22 & 23 AUG2013: LESSON 8:Discernment: The Safeguard of Revival: Fruits and Gifts What are some of the prime reasons that God gives the gifts of the Holy Spirit to His church? 1 Cor. 12:4-7, Rom. 12:4-8, Eph. 4:11-16. The gifts of the Holy Spirit might be divided into two large categories: some gifts are qualities, other gifts are callings. For example, the gifts of helps, hospitality, exhortation, and teaching are qualities that God imparts to individual believers (Rom. 12:6-8). The gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers are callings given to individual believers (Eph. 4:11-12). Both categories serve a similar purpose. They have been imparted by the Holy Spirit to strengthen the spiritual life of the church and equip it for mission. Spiritual gifts are not an end in themselves. They have been given by God for the benefit of His church. What does the apostle Paul mean when he uses the expression, “Walk in the Spirit” in Galatians 5:16? Read Galatians 5:22-25, and list each fruit that comes from walking in the Spirit. See also John 15:1-7. Any so-called revival that has little interest in the fruit of the Spirit but is obsessed with possessing the gifts of the Spirit is dangerous. If God gave the gifts of the Spirit in abundance to believers who were not manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, the church would become the center of selfish exhibitionism. For God to turn on heaven’s power when the spiritual power lines are frayed would produce only disastrous results. Beware of movements that concentrate on the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit rather than on obedience to God’s will and a transformed character that reveals the fruit of the Spirit. What do you say to someone who has experienced what he or she judges to be a supernatural manifestation from God? How could you help him or her to know if it truly were from God or from the other side? How does our understanding of the reality of the great controversy help us when we seek to understand who or what can be behind miracles? FRIDAY August 23 Further Study: “The promise of the Spirit is not appreciated as it should be. Its fulfillment is not realized as it might be. It is the absence of the Spirit that makes the gospel ministry so powerless. Learning, talents, eloquence, every natural or acquired endowment, may be possessed; but without the presence of the Spirit of God, no heart will be touched, no sinner be won to Christ. On the other hand, if they are connected with Christ, if the gifts of the Spirit are theirs, the poorest and most ignorant of His disciples will have a power that will tell upon hearts. God makes them the channel for the outworking of the highest influence in the universe.”-Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 328. “The apostle’s earnest words of entreaty were not fruitless. The Holy Spirit wrought with mighty power, and many whose feet had wandered into strange paths, returned to their former faith in the gospel. Henceforth they were steadfast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free. In their lives were revealed the fruits of the Spirit-‘love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.’ The name of God was glorified, and many were added to the number of believers throughout that region.”-Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 388. Discussion Questions: Dwell more on the contrast between cold formalism and unbridled fanaticism. Or, are they always in contrast? That is, could a church be fanatical and coldly formal at the same time? If so, how might that be made manifest? Why would either extreme, or both, be detrimental to revival and reformation? What about your own local church? Where does it stand in this area? How could you help it to find the right balance? What evidence, if any, can we see of false revivals going on in the world? How can we know that they are false? On the other hand, would it be wrong to believe that God is working a revival among those who, though loving the Lord, don’t know the things that we do? In class, go over your answer to Thursday’s question regarding someone who thinks that he or she has had a supernatural experience with God. What can you learn from each other’s answers? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***For further study, click the following links: 2nd Quarter **entire online lesson: ssnet.org/lessons/13c/less08.html **Collegiate Quarterly (CQ): cqbiblestudy.org/article/464/cq-april-june-lessons/archives/second-quarter-2013/2q13-lesson-two#.UV89KMop7X8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** Downloadable lessons in PDF: **Standard Edition: absg.adventist.org/Standard.htm **Teacher’s Edition: absg.adventist.org/Teachers.htm **Easy Reading Edition: absg.adventist.org/EasyReading.htm **Collegiate Quarterly (CQ): cqbiblestudy.org/article/3/cq-april-june-lessons#.UV88xMop7X9
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 21:11:39 +0000
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