Participants: Pr. Kenneth Cox
Series Code: GMTB
Program Code: GMTB000014
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00:19 Most theologians and historians
00:22 agree that the year 1800 began 00:25 what we call the Second 00:27 Great Awakening. 00:29 The Second Great Awakening 00:30 was a uniquely American 00:33 phenomenon though its effect reached around the world. 00:36 In North America you had men like Finney and Craig 00:39 and Masterson and Taylor and Tyler. 00:42 Later on even Dwight L. Moody was at the back end 00:45 of that Awakening. 00:46 In South America you had men like Manuel de le Cunza: 00:50 Juan Josephat Ben Ezra... his pen name. 00:52 In Europe you had many men. 00:54 But the Second Great Awakening had in common 00:58 what all great awakenings have, and that is a strong emphasis 01:02 on the Word of God... 01:04 a getting back to the Bible as a source. 01:07 People like William Miller secreted himself away 01:09 for many years with only the Bible and Cruden's Concordance. 01:13 Unlike the First Great Awakening which took place in about 1760, 01:18 the Second Great Awakening saw the genesis of many 01:22 Bible societies and track societies and missionaries 01:24 that went around the world. 01:27 But again, all great awakenings... 01:30 all great revivals... have one thing in common, 01:33 and that is an elevation of the Word of God. 01:37 Men going back to the Bible 01:38 and highlighting the Bible and the Bible only. 01:41 So it is fitting that Elder Cox 01:43 has called this particular series 01:46 Give Me The Bible. 01:48 Because if man is ever to extricate himself from 01:51 the pit of sin that he finds himself in, 01:53 it's going to be the Word of God and study of the Word of God 01:58 that will do precisely that. 02:00 My name is C.A. Murray, and it is my privilege and pleasure 02:03 to welcome you to Volume 3 02:05 Section 4 of plain, powerful, 02:08 practical preaching 02:10 from the Word of God. 02:11 We've been discussing the Holy Spirit, 02:13 and tonight we will deal with the gifts of the Spirit. 02:16 What that means, what that is, 02:19 what that does. 02:21 What the Holy Spirit wants to do to us, for us, 02:23 with us and through us. And our preacher, our teacher, 02:26 our pastor, our evangelist, and our friend 02:28 is Elder Kenneth Cox. 02:30 I'm excited - as I know you are - to hear 02:33 what the gifts of the Spirit are all about. 02:35 But before he comes to us, 02:37 we will be blessed by some special music by our organist, 02:41 the lovely Dona Klein. 04:06 Thank you Dona Klein! 04:08 Enjoyed that very much. 04:10 Well, we welcome you back tonight. 04:12 Appreciate you being here for Give Me The Bible. 04:15 We hope that as we're going 04:17 through each subject 04:20 that its helpful to you. 04:21 We decided when we were going 04:23 to put the series together 04:25 that we would take a subject 04:27 and spend five nights on that particular subject. 04:30 And that's what we've done so far. 04:32 Like now, we're into the subject of the Holy Spirit, 04:36 and we're going to spend five presentations on the 04:38 Holy Spirit. We spent five on the second coming of Christ, 04:42 and each month we will be spending five presentations 04:46 on a particular subject. 04:48 So we hope that it helps you 04:50 get a picture of what's happening and what the 04:52 scripture has to say about it in a way that will be 04:57 a blessing to you. 04:58 Tonight we're talking about the 05:03 Very, very important subject. 05:05 And so we hope it will bless you in a special way. 05:09 And then our next presentation is entitled the 05:15 The scripture talks about what is known at the Latter Rain. 05:19 That's what we'll be looking at in our next presentation. 05:22 So we hope you'll be sure be with us. 05:26 If you're watching by television, we hope you'll 05:29 keep being there each evening as we study God's Word. 05:33 If you're listening on the radio, we hope you're where 05:36 you can tune in, follow as we continue to study it. 05:40 As I mentioned tonight, 05:42 we're talking about the 05:46 Very, very important subject 05:48 because it's one that I find is misunderstood a lot today. 05:53 And we need to find out... What says the Bible, 05:56 the blessed Bible? 05:58 This should my only question be. 06:00 God gives us His Spirit to lead and to guide us. 06:04 What says the Book of God to me? 06:06 That's what we want to find out. 06:07 So what are you looking at in tonight's presentation? 06:10 What are you looking for? 06:12 Well one, of course, is to find out what the gifts are. 06:16 What are the gifts God gives? 06:18 And we'll look at those. 06:20 But also how they relate to you 06:24 and how they work in our lives. 06:26 And what's the purpose in those gifts? 06:29 Why does God give them? 06:31 So we're going to look at that. 06:32 We hope that it will help you understand what your gift is. 06:36 Help you understand how God uses those 06:39 and how you and I can put ourselves in a position 06:42 to be used more by God. 06:45 So we hope it will bless you in a special way. 06:48 During the series we've been very happy to have 06:52 David Tank with us. 06:53 David is from Modesto, California - where he lives. 06:57 And tonight he's going to sing a song on the 8th Psalm 07:02 which he wrote. I'm sure you'll be blessed in a special way. 07:21 As I look at Thy heavens, 07:24 the works of Thy fingers, 07:28 the moon and the stars which Thou hast made, 07:35 what is man that Thou art mindful of him? 07:40 And the son of man that Thou dost care for him? 07:51 As I think of Thy greatness... 07:54 the powers You command, 07:58 the majesty and glory that You have, 08:05 what is man that Thou art mindful of him? 08:11 And why Lord do You care so much for him? 08:20 Yet Thou has made him just a little less 08:24 than God. 08:28 And did crown him with glory 08:31 and with honor. 08:34 Thou has given him dominion 08:37 o'er the workings of Thy hands. 08:42 The sheep and the oxen, 08:44 the beasts of the field, 08:48 the birds of the air, 08:50 and the fish of the sea. 08:58 Oh Lord, my Lord, 09:00 Creator of all things, 09:04 how majestic is Thy name in all the earth. 09:11 What is man that Thou art mindful of him? 09:17 And why Lord do You care so much for him? 09:25 What is man that Thou art mindful of him? 09:30 I just don't know, Lord, why You care 09:33 so much for him. 10:03 Amen. 10:17 Gracious Father, 10:19 we come to You this evening 10:21 first, Lord, just to give You 10:25 our thanks. Thank you, Lord, 10:28 for loving us. 10:30 For supplying all our needs 10:36 with the fruits of the Spirit, 10:37 the gifts of the Spirit. 10:39 Lord, help us to know how 10:42 to open up our hearts and to accept You. 10:47 To let the Holy Spirit work in our lives. 10:51 Give us understanding tonight 10:54 that we may know what You are willing to do for us 10:58 and that we might know how 11:01 to be the witnesses that we should be. 11:04 For this we pray in Christ's name, Amen. 11:15 Have you ever received a gift? 11:17 And have you noticed when given a gift how much 11:21 excitement, eagerness there is. 11:25 You wonder what's... what's in the box, what's there, 11:29 and you're excited about it. 11:31 Can you remember a particular gift that you received that 11:38 kind of stands out more than any other gift you ever got? 11:41 You know? What gift have you... was given to you over the years 11:47 that just kind of stands out? 11:48 I have one in my life that stands out more than 11:51 any other gift that I've ever received. 11:54 I've forgotten many, many, many of the others. 11:58 I don't know. I can't remember what they were. 12:00 They've all gone. 12:01 But this one... I have never forgotten it. 12:05 I've remembered it all my life. 12:07 And it was when we were... my wife and I were at school 12:12 in Lincoln, Nebraska. 12:14 And we were absolutely so poor... 12:19 I can't describe to you how poor we were. 12:24 It's just so much that... it was my birthday. 12:27 I didn't think she'd get me a present. 12:30 I didn't... I mean, she didn't have any money to buy it with 12:33 period. I mean, there was no such thing 12:35 as having money to go get me a gift with. 12:37 There wasn't such. 12:39 And so I didn't expect anything. 12:41 But my birthday came, and sure enough 12:45 there was a box... a little box 12:48 and she gave it to me for my... my birthday. 12:52 And I didn't have any idea what it was. 12:54 And I can remember opening the box. 12:57 And as I took the lid off and looked inside 13:01 there was a lollipop. 13:04 A sucker that she had bought me for my birthday. 13:07 That gift has stayed in my mind and in my heart 13:11 more than anything else because to me it was a symbol 13:14 of her love and devotion to me, 13:16 and it just had a special meaning to me. 13:19 Well God has gifts that He wants to give you. 13:23 Definite gifts He wants to give you. 13:26 And the gifts that God gives to you - 13:29 how should I put it? - 13:31 aren't so much to do with the physical part of it, folks. 13:35 God wants to give you gifts that deal with the spiritual 13:38 side of it. That's the gifts He wants to give you. 13:41 And because the physical part... that's not going to stay around. 13:47 You know? It says: "the flesh profiteth nothing. " 13:51 It isn't. But the Spirit is what is life and what lives. 13:55 And so God wants to give you gifts that deal with the Spirit. 14:00 And you'll find that there are several gifts in the Bible. 14:03 I mean, not just one of two 14:05 but a lot of different gifts that are given in God's Word. 14:08 In fact, the scripture gives three lists 14:11 of gifts that God wants to give. 14:14 And I'm going to read with you those three lists 14:18 so you'll know what they are. 14:20 And these are gifts that God wants to give to you 14:23 and to me. So the first one we're reading about 14:26 is in I Corinthians the 12th chapter. 14:28 And here God lists gifts He wants to give. 14:36 How many? 14:38 Be very clear 14:39 that God gives you a gift 14:41 and that gift is not for just you. 14:46 It's not something that you hoard. 14:49 It's not something that's just for you. 14:51 That gift's given for the "profit of all. " 14:55 Very, very important. 15:07 Those are two gifts. 15:37 Those are gifts. We just read nine gifts 15:40 that God wants to give to you and to me. 15:45 And it has a very definite purpose that we'll talk about 15:48 in just a moment. 15:50 There are other gifts that are listed here 15:52 in Romans the 12th chapter and verse 6. 15:55 Talks about gifts that God gives. 16:29 Those are gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to you and I 16:34 that we are to use. 16:35 Now, God gives five gifts 16:40 for the church. Five gifts for the church. 16:45 And He spells them out very clearly, 16:48 and He says these are the five gifts that He gives 16:50 to the church. And when I'm saying to the church 16:53 that is... for the operation of the church. 16:56 For how it should operate and take place. 17:04 Apostles, folks, are people in leadership. 17:10 That's what that's referring to. 17:12 They are the ones who guide and direct 17:14 in the affairs of the church. 17:16 And the leadership in that respect referred to as apostles. 17:20 And then it says "some prophets, " 17:23 Gives a gift to the church because that is helpful to the 17:27 church to know where it's going... where it's headed. 17:29 "to some evangelists, " 17:31 and that's for the spreading of the gospel. 17:34 "and some pastors and teachers. " 17:36 Those five gifts are given to the church 17:39 and they are given for the work of the church. 17:42 That's what they are to be used for. 17:44 And those are gifts that the Holy Spirit gives. 17:47 By the way, that doesn't apply just to clergy. 17:53 That doesn't apply just to clergy. 17:56 That applies to the work of the church. 17:59 And that includes all of us. 18:02 Not just one but all of us. 18:04 It says: "for the" what? 18:10 That's more than clergy. 18:15 And I have known many laymen 18:19 who God has given a gift to 18:23 that they do outstanding jobs in these five areas. 18:27 So God gives those gifts, and they are to be used 18:31 in the work of the church as it takes place. 18:34 Now, He lists nine gifts 18:39 that He gives, and those gifts are to be used. 18:43 The thing of it is... is it says that Christ is the head 18:47 of the church. 18:49 That's what it says. It says Christ is the head 18:51 of the church. And the Bible says here in Corinthians 18:55 it says that the "church is the body. " 18:59 Way it describes it. The church is the body. 19:02 And it says that you and I are members of that body. 19:09 OK? Have you got the picture? 19:10 Christ is the head. The church is the body, 19:14 and you and I are members of that body. 19:18 OK. Paul takes that theme up and talks about it here 19:22 in the 12th chapter, and he says: 19:32 In other words, if the foot says "I don't like being the foot. 19:36 I want to be the hand. " 19:37 See? No, just because it doesn't like being the foot... 19:42 No, it's still part of the body. 19:45 And by the way, it's just as important 19:48 as the hand. 19:50 And so some of us are the eyes. 19:53 Some of us are the feet. 19:55 Some of us are the hands. 19:57 Some of us are the ears. 19:58 We are all different parts of God's body. 20:02 But every part is important. 20:05 OK? So he puts it all together. He goes on and says: 20:16 If the ear doesn't like it and wants to be the eye, 20:20 no... it's still part of the body. 20:22 And it fulfills a very definite function and purpose 20:25 in the body. 20:28 Are you following that? 20:31 Because I find that sometimes 20:33 church members don't follow that very well. 20:37 Watch: 20:52 You know, it's not just one... it's all of us. 20:56 We're members. 21:04 Now, what I'm trying to tell you 21:07 is God has put you in the church 21:12 just exactly where He wants you. Amen! 21:16 That's what that's saying. 21:18 He's put you there just exactly where He wants you. 21:22 And you and I are to fulfill the purpose by which He has 21:28 called us to do with the gifts that He has given us. 21:33 Now let me tell you what bothers me. 21:36 What bothers me is... let's say that I wake up 21:41 some morning with a toothache. 21:44 And my tooth is really hurting me. 21:47 And I... I go and 21:51 get something to try to 21:54 deaden the pain a little bit 21:56 till I can get to the dentist. 21:58 And I go into the bathroom 22:00 and see if I've got something there in the medicine cabinet 22:03 that I can put there by that tooth 22:04 to deaden the pain and just give me some relief 22:07 until I can get to the dentist. 22:09 And I go in the bathroom 22:10 and I get ready to get whatever I have in the medicine cabinet, 22:14 and my hands won't move. 22:16 You know, I can't pick up my hands. 22:20 And pretty soon my hands say "Well, 22:24 that's good enough for you. 22:26 You shouldn't have been eating so much sugar. 22:29 You ought to have known better. 22:31 That's what you get for what you've been doing. 22:34 You shouldn't do that. " 22:35 Is that the way my hands treat my tooth? 22:38 Huh? 22:40 No, my hand sympathize with my tooth. 22:44 It tries to help and relieve the problem that I'm having. 22:48 I don't understand when each one of you 22:52 are members in the body 22:55 and yet I hear some member say of another member 22:58 "Good enough for 'em. " 23:00 "Shouldn't have done that. " 23:01 No! That isn't what you do. 23:04 You sympathize with the person. 23:06 You sympathize and you help them. 23:08 You know, we sing a song... 23:10 sing a song and say: "You may notice that we say 23:12 brothers and sisters around here. 23:14 It's because we are a... family 23:18 and these folks are so dear. 23:20 If one has a heartache, we all shed the tear. 23:24 And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear. " 23:28 That's what God wants us to be, folks. 23:30 That's what we are to be. 23:32 God has placed you in the church, 23:35 in the body of Christ, 23:36 and you have a purpose for being there. 23:40 And I don't care who you are... 23:42 you have a purpose, you have a place 23:47 in God's body. 23:49 And He calls us to work within that place. 23:53 Now, He tells us clearly that He give us these things 23:58 to be witnesses. Acts 1 verse 8: 24:16 So He says clearly that you and I 24:19 are to be witnesses, and He gives these gifts to us 24:25 to make our witness effective. 24:29 Did you follow me? 24:31 Without the gift of God 24:34 your witness will not be effective. 24:37 Gives us those gifts to make us effective. 24:41 And what you have to realize 24:44 is it's not your place, 24:46 not my place, 24:49 to get down on my knees and plead with God 24:53 to give me a certain gift. 24:56 That is not what the scripture teaches. 24:59 The scripture does not teach that I should get down 25:03 on my knees and plead with God for the gift of tongues. 25:10 It just doesn't teach that. 25:12 This is what it teaches: 25:23 In other words, it makes it clear 25:25 that the Holy Spirit gives us whatever gift 25:28 He wants us to have. 25:30 It is not up to you; it's not up to me 25:34 to say "Lord, I need this particular gift. " 25:37 He gives us what gift He wants us to have 25:41 because He knows us a whole lot better 25:44 than we know ourselves. 25:58 So He gives us whichever gift 26:02 He would like us to have. 26:03 He gives us that gift, and that is what we are to use. 26:08 Now, there are nine gifts 26:11 that are given for witnessing, as I mentioned. 26:14 How do you know your gift? 26:17 Well, as we found out in our last presentation 26:20 when we talked about fruits of the Spirit, 26:24 that you and I are to have all the fruits of the Spirit. 26:28 Those are to be in our lives, 26:31 and we are supposed to grow in them and all. 26:33 And those are to be present. 26:35 Not... that's not that way in the gifts of the Spirit. 26:38 In the gifts of the Spirit, He gives us one gift. 26:42 He may give somebody two gifts. 26:44 But it's the Holy Spirit that gives us what gift 26:47 He wants us to have. 26:48 And so he gives us different gifts of the Spirit. 26:52 So I need to look and watch 26:55 for what gift He wants to give me. 26:58 Secondly, folks, I need to be very, very clear - 27:02 and I'm telling you how to know what your gift is - 27:05 be very clear on what the Bible teaches. 27:09 So spend time. Read I Corinthians 12, 13, 14. 27:14 Understand clearly what God teaches about these gifts. 27:20 And then, I just need to watch for them. 27:23 Secondly, they come as a result of prayer... 27:29 and so I need to pray 27:31 that God will show me the gift He's given me 27:35 and that I will bring it about in my life. 27:38 Paul wrote to Timothy, and he said this to him: 27:52 Paul said the gift is in you. 27:54 It's present with you. 27:56 Spend time in prayer; stir it up! 27:58 Use that gift that God has given you. 28:02 Friend, that... we shouldn't allow that 28:05 gift just to lie there dormant. 28:07 I need to be using it. 28:09 It's very important for it to be used. 28:13 You and I must be teachable. 28:17 I must surrender. 28:20 Folks, I cannot say enough 28:23 of how important it is that we surrender ourselves 28:28 to be used of the Holy Spirit. 28:31 I must do that for that gift to operate in my life 28:36 and do what needs to be done. 28:38 So be teachable. 28:42 Be willing; be flexible. 28:45 Let God use you in a special way. 28:48 All right, let's take a look at these nine gifts 28:51 that the Holy Spirit gives us for witnessing. 28:56 Says: 29:02 So it's given to each one of us 29:04 for everybody. 29:06 That's part of the gift. All right. 29:38 Those are the nine gifts that are given. 29:42 Now, I'm going to talk about them in a little different order 29:46 and three of them I'm going to put to the very end. 29:52 And the reason I'm putting them to the very end 29:55 is because they are very public 29:57 to begin with and because they are misused today 30:03 in a very definite way. 30:05 One of the gifts that's given is wisdom. 30:09 That's a gift that the Holy Spirit gives. 30:12 Now folks, that word wisdom 30:15 means somebody who can give good counsel. 30:20 Somebody who has a... more than just 30:26 book knowledge. They have the ability to understand life 30:30 and give good counsel in relationship to what God says. 30:34 That does not have a great lot to do 30:38 with formal education. 30:41 OK? 30:43 I'm sorry. I have seen people who have 30:47 lots of formal education that don't have much wisdom. 30:53 And I've seen people who have very little formal education 30:57 that had great wisdom. 30:59 And those are the type of people that I'm going to look for 31:02 and hunt if I need counsel. 31:06 That's somebody I want to talk to 31:08 is someone that God gave the gift of wisdom to. 31:11 That's a gift that's given. 31:13 To another is given the gift of knowledge. 31:16 That's what I call book learning. 31:19 They have knowledge... book learning. 31:22 Or they've been able to apply things they've learned in life 31:25 and they have knowledge that way. 31:28 I went to school with a young man that I believe 31:31 had the gift of knowledge. 31:33 Because I can remember we would... we would 31:37 sit there in the room and be studying Greek. 31:42 And I'd be over at the desk pouring over the Greek book 31:45 and he would sit on his bed and strum his guitar 31:49 and page through the Greek book. 31:51 You know? And when we took tests, he'd make A's; 31:54 I'd make B's. 31:56 I mean, he just seems to be a walking encyclopedia 31:59 and even to this day, folks, 32:01 I can pick up the phone and call him 32:04 and I can ask him about places or dates, and he can just 32:07 spiel them off. I mean, just seems to be a walking 32:10 encyclopedia. 32:11 Has a tremendous amount of knowledge. 32:13 But if I need counsel, I don't call him 32:18 because he doesn't have horse sense. 32:20 See? You understand what I'm talking about? 32:23 There's a difference between wisdom, 32:25 and there's a difference between that and knowledge. 32:28 But both of those are gifts of the Spirit. 32:31 Given by the Holy Spirit. 32:35 Makes a big difference. 32:36 To another is given faith. 32:38 Now every one of you is given the gift of faith. 32:42 But when it's listed here it's more than just a gift 32:47 of faith. It's much larger, much bigger. 32:50 And you've know people, I'm sure, that seem to have 32:53 the gift of faith. They just have a tremendous faith that 32:56 they can reach out and take hold of things and believe. 33:01 That's a gift that's given to them by God. 33:04 That gift... very important. Those are gifts 33:07 that are given to you and to me. 33:10 To another prophecy. 33:13 Now the next three gifts that I'm going to talk about here 33:17 are given to help us understand where we're going. 33:23 What's happening. And prophecy is one of those gifts 33:26 that God uses. And that gift of prophecy 33:29 takes place several ways. 33:31 1. It takes place by the study of God's Word. 33:35 As I pick up the Bible and I read the prophecies... 33:40 the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation... 33:43 and it helps me understand where we're headed. 33:47 What's happening; what's taking place. 33:49 That's prophecy, folks. 33:50 That's... God put it down there; it helps us know that. 33:53 Then there's other people that God gives 33:56 the gift of prophecy to. 33:59 They are able to see the future 34:02 and understand what is coming. 34:04 And of course you and I understand that was done 34:07 in the writings of Ellen G. White. 34:09 And we can pick up her books and read them 34:12 in which she talks about things that are coming. 34:15 And we understand it. And by the way, 34:18 you know, I wasn't born yesterday as you well know. 34:22 And so I've been... I've been here for a good while. 34:26 And I've been following the Lord for a good while. 34:30 And I have been reading the writings of Ellen G. White 34:34 for a long time. 34:36 And I'll just tell you this: 34:38 the prophecies that she made 34:40 have all been fulfilled 34:42 as she said they would be. 34:44 Amen. 34:45 See? Because God gave those. 34:48 Those take place. So you and I have the gift 34:52 of prophecy among us or to people. 34:54 And I believe particularly in the last days 34:57 the gift of prophecy will be prevalent. 35:01 I believe that many will have that gift in the last days 35:05 As we face serious times, God will bless and help 35:11 lead and guide His church that way. 35:13 So that's the gift of prophecy that's given. 35:16 To another the discerning of spirits. 35:18 In other words, God gives to that individual 35:22 the ability to know whether it's of God or whether it's not. 35:28 Peter. Peter had the gift of discerning of spirits. 35:33 Mean that's very clearly taught in scripture. 35:36 That was a gift that Peter had. 35:37 You remember Ananias and Sapphira came in there. 35:42 Ananias said: "Yeah, we sold the property. 35:44 This is how much we got. " 35:46 And Peter said: "No, Ananias. 35:49 Why are you lying to God? " 35:52 See he discerned what was there. He understood the situation. 35:58 So you and I will find that there will be people 36:01 in the church that have that ability. 36:04 Let me just say this, folks. 36:06 You have to be very careful in these areas. 36:11 I must make sure that what I am saying 36:17 harmonizes and agrees with the Word of God. Amen! 36:23 Never, never, never - put it down - 36:27 will God give you something and show you something 36:30 that will go contrary to this book. 36:33 It just doesn't happen. 36:35 And if it is not in agreement with the Word of God, 36:41 recognize it as that and stop it. 36:44 I run onto people who come and they have some prophecy 36:48 that is totally out of context with God's Word 36:52 and they want you to accept it, believe it, 36:54 as the word of God. No way! 36:56 No way! It will always harmonize with the Word of God 37:01 if it's from the Lord. 37:02 So make sure when it comes to prophecy, 37:05 when it comes to the discerning of spirits, 37:08 you have to make sure this is of God. 37:13 This is what the Lord says. 37:15 The interpretation of tongues. 37:18 Interpretation of tongues is given... it's given 37:24 1. To put a check on the use of tongues. 37:30 There to put a check on the use of tongues. 37:35 In other words, that person has the ability to interpret 37:40 what is being said and they know if it is of God 37:44 or if it is not. 37:46 Very, very vital 37:49 thing that has to take place in our lives 37:52 and to be used. These are gifts that God gives. 37:56 Now the last three, as I told you, 37:58 are gifts that are very public 38:03 and they're also very, very misused today. 38:08 And therefore we need to be very clear 38:11 on what God's Word says about these gifts 38:14 and how they are used. One is healing. 38:17 Now, the scripture is crystal clear 38:22 when it comes to healing. 38:25 Does God heal? 38:27 Absolutely! 38:30 No question God heals. 38:32 That is true. 38:34 But there are certain things about healing 38:39 that the scripture also makes clear. It tells us 38:42 that if somebody's sick exactly what we ought to do. 38:45 And this is what it tells us here in James: 38:48 It says: 39:09 So the scripture tells us clearly 39:11 that if somebody is sick 39:13 that they're to call the elders of the church. 39:15 Pray for that person, 39:17 and the prayer of faith will save the sick. 39:20 Nowhere... nowhere in scripture does it ever say 39:26 that I should wholesale it. 39:29 You know? And I find that's done today. 39:31 It's abused unbelievably. 39:35 It's used to advertise and all this kind of stuff. 39:40 No! That's not what Christ did 39:41 and that's not what the scripture teaches. 39:44 It simply says if they're sick, call the elders of the church 39:48 and pray for them. 39:49 "Anointing them with oil, 39:51 and the prayer of faith will save the sick. " 39:53 I will remember I was holding a meeting in 39:58 Louisville, Kentucky. 40:00 A little girl 10 years of age 40:04 came to me and she said: "Brother Cox, 40:07 I have a very serious 40:10 condition. 40:12 In fact, it's life-threatening. 40:15 And when the meetings here 40:17 are over, my parents are 40:19 taking me to Mayo 40:21 for a physical. And if they can't find out 40:25 or figure out how to solve it, 40:26 then it probably will take my life. 40:29 It was a kidney condition. 40:31 And she said: "I was just wondering if you'd 40:34 pray for me. " 40:35 And I told her, I said: "Young lady, I'll 40:37 be glad to pray for you. " 40:39 But I said: "Why don't we just call some of the other pastors 40:42 and have an anointing service and anoint you? " 40:46 And she said: "OK. " 40:48 And so we got the pastors together and we had 40:50 an anointing service and prayed for her 40:53 and anointed her with oil. 40:54 And, you know, folks... 40:58 there wasn't any lightning. 41:00 There wasn't anything like that. 41:02 We just prayed for her as the scripture said... 41:05 anointed her as God's Word said. 41:07 When the meetings were over, her parents took her to Mayo. 41:10 And they had had her there for about two days 41:14 running tests on her, 41:16 and the doctors called in the parents 41:18 and they said... Doctor said to them, he said: 41:20 "Now, we've run tests now for two days, " 41:24 and they said: "we can't find any problem. " 41:27 Amen! 41:29 And the parents said: "Well, great! " 41:30 The mother said: "We'll take her home. " 41:32 And the doctor said: "No, you're not going to take 41:34 take her home. " Said: "We're going to keep her 2 more days 41:38 because we want to continue to run some tests. " 41:41 They said: "In fact, " they said, "you brought 41:45 all the medical records so we know there's been a problem 41:49 because you've got all the records here. " 41:51 In fact, she'd previously had surgery 41:54 for this problem and said: 41:55 "We can't even find any signs of that. " 41:58 And so they kept her two more days. 42:02 Never could find anything. 42:05 Sent her home. That's been, oh, folks, 42:08 I don't know, that's probably been 30 years ago. 42:12 That woman's grown. Has children. 42:16 Sends me a Christmas card regularly and all. 42:20 You know, God healed her. Just took away the whole thing. 42:23 God does that. 42:25 That's a promise that He gives us... that's healing. 42:27 But dear friend, please... 42:31 it's not something that we want to... 42:34 Like it's for the benefit of all. 42:36 It's not for something that we are going to wholesale or 42:39 talk about in that sense. It's something that 42:41 we do and give all the glory and honor to the Lord. 42:44 All right, the other is tongues. 42:48 Speaking in tongues. 42:52 Scripture clear about tongues, 42:56 and you need to understand exactly what the scripture 42:59 teaches concerning tongues... 43:01 and so that's what we're going to look at. 43:10 This is when the Holy Spirit was poured out. 43:27 Now here they were, as we found out in our previous deal 43:31 they were Jews and they were there, 43:33 and the Holy Spirit was poured out 43:35 and they began to speak in other tongues. 43:38 Talking in other languages, if you please. 43:42 Now Paul gives us very, very clear counsel about this. 43:48 Listen to what he says here: 44:05 Why is that? 44:07 Why would he say the person who prophesies 44:11 is greater than the person who speaks in a tongue? 44:14 Well, he goes on and tells you why. 44:22 Paul is saying: "If I stand up here and I speak in a tongue, 44:26 a language that you don't understand, 44:29 if I speak to you tonight in Swahili, 44:32 none of you are going to understand. " 44:34 He said: "Much better that I speak to you 44:37 in a language that you CAN understand. " 44:53 He said: "I've got to speak to you by something 44:57 that you can understand. " That's what he's trying to say. 45:15 He said: "If I just talk to you in a language 45:18 you don't understand, it's not going to help you. " 45:21 But he said: "Much better that I said five words to you 45:26 that you can understand. " 45:28 So, yes. Tongues is a gift. 45:32 No question about that, folks. 45:34 But it tells us exactly how it's to be used. 45:36 Watch this. It's telling you now exactly how it's to be used: 45:53 Now folks, that direction is just as clear as can be. 45:58 It said if there's going to be somebody speaking in tongues 46:01 let there be one, 46:04 or two, or at the most three. 46:09 None of this stuff that you see happening 46:12 where you've got 15, 20 people all standing on their feet 46:16 speaking in an unknown tongue. 46:18 That is not of God; that's confusion. Amen! 46:21 See? The Bible is clear. 46:23 It's to be one, two, or at the most three - 46:27 now listen - and it says "each in turn. " 46:31 What does that mean? 46:32 One at a time! 46:35 Doesn't mean all of them at the same time. 46:37 It means one at a time is to speak. 46:40 "And if there is no interpreter, let one interpret. " 46:45 That's to put the check on it that I talked about. 46:48 "And if there is no interpreter, " 46:51 let him what? 46:57 So the scripture is very, very clear 46:59 how tongues are to be used. 47:02 IT IS A GIFT. 47:04 And it is used, and it has great power, 47:08 and it does great good in many places where 47:11 God's Spirit uses it. 47:13 But we need to make sure that we're lettin' the Holy Spirit 47:17 lead as we use it. 47:19 The last one is miracles. 47:21 What the scripture has to say about miracles. 47:36 You'll find in the early church, a sign of an apostle 47:41 was someone who performed miracles. 47:45 And God used it as a sign of their position and place. 47:51 They were apostles. 48:11 So they performed miracles. 48:14 Now, God performs miracles. 48:18 That's a gift that's given. 48:20 I had a friend I believe that had that gift 48:23 because I walked sideways every time I got around him 48:26 because something strange was going to happen. 48:28 He just seemed to have that gift. 48:30 But it's a gift of miracles. 48:33 But you must understand that the devil can perform miracles. 48:37 So you cannot let miracles be the basis of your belief. 48:49 You see? 49:03 So what am I to do? 49:06 What am I to do if somebody 49:12 predicts something, 49:14 says it's going to happen? 49:16 Or they... they work a miracle? 49:18 Can I believe that? 49:21 And can I accept that? 49:23 How am I to relate to that? 49:26 I want you to listen because here in Deuteronomy 49:29 it tells you exactly how you and I are to relate to this. 49:44 He predicts something's going to happen 49:47 or he even performs a miracle, OK? 49:54 Just exactly like he said... it happened. 50:04 He tries to lead you away from what you know is right, 50:09 lead you contrary to God, 50:24 Knows whether you are. So He's telling us that we 50:29 are to follow Him. Listen, this is what you're to do: 50:43 Yes, it says clearly that you and I 50:46 are to hang on to the Lord. 50:49 I am to follow His Word. 50:51 I am to walk as God teaches me. 50:55 You see, dear friend, it's very important 50:58 that I make sure that these signs that Christ has given... 51:02 these gifts that He's given... 51:04 that they are used as God would have you use them. 51:08 Yes, you need to desire them. 51:11 In fact, it says this: 51:18 That's what we're supposed to do... 51:32 So he says clearly that you and I are to seek 51:37 spiritual gifts. 51:39 That makes your witness effective. 51:42 That's why many, many Christians 51:47 live uneffective lives 51:50 is because they don't receive the gifts of the Spirit. 51:53 So, sure. I need to pray for the infilling of God's Spirit. 51:58 I need to pray that God will make that gift prevalent 52:03 in my life and that I will use it as God wants me to. 52:07 So we need to follow the Lord and His way. 52:16 Spirit of the living God, 52:22 fall afresh on me. 52:29 Spirit of the living God, 52:35 fall afresh on me. 52:42 Break me, 52:45 melt me, 52:48 mold me, 52:52 fill me! 52:57 Spirit of the living God, 53:04 fall afresh on me. 53:12 Let us pray. 53:13 Father in Heaven, 53:17 we come to You this evening 53:20 Lord, opening up our hearts. 53:25 Asking that You would be present. 53:30 That You would help each one of us 53:32 to be aware of the gifts that You have given us. 53:37 That we might stir them up. 53:39 That we might use them. 53:42 That we might grow spiritually as You would have us to, 53:47 and that our witness would be effective. 53:50 That it would touch the hearts of men and women 53:53 and that we might be the witness that You would have us to be. 53:58 Forgive us, Lord, where we have permitted 54:03 the things of this life to absorb our attention 54:09 and that we haven't come to You 54:13 and placed ourselves to be used as You would have us to be. 54:18 Bless each one here this evening 54:21 in a very, very special way we pray. 54:24 In Your name, Amen. 54:27 Our next presentation which will be 54:31 the last one in this series, 54:33 is on the Latter Rain. 54:35 And it says 54:37 just before Jesus comes 54:40 the Holy Spirit will be poured out. 54:42 Will be poured out in great, great measure 54:46 as it was in the Day of Pentecost. 54:49 That's what we'll be looking at in our next presentation. 54:52 God bless you. Be sure and be here! 54:55 A coal miner of old would leave his family every day 54:58 and descend into the depths of the earth 55:01 with the certain knowledge that the smallest mistake 55:05 could keep him and others from ever seeing daylight again. 55:08 Walking along in the dark, 55:10 he could only rely upon his feeble oil lamp 55:14 to keep him alive. 55:15 He faced many dangers down there. 55:17 Rockfalls, flooding, fires. 55:21 But perhaps the danger he feared the most 55:24 was the one that he could not see. 55:26 They called it chokedamp or blackdamp: 55:29 an unbreathable mixture of gases 55:32 that could quickly snuff out his life. 55:35 Imagine for a moment the terror he felt when he realized 55:39 he had hit a pocket of blackdamp. 55:41 The sudden drop in oxygen would put out his lamp 55:44 leaving him in terrifying darkness, fumbling in vain 55:48 to relight it before he lost consciousness. 55:53 Then in the late 1800's, 55:55 a bright new light began to shine in the dark world. 55:59 Using marble-sized pellets of calcium carbide 56:03 and a few drops of water, 56:05 this new lamp produced a gas which burned six times brighter. 56:10 Not only did it make his job a whole lot easier 56:13 but it also saved lives. 56:15 You can see this tiny reflector 56:18 could focus that beam of light 56:24 The lamp was also easy to re-light. 56:27 And since it required far less oxygen, 56:29 it could illuminate the way out 56:32 should they encounter the chokedamp. 56:34 What an incredible illustration this is 56:37 of the condition of fallen man. 56:40 After struggling to survive the pitfalls of life, 56:43 he suddenly realizes the danger he could not see 56:47 had left him without hope and gasping for his last breath 56:51 in utter spiritual darkness. 56:54 For him there is no eternal life through Jesus. 56:57 In fact, he may not have ever heard about Him. 57:03 But friends, just as that bright light 57:06 of the carbide lamp saved lives, 57:08 so does the light of the Bible. 57:11 We need the light of God's Word to illuminate the dark corners 57:15 of our hearts. It focuses our attention on Jesus Christ... 57:18 our only hope for salvation. 57:21 And all who read and study it 57:23 are warned about the rockfalls of life. 57:26 That's why we call this series Give Me The Bible. 57:30 We're trying our best to bring the light of God's truth 57:33 to those who are living and dying in despair. 57:36 It's our mission. It's our passion. 57:39 Won't you join us? 57:42 Please consider what you can do 57:44 for those who still don't know about Jesus. 57:46 As the Holy Spirit impresses, 57:48 you may send your tax-deductible gifts to: 58:03 Thank you for helping us to bring the Blessed Hope 58:05 to millions all around the world. |
Revised 2014-12-17