WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:03.600 Hey, grab your Bibles, open them up with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:04.959 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:06.480 My name is Chris Kuba. 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:10.080 I have the privilege of being lead pastor here at United City and just grateful for the opportunity. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:23.039 I got a chance to sit up in the uh in the in the balcony there and just, man, it's just amazing to see our church worshiping and just to be able to hear the sound of uh of the songs of God's people and just to be able to be together is just an awesome, awesome thing. 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:24.879 We're so grateful that you are here. 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:29.440 If I have not had a chance to meet you personally, I would love to have the opportunity to do that after this service. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:30.960 So please come find me out in the lobby. 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:35.679 Would love the chance to be able to get to know you and uh welcome you here to United City. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:37.920 Uh this week is a big week. 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:58.320 If you are gathering with your family or maybe your friends, or you've got something that is in place that you're gonna be together with folks, it's probably a good heads up that it might be a good chance for you to kind of listen up a little bit and to be attuned to maybe some comments or some things that are gonna be made, because I don't know if you realize this, but Christmas is a month away. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:18.159 Like we're really we're just a little bit over 30 days away, and so therefore, it's kind of a gift-giving season in time, and so therefore, if you don't want to be that guy uh who kind of has the gift that gets returned every year, or that guy uh who always ends up finding themselves basically scrambling at the last minute, this is an important week for you, okay? 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:25.840 You gotta be kind of locked in and you gotta be listened up and you gotta be able to figure out what it is because you know there's just there's kind of two different people, right? 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:28.959 There's there's there's certain folks who are like really good at gift giving. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:36.400 You know, I mean, they're just like so in tune to it, they really enjoy it, they really make sure and give a super personal, really specific gift. 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:44.719 I mean, you could have mentioned something four years ago as an offhand comment, and then all of a sudden you've got this gift and you forgot you wanted it, right? 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:51.920 But they remembered that moment and they waited for the perfect time and they got you that gift, or there's the rest of us, okay? 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:56.719 And basically you haven't thought about it, you're not super good at it, and you never know. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:01.200 You kind of feel like you're always scrambling at the last minute when it comes to a birthday, when it comes to Christmas. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:09.599 And I'm convinced that for the rest of us, that is why there's become such a booming industry of gift cards. 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:11.360 Anybody like gift cards out here, right? 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:14.159 Anybody like to give and receive gift cards? 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:18.000 Let me just give you some stats on this whole idea of gift cards. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:27.680 Last year, 984.3 billion dollars with a B was spent on gift cards. 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:29.840 $984 billion. 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:35.439 Average value of a gift card, if you're kind of wondering, like, how do I how do I measure up whenever I give a gift? 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:37.919 Like, am I in the kind of the medium range or whatever? 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:43.759 The average value of a gift card given to someone else is$47.91. 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:47.680 So you're$15 in cutting it, all right? 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:49.199 I just want to make sure you know that, okay? 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:50.240 Give you a heads of now. 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:51.439 Look, I'm all for this. 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:56.479 Like, skip Black Friday, skip Amazon Prime Days, skip all the other stuff. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:00.560 Just give me a gift card and I'll figure it out when I want to figure it out, okay? 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:02.800 I I'll I'll shop when I want to shop. 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:04.800 I'm all about the gift card. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:13.520 But here's what the research also revealed 47% of American adults have unused gift cards. 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:19.039 Meaning, just because you get a gift card doesn't mean you're gonna use the gift card. 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:27.439 And in fact, the total value of the unspent gift cards is around$23 billion. 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:30.800 That's a lot of money. 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:35.759 That's a lot of money that's already been spent but hasn't been claimed. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:45.280 Almost a third of people said that they have a gift card that expired before they were able to use it, causing the money to go unclaimed. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:49.520 A fourth of people simply lose the gift card. 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:54.639 They put it in a drawer or they put it in a pile, and it's never to be found ever again. 00:03:54.719 --> 00:04:03.439 And since you didn't pay for it, it doesn't feel quite as much of a sting as it is, even though that's real money that you have lost. 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:14.639 Starbucks also reported that there was$1.77 billion in unredeemed gift cards, which is up 9% over last year. 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:18.399 That is so many pumpkin spy slottes, folks. 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:19.759 Just think about that. 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:26.160 Like there's so much that has already been paid for, yet is not claimed. 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:28.319 Uh, it isn't like you don't have the money. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:30.079 The money's already been spent. 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:35.600 You're just not claiming the money that has been given for you. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:45.839 Uh, Rachel Seaver is on our team, and she told the story of the fact that her and Stephen uh wanted to go out to a nice dinner and they had a gift card to a steakhouse. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:47.040 Let's just be honest, okay? 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:54.639 There are a few things in life that are as great as going to a very nice meal, knowing the entire time you're not paying for it. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:57.439 Like it's just, you just, it just tastes better, all right? 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:01.120 I mean, you just you order appetizers you might not have ordered because who cares? 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:04.000 You didn't pay for it, and so therefore you just kind of get that, right? 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:06.240 And so they went to they made reservations. 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:14.879 This was gonna be a big date night, and so they're all excited about it, and they go to the restaurant, they begin to order all of their meals, they're enjoying every single aspect of it. 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:18.399 Even if the steak's not perfectly cooked, it is because you didn't pay for it. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:19.040 You know what I mean? 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:20.959 It's just it just tastes different. 00:05:21.040 --> 00:05:33.519 And so they went through the whole process, they get to the very end of the meal, and very proudly, that time whenever the waiter comes and puts that bill in front of you and they plop down that gift card, the waiter takes it, they walk off, and they came back and they said, Mr. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:37.439 Seaver, I'm sorry to tell you, this is actually a gift card for another restaurant. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:39.360 You're not at that restaurant. 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:50.399 There are very few things that are more difficult in life than paying for a really expensive meal when you thought the whole thing was gonna be free the entire time. 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:55.600 This morning we're continuing in our sermon series in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:57.519 It's called Against the Grain. 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:03.199 And what I want to look at is a series of things that have already been purchased. 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:13.360 But either because it's been misused or unclaimed, there's a lot of potential left on the table that's not being utilized. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:17.920 We're gonna look at the topic of spiritual gifts. 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:27.040 We're gonna look and see that there is so much that God has abundantly provided for all of us in the church. 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:51.600 But due to the fact that either we're trying to use it at the wrong restaurant, in the wrong way, in the wrong format, or because perhaps we have it, but we're just setting it aside like it's not that big of a deal, not realizing how vital it is to actually cash it in, it's just unused, misused, underused. 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:55.360 We're gonna look at 1 Corinthians chapter 12, 13, and 14. 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:58.800 All three chapters talk about this whole idea of spiritual gifts. 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:00.399 But here's how I'm gonna do this. 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:04.319 I'm gonna give you five principles about spiritual gifts. 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:10.240 I'm gonna kind of rush through the first three, not because they're not important, but just because I've dealt with them in other topics. 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:20.319 And then I'm gonna really spend a lot of time on steps four, number four, and number five, giving you a lot of theology about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:24.800 Let's begin reading in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, beginning in verse 1. 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:25.920 Take a look. 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:31.040 Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:36.079 Everything that's about to take place in the next three chapters is built off of this verse. 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:42.240 He's saying this the goal that I'm trying to do here is to give clarity. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:57.920 You see, in the in this in the church in Corinth, what they had was a bunch of people who were fighting over their spiritual gifts, fighting over how they got to use their spiritual gifts, or how they wanted to be the loudest one to use their spiritual gifts, or how they wanted to be seen and known for their spiritual gifts. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:05.920 And what you saw was all these various spiritual gifts looking more like chaos and confusion more than clarity. 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:14.000 And what we're gonna see is that when we gather together in a worship service, there's actually supposed to be some order to this thing. 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:17.360 Like there's actually supposed to be a method to how it goes. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:23.040 And so what Paul is doing is he's trying to say, hey, I want to make sure you guys don't mess this up. 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:30.160 Because this is a gift that I'm giving to you, and I don't want you to either not claim it or use it at the wrong restaurant. 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:33.279 I instead want you to have crystal clear clarity. 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:35.360 This is how it's supposed to go down. 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:37.600 Skip down to verse four with me. 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:48.639 He says, There 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. 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:52.320 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:54.639 I'm giving you five principles about spiritual gifts. 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:59.919 First one is this everyone, every believer has a spiritual gift. 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.360 Every believer has a spiritual gift. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:10.320 This isn't something that you have to apply for, you have to don't have to fill out an application for, you don't have to sign up for. 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:14.240 It is something that you receive when you become a believer in Jesus Christ. 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:15.519 We're gonna talk about this more in a minute. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:22.080 Romans chapter 8, verse 9 says that whenever you trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit begins to indwell you. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:30.639 And one of the many things that the Holy Spirit does is he also fills you and gives you spiritual gifts, which you are to use for the common good. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:32.879 Spiritual gifts are individual. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:45.759 It's not like they just do like a teaching shipment out to Texas, and then they do a speaking in tongues section, and they send that over to California, and then they figure out how the prophecy section, they send that to Florida, and kind of everybody in that area all gets the same gift. 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:47.120 It's not how it works. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:53.679 Instead, each individual person in this room gets a spiritual gift. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:55.120 What does it mean to have a spiritual gift? 00:09:55.200 --> 00:10:03.600 A spiritual gift is not just like a talent, like I can sing, or maybe I can public speak, or maybe I can have a way with kids, or something like that. 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:07.039 Those are all great things, and you all have natural gifts. 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:14.559 A spiritual gift is something supernatural where it's like, hey, I just feel like I connect with the Lord differently whenever you do this. 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:16.799 Like it's like a it's kind of a different level. 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:22.960 And what I want you to see is that there's certain things that all of us do, but you may have a spiritual gift even in that one thing. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:24.320 Let me give you an example of this. 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:29.039 All of us are told that we are to evangelize, we're told to share our faith with other people. 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:32.559 But there's some people who have the spiritual gift of evangelism, meaning this. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:35.360 I can share my faith with somebody else and God can save them. 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:39.200 They can share with their faith with somebody else and like masses get saved. 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:41.120 Like it's just kind of like supernatural. 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:48.879 Like, I did the same thing you did, but but God uses that person in such a way where it's just anointed, it allows the Spirit of God to move in a significant way. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:50.080 Giving would be another one. 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:52.159 Giving is something all of us are supposed to do. 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:56.799 All of us are supposed to be obedient by returning our tithes and our offerings back to the Lord. 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:00.879 There's certain people though, Romans chapter 12 says has the spiritual gift of giving. 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:02.240 I mean, I think it means this. 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:05.600 God actually blesses them more because he knows that they're gonna give more. 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:14.240 Like he just blesses them with this spiritual gift of generosity where not only they have provision, but they also have opportunity and they just love to do it. 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:22.639 It's not necessarily about rich being rich, it's just about having a heart where God just supernaturally allows you to see the needs of others and have an ability and a desire to meet it. 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:34.080 I believe that all of us should be teachers, whether you're a teacher in a large group, or whether you're a teacher in a small group, or whether you're a teacher one-on-one with somebody else, you should have the ability to tell about what God's word says. 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:40.639 But there's certain people who have a supernatural gift to where when they speak, people begin to say, Man, that just kind of clicked for me. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.799 Like light bulb just kind of went off. 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:44.879 Like I just kind of noticed there was something different. 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:47.120 And so these are spiritual gifts. 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:48.879 How do you determine what your spiritual gifts are? 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:53.440 I want you to take your phones out and I want you to take a look at this QR code that's going to be on the screens. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:56.480 And I encourage you, we we offer this in Growth Track. 00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:00.639 If you've never been through Growth Track, that is your way of getting connected to United City Church. 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:04.399 Okay, it's it meets during this hour at 10 o'clock in the Growth Track room. 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:07.120 There's four classes going over our four core values. 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:08.399 That's what Growth Track does. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:12.639 One of those, we actually walk you through a spiritual gifts assessment. 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:14.639 I want to encourage you to take this, okay? 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:20.080 And this is something, and again, don't answer the questions based upon what you want to be the results. 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:24.080 Answer the questions based upon what it actually is to be the case. 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:26.320 And you'll begin to see what your spiritual gifts are. 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:27.519 This is one way to find out. 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:30.320 Can I tell you another way to find out what your spiritual gifts are? 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:33.519 Ask what the needs are at the church and go serve. 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:44.080 Because here's what I've found: is that God matches the needs of the body with the way that He equips the people to meet those needs. 00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:48.320 And so if you're like frustrated about something, God probably wants you to serve there. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:51.919 Like if you're like angry, like, you know, no one really greeted me whenever I showed up today. 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:54.399 No one really was nice to me, no one ever got me to my seat. 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:54.879 Perfect. 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:56.399 We got a perfect position for you. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:00.480 You can help be the pro the solution to the problem that you've identified, right? 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:01.600 That's how God works. 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:03.279 He begins to allow us to do this. 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:08.559 But some people are like, well, I've got the spiritual gift of teaching and no one's asked me to teach. 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:10.559 Okay, well, guess what? 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:12.720 We'd be happy to let you park ours. 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:18.159 Because I would also tell you, if you're not willing to park your car, you're probably not willing to be able to go and teach. 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:22.080 You've got to have the ability to be able to be, say, God, what do you want me to do? 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:23.679 I'll do whatever that is. 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:29.039 And God has a way of matching your gifting with the needs of the body. 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:30.000 So please hear me. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:34.240 Don't just sit around and wait for the spiritual gifts test and then just wait and say, no one's calling me. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:38.080 Instead, you figure out where God is moving and you go and you join him there. 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:40.799 Every believer has a spiritual gift. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:42.399 Skip down with me, keep going. 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:47.440 Look at the next passage there in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, in verse uh 14. 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:48.480 Look at this. 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:51.919 For the body does not consist of one member, but of many. 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:57.440 If the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:03.039 And if the ear should say, because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:06.559 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:07.279 Keep going. 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:10.399 If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:15.200 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:18.559 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:22.240 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:30.480 Second principle that I want you to see from this text is this every believer not only has a gift, number two, every believer should use their gift. 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:32.720 Every believer should use their gift. 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:38.080 I just read you this long snippet in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 that talks about the image of a body. 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:42.320 And the whole idea is this is that we are all interdependent on each other. 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:44.639 Like I need you and you need me. 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:51.519 Like we're all supposed to kind of do something and bring something to the table that requires the other person. 00:14:51.840 --> 00:15:00.559 And when you are given a spiritual gift and you don't use it, it's like walking around with a gift card that's been paid for that you don't cash in. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:08.080 Like it's just like you have all this potential, you have all this opportunity, but it's not being leveraged. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:16.480 I would argue that if you don't bring and use your spiritual gift for the benefit of the body, then first of all, it's going to be harmful to you. 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:19.759 Your spiritual life's not going to be as good as it could be. 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:28.879 But I would also tell you this if you have a spiritual gift and you don't use it, then the church isn't complete and full without your contribution. 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:34.320 I want everyone to look up at me and I want everyone to hear what I'm about to say because it's so important. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:39.279 You are needed. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:47.440 You are needed. 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:51.440 I know you're like, no, there's no way. 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:59.600 I mean, there's all these people in this church, and all these folks that do stuff, and all these things are great, and so therefore, like, I mean, I tell these people on stage, there's no way that I could ever do anything like that. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:02.240 And so I don't need I'm not really needed. 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:07.600 And honestly, if I am serving right now and I was to leave tomorrow and I got moved, you guys would just replace me. 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:09.440 I didn't say you're not replaceable. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:11.919 All of us are replaceable. 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:14.559 But you're needed. 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:27.120 In order for United City Church to be the fullest and best expression that God wants it to be in Northeast Houston and beyond, for right now, for such a time as this, it requires you to do what you do. 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:30.000 It requires you to be who you are. 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:31.519 Which means this. 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:33.759 Yes, we can find somebody else to join the prayer team. 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:36.000 Yes, we can find somebody else to join the greeter team. 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:38.000 Yes, we can find somebody else to join the Usher team. 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:39.919 Yes, we can find someone else to teach that group. 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:43.759 But at the end of the day, it won't be the same without you. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:52.000 The way that you teach, the way that you encourage, the way that you support and love, the way that you inspire and help others. 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:53.840 It means something. 00:16:54.559 --> 00:17:04.319 And so therefore, we want to be a people who recognize the fact that look, I need to come and do this because other people need me and I need them. 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:05.119 What does this mean? 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:10.240 This means that we need senior adults and young adults at the United City in order to be what God wants us to be. 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:24.559 What this means is that we need the noise and the crying and the beautiful sounds of preschoolers, and we also need the wisdom and the life trials and the victories of empty nesters. 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:44.559 What this means is that we need youth to be all over this church and ripping this place apart, and next gen being able to do all that they do, and we'll gladly pay whatever we gotta pay in order to restore whatever it is that they break, because at the end of the day, we need youth because we don't just want to be a church that has everything so in order nothing breaks. 00:17:45.200 --> 00:18:00.559 Because we don't have the chaos that comes at times with next gen, but also the energy and the life and the incredible opportunity that comes when 1 Timothy chapter 4, 12 is actually true when it says, let no one despise you for your youth. 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:04.799 Set the believers an example in speech and conduct and faith and purity and love. 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:08.559 What this means is that we don't believe the next generation is one day they get to do stuff. 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:10.480 We believe the next generation is right now. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:14.319 We want to see God move in powerful ways. 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:25.680 And so, therefore, no matter if you're young or whether you're old or whether you're rich or whether you're poor, or whatever it is that you are, all in between, all of us get to come together in this thing that we call the church. 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:32.079 And we get to see God do things that are far beyond anything that we could ever possibly ever imagine on our own. 00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:35.839 Every believer has a gift, every believer should use their gift. 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:37.200 Let's keep reading. 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:38.880 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:39.839 Look at what it says. 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:45.839 If I speak in the tongues of men, we're gonna talk about what it means to speak in tongues in just a minute, and of angels, but have not love. 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:48.160 I'm a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.039 Is that sound still in your ear from last week, by the way? 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:55.920 Can't tell you how many people told me, man, that gong is a lot really, really loud. 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:58.160 Don't ever forget that. 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:09.279 Because at the end of the day, what we don't want to do is be a church that is all about the show and sounds like a noisy, annoying symbol to the rest of the culture. 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:13.359 Instead, we want to be something that is radically different. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:21.759 It says that if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:28.240 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have uh not love, I gain nothing. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:32.400 The third principle I want you to see today is this love is better than a gift. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:34.640 Love is better than a gift. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:38.079 We're gonna go, we're not gonna go into this much because we present a whole message last week. 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:43.039 If you weren't here, I strongly encourage you to go back and listen to the message about the love chapter. 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:46.400 But what I wanted you to see is that like that's a pretty significant list. 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:47.839 Like, that's really cool stuff. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:57.039 You got speaking in tongues, you got speaking in tongues of angels, you've got prophetic powers, you've got all of these things that are there, but if we have all of that stuff and we don't have love, it says it's nothing. 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:05.200 It says instead it's better, it's better for us to be a loving church than it is for us to be a charismatic church. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:14.799 I sometimes get whenever I reach out to guests, or maybe I go out in the lobby and I'll have somebody come up to me and they'll kind of pull me aside and it's like a secret handshake or something. 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:20.319 It's like a like a secret code, and they'll say, Hey, are you guys one of those spirit-filled churches? 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:24.880 Like, like I thought you guys were Baptists, but I saw a couple of people with their hands up. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:25.759 I just kind of threw me off. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:28.079 It was throwing, I wasn't sure what was going on up there. 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:29.519 Like it just kind of threw me off. 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:30.880 Like, are you spirit-filled? 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:32.720 Are you one of those spirit-filled churches? 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:34.240 I don't always know what they mean. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:37.680 I always ask them to clarify because I know there's a whole lot that goes along with that. 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:40.559 But can I tell you a better question than are you a spirit-filled church? 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:43.759 According to 1 Corinthians 13, are you a loving church? 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:57.440 It actually suggests that you may not necessarily have all of those miraculous, really kind of visible things that take place, but if you're a loving congregation, that goes further than all the miraculous stuff. 00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:10.000 It seems to suggest that love is deeper and better than you making sure that you have an opportunity to show your expressive gifts. 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:15.200 The question that we should always ask is not, can I do this here? 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:21.279 The question that we should ask is, what is the most loving thing to serve this body here? 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:24.160 How can I love those that are around me? 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:27.359 What can I do to defer and to put others first? 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:29.680 Because that ultimately is the greatest thing. 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:32.799 Love is the ointment that fixes the scars of division. 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:38.000 Love is the medicine that brings unity and purpose instead of selfishness. 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:40.319 Look at what 1 Corinthians 13, verse 13 says. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:46.640 Still now, faith, hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:49.759 Love's better than all the other gifts. 00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:51.440 Keep that in mind. 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:53.440 Let's go now into verse in chapter 14. 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:54.960 I want to look at a little theology. 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:59.039 Verse 1 Pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts. 00:21:59.279 --> 00:21:59.759 Especially. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.440 That you may prophesy. 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:05.440 For one speaks who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God. 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:08.960 For no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:14.880 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:23.440 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies, don't miss this, builds up the church. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:28.960 You're going to see this theme play out over and over again throughout 1 Corinthians chapter 14. 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:29.839 Look at what it says. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:33.359 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. 00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:41.759 The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:46.640 He then goes into this discussion about speaking in tongues, and he kind of talks a little bit about it. 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:47.920 We're going to explain it in just a minute. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:50.640 And skip down to verse 12, look at what it says. 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:58.880 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, you want these things, you want to see God use you, you want these gifts. 00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:04.480 Here's what it says: strive to excel in the building up the church. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:07.039 Do you notice a theme here? 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:10.799 Like the goal of spiritual gifts isn't chaos. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:14.880 The goal of spiritual gifts is, are you built up? 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:17.759 Because if you're not built up, I'm not doing it right. 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:21.680 Skip down with me to the next verse in verse 26. 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:24.240 What then, brothers, when you come together? 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:29.039 Each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:32.000 Let all things be done for building up. 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:33.279 Let's stop right there for a second. 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:34.720 Verse 26 is so important. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:40.079 Here's what it teaches us this thing we do in church is not a spectator sport. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:43.680 Like I really I totally get it. 00:23:43.759 --> 00:23:46.240 I mean, we're putting stadium seating in, right? 00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:47.039 We got lights. 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:48.000 Like I'm on stage. 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:51.039 All of you are staring at me and I'm up here speaking, right? 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:53.519 We had worship people that were up here that were singing. 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:58.240 Like I get why we can fall into the idea that it's a spectator. 00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:05.519 Like I'm coming to come and to watch the show, and then I'm gonna leave and I'm gonna evaluate that I like the show or not. 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:07.839 That's not what the scriptures say that happens here. 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:15.759 It says, what then, brothers, when you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:18.000 You could put any of the spiritual gifts that are in there. 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:22.480 It's saying that whenever you come, you're bringing something to the table. 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:26.319 You're not just watching the show take place. 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:35.039 Which can you imagine how different we would be if we came knowing, okay, what am I gonna offer today in small group? 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:38.240 What did God speak and say to me this past week in small group? 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:40.400 How did God do so? 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:45.279 Okay, when I go and serve, who am I gonna meet today that needs to hear and needs to get that smile and needs to be? 00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:49.920 I don't know what their week looks like, but God does and he's about to use me to offer something to them. 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:55.279 Or whenever I sink, I've sat rock up there the last couple of services, one just because I wanted to see what the looks like over there. 00:24:55.359 --> 00:25:02.000 But can I also tell you how amazing that it is to be able to sit there and to hear the voices of people singing behind you? 00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:07.119 I have no idea what their stories are, but man, it just sounds amazing hearing I surrender all. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:11.680 Hearing them praise with their hands up, talking about what a God. 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:14.400 Like it's just like that's a powerful thing. 00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:16.799 You all have something that you can offer. 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:23.440 It says, if any speak in a tongue, let there be only two, or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:29.119 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:34.319 Verse 29, let two or three prophets speak and let the others weigh what is said. 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:38.240 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:42.400 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. 00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:50.640 And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets, for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. 00:25:51.279 --> 00:25:55.920 Here's number four that I want to uh ski in on today, of a principle about spiritual gifts. 00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:59.440 Worship services must have order. 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:01.759 Worship services must have order. 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:03.839 What's taking place in chapter 14? 00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:06.640 He's talking about this gathering. 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:09.920 What you had were just crazy. 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:17.759 It was just people talking and gibberish and going on and on, and then you had people that were trying to like prophesy, and I got a word for you, and on and on, you all this stuff. 00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:23.119 And what happened was unbelievers were walking into the worship service and, like, what is wrong with these people? 00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:24.640 Like, it's just crazy. 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:26.799 Like, there's just there's no order going on here. 00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:28.720 It's just it's just chaotic. 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:30.799 That is not what God is like. 00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:36.400 Instead, he talks about how he's a God of order and peace, not a God of confusion. 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:38.240 Let me let me dive down a little bit. 00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:41.599 He mentions two specific things that are worth us spending some time on. 00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:44.960 One is prophecy, and one is speaking in tongues. 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:47.359 Prophecy, let's talk about that first, okay? 00:26:47.599 --> 00:26:51.440 Prophecy means to speak God's word into situations. 00:26:51.680 --> 00:26:51.920 Okay? 00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:54.079 There's three different ways I want to kind of describe this. 00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:56.240 One would be what I do every single week. 00:26:56.319 --> 00:26:57.920 I've got the gift of prophecy. 00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:04.319 And what that means is that basically I speak God's word into your situation, I speak God's word into your life. 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:05.599 It happens all the time. 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:07.039 I love whenever this takes place. 00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:11.359 When I when I go and talk to someone and they're like, man, I just feel like you were talking directly to me. 00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:17.920 And I know I wasn't thinking about their specific situation whenever I brought that up, but God was. 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:29.680 And how great is that that God knows their situation, allows me to open up the word of God and to be able to speak it, and somehow they feel like no one else was in the room. 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:30.559 It was just them. 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:31.599 That's the Lord. 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:42.000 It's not me, it's it's instead the spiritual gift inside of me being able to speak a word of prophecy to somebody else, and the light bulb goes off and God illuminates it in their eyes. 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:46.000 Another way that you can see the gift of prophecy is through words of wisdom. 00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:52.559 This is insight or application into your daily life, showing you what the words of scripture might mean in your situation. 00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:55.839 So you got a friend, you're meeting with them coffee, you're talking about something. 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:59.519 Hey, I don't really know what I'm supposed to do in this situation, I don't know how I'm supposed to respond. 00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:07.920 And they begin to speak a word of scripture to you in a way that all of a sudden felt like everything that was confusing just became clear. 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:11.200 That's a supernatural gift of prophecy. 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:14.000 Let me give you another one would be a word of knowledge, okay? 00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:19.680 This is whenever you begin to speak, and God reveals something to you that you would not have known before. 00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:26.880 Somebody may say to you, I feel like you need to hear this, but God spoke to me and he told me this about you. 00:28:27.119 --> 00:28:34.079 Now here's what I want you to see: the way that I use prophecy, the words of wisdom, and the words of knowledge. 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:42.960 All of those together, none of them compare to the written word of God that has already existed. 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:48.400 Meaning they don't have the same weight or authority as what God's word says. 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:49.759 Let me show you how I know this. 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:53.440 First Thessalonians, check it out, chapter 5, verse 19. 00:28:53.839 --> 00:28:57.599 Do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophecies. 00:28:57.759 --> 00:29:02.000 So we're not supposed to like say you can't do it, but it says, but test everything. 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:03.599 Hold fast to what is good. 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:06.079 Well, how do I test what prophecies are? 00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:09.119 How does it line up with what God's Word already says? 00:29:09.359 --> 00:29:20.079 Meaning there's never gonna be a word spoken to you that is in contradiction to what God has already spoken to me in his word through the Bible. 00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:29.039 I've got folks that come up to me and uh I had it a couple weeks ago in the lobby, and they said, Hey man, God's given me a word for you, and they spoke a prophetic word over me. 00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:31.839 I have absolutely no idea if that is real or not. 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:39.039 I know this if they speak a word over me that's contrary to what scripture is, that's not a prophetic word, that's that's something very much different. 00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:52.559 And so what we gotta make sure that we do is not just look for a word from the Lord, we gotta read the words that are already there so that we know if a word from the Lord is actually from the Lord or if it's just bad pizza from the night before and somebody decided to tell you something. 00:29:53.440 --> 00:30:02.400 And the confusion comes when we care more about what people say as words from the Lord than what God has already said in his word. 00:30:03.119 --> 00:30:05.920 Again, some of you are like, I just need God to tell me what I'm supposed to do. 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:11.759 I would just tell you, obey what he's already said, and then you'll be able to figure out what you're supposed to do. 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:13.680 Like this is where we want to land. 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:14.960 Now, here's what he says there. 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:18.960 It's better to choose prophecy over speaking in tongues. 00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:19.359 Why? 00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:26.880 Because prophecy, the gift of prophecy, is more orderly, it doesn't require as much explanation, and it doesn't require interpreters to be able to do it. 00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:30.799 So he says, I prefer that you actually speak in tongues. 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:33.200 Now let's speak about the idea of speaking in tongues. 00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:42.400 There is heretical teaching out there that says that unless you speak in tongues, then you have not received the Holy Spirit. 00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:44.640 It's actually called the second blessing. 00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:54.960 It's like I basically receive Jesus as my Savior, and then I just pray and I wait until I can receive tongues, and that begins to show that I'm now filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:30:55.119 --> 00:30:57.839 That is totally not what the scriptures teach it. 00:30:57.920 --> 00:30:59.119 Romans chapter 8, verse 9. 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:00.160 Look at what it says. 00:31:00.400 --> 00:31:05.440