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Year. Hold on. Would you be able to go ahead if it is one, I mean, it came around my friend's hair and then for how long?
I don't know, I thought.
I'd go by.
And tell them that I'm going to be a change and I have a little while to turn off.
The other day, laughing out loud.
Let me see how dreams are screaming.
All the way.
Out let me turn weeds out of hell for that thousand blah blah blah blah.
Oh my God.
OK.
We're reading in First Corinthians 12 Perhaps #7.
First Corinthians chapter 12, beginning in verse 7.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all four. To one is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom, to another, the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another faith by the same Spirit to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit to another, the working of miracles to another, prophecy to another, discerning of spirits to another, diverse kinds of tongues to another, the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh at one and the self, same Spirit, dividing to every man separately as he will. Whereas the body is one and half many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body. So also is Christ.
For by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles.
Whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I'm not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ears shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now have God set the members, every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him? And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members? Yes, but one body.
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, Nor again the head to the feet I have no need of you. Nay, much more, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary.
And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness, for our comely parts have no need. But God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it, or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God have set some in the Church. First, apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly, teachers.
After that, miracles, that gifts of healings, helps governments, diversities of tongues, are all apostles, are all prophets, are all teachers, are all workers of miracles, have all the gifts of healing, do all speak with tongues, do all interpret, but covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.
Before we pick up at verse seven, I'd like to pass along something if I could, that I've heard from my brother Gordon Hayhoe that it applies to what brother Umm.
My brother's tested in his horse and umm.
And he was just giving us like a word picture or something helps with the guy to understanding. Suppose there's a couple that has several children maybe 10 or 12 and years past. The children grow up and more of the years past. And now the pilot is on his deathbed and he calls all his children together as to say his twelve children. He says, I'm getting ready to die. And I want you to get together every year and have a family get together just to remind yourself that you're one family and that you don't all just go separate directions and not be in touch with one another.
00:05:17
So they agreed to that. He passed away. And they do that for some number of years. They get together once a year. But a little time passes and the differences of opinions and thoughts creep in. And the next thing you know, some of them aren't bothering to come. And then soon none of them are getting together any longer. And a little more time passes than two or three of the siblings are talking and they're saying, oh, it's not good that none of us are getting together. Our father asked us to get together every year and why don't we go ahead and get together anyways? We know some of our siblings won't get together with us, but we'll be honoring our father to go ahead and do as he said that he wanted us and we said that we would. And so AP will continue to have that family get together.
And hopefully the picture was kind of understood there. Then the one that went ahead and got together, they're no more of the families than the other ones. And they're not trying to take a superior position or anything. They just want to honor the father as best they can. And again, I thought that was a help to me and just thought it'd be worth passing along.
That's good. And remembering the Lord, isn't it? That's what you're blind if you isn't Daniel.
Here in this chapter, verse seven, we already spoke about it last, uh, meeting and uh, that the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit with all. Then in the following verses, we have the ways, the different ways that the Spirit of God manifests its presence in the local assembly says 1 to one is given by the spirit, the word of wisdom.
To another the word of knowledge by the same spirit.
There's a difference between wisdom and knowledge.
Brother Nick mentioned the importance of knowledge, but there is such a thing as having knowledge and not having wisdom.
And wisdom, somebody has said. Knowledge comes from reading the word of God.
Wisdom comes from getting on your knees. If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all abundantly. And there are brethren that are very knowledgeable, but perhaps not much wisdom.
We need that knowledge, brother, Let's not despise it. But when it comes to wisdom, wisdom is the application of that knowledge in a way that is proper and useful. And so there is. There are brethren who have a word of wisdom, some of the older ones. Remember Brother Harry Hayhoe.
He had a particular way of speaking and sometimes he would say that means this.
I remember listening to what he said about a particular scripture. I can't say that it was the scripture is that much clear to me afterwards, but it certainly was a word of wisdom and I and many appreciated and valued that still do so there is in the assembly if the Spirit of God has given his place to one, is given a word of wisdom to another word of knowledge, and then it goes on to another faith by the same spirit.
Now, every believer in the Lord Jesus has faith. It's the gift of God. But I think what we have here is the gift of faith.
Sometimes I think it was illustrated to me one time and I appreciated it. And sometimes in the assembly context there seems to be a point where we get to and we don't seem to have the courage to go forward.
But then a brother speaks up and says, Brethren, given what God has given us in the Scriptures.
I believe that we should move forward, and given that Word of Faith, the assembly moves forward. So there I think it is in a special way, this faith that's given at a particular moment. And then it goes on to the gifts of healings, the working of miracles, and it says a little further on to divers kinds of tons. These are the miraculous gifts that were very evident at the beginning of the church's history.
And if you look in the book of the Acts, when Paul went to Corinth, he first went into the synagogue of the Jews and when they contradicted.
He separated the disciples and went next door. It says hard by the synagogue. I guess that means right next door.
He went and that's where they had the assembly meetings and the fact that there are miraculous gifts given as evidence of the spirits being there in the assembly at Corinth.
Jimmy Smith suggesting that perhaps there were Jewish people that came in from the synagogue next door and those were signs given especially for the Jewish people.
00:10:09
You know, the Greek sought after wisdom and the Jews sought after a sign, and God did give signs, the beginning. And I don't think we have to call in question whether God is able to heal today. I've seen some cases where it's very evident that the Lord has healed somebody he can, Brendan, but it's not the gift of healing. We pray and the Lord can heal. And so there are cases today too. And so we can't limit God, but let's try to keep it in the context of Scripture.
When there is healing involved, it's not like as sometimes spoken about in Christian circles, that they have a healing campaign. I say sometimes to people, show me one healing campaign where everybody gets healed.
There is no such thing, but when the Lord Jesus and His disciples went out, they often healed everybody. Not always, but a lot of times. So it doesn't relate to gifts of healing like there were in the beginning of the church. So you have the, uh, miraculous gift mentioned as well. Another gift that I find is very important and useful is what's mentioned in verse UH-10, discerning of spirits.
I must say I don't believe I have that yet, but there have been brethren that have helped me that have discerned a wrong spirit. And that is a very important gift. Sometimes, you know, you can have everything right, seemingly spoken right, but not the right spirit. And something's nothing's wrong. Nothing's right really, if there's not the right spirit. So the Lord help us, brother, in the exercise of these gifts. These are not gifts given to everybody.
No do one to another and that's why it's important that the Spirit of God have liberty to use whom he will. That's why it's important in the local assembly, not only when we're here at conferences, brethren, but in our local assemblies. Is there exercise on our part. Your younger brothers, you've come to the assembly meeting with exercise. Maybe you don't feel able to teach, but you know what I find that one that our younger brother who have a real interest in the word.
And they ask a good question. It really helps to open up the Scriptures. I've had complaints from younger people that say it seems like the brethren over here, way over here talking up in the air and I can't figure out what they're saying. Maybe somebody needs to ask a good question. And that I find really helps to open things up. And remember, brethren, when I was some younger and I felt that there was a need of that of younger brother trying to bridge the gap between the older and the younger.
By making a comment or by asking a good question. Brethren, these are things we need to be exercised about. If there's ministry given, it's given for the profit of all. And if there's some young that are not getting it, they exercise, it's valuable, the ministry break it down a little bit more. And, uh, I really believe that there can be a real blessing if that's the case.
Gifts are given to the local assembly, are they? They're given to the body at large, and I think it's important to see that.
Now, as you say, Brother Bob, it's wonderful when gift is exercised in the local assembly, very important, but they function in administration of the local assembly is not dependent on gifts. If it was, there are perhaps many little assemblies that would have to close down because there you say we come from a little assembly where there's just two or three brothers or just a handful of us gathered to the Lord's name, and there isn't any great outward manifest gift. Maybe you say there's nobody who really would qualify as an evangelist or a teacher or even a pastor. We can do the work of those things. Of course we can all pastor, we can all shepherd, we can all do the work of an evangelist. We can share, as you say, what we've enjoyed from the Word of God in a local reading meeting or ministry meeting. But you say that we're gonna go home next week and there isn't going to be those gifts so outwardly manifest.
But I say the gifts were given to the body at large and what the way that the reason that the local assembly can function is not because of gifts, but because the Lord is there. But when the when, when we have followed the word of God, the man bearing the picture of water, as is illustrated in Luke 22, to where the Lord Jesus is in the midst. That is what gives the authority to act in the assembly, whether it's for breaking of bread, for prayer, for ministry of the Word, for matters that have to be taken up.
For discipline, perhaps, whatever it might be, it's because of the authority of the Lord in the midst. And as I say again, I wanna stress this, Gifts are given to the body at large. And while we need to be exercised to use our gift in connection with those that we find ourselves by the grace of God in fellowship with at the Lord's table, it ought not, brethren, to stop there. It ought not to stop there. Every believer alive on the face of the earth is a member of the body of Christ. And I'm thankful when I'm in other countries to meet these members of the body of Christ and we share the Word of God together.
00:15:30
We, we have fellowship together as much as as we can. We may not sit down and remember the Lord Jesus on Lord's Day at the Lord's table like we would like, I would like to, but you share what you can while you're with them. You exercise your gift and they exercise you theirs for the, for your blessing and for your edification. And so, yes, again, the exercise of gift in the local assembly is gathered to the Lord's name is important and vital for the edification of the Saints. But brethren, we all have a gift that needs to be used for the edification of the body at large.
Is that going too far, Bob? I, I think that's right. I would say this, Jim, that the gifts are given in three scriptures and the New Testament, the Ephesians. And there it is definitely universal. A gift is given. It's, uh, for the body at large. I think the context in First Corinthians is more the local assembly because you have a gift later on mentioned in verse, uh, 28 governments, which I don't think that has to do with the body at large. It's something that is local. I would take it that way.
Uh, and then you have it in, in Romans and Romans gives you individual position more. And so there, it's taken up in those different conditions, uh, contacts. And I think it's helpful to see it that way. Not that, uh, I, I do believe that a word of wisdom and a word of knowledge would be something that could be useful, perhaps universally, but I think it's more in connection with when we get together, some brother has a special word of wisdom or a special word of knowledge that is a very great help at a particular time.
One thing that these verses preclude is the thought of one man ministry, and that is all the gifts residing in one man.
Again, someone said recently to me that they didn't find having a so-called minister so terrible. And brethren, maybe some are sitting here saying, why are you making such a big deal of these things? You know, we could, uh, say with Paul in first Corinthians 18, what then notwithstanding every way where they're in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached and are therein to rejoice. Yeah. And will rejoice and take a verse like that to say, well, it doesn't really matter, but you know.
Have we gotten so callous to the word of God that the only sort of sin that we recognize is moral sin, that we can't recognize the sin against the Holy Ghost, that we cannot recognize doctrinal evil, but we saw callous to the word of God that these things don't exercise us. Every part of the word of God is important. And I don't disagree that God cannot, that that God may use a man that has been set up either by himself or by others to minister the word of God and that blessing may result, but that's not what God intended and we should be exercised by it. We we shouldn't be indifferent to it. There isn't any thought in Scripture as well.
This is, uh, the best way to do it, and this is better and this is OK. God had a plan, and as was mentioned early in the meetings, we're not gonna see that plan if we look around in Christmas. We have to see it from God's perspective.
And we have no choice but to try to walk in the good of it according to the grace that he's given us.
I'd like to go back to something that brother Bob was saying about asking questions. I was talking to a group of young people once and saying the same thing. And his one brother said if I ask the question in the reading meeting at the assembly where I go, my father on the trip home would not be pleasant. And uh, he said he, he would see it as like questioning things as though I was doubting or something and felt intimidated that he should ask a question. So I.
That would be unfortunate if that were the case. And I suggested to him, I said, well, there's different ways to ask questions. You can ask a question if you feel that way. Next time, if you really have a question, ask it like this. Say if you were going to answer a question like this that somebody asked me, how would you answer it? Well, you have to think things through a little bit and try and find a way because that is important. And in fact, that is a good question to ask. How should I explain that? I may have a kind of simple understanding.
But I don't know how to explain it to somebody else. Help me, help me understand it. And, and if someone that's wise there will then answer that question and say, well, here's a simple way. Here's an illustration. Everybody will learn, including that young brother. And like you said, the meeting suddenly got very interesting to everybody and it opens up and the Lord likes to see those things so that there's an engagement with everyone there. He doesn't want half the people sitting there bored to death, uh, doing something else in their mind someplace else that he wants to see that engagement. And Nehemiah 88, the last part of that verse says they caused the people to understand the reading. It wasn't just distinct reading. It wasn't just giving the sense of it. There was this last part causing the people to understand the reading. Now that's a gift.
00:20:33
And that is an ability or to seek that. And I want to cause the people to understand the reading so that there may be high things and there may be some young people or people in different ages and levels of spiritual maturity and only a few people are getting.
What's being talked about then? Someone that has that ability can then take it and bring it down where, oh, OK, some younger person gets that now and then they get a little bit more of it. Well, that makes a much more interesting time and you get something from it. You go away encouraged and different age levels and all the sheep are getting something from that at that moment. And that's very helpful. And I'd just like to encourage us in our local meetings not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. I know it's so easy.
You're tired, you get home, think of driving the meeting it. It gets so easy to make excuses brethren, but I find it such a blessing when there is the courage to go as you know you should be, and to be there in spite of the weakness. You know what really speaks to me is when the Lord Jesus was to feed the 5000 men and women and children, there could have been close to 10,000 people there.
Why? He said to the disciples, Give ye them to heed, and the disciples didn't have anything.
One said we if we could have 200 pants, well maybe we could buy enough that you all have a little bit. But what did the Lord use?
A little boy's lunch. It seems so tremendously despicable. Come on, let's be real. But that's what the Lord used. And I have found that when there is simplicity in looking to the Lord, He took that, those five loaves, those two fishes, he blessed it, and there was enough for all to be filled. And they had 12 baskets full each one of the disciples could go away with.
A whole basket full of fragments that remained. That's our God, brethren. It's not what we are. We're just simple instruments. We're not important. It's our God manifesting his glory. And he wants to feed his people. I want to bless him. It is when there is simplicity of looking to the Lord, coming with that simple faith in Him. And so may we be encouraged to go on to read the Scriptures. I know some brothers say I don't know how to explain it. Well, at least you could read it.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. So get up and read a chapter or two chapters maybe or three chapters. If you can't do anything else. It's a blessing. Remember hearing about times of revival in England, that there were scripture readers that would stand out on the streets of England and just simply read scriptures. And the Spirit of God was working with such power that people would fall down convicted on their faces and get saved. It was the word reading of the Word of God.
That's important, what I say about the Word of God. What's important is the Word itself. Did the Lord help us, brethren, to be encouraged in this way so that God's people can be fat? I thought of that, brother Bob, in connection with the children of Israel in the wilderness. Because one of the things that displeased the Lord with the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness was that they began to despise the manner that God had given them. And they despised it in the simplicity in which He reigned it from heaven every morning. And you'll find that they tried to do other things with it. They tried to beat it in a mortar and bake it and so on. And what happened when it was given in the simplicity with which it was rained from heaven? It tasted like wafers and honey.
When they tried to dress it up and do other things with them with it, it was no longer palatable. It tasted like fresh oil. Now I'd rather eat wafers than honey than fresh oil. But if they went out and gathered it every morning in the simple way, their soul, their, their hunger was fed. And I've sometimes said, let's be careful, brethren. I know that sometimes, as Bob says in the local assembly, the word of God is ministered in a very, very weak and feeble way. Not many comments made about it, maybe just some very basic or general things said. But let's be careful that we don't despise the simple manner.
God gives you in the local assembly because if we're there, we're in the presence of the Lord. He's there is not what counts. He's there if the Spirit of God is is free, given liberty, he's able to take the living word and give us a few little Nuggets, a few little things. Maybe there isn't what we would call a teacher, but we can all share and enjoy what we have had. And if we brothers are exercised to maybe even read the chapter before you come, just think about it a little bit and then come and and share what you've you've enjoyed. It may be feeble, It may be stammering, but I would like to say this too, to go back to what Nick said about one man ministry.
00:25:14
When the Spirit of God is given liberty, brethren, in the assembly to minister the Word of God, there's a balance and a check like we get nowhere else. You know, there's many who will put a man up at the front and they make, he may be a very godly man and he may know the Scriptures and they may get part of the truth. They may get one aspect of the truth, but there's nobody to check and balance it. I think Bob alluded to it this morning, but if I say something wrong here this afternoon, someone by the Spirit of God can correct it.
We're glad for those who can lay out the doctrinal principles. Those are the teachers. They can layout for us clearly and concisely the the principles of Scripture. Others can make a practical application. Someone may take that same Scripture and be able to present the apply it in the in the gospel. Now it's not brethren, that every meeting for ministry is necessarily completely balanced, but in the overall scope of things, when we avail ourselves of ministry in the assembly, we're going to get a balance in check. I say like nowhere, like nowhere else.
And so we need to, as Bob said, avail ourselves of every opportunity to have the word of God before us, where the Spirit of God is given liberty to minister the, uh, the truth of God, uh, to us. And you'll find that you will get that bounce. We're extremists by nature. Now, let me be careful, brethren. It's not that the Bible needs balance. The Bible is the only balanced book there really is. Every other book written by man is biased and unbalanced in one way or another. It's not the Bible that needs balance, but it says of Ethereum. Ephraim is a Cape not turned. And if you put a cake on the griddle and you don't turn it, what happens?
It gets too well done on one side and not enough on the other. That's what we're like. And I have noticed that those who do not avail themselves of ministry in the assembly are often like that. They get off on a tangent. They get off on one side of the truth, but there's no balance. And so we need that balance that comes from being where the Spirit of God is free to use different ones who have different gifts and ability to present the word in different ways. I think that's why the, uh, scripture says in first Corinth, first Timothy three, that the assembly is the pillar and ground of the truth. It's where the truth is upheld where there is.
Liberty for correction if you like. You say in the case of a minister of a church, he's paid to do what he does. He's not. The parishioners are out there not to correct him if he makes a mistake. I suppose in some cases they might do that, but I don't think that's the general way it's done. And also in a Bible school, you know, they, they teach a lot of good things. And in the Bible school you might get a lot of good teaching, but if the professor makes a mistake in his teaching.
The students are not able to correct their professor. That's not the context. It's the context of the assembly as the House of God that is the pillar and ground of the truth. Not Even so much a question of correcting, although I think that's important, but as has been said, to provide a balanced view. Have you ever seen engineering drawing? You've got a top view and a side view and this other view, my bud, I may have a particular button, but as Jim said, it tends to be rather narrow. It's so nice to hear another brother come along and build up this view of the picture. It's not that there are different, different, umm, interpretations of Scripture necessarily, but we each have a different foot and then see things perhaps from a slightly different perspective and you get a much more rounded view.
And with regards to questions, young people or anybody here, you know, there's plenty of written ministry. I know writing, reading, written ministry is not so popular these days, but there's plenty of reading meetings in the 1800s that are in books that you go back and read. And some of them are like question and answer sessions that are not necessarily endorsing that. Because perhaps those brethren, as soon as Mr. Dobby was, the assembly, tended to direct everything towards him. I don't know that that's necessarily healthy either. But those meet reading meetings consisted of questions and answers, questions and answers.
You know, if a young person just asks a question, we know.
Where the interests lie, we know where the needs are. It's it's so wonderful to have young people engaged, even if it's just fine. You know, I just don't understand that book. Could someone explain it that that really is so helpful in a in your local reading meeting? And those questions were answered by men that were raised up of God at the beginning and they were given special gift and special discernment. And I wanna just add to what Nick says about written ministry.
Because I believe too, when we read different writers, we get a balance as well. You know, Mr. Darby, I appreciate him because you can go to his writings and you can get the meaning of Scripture. You can get the interpretation on this portion and he explained what it means. Then you can go to somebody like Mr. Ballot and get a nice nugget of application. Then you can go to Mr. Wolfson and you can get the gospel application and you get a balance when you read various writers. I know perhaps we all have favorite writers and writers we tend to, uh, gravitate to more than others. But I want to encourage you when you pick up written ministry to read different writers. God, those men had different gifts and abilities than when they wrote those things.
00:30:17
That comes out in what they have written just as it comes out in oral ministry in those that we sit and listen to in in our day. So again, I believe we get that balance when we don't limit ourselves to one man ministry or even in the writings that God has caused men to write that are helps to us, that we don't limit ourselves to just one, one man.
Helpful for us to consider why spoken that there are questions that people have. Why are these different and I believe we find in the New Testament that there are three places that mention gifts. We have gifts mentioned in Ephesians chapter four in Romans chapter 12, as has been referenced and also here in this chapter First Corinthians 12 and I think there's a difference. There are similarities such as in 1St 18. Now I thought set the members every one of them in the body as it has pleased him who we find similar expression in other two passages but in Romans chapter 12 as Pitt mentions God.
It mentions that umm in verse three, according as God has dealt to every man, so we have God mentioned as the giver of those gifts in Ephesians 4, mentions them from an ascended Christ in glory. And then in our chapter here, these are gifts from the Spirit. So each person of the Trinity, I believe is involved in, in Romans 12, we have God. In Ephesians 4 we have umm ascended Christ and glory. And here in chapter 12 we have the Spirit. But there's a difference as well. Why are these gifts given? And I think if we briefly reference them, we can benefit from it in Ephesians chapter 4 when the gifts are given from a descended Christ and glory, it says in Ephesians 4 and 13 till we all come in the unity of the faith.
And of the knowledge of the Son of man unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the wholeness of Christ. Verse 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head in Christ. So when the gifts are given from an ascended Christ in glory, Christ was the perfect man, and we are to grow up in the knowledge of that perfect man. There's growth there. And in Romans 12, the gifts are given from a father, and for a father and his children. We know that children are to obey their parents. That's the responsibility of children to obey.
And so we're told to present our bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, our intelligence service of worship, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you and improve what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
So when the gifts are given in the context of Christ and ascended Christ and glory, we are to grow up into him, that perfect man in Romans 12 it was obedience, obedience. But here in first Corinthians 12 and in First Corinthians 14, we see the practical outgrowth and I think perhaps we get a little allusion to why are they given in verse 25. And thus are the secrets of his hard made manifest. And so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth.
Well, this Spirit does not speak of himself. He points to Christ. And so we are to have that worship, as it were, to fall on our faces and to worship God. So there's a purpose in these gifts we're given through each person of the Trinity. They're given for a purpose, for obedience, for growth, and that we would fall on her face in worship.
We're not given any choice as to what our place in the body of Christ is or what our gift is. And so we find that at the end of verse 11 That, uh, he well read the verse, but all these work at that one and, and the self same spirit dividing to every man severally as if you know Mr. Darby's translation as he pleases. There are two things in connection with the body of Christ. He's placed some members in the body as it has pleased him and he has given gifts as it has pleased him. And I believe that's why it's important rather not to look at others and covet or want to do what they're doing.
Maybe we look at somebody else and we say, well, I wish I was doing that. What if my hands decided they wanted to be the feet? Well, if I walked in here on my hands, it wouldn't be a pretty picture. I wouldn't be able to do it. And so He's placed the members in the body as it pleased Him. He's given the gifts as it pleases Him. And what we need to do is recognize before the Lord where He has placed us, what He has given us to do, and to do that as unto Him. Because it's not the greatness of the gift that counts. It's not what we would consider.
The greatness of it, or the outward manifestation of it, that counts, It's doing it for him. And that's why in Galatians it says, let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. And I suggest that sometimes there is great conflict and disharmony caused amongst the people of God, and perhaps even in the local assembly, because there are those who not only do not carry out the little gift that they have been given as a member of the body, but they are coveting and trying to do somebody else's work.
Our when Paul wrote to the Saints that Colossi, he said and say to our archifis, take heed to the ministry that thou hast received of the Lord, that thou fulfill it. We don't know what that ministry was or what that gift was, but Paul felt that the Saints at Colossi were suffering a loss as a local assembly because there was a brother in that assembly who was not carrying out the little function that God had given him for the blessing and the edification of the of the assembly. And I believe that there's nothing causes more disharmony and jealousy amongst the people of God than trying to covet or do another's gift. Again, if I tried one of my members of my natural body tries to do.
00:35:32
Something that it's not made to do, it's going to get into difficulty. And if I can just say this too, brethren, I believe we need to be very careful not to go beyond what the Lord has given us. And I believe when we go beyond the gift and ability that the Lord has given us, we, it's not, not only is it not for the edification and blessing of the body of Christ, but again, it causes more problem and difficulty than good.
You know, there are three enemies that we're given in scripture, World of Flesh and the Devil.
Umm, all of them, and I know one of them, uh, is mentioned in the beginning of this book again, umm, they don't know if you could talk to them if they were personified before us and you asked them what God is doing because you know, they're all actively against and opposing his, his Kingdom and his plan. They would say, uh, we don't, we don't really know. We don't really know what Todd's doing. And, and umm, we're having to learn as all the Corinthians were the difference between a carnal man's knowledge and the true spiritual wisdom that comes only from above. Because if they knew it, they said, it says, and I've read that before in chapter 2, verse eight, they would not have crucified the Lord.
A glory they would have realized that actually in killing them they are accomplishing his ends. You know that in the destruction of this man, this worm and no man in the in the killing of life itself. Our salvation was brought about and I love that that somehow and I hope that we all sense it as we read through first Corinthians and as we read through the Scriptures. There's something very foreign to unfortunately the natural mind and what the Lord is doing and I think we can see that in this chapter umm because the world of flesh and the devil they do not understand God. They understand man and they know how to undermine and their systems in opposition and we accept unfortunately some of the logical rationale of those systems since.
A man can be ever learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Umm, add to that the fact that the two sins, uh, well, I guess I would call them, yeah, I would call them sins. The two sins, the two great sins that afflict humanity and have from the beginning and are kind of at the root, I would even argue of most of the suffering that is in mankind, umm, and its history is pride and envy.
There's something very different about this chapter that those parts and I'm interested to listen to the umm older brothers. That'd be my question as a young person. What does it mean that the that the uncommonly parts have more abundant comeliness that God has made those that are more dishonorable have greater honor and why that amazing little little phrase there that there be no schism or division among you. There's something very different about the way the church is to operate in order, which is what's first Corinthians about where we honor and glory in the blessings that others have around us. I mean, it's a rare brother or that's why there's a brother born for adversity. It's a rare brother that looks at this guy over here and says, well, I wish I had that.
You know, name it, athleticism, etcetera. And, And, and there's a bit of envy, even neglecting the fact that we are all in our family, honored by someone's achievements and in the church to be able to look not upon our own things, but the things of others, not as a busy body or a ****** but instead of someone who is, is interested in building up the church one upon another to actually sharpen one another in the faith. So that would be, my question is, is what does it mean that these, that these, uh, members that seem less commonly, umm, have been given more comeliness and more honor? Because as we see in the systems of the world, as we mentioned before, how does, how is the pastor corrected? Well, pastor is corrected traditionally, at least in mainline denominations, by elders, right? They can, they have some power over him. Or in a higher church tradition, you just go to the man upstairs. Like you wouldn't, uh, in a business or a management, you can't necessarily fire your manager, but you can go to your, the boss's boss. And it just keeps going up and up and up. But what does it mean for us to?
Operate. I mean, I mean, can you read this passage and envision a church where a man stands at the front and those that are weakest and have less to say sit at the back?
Does it, is that the vision that's given to us here, or are we uncomfortable if we were to go to a place like that and reading through the scriptures to see where two or three, there's no freedom for that. I mean, it may not be there. Maybe only one man ends up speaking at a local assembly if they're weak enough. I know in, in, in our assembly, there have been times where through sickness or travel or the issues of life, there may be only one brother present. And so for intensive purposes, we'll say, what's the difference between yours? No one may have missed. No, the freedom is still there. At least we can fix it. So, umm, the pride and enemy that we bear, they have to, they have no place in the gifts and as they're given here in First Corinthians.
And I'll end with that one verse and then I want to re ask that question one verse in first John, my brother began or we began this meeting kind of a Speaking of spirits and discerning of spirits.
So I'd read that again in, in first John chapter 4. We're all familiar with that. I recommend the whole passage, obviously, but I wanna read one specific or two specific verses versus, uh, the first verse. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirit, whether they be of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Umm, verse five. They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them. So a lot of things that people will say out there makes sense and they make sense in a worldly way, but there's, but there's something very different price game not in power to dominate, but came as the first greatest and most unspeakable gift.
00:40:20
And so it should follow by pumping our hearts. But the way we should be, the spiritual gifts should in some way be parallel or find their ultimate type in Christ as gifts. And he came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. And you just keep going down those lines there. So I'll, I'll end with that. But I want to ask that question. What does it mean? It's one of those intriguing pastors. What does it mean that the uncomely part is more has more abundant comingness that the dishonorable has more honor that there be no division. Let's see if we can take it down in context rather. So we're getting ahead to here. So if you don't mind, we'll, we'll address that when we get down, OK.
I just want to go ahead and say verse 11.
And verse 18, they have that common phrase, as is, as he will or as he pleases. Verse 18 Now God set the members, every one of them, in the body as it hath pleased him. And what has been mentioned in these meetings? That it is His work. Brethren, it's not our work. And the verses we have next, I really think it is beautiful, these verses 12 and 13, where we've already mentioned about the oneness of the body.
And we have, we have presented that question at the beginning of the meeting, the reading meeting. What does it mean to be gathered on the ground of the one body? And I think it was explained briefly, but simply means in recognition that God is doing a work in this world, bringing souls to Christ, saving them. And when they believe the gospel of their salvation, the Spirit of God seals that person and also incorporates them into the body. It is his work, it is not ours.
And to recognize that when he does it, there is no schism in the picture.
It is not there. That's not what God's doing. He is forming 1 body, the church to the United to Christ. And we are already really united to Christ. Wonderful, wonderful truths. But I find so many times that our thinking is tainted by present trends and we got to challenge ourselves rather. And that's probably why questions are good because it kind of challenges us. But I must say that one of the things that I believe has hindered the Christian testimony in these western lands probably more than anything else.
Is humanism making myself the center of my world? And I think it's the problem that we have in talking about the Lord's table and the Lord's Supper is because we think I have my rights, I have my ideas, brethren, it is not my rights. It is not my ideas. The figure in this, it is what he has said, what he has taught us in his word. We're set in the body as it pleases Him. It's not the place I want. You hear so many people that say I've decided to go into the ministry.
I think I'm going to be a pastor. It's not a question of a person deciding what he wants to be. That isn't in the picture at all. And so that has done tremendous damage. We think we can do what we want and that I have equal rights with everybody else. If it was a question, brethren of you and me, yes, you could argue that point. That is not the point. There is one who is supreme. They're at God's right hand. He is God's beloved Son that came into the world and accomplished redemption and through redemption as purchased.
A people for himself. Now it is not a question of what I want or what I think merely.
It is a question of what he is doing, what he has in mind for me in his precious word. And the thing that I find is very common as we lived in Bolivia for a number of years. We were for the first ten years in the area of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and then we moved up to Cochabamba. Cochabamba is a very nice place to live and there's a lot of missionaries there. I don't know if that's right or not, but anyhow.
When I moved up there, they asked me, why are you moving to Cochabamba? We moved there for our kids getting into school, but and they said you must be coming up here to plant churches. And that idea of planting churches is very common and it is not of God. And I said to them when I was asked that question, God forbid that I should start any new church. If I do meet together with other Christians, I'm going to meet together recognizing the church that began on the day of Pentecost.
And still exist to this day. And that which to God is adding every time a new soul is safe, It is recognizing what God has done. It's not what I'm doing. I think sometimes I'm more of a hindrance than I'm a help. And God works so often in spite of us. Oh brethren, it's wonderful to see what God is doing. But when we get our fingers into the soup.
00:45:21
All the messes we make of it. May the Lord help us.
To simply see what he is doing. What is he doing in this world? He's working to form 1 body in Christ. Such a beautiful thing, the unity that there is in this one body. Let's read it again because this is so precious. Brethren, this is the truth of God as the body is 1 Isn't that beautiful? It's one brother.
I remember a sister that used to come to our home once in a while. She was a dentist and quite well educated and she used to go around visiting different denominational structures. And anyhow she come to our meeting sometimes as well. And as a member of the body of Christ, we were glad to to let her come to our meetings. Anyhow, she said to me one time, Brother Bob, we should all be one. Why are we all divided up like this?
We should all be one. It's not we should all be one. It's we are all one. We're just not acting like it. That's the truth of the matter. The body is one and all the members of that one body being many hundreds of thousands, millions, perhaps billions of believers. Who knows the exact amount, but.
The many are.
One body, soul also is the Christ. Oh, in the beginning of the Church's history it was evident. Look at the testimony brethren, in the book of the Acts in the 4th chapter. It is so beautiful.
Andy.
32nd verse.
The multitude of them that believed were of one heart.
And one soul is that beautiful.
So the prayer of the Lord in John 17 was fulfilled at the beginning of the church's history in reality, in practical reality, it will be again when we're caught up to meet the Lord in the air because there will not be anyone missing at that time. But that's beautiful to see the unity of God's people, to realize that that's what God sees when he looks at his people, one body.
And then it says by 1 spirit we are all baptized into one body.
Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, nationality doesn't enter into this picture. Whether we bond or free social position is not there and have been all made to drink into one spirit. So oneness is what is characteristic of the body of Christ. Beautiful brethren, I'd just like to say this, that the baptism as we were mentioning is really only took place at the beginning of the church's history.
In Acts Chapter 2, the.
Spirit descended and those about 120 that were there were united into one body. They went in 120 and they came out as one body. Then later on in the 10th chapter of the book of the Acts, you have Peter preaching to the Gentiles, Cornelius in his household, and the Spirit while he's preaching, while he's giving the gospel, the Spirit falls on those that believe. If you're looking the 11Th chapter.
Peter quotes that that was part of the baptism of the Holy Spirit those two times in the book of the Acts. Some of, uh said it's an extension of the baptism of the Spirit of God, but it took place in the beginning of the church's history and it is not repeated. We come into the body when we are, when we believe the gospel of our salvation, we are added, but the body is not formed over again. Some have given the illustration of the American army that was.
Uh, formed in the 1700s, the American army that is existent today is the same army, but not one of the soldiers that existed in the 1700s is today a soldier, but it's the same army. And that's the picture that you get in the body. It's those, Jim mentioned it this morning. There's sometimes when it's looked at, and I think in Ephesians especially, it's looked at as all believers of all times, but it's looked at as those that are living, active.
00:50:05
On the earth at any particular time.
That it is a habit, including myself in it that we have a tendency, uh, to sort of wish in a way, it's not the right term. But if I know that John, John camp is coming to our area or Jim is home from a trip, then we say, oh, we're going to get good ministry. I'm guilty of it just as much. And I say that I'm guilty of it, but that shouldn't be the way, should it? But we do it. I have that bad happen shape. Oh, John campus coming, you know, Oh, I'm going to be there.
For John, Jim is home, I'm going to be there. That's that's just the trouble with us. We depend on them certain granted, who have that ministry and we get something out of it. But if we say, oh, Jimmy's gone, John is gone. Well, let's just point the coin. Isn't that true?
That's not holding the head, is it? And I agree, sometimes I notice rather when we come together in a meeting, we all sit there, Nobody, nobody says anything. We all sit there kind of 1015 minutes, sometimes that long. And you know, brother, I think we're so geared at operation operating on the world level that we have to kind of kind of let go of that sphere of activity and focus on the Lord. And truly, we really are limiting ourselves. If we look at human instruments, Thank God for gift that God gives. We thank God for it, but there's gifts in everyone.
And I think the reason that so many are not active is that they're not exercised about it. Brother and sister, the Lord is going to ask us before his throne that the judgment seat. What did you do with what I gave you? Are you going to say I didn't even realize I had something? Are you going to say that?
Let's reflect on that. Let's be exercised now. There's so many gifted brethren in this room and and we talk about laboring brethren. Brethren, let's not form in our minds a certain class of brethren. That's not right. We're all laboring brethren. And I think there's lots of brethren that labor more than I do. You might be a different sphere, but even a slave in Colossians chapter three was said to serve the Lord Christ. He was a laboring brother.
He was a slave, he was not at liberty to do his own thing, but he was laboring for the Lord, doing what he was doing. The Lord help us. The other side of it is that we need to be exercised to allow the function of gift as we see it amongst the members of the body of Christ, because that's the other extreme, isn't it? If we don't allow gifts to function properly, then there's not going to be the proper growth and and edification of the Church of God. So we can fall into both extremes. That's why it says in Proverbs be not as the horse of the mule.
And I think you one time Bob pointed out that the horse is impulsive. He needs to be held back with a bitten bridle, the mule. And we see the mule in some of the countries that we visit. Uh, they still use donkeys and mules and they have to be driven ahead. They need a rod and they, they hold back. Scripture says don't be as either. As we said earlier in this meeting, we're extremists by nature. And that's why we have the balance of, of Scripture. And so with the Corinthians, everyone, when they came together, it was a free for all. Everyone had a song, everyone had a doctrine.
Well, that was one side of the, of the ditch. Then we can fall into the other side by not allowing, uh, by by looking to human instruments and only to those that we feel have some, what we would call manifest gift. That's a teacher or, or what, whatever. And so there are both extremes and we want to be careful that we don't fall into either ditch. After the, uh, Bible reading this morning, our brother Roy Stevens, I thought he gave a really great illustration.
About giving a gift, I just wondered, would you?
We have spiritual gifts. We're all given spiritual gifts. Umm, if Paula Paul wrote to Timothy to stir up the gift of God in him.
And really well, and I could talk a little bit about that and I may give somebody a gift and it may take some practice to use it properly. So we try it and we don't become very proficient because we set that gift on the shelf and we, we leave it there. Umm, we, we, so we lose the proficiency of, of, of that gift. And, uh, there was a brother one time we were talking about that and he says, uh, he said, I have to say, he says, I haven't opened my gift. So we have spiritual gifts every one of us. And, uh, you know, if we don't open that gift, if we don't use that gift, then we don't become proficient in the use of that gift.
And it, it, uh, it, it, it's lacking. So I, I don't know if I could say it any different than that or not. But, uh, you know, the apostle urged Timothy to stir up the gift in him. Why stir it up? Because we need to become proficient at it. If I, uh, a little analogy, we're talking about using the analogies and variables and so on. Earlier this morning and, uh, when my brother and I were very young, my father gave us a, a baseball bat, a ball and a glove. And, you know, we, uh, learned to, and I'm not a good ball player. I can hardly hit the same place twice.
00:55:19
But yet if we don't use what we have, we never get good at what we have. So we have spiritual gifts and if we don't use them, we, they, they grow stagnant sales. We have to use them. And Roy, can I just add that for those of us who are older, we need to allow them the development of gift in others. Charles Spurgeon made an interesting comment. He said an evangelist rarely jumps into the pulpit full grown. Thought that was an interesting comment. And what he was really saying is a young brother may have the gift of any of a public evangelist, but the first time he gets up to preach the gospel, he may do it in very much weakness.
Maybe he only speaks for 10 or 15 minutes, maybe he stutters and stammers. Doesn't mean he doesn't have the gift of an evangelist, but it may be that it needs to be given room to grow and develop. And so I just say, and I agree with what you say, that's very, very helpful. Gift needs to be developed. And it's an exercise to each one to use and develop our gift. But I believe it's also an exercise especially for those who of us who are older, perhaps those who take more of a public park to allow that gift to develop. And the first time a brother helps out with the gospel in the local area.
Don't jump on him because he didn't present it perhaps quite the way we thought it should be presented. Or he didn't cover all his faces. Encourage him. Paul, when he spoke to Timothy about his developing his gift, using his gift, Paul, I believe, was giving room for Timothy's gift to grow and develop. Timothy was reticent. He was holding back. And Paul says, I'm going to give you some room to use your, your gift. And I, I think that's a very good word for all of us. The word mentor comes to mind. Paul wasn't just dealing with Timothy and Titus. And we talked sometimes speak to them as being Apostolic delegates and sent out in a certain way, but there was real mentoring and that, that word, the idea that's, uh, contained in that word, that the mentoring of those that are by older ones for younger ones. And there have been the real examples of that.
Where that's the kind of teaching, uh, and development of gifts that needs to be done, where there's mentoring by those that are older with the younger taking somebody under the wing and taking them along. If you see somebody that has an exercise in the gospel and, uh, you're Bob Tony and you take them with you to South America or someone else, uh, Jim, you take somebody in some place that's mentoring and, and it's, it's biblical. It's, it's, we see it demonstrated there and it can be a help and, and people learn that way. And it's like on the job training. There's a beautiful example of that, Sam in the Old Testament with Joshua, Moses and Joshua.
You know, Joshua is referred to as a young man as Moses minister and you read over and over and over again of him being in the company of Moses, not always saying a lot in the wilderness, but he's there with Moses and God then later raised him up as that great leader to lead the people through the Jordan and into the land. I know he's a picture of Christ, but in a in a practical way, Joshua got that training and development from being in the company of another older man. And I want to again encourage the young people and maybe some of us who are older haven't given always the opportunity that we should. But are you exercised about the gospel or being helping in some work?
Hook up with a, with an older brothers or, or sister or couple, an older brother at home. He's with the Lord now, but he, he trained horses in his younger days. And he said, Jim, we never put two young Colts together in harness or in the yoke. We when we went to train a young colt or horse, we always initially put them with an older one. And that older horse spoke that they spoke the same language. And if that younger one got out of line or too frisky or wanted to go its own way, that older horse had a way of making that whole to understand.
What it was supposed to be doing and he was using that as an illustration. And so younger brothers, younger sisters, is there some gospel work goes on in your area, hobby class, perhaps some outreach in the area, some brothers going to the prison or going to the nursing home. Go along. Maybe you won't take a lot apart, but go along, observe, learn as they say, learn the ropes, get the idea. And I believe it will be a great blessing to you in the development of your gift and maybe a ministry that the Lord will have for you later on.
Can anybody tell me umm, importances?
Portis come on brother Fortis well known enough figure the Bible.
The growth or the Well, no, I'll get to my point. If we go to Romans 16, we're talking about the importance of.
Of, umm, exercising our gifts. And I think it's real good that the young people have been addressed because I was once a young person and those of us who were speaking or those who have been speaking, a lot of them have been younger. But if we go to Romans 16, it's almost like A roll call.
01:00:02
Of, uh, Paul commending these different ones as to their labor in the Lord. And some of them are well familiar with Priscilla and Aquila in verse three. And, uh, you can go right on down the line there. There's probably something you're more aware of than I am. Obviously, Timothy, I'm Opius in verse 21. And uh, like I said, there's some more. There's a whole roll call of Saints that Paul was commending for their work and for their labor. And I'm sure some of them, I know Timothy was a young man and obviously there's a number of sisters here.
So it wasn't just a select few, but there was quite a few that are mentioned in Scripture and I'm sure there are many more that aren't that were helpful, uh, in the gospel and in the ministry. And, uh, we have this roll call here, but coordinates doesn't say anything about him. Verse 23 gave my host and of a whole church saluted you, arrested the Chamberlain of the city, saluteth you and Porthos a brother. That's all that said, Porthos a brother.
Could be Cynthia's sister, but for some reason.
Uh, under inspiration, Paul mentions, and you know, I was, as I was listening and enjoying scriptures here, I, uh, in the comments of my brethren, I happened to turn to Romans and I'm seeing this roll call, if I could use that phrase of, uh, these different ones. And then it just struck me for us, never heard of them ever, even probably read this or maybe I read the verse without thinking about it. But, uh, nothing is mentioned except, well, his name is mentioned and that's enough. And I, I like to just emphasize again that for the young ones here and those of us that were once young to testify, there is a very important place for you.
In the assembly.
And to to know that there is it is God's help, God's work. God is the Holy Spirit that take courage and.
To, to, uh, like it was mentioned about mentoring and to listen to the older brother. I remember the first time I prayed in the assembly, I was shaking like a leaf and I said something that wasn't quite scriptural. And, uh, a brother faithfully came up to me, brother Woodside and graciously corrected me and, uh, you know, encouraged me to just go on. So if you're doing OK and it wasn't a matter of puffing me up or making me feel good about myself, but you saw that there was a desire by the grace of God. And I say this to everyone here because I know sometimes in larger assemblies, perhaps the younger ones are.
In the back and they wanna say something and they don't, or they feel to be corrected. And we've already covered some of that, but I don't know, uh, in thinking, of course, this, if he was a young man or an old man or an in between age man or whatever you might wanna say, but he had an important part. And, uh, you know, thank God, by the grace of God in the assembly, we have that privilege as brother, don't we sisters, we know have a very important part, as we can see in scriptures in the 16th of Romans, but, uh, us, the brothers and the younger. And there is that gift and there is that desire as it wasn't called to stir it up.
And so, umm, if you feel insignificant or if you feel like what am I accomplishing or what's my card or I can't speak this well or I can't say things like this for other, well, obviously Portis was a big help in some way. Not much is said, but he's recorded for us. And I think perhaps maybe for those of us who feel that maybe I'm not significant, but you are in the eyes of God, you're just as loved and you just, you have just the potential as any of us who do take part, who are out of the forefront to, to step up.
God will help you.
That's what we have in verses 15 through 20. And then we have the flip side verses 21 to 24. So in 15 through 20 is the thought that says, well, I'm not, I'm not important. It's umm, it can be and, and, and the center of both of these itself itself. And then the other side of it says, well, I'm the eye and I have no need of you. So both cause dysfunction in the assembly. This word that just came though. Sometimes there are special moments in a meeting, brother, that was one.
I've never noticed Quartus before.
This touched my heart in a special way like you just said, because no doubt there is a court in this meeting right now who just got encouraged in a way that you have no doubt about because no one else notices, maybe that God does. And in this book there will be this way for all of eternity. This man's name is recorded because God noticed. And boy, what an encouragement we can have when we might not be noticed by anybody else, maybe in our small corner, but to know that God notices and that He has recorded a name for that purpose.
And on this day, you are encouraged because this was brought forward to your attention so that you would be encouraged right now at this moment in this meeting. I'd just like to add that Keynes remark is am I my brother's keeper?
So he regarded Abel as his brother.
Very interesting. In scripture, God never called Cain Abel's brother.
01:05:04
He doesn't act like one.
So in connection with these verses, then I might lose a hand or a foot through some accident and the other hand and the other foot can take over and I can get along through life like that, but not as well as with two, you know, I might have, I have a collapsed lung and I can still breathe and get along through life, but not as well as as with, with both lungs. And so we need one another. No man is an island, as they say, tells us. No man lives to himself and no man dies to himself. And again, I believe it's illustrated very beautifully in the Old Testament with the Levites.
You know, the Levites were born into certain families. They had no choice. And those certain families all had various functions and connection with the function and administration of the Tabernacle through the wilderness. They weren't given any choice as to what they were to do. And there were some who carried the boards and that did things that no doubt got commended and looked like great services. But, you know, there were no doubt others of those Levites that went around when they were going to move and they picked up the pins of the pegs they kept, they rolled up the cords and kept them from tangling. They gathered up the pots and pans and the instruments that were used in the sacrifices.
And the one who kept the chords from tangling or picked up the pegs, he wasn't to look at the one who carried the boards or the cut the curtains and say, well, I wish I was in charge of the curtains. I wish I was in charge of the board. I wish I was like the priest who could carry the the ark and that kind of thing. No, what was important was to do what God has fitted him for and placed the position to. God has placed him in to do that is under the Lord. Can you imagine if one of the some of those Levites who kept the pins in the court had decided they weren't going to do that?
What would have happened when they got to the next location and tried to pitch, pitch the Tabernacle? Why, there wouldn't have been any stability. They would have been in great trouble. The one who was to keep the pins and the snuff dishes and all that in order. What would have happened if they got to the next location? And he said, well, because it was such a little service that seemed so insignificant, nobody thought, nobody thanked me. I didn't bother doing it. Well, there would have been a great deal of difficulty. No, it wasn't the greatness of the service. And Bob already quoted it, but I'm going to quote it again. It says not to do service. I service as men, pleasers, but in singleness of hardness unto the Lord.
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ. And so there were slaves and servants to ungodly masters in the early church. They might have thought what good am I doing I I I'm a flavor a servant to an ungodly master. The apostle says you, you can serve the Lord even in doing your work well even in in serving your ungodly master and being upright in in your your daily grind of of business and and labor and that service to the Lord and don't do it for men pleasers. And I would suggest this that those who carry on.
Quiet, hidden services for the Lord are perhaps going to get, in many cases at least.
A greater reward than those who carried on some outward service where they got a lot of recognition and a pat on the back and a thank you. Not that those services aren't necessary and they can be done for the Lord too. But I often think of that first. I know it's a different application, but often think of that person Isaiah that says every valley shall be exalted in every mountain and hill shall be made low. Those things that were done in the valley of secret, maybe they're what's going to be brought up at the judgment seat of Christ. They're going to be made high and they're going to get a great reward. Those mountain top things where everybody noticed it and everybody appreciated it and said thank you. Maybe that was just a lot of self. Maybe that was checkered with as it says, the crop and the feathers, just a lot of self. And it's not going to get such a great reward. And if you're using a quiet hidden gift and doing a quiet service and ministry for the Lord, make no mistake about its importance.
Do it quietly for the Lord, don't seek men's approval, and you'll get a great reward in the coming days. And isn't that what we really covet, the Lord's approval? Paul said we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of our brethren. Well, that's nice, but we may be accepted of him. You know, Paul was misunderstood by the Corinthians. They questioned his apostleship. They have questioned his authority, they have questioned his gift. They questioned his ability to present his ministry and his ministry and so on. Paul said that's OK.
We're laboring for the approval of the one who's going to put his stamp on, on things in a coming day. Well, when I was young, I enjoyed a, a, uh, a meditation from, uh, chapter Macintosh on, uh, uh, it was a, umm, illustration of the gifts that we have here in this chapter. And he used the, the breastplate of the high priest and the stones that were embedded into the breastplate. And he, he made the point that the, the, these varying stones shown in different brilliance. Some of them were a, a bright.
Uh, deep red color, some of them were almost clear, just maybe a tone of green or, or blue. They all shown in their individual brilliance, but none of them shown if they weren't in the light. And the problem we have in these verses that we're taking up is when we become occupied with ourselves and what may be our service or gift that the Lord has given us, we aren't able to function for the Lord.
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And use be used for His glory.
It was when the high priest walked into the, the holy place and the lampstand was, was aflame and, and, and the light was reflecting off of the gold on the, on the sides and it was fulfilled with brilliance. Then those breast, uh, tho those stones shown in their brilliance. And the only time that our gift will be of any use whatsoever is we're, when we're in the enjoyment of Christ and then it won't matter.
What gift it is, It will be beautiful. There will be a manifestation of the Spirit.
And I, I want to encourage all here that we each have a gift and it is a manifestation of the Spirit of God. And if it is in operation, it will not go unnoticed and it will not go without blessing to others. It will be a reflection of Christ. So we're occupied with ourselves. It's probably gonna be that we're thinking we're superior to others.
Or maybe on the other extreme, that we're inferior. Yeah.
And both itself now I, I think in the first part of this, uh, description here in first, uh, 15, it says if the foot shall stay because I am not the hand, I'm not at the body, the foot.
Perhaps thinks itself to be inferior and so doesn't want to perform at all. Well, that's a sad situation and uh, it goes on to speak about how that, uh.
The year says because I'm not the guy, I'm not of the body. Well, the eye, you're thinking itself to be inferior for the eye. That can't be the eye. So I'm not going to do anything in a sad situation to be in. But you go to the other extreme and then you have the eyes in verse 21. The eye cannot stay unto the hand. I have no need of thee nor in the head to defeat. I have no need of you. So here you got a superior attitude and.
What kind of a situation would that be? Where would the hearing? Where would the spelling be?
You know, we do have an important service to do for the Lord. Get occupied with ourselves and start looking at others and thinking, well, I'm inferior or superior because it's going to affect our usefulness.
So Paul says early on, we are yet calm to the Corinthians.
Their mindset.
Prior to their conversion is that of the world, there were great men, there were great speakers, there were people they would imitate and he uses this figure.
Which is not merely a figure, it's a fact that there is one body, but that's not a figure that their mindset had entertained before. And he has to bring them to see. This is how you need to function together in a oneness that brings honor to Christ. I had a cousin who didn't realize how much he'd grown in one year, in his 15th year, and he dove into a quarry and broke his neck. And the rest of his life he was paralyzed from the neck down.
He managed to do a little, uh, movement with one shoulder and could operate a mechanical hand, but.
He had no time for Christ.
When he was injured.
And I, I think it took, uh, another 16 years.
Before he owned, he shouldn't have disobeyed his father the day he went swimming.
And he came to love the Lord Jesus and be used with the voice he had that was very good, uh, to read the scriptures in the nursing home where he was until the day he died of cancer at 41 years of age. But it's pitiful to see.
A body that can take no signals from the head.
Coming around to a couple of these brothers had mentioned earlier about the one man ministry. The law of unintended consequences is always often talked about in politics, the law of unintended consequences when humans come up with their solutions for well, nobody's doing their job. The guy isn't picking up the pegs or whatever they so that somebody else has to do it. I was talking at lunch with a young brother who grew up in a little country church and he was telling me that the favorite pastor that he enjoyed that helped him the most that he could talk to as a young man. Uh, he heard recently was in a home, some place with depression.
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All of them burdened that a one man has to be put under taking all of the jobs that are supposed to be done for others. The unintended consequences are that many of these men breakdown and that they say statistically coming out of seminary and that that within five years the majority that graduate they're done. They can't handle it. They can't do it. God never intended it to be that way to start with and that those who manage to go on are the ones that get famous or whatever people know about them, but they don't know about the thousands of shipwrecks that happen because this solution do it doesn't work very well when all these burdens are put up on one person but.
Has a way that works and it makes where each one does the work. It's not all put up on one person and there isn't this breakdown there.
Hope to read that, uh, just a couple of verses in closing, I guess, umm.
From John 13, you know, Tim is our great pattern and I love this because in First Corinthians, one of the things that he that Paul the apostle tells to them is ultimately that all things are yours.
But that also means we also have to bear all things UMM that we shouldn't have pride or envy towards others because the gifts that they manifest with the service that they do, ultimately we all are part of the Christ as it were, and therefore we are part in heirs with Him of all things. And ultimately as as UMM Charlie brought out, we become the fullness of Him who fills everything else.
So I'd love these verses here now before the feast, John 13 verse one now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour was come, that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own, which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.
Three, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God. He rises from supper in later sighs his garments, and took a towel and girded himself. And after he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith you was girded. And of course Peter commies to stop him, not understanding this new standard to which a master would turn to one and wash their feet. I love that umm, the Lord Jesus is that great and unspeakable gift as mentioned here as the one who and we with him are heirs of all things. And yet what did he do when he has everything? He birds himself.
He kneels down, and he serves.
His brother. There's nothing to be envious of. There's nothing to be prideful about, you know?
And this is the error of this is this is, this is the God of the universe here. Umm, how much more, uh, we or so much less, uh, and yet have the men that aired the whole thing.