Embracing The Supernatural – Part 2

Continued: My notes from my elective on Spiritual Gifts from our regional student conference

• Keys To Growth:

Sovereignty vs Desire:  In 1 Cor 12, Paul teaches that each believer has been given spiritual gifts. But Is it right to pursue other gifts? Since the gifts are ‘distributed according to [God’s] will’, do we have any part in this at all?

I think Paul presents the two sides to this issue: v11 emphasizes the sovereignty of the Spirit in bestowing the gifts, and v31 (among others) encourages us to desire and receive gifts.

A note on Sovereignty: Speaking of the ministry of preaching, Charles Spurgeon identified "an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work" as a sign of God’s calling. I believe when God wants to distribute a gift to you and cause you to grow in it, he sovereignly places a passion for it in your heart. There is an inner Spirit-induced compulsion to pursue and grow in this gift, no matter the discouragement or obstacles you face.

So we are free to pursue the “higher” gifts, desiring to bring greater blessing to the church, while trusting the goodness of a sovereign God as to if and when we receive from him. As always, there is mystery in how our desire interplays with the sovereign will of God.

Learning through practice: Paul outlines a framework for prophecy (and other gifts) in the context of a church service in 1 Cor 14:26-33. He teaches that all should prophesy so all may learn. Prophecy is to be weighed to discern accuracy and significance allowing the gifted person and the entire church to learn and grow in this gift.

I think it is safe to say that we grow in our ability to bless others in all gifts, whether teaching, leadership or prophecy, in the measure that we practice and learn to operate in them.

Another key indicator is how Jesus taught his disciples: He first modeled supernatural ministry, then released his disciples into it, and he used both their successes and their failures as teaching points.

Being Faithful and Desperate: More Kingdom resources and greater authority is given to us as we are faithful in what we already have (Matt 25:14-19). We cannot despise and ignore a gift and expect to grow in it. As we use what we have, we can ask and get more.

But what if you’ve not gotten even a little? My answer is: How desperate are you? God always responds to hunger and desperation.

John Wimber attributes “giving away ministry” – constantly imparting and releasing others into power ministry – to a surge of growth in his life. The more he empowered others, God empowered him.

Power in weakness: One of the great keys to growing in power with God is embracing weakness. Our weakness highlights the awesome power of God within us (2 Cor 4:7). Paul gladly boasted in his weaknesses in order that the power of Christ would rest on him (2 Cor 12:8 in a somewhat different context).

This is probably the greatest barrier to receiving and growing in gifts. We fear failure and embarrassment. What if what I am hearing prophetically is “wrong”? What if I pray for the sick in Jesus’ name and the sickness is not healed? I believe at that moment, when we step out not knowing if God will “show up”, we embrace weakness and vulnerability. When we humble ourselves in this way, God is drawn to meet and empower us.

Impartation and Encounters: Gifts can be received through impartation from others (Luke 9:1). In the book of Acts, the laying on of hands resulted in tongues and prophecy being released. Paul speak of his desire to impart a spiritual gift to the Roman church (Rom 1:11) to strengthen them.

In my experience, just being around someone who is operating in a high level of spiritual gifting can cause you to grow in the same. It may simply be that seeing and experiencing such ministry increases your faith and passion for the gift, producing growth.

The Scriptures also point to spiritual encounters where gifts are released. In Acts 4:23-31, the early church asked for a greater measure of healing anointing and boldness to be released. God responded with an outpouring of the Spirit, and in Acts 5:12-16, we see the results of this encounter with God producing greater results. Of course, “encounters” need not be outwardly dramatic, they can be very quiet and personal as well.

The Power of Testimonies: Hearing the works of God produces hope and faith in us, causing us to trust more in his love. A lot of scripture is testimony, showing us what God is like. Testimonies create an atmosphere of faith that cause us to press in to God and receive from him.

Enduring Failure and Discouragement: The only way to avoid failure is to never attempt anything.  I’ve had many an embarrassment when ministering prophetically. I’ve prayed for people in wheelchairs and not seen healing. I’ve tried to cast out demons and failed. It’s just part of the package. If you keep trying you are humbled and you grow.

Another source of discouragement is Christian teaching. You WILL hear strong emotional and Biblical arguments against the existence and pursuit of power in God. Currently, the theological  bent in academia is mostly negative towards spiritual gifts. But there are shining examples of highly trained theologians who  teach about and walk in the charismatic gifts (see Jack Deere, Mike Brown and Sam Storms).

That’s it for now… May you grow in power and do mighty works to glorify God!