Lessons from the Corinthian Church Part 6

CCI Fellowship is discussing the role of the Holy Spirit in their congregation and in the church. They emphasize the importance of not associating the Holy Spirit with their former life of worshiping idols. They highlight that the Holy Spirit will not lead anyone to speak against Christ. They discuss the diversity of spiritual gifts and ministries, and how they all come from the same God. They stress the importance of testing whether someone's claim of being led by the Holy Spirit aligns with God's Word. They mention the presence of division in the church, but clarify that it is for the sake of purity and not selfish ambition. They list some of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible and mention that there may be other gifts and talents that God can anoint for the benefit of the church. Welcome to CCI Fellowship's podcast. Thank you for joining us. At CCI Fellowship, we are reaching God, reaching each other, and reaching our community. We pray that this week's message challenges you in your walk with the Lord, causes you to grow in your faith, and encourages you in your love for the Word of God. Open your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 12. 1 Corinthians 12, we're going to read the first seven verses, then we'll pray. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Now dumb there means mute, not stupid, although idols are stupid. Dumb there means they couldn't talk, they couldn't communicate, they were lifeless. However you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. Father, we worship you and we thank you for this opportunity to be in your house, to be able to open your Word. We thank you that we can openly worship you. We praise you that we live in a nation that by government decree still celebrates your Word. We thank you, Lord God, that we can study together, that as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens their friend. Father, I pray that as we discuss these things, as we endeavor to understand more regarding the role of the Holy Spirit in our congregation and in the life of the church, I pray that you would help us to surrender to you any understanding and any belief, Lord God, any teaching that we hold on to that is not what you want us to know. Not what you want us to connect ourselves with. I pray, Lord God, that you would teach us new things, that you would give us deeper revelation of the things that we already know. I pray, Lord God, that that which we haven't seen yet, you would open our eyes to see that which we haven't heard yet, that our ears would be ready to listen, not just hear, but to listen, and that our hearts, Lord God, would be ready to receive and implement that which you want to implant upon them. Father, we surrender ourselves to you. We submit everything that we are to you, Lord God, and we ask you to continue to mold us and shape us into the people that you want us to be and use us, Lord God, in what you have already destined for us to do. Father, we praise you and thank you in Jesus' name, amen. Thirty-three times in this letter to the Corinthian church, the word body is used. Eighteen of those times appear in this chapter, so 54% of the times the word body is used in 1 Corinthians appears just in this chapter. Now, these first seven verses that I read are ones that we would typically associate with 1 Corinthians 12, the ones that we would be more familiar with in certain contexts. Some might be more familiar with the middle of the chapter, but when it comes to the spiritual gifts, there are things that we need to focus in on what Paul is trying to communicate to them. We remember our messages concerning chapter 11, that we're talking about order in the church. Paul is talking about them coming together for the benefit of each other, not coming together for selfish gain and their own benefit, but in love, making sure that when they do come together, they are thinking of each other. So Paul starts into this chapter and he says, I don't want you to be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts. I don't want you to associate the move of the Holy Spirit and what the Holy Spirit wants to do among you with your former life as Gentiles, your former life of worshiping idols, your former experience of being in these pagan temples and what went on there. This is completely different. And I don't want you to lack knowledge. If you remember our five words, our five topics that run throughout these four chapters, one of those is knowledge. And so Paul takes the moment to teach them and to bring them into a place of understanding concerning the spiritual gifts. And the first thing he tells them is the Holy Spirit will not lead someone to speak against Christ. It's only by the Holy Spirit's power that somebody can say that Jesus is Lord. When you got saved, when you received Christ as your Savior, that was a work of the Holy Spirit. Now, for some, there's this teaching out there that that is the work of the Holy Spirit and He resides in us throughout our lives, throughout our time here on earth, but there really isn't much else that the Holy Spirit is to do except to continue to inspire us to claim Christ as Lord. But Paul says, I don't want you to be ignorant about this because there is more concerning the Holy Spirit and His role in what you are supposed to do. The Holy Spirit is actively a part of the salvation process, but He is also actively part of the sanctification process. He is actively part of the ministry that the body has to each other. He gives a litmus test. He gives a standard by which they can test whenever they're in contact with each other and whenever there is the gifts being used. Wherever somebody is saying, well, the Lord told me this and the Holy Spirit has led me to do this. He says the Holy Spirit is not going to lead anyone to speak against Christ. The Holy Spirit is not going to lead anyone to speak against God. He's not going to lead anyone to speak against His bride. He's not going to lead anyone to speak things into being that are not His desire. We have heard too many times in my life, I've heard one is too many times, but I've heard it multiple times and just throughout church history in general, I've heard of people who have said things like this. Well, the Spirit led me to divorce my wife and told me that this other person was the one that I was supposed to marry in the first place. No, that's not God. How do we know it's not God? Well, one, God doesn't like divorce. Two, Paul says in whatever state you are in when you receive Christ, stay in that state. Whether you're married or whether you're not. Really it comes down to some really tricky discussions because there was the presence of polygamy. What are you supposed to do with that? I have multiple spouses. You know, it brings in some serious questions. But if we go by what Scripture says, it clearly tells us what to do and the Holy Spirit is not going to lead us against anything that God has already established. And so, Paul provides for them a litmus test. He provides for them a standard whenever somebody says this is from the Lord that we can know whether or not it actually is from God based on is it concurrent with His Word. Will God... Here's a good question. Will God lead us into a place that brings division? It's an interesting question because God does work through division. And if we look at chapter 11 verse 19, it says, of course there's factions among you for how else would we know who is approved and who is not. Now God, the Holy Spirit, will not bring us into a place to create strife. He'll not bring us into a place to create jealousy, to create envy, to work through those different things. He will not because Scripture condemns those things. But He will, whenever needed, establish a condition to which those who are a distraction to His work, those that are the enemies to His work, those that are actively seeking to disrupt His work are exposed. Jesus Himself said, I came to bring a sword. I came to divide between father and son, between mother and daughter-in-law, between brother. So there's precedence when it comes to division. But it's not division for the sake of selfish ambition. It's division for the sake of keeping the body pure. First Corinthians 5 is a very interesting story in regards to that. As Paul continues on, he lists some differences and some similarities here. The differences are spiritual gifts. He deals with those in verses 8-10, spiritual gifts given by the Spirit. There are nine gifts that are listed. We'll talk at another time to go over what those gifts are, to take a very elevated view of what those gifts are. You'll understand when I get to something later in this sermon why we're going to take an elevated view and not a detailed view of those things. He says there are different gifts, there are different ministries, and these ministries are referred to in Ephesians 4-11, the ones that we would understand as the ministry gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. And then he says there are different activities, but it's the same God. These are listed in Romans 12-6-8. So it's important to note in these gifts that are listed, and when we look at these other verses, that these gifts represent the base or the structure of what we can expect to see manifested through believers as the Spirit administers these gifts. These are the common ones. These are the ones that we should be looking for, that we should anticipate the Holy Spirit using these gifts present in our congregation. Many of them, and especially in the case of Ephesians 4, represent the structure under which the church is to be administered. However, there are other gifts mentioned at other places in Scripture. There are other talents and abilities that God can anoint for the benefit of the body. We can look back to the Old Testament in the constructing of the tabernacle, and even in constructing of the temple, that two men specifically were named by God, their names made it into the Bible, of these people were extremely talented in the arts of construction. They were stoneworkers. They were architects. They were designers, and it says that God put His Spirit on them in order to accomplish what He's called them to do. So while we have gifts listed, we also need to understand and not limit the Holy Spirit in the way that He can use us in other things. At the same time, we cannot claim that certain gifts are from the Spirit. Sarcasm is not a spiritual gift. Sorry. As much as we all would like it to be, sarcasm is not a spiritual gift. You know what else is not a spiritual gift? Discernment. When we read the gift, it says discerning of spirits. What is that different than discernment? We are all supposed to have discernment, but the gift of discerning of spirits is to discern what is the spirit behind something that is happening. People say, well, I have the gift of discernment, and I can just see that she's doing this just because of this. That's not the spirit of discernment. That's the spirit of criticism, and that is not the Holy Spirit at work. That is another spirit at work of which we should have no fellowship with. So we have a base within these differences of gifts. We have a foundation that we can look at regarding how the Holy Spirit is going to move among a congregation and wants to move among a congregation, but we also have the balance of the rest of Scripture. You know that I always say that Scripture is the best commentary on Scripture. So we have the balance in the rest of the Scripture to not use these in an exclusive manner. Well, if it isn't this, then it can't be used by God. No, I'm sorry. is able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we can ask or even imagine, which means that the gifts and talents that He has given you can be used for His honor and glory as He puts His anointing in you and as you allow the Holy Spirit to move through you in those things. The similarities, there are differences of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit. Different ministries, but the same Lord. When it says Lord, it's speaking of Christ. Difference of activities, but it is the same God, as in God the Father. So we have represented here the unity of the Trinity. We have the participation of the Trinity when it comes to the gifts moving within the body of Christ. Now, one of the things that I've said previously is that in each of these lessons that Paul gives them, in each of these topics that he deals on, we're going to find an example whether it is God and Christ or it is the Spirit or it is all three of them or if it is just Christ as in the case of communion, we're going to find where Paul uses them as the example. If you remember when talking about communion that Paul says you come together for bad, not for good, because you're coming in your own desire for gluttony and feeding yourselves and he says instead I pass on to you what I had already declared to you, that Jesus came and gave Himself. He thought first of all of us, not thinking first of Himself. So that example is given to us in regards to communion. We find the same thing in the similarities. The Holy Spirit, the one who gives gifts according to His desire and His plan. The Lord, that is Christ, the one who gave the gifts of the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, to the church and God the Father, it says the one who works all things together. So we can look at the gifts listed in Romans as gifts from the Father, the gifts listed in Ephesians as gifts from Christ and the gifts here in 1 Corinthians as gifts from the Holy Spirit, but they're all united and in harmony working together even as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit dwell together in perfect harmony and unity. Now it is the Holy Spirit who is put in charge of administering these gifts. So verse 7 says, the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. In the Spirit, for the profit of all. The gifts that the Spirit gives are not meant primarily for the person they are given to. I cannot pastor myself. I am a pastor, but I can't pastor myself. That's not how God has designed it. I can study the Word and I can follow God's Word and I can be disciplined in God's Word, but I need a pastor and I have a pastor. But that gift that is in me to pastor is not for me, it's for those to whom I pastor. If we look at the gifts of the Spirit and we look at the gift of faith, this is something that the Holy Spirit has worked through me in multiple times when it comes to the fact that we're still looking for $15,000 for our event this week. I know it's going to be there. God has already said it's done. God has already said I've provided for it. It's not in our bank account yet. I don't know whose signature is going to be on the check or the transfer. I don't care because I've got faith for that. When it comes to things like that, I've got faith for that, but that's not for me. That's for the benefit of those that are going to attend. So this gift of faith is not so that I can be right or so that I can be fulfilled or so that I can have $15,000. It's so that we can put on an event that's going to bless and minister to nearly 200 people this week. But when it comes to I've got a cold or my knee hurts or I have this pain or that pain, you can ask Adriana. I'm terrible. It's like, oh yeah, you great man of faith can't even get over this cold. No, I can't. I can't get over the cold. I'm sorry. I can't. I'm trying, God. I'm trying to believe. I'm trying to receive it. I'm trying to trust you. But see, the gift of the Spirit in regards to faith that I'm very familiar with, I need somebody to come alongside of me with their faith, with their gift, and gird me up and encourage me in that moment because their faith is given for my benefit, whereas my faith is given for someone else's benefit, and that is why we need the body. Jumping to verse 11 as we close, Lindsay, you can bring your group up. I jump to this verse for a specific reason. Verse 11 says, but one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills. Distributing to each one individually as he wills. Now, when, you know, you can go online and you can look up spiritual gift test, and I want to know what my spiritual gift is. I hate those tests. I hate them. I think they're dumb. I think they have brought more confusion and more limitations to how the Holy Spirit can move through his people than they have helped. They can give an idea, but really, it's a personality test, and even personality tests are not 100% accurate, and so people go online, and I want to know what my spiritual gift is. Why does it matter? If it's the Holy Spirit that gives the gift as he wills, then if you are overly focused on what gift you have or what gift you don't have or what gift you want, you have lost the point. The point is, what is the gift that is needed in this situation? What is the gift that the Holy Spirit wants to employ through me to be a blessing in this moment? This is why we're going to take an elevated view of what the gifts are so we can understand them, but don't get overly occupied with, is this a word of knowledge or is it a word of wisdom or is it this or is it that? Just be used by the Spirit. Be an unwilling vessel. Be open to him, but these gifts will not flow through us if we don't come to the place where just as we have received salvation by faith, we receive the empowering of the Holy Spirit by faith and say to him, use me, fill me with your power, fill me with your fire, fill me with everything that you want to fill me with so that I can be used by you in whatever you want to use me in. Those are the ones whom God says to them, well done, my good and faithful servants. You're into my reward. Amen? Let's stand together. Focus on allowing the Holy Spirit to use you through the gift he chooses in the moment. As we celebrate this nation's independence, what place does this message have in regards to out there? The gifts are given for the benefit of the body, yes, but there's body out there that is disjointed, that is dismembered, that belongs in here but is lost out there and these gifts that are for the body are for the body out there. The change of this nation is going to take people who are willing to be used by the Holy Spirit wherever they are, in their jobs, in the mall, in whatever context you find yourself in. We are first God's children. We are not first whatever our occupation is and if we are first God's children and God's ambassadors and God's instruments of righteousness, then as instruments of righteousness, as ambassadors, as his children, we need to allow his empowerment and his authority, no matter where we step our foot, to flow through us so that he can use us to change this nation into what he wants her to be. Let's pray. God, we worship you and we thank you for you are glorious and you are mighty. You are the king to whom all other kings bow and we bow before you today, Lord God, presenting ourselves as living sacrifices, presenting ourselves as instruments of righteousness, presenting all of ourselves, Lord God. May we hold nothing back. May you do such a work in us, Lord God, that none of us remains but it is the life of the Spirit being lived through us that we may say with Paul, I am crucified with Christ. It's no longer I that live, but Christ that lives through me and this life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave his life for me. Father, take us into a new time, a new moment, Lord God, a new level, a new urgency and a new desire, God, not just to pass the time, not just to do this or to do that, Father, but God, I pray that you would increase, increase, Lord God, the power that is in us and the burden upon our hearts to be used by you, even when it doesn't seem to fit the things that we have done before. May we be surrendered to the will of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name, amen, amen. Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. If you are ever in the Cagusa Culpa area and looking for an English-speaking congregation, please join us on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. in the main auditorium of Eglesia CCI in Colonio Trapici, just off Boulevard Sollapa, near Una. If you would like prayer or more information about our church, contact us at fellowship.cci at gmail.com, that's fellowship.cci at gmail.com, or follow us on social media. We hope to see you or hear from you soon. Blessings.