(#416) Romans 12 - Spiritual Gifts Make a Local Assembly Go and Grow
/Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher\
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…a Christian Church that makes a difference worldwide courtesy of the internet…Barah Ministries…a Christian Church that makes a difference locally in the Gilbert, Mesa, and Chandler, AZ communities. My name is Pastor Rory Clark. At Barah Ministries, our God is the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we teach the Word of God from God’s perspective…not from man’s perspective.
The most important decision each of us makes in this life is the decision concerning who the Lord Jesus Christ is to us. The Lord and His disciples were out for a walk, and when they were about thirty miles north of the Sea of Galilee, He stopped for a moment to hear His disciples’ thoughts concerning who He is…Matthew, Chapter 16, Verses 13 to 16…
/MATTHEW 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”\
/MATTHEW 16:14 And they said, “Some say you are John the Baptist...and others say you are Elijah…but still others say you are Jeremiah…or one of the prophets.”\
/MATTHEW 16:15 Jesus said to His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?”\
/MATTHEW 16:16 Simon Peter answered (for the group), “You are the Christ (the Messiah…the anointed One)…the Son of the LIVING God.”\
The Lord Jesus Christ is God. He in not merely a man…nor just a Rabbi… nor just a prophet…nor is He just a good teacher. While He is certainly all of those, the Lord Jesus Christ is GOD. And when you come to THAT conclusion, the correct decision concerning the Person of the Lord, the decision about WHO He is, you have made the right decision…the ONLY decision.
/TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Spiritual Gifts Make a Local Assembly Go and Grow\
What makes a local assembly advance? What makes a local assembly prosper? One thing is certain…it isn’t just the Pastor. No matter how good the Pastor is at teaching, the growth in a local assembly comes from a congregation that uses its spiritual gifts. In this lesson, we’ll continue our look at spiritual gifts and we’ll see what happens to make a ministry like Barah Ministries go and grow.
Second Timothy, Chapter 4, Verses 6 to 8 say…
/SECOND TIMOTHY 4:6 I (Paul) am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure (my physical death) has come.\
Paul, who had been to prison in Rome a few times, knew he would not be released from the Roman prison this time. It was time for him to go home to be with the Lord. What is Paul’s assessment of His life?
/SECOND TIMOTHY 4:7 I have fought the good fight…I have finished the course…I have kept the faith…\
/SECOND TIMOTHY 4:8 …in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord Jesus Christ, the Righteous Judge, will award to me on that day…and He will award the crown not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.\
Paul was not afraid to meet His Creator…the Righteous Judge…the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor will we be. Until then, we’ll just stick to the fight of this life, especially when we are hardest hit. Here’s the group UNSPOKEN to sing a beautiful song about the GOOD FIGHT.
/MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
GOOD FIGHT Unspoken\
/OPENING PRAYER Let us pray...\
Almighty God and Father…thank you for giving each of us the courage to press on one step at a time in this life in the face of tremendous resistance from Satan, your enemy, and his kingdom of death and darkness…thank you for making Your mercies new every morning…thank you for always being an ever-present help in times of trouble so we never have to face our trails alone…
…keep us focused on You and Your Word…help us to hear the “still small voice” of God the Holy Spirit as He guides us and directs us to live our new man selves…encourage us to share Your gospel message with everyone we meet…most of all just give us the power and the strength to keep fighting the good fight of faith…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
/TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Spiritual Gifts Make a Local Assembly Go and Grow\
Today we’re studying the other biblical passage on spiritual gifts…First Corinthians, Chapter 12, Verses 1 to 31…let’s get to it…
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I (Paul) do not want you to be unaware.\
As believers in Christ we always want to know about and to use the assets given to us by God for the Christian Way of Living…and our spiritual gift is one of those assets.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:2 You know that when you were pagans (unbelievers), you were led astray (by false teachers) to the lifeless idols…however you were led away.\
We have a Living God. The enemy of God, Satan, offers so many idols in this life…so many lifeless things to worship…and often we choose to retreat to these lifeless things for comfort. Unfortunately, these things lead us away from God. What is an idol?
/IDOL A mere image of something we wish were real…things visible but without substance…a phantom…something we worship ahead of God as the answer to our problems…a false answer to our problems…anything that takes our focus off of God…anything we rely on other than relying on God first.\
When we don’t worship God, we worship something else. We put something else in God’s place to give us comfort. Yet the truth is, the idol NEVER comforts us. In fact, it promotes more discomfort. What are the idols in your life? Drugs? Alcohol? Sex? The Heisman Trophy (a.k.a. sports)? More…more…more? Success? Money? Achievement? Ambition? Material things? There are many LIFELESS things that provide no comfort. And there are some lifeless things that are human…people.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:3 Therefore I (Paul) make known to you (Corinthians believers) that no one speaking by the agency of the Holy Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”… and conversely, no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the agency of God the Holy Spirit.\
Believers know Jesus Christ is God. Unbelievers don’t.
When Christian don’t use their spiritual gifts it produces selfishness, disunity, and chaos in a local assembly. In these first three verses of First Corinthians, Chapter 12, Paul is introducing a warning to the believers in Corinth, about how necessary the use of spiritual gifts are to a local assembly. Spiritual gifts make a local assembly go. They give it life. Spiritual gifts make a local assembly grow. They invite others to the Christian Way of Life. Also in verse 3, Paul is warning the believers in Corinth about the destructive power of false teachers…teachers they were definitely listening to…teachers who became their idols. When believers in Christ don’t benefit each other with spiritual gifts they become gullible to the deceptions of Satan’s kingdom of death and darkness.
Now Paul begins his description of the spiritual gifts by highlighting the source of the gifts…God is the source of your spiritual gift…and you’ll notice there is a unity among the members of the Godhead in the matter of spiritual gifts…
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:4 Now there are varieties of spiritual gifts, but the same God the Holy Spirit (works behind the scenes in all of them).\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:5 And there are varieties of ministries (that come from spiritual gifts), and the same Lord, Jesus Christ, (works behind the scenes in all of them).\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God the Father who works all things in all persons (behind the scenes).\
There is a diversity of spiritual gifts in a local assembly. All three members of the Godhead are involved in our spiritual gift, making it a supernatural gift driven by divine omnipotence. When your spiritual gift is operative, you bring glory to God, you bring unconditional love and a healing good to believers in the local assembly, and the gift puts selfishness in the background.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:7 But to each believer in Christ is given the manifestation of God the Holy Spirit (a spiritual gift) for the common good (for the benefit of believers in Christ).\
When you are using your spiritual gift, it is manifest…it is clearly seen by those around you…they notice…and your gift makes a difference in their lives.
Your spiritual gift is something to be given away to other believers in your local assembly. Charity begins at home. Paul lists nine spiritual gifts in the passage:
Wisdom Knowledge Faith Healing Miraculous Powers Prophecy Discernment (described as the ability to distinguish between spirits) Tongues Interpretation
As I mentioned last week, spiritual gifts are not items to be “catalogued” … instead they are to be discovered and used.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:8 For to one believer is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another believer the word of knowledge is given according to the same Spirit…\
Wisdom is insight concerning the truth. Quite often this will come from the older members of your local assembly who have had their butts kicked enough to know what works and what doesn’t work in this life. If you’re a person who would prefer to be warned that a cliff is coming, you might want to check with the people in the congregation who are wise.
Knowledge is the ability to apply the Word of God to life. If there are some people in your local assembly who just seem to have a grasp on how to bring the thoughts of truth into action, these are the ones with knowledge. Seek them out.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:9 …to another believer, faith is given by the same Spirit…and to another believer, the gift of healing by the one Spirit…\
Faith is trust in God. There are those in the local assembly who just never question what God is able to do… there is a supernatural way they trust Him. Their faith rubs off on the doubters.
Healing connects to prayer in today’s world…there are those in the local assembly who through prayer are able to work wonders in human circumstances by beseeching the help of the Godhead in specific situations that affect the local assembly. We call them prayer warriors. Believers in Christ would do well to know how powerful prayer is at changing things in this life. It’s easy to forget, but not profitable to forget, the power of prayer. How often to you go to God in prayer when you need help?
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:10 …and to another believer is given the effecting of miracles…and to another believer is given prophecy…and to another believer is given the distinguishing of spirits (discernment)…to another believer is given various kinds of tongues…and to another believer is given the interpretation of tongues.\
Miracles was a gift in the first century church used to call attention to the gospel message…for example, the ability to exorcise demons…definitely not something I would recommend for us today! Prayer works the miracles today.
Prophecy connects to distributing the Word of God. Pastors and Teachers do this job. If you want to know the truth of Scripture in the local assembly, Pastors are the specialists.
The people in the assembly with discernment are the BS detectors of the congregation. They are the ones who can tell when there is a divider working in the congregation.
Tongues and interpretation of tongues are gifts that were connected to the first century church. If you want to know how tongues worked, check out Acts, Chapter 2. They key with tongues is that a person who had the gift of tongues would be speaking in their own language and would be heard in the language of the receiver. This is a gift that is distorted in many of the religious churches throughout the world. The gift of tongues is no longer in play.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:11 But one and the same God…the Holy Spirit…works all these things, distributing individually, to each believer, a spiritual gift just as God the Holy Spirit wills.\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:12 For even as the physical body is one and yet has many members…and all the members of the body…though they are many…are one body...so also is the body of Christ, who is the Head.\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:13 For by one God the Holy Spirit we were all baptized into one body (in union with Christ) …whether Jews or Greeks (regardless of race)…whether slaves or free (regardless of social distinctions)…and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:14 For the body (of Christ) is not one member…but it is many members.\
Spiritual gifts are foundational to the growth of a local assembly. We depend on each other. We are in unity, as believers in Christ, and God the Holy Spirit placed us there with our spiritual gift.
Let’s take a music break. Sometimes we let fear scare us away from the use of our spiritual gift. Let’s listen to Zach Williams call fear what it is…FEAR IS A LIAR!
/MUSIC BREAK FEAR IS A LIAR Zach Williams \
/TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Spiritual Gifts Make a Local Assembly Go and Grow\
Spiritual gifts become ministries. Giving is a ministry as well. A ministry is for the purpose of service, and when we serve we relieve a need, and we provide fullness where there is a lack. In First Corinthians, Chapter 16, Verses 1 and 2, the apostle Paul gives instruction on how to handle giving…
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints in Jerusalem, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you collect also.\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:2 On the first day of every week, each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.\
Paul highlights that it is appropriate to make regular collections for saints in need. Barah Ministries has needs that you fulfill with your giving. Let your love for the Lord guide your giving and let your giving overflow with liberality. At Barah Ministries, we appreciate your contribution that allows us to spread the gospel message and the Word of God all over the world.
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with the offering message.
/THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall\
/OFFERING VERSE
FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members…and all the members of the body…though they are many…are one body...so also is Christ (as the Head).\
/OFFERING VERSE
FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:13 For by one God the Holy Spirit we were all baptized into one body…whether Jews or Greeks…whether slaves or free…and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.\
/OFFERING FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE Dave McClure, Instrumental\
/TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Spiritual Gifts Make a Local Assembly Go and Grow\ Welcome back! Continuing our study of spiritual gifts in First Corinthians, Chapter 12, let’s pick things up at Verse 15…
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.\
There is no jealousy in the congregation because of spiritual gifts. There is no envy in a congregation because of spiritual gifts. A perfect God has made a perfect distribution of spiritual gifts. His perfect will is clearly visible in the distribution of spiritual gifts.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.\
There is no inferiority in spiritual gifts. Each one is critical to the function of the body. There are people in this local assembly who are natural in the matter of spreading the word…and they don’t…people who have the gift of evangelism and don’t use it.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:18 But now God the Father has placed the members…each one of them…in the body…just as He desired.\
Since God’s work is always perfect, He has placed the perfect combination of people here in Barah Ministries. Yet as you know, God is not a coercer of will. Nor should a Pastor be a coercer of will. It is not the Pastor’s job to force you to use your spiritual gift.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:19 If they were all one member…where would the body be?\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:20 But now there are many members…but one body.\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you” … or again the head cannot say to the feet, “I have no need of you.” \
There is a mutual dependence in the body of Christ. Are you doing your part to edify the others in this local assembly?
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:22 On the contrary…it is much truer that the members of the body that seem to be weaker are (even more) necessary…\
There are some organs the body can’t live without. If they are removed, death occurs within minutes or within hours. The same would be true in a local assembly if it were not for God the Holy Spirit’s supernatural influence.
It’s obvious that if a Pastor is removed from a local assembly, it dies. That’s why a Pastor is always under attack by Stan and his kingdom of death and darkness. Cut off the head and the body dies. That’s obvious. What is not so obvious…and I wonder if they have ever considered it…when people leave a congregation, a part of the congregation dies.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:23 …and those members of the body which we deem less honorable…on these we bestow more abundant honor…and our less presentable members become much more presentable…\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:24 …whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God the Father has so composed the body…giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked…\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:25 …so that there may be no division in the body…but that the members may have the same care for one another.\
Great congregations generate a rhythm…they get together and use their unity…and together they go and grow. They don’t wait for one person to carry the load…they don’t place that burden on one person.
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:26 And if one member suffers…all the members suffer with it…if one member is honored…all the members rejoice with it.\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:27 Now you are Christ’s body as a whole, and individually you are members of the body.\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:28 And God the Father has appointed in the church…first apostles…second prophets…third teachers…then miracles…then gifts of healings…gifts of helps…gifts of administrations…gifts of various kinds of tongues.\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they?\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:30 All do not have gifts of healings…do they? All do not speak with tongues…do they? All do not interpret…do they?\
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:31 But earnestly desire (to take advantage of) the greater gifts (apostle, prophet and teachers). And I show you a still more excellent way.\
God assigns the spiritual gifts…God powers the spiritual gifts…God is the source of spiritual gifts…our job is to eagerly use these gifts to make our local assembly go and grow. How are you using your spiritual gift?
/GOD WANTS YOU! Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life\
The closing moments of our study are for the benefit of anyone who does not have a personal relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We want you to know that GOD WANTS YOU.
What is going to happen to you when you close your eyes in this life? Is there an “afterlife?” And if there is, how can you get to heaven?
Many people believe the answer to the question, “How can I get to heaven?” is to be a good person. In fact, most people think they are, as they say, “Basically good people.” For some, being good means not being bad. Here’s what I have heard many people say over the years…“I haven’t murdered anyone. I don’t steal. I don’t curse. I don’t lie. I’m not a drug addict. My conscience is clear because I’m not nearly as bad as the people I read about in the newspapers or the ones I see on television. I’m just like everyone else, and I know everybody can’t be going to hell.”
And then if they’re unlucky, these people open the bible and obliterate their own delusion…Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23…
/ROMANS 3:23 …for all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…\
Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 10…
/ROMANS 3:10 …as it is written “There is no creature who is righteous, not even one…”\
First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22…
/FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a For all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human who comes to earth) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…\
The good news is that the Lord has an interesting attitude toward His creatures…Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9…
/SECOND PETER 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of, but instead He is patient toward you unbelievers…not wishing for any of you to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all of you to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).\
The apostle John makes clear the function of the bible…John, Chapter 20, Verses 30 and 31…
/JOHN 20:30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book (the bible)…\
/JOHN 20:31 …but these things written here have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah)…the Son of God (in human form)… and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life in Hisname.\
How can you get to heaven? Right where you sit, RIGHT NOW, you can tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you. Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
/ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”\
Believing in Jesus Christ is your acknowledgement that you can’t do a thing to get to heaven on your own. Romans, Chapter 11, Verse 6 says…
/ROMANS 11:6 But if salvation is by grace, and of course it is, it is no longer on the basis of works…otherwise grace is no longer grace.\
God’s grace makes your salvation a free gift to you…if you have to work for a gift then the work makes you deserve the gift. In salvation, there is no way for you to impress God enough that He would allow you to save yourself. It’s very wise to let God save you, because once God does something He never changes His mind. Heed the warning in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…
/JOHN 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”\
The apostle Peter reminds us of the words of Old Testament prophet Joel in in Acts, Chapter 2, Verse 21…
/ACTS 2:21 ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.’\
Join me in heaven! When you become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you become spiritual royalty. Here’s June Murphy to sing about it…
/CLOSING SONG WE ARE ROYALTY June Murphy\
/CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...\
THANKS- INTERCESSION- PETITION
/Thanks for coming! Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening! www.barahministries.com\ |