1 Corinthians 12:9-10 - Part A

Natural talent you get. As a result of natural birth spiritual gifts come as a result of being born again spiritual birth spiritual regeneration.

So were talking about spiritual capacities beyond the fruit of the spirit beyond natural talent spirit quite different from the fruit of today on connect with Skip Skip continues to break down the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit equips the church with your gifts matter to the bottom right now to tell you about a resource that will inspire you to shine God's love even more to the world and those around them as recent U.S. Census revealed that our population is much more diverse than ever before.

In fact, over the past 10 years. Our multiracial population increased 276% which presents new challenges here. Skip, I think to say that this nation is divided would be a gross understatement but I am not going to take sides. Politically I am to take sides, morally, spiritually, and biblically, to raise the conversation to a different level to a higher level to a biblical level because the issue is I see it is not a skin issue is much as it's a sin issue to help you understand this divisive issue from a divine perspective of $20 or more today to this Bible teaching ministry pastor skips, but that the church and racism is teaching featuring conversation with pastor Tony Clark get these relevant resources today when you get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer or call 819 to 1888 first Corinthians chapter 12 as we join Skip today's message for dealing with an area where not only is there a lot of lack of understanding or misunderstanding. I believe Lucian Paul would call that ignorance is will see in verse one again, but also because some of the gifts of the spirit that we are dealing with have no supplemental material.

Some of them do prophecy and tongues, and interpretation are given lots of material in chapter 14 as to their proper usage and some of the other ones word of wisdom, word knowledge, if the faith healing miracles are given the same amount of material as if it would be understood by the Corinthian church so I have found it necessary to compare Scripture with Scripture is what I did last week when we talked about two gifts in particular the gifts of the word of wisdom and the gift of the word of knowledge, trying to show you what I believe the Bible says about those two entities. Those two gifts in particular and how they're used in the church.

So that's why I'm slowing down and I'm also slowing down because I do understand that not everyone who is a saved individual who is a born-again Christian believes in these gifts as being for today. They believe that whatever they were, they existed back then and are not valid in usage in the contemporary church and I showed you the first. My why I believe that to be wrong and why they I believe there are in the right place. To be continued in in a proper in the proper environment and proper balance. So if if you fall into the camp that says I think that God worked in that way. In times past but not not presently. I acknowledge you though I disagree with you would be happy to discuss it with you that something you want to do after our study tonight, but I all say this, it's very convenient to just say whatever they were, they existed back then but they're not valid for today because if you say that then you don't have to deal with it because these things can become messy and some of us just don't want to get messy and we just dismiss it. Don't deal with it but I don't think that really onerous the text and I don't think it honors the Lord. So I happen to believe in the perpetuity of spiritual gifts. But I believe that they should be in their proper context and in the proper environment and usually they are four believers in a believers only meeting now verse one again. Even though we already covered concerning spirituals. Member will be said gifts. You'll notice in your Bible is in italics means it was not in the original autographs the original Greek manuscript does not have the word gifts in it. It's just pneumatic Koi in the Greek now concerning spirituals, brothers gifts are added because gifts are mentioned. Spiritual gifts are enumerated in the following verses of the translators and I believe rightly shows the word gifts we would understand the context of Paul is introducing concerning spirituals or concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be odd not owe Ogg not sound like oh, but Ogg not always where we get our word agnostic without knowledge on informed or here translated ignorant. Let me give you modern parlance, brethren, concerning spiritual gifts, I don't want to this day, spiritual ignoramuses. I want you to get with it. I want you to have a broad full understanding of what these things are and how they are to be used in the church so concerning spirituals.

I don't want you to be ignorant.

I remember reading years ago, something that John Lloyd Ogilvie said John Little B was a minister in California in Hollywood. He then became chaplain for the United States Senate, but he wrote a book where he made the statement he said sadly, many Christians are content with only two thirds of God and he said they acknowledge God as their father. They acknowledge Jesus as their Savior. But when it comes to the daily relationship with the Holy Spirit is lacking the content with two thirds of God and yet Jesus our Savior promise the Holy Spirit would come and he would he would be our helper. He would be called alongside come alongside to help us in a variety of ways and if you remember a few weeks ago I noted that there were three Greek prepositions and tar and FP in or with in and upon and I said those kinda represent three stages of the way the Holy Spirit works in our lives. He's with us. He's in us. He comes in us at salvation. And then he comes upon us. So think of it this way the Holy Spirit comes after us to save us. The Holy Spirit then comes inside of us to sanctify us, then the Holy Spirit comes upon us to supercharge us. So the first one he comes after us to save us. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment of sin, because they do not believe in me. That's the job of the Holy Spirit to convince you, you need help. You need salvation so he comes after you to save you once use stopping and healed and say yes Lord, and you asked Jesus to come into your life as Savior.

The Holy Spirit also comes inside of you to sanctify and so Paul said by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body by the same spirit he works inside of us, cleans us up but then the Holy Spirit comes upon us to supercharge as I a few weeks ago. Quoted to you John chapter 7 where Jesus said that there would be like rivers of living waters that come out of you that not only satisfy you, but pour forth from you and John gave a footnote in John chapter 7 is that this he spoke concerning his Holy Spirit who was not yet given, so the spirit comes after us to save us inside of us to sanctify us upon us to supercharge us and we looked at how the Holy Spirit works in part in the spiritual gifts in the first seven verses of chapter 12 for knocking to go to those first seven verses again but I will remind you of something were talking about spiritual gifts and don't confuse those once again with two things don't confuse spiritual gifts with spiritual fruit very very different spiritual fruit.

That's part of the sanctifying work of the spirit he comes inside of you to sanctify to make you holy so he works on you on your character traits. That's the fruit of the spirit, the evidence that Jesus is your Savior and that you're filled with the spirit of the evidence is really the fruit of the spirit, not speaking in tongues I gifts of the spirit or the fact that you could prophesy your teacher whatever but it's fruit relationship provide the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. So spiritual gifts is not the same are not the same as spiritual fruit. Also, as we noted, I think last time of the time before I forget, but spiritual gifts are not the same as natural talents you might have an aptitude for art or music or math or mechanics. Unbelievers can have that believers can have that unsaved people can play the piano and paint pictures like say people can play the piano and paint pictures.

Those are natural talents, natural talents, you get as a result of natural birth spiritual gifts come as a result of being born again. The spiritual birth spiritual regeneration. So were talking about spiritual capacities, or in a moments beyond the fruit of the spirit beyond natural talents and we covered a couple of them last time the word of wisdom was that is not a reservoir of wisdom is like the wisest person in the world or the word of knowledge. I know anything about everything asked me a question, but it's specific instances where the Lord gives you wisdom or knowledge for a specific purpose and we try to outline that last time. Now we continue in verse nine to another faith by the same spirit to another gifts of healing 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. Be interesting to find out how many of those we get through tonight. But one and the same spirit Holy Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills. In verse nine.

Faith is mentioned not just faith saving faith that the gift of faith. Again, the context is spiritual gifts.

So, to another faith. It doesn't mean that one person has in the church has saving faith and another has doesn't have saving faith. All Christians have saving faith every one of us has some kind of faith every one of us does. We all have faith. It says in Romans chapter 12 God has dealt to each one a measure of faith know it's funny because sometimes people say well I'm not a person of faith like you are and I will say actually you are a person of faith, what you mean well do you completely understand the internal combustion engine will know I don't. I know a few things. I know that I put gas in my car, yes, but you have faith that when you sit in your seat and put the key in the ignition and turned in a certain way or push the button. Depending on hold regardless that your car will start or if you have an electric electric car you might not know all the ins and outs of electronics or electricity, but you believe that when you push that button something is going to happen whether you understand it or not that's a measure of faith. When you go to a restaurant. It takes faith.

Some restaurants require a lot of faith because you just don't know what their edition up but you believe that it was according to the health standards you believe it's according to a certain rest of you believe that it's going to nurse you.

You believe that you're not gonna get sick. That's faith.

That's a measure of faith.

If you go to the bank with a little piece of paper they call it a check, but it just got numbers and a signature on it but there's no value in that little piece of paper intrinsically. There's no value but you have a measure of faith that the institution that wrote you the check and the institution of the bank that is going to cash your check is going to make good on it, you'll receive the funds, and so when you drive away from the bank and they give you a little receipt. They say that they put the money in your account but did they did they really what you believe they did their living by faith. When my when my son was just a baby. I used to love to toss him up in the air. I throw up in the air was really, really high you know like 5 feet past my arms in the in the I'd see the look in his face and and it was a big smile. You know like anybody laugh and I do it again, and if if somebody saw that sometimes they did the they would shudder at it shouldn't do that, and I would say will tell him as he thinks is pretty cool. And the reason he thinks it's pretty cool is because I've done it before and he has some kind of faith that I'm to catch up. I don't remember slipping and dropping them but to join a recollection. If I had, he probably wouldn't have that kind of thing but we all have a certain measure of faith here in this verse is referring to a specific gift of faith out the gift of faith is special faith for a special situation to God given faith for God is going to do something remarkable and you have the faith for that to happen. It's it's it's a special gift of faith for a special situation or circumstance. One Greek scholar translates this verse. Wonderworking faith wonderworking faith I'm to give you a definition I had to write it down so I could read it to you from one of the I told you I'd 64 books on the stuff on the gifts of the spirit or on the Holy Spirit last week. So one working definition that I felt would be helpful is this the gift of faith is a spirit given ability to see something that God wants done, and to sustain unwavering confidence that God will do it regardless of the obstacles again the spirit given ability to see something that God wants done, and to sustain unwavering confidence that God will do it regardless of the obstacles I worked in radiology with a gal in my department years ago named Kathy sweet gal Christian gal love the Lord.

Her husband was an unbeliever. Her husband had an affair and her husband got the other girl pregnant and the husband divorce his wife, Kathy, and I saw her every day with that broken heart just weeping her way through that horrible situation like that she came to work one day and she said I believe the Lord is going to reunite me with my husband and I'm thinking reunite you with that creep you rhyming you want them back.

She said yes. I'm willing to forgive him and I believe that the Lord can essay them and that he's going to come back in working to get remarried and then I'll raise that child. I went wow okay and she would weeks would go by months would go by the year went by and I remember saying to Wendy, Kathy, you may want to just give up on that whole idea.

You know you move on. She was no the Lord's going to do it like to tell you not only did the Lord do it but I performed their wedding after they divorced.

He came to Christ. He's walking with the Lord today and the Lord gave her this particular gift. It is going to happen and I am unwavering and it and the Lord did. You are the biblical examples of this gift.

While I believe there are in acts chapter 3, Peter and John are going into the temple to worship. They go by one of the gates. They see a man who's been lame from birth, is making almost and you member Peter said to him, paint silver and gold I don't have a what I have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk and he lifted him up. It's one thing to say your healed order to say in the name of Jesus Christ I mean you and I could say that, but we would probably then walk on the faith comes when you take a person who's been lame from birth and you pick them up and you have the faith that he's got to be able to stand and you know the story was healed and all the people marveled in Solomon's porch and Peter had to say men of Israel, why, why do you marvel at this, or why do you look at us as though we throw our own godliness or power made this man walk and then he gives an explanation. This is true, the name of Jesus. Listen and say that comes by him faith that comes by him.

It was a gift of faith given to Peter for that to happen in acts chapter 3. When we get to acts chapter 6 we see there is a dispute in the early church over Windows in the care of these women in the church and the apostles. They look working to give ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word you choose seven men full of good reputation filled with the Holy Spirit whom we can set over this business so seven are named among them is a man by the name of Stephen. It says a man full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith and then it continues a little bit.

A few verses later and says that he Stephen is a man filled with power, and the Holy Spirit, and he was able to do wonders and signs among the people and Stephen was a man of faith.

Now Stephen had the kind of faith.

Not only did the signs and wonders among the people were not told what those are, but he was a man of faith is described as faith and he has the faith. We read in the very next chapter to give a testimony before the Jewish people. That is a very powerful historic testimony and we know what happened to Stephen.

He became the first martyr in the church now your your hearing about the gift of faith in your saying okay so this doesn't sound like it's very exciting if it means that you could get killed for your faith versus man living boldly in faith and speaking out by faith in doing wonders and signs by faith in the next chapter by the end of it gets killed and they take us close and laid at the feet of a young man named Saul you say why would God give them the faith to be a martyr because of what it did to the church. You see, the church was in Jerusalem and they were content to be in Jerusalem.

They wanted to stay in Jerusalem you want to stay under the spout were the glory comes out made is good in Jerusalem. There's lots of activity 3000 souls and 5000. The chest a great move. But Jesus said, you will be witnessed is to me in Jerusalem, Judeo Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth, but they weren't going anywhere until Stephen's martyrdom after Stephen was martyred. It says a great persecution came to the church and the disciples were scattered in Judeo and Samaria, so the Lord use the faith of Stephen for him to give not only a bold witness but to be martyred that caused persecution in the church because the church to be scattered, so that by being scattered the message but spread to the rest of the world the gift of faith was being exercise wrap subscription a text message series expound first you Skip to share. You can keep these teachings coming to connecting others to God's word. I love the fact that Jesus was called the friend of sinners. Instead of spending time with the religious beliefs of his day. He reached out to the lost and the outcast's love is for everyone that's amazing news and we want to share with the entire world.

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Again, that's 800-922-1888 coming up tomorrow, Skip Heitzigs, it shines much needed light on how God works through spiritual gifts of faith and healing.

We all are subject to deterioration were all subject to disease, illness, denigration, and eventually death. Every now and then throughout the Bible old and New Testament God punctuating history with healings intruding into that that human consequence of what sin brings duration and intercepts with