I think our highest capacity isn't just to be a pool collecting the refreshing waters of salvation, but to be a portal where those waters can flow into the lives of others. And I begin with that because a question that has been argued throughout church history is concerning the work of the Holy Spirit. Is there a deeper work of God in the life of a believer beyond salvation?
The end of our redemption story isn't the day we give our lives to Jesus. There's much more beyond that today on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Skip shares how God works in your life beyond salvation and through the Holy Spirit. Before we begin, we want to let you know about a resource that will inspire you to build even more unity with others in the church. The most recent U.S. Census revealed that our population is much more diverse than ever before. In fact, over the past 10 years, our multiracial population increased 276%, which presents new challenges.
Here's Skip Heitzig. To say that this nation is divided would be a gross understatement, but I am not going to take sides politically. I am going to take sides morally and spiritually and biblically. I'm going to raise the conversation to a different level, to a higher level, to a biblical level, because the issue as I see it is not a skin issue as much as it's a sin issue. We want to help you understand this divisive issue from a divine perspective. When you give $20 or more today to this Bible teaching ministry, we'll send you Pastor Skip's booklet, The Church and Racism, plus his teaching featuring a conversation with Pastor Tony Clark.
Get these relevant resources today when you give online securely at connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888. Okay, we're in 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 as we join Skip Heitzig for today's study. We are in 1 Corinthians Chapter 12, and we have been in that chapter for some time.
Typically we are in a chapter a week or two chapters a week, but not so in this chapter. We have slowed down because of the nature of this material, the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And if you've been with us the past few weeks, we have slowed down to do one verse one week, another verse the next week, dip into the next verse but not quite make it through. And we're slowing down because Paul begins the chapter saying, I'm going to tell you about spiritual things, spiritual gifts, and of these I don't want you to be ignorant. And because he made a deal of saying that, I want to look at supplemental material in the Scripture, examples of these gifts, so that none of us will have any doubt as to the meaning of the text, the meaning of these gifts, how they operate, and then how you and I should be, could be open to the Spirit in working in those ways should the Lord decide to do that in your own life and open up something wonderful and tremendous for you. So we covered last time we met, we've covered already five of the gifts of the Spirit, the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge in verse eight.
We covered then last time the gift of faith, the gifts of healing, and the gift of miracles. We just mentioned the next gift in verse 10, which is prophecy, and I want to pick up on that tonight and move through. Now I said last week that I'm going to finish the chapter next week.
That's what I said. I need to say I'm going to finish the chapter, Lord willing, tonight. May happen, may not happen, but I don't think you care if I finish a chapter as much as if I cover the material and that you understand how these things operate. So that's where we are, and we are in verse 10 tonight, so I hope you have your Bibles open. If not, find a Bible or look at your friend's Bible or turn in your device to a Bible program and get to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Years ago there was a missionary by the name of Norman Grubb, a missionary to Africa, a very powerful author. He was British. I read some of his books. I got introduced to him.
I got to meet him one night and spend an evening with him. I don't expect you to know that term unless you're conversant in that kind of literature, mission stuff, and his books from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s in that general area, but he said something that I want to begin with. He said, man's greatest capacity is to be a vessel. Man's greatest capacity is to be a vessel. And then he went on to explain that we as human beings have the capacity to have God living in us.
And I remember hearing that and reading that, and in part I agree with him. Certainly I would agree that that is a high calling and a high honor. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 says we have this treasure in earthen vessels. That's tremendous to think about, that God comes inside us in humans and dwells within them by his Spirit.
But I do believe that grub falls short a little bit, though I think it's wonderful that we can contain God living in us. I think that our highest capacity is not to be a vessel as much as it is to be a channel, a channel of God. So Jesus said, again I remind you of what we said a few weeks ago in John chapter 7, whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.
This he spoke concerning his Holy Spirit, John writes, who was not yet given. So I think our highest capacity isn't just to be a pool collecting the refreshing waters of salvation, but to be a portal where those waters can flow into the lives of others. And I begin with that because a question that has been argued throughout church history is concerning the work of the Holy Spirit. Is there a deeper work of God in the life of a believer beyond salvation?
Because some will argue once you get saved, you get the full meal deal, the Holy Spirit comes in, you are baptized by the Spirit in the body of Christ. That's really the package and there's no second work or perfecting work or deeper work. So to answer that I would say if you can look at your life and say that you are overflowing, overflowing, then you don't need any subsequent work. If you can't say that your life is overflowing then I would say you need a deeper work of the Lord. And I tend to think that we all could use a deeper work of the Lord, a deeper work of the Spirit in our lives. And so that is promised the believer. I contend in the scriptures.
Here's a simple rule that may help. One baptism, many fillings. You are baptized once by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.
I know that's just theological talk to some of you but I hope you really grasp the reality of that. That the baptism with the Holy Spirit, some people have problems saying the baptism of the Holy Spirit for a number of reasons but let's put it this way. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is positional. The filling of the Holy Spirit is experiential.
Brief explanation. You come to Christ. When you do, the Holy Spirit immerses you, places you, baptizes you into the collective, His group, His own special people, a royal priesthood, a people set apart. That's a privilege. That's positional, however. The filling of the Holy Spirit is experiential.
It concerns living out the Christian life powerfully or not powerfully depending on your relationship to Him. So that filling, you need it more than you need it once. You put gas in your car and these days it costs you a paycheck to put gas in your car. But it would be nice if you could just put gas in your car and never have to put gas in it again but I'm sorry they don't make vehicles that do that. You have to add fuel.
You have to replenish the fuel because you burn it up. I have been filled with the Spirit. I need to be filled with the Spirit because I leak and I find that I need more and more and more and I pray daily that the Lord will fill me with the Spirit. In Ephesians chapter 5, Paul says, and do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation or excess but be filled with the Spirit. What you need to know about that is it's put in the present tense. A better literal translation is this. Don't be drunk with wine but be continually constantly over and over again regularly literally filled with the Spirit.
So one baptism, many fillings, positionally but experientially as well being filled with the Holy Spirit. Let me take you back to the early days since we're celebrating our 40th year this year of this church. When we first started our first Sunday morning services in a theater which no longer exists in town.
It's been torn down but it's in the far north shopping center right over here. We began our first Sunday morning after the very first meeting that we had on a Sunday morning. I was meeting people in the back by the concession stand. We weren't selling popcorn or coke but I was just standing there. As people were coming by I was greeting them and saying hello and introducing myself. I'll never forget somebody came up and said, well I'm visiting you today for the first time.
Well really everybody who was there was visiting us for the first time. He said, and I'll not come back. I said great.
Well I didn't say well great but I thought it. I said well why is that? He goes, you're too charismatic. I go what do you mean?
He goes well I saw people with their hands raised up when you were singing and I'm not into that stuff. I said okay see ya. The next week or maybe two weeks later after the service same routine somebody else came up to me and said I visited here for the first time today. I'm not going to come back.
I thought what is this? Do these people know each other? I said well why is that? He said you're not charismatic enough. I didn't hear tongues or prophecy or the interpretation of tongues.
I didn't see that. So when I heard both of those sort of back to back that week I knew we were in the sweet spot. Right in the middle, right in the balance. Not too crazy, not too dry. All word and no spirit you dry up. All spirit and no word you blow up. Enough of both and you grow up. So you want to be right in the pocket, right in the middle. The balance between the two and I think Paul gives that balance here in 1st Corinthians 12, 13, and 14 when he discusses spiritual gifts.
I can tell already that we probably won't finish the chapter. What are spiritual gifts exactly? Spiritual gifts are this. They are capacities. They are endowments. They are spiritual capacities given by God for a particular situation usually, usually to accomplish a work that God wants to do.
So a spiritual capacity or a spiritual endowment. And so the gifts are listed. There are differences, verse 5, of ministries but the same Lord, diversities of activities, but the same God who works all in all, but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.
Then the gifts are listed. I brought for you tonight that listing but in the Amplified Bible. Have you ever read that translation, the Amplified Bible?
Let me read it to you. I think it just sort of fills out what we have discussed and what we are going to discuss tonight. In verse 7 of the Amplified Bible, to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit that is the spiritual illumination and enabling of the Holy Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Holy Spirit the power to speak the message of wisdom and to another to express the word of knowledge and understanding according to the same Spirit. To another wonder working faith is given by the same Holy Spirit and to another the extraordinary gifts of healings by the one Spirit and to another the working of miracles and to another prophecy that is foretelling the future or speaking a new message from God to the people and to another discernment of spirits the ability to distinguish sound godly doctrine from the deceptive doctrine of man-made religions and cults to another various kinds of unknown tongues into another the interpretation of tongues and these things the gifts the achievements the abilities the empowering that is these gifts are brought about by one and the same Holy Spirit distributing to each one individually as he chooses. I just thought that was an excellent translation of this in particular and what we have noted about spiritual gifts they are capacities or endowments.
So we've covered five so far. Next on our list and we just touched on it last week is the gift of prophecy verse 10 to another prophecy. Now I did mention this last week all three lists in the New Testament of the gifts of the Spirit first Corinthians chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 Ephesians chapter 4.
All three lists of the gifts of the Spirit include this gift not all include the same but all three include this one. So for instance in Ephesians God has placed in the church apostles prophets evangelists pastors and teachers for the edification of the edification of the body of Christ and for the for our for building us up. In Romans chapter 12 it says and let each one prophecy prophesy according to the measure of faith that God has given him and then here it is mentioned here the gift of prophecy. Now most of us when we think of prophets or prophecy think of the Old Testament yeah Isaiah he was a prophet Daniel was a prophet Jeremiah was a prophet Ezekiel these these men are prophets but in the Old Testament prophets did a couple of things. In the Old Testament prophets foretold the future sometimes they predicted the future other times they didn't predict the future they just proclaimed God's truth. They exhorted kings or kingdoms they corrected the nation they were speaking for the Lord that's what a prophet is.
A prophet is somebody who represents God to the people it's a different office than that of a priest a priest represents the people to God but a prophet speaks for God to the people. So the prophets inspired by God predicted the future sometimes at other times they just didn't foretell but they forth told they would tell forth the Word of God the will of God that dictates the mandates of God to the people. Now in the Old Testament there was very strict regulation for a prophet see if you came along and said well I see Isaiah out there on the streets of Jerusalem I could do that well be careful because you need to before you go out and follow Isaiah and and decide to do what he did because you feel led to do it you better read the qualifications for a prophet in Deuteronomy 13 and Deuteronomy 18.
If you predict something and you're not a hundred percent accurate you get killed you get stoned that doesn't mean you personally get stoned it means people stone you you get killed. Also if you predict something and it does happen but you then teach the people to follow a different God or to follow God different than how he has said you get killed. So very very strict ramifications on how that gift was to be used in the Old Testament. What is it in the New Testament? What is it when Paul refers to the gift of prophecy? Is he thinking that you're going to be like Isaiah the prophet or Ezekiel the prophet or Daniel and predict things in the future?
No there's no more written revelation like the scripture ever it's over that's done that's never going to happen. But there are some particulars for a New Testament prophet. Now in the book of Acts there was a guy by the name of Agabus ever hear that name in chapter 21 of the book of Acts? Agabus was in Caesarea he was a prophet and he did speak the future he did foretell the future he is called a prophet. So what he did when Paul came to town to Caesarea he took Paul's belt that was around his waist took it off Paul in the presence of everybody imagine just reaching over and saying excuse me Paul yanking his belt off ties his own hands and feet with it and then he says thus says the Holy Spirit this is what's going to happen to this man just like I'm bound the man who owns this belt will be belt will be bound in Jerusalem if he goes. Well that was Paul's belt so everybody looked at Paul and Paul goes yep that's my belt and yep that's a prophecy that I'm going to be bound so they said Paul please please don't go you heard what the prophet said the prophet said if you go to Jerusalem they're going to hurt you and bind you and he's I love what he said he goes what do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart I'm ready not only to be bound but to be killed for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I don't care if I get bound in Jerusalem I'm going. So bid me God bless because I'm out of here. You don't stop men like that and he went to Jerusalem and he did get bound the prophecy did come to pass but when we get to first Corinthians 12 and 13 and 14 and it speaks about the gift of prophecy there's certain things you need to know number one prophecy in the New Testament usually was a direct word from God don't confuse the gift of prophecy with preparing a sermon as some some commentators like to say oh that's just the gift of preparing a sermon and giving up giving a message that's that's modern day prophecy no it's not the gift of prophecy is a direct word for a particular time that is not associated with preparation or normal human intellectual acquisition it's a direct word from the Lord for a particular situation how do I know that because in Acts chapter 13 it differentiates between teachers those who prepare sermons and teach them and prophets it says there was an Antioch at the time prophets and teachers and it says as they ministered to the Lord and fasted the Lord said the Holy Spirit said separate unto me Paul and Barnabas for the work where I have called them for the work where I have called them so that begs the question how did the Holy Spirit speak that that word no doubt through one of the prophets because they're listed prophets and teachers somebody spoke a word thus says the Holy Spirit separate unto me these two Paul and Barnabas for the work I've called them to so they laid hands on them and they sent them off that was a word of prophecy so number one it's a direct word from God for a particular situation number two New Testament prophecy is clear speech clear speech that needs no interpretation whatsoever that's Skip Heitig with a message from the series Expound First Corinthians now here's Skip to share how you can keep these messages coming your way to connect you and many others around the world with God's truths you know the world doesn't understand Christians and with good cause we're called to be set apart from the world while also living in it but sometimes we need encouragement and that's where this broadcast comes in we seek to equip and encourage friends like you in your walk with the Lord and you can help keep these faith-building messages on the air here's how you can give a gift today to give today simply call 800-922-1888 that number again is 800-922-1888 or give online at connectwithskip.com slash donate that's connectwithskip.com slash donate your support is vital to help connect more people like you to Christ so thank you for giving generously today and did you know there's a great biblical resource available right at your fingertips through your mobile device you can access several of Skip's Bible reading plans in the YouVersion Bible app and dive deeper into several books of the Bible to gain new insights just search Skip Heitig in the YouVersion Bible app be sure to come back next week as Skip Heitig shares with you some characteristics about the spiritual gift of prophecy connect with Skip Heitig is a presentation of Connection Communications connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times
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