WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:20.539 Well, good morning. 00:00:22.140 --> 00:00:27.879 As if you are visiting here this morning, you may know, may not know that we typically 00:00:27.879 --> 00:00:29.660 preach through books of the Bible. 00:00:29.919 --> 00:00:32.560 And we are in the middle of the book of 1 Corinthians. 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:35.200 We're actually at chapter 12. 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:42.000 If you want to turn there in your pew Bibles, it's page 959 in those Bibles. 00:00:42.179 --> 00:00:47.920 And we will be looking today at the first 11 verses of chapter 12. 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:53.079 And so let me give you a moment to get there. 00:00:53.079 --> 00:01:00.560 And as you look, I want to say again to all of you who are celebrating either this weekend 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:08.079 or some other weekend before or after celebrating some kind of graduation or commencement, we 00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:10.019 are so glad to celebrate that with you. 00:01:11.340 --> 00:01:15.739 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 1 through 11. 00:01:16.980 --> 00:01:21.659 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 00:01:21.659 --> 00:01:28.219 You know that when you were pagans, you were led away to mute idols, however you were led. 00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:33.439 Therefore, I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:34.620 Jesus is accursed. 00:01:35.299 --> 00:01:39.739 And no one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit. 00:01:40.659 --> 00:01:43.959 Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit. 00:01:44.500 --> 00:01:49.500 There are varieties of service, but the same Lord. 00:01:49.500 --> 00:01:51.719 And there are varieties of activities. 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:57.659 But it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:02.799 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:06.840 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom. 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:11.080 To another, the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit. 00:02:11.500 --> 00:02:13.580 To another, faith by the same Spirit. 00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:16.240 To another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit. 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:18.240 To another, the working of miracles. 00:02:18.600 --> 00:02:19.520 To another, prophecy. 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:22.840 To another, the ability to distinguish between Spirits. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:25.060 To another, various kinds of tongues. 00:02:25.320 --> 00:02:27.860 To another, the interpretation of tongues. 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:38.420 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit who apportions to each one individually as He wills. 00:02:38.419 --> 00:02:42.859 Will you pray with me as we consider this passage. 00:02:43.019 --> 00:02:50.279 Lord, we this morning invite this one Spirit who you have told us in this passage is at work among your people. 00:02:51.659 --> 00:02:54.199 Oh Spirit, will you work in us this morning. 00:02:55.779 --> 00:02:57.259 Lord, open our hearts. 00:02:58.379 --> 00:03:00.259 Lord, to your work in our lives. 00:03:00.379 --> 00:03:01.259 To encourage us. 00:03:01.339 --> 00:03:02.359 To strengthen us. 00:03:03.939 --> 00:03:05.399 To challenge us. 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:11.260 Lord, open our minds that we may understand you rightly. 00:03:12.140 --> 00:03:14.060 And so worship you rightly. 00:03:17.180 --> 00:03:21.360 Lord, this morning use this passage in our hearts, in our lives, we pray. 00:03:21.900 --> 00:03:22.980 In Jesus' name. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:24.020 Amen. 00:03:24.020 --> 00:03:24.159 Amen. 00:03:26.860 --> 00:03:34.020 So, one of the things I love about having little kids is the way they interact. 00:03:34.020 --> 00:03:36.240 Particularly in a city like New Haven. 00:03:36.900 --> 00:03:42.160 Last year, my kid went to, my oldest one went to a school with 17 children. 00:03:42.580 --> 00:03:44.980 He was the only Caucasian in the class. 00:03:45.180 --> 00:03:46.280 And he didn't know it. 00:03:46.980 --> 00:03:48.920 And it was a beautiful thing. 00:03:49.240 --> 00:03:54.620 And by that I mean, it just didn't occur to him that his classmates had a different color skin. 00:03:54.760 --> 00:03:56.040 Or a different kind of hairstyle. 00:03:56.360 --> 00:03:57.320 Or a different kind of. 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:02.579 He just experienced the diversity of his friends as other people that he knew. 00:04:02.840 --> 00:04:05.199 And he cared about them and played with them. 00:04:05.419 --> 00:04:07.219 And it didn't make a difference. 00:04:07.219 --> 00:04:11.759 And I love that about little kids. 00:04:11.979 --> 00:04:14.840 I love the way they don't see those things. 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:22.680 But of course, as a normal course of developmental psychology, as we grow up, we begin to notice these things. 00:04:22.759 --> 00:04:24.500 We begin to notice these differences. 00:04:24.500 --> 00:04:32.879 And interestingly, so easily at that point, we begin to take those differences. 00:04:33.220 --> 00:04:40.680 And rather than exploring them as wonderful things that God has created. 00:04:40.839 --> 00:04:41.560 We explore. 00:04:41.779 --> 00:04:43.839 We instead end up using them. 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:50.259 They become a pretext for separation between me and you. 00:04:50.259 --> 00:04:56.879 We find ourselves walking into a room and thinking, who are the social groupings? 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:57.800 Where do I fit in? 00:04:57.879 --> 00:05:00.659 Where do I fit on the pecking order in this room? 00:05:00.860 --> 00:05:02.219 Who are the people like me? 00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:03.199 Who are my people? 00:05:03.659 --> 00:05:04.719 And who are them? 00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:07.719 Who are the other people in this room? 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:09.759 We admire some. 00:05:09.899 --> 00:05:11.399 We disparage others. 00:05:13.699 --> 00:05:19.480 And in fact, one of the things that is exposed in our hearts is that we're actually uncomfortable 00:05:19.480 --> 00:05:20.580 with who we are. 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:24.300 We walk into a room and we think, I don't know how I fit in. 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:25.580 Am I going to be accepted? 00:05:25.700 --> 00:05:26.520 Am I going to be loved? 00:05:26.580 --> 00:05:30.000 And so we find, we gravitate towards these things. 00:05:30.340 --> 00:05:31.860 These people who are like us. 00:05:31.860 --> 00:05:36.100 And we create these barriers around people who are different than us. 00:05:37.960 --> 00:05:39.540 Because we feel insecure. 00:05:41.420 --> 00:05:46.500 And in doing so, we also become unable to accept others as they are. 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:47.660 And to value them. 00:05:47.660 --> 00:05:50.820 This is a common dynamic. 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:54.780 Our sermon this morning is not about race relations or things like that. 00:05:54.980 --> 00:05:56.980 Our sermon is about spiritual gifts. 00:05:57.380 --> 00:06:02.340 And isn't it true that as we think about our spiritual lives, we do the same thing? 00:06:03.640 --> 00:06:08.840 Last week, Pastor Greg talked about the problem in the Corinthian church where they gathered 00:06:08.839 --> 00:06:14.159 for the Lord's Supper and yet separated and divided according to socioeconomic class. 00:06:18.159 --> 00:06:20.819 Around here, we might do it for education. 00:06:21.819 --> 00:06:22.899 For race. 00:06:24.479 --> 00:06:26.620 For all sorts of other reasons. 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:34.879 We might do it for what is perceived to be spiritual maturity. 00:06:35.379 --> 00:06:36.959 Oh, he's really smart. 00:06:37.340 --> 00:06:39.220 I think he's really spiritual. 00:06:39.780 --> 00:06:41.360 I'm not very spiritual. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:43.500 I don't know where I fit in here. 00:06:46.819 --> 00:06:50.199 It seems like this is what was going on in the Corinthian church too. 00:06:51.400 --> 00:06:56.180 Way back when, when we preached through chapters one through four, we saw that there were divisions 00:06:56.180 --> 00:06:56.879 among them. 00:06:57.319 --> 00:06:59.800 They were connecting to particular kinds of leaders. 00:06:59.800 --> 00:07:06.120 They were exalting particular kinds of spiritual wisdom that would separate some from others. 00:07:08.439 --> 00:07:11.579 They were exalting spiritual experiences. 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:16.340 And their apparent triumphalism looked down on those who were weak. 00:07:18.960 --> 00:07:20.639 Those who were needy. 00:07:21.080 --> 00:07:23.240 Those who were less in the eyes of the world. 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:30.500 And these divisions created this competitive community in the Corinthian church. 00:07:31.300 --> 00:07:35.800 It was characterized by arrogance, disunity, disarray. 00:07:38.420 --> 00:07:42.900 I think maybe it sounded like, I don't know if you were ever in a high school rock and roll band. 00:07:43.220 --> 00:07:44.759 I wasn't, but my brother was. 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:45.879 And I saw them practice. 00:07:46.280 --> 00:07:50.460 And when you get four teenage kids together to worship, 00:07:50.460 --> 00:07:52.480 do you know what they all want to do all the time? 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:54.280 They want to do their solos. 00:07:54.500 --> 00:07:56.100 They want to do their thing. 00:07:56.379 --> 00:07:59.460 And so the four of them are not playing together as a band. 00:07:59.640 --> 00:08:03.200 They're playing four of them all wanting to be lead at the same time. 00:08:05.860 --> 00:08:11.400 And that kind of competition, I think, is what so easily infects our society 00:08:11.400 --> 00:08:15.780 and what so easily infects the church of Jesus Christ. 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:18.460 This kind of things. 00:08:19.460 --> 00:08:22.259 And it's not what God called us to be. 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:26.100 It's so easy for us to exalt the service we do 00:08:26.100 --> 00:08:29.080 and to begrudge others who don't do the same thing. 00:08:29.740 --> 00:08:33.879 It's so easy to resent the people who don't help in the ways that we do 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:38.460 and to look down on the people who don't have the gifts that we do. 00:08:38.820 --> 00:08:41.720 And rather than rejoicing and valuing the differences, 00:08:42.220 --> 00:08:46.740 we can ignore or dismiss them. 00:08:46.740 --> 00:08:52.379 We'll see as the book goes on. 00:08:52.560 --> 00:08:54.360 For those of you who will be around for a while, 00:08:54.919 --> 00:08:58.899 when we get to chapter 14, we'll see the real issue has to do with speaking in tongues 00:08:58.899 --> 00:09:02.700 and the place that speaking in tongues played in that church. 00:09:02.700 --> 00:09:05.320 But we won't get to that today. 00:09:06.040 --> 00:09:10.140 Because as we see in 1 Corinthians, as we saw in chapters 8 through 10, 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:12.120 there's this structural move that Paul does. 00:09:12.120 --> 00:09:18.960 He begins to address an issue and he instantly jumps not to the answer to the question that's being asked, 00:09:19.060 --> 00:09:21.379 but he jumps to a higher principle. 00:09:21.379 --> 00:09:24.500 And so all of chapter 12 is about spiritual gifts, 00:09:25.460 --> 00:09:28.580 the broad category of speaking in tongues. 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:30.759 And all of chapter 13 is about love, 00:09:30.939 --> 00:09:34.299 which is about the character of how we hold our spiritual gifts, 00:09:34.379 --> 00:09:36.159 before he gets to chapter 14 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:40.879 and before he actually answers the question that the Corinthian church has asked. 00:09:42.820 --> 00:09:45.320 And the question that they're really asking is, 00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:48.759 what does it look like to be truly a spiritual person? 00:09:48.759 --> 00:09:53.620 What does it look like to really have the Spirit of God working in you? 00:09:53.939 --> 00:09:56.939 Does it have this competitive one-upness, 00:09:57.080 --> 00:10:00.819 this I have this gift and you don't kind of characteristic or not? 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:07.939 In fact, that's what we see in verses 1 through 3 of our passage. 00:10:08.460 --> 00:10:10.120 As we're launching into it, 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:13.279 look with me with that just for beginning. 00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:14.259 He begins, 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:16.679 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:18.659 and I want you to look down at the bottom of the page, 00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:20.620 if your eyesight is better than mine, 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:22.860 you can read that footnote without glasses. 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:26.919 And that footnote says, 00:10:27.139 --> 00:10:28.319 Spiritual Persons. 00:10:29.419 --> 00:10:33.299 It's unfortunate that the ESV titled this as Spiritual Gifts, 00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:35.919 because I think that Paul is actually saying 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:40.019 something more profound than just what is the gifting that we have. 00:10:40.019 --> 00:10:45.659 He wants them to understand what it means to be a person of the Spirit, 00:10:45.779 --> 00:10:48.699 a person who has the Spirit of God working in them. 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:52.120 So in verse 2 he says, 00:10:52.180 --> 00:10:55.759 You remember what it was like when you worshipped other gods, 00:10:55.960 --> 00:10:57.879 and you didn't have the Spirit. 00:10:58.360 --> 00:10:59.759 Those other gods were mute. 00:10:59.900 --> 00:11:00.900 They couldn't help you. 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:02.160 They couldn't gift you. 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:05.360 They didn't actually do things for you, did they? 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:08.740 And then in verse 3 he says, 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:09.320 But, 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:12.820 here's what you need to remember. 00:11:13.460 --> 00:11:15.680 If you claim to be a Christian, 00:11:15.860 --> 00:11:17.100 if you claim to 00:11:17.100 --> 00:11:20.259 profess Jesus Christ as Lord, 00:11:20.379 --> 00:11:21.360 then you have 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:22.980 the Spirit of God in you. 00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:25.399 It is not these gifts, 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:26.700 it's not all these other things, 00:11:26.700 --> 00:11:28.419 it is simply that 00:11:28.419 --> 00:11:30.759 appropriation and reception 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:32.560 of the gospel 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:34.859 that Jesus is Lord. 00:11:35.719 --> 00:11:38.299 He's recalling what he said in Romans 14 about, 00:11:39.219 --> 00:11:40.759 or Romans 10, 00:11:41.059 --> 00:11:41.419 where he says, 00:11:41.539 --> 00:11:43.719 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord 00:11:43.719 --> 00:11:45.039 and believe in your heart 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:47.219 that God raised Him from the dead, 00:11:47.339 --> 00:11:48.500 you will be saved. 00:11:48.839 --> 00:11:51.679 This is the core message of the Christian life, 00:11:51.699 --> 00:11:52.279 is it not? 00:11:52.839 --> 00:11:54.039 That we who, 00:11:54.299 --> 00:11:54.919 in our sin, 00:11:54.979 --> 00:11:56.459 are helpless before God 00:11:56.459 --> 00:11:58.219 to ever be righteous enough 00:11:58.219 --> 00:11:59.699 to earn His acceptance, 00:11:59.700 --> 00:12:04.259 have had God do something amazing for us. 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:05.720 He has sent Christ, 00:12:05.800 --> 00:12:06.860 and Christ has lived 00:12:06.860 --> 00:12:08.300 the life without sin 00:12:08.300 --> 00:12:09.520 that we ought to have lived. 00:12:09.680 --> 00:12:11.120 And He died the death 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:12.200 that we deserved 00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:13.400 because of our sin. 00:12:13.560 --> 00:12:14.940 And He rose from the dead 00:12:14.940 --> 00:12:15.660 to new life 00:12:15.660 --> 00:12:16.660 so that He might 00:12:16.660 --> 00:12:20.620 show that He has conquered sin 00:12:20.620 --> 00:12:22.520 and that our sins can be forgiven. 00:12:22.940 --> 00:12:24.480 And He has conquered death. 00:12:25.060 --> 00:12:26.160 And now He offers us 00:12:26.160 --> 00:12:28.060 a new spiritual 00:12:28.059 --> 00:12:29.619 and eternal life 00:12:29.619 --> 00:12:30.739 that is always His. 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:32.899 And He says, 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:35.239 If you confess Jesus Christ as Lord, 00:12:35.579 --> 00:12:37.639 then the Spirit of God is in you. 00:12:38.619 --> 00:12:40.399 If you reject Him, 00:12:40.479 --> 00:12:41.899 if you curse Jesus, 00:12:42.199 --> 00:12:43.379 then you don't. 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:47.939 But He's saying, 00:12:48.339 --> 00:12:49.739 being a spiritual person 00:12:49.739 --> 00:12:51.259 is fundamentally having 00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:52.439 the Spirit of God. 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:54.820 And then He goes on 00:12:54.820 --> 00:12:55.600 and He talks about 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:56.800 how the Spirit of God 00:12:56.800 --> 00:12:58.440 works in His people. 00:13:00.520 --> 00:13:01.940 And that's what I want to focus on 00:13:01.940 --> 00:13:03.440 for the rest of our time this morning. 00:13:04.220 --> 00:13:06.440 The main thing that I want us to learn, 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:08.760 the big idea of this passage, 00:13:08.880 --> 00:13:11.440 is that God has given various gifts 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:13.100 as manifestations 00:13:13.100 --> 00:13:15.840 of His one Spirit 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:18.400 for the good of all people. 00:13:19.580 --> 00:13:20.880 And we're just going to go through that 00:13:20.880 --> 00:13:21.680 one at a time. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:23.679 God has given various gifts 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:26.179 because of one Spirit 00:13:26.179 --> 00:13:28.620 for the good of all. 00:13:28.779 --> 00:13:30.439 So let's look at those things in turn. 00:13:31.299 --> 00:13:32.819 The various giftings 00:13:32.819 --> 00:13:34.019 that God gives 00:13:34.019 --> 00:13:35.079 to His people. 00:13:36.319 --> 00:13:37.199 I want to step back 00:13:37.199 --> 00:13:38.939 briefly 00:13:38.939 --> 00:13:39.919 and try to give 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:41.699 a bit of a context for this. 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:42.699 Because one of the things 00:13:42.699 --> 00:13:43.959 that I think we struggle with 00:13:43.959 --> 00:13:44.939 in the Christian church 00:13:44.939 --> 00:13:45.939 as we're talking about 00:13:45.939 --> 00:13:46.879 spiritual giftings 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:47.179 is that 00:13:47.179 --> 00:13:48.539 we come here 00:13:48.539 --> 00:13:49.779 day after day, 00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:50.579 week after week, 00:13:50.580 --> 00:13:51.700 year after year, 00:13:51.740 --> 00:13:52.200 and we think about 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:53.200 what are we about? 00:13:53.379 --> 00:13:54.379 We're about the gospel. 00:13:54.560 --> 00:13:55.240 We're about the work 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:57.080 of God's work in us, 00:13:57.220 --> 00:13:58.020 transforming us 00:13:58.020 --> 00:13:58.820 to be like Christ 00:13:58.820 --> 00:13:59.800 and God's word 00:13:59.800 --> 00:14:01.520 going out from us 00:14:01.520 --> 00:14:04.020 to bring light 00:14:04.020 --> 00:14:04.879 into the darkness 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:05.639 of the world 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:06.580 that we live in. 00:14:07.160 --> 00:14:07.460 Right? 00:14:08.580 --> 00:14:09.440 And often, 00:14:09.580 --> 00:14:11.240 we do all these things 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:12.700 and we're learning 00:14:12.700 --> 00:14:13.680 about Christian growth 00:14:13.680 --> 00:14:14.279 and we're learning 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:14.899 about mission 00:14:14.899 --> 00:14:15.680 and all these things. 00:14:15.799 --> 00:14:16.060 And then, 00:14:16.200 --> 00:14:17.259 then we get to Christian, 00:14:17.879 --> 00:14:18.960 to spiritual gifts 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:20.060 and it's like we step 00:14:20.060 --> 00:14:21.259 out of the main room 00:14:21.259 --> 00:14:22.779 and into this little side room. 00:14:23.259 --> 00:14:24.580 And we sort of talk about it 00:14:24.580 --> 00:14:25.220 like it's this, 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:26.860 its own little category 00:14:26.860 --> 00:14:28.379 that's completely disconnected 00:14:28.379 --> 00:14:29.779 from the rest of spiritual, 00:14:30.580 --> 00:14:32.759 from the rest of our normal church life 00:14:32.759 --> 00:14:33.879 and Christian life. 00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:37.560 But Paul is trying to say, 00:14:37.680 --> 00:14:38.060 no, no, no. 00:14:38.059 --> 00:14:38.619 Do you see, 00:14:38.719 --> 00:14:39.939 even from the very beginning? 00:14:40.619 --> 00:14:40.879 Right? 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:42.279 It is those who profess 00:14:42.279 --> 00:14:43.219 Jesus as Lord 00:14:43.219 --> 00:14:44.279 who have the Spirit. 00:14:44.739 --> 00:14:45.659 And the thing about 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:46.879 the spiritual gifts 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:48.659 is that it is the Spirit 00:14:48.659 --> 00:14:50.899 who is giving God's people 00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:52.579 the ability 00:14:52.579 --> 00:14:54.299 to do spiritual good 00:14:54.299 --> 00:14:55.279 to other people. 00:14:56.039 --> 00:14:56.659 Look with me 00:14:56.659 --> 00:14:58.159 at verses 4 through 6 again. 00:14:59.419 --> 00:15:00.339 There are variety gifts 00:15:00.339 --> 00:15:01.379 but the same Spirit. 00:15:01.539 --> 00:15:02.599 Varieties of service 00:15:02.599 --> 00:15:03.659 but the same Lord. 00:15:04.099 --> 00:15:05.399 And varieties of activities 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:07.119 but it is the same God 00:15:07.119 --> 00:15:07.939 who empowers. 00:15:08.059 --> 00:15:10.239 them all 00:15:10.239 --> 00:15:11.419 in everyone. 00:15:12.239 --> 00:15:13.339 The emphasis here 00:15:13.339 --> 00:15:13.859 is that 00:15:13.859 --> 00:15:15.500 it is God 00:15:15.500 --> 00:15:16.459 who is working 00:15:16.459 --> 00:15:18.019 in the midst of these people 00:15:18.019 --> 00:15:18.899 to do things. 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:20.219 It is not like 00:15:20.219 --> 00:15:25.219 it is not some special thing 00:15:25.219 --> 00:15:27.299 like an add-on package 00:15:27.299 --> 00:15:28.779 to your software. 00:15:29.139 --> 00:15:32.139 It's not an optional side thing. 00:15:32.219 --> 00:15:33.819 It is actually an integral part 00:15:33.819 --> 00:15:34.579 of how it is 00:15:34.579 --> 00:15:36.439 that God wants to work 00:15:36.439 --> 00:15:37.379 in His people. 00:15:38.859 --> 00:15:40.339 Now what are these giftings? 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:41.339 What do they look like? 00:15:41.839 --> 00:15:42.539 Now here again 00:15:42.539 --> 00:15:43.839 we run up to 00:15:43.839 --> 00:15:44.919 a whole host 00:15:44.919 --> 00:15:46.019 of really difficult 00:15:46.019 --> 00:15:47.039 questions 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:49.199 or misunderstandings 00:15:49.199 --> 00:15:49.500 maybe 00:15:49.500 --> 00:15:50.419 because one of the things 00:15:50.419 --> 00:15:50.899 is we think 00:15:50.899 --> 00:15:51.319 well 00:15:51.319 --> 00:15:52.319 you know 00:15:52.319 --> 00:15:53.679 these gifts here 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:54.919 seem pretty supernatural. 00:15:54.919 --> 00:15:56.039 when you look at the list 00:15:56.039 --> 00:15:57.079 when you look at the list in 7 through 11 00:15:57.079 --> 00:15:58.639 a lot of them seem pretty 00:15:58.639 --> 00:15:59.659 like healing 00:15:59.659 --> 00:16:00.659 and miracles 00:16:00.659 --> 00:16:02.439 and prophecy 00:16:02.439 --> 00:16:03.579 like wow 00:16:03.579 --> 00:16:05.099 these are really special. 00:16:05.620 --> 00:16:06.259 These are somehow 00:16:06.259 --> 00:16:07.159 really different 00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:07.959 than our normal 00:16:07.959 --> 00:16:09.139 everyday lives. 00:16:10.500 --> 00:16:11.259 But friends 00:16:11.259 --> 00:16:11.740 I want to 00:16:11.740 --> 00:16:12.919 want to just point out 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:13.299 to you 00:16:13.299 --> 00:16:14.839 that chapter 12 00:16:14.839 --> 00:16:15.839 and chapter 13 00:16:15.839 --> 00:16:17.039 are next to each other 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:18.299 and we'll dive into it 00:16:18.299 --> 00:16:18.839 later. 00:16:19.620 --> 00:16:21.059 But let me ask you this 00:16:21.059 --> 00:16:23.819 is it more supernatural 00:16:23.819 --> 00:16:26.299 to see someone healed 00:16:26.299 --> 00:16:29.219 or to actually love 00:16:29.219 --> 00:16:29.719 your enemy? 00:16:31.459 --> 00:16:33.439 Is it more supernatural 00:16:33.439 --> 00:16:36.219 to speak 00:16:36.219 --> 00:16:39.759 a spontaneous word 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:40.439 from the Lord 00:16:40.439 --> 00:16:43.119 or is it more supernatural 00:16:43.119 --> 00:16:44.619 for you to be patient 00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:46.340 and kind 00:16:46.340 --> 00:16:47.560 with someone 00:16:47.560 --> 00:16:48.899 who is hard to live with? 00:16:53.340 --> 00:16:54.379 As we'll see 00:16:54.379 --> 00:16:55.919 Paul sees all of this 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:57.220 as the work of the Spirit 00:16:57.220 --> 00:16:58.360 in our hearts. 00:16:58.460 --> 00:16:59.500 So we need to make sure 00:16:59.500 --> 00:17:01.100 we don't exalt gifts 00:17:01.100 --> 00:17:03.179 to some special place 00:17:03.179 --> 00:17:04.960 that isn't a normal part 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:05.740 of the Christian life 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:06.819 or somehow separate 00:17:06.819 --> 00:17:08.420 from Christian character 00:17:08.420 --> 00:17:09.180 and conduct. 00:17:09.539 --> 00:17:11.579 It's not a separate room 00:17:11.579 --> 00:17:12.900 whereby we do ministry 00:17:12.900 --> 00:17:14.180 according to gifting 00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:15.140 differently 00:17:15.140 --> 00:17:15.940 than what we do 00:17:15.940 --> 00:17:16.980 on a day-to-day basis. 00:17:16.980 --> 00:17:18.519 It's meant to be integrated. 00:17:19.060 --> 00:17:19.860 And you see this 00:17:19.860 --> 00:17:20.400 when you look at 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:21.700 the other list of gifts 00:17:21.700 --> 00:17:22.500 in other places 00:17:22.500 --> 00:17:23.380 in the New Testament. 00:17:23.779 --> 00:17:24.660 There's one at the end 00:17:24.660 --> 00:17:25.920 of 1 Corinthians 12. 00:17:26.100 --> 00:17:27.660 There's one in Romans 12. 00:17:27.779 --> 00:17:28.920 There's one in Ephesians 00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:29.799 chapter 4. 00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:31.440 There's one in 1 Peter. 00:17:31.820 --> 00:17:32.759 These are the normal... 00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:33.539 And when you look 00:17:33.539 --> 00:17:34.340 through these lists 00:17:34.340 --> 00:17:35.960 you will see more broadly 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:36.920 that those lists 00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:38.100 include some things 00:17:38.100 --> 00:17:40.080 that seem very supernatural 00:17:40.080 --> 00:17:41.140 or paranormal 00:17:41.140 --> 00:17:43.720 as one of the commentators use. 00:17:44.180 --> 00:17:44.960 But some of them 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:46.600 seem very mundane. 00:17:47.140 --> 00:17:48.279 The gift of giving. 00:17:48.700 --> 00:17:51.100 The gift of administration. 00:17:51.580 --> 00:17:53.240 The gift of service. 00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:56.060 But friends, 00:17:56.140 --> 00:17:56.759 the only reason 00:17:56.759 --> 00:17:58.519 why we stumble over those 00:17:58.519 --> 00:17:59.600 is because we have 00:17:59.600 --> 00:18:00.160 in our mind 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:01.360 the idea that gifting 00:18:01.360 --> 00:18:02.960 is something else 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:03.740 other than 00:18:03.740 --> 00:18:05.160 the Spirit of God 00:18:05.160 --> 00:18:06.539 helping people 00:18:06.539 --> 00:18:08.019 to serve others 00:18:08.019 --> 00:18:09.019 for their good, 00:18:09.140 --> 00:18:10.440 for their spiritual good. 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:13.580 and it may look more 00:18:13.580 --> 00:18:15.059 or less spectacular 00:18:15.059 --> 00:18:17.480 but it is good. 00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:18.900 Sometimes I think 00:18:18.900 --> 00:18:20.039 we think of spiritual gifts 00:18:20.039 --> 00:18:21.340 as like superheroes. 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:22.240 You know? 00:18:22.420 --> 00:18:24.400 I want to be Iron Man. 00:18:24.779 --> 00:18:27.039 I want to be Spider-Man. 00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:28.340 I want to be Thor. 00:18:28.600 --> 00:18:28.980 You know? 00:18:29.059 --> 00:18:30.799 And I have this particular gift 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:31.559 that I can do 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:32.920 that nobody else can do. 00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:36.080 And instead 00:18:36.080 --> 00:18:37.380 God is saying 00:18:37.380 --> 00:18:38.220 no, no, no, no, no. 00:18:38.320 --> 00:18:38.580 Look, 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:40.360 you're all on the same team. 00:18:42.080 --> 00:18:44.120 And God is going to give you 00:18:44.120 --> 00:18:45.300 particular ways 00:18:45.300 --> 00:18:46.480 in which you can serve 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:47.160 one another. 00:18:51.580 --> 00:18:52.980 What are some of those ways? 00:18:53.360 --> 00:18:54.360 What about the gifts 00:18:54.360 --> 00:18:55.740 that he lists here? 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:57.480 I'm going to try 00:18:57.480 --> 00:18:58.880 really briefly 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:01.620 to give a definition 00:19:01.620 --> 00:19:03.000 for each one of these gifts 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:04.340 because he blows through them 00:19:04.340 --> 00:19:05.080 really quickly. 00:19:05.280 --> 00:19:05.460 Right? 00:19:05.520 --> 00:19:06.040 He just says 00:19:06.040 --> 00:19:06.420 oh yeah, 00:19:06.500 --> 00:19:07.420 an utterance of wisdom 00:19:07.420 --> 00:19:08.540 and an utterance of knowledge 00:19:08.540 --> 00:19:09.140 and prophecy 00:19:09.140 --> 00:19:09.720 and tongues 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:10.780 and you think 00:19:10.780 --> 00:19:11.540 what in the world 00:19:11.540 --> 00:19:12.540 does that mean? 00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:16.700 Let me try. 00:19:17.820 --> 00:19:18.640 Let me try. 00:19:18.800 --> 00:19:19.960 And as we look at it 00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:20.520 I want to say 00:19:20.520 --> 00:19:21.400 two things about it. 00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:22.320 One is that 00:19:22.320 --> 00:19:25.360 the gifts may 00:19:25.360 --> 00:19:26.640 or may not be 00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:27.540 spontaneous. 00:19:27.539 --> 00:19:29.240 By that I mean 00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:30.000 some gifting 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:31.839 may exert itself 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:32.799 in the moment 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:34.379 without preparation. 00:19:35.059 --> 00:19:35.639 Some gifts 00:19:35.639 --> 00:19:36.960 may exert themselves 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:38.480 with preparation 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:39.859 and forethought 00:19:39.859 --> 00:19:40.460 and planning. 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:41.639 Some gifts 00:19:41.639 --> 00:19:42.539 may be 00:19:42.539 --> 00:19:44.159 work in both ways 00:19:44.159 --> 00:19:45.379 at different times 00:19:45.379 --> 00:19:46.720 or in different people. 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:48.759 So let's make sure 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:49.599 that we don't think 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:51.099 that it has to be spontaneous. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:51.779 The other thing 00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:52.420 we need to see 00:19:52.420 --> 00:19:53.839 and we'll explore this more 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:54.700 in chapter 14 00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:56.220 is that spiritual gifts 00:19:56.220 --> 00:19:57.480 are not infallible. 00:19:58.460 --> 00:19:59.480 And so one who might 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:00.599 have the gift of healing 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:01.619 I don't believe 00:20:01.619 --> 00:20:03.480 will always heal someone 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:04.440 that they pray for. 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:05.859 And someone who has 00:20:05.859 --> 00:20:06.920 a gift of prophecy 00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:08.220 will have that gift 00:20:08.220 --> 00:20:08.779 of prophecy 00:20:08.779 --> 00:20:09.960 weighed by the elders 00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:12.500 in the corporate setting. 00:20:13.379 --> 00:20:14.659 It is not that 00:20:14.659 --> 00:20:15.659 these giftings 00:20:15.659 --> 00:20:16.779 are again 00:20:16.779 --> 00:20:18.440 like super powers 00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:19.659 that are infallible. 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:21.399 They are 00:20:21.399 --> 00:20:23.879 the spirit's enabling 00:20:23.879 --> 00:20:24.879 of us. 00:20:25.860 --> 00:20:26.460 And we know 00:20:26.460 --> 00:20:26.960 that we don't 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:28.040 always do it right. 00:20:28.040 --> 00:20:28.800 That we don't 00:20:28.800 --> 00:20:29.720 always get it right. 00:20:29.860 --> 00:20:30.540 We don't always 00:20:30.540 --> 00:20:31.340 handle it right. 00:20:32.140 --> 00:20:33.640 So as we explore 00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:34.140 this thing 00:20:34.140 --> 00:20:34.880 we recognize 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:35.860 that with humility 00:20:35.860 --> 00:20:36.760 we recognize 00:20:36.760 --> 00:20:38.420 God may use us 00:20:38.420 --> 00:20:39.040 graciously. 00:20:39.340 --> 00:20:40.640 We never take 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:41.840 a sense of ownership 00:20:41.840 --> 00:20:43.320 of these gifts 00:20:43.320 --> 00:20:44.060 as they are 00:20:44.060 --> 00:20:44.940 for ourselves. 00:20:45.420 --> 00:20:45.680 Alright. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:47.200 So here we go. 00:20:47.280 --> 00:20:47.620 You ready? 00:20:48.560 --> 00:20:49.560 If you're taking notes 00:20:49.560 --> 00:20:50.260 we're going to go 00:20:50.260 --> 00:20:51.020 through this fast. 00:20:51.019 --> 00:20:52.420 The utterance 00:20:52.420 --> 00:20:53.119 of wisdom 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:55.720 is the ability 00:20:55.720 --> 00:20:57.079 to give guidance 00:20:57.079 --> 00:20:58.740 that is consistent 00:20:58.740 --> 00:21:00.779 with Christ's stress 00:21:00.779 --> 00:21:01.960 on self-sacrifice 00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:03.779 and the well-being 00:21:03.779 --> 00:21:04.660 of others. 00:21:06.879 --> 00:21:07.980 The utterance 00:21:07.980 --> 00:21:08.680 of knowledge 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:11.180 is a message 00:21:11.180 --> 00:21:12.480 or a word 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:13.400 spoken 00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:14.920 marked by theological 00:21:14.920 --> 00:21:15.960 understanding 00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:18.839 or insight. 00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:21.819 The gift 00:21:21.819 --> 00:21:22.559 of faith 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:23.779 is 00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:24.879 not 00:21:24.879 --> 00:21:25.379 the gift 00:21:25.379 --> 00:21:25.799 of faith 00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:26.419 that is given 00:21:26.419 --> 00:21:27.659 to all believers 00:21:27.659 --> 00:21:28.740 on the basis 00:21:28.740 --> 00:21:29.799 of their trusting 00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:30.519 in the work 00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:31.000 of Christ 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:31.939 for their salvation 00:21:31.939 --> 00:21:33.179 which is the 00:21:33.179 --> 00:21:34.079 fundamental faith 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:35.019 that all believers 00:21:35.019 --> 00:21:35.559 share. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:36.519 The gift 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:37.059 of faith 00:21:37.059 --> 00:21:38.079 is an extraordinary 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:39.539 God-given confidence 00:21:39.539 --> 00:21:41.099 in his saving power 00:21:41.099 --> 00:21:42.359 and presence 00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:43.859 and that he is now 00:21:43.859 --> 00:21:45.519 presently acting. 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:48.720 so it's someone 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:50.160 who has the ability 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:51.039 to see 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:51.819 and discern 00:21:51.819 --> 00:21:52.539 and believe 00:21:52.539 --> 00:21:53.200 that God 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:53.819 is at work 00:21:53.819 --> 00:21:54.559 in something. 00:21:56.900 --> 00:21:57.579 Healing 00:21:57.579 --> 00:21:59.319 is a privilege 00:21:59.319 --> 00:21:59.960 of being 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:00.980 the channel 00:22:00.980 --> 00:22:02.900 of physical 00:22:02.900 --> 00:22:03.639 healing 00:22:03.639 --> 00:22:04.660 in someone else. 00:22:06.859 --> 00:22:07.500 Miracles 00:22:07.500 --> 00:22:08.859 the privilege 00:22:08.859 --> 00:22:09.799 of serving 00:22:09.799 --> 00:22:10.639 as a channel 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:13.240 for the in-breaking 00:22:13.240 --> 00:22:14.580 of God's 00:22:14.580 --> 00:22:15.800 final rule 00:22:15.800 --> 00:22:17.759 his eschatological rule 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:19.759 into the present age 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:20.960 in a particular way 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:22.020 that overcomes 00:22:22.020 --> 00:22:23.100 sin 00:22:23.100 --> 00:22:25.320 or the fall. 00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:27.840 I was, 00:22:27.940 --> 00:22:28.020 well, 00:22:28.280 --> 00:22:29.180 did you get that? 00:22:29.560 --> 00:22:30.500 What it means 00:22:30.500 --> 00:22:31.220 is that 00:22:31.220 --> 00:22:32.300 God is going 00:22:32.300 --> 00:22:33.100 to use 00:22:33.100 --> 00:22:34.600 a particular person 00:22:34.600 --> 00:22:35.960 to bring in 00:22:35.960 --> 00:22:38.580 the power 00:22:38.580 --> 00:22:39.160 that he will 00:22:39.160 --> 00:22:40.180 ultimately exert 00:22:40.180 --> 00:22:41.500 over all the world 00:22:41.500 --> 00:22:42.360 when he returns 00:22:42.360 --> 00:22:43.180 and establishes 00:22:43.180 --> 00:22:44.180 his kingdom fully 00:22:44.180 --> 00:22:45.000 where all things 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:45.720 work according 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:46.400 to his will. 00:22:49.640 --> 00:22:50.620 So it might be 00:22:50.620 --> 00:22:51.240 he has power 00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:51.840 over nature. 00:22:52.019 --> 00:22:52.440 It might be 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:53.080 he has power 00:22:53.080 --> 00:22:53.480 over, 00:22:53.880 --> 00:22:54.640 he can stop 00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:55.660 the sun in the sky. 00:22:55.820 --> 00:22:56.420 He can stop 00:22:56.420 --> 00:22:57.460 an army in its tracks. 00:22:57.539 --> 00:22:57.960 He can do 00:22:57.960 --> 00:22:59.140 all of these things. 00:22:59.840 --> 00:23:00.660 He doesn't do it 00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:01.380 all the time 00:23:01.380 --> 00:23:02.240 but there are times 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:02.980 when he does it 00:23:02.980 --> 00:23:03.660 and he does it 00:23:03.660 --> 00:23:04.920 sometimes through people. 00:23:08.060 --> 00:23:08.500 Prophecy. 00:23:08.500 --> 00:23:09.700 We looked at this 00:23:09.700 --> 00:23:10.180 last week. 00:23:10.259 --> 00:23:10.940 Nick mentioned it 00:23:10.940 --> 00:23:12.200 in chapter 14 00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:12.740 verse 3. 00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:13.339 There's a really 00:23:13.339 --> 00:23:14.380 good definition 00:23:14.380 --> 00:23:14.839 of it. 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:16.599 One who speaks 00:23:16.599 --> 00:23:17.200 to people 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:18.220 for their upbuilding 00:23:18.220 --> 00:23:19.079 and encouragement 00:23:19.079 --> 00:23:20.240 and consolation. 00:23:20.920 --> 00:23:22.759 Not foretelling, 00:23:23.819 --> 00:23:25.500 although that's possible, 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:26.599 but that's not 00:23:26.599 --> 00:23:27.339 the heart of it, 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:28.880 but telling forth 00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:29.640 what is true 00:23:29.640 --> 00:23:30.359 about God 00:23:30.359 --> 00:23:30.960 in a way 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:31.819 that helps 00:23:31.819 --> 00:23:32.500 other people. 00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:35.140 the distinguishing 00:23:35.140 --> 00:23:35.920 of spirits 00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:38.079 is the special 00:23:38.079 --> 00:23:38.640 ability 00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:39.440 to evaluate 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:40.180 the origin, 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:40.839 authority, 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:41.880 and application 00:23:41.880 --> 00:23:42.740 particularly 00:23:42.740 --> 00:23:44.160 of prophetic messages. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:48.700 Speaking in 00:23:48.700 --> 00:23:49.299 different kinds 00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:49.819 of tongues, 00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:51.099 I'm going to punt 00:23:51.099 --> 00:23:51.779 on this one 00:23:51.779 --> 00:23:52.460 a little bit 00:23:52.460 --> 00:23:53.380 just so you know 00:23:53.380 --> 00:23:54.700 because we're going 00:23:54.700 --> 00:23:55.180 to deal with it 00:23:55.180 --> 00:23:56.079 in chapter 14 00:23:56.079 --> 00:23:57.480 in a lot of detail 00:23:57.480 --> 00:23:58.480 and so we'll get 00:23:58.480 --> 00:23:59.180 back to it, 00:23:59.180 --> 00:24:01.360 but tongues 00:24:01.360 --> 00:24:03.200 is the ability 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:03.860 to speak 00:24:03.860 --> 00:24:05.039 in an unlearned 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:05.519 human, 00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:07.279 possibly angelic 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:07.880 language. 00:24:11.820 --> 00:24:12.900 I know that begs 00:24:12.900 --> 00:24:13.799 all the questions 00:24:13.799 --> 00:24:14.759 if anyone's been 00:24:14.759 --> 00:24:15.860 exposed to it 00:24:15.860 --> 00:24:16.660 and I'm just going 00:24:16.660 --> 00:24:17.320 to punt on it. 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:18.100 Hang in there, 00:24:18.420 --> 00:24:18.900 come back, 00:24:19.080 --> 00:24:19.720 listen to the sermon 00:24:19.720 --> 00:24:20.400 in four weeks, 00:24:20.460 --> 00:24:21.160 we'll get to it. 00:24:21.940 --> 00:24:22.900 And the interpretation 00:24:22.900 --> 00:24:23.620 in tongues 00:24:23.620 --> 00:24:24.299 is the ability 00:24:24.299 --> 00:24:24.940 to translate 00:24:24.940 --> 00:24:25.640 or interpret 00:24:25.640 --> 00:24:26.600 what was said 00:24:26.600 --> 00:24:27.640 to God 00:24:27.640 --> 00:24:28.900 through the gift 00:24:28.900 --> 00:24:29.360 of tongues. 00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:31.560 So it's related 00:24:31.560 --> 00:24:32.100 to that. 00:24:33.600 --> 00:24:34.040 Alright, 00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:34.680 so that's what 00:24:34.680 --> 00:24:35.259 those mean. 00:24:36.140 --> 00:24:36.400 Okay? 00:24:36.740 --> 00:24:37.540 What I want you 00:24:37.540 --> 00:24:38.140 to see 00:24:38.140 --> 00:24:38.940 is that 00:24:38.940 --> 00:24:40.040 as you pull 00:24:40.040 --> 00:24:40.580 them together, 00:24:40.700 --> 00:24:41.380 what are they? 00:24:41.840 --> 00:24:42.700 They are, 00:24:42.860 --> 00:24:44.100 in this particular 00:24:44.100 --> 00:24:44.500 list, 00:24:44.680 --> 00:24:46.440 focusing on 00:24:46.440 --> 00:24:48.320 there are 00:24:48.320 --> 00:24:49.019 words 00:24:49.019 --> 00:24:50.019 spoken to 00:24:50.019 --> 00:24:50.880 the congregation 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:54.060 for their good, 00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:55.040 for their spiritual 00:24:55.040 --> 00:24:55.600 good, 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.600 or their actions 00:24:57.599 --> 00:24:58.939 that display 00:24:58.939 --> 00:25:00.119 a confidence 00:25:00.119 --> 00:25:00.839 in 00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:02.879 or a work 00:25:02.879 --> 00:25:04.679 of God 00:25:04.679 --> 00:25:05.679 as he 00:25:05.679 --> 00:25:07.079 continues the work 00:25:07.079 --> 00:25:07.939 in his world 00:25:07.939 --> 00:25:08.579 of building 00:25:08.579 --> 00:25:09.219 his kingdom. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:12.619 That's what's 00:25:12.619 --> 00:25:13.179 happening with 00:25:13.179 --> 00:25:13.959 spiritual gifting 00:25:13.959 --> 00:25:15.399 in this list. 00:25:15.559 --> 00:25:16.319 This list doesn't 00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:16.980 have some of the 00:25:16.980 --> 00:25:17.559 other ones like 00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:18.459 administration and 00:25:18.459 --> 00:25:19.339 service and mercy. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:20.279 When we preach 00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:20.819 through Romans, 00:25:20.939 --> 00:25:21.659 we'll get to those. 00:25:22.660 --> 00:25:24.480 But a few other 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:25.080 things you want 00:25:25.080 --> 00:25:26.040 to see is that 00:25:26.040 --> 00:25:27.640 the emphasis here, 00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:28.580 as you see Paul 00:25:28.580 --> 00:25:29.200 talking through it, 00:25:29.220 --> 00:25:30.380 is that there's a 00:25:30.380 --> 00:25:31.540 variety of gifts. 00:25:32.100 --> 00:25:33.580 To one is given 00:25:33.580 --> 00:25:33.880 this, 00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:34.820 to another is given 00:25:34.820 --> 00:25:35.040 this, 00:25:35.100 --> 00:25:35.900 to another is given 00:25:35.900 --> 00:25:36.120 this, 00:25:36.180 --> 00:25:36.940 to another is given 00:25:36.940 --> 00:25:37.300 this. 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:38.500 The gifting is going 00:25:38.500 --> 00:25:39.259 to be different 00:25:39.259 --> 00:25:40.180 among us. 00:25:41.640 --> 00:25:42.620 And the way that we 00:25:42.620 --> 00:25:43.519 find ourselves in 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:44.380 this is not a 00:25:44.380 --> 00:25:44.820 checklist. 00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:46.800 It's not a 00:25:46.800 --> 00:25:49.080 closed list of 00:25:49.080 --> 00:25:49.920 which one do I 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:50.200 have? 00:25:50.200 --> 00:25:50.900 There are 14 00:25:50.900 --> 00:25:51.200 gifts, 00:25:51.319 --> 00:25:51.779 there are 17 00:25:51.779 --> 00:25:52.120 gifts, 00:25:52.200 --> 00:25:52.819 there are 18 00:25:52.819 --> 00:25:53.380 gifts in the 00:25:53.380 --> 00:25:53.840 New Testament. 00:25:54.200 --> 00:25:55.000 Which one do I 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:55.259 have? 00:25:55.420 --> 00:25:56.460 I actually think 00:25:56.460 --> 00:25:57.700 that that's not 00:25:57.700 --> 00:25:58.400 the right way to 00:25:58.400 --> 00:25:59.019 see them. 00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:00.420 But in fact, 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:00.840 we need to 00:26:00.840 --> 00:26:01.440 recognize that 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:02.200 these are gifts 00:26:02.200 --> 00:26:03.240 that are sovereignly 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:05.039 given by God. 00:26:09.160 --> 00:26:10.000 And as they're 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:10.660 sovereignly given 00:26:10.660 --> 00:26:11.200 by God, 00:26:11.299 --> 00:26:12.519 we want to seek 00:26:12.519 --> 00:26:14.259 to simply recognize 00:26:14.259 --> 00:26:15.420 where God is 00:26:15.420 --> 00:26:16.160 working in us 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:16.860 and where God is 00:26:16.860 --> 00:26:17.740 working in others 00:26:17.740 --> 00:26:19.400 and to rejoice in 00:26:19.400 --> 00:26:20.100 both of them. 00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:21.000 And to humbly 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:21.720 receive them 00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:22.440 and to see the 00:26:22.440 --> 00:26:23.700 difference among 00:26:23.700 --> 00:26:24.019 them. 00:26:25.420 --> 00:26:26.160 And to be 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:26.799 thankful for 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:27.180 that. 00:26:32.700 --> 00:26:33.620 Part of what 00:26:33.620 --> 00:26:35.720 I want you to 00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:36.600 hear is that God 00:26:36.600 --> 00:26:37.920 has given each 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:39.019 of you who 00:26:39.019 --> 00:26:40.140 claim Jesus as 00:26:40.140 --> 00:26:41.319 Lord, he has 00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:41.920 given you his 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:42.420 spirit. 00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:43.680 And his spirit 00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:44.700 has gifted you 00:26:44.700 --> 00:26:46.460 for service in 00:26:46.460 --> 00:26:47.200 his church and 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:47.880 in this world. 00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:47.960 world. 00:26:51.900 --> 00:26:52.940 And to not be 00:26:52.940 --> 00:26:54.280 like the rock 00:26:54.280 --> 00:26:54.940 and roll band 00:26:54.940 --> 00:26:55.760 competing with 00:26:55.760 --> 00:26:56.300 one another, 00:26:56.620 --> 00:26:59.020 but to see 00:26:59.020 --> 00:26:59.900 what's my part 00:26:59.900 --> 00:27:00.400 to play 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:01.700 and how do I 00:27:01.700 --> 00:27:02.760 value all the 00:27:02.760 --> 00:27:03.460 other gifts that 00:27:03.460 --> 00:27:03.980 all these other 00:27:03.980 --> 00:27:04.680 people have. 00:27:07.620 --> 00:27:08.380 Because otherwise 00:27:08.380 --> 00:27:09.080 we end up 00:27:09.080 --> 00:27:10.180 dividing ourselves, 00:27:10.320 --> 00:27:10.640 don't we? 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:12.780 the differences 00:27:12.780 --> 00:27:13.780 become divisions. 00:27:15.280 --> 00:27:16.840 So, the first 00:27:16.840 --> 00:27:17.360 thing I want you 00:27:17.360 --> 00:27:18.320 to hear this 00:27:18.320 --> 00:27:18.920 morning is that 00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:20.000 God has gifted 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:20.600 you by his 00:27:20.600 --> 00:27:22.340 spirit in 00:27:22.340 --> 00:27:23.500 various ways. 00:27:23.500 --> 00:27:28.099 second thing, he's 00:27:28.099 --> 00:27:29.000 gifted you by his 00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:30.000 one spirit. 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:31.900 You know, it's 00:27:31.900 --> 00:27:32.299 interesting. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:32.859 Did the 00:27:32.859 --> 00:27:33.559 Corinthians really 00:27:33.559 --> 00:27:34.079 believe there 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:34.640 were different 00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:35.740 spirits empowering 00:27:35.740 --> 00:27:36.599 different people in 00:27:36.599 --> 00:27:37.059 the church? 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:39.579 Or that some 00:27:39.579 --> 00:27:40.440 had the spirit of 00:27:40.440 --> 00:27:41.539 God and others 00:27:41.539 --> 00:27:42.039 didn't? 00:27:42.900 --> 00:27:44.039 Probably not quite 00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:44.779 that extreme. 00:27:45.640 --> 00:27:46.980 My guess is that 00:27:46.980 --> 00:27:47.619 some of them 00:27:47.619 --> 00:27:48.259 thought they had 00:27:48.259 --> 00:27:49.079 more of the 00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:49.759 spirit of God 00:27:49.759 --> 00:27:51.140 than others and 00:27:51.140 --> 00:27:51.579 that they were 00:27:51.579 --> 00:27:52.279 using their 00:27:52.279 --> 00:27:53.200 spiritual gifts 00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:54.440 to puff up 00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:55.240 their ego and 00:27:55.240 --> 00:27:55.899 their place in 00:27:55.899 --> 00:27:56.319 the body? 00:27:58.759 --> 00:27:59.859 And Paul says, 00:27:59.940 --> 00:28:00.599 don't you know, 00:28:00.859 --> 00:28:01.639 you all have 00:28:01.639 --> 00:28:02.619 one and the 00:28:02.619 --> 00:28:03.980 same spirit. 00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:05.079 Do you see how 00:28:05.079 --> 00:28:06.019 often he says 00:28:06.019 --> 00:28:06.259 it? 00:28:06.839 --> 00:28:07.740 The same spirit, 00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:08.660 the same Lord, 00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:09.759 the same God, 00:28:10.259 --> 00:28:10.980 in verses 4 00:28:10.980 --> 00:28:11.559 through 6. 00:28:11.819 --> 00:28:12.579 Then in verses 00:28:12.579 --> 00:28:13.399 7 and 8, 00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:15.700 or verses 8 00:28:15.700 --> 00:28:16.279 and following, 00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:16.980 through the 00:28:16.980 --> 00:28:17.359 spirit, 00:28:17.879 --> 00:28:19.079 the same spirit, 00:28:19.579 --> 00:28:20.079 and the same 00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:20.740 spirit again, 00:28:20.819 --> 00:28:21.259 and the one 00:28:21.259 --> 00:28:21.740 spirit, 00:28:21.740 --> 00:28:23.200 and the same 00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:23.880 spirit again, 00:28:23.940 --> 00:28:24.620 every time he 00:28:24.620 --> 00:28:25.120 mentions it, 00:28:25.140 --> 00:28:25.440 he says, 00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:26.099 you all have 00:28:26.099 --> 00:28:26.740 the same 00:28:26.740 --> 00:28:27.220 one. 00:28:30.259 --> 00:28:30.880 Brings to 00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:31.339 mind what 00:28:31.339 --> 00:28:32.079 Paul said in 00:28:32.079 --> 00:28:32.980 Ephesians chapter 00:28:32.980 --> 00:28:33.819 4 as he 00:28:33.819 --> 00:28:34.799 encouraged unity 00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:35.400 in the body. 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:37.900 He said, 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:38.359 there is one 00:28:38.359 --> 00:28:39.160 body and one 00:28:39.160 --> 00:28:40.019 spirit just as 00:28:40.019 --> 00:28:40.500 you were called 00:28:40.500 --> 00:28:41.299 to one hope 00:28:41.299 --> 00:28:42.099 that belongs 00:28:42.099 --> 00:28:42.880 to your call, 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:43.859 one Lord, 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:44.519 one faith, 00:28:44.660 --> 00:28:45.380 one baptism, 00:28:45.579 --> 00:28:46.279 one God and 00:28:46.279 --> 00:28:46.880 Father of us 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:47.140 all, 00:28:47.259 --> 00:28:47.960 who is over 00:28:47.960 --> 00:28:48.539 all and through 00:28:48.539 --> 00:28:49.120 all and in 00:28:49.120 --> 00:28:49.440 all. 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:53.340 The unity 00:28:53.340 --> 00:28:54.120 of God's 00:28:54.120 --> 00:28:54.620 people 00:28:54.620 --> 00:28:56.759 is based 00:28:56.759 --> 00:28:57.120 on the 00:28:57.120 --> 00:28:57.519 unity 00:28:57.519 --> 00:28:58.660 of 00:28:58.660 --> 00:28:59.240 worshiping 00:28:59.240 --> 00:29:00.080 one God. 00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:01.600 And the 00:29:01.600 --> 00:29:02.480 diversity of 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:03.279 God's people 00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:04.039 in its 00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:05.740 beautifulness, 00:29:05.900 --> 00:29:06.660 in its beauty, 00:29:06.740 --> 00:29:07.440 in its majesty, 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:08.640 is to display 00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:09.700 the diversity 00:29:09.700 --> 00:29:10.580 of the 00:29:10.580 --> 00:29:11.880 triune God. 00:29:12.180 --> 00:29:12.600 This is what 00:29:12.600 --> 00:29:13.039 we see in 00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:13.759 4 through 6, 00:29:13.820 --> 00:29:14.039 right? 00:29:14.340 --> 00:29:15.180 God is gifting 00:29:15.180 --> 00:29:15.360 them, 00:29:15.480 --> 00:29:15.940 but then he 00:29:15.940 --> 00:29:16.360 makes an 00:29:16.359 --> 00:29:17.119 explicit 00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:19.199 appeal to 00:29:19.199 --> 00:29:19.379 see. 00:29:19.459 --> 00:29:19.879 Do you see? 00:29:19.979 --> 00:29:20.379 It's the 00:29:20.379 --> 00:29:21.019 Father and 00:29:21.019 --> 00:29:21.659 the Son and 00:29:21.659 --> 00:29:22.359 the Holy Spirit 00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:23.219 who are all 00:29:23.219 --> 00:29:23.979 working in 00:29:23.979 --> 00:29:24.539 this gifting 00:29:24.539 --> 00:29:24.979 and in 00:29:24.979 --> 00:29:25.759 this manifestation. 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:28.179 It is one 00:29:28.179 --> 00:29:29.079 God who's at 00:29:29.079 --> 00:29:29.740 work in you 00:29:29.740 --> 00:29:30.359 in this 00:29:30.359 --> 00:29:32.919 variety of 00:29:32.919 --> 00:29:33.539 ways. 00:29:36.839 --> 00:29:37.599 So do you 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:38.099 see how 00:29:38.099 --> 00:29:38.939 the unity 00:29:38.939 --> 00:29:39.819 and diversity 00:29:39.819 --> 00:29:41.099 of the way 00:29:41.099 --> 00:29:41.459 that we 00:29:41.459 --> 00:29:42.299 hold our 00:29:42.299 --> 00:29:43.099 spiritual gifts 00:29:43.099 --> 00:29:43.879 is an 00:29:43.879 --> 00:29:45.119 incredible gift 00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:45.859 and incredible 00:29:45.859 --> 00:29:46.439 stewardship 00:29:46.439 --> 00:29:47.639 because it 00:29:47.639 --> 00:29:48.039 is how 00:29:48.039 --> 00:29:48.679 the church 00:29:48.679 --> 00:29:49.839 displays 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:50.599 the very 00:29:50.599 --> 00:29:51.379 nature of 00:29:51.379 --> 00:29:51.839 God. 00:29:53.479 --> 00:29:54.099 It is 00:29:54.099 --> 00:29:55.359 parallel to 00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:55.839 what Paul 00:29:55.839 --> 00:29:56.299 said at the 00:29:56.299 --> 00:29:56.699 beginning of 00:29:56.699 --> 00:29:57.459 chapter 11 00:29:57.459 --> 00:29:58.039 about how 00:29:58.039 --> 00:29:58.579 gender 00:29:58.579 --> 00:30:01.459 is a way 00:30:01.459 --> 00:30:02.379 to display 00:30:02.379 --> 00:30:03.500 the diversity 00:30:03.500 --> 00:30:03.899 and the 00:30:03.899 --> 00:30:04.339 beauty of 00:30:04.339 --> 00:30:04.699 God. 00:30:05.779 --> 00:30:06.199 And yet 00:30:06.199 --> 00:30:06.759 it's the 00:30:06.759 --> 00:30:07.399 same reason 00:30:07.399 --> 00:30:08.119 why in 00:30:08.119 --> 00:30:08.539 the second 00:30:08.539 --> 00:30:08.979 half of 00:30:08.979 --> 00:30:09.759 chapter 11 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:11.459 Paul rails 00:30:11.459 --> 00:30:12.219 against them 00:30:12.219 --> 00:30:12.699 for their 00:30:12.699 --> 00:30:13.500 divisions 00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:14.439 according to 00:30:14.440 --> 00:30:15.759 socioeconomic 00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:16.240 lines. 00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:17.340 This unity 00:30:17.340 --> 00:30:18.019 and diversity 00:30:18.019 --> 00:30:18.620 is a part 00:30:18.620 --> 00:30:18.900 of the 00:30:18.900 --> 00:30:19.140 high 00:30:19.140 --> 00:30:19.559 calling 00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:20.460 of the 00:30:20.460 --> 00:30:20.940 church 00:30:20.940 --> 00:30:21.740 to 00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:22.340 display 00:30:22.340 --> 00:30:22.620 the 00:30:22.620 --> 00:30:23.039 character 00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:23.420 of 00:30:23.420 --> 00:30:23.840 God 00:30:23.840 --> 00:30:24.660 in 00:30:24.660 --> 00:30:25.160 the 00:30:25.160 --> 00:30:25.660 world. 00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:29.440 And 00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:29.820 friends, 00:30:29.960 --> 00:30:30.920 we just 00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:31.340 need to 00:30:31.340 --> 00:30:31.900 see it 00:30:31.900 --> 00:30:32.299 for what 00:30:32.299 --> 00:30:32.759 it is. 00:30:32.860 --> 00:30:33.299 We don't 00:30:33.299 --> 00:30:33.680 need to 00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:34.240 make this 00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:34.559 up. 00:30:34.860 --> 00:30:35.220 We don't 00:30:35.220 --> 00:30:35.539 need to 00:30:35.539 --> 00:30:36.180 create 00:30:36.180 --> 00:30:36.840 unity 00:30:36.840 --> 00:30:37.700 out of 00:30:37.700 --> 00:30:38.120 something 00:30:38.120 --> 00:30:38.700 else. 00:30:39.240 --> 00:30:39.920 The beauty 00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:40.220 of it 00:30:40.220 --> 00:30:40.580 is that 00:30:40.580 --> 00:30:40.980 God has 00:30:40.980 --> 00:30:41.340 said the 00:30:41.340 --> 00:30:42.080 unity 00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:42.980 exists. 00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:43.939 The unity 00:30:43.939 --> 00:30:44.699 is there 00:30:44.699 --> 00:30:45.779 because God 00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:46.439 is one 00:30:46.439 --> 00:30:47.339 and because 00:30:47.339 --> 00:30:48.319 God has 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:49.539 now gifted 00:30:49.539 --> 00:30:50.439 you as 00:30:50.439 --> 00:30:51.099 his people. 00:30:53.159 --> 00:30:53.960 We don't 00:30:53.960 --> 00:30:54.299 have to 00:30:54.299 --> 00:30:54.740 make up 00:30:54.740 --> 00:30:55.240 the unity. 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.960 We simply 00:30:55.960 --> 00:30:56.379 have to 00:30:56.379 --> 00:30:56.839 acknowledge 00:30:56.839 --> 00:30:57.399 it and 00:30:57.399 --> 00:30:58.460 live in 00:30:58.460 --> 00:30:59.119 light of 00:30:59.119 --> 00:30:59.419 it. 00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:04.679 Friends, 00:31:04.740 --> 00:31:05.039 when we 00:31:05.039 --> 00:31:05.759 do this, 00:31:06.220 --> 00:31:08.000 it makes 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:08.339 all the 00:31:08.339 --> 00:31:08.839 difference. 00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:10.339 when we 00:31:10.339 --> 00:31:10.799 don't do 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:11.099 this, 00:31:11.179 --> 00:31:11.480 when we 00:31:11.480 --> 00:31:12.179 fight and 00:31:12.179 --> 00:31:12.799 backbite, 00:31:13.099 --> 00:31:13.579 when we 00:31:13.579 --> 00:31:14.359 compete and 00:31:14.359 --> 00:31:14.879 compare, 00:31:15.019 --> 00:31:15.339 when we 00:31:15.339 --> 00:31:16.839 divide and 00:31:16.839 --> 00:31:17.859 disparage one 00:31:17.859 --> 00:31:18.259 another, 00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:19.259 we look a 00:31:19.259 --> 00:31:19.819 whole lot 00:31:19.819 --> 00:31:20.679 like any 00:31:20.679 --> 00:31:21.539 other human 00:31:21.539 --> 00:31:22.559 organization in 00:31:22.559 --> 00:31:23.000 the world. 00:31:23.699 --> 00:31:24.539 And there's 00:31:24.539 --> 00:31:25.339 no difference. 00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:28.639 But when 00:31:28.639 --> 00:31:29.039 we do 00:31:29.039 --> 00:31:29.519 this, 00:31:30.419 --> 00:31:31.639 when we 00:31:31.639 --> 00:31:32.399 live out 00:31:32.399 --> 00:31:34.139 this unity 00:31:34.139 --> 00:31:35.119 and diversity, 00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:37.179 when we 00:31:37.179 --> 00:31:37.559 do it 00:31:37.559 --> 00:31:37.980 well, 00:31:37.980 --> 00:31:39.759 then God 00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:40.039 is in 00:31:40.039 --> 00:31:40.200 our 00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:40.599 midst. 00:31:42.299 --> 00:31:42.940 And God 00:31:42.940 --> 00:31:43.259 is at 00:31:43.259 --> 00:31:43.660 work. 00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:44.620 And not 00:31:44.620 --> 00:31:45.019 only will 00:31:45.019 --> 00:31:45.640 we see 00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:46.059 it and be 00:31:46.059 --> 00:31:46.740 encouraged, 00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:47.720 but the 00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:48.220 world will 00:31:48.220 --> 00:31:48.759 see it. 00:31:49.860 --> 00:31:50.259 And we'll 00:31:50.259 --> 00:31:50.819 be drawn 00:31:50.819 --> 00:31:51.400 to ask 00:31:51.400 --> 00:31:51.920 why. 00:31:52.299 --> 00:31:53.039 How could 00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:53.720 this be? 00:31:55.740 --> 00:31:56.319 And that's 00:31:56.319 --> 00:31:56.860 why spiritual 00:31:56.860 --> 00:31:58.180 gifting isn't 00:31:58.180 --> 00:31:58.940 this extra 00:31:58.940 --> 00:31:59.720 room on the 00:31:59.720 --> 00:32:00.420 side, but 00:32:00.420 --> 00:32:01.160 it's woven 00:32:01.160 --> 00:32:01.799 into the 00:32:01.799 --> 00:32:02.220 warp and 00:32:02.220 --> 00:32:02.539 woof of 00:32:02.539 --> 00:32:02.880 how we're 00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:03.380 supposed to 00:32:03.380 --> 00:32:03.819 live. 00:32:05.980 --> 00:32:06.980 Because as 00:32:06.980 --> 00:32:07.740 we hold it 00:32:07.740 --> 00:32:10.019 properly, we 00:32:10.019 --> 00:32:10.680 display the 00:32:10.680 --> 00:32:11.120 nature of 00:32:11.120 --> 00:32:11.519 God. 00:32:16.079 --> 00:32:16.839 Third thing 00:32:16.839 --> 00:32:18.259 is that not 00:32:18.259 --> 00:32:18.759 only do we 00:32:18.759 --> 00:32:19.920 do it, not 00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:20.500 only are there 00:32:20.500 --> 00:32:21.460 diverse gifts, 00:32:21.660 --> 00:32:22.380 a variety of 00:32:22.380 --> 00:32:22.799 gifts, not 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:23.339 only is there 00:32:23.339 --> 00:32:24.880 one spirit, but 00:32:24.880 --> 00:32:25.440 that there's a 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:25.980 purpose for 00:32:25.980 --> 00:32:26.200 this. 00:32:26.279 --> 00:32:26.900 We do this 00:32:26.900 --> 00:32:28.120 for the 00:32:28.120 --> 00:32:28.980 common good. 00:32:29.720 --> 00:32:30.759 God, in 00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:31.539 his great 00:32:31.539 --> 00:32:32.200 wisdom and 00:32:32.200 --> 00:32:32.799 in his great 00:32:32.799 --> 00:32:33.319 power and 00:32:33.319 --> 00:32:34.180 his gracious 00:32:34.180 --> 00:32:35.380 work in 00:32:35.380 --> 00:32:36.780 our lives, has 00:32:36.780 --> 00:32:37.740 given us 00:32:37.740 --> 00:32:40.080 gifts, but 00:32:40.080 --> 00:32:40.520 he's not 00:32:40.520 --> 00:32:41.180 given them 00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:42.160 gifts to 00:32:42.160 --> 00:32:42.860 us for 00:32:42.860 --> 00:32:43.540 our sake. 00:32:44.200 --> 00:32:44.600 We are 00:32:44.600 --> 00:32:45.080 not the 00:32:45.080 --> 00:32:45.880 terminal 00:32:45.880 --> 00:32:46.980 end point 00:32:46.980 --> 00:32:47.720 of the 00:32:47.720 --> 00:32:48.360 gifting so 00:32:48.360 --> 00:32:48.880 that we can 00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:49.440 think highly 00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:50.060 of ourselves 00:32:50.060 --> 00:32:50.920 about what 00:32:50.920 --> 00:32:51.340 our wonderful 00:32:51.340 --> 00:32:52.540 gifts are, or 00:32:52.540 --> 00:32:53.020 so that we 00:32:53.020 --> 00:32:53.500 can think, 00:32:53.640 --> 00:32:54.620 well, now I 00:32:54.620 --> 00:32:55.420 know what my 00:32:55.420 --> 00:32:56.040 gift is, so 00:32:56.040 --> 00:32:56.740 my job is 00:32:56.740 --> 00:32:57.280 simply to 00:32:57.280 --> 00:32:58.120 exercise my 00:32:58.120 --> 00:32:58.840 gift without 00:32:58.840 --> 00:32:59.720 any concern 00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:00.820 for the 00:33:00.820 --> 00:33:01.280 people of 00:33:01.280 --> 00:33:01.600 God. 00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:03.719 instead it 00:33:03.719 --> 00:33:04.339 is this. 00:33:05.139 --> 00:33:05.639 Look with 00:33:05.639 --> 00:33:06.039 me in verse 00:33:06.039 --> 00:33:06.579 seven, you'll 00:33:06.579 --> 00:33:07.179 see it again. 00:33:07.959 --> 00:33:08.719 Each is 00:33:08.719 --> 00:33:09.339 given the 00:33:09.339 --> 00:33:10.339 manifestation of 00:33:10.339 --> 00:33:11.059 the spirit for 00:33:11.059 --> 00:33:11.639 the common 00:33:11.639 --> 00:33:12.139 good. 00:33:12.679 --> 00:33:13.019 And the 00:33:13.019 --> 00:33:14.579 common good is 00:33:14.579 --> 00:33:15.339 the goal that 00:33:15.339 --> 00:33:16.359 God has given 00:33:16.359 --> 00:33:17.079 for all of 00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:17.799 these things. 00:33:18.919 --> 00:33:19.879 The spirit is 00:33:19.879 --> 00:33:20.359 at work in 00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:21.000 us, not for 00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:22.079 our sake, but 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:22.599 for others' 00:33:22.599 --> 00:33:22.959 sake. 00:33:23.579 --> 00:33:24.319 We will see 00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:24.859 this as we 00:33:24.859 --> 00:33:25.419 go through the 00:33:25.419 --> 00:33:26.079 rest of chapter 00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:26.719 12 and 00:33:26.719 --> 00:33:27.659 chapter 13 and 00:33:27.659 --> 00:33:28.419 chapter 14. 00:33:28.639 --> 00:33:29.299 It is the 00:33:29.299 --> 00:33:30.279 subtext of it 00:33:30.279 --> 00:33:31.159 over and over 00:33:31.160 --> 00:33:31.700 and again. 00:33:32.600 --> 00:33:33.440 How is it, 00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:33.980 brothers and 00:33:33.980 --> 00:33:34.519 sisters, that 00:33:34.519 --> 00:33:35.420 you are loving 00:33:35.420 --> 00:33:36.900 others by 00:33:36.900 --> 00:33:39.100 your gifting 00:33:39.100 --> 00:33:40.080 and by your 00:33:40.080 --> 00:33:40.580 service? 00:33:43.900 --> 00:33:44.640 This is the 00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:44.940 goal. 00:33:46.440 --> 00:33:47.120 So how do we 00:33:47.120 --> 00:33:47.500 do this 00:33:47.500 --> 00:33:47.960 practically? 00:33:48.300 --> 00:33:48.720 How do we 00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:49.380 live this out? 00:33:49.660 --> 00:33:50.040 How do we 00:33:50.040 --> 00:33:50.660 respond to 00:33:50.660 --> 00:33:51.360 this idea of 00:33:51.360 --> 00:33:52.759 try to give 00:33:52.759 --> 00:33:53.140 in a few 00:33:53.140 --> 00:33:54.640 minutes, just 00:33:54.640 --> 00:33:55.279 a few minutes, 00:33:55.360 --> 00:33:56.120 a few practical 00:33:56.120 --> 00:33:56.720 ideas? 00:33:57.300 --> 00:33:58.160 First, how do 00:33:58.160 --> 00:33:58.960 we discern our 00:33:58.960 --> 00:33:59.800 spiritual gifts? 00:34:01.160 --> 00:34:02.800 I hate to 00:34:02.800 --> 00:34:03.180 say it, I 00:34:03.180 --> 00:34:03.700 don't think the 00:34:03.700 --> 00:34:04.440 inventories are 00:34:04.440 --> 00:34:05.040 that helpful. 00:34:05.259 --> 00:34:05.640 You can go 00:34:05.640 --> 00:34:06.259 online and 00:34:06.259 --> 00:34:06.960 take a test. 00:34:07.380 --> 00:34:08.039 I think they 00:34:08.039 --> 00:34:08.519 tend to be 00:34:08.519 --> 00:34:09.400 self-determining. 00:34:09.860 --> 00:34:10.380 You tend to 00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:10.920 end up having 00:34:10.920 --> 00:34:11.480 the gift that 00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:11.980 you think you 00:34:11.980 --> 00:34:12.420 have or the 00:34:12.420 --> 00:34:12.820 one that you 00:34:12.820 --> 00:34:13.460 want to have. 00:34:15.099 --> 00:34:15.920 You can still 00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:16.420 look at them, 00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:16.820 they're still 00:34:16.820 --> 00:34:17.480 helpful for you 00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:18.079 to think through 00:34:18.079 --> 00:34:18.400 them. 00:34:18.599 --> 00:34:19.099 But you know 00:34:19.099 --> 00:34:19.820 the best way 00:34:19.820 --> 00:34:20.639 to discern what 00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:21.119 your spiritual 00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:21.740 gift is? 00:34:21.980 --> 00:34:22.619 Go serve. 00:34:23.220 --> 00:34:23.960 Go serve 00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:24.480 others. 00:34:24.840 --> 00:34:26.220 Be obedient to 00:34:26.220 --> 00:34:27.079 the opportunities 00:34:27.079 --> 00:34:28.099 that God gives 00:34:28.099 --> 00:34:29.019 you to love 00:34:29.019 --> 00:34:29.720 one another. 00:34:29.719 --> 00:34:30.939 Don't wonder 00:34:30.939 --> 00:34:31.839 if I don't 00:34:31.839 --> 00:34:32.339 think I can 00:34:32.339 --> 00:34:32.959 do that, I 00:34:32.959 --> 00:34:33.459 don't have the 00:34:33.459 --> 00:34:34.199 ability to do 00:34:34.199 --> 00:34:34.319 it. 00:34:34.599 --> 00:34:35.579 Try it anyways. 00:34:36.599 --> 00:34:37.599 Often, the 00:34:37.599 --> 00:34:38.259 Spirit of God 00:34:38.259 --> 00:34:38.939 seems to work 00:34:38.939 --> 00:34:39.379 through people 00:34:39.379 --> 00:34:40.159 who don't think 00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:40.679 that they can 00:34:40.679 --> 00:34:40.980 do it. 00:34:41.019 --> 00:34:42.339 Like Moses, I'm 00:34:42.339 --> 00:34:43.179 not very eloquent. 00:34:43.299 --> 00:34:43.639 Well, I'm going 00:34:43.639 --> 00:34:44.179 to send you to 00:34:44.179 --> 00:34:45.059 be my spokesman 00:34:45.059 --> 00:34:46.079 to the people 00:34:46.079 --> 00:34:46.699 of Egypt. 00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:47.919 That's often 00:34:47.919 --> 00:34:48.459 what God 00:34:48.459 --> 00:34:48.939 does. 00:34:50.079 --> 00:34:51.299 So go serve. 00:34:51.639 --> 00:34:52.399 Go find a 00:34:52.399 --> 00:34:52.859 place. 00:34:54.279 --> 00:34:54.719 Get over 00:34:54.719 --> 00:34:55.219 yourself. 00:34:55.299 --> 00:34:55.839 If you feel 00:34:55.839 --> 00:34:56.419 like you have 00:34:56.419 --> 00:34:56.980 to perform 00:34:56.980 --> 00:34:57.980 perfectly or be 00:34:57.980 --> 00:34:58.980 completely competent 00:34:58.980 --> 00:35:00.260 something before 00:35:00.260 --> 00:35:01.219 you try it. 00:35:02.539 --> 00:35:03.199 Because when 00:35:03.199 --> 00:35:03.820 you do that, 00:35:03.900 --> 00:35:04.420 you don't leave 00:35:04.420 --> 00:35:06.300 room for the 00:35:06.300 --> 00:35:06.840 Spirit to 00:35:06.840 --> 00:35:07.960 actually enable 00:35:07.960 --> 00:35:09.039 you and to 00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:09.519 see God 00:35:09.519 --> 00:35:09.980 work. 00:35:15.179 --> 00:35:15.800 Recognize that 00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:16.420 as you keep 00:35:16.420 --> 00:35:17.659 serving, and 00:35:17.659 --> 00:35:18.179 as you keep 00:35:18.179 --> 00:35:18.900 asking your 00:35:18.900 --> 00:35:19.420 brothers and 00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:20.059 sisters, where 00:35:20.059 --> 00:35:20.539 do you see 00:35:20.539 --> 00:35:21.519 God using me? 00:35:21.980 --> 00:35:22.679 That's the 00:35:22.679 --> 00:35:23.599 best way that 00:35:23.599 --> 00:35:24.260 you will know 00:35:24.260 --> 00:35:25.260 how you are 00:35:25.260 --> 00:35:25.559 gifted. 00:35:25.559 --> 00:35:28.299 If you're 00:35:28.299 --> 00:35:29.039 wondering that, 00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:30.019 ask the people 00:35:30.019 --> 00:35:30.559 who know you 00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:31.019 best. 00:35:31.599 --> 00:35:31.960 Ask your 00:35:31.960 --> 00:35:32.679 small group. 00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:33.420 Ask your 00:35:33.420 --> 00:35:33.920 roommates. 00:35:34.500 --> 00:35:34.860 Ask your 00:35:34.860 --> 00:35:35.400 husband or 00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:35.799 wife. 00:35:36.980 --> 00:35:37.559 Come talk to 00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:37.980 the elders. 00:35:38.539 --> 00:35:39.079 We probably 00:35:39.079 --> 00:35:39.920 have less 00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:40.519 view than 00:35:40.519 --> 00:35:41.199 many others, 00:35:41.340 --> 00:35:41.619 but we'll 00:35:41.619 --> 00:35:41.980 try. 00:35:42.299 --> 00:35:42.960 We'll try to 00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:43.480 help you think 00:35:43.480 --> 00:35:43.980 through it, if 00:35:43.980 --> 00:35:44.320 that would be 00:35:44.320 --> 00:35:44.699 helpful. 00:35:46.820 --> 00:35:47.480 Trust and 00:35:47.480 --> 00:35:48.000 believe that 00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:49.019 God will 00:35:49.019 --> 00:35:50.380 use you, and 00:35:50.380 --> 00:35:51.039 that he has 00:35:51.039 --> 00:35:52.079 gifted you, and 00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:52.840 then go serve. 00:35:52.840 --> 00:35:56.460 Secondly, what 00:35:56.460 --> 00:35:56.840 about our 00:35:56.840 --> 00:35:57.620 attitudes and 00:35:57.620 --> 00:35:58.400 spiritual gifts? 00:35:59.840 --> 00:36:00.880 Paul's rebuking 00:36:00.880 --> 00:36:01.480 the Corinthians 00:36:01.480 --> 00:36:02.260 for what we 00:36:02.260 --> 00:36:03.400 see in chapter 00:36:03.400 --> 00:36:03.960 four, verse 00:36:03.960 --> 00:36:04.380 seven. 00:36:04.559 --> 00:36:05.559 He says, what 00:36:05.559 --> 00:36:06.000 do you have 00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:06.420 that you did 00:36:06.420 --> 00:36:07.079 not receive, and 00:36:07.079 --> 00:36:07.600 if you then 00:36:07.600 --> 00:36:08.300 received it, why 00:36:08.300 --> 00:36:09.360 do you boast as 00:36:09.360 --> 00:36:10.320 if you did not 00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:10.980 receive it? 00:36:11.440 --> 00:36:12.519 So easily, we 00:36:12.519 --> 00:36:13.200 think of spiritual 00:36:13.200 --> 00:36:14.000 gifts as something 00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:15.400 that becomes a 00:36:15.400 --> 00:36:16.180 badge of honor 00:36:16.180 --> 00:36:17.220 for us. 00:36:19.000 --> 00:36:19.920 And instead, 00:36:20.620 --> 00:36:22.280 what we want to 00:36:22.280 --> 00:36:23.019 do is to see 00:36:23.019 --> 00:36:23.840 them as gracious 00:36:23.840 --> 00:36:25.540 gifts from God. 00:36:26.940 --> 00:36:27.800 One of the ways 00:36:27.800 --> 00:36:28.480 that this plays 00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:30.340 itself out, and 00:36:30.340 --> 00:36:30.920 this is one of 00:36:30.920 --> 00:36:32.240 the fun things, and 00:36:32.240 --> 00:36:32.680 one of the 00:36:32.680 --> 00:36:33.600 challenging things 00:36:33.600 --> 00:36:34.540 about the 00:36:34.540 --> 00:36:35.540 co-pastorate model 00:36:35.540 --> 00:36:36.280 that we live in 00:36:36.280 --> 00:36:37.480 here, is that we 00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:38.420 have three of us 00:36:38.420 --> 00:36:39.100 who are differently 00:36:39.100 --> 00:36:41.320 gifted, and there 00:36:41.320 --> 00:36:43.160 are times when we 00:36:43.160 --> 00:36:43.960 don't always see 00:36:43.960 --> 00:36:45.040 eye to eye, and 00:36:45.040 --> 00:36:45.740 there are times 00:36:45.740 --> 00:36:47.400 when we think, 00:36:47.600 --> 00:36:48.320 what in the world 00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:48.920 are you thinking? 00:36:49.320 --> 00:36:49.760 And there are 00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:50.720 times when we 00:36:50.720 --> 00:36:51.820 have to work, and 00:36:51.820 --> 00:36:54.100 it is in those 00:36:54.100 --> 00:36:56.840 moments when, by 00:36:56.840 --> 00:36:57.720 God's grace, I 00:36:57.720 --> 00:36:58.940 respond well, that 00:36:58.940 --> 00:36:59.539 I am able to 00:36:59.539 --> 00:37:00.980 say, what is the 00:37:00.980 --> 00:37:01.880 gift that that 00:37:01.880 --> 00:37:02.880 person is bringing 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:04.120 to this conversation 00:37:04.120 --> 00:37:04.800 right now? 00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:06.220 It's actually been 00:37:06.220 --> 00:37:07.300 really helpful for 00:37:07.300 --> 00:37:08.740 me, because in 00:37:08.740 --> 00:37:09.800 that conflict, instead 00:37:09.800 --> 00:37:10.940 of saying, I just 00:37:10.940 --> 00:37:11.760 want to be right, and 00:37:11.760 --> 00:37:13.160 I just want to win, I 00:37:13.160 --> 00:37:14.140 start thinking, how 00:37:14.140 --> 00:37:14.900 is it that this 00:37:14.900 --> 00:37:15.980 person is contributing 00:37:15.980 --> 00:37:17.080 something different to 00:37:17.080 --> 00:37:18.440 the conversation? 00:37:18.440 --> 00:37:20.659 conversation, and how 00:37:20.659 --> 00:37:21.760 can I value that? 00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:23.500 Oh, we still 00:37:23.500 --> 00:37:24.420 disagree, but we 00:37:24.420 --> 00:37:25.720 get along, because 00:37:25.720 --> 00:37:27.280 of that, I think. 00:37:28.720 --> 00:37:29.679 That kind of 00:37:29.679 --> 00:37:32.500 humility, trying to 00:37:32.500 --> 00:37:33.639 figure out how to 00:37:33.639 --> 00:37:35.480 honor one another, is 00:37:35.480 --> 00:37:36.519 seeing that the 00:37:36.519 --> 00:37:37.639 people who maybe 00:37:37.639 --> 00:37:38.900 most rub you the 00:37:38.900 --> 00:37:39.980 wrong way around 00:37:39.980 --> 00:37:41.480 here are the 00:37:41.480 --> 00:37:42.420 people who have the 00:37:42.420 --> 00:37:43.639 very gift that you 00:37:43.639 --> 00:37:45.519 need exercised in 00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:46.559 your life by 00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:47.360 someone else. 00:37:50.820 --> 00:37:51.920 Third thing, we've 00:37:51.920 --> 00:37:52.619 talked about this a 00:37:52.619 --> 00:37:54.039 little bit, how does 00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:54.659 the, how does 00:37:54.659 --> 00:37:55.800 spiritual gifting fit 00:37:55.800 --> 00:37:56.619 into our greater 00:37:56.619 --> 00:37:57.599 calling of the Great 00:37:57.599 --> 00:37:58.400 Commission to go and 00:37:58.400 --> 00:37:59.480 make disciples of all 00:37:59.480 --> 00:37:59.840 nations? 00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:00.960 What does it look 00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:01.320 like? 00:38:01.980 --> 00:38:03.139 Let me, let me run it 00:38:03.139 --> 00:38:04.059 through this grid for 00:38:04.059 --> 00:38:04.219 you. 00:38:04.300 --> 00:38:05.239 If the Great Commission 00:38:05.239 --> 00:38:06.920 is about two things, 00:38:07.219 --> 00:38:08.259 evangelism, that is 00:38:08.259 --> 00:38:09.420 sharing the good news 00:38:09.420 --> 00:38:10.239 of what God has done 00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:11.420 with people outside the 00:38:11.420 --> 00:38:11.759 church, and 00:38:11.759 --> 00:38:13.360 discipleship, developing 00:38:13.360 --> 00:38:14.280 people in Christ 00:38:14.280 --> 00:38:15.119 likeness and growth 00:38:15.119 --> 00:38:16.000 and maturity inside 00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:17.679 the church, recognize 00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:20.319 this, if you have the 00:38:20.319 --> 00:38:22.799 gift of service, your 00:38:22.799 --> 00:38:24.119 evangelism, your 00:38:24.119 --> 00:38:25.380 outreach to others is 00:38:25.380 --> 00:38:26.500 going to look different 00:38:26.500 --> 00:38:27.480 than someone who has 00:38:27.480 --> 00:38:28.500 the gift of teaching. 00:38:30.380 --> 00:38:31.859 But you both can do 00:38:31.859 --> 00:38:32.119 it. 00:38:32.859 --> 00:38:34.380 You both can reach out 00:38:34.380 --> 00:38:35.239 to your neighbor in 00:38:35.239 --> 00:38:35.639 love. 00:38:35.880 --> 00:38:37.099 One might start a Bible 00:38:37.099 --> 00:38:38.279 study, one might mow 00:38:38.279 --> 00:38:39.380 their neighbor's lawn, 00:38:39.779 --> 00:38:41.239 but the end goal is 00:38:41.239 --> 00:38:43.179 still to say, do you 00:38:43.179 --> 00:38:43.920 know what God has done 00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:44.699 for you in Jesus? 00:38:45.119 --> 00:38:49.440 Doing this is not, I 00:38:49.440 --> 00:38:50.339 know there's a gift of 00:38:50.339 --> 00:38:51.759 evangelism, and those are 00:38:51.759 --> 00:38:52.819 wonderful people, we love 00:38:52.819 --> 00:38:53.380 to see them, and it's 00:38:53.380 --> 00:38:53.880 someone who God 00:38:53.880 --> 00:38:55.420 specially uses people to 00:38:55.420 --> 00:38:56.900 explain and to make 00:38:56.900 --> 00:38:58.059 Christ known to other 00:38:58.059 --> 00:38:58.420 people. 00:38:58.819 --> 00:38:59.920 We praise God for them, 00:38:59.960 --> 00:39:01.059 but that doesn't let the 00:39:01.059 --> 00:39:02.259 rest of us off the hook. 00:39:03.139 --> 00:39:04.079 But we need to make sure 00:39:04.079 --> 00:39:04.920 we don't think, well it 00:39:04.920 --> 00:39:06.099 has to look like that for 00:39:06.099 --> 00:39:07.099 me to be doing it. 00:39:07.380 --> 00:39:08.920 We need to say, how is it 00:39:08.920 --> 00:39:10.179 that in the gifting that I 00:39:10.179 --> 00:39:11.139 have, in the way that God 00:39:11.139 --> 00:39:13.259 has made me, that I can 00:39:13.260 --> 00:39:14.200 share this precious 00:39:14.200 --> 00:39:15.300 message with others? 00:39:16.120 --> 00:39:17.460 And similarly, with 00:39:17.460 --> 00:39:18.360 discipleship. 00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:20.680 What is it going to look 00:39:20.680 --> 00:39:21.580 like if you have the gift 00:39:21.580 --> 00:39:23.640 of administration, and 00:39:23.640 --> 00:39:24.740 you're discipling someone? 00:39:25.240 --> 00:39:26.380 How different is that 00:39:26.380 --> 00:39:27.660 going to be from someone 00:39:27.660 --> 00:39:28.520 who has the gift of 00:39:28.520 --> 00:39:29.060 mercy? 00:39:30.160 --> 00:39:31.380 Well, probably wildly 00:39:31.380 --> 00:39:32.900 different, right? 00:39:32.900 --> 00:39:34.900 But both of them are 00:39:34.900 --> 00:39:35.840 going to have great 00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:38.220 input into the lives of 00:39:38.220 --> 00:39:39.240 their fellow brothers and 00:39:39.240 --> 00:39:39.619 sisters. 00:39:43.039 --> 00:39:45.260 So recognize that 00:39:45.260 --> 00:39:47.820 spiritual gifts are then 00:39:47.820 --> 00:39:51.420 run through, maybe this is 00:39:51.420 --> 00:39:52.539 a way to say it, they are 00:39:52.539 --> 00:39:54.500 the lenses through which 00:39:54.500 --> 00:39:56.400 the fundamental and core 00:39:56.400 --> 00:39:58.619 callings on our lives are 00:39:58.619 --> 00:40:00.599 lived out as believers. 00:40:00.599 --> 00:40:00.799 believers. 00:40:03.400 --> 00:40:04.819 So for us to take hold of 00:40:04.819 --> 00:40:05.860 that and to think about how 00:40:05.860 --> 00:40:06.659 does that work? 00:40:09.400 --> 00:40:12.960 Well, because it's 00:40:12.960 --> 00:40:14.259 graduation weekend, I want 00:40:14.259 --> 00:40:15.960 to recognize some of you are 00:40:15.960 --> 00:40:16.579 moving on. 00:40:17.539 --> 00:40:18.960 What I want you to hear is 00:40:18.960 --> 00:40:19.360 this. 00:40:19.799 --> 00:40:20.940 Know that the Spirit has 00:40:20.940 --> 00:40:23.400 gifted you, and as you go, 00:40:23.980 --> 00:40:26.239 go find the place that God 00:40:26.239 --> 00:40:28.900 wants to use you and the 00:40:28.900 --> 00:40:30.420 gifts that He has given you 00:40:30.420 --> 00:40:32.280 for the building up of His 00:40:32.280 --> 00:40:33.780 kingdom and for the 00:40:33.780 --> 00:40:34.920 building up of His church. 00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:37.940 Wherever you go, find a 00:40:37.940 --> 00:40:39.539 church and serve in it. 00:40:40.420 --> 00:40:42.320 Bless them by your 00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:42.700 gifting. 00:40:43.599 --> 00:40:44.840 Recognize that you need 00:40:44.840 --> 00:40:45.240 them. 00:40:46.099 --> 00:40:46.980 Recognize that in the 00:40:46.980 --> 00:40:48.720 diversity of gifts and in 00:40:48.720 --> 00:40:50.599 the diversity of the church 00:40:50.599 --> 00:40:51.980 world, and recognize even 00:40:51.980 --> 00:40:53.079 that, like, I think 00:40:53.079 --> 00:40:54.500 denominations sometimes are 00:40:54.500 --> 00:40:55.559 gathered around certain 00:40:55.559 --> 00:40:56.340 spiritual gifts. 00:40:56.619 --> 00:40:57.720 You may go to a church that's 00:40:57.720 --> 00:40:58.599 going to feel really 00:40:58.599 --> 00:41:01.259 different than Trinity, but 00:41:01.259 --> 00:41:03.559 that feel may or may not be 00:41:03.559 --> 00:41:04.819 an important thing. 00:41:04.900 --> 00:41:05.900 You may go to a church where 00:41:05.900 --> 00:41:06.739 you're going to learn all 00:41:06.739 --> 00:41:07.940 sorts of very different 00:41:07.940 --> 00:41:10.679 things, but if they uphold 00:41:10.679 --> 00:41:11.980 the Word of God, if they 00:41:11.980 --> 00:41:13.579 preach the true gospel of 00:41:13.579 --> 00:41:14.739 Jesus Christ and Him 00:41:14.739 --> 00:41:17.599 crucified, if they recognize 00:41:18.219 --> 00:41:21.019 their call to be a part of 00:41:21.019 --> 00:41:23.000 the Great Commission, think 00:41:23.000 --> 00:41:24.519 about how you can invest and 00:41:24.519 --> 00:41:25.980 learn in a church that may be 00:41:25.980 --> 00:41:27.480 very different from this. 00:41:28.900 --> 00:41:30.599 And see how you can bless it 00:41:30.599 --> 00:41:31.900 and bring what you may have 00:41:31.900 --> 00:41:33.820 learned here to that church 00:41:33.820 --> 00:41:34.420 as well. 00:41:37.719 --> 00:41:40.000 For all of us, the message is 00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:40.780 actually similar. 00:41:41.119 --> 00:41:42.219 For those of us who aren't 00:41:42.219 --> 00:41:44.639 going along, for those of us 00:41:44.639 --> 00:41:47.139 who are staying here, know 00:41:47.139 --> 00:41:49.980 that God has gifted you to 00:41:50.780 --> 00:41:52.400 bless this church, Trinity 00:41:52.400 --> 00:41:54.500 Baptist Church, to bless this 00:41:54.500 --> 00:41:55.820 city, New Haven. 00:41:58.880 --> 00:42:00.900 And take up this call. 00:42:03.119 --> 00:42:05.980 Take up this call to not be 00:42:05.980 --> 00:42:07.760 the rock band who competes, but 00:42:07.760 --> 00:42:10.039 let us be instead the symphony 00:42:10.039 --> 00:42:12.719 where the woodwinds and the 00:42:12.719 --> 00:42:15.380 brass and the strings and the 00:42:15.380 --> 00:42:17.880 percussion all take their role. 00:42:19.719 --> 00:42:21.420 And as the great conductor 00:42:21.420 --> 00:42:23.980 plays the music of the gospel 00:42:23.980 --> 00:42:26.740 among us, may there be this 00:42:26.740 --> 00:42:29.500 great display of the diversity 00:42:29.500 --> 00:42:31.099 of our instruments and the 00:42:31.099 --> 00:42:34.420 unity of our music for the 00:42:34.420 --> 00:42:35.360 glory of God. 00:42:37.599 --> 00:42:38.840 Let us do that. 00:42:40.519 --> 00:42:41.260 Let's pray. 00:42:41.260 --> 00:42:46.700 Lord, we thank you for your 00:42:46.700 --> 00:42:50.000 spirits and we pray that we 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:53.180 would today, Lord, be both 00:42:53.180 --> 00:42:54.480 humbled and encouraged. 00:42:56.380 --> 00:42:58.480 Humble, Lord, because these 00:42:58.480 --> 00:43:00.180 giftings come from you and our 00:43:00.180 --> 00:43:03.940 lives are meant to be about you. 00:43:03.940 --> 00:43:10.019 And by extension about others, that 00:43:10.019 --> 00:43:11.679 we would worship you and love 00:43:11.679 --> 00:43:14.300 others for your namesake in our 00:43:14.300 --> 00:43:14.619 gifting. 00:43:15.780 --> 00:43:17.500 Lord, encourage us that you want 00:43:17.500 --> 00:43:18.900 to use us in those ways. 00:43:20.260 --> 00:43:23.519 And Lord, we pray that in the 00:43:23.519 --> 00:43:26.119 diversity and unity of our body, 00:43:26.260 --> 00:43:29.760 that we would display you for your 00:43:29.760 --> 00:43:30.159 glory. 00:43:30.860 --> 00:43:32.320 We pray in Jesus' name. 00:43:32.320 --> 00:43:32.960 Amen.