A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT TAUGHT ANYTHING ABOUT
THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.
THEY'RE TAUGHT ABOUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.
AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT, IF I HAD TO MAKE
A CHOICE BETWEEN THE FRUIT AND THE GIFTS,
I WOULD CHOOSE THE FRUIT, BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS,
"YOU WILL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUIT."
AND IN GALATIANS, THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT, YOU KNOW,
THOSE ARE: "LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, GOODNESS, KINDNESS,
MEEKNESS, FAITHFULNESS, SELF-CONTROL," THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS WE DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE.
GOD OFFERS BOTH, AND YOU CAN HAVE BOTH.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF A PERSON YOU ARE,
BUT I WANT EVERYTHING THAT GOD WANTS TO GIVE ME.
I DON'T WANNA BE LEFT OUT OF ANYTHING,
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS GOOD,
AND EVERYTHING THAT HE GIVES IS ALSO GOOD.
SO, 1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11, "NOW ABOUT THE GIFTS
OF THE SPIRIT, BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
I DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE UNINFORMED."
ANOTHER TRANSLATION SAYS-- IGNORANT.
"I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE IGNORANT."
I WANT YOU TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THESE GIFTS.
SO, IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN INFORMED,
TODAY AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, YOU'RE GOING TO BE INFORMED.
"YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU WERE PAGANS,
SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER YOU WERE INFLUENCED
AND LED ASTRAY TO MUTE IDOLS.
THEREFORE I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT NO ONE WHO IS SPEAKING
BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD SAYS, 'JESUS BE CURSED,' AND NO ONE
CAN SAY, 'JESUS IS LORD,' EXCEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF GIFTS, BUT THE SAME
SPIRIT DISTRIBUTES THEM.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SERVICE, BUT IT IS THE SAME
LORD WHO GIVES THEM.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF WORKING,
BUT IN ALL OF THEM AND IN EVERYONE
IS THE SAME GOD AT WORK." NOW, YOU'RE SEEING ME ON YOUR,
TELEVISION SCREEN TEACHING THIS.
BUT WHAT YOU DON'T SEE, IS ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE.
WE HAVE CAMERAMEN IN HERE.
WE'VE GOT HELPERS.
WE'VE GOT PEOPLE DIRECTING IN OTHER ROOMS.
AND SO, I COULDN'T BRING THIS SHOW TO YOU,
WITHOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE, ALL THOSE OTHER GIFTS.
I HAVE A GIFT TO TEACH THE BIBLE.
BUT IN ORDER TO PRESENT IT, TO PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD,
THEN I NEED OTHER PEOPLE, TO HELP ME.
"NOW TO EACH ONE THE MANIFESTATION
OF THE SPIRIT IS GIVEN FOR THE COMMON GOOD."
EACH ONE.
SO, PLEASE DON'T BE THE KIND, OF PERSON WHO THINKS,
YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
MAYBE YOU DON'T KNOW, EXACTLY WHAT GIFTS
YOU FUNCTION IN.
BUT I THINK THAT AFTER, YOU HEAR THIS TEACHING,
YOU'RE GONNA KNOW BETTER.
BUT TO EACH ONE--TO EVERYONE, THERE ARE GIVEN GIFTS.
"TO ONE THERE IS GIVEN THROUGH THE SPIRIT A MESSAGE OF WISDOM,
TO ANOTHER A MESSAGE OF KNOWLEDGE BY MEANS
OF THE SAME SPIRIT, TO ANOTHER FAITH
BY THE SAME SPIRIT." BUT THIS IS NOT THE FAITH,
THAT WE LIVE OUR EVERY DAY LIFE BY.
THIS IS TALKING ABOUT, WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS,
"THE GIFT OF FAITH." WHICH IS A DIFFERENT
QUALITY OF FAITH.
AND WHEN WE GET TO THAT, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND
MORE ABOUT THAT.
"TO ANOTHER GIFTS OF HEALING BY THE SAME SPIRIT,
TO ANOTHER MIRACULOUS POWERS, TO ANOTHER PROPHECY,
TO ANOTHER DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN SPIRITS."
THIS IS A WONDERFUL GIFT-- THE GIFT OF DISCERNING
OF SPIRITS, WHERE YOU CAN TELL IF SOMEBODY IS GOOD,
OR IF THEY'RE EVIL.
"TO ANOTHER THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF TONGUES."
THIS IS TALKING ABOUT SPEAKING IN TONGUES.
"AND TO ANOTHER INTERPRETATION OF THE TONGUES.
NOW ALL THESE ARE THE WORK OF ONE AND THE SAME SPIRIT,
AND HE DISTRIBUTES THEM TO EACH ONE,
JUST AS HE DETERMINES." DOES EACH BELIEVER
ONLY GET ONE GIFT?
I DON'T THINK SO.
I THINK THAT WE MAY, HAVE GIFTS THAT ARE STRONGER,
OR WE MAY HAVE GIFTS THAT, WE OPERATE IN MORE,
THAN WE DO OTHER GIFTS.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT THESE, GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT,
THESE NINE GIFTS, I BELIEVE THAT GOD GIVES THEM,
TO US AS WE NEED THEM, IN OUR DAILY LIFE.
NOW, PAUL DOES A LOT OF TEACHING, ESPECIALLY
IN 1 CORINTHIANS 14, ABOUT HOW THESE GIFTS,
SHOULD OPERATE IN A CHURCH SERVICE.
IN THE EARLY CHURCH, THESE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT:
PROPHECY, SPEAKING IN TONGUES, INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES,
WORD OF KNOWLEDGE, WORD OF WISDOM, IT WAS COMMON
FOR THESE GIFTS TO OPERATE.
BUT PAUL ALSO SAID THAT, "EVERYTHING SHOULD BE DONE
DECENTLY AND IN ORDER." SO, IN 1 CORINTHIANS 14,
HE GAVE A LOT OF INSTRUCTION ABOUT,
HOW THESE GIFTS SHOULD FUNCTION, AND THERE STILL BE ORDER,
IN THE CHURCH SERVICE.
WELL, IN THE MAJORITY OF CHURCHES TODAY,
NOBODY HAS TO WORRY ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT,
NOT ONLY, ARE NOT FUNCTIONING, IN MANY PLACES,
THEY'RE NOT EVEN WELCOME., BECAUSE THERE IS A TEACHING
THAT SAYS THAT THESE GIFTS WENT AWAY,
WHEN THE BIBLE CAME.
WHEN THE CANONIZATION, OF THE WORD OF GOD WAS SETTLED,
THEN WE HAD THE WORD.
AND SO, WE DIDN'T NEED ALL THESE GIFTS.
HOWEVER, THAT MAKES NO SENSE.
BECAUSE AFTER THE BIBLE, TALKS ABOUT HOW SOME,
OF THESE THINGS WILL CEASE, PAUL GOES ON TO
GIVE INSTRUCTIONS, ON HOW TO FUNCTION,
IN THESE GIFTS IN THE CHURCH.
I BELIEVE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT, DOES WANT THESE
GIFTS TO OPERATE, IN OUR CHURCH SERVICES.
BUT EVEN MORE SO, I BELIEVE THAT GOD WANTS
THESE GIFTS TO FUNCTION, IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE.
SO WE CANNOT ONLY, JUST LIVE A NATURAL LIFE,
BUT A SUPER-NATURAL LIFE.
COME ON, IF YOU CAN HAVE NATURAL, OR SUPER-NATURAL,
WHO'S GONNA PICK NATURAL?
WELL, I HOPE THAT I STIR UP, AN INTEREST,
AND YOU REALLY BEGIN TO STUDY, THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT IT.
YOU CAN PURCHASE A COUPLE OF GOOD BOOKS AND STUDY IT.
YOU CAN GET ON YOUR COMPUTER.
THERE'S SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE, AT OUR FINGERTIPS
ON THE COMPUTER.
AND YOU CAN LOOK UP THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT,
AND THEN YOU CAN EVEN DIG IN, AND STUDY EACH ONE
OF THOSE GIFTS.
AND IF YOU'RE REALLY SMART, YOU CAN BEGIN TO PRAY
ON A REGULAR BASIS, THAT THESE GIFTS WILL FUNCTION,
IN YOUR LIFE.
THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY, YOU WILL BE FILLED, FILLED,
FILLED, TO OVERFLOWING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND THAT THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT,
AND THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, WOULD FLOW THROUGH YOU.
"THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF WORKING--" VERSE SIX.
"BUT ALL OF THEM AND TO EVERYONE,
IT'S THE SAME GOD AT WORK.
TO EACH ONE THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT IS GIVEN
FOR THE COMMON GOOD." AND THEN HE TALKS
ABOUT THESE GIFTS THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT:
WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, FAITH-- THE GIFT OF FAITH, HEALING,
TO ANOTHER MIRACULOUS POWERS.
YES, MIRACLES.
MY GOODNESS.
HOW MANY MIRACLES DO WE SEE TODAY?
WELL, I THINK PROBABLY MORE THAN WHAT WE REALIZE.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE EXPECT, THESE THINGS ANYMORE,
LIKE WE SHOULD BE EXPECTING THEM.
THE BIBLE SAYS, "YOU HAVE NOT BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT."
SO, I WANNA SUGGEST THAT YOU BEGIN,
TO ASK GOD FOR MIRACLES IN YOUR LIFE.
"TO ANOTHER PROPHECY." WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT
EACH ONE OF THESE GIFTS ARE.
"TO ANOTHER DISCERNMENT, OR DISTINGUISHING
BETWEEN THESE SPIRITS, TO ANOTHER TONGUES,
TO ANOTHER INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES."
NOW WE MENTIONED, "DOES EACH BELIEVER ONLY GET ONE GIFT?"
WELL, THEY MAY HAVE ONE THAT'S, PREDOMINANT OR TWO.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT ALL THESE GIFTS, FUNCTION AS WE NEED THEM.
PAUL INSTRUCTED US ON HOW TO USE,
THESE GIFTS IN THE CHURCH.
BUT HE WANTS THEM TO FUNCTION, IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE.
OKAY LET'S TALK ABOUT, LIVING WITH POWER.
BEFORE I GET INTO THE INDIVIDUAL GIFTS,
I WANT TO GET YOU CONVINCED, BY GOD'S GRACE THAT GOD WANTS,
YOU TO LIVE WITH POWER.
I LOVE THAT WORD "POWER." WHOO!
IT'S A WONDERFUL WORD.
WHO WANTS TO LIVE WITH WEAKNESS WHEN THEY CAN HAVE POWER?
IN LUKE 10:19, HE SAYS, "I HAVE GIVEN YOU."
NOT--I MIGHT GIVE YOU, OR I WILL GIVE YOU AT SOME TIME,
BUT "I HAVE GIVEN YOU AUTHORITY AND POWER TO TRAMPLE
ON SNAKES AND SCORPIONS." WHICH REALLY, I THINK
HE'S TALKING THERE, ABOUT DEMONIC POWERS.
"AND TO OVERCOME ALL THE POWER THAT
THE ENEMY [POSSESSES]; AND NOTHING WILL HARM YOU."
WELL, GUESS WHAT?
YOU HAVE AUTHORITY AND POWER.
SATAN HAS POWER, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING
ABOUT HIM HAVING AUTHORITY.
JESUS GAVE YOU AUTHORITY, BUT AUTHORITY DOES YOU NO GOOD,
IF YOU DON'T EXERCISE THAT AUTHORITY.
ACTS CHAPTER 1 VERSE 8 SAYS, "BUT YOU SHALL RECEIVE
POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES ON YOU, AND YOU WILL
BE MY WITNESSES IN JERUSALEM AND IN ALL JUDEA AND SAMARIA,
AND TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH." I ALWAYS LIKE, AND I LIKE
TO MAKE A POINT OUT OF THE FACT, THAT HE DIDN'T SAY,
"YOU WILL DO WITNESSING." HE SAID, "YOU WILL
BE MY WITNESSES." NOW, BEFORE I LEARNED ANYTHING
ABOUT THESE GIFTS, I WAS IN A CHURCH THAT
DIDN'T TEACH ABOUT THE GIFTS.
THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE ABOUT THE GIFTS.
THEY BELIEVED LIKE MANY PEOPLE DO, THAT THOSE
GIFTS WENT AWAY, WITH THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST.
AND SO, I WAS ON THE EVANGELISM TEAM,
AT MY CHURCH.
AND I WENT OUT AND DID WITNESSING.
BUT IN MY EVERYDAY LIFE, I DID NOT HAVE THE POWER,
TO BE A WITNESS.
IN OTHER WORDS, I WENT TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS,
AND I BELIEVED IN JESUS.
I LOVED HIM.
BUT MY BEHAVIOR WAS NOT ALWAYS, OR EVEN USUALLY,
THE BEHAVIOR OF A CHRISTIAN.
AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO SEE TODAY.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY, "PREACH, AND IF NECESSARY
USE WORDS." BUT OUR LIFE SHOULD BE A SERMON.
PAUL SAID TO THE BELIEVERS THAT HE TAUGHT,
"YOU ARE LIVING EPISTLES...
READ OF ALL MEN." SO, PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE
TO TELL, WHO THE CHRISTIANS ARE, AND WHO THEY'RE NOT.
AND OUR LIVES SHOULD BE AN EXAMPLE TO THEM
OF HOW JESUS IS.
IT SAYS IN 1 CORINTHIANS THAT, "WE ARE HIS [PERSONAL
REPRESENTATIVES], AND THAT GOD
IS MAKING HIS APPEAL TO THE WORLD THROUGH US."
SO, LET ME ASK YOU, ARE YOU BEHAVING AS A CHRISTIAN?
OR DO YOU GET OUT IN THE WORLD, AND JUST HAVE A BAD TEMPER,
AND YOU'RE IMPATIENT, AND YOU DO ALL THE SAME THINGS,
THAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES?
YOU MAY HAVE A BUMPER STICKER ON YOUR CAR.
YOU MAY OWN A BIBLE.
YOU MAY GO TO CHURCH.
YOU MAY WEAR A CROSS AROUND YOUR NECK.
BUT HOW DO YOU BEHAVE?