WEBVTT 00:00:01.483 --> 00:00:02.004 This morning. 00:00:02.004 --> 00:00:26.925 What I'm going to do is sort of an intermediate message between the series which we are moving through, a God worth knowing and our preparation for Christology, and really I'm going to talk about the Holy Spirit, but this is not really part of the series, in that I'm not really going to talk about the person of the Spirit as much as I am going to talk to you for a few minutes about his work in the church. 00:00:26.925 --> 00:00:37.359 So turn with me, if you have your Bibles, to the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 12, and I am going to attempt the impossible Speak for 30 minutes. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:49.781 You have come today to witness a miracle, but I feel owed it because I've been cheated in the previous weeks. 00:00:49.781 --> 00:00:53.572 I'm kidding 1 Corinthians 12, verse 1 through 7. 00:00:54.674 --> 00:01:00.011 Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, i do not want you to be uninformed. 00:01:00.011 --> 00:01:04.885 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols. 00:01:04.885 --> 00:01:06.489 However, you were led. 00:01:06.489 --> 00:01:15.331 Therefore, i want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says Jesus is a curse to. 00:01:15.331 --> 00:01:21.024 No one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit. 00:01:21.024 --> 00:01:35.507 Now, there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of service but the same Lord and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 00:01:35.507 --> 00:01:45.706 Verse 7, very important verse To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 00:01:45.706 --> 00:01:55.890 Let's read verse 7 again To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 00:01:55.890 --> 00:02:12.936 Father, help us to see this morning that the body of Christ is empowered and animated by the Spirit and release in this house all of the gifts which you have deposited in the men and women in this room by the work of the Spirit. 00:02:12.936 --> 00:02:21.151 Not only has your Spirit regenerated us, but He has graced us to share the grace gifts. 00:02:21.151 --> 00:02:33.543 So we pray this morning for an activation of all of those activities to the glory of God, in Jesus' name, and everyone says amen. 00:02:33.543 --> 00:02:36.407 Well, here's what's happening in this chapter. 00:02:37.509 --> 00:02:39.593 Paul is writing to a church called Corinth. 00:02:39.593 --> 00:02:46.133 He visited Corinth and when he was there he operated a powerful ministry by the Spirit. 00:02:46.133 --> 00:02:49.888 There was an explosion at Corinth and the church at Corinth was born. 00:02:49.888 --> 00:02:53.082 You can read about this in the 18th chapter of the book of Acts. 00:02:53.082 --> 00:03:25.467 And when Paul writes to them he says I give thanks to my God always for you because of the carousel, the grace of God that was given you in Christ, that in every way you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of or the revealing of our Lord Jesus. 00:03:25.467 --> 00:03:32.746 And one of the things that confirmed Paul's apostolic ministry is the Holy Spirit exploded at Corinth. 00:03:32.746 --> 00:03:37.281 The church was born and it was a powerfully charismatic church. 00:03:37.281 --> 00:03:48.278 In fact, when the Corinthians wrote Paul which we don't have that letter they were asking them a bunch of questions, and one is what in the world is happening in our midst? 00:03:48.278 --> 00:03:53.210 because explosions of the Spirit were occurring in their gatherings. 00:03:53.210 --> 00:03:59.888 Now, chapter 12, 13, and 14 are Paul's response to their questions. 00:03:59.907 --> 00:04:02.618 We're not going to go into all three chapters this morning. 00:04:02.618 --> 00:04:04.324 Perhaps sometime we'll walk through them. 00:04:04.324 --> 00:04:05.971 Read them at your leisure. 00:04:05.971 --> 00:04:11.086 And chapter 14 really talks about church meetings and how. 00:04:11.206 --> 00:04:13.353 The Holy Spirit, the order of God. 00:04:13.353 --> 00:04:15.358 I like what happened at Corinth. 00:04:15.358 --> 00:04:18.105 Paul didn't teach on order and hope. 00:04:18.105 --> 00:04:18.807 Something happened. 00:04:18.807 --> 00:04:30.185 I remember years ago in my first Pentecostal church experience, there were no gifts of the Spirit manifest and my pastor taught for six months on the gifts Wonderful teaching. 00:04:30.185 --> 00:04:35.922 If anything ever happened, we'd know what it was, but we had it a little reversed. 00:04:35.922 --> 00:04:39.029 We thought if we teach these things, it will happen. 00:04:39.029 --> 00:04:48.584 At Corinth, it was the reverse The things were happening in their midst by the Spirit, and now Paul is having to instruct and bring order. 00:04:49.925 --> 00:04:54.757 Now it is deceiving, though, to say that chapter 12 is about the gifts. 00:04:54.757 --> 00:04:58.266 It is about the gifts, but only secondarily. 00:04:58.266 --> 00:05:12.762 Really, what Paul is dealing with in chapter 12, and I want you to hear this is teaching the church at Corinth how to live properly in the community of the redeemed, the body of Christ. 00:05:12.762 --> 00:05:22.966 And for Paul to live properly in the body of Christ is impossible apart from the Holy Spirit and His power. 00:05:22.966 --> 00:05:39.434 Paul is talking about more than church services, although he's talking about that as well, but he's talking about how every member must live as a responsible member of the body of Christ, and the gifts are very important. 00:05:39.454 --> 00:06:09.536 When we talk about that, it's important to understand that in New Testament thinking, church, apostolic Christianity, there is only one way for people to know the ascended Lord of glory and to know that He is the ascended Lord of glory It is that He sent the glorified Spirit to the earth to inhabit the church and that is how the church knows that the Lord is glorified. 00:06:09.536 --> 00:06:15.009 We of course know it because Scripture teaches it, but we know it because the Holy Spirit has come. 00:06:15.009 --> 00:06:24.533 He's indwelling the church and there are certain manifestations occurring in the church that are evidences that Jesus is Lord. 00:06:24.533 --> 00:06:34.184 It is not biblical to think that the only purpose the Holy Spirit comes is to round out my life or personally bring me benefits. 00:06:34.184 --> 00:06:43.324 That's true enough, but He comes to enable us to live our lives in the body of Christ. 00:06:44.168 --> 00:06:45.572 Maybe we should ask this question. 00:06:45.572 --> 00:06:57.259 Let me ask it, and it's the best way to approach it What is it like for men and women to live their lives in the power of the Spirit or in the domain of the Spirit? 00:06:57.259 --> 00:07:03.418 Well, there are two levels where the Holy Spirit is working in every life in this room, if you're in Christ. 00:07:03.418 --> 00:07:05.278 Two levels very important. 00:07:05.278 --> 00:07:12.589 Number one and this is the most important, i do believe it should be central and it is when the Holy Spirit comes. 00:07:12.589 --> 00:07:18.913 His primary purpose is not to give me boo-goose bumps, but to make me like Jesus. 00:07:18.913 --> 00:07:39.012 Character is the primary reason the Spirit indwells you and I, and if you don't make that primary, you will not cooperate with the Holy Spirit who's always trying to lead you out of pride into humility, out of lust into purity, out of greed into generosity. 00:07:39.012 --> 00:07:51.877 Now, one of the things about the Holy Spirit working in our lives to produce character is how many know it occurs effortlessly or sometimes we're unconscious of the process. 00:07:52.826 --> 00:07:56.504 Many years ago I was struggling with pride. 00:07:56.504 --> 00:08:04.576 It seemed that the Holy Spirit had turned the flashlight on my heart and was showing me incredible pockets of pride that I didn't know. 00:08:04.576 --> 00:08:08.434 I would speak something and the Holy Spirit would say that's pride. 00:08:08.434 --> 00:08:09.716 And I was devastated. 00:08:09.716 --> 00:08:15.286 And right at that time this is the truth a man in our church came to me and said I just want you to know. 00:08:15.286 --> 00:08:18.113 I see such humility in your life. 00:08:18.113 --> 00:08:19.216 It blesses me. 00:08:19.216 --> 00:08:26.226 And I remember under my breath saying he's a liar, He knows it's not true, he's trying. 00:08:26.226 --> 00:08:28.355 But then I realized that I got it. 00:08:28.355 --> 00:08:34.258 When the Holy Spirit produces fruit in your life, the fruit is not for you, it's for others. 00:08:34.258 --> 00:08:47.738 And while I was allowing the Holy Spirit to bring me out of pride and deal with me, the fruit of humility was hanging on the tree and a brother took some of its fruit and thanked me for it. 00:08:49.845 --> 00:08:57.078 So when I say that the fruit of the Spirit, the character of Jesus, is produced effortlessly. 00:08:57.078 --> 00:08:59.153 I don't mean we don't cooperate. 00:08:59.153 --> 00:09:10.577 We have to obey the dictates of the Spirit, but I mean what John 15 teaches us We abide in Christ, and He that abides in me and I in Him bears much fruit. 00:09:10.577 --> 00:09:11.466 I have never. 00:09:11.466 --> 00:09:18.434 When I lived in Florida, i never walked past an orange grove and heard the trees straining to produce oranges. 00:09:18.434 --> 00:09:23.274 It happened one time and I knew they were Christian oranges. 00:09:23.274 --> 00:09:36.345 No, the branches abide in the tree and luscious fruit is the result. 00:09:38.510 --> 00:09:45.431 Now, when we come to the gifts or the, there's a Greek word used not in this chapter but in Romans 12, for gifts. 00:09:45.431 --> 00:09:46.715 It's the word charisma. 00:09:46.715 --> 00:09:49.614 It comes from the word carous, which means grace. 00:09:49.614 --> 00:10:14.485 When we look at the gifts, i have this question Why is it in the church that when it comes to the fruit of character, we understand that that comes by resting in the vine and letting the life of God flow through us effortlessly, but when it comes to the gifts, it requires straining and sweating to work at them? 00:10:14.485 --> 00:10:22.749 Why do we apply a different law to the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit? 00:10:22.809 --> 00:10:37.778 One of the reasons is we properly understand that these manifestations are supernatural, that's true, but I think we associate sometimes supernatural with unnatural. 00:10:37.778 --> 00:10:47.318 Now, i'm guilty of this because when I prophesy I sound like Ezekiel, because that's the way I learned and I admit it. 00:10:47.318 --> 00:11:02.094 But sometimes people, when they think about moving in the Charismas, they apply a different law than the law of flowing, which occurs when character is produced and we start thinking it were. 00:11:02.094 --> 00:11:07.429 You have to work hard and you have to be unnatural and you have to speak in King James English and quiver. 00:11:07.429 --> 00:11:27.370 Now, i'm not saying if that's you, that's you, but remember what Jesus said when he described what happened in the Feast of Tabernacles He that believes in me, as the Scripture says, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. 00:11:27.431 --> 00:11:28.654 I love that word flow. 00:11:28.654 --> 00:11:34.075 He could have said explode, but he likened it to the flow of a river. 00:11:34.075 --> 00:11:38.530 Have you ever been in a river Where the river starts pulling you you? 00:11:38.530 --> 00:11:48.791 you can resist it, but there's a point where the river is flowing and it starts pulling you and and you can't resist it, but it's, it's not violent, it's a gentle pull. 00:11:48.791 --> 00:11:52.985 And Jesus is likening life in the spirit to a flow of a river. 00:11:52.985 --> 00:11:57.841 I believe when he said he that believes in me, as the Scripture has said. 00:11:57.841 --> 00:12:20.695 One of the Scriptures he was referring to, and perhaps the primary one, was Ezekiel 47, where Ezekiel sees a river flowing from the house of God and it waters the earth and it flows and when Ezekiel gets in it, you remember, it comes up to his ankles and then it comes up to his knees and then it comes up to his waist and then it's a river that can't be forded. 00:12:20.695 --> 00:12:24.105 That river is alive and well in planet earth. 00:12:24.105 --> 00:12:26.184 It flows in the body of Christ. 00:12:29.754 --> 00:12:30.517 Now I want to do this. 00:12:30.517 --> 00:12:31.760 I want to take one verse of the verses we read. 00:12:31.760 --> 00:12:34.849 I read it in context, but there's one verse that I want us to look at And there are four things that I want to say from this verse. 00:12:34.849 --> 00:12:39.240 And I want to do it because I want to expand our understanding of what it means to be charismatic. 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:46.517 We are a charismatic church and Paul here lays out, i believe, in one verse, the essence of what that means. 00:12:48.972 --> 00:12:56.581 And in verse seven, paul says now concerning spiritual gifts but if you have a good Bible, gifts should be in italics, it's not in the text. 00:12:56.581 --> 00:13:02.014 He literally says concerning spirituals, plural or spiritual operations. 00:13:02.014 --> 00:13:13.870 Now, some Bibles like mine have in the margin concerning spiritual persons, and that's a possibility. 00:13:13.870 --> 00:13:16.293 But what is evident is the term gifts is not there. 00:13:16.293 --> 00:13:23.820 It's probably best described now concerning spiritual operations, when the Holy Spirit is operating. 00:13:23.820 --> 00:13:25.164 Paul says this is what it looks like. 00:13:25.164 --> 00:13:35.956 But in verse seven he says something very, very important And there are four things I want to draw from it. 00:13:35.956 --> 00:13:37.019 Let's read it together. 00:13:37.019 --> 00:13:46.065 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 00:13:46.586 --> 00:13:49.957 I want to talk about the scope of the gifts. 00:13:49.957 --> 00:13:52.184 I want to talk about the nature of the gifts. 00:13:52.184 --> 00:13:55.184 I want to talk about the realm of the gifts. 00:13:55.184 --> 00:14:04.350 I want to talk about the realm of the gifts And, finally, i want to talk about the focus of the gifts, and you will behold a miracle. 00:14:04.350 --> 00:14:06.515 I'm doing all this in 15 minutes. 00:14:07.990 --> 00:14:09.701 First of all, the scope of the gifts. 00:14:09.701 --> 00:14:10.184 Let me read it again. 00:14:10.184 --> 00:14:13.953 Verse seven to the pastor is given. 00:14:13.953 --> 00:14:17.090 What does it say? 00:14:17.090 --> 00:14:21.090 What's the first three words To each one? 00:14:21.090 --> 00:14:21.631 How many? 00:14:21.631 --> 00:14:30.678 This is about a gifted body, not just a gifted pastor or a gifted leader. 00:14:30.678 --> 00:14:33.248 This is about the gifted body. 00:14:33.248 --> 00:14:42.320 The passion of God, church is to equip the body to do the things that the body only can do. 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:49.184 I was reading it again recently The statistics on the number of pastors resigning weekly in America. 00:14:49.184 --> 00:14:50.606 It's astounding. 00:14:50.606 --> 00:14:54.453 Do you know why They're trying to be the body? 00:14:59.167 --> 00:15:04.677 Paul says the scope of the gifts is easy Each one has received them. 00:15:04.677 --> 00:15:11.177 In fact there's a passage in 1 Peter 4 that affirms this and I'll quote it in a second. 00:15:11.177 --> 00:15:18.613 You know, sometimes the church looks at these gifts as if there's only a few people that ever operate in them. 00:15:18.613 --> 00:15:24.938 And when they do, we put them on TV or exalt them the national prominence and say, wow, he got a gift. 00:15:24.938 --> 00:15:28.457 Or we bring somebody in from Africa and say we're going to teach on the gifts. 00:15:28.457 --> 00:15:33.559 The gifts are so rare we had to fly somebody in from Europe or Africa or Asia to teach. 00:15:36.407 --> 00:15:45.371 It is interesting that when it comes to the five-fold ministry, as it's commonly referred to in Ephesians 4.11, there's the word sum. 00:15:45.371 --> 00:15:50.863 He says he gave sum as apostles, sum as prophets, sum as evangelists. 00:15:50.863 --> 00:15:57.681 But here in 1 Corinthians 12, it's not sum but to each one. 00:15:57.681 --> 00:16:08.631 It isn't true that everybody's in the five-fold ministry, but it is true that the scope of the gifts is such that God's grace has been shed abroad to the entire body. 00:16:08.631 --> 00:16:19.077 So the five-fold ministry implies limitation, but the Charismas the Greek word for gift in most of the New Testament are to each one. 00:16:19.077 --> 00:16:29.943 And here's what it's saying God not only saved you and put His Spirit in you, but He placed you in the body as a gifted member. 00:16:29.943 --> 00:16:36.615 And I'm going to say something shocking There is no such thing as a non-functioning member. 00:16:36.615 --> 00:16:46.395 We have a new function that has emerged in the church so new it wasn't in the Bible Spectator. 00:16:46.395 --> 00:16:50.601 What is your gift, brother? 00:16:50.601 --> 00:16:53.385 I'm blessed to receive. 00:16:53.385 --> 00:16:56.650 I eat all the time. 00:16:56.650 --> 00:16:58.559 No, i'm not going to use that analogy. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:01.875 Thank you for catching me, lord. 00:17:04.038 --> 00:17:16.387 Paul makes it absolutely clear that if you're in Christ, you are a member of the body and you are gifted and you have something vital to bring to the table in the body of Christ. 00:17:16.387 --> 00:17:22.031 The problem Paul will deal with is not that we don't understand the gifts. 00:17:22.031 --> 00:17:22.714 Everybody look up here. 00:17:22.714 --> 00:17:23.818 That's not the problem. 00:17:23.818 --> 00:17:28.354 The problem is what he will address in the whole of chapter 12. 00:17:28.354 --> 00:17:41.696 If you read chapter 12, it's a little confusing, because he starts talking about these manifestations in verses 8 through 11, but then he talks about something else and never returns to discuss the gifts. 00:17:41.696 --> 00:17:45.088 Because the problem is not that we don't understand the gifts. 00:17:45.088 --> 00:17:46.313 The problem is. 00:17:46.313 --> 00:17:50.162 We don't understand what functioning as the body looks like. 00:17:50.502 --> 00:18:00.576 And Paul says things like one of the problems, brothers and sisters at Corinth, is you're making comparisons, because I'm a foot and I'm not a hand. 00:18:00.576 --> 00:18:06.828 I have no value because I'm in ear when I want to be an eye, I don't have value. 00:18:06.828 --> 00:18:09.477 No, we don't do that. 00:18:09.477 --> 00:18:13.887 We don't compare ourselves to other members. 00:18:13.887 --> 00:18:24.460 And, by the way, there is nothing in this passage that would affirm the idea that me standing here and my gift is the most important gift. 00:18:24.460 --> 00:18:36.509 It is important, but there are gifts in this body that are as important and God wants you to function And you are gifted by God. 00:18:36.509 --> 00:18:38.056 You didn't get it by vote. 00:18:38.056 --> 00:18:47.474 It says God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body just as he desired. 00:18:47.474 --> 00:18:59.326 Now I'll be honest and tell you I went through years of wishing I was something else, praying, fasting, my calling away, until I got what the program said. 00:18:59.326 --> 00:19:00.868 This is what I've made you to be. 00:19:02.275 --> 00:19:19.128 Peter says it this way same words as each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 00:19:19.128 --> 00:19:19.750 I love that. 00:19:19.750 --> 00:19:26.727 How many does Peter say As each one has received a special gift. 00:19:26.727 --> 00:19:30.684 I had a pastor say to me hey man, are you into body ministry? 00:19:30.684 --> 00:19:32.150 I said I hadn't heard. 00:19:32.150 --> 00:19:33.434 Is there another kind? 00:19:33.434 --> 00:19:39.104 Then we have the nature of the gifts. 00:19:39.104 --> 00:19:42.970 In verse seven To each one is given. 00:19:42.970 --> 00:19:45.715 Everybody. 00:19:45.715 --> 00:19:46.218 Look up here. 00:19:46.218 --> 00:19:48.544 How many know what you have. 00:19:48.544 --> 00:19:51.250 You were given. 00:19:51.250 --> 00:19:52.795 So I have news for you. 00:19:52.795 --> 00:19:54.118 It's good news and bad news. 00:19:54.118 --> 00:19:58.795 Here's the bad news Your gift says nothing about your spirituality. 00:19:58.914 --> 00:20:01.421 You were given it as a grace from God. 00:20:01.421 --> 00:20:02.845 It had nothing to do with you. 00:20:02.845 --> 00:20:08.419 It says nothing about you and me. 00:20:08.419 --> 00:20:12.387 It says a lot about the graciousness of the giver. 00:20:12.387 --> 00:20:20.674 So this banishes the thought when I get spiritual enough, i can get a gift. 00:20:20.674 --> 00:20:26.407 God gives them freely by His grace. 00:20:26.407 --> 00:20:33.983 And there's two things that are drawn from this The fact that they're charisma's grace gifts sovereignly given to you by God. 00:20:34.263 --> 00:20:37.615 Number one it destroys boasting of any type. 00:20:37.615 --> 00:20:43.366 How can I boast when what I have was grace to me by God? 00:20:43.366 --> 00:20:44.689 How can I stand here and go? 00:20:44.689 --> 00:20:46.678 look at me, i'm great. 00:20:46.678 --> 00:20:51.567 It's what Paul says earlier to the Corinthians. 00:20:51.567 --> 00:20:56.021 He says this what have you that you did not receive? 00:20:56.021 --> 00:21:03.499 And if you received it, why do you boast as if you had not, as if you had earned it. 00:21:03.499 --> 00:21:11.028 And the second thing that happens when you understand this it completely destroys the possibility of jealousy. 00:21:11.028 --> 00:21:12.775 I mean, think about it for a moment. 00:21:12.775 --> 00:21:21.580 I'm a beggar And what I've received I've received as a gift from God, but you're a beggar too and you receive something different. 00:21:21.580 --> 00:21:22.845 How can I be jealous? 00:21:22.845 --> 00:21:24.348 We're both beggars. 00:21:24.348 --> 00:21:42.112 And this is where Paul's teaching becomes so important When he says can you imagine my eye being jealous of my ear or my foot being jealous of my hand? 00:21:42.112 --> 00:22:01.718 This is what Peter means in his verse and I'm quoting from 1 Peter, i think it's 410, because he tells us and says each one has received a special gift and he says employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold, of the manifold. 00:22:02.219 --> 00:22:04.805 Grace of God, does everybody know what a steward is? 00:22:04.805 --> 00:22:14.871 A steward is a manager who is appointed to oversee the affairs and the goods of another. 00:22:14.871 --> 00:22:18.963 You don't own it, you're not an owner, you're a steward. 00:22:18.963 --> 00:22:20.419 Someone else owns it. 00:22:20.419 --> 00:22:25.223 But he appoints it to you And, by grace, says manage this for me. 00:22:25.223 --> 00:22:41.488 And I'd like to say lovingly that all of us will give an account to the Lord one day, not only for our stewardship of money, which is biblical, but you will also and so will I, stand before the Lord and give an account for the stewardship of grace in your life. 00:22:41.488 --> 00:23:01.601 If you were called to teach and you sat on it, if you're a prophet, if you are an evangelist, if you have the gift of mercy, if you have the gift of giving, if you have the gift of working of miracles, if you sit on those things, if you don't do it, if you say I don't like my gift, i want to be this or I don't feel there's room for it, or whatever, god wants to stir it. 00:23:01.601 --> 00:23:08.657 And these things are stewarded by us to the glory of God, and we'll give an account for what we did with it. 00:23:08.657 --> 00:23:14.689 It's called responsibility. 00:23:14.689 --> 00:23:24.116 I really remember the time when I took responsibility for my gift and started getting serious about developing it because I didn't want to be it. 00:23:26.742 --> 00:23:35.963 Number three wow, i might make it The realm of the gifts, verse seven again to each one. 00:23:35.963 --> 00:23:37.406 That's the scope of the gifts. 00:23:37.406 --> 00:23:40.114 Everybody is given their grace. 00:23:40.114 --> 00:23:41.076 We don't earn them. 00:23:41.076 --> 00:23:52.903 The manifestation of the Spirit Now, here Paul uses the Greek word phanaros, and it's a simple word, everybody will know it. 00:23:52.903 --> 00:23:55.588 It's openness, it's visibility. 00:23:55.588 --> 00:23:57.875 These gifts do not. 00:23:57.875 --> 00:24:10.648 The manifestation of the Spirit here means that in the body of Christ there is an open and visible display of the Spirit's presence through these operations. 00:24:10.648 --> 00:24:16.446 If you're receiving this morning, i don't want to, i'm not trying to boast, i'm not. 00:24:16.446 --> 00:24:32.085 But if you're really receiving, it's Christ the teacher feeding the church, not Neil Silverberg, i'm just the donkey he chose to ride in on this morning, and boy do I feel like it. 00:24:32.085 --> 00:24:36.854 That means these gifts don't operate in secret. 00:24:36.894 --> 00:24:39.542 Now, having said that, i don't mean they're all for the platform. 00:24:39.542 --> 00:24:43.234 I have a real problem with how shall I say it? 00:24:43.234 --> 00:24:48.005 the showiness that churches often display. 00:24:48.005 --> 00:24:55.301 But what it means is these are manifest through the body, by the operation of the Spirit. 00:24:55.301 --> 00:24:57.686 They're visible, they're open, they're not hidden. 00:24:57.686 --> 00:25:01.141 They're not all on the platform, but they're also in the body. 00:25:01.141 --> 00:25:07.319 In fact, they're not only for church meetings, but they build up the body in other ways. 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:09.202 Did you know that? 00:25:09.202 --> 00:25:15.864 I have seen businesses struggling be transformed by someone having a word of wisdom? 00:25:15.864 --> 00:25:29.049 But the most exciting thing I want to say today as well is these gifts and these open manifestations of the Spirit are for evangelism. 00:25:33.056 --> 00:25:38.550 You remember when Jesus Philip came to him and Jesus said I'm sorry. 00:25:38.550 --> 00:25:44.813 Nathaniel came to him and Philip brought him and Jesus said an Israelite, indeed, is human, is no guile. 00:25:44.813 --> 00:25:46.199 And he said well, how do you know me? 00:25:46.199 --> 00:25:47.242 You never met me. 00:25:47.242 --> 00:25:56.608 He said well, before Philip called you, when you were sitting under the fig tree, i saw you And that's all he needed. 00:25:56.608 --> 00:26:01.219 He said Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel. 00:26:01.219 --> 00:26:03.786 A word of knowledge. 00:26:03.786 --> 00:26:12.445 Jesus depended on the Spirit for everything He did And that word opened up in Nathaniel's life. 00:26:12.445 --> 00:26:13.448 He was never the same. 00:26:15.873 --> 00:26:19.387 Sometimes I think we want miracles just in church services because we're bored. 00:26:19.387 --> 00:26:21.998 But let me give you an occlude as something that changed my life. 00:26:21.998 --> 00:26:26.208 Every miracle in Acts, except for one, happened in the marketplace. 00:26:26.208 --> 00:26:27.758 There was one in church. 00:26:27.758 --> 00:26:29.201 God killed two people. 00:26:29.201 --> 00:26:39.586 And not to say we don't want things happening in the service, but the thing is, these gifts can change lives. 00:26:39.626 --> 00:26:46.111 I remember I was with some brothers on my way to a conference and we stopped at a convenience store and I got out. 00:26:46.111 --> 00:26:49.988 I think I might have told you this, but I can't remember what I did Monday, so bear with it. 00:26:49.988 --> 00:26:55.233 And I was walking towards the store and the two other brothers were in the car and I turned around. 00:26:55.233 --> 00:26:56.758 I said do you want something to drink. 00:26:56.758 --> 00:27:00.948 And a guy, a total stranger, said yeah, i do, will you buy me something? 00:27:00.948 --> 00:27:05.028 And before I could stop it, i said sure, i'll buy you something. 00:27:05.028 --> 00:27:10.211 After all, you're a backslidden Christian who was called to ministry and you've been running from God for years. 00:27:10.211 --> 00:27:10.895 What would you like? 00:27:10.895 --> 00:27:18.393 I mean, it came out that fast, unpremeditated, wow, and he stood in the. 00:27:18.393 --> 00:27:20.999 By that time we were about up at the doorway of the convenience store. 00:27:20.999 --> 00:27:28.025 He stood, his mouth opened, his jaw, and I realized that what just came out of my mouth was the Spirit of God. 00:27:28.025 --> 00:27:30.894 And I don't know what he's doing. 00:27:30.894 --> 00:27:40.021 I didn't keep in touch with him, but I bet he'll never forget that encounter where a word of knowledge arrested him on his way to get a drink. 00:27:43.990 --> 00:27:45.854 Don't make a theology out of this. 00:27:45.854 --> 00:27:49.359 It just happened once, but why not? 00:27:49.359 --> 00:28:00.443 I mean, there are so many ways that I remember I think it was Jim Cater called the gifts the dinner bells to salvation. 00:28:00.443 --> 00:28:10.480 It's not that we're just looking to wow people and they don't have to believe the gospel, but our God is a living God And when he does things like that, it gets people's attentions. 00:28:12.386 --> 00:28:16.635 Finally, the focus of the gifts verse 7. 00:28:16.635 --> 00:28:19.431 We saw the scope to each one. 00:28:19.431 --> 00:28:23.756 We saw the nature is given. 00:28:23.756 --> 00:28:24.930 They are grace gifts. 00:28:24.930 --> 00:28:29.715 We saw the realm manifestation. 00:28:29.715 --> 00:28:31.891 It's open, visible. 00:28:31.891 --> 00:28:34.874 This happens and God is at work and we see it. 00:28:35.105 --> 00:28:45.455 And finally, the focus of the gifts to each one is given the manifestation For the common good. 00:28:45.455 --> 00:28:56.452 I am not given a gift to show off, to impress you, to make you like me, and I used to use my gift and I still struggle with it. 00:28:56.452 --> 00:29:03.548 If you're insecure, you can hide behind your gift and I have done that, but the gift is not to So I feel better. 00:29:03.548 --> 00:29:04.392 How many know? 00:29:04.392 --> 00:29:10.148 And don't get me wrong when you're moving in your gift there's life and power and release, and that should be. 00:29:10.148 --> 00:29:18.209 But the gifts are for the common good, they're for others, they're for the good of the body. 00:29:18.209 --> 00:29:27.459 The word common is the root word from which the word community is derived and formed. 00:29:27.459 --> 00:29:29.108 These gifts are for the community. 00:29:29.108 --> 00:29:43.932 In fact, there's a statement in this chapter I wish I had time and maybe we'll unfold it a later date but he says that the members should have the same care for one another. 00:29:48.464 --> 00:29:58.298 I'm not an expert on these gifts, but I can tell you this that I believe, if you were to ask me what's the key to the manifestation of the Spirit, to the gifts. 00:29:58.298 --> 00:30:03.023 I'll tell you what it is Compassion. 00:30:03.023 --> 00:30:16.538 How many times in the gospels did Jesus have compassion on someone and the result was a work of power healing, resurrection, cleansing lepers, even as disciples, calming a storm. 00:30:16.538 --> 00:30:19.009 It was all by compassion. 00:30:19.009 --> 00:30:25.952 And God Christ, rather His heart was filled with compassion and it was manifested in a work of power. 00:30:25.952 --> 00:30:36.832 If you want God to use you in the manifestation of the Spirit, be a man or a woman who looks around at hurting people and is compassionate. 00:30:36.832 --> 00:30:50.813 Your heart breaks for what you see And then, as your heart is filled with His love, ask Him for the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 00:30:50.924 --> 00:30:57.128 There is one other text I close with and hallelujah, i made it Verse 1 of chapter 14. 00:30:57.128 --> 00:31:00.829 Turn to it and then look up here and don't look at it. 00:31:00.829 --> 00:31:05.369 Anybody interested in gifts? 00:31:05.369 --> 00:31:07.453 you shouldn't ask for them. 00:31:07.453 --> 00:31:14.872 You should just wait on God and if He wants to give it to you, he will Just take my teaching and you can pray about it if you want, but don't pursue. 00:31:15.173 --> 00:31:16.015 Is that what Paul says? 00:31:16.015 --> 00:31:17.297 No, look at verse 1. 00:31:17.297 --> 00:31:18.605 Pursue love. 00:31:18.605 --> 00:31:21.273 What's primary Character? 00:31:21.273 --> 00:31:22.236 Love. 00:31:22.236 --> 00:31:32.458 Pursue love, make that primary And earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 00:31:32.458 --> 00:31:40.392 So, putting it in perspective, don't be a man or a woman who says I'm going to choose character over gifts or I like gifts. 00:31:40.392 --> 00:31:41.714 I'm not big on character. 00:31:41.714 --> 00:31:43.988 Everybody must be big on character. 00:31:43.988 --> 00:31:57.615 But God is visibly working in the domain of the Spirit, in the body of Christ, in these two realms Character and power, character and open display of the ministry of Jesus. 00:31:57.615 --> 00:32:05.531 You see, every one of us is called not only to be like Jesus in character but to be like Jesus in ministry. 00:32:08.309 --> 00:32:14.188 I'll tell you the most exciting thing for me about Trinity, it's all the gifts. 00:32:15.525 --> 00:32:22.231 There are pastors in this room, there are teachers, there are evangelists, there are prophets, there are gifts of mercy and healing and tongues. 00:32:22.845 --> 00:32:32.354 There are so many gifts and I encourage you to take verse 1 seriously Earnestly desire, pray, seek. 00:32:32.354 --> 00:32:37.797 Now the thing is, you may be moving in a spiritual gift and not know what it is. 00:32:37.797 --> 00:32:52.651 How many know that often happens and somebody comes along and says because when I started teaching, my denomination didn't have teachers, and so people said you're a teacher and I remember saying I am Because no one told me what I was. 00:32:52.651 --> 00:33:02.273 You don't have to know what you are to move in it, just be a man or a woman filled with the spirit and pursue and desire. 00:33:02.273 --> 00:33:05.358 Pursue love and desire Spiritual gifts. 00:33:05.358 --> 00:33:09.275 Paul will stop in chapter 12 and say let me show you a more excellent way. 00:33:09.275 --> 00:33:26.633 He is not pitting character love against spiritual gifts, but he's saying if you're not a man or a woman who loves and is doing these things from love, you're a bunch of noise, and how many know there's a lot of noise in the body of Christ. 00:33:26.633 --> 00:33:30.213 Well, we need these gifts as well.