Father, we come to you tonight and we
pray that you will Open up your word
to us by the Spirit of God that
we may see wondrous things out of your
law Thank you for the holy scriptures tonight
Lord Inspired inerrant verbally inspired we just thank
you for them Pray that we might even
go away from the conference more diligent Bible
students than we've ever been before We pray
as we study the word that we may
see Christ in every line and make each
faithful saying mine pray that we might indeed
be Hearers of the word and doers as
well That we might receive the engrafted word
which is able to save our souls Able
to save them from eternal damnation and able
to save them from damage in this life
Undoubtedly Lord there are many unspoken Needs in
our audience tonight.
We thank you that the Spirit of God
in his own wonderful way Can take those
needs and interpret them the throne of grace
tonight.
We pray that that might be the case
We pray that blessing might flow out from
this conference to assemblies near and far and
Indeed to the outermost parts of the earth
We ask it as we give our thanks
in Jesus name I Missed a question this
morning.
I didn't do it on purpose.
It was tucked here What does the last
part of 1st Corinthians 12 13 mean?
1st Corinthians 12 13 Says for by one
spirit Where we all baptized into one body
Whether we be Jews or Greeks Whether we
be bond or free and we're all made
to drink of one spirit The question is
that expression have have been all made to
drink into one spirit Well, the first part
of the verse says we were baptized into
one body and we went over that in
detail The expression to drink of one spirit
It says drink into in the King James
most versions say drink of one spirit It
means to share together in the ministries of
the Holy Spirit in the blessings of the
Holy Spirit in other words we are a
community and our communion is in the blessings
of The Holy Spirit and so to drink
there means to have fellowship with to share
in and to drink of the Holy Spirit
means to share in all that he has
for us Don't forget if you want to
ask questions just leave them up here on
the podium Well, let's go over the material
we've covered so far as far as the
ministries of the Holy Spirit We saw that
he convicts the unsaved of sin Otherwise, they
never would be saved and that conviction is
essential for salvation.
He regenerates the wonderful work of the new
birth He places believers in the body of
Christ, which we've just had he indwells believers
all believers and the church as well He
gives the believers a conscious a consciousness of
sonship.
We spoke about the seal of the spirit
Security possession Destination the earnest the down payment
the guarantee the engagement ring another comforter Speaking
of the Holy Spirit is the one who
comes Alongside to help in every time of
need the anointing the teaching ministry of the
Holy Spirit that enables us to discern between
truth and error and Also the sufficiency of
the Word of God and the Spirit of
God and then when the meeting ended this
morning we were talking about the filling of
the Spirit and we were discussing how to
be filled with the Spirit and you remember
we said that first of all We practice
instant confession of sin And forsaking of sin
we don't let sins accumulate in our lives
Secondly we said that we must be Continuously
committed to the will of God to the
Spirit of God's control in our lives And
then I think when the hour closed we
were in Colossians chapter 3 verse 16 where
it says be constantly filled with The Word
of Christ I want to go over that
it was so hurried turn first of all
to Ephesians Chapter 5
Verse 18 Ephesians chapter 5 verse 18 it
says and be not drunk with wine where
it is except but be filled with the
Spirit Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs Singing and making melody in
your heart to the Lord giving thanks always
for all things unto God and the Father
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear
of God Okay there be filled with the
Spirit which incidentally means be constantly being filled
with the Spirit not a once-for-all
thing But a continual thing and then notice
what it says speaking singing thanking and submitting
You got it now turn to Colossians chapter
3 Colossians chapter 3 says in verse 6
16 sorry Colossians 3 16 let the Word
of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace
in your hearts to the Lord Whatsoever you
do in word or deed do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks
to God and the Father Through him in
Ephesians.
It says when you're filled with the Spirit
these results follow in Colossians It says when
the Word of Christ dwells in you richly
these same results follow at least teaching and
singing Which means that to be filled with
a spirit is to have the Word of
Christ dwelling in you richly Because we mentioned
things equal to the same thing are equal
to each other For a fourth thing be
Christ centered not self-centered Be Christ centered
not self-centered John chapter 16 verse 14.
We've already read it these verses come up
frequently, but it's just that there are different
shades of thought and We're going to go
over this in detail later on but it
says in John 16 14.
He shall glorify me For he shall receive
of mine and shall show it unto you
We live in an age and especially in
evangelical world when people are taught to be
self-centered Modern counseling largely turns the searchlight
in upon self Popular preachers talk about self
more than they talk about Christ Robert Schuller
wrote a book called self-esteem the new
reformation He said that the great mistake of
the Reformers was that the theology was God
centered instead of man centered should have been
man-centered So there you are all of
these books having to do with self self
self No wonder people are flying apart at
the seams If there's no victory in self
All that I know that in me that
is in my flesh dwelleth what Yeah, it's
a good lesson to learn and never forget
no good thing If you look within yourself
of victory, you're looking in the wrong place
you have to look up to the right
hand of God where the Lord Jesus is
sitting in throne a person Who is filled
with the Spirit?
Is not filled with self.
You can't be filled with self And filled
with the Spirit at the same time and
a person who's filled with the Spirit is
glorifying Christ That's how you can tell spirit
filled ministry That's how you can tell Spirit
filled teaching it glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's when the Spirit of God is at
work So number four be Christ centered not
self-centered What else to do to be
filled with the Spirit Number five go about
your daily work doing the things that your
hands find to do and Believing that God
is working in and through you You remember
how we committed our lives to the Lord
at the beginning of the day?
We came to him for an exchange of
will we said I take your will here
is my will Well, then you go through
the day and you do the work that
your hands find to do It might be
dishes Might be mopping a floor.
It might be any one of those things
It's all right Any honorable work can be
done to the glory of God and a
man can be filled with the Spirit and
be a street sweeper Can't he doesn't make
any difference how?
Mundane it is how menial it is.
He can do it to the glory of
the Lord Jesus Christ This is where a
lot of people get off the trail.
They think that only platform work is spirit
filled They think that only active witnessing is
spiritual But that isn't true some of the
most spirit filled people in the world today
are behind the scenes You never see them
in public But they're living Christ Before others
and then number six accept what happens to
you as God's will for you.
Don't go through life fretting Worrying or anything
else just accept what happens as the will
of God for you Now the Bible tells
us that there are certain results of being
filled with the Spirit, you know what they
are Well, first of all this power this
power Luke chapter 24 49 Luke chapter 24
and verse 49 Says Verse 48 and ye
are witnesses of these things behold I send
the promise of my father upon you but
carrying in the city of Jerusalem until he
be endued with power from on high Tell
you when the Spirit of God is working
through a human vessel things are accomplished that
are humanly Impossible and Acts chapter 1 and
verse 8, of course very similar to that
Acts chapter 1 and verse 8 Power the
power of the Holy Spirit But ye shall
receive power After that the Holy Ghost has
come upon you you shall be witnesses unto
me in Jerusalem Judea Samaria the uttermost parts
of the earth.
I just want to pause here to give
an illustration It was my privilege to know
Fred Elliott who was the father of Jim
Elliott And I think Fred Elliott was a
spirit-filled man.
And one day I was standing with him
outside the LaGrange Gospel Hall In LaGrange, Illinois,
and they were right by the Burlington Railroad
tracks and just as we were talking there
our voices were drowned out by three diesel
engines roaring by carrying the California Zephyr, you
know and we just our Conversation just suspended
and and when it got all through he
tapped me in the shoulder He said power
brother But nothing like the power that raised
him from the dead.
I Had thought it was just a train
He he saw a spiritual truth That wonderful.
It was a spirit-filled man, you know,
he could relate things to the spiritual side
another time In his home in Portland He
was sitting at the table with the family
and they were having their morning devotions.
He was reading the Bible and All of
a sudden out of the yard.
He heard a tremendous clatter and noise, you
know It was the garbage man coming to
pick up the garbage Fred Elliott put his
Bible aside Got up from the table went
over opened the window and called out a
cheery.
Good morning to the garbage man Is that
right to do to interrupt Bible reading for
it?
Yes, that was very right to do He
made no distinction between the secular and the
sacred To him that cheery greeting to the
garbage man was just as sacred as reading
the Bible and I think he's right He
was a spirit-filled man and he went
through life and he did the things that
his hands found to do and he did
them with all his heart then Boldness another
result of being filled with the spirit is
boldness in the things of God acts chapter
4 Acts chapter 4 verse 13 and this
is a recurring theme in the book of
Acts I've just picked out a couple of
verses here now when they saw the boldness
of Peter and John and Perceived that they
were unlearned and ignorant men.
They marveled and took knowledge of them that
they had been with Jesus Acts chapter 4
13 verse 29 Same chapter and now Lord
here they are and now Lord behold their
threatenings and grant unto thy servant that with
all Boldness, they may speak thy word in
that wonderful verse 31 When they had prayed
the place was shaken where they were assembled
together They were all filled with the Holy
Ghost and they spake the Word of God
with boldness Beautiful in it.
We had a young fellow in our program
last year And I really believe he was
continually filled with the Holy Spirit of God
and he had this boldness in witness One
day he went into our Safeway supermarket and
he saw a Greek Orthodox priest with his
black clothes on and a big chain around
his neck and a big cross here And
Jeff went up to him.
He said, oh, he said I see that
you're a holy man He said would you
mind telling me what that cross means?
What an introduction Scene number two They're at
they're at the meat counter all the packaged
meat Jeff has his Bible over the packaged
meat Witnessing to the Greek Orthodox priest people
trying to get their hamburger and they can't
get it But it was a holy boldness
Was the priest offended?
No, he got his telephone number and called
him up later and wanted to talk to
him What is it filled with the Holy
Spirit?
That's what it is Another of our young
fellows if you met him He seems as
meek as a mouse He's he's an Indian.
He's from a Sikh family.
He's got a big black bushy beard and
big black head of hair And but you
let him go on the campus I tell
you he's something I went on the campus
one day and I Paul I Didn't know
you attended college here.
He said I don't well.
I said, what are you doing here?
He said I'm after souls One day he
was speaking to a young fellow on the
campus.
He was witnessing had the young fellow said
I'm not interested Paul kept talking the fellows
that I told you I'm not interested Paul
said a few more minutes a few more
words and the fellow walked off in high
dutch and and Paul kept called after him
Hell is for fools The fellow came back
meekly and let Paul share the gospel with
him Jerry here the beat of that Boldness
have you met him?
Tell you the Spirit of God working in
him and that's what you have in the
book of Acts a boldness in proclaiming the
truth of God and then joy acts chapter
13 joy Wherever the Spirit of God is
filling a person.
He is full of joy as well It
says in verse 52 acts 13 52 and
the disciples were filled with joy and with
the Holy Ghost Dear friends.
Let's have a little joy.
The Lord will forgive you for being a
happy Christian.
He really will God hates complaining.
He hates murmuring, but he loves joy.
And then of course praise.
This is characteristic of The filling of the
Spirit praise Luke chapter 1.
I think these are lovely passages Luke chapter
1 verses 67 Through 75, of course I'm
not going to read them all but you
know what it is The father Zacharias was
filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied thing
and he opens his mouth and praise to
God flows out of his mouth the passage
from 67 through 75 and Then of course
in Ephesians 5 the passage we already read,
you know giving thanks Continually a thankful heart
and then also in Ephesians chapter 5 submission
submission a mark of being filled With the
Holy Spirit not rebellion against authority Submission the
Holy Spirit filled now.
Not only does the Holy Spirit fill but
he also guides He guides Romans chapter 8
verse 14, let's look at that we're going
to think about the subject of guidance for
just a few moments Luke, I mean Romans
chapter 8 and verse 14 for as many
as are led by the Spirit of God.
They are the sons of God When you
come to a verse like that all Christians
are seen in verse 14 as being led
by the Spirit of God It doesn't mean
some inner circle of Christians who experience supernatural
guidance all Christians in that verse are led
by the Spirit of God and it goes
on to say that they are the sons
of God Galatians chapter 5 verse 18 Galatians
chapter 5 verse 18 But if you're led
of The Spirit you're not under the law
again, that's all Christians if you're led of
the Spirit You're not under the law Christians
are not under the law.
They are under grace This raises a question
how does the Spirit of God guide his
people only guides them in many ways He
guides them through the Word of God First
of all, the Word of God contains a
general outline of the will of God, doesn't
it?
And as we study the Word of God
and saturate our minds with it and saturate
our lives with it We have in general
tune with the will of God But he
guides in specific ways, too Sometimes you're looking
for the guidance of God and you read
a verse of Scripture and it stands out
in neon light Somebody else could read it
that day that wouldn't say a thing to
them, but it just answers your need of
the moment Sometime ago Steve Richards was in
Turkey they had been in Turkey for years
and He was wondering does the Lord Want
me to stay in Turkey with my family.
I think they had been there 10 years
or something And he was praying about this
Lord.
You want me to stay in?
Turkey and one morning he's as he's praying
the Lord he comes to Psalm 37 verse
3 this was in his reading that morning
Psalm 37 verse 3 now He was reading
it in the Turkish Bible and it's just
a little bit different in the Turkish Bible,
which is alright It says in the King
James trust in the Lord and do good
So shalt thou dwell in the land and
verily thou shalt be fed But do you
know what it says in the Turkish Bible?
It says trust in the Lord and do
good dwell in the land and feed on
the faithfulness of the Lord that was just
the guidance he needed for that day and
for the day to come dwell in the
land and Feed on the faithfulness of the
Lord and on the basis of that verse.
He stayed in Turkey God spoke to him
through it.
Now you could read that this morning and
it wouldn't say much to you with it
Many years ago an uncle of mine came
out from Scotland went to Vancouver and he
was used of the Lord in seeing souls
saved They're in Vancouver.
And then he began to wonder I wonder
should I go back to Scotland?
And as he was praying about it, he
read this verse.
He said it read him You've compassed this
mountain long enough arise and go toward the
east And he did he packed up and
he traveled east and on the way he
came to my father's house in Massachusetts stopped
up And my father was a good Presbyterian
He had family Devotions they call it family
family family worship they have family worship every
night brought out the Word of God read
the Word of God gave thanks for every
meal and So when my uncle was there
my father bowed his head and gave thanks
for the food Michael said to William are
you a Christian my father said?
Oh, no, I'm not a Christian Well, he
said you just committed a sin.
I never committed my father said what was
that?
Well, he said you just called God your
father and he's not your father.
You're not saved And just that simple remark
punched my father into conviction of sin.
He was saved shortly afterward God really does
guide through the word doesn't he on the
basis of that verse?
He left Vancouver came to Massachusetts My father
was saved and he went back My uncle
went back to Scotland from there God guides
by the by the Word of God and
I'm sure you've all experienced that guidance in
your life I certainly have well verses just
come alive when you need them When you
need them, I think I was mentioning up
at Lake Geneva Time I was going through
a very rough patch in my life very
very difficult and I was really disconsolate and
Didn't know which way to turn and I
got a letter from a lady and she
had no idea what I was going through
She couldn't have known what I was gone
through and at the bottom of the letter.
She wrote Psalm.
She read Isaiah 49-4 She didn't quote
it.
She just put Isaiah 49-4 at the
bottom of the letter.
It says then I said I have labored
in vain I have spent my strength for
not and in vain yet Surely my judgment
is with the Lord and my work with
my God in other words I felt that
it was all in vain, but it wasn't
so There's justice with the Lord and my
work is with my God just the right
first for that time in my life So
God guides through the word God guides through
the example of the Lord Jesus doesn't he
the Lord Jesus is our model and the
real test for anything is how does it
appear in his sight?
He guides us in that way.
He guides us through circumstances Oftentimes through the
timing of things at the time in my
life I was seeking the guidance of the
Lord and just the dates and the arrival
of letters indicated the guidance of the Lord
In other words when you see things happening
in your life That would never happen according
to the laws of chance or probability.
You know, God is working You're before the
Lord You're crying to him for guidance.
He shows it You know it he guides
oftentimes through the counsel of others Through the
counsel of others.
I think in seeking counsel a good thing
to go to older Godly mature people don't
go to people who tell you what you
want to know what you want to hear
at least Go to people who will be
objective who are spiritual who know the Word
of God Doesn't mean you have to take
their advice But you take that but you
listen to their advice and you weigh it
in the balances of the sanctuary and let
God speak to You through it and then
there is a way I believe in which
God guides through the inner witness of the
Holy Spirit And this one you have to
be very very careful of and I'll tell
you why Colossians chapter 3 verse 15 Colossians
chapter 3 verse 15 It says and let
the peace of Christ Rule in your hearts
are some versions of the Bible say Arbitrate
it really means let the peace of Christ
umpire in your hearts So that which you
are also called in one body and be
thankful I think I've been talking to people
these last two weeks seeking the guidance of
God and maybe there are two pathways Open
to them.
I Say do you have peace about this
one that they know do you have peace
about this one?
Yeah, well, let the peace of Christ arbitrate
in your heart.
Let's let the peace grow But let's be
careful anything that's subjective like that You have
to be awfully care you hear people saying
the Lord told me to do this and
you know very well He didn't tell him
because it's contrary to the Word of God
Have to be very careful when it's subjective
when it's that inward voice, but I believe
the Spirit of God can Guide us in
that way.
Now.
I just like to share a few rules
of thumb That I follow in seeking the
guidance of the Lord I asked the Lord
to confirm the guidance in the mouths of
two or three witnesses.
I Just show me one indication of you
will I might miss it, but if you
show me two or three, I won't miss
it Well, you're really Quoting his word to
him because God says in the mouths of
two or three witnesses shall everything be established
So you're saying the Lord Lord do as
you have said You said that now I'm
calling upon you to do it.
Will he do it?
Yes, he'll do it one of the greatest
crises in my life I did that I
was praying about going overseas with operation mobilization
in 1964 and I wrote to an unsaved
friend in New York He had been with
me in the Navy and he was with
a public relations company in New York And
I said to him, you know, I've been
praying about going overseas With operation mobilization and
all I'm waiting for is a green light
from the Lord.
It was October 23rd.
I wrote to him 1964 Christmas came I
got a letter from him and his family.
I leaked a card but no letter January
1st, I Thought I think the Lord's gonna
answer I think the Lord's gonna get down
on my knees and Lord confirm the guidance
of the mouths of two or three witnesses
February 9th, I got a letter from my
friend.
He said your dog-eared letter of October
23rd is still before me.
You said you were waiting for a green
light He said if you're all you're waiting
for is a green light Why don't you
accept the slogan of a brochure that I've
just been preparing for the European Travel Commission
and out of the letter fell This brochure
and it said why wait till sometime.
It's so easy to go to Europe now
Seriously I still have the brochure and this
is an unsaved man that God is using
So I got down on my knees that
night and I said Lord, I really believe
you spoke it spoke loudly to me I
Said I really believe you spoke, but remember
I asked for two or three witnesses The
next day February 10th.
I got a letter from a former a
man student who was going overseas And I
had sent when I heard he was going
over I'd send him a little gift of
fellowship and he wrote to me he said
You know, he said the Lord's been sending
the foot soldier.
He was kind of a fresh kid He
said the Lord's been sending up the foot
soldiers over for a long time I was
wondering when he's going to be sending some
of the big guns dash like yourself That
really hit me hard Really hit me hard.
I got down on my knees that night
and I said Lord I asked you for
two or three witnesses.
You give me two I'll go But the
Lord wasn't through with me yet February 11th
something happened that I'm not at liberty to
discuss it would reflect unfavorably on others But
I get down on my knees that night
and I said Lord, I'm dumb, but I'm
not that dumb Yeah, really You know what?
I believe I believe if you're really seeking
the guidance of God You'll never miss it.
If you're sincere with the Lord and that
might be an encouragement to some of you
tonight I believe some of you are seeking
to know which way the Lord wants you
to go if you're really sincere You mean
business with the Lord?
I don't think you'll ever miss it Guidance
at any particular moment might be very dim
and indistinct.
But when you look back, you'll say Jesus
led me all the way I really believe
that so ask the Lord to confirm the
guidance in and amounts of two or three
witnesses then Keep busy for the Lord while
you're waiting for the Lord to guide you
keep busy Whatever your hands find to do
do it with all your might God guides
ships in motion.
He really does I Want to tell you
it's while the shepherds were out tending their
sheep That the angels visited them That's when
the angel still visit us when we're busy
One of those shepherds that night in Bethlehem
could have said I'm just tired of taking
care of these dumb sheep.
I think I'll go into Bethlehem for a
pizza Well, he could have done that but
he'd have missed the angels Do the work
that the Lord assigns to you and be
happy in doing it Then I go by
this little rule if you're looking for guidance
and no guidance comes God's guidance is for
you to stay where you are.
That's not bad.
Is it?
It's true too.
If you're looking for God's guidance and no
guidance comes God's guidance is for you to
stay right where you are Darkness about going
it's light about staying You Go back to
the pillar cloud in the Old Testament When
the pillar cloud moved they were to move
if the pillar cloud didn't move they were
not to move Israel was not to set
forth on the journey the same today Wait
for the pillar cloud to move and then
finally I would say this and I go
by this rule wait Until the guidance is
so clear That to refuse would be positive
disobedience And I believe God will honor that
you say, oh, that's what I don't like
to do is wait join the club It's
the hardest thing for me to do is
wait You say oh the world's perishing.
I gotta go I know the world was
perishing when Jesus was in the carpenter shop
in Nazareth too, wasn't it?
But he waited To time and then at
age 30 God led him forth to redeem
the world God knows what he's doing and
We have to wait until the guidance is
so clear that to refuse that guidance would
be positive Disobedience and God will bless you
as you do that Okay, let's look at
another ministry of the Holy Spirit You didn't
know this was going to open up so
many doors Did you the Holy Spirit prays
for believers and I'm so glad he does
Romans chapter 8 Romans chapter 8 verse 26
Likewise the Spirit also help us our infirmities
For we know not what we should pray
for as we ought but the Spirit himself
Make an intercession for us with groanings Which
cannot be uttered He that search of the
hearts knoweth what is the mind of the
Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints
According to the will of God, you know,
that's a wonderful thing.
I hope you rejoice in that verse as
I do We don't know what to pray
for as we are doing We really don't
we do the best we can But for
instance, we don't know what's best for us.
Maybe a loved one is sick.
How do you pray?
I don't know how to pray What a
wonderful comfort it is to know the Spirit
of God is praying for us groaning which
cannot be uttered and God can interpret those
groans.
You know what that says to me.
It says the most spiritual prayer is a
groan Because that's what the Spirit of God
and incidentally it's the Spirit groans not ours
in that It's the Spirit of God in
that verse that groaning and not we our
self, but the wonderful thing is he makes
Intercession for us According to the will of
God that's really tremendous and Sitting here in
the room tonight you and I cannot know
what we owe to the prayers of the
Lord Jesus and to the prayers of the
Holy Spirit on our behalf someday, we'll know
someday God's going to unroll the canvas and
We'll see how he was praying for us
according to the will of God And that
explains a lot in our Christian lives Now
I think I'll just start on the next
one We won't get very far but I'd
like to start on the next one and
that is that he gives gifts And of
course, I can't read all of that 1st
Corinthians 12 1 to 31 But we're going
to be spending some time in 1st Corinthians
Chapters 12 13 and 14 incidentally that him
on chapter 13 was very appropriate tonight, wasn't
it?
Here tonight by way of introduction.
I just want to do a little detective
work with you about the gifts I'd like
to do a little detective work with you
and ask the question.
What was going on in Corinth?
Anyway that brought forth these chapters 12 13
and 14 well, the first thing I'd like
to tell you is this First little bit
of detective work the Saints were exalting the
spectacular gifts Above the edifying gifts Now let
me show you you have to read between
the lines chapter 14 verse 1 follow after
love Yet desire earnestly Spiritual gifts, but rather
that she may prophesy It's okay to desire
spiritual gifts, but there are some that are
preferable to others But rather that she may
prophesy verse 12 even so he for as
much as he are zealous of spiritual gifts
seek that he may excel to the edifying
of the church and Verses 18 and 19.
I thank God I Speak with tongues more
than you all how be it in the
church.
I'd rather speak five words with my understanding
That by my voice I might teach others
also than 10,000 words in a tongue
In other words, they were exalting Spectacular gifts
we might call them fine gifts above edifying
gifts.
That's the first thing Secondly They were exalting
the gifts of the spirit above the fruit
of the spirit They were exalting the gifts
of the spirit above the fruit of the
spirit How do you know because verse 13
says it though?
I speak with the tongues of men and
of angels and have not loved love is
the fruit of the spirit in it He
said I'm become Asounding grass a reclaiming symbol
though.
I have the gift of prophecy one of
the gifts and Understand all mysteries and all
knowledge and though I have all faith so
that I could remove mountains and have not
loved They were exalting the gifts of the
spirit above the fruit of the spirit Paul
is Correcting that in these passages of Scripture
It says that though I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor and though I
give my body to be burned have not
loved Prophetess me nothing.
I Read recently of one of the early
martyrs of the Christian Church Who is faithful
as to Christ he was going to be
put to death And they let him out
to the stake where he's going to be
burned and as they let about the state
a Christian Who had wronged him?
Rushed out to plead for forgiveness And as
the martyr was walking on to the state
He brushed him aside Wouldn't have anything to
do with him a man pleading for forgiveness
Wouldn't have anything to do with him and
that man's never been listed among the martyrs
of the Christian Church His name has never
been listed though.
I give my body to be burned and
have not loved It profits me nothing third
they were insisting That everyone should have one
particular gift How do you know that well
chapter 12 verse 11?
chapter 12 verse 11 said but all these
work of the one and the self same
spirit dividing to every man severally as he
will and then verses 28 through 30 God
has set some in the church first Apostle
secondarily prophets thirdly teachers after that Miracles then
gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues
are all Are all Apostles and the way
that's written in the original language of the
New Testament.
It requires a no answer It says not
all are our Apostles.
Are they?
Or prophets or teachers or workers of miracles
all do not have the gifts of healing
do they Don't know that says that in
any of the modern versions, but that's really
the thought here It requires a negative answer.
Do all speak with tongues do all interpret
the implied answer is no So they were
insisting that everyone should have one particular gift
Paul is correcting that here Next they were
using the gifts for self Rather than for
others they were using the gifts for self
edification or for self display Rather than for
others Paul corrects that in 1st Corinthians 12
7 it says but the Manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man to profit
with all that means for the profit of
all Why did God give you a gift
for yourself?
No So that you can benefit others That's
why the gifts were given We were not
intended to be the terminals of the blessing
but channels of the blessing To others and
then in chapter 13, of course the whole
emphasis of chapter 13 is love Thinks of
others not of self.
That's why chapter 13 is here love thinks
of others not of self Verse 4 of
chapter 13 love suffers longs kind love envies
Not it goes right on down the list
what love does and what love thinks chapter
14 verse 4 He that speaks in a
tongue edifies himself But he that prophesies edifies
the church That's the difference they were using
these gifts for self not for others They
weren't intended to be used that way then
they were using the gifts as a child
use as a toy So to say that
well look at chapter 13 verse 11 when
I was a child I spake as a
child I Understood as a child.
I thought as a child when I became
a man I put away childish thing He's
saying don't act childishly in the use of
the gifts.
Don't act child I'll explain it in just
a minute and then in chapter 14 verse
20 Brethren be not children in Understanding in
malice be children, but in understanding be men.
There it is the idea of children again
What was happening?
Well, a man would get up in the
assembly in car And he would speak in
a tongue and there was no interpretation Nobody
understood a word.
He was saying And Paul is saying that's
using it as a toy as a child
uses a toy It was never intended to
be used that way nobody understands what you're
saying you might as well not be talking
at all and Then of course they were
exalting themselves over others weren't they they were
exalting themselves over others?
And that's why Paul in chapter 12 Uses
the illustration of the human body There's diversity
in the human body, but there's interdependence, too,
you know Many different members yet.
There's a unity there and the members are
dependent upon One another so some were made
to feel inferior while others consider themselves self
-sufficient and independent chapter 12 verses 12 through
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