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Max Lucado – You Were Made to Be You: Embracing Who God Created You to Be · Max Lucado Daily Sermons

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  Speaker 1: So glad you're here. We're continuing our conversation that we
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  Speaker 1: began a few weeks ago about the majesty and the
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  Speaker 1: ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the
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  Speaker 1: person without a face. Consequently, we're having difficulty understanding who
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  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit is. In response to our anticipating our difficulties,
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  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit has equipped us with a collection, a
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  Speaker 1: covey of metaphors to help us understand who he is.
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  Speaker 1: He is the wind. He is the breath. He is
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  Speaker 1: the fire. He is all of these images that we've
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  Speaker 1: been looking at. Today we look at one that's especially significant,
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  Speaker 1: that he is the gift giver for the church. Heavenly Father,
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  Speaker 1: have mercy upon us now as we As we open
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  Speaker 1: your word, but more importantly, as we open our minds
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  Speaker 1: and open our hearts to receive, grant that we can
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  Speaker 1: be sensitive to what you are doing in our midst.
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  Speaker 1: We are hungry for a new day in our lives,
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  Speaker 1: in our church, in our society. We're hungry for a
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  Speaker 1: new day. Weary of seeing so much discouragement and so
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  Speaker 1: much bad news. But apart from you, Father, there is
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  Speaker 1: no solution. Forgive our speaker, his sins are many. Help
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  Speaker 1: us to see Jesus Christ our King. Through Christ we pray.
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  Speaker 1: And all the church said. In September of 2005, the
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  Speaker 1: entire nation watched as Hurricane Katrina made devastation out of
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  Speaker 1: the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. Who would have thought
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  Speaker 1: that we would ever Hear words like these being spoken
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  Speaker 1: on a news report. Today, 25,000 refugees moved from the
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  Speaker 1: Superdome in New Orleans to the Astrodome in Houston. You
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  Speaker 1: may recall how entire neighborhoods were left sitting beneath 20
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  Speaker 1: feet of water and how people were hacking their way
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  Speaker 1: onto their roof in hope of being rescued by helicopters.
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  Speaker 1: New Orleans came to San Antonio in the form of 12,500 refugees,
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  Speaker 1: a large downtown warehouse was turned into a rescue center
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  Speaker 1: and a good friend of ours a member of this
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  Speaker 1: church was placed in charge of overseeing that rescue center
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  Speaker 1: he invited some of us to go on a tour
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  Speaker 1: of that triage and when we were walking through it
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  Speaker 1: I was struck by the fact that every volunteer was
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  Speaker 1: busy with an assignment some people were handing out blankets
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  Speaker 1: others were distributing food Others were applying medical assistance. Those
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  Speaker 1: trained in counseling and pastoral care were talking with and
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  Speaker 1: praying over people. The director turned to me and he said,
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  Speaker 1: aren't you a preacher? I said, I am. He said,
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  Speaker 1: look at those people over there. Go give them a
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  Speaker 1: good word. I did. Everybody had an assignment. The image
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  Speaker 1: of that warehouse came to mind as I was looking
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  Speaker 1: over the passage that we are going to study this morning.
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  Speaker 1: Does it not seem to you that our entire society
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  Speaker 1: has been ransacked by a hurricane? A hurricane of sin.
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  Speaker 1: A hurricane of secularism. Suicide is at an all-time high.
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  Speaker 1: Entire regions of our country are being devastated by opioid addiction.
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  Speaker 1: The loneliest segment of our generation are millennials. That era
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  Speaker 1: of time in which relationships and community should be being discovered.
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  Speaker 1: Anxiety and depression are skyrocketing. And in the midst of
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  Speaker 1: it all sits God's solution. And that is the Holy
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  Speaker 1: Spirit empowered church. His purpose has always been that the
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  Speaker 1: church under the direction of the Holy Spirit would provide
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  Speaker 1: a haven for the hurting. A safe place for people
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  Speaker 1: to come in out of the storm. According to his plan,
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  Speaker 1: we all have responsibilities. And when we are all working,
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  Speaker 1: engaging in our unique responsibilities, help is provided. And behind
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  Speaker 1: it all is, well, not my friend Robert, but the
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who is directing traffic. We
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  Speaker 1: would expect nothing less. After all, is he not the
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  Speaker 1: unfailing friend of humanity? He's the comforter. He's the gentle dove.
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  Speaker 1: He's the anointing oil. He's the security of our salvation.
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  Speaker 1: And last week, as Travis taught us, he is the
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  Speaker 1: wind beneath our wings. We should not be surprised that
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  Speaker 1: he would equip and commission his church to be a
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  Speaker 1: triage of support to this anxious and troubled world. And
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  Speaker 1: he does this through the distribution of spiritual gifts. Nearly
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  Speaker 1: all of our teaching today is found in 1 Corinthians
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  Speaker 1: 12 and 1 Corinthians 14. The primary passage is 1
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  Speaker 1: Corinthians 12 and verse 7. Now to each one, please
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  Speaker 1: raise your hand if you're in each one. I want
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  Speaker 1: to see if there's anyone. Okay, we're all each ones.
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  Speaker 1: To each one, the manifestation or the demonstration of the
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  Speaker 1: Spirit is given for the common good. So something wonderful
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  Speaker 1: happened on the day of your conversion and continues to
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  Speaker 1: happen in these days of discipleship. And that is the
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  Speaker 1: ultimate gift giver is garnishing you with supernatural abilities that
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  Speaker 1: glorify God, bless the needy, and edify the church. Would
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  Speaker 1: it not be a tragedy of the highest order to
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  Speaker 1: lead an entire Christian life and be unaware of the
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  Speaker 1: gift giving? This was the opinion of the Apostle Paul.
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  Speaker 1: For that reason, he wants us to be sure we
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  Speaker 1: understand the provider of gifts. All spiritual gifts, he said,
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  Speaker 1: are the work of one and the same spirit. And
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  Speaker 1: he distributes them to each one just as he determines. He, yes,
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  Speaker 1: he is, if you'd like to fill in the blank
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  Speaker 1: on point number one, he is the provider of gifts.
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  Speaker 1: He's the one who determines who receives what. And here's
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  Speaker 1: what the apostle says about these gifts. I'm reading now
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  Speaker 1: from 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 1, then skipping
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  Speaker 1: down to a section verses 4 through 7. Now concerning
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  Speaker 1: spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.
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  Speaker 1: I think the apostle was sometimes right in the face
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  Speaker 1: of people. Don't you? I tend to be a little nicer.
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  Speaker 1: Today I'm not going to be. I don't want you
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  Speaker 1: to be ignorant. I don't want you to miss out
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  Speaker 1: on these gifts. And then later he says, there are
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  Speaker 1: diversities of gifts available. but the same Spirit. There are
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  Speaker 1: differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are
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  Speaker 1: diversities of activities, but it is the same God who
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  Speaker 1: works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit
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  Speaker 1: is given to each one for the profit of all.
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  Speaker 1: Three phrases, I believe, deserve your attention. First, diversities of activities,
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  Speaker 1: but it is the same God who works all in all.
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  Speaker 1: But the manifestation of the Spirit Now look at these
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  Speaker 1: three phrases that are really essential. Number one, there are
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  Speaker 1: diversities of gifts in verse 4. There are differences of
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  Speaker 1: ministries in verse 5. And there are diversities of activities
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  Speaker 1: or effects in verse 6. Diversities of gifts refers to
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  Speaker 1: that unique gift mixed that you have. You are unlike
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  Speaker 1: anyone else. God determined beforehand which gifts you should receive.
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  Speaker 1: We're going to look at a list of these gifts
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  Speaker 1: that's found in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 in just a moment.
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  Speaker 1: Lists include a word of wisdom, knowledge, the gift of faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, discernment,
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  Speaker 1: and telling. What gifts you have separates you from other Christians.
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  Speaker 1: And where your gifts are applied does the same. Paul
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  Speaker 1: makes this point in verse 5. He says there are
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  Speaker 1: differences of ministries, but the same Lord. Two people may
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  Speaker 1: have the same ministry, but it's applied in different areas.
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  Speaker 1: One might teach children and the other might teach adults.
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  Speaker 1: The same gift, but a different location, different arena. And also,
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  Speaker 1: according to verse 6, a different impact. There are diversities
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  Speaker 1: of activities. This word activity is the word from which
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  Speaker 1: we get the word energy. According to God's plan, there
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  Speaker 1: are those who have an energy impact upon thousands and
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  Speaker 1: thousands of people. There are those who have an impact
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  Speaker 1: upon a few people. What matters is that God is
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  Speaker 1: in charge of this factor as well. So he's in
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  Speaker 1: charge of what gifts you have, where your gifts are applied,
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  Speaker 1: and he also is in charge of the wow factor.
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  Speaker 1: He's in charge of the impact of your gift. He's
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  Speaker 1: completely in charge. These are supernatural abilities that are given.
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  Speaker 1: Now the Corinthian church had a gotten off track in
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  Speaker 1: their understanding of spiritual gifts spiritual gifts were actually dividing
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  Speaker 1: the church and some people were showing off other people
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  Speaker 1: were jealous everyone was confused So Paul tried to clear
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  Speaker 1: things up by providing the most lengthy definition and description
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  Speaker 1: of some possible gifts. Some possible gifts. And he gives
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  Speaker 1: us this challenging and sometimes controversial paragraph. Are you ready?
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  Speaker 1: For to one is given the word of wisdom through
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  Speaker 1: the Spirit. To another, the word of knowledge through the
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  Speaker 1: same Spirit. to another faith by the same Spirit, to
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  Speaker 1: another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another
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  Speaker 1: the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the
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  Speaker 1: discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to
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  Speaker 1: another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same
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  Speaker 1: Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually
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  Speaker 1: as he wills. Do you see the phrase, the Spirit,
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  Speaker 1: appearing over and over and over in that paragraph? He
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  Speaker 1: is the one who is distributing these, here's the word, charis, C-H-A-R-I-S,
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  Speaker 1: charis or charis, sometimes charismata. My friend Robert Morris tells
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  Speaker 1: of the time that a young father-to-be came to Emech.
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  Speaker 1: He said, we're about to have our first child, going
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  Speaker 1: to be a girl. We're thinking about the name Karis.
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  Speaker 1: What do you think? Well, Robert knew the last name
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  Speaker 1: of the family, and he said, I'm not so sure
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  Speaker 1: that's a good idea. Your last name is Maddox. Are
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  Speaker 1: you sure you want your daughter to be named Karismatics?
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  Speaker 1: So the dad chose a different name. But the Holy
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  Speaker 1: Spirit chose this name to describe the gifts of the
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  Speaker 1: gifts of the Spirit, because in its purest sense, a
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  Speaker 1: gift is exactly that. You did not earn it. You
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  Speaker 1: did not solicit it. It was bestowed upon you according
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  Speaker 1: to the sovereign plan of the Holy Spirit. It is
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  Speaker 1: a charismata. It is a gift. Now, as we study
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  Speaker 1: this list, I encourage you to keep a few things
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  Speaker 1: in mind. First of all, no gift list is complete.
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  Speaker 1: There are several gift lists in the New Testament. There's
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  Speaker 1: one in the book of Romans. There's one in the
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  Speaker 1: book of Ephesians. There's one here. No gift list is complete.
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  Speaker 1: We believe that because if one gift list was intended
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  Speaker 1: to be complete, then the other churches missed out on it.
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  Speaker 1: These gift lists are samplings of what the Holy Spirit does. Also,
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  Speaker 1: Not all gifts are given at the moment of conversion.
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  Speaker 1: Not all gifts are given at the moment of conversion.
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  Speaker 1: I believe this because of what the Apostle Paul tells us.
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  Speaker 1: He says we are to eagerly desire the gifts of
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  Speaker 1: the Spirit. He's speaking there to Christians who already have
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  Speaker 1: some gifts. He says now live in such a way
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  Speaker 1: that you walk in step with the Spirit and eagerly
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  Speaker 1: desire more gifts than so that you can edify the church.
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  Speaker 1: So not all gifts are given at the moment of conversion.
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  Speaker 1: And then also, it's important to note that natural strengths
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  Speaker 1: and spiritual gifts are not the same thing. Natural strengths
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  Speaker 1: and spiritual gifts are not the same thing. Your natural
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  Speaker 1: strengths exist to advance your cause. Spiritual gifts are given
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  Speaker 1: by God to advance His cause and edify or build
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  Speaker 1: up His church. Quite often God requisitions our natural strengths
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  Speaker 1: and uses them for his glory. And then quite often
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  Speaker 1: he gives us something brand new that we never had
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  Speaker 1: before we walked with him. So your natural strength and
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  Speaker 1: your spiritual gift may be similar. And then there may
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  Speaker 1: be something new. But what's important is this. Spiritual gifts
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  Speaker 1: exist to exalt Christ and edify the church. Do you recall?
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  Speaker 1: that the primary function of the Holy Spirit is to
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  Speaker 1: shed a light on Jesus Christ. So he is going
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  Speaker 1: to give you gifts that exalt Christ, not exalt self,
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  Speaker 1: but exalt Christ and edify the church. They are for
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  Speaker 1: the well-being of the church. As you use your gifts
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  Speaker 1: and I use my gifts, this church gets stronger. But
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  Speaker 1: if you neglect your gift, or as I neglect mine,
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  Speaker 1: the church is missing something that is a part of
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  Speaker 1: the sovereign recipe as written by God for what is
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  Speaker 1: good for the Oak Hills Church in this day and age.
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  Speaker 1: To that end, Paul helps us understand these gifts. Now, again,
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  Speaker 1: this paragraph is a bit complicated at first reading, but
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  Speaker 1: it doesn't have to be. These gifts that he describes, again,
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  Speaker 1: there's no gift list that's complete. They are samples. But
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  Speaker 1: this gift list gives us an example of the different
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  Speaker 1: types of gifts that the Holy Spirit gives. I've categorized
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  Speaker 1: them in three different sections. First of all, there are
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  Speaker 1: the discerning gifts. The discerning gifts, the ability to perceive things.
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  Speaker 1: To one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit.
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  Speaker 1: To another, the word of knowledge. A word of wisdom
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  Speaker 1: is simply an appropriate word at a necessary time. An
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  Speaker 1: appropriate word at a necessary time. I can recall many
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  Speaker 1: years ago attending a conference for pastors in which a
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  Speaker 1: seasoned pastor gave an address and then we all sat
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  Speaker 1: down for lunch and there were probably eight or ten
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  Speaker 1: young pastors at the table with him. We were enjoying
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  Speaker 1: delightful conversation when seemingly out of the blue, he said,
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  Speaker 1: can I have all of your attention for just a moment?
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  Speaker 1: And we all looked up. He said, never sacrifice your
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  Speaker 1: family on the altar of Christian ministry. And then he
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  Speaker 1: went on eating his meal. I have never forgotten that.
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  Speaker 1: That became a mantra for my ministry. It was a
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  Speaker 1: word of wisdom. You have this. Some of you have
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  Speaker 1: the spiritual gift to speak a word of wisdom into
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  Speaker 1: your middle school, into your high school, into your family.
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  Speaker 1: When you sense the prompting, you say it. You say, well, Max,
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  Speaker 1: everybody should know what I know. No, they don't. This
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  Speaker 1: is a Holy Spirit given gift. And when you sense
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  Speaker 1: that almost irrepressible need or desire to speak wisdom to
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  Speaker 1: Into that moment, the Holy Spirit is using you in
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  Speaker 1: the triage center of society, speaking wisdom into a world
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  Speaker 1: whose hope is being sucked out by secularism. There's also
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  Speaker 1: a word of knowledge. A word of knowledge is information
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  Speaker 1: that a person would have no way of knowing except
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  Speaker 1: by the Holy Spirit. On one occasion, Jesus was in
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  Speaker 1: conversation with a woman. We call her the Samaritan woman.
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  Speaker 1: And Jesus told her that not only had she been
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  Speaker 1: married before, she had been married five times, and the
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  Speaker 1: man with whom she was living was not her husband.
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  Speaker 1: Somehow she knew something that he had no way of
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  Speaker 1: knowing except by the Holy Spirit. Including in these discerning
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  Speaker 1: gifts is this one, and that is the discerning of spirits.
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  Speaker 1: The discerning of spirits. God has given some of you
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  Speaker 1: the capacity to sense when evil spirits are present. You
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  Speaker 1: might relate to this story from the Apostle Paul's ministry
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  Speaker 1: when he was in a city called Philippi. The owners
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  Speaker 1: of a certain slave girl were making money from her
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  Speaker 1: fortune telling. Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit,
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  Speaker 1: I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to
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  Speaker 1: come out of her. And he came out at that
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  Speaker 1: very hour. Hello. Hello. I was walking through a downtown
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  Speaker 1: area with my wife, Dean Lynn, just earlier this week.
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  Speaker 1: And she saw a sign over a door. And the
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  Speaker 1: sign over the door said, palm reading. Come in for
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  Speaker 1: your fortune telling. My wife stopped. She looked at that
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  Speaker 1: door and she said, in the name of Jesus, defeat
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  Speaker 1: this business. I didn't have that response. I was just
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  Speaker 1: going to keep walking down the street. I think she
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  Speaker 1: has the gift of discerning evil spirits, and she responded correctly.
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  Speaker 1: I haven't been back to check on the status of
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  Speaker 1: that business, but I'm not going to invest any money
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  Speaker 1: in that business. Discerning of evil spirits. In addition to
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  Speaker 1: the discerning gifts, the Apostle Paul mentions the dynamic gifts.
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  Speaker 1: So we have the discerning gifts. And now we have
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  Speaker 1: the dynamic gifts. To another, faith by the same Spirit.
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  Speaker 1: To another, gifts of healings by the same Spirit. To another,
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  Speaker 1: the working of miracles. Some people are just given a
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  Speaker 1: gift of faith. there are those who by faith say
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  Speaker 1: we're going to get through this by faith say God
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  Speaker 1: has a plan others have the ability to pray and
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  Speaker 1: have healings happen a man came up to me after
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  Speaker 1: last night's service and he said I was so glad
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  Speaker 1: to hear that he said because I pray for people
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  Speaker 1: and they get better How do I explain that? I said, well,
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  Speaker 1: apparently you have the gift of healing. Put it to use.
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  Speaker 1: Let your blessings be upon people. We need people who
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  Speaker 1: can bring gifts of healing. And then others have the
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  Speaker 1: working of miracles. They pray against impossible situations and see
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  Speaker 1: doors open. They pray against hard hearts and see hearts
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  Speaker 1: begin to soften. God is a God who works miracles. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: And he can use us and he wants to use
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  Speaker 1: us to accomplish his will. And then there's a third
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  Speaker 1: type of gifts. And these are the declarative gifts. The
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  Speaker 1: declarative gifts. Paul says to another prophecy. To another different
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  Speaker 1: kinds of tongues. And to another the interpretation of tongues.
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  Speaker 1: Now we understand when Paul was talking about prophecy. He
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  Speaker 1: has a clear definition of what a prophet does. Just
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  Speaker 1: two chapters later, he said in 1 Corinthians. I'm sorry,
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  Speaker 1: is it two chapters later or two chapters earlier? No,
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  Speaker 1: it's 1 Corinthians 14 and verse 3. He says, he
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  Speaker 1: who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort. Many times
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  Speaker 1: we think a prophet is one who can foretell the future. Really,
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  Speaker 1: a prophet is one who foretells things. Good news. And
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  Speaker 1: when he or she speaks, those who listen are encouraged.
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  Speaker 1: They take a deep breath of faith and they're better
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  Speaker 1: as a result. And then there is this. The speaking
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  Speaker 1: of tongues and the manifestation of tongues. Church, these are magnificent, wonderful,
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  Speaker 1: yet often controversial gifts. it helps us to recall, or
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  Speaker 1: it would help you to know in case you don't,
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  Speaker 1: that in the New Testament, when the New Testament speaks
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  Speaker 1: about speaking in tongues, there are two types of tongues
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  Speaker 1: that are referenced. In one case, there is the supernatural
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  Speaker 1: ability to speak a language or a dialect that a
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  Speaker 1: person has never studied. It was with this gift that
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  Speaker 1: the New Testament church was launched On the day of Pentecost.
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  Speaker 1: When Peter and the apostles stood. And they began to
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  Speaker 1: declare the wonders of God. And according to those who listened.
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  Speaker 1: They could. How is it that we hear? They asked.
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  Speaker 1: Each of us in his own native language. So one
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  Speaker 1: manifestation of speaking in tongues. Is the ability to speak
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  Speaker 1: a language that. that you've never studied this bears testimony
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  Speaker 1: to God's white hot passion to have the gospel in
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  Speaker 1: every language all over the world the first manifestation of
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  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit was a supernatural ability for the apostles
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  Speaker 1: to speak in languages that they had never studied now
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: there is a second type of tongues that is mentioned
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  Speaker 1: in Scripture and that is the type of tongues that
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: is referred to by the Apostle Paul in first Corinthians
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: chapter 14 in verse 2 he said one who speaks
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: in a tongue speaks not to men but to God
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: so see this is different than what happened on the
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: day of Pentecost right because on that day they spoke
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: to men about God but there is a type a
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: miraculous manifestation supernatural ability of the Holy Spirit to speak
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: in an unknown tongue not to men but to God
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: for no one understands him He utters mysteries in the Spirit.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: So there's the ability of grace, a charismata, given to
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: certain people to pray in what we could call, what
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: we often call, a heavenly prayer language. It might surprise
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: you to know that the Apostle Paul enjoyed this gift.
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: In that same chapter that we're looking at, he gives
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: us a peek into his private prayer practice. He said,
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: when you pray in your private, look at this, private
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: prayer language, don't hoard the experience for yourself. Pray for
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: the insight and the ability to bring others into that intimacy.
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: If I pray in tongues, my spirit prays, but my
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: mind lies fallow. In other words, he was praying in
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: a language he did not understand. Some people say it's
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: a language of angels. who knows if it's a written
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: language or not, but even he could not understand what
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: he was saying, but he was enjoying the experience. But
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: he said, if I do this, my mind lies fallow.
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: I'm not understanding. And all that intelligence is wasted. So
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: what's the solution? Now we might expect him to say,
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: I'm not going to do it anymore. But that's not
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: what he says. The answer is simple enough. Do both.
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: Do both. He said, I should be spiritually free and
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: expressive as I pray, but I should be thoughtful and
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: mindful as I pray. So he enjoyed this supernatural ability
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: to communicate with God, maybe the Spirit communicating through him
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: to God in a language that was non-discernable. But he
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: did say this. He did say that I would rather
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: speak Speak with five words with understanding than 10,000 words
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: in a tongue. In other words, this ability to pray
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: in this supernatural language was something that was reserved for
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: him in his personal private prayer time unless someone who
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: had the supernatural ability to interpret that was present. Even so,
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: he said, I would still rather speak with understanding. Because
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: that's what changes people. That's what touches people's hearts. I'd
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: love to climb into your mind right now. What are
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: you thinking about all this? Kind of crazy. Kind of different.
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: Kind of out there. Sounds a bit supernatural.
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: Exactly.
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: Exactly. Exactly. The church is the supernatural expression of God
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: on the planet. The church is the supernatural expression of
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: God on the planet. If you're like this guy you're
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: looking at, you were raised in a heritage that was
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: very predictable. I mean, we knew exactly what God was
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: going to do and we told him when to do it.
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: When I compare my experience growing up in churches with
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: what I'm reading here, sometimes I sense a disconnect. And
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: there is something in my spirit that says, Lord, I
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: want to see again what they saw then. I don't
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: want crazy. I don't want bizarre. But I desire so
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: much more of your spirit. Because we can't figure it
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: out on our own. We can come up with the
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: greatest programs. We can build the nicest sanctuary. We can
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: hire the best staff. But all of that is straw
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: compared to the dynamic power of one drop of kindness
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: and mercy from the Holy Spirit. Amen? Did you know
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: that last Thursday it was revealed by the Pew Center
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: that the number of Christians in America is the lowest
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: it has been in over 200 years. Church, we're losing
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: the battle. We're losing the battle. It is time for
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: God's people to get on their knees and to beg
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: for revival. For the Lord to have mercy upon us
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: and to do again what he did then. It's time
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: for us to call out upon the Lord to unify
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: the church and to call down power from heaven. I
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: believe that one of the great tragedies of the last
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: century was the division of God's church in terms of
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: Of supernatural gifts. I just believe that. I believe it
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: was a mistake for some of us to say, oh,
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: those supernatural gifts have stopped. I used to say that.
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: First 10 years of my ministry, that's how I was trained.
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: That's what I said. in my mid-30s however after an
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: encounter with the holy spirit i began to rethink that
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: is there a verse in the bible that says god
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: doesn't still do now what he did then Is there
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: a scripture that says only the apostles or the first
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: generation could operate in such supernatural capacity? I couldn't find it.
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: More convincing to me is that God began allowing me
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: to do some of the things I used to say
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: he did not do. Hello. Did you know sometimes I
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: speak a word of wisdom? I know I don't look
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: like a wise guy. But every so often, I'll find
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: something in my heart. If it doesn't come out, I'm
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: going to be in disobedience to God. It's a word
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: of wisdom rightly suited for that moment. Many times in
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: these sermons, some impromptu thought will come that's not here
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: in my notes. And I'll say, boy, okay, I guess
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: I'm supposed to say it. And I'll say it. And inevitably, inevitably,
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: somebody will say, wow, that's what I needed to hear today.
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: Did you know God allows me to be a part
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: of his healing process? I cannot tell you how many
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: young couples have come to me and said, you prayed
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: when we could not get pregnant and now look at us.
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: Last night, there she was, third trimester pregnant. She said,
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: we're on that list. Apparently I have a pregnancy ministry.
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: I don't know why. But God still works miracles. And
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: most heartwarming and heart-changing to me is an intimacy that
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: He has given to me in my prayer life that
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: helps me understand and makes me relate to what the
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: Apostle Paul was saying when he said he prays in
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: mysteries that his mind does not understand. The big message, church,
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: is this. The Holy Spirit is ready to empower us.
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: And He wants to empower you. He wants to empower you.
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: The Christian life is not boring. It is exciting. It's challenging.
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: Let me tell you, it's impossible. It's impossible. But with
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit, there is a new version of you
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: that is about to happen. And I'm wondering if you'd
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: be open to it. Would you be open to it?
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: Could I conclude this message by saying to you what
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: the Apostle Paul said to the church? He said, do
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: not be ignorant about spiritual gifts. Do not be ignorant.
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: What a tragedy. What a tragedy to go through your
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: whole life and say, well, I don't know what my
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: gift is. I show up. I smile at church. I
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: laugh at locato jokes. That's not a gift, by the way.
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: Don't be ignorant. You are not an exception to this rule.
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: So number two, ask the Lord about your gifts. Just
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: ask him. The Lord, what gifts do you give me?
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: The apostle in another epistle says, said this, it is
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: God himself who has made us what we are and
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: given us new lives from Christ Jesus. Long ago, he
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: So he's given you something. Then ask others about your gifts.
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: Those who know you well, just ask them, what do
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: you think about me? What is it that I do
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: that you think is significant? And then begin to exercise
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: and operate. As a minister of the gospel in that area.
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: And then ask yourself. God loves you too much. To
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: give you a challenge. And not the ability to fulfill it.
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: Just search your heart. God loves you church. And we're
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: in need of a new day. But I believe that
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: day is coming. I believe that day is coming. I
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: believe that God has given us a gifted senior minister
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: in Travis Eads. I believe we have a bright team
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: leading us into the future. And I believe, and I'm
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: speaking to those of us whose hair is getting a
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: little bit thin and gray, that our job is important.
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: We need to be prayer warriors and spiritual leaders as
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: we move into this new season of our church. We
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: need every person Some of you, it's time for you
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: to get off the bench. Come on. Let's do this thing.
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: And let's see a day in which the Holy Spirit
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: finds in the Oak Hills Church a family that's willing
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: to be the triage in this hurricane we call America. Amen.
• 35:22
  Speaker 3: Loving you alone feels so beautiful. And yet, it hurts
• 35:33
  Speaker 3: the most.
• 35:37
  Speaker 4: You became my quiet sunrise, the dream I never dared
• 35:43
  Speaker 4: to say. Every smile you gave so freely took my
• 35:48
  Speaker 4: breath a little away.
• 35:52
  Speaker 5: Held this love like fragile glass so precious soft and
• 35:57
  Speaker 5: true but every beat inside my heart was only reaching out.
• 36:03
  Speaker 3: To you.
• 36:06
  Speaker 2: Unspoken love is sweet and painful like honey mixed with
• 36:12
  Speaker 2: rain a tender hope i hold so tightly while it
• 36:18
  Speaker 2: Slowly breaks me. Loving you from just one side now
• 36:24
  Speaker 2: leaves my soul in silent blue. Cause the deeper that
• 36:29
  Speaker 2: I fall alone, the.
• 36:32
  Speaker 3: Lonelier I do.
• 36:36
  Speaker 5: I can't blame my heart for choosing someone it could
• 36:41
  Speaker 5: never keep. So I smile through hidden heartache.
• 36:47
  Speaker 2: And love you quietly. Unspoken love is sweet and painful
• 36:54
  Speaker 2: like honey mixed with rain. A tender hope I hold
• 36:59
  Speaker 2: so tightly while it slowly breaks me. Loving you from
• 37:06
  Speaker 2: just one side now leaves my.
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: Soul in silent blues.
• 37:12
  Speaker 6: Cause the deeper that I fall alone, the lonelier I do.
• 37:22
  Speaker 2: Maybe loving you in silence is the closest I can stay.
• 37:42
  Speaker 5: Though it leaves behind a sorrow that may never fade away.
• 37:52
  Speaker 2: Unspoken love is sweet and painful like honey mixed with rain.
• 37:59
  Speaker 5: A tender hope I hold so tightly while.
• 38:03
  Speaker 2: It Slowly breaks me loving you.
• 38:07
  Speaker 3: From just one side now.
• 38:09
  Speaker 2: Leaves my soul in silent blue.
• 38:13
  Speaker 6: Cause the deeper that I fall alone, the lonelier
• 38:22
  Speaker 3: I do.