Spiritual Gifts
Part 7
Knowledge, Wisdom,
and Discernment
Old Testament Lesson: Isaiah 55:8-11
8 The Lord says, "MY thinking is not like your thinking.
Your ways are not like MY ways.
9 The heavens are higher than the earth,
The same as MY ways are higher than your ways
and MY thoughts higher than your thoughts.
10 Rain and snow fall from the sky and they water the ground.
They don't go back up without making plants grow,
that gives seeds to the farmer
and bread to the people.
11 The same happens for MY words that I speak.
MY words will not come back to ME empty.
MY words make things happen that I want to happen,
and MY words succeed doing for what I send MY words."
Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
1 Now brothers and sisters, I want you to understand about spiritual gifts.
4 We see different gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 We see different services, but the same Lord.
6 We see different works, but the same God does all these things in everyone.
7 But HE shows the Spirit to each one for the good of all.
8 Because through the Spirit, HE gives the words of wisdom to one. And with the same Spirit HE gives knowledge to another.
9 Through the same Spirit HE gives faith to another. And through the one Spirit HE gives the gifts of healing to another.
10 HE gives the power to do wonderful things to another. HE gives the gift to speak prophecy to another. Through HIM another can judge the spirits. Through HIM another can speak languages. Through HIM another can interpret languages.
11 One and the same Spirit works in all these things. HE gives to each one as HE wants.
Gospel Lesson: John 7:37-39
37 The last day of the Hanukah celebration was the most important day. On that day Jesus stood-up and spoke loudly, "If you are thirsty, come to ME and drink.
38 The Holy Writings say, 'If you believe in ME, then from your heart will flow living water.'"
39 Jesus meant that those believing in HIM will receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus not-yet gave them the Holy Spirit, because Jesus not-yet raised to glory. But later, those who believed in Jesus did receive the Holy Spirit.
Note to the reader:
Decide on a sign that you want to use for the word "discernment" & discuss that with the congregation in the introduction. Something related to the sign "notice" may work -- perhaps have the bent index finger poking toward the thing being noticed, rather than poking the left hand.
Decide on a sign that you want to use for the word "discernment" & discuss that with the congregation in the introduction. Something related to the sign "notice" may work -- perhaps have the bent index finger poking toward the thing being noticed, rather than poking the left hand.
We continue our study about Spiritual Gifts.
In our list, #7, 8, & 9:
All three of those gifts from the Holy Spirit help us in
counseling
and managing church business
These three gifts help not only the pastor.
They also help lay leaders, church officers, board members.
In our list, #7, 8, & 9:
- Wisdom
- Knowledge
- Discernment
All three of those gifts from the Holy Spirit help us in
counseling
and managing church business
These three gifts help not only the pastor.
They also help lay leaders, church officers, board members.
Question: What is the difference between
KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM?
KNOWLEDGE means INFORMATION
WISDOM means DOING
-- Doing the right thing in difficult situation.
KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM?
KNOWLEDGE means INFORMATION
WISDOM means DOING
-- Doing the right thing in difficult situation.
The Gift of Knowledge
The Bible describes the gift of Knowledge in two ways:
The first is GENERAL.
The second is SPECIFIC.
A general meaning for that gift of knowledge is
knowing God and understanding His Word.
That does not mean we can remember a lot of Bible Trivia
that helps us win games during ILDA conventions.
But the Holy Spirit helps us understand important principles
in the Bible that help our faith.
The specific meaning is that the Holy Spirit gives information
about something that already happened,
or maybe is happening now.
That information is hidden, until the Holy Spirit tells His servant.
We have many examples in various Bible stories:
In the Old Testament, when the King of Syria made secret plans for attacking Israel,
God told the prophet ELISHA.
Elisha told the King of Israel,
so the Jewish army could escape. [2 Kings 6:8-23]
Maybe you remember the story about Daniel when he was young,
God showed him the king's secret dream,
and then God gave Daniel the meaning for that dream. [Daniel 2]
In the New Testament, we have many stories when Jesus knew the secret thoughts of people that criticized Him.
Does that still happen today? Yes.
But God decides when, how, and who receives that information
exactly at the right time, in the right place.
Many times a Christian counselor prays for God to give him exactly the right question that opens the important information.
True story:
One Christian lawyer was in court
defending a family that home-schooled their children.
The situation seemed hopeless.
The government and all their lawyers seemed too powerful.
The first person to testify was the top public school official --
the District superintendent.
And the government lawyer helped him accuse the family.
Then the defense lawyer had his turn.
Suddenly a new question popped into his mind,
a question that he never thought about before.
Later he realized that his question is really not a proper question for a trial.
But he went ahead and asked anyway:
"Sir, did you already discuss this case with anyone before the trial?"
The public school official answered,
"Yes. I discussed about this case with the judge."
The Christian lawyer was shocked:
"What!? You mean that you already talked about this case
WITH THAT JUDGE HERE??"
The judge was terribly embarrassed,
because the judge himself broke the law.
The judge immediately suspended the trial,
ordered the two lawyers to come to his room for a private meeting.
The judge ordered the government lawyer to "settle" the case --
meaning: give up, and let the Christian family win.
The defense lawyer didn't know the dirty business that happened secretly.
But God nudged him, giving him exactly the right question.
Christian counselors and pastors often have the same experience
when trying to help some with a problem that seems hard to understand.
Again, we can't make that happen.
Only the Holy Spirit gives that in His time.
The Bible describes the gift of Knowledge in two ways:
The first is GENERAL.
The second is SPECIFIC.
A general meaning for that gift of knowledge is
knowing God and understanding His Word.
That does not mean we can remember a lot of Bible Trivia
that helps us win games during ILDA conventions.
But the Holy Spirit helps us understand important principles
in the Bible that help our faith.
The specific meaning is that the Holy Spirit gives information
about something that already happened,
or maybe is happening now.
That information is hidden, until the Holy Spirit tells His servant.
We have many examples in various Bible stories:
In the Old Testament, when the King of Syria made secret plans for attacking Israel,
God told the prophet ELISHA.
Elisha told the King of Israel,
so the Jewish army could escape. [2 Kings 6:8-23]
Maybe you remember the story about Daniel when he was young,
God showed him the king's secret dream,
and then God gave Daniel the meaning for that dream. [Daniel 2]
In the New Testament, we have many stories when Jesus knew the secret thoughts of people that criticized Him.
Does that still happen today? Yes.
But God decides when, how, and who receives that information
exactly at the right time, in the right place.
Many times a Christian counselor prays for God to give him exactly the right question that opens the important information.
True story:
One Christian lawyer was in court
defending a family that home-schooled their children.
The situation seemed hopeless.
The government and all their lawyers seemed too powerful.
The first person to testify was the top public school official --
the District superintendent.
And the government lawyer helped him accuse the family.
Then the defense lawyer had his turn.
Suddenly a new question popped into his mind,
a question that he never thought about before.
Later he realized that his question is really not a proper question for a trial.
But he went ahead and asked anyway:
"Sir, did you already discuss this case with anyone before the trial?"
The public school official answered,
"Yes. I discussed about this case with the judge."
The Christian lawyer was shocked:
"What!? You mean that you already talked about this case
WITH THAT JUDGE HERE??"
The judge was terribly embarrassed,
because the judge himself broke the law.
The judge immediately suspended the trial,
ordered the two lawyers to come to his room for a private meeting.
The judge ordered the government lawyer to "settle" the case --
meaning: give up, and let the Christian family win.
The defense lawyer didn't know the dirty business that happened secretly.
But God nudged him, giving him exactly the right question.
Christian counselors and pastors often have the same experience
when trying to help some with a problem that seems hard to understand.
Again, we can't make that happen.
Only the Holy Spirit gives that in His time.
The Gift of Wisdom
WISDOM means
knowing the right thing we should do in a difficult situation.
The KEY for having wisdom is knowing God's Word, the Bible.
When you face a hard decision,
or you have a serious problem,
and you don't know what to do,
first ask God to show you, lead you, and give you wisdom.
Then ask yourself: "What does the Bible say about this situation?"
If you already meditate on God's Word,
and you hold His Word in your heart,
the Holy Spirit will help you remember exactly the right verse
that will guide you through your problem.
His Word will help you make the right decision.
But if we have not-yet done our home work,
then we will make a decision that seems right in our own minds.
But that will be the wrong decision that will hurt us more.
The Bible says that young Daniel and his three Jewish friends showed more wisdom than all their Babylonian teachers, because their wisdom was not from men. They had the wisdom of God's Word.
If you want to increase your wisdom,
you can begin in the Old Testament book of PROVERBS.
WISDOM means
knowing the right thing we should do in a difficult situation.
The KEY for having wisdom is knowing God's Word, the Bible.
When you face a hard decision,
or you have a serious problem,
and you don't know what to do,
first ask God to show you, lead you, and give you wisdom.
Then ask yourself: "What does the Bible say about this situation?"
If you already meditate on God's Word,
and you hold His Word in your heart,
the Holy Spirit will help you remember exactly the right verse
that will guide you through your problem.
His Word will help you make the right decision.
But if we have not-yet done our home work,
then we will make a decision that seems right in our own minds.
But that will be the wrong decision that will hurt us more.
The Bible says that young Daniel and his three Jewish friends showed more wisdom than all their Babylonian teachers, because their wisdom was not from men. They had the wisdom of God's Word.
If you want to increase your wisdom,
you can begin in the Old Testament book of PROVERBS.
The Gift of Discernment
DISCERNMENT is like having a good sense of smell for our spirit.
This is like the Holy Spirit's gift of knowledge,
but with the added sense of
good and evil,
right and wrong,
truth and lies,
peace and anxiety.
A person that has that gift from the Holy Spirit,
can listen to someone's story,
and can accurately feel the true spirit behind that story.
We can grow in this gift of discernment in two ways.
One way is hard experience.
An ex-drug addict can easily see the lies of another addict.
The other way is have regular time in God's Word.
When we become familiar with what is
Good, and Right, and True,
we can more quickly recognize what is
evil, and wrong, and false.
...the same as bank people who count money all day, every day.
The second their fingers touch fake money - COUNTERFEIT -
they recognized that immediately.
They don't need to study fake money,
because they know real money so well.
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..." [John 14:6]
When we truly know Jesus, we will also know the truth.
DISCERNMENT is like having a good sense of smell for our spirit.
This is like the Holy Spirit's gift of knowledge,
but with the added sense of
good and evil,
right and wrong,
truth and lies,
peace and anxiety.
A person that has that gift from the Holy Spirit,
can listen to someone's story,
and can accurately feel the true spirit behind that story.
We can grow in this gift of discernment in two ways.
One way is hard experience.
An ex-drug addict can easily see the lies of another addict.
The other way is have regular time in God's Word.
When we become familiar with what is
Good, and Right, and True,
we can more quickly recognize what is
evil, and wrong, and false.
...the same as bank people who count money all day, every day.
The second their fingers touch fake money - COUNTERFEIT -
they recognized that immediately.
They don't need to study fake money,
because they know real money so well.
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..." [John 14:6]
When we truly know Jesus, we will also know the truth.
Wisdom, Knowledge, and Discernment.
All three gifts are important.
But very few people have all three together.
That is the reason we should work together in teams.
God gives various people different gifts.
We each need the benefit from the gifts
that God gives to other people.
If God gives you the gift of wisdom,
you need a partner who has the gift of discernment.
If we each work alone, we will fail.
But when we work together, God will succeed.
All three gifts are important.
But very few people have all three together.
That is the reason we should work together in teams.
God gives various people different gifts.
We each need the benefit from the gifts
that God gives to other people.
If God gives you the gift of wisdom,
you need a partner who has the gift of discernment.
If we each work alone, we will fail.
But when we work together, God will succeed.
Supplemental Scriptures
WISDOM
James 1:5-8
WISDOM
James 1:5-8
But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you. But when you ask God, you must believe and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea, blown up and down by the wind. Such doubters are thinking two different things at the same time, and they cannot decide about anything they do. They should not think they will receive anything from the Lord.
Jesus answered, "If people love me, they will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Those who do not love me do not obey my teaching. This teaching that you hear is not really mine; it is from my Father, who sent me. "I have told you all these things while I am with you. But the Helper will teach you everything and will cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name."
Stories:
Elisha's knowledge of Gehazi's scheme -- 2 Kings 5:21-27
Elisha's knowledge of Syrian battle plans -- 2 Kings 6:8-23
Daniel and the king's dreams -- Daniel 2
DISCERNMENT
1 John 4:1-5
Elisha's knowledge of Gehazi's scheme -- 2 Kings 5:21-27
Elisha's knowledge of Syrian battle plans -- 2 Kings 6:8-23
Daniel and the king's dreams -- Daniel 2
DISCERNMENT
1 John 4:1-5
My dear friends, many false prophets have gone out into the world. So do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God. This is how you can know God's Spirit: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ came to earth as a human is from God. And every spirit who refuses to say this about Jesus is not from God. It is the spirit of the enemy of Christ, which you have heard is coming, and now he is already in the world.
My dear children, you belong to God and have defeated them; because God's Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world. And they belong to the world, so what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. But those who are not from God do not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit that is true and the spirit that is false.
Stories:
Ananias & Sapphira -- Acts 5:1-11
Peter vs Simon the sorcerer -- Acts 8:23
Paul in Philippi -- Acts 16:16-18
Ananias & Sapphira -- Acts 5:1-11
Peter vs Simon the sorcerer -- Acts 8:23
Paul in Philippi -- Acts 16:16-18