Person & Work of the Holy Spirit
Courtney Hemenway · Sep 1, 2013
Holy Spirit (2013), No. 34
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/492640143144

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

We have the last two questions of lesson 16 on the unity. I think we got down to that. The last two questions, I think, which are questions. Yeah, we got through question nine, right? What happens when we force anyone of the divine to the exclusion of the others? Yeah, shibboleth. Yeah, shibboleth. I think we got through. Is there something important that this word means?

You know, no. I mean, it was more just trying to I had no clue what it was when I read it. It was it does. It does apply. It's language that is a criterion for distinguishing members of a group. Again, it's the. The way it's pronounced or something. Yeah, there's more to it. But it's basically, again, just divisions. It's talking about divisions and dividing. And it's by the word. And I think you have more knowledge than I did last week as far as how they used it or what. But you know, it's basically just a point being it's a division, a way to divide groups. Weren't they separating to go to war? You know, I don't know. Yeah, well, this is, it's in Kings, what did I say? Judges. Judges, 12, 4, 3, 5. So I didn't look into it that much. It was a war. And they had these men come across this fjord that's at the way from that side. And so before they'd let him come over, they'd say, Are you whatever? And then say this word.

And they could not get it. They weren't in the right place. I couldn't do that. And my mother came from Europe and there were. that or she couldn't pronounce it. We used to teach her about it. She never could. Again, just in context of what we're talking about, it's again a dividing or a criteria for division. So he just used that in his description of it.

So question 10, what is the scriptural name for sectarianism? I don't know if it's officially the spiritual name. Would it be division? Sect? Kind of. Sect? Any others? He put it this way, I call it by its spiritual name, a failure to keep unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. So it's basically this unity of the spirit, which we've been talking about.

Sectarianism is a failure of that, because we start dividing up. Remember how before we were talking about, I have Apollos, I have Paul, I have Cephas, and all the different things that Paul warned about that immediately they started to divide. into different groups and we then in the last question we looked at how that could be dangerous not only because it's not supposed to be a division but also you tend to focus on one thing over the other that you may be just evangelist based and that's all you look at as opposed to doctrinal truth. You can go to the other extreme. You're only learning the doctrinal truths, but you don't take in the evangelism side.

So any of these divisions that happen when you focus on it can lead to an exclusion of a portion of what the body is made of. And again, when you think of it, it's one body. And that's the key, I think. One body with unity of the body, but then with unity of the spirit should go with that. And again, remember positional and conditional truths. The indwelling is positional. You can't not have the indwelling of the spirit if you're a believer. You're also unity of the body. We're in the body of Christ. That will never change. But the unity of the spirit was the thing that is a conditional truth. and that's where we can have a bringing of that unity by sectarianism, by just different ways you can walk in the flesh rather than the spirit. A lot of those different things break up that unity of spirit. Is Luther the first one that split away?

I mean, were there other churches before he did that? Yeah, I think there have been a lot. I mean, you probably know more than me. There are, if you look at church history, it was not, I mean, even before the Apostle John passed away, there was already division in the church? The Corinthians had that issue, and if you look at the book of Revelation, here you see the Lord is writing these letters to these churches and there's already division, hardened hearts, and sectarianism that's taking place. I don't think it as per like Lutheran church or Baptist As we already said, Paul already warns about it to the Corinthians. There's already divisions in the early church. So it began right then and it's been throughout history.

The scriptural manager was back there in his house and said look at 1 Corinthians 1.10. Again, this is more the scriptural basis for it. Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. So that's 1 Corinthians 1 10. Again, the statement is there be no divisions among you.

And again, I go back to the body concept. You know, you don't have a divided body. Fingers, toes, ankles, knees, whatever. You're all part of one body. They're not divisions. There's differences. There's individual body parts, but it's all part of one body. So again, the division seems to separate or trying to separate where we think of it as a one body.

That's what you should be thinking of. We shouldn't have these divisions. Let's see. And the last question. What is the remedy to sectarianism in the church? Right, I have a statement in there about that. Obedience to the Word of God. Exactly. He says, as to remedies I know of one, obedience to the Word of God. Yeah, and I guess I would put maybe the corollary on that, that rightly divining the Word of God.

Because a lot of people will quote, follow the Word of God, but go off on great tangents, and have divisions, and you know, sex, and this, you know, For those of you who find bumbling on the tapeboard. Yeah, different divisions. You know, there's, again, it's rightly divided into words. There should not be any divisions.

And this is my own ignorance here. I was gone for three weeks. Did we talk about what to do in the situation when we find a believer stumbling? No, we haven't done that. There's a whole thing about that. There's a lot to do, procedures. As an elder, there are a lot of things that you do as an elder too. And as a body, as an individual. But grace is the foundation as to how you're approaching things. It's to restore. Yeah, it's restoration and unity. We didn't get into that part of it. There's very set procedures on what you do, how you do it. The whole purpose is to restore the individual. Not to cut them off and throw them out.

So we got any other questions on the unity of the spirit? We actually finished lesson 16. So, we're going to get into the Gifts of the Spirit, Lesson 17. It's in Chapter 4 of Ryad's book, pages about 56 through 59. This is one that can be fun to talk about.

A lot of different interpretations by people on gifts and different things. So hopefully we're going to kind of keep it to some of the discussions that Ryad kind of put it into, and the different kind of groupings. He looks at it kind of in two different ways. And we'll look at that in his first question, which is, what is the difference in the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, 4 through 11, and those mentioned in Ephesians 4, 8 through 15? So this is where he kind of breaks it down into two different things. I'll read 1 Corinthians 12, 4-11. 1 Corinthians 12, 4-11. Come on in.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things and all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one in the same spirit works all things, distributing to each one individually, just as he wills.

The second passage is Ephesians 4, 8-16. I'll read that. Therefore, it says, when he ascended on high, he led Caput, the host of Caputs, and he gave gifts Now this expression, he ascended, what does it mean except that he also hath descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is himself also he who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.

And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the grouping of the saints, for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness and deceitful scheming. But, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ. from whom the whole body being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causing the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love."

So, with those as the two basic descriptions of bodies, there's another section Romans we'll get to, but in the Corinthians and the Ephesians, what are the basic differences between the types of gifts spoken in each of these passages? I agree with how he breaks these out. What are the two differences between the Corinthian passage and the Ephesian passage?

It's diversity. Diversity of the gifts but the same spirit. They both talk about the diversity of gifts. What's their purpose? The first one, Corinthians, was given by the Spirit and the other was given by Jesus as an ascendant. Interesting. I want to talk about the types of gifts. What types of gifts are done in Corinthians? In Corinthians they are miraculous ones. Miraculous, signed gifts. Some of them are, yes. Yeah, most of them aren't. Well, there are, I meant to say. Yeah. Not they are. Yeah, most of them, the last two, I think, or whatever, have to look at that passage. But the majority of the ones that he talks about in the Corinthians passage are more the miraculous, the signed gifts.

What about the Ephesians passage? It's actually a permanent character and a given for the edification of the church. the gathering in and building up of souls. Okay, and then practical, more practical, I guess, yeah, building up of the body, the edification of the church, the body. Would you explain kind of in depth to me what to edify means? Good point. I'll put it out there, I'll say what mine is, but edify. To make clear or understood? To make clear, to be understood.

I think that's very much where the principle of growth that we see in the last part of that passage you read in Ephesians 4 where there's growth of the body and the building up of itself and love. The edification is to build up and construct. That was going to be my definition, to build up, to strengthen, to support, Basically, the body is feeding and nurturing the body. The application is to build up, I guess was my definition.

Yes, Carol? I think that has a foundation under it, everything you said, and that is imparting the knowledge. They have to have a basis for being built up. and they have to know the truth, and if they don't know it, they're not edified. This is talking about what the Spirit does. The Spirit is what? It is giving these gifts, and they're meant to what? Edify. So, when we get into the Ephesians passage, what are two of those gifts that would match just what you're saying? Pastors and teachers. They're given to teach us, to give us that knowledge, or the wisdom actually.

What's the difference between wisdom and knowledge? Yeah, I was going to ask you that. I know what I have, but I'm just... I want to hear what you had to say before. You sort of have to learn knowledge. That has to be learned, and wisdom is sort of... I don't know how to translate this. I'm trying to figure out how to put that word for anybody who's listening on the recording. Something in your head.

Would wisdom be the use of knowledge? Getting closer to what I have in my definition. Wisdom is knowledge applied. I like that. Knowledge applied? Yes. And knowledge is facts, the basis, all that, which we have teachers to give you knowledge. There's also wisdom, the gift of wisdom, which I call the skillful application of knowledge. It is my definition of wisdom. So you can have knowledge, but then the wisdom part is how to apply that knowledge. So that's always been what I look at those two when you talk about wisdom and knowledge. It's like most people have it the same. But I would use skillful application of knowledge and wisdom.

So the two differences, again, tend to be in these two passages, is that one tend to be the sign or the miraculous gifts. And then the Ephesians passage is more the gifts that build up the body. And Ryda puts it this way, there is also this difference, that in Ephesians the enumeration of the gifts include what we may call the ordinary work of gathering in and building up of souls, while in Corinthians we have the miraculous element as well. This is in keeping with the operations of the spirit who is sovereign and works as where he sees the necessity. On the other hand, the Lord has bestowed the gifts which are of permanent value for the edification of the church." So again, there's miraculous gifts that were given, and then more of the gifts that were to edify and build up the body.

Does that make sense? You know I've wondered about that too and I've never read where they've been eliminated but originally to me they were used for the founding of Christianity as they needed a special booth to separate them from Jewish traditions. A lot of the signed gifts have disappeared and there is a verse, I think it is in Corinthians, that these will fade or fade away. In 13. Yes, 13, that is what I was saying, 13 or 14. 1 Corinthians 13 where these gifts We're giving it miraculous, but they will they will disappear.

Somebody can find that. Look at that. I may have it later. Yeah. First Corinthians 13, I think. And this is where he starts to get in about the tongues and different things in 14 and 15 especially, where he gets into the gifts of tongues and what that means. Because the Corinthians were really trying to seek after that gift of tongues. It's 1 Corinthians 13.

You've got to read it. Love never fails, but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away. If there are tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. So what was the perfect?

Christ. So a lot of the signed gifts, a lot of the signed gifts were, you know, it's kind of like, what is it, Missouri? The Shelby State? I'm actually going to disagree with you on that. With Christ, the perfection would be the building up of the completion of the revelation of scripture. because they didn't have all of the scripture, so they needed the signs to have revelation, to know what to do in the New Testament. Well, yeah, and actually, the point being is when that came, people will start to diminish, they'll disappear, I think, whatever you say, it begins to go away. And the Jews required what? Signs. You know, again, it's the Missouri State, you know, it's the show me. So they required the miraculous, and that was the beginning of the church, and they needed to show this.

It's kind of like, if you look at the book of John, too, I'm always amazed at John. John is so different than the other Gospels. Why is that? I mean, we've taught John here, and I'm struck by that, and I've always been struck how, in the book of John, he points out, very readily, many times, the deity of Christ, and who Christ was. the Son of God, and he points all to this, where the other Gospels are more kind of pointing to, you know, you have different things, the attitudes and all these different things. But in John, he points specifically many times that he's the Son of God. When was the book of John written?

After most of, if not all of Paul's epistles. So John was actually giving credence or, not credence, but support to the of all that Paul was teaching about Christ. His gospel message is to say, this is the Son of God. And to all that Paul taught, he built up Christ. So that's why John is completely different than all the different gospels. It's because he's pointing out who Christ is. That he is the Son of God. And that all that Paul was teaching is built up by the fact that Christ was the Son of God or is the Son of God.

And his intent was that you might believe. Yeah, oh yeah. And if you missed that point, you have missed it. Yeah, absolutely. But again, the point being, I think John is really to emphasize Christ as the Son of God. You have all of Paul's teaching, all of his letters to the churches that point out all these things about who we are in Christ, the body of Christ, all these things. John goes in and he really points out the fact that Christ is the Son of God. Even that first chapter in the beginning was the Word and the Word became flesh and ground among men. And it goes on and on and on. And then the 31st, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

John was the exclamation point on all that Paul taught. That you may have life in his name. So that's why John I think is a much different gospel than the rest. His book was written after The letter was written after all of Paul's epistles. So we have all this teaching that Paul has, and then John kind of puts the exclamation point on it. And how is this all based on Christ? Who is the Son of God?

And he says he is the one that Christ loved, or Jesus loved. Oh yeah, he always put himself, he never put himself as a name, he said the one who sees his love. I kind of, you know, that's the, I think the flesh in me thinking too, that's kind of arrogant. He didn't like the rest of them, but he was actually humble and he didn't want to put his name, I believe, most of the time that it was, he just put himself as the one who, you know. Well, what I was wondering was maybe that because, I mean, Jesus knew everything and he knew that John would live longer and be in wherever that was. Yeah, I think he just, he was humble. He didn't want to say, and I, Josh, you know, he kind of went, you know, the one who looked. But what now, where was that? So do you see the difference between these two?

If you look at those passages in the Corinthians, working wisdom and knowledge, those are gifts that still I believe are here. The gifts of healing, the effects of miracles, distinguishing of spirits, various tongues, interpretations of tongue. Those are in the Corinthians passage, where we have in the Ephesians, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. So it's definitely the differences in the majority of the gifts that are in the Corinthians ones. They're ones that, when we'll get into whether they're here today or not, and what that would mean.

I also said, let's look at the Romans 12, 3 through 8, It's another passage which talks about some of the gifts, Romans 12, 3-8, and I'll read that. Well, through the grace given me, I say to everyone among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body, and all the members do not have the same function, So we, who are many, are one body of Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly.

If prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith, if service and his serving, or he who teaches in his teaching, or he who exhorts in his exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness, So I said, are the gifts noted in Romans passage miraculous gifts or what we may call the ordinary work of gathering in and building up souls? Is it more like the Corinthians or more like the Ephesians passage? And the type of gifts? Ephesians.

These are all ones that build up the body, teaches, exhorts, mercy, giving. All these different ones are more to edify and build up the body. They're not the miraculous gifts. There isn't healing. There isn't tongues. There aren't a lot of those. There aren't any of those in there.

So what does prophecy mean? Gift of prophecy. Are we coming up with new things? to be able to foretell or something. Okay, foretelling. Any others? Truth telling. Any others? Just declaring the word of God. Declaring the word of God. I don't know if you were. I'm going to stay out of this one. I'm just kidding. Well, the biggest thing with prophecy is that I have heard it used out of context in both directions. I've got a prophetic word for you. Literally, I had someone prophesy over me when I was a teenager, and it said, you're going to have broad shoulders.

So I wondered what that meant. And I still wonder what that means, because I'm a scrawny white guy. I don't have anything broad about me. Mentally you do. The idea of having somebody prophesy over you coming from a charismatic background, it meant someone was going to give you a special revelation from God that you could take to the bank. That's why I bring it up.

Is there a new revelation now? No. New things that you got? You got the memo in the morning? There are if you are LDS or Catholic. I'm not getting into names and denominations. And that's really where I think some of the charismatic side and some others were. And that's what I kind of want to bring out. Is there new revelation? No. At least my opinion. There is no new revelation. When he's on the cross, it is finished. There wasn't a new bulletin that comes out every day that is special person or anything. You don't add to it? You don't add to it. Prophecy is the actual word in these passages. The Greek for it and Zodiatis definition.

Prophecy is something that any believer may exercise as telling forth God's word. Right out past the gift of prophecy is the gift of speaking a word in due season. I think both of those are what I would define prophecy as being. Prophecy is not that, and actually some of the groups we talked about last week in the sectarianism, it was funny, my son texted me a link on two of the groups that I talked about, it was named them right now, and part of that was New Revelation. One of the groups was talking about New Revelation.

And right there is a red flag. That this person suddenly had New Revelation. Special Revelation. And that is just an immediate red flag to me. Stuff that is not in the Bible. In all of this, even what I teach, anybody teaches, Mike, Vern, anybody. What are you to do? Go to the word. That is the ultimate authority. Double check every teacher. Every teacher. Me, Mike, Vernon. Don't just take everything. The ultimate is the word and the Holy Spirit will convict you, convince you of that word. So no matter what we teach, you always should check yourself because that is the ultimate.

We can say a lot of things. But ultimately it has got to match scripture. That's why I try for most of mine, I always try to have scripture to back it up and hopefully not take it out of context because you can manipulate and do scripture and do mental gymnastics, it will get you into really strange places. So it's rightly dividing the word. But it's up to you to do that through the Holy Spirit. Part of our thing is to convict and convince you. That was several lessons ago. Convict and convince you of the Word. So I say, whatever we teach, you guys go and make sure you verify that through Scripture and the Scriptures that we use.

One thing I think has been neat while we've been going here at Holly Hills, is I've discovered that the elders actually, and even amongst the rest of the body, the elders are constantly discussing the doctrine and coming to a unified understanding of it. Constantly challenging one another. Okay, if you think this is what this says, let's look at it. And they dig deep and study God's word together. I think it's cool that the elders study God's word together and come to a unified Again, I'm going to reiterate, it all comes back to the Word. Go back to the Word.

Don't get the best book out there that is from the latest guy saying the greatest things. He may have great things, and there may be great things. Like I said, Jamie Stoney and Kelly and all these have great things, but not all the things that they say I agree with or I don't think it matches with Scripture. But they're great men who teach us great things.

But, always go back to the scripture. Always verify what's taught through scripture. One other, you mentioned somebody having a new revelation. If they say, God has given me a new revelation, how are you supposed to validate or confirm? You have no way to check that kind of authority. And hence why that is invalid. It is finished. This is the Word. You know, and somebody comes up and I've got, you know, God visited me last night and told me that we're all supposed to wear pink shirts. You know, how do you validate that?

You can't. I mean, I go, then you go to the scripture and say, it doesn't say anywhere that. Well, and you always, people will say to someone, like God told me about this and to tell you and then you know you say well why didn't God tell me? You're not good enough right? I'm feeling down. The minute that happens the red flag should go up and say Why did you get special revelation?

You ask how I was always when people say, Satan attacked me. I always, number one, Satan is a defeated foe, and if you're being attacked by Satan, it's by who allowed it, God allowed it. Now, the other thing I always say is, it's a special day if you got attacked by Satan, because Satan is not omnipresent. It was your day if that was, he was actually the one. I kind of always, People always say in ministries, oh, Satan's attacking.

Well, okay, number one, who allowed it then? But number two is Satan is not omnipresent. It's not, like I said, if it had to be, it's your special day because he can't be everywhere. But that's an aside. It's when you talk about things, right, a special revelation, immediately the flag goes up to me.

Well, we're, I mean, the world is a fallen race through Adam. And certain things have been set up, and even though we're Christians, we're still subject to those things, like bad weather or whatever. Well, who's in control of that? I mean, I just always rest on the fact that God is sovereignly in control. Yes, He is.

And whether in trials, blessings, in the hurricane, in the flood. I told you three weeks ago, my garden got moved by hail and two inches of rain. You know, I'm not cursing. I'm not doing it. That was God. He wanted me to not have a garden this year, so sorry for all you coming to the picnic tomorrow. Usually I have the free pick in the garden, it's pretty limited this year.

So anyway, he's in control of all that. Rest in the fact, that's where again I go back to the fact, if you know you're sodomy in control of all this, it doesn't matter. In trials and in blessings, he's in control of both of those. And you add into the fact, that you can't be separated from his love. So whatever trial you're going through, it's meant in love.

For his purposes, to draw you to him, to understand maybe you're not depending on him. So in a trial, guess what? You're looking to see, are you depending on me? No. OK. The trial was meant to show you, you need to be depending on God rather than yourself.

So I, you know, I'm definitely a rabbit trail here. Anyway, let's go on. What is the purpose of all the sign gifts along with the gifts of tongues specifically for? Authentication of the messenger. Yes. Any other thoughts? I'll read it. What are the purposes of the sign gifts? I said for the edification of the church. Is that what you said? What about perfecting saints for the work of the ministry?

Not to be tossed around. Authentication of the messenger. It's more the authentication of the messenger rather than I think building up of the body. These are the sign gifts and it was to show that the messenger who was bringing God's word actually it gave him some authentication that it was from God because he was doing miraculous things. So, right out of this way, in this same epistle, 1 Corinthians chapter 14, we are told that the gift of tongues is not for ordinary use, but a special sign. The same is true, I doubt not, with the other supernatural gifts of miracles and healing. They are signed gifts for special authentication of the messenger.

I do not dwell, therefore, at length upon these signed gifts, not only for the reason already stated, as to their being more particularly connected with the founding of Christianity, but because they, as distinct signs of divine approval, would ill accord with the present state of division in the Church. So we'll get into, which is question three coming up. Yeah.

One of the things that I think was pretty significant culturally at the time that we find first Corinthians and the New Testament documents is that the Greeks and the Roman Empire had a lot of mystery religions, and so you would actually go to your guru, you'd empty your mind of thoughts, and then you'd start speaking gibberish in one of your religious ceremonies, and the guru would tell you what you were saying. So you would speak in tongues, and he would interpret for you, but what was happening in the New Testament church was something so radically different and public and open, and verifiable, that it would have been assigned to have great evangelistic value and purpose, distinct from the other mystery religions. And we'll get into the tongues part of it and what that means, whether it's gibberish or known languages. And that's, I think, a key distinction of today, too. And I wish, fortunately I'm going to be gone the next two weeks, but Mike will probably touch on it about that.

That's a real key, and a lot of charismatic churches, the tongues and what that means. Is that gibberish? Is that angelic tongues? What is tongues, when Paul brings out tongues? We'll touch on that so I can get to it really quick. What does that mean? Was it gibberish?

It was a regular language. They understood one another and they were surprised that they would speak that language. Their own language from the country that they came from. Right. It was like at Pentecost when they were speaking in tongues. It wasn't blah blah blah. It was suddenly they were talking in different dialects, languages, known languages.

The unfortunate part of translation is that when the King James came out in 1611, they used the word tongues because in 1611 tongues meant languages. But translators have never updated it to reference language because that's what the Greek word is there is language, not your gibberish or your tongue flapping. It's actually meant as languages. If you look at the Greek word for it, it's a known language. I forget the gloss. Glossa.

You know, there were two things that happened at the beginning of the church. Body of Christ. So this was the mystery that was... revealed to them, never before had been revealed. The Lord wanted everybody to understand that at the time, right then. And it was to show that it was from God. Suddenly somebody who couldn't speak Spanish was speaking Spanish. And Greek.

Do you think they knew what they were saying? Well actually that's another thing. But there's a corollary which most people who gravitate to tongues never take the second part of this which I'll, if we can. Yes. My idea is that they spoke their own language and each person heard it in their own language. That's not what it says. It is basically they spoke in a dialect or language. Do you think they spoke Mongolian and then later spoke Ethiopian and whatever the dialect that they spoke? It didn't matter that there were people there from 40 countries that spoke 40 languages. What is the other core? And that's why I keep getting way ahead of myself on these. What is the other thing that Paul says is a requirement of speaking in tongues? To interpret. Interpret. Right. I can be speaking in Spanish to you or Portuguese, what good does that do unless somebody is able to interpret that?

And so the people who are in the charismatic movement today typically, blah blah blah, okay what does that mean? They never do. I was just saying when you hear the translations too, they're usually just some typical general state, but it seems to me from down in the Bible. Yeah, you know, but it's again, the Greek is a known language. And even when there's one, I think we have now, on angelic tongues. So does angelic tongues mean blah, blah, blah? No. I've never heard of Angelic Tongues. First Corinthians 13. Where is it? First Corinthians 13. The tongues of men and angels. What's in it? Tongues of angels.

So that means babbling, right? No, hardly. When angels came and spoke to people, I can marry. Did they speak in gibberish? Hardly. No, they spoke in the language. Whatever. There was never anything. So no matter what you get to this babbling or you know what the charismatic tend to do today is nowhere can be very can be. verified within scripture. There seem to be people who have a prayer language. They're not charismatics, but they do pray to God in a language.

There's so much in these. Let, let, let. Yes, let. I guess quickly, Do we need these miraculous gifts today? No. We have the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit. What else? The Word. We have the Word. And they didn't in that time. Well, we have the Word dwelling in the Holy Spirit. Right. So, we don't need to find this.

What do we need? What gifts do we need? The ones that we read that edify the body, those are the gifts we need today. Those are the gifts that edify the body. Those are the gifts that we need today. The gifts to the believers today are the ones that edify and build up the body. Do all believers have a spiritual gift? How many say yes? Follow? How many say no? And tell me why. Yeah? Do we have time?

The thing is that if we're abiding, if the spirit is moving through us, we have the direction of the spirit today. And the thing is that I may be oriented towards a certain tendency, but if that is not how the Lord is going to use me right now, I'm not limited to being, oh that's Randy the guy who does X. Does everyone have a spiritual gift though? Whether you exercise it or not is another issue. But does every believer have a spiritual gift? Everybody has a gift for the building up of the body, I think, and their place in the body.

Two verses we'll look at. 1 Corinthians 12, 11. But one in the same spirit works all things, distributing to each one individually, just as he wills. Each one. But the more important one is 1 Peter 4, 10. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. You can also look at 1 Corinthians 1, 4-9. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you were not lacking in any gift. awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you are called into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Again, that first Peter one, each one has a gift. Now whether you are using that... Did you say Ephesians? 1 Corinthians 12.11 and then also the one that really is the one that says each one has received a special gift is 1 Peter 4.10.

And 1 Corinthians 9.39. So everyone has a gift. And I don't know, and this is something you can probably delve into with Mike later, but if you have the gift of mercy, that's all you do. Is that it? Or the only gift you have for the entire life is mercy. Is that how it goes? No, I don't think so. I don't think so. Mike can delve into that a little bit more.

So if you have the gift of mercy, is that it? That's your gift forever? Or can the gift change? When you all have a gift, that's I think the thing. I disagree with it. that you don't have a gift. I think all have a gift, and that's by 1 Peter 4, 10. Now whether you use that or employ that gift is another thing. And so I all have a gift, but I don't think it's permanent that I just have the gift of giving, so that's all I can do. I can't show mercy. I can't teach. I can't pastor. I am wrong. I was wrong. I can get into some of these next week and finish up before we are horribly late. Let's close and we'll go upstairs.

Heavenly Father we thank you again for this time. We thank you again just as we delve into your word. We thank you again for the enrolling of the Holy Spirit who is ultimately the one who convinces us of what your word says. And we just pray we'll rightly divine your word and through that conviction in the Holy Spirit.

We just pray as we look into all these spiritual gifts, what they mean. And again, the purpose is to edify or build up the body. And we thank you that that is the intent and purpose of these gifts that we have now, is to edify and build up the body. And so we just pray for wisdom as we look into all these different gifts and what they mean. And Father, we just pray for a burn upstairs as a gift message, again, just to write the divine word and prepare our hearts to receive it. Father, we thank you again for all of your plans, your word, your Holy Spirit that indwells us. So Father, we just thank you for all these things. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.