Healthy Living in a Sick World (Part 17)

Welcome to leading the way the Bible teaching of Dr. Michael Gibson and today Dr. Yousef continues his life-changing series called healthy living in a sick world like a highly educated and experienced medical team questions actively using their spiritual gifts, allowing God to work efficiently to reach and teach and to grow those in our sick world, but there are those who don't use their caps and Satan exploits on this weakness.

Satan understands how valuable the spiritual gifts are and that is why if you can get God's people confused and undiscerning get him to end up corrupting the whole church. 50% of pastors in America are afraid to breach biblical truth. This is her own admission and that is why Paul said in verse one concerning spiritual brethren, I don't want to do. Can you imagine mom or grandma on getting a very special gift opening to get shelter note in the backseat of your car in the gift comes useless, which is exactly what happens to you when you ignore your spiritual gifts. So today I leading the way. Dr. you sent guide you through the importance the necessity and the effectual use of the gifts of the spirit as we see in first Corinthians chapter 12 listen with me for a challenge to our faith) chapter 12. These incredibly lavish gifts that are given to us by the King of all Kings as a spiritual birthday gifts. She received a very generous spiritual gift. Most of us have more than one gifts from the King of all Kings now there are some who have never unwrapped the gift. There are some who still have these gifts in the box on the shelf somewhere, but the Scripture tells us that each believer has received at least one gift at least one lavish and blessed by the gift of the King of all Kings now over the years I have learned the reason many believers don't unwrapped the gift and got to number two reasons that I've learned through the years, as many of you have trouble but loves also the church in every facet and every one of the six continents.

The two reasons why people don't unwrapped and user gift.

First, there are some who feel that their gift is not really important in the scheme of things it is not an important gift and they look at others. That's an important gift, but mine is really not important. The use of the gift of gifts like molecular differences, not really make a huge difference so they can sit on the blessed assurance.

They think that their gift is not worthwhile at all, so they never use it. In fact, the apostle Paul deals with this kind of thinking. In verses 1516 and 70. The second reason for why people don't use her gift is that some believers feel that they are overqualified for their gift they really do. I have watched of how some just want the gifts of others. I don't satisfied with the gift of God gave them not contented with the Royal gift that the King of all Kings gave them so they ignore and become depressed in life and they don't know why. And Paul deals with that in verse 2100 Humalog. This is important. God's word rejects both of these excuses can I get an amen rejects the Bible teachers that neither the alleged inferior gifts nor pride is pleasing to the Lord. None of them are pleasing to the Lord. Let us look at what the apostle Paul is saying here. Chapter 12 of first Corinthians is said to defeat ignorance. You have to have discernment verses 1 to 3. Secondly, he is saying. Discovering and using your spiritual gift is a must. Verses 4 to 19.

And thirdly his saying for anybody to be healthy for the body to be whole.

Every member of the body must stick to their gift to his or her gift. Now let's look at these very quickly. Satan knows the importance of spiritual gifts. He really understands it better than most Christians, of how important the use of the spiritual gifts in the church are he really does. He comprehends that. So what does he do in order to weaken the church. He produces counterfeit gifts to producers look alike gifts he produces false gifts and the Corinthian church block some churches of today there was seriously affected by the counterfeit gifts is or how can you tell the difference between the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the counterfeit gifts a great question. I'm glad you asked two words.

The fruit that fruit site with me. Therefore suffer the way to distinguish between the counterfeit gifts in the gifts of the Holy Spirit whether a person is exhibiting the fruit of the spirit are not. That's a way to do it is their love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Because the counterfeit gifts produces division and murmur, and a critical spirit and refusal to submit the spiritual authority.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit build up the body of Christ. While the counterfeit gift destroys the body of Christ, the gifts of the Holy Spirit produces harmony and unity and speaking the truth in love to one another. The counterfeit gifts exhibits selfishness and self-promotion in the city of Corinth, where paganism was rampant, and therefore the soothsayers there were revelations and mystery religions and these had all kinds of magical power to prove their claims and within a very short period of time when the church was established in the city of Corinth. Satan showed up. Satan showed up and he began to muddy the spiritual water as he always does regarding biblical teaching in the church. Of course, his affect whenever God is doing work whenever God start doing work. Satan is always at the heels with counterfeit activities. Some of you might think that Satan and his demons.

This blender time invested time and energy with the gangsters and the drug dealers and the prostitutes and they think that this is really where Satan is please please please think again they are not gonna waste our time on those already belong to them. Why would they do this now listen to me, Satan and his demons spend most of their time among Christians.

They really do particular churches that believes in the word of God, and he works slowly but surely through non-discerning Christians to undermine their confidence in the word of God. He works slowly but surely to bring down as to the uniqueness and the authority of the word of God to bring doubt concerning the teaching of the Scripture from the very beginning Satan's most famous words were did God really say that God really say and you see once he brings that doubt was to bring this data slowly but surely. All of a sudden the church found itself a church in full retreat from biblical authority.

In fact, I believe that Satan invests most of his time engaging influential pastors compulsion of warning exhorting pastors because I believe with all my heart.

Satan is focusing on pastors. Think about it. If he can get one of those influential mega church pastors undermine the Scripture through him, is already impacted tens of thousands of people through one person that's called multiplication beyond his wildest imagination he can accomplish his goal.

He can accomplish his purpose by focusing on one why would he get all of his demons busy working and all the followers when he can reach one mega church pastor to influence tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of others.

The Bible says the Antichrist will be performing miracles.

Did you know that he will be performing miracles and think about this. Think about this with me think about Christians that you know who are so easily get swept off their feet by something spectacular. Think about non-discerning Christians that you know who would be taken in line hook and sinker when they see something spectacular. Please, Satan understands how valuable the spiritual gifts are and that is why if he can get God's people confused and undiscerning to get him to end up corrupting the whole church. 50% of pastors in America are afraid to preach biblical truths.

This is their own admission and that is why Paul said in verse one concerning spiritual gifts president. I don't want you to be ignorant. How can you combat ignorance by discernment. The second thing he says verses 4 to 19 discovering and using your spiritual gift is a must in the doing of it in favor that is the natural response in gratitude for receiving the gift. Listen carefully.

The quarrels the factionalism the divisions the compromising of biblical truth, the immorality, the abuse of Christian liberty.

All of these things were happening and Corinth in the Corinthian church because there were not discerning Christians.

It is not surprising, therefore, that all of this had led them to be unhappy there were unhappy with their spiritual gifts. They were discontented with it. They were envious and their wanting somebody else's gifts that were pouting, looking down at the gifts of God gave them and sent down the limited notice among vinegar this all of these things, a sign of carnality listen to me. That is why Paul's analogy of the physical body is a vitally important this was not just an off-the-cuff thing.

This is something very significant, very important. Analyzing the human body and relating it to the body of Christ because in Corinth the person who was in ear wanted to be and I and the I wanted to be a hand in the one who's a foot was placing it deeply into his mouth see their selfishness and envy, which was manifested in their pouting and protesting that leads into disaster. Always, always leads into a disaster.

That's how some believers are behaving in the church of Jesus Christ and lesser.

Paul was incredulous about this. Please this kind of attitude is up front to the wisdom of God and the love of God, why because what they are saying is this, I don't like the gift that the Holy Spirit gave me. I don't like where the Holy Spirit has placed me unless I become a hand. I will not perform my function in the body glove and this is a front to God has nothing to do with even the structure of the church.

It's an affront to God himself. Every time you meet a critical, cantankerous Christians you can be sure that he or she is not using their spiritual gift, mark my word because this is not only affront to God, but it causes the body of Christ to languish which bring me to the third point that he makes the defeat ignorance by discerning users spiritual gift is a must in this in any healthy body hast to have all the members of the body.

All organs in the body functioning. Now I think many of you have heard what I have heard through the years as they call it the 8020 principle dated 20 principle is that 20% of the people do all the serving drawl.

The ministry do all the giving do all of the sacrificing or 80% to just receiving listen. Any church that does not have all the members using their spiritual gifts like is in the human body. If your guy is there but but is not functioning on the functional one or the ears. Both of them are there, but one is not functioning one is or the foot one is functioning, the other one is not or hands.

One is functioning one is not or is in the nose to get a block nose see these organs may be there.

There may not be missing, but did not functioning. Just think about this in terms of the human body see the philosophy that says I am sufficient and I need nobody else that the Satan's philosophy in my book, the leadership style of Jesus which none going on. Therefore, almost 40 years there some chapters are much dearer to me than other chapters as I wrote in as alone from the word of God. One of the chapter that is so dear to my heart is a chapter that entitled standing on the shoulders of giants in my beloved friends live material as God, my witness next to the grace of God there were some people in my life, to whom I owe everything in my life I would not be here without these giants in my life.

Think about even this morning worship when you came in today for us to have in a fresh encounter with the living God is the body of Christ. Think about those who have been working hard during the week.

This will work behind-the-scenes without the faithfulness of those who work and pray and give this time of encounter with the living God would not be possible would not be what it is. None of us can fulfill our own ministry without a mutual dependence on each other. But there's more. This more the word of God saying to us that some of the hidden members, like your heart and your liver and your lungs. They are hidden from view. Nobody can see them but they are the most vital organs of your body.

The people that you do not see up front of the most vital members of the body of Christ, can I get an amen there are times in my life when I'm discouraged that the arms of my life when I am really doing some real spiritual warfare and the Holy Spirit says remember this, you been prayed for. I can tell you what that does for the transformation that takes place in my life. Just knowing that somebody is praying for you this information. If you are a prayer warrior. You might never see until you get to heaven. What caught has used you to do as you exercise your gift of intercession and prayer. How many miracles how many blessings how many empowerment's and helps that has taken place simply because you have exercised your quiet gift just like the heart is pumping blood and you can see, you may never be visible, but you're a vital part of the body of Christ like a liver or the loans to the human body. There are some faithful quiet sacrificial givers. Nobody will ever hear about including me but without whom this global ministry would not be taken place there might not be visible all but I believe with all my heart and I've Jesus's word to affirm this big gunner in heaven.

The governor had see thousands of people are going to come to them and the governor thanked them and he said because of your sacrificial giving because of what you have done. I am now in heaven. I'm convinced that without these quiet, behind-the-scenes ministries body could not function in the body could not bear fruit.

The body couldn't even exist possibly without you exercising your spiritual gifts as a culture and we bemoan what happened to us, but thank God there are 7000. These that have not bowed down to bail this part of the disastrous things we see in the culture at large. I can imagine without the faithful people who brought humans giving and sacrificing and in exercising their gift. We would be as a culture would be a far worse situation than we are now you've hit me say this, and I'm gonna keep saying it until I experienced it personally when I go home to glory.

Some of us were visible, but visible just in the local church. But even if you have other of his abilities. With all my heart I believe that, but those of us will visible have visible gifts are going to be way way way in the back in the marriage supper of the Lamb and the nameless, faceless people sitting right next to Lord Jesus.

Beloved, listen to me.

It is faithfulness, not visibility. The Lord is looking for. Let me repeat this it is faithfulness, not visibility. The Lord is going to reward. Can you say that with Nick. It is faithfulness, not visibility, but the Lord is going to reward me share with you some facts that I've read many years ago and am fond of telling because they make a point. As I say this as I conclude I am told that in the United States.

There are 768 ships that comprise what refer to.

Normally, as the multiple Navy that these vessels apparently anchored in various harbors around the country and receive regular maintenance. The externals of these ships are painted and repainted regular, the halls are continuously being bombarded by electronic impulses to retard the process of rust and corrosion. There are giant humidifiers that constantly running to keep the moisture content of the air. There and those in the compartments to a proper level. Now my view. While these ships can be rated for combat in a short period of time, but at the present time. They just sitting there doing absolutely nothing. I remember the first time when I read this I was absolutely mesmerized of how many of God's people could be described as a multiple Christians are pray to God. Not one person at the sound of my voice comes under this category. That being held together through the ministry of concern, believers and friends that they do not attend church, and when they don't that somebody will check on them when they are discouraged. They need somebody to pray for them, they'll pray for them and minister to them, but they themselves never use the spiritual gifts of a minister like the multiple Navy.

There are smuggling, and the church receiving spiritual health.

Never ministering serving doing beloved, if this describe you listen to me. I implore you on employer before God that you make a decision to change today a challenge to live in faithfulness you're listening to leading the way. Featuring the sound teaching of pastor and author Dr. Michael you set in and we understand that not everyone who listens may be a follower of Christ. If these messages that you hear on the station or today's words from Dr. UNICEF have products in faith questions in your life. We glad to speak with you and it's easy to start a conversation. Just fill out a short form and LTW.org/GSS. Then, whether through messaging or email or even a phone call. Our team can help you in your faith journey that LTW.org/GSS. I do think there are dimensions of our faith after 2000 years that we need to go back and look at and say there seems to be a problem if I am a Christian who believes that there are many more path other than Christianity, freethinking Christian, the church will continue to be even more relevant when it quotes letters from 2000 years ago was their best defense in his newest book, saving Christianity Dr. Michael Yousef exposes the false teachings that are infiltrating churches today, and shares that she to seeing the revival of true Christianity in our day. Receive your own copy today for a gift of any amount. Don't fall for falsely don't settle for less true. Order your copy of saving Christianity today is the most important book of our time. You can call right or visit us online@ltw.org LTW.org, the number to call to learn more about ordering saving Christianity. The life-changing book by Dr. Michael you sent is 866-626-4356 866-626-4356 and the website. Once again LTW.org content. You love getting something warm and personal in the mail we do to subtract from line tell us what leading the way, has meant to you in your spiritual walk with leading the way, PO Box 20100 Atlanta, GA 30325 at PO Box 20100 Atlanta, GA 30325. Playtime is contraindicated.

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