Sermon Central
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Pretty And Loud Series
Contributed by Steve Ely on Oct 1, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: We have relegated fire...works to once a year. We have made certain fire...works off limits. This series will take us back to where we began (Acts 2) and see how the fire...works in our lives.
Fire…Works
Pt. 3 – Pretty & Loud
I. Introduction
We want fireworks at ball games, bowl games, birthday parties, and even at concerts. Without them we leave feeling cheated or short changed.
If we don’t have Fire…works at church I feel cheated too. If you will remember last week we discussed the fact that the Holy Spirit is so crucial to our lives because of His job description. Do you remember what function the Holy Spirit plays in our daily lives? I know He has the ability to show up a certain moments and those are exciting moments that we will talk about today. However, there are also daily things that He does in and through us.
1. The Holy Spirit brings Regeneration – new birth – he has a hand in bringing us to Jesus.
2. The Holy Spirit Convicts Of Sin – He blows the whistle on our sin so that we live at a higher level of holiness.
3. The Holy Spirit Comforts In Time Of Sorrow – when everything is falling apart, when tragedy strikes He brings peace that passes all understanding.
4. He Teaches Us God’s Will – He helps us find truth and direction.
5. He Helps Us To Remember – which I am thankful for because I am on info. overload.
6. He Gives Us Power To Overcome The Devil – supernatural power for a supernatural fight.
7. He Empowers Us For Service – more than goose bumps and feel goods. His power is for service in and to His body.
8. He communicates for us and through us – He empowers our prayer life through tongues and groaning that give us a direct pipe line to God.
9. To Witness – perhaps the least emphasized and utilized aspect of the Holy Spirit is that He gives us power to evangelize the world.
10. He gives Gifts – You will remember this where we stopped. I want us to look carefully at the gifts that Holy Spirit gives to us.
Loud or pretty? When you talk to people about fireworks it seems that they are split over which they like the best. Some like the loud bangs that rattle your teeth while others are simply mesmerized by the shower of the sparks that create the beautiful flowers in the sky.
However, what I would say to you is that it takes both. A fireworks show with only the loud explosions feels more like a bombing or a war zone than an enjoyable experience. While at the same time only sparks gets boring and lacks the ability to keep or get your attention. Balance is the key.
When it comes to the gifts of the Holy Spirit this true as well. We need a balance of the loud and the pretty gifts to have a quality experience in our lives and services. Some of the gifts are very loud and some might even go one step further and say scary. If you don’t understand that, then you have never been in a service where the gift of knowledge is flowing. It can be rattling. Other gifts seem to be pretty. These gifts make us feel good like service or even administration. They are often behind the scene type gifts that we feel safe and comfortable around.
If you will allow me I want to take a few moments and examine these big bangs and glow shows to try to help us understand what the gifts are and how they are to be used.
I. fire…works List
The Scriptural basis for the gifts is:
11And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:
5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another. 6And having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; 7or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry; or he that teacheth, to his teaching; 8or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, let him do it with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9using hospitality one to another without murmuring:
4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all. 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. 8For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: 9to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; 10and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues:
