face but I'll let you see my hind parts.
b. ISA 6:1 (Isaiah said)
c. ACTS 7:55‑56
d. In t book of REV, John even saw t H.S., John calls Him t 7 Spirits of God.
e. 2KINGS 6:15‑17
B. This gift does also imply that we will see evil spirits.
1. Every one wants to see evil spirits, I rather see Jesus, all of His angels & the mountains full of horses and chariots of fire.
a. Did you ever notice that in t Word of God there are more Heavenly being seen then evil spirits?
b. That's something for you to think about. 1 reason is that God is greater & that only 1/3 of t angels fell from their 1st state. There is still 2/3 of all the angels left.
II. Let's look at a passage of scripture that we looked at last week.
A. ACTS 16:16‑18
1. Weather Paul knew t 1st day or not that this girl had a spirit, doesn't really matter.
2. T point that I wanted you to see is that he did know at some time that she had a demon.
a. But how did he know.
i. There are a few ways that a person could know that someone has a demon.
ii. T 2 most common ways, other than seeing it in t natural, is by a Word of Knowledge or Discerning of spirits.
b. In this V in (ACT 16) it doesn't clearly tell us, but we do see something that gives us a big hint to how he knew there was a demon present.
i. Notice what it says in t middle of (V 18) "But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit."
1. Paul was talking right to this spirit.
2. Apparently he saw t spirit.
B. Now as children of God we can cast of spirits if they are in someone, weather we see then or not. But in this case here w/ Paul it's probably that had t gift of Discerning of Spirits.
III. Now I want to take a look at T WORKING OF MIRACLES.
A. In (1CO 12:10) It says, "To another the working of miracles."
1. Were just going to spend a few minutes on this gift. After Christmas we'll pick up t last 2 gifts.
2. T working of miracles is 1 of t gifts of power.
B. Before we go on any further we need to define working of miracles.
1. T working of miracles is different then t miracle of t sun
rise or different flowers giving off a beautiful scent.
a. T working of miracles is more then t miracles of nature.
2. Everyone of t gifts of t spirit are miraculous. But t working of miracles is a specific act.
a. Things like dividing a stream, like Elisha did just shortly after he received Elijah's mantle.
b. One good definition of Working of Miracles, but still
a little general is this, An intervention in t ordinary course of nature.
i. T reason that I say that it is a little general is because even t Gifts of Healing could be called an intervention in t ordinary course of nature.
ii. But again, generally, Working of Miracles would
be an intervention in t ordinary course of nature, other than t Gifts of Healing, As long as it is by t Spirit of God.
C. Let's look at some different examples: That's probably t best way to explain t Working of Miracles.
1. 1KINGS 17:12‑16
a. This would have to be classified as a Working of Miracles.
2. In t book of (EXO) there are a # of Working of Miracles.
a. When Aaron threw down his rod & it turned into a serpent that was a Working of Miracles.
b. When t dust was turned into insects & all t other miracles that were done there, were t Working of Miracles.
c. T dividing of t RED SEA was a Working of Miracles.
i. In some of these miracles there are actually 2 gifts involved.
ii. Many times it's t Working of Miracles & t last
gift that were going to be covering which is t special Gift of Faith.
3. 2KINGS 4:1‑7
IV. Let's just look at a few N.T. examples:
A. JOHN 6:5‑14
1. T only way to explain it, is that it was a Working of Miracles.
2. In t book of ACTS t Working of Miracles was used to carry
out divine judgement.
a. ACTS 5:1‑5
b. This had to be a Working of Miracles because no one has power to cause a person's human spirit to leave, except God.
c. This gift of t spirit, as w/ all t others, is as t spirit wills.
B. According to t YOUNG'S concordance, t term Working of Miracles,
would be better translated T Working of POWERS.
1. T Working of Miracles is used to display God's power & magnificence.
2. One person wrote, you may have heard of him, Howard Cater, He wrote, "T Working of Miracles is t mighty power of God flowing thru a
person."
a. I think that's t best way t explain it.
December 16, 1990