Welcome again. Good evening.
Open your Bible, please, to the book of First Corinthians in the
New Testament in chapter 12. The title of tonight's message
is concerning spiritual gifts. Now, often people will ask me a
question about, you know, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and
where should I go? And I'll, I'll recommend to them
reading chapter 12, chapter 13 and chapter 14 of First
Corinthians and to read it in its context.
And the context flows beautifully.
You can see where all of those elements fit together.
Now, the actual book of First Corinthians that we've been
teaching through can be read in about an hour, and that was the
original reception of this book from the early church.
When Paul had written this letter to them, they would have
opened it up and they would have read it and they would have
received everything from chapter one, verse 1 all the way through
to the end. We've been breaking it down.
We've been taking bits and pieces here and there, and we've
been in it now for some four months.
It seems like not quite that long, at least from my end,
maybe from you. It's like, man, it seems like 4
years. Hurry up and finish.
But we're here in One Corinthians, chapter 12 on this
topic of spiritual gifts. And I'm going to try and deal
with it all in the context in which I've just recommended
chapter 12, chapter 13 and 14. And the reason I want to do that
is for, as I mentioned, to help us get it all in its context.
And so understand that in this kind of fly over view that we
won't necessarily dive deeply into components.
I was joking this morning that I said to someone, yeah, we'll try
and take these three chapters in in one session.
I figured why split the church over three weeks when you can do
it in one week? You know, it's such a
controversial issue, spiritual gifts, right?
There's so much division about it and so much discrepancy and
diversity of opinions upon it, and we'll dig into that.
It's been a divisive topic. Certainly gifts of the Spirit.
And in verse 1 of chapter 12, Paul says that he does not want
the church in Corinth to be ignorant about spiritual gifts.
Literally, it's the spiritual matters.
He starts now concerning spiritual gifts.
My translation, I'm reading from the new King James tonight.
Brethren, it's a collective term for the church.
Church, I do not want you to be ignorant.
Now again, they have been asking Paul a number of questions and
Paul has also heard a number of rumours that he sought to
address. The questions that they asked
him were to do with relationships, about marriage,
about singleness, about divorce, to do with the areas of
Christian liberty and conscience, to do with spiritual
gifts, as we'll look at, and then in future sermons, to do
with money and giving. And he'd also heard of what was
going on there in the Church, of the sexual issues that they were
dealing with, the promiscuity that was present in their midst,
that they were permitting of the divisions that people had in, in
how that they were grouping according to certain teachers.
And and that was causing division of their drunkenness at
communion. We looked at last time.
And so he's been writing to address their queries and he's
been writing to address their ignorance on subjects and he's
been writing to address their sin in areas.
Now, it's interesting, and I've mentioned this before on this
first verse, that he did not want them to be ignorant.
This is one of a number of things that Paul advised the,
the early New Testament church that he did not want people to
be ignorant of, which you could argue is largely what the church
today is ignorant about. You know, we, we look at this,
could you say that people are ignorant about spiritual gifts?
I think that you can. In Romans Chapter 11, the thing
that Paul there didn't want them to be ignorant of was the nation
of Israel and the Jewish people and of God's promises towards
them. Could you say that people are
ignorant in the church about that?
The second thing out of First Thessalonians chapter 4 is to do
with the end times and eschatology and and the second
coming of Jesus. Could you say that there's
ignorance about that Second Corinthians chapter 2 to do with
Satan's tactics and strategies. There's there's large ignorance
about the way that the enemy works.
And then we looked at in chapter 10, ignorance to do with
idolatry and the worship of any other thing or person above God
in the rightful place that he has to hold.
And so it's as if Paul knew this, that these would be areas
of division or that these would be areas of ignorance.
And, and modern church, as I said, largely is, is vague on
these things to be polite and ignorant in other, other ways.
Either people don't want to know about this stuff.
It's too hard and you know, I've tried to look into it and I
couldn't understand it. Or they just totally aren't
concerned or interested about it.
And so there's an ignorance in that way where, where there's
just this flippancy to do with it.
Or worse, there's confusion deliberately that people try and
sow with respect to this. So I want to try to help us
tonight in looking through chapter 12, chapter 13 and 14
and and kind of wade in and have a look at God's view concerning
spiritual gifts and the way that we'll do this.
Chapter 12, we'll see is concerning with the purpose of
the spiritual gifts, the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Chapter 13 is the proof of the spiritual gifts and chapter 14
the proper use of spiritual gifts.
So let's read again verse 1 of chapter 12.
I'll read through to verse 11 and then we'll jump ahead in the
chapter. Now concerning spiritual gifts.
Brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.
You know that you were Gentiles carried away to these dumb
idols. However you were led.
Therefore, I make known to you that no one speaking by the
Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed and no one can say that
Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
So the evidence of a regenerated life of the Holy Spirit's
indwelling is the way that people respond to to Jesus, to
the name of Jesus, to the person of Jesus.
And then he builds on this in verse 4.
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
And there are verse 6 diversities of activities, but
it is the same God who works All in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for
the prophet of all. For to one verse 8 is given the
word of wisdom through the spirit to another, the word of
knowledge through the same spirit to another, faith by the
same Spirit to another, gifts of healings by the same spirit to
another, the working of miracles to another, prophecy to another,
discerning of spirits to another, different kinds of
tongues, to another, the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things,
distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Move ahead now to verse 27. Now you are the body of Christ
and members individually, and God has appointed these in the
church. First apostles, second prophets,
third teachers, After that, miracles.
Then gifts of healings, helps administrations, varieties of
tongues are all apostles. Verse 29 are all prophets, Are
all teachers, Are all workers of miracles?
Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues?
Do all interpret the rhetorical questions with the obvious
answer being no. But verse 31, earnestly desire
the best gifts. And yet I'll show you a more
excellent way. I know we've prayed, but I want
to pray again. Lord God, we pray for your help,
for your assistance tonight and understanding in listening and
hearing your word to be less ignorant on this subject matter,
that it would be a blessing to our lives and it would glorify
your great name. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Now, sadly, as I said, much division exists with respect to
the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and even the mention of that can
cause people to get all sorts of, you know, interesting
feelings come upon them depending upon their maybe
denominational background. And there are differing
positions about the spiritual gifts.
And I want to highlight the two most common to begin with that I
think will be helpful in an introductory sense.
And that is that one view is, is what's called cessationists who
view that the gifts of the Spirit, the spiritual gifts have
have now ceased to be in existence.
That they were given by the Holy Spirit in the 1st century church
and the time of Paul's writing here in Corinth for the purpose
of founding the early church to authenticate the ministry and
and the message of the disciples who became the apostles.
And that that once the early church was established, that
these gifts, as we've read of them just now and in other parts
of the Scripture are no longer required and no longer necessary
nor needed. And more So what they believe
and teach. The cessationist view is that
once the full Canon of Scripture arrived, as we know the Bible
today, the 66 books that the the gifts of the Holy Spirit are
obsolete as a consequence. Now there's some pretty switched
on theologians that hold to this view cessationism within the
church. Maybe you're familiar with the
name John McArthur. Perhaps you've got his study
Bible. Here's one such second to that
is what's called continuationists who believe
that the spiritual gifts continue, are and are in
existence and available given by the Holy Spirit today for the
church, distributed by the Holy Spirit, just as we've read to
individuals as He wills. For the purpose of what we'll
break down a little bit later, kind of jumping ahead a little
bit of this view again, there are some also very intelligent
theologians and gifted students of the Bible in respected
segments of the church. Perhaps you've heard of the
names of Carson or of Piper or of Grudem.
And this is in fact the view that we adhered to here in
Calvary Chapel, Secret Harbour. Now there are extremists in both
camps now by themselves, cessationists or
continuationists, whatever view that maybe you hold, it's not a
salvation issue and and there should be discussion and it
should be able to take place, brothers and sisters in the Lord
in a civil manner. But as I say, there are
extremists in both camps that have caused division throughout
church history. Extreme cessationists, on one
hand, would accuse continuationists of or perhaps
acting hypnotic or being influenced in in in emotional
hysterics at best, or worst, even under the influence of the
demonic. Extreme continuationists, you
could perhaps call them sensationists, accused
cessationists. There's a lot of inness here in
this, so hang, hang with me, but they would accuse cessationists
of not being filled with the Spirit at all, or at worst, of
literally being unsaved. And, and they'll assert that the
gifts of the Spirit, and usually it's speaking in tongues when
they speak of this, are the sign, the sign of someone's
salvation. And, and people in the
sensationist view of things can get caught up in, in the hyper
manifestations of the emotive hysterics that often give, you
know, the gifts of the Holy Spirit a bad name in that way
when people would lose control of themselves.
So what are the arguments? Let's look at the first of
cessationism, because they're here in the text, and likewise
of continuationism, because they're also here in the text
that the gifts are done. 1st century AD served the purpose,
now obsolete. It's finished.
Foundational passage for cessationism is jump ahead into
chapter 13. In verses 8-9 and ten, it says
love never fails, but whether there are prophecies, they will
fail. Whether there are tongues, they
will cease. Whether there is knowledge, it
will vanish away, verse 9. For we know in part, and we
prophecy in part, and here it is, verse 10.
But then sorry, but when that which is perfect has come, then
that which is in part will be done away.
So what's not in doubt from the passage that we've just read is
that the spiritual gifts will cease, that there will be an end
to these gifts that we've just read of and that we're studying
tonight. That's that's not up for debate.
What is unclear or causes the difference in opinion is when do
these cease? Was it the 1st century AD or is
it still yet some future point in time?
And So what this passage explains in verse 10 is that the
spiritual gifts will cease at the coming of the perfect.
It said, Did you notice that? So cessationists will argue that
the coming of the perfect what? What is the perfect?
That's in reference there in that that verse is, as I
mentioned earlier, the completion of the Canon of
Scripture, the 66 books as we know them and that them being
required, it is the perfect revelation of Jesus Christ and
the supernatural giftings of the Holy Spirit are no longer
necessary nor needed as a consequence.
Because we have all that we need in the Scriptures and and we do
believe that the Bible is what we need and is the the written
word of God. But, you know, in the context
that cannot be what it means. And so here are the arguments
for continuationism. And continuationists would
believe that verses 11 and 12 provide the necessary context
for what we've just read in 8-9 and 10.
So read verse 11. When I was a child, I spoke as a
child. I understood as a child, I
thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put
away childish things. For now we see in a mirror verse
12, dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know, just as I also am
known. So what we see there in those
verses is the phrasing then and now.
Then he, he states something. I'm sorry.
Now he states something and and then he states something will be
so and Paul uses then to refer to a time when we will know God
fully as he fully knows us, that that's what he states with the
den. When is this then?
When, when is that then it? It is when we are fully
perfected in sanctified form. You're familiar with
sanctification when we're with the Lord, when we're in His
presence face to face, and the reasoning is behind that when I
am in the presence of the giver of the gifts, who needs the
gifts, then the then therefore cannot refer to the completion
of the biblical Canon, for we still do not know now everything
there is to know about God. Even when we read through the
Bible, there's still much that we don't understand or
comprehend fully about God, right?
Because he says that we will know fully as we're fully known.
The now then phrasing instead refers to the difference between
life now on earth and life in in heaven, or eternity then, when
we're in the presence of the Lord.
And so the perfect to come does not refer to the completion of
the biblical Canon, but to being in the presence of the Lord,
before whom all the gifts are unnecessary.
John the Apostle also spoke of the gifts ceasing in the
presence of God. In 1 John chapter 3 verse two,
he said, Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not
yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is
revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is
again. Quite simply, when we're in the
presence of the giver again, no one needs the gifts.
We'll be enamoured with the giver of the gifts when we're in
glory in the presence of Jesus face to face with Him.
There'll be no such need for the giftings of the Spirit as we see
them articulated in the Scriptures both here and
elsewhere. In fact, Paul spoke earlier in
his letter to the Corinthians of how they exercised every gift in
expectation of what? Of Christ's coming, not in
expectation of the completion of the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians
chapter one, verse 7, so that you come short in no gift,
eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus
Christ. So again, here at Calvary
Chapel, we believe in continuationism with respect to
the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We see this as the biblical
evidence for it. But I would say again that
cessationist are still our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We might think that they're wrong, They might think that I'm
wrong and you can hold whatever opinion, but still we are
believers, brothers and sisters in the Lord.
So now let's look at the first. I thought it was just helpful to
have a look at that. And then for the purpose of it,
if you're taking notes, our first point, the purpose of
spiritual gifts as a definition. Let me give this out to you
derived from the Scriptures, the gifts of the Spirit of the Holy
Spirit, a special enabling special abilities that the Holy
Spirit provides, gives to believers for the edification of
the church and the glorification of God.
Now understand that these are different to natural gifts.
We, we all have talents, we all have things that we're we're
naturally prone and we have propensities towards and so on.
And though the giftings of the Holy Spirit might share some
similarities with that, these are supernaturally divinely
bestowed upon by the Holy Spirit.
We see this in one Corinthians 12 verse 7.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for
the notice, profit of all, and then jump ahead. 1 Corinthians
chapter 14, verse 26. How is it then, brethren, that
whenever you come together, each of you has a Psalm, has a
teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an
interpretation? Let all things look at this be
done for edification. Peter the apostle also indicates
in his writing one Peter chapter 4, verse 10 and 11.
These words, as each one has received a gift, minister it to
one another. As good stewards of the manifold
grace of God, if anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of
God. If anyone ministers, let him do
it. As with the ability which God
supplies, and that in all things God may be glorified through
Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever
and ever. Amen.
So again, the purpose of of the giftings of the Holy Spirit is
the edification of the body, Brothers and sisters to benefit,
to be encouraged, to be strengthened, to be exhorted to
all of those things, to to build one another up.
And then second, the glorification of God that hears
praise, that the, the attention, the magnification, the focus,
the worship, the exaltation is upon him.
And can you see how people have gone wrong over the years with
the giftings of the Holy Spirit? But that is the purpose of the
gifts, the edification of the body, the glorification of God.
Now there is value to each gift he he pointed out and and so
Paul uses the illustration to to example this of the human body
in one Corinthians 12, verses 12 through to 26.
We didn't read them, but let me paraphrase for you.
He starts to talk about how just like the human body that we we
all have differing members in our bodies, but there's there's
no one member that is is, is to have a priority over the other.
You can't say to the ear, I don't need you anymore.
You can't say to the eye that you're of no use.
And we know what it's like when one small seemingly part of our
body suffers that it impacts the entire body.
So he uses this to to highlight that the giftings are to benefit
and to bless the entire body just as different parts form
their various roles and functions.
So now let's look at the gifts that have been listed that we've
read in One Corinthians 12/8 through to 10.
And what I'll do is I'll provide a brief definition, an
explanation, maybe some examples of each, each of these as well.
For to 1 is given the Word of Wisdom through the Spirit verse
8 chapter 12 to another the word of knowledge through the same
spirit to another faith by the same spirit to another gifts of
healings by the same spirit to another the working of miracles
to another prophecy to another discerning of spirits to another
different kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of
tongues. So the first that he mentioned
there is words of wisdom. This is having inspired insight
or or answers to a problem or a question.
Remember the example of King Solomon who exercised wisdom
when he pretended that he would divide the baby that the two
prostitutes were arguing about, thus revealing who the real
mother was? You remember Jesus in response
to the Pharisees where where they were questioning him where
the people should pay taxes and Jesus with wisdom said, bring me
a coin and, and, and ask the question, whose image is on this
coin and, and the result was well, Caesar.
And he said, render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and
unto the Lord the things that are the Lord's second gift
mentioned is the word of knowledge.
This is having inspired information about a matter or or
a person. An example.
Peter exercised this gift of knowledge when he knew in the in
the early Church of Ananias and Sapphira, who had lied to the
Holy Spirit about their, their giving and deliberately were
saying that they had given all when in reality they had held
back. And, and they were all about
just the public perception of their, their gift there.
And it was the Holy Spirit's insight into Peter in that word
of knowledge in that instance. The third mentioned is a gift of
faith. Now this is different to our
salvific faith. This is faith where it's an
ability to trust and to rest in the promises of God for a
particular given situation or scenario or circumstance.
It's a particular time where the Holy Spirit might enable
particular trust to believe in God in that moment and to to
trust by faith that that He'll fulfil that which He has
promised. You could give the example of
Peter walking on water, that despite the circumstances around
him, there was that extra exercise of faith in that
moment. The 4th mention is healing, a
supernatural ability from God to bring physical healing apart
from the natural means. Now understand that sometimes
once you've been given this gift, that might be the only
time that you're given that gift that not once given is it always
a thing where now I've got the gift of healing and, and here we
go. And and that's how people might
conduct themselves in some circles of Christianity Today.
But healing is that supernatural ability from God to bring
physical healing apart from from the natural means.
Peter in Acts chapter 3 healed the crippled beggar.
Paul healed the sick in Malta in Acts 28 similar miracles.
The fifth one is meant the the working of God's powers through
a person for for glory, for for signs, for focus to be given
unto God. Prophecy is mentioned next the
the 6th 1:00 as the foretelling or rather in most cases the 4th
telling of God's word for the strengthening and the
encouragement and comfort of people.
Often prophets throughout the Bible in both Old and New
Testament would declare yes, predicted word of what would
take place in the future, yes. But more often than not it was a
declaration of this is God's word our 4th telling of a
revelation. And nowhere should there ever be
the contradiction or superseding of Scripture by a prophetic word
given the written word of the Lord will not be contradicted by
a so called prophecy of God that somebody declares.
And so that's why we're encouraging Scripture to test
every prophecy. Maybe hand in hand with that is,
is this next one discernment of spirits?
It's mentioned a discernment that comes upon someone as a
gifting by God to declare what might be divine or human or evil
about a person or a matter and knowing a little bit more in in
that tongues is mentioned. Eighthly, the ability to speak
an inspired language unknown to the person speaking that is
meant for prayer and praise unto God.
And Paul will focus on this and we will later in chapter 14.
The 9th is the interpretation of tongues, the companion gifting
to tongues meant for the edifying of the speaker or of
the hearers in that instant. And Paul goes on to mention more
at the end of chapter 12 in One Corinthians 1228 to 30.
We read those and here's the gifts that he mentions there,
the gift of apostleship, A visionary gifting of of helping
to to plan, to oversee ministries, maintaining
doctrinal purity of teaching the inspired ability to communicate
God's truth with clarity so that the church may learn and grow in
the faith of God. Third is mentioned there of
helps the especial ability to serve or assist others in
practical, meaningful ways. That will be a blessing.
Fourthly, the gift of administration, the special
ability to devise or to organise and to execute plans and
objectives within the body of Christ.
And what we've just covered in in chapter 12 combines with
other texts to equate to somewhere around 20 spiritual
gifts mentioned in the Scriptures out of Romans 12
verses 6 to 8 and Ephesians 4 verse 11.
And and you would do well to read those in addition to what
we've covered tonight. So hopefully that helps in some
respect in in looking at the purpose of the spiritual gifts
of the Holy Spirit in this way, what they are and what they are
for. Now, what I want to do is to
jump ahead to the proper use of the spiritual gifts and into
chapter 14. And in chapter 14, Paul will
focus on three of these gifts specifically that were in the
church in Corinth, problematic areas for them, that there is
abuse with respect to these spiritual giftings going on.
And he spends a lot of time on the gift of tongues.
And that's great because if there's anywhere there's a lot
of confusion, it's that isn't it.
And damage has been caused over the years with respect to this
one. So let's have a look at verses 1
to 10 of chapter 14. It says pursue love and desire
spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophecy for he who
speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God, for no
one understands him. However, in the Spirit he speaks
mysteries, but he who prophecies speaks edification and
exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue
edifies himself, but he who prophecies edifies the Church.
I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you
prophesied. For he who prophesize is greater
than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets that
the Church may receive edification.
But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what
shall I profit you, unless I speak to you either by
revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?
Even things without life, whether flute or heart, when
they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the
sounds, how will it be known what a part or played?
For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will
prepare for battle? So likewise you, unless you
utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be
known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into
the air. There are, it may be, so many
kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without
significance stopping there. So again, going back to our
definition, the gifting of tongues is the ability to speak
a language that is not known to the person speaking the
language. The reason for this gifting of
tongues? Well, we use words for
communication, right? And words when we talk 1 to
another, when we find the right word, our end communication
takes place then. It's a wonderful thing.
But have you not found that sometimes words just don't do
justice to how you're feeling or in communicating?
Sometimes husbands and wives, I think we wish we had the gift of
tongues with one another, right? And the, and the ability to
interpret with tongues. That's not what I meant.
That's not what I said. No, it's just not tell me how
you're feeling or just, I just can't put it into words.
And, and so sometimes there would just be this wonderful
thing if, oh, if only we had the gift of tongues in that moment,
because sometimes words fail us. Sometimes our ability to
communicate what we're feeling and to express that is is
limited or is restricted by our words.
So God gave and God gives some believers this gift to allow
them to bypass that barrier and commune with him unhindered.
It sounds bizarre. It sounds tricky for some of us
to understand fully, and for good reason.
It's supernatural. It's a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Chuck Smith considered the gift of tongues, the one gift that
his words, he said, is an insult to the intellect.
It is a language unto God. Verse 2.
And interestingly, a sign to unbelievers.
We haven't read it yet. Verse 22, he says, therefore,
tongues are for a sign not to those who believe, but to
unbelievers. But prophesying is not for
unbelievers, but for those who believe, but in the corporate
setting. So collectively, what we're
doing, our gathering here tonight, there is the need for
the other gifting, the interpretation of tongues.
And it says that we're to actually pray for
interpretation. 1 Corinthians 14, verse 13 through to 15, Have
a look with me. It says, therefore let him who
speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret, for if I pray in
a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
What is the conclusion then? Verse 15?
It says, I will pray with the Spirit, and I will also pray
with the understanding. I will sing with the Spirit and
I will also sing with the understanding.
So he says, Paul does not say that, that God always gives him
the interpretation, but that he always asks, he always prays to
understand. And So what does Paul do as a
consequence of that? He does both.
He prays using the gift of tongues and he speaks normal
speak. Now let's look a bit further at
the use of tongues because this is interesting.
Paul having said what he did there, he actually downplays the
use of tongues in the corporate church setting.
Out of all of the gifts of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 14 verses
18 and 19 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.
So did Paul have the gift of the tongues with respect to a
gifting from the Holy Spirit? Says I thank God that I do.
Yet verse 19 in the church I would rather speak 5 words with
my understanding that I may teach others also, than 10,000
words in a tongue. Paul would rather be understood
so that he could edify the church.
And he goes on verse 23. Therefore, if the whole church
comes together in one place and all speak with tongues, and
there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will
they not say that you are out of your mind?
And then verse 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of
peace, as in all the churches of the Saints.
So what Paul says, he says, I don't want your gatherings to be
like a a gathering of the United Nations where nobody could
understand where nobody can ascertain what is going on, what
is taking place. He says non believers or or
believers without a knowledge of spiritual gifts could enter the
church and and hear each man speaking in in these different
tongues, these different languages and consider everyone
there mad. And so with all of these verses
combined, that's why we here at Calvary Chapel downplay or maybe
you could say discourage the public use of tongues.
Now you can use them privately and those with the gift of
tongues may sing in tongues as the church sings and they may
pray quietly in the in the spirit as the church prays, but
not to where it becomes an attention grabbing component of
confusion in our gatherings. That's the the difference.
You see. God is the God of peace and not
confusion. Tongues are fine to use so long
as they are not misused to draw attention to oneself.
Paul gave very strict guidelines back then that are still in
application today for the gift of tongues.
Even in in smaller settings, perhaps where everyone was a
believer and knew about the gift of tongues, Paul told them to
limit speaking in tongues to two or three people if there was no
one to interpret. Paul asked those who spoke in
tongues to keep silent in the corporate church setting hears
this the prophecy 4th telling of the word of God is the greater
gift. 1 Corinthians 14 we read it already, verses 1 to 3 pursue
love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may
prophecy. For he who speaks in a tongue
does not speak to men, but to God, for no one understands him.
However, in the Spirit he speaks mysteries, but he who prophecies
speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
It is the preaching of God's Word and that's why we, we, we
focus on that so deliberately and so much here when we gather,
when we meet, it is the preaching, the declaration of
God's Word, the 4th telling of God's Word, the prophesying in
that way that will make a difference in someone's life
more than what tongues will. So there's the, the purpose of
spiritual gifts. There's the proper use of
spiritual gifts. And I'm mindful of time, but
here we'll bring it to a conclusion.
Now thirdly, the proof of spiritual gifts, because this is
where where it all is wrapped up, where it's all summed up in
sandwich between chapter 12 and chapter 14, kind of like that,
that delicious goodness in an Oreo.
You know, the middle part between the purpose and the
proper use of the gifts is 1 Corinthians 13.
We know it as the love chapter. People read this, people enjoy
this, they think of it as a poem.
They might ask for it as a reading at a wedding or some
other, maybe gathering of some sorts, but out of its context,
it misses what it's there for. It is to be a part of what Paul
is Speaking of here, the spiritual gifts and the Holy
Spirit. The proof that someone is
operating in the Spirit is the love of Jesus shining through
them. One Corinthians 13 verse one to
three. And maybe you know the exercise
in reading that passage that you can substitute every time that
you come across the word love Jesus name there.
And here's a more challenging exercise for us that whenever we
come across the word love, we substitute our name there.
Verse 1, Chapter 13 Though I speak with the tongues of men
and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding
brass or a clanging symbol. And though I have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and
though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but
have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but
have not love, it profits me nothing.
And here's where the substitution comes in.
Love suffers long. Jesus suffers long.
You suffer long. I suffer long and is kind.
Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself, is
not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own,
is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity but
rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are
prophecies, they will fail. Whether there are tongues, they
will cease. Whether there is knowledge, it
will vanish away. For we know in part, and we
prophecy in part. But when that which is perfect
has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child,
I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put
away childish things. For now we see an Amira dimly,
but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I
shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide. Faith, hope, love, these three.
But the greatest of these is love.
The sounding brass, the clanging cymbals demonstrate this, that
the, the busyness, our our consumption with this and the
abuse of this without love is just making irritating noise.
Ever been around somebody just banging away?
You know, I like to watch cricket, but there's certain
context in watching cricket, the sport on TV where because the
crowd is making a noise, there's like, oh man, I just have to
turn the volume down because it's just a like a clanging
cymbal in my ears sounding brass.
And that's what Paul has highlighted that yes, be about
the gifts, but let me remind you that without love in those
gifts, it is like noise and noise that irritates and noise
that becomes painful and noise that causes a whole lot of
damage. So tonight we've looked at the
purpose, the proper use of the proof of spiritual gifts.
And what I, what I may do is, is go back and, and dive into some
of these, maybe in a topical study or a series at some point
and go into a little bit more, more depth and detail in these.
But want to leave you with this. What are we to do with this
tonight, this knowledge? What's our, our mission
statement from here? When it comes to the spiritual
gifts, go back again to 1 Corinthians 14, verse one.
In the first part for me, Paul says, pursue love.
You know, when you pursue something and there's a
desperation and earnestness that you would do anything to try and
obtain to achieve, to get there, Pursue that, pursue love.
What's the definition of love? Chapter 13 And then desire
spiritual gifts. Pursue love.
Number one, desire spiritual gifts #2 you know we should #1
not only desire to feel loved by God, but to put God's love into
action in our lives. That's what pursue Love Is All
about. Desire spiritual gifts #2 we
should use those spiritual gifts that we have been given by the
Holy Spirit to what edify His church, to bless and to benefit
brothers and sisters in the Lord, to build up, to encourage,
to strengthen the body of believers and to glorify his
name, to give praise, to draw attention, not to me, but to the
giver of the gifts. And often people want like the,
the hyper show version of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Oh, you're going. Did you hear about how and and
and sort of people think of the the the you sort of you know,
the tangible hysterics of of what has been given, you know
kind of the bad reputation of the giftings of the Holy Spirit.
But let me tell you this that that every time that we gather
in the Lord's name. Did you know that the gifts are
in operation, especially 1 Corinthians 14 verse 1B, but
especially that you may prophecy that happens every time that we
meet the 4th telling of God's word in that way.
But let me tell you that that Wednesdays when we gather here
in this building and and God's word is is taught first of all,
and then we pray as a body of believers, man.
There is such building up such edification of the body that is
taking place as the gifts of the Holy Spirit are in operation in
that meeting in our gathering together.
And it might not look like tongues of fire on heads, might
not sound like rushing wind, and we might not see, you know, legs
growing longer or all sorts of, you know, miracles in ways that
people think, wow, that's the Holy Spirit moving.
But the Holy Spirit is moving in a way that is blessing the body
and is praising the God who loves us.
So let's pursue love, and let's desire spiritual gifts.