1 00:00:01,900 --> 00:00:05,800 Hello and welcome to the Church. Newtown Square podcast. 2 00:00:06,500 --> 00:00:10,600 If we can serve you in any way or if you'd like to learn more 3 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:15,600 about our church family or the x29 network, please visit us at 4 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:23,400 church NS Q dot org. That c h VR c h NS Q dot org. 5 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,400 And now let's listen in to today's teaching. 6 00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:31,300 So we've been studying First Corinthians Chapter 12 and we're 7 00:00:31,300 --> 00:00:35,100 finally at the gifts of the Spirit, the list that Paul has 8 00:00:35,100 --> 00:00:39,700 been setting us up to understand what it is that these gifts 9 00:00:39,700 --> 00:00:43,800 accomplish. And we heard from the word last 10 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,800 week and the week before that, the reason why the holy spirit 11 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:48,900 gives us these gifts for the common good. 12 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:52,300 And as we taken some time to understand part, Paul's larger 13 00:00:52,300 --> 00:00:54,500 flow of thought. What I've tried to do is give 14 00:00:54,500 --> 00:00:57,100 you the bigger picture and Define some terms for us. 15 00:00:57,500 --> 00:01:00,600 Because as we look at the gifts, the, the flow of God is helpful 16 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,400 for us in. Discerning what it is that we're 17 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:07,400 reading and how do we apply the truth of what Paul is telling 18 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,600 the Corinthians and their day and in their context? 19 00:01:10,700 --> 00:01:12,300 What does that mean for us today? 20 00:01:13,300 --> 00:01:15,100 Why are we taking the time to study this? 21 00:01:15,100 --> 00:01:19,600 Well, in particular, I want to bring Clarity to what the gifts 22 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,400 of the Spirit are. There's a lot of confusion, 23 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:25,200 there's just a lot of abuse and misunderstanding and immaturity 24 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,400 when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit, but at the same 25 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,800 time, I also want to make sure that we have some Direction 26 00:01:29,900 --> 00:01:33,100 section and focus as a church as we understand where we're going 27 00:01:33,100 --> 00:01:36,800 as a church and what every local church should be thinking about, 28 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,500 which is how do we worship Christ in a right manner 29 00:01:40,500 --> 00:01:43,100 together. What is the reason why God has 30 00:01:43,100 --> 00:01:46,300 gifted us with his spirit and it is for the common goods for our 31 00:01:46,300 --> 00:01:49,400 maturity. So it is for our maturity as a 32 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,500 church, why we study the word in the first place but in 33 00:01:52,500 --> 00:01:55,000 particular at the beginning of the year, I wanted to take some 34 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,400 time so that we might understand the gifts of the Spirit that we 35 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:01,300 might. And the importance of membership 36 00:02:01,300 --> 00:02:05,000 in the local body, what it is that the local church does the 37 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,100 question that was posed in Corinth was this? 38 00:02:07,100 --> 00:02:10,500 What are the evidences of spiritual maturity or 39 00:02:10,500 --> 00:02:14,200 spirituality who are the really spiritual people? 40 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,400 We already addressed that a few weeks ago, that the spiritual 41 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:19,500 people are those who have the Holy Spirit in US. 42 00:02:19,500 --> 00:02:21,400 You cannot be a spiritual person. 43 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,600 Without the holy spirit. This remains to be a question 44 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,800 among some people in the church today, the church that 45 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,400 understands the nature of spiritual gifting is a church 46 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,000 that grows more effective in their witness, their 47 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,400 discipleship, their maturity, we're able to serve one another 48 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,300 better able to serve our community. 49 00:02:37,500 --> 00:02:40,000 In more ways, we're able to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus 50 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,000 Christ, more clearly, and more effectively. 51 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,700 And I noted that so many of us, in fact, many of us in this room 52 00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:51,500 have probably been either hurt by the abuse of the church or 53 00:02:51,500 --> 00:02:55,500 the immaturity of a local church and their leaders and that so I 54 00:02:55,500 --> 00:02:59,700 want to avoid either throwing some people under the bus or 55 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,100 Want to avoid just ignoring the fact that things happen in local 56 00:03:03,100 --> 00:03:06,600 churches that are a result of immaturity and we can be 57 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,900 affected by that and just like the church in Corinth that we 58 00:03:09,900 --> 00:03:13,100 have a lot of growing up to do and every church has some knots 59 00:03:13,100 --> 00:03:15,600 that they need to work out some immaturity that needs to be 60 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,100 worked out. And so if you were here last 61 00:03:18,100 --> 00:03:20,000 week and you were taking notes, I gave you an outline. 62 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:25,000 The macro outline is gifted by God and Gifts, used by God, 63 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,100 gifted by God and Gifts used by God. 64 00:03:27,100 --> 00:03:33,100 And last week we went into A verse for saying that Paul asks 65 00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:36,200 us and asked the Corinthians to be open to the spirit. 66 00:03:36,700 --> 00:03:39,700 And the reason that the spirit exists is so that we might serve 67 00:03:39,700 --> 00:03:44,500 one another that we are in verse 7, to use our gifts for the 68 00:03:44,500 --> 00:03:47,900 common good. And so we are to not only be 69 00:03:47,900 --> 00:03:49,600 open to what the spirit would have for us. 70 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:54,700 But also to be others centered, the argument will move forward 71 00:03:54,700 --> 00:03:57,600 and Paul will give an example of the body that we are to remember 72 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,000 that love is the example our love Jesus or love for one 73 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:02,700 another. And then, finally, he'll give 74 00:04:02,700 --> 00:04:05,400 some instructions in chapter 14 that our worship should be 75 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,100 orderly. The Corinthian Church was a 76 00:04:08,100 --> 00:04:10,600 gifted Church in the beginning of the letter. 77 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,400 He tells them that in every way they've been gifted and he wants 78 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,500 them to understand that all of the gifts of the the Holy Spirit 79 00:04:18,500 --> 00:04:21,000 are for their benefit. But also for the benefit of one, 80 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,100 another, he even says that they're not lacking in any 81 00:04:24,100 --> 00:04:27,600 spiritual gift. Chapter 1 verses 4 through 9. 82 00:04:27,900 --> 00:04:30,800 Then in verse 4, he lines out. That there are different gifts, 83 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,100 different charismatic but the Same Spirit, the Triune god 84 00:04:35,100 --> 00:04:38,400 father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is Working supernaturally and 85 00:04:38,407 --> 00:04:40,600 actively through every member of the church. 86 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:46,100 Every member of the church that has the spirit of God is being 87 00:04:46,100 --> 00:04:49,200 worked on by God, giving the energy of God and being gifted 88 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,800 by God, not to the exclusion of the father of the son, of the 89 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:54,600 Holy Spirit. But together they're working. 90 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,600 The word manifestation is the ways in which the spirit shows 91 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,200 up. So when Paul says the spirit 92 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,700 manifests itself, these are the ways that the spirit shows 93 00:05:03,700 --> 00:05:06,500 himself in the local congregation in the corporate 94 00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:08,900 worship. Of the church, there are no, 95 00:05:08,900 --> 00:05:13,100 super spiritual people, he shows up and in through all of us. 96 00:05:13,700 --> 00:05:16,300 And so, when we think about the common good as Christians, the 97 00:05:16,300 --> 00:05:18,500 common good is our greater maturity. 98 00:05:18,500 --> 00:05:22,800 The common good is that we would help one another mature in 99 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:26,000 Christ. So that in that day, we would be 100 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,500 found blameless before him. Faithful radiant, beautiful 101 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:35,800 mature righteous Paul talks about this as being the thing 102 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,700 that that marriage represents. Husbands, love your wives. 103 00:05:39,700 --> 00:05:43,400 As Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. 104 00:05:44,100 --> 00:05:49,000 That just like Christ loves the church, he also will present the 105 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:53,500 bride, the church radiant and splendorous he is the one that 106 00:05:53,500 --> 00:05:56,100 does the work. So the spirit of God Christ 107 00:05:56,100 --> 00:05:59,200 leads us to righteousness, he leads us to Perfection. 108 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,100 It's not us working in ourselves as a Paul's trying to say. 109 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,000 It's not you doing. Doing the work. 110 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,700 It's the spirit of Christ where the spirit of the Lord is there 111 00:06:07,700 --> 00:06:09,800 is Christ. Christ is Among Us right now, 112 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,700 working through his body, to accomplish all of the things 113 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:18,300 that he desires to accomplish. So, knowing that it is the 114 00:06:18,300 --> 00:06:21,600 Triune God knowing that the common good is our maturity, how 115 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:25,400 we worship together, how we live with one another, how we 116 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:29,100 identify the spirits work in our lives is important. 117 00:06:29,900 --> 00:06:33,300 So what are the spiritual gifts? What are they used for? 118 00:06:33,500 --> 00:06:37,800 And what are they being used for the gifts that are used by God? 119 00:06:39,100 --> 00:06:41,300 There's a list. It's not an exhaustive list that 120 00:06:41,300 --> 00:06:44,500 Paul starts in verse 8 and he goes all the way to 10. 121 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,600 But before I go through that, I want to give us some backdrop. 122 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,800 And answer the question, why has there been a splintering amongst 123 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:54,700 the church? Not the vision I want to clarify 124 00:06:54,700 --> 00:06:57,800 this, just because there's a different denomination or a 125 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,500 different way in which a church worships doesn't mean that 126 00:07:00,500 --> 00:07:03,300 that's Division. Division is when we divide over 127 00:07:03,300 --> 00:07:05,600 something that is, is very important. 128 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,900 We divide over things like the D, Body of Christ. 129 00:07:09,900 --> 00:07:14,300 If Jesus is not Lord and God and savior, then we divide from you 130 00:07:14,300 --> 00:07:17,700 by saying that he is, if you believe that he is not, then we 131 00:07:17,700 --> 00:07:20,000 would have to divide and fellowship from you, but just 132 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,500 because you Worship in a different way within the context 133 00:07:22,500 --> 00:07:25,300 of scripture does not mean that there's division, it just means 134 00:07:25,300 --> 00:07:27,100 it's a different expression of worship. 135 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,800 So I want to be clear on that because so many times I hear 136 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,400 people bemoaning the fact that there's so many different 137 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:34,900 churches and different. There's there's definitely some 138 00:07:34,900 --> 00:07:37,300 immature splittings but it is okay. 139 00:07:37,300 --> 00:07:39,700 That the church down the streets were Worships and structures 140 00:07:39,700 --> 00:07:42,600 themselves in the same way that proclaims the gospel, we love 141 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:44,000 them. They're brothers and sisters, 142 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,300 but we're not divided from them. They're just different 143 00:07:46,300 --> 00:07:50,400 expressions of worship from us. So I want to make that clear. 144 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:56,600 However, there was a movement that started relatively recently 145 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,000 in the church counter the charismatic or what is known as 146 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:03,200 the Pentecostal movement was a movement that was within 147 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,300 mainstream Christianity that emphasizes two things. 148 00:08:06,300 --> 00:08:10,600 The baptism of the Holy Spirit and the use of spiritual gifts 149 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:14,500 or the charismatic, I already explained to us that to use that 150 00:08:14,500 --> 00:08:17,400 word charismatic would be to use that word for every Christian. 151 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,500 Every Christian that holds the whole A spirit is gifted by the 152 00:08:20,500 --> 00:08:22,800 Charisma. So we are all charismatic. 153 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:26,100 Can I get an amen? But we are not all Pentecostal. 154 00:08:26,700 --> 00:08:30,300 What it means to be Pentecostals different than to recognize that 155 00:08:30,300 --> 00:08:34,799 the gifts of the Spirit are in US, it has affected this 156 00:08:34,799 --> 00:08:38,100 movement most of Evangelical u.s. 157 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:43,200 Christianity and Beyond the movement, seems to have started 158 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:47,100 in 1960. And anglicanism, in fact, within 159 00:08:47,100 --> 00:08:51,000 the Anglican Church that's the Church of And there was a 160 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,300 renewal and a Revival. And there were things that were 161 00:08:53,300 --> 00:08:57,500 happening, that began to spread to other mainstream Protestant 162 00:08:57,500 --> 00:09:00,100 denominations, including Lutheran's and Presbyterians by 163 00:09:00,100 --> 00:09:03,100 1962. For some of you who are old 164 00:09:03,100 --> 00:09:06,200 enough to remember, there was a charismatic renewal even within 165 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:08,900 the Roman Catholic Church. There were, there were Bible 166 00:09:08,900 --> 00:09:12,000 studies happening in gifts, being given in speaking in 167 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:14,900 tongues and profited words. And there was a renewal there, 168 00:09:14,900 --> 00:09:18,200 that many of us have come to know Christ in a different way 169 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,500 and as A result halves in some ways, left the Catholic church 170 00:09:21,500 --> 00:09:26,300 because we wanted to pursue the freedom to worship in 1962 that 171 00:09:26,300 --> 00:09:30,800 moved on into 1967 and by the early 1970s, the movement was 172 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:35,300 not initially as influential in the invalid angelical church. 173 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:38,100 But since then has touched, almost every single Church in 174 00:09:38,100 --> 00:09:40,700 America. How do I know that we've been 175 00:09:40,700 --> 00:09:43,300 touched by this charismatic movement? 176 00:09:43,300 --> 00:09:45,800 Well, if you came to Christ through campus Crusade for 177 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:48,500 Christ or have you came to Christ to the teaching of 178 00:09:48,500 --> 00:09:50,700 Chucks? Of Calvary Chapel, if you went 179 00:09:50,700 --> 00:09:54,200 to a Vineyard Church, or if you went to a church or read a book 180 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,100 by Gordon fee or Sam stornes, if you love songs that are written 181 00:09:58,100 --> 00:10:02,900 and produced by Hillsong your life has been touched by the 182 00:10:02,900 --> 00:10:07,100 charismatic movement and and that is in some ways, a very 183 00:10:07,108 --> 00:10:11,300 good thing because the life and the, the breath of the holy 184 00:10:11,300 --> 00:10:14,900 spirit that was sought. After was something that revive 185 00:10:14,900 --> 00:10:19,200 the church and many in the early 60s, who were part of Russians, 186 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,100 that were stodgy a little bit and stiff. 187 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,300 One of my favorite preachers and teachers is a guy named dr. 188 00:10:25,300 --> 00:10:27,600 Martin lloyd-jones. He was a, he was a Welsh 189 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:31,900 preacher and he begged his church to learn from though. 190 00:10:31,900 --> 00:10:36,900 They disagreed with the theology or the exegesis of why they got 191 00:10:36,900 --> 00:10:40,400 to where they would, he said by hands down that, you know, even 192 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,600 even even amongst us that love the Holy Spirit. 193 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:47,500 We are afraid to even just go like this, Hallelujah, everybody 194 00:10:47,500 --> 00:10:48,800 down. There's a fear. 195 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:54,000 Stiffness and he says that it is a good thing and I would agree 196 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,400 with him that we would pursue and desire a life in renewal 197 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,200 before 1955. However, the religious 198 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,200 mainstream did not Embrace Pentecostal doctrines. 199 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,200 In fact, the predominant view up until the early 20th century 200 00:11:09,300 --> 00:11:11,400 which is which is a lot of years. 201 00:11:11,700 --> 00:11:15,200 I mean from the early church all the way up until the reformation 202 00:11:15,500 --> 00:11:18,800 and after the Reformation up until you know, from the 1500s 203 00:11:18,900 --> 00:11:22,400 To 1955 ish. There is no Pentecostal 204 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:26,400 movement. There's no need or sense to 205 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:30,100 think about the miraculous or extraordinary signs and gifts. 206 00:11:30,100 --> 00:11:34,200 Because most people believe that the gifts that remained were the 207 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,100 gifts that were the most obvious and at work in the church. 208 00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:39,800 And it gives that where the miraculous and the spectacular, 209 00:11:39,900 --> 00:11:44,100 they had a place and they passed over time away because the work 210 00:11:44,100 --> 00:11:47,600 that they were sent to accomplish happened The 211 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:49,600 Pentecostal movement and I want to be clear. 212 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:54,300 I'm not talking about you might, you might, I'm equating Charisma 213 00:11:54,500 --> 00:11:56,800 with the spirit, but not the Pentecostal movement, the 214 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:01,400 Pentecostal movement is one in which claims to be an Essence, a 215 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:05,800 renewal of the neglected authentic elements in 216 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:10,200 Christianity, namely the gifts of tongues prophecy and healing 217 00:12:11,300 --> 00:12:16,300 Pentecostal however does not equal the prosperity movement to 218 00:12:16,300 --> 00:12:19,400 be Pentecostals. Not necessarily to be someone 219 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:23,200 like Joel Osteen or someone who is in the Kenneth Copeland Camp 220 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,400 of Prosperity Gospel. We're all that God cares about 221 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,100 is Faith, wealth health and prosperity. 222 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:33,400 That is not the Pentecostal movement, but it did come out of 223 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:35,700 the Pentecostal movement. So I want to me, I want to be 224 00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:39,000 very clear about that. And so one of the questions that 225 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,500 needs to be answered is well, then why, Why is it called the 226 00:12:41,500 --> 00:12:44,800 Pentecostal movement? What happened at Pentecost or 227 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:46,700 more precisely? We need to understand what is 228 00:12:46,700 --> 00:12:49,200 the significance in the Redemptive story of God at 229 00:12:49,208 --> 00:12:51,600 Pentecost? And I just want to briefly say 230 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:56,100 this Pentecost meant two things, one it meant that the spirit was 231 00:12:56,100 --> 00:13:00,100 now, present permanently with God's people because of the work 232 00:13:00,100 --> 00:13:02,700 of Jesus Christ. What Christ has done for us is 233 00:13:02,700 --> 00:13:05,900 he's cleanse us of our sins given us forgiveness, and 234 00:13:05,900 --> 00:13:08,100 Redemption and Reconciliation to God. 235 00:13:08,100 --> 00:13:10,800 So that we, as the temple of God, might be dwell. 236 00:13:10,900 --> 00:13:13,600 The spirit of God he cleaned house. 237 00:13:13,700 --> 00:13:16,700 And so Pentecost was the promise of the spirit that was to be 238 00:13:16,700 --> 00:13:21,300 sent to be with God's people into, it was the spirit. 239 00:13:21,300 --> 00:13:25,500 Now, poured out, not on just some but on all again here that 240 00:13:25,500 --> 00:13:28,800 theme the prophecy was that the spirit would dwell with God's 241 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:34,200 people, not just Jew, but Jew and Gentile or Jew plus see 242 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:36,200 that. Also in Corinth, when a church 243 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,400 gathers together and we begin to exclude certain people to say, 244 00:13:39,500 --> 00:13:42,100 you've got this gift, you've Got this gift but you're the super 245 00:13:42,100 --> 00:13:44,100 spiritual people and we'll just let you do the work. 246 00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:47,400 No, no God's spirit dwells with everyone, that's the whole 247 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,800 point. It's like oiled you ever spill 248 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:53,300 oil on something the holy spirit is is equated to the oil. 249 00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:55,600 In fact, the anointing, the priest whenever you spill oil 250 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:59,300 and some it drips down and everything water never lies oil. 251 00:13:59,300 --> 00:14:00,300 Never lies. Right? 252 00:14:00,500 --> 00:14:04,400 It goes where their cracks are. Oil gets everywhere in the same 253 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,000 way. The holy spirit is in every 254 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,900 single person who trust in Christ. 255 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,900 And so, when we talk about Pentecostalism, what we're 256 00:14:12,900 --> 00:14:17,100 talking about, is this understanding that Pentecost is 257 00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:21,800 to be not only repeated, but it was continued from Pentecost all 258 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,800 the way into the Lord's return. And so the Pentecostal movement 259 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:29,400 wants to look back and say these gifts are operative now as they 260 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:34,200 were back then. That is the Pentecostal, that's 261 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:38,900 the backdrop of where we have come as a church in 2023. 262 00:14:38,900 --> 00:14:43,200 The reason why there is not division, but a difference in 263 00:14:43,500 --> 00:14:46,100 how these gifts are applied or how we even read. 264 00:14:46,100 --> 00:14:51,000 This text is biblically defendable. 265 00:14:51,700 --> 00:14:56,000 There are, I have many friends who differ with me on my 266 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,700 understanding of what these are. But we are not divided because 267 00:14:59,700 --> 00:15:02,700 we are united in Christ. There are Certain secondary and 268 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,600 tertiary things. There we go. 269 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:06,900 I was going to say 30 Airy. That was not a word. 270 00:15:08,700 --> 00:15:10,800 There are things that we can divide on and they're things 271 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,300 that we can't divide on. And so again, I want to make 272 00:15:14,308 --> 00:15:18,500 clear that when we focus on and I think Warren Weir's be is 273 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:20,800 correct on this. He says that we ought to 274 00:15:20,808 --> 00:15:24,400 distinguish between one the spiritual gift Pentecost was the 275 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,900 gift of the spirit. It is God's gift to us that he 276 00:15:27,900 --> 00:15:30,100 dwells with us. Right now, by his Spirit one, 277 00:15:30,100 --> 00:15:33,800 the gift of the spirit to spiritual gifts, how does that 278 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:37,700 Spirit work through us and three spiritual offices? 279 00:15:37,700 --> 00:15:40,900 How does God structure and Order his church? 280 00:15:40,900 --> 00:15:43,900 What are the positions of trust in the Local church in which 281 00:15:43,900 --> 00:15:46,600 will see that. And we also see that in First 282 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:51,400 Peter 4:10, we see that the offices of Apostles and Prophets 283 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,100 preachers. Teachers pastors Elders deacons, 284 00:15:54,100 --> 00:15:57,600 there are offices that God has given his church to love the 285 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:01,700 church to serve the church. That the church might be what 286 00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:07,600 mature Not, all of us will will fill a particular spiritual 287 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:11,400 office, but all of us have a spiritual gift that's to be used 288 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:15,000 for the building up of the body. That's what's most important. 289 00:16:16,300 --> 00:16:19,800 And that is emphasis on spiritual Graces. 290 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,000 That's the fruit of the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is we 291 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,700 like to just divide it. Love, joy, peace, patience, 292 00:16:25,700 --> 00:16:27,600 kindness. But actually, the entire list 293 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:30,500 is, is one. Its it is a whole fruit. 294 00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:34,100 These are not just, oh, I'm manifesting love today. 295 00:16:34,100 --> 00:16:36,700 And then next year, maybe I'll work on joint know it is. 296 00:16:36,700 --> 00:16:39,100 Jesus Christ. It's the grace of who Jesus is 297 00:16:39,100 --> 00:16:41,500 in us. The whole list is is Jesus in 298 00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:45,900 US. So, when we talk about and study 299 00:16:45,900 --> 00:16:49,600 the gifts of the Spirit, the question is not, whether they 300 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,500 still exist, okay? It's not whether spiritual gifts 301 00:16:52,500 --> 00:16:58,400 exist because they do the question in the church is which 302 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:02,400 spiritual gifts exist today, not weather witch. 303 00:17:05,900 --> 00:17:09,700 Whether or not healing or Miracles happens. 304 00:17:09,700 --> 00:17:14,300 Today is not even a question. Because if we know again that 305 00:17:14,300 --> 00:17:18,599 the Holy Spirit does, as he Wills can, God do what he wants 306 00:17:18,599 --> 00:17:20,599 when he wants. Can I get an amen? 307 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,099 He can we submit ourselves to that, if he does not do what we 308 00:17:25,099 --> 00:17:27,400 want him to do in the moment that we want him to do it. 309 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:31,700 Do we have any rights to tell him what to do when to do it? 310 00:17:32,300 --> 00:17:36,000 It does as he wishes. Wills, he does, as he Wills. 311 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:43,300 And there was a time that God testified by signs and wonders. 312 00:17:43,300 --> 00:17:47,000 That was the norm Hebrews chapter 2, verses 1 through 4. 313 00:17:47,700 --> 00:17:51,400 The writer says God testified by signs and wonders and various 314 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,000 Miracles and distributions of gift from the Holy Spirit 315 00:17:54,100 --> 00:17:58,500 according to his will why to testify to the many works of 316 00:17:58,500 --> 00:18:02,200 Jesus Christ, that that it was true, that the Son of God had 317 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,600 come and I can give you a list of 17 verses to look up this 318 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:07,500 afternoon if you want to just see me afterwards. 319 00:18:08,900 --> 00:18:13,200 What we believe about? The continuation of the 320 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,400 miraculous gifts and I don't have time to expound expound on 321 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,100 that today. But the miraculous and 322 00:18:19,100 --> 00:18:22,500 revelatory Gifts hinges on what we understand about Ephesians 323 00:18:22,500 --> 00:18:26,700 chapter 2, verses 11 through 21, that the foundation that was 324 00:18:26,700 --> 00:18:30,600 laid and the Cornerstone that was laid that if Christ is 325 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:32,800 building his church in the illustration of metaphor, the 326 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:36,500 Paul uses that a foundation is laid and that the lines are set 327 00:18:36,500 --> 00:18:38,800 and that through the work of the Apostles and the prophets, in 328 00:18:38,808 --> 00:18:40,900 the pastors and the teachers in the church. 329 00:18:41,100 --> 00:18:43,000 It's built up into spiritual Unity. 330 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,400 Then you don't lay multiple foundations. 331 00:18:47,100 --> 00:18:49,600 The church is pictured as something that's being built by 332 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:51,700 God. And so, we have to answer for 333 00:18:51,700 --> 00:18:55,000 ourselves. The question of what happened in 334 00:18:55,100 --> 00:18:58,300 the Corinthian Church, and in the life of the early church, 335 00:18:58,300 --> 00:19:03,200 that is both continuing today, but but doesn't seem to be 336 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:06,900 continuing today. And so, how do we, how do we 337 00:19:06,900 --> 00:19:09,900 divide that up? How do we move forward together 338 00:19:09,900 --> 00:19:15,000 without being jerks about it? And also, by being obedient to 339 00:19:15,300 --> 00:19:18,000 the word when Paul says, Seek the gifts. 340 00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:21,700 See the gifts and we're so scared of seeking to give 341 00:19:21,700 --> 00:19:24,900 sometimes because we either ignore them and just say like 342 00:19:24,900 --> 00:19:27,700 right away, it's like Monty Python run away. 343 00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:32,700 Way, because we're scared of what we might, what we might 344 00:19:32,700 --> 00:19:36,700 find or what we might believe. But yet if we hold the middle 345 00:19:36,700 --> 00:19:38,300 ground where we say, no, no, let's do both. 346 00:19:38,300 --> 00:19:39,800 Let's, let's see what the text says. 347 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,300 The study of for ourselves. Let's set a direction. 348 00:19:42,300 --> 00:19:45,900 And then over time, the spirit will lead us into understanding. 349 00:19:47,700 --> 00:19:51,200 Are you with me? One last thing. 350 00:19:51,300 --> 00:19:57,100 Some of us perhaps have come from Pentecostal movement or 351 00:19:57,100 --> 00:20:01,200 maybe a church. And again, so many good things 352 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,300 have come out. In fact, there's an author and a 353 00:20:04,300 --> 00:20:07,300 theologian who wrote about his own Pentecostal experience and I 354 00:20:07,300 --> 00:20:08,900 thought it was. This might be helpful for you to 355 00:20:08,900 --> 00:20:10,800 hear because some of you might identify with it. 356 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,100 He said, growing up in a Pentecostal church was a 357 00:20:13,100 --> 00:20:15,800 marvelous and intriguing experience, because the 358 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,300 experiential nature, the experiential nature. 359 00:20:18,300 --> 00:20:21,700 The, the sense of Sing what I felt, what we heard. 360 00:20:21,700 --> 00:20:24,100 What we were doing again, in Corinth. 361 00:20:24,100 --> 00:20:25,400 It's the same thing that they're struggling. 362 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:27,600 They're immature Believers. Not that. 363 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:29,700 This man was an immature, but they were, they were trying to 364 00:20:29,700 --> 00:20:31,800 come out of something that was ecstatic and they were used to 365 00:20:31,808 --> 00:20:35,000 experiencing something. So how do we divide ourselves 366 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,900 from experiencing only? And, and moving towards a 367 00:20:38,900 --> 00:20:43,300 thoughtful experience, he says the spiritual nature of Faith, 368 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:47,000 appeal, to specially to many who were otherwise, marginalized, 369 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,800 both in society at large and in Mainline churches. 370 00:20:50,300 --> 00:20:53,300 And the diversity, Paul speaks of in First Corinthians. 12 was 371 00:20:53,300 --> 00:20:56,400 our common lot with that diversity. 372 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:00,300 He says came at many strange things in church, not all of 373 00:21:00,300 --> 00:21:03,700 them edifying to the body, in some of them downright scary for 374 00:21:03,700 --> 00:21:07,100 some of us and when those of us from my generation raised in 375 00:21:07,100 --> 00:21:09,900 this tradition, get together. We often swap stories and laugh 376 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:12,400 till we hurt. Not a hurtful mocking laughter, 377 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:16,100 but enjoys remembrance of the idiosyncrasies of some of God's 378 00:21:16,100 --> 00:21:19,100 deers people now that is a humble thing to say. 379 00:21:19,700 --> 00:21:22,200 I mean, I, I remember some of the stupid things I said, when I 380 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:26,000 was a young 21 year old, I remember stupid things I says 381 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:31,000 young 45 year old And but the younger I was I remember making 382 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:32,900 mistakes. Do you remember making mistakes 383 00:21:32,900 --> 00:21:34,700 when you were a new Christian? A new believer. 384 00:21:34,700 --> 00:21:37,600 You probably said some pretty Off the Wall wacky stuff. 385 00:21:38,100 --> 00:21:42,600 I'm certain of it but yet as we grow and we look back and Grace 386 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:44,300 is applied to that isn't it kind that? 387 00:21:44,300 --> 00:21:47,600 Someone says yeah you were you're an idiot back then but 388 00:21:48,100 --> 00:21:51,600 look how God used you. How God used you? 389 00:21:53,900 --> 00:21:55,900 Spiritual gifts are not natural talents. 390 00:21:55,900 --> 00:21:58,500 All of us have been gifted with natural talents, but what the 391 00:21:58,508 --> 00:22:01,100 spirit does is he takes those natural talents and works 392 00:22:01,100 --> 00:22:02,800 through them. One of the things that we need 393 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:07,000 to recognize is that there are so many talented people in the 394 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:08,400 world who don't know. Jesus. 395 00:22:09,500 --> 00:22:11,800 And they don't know the fullness of the spirit of their lives. 396 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,900 In fact, the scariest thing for me in my study is coming to the 397 00:22:14,900 --> 00:22:18,100 conclusion that John Owens came to that you can have many gifts 398 00:22:18,100 --> 00:22:21,000 but never be gifted with the Holy Spirit. 399 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:25,200 I can fool you and I can talk the talk and I can be a good 400 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:30,200 teacher, but I may not even in my heart, love, Jesus, that's a 401 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,600 scary thing. That I can get to the end of my 402 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:36,400 days and go before the Lord, and I can say, hey, didn't I showed 403 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:39,200 up every Sunday? Most Sundays at Church Newtown 404 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:39,800 Square. Where? 405 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,900 And I taught the scriptures and he could say to me, I never knew 406 00:22:42,900 --> 00:22:45,800 you. And there's a lot of leaders and 407 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,000 pastors and people in churches, these days, that are that are 408 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,100 that, that are just that. In fact, some of you in this 409 00:22:51,100 --> 00:22:54,700 room are professing, something that is not true in your heart. 410 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,300 And you're here, just out of rhythm tradition or thinking 411 00:22:58,300 --> 00:23:01,100 that this is going to check the box, that's not true. 412 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:10,700 That's not true. all right, you have patiently, waited now that 413 00:23:10,700 --> 00:23:13,800 I've said that backdrop, the reason why we're going to so as 414 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,800 we work through these gifts, I want to be very clear that I'm 415 00:23:17,100 --> 00:23:20,700 I'm doing what I think is true to the text true to The 416 00:23:20,700 --> 00:23:23,600 Narrative of scripture, true to the bigger picture and I've come 417 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:29,800 to some conclusions, some of which are Pretty pretty 418 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,400 disagreed upon and some of which everybody pretty much 419 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,200 understands to be a good interpretation. 420 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:42,500 So, Verse 6, chapter 12 and there are different activities 421 00:23:42,500 --> 00:23:48,300 but the same God produces each gift in East person and the 422 00:23:48,308 --> 00:23:51,500 spirit shows up in the group of this people, a manifestation of 423 00:23:51,500 --> 00:23:53,800 the spirit is given to each person for the common good. 424 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:57,700 As the common. Good happens as we're using 425 00:23:57,700 --> 00:24:02,500 these gifts Church in Corinth to one is given a message of 426 00:24:02,500 --> 00:24:05,700 wisdom, through the spirit to another a message of knowledge. 427 00:24:05,700 --> 00:24:09,600 In The Same Spirit. Here, the emphasis is on, On 428 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:14,100 seems to be two things. One, what the message is. 429 00:24:14,100 --> 00:24:17,500 And so, the thing that links, these two gifts together is the 430 00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:18,900 Lagos. It's the word. 431 00:24:18,900 --> 00:24:22,100 It's the message to one is given a word. 432 00:24:22,100 --> 00:24:24,700 It might be the translation that Greek word is Lagos. 433 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:26,400 You might remember in our study of John. 434 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,000 It says in the beginning was the what the law, God's? 435 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,600 The word, the Word was God, and the Word was with God and he 436 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,000 came and he dwelt Among Us, the word in scripture is always 437 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,000 pointing us to the word of God manifested in the person in the 438 00:24:39,100 --> 00:24:43,200 The work of Jesus Christ. And so here, the word that is 439 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:46,300 given to one is given a message of wisdom through the spirit. 440 00:24:46,300 --> 00:24:51,000 These two gifts come primarily from those who have a gift of 441 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:55,600 teaching, The reason it is a spiritual gift and it seems to 442 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,400 be a supernatural manifestation is, you know, the Corinthians 443 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:00,600 didn't turn to like, hey, they didn't stand up. 444 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,400 Say, hey turn your Bibles. Turn your leather bound Bibles 445 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:05,600 to First Corinthians chapter, you know, whatever. 446 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:07,600 They didn't have. They were right in Corinthians. 447 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,000 God was writing their story. They didn't have a new 448 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,100 testament, they had an Old Testament. 449 00:25:12,500 --> 00:25:14,100 But if you'll turn with me and by the way, you're going to need 450 00:25:14,100 --> 00:25:17,000 your Bibles in the next 10 minutes, turn with me to Acts 451 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,900 chapter 14, make a left hand turn, and you'll remember that 452 00:25:19,900 --> 00:25:24,600 in Acts the beginning of Acts chapter 4, John and Peter, you 453 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:26,300 remember what the disciples were like? 454 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:28,200 Who were they? What was their original 455 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:32,200 occupation. They were They're fishermen. 456 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:35,000 They were not learned or educated men. 457 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,800 They did not come from the rabbinical seminaries. 458 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,500 They were fishing because they didn't have anything else to do. 459 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:45,600 You either were educated in red, rose up in the lot or you just 460 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,000 kind of fished and did what your parents did. 461 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:52,400 Vocationally in verse chapter, and chapter 4 verse 13. 462 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,100 There looking at Peter, and John and their boldness and says that 463 00:25:57,100 --> 00:26:00,800 look sharp with verse 8, chapter 4, the Peter was filled with the 464 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:04,200 Holy Holy spirit filled with the Holy Spirit. 465 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,800 This fisherman, this stuck his foot in his mouth all the time. 466 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:12,300 Fisherman is filled Luke, says, with the Holy Spirit and says, 467 00:26:12,300 --> 00:26:16,300 rulers of the people and Elders. If we are being examined today 468 00:26:16,300 --> 00:26:19,000 about a good deed done to a disabled, man, they'd healed a 469 00:26:19,008 --> 00:26:23,100 man they had walked by and they said rise, pick up your mat and 470 00:26:23,100 --> 00:26:25,600 walk and the man picked up his mat and walked. 471 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:27,100 And that's what Miracles would be. 472 00:26:27,100 --> 00:26:30,000 It is a direct direct healing. That's instant. 473 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,500 It's not over time. It's not like he went through 474 00:26:32,500 --> 00:26:34,700 Physical Therapy, the man was lame. 475 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,100 And then he walked. So they do this miracle and 476 00:26:38,100 --> 00:26:41,700 everyone's angry at them and he says, let it be known to you 477 00:26:41,700 --> 00:26:44,100 verse 10. And to all the people of Israel 478 00:26:44,100 --> 00:26:47,300 that by the name of Jesus, Christ of Nazareth, whom you 479 00:26:47,300 --> 00:26:51,000 crucified whom God raised from the dead by him. 480 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,600 This man is standing here before you healthy by the spirit. 481 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,400 They mean, it is the spirit in them. 482 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,800 Jesus Christ doing the same thing that he did in person, but 483 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:04,300 now has empowered his Fossils to do, they raised him from the 484 00:27:04,300 --> 00:27:08,300 dead and he points them to the fact that in the scriptures, 485 00:27:08,300 --> 00:27:10,300 this stone that was rejected by you. 486 00:27:10,300 --> 00:27:15,300 Builders he quotes Psalm 118 22 here, which has become the 487 00:27:15,300 --> 00:27:17,400 Cornerstone. There is no salvation in anyone 488 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,500 else. He's eloquently speaking. 489 00:27:20,500 --> 00:27:23,200 And what's the people's response around there. 490 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:26,400 Look at verse 13 when they observe the boldness of Peter 491 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:31,000 and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained. 492 00:27:31,100 --> 00:27:33,500 Rained men. They were amazed. 493 00:27:34,500 --> 00:27:38,200 These men have not spent years studying, there's something 494 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,800 authoritative in their teaching, there's something accurate in 495 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:45,700 their teaching and their right and they haven't done any 496 00:27:45,700 --> 00:27:47,700 training. How is that possible? 497 00:27:47,900 --> 00:27:51,000 It's equivalent to you like rolling up on the last day of 498 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,200 class into whatever it's your chemistry class. 499 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,700 If you're a high school student or if it's like some gen ed 500 00:27:56,700 --> 00:27:59,800 class at college and you've not attended any class whatsoever 501 00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:01,500 and you just think hey pray for me. 502 00:28:01,500 --> 00:28:04,400 I need to get an A or else. I fail this course and you Some 503 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,900 of you just do this anyway, I used to do you just show up. 504 00:28:06,900 --> 00:28:08,900 You think the holy spirit's going to give you wisdom and 505 00:28:08,900 --> 00:28:11,600 knowledge of like what you should have studied you need to 506 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:14,900 study open your books and study. But the equivalent of this is if 507 00:28:14,900 --> 00:28:17,700 you showed up and you told the professor but Hey listen I know 508 00:28:17,700 --> 00:28:21,300 the equivalence of all of these, these things and blah blah blah 509 00:28:21,300 --> 00:28:24,300 blah blah taste, it nailed it and you got 100%. 510 00:28:24,300 --> 00:28:27,500 And The the professor to be like, who is this unlearned and 511 00:28:27,500 --> 00:28:30,500 untreated college student that just walked in and nailed it. 512 00:28:31,100 --> 00:28:36,000 You'd be dumbfounded. In the same way, these men knew 513 00:28:36,900 --> 00:28:39,700 the scriptures. Turn to apps. 514 00:28:39,700 --> 00:28:41,500 Acts chapter 6. They were unlearned. 515 00:28:41,500 --> 00:28:44,900 So that word is unknowledgeable. There's no gnosis, there's no 516 00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:46,500 knowledge. They don't have any previous 517 00:28:46,500 --> 00:28:48,500 knowledge. But what about wisdom? 518 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,700 Acts chapter 6. You might recall the story of 519 00:28:52,700 --> 00:28:55,800 Steven seven or chose to church is multiplying. 520 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:59,400 It's growing. And God is establishing deacons, 521 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,100 and elders, and pastors. And they're beginning to grow, 522 00:29:02,100 --> 00:29:04,700 their numbers are growing. The spirit is at work. 523 00:29:04,700 --> 00:29:07,000 They're committing themselves to the word and breaking of the 524 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,300 bread, which is the Gathering. Around the communion table, the 525 00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:13,800 Lord's Supper. And it says in Acts chapter 6, 526 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:20,300 that now Stephen Full of Grace and power verse 8. full of grace 527 00:29:20,300 --> 00:29:24,600 and power was performing, great wonders and signs among the 528 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,800 people And what happened? Some of the members from the 529 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,000 freedmen synagogue, there was resistance. 530 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,100 They began to argue with them. But look at verse 10. 531 00:29:33,100 --> 00:29:39,300 They were unable to watch, stand up to him against his wisdom. 532 00:29:40,900 --> 00:29:45,000 Wisdom. when we look at Paul turn back to First Corinthians 533 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,800 12, in his letter, the reason why I showed you the breadth of 534 00:29:48,808 --> 00:29:53,100 his letters because there's 11 chapters before this But it 535 00:29:53,108 --> 00:30:00,300 seems that Paul is connecting the gift of wisdom and knowledge 536 00:30:00,300 --> 00:30:03,900 to teaching of which he doesn't mention in this list, but in the 537 00:30:03,900 --> 00:30:06,300 other list, if you go to Roman's, not now, but Romans 538 00:30:06,300 --> 00:30:10,200 chapter 12 First Corinthians 12 28 through 30 Ephesians 4. 539 00:30:10,300 --> 00:30:13,400 There are other lists were teaching is the the listed gift 540 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,800 of the spirit, but it's not in here, but it seems that the 541 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:20,800 wisdom of the Corinthian Church. The desire to have wisdom and 542 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:24,800 all knowledge. Paul speaks You in chapter 1 543 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:28,900 through 2, he's saying that you guys are all just wanting to 544 00:30:28,900 --> 00:30:32,700 find the latest knowledge and and get the greatest gift of 545 00:30:32,700 --> 00:30:34,500 wisdom and you want to speak eloquently. 546 00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:37,300 But let me let me show you a way that is better. 547 00:30:38,300 --> 00:30:41,500 Proclaiming the message of the Cross and verse 18. 548 00:30:41,500 --> 00:30:46,800 Chapter chapter 1 verse 18. Paul says this, he says, For the 549 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:48,900 word of the Cross, is foolishness to those who are 550 00:30:48,900 --> 00:30:52,000 perishing, but is the power of God who are being saved for it, 551 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,600 is written any refers back. I will destroy the, what wisdom 552 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:59,500 of the wise. So, this gift seems to be. 553 00:30:59,900 --> 00:31:03,400 And I would argue that it is a teaching gift and wisdom and 554 00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:09,700 knowledge is, what is Learned by the right teaching of what God. 555 00:31:09,700 --> 00:31:12,300 Speaks the gospel is a Word of Wisdom. 556 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,400 Paul, in Romans chapter 15 verse 14. 557 00:31:15,500 --> 00:31:20,100 He talks about that. They are full of goodness filled 558 00:31:20,100 --> 00:31:24,800 with all knowledge, Paul equates knowledge, and wisdom as the 559 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:26,800 gift of understanding, the gospel. 560 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:29,600 So what is wisdom and knowledge, it is a message. 561 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:33,200 It is a word as the proclamation of the ability to clarify what 562 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,700 the gospel is, and what it is, not how were to follow. 563 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:38,500 Oh, Jesus and Howard and not how were to live because we take 564 00:31:38,500 --> 00:31:40,900 what the word has said. What has been revealed to us? 565 00:31:40,900 --> 00:31:44,300 And we give you the end product wisdom, and knowledge, as a 566 00:31:44,308 --> 00:31:47,900 result of teaching the spirit of wisdom and knowledge, is that a 567 00:31:47,908 --> 00:31:50,600 natural gift? Here's the thing to be 568 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,900 spirituals to what again are we born, spiritual people or 569 00:31:53,900 --> 00:31:56,900 natural, people were born, natural natural. 570 00:31:56,900 --> 00:31:59,600 Are the people that I come out of the womb and I am like Adam. 571 00:31:59,700 --> 00:32:02,700 I have no eyes to see Christ. I have no understanding of who 572 00:32:02,700 --> 00:32:05,600 God is, but then when I crossed the line of faith and in the 573 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:09,700 Spirit regenerates, my heart. Now, I am a spiritual person. 574 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:14,600 I may be an idiot over here in terms of how I don't know how to 575 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:16,300 wash dishes. I don't know how to wash my own 576 00:32:16,300 --> 00:32:18,400 clothes. I may still be the same idiot 577 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,200 over here, but at least I know that I'm humble enough to know. 578 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:22,600 Like, well, that's how God made me. 579 00:32:22,700 --> 00:32:24,900 I know Jesus, he's giving me Grace. 580 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:30,700 I'm a spiritual person. there's no way I could understand what 581 00:32:30,700 --> 00:32:32,700 I'm saying today, if it wasn't for the gifts of the Holy 582 00:32:32,700 --> 00:32:39,700 Spirit, There's no way that you can know Jesus except for the 583 00:32:39,700 --> 00:32:41,900 gift of the Holy Spirit. That's why it's a gift. 584 00:32:44,300 --> 00:32:47,600 To have eyes to see and ears to hear the message of the gospel. 585 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:50,900 And then to go out and say I have no other savior but him, 586 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:52,800 that is not professed in this world. 587 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,900 That is, that is the Crux of the argument of the Gospel of Jesus 588 00:32:55,900 --> 00:32:59,700 Christ, you do not have eyes to see, you must need the spirit to 589 00:32:59,700 --> 00:33:03,800 open your eyes to be a natural person. 590 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:07,000 Rescued into the supernatural world of God. 591 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,500 The gift of knowledge as it exists today in whatever 592 00:33:11,500 --> 00:33:15,600 capacity seems to be exercise. That could be not just 593 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:18,200 preaching, not everybody is going to exercise this office. 594 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:21,800 Not all of you have the spiritual gift given to you, 595 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:23,900 that enables you to do what I do. 596 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:27,500 But you can teach kids, you can teach, you might have the gift 597 00:33:27,500 --> 00:33:30,000 of teaching and God might use that to benefit someone else in 598 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:33,300 a small group home group, and one-on-one discussions. 599 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,300 Perhaps my God might call you to go pastor and preach and teach 600 00:33:36,300 --> 00:33:39,400 somewhere else, perhaps it's in the context of your only the 601 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:44,500 spiritual gift given to you to be exercised with wisdom and 602 00:33:44,500 --> 00:33:47,000 knowledge can be exercised in all sorts of different ways, but 603 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:51,400 not every office, but in all sorts of different ways, How do 604 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:53,700 you know that you have the gift given to you? 605 00:33:54,100 --> 00:33:59,000 Well, if you try to explain something simple to a little 606 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:02,800 child, like, if you volunteer at church in Church, kit kids 607 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,800 church and a kid looks at you, and completely doesn't 608 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:09,199 understand anything. You just said, even though 609 00:34:09,199 --> 00:34:12,900 you've read it from the page, you probably don't have the gift 610 00:34:12,900 --> 00:34:17,500 of teaching or wisdom and knowledge but how would you know 611 00:34:17,500 --> 00:34:21,699 that unless you served that's why we need patience and Grace 612 00:34:21,699 --> 00:34:24,600 your church grows mature. When we exercise our gifts, we 613 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,900 may not know what they are. We might have a nudge, the Holy 614 00:34:27,900 --> 00:34:30,199 Spirit might nudge us towards a particular direction and we 615 00:34:30,199 --> 00:34:32,500 might step out in faith and try something. 616 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:36,199 But until that time, unless we step out and try something, we 617 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:38,500 never know. We never know. 618 00:34:40,500 --> 00:34:44,000 I don't believe that it is possible and I agree with most 619 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:48,600 every commentator that to have the gift of wisdom and 620 00:34:48,900 --> 00:34:51,699 knowledge. You can't, you can't not have 621 00:34:51,699 --> 00:34:55,400 that and be a pastor preacher teacher, unless God has given 622 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:59,200 you this gift, unless he's giving his gifts and it, that is 623 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:01,200 a humbling statement. Because there are times when I 624 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:04,800 do not believe that I have all that much wisdom and knowledge 625 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:08,100 in my life, I'm seeking more, but the fact that I'm able to 626 00:35:08,100 --> 00:35:13,500 do, this is a gift to me. It didn't many ways affirms for 627 00:35:13,500 --> 00:35:17,200 me, the steps of faith that I took many years ago and trying 628 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:18,800 to seek out what it was that God was going to you. 629 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:21,900 And I'm still trying to say, God, what would you have for me? 630 00:35:21,900 --> 00:35:25,000 Where is the exercise? How do I serve again? 631 00:35:25,300 --> 00:35:29,200 The idea is worship. You're not here for me. 632 00:35:30,500 --> 00:35:34,500 I'm here for you. Because God has placed me here. 633 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:38,500 And leaders in the church are too humble themselves under the 634 00:35:38,500 --> 00:35:41,200 mighty hand of God, so that in due time, they may be raised up. 635 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:45,400 If the name of Tom had Xena is never known Beyond these walls, 636 00:35:45,700 --> 00:35:48,200 glory be to God, but that the name of Jesus Christ would be 637 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:52,400 exalted and lifted High through you, and through the world. 638 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:58,500 That is that is the reason why I do what I do and the reason why 639 00:35:58,500 --> 00:36:01,700 you should do what you do, wherever God puts you to do 640 00:36:01,700 --> 00:36:05,200 that, whether that's full-time Ministry, or that's just serving 641 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:09,300 behind the scenes with kids or preparing communion or visiting 642 00:36:09,300 --> 00:36:11,800 someone, or ministering to someone in the hospital or, or 643 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,800 slipping a little extra cash to someone who needs it, or praying 644 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,400 for someone diligently or interceding, for people, or 645 00:36:17,700 --> 00:36:20,300 running a missions trip to somewhere or leading our youth 646 00:36:20,300 --> 00:36:23,500 group or doing other things, cleaning the gym. 647 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,100 Refreshing yourself in your time. 648 00:36:25,100 --> 00:36:27,800 So that others might be blessed because that's why we're giving 649 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:32,300 the gift in the first place. The sermon, you've just listened 650 00:36:32,300 --> 00:36:37,000 to is a presentation of Church Newtown, Square to find out more 651 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:41,000 about our church. Check out Church NS Q dot org 652 00:36:41,300 --> 00:36:48,300 that's C HV R CH n SQ, dot-org you are welcome to copy and 653 00:36:48,300 --> 00:36:51,400 distribute the sermon to others. As long as you do not, do it for 654 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:55,600 commercial purposes or altar. Transform or build upon this 655 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:55,600 talk in any way. Transform or build upon this 656 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:56,800 talk in any way.