Gifted by God, Used by God: Part 3 (1/29/23)

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And now let's listen in to today's teaching.

So we've been studying First Corinthians Chapter 12 and we're

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

finally at the gifts of the Spirit, the list that Paul has

been setting us up to understand what it is that these gifts

accomplish. And we heard from the word last

week and the week before that, the reason why the holy spirit

gives us these gifts for the common good.

And as we taken some time to understand part, Paul's larger

flow of thought. What I've tried to do is give

you the bigger picture and Define some terms for us.

Because as we look at the gifts, the, the flow of God is helpful

for us in. Discerning what it is that we're

reading and how do we apply the truth of what Paul is telling

the Corinthians and their day and in their context?

What does that mean for us today?

Why are we taking the time to study this?

Well, in particular, I want to bring Clarity to what the gifts

of the Spirit are. There's a lot of confusion,

there's just a lot of abuse and misunderstanding and immaturity

when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit, but at the same

time, I also want to make sure that we have some Direction

section and focus as a church as we understand where we're going

as a church and what every local church should be thinking about,

which is how do we worship Christ in a right manner

together. What is the reason why God has

gifted us with his spirit and it is for the common goods for our

maturity. So it is for our maturity as a

church, why we study the word in the first place but in

particular at the beginning of the year, I wanted to take some

time so that we might understand the gifts of the Spirit that we

might. And the importance of membership

in the local body, what it is that the local church does the

question that was posed in Corinth was this?

What are the evidences of spiritual maturity or

spirituality who are the really spiritual people?

We already addressed that a few weeks ago, that the spiritual

people are those who have the Holy Spirit in US.

You cannot be a spiritual person.

Without the holy spirit. This remains to be a question

among some people in the church today, the church that

understands the nature of spiritual gifting is a church

that grows more effective in their witness, their

discipleship, their maturity, we're able to serve one another

better able to serve our community.

In more ways, we're able to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus

Christ, more clearly, and more effectively.

And I noted that so many of us, in fact, many of us in this room

have probably been either hurt by the abuse of the church or

the immaturity of a local church and their leaders and that so I

want to avoid either throwing some people under the bus or

Want to avoid just ignoring the fact that things happen in local

churches that are a result of immaturity and we can be

affected by that and just like the church in Corinth that we

have a lot of growing up to do and every church has some knots

that they need to work out some immaturity that needs to be

worked out. And so if you were here last

week and you were taking notes, I gave you an outline.

The macro outline is gifted by God and Gifts, used by God,

gifted by God and Gifts used by God.

And last week we went into A verse for saying that Paul asks

us and asked the Corinthians to be open to the spirit.

And the reason that the spirit exists is so that we might serve

one another that we are in verse 7, to use our gifts for the

common good. And so we are to not only be

open to what the spirit would have for us.

But also to be others centered, the argument will move forward

and Paul will give an example of the body that we are to remember

that love is the example our love Jesus or love for one

another. And then, finally, he'll give

some instructions in chapter 14 that our worship should be

orderly. The Corinthian Church was a

gifted Church in the beginning of the letter.

He tells them that in every way they've been gifted and he wants

them to understand that all of the gifts of the the Holy Spirit

are for their benefit. But also for the benefit of one,

another, he even says that they're not lacking in any

spiritual gift. Chapter 1 verses 4 through 9.

Then in verse 4, he lines out. That there are different gifts,

different charismatic but the Same Spirit, the Triune god

father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is Working supernaturally and

actively through every member of the church.

Every member of the church that has the spirit of God is being

worked on by God, giving the energy of God and being gifted

by God, not to the exclusion of the father of the son, of the

Holy Spirit. But together they're working.

The word manifestation is the ways in which the spirit shows

up. So when Paul says the spirit

manifests itself, these are the ways that the spirit shows

himself in the local congregation in the corporate

worship. Of the church, there are no,

super spiritual people, he shows up and in through all of us.

And so, when we think about the common good as Christians, the

common good is our greater maturity.

The common good is that we would help one another mature in

Christ. So that in that day, we would be

found blameless before him. Faithful radiant, beautiful

mature righteous Paul talks about this as being the thing

that that marriage represents. Husbands, love your wives.

As Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

That just like Christ loves the church, he also will present the

bride, the church radiant and splendorous he is the one that

does the work. So the spirit of God Christ

leads us to righteousness, he leads us to Perfection.

It's not us working in ourselves as a Paul's trying to say.

It's not you doing. Doing the work.

It's the spirit of Christ where the spirit of the Lord is there

is Christ. Christ is Among Us right now,

working through his body, to accomplish all of the things

that he desires to accomplish. So, knowing that it is the

Triune God knowing that the common good is our maturity, how

we worship together, how we live with one another, how we

identify the spirits work in our lives is important.

So what are the spiritual gifts? What are they used for?

And what are they being used for the gifts that are used by God?

There's a list. It's not an exhaustive list that

Paul starts in verse 8 and he goes all the way to 10.

But before I go through that, I want to give us some backdrop.

And answer the question, why has there been a splintering amongst

the church? Not the vision I want to clarify

this, just because there's a different denomination or a

different way in which a church worships doesn't mean that

that's Division. Division is when we divide over

something that is, is very important.

We divide over things like the D, Body of Christ.

If Jesus is not Lord and God and savior, then we divide from you

by saying that he is, if you believe that he is not, then we

would have to divide and fellowship from you, but just

because you Worship in a different way within the context

of scripture does not mean that there's division, it just means

it's a different expression of worship.

So I want to be clear on that because so many times I hear

people bemoaning the fact that there's so many different

churches and different. There's there's definitely some

immature splittings but it is okay.

That the church down the streets were Worships and structures

themselves in the same way that proclaims the gospel, we love

them. They're brothers and sisters,

but we're not divided from them. They're just different

expressions of worship from us. So I want to make that clear.

However, there was a movement that started relatively recently

in the church counter the charismatic or what is known as

the Pentecostal movement was a movement that was within

mainstream Christianity that emphasizes two things.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit and the use of spiritual gifts

or the charismatic, I already explained to us that to use that

word charismatic would be to use that word for every Christian.

Every Christian that holds the whole A spirit is gifted by the

Charisma. So we are all charismatic.

Can I get an amen? But we are not all Pentecostal.

What it means to be Pentecostals different than to recognize that

the gifts of the Spirit are in US, it has affected this

movement most of Evangelical u.s.

Christianity and Beyond the movement, seems to have started

in 1960. And anglicanism, in fact, within

the Anglican Church that's the Church of And there was a

renewal and a Revival. And there were things that were

happening, that began to spread to other mainstream Protestant

denominations, including Lutheran's and Presbyterians by

1962. For some of you who are old

enough to remember, there was a charismatic renewal even within

the Roman Catholic Church. There were, there were Bible

studies happening in gifts, being given in speaking in

tongues and profited words. And there was a renewal there,

that many of us have come to know Christ in a different way

and as A result halves in some ways, left the Catholic church

because we wanted to pursue the freedom to worship in 1962 that

moved on into 1967 and by the early 1970s, the movement was

not initially as influential in the invalid angelical church.

But since then has touched, almost every single Church in

America. How do I know that we've been

touched by this charismatic movement?

Well, if you came to Christ through campus Crusade for

Christ or have you came to Christ to the teaching of

Chucks? Of Calvary Chapel, if you went

to a Vineyard Church, or if you went to a church or read a book

by Gordon fee or Sam stornes, if you love songs that are written

and produced by Hillsong your life has been touched by the

charismatic movement and and that is in some ways, a very

good thing because the life and the, the breath of the holy

spirit that was sought. After was something that revive

the church and many in the early 60s, who were part of Russians,

that were stodgy a little bit and stiff.

One of my favorite preachers and teachers is a guy named dr.

Martin lloyd-jones. He was a, he was a Welsh

preacher and he begged his church to learn from though.

They disagreed with the theology or the exegesis of why they got

to where they would, he said by hands down that, you know, even

even even amongst us that love the Holy Spirit.

We are afraid to even just go like this, Hallelujah, everybody

down. There's a fear.

Stiffness and he says that it is a good thing and I would agree

with him that we would pursue and desire a life in renewal

before 1955. However, the religious

mainstream did not Embrace Pentecostal doctrines.

In fact, the predominant view up until the early 20th century

which is which is a lot of years.

I mean from the early church all the way up until the reformation

and after the Reformation up until you know, from the 1500s

To 1955 ish. There is no Pentecostal

movement. There's no need or sense to

think about the miraculous or extraordinary signs and gifts.

Because most people believe that the gifts that remained were the

gifts that were the most obvious and at work in the church.

And it gives that where the miraculous and the spectacular,

they had a place and they passed over time away because the work

that they were sent to accomplish happened The

Pentecostal movement and I want to be clear.

I'm not talking about you might, you might, I'm equating Charisma

with the spirit, but not the Pentecostal movement, the

Pentecostal movement is one in which claims to be an Essence, a

renewal of the neglected authentic elements in

Christianity, namely the gifts of tongues prophecy and healing

Pentecostal however does not equal the prosperity movement to

be Pentecostals. Not necessarily to be someone

like Joel Osteen or someone who is in the Kenneth Copeland Camp

of Prosperity Gospel. We're all that God cares about

is Faith, wealth health and prosperity.

That is not the Pentecostal movement, but it did come out of

the Pentecostal movement. So I want to me, I want to be

very clear about that. And so one of the questions that

needs to be answered is well, then why, Why is it called the

Pentecostal movement? What happened at Pentecost or

more precisely? We need to understand what is

the significance in the Redemptive story of God at

Pentecost? And I just want to briefly say

this Pentecost meant two things, one it meant that the spirit was

now, present permanently with God's people because of the work

of Jesus Christ. What Christ has done for us is

he's cleanse us of our sins given us forgiveness, and

Redemption and Reconciliation to God.

So that we, as the temple of God, might be dwell.

The spirit of God he cleaned house.

And so Pentecost was the promise of the spirit that was to be

sent to be with God's people into, it was the spirit.

Now, poured out, not on just some but on all again here that

theme the prophecy was that the spirit would dwell with God's

people, not just Jew, but Jew and Gentile or Jew plus see

that. Also in Corinth, when a church

gathers together and we begin to exclude certain people to say,

you've got this gift, you've Got this gift but you're the super

spiritual people and we'll just let you do the work.

No, no God's spirit dwells with everyone, that's the whole

point. It's like oiled you ever spill

oil on something the holy spirit is is equated to the oil.

In fact, the anointing, the priest whenever you spill oil

and some it drips down and everything water never lies oil.

Never lies. Right?

It goes where their cracks are. Oil gets everywhere in the same

way. The holy spirit is in every

single person who trust in Christ.

And so, when we talk about Pentecostalism, what we're

talking about, is this understanding that Pentecost is

to be not only repeated, but it was continued from Pentecost all

the way into the Lord's return. And so the Pentecostal movement

wants to look back and say these gifts are operative now as they

were back then. That is the Pentecostal, that's

the backdrop of where we have come as a church in 2023.

The reason why there is not division, but a difference in

how these gifts are applied or how we even read.

This text is biblically defendable.

There are, I have many friends who differ with me on my

understanding of what these are. But we are not divided because

we are united in Christ. There are Certain secondary and

tertiary things. There we go.

I was going to say 30 Airy. That was not a word.

There are things that we can divide on and they're things

that we can't divide on. And so again, I want to make

clear that when we focus on and I think Warren Weir's be is

correct on this. He says that we ought to

distinguish between one the spiritual gift Pentecost was the

gift of the spirit. It is God's gift to us that he

dwells with us. Right now, by his Spirit one,

the gift of the spirit to spiritual gifts, how does that

Spirit work through us and three spiritual offices?

How does God structure and Order his church?

What are the positions of trust in the Local church in which

will see that. And we also see that in First

1 Peter 4:10

Peter 4:10, we see that the offices of Apostles and Prophets

preachers. Teachers pastors Elders deacons,

there are offices that God has given his church to love the

church to serve the church. That the church might be what

mature Not, all of us will will fill a particular spiritual

office, but all of us have a spiritual gift that's to be used

for the building up of the body. That's what's most important.

And that is emphasis on spiritual Graces.

That's the fruit of the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is we

like to just divide it. Love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness. But actually, the entire list

is, is one. Its it is a whole fruit.

These are not just, oh, I'm manifesting love today.

And then next year, maybe I'll work on joint know it is.

Jesus Christ. It's the grace of who Jesus is

in us. The whole list is is Jesus in

US. So, when we talk about and study

the gifts of the Spirit, the question is not, whether they

still exist, okay? It's not whether spiritual gifts

exist because they do the question in the church is which

spiritual gifts exist today, not weather witch.

Whether or not healing or Miracles happens.

Today is not even a question. Because if we know again that

the Holy Spirit does, as he Wills can, God do what he wants

when he wants. Can I get an amen?

He can we submit ourselves to that, if he does not do what we

want him to do in the moment that we want him to do it.

Do we have any rights to tell him what to do when to do it?

It does as he wishes. Wills, he does, as he Wills.

And there was a time that God testified by signs and wonders.

That was the norm Hebrews chapter 2, verses 1 through 4.

Hebrews 2:1–4

The writer says God testified by signs and wonders and various

Miracles and distributions of gift from the Holy Spirit

according to his will why to testify to the many works of

Jesus Christ, that that it was true, that the Son of God had

come and I can give you a list of 17 verses to look up this

afternoon if you want to just see me afterwards.

What we believe about? The continuation of the

miraculous gifts and I don't have time to expound expound on

that today. But the miraculous and

revelatory Gifts hinges on what we understand about Ephesians

Ephesians 2:11–21

chapter 2, verses 11 through 21, that the foundation that was

laid and the Cornerstone that was laid that if Christ is

building his church in the illustration of metaphor, the

Paul uses that a foundation is laid and that the lines are set

and that through the work of the Apostles and the prophets, in

the pastors and the teachers in the church.

It's built up into spiritual Unity.

Then you don't lay multiple foundations.

The church is pictured as something that's being built by

God. And so, we have to answer for

ourselves. The question of what happened in

the Corinthian Church, and in the life of the early church,

that is both continuing today, but but doesn't seem to be

continuing today. And so, how do we, how do we

divide that up? How do we move forward together

without being jerks about it? And also, by being obedient to

the word when Paul says, Seek the gifts.

See the gifts and we're so scared of seeking to give

sometimes because we either ignore them and just say like

right away, it's like Monty Python run away.

Way, because we're scared of what we might, what we might

find or what we might believe. But yet if we hold the middle

ground where we say, no, no, let's do both.

Let's, let's see what the text says.

The study of for ourselves. Let's set a direction.

And then over time, the spirit will lead us into understanding.

Are you with me? One last thing.

Some of us perhaps have come from Pentecostal movement or

maybe a church. And again, so many good things

have come out. In fact, there's an author and a

theologian who wrote about his own Pentecostal experience and I

thought it was. This might be helpful for you to

hear because some of you might identify with it.

He said, growing up in a Pentecostal church was a

marvelous and intriguing experience, because the

experiential nature, the experiential nature.

The, the sense of Sing what I felt, what we heard.

What we were doing again, in Corinth.

It's the same thing that they're struggling.

They're immature Believers. Not that.

This man was an immature, but they were, they were trying to

come out of something that was ecstatic and they were used to

experiencing something. So how do we divide ourselves

from experiencing only? And, and moving towards a

thoughtful experience, he says the spiritual nature of Faith,

appeal, to specially to many who were otherwise, marginalized,

both in society at large and in Mainline churches.

And the diversity, Paul speaks of in First Corinthians. 12 was

our common lot with that diversity.

He says came at many strange things in church, not all of

them edifying to the body, in some of them downright scary for

some of us and when those of us from my generation raised in

this tradition, get together. We often swap stories and laugh

till we hurt. Not a hurtful mocking laughter,

but enjoys remembrance of the idiosyncrasies of some of God's

deers people now that is a humble thing to say.

I mean, I, I remember some of the stupid things I said, when I

was a young 21 year old, I remember stupid things I says

young 45 year old And but the younger I was I remember making

mistakes. Do you remember making mistakes

when you were a new Christian? A new believer.

You probably said some pretty Off the Wall wacky stuff.

I'm certain of it but yet as we grow and we look back and Grace

is applied to that isn't it kind that?

Someone says yeah you were you're an idiot back then but

look how God used you. How God used you?

Spiritual gifts are not natural talents.

All of us have been gifted with natural talents, but what the

spirit does is he takes those natural talents and works

through them. One of the things that we need

to recognize is that there are so many talented people in the

world who don't know. Jesus.

And they don't know the fullness of the spirit of their lives.

In fact, the scariest thing for me in my study is coming to the

conclusion that John Owens came to that you can have many gifts

but never be gifted with the Holy Spirit.

I can fool you and I can talk the talk and I can be a good

teacher, but I may not even in my heart, love, Jesus, that's a

scary thing. That I can get to the end of my

days and go before the Lord, and I can say, hey, didn't I showed

up every Sunday? Most Sundays at Church Newtown

Square. Where?

And I taught the scriptures and he could say to me, I never knew

you. And there's a lot of leaders and

pastors and people in churches, these days, that are that are

that, that are just that. In fact, some of you in this

room are professing, something that is not true in your heart.

And you're here, just out of rhythm tradition or thinking

that this is going to check the box, that's not true.

That's not true. all right, you have patiently, waited now that

I've said that backdrop, the reason why we're going to so as

we work through these gifts, I want to be very clear that I'm

I'm doing what I think is true to the text true to The

Narrative of scripture, true to the bigger picture and I've come

to some conclusions, some of which are Pretty pretty

disagreed upon and some of which everybody pretty much

understands to be a good interpretation.

So, Verse 6, chapter 12 and there are different activities

but the same God produces each gift in East person and the

spirit shows up in the group of this people, a manifestation of

the spirit is given to each person for the common good.

As the common. Good happens as we're using

these gifts Church in Corinth to one is given a message of

wisdom, through the spirit to another a message of knowledge.

In The Same Spirit. Here, the emphasis is on, On

seems to be two things. One, what the message is.

And so, the thing that links, these two gifts together is the

Lagos. It's the word.

It's the message to one is given a word.

It might be the translation that Greek word is Lagos.

You might remember in our study of John.

It says in the beginning was the what the law, God's?

The word, the Word was God, and the Word was with God and he

came and he dwelt Among Us, the word in scripture is always

pointing us to the word of God manifested in the person in the

The work of Jesus Christ. And so here, the word that is

given to one is given a message of wisdom through the spirit.

These two gifts come primarily from those who have a gift of

teaching, The reason it is a spiritual gift and it seems to

be a supernatural manifestation is, you know, the Corinthians

didn't turn to like, hey, they didn't stand up.

Say, hey turn your Bibles. Turn your leather bound Bibles

to First Corinthians chapter, you know, whatever.

They didn't have. They were right in Corinthians.

God was writing their story. They didn't have a new

testament, they had an Old Testament.

But if you'll turn with me and by the way, you're going to need

your Bibles in the next 10 minutes, turn with me to Acts

Acts 14 · chapter mention

chapter 14, make a left hand turn, and you'll remember that

in Acts the beginning of Acts chapter 4, John and Peter, you

Acts 4 · chapter mention

remember what the disciples were like?

Who were they? What was their original

occupation. They were They're fishermen.

They were not learned or educated men.

They did not come from the rabbinical seminaries.

They were fishing because they didn't have anything else to do.

You either were educated in red, rose up in the lot or you just

kind of fished and did what your parents did.

Vocationally in verse chapter, and chapter 4 verse 13.

There looking at Peter, and John and their boldness and says that

look sharp with verse 8, chapter 4, the Peter was filled with the

Holy Holy spirit filled with the Holy Spirit.

This fisherman, this stuck his foot in his mouth all the time.

Fisherman is filled Luke, says, with the Holy Spirit and says,

rulers of the people and Elders. If we are being examined today

about a good deed done to a disabled, man, they'd healed a

man they had walked by and they said rise, pick up your mat and

walk and the man picked up his mat and walked.

And that's what Miracles would be.

It is a direct direct healing. That's instant.

It's not over time. It's not like he went through

Physical Therapy, the man was lame.

And then he walked. So they do this miracle and

everyone's angry at them and he says, let it be known to you

verse 10. And to all the people of Israel

that by the name of Jesus, Christ of Nazareth, whom you

crucified whom God raised from the dead by him.

This man is standing here before you healthy by the spirit.

They mean, it is the spirit in them.

Jesus Christ doing the same thing that he did in person, but

now has empowered his Fossils to do, they raised him from the

dead and he points them to the fact that in the scriptures,

this stone that was rejected by you.

Builders he quotes Psalm 118 22 here, which has become the

Cornerstone. There is no salvation in anyone

else. He's eloquently speaking.

And what's the people's response around there.

Look at verse 13 when they observe the boldness of Peter

and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained.

Rained men. They were amazed.

These men have not spent years studying, there's something

authoritative in their teaching, there's something accurate in

their teaching and their right and they haven't done any

training. How is that possible?

It's equivalent to you like rolling up on the last day of

class into whatever it's your chemistry class.

If you're a high school student or if it's like some gen ed

class at college and you've not attended any class whatsoever

and you just think hey pray for me.

I need to get an A or else. I fail this course and you Some

of you just do this anyway, I used to do you just show up.

You think the holy spirit's going to give you wisdom and

knowledge of like what you should have studied you need to

study open your books and study. But the equivalent of this is if

you showed up and you told the professor but Hey listen I know

the equivalence of all of these, these things and blah blah blah

blah blah taste, it nailed it and you got 100%.

And The the professor to be like, who is this unlearned and

untreated college student that just walked in and nailed it.

You'd be dumbfounded. In the same way, these men knew

the scriptures. Turn to apps.

Acts chapter 6. They were unlearned.

Acts 6 · chapter mention

So that word is unknowledgeable. There's no gnosis, there's no

knowledge. They don't have any previous

knowledge. But what about wisdom?

Acts chapter 6. You might recall the story of

Acts 6 · chapter mention

Steven seven or chose to church is multiplying.

It's growing. And God is establishing deacons,

and elders, and pastors. And they're beginning to grow,

their numbers are growing. The spirit is at work.

They're committing themselves to the word and breaking of the

bread, which is the Gathering. Around the communion table, the

Lord's Supper. And it says in Acts chapter 6,

Acts 6 · chapter mention

that now Stephen Full of Grace and power verse 8. full of grace

and power was performing, great wonders and signs among the

people And what happened? Some of the members from the

freedmen synagogue, there was resistance.

They began to argue with them. But look at verse 10.

They were unable to watch, stand up to him against his wisdom.

Wisdom. when we look at Paul turn back to First Corinthians

12, in his letter, the reason why I showed you the breadth of

his letters because there's 11 chapters before this But it

seems that Paul is connecting the gift of wisdom and knowledge

to teaching of which he doesn't mention in this list, but in the

other list, if you go to Roman's, not now, but Romans

Romans 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12 First Corinthians 12 28 through 30 Ephesians 4.

There are other lists were teaching is the the listed gift

of the spirit, but it's not in here, but it seems that the

wisdom of the Corinthian Church. The desire to have wisdom and

all knowledge. Paul speaks You in chapter 1

through 2, he's saying that you guys are all just wanting to

find the latest knowledge and and get the greatest gift of

wisdom and you want to speak eloquently.

But let me let me show you a way that is better.

Proclaiming the message of the Cross and verse 18.

Chapter chapter 1 verse 18. Paul says this, he says, For the

word of the Cross, is foolishness to those who are

perishing, but is the power of God who are being saved for it,

is written any refers back. I will destroy the, what wisdom

of the wise. So, this gift seems to be.

And I would argue that it is a teaching gift and wisdom and

knowledge is, what is Learned by the right teaching of what God.

Speaks the gospel is a Word of Wisdom.

Paul, in Romans chapter 15 verse 14.

Romans 15:14

He talks about that. They are full of goodness filled

with all knowledge, Paul equates knowledge, and wisdom as the

gift of understanding, the gospel.

So what is wisdom and knowledge, it is a message.

It is a word as the proclamation of the ability to clarify what

the gospel is, and what it is, not how were to follow.

Oh, Jesus and Howard and not how were to live because we take

what the word has said. What has been revealed to us?

And we give you the end product wisdom, and knowledge, as a

result of teaching the spirit of wisdom and knowledge, is that a

natural gift? Here's the thing to be

spirituals to what again are we born, spiritual people or

natural, people were born, natural natural.

Are the people that I come out of the womb and I am like Adam.

I have no eyes to see Christ. I have no understanding of who

God is, but then when I crossed the line of faith and in the

Spirit regenerates, my heart. Now, I am a spiritual person.

I may be an idiot over here in terms of how I don't know how to

wash dishes. I don't know how to wash my own

clothes. I may still be the same idiot

over here, but at least I know that I'm humble enough to know.

Like, well, that's how God made me.

I know Jesus, he's giving me Grace.

I'm a spiritual person. there's no way I could understand what

I'm saying today, if it wasn't for the gifts of the Holy

Spirit, There's no way that you can know Jesus except for the

gift of the Holy Spirit. That's why it's a gift.

To have eyes to see and ears to hear the message of the gospel.

And then to go out and say I have no other savior but him,

that is not professed in this world.

That is, that is the Crux of the argument of the Gospel of Jesus

Christ, you do not have eyes to see, you must need the spirit to

open your eyes to be a natural person.

Rescued into the supernatural world of God.

The gift of knowledge as it exists today in whatever

capacity seems to be exercise. That could be not just

preaching, not everybody is going to exercise this office.

Not all of you have the spiritual gift given to you,

that enables you to do what I do.

But you can teach kids, you can teach, you might have the gift

of teaching and God might use that to benefit someone else in

a small group home group, and one-on-one discussions.

Perhaps my God might call you to go pastor and preach and teach

somewhere else, perhaps it's in the context of your only the

spiritual gift given to you to be exercised with wisdom and

knowledge can be exercised in all sorts of different ways, but

not every office, but in all sorts of different ways, How do

you know that you have the gift given to you?

Well, if you try to explain something simple to a little

child, like, if you volunteer at church in Church, kit kids

church and a kid looks at you, and completely doesn't

understand anything. You just said, even though

you've read it from the page, you probably don't have the gift

of teaching or wisdom and knowledge but how would you know

that unless you served that's why we need patience and Grace

your church grows mature. When we exercise our gifts, we

may not know what they are. We might have a nudge, the Holy

Spirit might nudge us towards a particular direction and we

might step out in faith and try something.

But until that time, unless we step out and try something, we

never know. We never know.

I don't believe that it is possible and I agree with most

every commentator that to have the gift of wisdom and

knowledge. You can't, you can't not have

that and be a pastor preacher teacher, unless God has given

you this gift, unless he's giving his gifts and it, that is

a humbling statement. Because there are times when I

do not believe that I have all that much wisdom and knowledge

in my life, I'm seeking more, but the fact that I'm able to

do, this is a gift to me. It didn't many ways affirms for

me, the steps of faith that I took many years ago and trying

to seek out what it was that God was going to you.

And I'm still trying to say, God, what would you have for me?

Where is the exercise? How do I serve again?

The idea is worship. You're not here for me.

I'm here for you. Because God has placed me here.

And leaders in the church are too humble themselves under the

mighty hand of God, so that in due time, they may be raised up.

If the name of Tom had Xena is never known Beyond these walls,

glory be to God, but that the name of Jesus Christ would be

exalted and lifted High through you, and through the world.

That is that is the reason why I do what I do and the reason why

you should do what you do, wherever God puts you to do

that, whether that's full-time Ministry, or that's just serving

behind the scenes with kids or preparing communion or visiting

someone, or ministering to someone in the hospital or, or

slipping a little extra cash to someone who needs it, or praying

for someone diligently or interceding, for people, or

running a missions trip to somewhere or leading our youth

group or doing other things, cleaning the gym.

Refreshing yourself in your time.

So that others might be blessed because that's why we're giving

the gift in the first place. The sermon, you've just listened

to is a presentation of Church Newtown, Square to find out more

about our church. Check out Church NS Q dot org

that's C HV R CH n SQ, dot-org you are welcome to copy and

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