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Teaching podcast from the Eagle Community Church of Christ in Mont Belvieu, TX.
Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the Eagle Community Church of Christ podcast. My name is John Gunter. This week, we finish up our study of the Holy Spirit. It has gone all summer and man has been a lot of fun.
John Gunter:But today we finish up with, really talking about spiritual gifts from the Spirit. And so, we talk about what does it mean to speak in tongues and, to have gifts like prophecy and all these other things that maybe we don't even think of as spiritual gifts. And so hopefully we shed some light on what that is in scripture and maybe what should we should expect as a church using our spiritual gifts. Thanks again for listening. Come and see us sometime.
John Gunter:It has taken us all summer and surprisingly, maybe amazingly, we could keep going because there is so much said about the Spirit of God and how God uses His Spirit within scripture. We've talked about the spirit in creation. We've talked about the spirit as He worked through the prophets, the spirit as He, anointed kings to do their job, and all types of things. Today, we talk about maybe the one of the most interesting things, maybe even controversial things, that the Spirit of God does in Scripture, and that is spiritual gifts. That is the miraculous things that God gifts people with, some maybe we don't even see as miraculous.
John Gunter:But before I get into the, the lesson today, I want to point you, if you know someone that goes to Wednesday night class or Sunday morning class, they are experts on this subject right now. And so, if if I had my choice, we would have all sat through the classes that they sat through. Right? We've had a lot of discussion, a lot of time in the in the text, and all you get this morning is kind of a we gotta get through the text real quick. Okay?
John Gunter:And so we'll try to explain it the best we can, but, if you have more questions, please feel free to ask, and and I'll direct you to some Wednesday nighter. Scott Gibson is going to be number 1 on the list, so he's ready, I think. This morning, we start hey, that's right. Absolutely right. Hey, too much is too much.
John Gunter:That's, I mean, I understand. Next week we'll have the story. It'll be it'll be better. But, the scripture that we that we cover to talk about spiritual gifts, if you're taking notes, there are 3 chapters in first Corinthians, first Corinthians 12, 13, and 14. Also, you can go over to Romans 12, the first eight verses of of that chapter, Romans 12 1 through 8.
John Gunter:And also, you can go over to 1st Peter 4 to kind of read about, again, some ways that God gifts his people with his spirit. So we call those spiritual gifts. And he starts out in 1st Corinthians 12. Paul says, now about the gifts of the spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed, and that's exactly what we're doing right now. To inform and to talk about because how many of you have gotten many teachings on this before?
John Gunter:Usually, this is some of the stuff we skip over. Let's get to 1st Corinthians 13 and talk about love and move on from there. And so we want to, as Paul says, he wants people to be informed, about these spiritual gifts and what they are. If we skip down a few verses to verse 4, Paul says, there are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit distributes them. So different kinds of gifts, same spirit.
John Gunter:There are different kinds of service, but the same lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone, it is the same god at work. And again, he's talking to people who have come out of idol worship, attributing every little thing to a different god. You see that? And and what what Paul is saying is is, yeah, you have been if we we shouldn't have skipped those verses, but you have come out of this idol worship where there are mute idols.
John Gunter:They're not able to do anything. And I want to inform you about a God who is able and does do these kinds of things. Okay? He said, every one of them, the same God is at work. Now, to each one, the manifestation of the spirit is given for what church?
John Gunter:The common good. This is, if I have my Bible open, I need to highlight this. This is the the theme for what Paul wants to talk about right here. Now, to each one, the manifestation of the spirit is given for the common good, not for you to feel good about, oh man, God has blessed me with this awesome thing. It is given so that you will in turn build up the body of Christ.
John Gunter:That you will be an active participant in the church. Because otherwise, what good is the gift that you have been given? Just to lift up yourself? No. It is used to lift up the body.
John Gunter:Verse 8, to 1, there is given, through the spirit, a message of wisdom to another, a message of knowledge by means of the same spirit. To another faith by the same spirit. You think about faith as a gift from God. Scripture talks about that in a couple of different places. Given faith to another, gifts of healing by that one spirit.
John Gunter:To another, miraculous powers, and he doesn't feel the need to explain what all that looks like. I'd like that. Wouldn't you, Paul? Could you tell me a little more about this? To another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another, the interpretation of the tongues.
John Gunter:All these are the work of the one and the same spirit, and he distributes them to each one just as he determines. Isn't that interesting? That the spirit of god sees the the the body, the collection of the parts, and says, what these people need are these gifts. Again, to work together for the common good, to build up and to edify, just as he determines. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
John Gunter:We say this, there are no lone ranger Christians. There are no people out here that just, I'm gonna live my life. I don't need the church. The church is a bunch of hypocrites, sinners. You know that?
John Gunter:I say amen. Those are folks who realize they need Jesus. Those are folks who have come to the realization that I'm not holding up to what God wants me to do and I need some help and encouragement and I wanna follow him and that's who makes up the body of Christ. And so there is a need then for everyone to have gifts of some sort. And and what Paul is fighting, against here is that all these people here have come out of idolatry, again, he calls them mute idols where their their gods couldn't do anything, and all of a sudden they're experiencing things like prophecy and speaking in different kinds of tongues where I would imagine just as if it happened here today, they were probably pretty wide eyed.
John Gunter:If I got up and started speaking in tongues right now, you probably would be going Some of you would hit the door. Some of you would never utilize that door. Some of you would hit that door today. And so he's saying, listen, you need to know about this and and they are so focused on speaking in tongues. That seems to be what they think is the coolest gift.
John Gunter:But I wanna be able to do that. Man, again, going back to to Acts chapter 2 when Peter and all the disciples stand up, the the miracle there was not they had been taught different languages. That doesn't glorify God in some way. But all of a sudden, these these fishermen, which again is not a compliment, they were dumb country boy fishermen, probably singing a country boy can survive before they got up there. But they got up there and all of a sudden, the people are like, I know these people and they're speaking in different languages.
John Gunter:And so all the people Paul is talking to here in Corinth are going, yeah, I wanna do that. But the reason they wanna do it is not so I can build up the church, it's so I can look cool and stand before people and say, hey, you speak in tongues? I do. And that's what he's fighting against right here. And what he's saying is, we are all part of 1 body, and everything God has gifted you with is to be used to build up and to edify, to encourage the body of Christ.
John Gunter:But the body has many parts, and all the parts are different, aren't they? They're all used for different things. Now, there are parts that we don't understand what they're used for, but okay. But they come together to form 1 body, and we do that in Christ following Jesus. The end of this chapter, as Paul is explaining all of this, he he goes a little further in verse 28.
John Gunter:He said, and God has placed in the church, first of all, apostles, second, prophets, third, teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Notice where he puts tongues in that list. Very last. That's for a reason. I I promise you.
John Gunter:Paul is fighting against people who only want to talk about speaking in tongues, and he goes ahead and let's make a list, we'll put that last. But look at what all he says. It's not all these these things that are just way out there. Look, teachers, gifts of healing, which might mean miraculous healing would but it might mean that you are gifted with an ability to come alongside someone and and restore their health in a way. To encourage, to to come, you know, that they're gonna be healed, and I wanna be there.
John Gunter:You ever had a nurse that you just absolutely love? Let's note for the record, Jordan raised his hand, Abby. That was better than when you first preached, and you're like, yeah, yeah, okay. Never mind. Okay.
John Gunter:We won't bring that up again. Sounded kinda, okay. Well, look at this, gifts of healing. And then he says, of helping. So which would you rather be?
John Gunter:I have the gift of speaking in tongues, well, I have the gift of helping. I mean, it sounds worse. Right? But Paul says, the gift of helping, kind of a servant heart, you are a disciple, a follower, I will do whatever it takes. I I don't know what all we need here but I will help.
John Gunter:That is a gift from god. That is a spiritual gift. Helping of guidance. How many of you, if I said, you've got a huge decision to make today, you know that one person that you're gonna go to and run that by right now. We've got a spirit of guidance, like in your mind, they're going to tell you the truth.
John Gunter:They're going to help you along, and whatever they say, you know you can take to the bank. They mean it, it's the truth, and they're going to say it to you in love. Right? Gift from God of guidance. And then he says, and different kinds of tongues.
John Gunter:Yes, that is a a gift from god but y'all need to quit focusing on it. He says, are all apostles, are all prophets, are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues?
John Gunter:Do all interpret? And the answer is no. Nobody does all these things. We don't all have these things. The rhetorical questions.
John Gunter:No. We all have different things. Now, eagerly desire the greater gifts, and yet, I will show you the most excellent way. And again, what Paul has said in this chapter is the greater gift is the one that builds up and edifies the church. And what he what he really talks about here in this chapter is prophecy, and he compares it to speaking in tongues because speaking in tongues, unless we have an interpreter, is just me getting up here and you listening to nothing because you don't know what I'm saying.
John Gunter:Right? But prophecy, this way of speaking the words of god to the people, you understand. Right? And then you have to make a decision. What am I gonna do with this?
John Gunter:Am I gonna follow what god has said in scripture? Am I not? But in prophecy, ever by everyone has the ability to benefit, to be convicted, to turn from sin, all of these things, but in speaking in tongues, you do not. But he says, I will show you the most excellent way, and this is his transition into chapter 13, which 1st Corinthians 13 is on what? Love.
John Gunter:Yeah. And we like that part of it. This is sandwiched in between 2 chapters talking very much about spiritual gifts. We kind of rip it out of context and say, this is just about love. And it is.
John Gunter:That's Paul's whole point about all of this, is that you guys are not acting in love in the way that you're doing this. You're focusing solely on yourself and what you want and what you think is going to make you look better in front of everyone. And all of these things that God has gifted people with are for all. That when I have a gift or you have a gift, we both delight in that. Just praise God that He is working through our church in that way, to help, to encourage, to uplift, to prophesy, whatever that looks like.
John Gunter:Look, let's, check out here a few verses in 1st Corinthians 13 starting in verse 6. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, it always trusts, it always hopes, it always perseveres. Love never fails, but where there are prophecies, they will cease. Where there are tongues, they will be stilled.
John Gunter:Where there is knowledge, it will pass away. And this is, if we focus any on spiritual gifts, this has really been our focus over the year. Now, we come to this verse, verse 8, and we say, see, it ends. And what we try to do is is put a date on that. That's after the apostles or after we received scripture, like, all the canon of scripture was put together.
John Gunter:We try to put a date on that and I want you to notice that Paul doesn't do that. That all of these things will end, and notice, prophecies, tongues, and knowledge. Has your knowledge passed away yet? Has it? Some of you are thinking, well, maybe, I don't know.
John Gunter:If I forget anymore, as I get older, it's going to be rough, right? Thank goodness for calendar on my phone. Verse 9, for we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what in part, what is in part disappears. And this is a point where we say, okay. What's after the apostles?
John Gunter:Everything is done. We've got scripture. This is it. That word completeness really means kind of a a crowning achievement. This, this one.
John Gunter:Everything has come to a head. Everything is done. Some of your versions may say perfect. Like, perfect means everything is done completely. Perfect.
John Gunter:And what this says, when completeness comes, what in part disappears? But he explains it even further. He says, when I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face.
John Gunter:Now, when are you gonna see face to face? With God. Right? You'll be standing before God on the judgment day one day, and everything's gonna be known. You're not gonna need anything.
John Gunter:Spiritual gifts, knowledge, anything. And he says, now I know in part, then I shall know fully even as I am fully known. There is no one on this Earth that knows you fully. Right? Married folks, your spouse does not know you fully, do they?
John Gunter:They might think you're a little weird, watch too many true crime things. Things like that. They may know a lot about you, know that you tell corny jokes. But do they know you fully? Does your best friend know you fully?
John Gunter:You've had a lot of good times together, maybe experienced a lot of life, but do they know your innermost thoughts and feelings? No. But there's gonna be a point where you are fully known, and that that is when completeness comes, when I'm standing before God. And so the context of this is not that this has ended, that we've gotta deal with this, that this is part of life, part of church until everything is over. God's kingdom takes over fully.
John Gunter:He starts the next chapter this way, follow the way of love, which he's just talked about in the whole previous section, follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. I said in class this morning that it would be really weird for Paul to say what he said in 1 Corinthians 13 and we say, hey, he's saying it's going to end, but then the next section he says, oh, follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, which I just told you is ending. It just doesn't make sense. Paul is saying again, when god when we were standing face to face before god, all that will end. Eagerly desire gifts of the spirit, especially prophecy.
John Gunter:Why prophecy? Because prophecy, again, builds up. Unless you have an interpreter, speaking in tongues doesn't help. If we had Valentina Francisco stand up and speak Spanish, some of you would benefit this morning. A lot of us would be going, what are they doing?
John Gunter:And most of the time, if somebody else is speaking a different language, we think we're talking about us, right? It would be real funny if I asked them to do that, and they started doing it, and I told them to point at different people at times, just to see your reaction. But it wouldn't be a benefit. Right? I mean, okay.
John Gunter:Spanish, that's good. At least I know what language it is. But it's it's not helping me. Okay? Prophecy, if they got up and they spoke in English where you can understand and they exhorted you with the Word of God, you'd say, okay.
John Gunter:Maybe I'm convicted of sin. Maybe I need to be challenged or encouraged through his word. And I get that. That is uplifting. That is if I if I have the heart to receive it, but especially prophecy.
John Gunter:For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to god. Notice that? Indeed, no one understands them. They utter mysteries by the spirit, but the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, for their encouraging, and for their comfort. And again, I told the class this morning, Paul didn't nuance this because sometimes when you give the word of God, people, are not strengthened.
John Gunter:They are offended. They are not encouraged. They need to talk. They are not comforted. They are very uncomfortable, and so will you be.
John Gunter:So you have to have the heart to hear it. You have to have the heart as a speaker to say it. You have to have heart as the listener to hear the words of God, and that's what you get in prophecy. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. I would like everyone of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy.
John Gunter:The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues. That that's an interesting thing to say. Right? What do you prophesize is greater than one who speaks in tongues? And, again, I think he's saying that to get their attention because they are so focused on speaking in tongues.
John Gunter:What he's saying here is, you know, those people you're overlooking, you know, that spiritual gift that you don't want, you don't think is as cool? That's the greater gift. Those people are greater because you're edifying the church. Unless someone interprets, this tongue so that the church may be edified. So if you were able to have an interpreter here to say, hey.
John Gunter:This is what they're saying from god, and you say, oh, yeah. That is from god. Then that would be building up, but what they're doing is just wanting to speak in tongues for themselves. Now brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? Even Paul the Apostle says, what good will I be if I bring this gift before you and we have no interpreter?
John Gunter:I won't be, because you won't know what I'm saying. In, verse 9, he says, so it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? They will just be speaking into the air. You are full of hot air, Corinthians.
John Gunter:You want this thing, you think it's cool, but you are just speaking into the air a bunch of hot air that's not helping anyone. If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me, so it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. Ask god for gifts of the spirit that build up the church. Maybe you ask God to be a helper, or a teacher, or an encourager.
John Gunter:Scripture even talks about being a giver. Do that. But ask God for that, not for yourself, but to be able to build up the church. But I come alongside you, you have your gifts, I have mine, and together, we help the church. Verse 13, for this reason, the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say.
John Gunter:We skip over to Romans 12, we're gonna we're gonna cover verses 3 through 8 here. And Paul says it this way, again, same writer talking about this, for the by the grace given me, I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought. Do you think this is in connection with 1st Corinthians? Absolutely. They're worried about where they stood in front of everybody, what gift they had.
John Gunter:Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have all have the same function, so in Christ, we, though many, form 1 body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts. According to the grace given to each of us, if your gift is prophesying, then prophesy. Then prophesy in accordance with your faith.
John Gunter:If it is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach. If it isn't to encourage, then give encouragement. If it is giving, then give generously. If it is to lead, do it diligently.
John Gunter:If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. All of these different things that I would venture to guess that we don't give a lot of thought to. That maybe if I spoke in tongues this morning, a lot of you would think, man, I wanna do that. But we talk about having a gift of giving, you think, church just wants my money. The church just wants my money.
John Gunter:But look at all the things he says. Again, going back to even being a helper, an encourager, showing mercy, leading. There's some way that god has gifted you and maybe you don't even know it, and as I've told you many times before, ask somebody who knows you and cares about you. What do you think my spiritual gift is? And I bet they can point it out.
John Gunter:If they can't, that's another discussion. A lot of times we overlook the thing that just comes naturally to us, that I'm I'm a natural encourager, and so I don't think much about it. Like, it doesn't take a lot of effort. Someone else is gonna know I'm an encourager, or I have the gift of guidance, and I start noticing people come to me to ask questions. Those big questions in life.
John Gunter:But what you saw in all of this and what what Paul is saying is, if you have this gift, use it. Don't sit back, don't think, someone else is better qualified, someone else should go and do x, y, z. If God has gifted you, it's not just for you, it's for the whole Church, so use it. Be a part of the body. It's powerful to me that we come together, and it feels, and I I don't think it's any I'm breaking any news, we're we're much more separated than we ever have been before, right?
John Gunter:Not as much front porch sitting, everybody running around. Our running around means I went to Houston today. Right? Now maybe I had to drive a long way. We've got people that drive a long way just to be here in the morning.
John Gunter:And so we're we're very much separated, And the time we have to come together and to be together as many parts of 1 body is special. But we don't come just to receive. We come to give as well. That we come to praise god not only for what god has given me, but what god has given you. To be thankful for that.
John Gunter:To have this better way, this way of love to where I I care about you and you care about me and that means something. And again, if we have a church that follows that, what an amazing place this will be. We won't be talking about 2 services, we'll be talking about 3 or 4. My son just went wide eyed there. Dad may have to use some throat spray in between.
John Gunter:I don't know if I make through. Maybe we just record the first one. Just replay it. That sounds good. But I just wanna encourage you as a church that the focus, just like they had, could be this morning on, oh, he was talking about gifts of the spirit and and speaking in tongues.
John Gunter:Our preacher's talking about speaking in tongues. What I'm talking about is using whatever gift god has given you to the full. Let me encourage you to do that. If you haven't been doing that, if you walked away from God in some way, we wanna encourage you to, we're gonna have an invitation song here in just a second. We'd love to pray for you.
John Gunter:We'd love to encourage you. Maybe you just need some encouragement right now. There are people here with that gift. There are people that will come alongside you, hug your neck if you're a hugger, and just walk beside you as we do life together. You haven't begun that walk.
John Gunter:We'd love to see you be baptized today. We've got swimming pools. We have to make sure it's not too cold in that water, 100 degree heat and all. We'd love to see you get started on that. Be a part of this church.
John Gunter:Be a part of the body. Fit into your place as the spirit has gifted you. We can help with anything when you come as we stand and