Superpowers | Ps. Viny Costa

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Alright, good morning, church.

Good morning to everyone watching online.

My name is Vini.

I have the privilege of serving here at Celebration Orlando.

Today we are wrapping up our series, The Spirit Within.

Over the past few weeks, we've been talking about who the Holy Spirit is, not as a concept, not as a distant force, but as the very presence of God living within us.

And then, of course, Pastor Keith saved the hardest topic for the last week.

So I'll try my best to preach about um this subject.

I'll try to make this not only teachy, but preachy.

It will be a challenge.

So please bear with me.

As we close out this series, I want to talk about something that captures the imagination of almost every human being at some point in life.

So let me start by asking you a question.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Would you fly?

Would you read minds?

That's weird by the way, if that's you.

Would you teleport so you could skip I-4 traffic in the morning?

Would you want invisibility so you could sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night and eat leftovers without your spouse knowing?

How much would you pay for a superpower?

We have all imagined it.

Having extraordinary ability that makes us feel powerful, special, set apart.

And what's funny is that culture has built entire universes around this idea, from Marvel to DC, from Superman to Spider-Man.

But what if I told you that the idea of superpowers is not fiction?

What if I told you that there is a real power available to every believer?

A power that doesn't come from a spider bite, but from the spirit of the living God who dwells inside of you.

So today, I don't want to talk about imaginary powers, but about a real supernatural gift that the Holy Spirit gives to his people.

Because when the Spirit fills us, he doesn't just give us feelings and goosebumps, he gives us the abilities, supernatural empowerments to do what we could never do on our own.

So let's open our Bibles together in 1 Corinthians chapter 12.

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

I feel you're ready.

So if you are ready, I'm ready.

Because I'm sure God is ready.

1 Corinthians chapter 12, we're gonna start on verse 1.

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

This is what Paul says.

1 Corinthians 12, starting on verse 1.

Now, about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

Therefore, I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus be cursed, and no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

There are different kinds of working, but in all of them, and and in everyone, it is the same God at work.

Now, to each one, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

To one, there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same spirit, to another, faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

All these are the work of one and the same spirit, and he distributes them to each one just as he determines.

I have titled this message this morning Superpowers.

Let's pray together.

God, thank you so much for your presence here.

Thank you because we know you are ready to bless us, and we want to tell you that we are ready to receive.

We are ready to listen to your voice and obey.

We are ready to open up our Bibles and listen to your voice.

We ask you to plant in our hearts the eternal seeds of your words.

We ask you to encourage us, to exhort us.

We open up ourselves to you.

Please be with us.

In Jesus' name we pray.

And the church said, Amen.

Alright, when we open our Bibles in 1 Corinthians 12, we are reading the words of a man who literally shaped the New Testament.

The guy wrote half of it.

He went through persecution, shipwrecks, snake bites, prison time, and still somehow found the time to write letters that changed the world.

Paul wasn't just a great writer, he carried one of the clearest revelations of what it means to live a life in a spirit.

So Paul begins here in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 saying something that might sound simple but carries a lot of weight.

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

He says, now, concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

In other words, what Paul is saying is, please don't ignore what I'm going to say.

Please don't treat this lightly.

If Paul, the the guy who planted churches, the guy who wrote half of the New Testament, the guy who saw miracles after miracles, if he tells us not to be uninformed about spiritual gifts, then it must be something we should deeply value as well, right?

Because here's the truth, my friends.

Many believers love Jesus, they read their Bibles, they attend church faithfully, but still live unaware of the supernatural life that the Holy Spirit wants to release through them.

So Paul is saying on verse 1, don't ignore this, don't be uninformed.

And then in verse 7, he teaches something precious.

He goes, to which is giving the manifestation of the spirit for common good.

The gifts of the spirit are not something you own, they are manifestations of the spirit himself.

This means a gift doesn't belong to you, it flows through you.

These gifts are not about control but cooperation.

They are moments of divine partnership when the spirits move through a willing heart.

It's not like God hands you a package and says, Here we go, you have it, keep it for yourself.

It's more like He moves through you in a specific moment for a specific purpose.

Because think with me, if these gifts were permanent possessions, then someone with the gift of prophecy could win the lottery every month, right?

The gifts are not yours, they are his.

They operate as the Spirit wills in his timing and for his purpose.

But in the very same verse 7 says something precious.

It says, The gifts are given for a purpose.

The word says, for common good.

These gifts are not given for status or self-promotion.

This means that the gifts of the Spirit are not about you, they are about others.

So bear with me.

On verse 1, Paul says, I don't want you guys to go uninformed about this.

Don't ignore what I'm saying.

On verse 7, Paul says, These are manifestations of the Spirit.

So it's not something you have, it's something that God uses you, flows through you.

On verse 7, he says the purpose of it, it's not for self-promotion or for status, is for common good, is to bless others.

But here's one more truth we need to understand about the gifts.

They are not connected with your personality or natural abilities.

Just because someone is quiet doesn't mean they can be used in prophecy.

Just because someone is bold doesn't mean they automatically have the gift of faith.

You are not being used to deliver a word of wisdom because you are smart.

These gifts have nothing to do with being introverted, extroverted, logical, or emotional.

They have everything to do with the Holy Spirit working through willing hearts.

Are you guys here with me?

So, key truths so far that we saw.

One, Paul is saying, I don't want you guys to be uninformed.

Pay attention to this.

The gifts are diverse, but the source is the same.

The second truth we truth we saw so far, the gifts are manifestations, not possessions.

The third one, the gifts are supernatural, not based on personality or natural talents.

Fourth, the gifts are purposeful, always for others, always for common good.

So far, so good.

Now, Paul doesn't stop there, he continues by saying that there are different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service, different kinds of working.

And it's important because what Paul is doing here, it's actually showing us three distinct lists of gifts in the New Testament: kinds of gift, kinds of working, kinds of service.

Three different lists.

There is a lot of confusion about spiritual gifts because most people don't realize that scripture talks about three different lists, and each of them reflects a different person of the Trinity, and this is mind-blowing.

This is what he says on verse 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

There are different kinds of working, but in all of them, and in everyone, it is the same God at work.

You see, three different lists right there.

Let's talk about this.

Can you can you go back there, John, for one second?

I think that's that will be helpful for everybody.

So let's talk about these three three different lists here.

The first one, he says, there are different kinds of gifts.

The word he used in Greek is the word harisma.

That means gifts.

And he says, the spirit distributes them.

He's talking about nine manifestations of the spirit, and you can see all of them there.

And we're gonna read in a second, but this list is mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 12.

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

But he also says there's different kinds of service, and the word in the original Greek there, it's not charisma, it's the word diaconia that means service.

Look at it, it's a different list, and then he says there's different kinds of service, but the same Lord, the majority of the times in the New Testament that Paul refers to Jesus, he calls him Lord.

The first list is connected with the Spirit, the second list is connected with Jesus, and this list we can find in Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

Actually, the same word diaconia we see here in 1 Corinthians is the same word used by Paul in Ephesians chapter 4 when he's talking up talking about this list.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

Kinds of service we're talking about apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

The third least, he mentions here different kinds of gifts, Holy Spirit, different kinds of service, Jesus, different kinds of working, and then he goes, but it's the same God who is doing everything.

So the third list is connected with God, he's bringing the Trinity, one, each one connected to one to one list, and the word kind and kinds of working in Greek is the word energema that means working.

And we find this list in Romans chapter 12.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

And Paul will say that somebody will be good in exhorting, somebody will be good in serving, somebody will be good in giving, somebody will be good in administrating.

Three different lists.

So Paul is saying, different gifts, Holy Spirit, different kinds of services, Jesus, different kinds of working, it's connected with God.

They all come from the same God, but they operate in different ways.

This is where many people get it wrong, friends.

They read all these lists and they assume every gift works the same way, but they don't.

Romans chapter 12 and Ephesians chapter 4.

Romans 12 · chapter mention Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

These gifts are often expressed, often express themselves through your personality, your natural design, your calling.

For example, someone who is naturally organized might flow easily in the gifts of in a gift of administration.

Someone who loves people deeply might express the gift of mercy.

So list two and list three is for sure connected with your with your personality and the way God shaped you.

But 1 Corinthians 12, the gifts of the gifts of the Spirit, the ones we're focusing today, they are completely different than the other two.

They are not personality-based, they are not the result of training or temperament, they are manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

Moments when God does something through you that you could never do on your own.

When the Holy Spirit wants to encourage, heal, reveal, speak, he might choose to do it through you.

Can you believe that?

But it is still Him doing the work.

So let me summarize one more time.

Romans 12, Ephesians 4, connected to how God designed you.

1 Corinthians 12, connected to how God wants to use you.

So far, so good?

Yes?

So today we're going to focus on the gifts of the Spirit, the first list here.

The one Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12 from 7 to 11.

These gifts, they are often divided into three categories.

John, you are you are on fire in the back.

Thank you.

Three characteristics, three different lists as well.

So we have revelation gifts, we have miraculous gifts, and we have speaking gifts or vocal gifts.

Revelation gifts, gifts that reveal something only God could know.

Miraculous gifts, gifts that do something that only God can do.

Vocal gifts or is or speaking gifts, gifts that say something that God wants to communicate.

Are you guys here with me?

Let's keep that that slide on, John, please.

Let's start with revelation gifts.

These gifts uncover what is hidden thoughts, facts, plans, things that only God know.

And the first one is the word of wisdom.

Can you say that after me?

Word of wisdom.

This is just a technique to make sure you are here with me.

Word of wisdom.

This is a supernatural revelation of God's wisdom for a specific situation.

It's not general intelligence, it's not only good advice, it's divine insight to what to do next.

Sometimes it comes as a phrase, as a sense, as a clear direction.

I think a good example of this is Joseph, right?

When Joseph discerned the king's uh dream, it was not only, hey, this is what the dream means.

God bless you.

What he did next was, so listen, this is clear direction and insight.

What we need to do is start saving food.

There is clear next steps attached to what we're facing right now.

This is a word of wisdom.

It's when you are facing a situation and you don't know what's the next step, and then you receive insight from God or someone else share with you.

And the majority of the times, and this is funny about the word of wisdom, is when you receive that, you are blind, right?

You are like, I don't know what to do.

You look like that John Travolta meme that he's just like this.

You don't know what to do, and then as soon as the word of wisdom comes to you, or if somebody shares with you, you go, Yes.

It was in front of me the entire time.

So this is the word of wisdom, like what happened with Joseph.

Joseph.

The second one is the word of knowledge.

This is my favorite one, okay?

This is a revelation of facts or information that you could not naturally know.

Something about a person, a situation, or a need is for sure connected with the present or the past.

Is when God gives you a snapshot of something hidden.

Years ago, I I was walking around Sao Paulo.

I wanted to go to a place, and in order for me to get there, I needed to walk through a park.

And I'm I'm doing that, I'm listening to my song, and then I saw a guy seated on a bench, and he was he was struggling.

He was he was for sure injured.

I could see uh scars and and bruises, and he was for sure struggling.

And then as I'm walking, do living my life, I felt God speaking with me, saying, Go talk with him.

Just go there and tell him that I love him.

And uh, have you been in that situation that you're fighting with God a little bit and you go, I don't know, I don't want to do this.

Send somebody else.

You know, in church we say, God, send me to Nicaragua if you want.

But when we are right here at Disney and God asks us to do something like this, we ask God to send somebody else.

But I was just debating with God, and then at some point I decided to say yes.

So now I'm walking towards the guy, and as I'm doing that, God told me, let him know I know that he had a motorcycle accident last week.

That's word of knowledge.

And of course, I'm like, no way.

I'm not saying that.

What if I'm making this up?

You you know the feeling, right?

So I approached the guy and then I told him, Hey man, how are you?

My name is Vini.

Do you have a second?

Hey man, I'm just here to let you know that God loves you.

And then he he said, Well, I don't know if there is a God.

I said, Yes, there is a God, and he sent me here to let you know that he knows you had a motorcycle accident last week.

And then the guy goes, Who are you?

Who do you know?

How do you know this?

And it was just me being a vessel, being used by the Holy Spirit.

That guy accepted Jesus as his savior that afternoon because of a word of knowledge that happened by that.

The third one, are you guys here with me?

Third one, discernment of spirits.

It's about understanding, recognizing what's behind something.

Whether it's the Holy Spirit, whether it's a human feeling, or demonic spirits.

It's understanding that there is a world beyond this natural one.

So when you walk into a meeting and something is off, the spirit gives you the ability to discern.

Or you go to a conversation, the spirit gives you the ability to discern what's happening beyond the natural world.

Very important one.

The second least we have here, miraculous gifts.

We all love this, right?

We all love these ones.

And the first one is the gift of faith.

These gift, the three of them, they are just God's supernatural power into visible action.

It's just God showing I have authority over sickness, nature, and even impossibilities itself.

The gift of faith, there's a lot of confusion about this.

This is not saving faith for every day.

This is this I've I've had conversations with people that that are that told me before, I don't believe in God because I don't have the gift of faith.

This has nothing to do with believing in God.

This has nothing to do with recognizing Jesus as your savior.

The gift of faith is when you are facing a situation and you need a super powerful, extra faith to face that, and when God then and then God gives you that faith to overcome that specific situation.

That's the gift of faith.

I already shared that with you before, but I experienced that when Serena was born.

Juliana had a crazy complication.

Um and in going back, like playing the replay.

I remember the doctor just telling me she already lost one and a half gallon of blood.

We are taking her back to the surgery room.

We don't know what's happening with her.

I just need you to sign these papers, and and that's it.

So I signed the papers.

I have no idea what I signed, and they took her back to the surgery room, and I stayed there in this bloody room, holding Serena for the first time, walking around thinking, what is happening right now?

And I remember praying, and I remember asking God, I need extra faith right now.

I need extra faith to speak to this situation and let the spiritual world know that she won't be touched, nothing will be removed, she will come back here and it will be fine.

And I don't have that faith in me right now.

The only thing I can see right now is this bloody room and this little baby that I don't even know who she is.

So, what I need right now is for you to fill me with faith.

And then out of nowhere, the spirit is just filling me with faith.

Faith for me to declare this is not the end.

Faith for me to declare, hey Satan, you are not touching her uterus, faith for me to say this is not the end of the story.

And what started as we're taking her back to the surgery room and we were probably removing her uterus.

Two days later we were at home, everything was fine because God did something incredible through faith.

So, if you are facing a difficult situation, it's a great invitation for God to use you through the gift of faith.

The next one is gifts of healing.

It's plural, it's the only one that it's plural.

That's because there are many ways the spirit heals physical, emotional, spiritual.

And I'm sharing lots of testimonies with you, but I think this is helpful.

20 years ago, I was in Sao Paulo downtown in a very, very dangerous street preaching.

There was 60 people there listening.

I was with a group of people, and we were preaching the gospel.

Lots of people accepted Jesus as their savior that day.

But when we were done, this lady approached us.

She was she was what 50 years old probably, and she told us, Hey, I'm blind.

Since I was born, I'm blind.

But I believe God can heal me today.

Right now, right here in one of the most dangerous streets of Sao Paulo.

And I told her, if you believe it, I believe with you.

And then we gather a group of people and we start praying for her.

And then when we said Amen, she opened her eyes, and for the first time, she was seeing the world in front of her.

And I was very concerned because she was just jumping and running around.

And I'm like, lady, you are 50 years old.

You just got healed.

We don't want to pray for you again.

So I understand that what's happening with you right now, it's incredible.

But can you calm down for a second?

But it was impossible for her to calm down because she was blind since she was born.

But God did something incredible that day in the most dangerous street of Sao Paulo.

It's superpowers.

The last one is working of miracles.

This is when God suspends natural loss and does something that only He can do.

It's not healing, it's beyond that.

It's multiplying bread, it's stopping storms, it's raising the dead, breaking chains, coming with provision.

The last three speaking gifts or vocal gifts, these gifts communicate the heart and the message of God to his people.

And the first one is prophecy.

Paul he says that this is the most important one prophecy.

And this is pretty much talking or sharing a message from God that it's related with the future.

Word of knowledge, present and past.

Prophecy, it's always future.

It's when you share with your church, with your friend, with a group of people something that only God could know about their future.

But two things very important here, it must always align with scripture and carry love.

That's prophecy.

But the last two, they are somehow connected.

Different kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues.

And I feel I need to explain a little bit because there's lots of confusion.

Different kinds of tongues is not the same thing than praying in tongues.

Praying in tongues is one of the evidences of being baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Is you praying to God.

It's when and when you do that, you strengthen yourself, right?

It's edifying for you.

It doesn't need interpretation because this is between you and God.

Different kinds of tongues is when God is speaking with with his people through you.

So this one requires interpretation.

This one is to strengthen yourself and edify you.

This is to strengthen the church and edify the church.

This is you praying to God.

This is God speaking to his people.

This doesn't need interpretation.

This interpretation is required.

So different kinds of tongues is when somebody out of nowhere starts praying in tongues, and immediately someone else comes to interpret that.

So the last two comes together.

One is being used by deliver a message, and the second one is being used to interpret the message.

Nine superpowers.

I want to finish finish by saying this.

You don't have to be a prophet, a pastor, or a preacher to be to move in his gifts.

You just have to be available because the Holy Spirit is looking for partnership.

So here's what I want you to walk away with today.

All of this, everything we talked about, is available.

The gifts of the Spirit were not meant to stay in the pages of your Bible, they were meant to live in the hearts of every belief.

God never said the gifts are only for the early church.

He never set an expiration date on his power.

The same Holy Spirit who moved through Peter and Paul, who raised the dead and healed the sick, still moves today and he lives inside of you.

He still speaks, he still reveals, he still empowers.

These gifts are not reserved for pastors, prophets, evangelists.

They are available to every believer who desires to be used by God.

This is what Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, verse 1.

1 Corinthians 14:1

He says, Follow the way of love and eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit.

Eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit.

Do you understand, friends?

It's all about hunger.

The Spirit doesn't feel the most talented, he feels the most available.

So asking.

Asking.

If you are hungry, if you are willing, if you are ready to say, Lord, use me, then there is no limit to what God can do through you.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, verse 12, he says, Since you are eager for the gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.

1 Corinthians 14:12

Since you are eager, he's not even asking.

He knows for sure.

Paul doesn't say, sit back and wait for it.

He says, go after it, desire it, pursue it, pray for it.

Seek God about it.

Some of you have been walking with Jesus for years.

But you've never asked him for these gifts.

Maybe because you thought they were for someone else or for another time.

But I believe God brought me here today to tell you it's not for someone else.

It's not for another time.

It's for you right here, right now, right now.

The Spirit of God wants to work through your voice, through your hands, through your heart right here, right now.

Think about this with me, friends.

If the church today faces the same challenges the early church faced: sin, sickness, confusion, deception, fear, why would we need less of the spirit's power instead of more?

Come on.

What if we prayed, Holy Spirit, I want to walk in everything you have for me?

What if the next miracle, the next healing, the next word of knowledge didn't come from the stage, but from a believer in a cubicle, a classroom, a coffee shop?

Understanding the gifts is not the goal.

Leaving them is the goal.

It's not about having theological information, it's about becoming a vessel for his glory.

If the Holy Spirit truly lives inside of you, what could happen if you gave him full permission to move?

What could God do in your home, in your workplace, in your church, if you simply said, Holy Spirit, I'm available.

The same spirit who hovered over the waters in Genesis, the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, the same spirit that filled the upper room is alive in you today.

So let me tell you this.

Don't settle for a life that is explainable.

Step into something supernatural.

Superpowers, they are real.

But not only that, they are available.

Do you know how much it costs?

It's all it's only a matter of you being available, asking God, and seeking God about it.

They are waiting for anyone who's willing to say, Come, Holy Spirit.

Come, Holy Spirit.

I want to be used in the gifts.

Come, Holy Spirit.

I want to exercise everything you have for me.

Come, Holy Spirit.

If all of this is available, I want.

I want to be used in a word of wisdom, in a word of knowledge.

I want to be used in prophecy.

I want to be used in gifts of healing.

In different kinds of tongues, interpretation.

I want to be used in discernment of spirits.

I'm available.

God, thank you so much for your word this morning.

Thank you because you work in mysterious ways.

We don't need to understand, but we for sure need to accept, and this is what we do.

If it's available, if Paul wants us to understand more about it, we're here.

God, how many times we have wondered what would we do if we had such and such superpower?

We want to tell you, if your spirit is available, we are available too.

We don't want to settle for an explainable life.

We want to live something supernatural.

So we ask and we seek you.

If you want to use us, God, here we are.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Come.

Let us be light at our jobs, at our houses.

Let us be light as we drive around, as we walk through people.

We want to be vessels of the manifestation of your power.

And this has nothing to do with self-promotion or status.

At the end of the day, the glory is yours and will be forever yours.

We are grateful because you could use anything to bring you glory, but you decided to use us.

So if it's available, I won.

Thank you for your message and for your word this morning.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thank you for joining us to learn more about Celebration Orlando, a church devoted to reaching the lost, equipped in the fountain, and helping the hurting.

Follow us on social media using the handle at celebrationorl or visit our website, celebrationorl.org.