1 Corinthians 12:8-31 Prophecy, Discernment & The Body
Intro Tonight we are continuing our study through
the book of 1 Corinthians and for the last several weeks camping out in chapter
12
A) Focusing in on the gifts of the Holy Spirit
listed here in 1 Corinthians 12
B) We have looked at
the first 5 of the Gifts listed in verses 8-10 /Wisdom / Knowledge / Faith /
Healings & Miracles <TAPES
C) Tonight we are
going to pick up our study starting with PROPHECY/
READ VERSE 11
Now when we hear the
Word Prophecy we immediately think of the predicting of future events
FORETELLING OF THE FUTURE
A) And that is how
Prophecy is predominately seen in the Old Testament
C) men
were moved by the Lord to predict future events – to a large extent the
prophecies dealt with the coming of Jesus Christ
Hebrews 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at
many times in various ways (NIV)
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God spake as they were moved
D) Men
like Moses and David were used in the area of Prophecy
1) Moses
in Deuteronomy 32 foretells the events that would take place AFTER Israel
entered the promised land
E) He tells how they would turn away from God and be scattered among the nations.
Interesting Thing To NOTE: The people memorized
this song. They grew up singing this
song. And though they knew and sang it often
they fell in the very things that the song warned of.
F) And it was when they were singing this song
in captivity that they realized the reason for their captivity. <Moses prophesied of all that!!>
DAVID
is mentioned in Acts as a prophet of God.
Acts
2:30-31 Therefore being a prophet, and
knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that the fruit of his loins, according
to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this
before spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell,
neither did his flesh see corruption.
And many of David’s
psalms are predictive in nature and content. Many are messianic…. that is, they deal with the coming Messiah.
So Moses & David
were men who moved in the Prophetic ministry although that wasn’t their primary
ministry.
A) Whereas others like Samuel / Elijah / Elisha
/ Isaiah / Jeremiah / Hosea were called by God to be PROPHETS OF GOD Very Predictive in ministry
B) But PROPHECY IS MORE THAN THE FORETELLING OF
FUTURE EVENTS
1)
It is also the Forthtelling of the mind, heart & Word of God to His
people
C) The word PROPHECY derives from a Greek root
which means, “to cause to shine,” and
is linked with the prefix “pro” which means “before.”
1)
So a person with the gift of prophecy is one who stands before God’s
people and causes the Word of God to shine.
God’s Heart REVEALED
D)
The word burns within the heart of those who have this gift and they
must get it out! Jeremiahŕ
E) This speaking forth the mind of God was also
clearly seen in the Old Testament in the Prophetic ministry of men like Isaiah
/ Jeremiah / Hosea
1)
Who repeatedly were used to call the People to
REPENTENCE
F) But predominant ministry was foretelling of
future events -
1)
The judgment upon Israel that would come if they didn’t repent as well
as some other nations as well as the 1st & 2nd
comings of Jesus Christ.
Now in the New Testament we have a
reversal of this order. Where in the
Old Testament prophecies were more fore telling than forth telling
A) New Testament is the opposite – More
Forthtelling – or speaking forth the mind & heart of God than it is the
predicting of future events
A)
Although there are Prophets in the New
Testament. Agabus is mentioned in Acts
11:28. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that
there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also
happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.
ACTS 21:10 And as we
stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
11
When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt,
bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall
the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the
hands of the Gentiles.’”
B)
The Apostle John moved in that predictive aspect when he penned the book
of Revelation. Jesus Matthew 24 – but
those are about the only records.
C) What we see instead are men and women who
were used to declare God’s truth & expound God’s word -
1) cause it to shine so that people understood.- Their ministry was more of a GUIDING MINISTRY THAN A PREDICTIVE
Now
Paul defines for us the PURPOSE OF THIS GIFT IN 1 Corinthians 14:3 But he
who prophecies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
EDIFICATION = TO BUILD
UP / Word used in Architecture in
referring to the establishment of a Building !!!! Make Firm Solid
EXHORTATION =
parakaleo – (PARACLETE) primarily, “to
call to ones side to help / admonish / to urge one to pursue some course of
conduct
COMFORT – similar word
derived from the same Greek word – Paraklesis = one called to one side.
A) Important to note this that the word of
Prophecy is going to be like that a person who comes to the aid of another – in
perfect time of need.
1)
Out of gas on the side of the road & someone pulls up just at the
right time – gives you a lift
B) That the word of PROPHECY works in much the
same way – You come to a Bible study – out of gas – worn out / defeated
1)
And what is taught is exactly what you needed – filling up tank
C) Or you are talking with a friend & they
share a verse with you – EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEEDED – (read your mind)
1)
Sunday nights / RETREAT – scripture shared – word of Prophecy – Someone
needed to hear exactly that verse / cards / notes / e-mail
2) Catch simplicity -
D) Now sometimes – prophecy gets a bad rap – by
those who hyper spiritual – talk king James – Oh my people – thou has corrupted
thy ways ….
1)
I have a problem with that for a couple reasons – one you don’t see that
in Scripture – in the New Testament/
E) 2nd Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:3 that he who
prophecies speaks edification / exhortation & comfort to men.
1) In other words, prophecy is that which is meant to encourage / build up / and comfort the body !
So when you prophesy
you are speaking FOR God to the Church to edify…. You are building up your brothers and sisters.
When you prophesy
you are speaking FOR God to the Church, you are encouraging people to
trust the Lord and lay hold of the promises of God.
When you prophesy
you are speaking FOR God to the Church, you are exhorting people to
ACTION. Exhorting to praise and prayer
and service.
When you prophesy
you are speaking FOR God to the Church, you are comforting others. The Holy Spirit works through you to
minister comfort to us.
That is the focus of this gift of
Prophesy / Chapter 14 see a little more about how this gift works in the body -
The last thing we want
to note is the VALIDATION OF A PROPHECY
1 Corinthians 14:29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the
others judge.
Prophecy must be judged 3 WAYS
1.)
Does it line up with the revealed Word of God? / God will NOT say
something CONTRARY to the Written Word of God.
<Cause Word To Shine:>
If it is contrary to
the Written Word of God, THEN it is NOT prophecy.
2.)
Does it line up with the FACTS concerning the NATURE of the GIFT i.e. – EDIFICATION / EXHORTATION & COMFORT
A) If a PERSON PROPHESIES & IT does NOT
line up with the facts, then it can NOT be God.
3.)
If it is predictive in nature, then you look to see if it comes to pass.
In
this area of Judging the Prophecies – the next gift mentioned comes into play –
DISCERNING OF SPIRITS
A) It is significant that this gift is listed
immediately following the gift of prophecy.
In this We see God’s Divine order.
B) Because there have been those throughout
history, who have been prophets and have brought forth the Word of God to God’s
people.
1)
There has also always been
FALSE prophets
C) For that REASON it is CRUCIAL to have this
gift in order to discern truth from lies, the Holy Spirit from demonic spirits,
1)
because Satan is an extremely good counterfeiter.
D) Jesus specifically warned in the Last days
of false Christs and false prophets who would come on the scene
Matthew 7:15 Beware
of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are
ravenous wolves.
Matthew 24:24 For
there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs
and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect.
1 John 4:1 Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because
many false prophets are gone out into the world.
TRY = to test (lit. or fig.); to approve,
discern, examine.
So we have this NEED for the gift of the discerning of spirits.
And this gift is often
seen in Conjunction with the gifts of Word of Wisdom / Knowledge / Prophecy
& the INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
LOOK
AT BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF THIS GIFT
IN THE LIFE OF PETER
Acts 5:1-2 But a certain man named Ananias, with
Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.
2 And he kept back part of the
proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, an brought a certain part and laid
it at the apostle’s feet. 3 But Peter
said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled
your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the
land for yourself?
A) They came with the FALSE PRETENSE that they
were giving ALL of the price they had received.
1)
Peter discerned
the lie that he was seeking to perpetrate against the Church in trying to
appear as having surrendered all.
B)
Word of Knowledge with the Gift of Discernment
C) Acts 8
Simon false conversion / wants to buy the gift – Peter again 22 “Repent therefore of this wickedness, and
pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23
For I perceive that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by
iniquity.”
D) Perceive = to stare at – to DISCERN CLEARLY
People with this gift
are those who might sense there is something not right with someone when
everyone else is gung ho
A) Had this happen many times – everyone was so
excited about a certain minister or musician etc. (I would be leery) couldn’t get excited
B) I would feel horrible – so negative -
After time something revealed
C) This gift is essential for those who
are involved in Leadership in the ministry / if you don’t have it - pray
1)
Don’t receive it make sure you are linked up with someone who does
D) Seen a lot of people get into trouble / get
off base / get sidetracked because they lack this gift !
Now
because Chapter 14 deals so specifically with the gift of Prophecy, tongues and
interpretation of tongues – skip next two / deal with them when I
get back.
A) Finish tonight looking at what Paul says in
the rest of Chapter 12 – illustrates how the church is to function Verse 12
B) Paul uses the human body to build a great
analogy of how the Church is to function
1)
Just as the human body is one living organism made up of many members
having different functions
C) So is the Body of Christ – the Church – all
believers / many members having variety of gifts and functions / but still one
body – Christ Head.
Now the next thing
that Paul does here is he tells us how we become a part of this body of
Christ verse 13
A) 13
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews or
Greeks, whether slaves or free; and
have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
A) Now this shouldn’t be confused with the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
B) This is what Jesus referred to as the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit John 14
1) 3 aspects WITH / IN
UPON
C) Disciples point of conversion came in John
20 Saw resurrected Lord – Breathed
& said Receive ye Holy Spirit – Jesus say receive you do - CONVERSION
D) But after this Acts 1:4 Jesus said to go to Jerusalem & wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon you
4 “And being
assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, you have heard from
Me; 5
for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the
Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
3rd
aspect – Baptism - UPON
A) Wording is important – 1 Corinthians 12:13
speaks of being Baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ - CONVERSION
B) Acts 1:5 Speaks of
being Baptized WITH the Holy Spirit by
Jesus
Matthew 3:11 “I
indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is
mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
fire.
So
here we see the 3 fold working of the Holy Spirit WITH / IN / UPON
A) With us
convicting of sin / In – baptizing us into the body,
1) Upon
– filling us with the Spirit so that we are both “in Christ” and He is “in us,”
that constitutes the mystery and the marvel of the church.
B)That is what the church is. It is not a group of religious people gathered together to enjoy certain functions.
C) It is a group of people who share the same
life, who belong to the same Lord, who are filled with the same Spirit
1), and who are intended to function
together to change the world by the life of God. That is the work of the church.
D) The apostle goes on in the next few verses
to make this crystal clear by explaining to us just how it works.
E) He describes how the body functions, and in
doing so he deals with 3 major problems,
3 mental attitudes that often come up in the Church.
The
first one is the feeling of insignificance.
A) I wonder how many
people here have said to themselves or felt at one time, “I
love to come to church but I don’t feel there is anything I can do. I can’t contribute to the work of the church
because I don’t have any abilities.
Others know so much more than I.”
B) Paul deals with that very attitude here
!! Verses 14-20
C) Paul says that if the foot were to say – I
can’t do what the hand can do – I can’t wiggle my toes like the hand does the
fingers
1)
Therefore I don’t belong to the body
D) Not True – couldn’t walk or stand -
Thumb – short & pudgy – not like other fingers –
A) Couldn’t grab
things / write etc
B) There is no insignificant part of the body – [Big toe] – couldn’t stand
C) So too there is no insignificant part of the
Body of Christ
PART
OF THE PROBLEM
A) We have the wrong idea of what work of the
church is, and this is why people begin to feel this way.
B) There are many today who have the concept
that the real work of the church is getting together and having a great meeting
on Sundays / Wednesday.
1)
where we come together and enjoy learning from the Scriptures and
fellowshipping with one another.
C) And, as this concept goes, people who lead
these meetings have certain gifts. They
are the Ministers
!)
They have to keep everything in order etc. Others in the congregation look at them and say, “That is the work of the church. I can’t do any of those things, therefore I
really have no part to play in the church.”
D) But that is not the work of the church at
all. Train up to equip to do the work
of the ministry out there. This is
merely part of the training program.
1)
We do not come to church to fulfill the work of the church. We come here to get ready to fulfill I out
there.
E) the work of the church preach the Gospel / bring the Love of Jesus / to
reach out to the broken-hearted out in
the world, to give deliverance to the captives, to open the eyes of the blind, and to preach the good news to
the poor and despairing of heart.
F) Now if that is your mindset, there is
definitely something – for everyone
NO ONE IS
INSIGNIFICANT / YOU HAVE BEEN GIFTED & PLACED IN THE
BODY BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR THE EXACT PURPOSE HE DESIRES
A) All different / gifted differently by Design
– what if all an EYE – no hearing - Gross
B) Youth Pastor – Football – Eye ball - gross
Now
the 2nd problem Paul deals with that surfaces in a church, is an
INDEPENDENT SPIRIT verse 21
A) Eye can’t say …….
A) No
Lone Rangers in the Body –
3rd
PROBLEM – ESTEEMING ONE GIFT ABOVE ANOTHER VERSE 22-25
A)
Our Problem – we esteem gifts – that are the most out in the open /
presentable as the ones that are the most important
B) The ones that are less visible as less
important – note those which seem weaker – that is our problem
C) Take human body – HEART IS NOT PRESENTABLE –
BUT CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT.
1)
I could live without an Arm / Leg / Finger / eye / all presentable parts
D) But not a Heart / not a brain
In
the Body of Christ – Heart – Prayer warriors
/ Brain – gift of Govt. Nerves -
Helps
A) We would be
nowhere without those gifts
26 And if one member suffers, all the
members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice
with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
A) Notice
that he does not say all “should” suffer with it, or all “should” be honored
together. He says they actually are.
B) Say Christian in the Limelight – is found to
be in Sin – guess what we all suffer – we grieve / also affects our witness
1)
It affects our witness & Testimony -
C) That is why I say – living in sin / bad
witness / lousy worker / don’t even call yourself a Christian - / affects me
A) But
if a Christian is honored – makes the rest of us look good too! We benefit
Verses 27-31