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September 16, 2022 6:00 am
I think our highest capacity is just to be a fool collecting the refreshing waters of salvation portal where those waters flow into the lives of others that because a question that has been argued throughout church history is concerning the work of the holy.
Is there a deeper work of God in the life of a believer beyond salvation. The end of our redemption story is the day we give our lives to Jesus. There's much more beyond today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip shares how God works in your life beyond salvation through the Holy Spirit want to let you know about that will inspired to build even more unity with others in the church. The most 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 increase of 276% which presents new challenges here Skip I think the 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 and 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 will help you understand this divisive issue from a divine perspective.
When you give $20 or more today to this type of teaching ministry pastors get stuck that the church and racism practice 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 okay, we're in first Corinthians chapter 12 as we join Skip Heitzig reported a study we are in first Corinthians chapter 12 event in that chapter sometime we are in a chapter, we or two chapters a week plugged. Not so in this chapter. Slow down because of the nature of this material. The gifts of the Holy Spirit. And if you been with us the past few weeks we have slow down to do one verse one week another verse. The next week. Dip into the next verse, but not quite make it through and I were slowing down because Paul begins the chapter saying I'm in a tell you about spiritual things spiritual gifts, and of these I don't want you to be ignorant because he made a deal of saying that I want to look at supplemental material in the Scripture. Examples of these gifts so that none of us will have any doubt as to the meaning of the tax.
The meaning of these gifts, how they operate, and then how you and I should be could be open to this spirit in working in those ways.
Should the Lord decide to do that in your own life and open up something a wonderful and tremendous for you so we covered last time we met. We've covered already.
Five of the gifts of the Spirit the word of wisdom the word of knowledge. In verse eight we covered. Then last time the gift of faith the gifts of healing and the gift of miracles.
We just mentioned the next gift in verse 10, which is prophecy and I want to pick up on that tonight and move through now III said last week that I'm in a finish the chapter next week. That's what I said I need to say I'm gonna finish the chapter, Lord willing. Tonight may happen may not happen but I don't think you care if I finish a chapter is much as if I cover the material and that you understand how these things operate. So so that's where we are and that we are in verse 10 tonight so I hope you have your Bibles open if not find a Bible or look at your friend's Bible are turning your device to a Bible program and get to first Corinthians chapter 12 years ago there was a missionary by the name of Norman Grubb at missionary to Africa a very powerful author.
He is British. I read some of his books. I got introduced to him. I got to meet him one night and spend an evening with them, I don't expect you to know that term leisure conversant in that kind of literature. Mission stuff in and in his books from the 50s 60s 70s 80s and that general area.
But he said something that I want to begin with. He said man's greatest capacity is to be a vessel man's greatest capacity is to be a vessel and then he went on to explain that we as human beings have the capacity to have God living in us and I remember hearing that a reading dad and in part I agree with him. Certainly I would agree that that is a high calling and a high honor. Second Corinthians chapter 4 says we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that's tremendous to think about that God comes inside us in humans and dwells within them by his spirit.
But I do believe that Grubb fall short a little bit, though I think it's wonderful that we can contain God living in us.
I think that our highest capacity is not to be a vessel as much as it is to be a channel, a channel of God. So Jesus said again I remind you of what we said a few weeks ago in John chapter 7 whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said out all of his innermost being shall slow rivers of living water.
This he spoke concerning his Holy Spirit. John writes who is not yet given. So I think our highest capacity isn't just to be up pool collecting the refreshing waters of salvation, but to be a portal where those waters can flow into the lives of others and I I begin with that because a question that has been argued throughout church history is concerning the work of the Holy Spirit. Is there a deeper work of God in the life of a believer beyond salvation because some will argue once you get saved you get the full meal deal. The Holy Spirit comes in. You are baptized by the spirit in the body of Christ. That's really.that's really the package and there's no second work or perfecting work or deeper work.
So to answer that.
I would say if you can look at your life and say that you are overflowing overflowing then you don't need any subsequent work. If you can't say that your life is overflowing. Then I would say you need a deeper work of the Lord, and I tend to think that we all could use a deeper work of the Lord a deeper work of the Spirit in our lives and so that is promised the believer.
I contend in the Scriptures. Here's a simple rule that may help one baptism, many fillings you are baptized once by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. I know that's just theological talk to some of you, but I hope you really grasp the reality of that that the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Some people have problems saying the baptism of the Holy Spirit for a number of reasons, but let's put it this way, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is positional. The filling of the Holy Spirit is experiential, brief explanation, you come to Christ. When you do Holy Spirit immerses you places you baptizes you into the collective. His group his own special people are royal priesthood, a people set apart, that's a privilege that's positional. However, the filling of the Holy Spirit is experiential.
It concerns living out the Christian life powerfully or not powerfully depending on your relationship to him.
So that filling you need it more than you need it.
Once you put gas in your car. And these days it cost you a paycheck to put gas in your car, but it would be nice if you could just put gas in your car and never have to put gas in it again but I'm sorry they don't make vehicles that do that you have to add fuel you have to replenish the fuel because you burn it up. I have been filled with the spirit.
I need to be filled with the spirit because I leak and I find that I need more and more and more, and I pray daily that the Lord will fill me with the spirit in Ephesians chapter 5 pulses and do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation or excess but the filled with the spirit, what you need to know about that is is put in the present tense a better literal translation is this don't be drunk with wine, but be continually constantly over and over again regularly filled with the spirit so one baptism, many fillings positionally but experientially as well.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit. Let me take you back to the early days since were celebrating our 40th year this year of this church. When we when we first started our first Sunday morning services in the theater which no longer exists in town. It's been torn down, but it's in the far North shopping center right over here and we began our first Sunday morning after the very first meeting that we had on a Sunday morning and I was meeting people in the back by the concession stand. We weren't selling popcorn.
The cocoa Bob just standing there, and as people were coming by was greeting them and saying hello and introducing myself and I'll never forget somebody came up and said well I'm visiting you today for the first time at really everybody was there was visiting us for the first time, but he said dumped and I'll not come back as the great well items.
They were great, but I thought it but I said why is because you're too charismatic. I don't know what you mean those Lysol people with their hands raised up when you're singing and I'm not into that stuff. That okay see you the next week or maybe two weeks later after the service, same routine, somebody else came up to me and said I visited here for the first time today.
I'm not gonna come back about what what what is this to these people know each other by civil wires that he said you're not charismatic enough. I didn't hear tongs or prophecy or the interpretation of tongues.
I didn't see that. So when I heard both of those sort of back to back that we I knew we were in the sweet spot right in the middle right in the balance. Not too crazy not to drive all word and no spirit.
You dry up all spirit and no word you blowup enough of both and you grow up so you want to be right in the pocket right in the middle balance between the two, and I think Paul gives that balance here in first Corinthians 1213 and 14, when he discusses spiritual gifts.
I can tell already that we probably won't finish the chapter what our spiritual gifts exactly spiritual gifts for this are capacities their endowments their spiritual capacities given by God for a particular situation.
Usually, usually to accomplish the work that God wants to do so. A spiritual capacity or spiritual endowment so the gift solicit there are differences. Verse five of ministries, but the same Lord. Diversities of activities but the same God who works all in all the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all been the gifts are listed.
I brought for you tonight that listing, but in the amplified Bible. Have you ever read that translation. The amplified Bible. Let me read it to you.
I think it just sort of fills out what we have discussed and what we are going to discuss tonight in verse seven of the amplified Bible to each one is given the manifestation of the spirit that is the spiritual illumination and enabling of the Holy Spirit for the common good to one is given through the Holy Spirit the power to speak the message of wisdom into another to express the word of knowledge and understanding. According to the same spirit to another wonderworking faith is given by the same Holy Spirit and to another the extraordinary gifts of healings by the one Spirit, and to another the working of miracles, and to another prophecy that is foretelling the future, or speaking the new message from God to the people and to another discernment of spirits the ability to distinguish sound godly doctrine from the deceptive doctrine of man-made religions and cults to another various kinds of unknown tongs into another interpretation of tongues, and these things the gifts the achievements the abilities the empowering. That is, these gifts are brought about by one and the same Holy Spirit distributing to each one individually as he chooses. I just thought that was an excellent translation of this in particular and what we have noted about spiritual gifts. They are capacities or endowments, so we covered five so far. Next on our list and we just touched on last week is the gift of prophecy, verse 10 to another prophecy. Now I did mention this last week.
All three lists in the New Testament of the gifts of the Spirit first Corinthians chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 Ephesians chapter 4 all three lists of the gifts of the spirit include this gift. Not all include the same, but all three include this one.
So, for instance, in Ephesians, God has placed in the church. Apostles and prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for the edification of the body of Christ and for the four are for building us up.
In Romans chapter 12 it says and let each one prophecy prophesy according to the measure of faith that God is given them and then here it is mentioned here, the gift of prophecy. Now most of us when we think of profits or prophecy. Think of the Old Testament guy said he was a prophet Daniel was a prophet Jeremiah was a prophet Ezekiel. These these men are prophets, but in the Old Testament prophets did a couple of things in the Old Testament prophets foretold the future. Sometimes he predicted future. Other times they didn't predict the future. They just proclaimed God's truth, they exhorted kings or kingdoms on the corrected the nation they were speaking for the Lord. That's what a prophet is a prophet is somebody who represents God to the people.
It's a different office than that of a priest or priest represents the people to God but a prophet speaks for God to the people. So the prophets inspired by God predicted the future sometimes at other times they just didn't foretell but they fourth told they would tell forth the word of God the will of God. The dictates the mandates of God to the people now in the Old Testament there was very strict regulation for a prophet. See if you came along simple. I see Isaac out there on the streets of Jerusalem I could do that would be careful because you need to before you go out and follow Isaiah and decide to do what he did because you feel led to do it you better read the qualifications for a prophet. In Deuteronomy 13 and Deuteronomy 18.
If you predict something and you're not 100% accurate. You get killed you get stone. That doesn't mean you personally get stoned.
It means people stone you, you get killed. Also, if you predict something and it does happen but you then teach the people to follow a different God or to follow God different than how he is said you get killed so very, very strict ramifications on how that gift was to be used in the Old Testament. What is it in the New Testament. What is it when Paul refers to the gift of prophecy as he said, thinking that you can it be like Isaiah the prophet Ezekiel, the prophet or Daniel and predict things in the future know there's no more written revelation like the Scripture effort. It's over that's done that's never going to happen, but there are some particulars for a New Testament prophet now in the book of acts. There was a guy by the name of Agatha's ever hear that name in chapter 21 of the book of acts. Oedipus was in Caesarea. He was a prophet and he did speak the future. He did foretell the future.
He is called a prophet. So what he did when Paul came to town to Caesarea. He took Paul's belt that was around his waist took it off. Paul, in the presence of everybody measured this region over and thinks he is meatball from yanking his belt, ties his own hands and feet with it and then he says, thus says the Holy Spirit. This was going to happen to this man, just like I am bound the man who owns this belt will be belt will be bound in Jerusalem. If he goes. What was Paul's belt server would look to Paul about his that's my belt and that that's a prophecy that I'm to be down so they said Paul, please, please don't go.
You heard what the prophets said the prophet said if you go to Jerusalem, the hurt you and bind you. And he's hi love what he said he what you mean by weeping and breaking my heart.
I am ready not only to be bound, but to be killed for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't care if I get down in Jerusalem. I'm going so did meet God bless because I'm out of here. You don't stop men like that and he went to Jerusalem and he did get down the prophecy did come to pass, but when we get to first Corinthians 12 and 13 and 14 and it speaks about the gift of prophecy. There certain things you need to know number one prophecy in the New Testament usually was a direct word from God.
Don't confuse the gift of prophecy with preparing a sermon at some some commentators like to say all that she is the gift of preparing a sermon and giving up giving a message that's that's modern-day prophecy know it's not the gift of prophecy is a direct word for a secular time that is not associated with preparation or normal human intellectual acquisition. It's a direct word from the Lord for a particular situation. How do I know that because in acts chapter 13 it differentiates between teachers those who prepare sermons and teach them and prophets says there was in Antioch at the time, prophets and teachers and it says as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted the Lord said, the Holy Spirit said separate and to me, Paul and Barnabas for the work where I have called so that begs the question, how did the Holy Spirit speak that that word no doubt through one of the prophets because they are listed prophets and teachers. Somebody spoke a word, thus says the Holy Spirit separate annuities to Bollenbach Barnabas for the work I've called inducible laid hands on them and they sent them off. That was a word of prophecy. So never wanted to direct word from God for particular situation number two, New Testament prophecy is clear speech, clear speech that needs no interpretation whatsoever Skip the message from the series expound first going to Skip to share his messages coming your way to connect you and many others around the world with God's truth.
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