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July 10, 2021 4:00 am
In first Corinthians chapter 12, the apostle Paul addresses the confusion that existed in the early church around the subject of spiritual gifts. Many of those misconceptions still exist in our day today on Truth for Life weekend.
Alister Meg clarifies these issues and explains the ultimate reason why God gives spiritual gifts when we read of Aphrodite of Greece, Venus overall art of Ishtar of Syria are the starting after Alecia. This is a lesion in case the worship of these nonentities known as gods and goddesses find their roots in Genesis 11 and find expression into things. Number one in ecstasy.
Number two in immorality. All of the mystery religion was marked by ecstatic activity and by immoral activity and so he calls them to think back to their pre-Christian experience to the paganism from which they have come these people understood that ecstasy was a kind of supernatural sensuous communion with a deity. It was dramatic. It was bizarre. It was obvious and it appealed to the natural man that you can sense where Paul is going with this.
The Corinthian believers were confusing ecstasy with spirituality. They were lacking in discernment and therefore they were tempted to assume that what is dramatic must be divine because something works.
It must be wonderful. And that power is the touchstone of reality say that again because it is so apropos our day on chart Christians came to assume that because something was dramatic and must be divine because it worked, it must be wonderful. And because it was powerful and must be reality.
Now notice how Paul appeals not to their emotions, but to their minds. He says now think about what you know, usually rains. He says thankless out you know that before you received you were glad you were influenced by two things you were influenced by your own depravity on the inside and you were influenced by the attractions of Satan on the outside somehow or other he says you were influenced and you were led astray to mute idols out problems. This addresses very carefully and very clearly for us.
The condition of men and women outside of Jesus Christ.
I don't suggest that we go out from here to use this verse as an introduction to personal evangelism, particularly tomorrow morning when you encounter your friends tomorrow morning. Realize this, that they are pagans and that somehow or another they are influenced and they are led astray in the place where the end is with Don mute idols dealing with an illusion of freedom while all the time there in bondage they think they can really see things when all the time. There really blind and they are held in captivity.
Now let me just turn you to Ephesians in order to drive this home to verses that you know well. Ephesians chapter 2.
Again he uses the same process. He says now let me tell you what you were before you came to Christ, he said. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and then your sin. This is the data in which you used to live when you follow the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient traces the spirit of the evil one was at work in you in your pagan life. If you turn forward to chapter 4 of Ephesians in verse 17 he says. So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles are the pagans do in the futility of their thinking that explains what the futility of their thinking is there darkened in their understanding and separated them from the life of God because of the evidence that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more than he says you ever even come to know Jesus Christ in that way when he writes to Titus in chapter 3 he explains the dramatic intervention of God. Titus 33 at one time he says we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures less informed John let's let's just pause for a moment here and find out we understand this and if we believe this about our non-Christian friend. The problem with our non-Christian friends is not somehow that they're unhappy and you need to be is not a somebody some gaps in their life that they need some kind of spiritual experience to fill out is not other lost and they need a little bit of direction. It is not of the way that they feel guilty and the need to be freed ultimately from their guilt.
It is simply this, that they are foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by passions and pleasures they live in malice and envy people hate them and they hate one another as is a wonderful explanation of what we read about in our magazines and what we read about is why we have the problem with this is why when you take so when the spirit of God. Take somebody out of that background, drop some in the church :-) pretty interesting because here comes Brother George been a Christian for two days now. Last week he was deceived he was destructive he was hated he was being hated, he was led astray to mute idols.
He was committed to matters of sensuality and he met Christ at the crossroads and spirit of God has regenerated them anomalies within the church. Do you think he's got some junk off the back of doing. He's got some confusion in his mind about what really to place do you thing that he might be tempted to drag some of that pre-Christian experience right into his new Christian experience, you think that he might be prepared to bring some of the stuff is aware from out there and you and he dies she and that is why unless the Bible is taught to baby questions they remain baby questions then either understand what they come for all, nor do they understand when they come to. We watch the men here and speak to them in a language that is complete, unbelievable leader. They had about 30% on a good Sunday and 5% on a bad Sunday and are searching around here for simony in this church who will be to them their spiritual confidant guy and the answer of their questions. Most of them think I'm the guy so they come to me along with need to realize I'm not. I send them back to you because you are unless of course you don't understand that God give you spiritual gifts so that you would be able to minister to these dear folks when they come to faith in Jesus Christ. How could it be that we would have difficulty in a church of the size of putting together an effective discipleship program for new Christian is because we don't have enough Christians that can take you many Christians from the first five weeks of what it means to be a Christian.
No, how would it be that we would have such difficulty in launching discipleship, evangelism programs in this chart is because nobody understands discipleship and nobody understands evangelism know is because 1500 people are sitting out there waiting for somebody here to initiate everything that always happened. God gave you spiritual you so that you maybe use and on the previous life that we brought out of paganism leads only to confusion. Therefore, we need to sit and be taught. We need to be taught as we teach we need to grow as we learn so that when we recall what was our past. We will be able to help the new Christian who is still in traveled by so much that they bring to this newfound Christian faith. As a result of having been made Brand new the believers life is dramatically different. Previously, he says you worship Dom idols, you worship false gods and people today are coming to faith in Christ from the worshiping of mute idols what it means here. That's why is helpful in the NIV translates it mute idols. Another was against the you can pray to them, but he can answer you can ask for help but he can say anything you can confess your sins, but they can forgive you long for the power, but they can unleash why does Paul take nine months he takes time on this because the Corinthians were bringing their baggage from the past into their expedience of the present they were finding obvious and great difficulty in distinguishing between what was feet and what was real understanding true worship as opposed to perverted concepts and so in helping them out. Paul in verse three. And with this we conclude makes clear what the real issue in relationship to spirituality here it is. He says the matter of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. All spiritual gifts must ultimately be brought to this touchstone is a great sanity and practicality about this, which is helpful tonight as it was helpful then all right our final point, we look first of all of the information they required.
Then at the superstition they recall. And finally, at the explanation they receive.
Therefore I tell you he says you need to know this, that no one is speaking by the Spirit of God says Jesus be cursed. No one can say. In reality Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit wanted Jesus to have the Spirit's ministry.
He said that the burning desire of the Holy Spirit would be to glorify him. John 1614, the Holy Spirit, he said will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. This is Paul's overall criterion for genuineness in the matter of spirituality. A number of countries that I read what pains to suggest that this phrase on the lips of this individual Jesus be cursed is a is a hypothetical situation, trees point out, surely no Christian, even in the chaos of Corinth is going to make such a statement.
I'm not so sure when things get crazy they get really crazy if you get yourself wrapped in a situation where you're prepared to believe just about nothing that comes your way. Because it is dramatic or bizarre you will eventually if you're on taught be led to believe. Even in heresy. And if you've never been in this kind of contact just thank God and take my word for grounding to go to Corinth to reveal this kind of expression. I think Leon Morris is probably more on track when he suggests that and you need to look at Galatians 3 for a minute here. Galatians chapter 3 in verse 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who hung on a tree case we have a saying that the they would have known from somewhere that there was a deal about cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree, the Jews would certainly understand that the they repeated it with frequency and they deny the reality of Jesus on the basis of it and Leon Morris as it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that some excitable and imperfectly instructed Corinthian had distorted. Galatians 313 by means of some ecstatic utterance so because it was coming out in a different language because it was being expressed in the framework of a sensuous ecstatic environment. People began to say hey you know what you you you you gotta admit that's powerful. I mean, you've gotta admit, there's something happening there, you've gotta admit that I don't know what it is but it's something you hear young Christians talk like this all the time so Bowman simply make sure he says that you don't begin to judge accuracy and orthodoxy on the basis of experience rather than on the basis of content.
This is why I label with you. That is why we labor in this church to teach systematically and consecutively through the Bible is challenging both for teacher and for your there is no question about. There are 100 other ways to go on the average Sunday in this church that would be 50 times easier for you on 100 times easier for me I can do it. I love more stories than you've ever more jokes and I'm prepared to tell about more sentimentality in my little stories backbone than many of you ever encountered. I've got it all their I don't do it. I won't do it.
I am shot up to the word of God because I want to see that after my departure is Peter said you will be able to recall these things you will be grounded in the truth and you will not become susceptible to the robes and the vagabonds who may come in amongst you to draw way, even sensible people after themselves. I've been in churches where people have come into the church. And while the worship service was going on had set himself up in another room within the building, claiming that they had the true touchstone spirituality and they understood it, even at one time barricaded the old church unlocked all the pastors and all the elders and everybody out of the church except the people would come into the same ecstatic experience of the Spirit of God that they believe was the touchstone of reality worked on Scott or Don about boring places were talking about routine situations they if they can do in there there's no say in what they can pull off here let me wrap this up. The fact that there were impressive signs of power was causing them to fail to think critically. The fact that it was taking place in the context of the church by someone who made great claims of spiritual power was a causing them to abandon wise judgment and to embrace foolishness content was being ignored. It was being lost sight of. Under the dramatic and the bazaar as them. So now okay says Paul, when you were pagans we can understand that kind of confusion. But now that you are believers, how can you fail to recognize the counter feet. So notice of the test is doctrinal. We will never be able to spot what is counter feet until we have a thorough grasp of the genuine what a person truly believes about the Lordship of Jesus Christ is the test of whether or not what he teaches in dozens by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit always leads men and women to ascribe Lordship to Jesus Christ as one indivisible person one to be obeyed and to be obeyed completely and obviously the issue no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit is the method of sincere confession.
Anybody can mouth the words Jesus is Lord, but nobody can make a sensitive, true, heartfelt expression of that unless they are truly in Christ that comes across very clearly even in the words and ministry of Jesus himself. In Matthew chapter 7 and in verse 21 he says not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven, and many people will come to me in that day and they'll say Lord. Then we get involved in ecstatic stuff. Then we drugged and we prophesy in your name and in your name.
Then we drive out demons, and in your name. Then we performed many miracles and then I will say to them plainly. I never knew you.
Away from me, you evildoers, so it is possible by means of phenomenal dramatic displays to bring the deluded in you are truly and if you are good from a pulpit like this. All you need to do is close your Bible and draw people after you stayed magic stay emphatic stay dogmatic and we will people following your truck. So Paul says we better have an objective standard by which we are going to assess all of this to confess Jesus as Lord means nothing unless it involves the affirming of his person and of his work in the being of his commands.
Luke chapter 646 Jesus says why do you call me Lord, Lord, and don't do the things I don't use my name. Don't call me Lord and disobeyed me. You can only say and mean Jesus is Lord by the ministry of the Spirit dramatize in a life of wholehearted obedience. I will go on from there. Next time. The fact is, it's not a human discovery. It's a spiritual one statement can be made only with the spirit of God is a work within the heart be prayerful about the studies. Once you were going to get into territory in a diverse church such as this. People coming from all kinds of backgrounds and I and I know a number of you are just sitting there yet.
This is that this is just you just can't wait for this stuff and I'm glad that you can't wait by basis.
This is too crucial to fiddle with dear ones, we understand the spirit of God has given gifts to the church so that God's spirit has been given to God's people, so that God's world might be drawn to God's son. So when we say then here on Sunday nights.
This is not an end. This is a means to an every Sunday school class every discovery of fresh biblical truth is not an end. It is a means to the end. Is this.
Those who tonight are trapped and led astray to all kinds of new titles may come, and declared Jesus is Lord, because you and I exercise the gifts God gave in the power of his notions and I do not know becomes the reason God gives spiritual gifts so that we can encourage and edify others to point people to Christ listing to Alastair back with the message in the series. In first Corinthians called firm foundation. This is Truth for Life weekend.
Alastair will be back close with prayer in just a minute, so please keep listening. In addition to the teaching you hear on this program Truth for Life recommends books on a variety of topics to help you learn more about the Scriptures, the book were currently featuring this titled our ancient foe Satan's history activity and ultimate demise is not often that we recommend a book about Satan but the truth is, as believers, we are in a spiritual battle. The Bible makes it clear that the devil is real, he is our mortal enemy. In fact, his tactics have been used against God's people. Since the beginning of time each chapter in the book our ancient foe provides practical advice on how to stand strong against the schemes of the devil. You learn how Satan uses lies and deception, temptation and accusations to undermine our faith. You'll also find out how you can stand strong against the devil's attacks using Christ's power. Satan knows his days are numbered. In fact, the final chapters of this book focus on Satan's ultimate demise and Jesus victory over sin, the devil, and death will find the currents provided in this book a great comfort. The book our ancient foe comes highly recommended by the team here at Truth for Life. This is the final weekend.
I'm mentioning it. You can find out how to request your copy when you visit us online@truthforlife.org ballots. Join Alastair as he closes this program with prayer are God and our father, we thank you for the intense practicality of the booth here as we read for the great spiritual wisdom of Paul.
We thank you for the timeless impact of its truth. We pray that you would save us from speculative tendencies that you will give to his genuine desire to know you, to love you to be filled with all the fullness of your spirit, and to manifest in our lives. The evidences of your abiding presence.
We ask this in order that you may be glorified as we bring forth much fruit and so prove to be your disciples, thank you for today. Thank you for one another. Thank you for all that we have discovered of your grace and your provision now unto him who is able to keep us from falling to present as faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty, dominion tonight and forevermore about the team. Thanks for listing. Hope you can join us again next weekend as Alastair explains who qualifies to receive a spiritual gift and why the Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life for the learning is prolific