1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,840 things that really work together. 2 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:03,480 That is the Holy Spirit's filling 3 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:05,880 and the gifting of the Holy Spirit. 4 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,760 When I was a kid, I don't know if you have any other kids 5 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,560 in here that really enjoy this specific toy, 6 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:13,160 but I was really into Legos. 7 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:14,600 Do we have any kids in here? 8 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:16,600 Maybe even some adults that are really into Legos. 9 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,200 Legos is actually still a thing for some adults. 10 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:20,320 Some of those Lego sets out there 11 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,140 are hundreds and hundreds of dollars, collectors items. 12 00:00:23,140 --> 00:00:24,960 But I was never blessed to have 13 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,360 any of those really cool ones. 14 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,960 Our kids got some Legos this year from grandparents 15 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,600 and they've got all kinds of neat parts and pieces 16 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:34,240 and things that are imitating, 17 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,240 things that are from TV shows and movies. 18 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,000 And I was never, I never was blessed to have that. 19 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,520 The kind of ones I had were just literally the blocks. 20 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:44,680 So like I literally had squares and rectangles 21 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:45,960 and little round pieces. 22 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:46,800 That was it. 23 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,440 And so when it came to building things or imitating things 24 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,880 or making things that, you know, to be able to play with, 25 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:54,920 I had to get creative. 26 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,120 I had to get a little bit of ingenuity. 27 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,800 So I had to make things, I had to make houses 28 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:04,520 and make cars that would look horrible in comparison 29 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,600 to some of today's really cool, unique Lego pieces. 30 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:09,400 But I had to get kind of creative. 31 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:12,760 And it helped breed a lot of creativity, 32 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,000 which I think was kind of the point of Legos originally. 33 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,560 But when it comes to creativity, 34 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,120 I think that there's probably the pinnacle of being creative. 35 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:25,240 It was illustrated a lot in one of my favorite 36 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,920 after-school TV shows when I was a little bit later 37 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,680 middle school, high school, and that was MacGyver. 38 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,720 And do we have any MacGyver fans in here? 39 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,200 MacGyver played by Richard D. Anderson was this, 40 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,920 if you don't know who he was, his covert operative. 41 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,600 And he was sent in some very difficult things, 42 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,080 very difficult, you know, saving the guy 43 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,080 or defeating the warlord, those kinds of things, 44 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:51,360 difficult situations. 45 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,440 And he generally had to improvise. 46 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,320 He was known for his improv skills 47 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,840 and making all kinds of neat things out of nothing. 48 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,360 He had to be very, very creative. 49 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,480 And some of the most incredible contraptions that he made, 50 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,680 he made an arc welder out of a car, 51 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,960 out of a car about a generator, 52 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,080 cables and 250 set pieces, made an arc welder out of that. 53 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,000 Another thing that he used, he made a lie detector 54 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,120 out of a blood pressure cuff and an alarm clock. 55 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:24,240 That was pretty cool. 56 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,160 One of my favorite ones is that he used a muffler 57 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,880 and he used some stuffing in the seats 58 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:34,880 and a shifter knob and then a lighter to make a bazooka. 59 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:36,960 How cool is that, right? 60 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,200 Now I don't know how scientific some of these creations were 61 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,640 or how even authentic they were, 62 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:44,920 but it was a lot of fun to watch after school. 63 00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:47,840 I was just like, man, what's MacGyver gonna come up with next? 64 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,480 And actually this TV show became really influential 65 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,760 even to our linguistics because even the idea of MacGyver 66 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:55,960 has kind of become part of our linguistics. 67 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,000 So if you were to MacGyver something, what does that mean? 68 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,560 It means to improvise, right? 69 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,560 To fix something. 70 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,280 Anybody have some tools or some things at their house 71 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:06,640 that they've MacGyvered, right? 72 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,000 Usually it involves some kind of duct tape 73 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,760 or maybe some screws in some random places, right? 74 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:15,000 That's kind of the way that, life, life sometimes is 75 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,480 because sometimes you don't have everything you need, right? 76 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:19,200 Sometimes you have to get a little bit creative. 77 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,440 You got a MacGyverer situation, right? 78 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,480 But when it comes to our spiritual life, 79 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:28,440 there's no MacGyvering, there's no improv that is necessary. 80 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,920 We have a Holy Spirit who equips us 81 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:35,840 and equips the local church to do exactly what we need to do. 82 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:37,640 We don't have to improvise. 83 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:39,320 We have exactly the gifting 84 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,800 and we have the power behind that gifting, 85 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,040 what we call the filling, to be able to get the job done. 86 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:45,880 What is the job? 87 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,480 Well, the job is to go and therefore teach all nations, 88 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,280 baptize them and teach them to observe all things, right? 89 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,840 And to worship and honor God until he returns. 90 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,320 So we have everything that we need. 91 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,280 So we don't have to MacGyver our spiritual condition. 92 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,160 The Holy Spirit equips us with everything that we need 93 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:05,720 and that's what we're gonna talk about tonight. 94 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,360 The filling and the gifting of the Holy Spirit. 95 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:10,160 And what I want you to be able to walk out of here tonight 96 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:12,560 is the idea that every believer can engage 97 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:14,720 in spirit-led ministry 98 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:17,200 by understanding some of the aspects 99 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,240 of filling and gifting tonight. 100 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:20,160 So we're gonna go through it. 101 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:21,880 We'll go through a variety of scriptures. 102 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:23,760 If you have a copy of your scriptures, 103 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,280 feel free to follow along with some of these scriptures. 104 00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:27,280 We're gonna meet Luke, 105 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:29,120 that would be the first one we look at, 106 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,520 but we're gonna be all over the place. 107 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,560 The scriptures will be on the screen as well 108 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:35,400 if you need those. 109 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,280 So first of all, let's kind of fill it. 110 00:04:37,280 --> 00:04:40,400 Let's kind of talk about the filling of the Holy Spirit. 111 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,120 Talk about the power behind the gifting 112 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:43,880 before we get there. 113 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:45,280 The filling, we're gonna talk about some 114 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:46,800 of the conditions of feeling. 115 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,920 What is it required for us to be filled with the spirit? 116 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,680 Ephesians has a command, be filled with the spirit. 117 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:56,560 So exactly how does that happen? 118 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:58,560 What are the conditions that are required? 119 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,480 Well, first of all, I wanted to just note here 120 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:07,480 that this first condition was really very specific 121 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,480 in the beginning of the church age 122 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,720 and beginning of even the time 123 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,600 when Jesus came on the scene. 124 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,480 And the first one is the sovereign act of God. 125 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:20,120 There's no doubt in our mind 126 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:22,160 in what scripture teaches that God is sovereign. 127 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,400 And so the gifting of the Holy Spirit 128 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,880 was certainly a sovereign act of God. 129 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,920 And we see this illustrated a lot in the Old Testament 130 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,280 through the temporarily indwelling, 131 00:05:32,280 --> 00:05:34,480 which we've talked about in a couple of lessons past. 132 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:35,840 We've talked about the Holy Spirit, 133 00:05:35,840 --> 00:05:37,920 but also in this New Testament age 134 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:41,320 or the time intertestamental right in between 135 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:43,480 when Jesus came on the scene. 136 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,160 There were specific times 137 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,240 when the Holy Spirit filled people for acts of service. 138 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,000 So we have, for example, we have John the Baptist 139 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,240 who was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb. 140 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,440 He doesn't do anything necessarily 141 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,240 to get that Holy Spirit, it just happens. 142 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:01,960 That's a sovereign act of God. 143 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,960 We see Elizabeth also when she hears the news, 144 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,800 the salutation that Mary is with child 145 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,600 who was also of the Holy Ghost. 146 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:10,960 Her child leaps in her womb 147 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,600 as Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Ghost. 148 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:15,880 She doesn't do anything necessarily specifically 149 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:18,280 to get that, it's a sovereign act of God. 150 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:22,840 We see Zacharias, also the father of John the Baptist 151 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:25,360 who is filled with the Holy Ghost as he's serving 152 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,200 and he prophesies talking about 153 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,600 why John the Baptist is going to be coming. 154 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:31,960 We see the disciples in Acts chapter two, 155 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,560 they're prepared, they're ready to be able to serve God, 156 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,040 but the Holy Spirit comes 157 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:40,080 and they're given a temporary gift 158 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,600 to be able to speak in tongues 159 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:44,360 and the Spirit gives them utterance 160 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,400 as they're filled with the Holy Ghost in Acts chapter two. 161 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,040 Then we see Paul as well, Paul also being filled 162 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,680 with the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 13. 163 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:57,040 He's given a supernatural power to be able to rebuke. 164 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,520 And so these people not necessarily doing anything 165 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,720 out of the ordinary, which we'll get to in just a second, 166 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,680 but they're sovereignly filled with the Holy Spirit. 167 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:08,800 Now this happens really specifically 168 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,000 only in these set times. 169 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,480 I don't know that Orinor believed 170 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,680 that the Holy Spirit necessarily acts in this way anymore 171 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:20,720 because we have a Holy Spirit who is also number two 172 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,880 and the condition is, fills us when we submit, 173 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:25,600 the submissive act of believers. 174 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,080 We have the sovereign act of God, 175 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:29,400 but we also have the submissive act of believers. 176 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,160 These are the conditions to be filled with the Spirit. 177 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,680 Now, this is where I believe there's a primary way 178 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,240 that God fills us with his Spirit. 179 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,240 The Holy Spirit is allowed to fill us. 180 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,720 It's a primary condition that needs to be met, 181 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:48,680 is that we submit to the will and the word of God. 182 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:50,840 I think that this is how God extensively works 183 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:51,840 in a believer's life. 184 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:55,280 And we see this exemplified more in the New Testament 185 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,160 scripture than these specific sovereign acts. 186 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,480 We see first of all, the example of Jesus. 187 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:02,440 Jesus in Luke chapter four, 188 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,400 both in verse one and verse 14. 189 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,040 He is being filled with the Holy Spirit 190 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,720 and being led as he's submitting to God's will, 191 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,760 being led out into the wilderness in verse one 192 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:14,600 to be tempted. 193 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:16,520 And then verse 14, when he comes back, 194 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,880 he comes back in the power of the Holy Spirit 195 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,160 as he is doing the will of his father. 196 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:28,040 He is being submissive to the will of his father. 197 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,120 We see this also exemplified in Acts chapter six. 198 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:32,800 Acts chapter six, verse three says, 199 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:33,880 wherefore brethren, 200 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,400 look ye at among you seven of men of honest report, 201 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,360 full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, 202 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,280 whom we may appoint over this business. 203 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,680 This is the time of the first deacons 204 00:08:43,680 --> 00:08:46,920 when they are being submissive to the work 205 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,320 of the Holy Spirit, the will and the word of God. 206 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:51,560 They are then filled with the Holy Spirit 207 00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:54,400 to be able to do what they are to do. 208 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:56,400 Acts chapter six, verse five, 209 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,520 just a few verses down says, 210 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,640 saying this thing, please the whole multitude. 211 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,960 And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith 212 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,520 and of the Holy Ghost, Philip, Prochorus, 213 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:08,280 Nicar and Taimon, Parmias and Nicolos, 214 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,160 the proselyte of Antioch. 215 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,640 We see this in the example of Barnabas too. 216 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:14,600 And I want you to note here 217 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,160 that that's both in Acts chapter six and Acts chapter 11. 218 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,320 We're talking about the submission of the believers. 219 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,520 It says that these people that were mentioned here 220 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:26,200 in Acts chapter six and then Barnabas in chapter 11, 221 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,080 do you see something that connects them? 222 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:31,840 They're filled with the Holy Ghost and of faith. 223 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,680 There is a submission to the will and word of God 224 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:39,560 that is required for the filling of the Holy Spirit. 225 00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:42,800 The Ephesian believers also in Ephesians chapter five, 226 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,080 verse 18 says, do not be drunk with wine, 227 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,480 whereas in excess, but be filled with the Spirit. 228 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:50,040 We'll talk about that in just a moment 229 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:51,360 in a little more detail. 230 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:55,480 But we see a commonality between all of these people, 231 00:09:55,480 --> 00:10:00,280 Jesus, the first deacons, Barnabas, Ephesian believers, 232 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:05,280 they all are submissive to the will and word of God. 233 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:09,640 There's a lot of what I would say misconception, perhaps, 234 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:11,640 when it comes to thinking about the idea 235 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:13,320 of the filling of the Spirit. 236 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,880 Sometimes we get it mixed up with the indwelling 237 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:18,080 or the baptizing of the Spirit. 238 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:19,960 I've heard one preacher say that the filling 239 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,980 of the Holy Spirit isn't about how much 240 00:10:22,980 --> 00:10:25,520 of the Holy Spirit you have, 241 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:29,160 but how much of the Holy Spirit has you. 242 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:30,720 And I wanna illustrate this today 243 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,800 with this idea of two different pictures. 244 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:34,680 Because sometimes I think that when we think 245 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:37,280 of the filling of the Holy Spirit, 246 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:41,400 our mind tends to wander towards one of two pictures. 247 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:42,980 The first picture is this. 248 00:10:42,980 --> 00:10:45,600 It's the idea of this bottled water 249 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:47,760 that's being poured into an empty glass. 250 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:49,320 And a lot of times when people think about 251 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,080 the filling of the Holy Spirit, 252 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:52,840 they think about it in this regard, 253 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:54,840 that there's some external source 254 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:56,680 that where the Holy Spirit resides, 255 00:10:56,680 --> 00:10:59,600 and as we want to be filled the Holy Spirit, 256 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,080 He kind of fills us from the exterior. 257 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,280 And then of course, when our cup is empty, 258 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,640 we need more, and so He pours more into us. 259 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,220 I think that this is probably a very poor way 260 00:11:11,220 --> 00:11:13,080 to think about the Holy Spirit 261 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:14,800 and the filling of the Holy Spirit. 262 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:17,320 Because what happens is at the time of salvation, 263 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,580 the Holy Spirit indwells us. 264 00:11:19,580 --> 00:11:22,360 We have 100% of the Holy Spirit, 265 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,240 not parts of the Holy Spirit, 266 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,420 or a percentage of the Holy Spirit. 267 00:11:26,420 --> 00:11:29,700 We have all of the Holy Spirit, and He indwells us. 268 00:11:29,700 --> 00:11:31,240 We talked about just a few weeks ago 269 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:33,520 that when He indwells us, that seal, 270 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:37,360 that stamp is then impressed upon us. 271 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,480 And that letter that's been sealed is never opened 272 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:44,000 until the sender who is Jesus, 273 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,480 the recipient who is also God, 274 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:49,780 opens that seal or breaks that seal. 275 00:11:49,780 --> 00:11:52,440 So none of the Holy Spirit seeps out, 276 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:54,800 and no more of the Holy Spirit gets in. 277 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:56,400 So how can we think about, 278 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,320 what's the proper way of thinking about this filling 279 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,360 of the Holy Spirit when it comes to a picture? 280 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:01,680 Well, I found this picture, 281 00:12:01,680 --> 00:12:03,120 I think it was probably one of the best ways 282 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:05,480 to be able to illustrate it, this next one if you will, 283 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:10,480 is this idea that the Holy Spirit is all contained within us. 284 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:15,520 But as we yield to the will and the word of God, 285 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,440 we allow the Holy Spirit to expand if you will, 286 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:23,880 to take control if you will, of us. 287 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:25,800 That unlike the glass of water, 288 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:27,880 where more of the Holy Spirit is required 289 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,080 from some external source, 290 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:32,400 it's more actually better to understand it 291 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:34,760 as we yield to the Holy Spirit, 292 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:39,760 we allow him to expand in influence and in control. 293 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:44,700 Unlike the permanence of the baptism or the sealing 294 00:12:44,700 --> 00:12:45,980 or the indwelling, 295 00:12:45,980 --> 00:12:49,360 the filling of the Holy Spirit is conditional. 296 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,660 And at times can be hindered, 297 00:12:51,660 --> 00:12:54,000 that idea of being full on the right, 298 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,080 being pressed down actually can happen 299 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:00,120 when we are involved in sin, 300 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,040 or perhaps when we are reluctant 301 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,640 to yield to the will and the word of God. 302 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:09,640 We can choose to not allow the Holy Spirit to fill us 303 00:13:13,220 --> 00:13:18,220 and we can allow sin or our own will to take control. 304 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,060 Now this is the idea of the conditions of the Holy Spirit. 305 00:13:21,060 --> 00:13:23,520 How does one get filled by the Holy Spirit? 306 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,840 Well, obviously it's a sovereign act of God, 307 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:28,840 but it's also a submissive act of a believer. 308 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:32,160 We must submit to the will and the word of God 309 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,240 to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us. 310 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:36,240 But what does it look like? 311 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,280 What does it look like if someone is being filled 312 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:39,120 with the Holy Spirit? 313 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:41,400 What are some of the characteristics 314 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,260 of being filled with the Holy Spirit? 315 00:13:43,260 --> 00:13:45,880 Well, first of all, Galatians chapter five tells us 316 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,320 that we'll have Christ-like character, 317 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:50,520 that when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, 318 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:51,760 verse 22 says, 319 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:56,520 but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-sivering, 320 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:00,200 gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. 321 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:02,800 Again, such, there is no law. 322 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:06,040 You see, when we yield to the will and word of God 323 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:09,240 and as the Holy Spirit then fills us, 324 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:13,320 we then overflow the fruit of the Spirit, right? 325 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:15,360 Things like love, joy, peace, long-sivering, 326 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:18,920 gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. 327 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,400 We overflow and we present ourselves 328 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:25,440 just as Christ would with Christ-like character. 329 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:27,640 As we yield to the will and word of God, 330 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:32,640 we act like Christ, who perfectly submitted to the Father 331 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:36,940 and perfectly submitted to the will and the word of God. 332 00:14:36,940 --> 00:14:39,840 Not only do we reveal Christ-like character, 333 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,040 something else that looks like is that we're involved 334 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:44,560 in evangelistic involvement, 335 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,760 that as we are allowed the Holy Spirit to fill us, 336 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:50,480 we will also be involved in the mission 337 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:54,840 of why the Holy Spirit and why God send Jesus. 338 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:56,800 Acts chapter two, verse four, it says, 339 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:58,760 they were filled with the Holy Ghost 340 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,240 and began to speak with other tongues 341 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:02,480 as the Spirit gave them utterance. 342 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:03,320 What were they speaking? 343 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:04,480 The truth of the word of God. 344 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,040 And what happens in Acts chapter two? 345 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,640 Hundreds and hundreds of people are saved 346 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:12,080 and added to the church. 347 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:14,480 Acts chapter four, verse 31, it says, 348 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:16,640 when they had prayed, the place was shaken, 349 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:17,980 where they were assembled together, 350 00:15:17,980 --> 00:15:20,160 they were all filled with the Holy Ghost 351 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:24,120 and spake the word of God with boldness. 352 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,640 They were involved in an evangelistic pursuit 353 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,120 that as the Holy Spirit was being, 354 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:30,720 was there being filled by the Holy Spirit, 355 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:32,640 they were involved in the mission 356 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,720 of getting the gospel out and speaking the word. 357 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:37,400 Acts chapter six, verse three, 358 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:40,400 wherefore brethren, looking out among seven honest report 359 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:41,920 full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom 360 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:43,680 who may appoint over this business. 361 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:44,520 What business? 362 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,180 The service of the church. 363 00:15:46,180 --> 00:15:48,780 They were involved in this evangelistic pursuit. 364 00:15:48,780 --> 00:15:52,480 Why? So that the apostles could be involved 365 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,800 in their part of getting the gospel out. 366 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,040 Acts chapter 11, for he was a good man 367 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,160 full of the Holy Ghost and of faith, 368 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,800 and much people was added unto the Lord. 369 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:04,240 What does that mean? 370 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,000 A bunch of people got saved. 371 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,800 He was involved in the evangelistic pursuit. 372 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:10,840 You see, when we're allowed the Holy Ghost, 373 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:13,000 the Holy Spirit to fill us, 374 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:17,120 we'll be involved in what the Holy Spirit wants us to do. 375 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:18,120 What is that? 376 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:20,040 The mission of Christ, right? 377 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:23,560 Going into all nations, teaching, baptizing, 378 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,760 and teaching them to observe all things. 379 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:28,120 As we yield to the will and word of God, 380 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,580 we'll be active in the focal mission 381 00:16:30,580 --> 00:16:34,000 of the salvation of many. 382 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,080 Third way that we can, 383 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:39,880 a third characteristic, if you will, 384 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:43,320 of us being filled with the Holy Spirit is three things. 385 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,360 Praise, thanksgiving, and submission, 386 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:48,320 all coming out of Acts chapter five, 387 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:50,360 or sorry Ephesians chapter five. 388 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,240 Ephesians chapter five verse 18, 389 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:54,440 which we said already says, 390 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:56,680 be not drunk with wine whereas in excess, 391 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:59,400 but be filled with the Spirit. 392 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:01,080 Verse 19 goes on to say, 393 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,440 speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns 394 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:04,440 and spiritual songs, 395 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:06,960 singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 396 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,280 giving thanks for all things unto God and the Father 397 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,120 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 398 00:17:12,120 --> 00:17:14,480 submitting yourselves one to another 399 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:16,440 in the fear of God. 400 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,720 You see, when we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, 401 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,720 when we yield to the will and the word of God, 402 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,760 we will overflow the things of God. 403 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:29,860 That is, praise, we'll have a heart of praise. 404 00:17:29,860 --> 00:17:32,800 That is, thanksgiving, we'll give thanks to God 405 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:34,680 for all things that has happened, 406 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,540 and we'll also produce submission. 407 00:17:37,540 --> 00:17:40,720 So, if you meet a Christian who is not thankful, 408 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:42,480 who is not being submissive, 409 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:44,720 who is not overflung with praise, 410 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,240 they have a filling problem. 411 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,120 They are not being filled with the Holy Spirit. 412 00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:52,440 They're not allowing the Holy Spirit 413 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,440 to have his will and way in their life. 414 00:17:56,360 --> 00:17:58,520 Let's talk about the gifting. 415 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,360 So, the filling is the power behind the gifting, 416 00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:04,640 but the gifting is oftentimes what we tend to think about 417 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:06,720 when we think about the Holy Spirit. 418 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,220 And for good reason, there is much of Corinthians 419 00:18:10,220 --> 00:18:13,800 and Romans that talks about the gifting of the Holy Spirit. 420 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,720 It is an important subject for us to understand. 421 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:18,800 So, let's take a little bit of time tonight 422 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,240 before our time expires to be able to talk about 423 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,660 this gifting of the Holy Spirit. 424 00:18:24,660 --> 00:18:26,480 First of all, let's talk about the distribution 425 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:27,320 of the gifting. 426 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,240 So, where does the gift come from? 427 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,520 Well, according to 1 Corinthians 12 verse 11, 428 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:34,800 it's given by the Spirit. 429 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,920 1 Corinthians 12 verse 11 says, 430 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:41,960 but all these worketh that won in the self-same Spirit, 431 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,600 dividing to every man severally as he will. 432 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:47,440 Verse Corinthians 12, if you look at the greater context, 433 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,600 is talking about the different gifts of the Spirit. 434 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:53,680 It tells us that the Spirit is the one 435 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:55,960 who divvies them out, if you will. 436 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,160 The gifts of the Holy Spirit, they're not applied for, right? 437 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,920 We don't get saved and there's like an application. 438 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:05,260 I really kind of want this one and want this one. 439 00:19:05,260 --> 00:19:07,400 It's not like a menu board where we walk up 440 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,800 and we go, can I get a double dose of Thanksgiving 441 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,260 with a side of evangelism, right? 442 00:19:13,260 --> 00:19:15,080 It's not something that we pick and choose, 443 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:16,440 not something we order. 444 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,840 It's not something that we ask for necessarily. 445 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,680 It's something that the Holy Spirit distributes. 446 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:24,940 It says, as he will. 447 00:19:24,940 --> 00:19:27,640 The implication here is that he gives us to it 448 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:29,040 as the body needs. 449 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:33,160 That was what the greater thing in 1 Corinthians 12 talks about. 450 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,800 As the Holy Spirit wills, he gives as needed. 451 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:40,120 Verses 24 through 27, in 1 Corinthians 12, 452 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:41,960 kind of give us a little bit of that insight 453 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,360 that the Holy Spirit gives the body what it needs 454 00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:48,600 to be able to do the mission of God. 455 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:52,240 So, as we are given these gifts, we are given to them, 456 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:56,120 we're given them by the Holy Spirit. 457 00:19:56,120 --> 00:19:57,960 Not only is that, when we say we, 458 00:19:57,960 --> 00:19:59,960 I mean that we as believers, 459 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:03,480 that believers are the only ones that are able to have 460 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:05,480 the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 461 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:06,680 They're given by the Spirit. 462 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,080 They're also given to the saints. 463 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,360 1 Corinthians chapter seven, verse seven says this, 464 00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:16,240 for I would that all men were even as myself, 465 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:19,080 but every man hath his proper gift of God, 466 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:22,920 one after this manner and one after that. 467 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,560 See, Paul was talking to the Corinthian believers 468 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,240 who were having a little bit of trouble with the gifts 469 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:29,360 and the idea of that. 470 00:20:29,360 --> 00:20:31,120 Some of them were being misused. 471 00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:33,680 And so, part of his letter to the Corinthians 472 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:35,880 was to set them straight into how to be able 473 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,240 to use their gifts to edify the body 474 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,920 and to do the mission that God had called them to do. 475 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,560 And so, Paul was encouraging them that he wanted them 476 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:46,840 to all be like him, using their proper gift 477 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,880 in the proper manner, one having some, 478 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:53,400 one having another, but all of them using it accordingly. 479 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:54,720 Who is them? 480 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,200 It is the Corinthian church, the Corinthian believers. 481 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:01,080 1 Peter chapter four, verse 10 says it this way, 482 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,360 as every man hath received the gift, 483 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:06,640 even so minister the same one to another 484 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,960 as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 485 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,600 See, Peter was talking to a group of believers as well. 486 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:14,960 And he wanted them to understand that as the gift 487 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,600 that they had been given, so they must minister 488 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,760 or use it for the good of the body. 489 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:22,640 He said the same one to another 490 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,360 as the good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 491 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:28,640 You see, as you as a believer have been given gifts 492 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:32,680 by the Holy Spirit, we are responsible to use those gifts 493 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,480 in a way that is proper to that gifting. 494 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:40,480 Primarily, to be used, to edify, to build up the body of Christ 495 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:42,520 but also to accomplish the mission 496 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:44,520 that God has all called us to do. 497 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:48,360 The gift of getting the gospel here and around the world. 498 00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:50,520 These gifts are imparted to all believers. 499 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:54,160 And what's understood at least by 1 Peter chapter four 500 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,360 is that every believer has at least one gift 501 00:21:57,360 --> 00:22:00,800 to be able to use for this process. 502 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:02,960 So we talk about the distribution, 503 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:04,920 how we receive those gifts. 504 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,400 But the big question is, what are the gifts? 505 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:08,800 Right, that's when we talk about gifting, 506 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:10,640 we usually wanna know the details. 507 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:11,480 What is it? 508 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:12,320 What are the gifts? 509 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:13,760 Which one do I have? 510 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,440 Well, I don't know that I can answer that question 511 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:17,960 necessarily for you tonight. 512 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:19,680 But what I can help you understand 513 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,600 is the nature of the gifts that we have 514 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:24,680 or that have been given through time. 515 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,120 By kind of looking at a few different diagrams. 516 00:22:27,120 --> 00:22:28,680 Pastor used some diagrams this morning, 517 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:30,040 we're gonna use some diagrams tonight. 518 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:31,440 Just happened to work that way. 519 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:34,360 So I've got a few tables that I'm gonna show you here tonight 520 00:22:34,360 --> 00:22:36,440 and we'll do our best as time allows 521 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:38,480 to be able to go through some of these gifts 522 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:42,280 to be able to help you give a better understanding 523 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:46,480 of the characteristics or the description of these gifts. 524 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:48,680 First of all, I wanna break the gifts up 525 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:50,120 into two different categories. 526 00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:53,240 One is what we would call ceased gifts. 527 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,480 The other one is continued gifts. 528 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,600 So there are some gifts that God distributed 529 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,680 in the early church time that was used 530 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:05,440 in the beginning of the church age. 531 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:07,120 What we call ceased gifting. 532 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:09,960 These are gifting that I believe the scripture teaches 533 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:14,880 that these no longer exist because their purpose is now, 534 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:19,600 there's now no longer this purpose for these gifts. 535 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:21,880 So let's talk about the first one is the gifting 536 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:23,920 or this position of the apostle. 537 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,280 Now, in a general sense, the idea of apostle 538 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,200 literally just means sent one. 539 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:29,840 So when pastor says you're not dismissed, 540 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:30,960 you're apostleed, right? 541 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:31,960 You're sent. 542 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:34,000 That's kind of the general sense of the word, 543 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,800 but we don't necessarily use it that way 544 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:41,640 because of the idea of the apostle in the New Testament 545 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,760 isn't in a general sense, it's more in a technical sense. 546 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,560 In a technical sense, the apostles were those 547 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,840 who were taught and had seen the risen Christ. 548 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:55,000 By and been seen by, had seen the risen Christ. 549 00:23:55,000 --> 00:24:00,000 These were people who were obviously part of the 12, 550 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:02,600 maybe a few others, and also Paul. 551 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,760 Paul actually claims apostleship 552 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:09,840 or the role of apostleship. 553 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:12,440 And he does so because of what he says in Galatians 554 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,880 that he was taught by Christ Jesus. 555 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:16,800 And then of course he had seen the risen Christ 556 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:17,840 on his way to Damascus. 557 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,240 So he had fulfilled both of those stipulations 558 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:21,520 to be an apostle. 559 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:24,680 So because there is nobody in this room 560 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,840 who has been taught by, nor seen the risen Christ, 561 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,120 there are no apostles in this room, 562 00:24:30,120 --> 00:24:32,080 at least not in the technical sense, right? 563 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:33,200 There may be some sent ones. 564 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:35,760 We're all sent at some point in time. 565 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,120 But the idea of the apostle has ceased. 566 00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:41,400 There are none of those left today. 567 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:45,240 The idea of the prophet, the prophet in a general sense 568 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:46,920 just means to proclaim. 569 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,560 But obviously the role of the prophet as well 570 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,400 in the technical sense has also been complete. 571 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:55,080 The idea of the prophet is the idea 572 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,640 who someone who speaks of future things. 573 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,360 Now the Old Testament is filled with many prophets. 574 00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:02,440 In fact, several of the books of the Bible 575 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,320 are prophets, they're named the names of prophets. 576 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:09,360 But we also see a little bit of this in the New Testament. 577 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:12,360 Even during the church age, there is a guy named Agibus 578 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:13,680 who is a prophet. 579 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:18,680 And he comes to Paul, I believe it's in Acts chapter 20, 21, 580 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,640 where he comes and he uses his girdle to bind Paul up 581 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,520 and say, Paul, when you return back to Jerusalem, 582 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:26,920 this is going to happen to you. 583 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,080 You are going to be bound and you are going to stand trial 584 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:31,960 for what you're preaching. 585 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,360 And of course, all the people who are with him 586 00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:38,720 begin to cry and Paul says, I'm not willing only to be bound 587 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,080 but to give my life for this cause. 588 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:43,960 And so this Agibus practices this idea 589 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,080 of proclaiming future things. 590 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,120 Now, there is no need for the prophet anymore 591 00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:52,680 because we have a more sure word of prophecy 592 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:54,360 that is the word of God. 593 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:57,400 We're gonna talk about miracles and healing. 594 00:25:57,400 --> 00:25:59,760 Now, when I say miracles and healing, 595 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:01,400 that doesn't mean that have ceased, 596 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,320 that doesn't mean that God doesn't still do miracles 597 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,960 or God doesn't still do healing. 598 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,520 I believe that he still does those things, 599 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:13,320 but he doesn't use us to do those things anymore. 600 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:15,560 These miracles and healings that were used 601 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,360 in the New Testament time, 602 00:26:17,360 --> 00:26:19,840 specifically in the book of Acts and others, 603 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:23,960 are special signs that you were used to authenticate 604 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,240 the message of the gospel and of the truth 605 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,720 of the word of God before the completion of the canon 606 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,880 or before the completion of the word of God. 607 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,080 Before there was the word of God to point to 608 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:37,840 and say thus sayeth the Lord, 609 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:39,960 there were just people who would speak 610 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:42,720 or would stand up in the midst of a church service 611 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:46,440 and say, God says this or God's truth is this. 612 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,520 And one of the ways they authenticated that message 613 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:54,120 was to do some miraculous healing or miracle. 614 00:26:54,120 --> 00:26:56,800 Tongues, an interpretation of tongues, 615 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:59,520 a highly debated topic even still today, 616 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:01,400 not necessarily in our circle, 617 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:03,880 but in other greater circles. 618 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:06,440 The New Testament makes it very clear 619 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,000 that tongues was someone who was given 620 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:12,920 a supernatural ability to speak an earthly language 621 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,280 that they didn't already know. 622 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:19,120 So this isn't the idea of being able to be bilingual 623 00:27:19,120 --> 00:27:20,080 or trilingual. 624 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:23,440 So if somebody was to stand up and speak a language, 625 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:25,280 Spanish or French or Chinese 626 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:28,000 that they had studied for many years, 627 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,560 that doesn't mean that they had the gift of tongues. 628 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,800 That's not what tongues was in New Testament times. 629 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:35,840 Tongues was the idea of being able to speak 630 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:40,840 a language of earth that you didn't already know. 631 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,760 Now the interpretation of tongues was just the opposite. 632 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:46,480 It was the ability to understand and then interpret back 633 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:48,440 into the language that the people knew 634 00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:52,080 of what this person was saying. 635 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:56,880 They were to be used together according to the apostle Paul 636 00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:00,800 in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and 13 and 14. 637 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,440 He spent a lot of time helping people understand 638 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:05,440 that these were not to be misused 639 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,360 but to be used simultaneously together. 640 00:28:08,360 --> 00:28:11,840 He also indicates in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 641 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:15,200 quite the opposite of what modern day practitioners 642 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,960 of the idea of tongues do. 643 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,240 For those who practice the modern day equivalent of tongues 644 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,400 or I would say the modern way of tongues, 645 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,160 most of the time they're used in a church shedding 646 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,920 to edify or build up a church. 647 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:31,960 But according to Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, 648 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,360 the purpose of tongues was not to edify the church 649 00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:37,800 but to win or evangelize the lost. 650 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:39,480 That's what the point of it was. 651 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:40,960 1 Corinthians chapter 14, 652 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:42,280 if you would go to it for a second, 653 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:44,160 I don't know that I have this one on the screen 654 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:47,080 but I think it's important for us to look at it ourselves. 655 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:50,520 1 Corinthians chapter 14, Paul is dealing with prophecy 656 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:52,880 and with tongues with the Corinthian church 657 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:57,000 who was abusing this time, misusing it in the church 658 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:57,960 if you will. 659 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:00,640 Verse 21, he says, in the law it is written 660 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,800 with men of other tongues and other lips 661 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,040 will I speak unto this people 662 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:09,240 and yet for all that will they not hear me say 663 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,800 the Lord, he's referring to a prophecy 664 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,920 that is being fulfilled in the giving of the gift of tongues. 665 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:19,040 Verse 22 says, wherefore tongues are for a sign, 666 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,280 not to them that believe, 667 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:25,000 but to them that believed not for prophesying service, 668 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,880 not for them that believed not, but for them which believe. 669 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,720 So he's talking about I'd rather you prophesy 670 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:33,080 to build up the church, 671 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:35,000 rather than to use this gift of tongues 672 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,520 because tongues is a sign gift. 673 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,960 It's a sign to demonstrate that the truth 674 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:44,640 of the message of the gospel is what you should believe. 675 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,520 And so you should use it to evangelize the lost 676 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,040 rather than to build up the saved. 677 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:52,880 So the tongues interpretation of tongues 678 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:57,320 as verse 13, I think makes clear also is one 679 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:59,720 of the gifts that have ceased 680 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:03,480 because we no longer need any kind of proof 681 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,840 that what God's word says is true because we have. 682 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:09,680 God's word in its completion. 683 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,040 The discerning of spirits is the last one I believe 684 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:13,840 is one of the sign gifts. 685 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,360 Sometimes misunderstood this ideal ability 686 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:20,640 to discern spirits was also a spirit given ability 687 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:24,240 to distinguish between true and false sources 688 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,520 of supernatural revelation that was given in oral form. 689 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,600 Now remember the written word of God was very scarce 690 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:33,960 in this very church, in this beginning church age, 691 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:35,720 not only because it hadn't been written yet 692 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:37,240 or was still being written, 693 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:38,920 but because copies of scripture 694 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:40,800 were very difficult to come about. 695 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:45,320 So most of these Gentile churches would get together, 696 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:48,280 they would not have copies of the Hebrew scriptures 697 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:50,760 nor would they be able to read the Hebrew scriptures 698 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,800 nor did they have the completed word of God. 699 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:57,920 So God was supernaturally helping them to grow in Christ 700 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,520 not only by the letters that Paul was writing 701 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:03,040 and the preaching that Paul was doing 702 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:05,680 and many others, Timothy, Barnumus and such on, 703 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:08,400 but also through the gifting of prophecy 704 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:10,440 and some of these other gifts that had ceased. 705 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:12,560 And so when someone would stand up and say, 706 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:15,600 God says this or God's truth is this, 707 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:17,840 God had given someone else the ability 708 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:20,040 to stand up and say that sign gift, 709 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:24,400 a sign that what was being preached was the truth. 710 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:26,440 Now we no longer need a sign 711 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:30,120 because we have a more sure word of prophecy. 712 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:33,040 We have the word of God that has given to us 713 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:34,400 in its completion. 714 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,680 So we no longer need somebody to say, 715 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:41,680 hey, this book is right because God's word says it itself. 716 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:44,720 Okay, so we have the ceased gifts 717 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:48,160 but we also have the what I call continued gifts. 718 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:51,120 The gifts that are still in existence today 719 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:53,000 that I believe that the word of God teaches 720 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,080 and that the Holy Spirit still gives 721 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:57,760 to those believers that come to Christ. 722 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:00,280 So let's be really quick because we're running out of time. 723 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:02,760 All right, we're gonna kind of water ski over these. 724 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:05,800 We could spend many, many weeks setting all these out 725 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:07,960 but we're gonna water ski over these really quick. 726 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:09,640 Ministering, of course, ministry, 727 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:11,440 this is in its most general sense, 728 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:15,320 the idea of ministering or doing ministry to the church. 729 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:18,360 Exertation, the idea of encouraging, comforting, 730 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:22,200 or admonishing someone with the spirit given ability 731 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:24,280 to encourage and to comfort others. 732 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:25,840 This is exhortation. 733 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:27,720 Evangelism, the supernatural, 734 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:31,200 or what I would say spirit, the spirit ability 735 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,520 to proclaim the gospel with exceptional clarity. 736 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,040 Specifically this idea of evangelism. 737 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:41,520 For the most part we see like Philip the evangelist, 738 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,200 most of these people who have this gift 739 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,120 in the New Testament early church age 740 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:46,840 were sent out of the church. 741 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:48,480 They didn't use this inside the church. 742 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:50,560 They were sent out of the church with this ability. 743 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:53,000 I think maybe most commonly we would probably call 744 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,760 this person a missionary in our modern tongue. 745 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:57,720 The idea of serving or maybe an evangelist. 746 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:01,400 The serving and helps are closely related together 747 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:03,040 in the broadest sense. 748 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:05,240 It's the idea of meeting the needs of others 749 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,040 through doing something about it. 750 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:09,680 So when God has given you the spirit ability 751 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:11,960 to not just pray for somebody, 752 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:13,880 but do something about someone's problem. 753 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:15,680 This is the idea of serving and helping. 754 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,480 Teaching, the ability to teach the word of God 755 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:20,320 with exceptional clarity. 756 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:23,400 Many times this is connected with the pastoral gifting, 757 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:26,040 but not necessarily. 758 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,400 The idea of the pastor, the role there still exists. 759 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,560 Although apostle and prophet do not exist still today 760 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:35,440 in the technical sense, the pastor still does. 761 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:37,240 He is the one who has been given the spirit 762 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:41,200 let ability to shepherd and care for the flock of God. 763 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:46,040 And also to protect God's people and the flock of God. 764 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:49,080 Administration, what we call leadership. 765 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:52,880 The idea of ruling is the ability to rule in the church. 766 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:56,000 Not necessarily like as some kind of elected king 767 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:58,400 or elected official, but as someone who is able 768 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:00,200 to get the details down. 769 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:03,240 Someone who is able to help things move about 770 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:06,520 as a group of people meet, as a group of people do 771 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:09,760 what they've been called to do as far as assembling. 772 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:12,240 There's some processes that happen. 773 00:34:12,240 --> 00:34:15,000 And so the ability to then give oversight 774 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:16,080 in the rule of the church. 775 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:17,920 This is the gifting of administration, 776 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:20,800 of leadership and of ruling. 777 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,960 The idea of faith is the ability to believe 778 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:26,560 and help others believe in God's supply. 779 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:31,880 Also mercy is highly connected with serving and help, 780 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:34,120 but is also not limited to just doing. 781 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:37,080 It's also extended to the idea of comfort 782 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:41,360 or encouraging those, particularly those who are sick. 783 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:43,120 And that's what we see in scripture. 784 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:45,600 But when it comes to the idea of gifting, 785 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:47,040 many times people are wondering, 786 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:49,840 and we kind of focus so much on this idea of gift. 787 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:51,080 Which gift do I have? 788 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:52,280 Do I should I take this test? 789 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:54,600 And we kind of think about this idea of gifting 790 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:57,760 and we're trying to build a resume, if you will. 791 00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:00,160 But here's what I want to encourage you with. 792 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:04,320 Because I think sometimes it's kind of like a pendulum, right? 793 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,120 If we go too far to one side and think, 794 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,400 well, gifting is not really that important. 795 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:09,760 Well, the scripture makes it really clear 796 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:10,760 that it is really important. 797 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:12,320 In fact, there's a bunch of scriptures 798 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,240 that talk about the gifting and the importance 799 00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:17,120 of being able to develop that gifting and use your gifting. 800 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:19,360 So to be able to say, well, it's not really important at all. 801 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:20,760 I think that would be too far to swing 802 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:22,320 on one side of the pendulum. 803 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:24,640 Of course, the other side is, well, I gotta take this test 804 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:26,200 and I only have these specific ones 805 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:27,480 and I can only do ministries 806 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:29,200 because of the specific gifts I have. 807 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:30,720 I think if we go too far to one side 808 00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:33,920 or too far to the other, it kind of nullifies 809 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,900 this idea of a practicality of how we actually use these 810 00:35:36,900 --> 00:35:40,640 gifting in the sense of the building of the church. 811 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:42,920 But here's what I want to encourage you. 812 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:44,000 Because sometimes people will say, 813 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:45,920 I don't really know what gifting I have. 814 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:48,280 Here's what I want you to be able to see, okay? 815 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:50,760 There are some gifts that are given to some, 816 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:53,960 but there are commandments that are given to everybody. 817 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:55,380 I want to see, I want to show you 818 00:35:55,380 --> 00:35:57,720 how they kind of parallel one another here. 819 00:35:57,720 --> 00:36:00,680 We have some gifts to some and we have commands to all. 820 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:02,800 There are some that have the gift of ministry, 821 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:06,000 but all of us have been commanded to serve each other 822 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:08,160 in Galatians chapter five verse 13. 823 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:10,760 There are some that may have this supernatural 824 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:14,160 or a spirit-led ability to exhort, 825 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,140 to admonish, to encourage, 826 00:36:16,140 --> 00:36:19,400 but all of us have been called to exhort one another 827 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:20,920 in Hebrews chapter 10. 828 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,040 There are some who may have an extra measure of gift, 829 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:28,200 of the idea of giving, but all of us have been called to give. 830 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:30,720 Every man is to give as they have been blessed, 831 00:36:30,720 --> 00:36:33,880 according to 2 Corinthians chapter nine. 832 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:38,120 Some may have the spirit-gifting to teach with clarity, 833 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:43,120 but all of us have been called to teach what Jesus has, 834 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:48,120 teach people to observe all that Christ has taught us. 835 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:50,760 That's Matthew chapter 28, the Great Commission. 836 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,280 Some have been given an extra measure of mercy, 837 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:55,880 but all of us have called to be kind. 838 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:58,160 Some have been given the extra measure of faith, 839 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:00,560 but all of us have been called to walk by faith, 840 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:02,760 according to 2 Corinthians chapter five. 841 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:06,960 Some, maybe, the supernatural, the spirit-led ability 842 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:09,680 to have the gift of evangelism, 843 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:12,360 to be able to preach the gospel 844 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:15,720 with much clarity, but all of us have been called to witness. 845 00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:18,120 Acts chapter one, verse eight. 846 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:21,280 That's what Jesus says, you shall be my witnesses. 847 00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:25,200 So, what I wanna encourage you with and leave you with 848 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:29,120 is that don't get so hanged up or hung up 849 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:31,440 with the idea of, well, I only have certain giftings 850 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:35,720 and I can only, don't build a box around your gifting. 851 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,560 Do as the word of God says. 852 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:43,120 All of us can do most of what the Holy Spirit 853 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:44,920 has still allowed us to give, 854 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:48,440 still allowed us to do through the gifting 855 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:50,440 of the Holy Spirit. 856 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:53,000 Some of us may have an extra measure to do it, 857 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:55,280 maybe a little bit better or with more clarity, 858 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:58,360 but almost all of us have been called to exemplify 859 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:01,680 all the different facets, all the different characteristics 860 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:05,200 of the gifts of the spirit. 861 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:07,000 Here's what I wanna leave you with tonight. 862 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:08,720 So, we kinda went through a lot. 863 00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:12,640 Maybe some of you, your heads might be spinning a little bit. 864 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:16,080 What I want to encourage you with tonight is this, 865 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:17,960 the duties of the gifts. 866 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:20,120 Why do the gifts exist? 867 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:22,840 Why are we filled or commanded to be filled 868 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:27,680 so that we can do what we can live out the gifting 869 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:28,920 in our life? 870 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:30,960 Well, here's what I wanna encourage you with. 871 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:31,800 What are our duties? 872 00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:36,280 First of all, our duty is to discover through serving. 873 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:38,800 We need to know the gifts that we have. 874 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:40,400 It is important. 875 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:43,840 1 Peter chapter four, verse 10, there's a command. 876 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:46,760 Every man hath received the gift. 877 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:51,760 Even so, minister, do something with your gift. 878 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,080 So, I don't know what my gift is. 879 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:58,640 I understand that, you can discover it. 880 00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:00,520 Now, it's a little bit of a misnomer. 881 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:02,320 I kind of stretch a little bit here 882 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,320 when I use the word discover 883 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:06,640 because there's a risk. 884 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:08,760 A risk is, well, then I won't do anything 885 00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:10,720 until I find out what it is. 886 00:39:10,720 --> 00:39:13,920 And that's what I wanna say, I'm trying to say the opposite. 887 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:15,840 I don't want to push you, pause 888 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:17,600 until you find out what your gift is. 889 00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:19,520 What I want you to do is hit play 890 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:21,800 and serve until you find out what your gift is. 891 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:22,920 Does that make sense? 892 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:26,760 I want you to be able to discover your gift through serving. 893 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,000 Don't wait for the test results to come in. 894 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,720 Now, those online tests may have some profit. 895 00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:32,880 Some of them may not. 896 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:35,760 But I don't want you to wait until the test results come in 897 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:37,040 before I start serving. 898 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:41,240 Start serving now and your gifting will become apparent. 899 00:39:41,240 --> 00:39:42,560 So, what should I do? 900 00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:44,800 Well, in a very practical sense, 901 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:49,080 don't turn down any opportunity to serve the Lord, 902 00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:52,200 especially if you don't really know what your gifts are. 903 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:54,200 Don't turn down any opportunity, 904 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:58,160 even if you think it doesn't fall into your range of gifting 905 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:01,080 because God might be trying to tell you 906 00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:04,880 that you have a gift that you haven't even recognized yet. 907 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:07,680 So, when you have an opportunity to serve, do it. 908 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:09,680 Serve and as you serve, 909 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:13,000 you will discover what your gift is. 910 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:15,800 Not only should we discover, we should also develop. 911 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:20,200 Develop the serving, develop what we have through serving. 912 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:22,320 We see this illustrated almost perfectly 913 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:24,040 in the life of Philip. 914 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:27,600 Acts chapter six, Philip is selected to be a deacon. 915 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,160 He's yielding to the will and word of God 916 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:31,640 full of the Holy Ghost. 917 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:35,480 He is selected to be a deacon in the first church. 918 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:37,760 But Philip doesn't stay a deacon. 919 00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:40,880 Acts chapter eight tells us that as he's continuing 920 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:45,320 to be yielding to the will and word of God, 921 00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:47,920 he is then given a mission by the Holy Spirit 922 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,600 to go into Samaria and to preach Christ. 923 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:52,320 Acts chapter five, eight, verse five. 924 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:54,960 Philip went down into the city of Samaria 925 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:57,800 and preached Christ unto them. 926 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:01,680 Acts chapter 21, we come full circle 927 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:05,320 and we see this same Philip in Acts chapter 21, verse eight. 928 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:09,960 It says the next day that we were of Paul's company departed 929 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:12,960 and came into Caesarea, we entered into the house 930 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:17,120 of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven 931 00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:18,640 and abode with him. 932 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:21,640 You see, Philip didn't start out as the evangelist. 933 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:24,480 Philip started out as a waiter of tables. 934 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:25,520 He was a deacon. 935 00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:27,280 He just did what he was supposed to do. 936 00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:31,720 He helped those widows who were bickering in the church. 937 00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:33,880 He helped meet their needs, right? 938 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:36,600 That seems like a little bit of a underplay 939 00:41:36,600 --> 00:41:39,280 for somebody who's got the gift of evangelism, right? 940 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:41,680 Well, he didn't know that he had the gift of evangelism, 941 00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:45,200 but as he served, he discovered what his gifting was 942 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,320 and then he developed it as he was obedient 943 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:49,960 to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 944 00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:53,040 He was yielding to the will and the word of God in his life. 945 00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:57,800 Then he developed into who he was to be in Christ. 946 00:41:57,800 --> 00:41:59,320 He discovered through serving 947 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:01,880 and then he developed it through serving. 948 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:03,160 So here's what I wanna leave you with. 949 00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:06,840 God has gifted you with everything you need 950 00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:10,520 to participate in spirit led ministry, 951 00:42:10,520 --> 00:42:14,520 both personally and here at Trinity Baptist Church. 952 00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:16,400 Are you developing your gifts? 953 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:18,560 Are you serving? 954 00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:20,880 If you're not, why not? 955 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:22,360 You've been given the command, 956 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:25,000 not just to be filled with the spirit, 957 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:27,120 but to do something with that filling, 958 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:29,320 to do something with that gifting. 959 00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:32,600 So get involved if you're not already involved. 960 00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:36,800 Serve, grow and develop the gifting that God has given you. 961 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:39,200 And you know what's gonna happen? 962 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:43,360 The body is going to grow, people are going to be one, 963 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:45,760 disciples are going to be made 964 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:47,240 and it'll be fruit to your account 965 00:42:47,240 --> 00:42:49,960 because you are being obedient to submit 966 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:51,680 to the will and the word of God 967 00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:54,360 and you are using your gifting to build up the body 968 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:55,720 and reach the lost. 969 00:42:55,720 --> 00:42:57,840 That's what we've been called to do 970 00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:00,320 and the Holy Spirit makes it possible. 971 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:22,320 Would you bow your heads with me?