WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.960 So, for those of you who were here last night, you are aware that our topic this morning 00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:13.800 that we're going to be spending the rest of our time on is the spiritual gifts. 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:20.760 We're calling this retreat the Symphony of Grace, the idea being that the body of Christ 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:27.120 is like this great symphony that we all have a part to play and that the vision of the 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:34.859 church is that everybody, as we play our individual parts, that those parts harmonize into a kind 00:00:34.859 --> 00:00:37.280 of symphonic celebration of God's grace. 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:39.920 And so that's what we're going to be exploring. 00:00:40.400 --> 00:00:45.480 I gave some reasons last night for why I think that this is the right time to be talking about 00:00:45.480 --> 00:00:47.500 this topic in the life of our church. 00:00:47.500 --> 00:00:52.359 For people who may think this is kind of random or unexpected thing for us to be talking about, 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:53.480 it is. 00:00:53.560 --> 00:00:55.299 We have not talked about this in some time. 00:00:55.299 --> 00:01:00.000 But the reasons I gave last night were these, that if we want to be a light in the world 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:08.200 as a church, if we want to grow together as a community, if we want to know our place in 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:14.920 that community, the role that each of us is called to play, if we have any hope of remaining 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:25.359 unified as a community, if we desire to discern God's calling and his will for us in our lives 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:27.740 as we make life-shaping decisions. 00:01:27.960 --> 00:01:33.099 And then lastly, if we want to know the needs in this community that we're here specifically 00:01:33.099 --> 00:01:33.859 to meet. 00:01:34.219 --> 00:01:38.700 For all of these reasons, we have to understand the spiritual gifts. 00:01:38.780 --> 00:01:40.980 And so that's what we're going to be talking about this morning. 00:01:40.980 --> 00:01:45.579 So this is session one, understanding spiritual gifts. 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:52.380 So what I want to do in this first session is just to talk about spiritual gifts in general. 00:01:52.659 --> 00:01:54.840 And I just want to start by making something clear. 00:01:54.840 --> 00:02:02.760 And that is that I, as a pastor, as somebody who has sort of been in a variety of churches 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:07.980 and with a variety of beliefs about the Holy Spirit and the role of the Spirit in the life 00:02:07.980 --> 00:02:14.319 of believers, I'm here as someone who believes in all of the signs and wonders. 00:02:14.480 --> 00:02:20.719 I'm somebody who believes in the ongoing presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the life of God's 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:21.840 community. 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:28.020 I wasn't always in a church like that, and I wasn't always in that place theologically, 00:02:28.140 --> 00:02:31.039 but I've come to that place over the years. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:35.400 I believe that it all continues as it was in the early church through today. 00:02:35.640 --> 00:02:41.099 And there's basically one simple reason why I believe this, and that is that there's absolutely 00:02:41.099 --> 00:02:43.480 nowhere in Scripture where it says that it ceases. 00:02:43.479 --> 00:02:51.139 And so therefore, I must conclude that it continues through this day. 00:02:51.259 --> 00:02:59.599 Experiences aside, and I want to hit some sort of terminology just to clarify things. 00:02:59.699 --> 00:03:04.679 There are some terms that get thrown around with the concept of the spiritual gifts. 00:03:04.680 --> 00:03:12.260 There's a term called cessationist, and that is the theological position that treats the 00:03:12.260 --> 00:03:17.000 supernatural gifts such as tongues and healing, saying that those are things that functioned 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:18.760 only in the early church but not today. 00:03:20.340 --> 00:03:22.120 There's also a term charismatic. 00:03:23.980 --> 00:03:27.960 Charismatics believe that the gifts are given to every generation and should be used in accordance 00:03:27.960 --> 00:03:28.620 with Scripture. 00:03:30.020 --> 00:03:34.860 Charismatic does not refer to a denomination, but to a whole variety of denominations that 00:03:34.860 --> 00:03:35.920 hold that theological view. 00:03:37.620 --> 00:03:40.120 There's another word you may have heard, charismaniac. 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:48.400 Now, charismaniac, that's the kind of caricatured view that a lot of people have of charismatics. 00:03:49.920 --> 00:03:55.640 This idea that there's a – or it can actually be a reality where there's a disproportionately 00:03:55.639 --> 00:04:02.919 high emphasis placed on the gifts, where apostolic authority is given to words as people speak 00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:03.939 them, things like that. 00:04:04.239 --> 00:04:05.699 That's not where we would be. 00:04:06.359 --> 00:04:13.219 And then there's lastly the term Pentecostal, and Pentecostal refers to essentially a grouping 00:04:13.219 --> 00:04:18.219 of denominations similar to charismatics, but most of them believe that speaking in tongues 00:04:18.219 --> 00:04:21.620 is the one true sign of baptism. 00:04:21.620 --> 00:04:27.500 So if any of you are from a Pentecostal background, you know that typically evidence of genuine 00:04:27.500 --> 00:04:33.620 conversion, evidence of baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:36.000 And unless you've done that, you've not been baptized. 00:04:36.420 --> 00:04:39.220 And so people will ask, well, when was your baptism? 00:04:39.819 --> 00:04:42.220 Oh, I was baptized with water on such and such a day. 00:04:42.280 --> 00:04:43.899 Well, when were you baptized in the Holy Spirit? 00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:44.420 Right. 00:04:44.420 --> 00:04:51.140 So we, our stance would be essentially a charismatic position, which all that means is this, that 00:04:51.140 --> 00:04:56.980 we believe that the Holy Spirit continues to work and empower the gifts of his people as 00:04:56.980 --> 00:04:59.980 it was in the early church, that that continues through the present day. 00:05:00.740 --> 00:05:03.300 And I got to kind of give you a disclaimer here. 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:07.520 I'm a total novice when it comes to this stuff. 00:05:07.900 --> 00:05:09.020 I'm a total novice. 00:05:09.019 --> 00:05:17.599 I, I, I have been a Christian for 17 years and I've been a pastor for, I guess, roughly 00:05:17.599 --> 00:05:18.339 nine years. 00:05:18.539 --> 00:05:24.180 And I'm only very, just very much beginning to come to understand the third person of the 00:05:24.180 --> 00:05:28.959 Trinity and the role that the Spirit plays in the life of Christians, particularly through 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.479 spiritual gifts, because it's a profound mystery. 00:05:32.500 --> 00:05:34.399 And so I have my theology. 00:05:34.579 --> 00:05:35.339 I have what I've read. 00:05:35.379 --> 00:05:36.120 I have what I've studied. 00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:37.980 I've had what I've learned from mentors. 00:05:38.340 --> 00:05:43.280 And then I have experiences that really can't be put into any category. 00:05:44.579 --> 00:05:46.620 And so I'm only beginning to understand these things. 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:52.879 So I'm not an expert, but my role in our time here is essentially to do the best that I can 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:58.120 do to offer solid, faithful, biblical teaching on this topic. 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:03.699 So that's kind of my job this morning is to do the best I can to teach what the Bible 00:06:03.699 --> 00:06:07.920 says and how the Bible guides us as we understand the spiritual gifts. 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:09.839 But you have a role too. 00:06:11.479 --> 00:06:16.240 And your role is throughout this time that we're together is to pray. 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:21.800 And the reason that I'm asking you to do that, even while I'm up here talking, even while 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:27.139 you're sitting there, when you're having conversations, when you're taking walks in the meadow, that you 00:06:27.139 --> 00:06:28.980 would use the time that you're here to pray. 00:06:29.079 --> 00:06:35.620 And I would ask that you specifically pray for the Holy Spirit to empower our congregation. 00:06:35.620 --> 00:06:40.759 And the reason that I'm saying that is because at the end of the day, what we're actually 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:46.980 talking about when we talk about this is the creator God of the universe coming himself 00:06:46.980 --> 00:06:52.759 in person to empower his people for the work that he's called them to do. 00:06:53.720 --> 00:06:58.879 And if you just get your mind around that, that's not something that happens through spreadsheets 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:01.100 and systematic theological outlines. 00:07:01.100 --> 00:07:08.840 It happens through prayer because we're actually asking that a person would come and interact 00:07:08.840 --> 00:07:10.860 with us in this way. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.520 So please pray throughout all of this. 00:07:16.680 --> 00:07:22.900 As we kind of move into this topic, as I said, I do believe that the gifts of the Spirit continue 00:07:22.900 --> 00:07:24.379 to the present day. 00:07:24.460 --> 00:07:29.939 But I do think that there's an ongoing problem in the church that they're often very much misunderstood. 00:07:31.100 --> 00:07:35.180 I think people misunderstand and therefore they misuse the spiritual gifts. 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:41.760 In the opening of the passage that we read a moment ago, 1 Corinthians 12, Paul has this 00:07:41.760 --> 00:07:44.300 extended discussion of the spiritual gifts. 00:07:44.939 --> 00:07:45.660 And he says, 00:07:46.300 --> 00:07:51.720 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 00:07:51.720 --> 00:08:01.900 And I don't want to miss that because that word uninformed can either be translated ignorant or ignored. 00:08:02.880 --> 00:08:06.600 And I think both are distinct problems when it comes to spiritual gifts. 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:07.820 Some people are ignorant. 00:08:08.440 --> 00:08:10.680 Other people simply ignore them altogether. 00:08:11.320 --> 00:08:13.660 And I don't want us to fall into either category. 00:08:13.660 --> 00:08:21.640 It's also worth noting this, that the issue in Corinth was not that people did not believe in the spiritual world. 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:24.380 That wasn't the problem. 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:26.860 It's that they had come out of a very pagan background. 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:34.860 And Paul's concern is that they would have knowledge and understanding regarding how to differentiate 00:08:34.860 --> 00:08:42.639 the works of the Holy Spirit from all of the other spiritual forces in their lives. 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:52.820 And I'm somebody who believes that the spiritual world is a rich and vibrant world that we can only barely perceive. 00:08:52.820 --> 00:08:58.960 And so the question, I think, is not so much whether there is a spirit or nothing at all. 00:08:59.020 --> 00:09:06.280 The question is discerning the work of the Holy Spirit as being distinct from other works of other spirits. 00:09:07.260 --> 00:09:09.780 But what I want to do here is just to talk about a couple of things. 00:09:09.980 --> 00:09:14.340 I think it's worth spending a whole session just making sure that we have a clear understanding of all of this. 00:09:14.400 --> 00:09:18.480 That we're not ignorant, nor are we ignoring these things. 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:22.960 And so we're going to talk about the source of spiritual gifts and then the nature of spiritual gifts. 00:09:23.620 --> 00:09:29.659 But before we do that, as I just invited you all to pray, it's only appropriate that we begin by praying together. 00:09:31.820 --> 00:09:36.139 Lord, we do recognize that we're talking about a profound mystery. 00:09:36.340 --> 00:09:44.340 We're talking about the reality that you who are the God of all creation, the God who made the heavens and the earth, 00:09:44.340 --> 00:09:49.420 the God who spoke matter and energy into being, 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:55.340 that, Lord, you would imbue us with your presence. 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:02.040 That's something that goes beyond anything that we can understand. 00:10:02.680 --> 00:10:05.660 And yet we know that because of that promise and because of your Holy Spirit, 00:10:06.060 --> 00:10:13.560 not only can we with confidence explore what it means to minister out of spiritual gifts, 00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:17.359 but we can also be equally confident that you speak to us through your word. 00:10:17.939 --> 00:10:20.319 That same spirit illuminates your word. 00:10:20.419 --> 00:10:26.239 And so we pray, Lord, that you would illuminate your word to us this morning for our edification and for your glory. 00:10:26.899 --> 00:10:28.459 In your son's name. Amen. 00:10:30.979 --> 00:10:35.699 So the Apostle Luke wrote a book called the Book of Acts. 00:10:35.700 --> 00:10:46.900 And you may know that Acts is actually the second volume of Luke. 00:10:47.480 --> 00:10:47.940 Luke. 00:10:48.100 --> 00:10:51.720 So Luke is essentially Luke's gospel part one. 00:10:52.860 --> 00:10:56.560 And Acts is Luke's gospel part two. 00:10:56.940 --> 00:11:00.960 And so it just picks up right where Luke's gospel leaves off. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:05.379 And if you know anything about Luke, who was Luke writing to? 00:11:07.879 --> 00:11:08.720 Theophilus, right? 00:11:09.620 --> 00:11:14.860 And so Luke is writing this faithful account of Jesus in the early church to his friend Theophilus. 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:22.480 And he begins Acts chapter one by kind of referring to his first book, his gospel account. 00:11:22.560 --> 00:11:23.180 And he says this. 00:11:23.179 --> 00:11:29.879 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach. 00:11:30.599 --> 00:11:38.299 Until the day when he was taken up after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 00:11:39.319 --> 00:11:47.379 So he says, O Theophilus, in the first book, I began to tell you or I told you all that Jesus began to do and teach. 00:11:48.779 --> 00:11:50.539 Now what's the implication there? 00:11:50.539 --> 00:11:57.659 If the first book was about what Jesus began to do and teach, the second book is about what? 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:03.259 What Jesus continues to do and teach. 00:12:03.339 --> 00:12:08.740 The clear implication is that Acts is now going to tell us what Jesus continues to do and teach. 00:12:08.899 --> 00:12:13.240 The problem is also in Acts, in the opening chapter, we see what? 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:17.219 Jesus is taken up into heaven, right? 00:12:17.219 --> 00:12:20.360 As he promised would happen, what we call the ascension, right? 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:28.299 And a lot of times we miss this as Protestant evangelicals, but Jesus was in bodily form. 00:12:29.219 --> 00:12:37.139 And so when it says he was taken up into heaven to sit at the right hand of God, there is some figurative language about being taken up and all of that. 00:12:37.259 --> 00:12:41.299 But the reality we need to hold on to is that Jesus was in bodily form. 00:12:41.500 --> 00:12:43.779 And he ascended bodily to the throne of God. 00:12:43.779 --> 00:12:56.179 So how can Jesus ascend and be present at the right hand of the Father and at the same time continue to teach and to minister in the world? 00:12:56.259 --> 00:12:57.039 How's that possible? 00:12:57.039 --> 00:13:02.399 Through his church. 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:04.899 Through his church. 00:13:05.899 --> 00:13:07.480 It says in John chapter 14, 00:13:07.480 --> 00:13:16.940 In other words, he says, 00:13:16.940 --> 00:13:22.680 And then in verse 16, 00:13:22.760 --> 00:13:43.080 And it's amazing, this promise is fulfilled in Acts. 00:13:43.080 --> 00:13:50.759 If you read those early chapters of Acts, you see Christians who are preaching with power and teaching with power. 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:51.900 And they're healing. 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:53.620 And they're casting out demons. 00:13:53.900 --> 00:13:55.379 And they're evangelizing. 00:13:55.520 --> 00:13:56.879 And they're showing mercy. 00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:03.860 And they have a kind of supernatural generosity where they're giving and sharing everything that they have with one another. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:07.659 They're planting churches and starting new believing communities. 00:14:08.299 --> 00:14:09.399 And this is what? 00:14:09.480 --> 00:14:16.899 This is everything that you would expect if Jesus were there continuing in his ministry. 00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:19.019 It's everything that you would expect to see. 00:14:19.019 --> 00:14:24.279 But what we see is that it is now happening through his people. 00:14:24.539 --> 00:14:30.519 And, you know, Ephesians chapter 4, verses 7 through 12, those verses say something pretty amazing. 00:14:31.379 --> 00:14:35.279 They say that Jesus actually distributed. 00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:38.279 It sort of portrays Jesus as this conqueror. 00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:40.419 You know, who's kind of plundered hell, right? 00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:41.500 And he's come out. 00:14:41.579 --> 00:14:43.139 And these ancient kings would come out. 00:14:43.259 --> 00:14:45.259 And they would take the spoils of their conquest. 00:14:45.259 --> 00:14:49.519 And as they rode back into their home city, they would take the spoils of war. 00:14:49.620 --> 00:14:54.720 And they would throw them out to the cheering crowds as the crowds lined up on either side of the road. 00:14:55.559 --> 00:14:57.720 Well, that image is in Ephesians 4. 00:14:58.840 --> 00:15:05.319 But the gifts, what Jesus is distributing is actually his own power. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:09.019 His own power for ministry. 00:15:09.019 --> 00:15:17.779 He's taking his entire ministry and he's dividing it up and he's giving it to his people. 00:15:18.139 --> 00:15:21.960 And you've got to understand, this is the power to bring healing. 00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:24.120 It's the power to bring reconciliation. 00:15:24.819 --> 00:15:30.759 It's the power to renew people emotionally and spiritually and psychologically. 00:15:31.139 --> 00:15:34.759 It's the power to restore societies, to redeem culture. 00:15:34.759 --> 00:15:42.740 All of this power, the power that will one day, as Tolkien says, make everything sad come untrue. 00:15:45.100 --> 00:15:49.159 It's that power distributed to his people. 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:53.360 So one way to think about the spiritual gifts is this. 00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:56.240 If somebody asks, well, how do I understand the spiritual gifts? 00:15:56.439 --> 00:15:57.899 One way to think about it is this. 00:15:57.899 --> 00:16:10.779 Spiritual gifts are the continued ministry of Jesus Christ through individual Christians by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:16:12.659 --> 00:16:23.240 Spiritual gifts are the continued ministry of Jesus Christ through individual Christians by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:16:23.240 --> 00:16:28.620 Are the spiritual gifts from Jesus or are they from the Holy Spirit? 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:29.560 Yes. 00:16:30.899 --> 00:16:32.460 So you can imagine. 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:35.740 I mean, just think about this for a minute. 00:16:35.899 --> 00:16:38.680 You know, there are times and some of you have maybe had the same experience. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:48.060 Where, you know, there'll be times when I'm like assembling Ikea furniture or I'm fixing something or I'm trying to figure out how to open a toy to change a battery or I'm cooking. 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:52.120 You know, I'm doing something and the boys come up and they want to help and God bless them. 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:52.700 And that's amazing. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:56.179 And I just want to have some interaction with them. 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:58.220 But I know that they really can't do anything. 00:16:58.220 --> 00:17:04.140 So I will sort of give them a safe tool or I'll give them something and I'll let them pretend to help. 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:06.420 Okay, here you can put this ingredient in. 00:17:06.579 --> 00:17:09.599 And, you know, here you can stir or you can kind of put this battery in. 00:17:09.619 --> 00:17:11.740 And then they kind of go away and then I kind of fix it. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:14.380 You know, thanks for your help. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:14.799 You know. 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:20.240 And I think a lot of times we think that that's our relationship with Jesus. 00:17:21.299 --> 00:17:25.599 You know, that Jesus is sort of doing the real work and that we're sort of there. 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:31.839 And every now and then Jesus kind of hands us a situation that we really can't mess up and just kind of lets us tinker around. 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:33.019 But then he kind of does it. 00:17:33.019 --> 00:17:41.119 And I think that that is undervaluing and underappreciating the role and the responsibility that we've been given. 00:17:42.220 --> 00:17:44.059 That that's not what the Bible says. 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:47.740 The Bible actually says that Jesus works through us. 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:49.960 Now, sometimes he works in spite of us. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:52.980 Sometimes he fixes things that we mess up. 00:17:53.660 --> 00:17:59.099 Sometimes and in all the time it is his work and his power happening through us. 00:17:59.099 --> 00:18:03.439 But the role that we play is much more central than we think. 00:18:03.859 --> 00:18:10.179 That the church is in fact the physical presence of Jesus Christ in the world. 00:18:10.399 --> 00:18:12.779 This is, by the way, this is another retreat. 00:18:13.059 --> 00:18:16.500 But this is one of the main reasons that we believe in the power of church planting. 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:23.899 Because when we start a church, when you see any church start and grow up in a place where there are no churches, 00:18:23.900 --> 00:18:30.960 you're actually seeing the, in many ways, embodied presence of Jesus Christ in that community. 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:34.680 That's why we want to see churches in every neighborhood. 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:38.460 That's why we want to see healthy gospel-centered churches multiplying. 00:18:39.640 --> 00:18:42.880 But the Bible actually says that God works through his community. 00:18:43.040 --> 00:18:44.140 We're the continued ministry. 00:18:44.500 --> 00:18:52.800 So imagine a white light, a pure white light being refracted through a prism and all these different hues and colors. 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:55.259 That's a great way to think about the spiritual gifts. 00:18:56.019 --> 00:18:59.700 So the source of the spiritual gifts is God, right? 00:18:59.919 --> 00:19:01.220 It's Jesus' ministry. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:04.599 And the Father and the Son send us the Spirit. 00:19:04.759 --> 00:19:08.579 And the Spirit is who empowers us to continue the ministry of Jesus. 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:13.599 So that's, that's the nature of spiritual, or that's the source of spiritual gifts. 00:19:13.980 --> 00:19:17.859 Now I want to push a little further, excuse me, and I want to talk about the nature of spiritual gifts. 00:19:17.859 --> 00:19:21.819 I want to read a little more in 1 Corinthians 12, 4 through 7. 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:24.919 Paul says, 00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:46.500 So what a cool definition, right? 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:48.039 A spiritual gift is what? 00:19:48.300 --> 00:19:50.360 It is a manifestation of the Spirit. 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:54.199 A manifestation of the Spirit that comes to us freely. 00:19:54.479 --> 00:19:55.019 It's a gift. 00:19:55.579 --> 00:19:56.259 We don't earn it. 00:19:56.339 --> 00:19:57.399 We don't buy it. 00:19:57.500 --> 00:19:58.419 We can't get it somewhere. 00:19:59.179 --> 00:20:06.559 It's freely given to us for one purpose, to serve the common good in a way that glorifies God. 00:20:07.379 --> 00:20:07.500 Right? 00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:12.859 So a spiritual gift is a manifestation of the Spirit that comes to us freely to serve the common good. 00:20:12.919 --> 00:20:13.919 So I want to break that down. 00:20:14.699 --> 00:20:18.979 The first thing that Paul says is that spiritual gifts are manifestations of the Spirit. 00:20:18.980 --> 00:20:20.880 So I want you to think about that. 00:20:21.900 --> 00:20:23.579 They're not products of our ability. 00:20:24.700 --> 00:20:25.779 That's important to say. 00:20:25.880 --> 00:20:27.779 You guys are phenomenally gifted people. 00:20:28.259 --> 00:20:29.299 You're intelligent. 00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:30.319 You're well-educated. 00:20:30.420 --> 00:20:32.099 You have tremendous resources at your disposal. 00:20:33.079 --> 00:20:36.819 You have incredible gifts in terms of your natural talents. 00:20:38.700 --> 00:20:44.940 But this is a not, when we talk about spiritual gifts, these are not things that are products of our own innate ability. 00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:51.620 There are specific ways in which the Holy Spirit of God manifests Himself and His power through our lives. 00:20:51.720 --> 00:20:53.080 And that makes them very distinct. 00:20:53.160 --> 00:20:55.960 So I want to give you a couple of things that spiritual gifts are not. 00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:56.720 Okay? 00:20:57.180 --> 00:20:59.680 Spiritual gifts are not, for instance, talents. 00:21:01.120 --> 00:21:02.360 They're not talents. 00:21:02.359 --> 00:21:05.519 All people are made in God's image. 00:21:05.719 --> 00:21:12.219 And so all people, by virtue of being made in God's image, have innate talents and abilities. 00:21:12.899 --> 00:21:15.699 And most of these talents we inherit from our parents. 00:21:16.119 --> 00:21:16.339 Right? 00:21:16.399 --> 00:21:16.919 They're genetic. 00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:18.139 We inherit them. 00:21:18.679 --> 00:21:22.519 But only Christians who are born again through faith in Jesus Christ, 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:27.679 only Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit are endowed with spiritual gifts. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:29.120 So they're not inherited. 00:21:30.320 --> 00:21:31.840 They're bestowed. 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:34.340 They're gifts that are freely given. 00:21:34.580 --> 00:21:38.840 So only if you've been baptized, only if you've come to faith in Christ, 00:21:40.340 --> 00:21:45.519 only then do you have access to spiritual gifts. 00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:49.460 So someone may be a very talented cook, 00:21:49.860 --> 00:21:53.220 but that does not mean that they have the spiritual gift of hospitality. 00:21:53.860 --> 00:21:54.860 You see the difference? 00:21:54.859 --> 00:21:58.059 Somebody may be very intellectually gifted, 00:21:58.199 --> 00:22:03.939 but that does not mean that they have the spiritual gift of knowledge or discernment. 00:22:04.740 --> 00:22:07.599 Somebody may be a very talented public speaker, 00:22:07.779 --> 00:22:11.339 but they may not be gifted as a preacher of the gospel. 00:22:12.019 --> 00:22:14.719 Now, why is it important to point this out? 00:22:15.219 --> 00:22:20.879 It's because the church very, very, very, very often loses sight of this. 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:23.200 And we take people who are very talented, 00:22:23.940 --> 00:22:27.980 and we endow them with spiritual authority, 00:22:28.600 --> 00:22:32.900 when they may not necessarily have the appropriate spiritual gifts. 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:34.200 Right? 00:22:34.620 --> 00:22:37.000 I think we very often confuse the two. 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:40.400 There are church elder boards and vestries and parish councils 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:45.380 full of talented, well-resourced, successful people 00:22:45.380 --> 00:22:48.740 who nevertheless have the absolute wrong spiritual gifts 00:22:48.740 --> 00:22:50.640 when it comes to that role. 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:51.180 Right? 00:22:53.100 --> 00:22:54.840 Or the opposite may be true. 00:22:54.940 --> 00:22:58.320 Sometimes we think that there is a talent, 00:22:58.700 --> 00:23:00.960 and we confuse that with a spiritual gift, 00:23:01.020 --> 00:23:02.480 but the opposite can also be true. 00:23:03.320 --> 00:23:05.040 Someone may not have a talent, 00:23:05.720 --> 00:23:07.720 and yet they have a spiritual gift 00:23:07.720 --> 00:23:09.020 that enables them to do things 00:23:09.020 --> 00:23:11.420 that you would never think that a person like that would be able to do. 00:23:11.420 --> 00:23:13.220 You know, one of the best examples of this 00:23:13.220 --> 00:23:16.860 is when you compare Charles Spurgeon to D.L. Moody. 00:23:17.860 --> 00:23:18.100 Right? 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:19.320 You don't know who these are. 00:23:19.380 --> 00:23:19.800 That's fine. 00:23:21.120 --> 00:23:21.940 Get it, right? 00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:22.700 Spurgeon and Moody? 00:23:22.860 --> 00:23:23.640 Oh, it's so funny. 00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:26.920 Charles Spurgeon is someone, 00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:28.680 they're both preaching around the same time, 00:23:28.740 --> 00:23:29.740 a century or two ago, 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:32.900 and they both were, 00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:34.900 well, Charles Spurgeon was somebody 00:23:34.900 --> 00:23:36.380 they called the Prince of Preachers. 00:23:36.940 --> 00:23:40.700 He was a master, master public speaker. 00:23:40.700 --> 00:23:44.120 He spoke with beautiful, incredible eloquence, 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:48.120 and people would just rave at the kind of beauty of his speaking, 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:50.600 and he was a very, very, very effective preacher, 00:23:50.680 --> 00:23:52.000 one of the greatest preachers of his day. 00:23:52.500 --> 00:23:53.860 And then you have D.L. Moody, 00:23:54.080 --> 00:23:57.660 who has maybe a fourth-grade level education, 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:01.160 horrible grammar, horrible diction, right? 00:24:01.559 --> 00:24:03.600 Always constantly using poor grammar, 00:24:03.779 --> 00:24:05.460 constantly kind of tripping over himself, 00:24:05.460 --> 00:24:09.660 and yet God used him to bring tremendous revival 00:24:09.660 --> 00:24:10.819 as a preacher of the gospel. 00:24:11.240 --> 00:24:13.420 Both incredibly effective preachers, 00:24:13.559 --> 00:24:15.940 one, a naturally gifted public speaker. 00:24:16.039 --> 00:24:18.460 They said he could have been a politician extraordinaire, 00:24:19.420 --> 00:24:22.140 one who never even made it out of grammar school, 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:25.079 and yet God used them both in powerful ways. 00:24:25.160 --> 00:24:25.299 Why? 00:24:25.420 --> 00:24:27.700 Because it doesn't actually have to do necessarily 00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:30.259 with your innate talent or your education. 00:24:30.259 --> 00:24:33.299 It has to do with the power of God at work through you, right? 00:24:34.359 --> 00:24:36.220 So spiritual gifts are not talents. 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:38.180 Another point to make, 00:24:38.539 --> 00:24:40.660 spiritual gifts are not the same as church offices. 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:45.279 Okay, so there are three offices given to us in Scripture 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:47.119 to sort of govern the church. 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:47.700 What are they? 00:24:49.319 --> 00:24:53.140 Bishops, priests, and deacons. 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:54.700 Right, so bishops, priests, and deacons. 00:24:54.759 --> 00:24:56.119 That's what we as Anglicans believe 00:24:56.119 --> 00:24:58.259 are the three offices given in Scripture. 00:24:58.259 --> 00:25:02.160 So any Christian can have any gift. 00:25:02.900 --> 00:25:04.660 We don't think that there's any limitation. 00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:07.059 Any Christian can have any gift. 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:11.700 And all that depends on is what God has assigned to them. 00:25:12.700 --> 00:25:14.619 But the difference is only those Christians 00:25:14.619 --> 00:25:16.819 who are called, qualified, and ordained 00:25:16.819 --> 00:25:19.259 serve in the offices of church leadership. 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:20.599 So what does that mean? 00:25:20.859 --> 00:25:22.879 That there are many people with pastoral gifts, 00:25:23.259 --> 00:25:24.759 many people with leadership gifts, 00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:26.420 many people with preaching gifts, 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:27.799 many people with teaching gifts, 00:25:27.799 --> 00:25:29.779 many people with all of the classic gifts 00:25:29.779 --> 00:25:33.079 that you would imagine would be in a pastoral office. 00:25:33.879 --> 00:25:36.859 And yet those people are not necessarily called to be pastors. 00:25:38.299 --> 00:25:39.859 And what we need to understand is 00:25:39.859 --> 00:25:41.779 that's a really, really, really good thing. 00:25:42.220 --> 00:25:42.419 Right? 00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:45.359 Most people with those gifts who come to me 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:45.680 and they say, 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:46.779 I'm thinking about being a pastor. 00:25:46.859 --> 00:25:47.819 The first thing I will say is 00:25:47.819 --> 00:25:49.559 you should probably think about something else. 00:25:49.559 --> 00:25:52.559 And the reason is because what we need is 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:55.639 we need pastors and prophets and preachers and teachers 00:25:55.639 --> 00:25:57.099 and shepherds and leaders 00:25:57.099 --> 00:25:59.619 way out beyond the walls of the church. 00:26:00.619 --> 00:26:01.059 Right? 00:26:01.159 --> 00:26:02.759 Every vocational sphere, 00:26:02.940 --> 00:26:03.819 every field, 00:26:03.980 --> 00:26:07.179 we need people with these spiritual gifts in those fields. 00:26:07.639 --> 00:26:11.379 So please don't confuse a gift and an office. 00:26:11.500 --> 00:26:11.679 Right? 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:12.880 Just because you have the gifts 00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:14.039 doesn't necessarily mean 00:26:14.039 --> 00:26:15.420 that you're called to the office. 00:26:16.340 --> 00:26:17.539 We do need pastors. 00:26:18.360 --> 00:26:20.140 We need a few good pastors. 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:23.299 But we're the people in the background. 00:26:23.660 --> 00:26:26.680 We're the ones who are kind of patching you up 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:27.720 and sending you back out. 00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:29.120 If you want to be on the front lines, 00:26:30.180 --> 00:26:31.160 figure out if there's a way 00:26:31.160 --> 00:26:32.400 that you can use your gifts there. 00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:38.400 So gifts are not talents. 00:26:39.400 --> 00:26:41.840 Gifts are not church offices. 00:26:42.780 --> 00:26:44.160 The third thing I'll say is this. 00:26:45.019 --> 00:26:46.780 Spiritual gifts are not the same 00:26:46.780 --> 00:26:48.400 as Christian responsibilities. 00:26:49.160 --> 00:26:50.480 Also worth pointing out, right? 00:26:51.340 --> 00:26:54.240 So all Christians have certain responsibilities, right? 00:26:54.380 --> 00:26:56.320 All Christians are called to show mercy. 00:26:57.540 --> 00:27:00.100 But some of you in this room have the gift of mercy. 00:27:00.660 --> 00:27:02.220 And we'll talk about what that means. 00:27:02.680 --> 00:27:05.400 All Christians are called to evangelism. 00:27:06.940 --> 00:27:08.100 Did you know that? 00:27:10.300 --> 00:27:11.380 You know, it's interesting. 00:27:11.620 --> 00:27:15.060 We do these kind of open prayers during the, 00:27:15.420 --> 00:27:16.360 during, you know, every now and then 00:27:16.360 --> 00:27:17.820 we'll do an open prayers of the people 00:27:17.820 --> 00:27:18.920 and we pray for the government 00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:20.140 and the people will pray. 00:27:20.440 --> 00:27:21.940 And we pray for people who are hurting. 00:27:22.180 --> 00:27:23.019 We pray for unemployment 00:27:23.019 --> 00:27:24.380 and people will pray aloud. 00:27:24.580 --> 00:27:25.800 And we pray for all those 00:27:25.800 --> 00:27:27.080 who don't yet know the Lord 00:27:27.080 --> 00:27:28.240 that they will believe the gospel. 00:27:29.320 --> 00:27:29.680 Crickets. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:31.540 And then we sort of move on. 00:27:31.539 --> 00:27:32.920 Now, I don't know why that is. 00:27:33.339 --> 00:27:34.879 But I do think that evangelism 00:27:34.879 --> 00:27:36.559 is particularly challenging for us 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:37.240 in this day and age. 00:27:37.299 --> 00:27:38.539 I think a lot of us struggle 00:27:38.539 --> 00:27:39.579 to know how to think about that. 00:27:39.659 --> 00:27:41.879 Maybe that will be next year's retreat topic. 00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:43.980 But I want to remind you here and now 00:27:43.980 --> 00:27:45.700 that all Christians have the responsibility 00:27:45.700 --> 00:27:47.099 to share the gospel 00:27:47.099 --> 00:27:48.859 in the ways that we're able to do that. 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:50.980 But some of you have the gift of evangelism. 00:27:51.639 --> 00:27:53.420 We'll talk about that more in a little while. 00:27:53.420 --> 00:27:57.300 Also, we're all called to give sacrificially to the church. 00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:00.100 And yet some of us are endowed 00:28:00.100 --> 00:28:03.120 with the gift of generosity and giving. 00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:04.680 So if you say, I would give, 00:28:04.800 --> 00:28:06.000 but it's not my spiritual gift, 00:28:06.060 --> 00:28:08.039 that's not going to fly at Advent. 00:28:09.240 --> 00:28:10.800 So spiritual gifts are not the same 00:28:10.800 --> 00:28:11.779 as Christian responsibilities. 00:28:12.019 --> 00:28:13.279 Lastly, spiritual gifts 00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:16.180 are not the same as spiritual fruit. 00:28:16.180 --> 00:28:19.279 And that's very, very, very important. 00:28:21.120 --> 00:28:23.460 Spiritual fruit is about who we are. 00:28:24.900 --> 00:28:26.539 Spiritual gifts are about what we do. 00:28:28.279 --> 00:28:30.600 But what we do ultimately depends on 00:28:30.600 --> 00:28:32.220 and flows out of who we are. 00:28:34.080 --> 00:28:35.299 Galatians 5.22, 00:28:35.460 --> 00:28:38.440 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 00:28:38.860 --> 00:28:40.820 patience, kindness, goodness, 00:28:41.380 --> 00:28:43.799 faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 00:28:43.799 --> 00:28:46.779 So the fruit of the Spirit is about what? 00:28:46.859 --> 00:28:48.079 It's about Christian character. 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:50.419 It's about Christian maturity. 00:28:51.819 --> 00:28:53.839 And all Christians are called to cultivate 00:28:53.839 --> 00:28:56.039 all of the fruit of the Spirit. 00:28:56.139 --> 00:28:57.839 We are all called to have 00:28:57.839 --> 00:28:59.839 all of the fruit present in our lives. 00:29:00.139 --> 00:29:01.759 Those are qualities that we should strive for. 00:29:03.059 --> 00:29:04.180 But by contrast, 00:29:04.579 --> 00:29:06.759 no one but Jesus has all the spiritual gifts. 00:29:07.879 --> 00:29:08.220 Right? 00:29:09.779 --> 00:29:12.319 We all have two, three, four gifts, 00:29:12.319 --> 00:29:13.720 but nobody has all of them. 00:29:13.799 --> 00:29:14.500 But by contrast, 00:29:14.579 --> 00:29:15.619 we're all called to have all the fruit. 00:29:15.700 --> 00:29:17.680 Again, a lot of people make this mistake. 00:29:18.119 --> 00:29:18.879 A lot of churches, 00:29:19.099 --> 00:29:20.059 a lot of small groups, 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:22.039 a lot of Christian non-profit groups. 00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:24.639 They confuse spiritual gifts 00:29:24.639 --> 00:29:25.559 and spiritual fruit. 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:26.759 And they take people 00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:28.099 who have tremendous gifts 00:29:28.099 --> 00:29:30.240 and they put them in positions 00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:31.940 of power and influence and leadership. 00:29:32.700 --> 00:29:34.480 But spiritually, they're infants. 00:29:36.139 --> 00:29:37.839 Very little in the way of spiritual fruit. 00:29:37.919 --> 00:29:38.740 But we're impressed 00:29:38.740 --> 00:29:40.279 with people who are good speakers. 00:29:40.279 --> 00:29:41.279 And we're impressed 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:42.579 with people who can draw a crowd. 00:29:42.680 --> 00:29:43.440 We're impressed with people 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:44.099 who are dynamic. 00:29:44.460 --> 00:29:45.259 We're impressed with people 00:29:45.259 --> 00:29:46.119 who have charisma, 00:29:46.500 --> 00:29:48.220 who can cast a vision, 00:29:48.539 --> 00:29:49.819 who can raise money 00:29:49.819 --> 00:29:51.339 and bring in the support. 00:29:51.440 --> 00:29:52.759 We're impressed with those kinds of people, 00:29:52.839 --> 00:29:53.779 so we put them forward. 00:29:54.559 --> 00:29:55.940 And yet, there's very little 00:29:55.940 --> 00:29:57.720 spiritual fruit in their lives. 00:29:59.420 --> 00:30:01.980 So gifts are useless without fruit. 00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:03.859 Right? 00:30:03.939 --> 00:30:05.199 Our character and maturity 00:30:05.199 --> 00:30:06.619 must be priorities. 00:30:09.719 --> 00:30:10.859 So these are some things 00:30:10.859 --> 00:30:12.219 that spiritual gifts are not. 00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:13.079 As we said before, 00:30:13.179 --> 00:30:14.419 spiritual gifts are manifestations 00:30:14.419 --> 00:30:15.519 of the Spirit. 00:30:15.859 --> 00:30:17.319 So think about them as channels 00:30:17.319 --> 00:30:18.939 or conduits. 00:30:19.699 --> 00:30:20.459 You know, it may be kind of 00:30:20.459 --> 00:30:21.459 a weird image to think about 00:30:21.459 --> 00:30:22.819 a channel kind of going 00:30:22.819 --> 00:30:23.639 right through your body. 00:30:24.039 --> 00:30:24.240 Right? 00:30:24.279 --> 00:30:25.059 But imagine that you have 00:30:25.059 --> 00:30:25.799 these channels 00:30:25.799 --> 00:30:27.119 or these conduits 00:30:27.119 --> 00:30:28.299 that go right through you 00:30:28.299 --> 00:30:29.919 and God pours the power 00:30:29.919 --> 00:30:30.359 of His Spirit 00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:31.339 through those channels 00:30:31.339 --> 00:30:32.639 and out into the lives 00:30:32.639 --> 00:30:33.779 of other people. 00:30:34.859 --> 00:30:35.939 So they're manifestations 00:30:35.939 --> 00:30:36.799 of the Spirit. 00:30:37.559 --> 00:30:38.759 And then he goes on to say 00:30:38.759 --> 00:30:40.279 that they're manifestations 00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:40.979 of the Spirit 00:30:40.979 --> 00:30:42.279 that come to us freely 00:30:42.279 --> 00:30:43.719 as gifts. 00:30:46.359 --> 00:30:48.039 And the fact that they are gifts 00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:49.219 means a couple of things. 00:30:49.319 --> 00:30:50.259 It means, one, 00:30:50.339 --> 00:30:52.000 that we don't get to choose them. 00:30:53.779 --> 00:30:56.719 Two, that we must use them. 00:30:57.039 --> 00:30:57.319 Okay? 00:30:57.599 --> 00:30:58.619 We don't get to choose them, 00:30:58.979 --> 00:31:00.019 but we've got to use them. 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:00.439 Right? 00:31:00.659 --> 00:31:02.479 So in terms of choosing them, 00:31:02.860 --> 00:31:03.900 I think that that's 00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:04.720 an important point 00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:05.880 because I think our tendency 00:31:05.880 --> 00:31:07.259 is to think in terms 00:31:07.259 --> 00:31:08.420 of comparisons. 00:31:09.500 --> 00:31:09.779 Right? 00:31:10.200 --> 00:31:11.519 We want to compare ourselves 00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:12.059 to other people 00:31:12.059 --> 00:31:13.039 in terms of how they look, 00:31:13.099 --> 00:31:13.900 in terms of what they do 00:31:13.900 --> 00:31:14.279 for a living, 00:31:14.360 --> 00:31:15.220 in terms of how successful 00:31:15.220 --> 00:31:15.660 they are, 00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:17.000 in terms of what their life 00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:17.420 is like. 00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:17.640 Right? 00:31:17.640 --> 00:31:18.860 Facebook makes this 00:31:18.860 --> 00:31:19.680 entirely possible 00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:20.680 in ways that we can only 00:31:20.680 --> 00:31:21.400 barely imagine, 00:31:21.700 --> 00:31:22.640 even 10 years ago. 00:31:22.700 --> 00:31:22.880 Right? 00:31:22.920 --> 00:31:24.320 The comparisons that we can make 00:31:24.320 --> 00:31:25.100 are endless. 00:31:25.259 --> 00:31:25.800 And this, I think, 00:31:25.820 --> 00:31:26.900 among Christians can happen 00:31:26.900 --> 00:31:28.620 in the realm of spiritual gifts. 00:31:29.300 --> 00:31:29.500 Right? 00:31:29.600 --> 00:31:30.259 Certain gifts, 00:31:30.300 --> 00:31:31.380 and this was happening in Corinth, 00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:34.080 become elevated in importance. 00:31:35.520 --> 00:31:36.880 I'll make a confession to you. 00:31:39.540 --> 00:31:41.120 For years, I wanted to be a musician. 00:31:41.979 --> 00:31:43.319 I really wanted to be a musician. 00:31:44.279 --> 00:31:45.339 And, you know, 00:31:45.379 --> 00:31:46.579 even as a teenager, 00:31:46.719 --> 00:31:47.639 I kind of had these dreams 00:31:47.639 --> 00:31:48.299 and tried to start, 00:31:48.379 --> 00:31:48.519 you know, 00:31:48.559 --> 00:31:49.639 we started this, you know, 00:31:49.699 --> 00:31:51.119 jankety little coffee shop band. 00:31:51.219 --> 00:31:52.000 And I, you know, 00:31:52.059 --> 00:31:53.639 I thought we were going places. 00:31:53.819 --> 00:31:55.039 And I, and I, 00:31:55.159 --> 00:31:55.719 and even, you know, 00:31:55.739 --> 00:31:56.279 in college 00:31:56.279 --> 00:31:57.699 and then going on 00:31:57.699 --> 00:31:59.439 into grad school. 00:31:59.639 --> 00:32:01.119 And I was even a worship leader 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:02.939 for a number of years. 00:32:02.939 --> 00:32:05.359 I was kind of a volunteer worship leader 00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:06.859 at a church up in Boston. 00:32:07.319 --> 00:32:07.839 Before that, 00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:09.939 I led worship as a youth minister. 00:32:10.639 --> 00:32:11.959 And, and I was doing all this 00:32:11.959 --> 00:32:12.500 and thinking, man, 00:32:12.539 --> 00:32:13.019 this is what I, 00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:13.859 I love to do this. 00:32:13.899 --> 00:32:14.599 This is so great. 00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:16.220 And then God, 00:32:16.259 --> 00:32:16.939 in his great wisdom, 00:32:17.059 --> 00:32:18.519 introduced me to some real musicians. 00:32:19.879 --> 00:32:20.959 And then he introduced me 00:32:20.959 --> 00:32:22.179 to some real worship leaders. 00:32:22.659 --> 00:32:23.839 Men and women who had 00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:25.139 tremendous spiritual gifting 00:32:25.139 --> 00:32:26.379 for such a thing. 00:32:26.419 --> 00:32:26.559 Right? 00:32:26.619 --> 00:32:27.419 People like Dan. 00:32:28.339 --> 00:32:28.699 Right? 00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:30.740 And I met these people. 00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:30.919 You know, 00:32:30.919 --> 00:32:31.740 people like my wife. 00:32:32.759 --> 00:32:32.959 You know, 00:32:32.980 --> 00:32:33.659 I met these people 00:32:33.659 --> 00:32:33.959 and I, 00:32:33.959 --> 00:32:34.339 and I, 00:32:34.459 --> 00:32:35.819 and, and, 00:32:35.939 --> 00:32:37.079 and, you know, 00:32:37.079 --> 00:32:38.059 every Sunday we, 00:32:38.199 --> 00:32:39.099 we in both services 00:32:39.099 --> 00:32:40.319 get to see the men and women 00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:40.879 in our church 00:32:40.879 --> 00:32:42.059 who are called and gifted 00:32:42.059 --> 00:32:43.299 for this role. 00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:44.159 You know, 00:32:44.159 --> 00:32:45.159 but I began to meet these people 00:32:45.159 --> 00:32:45.859 and I look at myself 00:32:45.859 --> 00:32:46.839 and meet these people 00:32:46.839 --> 00:32:47.439 and look at myself 00:32:47.439 --> 00:32:47.839 and realize, 00:32:48.139 --> 00:32:50.299 I don't think I'm the same as them. 00:32:50.379 --> 00:32:51.059 I don't, 00:32:51.159 --> 00:32:51.179 I don't think, 00:32:51.179 --> 00:32:51.899 they have something 00:32:51.899 --> 00:32:52.740 that I don't have. 00:32:52.740 --> 00:32:53.019 Right? 00:32:54.299 --> 00:32:55.399 And I began to realize 00:32:55.399 --> 00:32:56.639 I think that they have the gift 00:32:56.639 --> 00:32:57.139 and I don't. 00:32:58.240 --> 00:32:59.460 I'm not called to be a musician. 00:32:59.579 --> 00:33:00.639 I'm not called to be a worship leader. 00:33:00.879 --> 00:33:01.099 Right? 00:33:01.659 --> 00:33:02.819 So what do you do with that? 00:33:02.879 --> 00:33:03.019 I mean, 00:33:03.039 --> 00:33:04.379 that could either crush you 00:33:04.380 --> 00:33:07.200 or it could open you up. 00:33:09.740 --> 00:33:11.140 It could actually liberate you. 00:33:11.320 --> 00:33:11.540 Okay, 00:33:11.620 --> 00:33:12.360 so this is one thing 00:33:12.360 --> 00:33:13.900 I know I'm not called to do. 00:33:14.020 --> 00:33:15.140 Now what am I called to do? 00:33:15.740 --> 00:33:15.940 Right? 00:33:16.020 --> 00:33:17.900 Sometimes in focusing so much 00:33:17.900 --> 00:33:18.340 on the things 00:33:18.340 --> 00:33:19.580 that we wish we could be doing, 00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:21.020 the calling that we wish we had, 00:33:21.060 --> 00:33:22.140 the gifts that we wish we had, 00:33:22.280 --> 00:33:23.940 we're totally blind 00:33:23.940 --> 00:33:25.500 to the gifts and the calling 00:33:25.500 --> 00:33:26.200 that we do have. 00:33:27.660 --> 00:33:28.000 Right? 00:33:28.080 --> 00:33:28.880 So it's important to remember 00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:30.200 we don't get to choose. 00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:32.040 Ours is to discern 00:33:32.040 --> 00:33:33.000 and to understand 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:34.519 but not to choose. 00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:36.059 Right? 00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:36.900 A little bit later 00:33:36.900 --> 00:33:38.240 in 1 Corinthians 12, 00:33:38.339 --> 00:33:38.819 Paul says, 00:33:39.240 --> 00:33:40.819 if the whole body were an eye, 00:33:40.940 --> 00:33:42.619 where would be the sense of hearing? 00:33:42.940 --> 00:33:44.579 If the whole body were an ear, 00:33:44.700 --> 00:33:46.019 where would be the sense of smell? 00:33:46.299 --> 00:33:47.160 But as it is, 00:33:47.240 --> 00:33:48.940 God arranged the members in the body, 00:33:49.259 --> 00:33:51.099 each one of them as he chose. 00:33:53.140 --> 00:33:54.500 So the application is this. 00:33:54.559 --> 00:33:55.559 Don't compare yourself 00:33:55.559 --> 00:33:56.380 to other people. 00:33:57.220 --> 00:33:58.539 Don't give in to envy 00:33:58.539 --> 00:33:59.640 over other gifts 00:33:59.640 --> 00:34:00.000 thinking, 00:34:00.140 --> 00:34:00.180 well, 00:34:00.200 --> 00:34:01.519 I wish I could do that. 00:34:03.000 --> 00:34:04.799 trust that God knows 00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:05.400 what he's doing. 00:34:06.599 --> 00:34:07.000 Right? 00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:07.880 In verse 18, 00:34:08.019 --> 00:34:08.519 as it is, 00:34:08.619 --> 00:34:10.000 God arranged the members 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:10.539 in the body, 00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:11.380 each one of them 00:34:11.380 --> 00:34:12.840 as he chose. 00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:15.960 So the fact that they're gifts 00:34:15.960 --> 00:34:17.179 means we don't get to choose them. 00:34:17.320 --> 00:34:18.239 The fact that they're gifts, 00:34:18.940 --> 00:34:19.760 on the other hand, 00:34:19.820 --> 00:34:21.199 means that we do need 00:34:21.199 --> 00:34:22.039 to use them. 00:34:22.739 --> 00:34:23.940 We do need to use 00:34:23.940 --> 00:34:25.119 the gifts that we have. 00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:26.659 Last year, 00:34:26.719 --> 00:34:27.280 in 2015, 00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:30.240 a lot of people 00:34:30.240 --> 00:34:31.120 received gift cards. 00:34:32.600 --> 00:34:34.680 And many of these gift cards, 00:34:34.780 --> 00:34:35.640 for whatever reason, 00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:36.960 went unused. 00:34:38.500 --> 00:34:39.240 Think about it right now 00:34:39.240 --> 00:34:39.480 and think, 00:34:39.620 --> 00:34:40.740 do you have any gift cards 00:34:40.740 --> 00:34:41.780 that you've been given 00:34:41.780 --> 00:34:44.380 that are either in your wallet 00:34:44.380 --> 00:34:45.580 or in your bag 00:34:45.580 --> 00:34:47.040 or somewhere at home 00:34:47.040 --> 00:34:48.660 or maybe in your car 00:34:48.660 --> 00:34:50.780 or you're not quite sure 00:34:50.780 --> 00:34:51.340 where they are? 00:34:52.500 --> 00:34:53.820 Anybody have these experiences? 00:34:54.820 --> 00:34:55.680 Some of you I know 00:34:55.680 --> 00:34:56.600 have had these experiences. 00:34:58.519 --> 00:34:59.860 Did you know that last year, 00:35:00.300 --> 00:35:01.680 how much money do you think 00:35:01.680 --> 00:35:03.960 is tied up in unused gift cards? 00:35:05.380 --> 00:35:06.140 $13 billion. 00:35:08.460 --> 00:35:09.280 Guess lower. 00:35:09.700 --> 00:35:10.220 Guess lower. 00:35:11.140 --> 00:35:11.900 Well, last year, 00:35:11.980 --> 00:35:13.100 it was $1 billion. 00:35:15.059 --> 00:35:16.059 $1 billion. 00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:19.220 In years past, 00:35:19.260 --> 00:35:20.880 it's been as high as $7 billion. 00:35:21.980 --> 00:35:23.059 Tied up in unused. 00:35:23.059 --> 00:35:24.320 And this wreaks havoc 00:35:24.320 --> 00:35:26.179 on companies, right? 00:35:26.199 --> 00:35:26.940 Because they have to account 00:35:26.940 --> 00:35:27.900 for that revenue, right? 00:35:27.900 --> 00:35:28.480 And I don't understand 00:35:28.480 --> 00:35:29.199 how it all works, 00:35:29.320 --> 00:35:30.759 but they hate it, right? 00:35:31.739 --> 00:35:34.320 It does damage to their books, right? 00:35:34.699 --> 00:35:36.139 So all of that money 00:35:36.139 --> 00:35:37.599 just sitting there unused. 00:35:38.659 --> 00:35:39.639 And the point is, 00:35:39.719 --> 00:35:42.619 the same is true of the church, right? 00:35:42.659 --> 00:35:43.639 The same thing is true 00:35:43.639 --> 00:35:45.440 of the church, right? 00:35:45.739 --> 00:35:46.880 We've been given gifts 00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:47.779 by the Holy Spirit 00:35:47.779 --> 00:35:49.380 and gifts are meant to be used. 00:35:49.559 --> 00:35:51.619 But how many of those gifts, 00:35:51.619 --> 00:35:53.119 how much of that power 00:35:53.119 --> 00:35:53.659 for ministry 00:35:53.659 --> 00:35:54.900 is just sitting on the shelf? 00:35:55.940 --> 00:35:56.920 You know, gathering dust, 00:35:57.000 --> 00:35:58.259 lost in a purse somewhere, 00:35:58.599 --> 00:35:58.900 you know, 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:00.259 between the seats, 00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:01.639 the front seats of your car. 00:36:01.739 --> 00:36:01.859 I mean, 00:36:01.960 --> 00:36:03.679 how many of those gifts 00:36:03.679 --> 00:36:04.279 are just 00:36:04.279 --> 00:36:07.099 dead weight? 00:36:08.460 --> 00:36:08.920 Right? 00:36:08.980 --> 00:36:09.679 Because a gift card 00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:10.480 is just plastic 00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:11.339 until it's spent. 00:36:11.420 --> 00:36:12.500 It's just a useless 00:36:12.500 --> 00:36:13.420 little piece of plastic 00:36:13.420 --> 00:36:14.400 until it's converted 00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:15.799 into something of value. 00:36:15.800 --> 00:36:17.160 How many of our gifts 00:36:17.160 --> 00:36:18.539 are simply useless 00:36:18.539 --> 00:36:19.500 pieces of plastic 00:36:19.500 --> 00:36:21.180 that have yet to be converted 00:36:21.180 --> 00:36:22.180 into anything 00:36:22.180 --> 00:36:23.320 that has an impact 00:36:23.320 --> 00:36:24.320 on the economy 00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:24.820 of the kingdom? 00:36:27.100 --> 00:36:28.660 So gifts are meant 00:36:28.660 --> 00:36:29.400 to be used. 00:36:29.480 --> 00:36:31.140 They must be used. 00:36:32.620 --> 00:36:33.860 So gifts are manifestations 00:36:33.860 --> 00:36:34.600 of the Spirit 00:36:34.600 --> 00:36:35.920 and they are gifts. 00:36:36.460 --> 00:36:37.220 That means 00:36:37.220 --> 00:36:39.600 they need to be used, 00:36:39.720 --> 00:36:40.320 but they can't, 00:36:40.420 --> 00:36:42.400 we can't choose 00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:43.920 what gifts were given. 00:36:43.920 --> 00:36:45.079 And then lastly, 00:36:45.159 --> 00:36:46.039 the last point I want to make 00:36:46.039 --> 00:36:46.440 is this, 00:36:46.519 --> 00:36:47.119 that Paul says 00:36:47.119 --> 00:36:47.840 the purpose 00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:50.079 of these gifts 00:36:50.079 --> 00:36:50.920 is to serve 00:36:50.920 --> 00:36:51.780 the common good. 00:36:53.139 --> 00:36:53.960 It's to serve 00:36:53.960 --> 00:36:54.559 the common good. 00:36:54.619 --> 00:36:55.039 In other words, 00:36:55.240 --> 00:36:56.559 we're given specific gifts 00:36:56.559 --> 00:36:57.519 that are necessary 00:36:57.519 --> 00:36:58.480 for the health 00:36:58.480 --> 00:36:59.380 and the growth 00:36:59.380 --> 00:37:00.700 of the whole community. 00:37:02.039 --> 00:37:02.659 And what does 00:37:02.659 --> 00:37:03.460 the common good mean? 00:37:03.500 --> 00:37:04.340 It means that we are 00:37:04.340 --> 00:37:05.780 to both build up 00:37:05.780 --> 00:37:06.960 the existing community, 00:37:07.079 --> 00:37:07.740 so look around you, 00:37:07.800 --> 00:37:08.240 the men and women 00:37:08.240 --> 00:37:08.820 in this room, 00:37:10.760 --> 00:37:11.559 that you have gifts 00:37:11.559 --> 00:37:11.980 that are meant 00:37:11.980 --> 00:37:12.980 to build them up 00:37:12.980 --> 00:37:13.880 in one way or another. 00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:17.000 And by adding new members 00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:17.720 through conversion. 00:37:18.940 --> 00:37:19.420 Right? 00:37:20.559 --> 00:37:21.840 At the end of the day, 00:37:22.240 --> 00:37:23.480 there's a lot 00:37:23.480 --> 00:37:24.659 that the church can do 00:37:24.659 --> 00:37:26.539 to impact the city 00:37:26.539 --> 00:37:28.420 for the common good. 00:37:28.639 --> 00:37:28.860 Right? 00:37:29.220 --> 00:37:30.659 A lot that we should be doing 00:37:30.659 --> 00:37:31.960 in terms of mercy 00:37:31.960 --> 00:37:32.559 and justice 00:37:32.559 --> 00:37:33.780 and all of the things 00:37:33.780 --> 00:37:34.380 that we talk about. 00:37:34.440 --> 00:37:35.159 But we can't forget 00:37:35.159 --> 00:37:36.360 that the greatest good 00:37:36.360 --> 00:37:37.639 is that people 00:37:37.639 --> 00:37:39.059 come to a saving knowledge 00:37:39.059 --> 00:37:39.900 of Jesus Christ. 00:37:42.180 --> 00:37:42.659 Right? 00:37:42.659 --> 00:37:43.739 So it's no coincidence 00:37:43.739 --> 00:37:45.480 that in virtually 00:37:45.480 --> 00:37:46.339 every place 00:37:46.339 --> 00:37:47.500 where Paul discusses 00:37:47.500 --> 00:37:48.239 spiritual gifts, 00:37:48.460 --> 00:37:49.259 he does so 00:37:49.259 --> 00:37:49.960 in the image 00:37:49.960 --> 00:37:50.719 of the church 00:37:50.719 --> 00:37:52.039 as a human body. 00:37:53.519 --> 00:37:54.839 Every time he talks about it. 00:37:54.899 --> 00:37:55.819 So you want to understand 00:37:55.819 --> 00:37:56.359 what it means 00:37:56.359 --> 00:37:57.920 to serve the common good. 00:37:58.000 --> 00:37:58.679 Think about the image 00:37:58.679 --> 00:37:59.500 of a human body. 00:38:00.619 --> 00:38:00.839 You know, 00:38:00.899 --> 00:38:01.839 your body is made up 00:38:01.839 --> 00:38:02.779 of trillions 00:38:02.779 --> 00:38:04.099 of cells. 00:38:04.179 --> 00:38:04.519 Some of you 00:38:04.519 --> 00:38:05.059 who are doctors 00:38:05.059 --> 00:38:05.899 and medical professionals, 00:38:06.099 --> 00:38:07.599 you could do better 00:38:07.599 --> 00:38:08.119 than I could 00:38:08.119 --> 00:38:09.519 at explaining this. 00:38:09.519 --> 00:38:10.360 But your body 00:38:10.360 --> 00:38:10.800 is made up 00:38:10.800 --> 00:38:11.300 of trillions 00:38:11.300 --> 00:38:12.300 of individual cells 00:38:12.300 --> 00:38:13.440 and each of these cells 00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:15.500 has a specific role 00:38:15.500 --> 00:38:16.119 to play 00:38:16.119 --> 00:38:17.780 in the overall health 00:38:17.780 --> 00:38:19.079 and growth 00:38:19.079 --> 00:38:20.380 of your body. 00:38:21.780 --> 00:38:22.259 Right? 00:38:22.420 --> 00:38:23.019 And there are many 00:38:23.019 --> 00:38:24.300 different kinds of cells 00:38:24.300 --> 00:38:26.440 and yet there's 00:38:26.440 --> 00:38:27.380 a common link 00:38:27.380 --> 00:38:29.559 between all of the cells 00:38:29.559 --> 00:38:30.139 in your body. 00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:31.940 They all share what? 00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:34.539 The same DNA. 00:38:34.940 --> 00:38:35.119 Right? 00:38:35.320 --> 00:38:36.079 They all share 00:38:36.079 --> 00:38:36.699 the same DNA. 00:38:36.840 --> 00:38:37.420 Different cells, 00:38:37.519 --> 00:38:38.059 different functions, 00:38:38.059 --> 00:38:38.679 different appearances, 00:38:38.799 --> 00:38:39.199 all that, 00:38:39.460 --> 00:38:40.279 but they all share 00:38:40.279 --> 00:38:41.059 the same DNA. 00:38:41.400 --> 00:38:42.059 So the DNA 00:38:42.059 --> 00:38:44.179 is what joins your cells 00:38:44.179 --> 00:38:45.599 in perfect cooperation 00:38:45.599 --> 00:38:47.219 with every other cell 00:38:47.219 --> 00:38:48.599 and the DNA 00:38:48.599 --> 00:38:50.299 is what instructs 00:38:50.299 --> 00:38:50.820 each cell 00:38:50.820 --> 00:38:51.659 how to function 00:38:51.659 --> 00:38:52.340 specifically 00:38:52.340 --> 00:38:53.039 as a part 00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:54.199 of the whole. 00:38:55.219 --> 00:38:56.299 So being a Christian 00:38:56.299 --> 00:38:57.320 means that we're like 00:38:57.320 --> 00:38:58.119 cells 00:38:58.119 --> 00:38:59.340 who share 00:38:59.340 --> 00:39:00.199 the same DNA 00:39:00.199 --> 00:39:01.059 of Jesus Christ. 00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:02.519 Right? 00:39:03.019 --> 00:39:04.179 Jesus is the one 00:39:04.179 --> 00:39:05.139 who unifies us. 00:39:05.259 --> 00:39:06.259 Jesus is the one 00:39:06.259 --> 00:39:06.860 who coordinates 00:39:06.860 --> 00:39:07.519 the effort. 00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:08.579 Jesus is the one 00:39:08.579 --> 00:39:09.259 who instructs 00:39:09.259 --> 00:39:09.880 each of us 00:39:09.880 --> 00:39:10.759 how we are 00:39:10.759 --> 00:39:11.179 to serve 00:39:11.179 --> 00:39:11.539 the role 00:39:11.539 --> 00:39:12.420 we are to play. 00:39:13.139 --> 00:39:14.440 And there's a book 00:39:14.440 --> 00:39:15.460 called In the Lightness 00:39:15.460 --> 00:39:16.000 of God 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:17.519 written by a guy 00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:18.619 named Dr. Paul Brand 00:39:18.619 --> 00:39:19.480 and he makes 00:39:19.480 --> 00:39:20.280 a really striking 00:39:20.280 --> 00:39:20.840 analogy 00:39:20.840 --> 00:39:23.380 using this image 00:39:23.380 --> 00:39:24.480 because he says 00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:25.199 that there's a kind 00:39:25.199 --> 00:39:25.800 of cell 00:39:25.800 --> 00:39:27.019 that is sometimes 00:39:27.019 --> 00:39:27.900 found in the human 00:39:27.900 --> 00:39:28.699 body that is a 00:39:28.699 --> 00:39:29.360 healthy cell. 00:39:29.699 --> 00:39:31.079 It's a functional cell. 00:39:31.300 --> 00:39:32.659 It's a thriving cell. 00:39:32.860 --> 00:39:34.119 And by all appearances 00:39:34.119 --> 00:39:36.960 a cell like this 00:39:36.960 --> 00:39:38.759 you can't 00:39:38.759 --> 00:39:39.599 distinguish it 00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:40.400 from 00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:41.960 other cells 00:39:41.960 --> 00:39:42.460 in the body. 00:39:43.339 --> 00:39:44.400 Even white blood 00:39:44.400 --> 00:39:44.880 cells 00:39:44.880 --> 00:39:45.920 can't distinguish 00:39:45.920 --> 00:39:47.299 this cell 00:39:47.299 --> 00:39:48.159 from any other 00:39:48.159 --> 00:39:48.859 cell in the body. 00:39:49.380 --> 00:39:50.559 It's indistinguishable. 00:39:50.799 --> 00:39:51.659 There's only one 00:39:51.659 --> 00:39:52.139 difference. 00:39:53.319 --> 00:39:54.099 These cells 00:39:54.099 --> 00:39:55.440 instead of seeking 00:39:55.440 --> 00:39:56.400 the common good 00:39:56.400 --> 00:39:57.319 they seek 00:39:57.319 --> 00:39:58.179 their own good. 00:39:58.179 --> 00:40:00.139 They seek 00:40:00.139 --> 00:40:00.960 their own good 00:40:00.960 --> 00:40:02.159 at the expense 00:40:02.159 --> 00:40:03.940 of the larger body. 00:40:04.719 --> 00:40:05.919 So what is the name 00:40:05.919 --> 00:40:06.739 for these cells? 00:40:07.839 --> 00:40:08.319 Cancer. 00:40:09.159 --> 00:40:09.339 Right? 00:40:09.940 --> 00:40:10.759 That's the thing 00:40:10.759 --> 00:40:11.679 that makes a cancer cell 00:40:11.679 --> 00:40:12.319 a cancer cell. 00:40:12.739 --> 00:40:13.579 It doesn't seek 00:40:13.579 --> 00:40:14.259 the common good. 00:40:14.839 --> 00:40:15.419 It doesn't play 00:40:15.419 --> 00:40:15.899 the role 00:40:15.899 --> 00:40:16.480 that is meant 00:40:16.480 --> 00:40:17.159 to benefit 00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:18.980 and grow the body. 00:40:19.079 --> 00:40:19.619 It seeks 00:40:19.619 --> 00:40:20.839 and prioritizes 00:40:20.839 --> 00:40:21.919 its own good 00:40:21.919 --> 00:40:22.899 and its own survival. 00:40:23.159 --> 00:40:23.839 It's called cancer. 00:40:24.239 --> 00:40:25.599 And as Dr. Brand says 00:40:25.599 --> 00:40:26.960 the disloyalty 00:40:26.960 --> 00:40:28.199 found in these cells 00:40:28.199 --> 00:40:29.000 results in some 00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:29.840 of the most traumatic 00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:31.380 damage a body 00:40:31.380 --> 00:40:32.199 can sustain. 00:40:33.139 --> 00:40:33.380 Right? 00:40:33.460 --> 00:40:34.400 So when Paul says 00:40:34.400 --> 00:40:35.099 that we're part 00:40:35.099 --> 00:40:35.820 of the body 00:40:35.820 --> 00:40:36.880 he's saying more 00:40:36.880 --> 00:40:38.300 than you're in the club. 00:40:39.139 --> 00:40:39.440 Right? 00:40:39.679 --> 00:40:40.480 He's saying more 00:40:40.480 --> 00:40:41.220 than okay now 00:40:41.220 --> 00:40:42.099 you can be a member 00:40:42.099 --> 00:40:43.619 of this social club. 00:40:44.360 --> 00:40:44.679 Right? 00:40:44.740 --> 00:40:45.720 Because a member 00:40:45.720 --> 00:40:46.480 of a club 00:40:46.480 --> 00:40:47.340 you know 00:40:47.340 --> 00:40:49.159 I joined a fraternity 00:40:49.159 --> 00:40:51.500 in college 00:40:51.500 --> 00:40:53.179 and I was active 00:40:53.179 --> 00:40:54.059 for a couple of years 00:40:54.059 --> 00:40:55.099 and then I got 00:40:55.099 --> 00:40:55.699 disillusioned 00:40:55.699 --> 00:40:56.300 with the whole thing 00:40:56.300 --> 00:40:56.960 and the whole system 00:40:56.960 --> 00:40:57.940 and I went inactive. 00:40:58.840 --> 00:40:58.980 Right? 00:40:59.060 --> 00:41:00.060 And once I was inactive 00:41:00.060 --> 00:41:01.700 they just went 00:41:01.700 --> 00:41:02.660 right on without me. 00:41:03.180 --> 00:41:03.360 Right? 00:41:04.060 --> 00:41:04.720 They didn't need me 00:41:04.720 --> 00:41:05.480 they just steamrolled 00:41:05.480 --> 00:41:06.160 right on ahead. 00:41:06.680 --> 00:41:07.400 And that was great. 00:41:07.560 --> 00:41:07.720 Right? 00:41:07.760 --> 00:41:08.620 No pressure on me. 00:41:10.100 --> 00:41:11.080 It's not the same 00:41:11.080 --> 00:41:11.960 in the body of Christ. 00:41:14.100 --> 00:41:14.980 It's not the same. 00:41:15.060 --> 00:41:16.200 You can't just go inactive. 00:41:17.880 --> 00:41:18.240 Right? 00:41:18.240 --> 00:41:19.080 But inactivity 00:41:19.080 --> 00:41:21.780 is a loss. 00:41:22.960 --> 00:41:23.980 It does damage. 00:41:23.980 --> 00:41:26.000 There's a felt 00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:27.820 harm that is done 00:41:27.820 --> 00:41:29.860 when we simply 00:41:29.860 --> 00:41:30.880 decide to go 00:41:30.880 --> 00:41:31.980 inactive. 00:41:32.320 --> 00:41:32.460 You know 00:41:32.460 --> 00:41:33.780 1 Corinthians 12 00:41:33.780 --> 00:41:34.199 26 00:41:34.199 --> 00:41:34.920 Paul says 00:41:34.920 --> 00:41:36.000 if one part 00:41:36.000 --> 00:41:37.039 of the body suffers 00:41:37.039 --> 00:41:38.360 all suffer together 00:41:38.360 --> 00:41:39.699 if one is honored 00:41:39.699 --> 00:41:41.800 all rejoice together. 00:41:41.800 --> 00:41:43.680 you know 00:41:43.680 --> 00:41:44.260 I think one of the 00:41:44.260 --> 00:41:45.019 greatest fallacies 00:41:45.019 --> 00:41:45.900 in our church today 00:41:45.900 --> 00:41:46.720 and I'm not necessarily 00:41:46.720 --> 00:41:47.460 pointing at anybody 00:41:47.460 --> 00:41:48.000 in this room 00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:49.720 but one of the 00:41:49.720 --> 00:41:50.320 great fallacies 00:41:50.320 --> 00:41:51.080 is to think that 00:41:51.080 --> 00:41:51.920 church is a place 00:41:51.920 --> 00:41:52.720 that I can go 00:41:52.720 --> 00:41:53.840 and I can enjoy 00:41:53.840 --> 00:41:54.400 some music 00:41:54.400 --> 00:41:55.100 and I can make 00:41:55.100 --> 00:41:55.720 some friends 00:41:55.720 --> 00:41:56.220 and maybe 00:41:56.220 --> 00:41:57.820 find somebody to date 00:41:57.820 --> 00:41:58.539 and maybe hear 00:41:58.539 --> 00:41:59.519 some decent speaking 00:41:59.519 --> 00:42:01.039 that will encourage me 00:42:01.039 --> 00:42:01.640 for the week 00:42:01.640 --> 00:42:02.600 and then I go home. 00:42:03.039 --> 00:42:03.519 And that's what 00:42:03.519 --> 00:42:03.980 church is. 00:42:03.980 --> 00:42:05.619 And we fail 00:42:05.619 --> 00:42:06.260 to recognize 00:42:06.260 --> 00:42:07.280 that a church 00:42:07.280 --> 00:42:08.280 is a dynamic 00:42:08.280 --> 00:42:09.280 living 00:42:09.280 --> 00:42:10.440 spirit filled 00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:11.360 organism 00:42:11.360 --> 00:42:12.619 defined by 00:42:12.619 --> 00:42:13.619 interdependence 00:42:13.619 --> 00:42:15.599 and that every 00:42:15.599 --> 00:42:16.500 person there 00:42:16.500 --> 00:42:17.460 whether they know 00:42:17.460 --> 00:42:17.940 it or not 00:42:17.940 --> 00:42:18.800 has a role 00:42:18.800 --> 00:42:19.280 to play 00:42:19.280 --> 00:42:20.039 like a cell 00:42:20.039 --> 00:42:20.539 has a role 00:42:20.539 --> 00:42:21.019 to play 00:42:21.019 --> 00:42:22.240 in a human body. 00:42:23.599 --> 00:42:24.360 So that 00:42:24.360 --> 00:42:25.400 consumerist 00:42:25.400 --> 00:42:26.320 mindset 00:42:26.320 --> 00:42:27.380 is I think 00:42:27.380 --> 00:42:27.800 something 00:42:27.800 --> 00:42:28.699 that is a 00:42:28.699 --> 00:42:29.300 catalyst 00:42:29.300 --> 00:42:30.340 for an enormous 00:42:30.340 --> 00:42:31.440 amount of cancer 00:42:31.440 --> 00:42:32.480 that exists 00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:33.280 within the church. 00:42:33.980 --> 00:42:34.360 Right? 00:42:35.099 --> 00:42:35.940 Because the reality 00:42:35.940 --> 00:42:36.639 is this could not 00:42:36.639 --> 00:42:37.079 be further 00:42:37.079 --> 00:42:37.699 from the truth. 00:42:37.800 --> 00:42:38.500 So I want to take 00:42:38.500 --> 00:42:39.760 I want to encourage 00:42:39.760 --> 00:42:40.880 you to take two things 00:42:40.880 --> 00:42:41.659 from this kind of 00:42:41.659 --> 00:42:43.539 first session here 00:42:43.539 --> 00:42:45.119 as we talk about 00:42:45.119 --> 00:42:46.579 understanding 00:42:46.579 --> 00:42:47.320 spiritual gifts 00:42:47.320 --> 00:42:47.940 and that is this. 00:42:48.059 --> 00:42:48.619 The first thing 00:42:48.619 --> 00:42:49.240 to take is this. 00:42:49.539 --> 00:42:50.619 You belong here. 00:42:52.659 --> 00:42:53.599 You may be here 00:42:53.599 --> 00:42:54.179 and you may not know 00:42:54.179 --> 00:42:55.079 a single soul 00:42:55.079 --> 00:42:57.039 and good on you 00:42:57.039 --> 00:42:57.539 for coming. 00:42:58.059 --> 00:42:58.960 What an amazing 00:42:58.960 --> 00:42:59.659 act of courage 00:42:59.659 --> 00:43:00.159 that is. 00:43:00.800 --> 00:43:01.320 I would be 00:43:01.320 --> 00:43:02.740 terrified to do that. 00:43:03.260 --> 00:43:03.820 I would be 00:43:03.820 --> 00:43:04.400 terrified. 00:43:04.559 --> 00:43:04.820 In fact, 00:43:04.860 --> 00:43:05.300 I probably 00:43:05.300 --> 00:43:05.660 wouldn't have 00:43:05.660 --> 00:43:06.019 done it. 00:43:07.240 --> 00:43:08.340 But you're here 00:43:08.340 --> 00:43:09.039 and maybe you 00:43:09.039 --> 00:43:09.280 don't know 00:43:09.280 --> 00:43:10.000 a single person 00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:10.300 here. 00:43:10.519 --> 00:43:11.180 I want to tell 00:43:11.180 --> 00:43:11.640 you this. 00:43:12.120 --> 00:43:13.140 You belong here. 00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:14.900 Because even if 00:43:14.900 --> 00:43:15.620 you're not quite 00:43:15.620 --> 00:43:16.260 sure why you're 00:43:16.260 --> 00:43:16.880 here and even 00:43:16.880 --> 00:43:18.019 if maybe other 00:43:18.019 --> 00:43:18.580 people aren't 00:43:18.580 --> 00:43:19.160 quite sure 00:43:19.160 --> 00:43:20.220 why you're 00:43:20.220 --> 00:43:20.480 here. 00:43:22.440 --> 00:43:23.160 Just kidding. 00:43:25.680 --> 00:43:26.300 God knows 00:43:26.300 --> 00:43:26.800 why you're here. 00:43:27.660 --> 00:43:28.200 You're here 00:43:28.200 --> 00:43:28.700 for a reason. 00:43:29.160 --> 00:43:29.800 You're a cell 00:43:29.800 --> 00:43:30.340 in this body. 00:43:30.440 --> 00:43:30.940 You have a role 00:43:30.940 --> 00:43:31.440 to play. 00:43:31.740 --> 00:43:32.260 What is it? 00:43:34.420 --> 00:43:35.139 And the second 00:43:35.139 --> 00:43:35.880 thing is this. 00:43:36.940 --> 00:43:37.960 We need you. 00:43:40.260 --> 00:43:40.659 Right? 00:43:40.820 --> 00:43:41.460 There are needs 00:43:41.460 --> 00:43:42.179 here that only 00:43:42.179 --> 00:43:42.900 you can meet 00:43:42.900 --> 00:43:43.360 and there are 00:43:43.360 --> 00:43:43.900 hands here 00:43:43.900 --> 00:43:44.519 that only you 00:43:44.519 --> 00:43:45.039 can hold. 00:43:46.000 --> 00:43:46.880 We need you. 00:43:49.059 --> 00:43:49.760 So I want to 00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:50.539 stop right there 00:43:50.539 --> 00:43:51.700 and what we're 00:43:51.700 --> 00:43:51.940 going to do 00:43:51.940 --> 00:43:52.260 is this. 00:43:52.340 --> 00:43:52.639 I'm going to 00:43:52.639 --> 00:43:53.220 invite Josh 00:43:53.220 --> 00:43:53.800 to come up 00:43:53.800 --> 00:43:55.860 and Josh 00:43:55.860 --> 00:43:56.480 is going to 00:43:56.480 --> 00:43:57.639 what we're 00:43:57.639 --> 00:43:57.840 going to do 00:43:57.840 --> 00:43:58.240 now is we're 00:43:58.240 --> 00:43:58.400 going to 00:43:58.400 --> 00:43:59.599 transition to 00:43:59.599 --> 00:44:00.280 our discussion 00:44:00.280 --> 00:44:00.659 groups. 00:44:01.380 --> 00:44:01.820 And what we've 00:44:01.820 --> 00:44:02.539 done is we've 00:44:02.539 --> 00:44:03.480 taken the liberty 00:44:03.480 --> 00:44:04.760 of assigning you 00:44:04.760 --> 00:44:05.579 to a discussion 00:44:05.579 --> 00:44:07.800 group and we've 00:44:07.800 --> 00:44:08.360 done this. 00:44:08.840 --> 00:44:09.760 So there are 00:44:09.760 --> 00:44:10.380 people from our 00:44:10.380 --> 00:44:11.059 Brooklyn congregation 00:44:11.059 --> 00:44:12.179 here and we've 00:44:12.179 --> 00:44:12.800 assigned Brooklyn 00:44:12.800 --> 00:44:13.579 people to Brooklyn 00:44:13.579 --> 00:44:14.820 people and there 00:44:14.820 --> 00:44:15.280 are people from 00:44:15.280 --> 00:44:15.619 the Columbia 00:44:15.619 --> 00:44:16.260 Heights congregation 00:44:16.260 --> 00:44:16.780 and we've 00:44:16.780 --> 00:44:17.460 assigned Columbia 00:44:17.460 --> 00:44:18.099 Heights people to 00:44:18.099 --> 00:44:18.619 Columbia Heights 00:44:18.619 --> 00:44:18.940 people. 00:44:19.559 --> 00:44:20.480 And Josh is 00:44:20.480 --> 00:44:20.940 going to tell you 00:44:20.940 --> 00:44:21.599 a little bit more 00:44:21.599 --> 00:44:22.659 about how that is 00:44:22.659 --> 00:44:23.199 organized. 00:44:23.980 --> 00:44:24.920 But here's the 00:44:24.920 --> 00:44:25.579 question I want you 00:44:25.579 --> 00:44:26.159 to think about. 00:44:27.239 --> 00:44:27.719 I want you to 00:44:27.719 --> 00:44:28.159 go away, 00:44:28.819 --> 00:44:29.199 meet up with 00:44:29.199 --> 00:44:29.619 your groups, 00:44:30.739 --> 00:44:31.179 I want you to 00:44:31.179 --> 00:44:31.699 be gone and 00:44:31.699 --> 00:44:32.059 then I want you 00:44:32.059 --> 00:44:32.619 to be back here 00:44:32.619 --> 00:44:33.380 by 1045. 00:44:34.239 --> 00:44:34.880 So you have 00:44:34.880 --> 00:44:35.840 about 20 minutes 00:44:35.840 --> 00:44:37.420 for this first 00:44:37.420 --> 00:44:37.840 discussion. 00:44:37.980 --> 00:44:38.279 We'll have a 00:44:38.279 --> 00:44:38.920 little more time 00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:39.719 in the next 00:44:39.719 --> 00:44:40.099 breakout. 00:44:40.639 --> 00:44:41.259 But based on 00:44:41.259 --> 00:44:41.840 what you've heard 00:44:41.840 --> 00:44:42.259 here's the 00:44:42.259 --> 00:44:42.579 question. 00:44:42.880 --> 00:44:43.460 I just want you 00:44:43.460 --> 00:44:44.159 to share your 00:44:44.159 --> 00:44:44.940 own personal 00:44:44.940 --> 00:44:47.319 experience with 00:44:47.319 --> 00:44:48.340 the Holy Spirit 00:44:48.340 --> 00:44:48.840 and the gifts 00:44:48.840 --> 00:44:49.360 of the Spirit. 00:44:50.440 --> 00:44:51.059 I mean as honest 00:44:51.059 --> 00:44:51.500 as you're willing 00:44:51.500 --> 00:44:52.639 to be share your 00:44:52.639 --> 00:44:53.340 comfort level. 00:44:54.199 --> 00:44:54.659 You know have you 00:44:54.659 --> 00:44:55.299 been in churches 00:44:55.300 --> 00:44:56.300 where this was 00:44:56.300 --> 00:44:57.080 a major emphasis 00:44:57.080 --> 00:44:57.620 or not? 00:44:57.700 --> 00:44:58.280 Is this the first 00:44:58.280 --> 00:44:58.940 time you've ever 00:44:58.940 --> 00:44:59.740 heard this before? 00:45:00.900 --> 00:45:01.180 Right? 00:45:01.300 --> 00:45:01.740 What are your 00:45:01.740 --> 00:45:02.180 reactions? 00:45:02.800 --> 00:45:03.500 Based on what 00:45:03.500 --> 00:45:03.980 you've heard, 00:45:04.100 --> 00:45:04.519 how are you 00:45:04.519 --> 00:45:04.900 reacting? 00:45:05.039 --> 00:45:05.400 How are you 00:45:05.400 --> 00:45:05.680 feeling? 00:45:05.780 --> 00:45:06.320 What questions 00:45:06.320 --> 00:45:06.920 are coming to 00:45:06.920 --> 00:45:07.200 mind? 00:45:07.480 --> 00:45:07.920 I want you to 00:45:07.920 --> 00:45:08.420 go and I want 00:45:08.420 --> 00:45:08.900 you to share 00:45:08.900 --> 00:45:09.800 and then be back 00:45:09.800 --> 00:45:11.220 here at 1045. 00:45:11.760 --> 00:45:12.780 And Josh, 00:45:12.840 --> 00:45:13.060 why don't you 00:45:13.060 --> 00:45:13.580 come up and tell 00:45:13.580 --> 00:45:13.900 us how we're 00:45:13.900 --> 00:45:14.200 going to break 00:45:14.200 --> 00:45:14.360 out. 00:45:14.360 --> 00:45:14.420 Thank you. 00:45:14.420 --> 00:45:14.480 Thank you. 00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:14.620 Thank you. 00:45:14.620 --> 00:45:14.680 Thank you. 00:45:14.680 --> 00:45:14.780 Thank you. 00:45:14.780 --> 00:45:14.820 Thank you. 00:45:14.820 --> 00:45:14.960 Thank you. 00:45:14.960 --> 00:45:15.019 Thank you. 00:45:15.019 --> 00:45:15.080 Thank you. 00:45:15.080 --> 00:45:15.580 Thank you. 00:45:15.580 --> 00:45:15.680 Thank you. 00:45:15.680 --> 00:45:15.760 Thank you. 00:45:15.760 --> 00:45:16.260 Thank you. 00:45:16.260 --> 00:45:16.760 Thank you.