More…Where our hunger meets His Promises

 – Week 8 –

 “Spiritual Gifts are Practical for Daily Life” 

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Ephesians 5:18 NLT 

We continue to talk about the Holy Spirit, and we’re learning to start each day by saying, “Good morning, Holy Spirit.” As we do that, we are practicing the Presence of God, as Brother Lawrence wrote about in a series of letters in the 1600’s. He was a monk in Spain who developed a deep intimacy with God, by making sure that in everything he did, he would bring God into it, by praising Him, whether he was flipping omelets in the monastery kitchen or even in the very simplest of acts, like picking a twig up off the ground for the glory of God.

It’s that attitude of keeping God in our brain space – in our cognitive thinking all through the day, no matter what we’re doing – whatever our job is – whether we’re driving or whatever – we’re literally bringing him into it. As we focus on intimacy and getting to know the Person of the Holy Spirit, we also are getting to know the Presence of the Holy Spirit – we are becoming more alert to his voice. 

As Pastor Jimmy said before, “People are going to be strangely drawn to you, and they’ll want to tell you their life story.” As we see that more and more every day – maybe it was already happening, but we didn’t have the lens, grid, or filter for it, and didn’t recognize that as the work of the Holy Spirit. Let’s let our “lens” be continually shaped, so that as things happen, we’ll connect the dots and now say, “this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel…and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit…” (Acts 2:16,18 KJV) 

As we continue to walk in this, our filter will change to where we’ll see the activity and movement of the Holy Spirit. So our practicing the Presence of the Lord is really the recognition of the Presence and Person and Power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, where we’re recognizing his activity and his movement – where we’re sensing him. 

We walk by faith, not by feelings. We stand on the Truth of God’s Word – that his Presence is with us, near us, in us, through us, and upon us. We don’t have to feel anything, but when we do get to feel it, it’s a nice bonus. We practice his Presence through the Person of the Holy Spirit. We speak personally to him – giving him thanks for everything – and we begin to bring him into our daily lives. 

In the past, typically the emphasis for the Holy Spirit was put on gatherings, conferences, and revival meetings – but, in reality, spiritual gifts and fruit are practical for our daily lives. We need to understand that the Holy Spirit wasn’t just given to us so that during a crisis, we would have a crutch, or some one or some thing to lean on. We tend to think that the Power of God – the Spirit of God – is for when things go bad, or for when we need a big thing in prayer – where we’re trying to move a big rock in prayer – but the Holy Spirit wants to walk with us day by day to help us in the little things too. 

Imagine having a situation at work where we need an answer – a resolution for something before us. Wouldn’t it be amazing to just say, “Holy Spirit, You’re my Helper. Would You grant to me a word of knowledge – a word of wisdom concerning this situation? Would You manifest that spiritual gift to us in this moment?” – and we get an answer! 

So, the Holy Spirit is practical. He’s alive. He wants to help us every day. “The Holy Spirit enables and empowers you to live out of the overflow of his Person, Presence, and Power.” We’ve talked before about carrying buckets, and as he fills us up – being continually filled with the Holy Spirit – and as we’re walking around, we’re overflowing his Presence – his Life – his Goodness – the character and nature of the Holy Spirit, and also the fruit of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23 NASB) 

All these things are leaking out as we go through our day, because the Holy Spirit is practical for daily living – “people are strangely drawn to you” because your buckets are filled to the brim and running over. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-4 NASB 

“If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good. Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.” 

The foundation for walking in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and experiencing and exemplifying and expressing his gifts in you, through you, and upon you, are built into the seedbed of Love. 

1 Corinthians 13:13 NASB

“But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

If we don’t have a foundation in Love, nothing else matters. What does the Bible say about how we are to speak the Truth? – in Love. It’s all about Love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. It’s all about Love. 

1 Corinthians 12:1 NIV 

“Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.” 

We see the small group of believers in Corinth learning and growing and making mistakes. They were failing in some areas in which they were growing. Paul wrote three letters to them (one previous to the two in the Bible). The word Spirit in Greek is pneumatikos, which means wind or breath – literally empowered by breath or wind, i.e. a mighty rushing wind – powerful in scope and nature. So the ministry, Life, and gifts of the Holy Spirit are powerful in nature.

Four categories of Spiritual Gifts that the Holy Spirit gives us to use and walk in:

 Manifestation Gifts – 1 Corinthians 12 

Manifest means to become apparent or to be revealed – something now seen or noticed – before it wasn’t – now it is. So, manifestation gifts are gifts that come on and are now seen and expressed. 

Ministry Gifts – 1 Corinthians 14 

Ministry gifts empower you to do the work of ministry that you’ve been called to do. Every one of us who names the name of Christ – who says he’s been born again – everyone has ministry gifts that are available to them. What he’s called us to do, he also empowers us to do. He doesn’t call us to do something and say, “Well, good luck with that! Go get ‘em boy! Call me if you need Me – I’ll be there!”

No – he gives us the gifts we need – the empowerments we need – the Spirit – the Pneumatos – the Breath, Wind, and Force we need to do what he’s called us to do. So you’re never stepping into a ministry scenario (which is called life) without his Presence – without him ready to help – and he does that through ministry gifts. 

Motivation Gifts – Romans 12 

Motivation gifts are the kind that drive us. They’re beyond the natural – they’re super natural – or, above nature. God adds his “super” on us and we become supernatural people – where we’re walking above nature and what’s natural. 

The gifts of the Spirit take you to another level of living. Literally, in your daily life – where you live, work, and play – you are carrying the Presence of God in a very supernatural way. These gifts are all supernatural in scope, which is very exciting. 

Ministerial Gifts – Ephesians 4 

These are also called “offices” in some contexts – the “five-fold ministry.” They are not the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but are the gifts of Jesus to the Church:

Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV 

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” 

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 ESV 

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” 

“Each” – that’s every one of us who names the name of Jesus – who calls upon Jesus. This is not just for us, but for the common good – for all. God empowers – enables – pours the Spirit upon us, in us, and through us, so that we can minister Life to others for the common good. When this is working – biblically – Life happens. When it isn’t working, what happens is confusion, division, and dissention. 

We don’t own these gifts – they are not our identity. Our identity is as sons and daughters of the Most High God – and the gifts that are given to us for manifestation are for a specific moment – not a gift we carry with us – but a gift that we steward or manage for that moment. We ask for these by faith, and by faith we receive them – then we act as though we have them. That is profound, but also practical. Spiritual gifts are not just for revival meetings, but they are the Presence of Jesus himself, and the Person of the Holy Spirit living his Life in us and through us – Christ in us , the Hope (the confident and joyful expectation of a desired good) of Glory (his manifest Presence). The Holy Spirit is simply acting in that – through us. 

Colossians 1:27 ESV 

“To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” 

These gifts belong to Him! He gives them to us when we’re open to receive them – to employ and to express – and we steward them, but they’re not ours – we don’t own them. He distributes them “as he wills.” We say, “Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to use this – to employ and deploy this gift,” when we’re open to receive them, and say, “Lord, I want to be used by You. Lord, manifest to me what You want to use in this moment – in this hour.” 

You may have heard someone say, “I have the gift of the word of knowledge.” No – the Holy Spirit has the gift, and he used you in the expression or experience of that gift – and he has used you in the expression or experience of it – in his will and his time. It’s his gift. However, if you begin to walk in pride regarding a gift, he will not continue to use you in that area – pride is a gift killer, and it will quench the work of the Holy Spirit. He wants to use all of us! You can have a word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. 

Joel 2:28-29 ESV 

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” 

That’s how much he loves you – all of us. The gifts of the Spirit are for everyone – and they’re practical – and if God took that much time – and to give us a Bible that has so much information about the gifts of the Spirit – why would we be afraid of them? – or why would we not want them? Why would we reject them? 

Prayer 

Father, in Jesus’ name, thank You for the privilege of the Person, the work, and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for letting us get to know You – to walk with You, and now, teach us, Lord, to express You, and to exhibit You in our lives – in a practical, everyday way. We receive this, and walk it out by faith. 

Father, we love You and honor You. What a privilege it is to be together today. Continue to teach us about the Person and the Presence of the Holy Spirit – the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are active in our lives. Father, for everyone here, may we be encouraged and find Life in this message. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Jimmy Pruitt is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. As an idealist, his words are filtered through his spirituality with the expectation that he will encourage and inspire people to “Live Up in a Down World.” He is committed to being an authentic person in all he does. Because everyone has been through something, or is currently struggling, Jimmy believes the proper response to life is humility; it is the signature of Jesus bringing forth both pain and glory. He and his way better half, Annette, have been married for 30 years. Agreeing their family is amazing, placing “Fun” in dys-Fun-ctional. They have three adult children and seven grandchildren that bless their lives beyond what they could ever dream. He is currently Lead Pastor at Bridge Church Fredericksburg, TX, and has started a new podcast titled: “Living Up in a Down Word – Making Faith real for the rest of us.”