Hello, friends, and welcome
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to our Wednesday
night Bible study
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here at the 3ABN Worship Center.
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This is A Sharper
Focus because we believe
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the more you study God's
Word, the sharper it gets,
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the clearer the truth
of God's Word becomes.
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And so thank you for joining us,
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thank you for tuning in.
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We're going to
begin a new topic tonight,
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I'll tell you about
that in just a moment.
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But before we do anything else,
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we always like to
begin with a word of prayer.
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So bow your heads as we invite
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the presence of
the Lord to be with us.
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Loving Father in
heaven, thank You,
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thank You for Your
Holy Spirit's guidance
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that has promised
every time we open Your Word.
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And so we pray
tonight, Lord, that You'll send
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Your holy
angels here to guide...
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to guard us as we
study and Your Holy Spirit
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to be our
teacher, and may Your Word
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come alive as we study it,
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may we not only gain knowledge
but may we gain a desire
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and determination to serve You.
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In Jesus' name, we pray.
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Amen.
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Here's where you can
get a copy of the lesson,
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it's lesson number 41,
The Gifts of the Spirit,
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go to ASF.3ABN.org and
download lesson number 41.
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What number did I say?
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Forty one.
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Number 41, and you
can follow along with us,
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the Gifts of the Spirit.
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Lot of confusion about
the Gifts of the Spirit,
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we're going to do
our best to guide you
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through God's
Word to make this topic
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as clear as possible,
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It will come
into a sharper focus.
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But before we do anything else,
we like to sing our theme song
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and our theme song
is Victory in Jesus.
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Join us as we sing together.
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I heard an old, old story
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How the Savior came from glory
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How He gave His life on Calvary
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To save a wretch like me
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I heard about His groaning
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Of His precious blood's atoning
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Then I repented of my sin
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And won the victory
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior, forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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I heard about a mansion
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He has built for me in glory
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And I heard about
the streets of gold
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Beyond the crystal sea
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About the angels singing
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And the old redemption story
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And some sweet day
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I'll sing up there
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The song of victory
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Key change.
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior, forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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Amen?
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Amen.
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Tonight, our topic is
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"The Truth about the
Gifts of the Spirit."
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The Truth about the
Gifts of the Spirit.
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Now there is a lot of confusion
about the gifts of the spirit
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and the Bible
primarily in the New Testament
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talks about
what those gifts are.
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But it doesn't limit
them to the New Testament
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because the Old Testament,
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those prophets
that were led by God
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also had gifts.
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But primarily, those of us
who live in the New Testament
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aspects of the
church, which in fact to say
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that doesn't mean that
the whole Bible doesn't apply.
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But the Lord established
gifts for the church,
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for the New Testament
church to operate under
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and as we
understand those gifts,
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we begin to see and
understand with clarity,
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what the gifts
of the spirit are.
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Now living in a day
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where prophets
exist, and they are...
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The Bible points out
there will be prophets
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in the last days,
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there will be false
prophets and what else?
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False prophets and what else?
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You can talk to me.
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There will be false
prophets and what else?
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True prophets.
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False prophets
and true prophets.
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So we're living in the day
and age where there are both,
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false prophets
and true prophets.
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When you understand that,
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then you'll be
able by God's word
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to be able to filter out
where those false prophets are.
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Now some of you may have heard
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about a well-known
self-proclaimed psychic
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and astrologer
of the 20th century
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and she became very famous,
her name was Jeane Dixon.
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Jeane Dixon was a psychic.
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She was an astrologer,
and the Bible clearly,
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the Bible clearly denunciates
or the Bible clearly denounces
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those who are soothsayers,
astrologers, psychics.
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And her prophecies
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were not for the
purpose of uplifting Jesus
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but she claimed to be a prophet,
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and many people consulted
Jeane Dixon for what the...
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What do they call
that? What do they call that?
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Astronomy.
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Not astronomy,
astrology, horoscope.
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She was a, what I
might refer to as,
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a 99 cent horoscope prophet.
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Even if you are
dollar horoscope prophet,
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it's still false.
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But she was a person
that many people turned to.
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There are many
prophets in these last days.
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One was called the Long Island,
I forgot her name particularly,
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she was the lady from
Long Island in New York.
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And many police
departments claim her...
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purchased her services
to help them solve crimes.
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She claimed to be able to
see, and go to the crime scene,
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and see what
happened in the crime.
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But in fact, once again,
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when you test that
person by the Bible,
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you'll discover
clearly that they
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or she is not a
true prophet of God.
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Now one of the
things that really,
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I want to lay some foundation,
one of the things we overlook,
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and this is what false prophets
are able to deceive people by,
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sometimes a person might say,
"Nobody could have known that."
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They'll invite them on a
show, I know there's a young man
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that looks sharp,
looks like a modern guy,
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prophets usually
are people that look
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as it were in the olden days,
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now I said the
olden days, I'm not old.
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But you often would
go to a darkened room,
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a person that looked eerie,
and they had a crystal ball,
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and they had
psychics, and your fortune,
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it looked kind of, as it were
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just very shady, very satanic.
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But Satan has changed
the appearance of people
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that claim to have
the gift of prophecy.
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Recently, I saw a
sign where a psychic said
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they can cast out
demons, and remove spells,
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and remove,
there's a West Indian term,
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remove whatever
kind of evil spirit
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is upon a particular person.
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They claim to have that ability.
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But the Bible says,
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"The devil cannot
cast out the devil."
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Amen?
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But there are all
these gifts that are existing
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that people claim to
have, and the Lord said that
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this would
happen in the last days.
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There's another one
that was very famous,
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he was a clairvoyant.
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A clairvoyant is
a person that exists
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between the seen
and the unseen world
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and they claim to
be able to contact
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those who have departed.
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And people are often pulled
in by it because they say,
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when they sit in audiences,
and I've seen this before,
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not that it was
a particular show
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but I've seen
instances where people said,
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"I'm getting vibes
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from somebody whose name
starts with the letter D.
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Is there somebody in
here with a family member
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that starts with the letter D?"
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And then they say,
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"Well, their
favorite color was purple."
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"Oh, that's my uncle David."
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"And his number was 23."
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"Oh, yes, that was the
number on his baseball jersey."
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And they're putting
all these things together
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and the thing that...
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Well, he's telling
you, he's just fine,
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he's contacting you
from the other side,
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he wants you to
know he's doing okay,
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and life is going
to turn out just fine,
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and what they don't
realize is the devil
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who's been around for a
while knows your uncle David.
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He knows his
favorite number was 23.
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He knows he wore purple jersey.
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And he
communicates through his agents
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to make people think that
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somehow that they
are telling the truth.
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And then there is a
Michel de Nostradamus,
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a man that had many,
many, many, many predictions
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and many of those
predictions didn't come true.
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Some came partially true
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but they have
still yet to nail down
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one particular specific prophecy
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in harmony with scripture
that Nostradamus has predicted
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and has come to
pass with accuracy.
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And so, tonight
what we're going to do
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is we're going to
see what the Bible says
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about the gifts of the spirit.
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So let's begin with
question number one.
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Question number one,
here's the first question.
00:10:29.82\00:10:33.29
Here's the first question.
00:10:33.33\00:10:37.10
What has God promised
to do to inform His church?
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What has God promised
to do to inform His church?
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Let's go to the Book of Amos.
00:10:47.34\00:10:49.51
Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos.
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If you can't find
Daniel, go to Ezekiel.
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Ezekiel, Daniel,
Hosea, Joel, Amos.
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Amos 3:7, and since
it is the first one,
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I'd like us to read
this together, all right?
00:11:03.99\00:11:06.96
It's on the screen,
let's read this together.
00:11:07.00\00:11:09.16
Here it is, "Surely the
Lord God does," how much?
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"Nothing, unless He reveals
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His secret to His
servants, the" what?
00:11:16.87\00:11:20.18
"The prophets."
00:11:20.21\00:11:21.54
So the question is,
will God reveal His secrets?
00:11:21.58\00:11:24.71
Yes or no? Yes.
00:11:24.75\00:11:26.08
To whom?
00:11:26.11\00:11:27.62
To His servants, the prophets.
00:11:27.65\00:11:30.02
He's not revealing His
secrets to anyone else.
00:11:30.05\00:11:33.49
You see, if the devil
knew everything that God knew,
00:11:33.52\00:11:36.86
then we'd be in trouble,
he would be all knowing.
00:11:36.89\00:11:39.39
But only God is all knowing.
00:11:39.43\00:11:41.36
Matter of fact, go with
me to Isaiah chapter 46,
00:11:41.40\00:11:44.93
Isaiah chapter 46.
00:11:44.97\00:11:46.74
And so the answer is...
00:11:46.77\00:11:48.10
What has God promised
to do to inform His church?
00:11:48.14\00:11:50.51
Reveal His secrets to
His servants, the prophets.
00:11:50.54\00:11:53.51
You can kind of
include the entire verse,
00:11:53.54\00:11:56.44
reveal His secrets to
His servants, the prophets.
00:11:56.48\00:12:00.48
Look at Isaiah 46.
00:12:00.52\00:12:03.45
Isaiah 46.
00:12:03.49\00:12:04.95
And this is something that
only God has the ability to do.
00:12:04.99\00:12:08.42
Isaiah 46:9-10.
00:12:08.46\00:12:11.59
We read, "Remember
the former things of old,
00:12:11.63\00:12:16.87
for I am God, and
there is no other."
00:12:16.90\00:12:20.04
Is there anyone else like God?
00:12:20.07\00:12:21.60
Yes or no?
00:12:21.64\00:12:22.97
Absolutely not, "I am God,
00:12:23.00\00:12:25.37
and there is none like me,
00:12:25.41\00:12:29.04
declaring the," what?
00:12:29.08\00:12:31.61
"End from the beginning,
and from ancient times,
00:12:31.65\00:12:36.99
things that are not yet done,
00:12:37.02\00:12:39.32
saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
00:12:39.35\00:12:42.92
and I will do all my pleasure.'"
00:12:42.96\00:12:44.69
Notice, from ancient times,
00:12:44.73\00:12:47.16
so you can go
back hundreds of years,
00:12:47.20\00:12:49.90
you can go back
thousands of years,
00:12:49.93\00:12:51.97
you can go back millennia,
and the Lord is able to predict
00:12:52.00\00:12:55.57
through His prophets
thousands of years ago,
00:12:55.60\00:12:58.27
things that have
not yet happened.
00:12:58.31\00:13:00.11
One of the examples we
have is John the Revelator,
00:13:00.14\00:13:03.55
who 2,000 years ago was inspired
00:13:03.58\00:13:07.08
to write the Book of Revelation,
00:13:07.12\00:13:08.62
and portions of Revelation
are not yet fulfilled,
00:13:08.65\00:13:11.55
from ancient times,
things that are not yet done.
00:13:11.59\00:13:15.46
Many of us don't also
know that the writing of John
00:13:15.49\00:13:19.09
or the Book of Revelation
is also components of that
00:13:19.13\00:13:22.06
were written by
Ezekiel the Prophet.
00:13:22.10\00:13:24.47
Ezekiel 9 is a glimpse
of Revelation chapter 7,
00:13:24.50\00:13:28.10
the sealing, the sealing work.
00:13:28.14\00:13:30.27
That was years
before John the Revelator,
00:13:30.31\00:13:35.98
hundreds of years
before John the Revelator,
00:13:36.01\00:13:37.95
more than a thousand
years before John the Revelator,
00:13:37.98\00:13:40.65
God gave Ezekiel
glimpses of the things
00:13:40.68\00:13:43.12
that John was also
given a picture of.
00:13:43.15\00:13:46.45
Then you have
Daniel, Daniel the Prophet
00:13:46.49\00:13:49.42
was given
components of the end time
00:13:49.46\00:13:53.09
kingdoms of the world,
00:13:53.13\00:13:54.86
that were to some
degree, he was in Babylon
00:13:54.90\00:13:58.50
but he was also given visions
of the Medo-Persian Empire,
00:13:58.53\00:14:02.67
the Grecian Empire,
and the Roman Empire,
00:14:02.70\00:14:05.44
and then the
kingdoms of the world
00:14:05.47\00:14:07.71
that according to the
10 toes are yet to coalesce
00:14:07.74\00:14:12.38
in the toes of the
image of Daniel chapter 2.
00:14:12.41\00:14:16.38
So these things
are from ancient times,
00:14:16.42\00:14:18.82
things that are not yet done.
00:14:18.85\00:14:20.92
And go with me
to John chapter 16,
00:14:20.96\00:14:22.42
I want to show
you something else.
00:14:22.46\00:14:24.59
John chapter 16.
00:14:24.63\00:14:27.96
Only the Lord has the ability
00:14:28.00\00:14:30.93
to teach us from ancient times,
00:14:30.97\00:14:34.64
things that are not yet done.
00:14:34.67\00:14:38.41
John chapter 16, and by the way,
00:14:38.44\00:14:40.41
let me show you
who the active agent is
00:14:40.44\00:14:44.25
behind all these
men that God used,
00:14:44.28\00:14:48.85
all these men that God used.
00:14:48.88\00:14:51.12
Look at John chapter 16.
00:14:51.15\00:14:53.59
And we're going
to look at verse 13.
00:14:53.62\00:14:57.16
The Bible says, "However
when he, the spirit of..."?
00:14:57.19\00:15:02.10
Talk to me, "When he
the spirit of," what?
00:15:02.13\00:15:04.10
"Truth has come,
he will," do what?
00:15:04.13\00:15:07.57
"Guide you into," how much?
00:15:07.60\00:15:08.94
All.
00:15:08.97\00:15:10.31
"All truth, for
he will not speak
00:15:10.34\00:15:12.74
on his own authority,
but whatever he hears,
00:15:12.77\00:15:16.91
he will speak
and he will," what?
00:15:16.95\00:15:19.15
"Tell you things to come."
00:15:19.18\00:15:21.42
Another word for tell you things
00:15:21.45\00:15:23.35
to come will be prophesy.
00:15:23.39\00:15:26.05
He's going to tell
you things to come.
00:15:26.09\00:15:28.12
And the Bible
makes it very clear,
00:15:28.16\00:15:29.92
what else is he going to do?
00:15:29.96\00:15:31.29
And this is very important,
verse 14 is vitally important
00:15:31.33\00:15:34.50
to our topic tonight.
00:15:34.53\00:15:36.16
It says, "He will glorify
me," that is glorify Christ,
00:15:36.20\00:15:39.93
"and he will
take of what is mine,
00:15:39.97\00:15:41.90
and declare it to you."
00:15:41.94\00:15:43.81
And when you read
through the Book of John,
00:15:43.84\00:15:45.57
you will discover that
00:15:45.61\00:15:48.24
the reason why the Lord outlined
00:15:48.28\00:15:50.11
the way He did these things
that were to come, He says,
00:15:50.15\00:15:52.91
"When they come to
pass, then you will believe.
00:15:52.95\00:15:56.85
When they come to
pass, then you will believe."
00:15:56.89\00:15:59.12
And so what happens is,
if something is predicted
00:15:59.15\00:16:01.82
and it does not come to pass,
00:16:01.86\00:16:03.19
can you believe the
person that said it?
00:16:03.22\00:16:05.26
Absolutely not.
00:16:05.29\00:16:07.46
But when it does come
to pass, that prophet...
00:16:07.50\00:16:12.23
According to the test of
the Bible can be verified
00:16:12.27\00:16:15.10
that God is the one
that's behind him or her.
00:16:15.14\00:16:18.87
So the answer to number one is
00:16:18.91\00:16:20.84
God reveals His secrets to
His servants, the prophets.
00:16:20.88\00:16:23.81
Does God reveal His
secrets to anybody else?
00:16:23.85\00:16:27.02
No, absolutely not.
00:16:27.05\00:16:28.52
If they are not His servants,
if they are not the prophets
00:16:28.55\00:16:31.02
He has chosen and
anointed, He does not reveal it.
00:16:31.05\00:16:33.56
Now people will claim
to be prophets of God,
00:16:33.59\00:16:36.49
but we'll get to
the point where we test.
00:16:36.52\00:16:38.69
Okay, question number two.
00:16:38.73\00:16:40.70
Question number two.
00:16:40.73\00:16:42.16
Here it is.
00:16:42.20\00:16:43.97
What are some of the
ways that God communicates?
00:16:44.00\00:16:48.34
What are some of the
ways that God communicates?
00:16:48.37\00:16:51.37
Numbers 12:6. Numbers 12:6.
00:16:51.41\00:16:57.11
We're also going
to see in the Bible
00:16:57.15\00:16:59.25
because one of the ways,
00:16:59.28\00:17:01.38
as you turn to
Numbers chapter 12,
00:17:01.42\00:17:03.02
one of the things
that Satan has learned,
00:17:03.05\00:17:05.72
one of the
things he has learned,
00:17:05.75\00:17:09.02
if he could make a prophecy
appear to come to pass...
00:17:09.06\00:17:14.20
and add a condition to it,
00:17:14.23\00:17:17.17
he can deceive
someone into following him.
00:17:17.20\00:17:22.44
I'll show you
that in just a moment.
00:17:22.47\00:17:24.37
But look at Number 12:6.
00:17:24.41\00:17:27.14
Here's the word of the Lord.
00:17:27.18\00:17:30.15
"Then He said,
'Hear now My words:
00:17:30.18\00:17:34.35
If there is a prophet
among you, I, the Lord,
00:17:34.38\00:17:39.62
make Myself known
to him in a," what?
00:17:39.65\00:17:42.49
Dream.
00:17:42.52\00:17:43.86
"Dream and I speak
to him in a," what?
00:17:43.89\00:17:45.23
"A vision, and I
speak to him in a dream."
00:17:45.26\00:17:47.93
So visions and dreams.
00:17:47.96\00:17:50.37
The Lord speaks in what?
00:17:50.40\00:17:51.87
Visions and dreams.
00:17:51.90\00:17:53.87
Now...
00:17:53.90\00:17:56.77
very few instances in the
Bible did the Lord gave people
00:17:56.81\00:18:01.31
that were not
His prophets a dream.
00:18:01.34\00:18:04.91
Can you think of a
person in the Bible
00:18:04.95\00:18:07.05
who the Lord gave a dream
to, who was not His prophet?
00:18:07.08\00:18:10.25
Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar.
00:18:10.29\00:18:12.75
He gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream
00:18:12.79\00:18:15.46
and that dream was
then interpreted by Daniel.
00:18:15.49\00:18:19.16
Because the
Lord wanted to reveal
00:18:19.19\00:18:20.80
in the courts of Babylon that...
00:18:20.83\00:18:23.20
And He wanted to make it
very clear to Nebuchadnezzar
00:18:23.23\00:18:26.13
that your prophets are not true.
00:18:26.17\00:18:28.20
He gave Nebuchadnezzar a vision
00:18:28.24\00:18:30.54
to bring His true
prophet to the forefront.
00:18:30.57\00:18:33.61
But he didn't
give Nebuchadnezzar
00:18:33.64\00:18:34.98
the interpretation.
00:18:35.01\00:18:36.61
So when a person
says, "I had a dream,"
00:18:36.64\00:18:38.88
well, that's not unusual,
anybody can have a dream,
00:18:38.91\00:18:41.55
but what does it mean?
00:18:41.58\00:18:43.18
And I remember
growing up in New York City,
00:18:43.22\00:18:46.32
kind of taking you back in ways,
00:18:46.35\00:18:48.19
there were guys
in New York City,
00:18:48.22\00:18:49.59
particularly in Brooklyn,
00:18:49.62\00:18:50.96
they were called number runners.
00:18:50.99\00:18:52.83
And, you know, they'd
come, go from house to house,
00:18:52.86\00:18:55.83
these was street number runners,
00:18:55.86\00:18:58.47
these were gamblers
that walk the streets.
00:18:58.50\00:18:59.87
They'd say...
00:18:59.90\00:19:01.24
You know, they had a
book called The Dream Book,
00:19:01.27\00:19:03.30
and this is
something that was very apropos
00:19:03.34\00:19:06.47
to the inner city.
00:19:06.51\00:19:08.11
And they would say...
00:19:08.14\00:19:09.48
Somebody said, "Last
night, I dreamed about an ox
00:19:09.51\00:19:11.45
and a calf," and they'll
say, "Okay, in the dream book,
00:19:11.48\00:19:14.45
well, that's number 645."
00:19:14.48\00:19:16.32
So what they'd do is say, "Okay,
00:19:16.35\00:19:17.79
since you had that
dream, play the number 645,
00:19:17.82\00:19:23.36
and then chances
are you would win."
00:19:23.39\00:19:25.69
I cannot tell you how
many thousands of people
00:19:25.73\00:19:29.43
got hoodwinked by some
self put together number book,
00:19:29.46\00:19:33.64
false visions, false dreams,
00:19:33.67\00:19:35.70
and the only
thing they did that...
00:19:35.74\00:19:37.57
Only thing they did
that for is to raise money.
00:19:37.61\00:19:41.08
And then there are
those who try to predict
00:19:41.11\00:19:43.78
that this horse is going to win
or that horse is going to win.
00:19:43.81\00:19:47.35
And people put that money down.
00:19:47.38\00:19:49.38
And then people
said, "I had a dream that,
00:19:49.42\00:19:51.62
you know, this horse is
going to win by a neck."
00:19:51.65\00:19:53.99
And they put
thousands of dollars
00:19:54.02\00:19:55.49
down and what happens?
00:19:55.52\00:19:57.86
God is not revealing to
them because first of all,
00:19:57.89\00:20:00.50
God is not in the
gambling business.
00:20:00.53\00:20:05.07
But the Lord made it clear
that when He reveals Himself,
00:20:05.10\00:20:08.40
He makes Himself
known, sometimes in a...
00:20:08.44\00:20:11.64
vision and in a dream.
00:20:11.67\00:20:13.54
Write that down, in a
vision and in a dream.
00:20:13.58\00:20:17.58
But any time a vision is
given or a dream is given,
00:20:21.68\00:20:25.29
it cannot be given
00:20:25.32\00:20:26.99
out of harmony with
God's Word, it cannot.
00:20:27.02\00:20:30.63
It has to always be in
harmony with God's Word.
00:20:30.66\00:20:34.93
That's the test.
00:20:34.96\00:20:36.30
Because today...
00:20:36.33\00:20:37.70
Oh, I'll tell you,
00:20:37.73\00:20:39.07
we'll get to that in the moment,
00:20:39.10\00:20:40.44
I want to just slow myself down.
00:20:40.47\00:20:41.80
Today, there are many people
that claim to have these gifts.
00:20:41.84\00:20:45.14
But they are not in
harmony with God's Word.
00:20:45.17\00:20:47.64
I remember giving
a Revelation seminar
00:20:47.68\00:20:50.15
when I was a young man
00:20:50.18\00:20:51.81
up in the mountains
of Northern California.
00:20:51.85\00:20:54.35
And because it was
a Revelation seminar,
00:20:54.38\00:20:56.62
shortly after I began
my Revelation seminar,
00:20:56.65\00:20:58.89
six other churches
began Revelation seminars.
00:20:58.92\00:21:01.79
The town was so small,
the only purpose they began
00:21:01.82\00:21:03.99
there's was to get
people not to come to mine.
00:21:04.03\00:21:07.60
And the guy came to
town, and he was advertised
00:21:07.63\00:21:10.67
as the man who has
an edge on prophecy.
00:21:10.70\00:21:14.84
So I went to
hear him, one night,
00:21:14.87\00:21:16.74
the night that our
meeting wasn't held,
00:21:16.77\00:21:18.34
we had Thursday and, I think,
00:21:18.37\00:21:19.77
Monday night off or
something like that.
00:21:19.81\00:21:21.68
And I went to hear
him on a Thursday night,
00:21:21.71\00:21:24.28
and I was expecting
to edge on prophecy,
00:21:24.31\00:21:26.78
I was expecting to
hear something phenomenal.
00:21:26.82\00:21:30.89
His edge on prophecy
was "The Lord is telling me
00:21:30.92\00:21:33.89
that there's somebody
here in this congregation
00:21:33.92\00:21:36.62
who needs their ear
needs to be healed."
00:21:36.66\00:21:39.86
An edge on prophecy?
00:21:39.89\00:21:41.63
Their ear needs to be healed?
00:21:41.66\00:21:44.47
And many of these false prophets
00:21:44.50\00:21:47.17
claim to have miraculous powers.
00:21:47.20\00:21:50.57
But as one person
just said it recently,
00:21:50.61\00:21:52.31
and I'm going to
be clear about it,
00:21:52.34\00:21:53.68
about a very well known
self-proclaimed prophet,
00:21:53.71\00:21:58.61
the healings cannot even be...
00:21:58.65\00:22:00.78
They cannot even
be traced to a person
00:22:00.82\00:22:02.78
who had any
particular ailment whatsoever.
00:22:02.82\00:22:05.52
And people that had
visible ailments that
00:22:05.55\00:22:07.42
if they really were healed,
00:22:07.46\00:22:09.22
well, still
don't make that a test
00:22:09.26\00:22:11.46
because the devil is able to put
00:22:11.49\00:22:12.93
a disease on somebody,
00:22:12.96\00:22:15.10
and take it off,
and make it appear
00:22:15.13\00:22:17.07
as though that
person has been healed.
00:22:17.10\00:22:18.97
And we'll get to
that in just a moment.
00:22:19.00\00:22:21.04
So question number two,
00:22:21.07\00:22:22.40
what are some of the
ways that God communicates?
00:22:22.44\00:22:23.77
Through visions and dreams.
00:22:23.81\00:22:25.71
Question number three.
00:22:25.74\00:22:27.58
Number three.
00:22:27.61\00:22:28.94
Why does God use
prophecy to communicate?
00:22:34.48\00:22:38.05
Why does God use
prophecy to communicate?
00:22:38.09\00:22:42.29
He not only communicates
through His written Word
00:22:42.32\00:22:45.03
but He also uses
prophecy to communicate.
00:22:45.06\00:22:48.63
All right?
00:22:48.66\00:22:52.13
1 Corinthians 1:6-7.
00:22:52.17\00:22:55.04
Why does God use
prophecy to communicate?
00:22:55.07\00:22:58.77
Here it is. Here it is.
00:22:58.81\00:23:03.55
"Even as the testimony of Christ
00:23:03.58\00:23:07.38
was confirmed in you,"
00:23:07.42\00:23:08.75
and Paul is talking to
the New Testament Christian,
00:23:08.78\00:23:10.99
"even as the testimony of
Christ was confirmed in you,
00:23:11.02\00:23:14.86
so that you come short
in," what's the next two words?
00:23:14.89\00:23:19.29
"No gift, eagerly
waiting for the revelation
00:23:19.33\00:23:23.50
of our Lord Jesus,
our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:23:23.53\00:23:27.00
So when you look at the
gifts, and we're going to go
00:23:27.04\00:23:30.07
to the gifts in
just a moment here.
00:23:30.11\00:23:31.51
When you look at the
gifts, one of the reasons
00:23:31.54\00:23:32.87
why the Lord gave
this particular gift
00:23:32.91\00:23:35.01
because He
doesn't want His people
00:23:35.04\00:23:36.91
to come behind in any gifts.
00:23:36.95\00:23:39.61
He doesn't want
them to fall behind.
00:23:39.65\00:23:41.68
So whatever gift is
there, every gift will be active
00:23:41.72\00:23:45.19
among the people of God.
00:23:45.22\00:23:46.55
How many gifts will be active?
00:23:46.59\00:23:48.62
Every gift would be active,
00:23:48.66\00:23:50.63
not a single gift will
be inactive, every gift
00:23:50.66\00:23:53.06
because He
doesn't want them to come
00:23:53.09\00:23:55.06
or to fall short in any gift.
00:23:55.10\00:23:56.93
Now the reason why
Paul was referring,
00:23:56.97\00:24:00.04
was making this application
here to the Corinthian church
00:24:00.07\00:24:02.77
is because the
Corinthian believers...
00:24:02.80\00:24:04.37
were port, the Corinthian church
00:24:07.44\00:24:09.94
was in a port city
00:24:09.98\00:24:11.91
of many different nationalities,
00:24:11.95\00:24:14.25
many different languages.
00:24:14.28\00:24:16.18
And as you go further,
00:24:16.22\00:24:17.69
when we get to 1
Corinthians chapter 12,
00:24:17.72\00:24:20.16
Paul outlines the gifts,
1 Corinthians chapter 13,
00:24:20.19\00:24:23.49
he talks about
how important love is.
00:24:23.53\00:24:25.63
Love is more important
than all the gifts combined.
00:24:25.66\00:24:28.63
But then in chapter
14, he made it clear,
00:24:28.66\00:24:31.07
he tried to
specify to the Corinthians
00:24:31.10\00:24:33.40
that when you gather together,
00:24:33.44\00:24:36.07
it's better to say things
that everybody understands
00:24:36.10\00:24:39.94
than to speak in languages
that nobody understands.
00:24:39.97\00:24:44.11
And one of the challenges
in the Corinthian church,
00:24:44.15\00:24:46.31
it was a body of believers
that had many nationalities.
00:24:46.35\00:24:49.72
People from different parts
00:24:49.75\00:24:51.39
of the Asian world
and they would prefer
00:24:51.42\00:24:54.62
communicating in
their own language.
00:24:54.66\00:24:56.39
But he said, "Make sure
that whatever you desire,
00:24:56.42\00:24:58.36
whatever gift that you
covet, covet the best gifts
00:24:58.39\00:25:02.33
that you may
speak the Word of God,
00:25:02.36\00:25:04.33
that you may
prophecy the Word of God,
00:25:04.37\00:25:06.87
that your message may be clear,
00:25:06.90\00:25:09.07
that your message may be clear."
00:25:09.10\00:25:11.57
So any gift that
muddles up the message
00:25:11.61\00:25:16.68
is not a gift
that God operates in.
00:25:16.71\00:25:18.48
Go to 1 Corinthians,
00:25:18.51\00:25:19.85
let me show you
this very carefully.
00:25:19.88\00:25:21.78
Any gift that
muddles up or beclouds
00:25:21.82\00:25:25.42
what God is trying to
communicate is not a gift
00:25:25.45\00:25:29.29
that God is operating through.
00:25:29.32\00:25:33.60
1 Corinthians chapter 14,
did I tell you what chapter?
00:25:33.63\00:25:37.73
Chapter 14.
00:25:37.77\00:25:40.87
I want you to see this.
00:25:40.90\00:25:42.64
And I'm not going to
spend a ton of time on that,
00:25:42.67\00:25:45.11
but 1
Corinthians chapter 14, okay?
00:25:45.14\00:25:48.64
And let's see.
00:25:55.02\00:25:59.62
Well, the whole
chapter is on tongues.
00:25:59.65\00:26:02.96
But...
00:26:02.99\00:26:05.83
I'll go down to verse...
00:26:05.86\00:26:10.57
The whole thing is going
to make it really clear to me.
00:26:10.60\00:26:13.23
Let's just go
ahead and look at...
00:26:13.27\00:26:16.57
We don't want to
make it too long.
00:26:16.60\00:26:18.17
Well, I want to
start with a verse 40.
00:26:18.21\00:26:21.11
Verse 40 is the
last one but I want to,
00:26:21.14\00:26:23.65
I want to just bring
that one out right now
00:26:23.68\00:26:26.98
because I want to go back,
00:26:27.02\00:26:28.35
I don't want to
jump ahead of myself.
00:26:28.38\00:26:29.95
When any gift is to be
used, what does verse 40 say?
00:26:29.98\00:26:35.49
That all things be done how?
00:26:35.52\00:26:37.29
Decently.
00:26:37.33\00:26:38.66
Decently and how?
00:26:38.69\00:26:40.23
In order.
00:26:40.26\00:26:41.80
So the gifts also
should be exercised
00:26:41.83\00:26:44.43
decently and how?
00:26:44.47\00:26:45.80
In order.
00:26:45.83\00:26:47.17
So if there is
anything that's out of order,
00:26:47.20\00:26:49.70
God is not the
author of confusion.
00:26:49.74\00:26:54.54
Any gift that
bring confusion in,
00:26:54.58\00:26:59.01
what can you think of
when you think of confusion?
00:26:59.05\00:27:03.72
What does the Bible
talk about in Revelation
00:27:03.75\00:27:05.92
that is a symbol of confusion?
00:27:05.95\00:27:09.66
Babylon.
00:27:09.69\00:27:11.29
So anything that
brings confusion in is a fruit
00:27:11.33\00:27:16.10
or an evidence that
Babylon has influenced it.
00:27:16.13\00:27:19.93
Because Babylon,
the Tower of Babel
00:27:19.97\00:27:22.94
was the place that God
confused the languages.
00:27:22.97\00:27:26.68
Anything connected
with confusion is evidence,
00:27:26.71\00:27:30.45
that it's a symbol
of Babylonian influence
00:27:30.48\00:27:33.82
or spiritual
Babylonian influence
00:27:33.85\00:27:36.82
because we don't have
a literal Babylon today.
00:27:36.85\00:27:39.09
Okay, question number three.
00:27:39.12\00:27:40.99
Now let's go to
question number four.
00:27:41.02\00:27:43.22
Question number four.
00:27:43.26\00:27:44.59
Matter of fact,
before you run away,
00:27:44.63\00:27:46.70
before you run away in
1 Corinthians chapter 14,
00:27:46.73\00:27:49.13
just look at verse 33.
00:27:49.16\00:27:52.50
Thank you for
bearing with me, verse 33.
00:27:52.53\00:27:55.10
And this is what I was trying
to emphasize just a moment ago.
00:27:55.14\00:27:58.47
Verse 33 of 1
Corinthians chapter 14.
00:27:58.51\00:28:02.81
"For God is not the
author of confusion,
00:28:02.84\00:28:07.18
but of peace,
00:28:07.22\00:28:08.55
as in all the
churches of the saints."
00:28:08.58\00:28:12.79
God's not the
author of confusion.
00:28:12.82\00:28:14.39
So wherever a church claims
to be under the unction of God,
00:28:14.42\00:28:18.39
should confusion exist there?
00:28:18.43\00:28:20.60
Absolutely not.
00:28:20.63\00:28:21.96
So when there is confusion,
is God in charge of that?
00:28:22.00\00:28:24.90
That's a very
important point to remember
00:28:24.93\00:28:26.74
because God is not
the author of confusion,
00:28:26.77\00:28:28.64
meaning where the
confusion is rampant,
00:28:28.67\00:28:30.67
God has nothing to do with that.
00:28:30.71\00:28:32.57
So when you think of the
topic of death for example,
00:28:32.61\00:28:36.34
some preachers would say,
00:28:36.38\00:28:37.71
"Well, they're in
heaven now looking down on us.
00:28:37.75\00:28:40.32
We can't wait for
the resurrection morning
00:28:40.35\00:28:41.98
when they come
forth from the grave.
00:28:42.02\00:28:44.12
I know there are up
there meeting Jesus.
00:28:44.15\00:28:46.65
But it's so nice
they're resting in the Lord."
00:28:46.69\00:28:48.82
I went to a
funeral that was confusing.
00:28:48.86\00:28:52.53
One minute, she's
looking down from heaven,
00:28:52.56\00:28:54.26
next minute, can't wait
to resurrection morning,
00:28:54.30\00:28:57.20
next she is up
there praising Lord,
00:28:57.23\00:28:59.23
the next moment,
she's resting in Jesus.
00:28:59.27\00:29:01.97
Confusion.
00:29:02.00\00:29:03.34
God is not the
author of confusion.
00:29:03.37\00:29:05.87
And there's a lot of confusion
00:29:05.91\00:29:07.28
that has a tag today
claiming spirituality.
00:29:07.31\00:29:11.88
Question number four will
begin to open up the doors
00:29:11.91\00:29:14.28
to help us to see why,
00:29:14.32\00:29:16.12
to help us to see
why that is the case.
00:29:16.15\00:29:18.35
Question four.
00:29:18.39\00:29:20.19
Question number four.
00:29:20.22\00:29:21.56
What particularly gift
00:29:21.59\00:29:23.59
angers Satan to
the point of war?
00:29:23.63\00:29:27.73
What particularly gift
00:29:27.76\00:29:29.70
angers Satan to
the point of war?
00:29:29.73\00:29:35.37
When somebody is angry
00:29:35.40\00:29:36.74
to the point they want to fight,
00:29:36.77\00:29:38.74
something's really angering them
00:29:38.77\00:29:40.61
to that particular point.
00:29:40.64\00:29:41.98
Revelation 12:17.
00:29:42.01\00:29:43.88
Revelation 12:17. Look at that.
00:29:43.91\00:29:48.12
All right, we know it
very well, and if you know it,
00:29:48.15\00:29:50.42
repeat it with us,
"And the dragon was enraged
00:29:50.45\00:29:54.76
with the woman,"
that is the church,
00:29:54.79\00:29:57.86
"angry with the
woman," Revelation 12:17,
00:29:57.89\00:30:01.20
"and went to make war
with the rest of her offspring,
00:30:01.23\00:30:05.60
who keep the," what?
00:30:05.63\00:30:07.94
"Commandments of God,
and have the," what else?
00:30:07.97\00:30:11.41
"Testimony of Jesus Christ."
00:30:11.44\00:30:13.64
Look at that
scripture, very carefully,
00:30:13.68\00:30:15.88
"And the dragon was
enraged with the woman
00:30:15.91\00:30:19.51
and went to make war with
the rest of her offspring,
00:30:19.55\00:30:22.65
who keep the
commandments of God,
00:30:22.68\00:30:24.42
and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ."
00:30:24.45\00:30:26.89
And if you didn't see that,
00:30:26.92\00:30:29.92
makes it very clear,
so what particular gift?
00:30:29.96\00:30:32.56
And we'll bring the
gift out in just a moment
00:30:32.59\00:30:34.60
but what is
angering the devil is one,
00:30:34.63\00:30:39.43
keeping the commandments
of God and secondly,
00:30:39.47\00:30:42.30
having the testimony of what?
00:30:42.34\00:30:44.11
Of Jesus Christ.
00:30:44.14\00:30:45.47
These two combined,
not one or the other,
00:30:45.51\00:30:48.84
but both together,
00:30:48.88\00:30:51.11
the commandments of God
and the testimony of Jesus.
00:30:51.15\00:30:54.35
Write that down,
00:30:54.38\00:30:56.28
the commandments of God
and the testimony of Jesus.
00:30:56.32\00:31:00.52
Now, to bring out what gift
00:31:00.56\00:31:03.79
is encapsulated in that text,
00:31:03.83\00:31:06.49
we now go to Revelation 19,
00:31:06.53\00:31:08.86
and we're going to
look together at verse 10.
00:31:08.90\00:31:13.87
Revelation 19, and
we're going to go to verse 10.
00:31:13.90\00:31:18.04
Here's the question.
00:31:18.07\00:31:20.14
How does the Bible describe
00:31:20.18\00:31:23.65
the testimony of Jesus?
00:31:23.68\00:31:26.18
How does the Bible describe
00:31:26.21\00:31:28.65
the testimony of Jesus?
00:31:28.68\00:31:31.19
Revelation 19:10.
00:31:31.22\00:31:34.86
Let's look at that together.
00:31:34.89\00:31:36.22
Here it is.
00:31:36.26\00:31:37.73
"And I fell at his
feet to worship him,"
00:31:37.76\00:31:41.80
that is the angel,
"but he said to me,
00:31:41.83\00:31:44.97
'See that you do not do
that, I am your fellow servant,
00:31:45.00\00:31:49.70
and of the brethren who have
the testimony of Jesus..." '
00:31:49.74\00:31:54.74
Let's read this part together,
00:31:54.78\00:31:56.34
"Worship God, for the testimony
of Jesus is the," what?
00:31:56.38\00:32:01.22
"Spirit of Prophecy."
00:32:01.25\00:32:04.32
The testimony of Jesus
is the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:32:04.35\00:32:07.86
How does the Bible
describe the testimony of Jesus?
00:32:07.89\00:32:10.43
Write that down there,
the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:32:10.46\00:32:13.26
Now let me open this up,
00:32:13.29\00:32:14.63
let me just go
ahead and expand this.
00:32:14.66\00:32:16.00
What is the Spirit of Prophecy?
00:32:18.60\00:32:22.04
The work that is done
through the Holy Spirit.
00:32:22.07\00:32:26.54
The same spirit that
spoke to Isaiah, and Jeremiah,
00:32:26.57\00:32:32.28
and Ezekiel,
the same Holy Spirit
00:32:32.31\00:32:36.65
that spoke through
Old Testament prophets,
00:32:36.69\00:32:39.62
you have Enoch and Elijah,
00:32:39.65\00:32:41.96
that very same gift the
Lord said would be active
00:32:41.99\00:32:45.03
in the time of the
end, the same Holy Spirit.
00:32:45.06\00:32:49.56
So when the Bible describes
the Spirit of Prophecy,
00:32:49.60\00:32:53.60
it's the spirit that activate...
00:32:53.64\00:32:55.54
Matter of fact, go
with me to 1 Peter.
00:32:55.57\00:32:57.47
Let's go there and look at this.
00:32:57.51\00:32:58.87
I'll get there real quickly.
00:33:02.88\00:33:04.21
Okay, I'm going to read 2 Peter.
00:33:12.72\00:33:16.12
Sorry, I said 1 Peter, 2 Peter.
00:33:16.16\00:33:20.90
Chapter 1, verse 19 to verse 21.
00:33:20.93\00:33:24.03
All right?
00:33:24.07\00:33:25.40
And by the way,
when you read this,
00:33:30.57\00:33:32.37
I'm going to also go
to the very next chapter
00:33:32.41\00:33:34.04
because there are no divisions,
when the Bible was written,
00:33:34.08\00:33:36.54
there were no divisions,
they were chapter by chapter
00:33:36.58\00:33:40.12
as the Bible was
constructed for readability.
00:33:40.15\00:33:44.39
Verse 19.
00:33:44.42\00:33:46.05
"We also have a
prophetic word more sure, "
00:33:46.09\00:33:49.89
or a word of prophecy made sure,
00:33:49.92\00:33:53.40
"which you do well to heed
00:33:53.43\00:33:56.53
as a light that
shines in a dark place,
00:33:56.56\00:34:00.04
until the day dawns
and the morning star
00:34:00.07\00:34:04.01
rises in your hearts."
00:34:04.04\00:34:06.88
Verse 20.
00:34:06.91\00:34:08.61
"Knowing this
first, that no prophecy,"
00:34:08.64\00:34:12.88
how many prophecies?
00:34:12.91\00:34:14.42
"No prophecy of scripture
00:34:14.45\00:34:16.95
is of any
private interpretation."
00:34:16.99\00:34:19.75
So let's pause
there for a moment.
00:34:19.79\00:34:21.79
So if the prophecy someone gives
00:34:21.82\00:34:25.43
cannot be
confirmed by the Bible,
00:34:25.46\00:34:28.03
is it a private interpretation?
00:34:28.06\00:34:30.57
Yes.
00:34:30.60\00:34:31.93
Because whatever is given
must be confirmed by scripture.
00:34:31.97\00:34:35.47
Somebody could say,
00:34:35.50\00:34:36.84
"Well, you know,
I saw three eagles,
00:34:36.87\00:34:39.31
and I saw a blue bird, and
I saw a yellow Volkswagen."
00:34:39.34\00:34:43.38
I'm being cynical.
00:34:43.41\00:34:45.48
And what that
means, what God showed me,
00:34:45.51\00:34:47.88
and they could...
00:34:47.92\00:34:49.25
"The Lord just
gave me a prophecy
00:34:49.28\00:34:50.62
and He showed me and..."
00:34:50.65\00:34:53.82
Where is it
confirmed in the scriptures?
00:34:53.86\00:34:57.19
The Bible is the test.
00:34:57.23\00:34:58.69
If the Bible is
not supportive of it,
00:34:58.73\00:35:00.40
it's a private interpretation.
00:35:00.43\00:35:02.76
But let's go on.
00:35:02.80\00:35:04.93
"For prophecy never
came," how many times?
00:35:04.97\00:35:10.24
"Never came by the will of
man, but," what kind of men?
00:35:10.27\00:35:14.98
"Holy men of God
spoke as they were moved
00:35:15.01\00:35:19.51
by the Holy Spirit."
00:35:19.55\00:35:23.02
So who is the one that
spoke through these men?
00:35:23.05\00:35:26.09
The Holy Spirit.
00:35:26.12\00:35:27.46
They spoke, the impression
came from the Holy Spirit.
00:35:27.49\00:35:31.16
They didn't have any
private interpretations.
00:35:31.19\00:35:32.93
One of the
reasons why people say,
00:35:32.96\00:35:34.30
"I don't believe the Bible"
is they say, "Men wrote it."
00:35:34.33\00:35:36.16
No, men didn't write
it, holy men wrote it.
00:35:36.20\00:35:39.10
But who in fact is the author?
00:35:39.13\00:35:40.80
Jesus is the author
and finisher of our faith.
00:35:40.84\00:35:43.24
Where does the
inspiration come from?
00:35:43.27\00:35:45.11
The Holy Spirit.
00:35:45.14\00:35:47.01
And when you read that...
00:35:47.04\00:35:48.64
When you read that in the Greek,
00:35:48.68\00:35:50.01
the Bible is in essence saying,
00:35:50.05\00:35:51.38
the Holy Spirit
breathed on these men,
00:35:51.41\00:35:54.75
inspired them, and their pens
00:35:54.78\00:35:58.05
were guided by the
influence of the Holy Spirit.
00:35:58.09\00:36:02.96
Think about it, how many
books in the Bible are there?
00:36:02.99\00:36:06.29
Sixty six.
00:36:06.33\00:36:07.66
How can you get
the Old Testament
00:36:07.70\00:36:10.23
and the New
Testament to be in harmony
00:36:10.27\00:36:13.54
over 1,500 years
of written record?
00:36:13.57\00:36:17.57
Many of the men
did meet each other.
00:36:17.61\00:36:20.78
How does Ezekiel
jive with Revelation?
00:36:20.81\00:36:25.15
How does Isaiah
jive with Matthew?
00:36:25.18\00:36:29.65
They didn't meet each other.
00:36:29.68\00:36:31.09
The only one that was
active from age to age
00:36:31.12\00:36:34.89
is the Holy Spirit of God
00:36:34.92\00:36:37.29
speaking through
those individuals,
00:36:37.33\00:36:39.23
and not just men,
00:36:39.26\00:36:40.60
there were
prophetesses in the Bible,
00:36:40.63\00:36:43.06
in the New
Testament, in the Old Testament.
00:36:43.10\00:36:45.53
The Lord spoke through people
00:36:45.57\00:36:46.90
that whose
lives were holy lives,
00:36:46.94\00:36:49.70
not holy because they
found the key to being holy
00:36:49.74\00:36:52.37
but their lives
were committed to God.
00:36:52.41\00:36:55.38
And the Lord spoke through them.
00:36:55.41\00:36:56.88
So when Ezekiel speaks
00:36:56.91\00:36:59.41
and his word is
confirmed in Revelation,
00:36:59.45\00:37:01.48
when Isaiah speaks
00:37:01.52\00:37:02.85
and his word is
confirmed in Luke...
00:37:02.88\00:37:04.22
Then who could
possibly be behind that?
00:37:07.02\00:37:10.43
These men were
moved by the Holy Spirit.
00:37:10.46\00:37:15.76
So when you see
the Spirit of Prophecy,
00:37:15.80\00:37:18.27
it is the same spirit
that was active in Ezekiel,
00:37:18.30\00:37:21.40
in Isaiah, in Daniel,
in Hosea, in Joel, in Amos,
00:37:21.44\00:37:27.01
the same Holy
Spirit that was active
00:37:27.04\00:37:28.98
in John the Revelator,
00:37:29.01\00:37:30.48
through the
lives of the apostles,
00:37:30.51\00:37:32.08
the same Holy Spirit
that work through Peter,
00:37:32.11\00:37:34.38
it's the same Holy Spirit
that's going to be working
00:37:34.42\00:37:36.72
through the church of God
00:37:36.75\00:37:38.09
with all the
gifts in the last days.
00:37:38.12\00:37:41.46
Let's look at
some of those gifts.
00:37:41.49\00:37:43.56
Let's look at
some of those gifts.
00:37:43.59\00:37:44.93
Go with me now to 1
Corinthians chapter 12.
00:37:44.96\00:37:48.00
This is a very key chapter.
00:37:48.03\00:37:50.23
1 Corinthians chapter 12.
00:37:50.27\00:37:52.83
Okay.
00:37:52.87\00:37:54.20
And this is a perfect
example of what I just said,
00:37:58.81\00:38:01.68
1 Corinthians
chapter 12 shows you
00:38:01.71\00:38:04.05
how the Holy Spirit works.
00:38:04.08\00:38:06.41
Okay.
00:38:10.99\00:38:13.36
Starting with verse 1.
00:38:13.39\00:38:15.76
"Now concerning,"
what kind of gifts?
00:38:15.79\00:38:18.59
"Spiritual gifts, brethren,
00:38:18.63\00:38:21.83
I do not want
you to be ignorant.
00:38:21.86\00:38:25.07
You know that you were Gentiles,
00:38:25.10\00:38:28.07
carried away by
these dumb idols,"
00:38:28.10\00:38:32.21
what a word,
00:38:32.24\00:38:33.61
"however you were led.
00:38:33.64\00:38:36.08
Therefore I made known to you
00:38:36.11\00:38:37.81
that no one
speaking by the Spirit of God
00:38:37.85\00:38:42.22
calls Jesus
anathema or a cursed,
00:38:42.25\00:38:45.92
and no one can say
that Jesus is Lord,
00:38:45.95\00:38:48.62
except by the Holy Spirit."
00:38:48.66\00:38:51.49
So when the Spirit of God...
00:38:51.53\00:38:52.86
And you'll find out later
on, there are certain tests
00:38:52.89\00:38:54.86
that the Bible established
00:38:54.90\00:38:56.23
so that people
that are coming along
00:38:56.26\00:38:57.80
can be verified.
00:38:57.83\00:38:59.43
Now look at verse 4.
00:38:59.47\00:39:01.14
"Now there are diversities
or differences of gifts
00:39:01.17\00:39:04.87
but the, " what?
00:39:04.91\00:39:06.94
"Same Spirit.
00:39:06.98\00:39:08.94
There are
differences of ministries,
00:39:08.98\00:39:10.95
but the same Lord.
00:39:10.98\00:39:14.48
And there are
diversities of activities,
00:39:14.52\00:39:17.02
but it is the same
God who does," what?
00:39:17.05\00:39:19.85
"Works all in all.
00:39:19.89\00:39:22.22
But the
manifestation of the spirit
00:39:22.26\00:39:24.46
is given to each one
for the profit of all."
00:39:24.49\00:39:27.46
Let me pause for a
moment and answer the question.
00:39:27.50\00:39:29.53
If the Spirit of
God gives me a gift,
00:39:29.56\00:39:31.37
is that gift given for me?
00:39:31.40\00:39:33.84
No, the gift I get
is for somebody else.
00:39:33.87\00:39:37.27
The Lord doesn't give you a
shovel for you to dig holes.
00:39:37.31\00:39:41.88
He doesn't give us
gifts to benefit us,
00:39:41.91\00:39:44.31
the gift He gives to
us is for the benefit
00:39:44.35\00:39:46.68
of how many of us?
00:39:46.72\00:39:48.25
All of us.
00:39:48.28\00:39:49.62
So whatever I give to you, Reza,
00:39:49.65\00:39:50.99
whatever the Lord gives to you
00:39:51.02\00:39:52.55
is a benefit to everybody else.
00:39:52.59\00:39:53.99
Whatever Lord gives
to you, honey, Angie,
00:39:54.02\00:39:56.59
is a benefit to everybody else.
00:39:56.62\00:39:57.96
Whatever gift God gives to
any one of us is not for us,
00:39:57.99\00:40:01.20
and this is a very
important point I'm making here
00:40:01.23\00:40:03.10
because later on,
you're going to see
00:40:03.13\00:40:05.07
that there are those
who teach in the last days,
00:40:05.10\00:40:07.44
there are many
churches today that teach
00:40:07.47\00:40:09.40
that unless you
have a particular gift,
00:40:09.44\00:40:11.77
then the Spirit of
God is not in your life.
00:40:11.81\00:40:14.31
That's not scriptural,
that is not in the Bible.
00:40:14.34\00:40:17.41
So they say, "Well, we need...
00:40:17.45\00:40:18.78
I want the gift of
tongues," you'll discover
00:40:18.81\00:40:20.98
as I go down the list
00:40:21.02\00:40:22.35
that you don't
get the gift you want,
00:40:22.38\00:40:24.82
you get to gift the
spirit thinks you need.
00:40:24.85\00:40:27.46
Sorry, not the
things knows you need,
00:40:27.49\00:40:30.16
the spirit doesn't say,
00:40:30.19\00:40:31.53
"Well, I think
Reza needs this gift."
00:40:31.56\00:40:33.06
No.
00:40:33.09\00:40:34.43
The Spirit of God gives the gift
00:40:34.46\00:40:36.16
that he knows we are in need of,
00:40:36.20\00:40:38.90
so that everyone
around us can benefit from it.
00:40:38.93\00:40:41.17
Let's look at
some of those gifts.
00:40:41.20\00:40:43.41
Remember verse 6 says
that "God works in all, "
00:40:43.44\00:40:47.04
and verse 7 says,
00:40:47.08\00:40:48.41
"The manifestation
of the spirit is given
00:40:48.44\00:40:50.18
to each one for
the profit of all."
00:40:50.21\00:40:53.35
Look at the gifts talked about.
00:40:53.38\00:40:55.65
Verse 8, and I'm going
to prompt you to respond,
00:40:55.68\00:40:59.09
"For to one is given the word
of wisdom through the spirit,
00:40:59.12\00:41:03.46
to another the word of knowledge
00:41:03.49\00:41:05.89
through the same spirit.
00:41:05.93\00:41:08.10
To another the
faith by the same spirit,
00:41:08.13\00:41:13.03
to another," what?
00:41:13.07\00:41:14.54
"Gifts of healings
by the same spirit.
00:41:14.57\00:41:16.74
To another working of
miracles, to another prophecy,
00:41:16.77\00:41:21.01
to another
discerning of spirits,
00:41:21.04\00:41:23.24
to another diverse or
different kinds of tongues,
00:41:23.28\00:41:27.78
to another the
interpretation of tongues."
00:41:27.82\00:41:31.35
Now get this,
who's doing the giving?
00:41:31.39\00:41:35.32
The Holy Spirit.
00:41:35.36\00:41:36.69
So the Holy
Spirit comes and says,
00:41:36.73\00:41:38.06
"This is what you need,
Cindy, this is what you need.
00:41:38.09\00:41:41.16
This is what you need.
00:41:41.20\00:41:42.86
This is what you need, Jim.
00:41:42.90\00:41:44.23
This is what you need, Yana.
00:41:44.27\00:41:46.10
This is what you need.
00:41:46.13\00:41:47.47
And I'm not giving
this to you for you,
00:41:47.50\00:41:49.74
I'm giving this
to you for everybody
00:41:49.77\00:41:52.41
that you minister to."
00:41:52.44\00:41:55.44
He gave some to be apostles,
and prophets, and evangelists,
00:41:55.48\00:41:58.98
and pastors, and teachers,
for the work of the ministry,
00:41:59.01\00:42:02.38
for the edifying
of the body of Christ.
00:42:02.42\00:42:05.12
So every gift we get
00:42:05.15\00:42:06.49
is for the
building up of the church,
00:42:06.52\00:42:08.59
not for somebody to sit home,
00:42:08.62\00:42:10.43
like Christmas has
come to them and said..."
00:42:10.46\00:42:12.73
I have a gift."
00:42:12.76\00:42:14.86
And as cynical
as that may sound,
00:42:14.90\00:42:16.46
there are those who say,
00:42:16.50\00:42:17.83
"Unless I have
a particular gift,
00:42:17.87\00:42:20.64
then there's no
evidence that the Spirit of God
00:42:20.67\00:42:22.27
is in my life."
00:42:22.30\00:42:23.71
But let's catch this now.
00:42:23.74\00:42:25.41
Okay, verse 11.
00:42:25.44\00:42:27.51
"But one and the same
spirit works all these things, "
00:42:27.54\00:42:33.31
and look at the end of verse 11,
00:42:33.35\00:42:35.22
"distributing to each
one individually as," what?
00:42:35.25\00:42:40.36
"As he wills."
00:42:40.39\00:42:41.96
He says, "This is I,
I make the decision."
00:42:41.99\00:42:45.09
So if you're part
of a church that says,
00:42:45.13\00:42:46.73
"No, you need a
particular gift,"
00:42:46.76\00:42:48.73
and you start
saying to the spirit,
00:42:48.76\00:42:50.53
I need a
particular gift, he'll say,
00:42:50.57\00:42:52.37
"Wait a minute, wait a
minute, do I make that decision?
00:42:52.40\00:42:54.64
I'm the one that
makes that decision.
00:42:54.67\00:42:56.20
You don't make the
decision, I make the decision."
00:42:56.24\00:42:58.34
We pray for the
infilling of the Spirit of God,
00:42:58.37\00:43:00.71
we don't pray for the gifts.
00:43:00.74\00:43:02.64
He decides what gift is needed.
00:43:02.68\00:43:05.35
But now let's turn the page.
00:43:05.38\00:43:07.58
Let's turn the page.
00:43:07.62\00:43:09.72
Okay, and let's
go down to verse...
00:43:09.75\00:43:12.25
Let's go down to verse...
00:43:12.29\00:43:15.09
28 of the same chapter,
1 Corinthians chapter 12.
00:43:15.12\00:43:20.90
Now verse 28.
00:43:20.93\00:43:25.33
"And God has
appointed these in the church,
00:43:25.37\00:43:29.60
first," together, "apostles,
second, prophets," second what?
00:43:29.64\00:43:35.51
Prophets.
00:43:35.54\00:43:36.88
"Second," what? Prophets.
00:43:36.91\00:43:38.25
Oh, I wanted to see
if you were listening.
00:43:38.28\00:43:39.61
"Second, prophets."
00:43:39.65\00:43:41.38
So has God given
the church prophets?
00:43:41.42\00:43:43.72
Yes.
00:43:43.75\00:43:45.09
Yes, I don't
want you to miss that.
00:43:45.12\00:43:46.86
It went right over your head
like it was part of the list.
00:43:46.89\00:43:49.79
So the gift of prophecy
will be active in the church.
00:43:49.82\00:43:53.40
Did the Lord give it?
00:43:53.43\00:43:54.86
Yes.
00:43:54.90\00:43:57.10
"Thirdly," what else?
00:43:57.13\00:43:58.90
Apostles, sorry,
00:43:58.93\00:44:00.67
"Thirdly teachers, after that, "
00:44:00.70\00:44:02.87
together,
"miracles, then," what else?
00:44:02.90\00:44:05.27
"Gift of healings,
helps, administrations,
00:44:05.31\00:44:09.28
varieties of tongues."
00:44:09.31\00:44:10.65
You know, I wish
more people would say,
00:44:10.68\00:44:12.01
"Lord, give me
the gift of helps."
00:44:12.05\00:44:15.08
Because the church needs help.
00:44:15.12\00:44:18.62
You could say amen.
00:44:18.65\00:44:19.99
Amen.
00:44:20.02\00:44:21.89
The church needs help.
00:44:21.92\00:44:24.36
Why don't more people
pray for the gift of helps?
00:44:24.39\00:44:27.56
Yes.
00:44:27.60\00:44:29.26
You know why?
00:44:32.47\00:44:34.47
Because the Spirit of God says,
00:44:34.50\00:44:37.51
"You pray for it
00:44:37.54\00:44:39.37
but I'll decide if
you're qualified to help."
00:44:39.41\00:44:42.18
Going on.
00:44:45.45\00:44:46.78
"And God has appointed these
in the church, first, prophets,
00:44:51.05\00:44:54.16
I mean, first, apostles,
prophets, teachers, miracles,
00:44:54.19\00:44:57.03
the gift of healing,
helps, administration,
00:44:57.06\00:45:00.16
and variety of tongues.
00:45:00.20\00:45:01.53
And I want you to get
this, varieties of tongues,
00:45:01.56\00:45:04.80
that means many
different kinds of languages,
00:45:04.83\00:45:08.47
because that's how
the church communicates.
00:45:08.50\00:45:11.21
Is the gospel to
go to the whole world?
00:45:11.24\00:45:13.41
Yes or no?
00:45:13.44\00:45:14.84
Is the world comprised
of many different languages?
00:45:14.88\00:45:18.08
Yes.
00:45:18.11\00:45:20.12
But the reason why it's
talked about as a gift here
00:45:20.15\00:45:22.92
is because when you
look at the day of Pentecost,
00:45:22.95\00:45:25.65
the men that first
exercised this to communicate
00:45:25.69\00:45:28.22
the gospel to the world
were all from the same region,
00:45:28.26\00:45:30.59
they were all from Galilee,
are not all these Galileans...
00:45:30.63\00:45:33.90
We'll talk about that in
the next study, not today.
00:45:33.93\00:45:36.80
On the day of Pentecost,
those who communicated
00:45:36.83\00:45:38.97
to all that gathered
from all over the world,
00:45:39.00\00:45:41.64
all the men that
spoke were Galileans.
00:45:41.67\00:45:44.14
God gave them that instant gift.
00:45:44.17\00:45:46.04
So if I go to New
Guinea and I cannot...
00:45:46.07\00:45:48.51
And I was in New Guinea,
but if I go to New Guinea
00:45:48.54\00:45:50.45
or whatever country
00:45:50.48\00:45:51.81
that cannot
communicate my language
00:45:51.85\00:45:53.82
or cannot understand my tongue,
and the Lord sees me in a...
00:45:53.85\00:45:57.89
as it were a pickle,
00:45:57.92\00:46:00.89
He'll say, "You know, you
need to be able to communicate."
00:46:00.92\00:46:04.46
And He will decide
to activate that gift.
00:46:04.49\00:46:09.16
I'm saying that...
00:46:09.20\00:46:11.87
I'm not saying
that because I said it,
00:46:11.90\00:46:13.60
God is going to
definitely give me that gift,
00:46:13.64\00:46:15.90
He decides when I need a
gift and for what purpose.
00:46:15.94\00:46:20.91
But now, here's the
very important question,
00:46:20.94\00:46:23.45
verse 29.
00:46:23.48\00:46:25.11
Verse 29.
00:46:25.15\00:46:26.61
And I want to get
your answer from this
00:46:26.65\00:46:28.72
'cause you guys
have been quiet on me,
00:46:28.75\00:46:30.42
"Are all apostles?"
00:46:30.45\00:46:31.79
What's the answer? No.
00:46:31.82\00:46:33.56
"Are all prophets?" No.
00:46:33.59\00:46:35.56
"Are all teachers?" No.
00:46:35.59\00:46:37.76
"Are all workers
of miracles?" No.
00:46:37.79\00:46:40.46
"Do all have the
gifts of healings?"
00:46:40.50\00:46:42.76
No.
00:46:42.80\00:46:44.13
"Do all speak with tongues?"
00:46:44.17\00:46:45.87
No.
00:46:45.90\00:46:47.24
"Do all interpret?"
00:46:47.27\00:46:48.67
No.
00:46:48.70\00:46:50.31
"But earnestly
desire the best gifts,
00:46:50.34\00:46:55.18
and yet I show you
a more excellent way."
00:46:55.21\00:46:58.11
So now get this, you want to see
00:46:58.15\00:46:59.81
how chapter 12 ends?
00:46:59.85\00:47:01.18
He said, "I'm going to
show you more excellent way."
00:47:01.22\00:47:02.88
Where does he go next?
00:47:02.92\00:47:04.59
Love.
00:47:04.62\00:47:05.95
He said, "You
could have all of that!"
00:47:05.99\00:47:09.02
And he said that, he said,
"You can have all the gifts
00:47:09.06\00:47:14.76
but if you had not
loved, it profits you how much?
00:47:14.80\00:47:17.00
Nothing.
00:47:17.03\00:47:18.37
So above all
these things that we put
00:47:18.40\00:47:19.90
so much emphasis on
that are vitally important
00:47:19.93\00:47:22.57
for the growth of
the church, Paul says,
00:47:22.60\00:47:24.71
"This is wonderful
but let me show you
00:47:24.74\00:47:26.37
a more excellent way."
00:47:26.41\00:47:27.74
The greatest
gift. The greatest gift.
00:47:27.78\00:47:31.11
And the greatest of
all the gifts is what?
00:47:31.15\00:47:33.25
Love.
00:47:33.28\00:47:34.62
And by the way, by the
way, love is not a gift.
00:47:34.65\00:47:37.59
I knew...
00:47:41.02\00:47:42.36
I didn't mean to do that to you.
00:47:42.39\00:47:44.33
But it was...
00:47:44.36\00:47:45.69
You guys fell for it.
00:47:45.73\00:47:47.06
Love is a what?
00:47:47.10\00:47:48.80
Fruit.
00:47:48.83\00:47:50.23
The fruit of the spirit is love.
00:47:50.27\00:47:53.23
Now the reason I
asked that question
00:47:53.27\00:47:55.24
is because should love
be in the heart and life
00:47:55.27\00:47:59.74
of every Christian?
00:47:59.77\00:48:01.11
Yes. Yes.
00:48:01.14\00:48:02.48
Can you imagine the Lord said,
00:48:02.51\00:48:03.85
"Well, I only gave Yannick love,
00:48:03.88\00:48:05.95
I don't want anybody else
00:48:05.98\00:48:07.38
in the church to exercise love"?
00:48:07.42\00:48:09.62
What kind of church would it be?
00:48:09.65\00:48:12.09
The fruit, singular, of
the spirit is love, joy,
00:48:12.12\00:48:15.62
peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, meekness,
00:48:15.66\00:48:19.36
patience, in that one fruit
00:48:19.39\00:48:22.60
are all those...
00:48:22.63\00:48:26.13
what?
00:48:26.17\00:48:28.54
Are all those attributes,
are all those fruits,
00:48:28.57\00:48:32.61
and in that one fruit
are all those attributes,
00:48:32.64\00:48:35.78
one fruit, all those attributes.
00:48:35.81\00:48:37.45
So before you get the gifts,
here is how the spirit works,
00:48:37.48\00:48:41.08
and this is
important to set it up.
00:48:41.12\00:48:43.18
The spirit first works on us.
00:48:43.22\00:48:47.12
And then when we let
him in, he works in us.
00:48:47.16\00:48:51.49
And the evidence
that he's in us is love,
00:48:51.53\00:48:54.00
joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, meekness, patience.
00:48:54.03\00:48:58.27
And then as he works in
us, only then can he work what?
00:48:58.30\00:49:02.87
Through us.
00:49:02.90\00:49:04.24
So he works, what?
00:49:04.27\00:49:05.61
On us, in us,
and then what else?
00:49:05.64\00:49:07.58
Through us.
00:49:07.61\00:49:08.94
He doesn't work through
us, if he hasn't worked in us,
00:49:08.98\00:49:12.75
if he hasn't worked on us.
00:49:12.78\00:49:14.12
So some people
claim to have these gifts
00:49:14.15\00:49:15.78
but the fruit is not there.
00:49:15.82\00:49:17.52
That's why the Lord
says in Matthew 7:14,
00:49:17.55\00:49:19.55
"By their fruits,
you will know them."
00:49:19.59\00:49:21.69
Never determine a
Christian by the gift,
00:49:21.72\00:49:25.89
always determine
them by the fruit.
00:49:25.93\00:49:28.46
Can I get an amen? Amen.
00:49:28.50\00:49:30.10
The Bible meant by
their fruit, the world today
00:49:30.13\00:49:32.93
and many Christian
churches are saying,
00:49:32.97\00:49:34.47
oh, they have this
gift, they have that gift,
00:49:34.50\00:49:36.64
the Bible never measures
a Christian by its gifts,
00:49:36.67\00:49:39.41
always by the fruit.
00:49:39.44\00:49:40.78
All right?
00:49:40.81\00:49:42.14
Let's go to...
00:49:42.18\00:49:43.51
What's the next question?
00:49:43.55\00:49:44.88
We did Revelation
19:10. Did we not?
00:49:44.91\00:49:46.92
Question number six.
00:49:46.95\00:49:48.48
Question number six,
quite a bridge between the two
00:49:48.52\00:49:51.35
but a very important one.
00:49:51.39\00:49:52.92
So we don't all
have the same gifts
00:49:52.95\00:49:54.46
because we don't
determine who has what gift,
00:49:54.49\00:49:57.06
the Holy Spirit
makes that determination.
00:49:57.09\00:50:00.06
Question number six.
00:50:00.10\00:50:02.06
What particular
gift is to remain active
00:50:02.10\00:50:05.30
in the last day church?
00:50:05.33\00:50:07.40
What particular
gift is to remain active
00:50:07.44\00:50:09.90
in the last day church?
00:50:09.94\00:50:11.27
Let me ask you a
question before we go to that.
00:50:11.31\00:50:13.58
Are any of the gifts
not to remain active?
00:50:13.61\00:50:15.94
No, all the gifts
are to remain active.
00:50:18.35\00:50:22.38
But I want to point
out one in specific.
00:50:22.42\00:50:24.72
Let's go to Ephesians chapter 4
00:50:24.75\00:50:26.89
and we'll look
together at verse 8.
00:50:26.92\00:50:29.22
And verse 11 is
going to be the next thing.
00:50:29.26\00:50:31.03
They both
partner with each other.
00:50:31.06\00:50:33.93
Okay?
00:50:33.96\00:50:35.30
Ephesians, Galatians.
00:50:35.33\00:50:38.40
Here we are.
00:50:38.43\00:50:39.77
Ephesians chapter 4.
00:50:39.80\00:50:42.37
And we're going to
first look at verse 8.
00:50:42.40\00:50:45.64
Here it is.
00:50:45.67\00:50:47.31
Okay.
00:50:47.34\00:50:50.15
Speaking, the apostle Paul says,
00:50:50.18\00:50:52.68
"Therefore He says,"
00:50:52.71\00:50:54.12
that is, the Lord Jesus says,
00:50:54.15\00:50:55.88
"When He ascended on
high, He led captivity," what?
00:50:55.92\00:51:01.22
"Captive," and,
what else did he do?
00:51:01.26\00:51:03.29
"And gave gifts to men."
00:51:03.32\00:51:05.96
He gave gifts to men.
00:51:05.99\00:51:10.87
And now, let's look at verse 11.
00:51:10.90\00:51:15.80
Ephesians 4,
00:51:15.84\00:51:17.17
"Therefore when
He ascended on high,"
00:51:17.21\00:51:19.17
that is Jesus when
He ascended to heaven...
00:51:19.21\00:51:23.04
"He led captivity
captive and gave gifts to men."
00:51:23.08\00:51:27.85
Now why does he say
he led captivity captive?
00:51:27.88\00:51:30.42
Because the very
thing that held Him down,
00:51:30.45\00:51:32.82
He held down.
00:51:32.85\00:51:34.72
He had the keys
of death and hell.
00:51:34.76\00:51:37.16
Death captured Him
but He captured death.
00:51:37.19\00:51:41.16
It's vitally
important to understand.
00:51:41.20\00:51:42.86
But the point that is
made here is as Jesus ascended,
00:51:42.90\00:51:46.27
what did He leave in His wake?
00:51:46.30\00:51:48.64
He gave what to men?
00:51:48.67\00:51:50.01
He gave gifts to men.
00:51:50.04\00:51:51.97
Now let's look at verse 11.
00:51:52.01\00:51:54.28
So the first question
is He gave gifts to men,
00:51:54.31\00:51:57.45
verse 8 of Ephesians 4.
00:51:57.48\00:51:59.58
Now Ephesians 4:11.
00:51:59.61\00:52:02.82
Look at the next one.
00:52:02.85\00:52:05.09
"And He Himself
00:52:05.12\00:52:07.69
gave some to be," what?
00:52:07.72\00:52:10.36
"Apostles, some," what else?
00:52:10.39\00:52:12.76
"Prophets, some," what else?
00:52:12.79\00:52:14.63
"Evangelists, and some
pastors, and some," what?
00:52:14.66\00:52:18.87
"Teachers."
00:52:18.90\00:52:20.24
So those are some of the gifts.
00:52:20.27\00:52:22.67
We have also in
Romans chapter 12
00:52:22.70\00:52:24.21
where the gifts
are talked about.
00:52:24.24\00:52:25.61
1 Corinthians chapter 12,
00:52:25.64\00:52:27.01
you find others
gifts spoken there,
00:52:27.04\00:52:28.54
but he's showing here
and if you continue here,
00:52:28.58\00:52:30.85
let's just add it in here.
00:52:30.88\00:52:32.35
Let's just add it in.
00:52:32.38\00:52:33.72
If you put the answer
to question number six
00:52:33.75\00:52:35.48
under Ephesians 4:11,
you put apostles, prophets,
00:52:35.52\00:52:39.05
evangelists, pastors, teachers.
00:52:39.09\00:52:42.52
Apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors, teachers,
00:52:42.56\00:52:47.16
those are the five that He gave,
00:52:47.20\00:52:49.26
and He gave for
what particular reason?
00:52:49.30\00:52:52.43
For what particular reason?
00:52:52.47\00:52:54.57
He made it very clear,
00:52:54.60\00:52:55.94
and I'm reading
in Ephesians 4:12,
00:52:55.97\00:52:58.74
I'm in my Bible reading that,
00:52:58.77\00:53:00.71
"For the
equipping of the saints,
00:53:00.74\00:53:02.91
for the work of the ministry,
00:53:02.94\00:53:04.71
for the edifying of
the body of Christ."
00:53:04.75\00:53:08.58
Verse 13, "Till we all come
to the," what's the next word?
00:53:08.62\00:53:13.79
"Unity of the faith,
00:53:13.82\00:53:15.62
and of the
knowledge of the Son of God,
00:53:15.66\00:53:18.16
to a perfect,"
that's a mature person,
00:53:18.19\00:53:21.00
"to the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ."
00:53:21.03\00:53:25.53
That, let me just not
run too far past that,
00:53:25.57\00:53:28.00
that means as we enter
into the Christian faith...
00:53:28.04\00:53:32.21
Let me tell a story,
00:53:32.24\00:53:33.58
as I was growing,
as I was growing up,
00:53:33.61\00:53:36.34
I always wanted to get
to a particular height,
00:53:36.38\00:53:37.95
and I was always elated.
00:53:37.98\00:53:39.81
When I was in grade
school that every year,
00:53:39.85\00:53:43.89
before school started,
00:53:43.92\00:53:46.45
we would go to get a
check up in the doctors
00:53:46.49\00:53:48.19
because they want to make
sure that when you go to school,
00:53:48.22\00:53:49.59
you don't have any chicken
pox or anything like that.
00:53:49.62\00:53:51.69
I always loved it
00:53:51.73\00:53:53.06
when I went to
the doctor's office.
00:53:53.09\00:53:54.43
One of the first
things they did, well,
00:53:54.46\00:53:55.80
I was light
anyway, they weigh you,
00:53:55.83\00:53:57.73
no big deal,
00:53:57.77\00:53:59.10
but then they lean
you against the wall
00:53:59.13\00:54:00.90
and they do what?
00:54:00.94\00:54:02.77
Measure you.
00:54:02.80\00:54:04.14
"You are now..."
00:54:04.17\00:54:05.51
And they tell
you how tall you are.
00:54:05.54\00:54:07.11
And when your numbers go up
better than last year, you say,
00:54:07.14\00:54:10.15
what do you say?
00:54:10.18\00:54:12.11
"I'm growing."
00:54:12.15\00:54:14.22
"I'm growing to the
measure of the stature..."
00:54:14.25\00:54:17.09
So when we come to
the walk with Christ,
00:54:17.12\00:54:19.85
He knows where
He wants us to go,
00:54:19.89\00:54:22.19
He has a measure
already established.
00:54:22.22\00:54:25.23
So as we're growing in
Him, we come to the measure
00:54:25.26\00:54:27.90
of the stature of
the fullness of Christ.
00:54:27.93\00:54:30.50
He continues to have us grow.
00:54:30.53\00:54:32.93
But what is the gifts
that make that happen?
00:54:32.97\00:54:34.87
The active officers
are evangelists, apostles,
00:54:34.90\00:54:39.41
pastors, evangelists,
pastors, and teachers.
00:54:39.44\00:54:42.28
They're all united together
to help the church grow...
00:54:42.31\00:54:46.41
to the measure.
00:54:46.45\00:54:47.78
But here is the
other benefit to that.
00:54:47.82\00:54:49.15
Verse 14, "That we
should no longer be," what?
00:54:49.18\00:54:53.46
"Children," you got
to grow up in the faith,
00:54:53.49\00:54:56.52
"that we should no longer be
children, tossed to and fro, "
00:54:56.56\00:55:00.76
that is back and forth,
00:55:00.80\00:55:02.23
"carried about with
every wind of doctrine."
00:55:02.26\00:55:05.23
That means people,
when you're not growing,
00:55:05.27\00:55:08.54
when the Word of God is
not in you, any doctrine
00:55:08.57\00:55:10.94
that comes along can pull
you in a particular direction.
00:55:10.97\00:55:14.14
But when God's
Word is your foundation,
00:55:14.18\00:55:16.75
you'll no longer be
children, back and forth.
00:55:16.78\00:55:20.48
I heard a new doctrine,
I heard a new doctrine,
00:55:20.52\00:55:22.18
you're not back and forth
00:55:22.22\00:55:23.95
because through the
work of the apostles,
00:55:23.99\00:55:25.82
prophets, evangelists, pastors
00:55:25.85\00:55:27.26
and teachers...
00:55:27.29\00:55:29.32
you're being
grounded in God's Word,
00:55:29.36\00:55:31.53
you're growing to the measure.
00:55:31.56\00:55:32.89
So I hope that by the
study of the Word of God,
00:55:32.93\00:55:35.50
you become more grounded,
so you no longer tossed
00:55:35.53\00:55:38.33
back and forth.
00:55:38.37\00:55:39.70
And when you're not
tossed back and forth,
00:55:39.73\00:55:41.47
you can gauge your growth
to the measure of the stature
00:55:41.50\00:55:45.47
of the fullness of Christ.
00:55:45.51\00:55:47.78
That's what the
gifts are all about.
00:55:47.81\00:55:50.01
Notice what it says.
00:55:50.05\00:55:52.41
"No longer be
children, tossed to and fro,
00:55:52.45\00:55:54.25
and carried about with
every wind of doctrine,
00:55:54.28\00:55:57.65
by the trickery of men,
and the cunning craftiness,
00:55:57.69\00:56:03.63
by which they lie
and wait to deceive."
00:56:03.66\00:56:05.89
That's why this
topic is really important
00:56:05.93\00:56:08.00
because there are people
00:56:08.03\00:56:09.36
claiming to have
prophecy nowadays.
00:56:09.40\00:56:11.03
I've seen them on television.
I don't want to name names now.
00:56:11.07\00:56:13.34
But if you look at television,
some of these televangelists
00:56:13.37\00:56:15.80
selling oil, and
clothes, and red piece of tape,
00:56:15.84\00:56:19.34
and splinters from
the cross of Christ,
00:56:19.37\00:56:21.71
so much wood that
you can build Yosemite.
00:56:21.74\00:56:23.95
"I anointed this clause
and if you send for it now
00:56:26.72\00:56:30.79
or selling profit materials,
00:56:30.82\00:56:32.89
well, this
profit package is 19.95,
00:56:32.92\00:56:35.62
this one is
29.95, this one is 39.95,
00:56:35.66\00:56:38.69
but this one is
99.95, five easy payments."
00:56:38.73\00:56:42.93
I've seen that
foolishness on television,
00:56:42.96\00:56:45.33
using God's
Word for filthy gain,
00:56:45.37\00:56:49.04
financial benefit,
00:56:49.07\00:56:51.41
claiming all to be
prophets, and spokesmen,
00:56:51.44\00:56:53.84
and spokeswoman for God.
00:56:53.88\00:56:57.35
But that's not the
reason why God gave these gifts.
00:56:57.38\00:57:00.08
So as we continue in the study,
00:57:00.12\00:57:02.05
and we're going
to end here tonight,
00:57:02.08\00:57:03.42
but as we
continue in the study...
00:57:03.45\00:57:05.05
It's amazing how
quickly our time goes,
00:57:05.09\00:57:07.52
you may want to
write it and ask them
00:57:07.56\00:57:08.89
to give me another
hour but not really.
00:57:08.92\00:57:11.36
As we continue in the
study, the gifts of the spirit,
00:57:11.39\00:57:14.76
we'll discover
something carefully,
00:57:14.80\00:57:16.36
and you can go
ahead of the study.
00:57:16.40\00:57:18.10
But make sure that
as you study God's Word,
00:57:18.13\00:57:20.40
those things
that don't make sense,
00:57:20.44\00:57:23.00
commit yourself to
the study of God's Word,
00:57:23.04\00:57:25.61
and in the end, you'll discover,
00:57:25.64\00:57:27.21
if it doesn't make sense,
00:57:27.24\00:57:28.74
one day, I can guarantee you,
00:57:28.78\00:57:30.45
it will come
into A Sharper Focus.
00:57:30.48\00:57:33.21
God bless you.
00:57:33.25\00:57:34.58