weekly sermon
9-23-07
Do I Unwrap These Gifts?
Last week we talked about recognizing our weaknesses, God's strengths and power,
and how to avoid temptation. This week we will study about seeking God. Seek God
constantly for the full anointing of the Holy Spirit, the fruit and gifts of the
Spirit, and yield to, and obey the Holy Spirit in all things.
Seeking God will show us His will, and
will show us the gifts of the Holy Spirit and what we are to do with them. First
we will look in Luke, 11:13, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask Him?"
This verse plainly states that God is more loving and good to His children than
we as earthly parents are to our own children. This one single verse settles
once and forever God's will concerning salvation, prosperity, healing, or any
other good thing. One need never question what is the will of God again
concerning any of these things if he will believe only this one scripture. Would
any earthly parent want their children to be sick, suffer pain, live in poverty,
have a terrible disease, be sinful or corrupt, live in crime, sins, and filthy
habits, want for anything, be unhappy in work, marriage, or in any phase of
life? The fact is that God has specifically promised all good things to all His
children on condition of faith. The things that God really wants for us can not
even compare to what we want or how we feel about our own children. How
wonderful it is to be a child of God.
Luke 24:49, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." Notice here that this is a promise from God. It is also the 54th and last new testament prophecy. What is the promise of His Father? Power to do the works of Christ is what is promised.
Look with me in John 7:37-39, "In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (38)He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (39)(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet [given]; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" Jesus here is making a declaration to all that would hear Him. He is stating that if you thirst for knowledge, then come to Him, and He would fill your knowledge with the Holy Spirit, which would be the flowing rivers of living water that is mentioned in the second verse. From this knowledge will we learn to seek God even more, so that the gifts of the Holy Spirit can be obtained by us.
Jesus, Himself, has promised us that if we
obtain these gifts and possess the Holy Spirit, then we can do anything that He
could do. John 14:12, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he
do; because I go unto my Father.
(13)And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may
be glorified in the Son. (14)If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do
[it]. (15)If ye love me, keep my commandments." This is probably my most
favorite verse in the entire Bible. If someone says you can not do something,
then you need to remember this verse. This verse tells me that I can walk on
water, raise the dead, heal the sick, make the blind see, or the deaf hear.
Think about it, Jesus just said if you believe, then you shall do the works that
He did, and not only do the works He did, but do greater works. How exciting is
this? This gives us the power to do the works of Christ and the will of God. To
stand in the graces of God and have Him say, just as it is said in Matthew
25:21, "His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant:
thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many
things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
We have to remember that to receive the
Holy Spirit we must obey. Acts 5:32, "And we are His witnesses of these things:
and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him."
We receive this Holy Spirit for one thing and one thing only, to do the will of
God. If we look in Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
unto God, which is your reasonable service." This is the reason for our
receiving the gifts, NOT to promote ourselves or mankind, but to magnify our
Father and present ourselves to Him in a manner that is most fitting to Him.
We have been talking about the way to present ourselves to God, by seeking God,
to receive the Holy Spirit, and obtain the fruit and gifts of the Spirit. But
what are these gifts?
Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 12:1-13, "Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant. (2)Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. (3)Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (4)Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. (5)And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. (6)And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. (7)But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. (8)For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; (9)To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; (10)To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: (11)But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. (12)For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is] Christ. (13)For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
You can see here the many different gifts that are given, and how they all act as one spirit in us for the single purpose of glorifying the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ was God sent to earth in the form of a man, baptized in the Jordan river, bestowed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, performed His Fathers will, did many great works all while being persecuted by man, for one purpose. To glorify the Father.
If we would, really deep down, seek God, and what it takes to glorify Him, then He would bestow upon us His blessings, so large that we could not hold it all.
We walk in faith, attending a God driven church, reading our Bibles, believing every word of the gospel, keeping our minds on God, recognizing our weaknesses and God's strengths, praying daily, crucifying our minds with Christ daily, seeking God to obtain the fruits of the gifts, so that we may glorify and magnify our Heavenly Father. Also notice that it does not matter whether you are Jew or Gentile, meaning that no matter what your race, if you are bond or free, meaning if you are rich or poor, master or slave, these gifts are here for everyone that believes and obeys.
Now you know what it takes to please the Father, be an obedient child of God.
At the top I asked the question, do I unwrap these gifts. You have to unwrap what is inside you to get to the gift inside, just as you would any gift that you would receive from your earthly parents. Unwrapping this gift will totally change your life.
If you have never received the Holy Spirit or the gifts that come with it, then please say a simple prayer with me. Dear Lord come into my life and save my soul, and be my personal saviour and friend. Amen.
If you have said this prayer, then we
believe you have received salvation. We would like for you to send us a note on
our home page to let us know you have so we can rejoice with you and send you a
few things to help you with your walk as a new Christian.
With Love in Christ,
Pastor Stone