Know & Live By God’s Spirit Luke 24:49 (NLT) 49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” Jesus: I will send you the promised Holy Spirit who will fill you with re-creation power from heaven. 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 (NLT) 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 1 Corinthians 14:39–40 (NLT) 39 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order. Paul: Be Sure That Everything Is Done Properly & In Order. 1. Protect the biblical 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NLT) Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. 2. Eagerly pursue gifts that strengthen the church. 1 Corinthians 14:2–3 (NLT) 2 For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. 1 Corinthians 14:4 (NLT) 4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. 1 Corinthians 14:5–6 (NLT) 5 I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened. 6 Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. 1 Corinthians 14:12 (NLT) 12 And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NLT) 26 Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. 1 Corinthians 14:31 (NLT) …so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. 3. Be sure to be cautious, clear & orderly, but don’t . Spiritual Gift Guardrails Prophecy gift needs to bring “strength, encouragement, comfort & learning.” 1 Corinthians 14:3 (NLT) 3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. 1 Corinthians 14:31 (NLT) 31…so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. Everything strengthens everyone. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NLT) … But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. Everything is said & done properly, in order, interpreted & evaluated by others. 1 Corinthians 14:29,40 (NLT) 29 Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said. 40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order. No need for interruption— You’re in control of the gift, not overtaken in spontaneous & mystical ecstasy. 1 Corinthians 14:32–33 (NLT) 32 Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can take turns. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people. Pray in the Spirit privately. 1 Corinthians 14:28 (NLT) 28 But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately. Take turns, one at a time, no more than three. 1 Corinthians 14:27–29 (NLT) 27 No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. 28 But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately. 29 Let two or three people prophesy,… 1 Corinthians 14:31 (NLT) 31 In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other, … 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NLT) 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people. Don’t forbid… 1 Corinthians 14:39–40 (NLT): 39 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order. 3 “C People” In Local Churches: Crazy, Confused, Convicted improper / inauthentic = “You’re crazy.” & “I’m confused.” 1 Corinthians 14:23 (NLT) 23 Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. 1 Corinthians 14:16–17 (NLT) 16 For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? 17 You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you. 1 Corinthians 14:19 (NLT) 19 But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language. proper / authentic = “We’re convicted.” 1 Corinthians 14:24–25 (NLT): 24 But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. 25 As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.” “…when we have received Christ, we have received the Spirit. The Pentecostal message is greatly misunderstood if anyone assumes that someone who has not received the baptism in the Spirit has not received the Person of the Spirit in conversion. We all receive the Spirit of God in conversion. No one can call Christ Lord except by the Spirit. When you and I became Christians, we didn’t become “two-thirds Christians” having only the Father and Son’s presence. We have the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Spirit baptism is a distinct part of our entrance into the full Christian life, (after) along with salvation and water baptism. These can each occur at different times, but I believe it is God’s purpose to make this a cluster of initiation events into the Christian life. — George O. Wood WHAT NOW? the baptism in the Holy Spirit for personal edification. your spiritual gifts to help build up the church. Continuing The Conversation 1. Why do you think Paul told the Church at Corinth to prioritize the church’s love over the use of our church’s spiritual gifts? (1 Cor 14:1) 2. Have you ever been among a church meeting where the improper use of the “gifts of the Spirit” seemed to generate enough disorder that people may have thought “you’re crazy” or “I’m confused” ? What was that like? 3. Have you ever been among a church meeting where the proper use of the “gifts of the Spirit” seemed orderly enough to generate the “I’m convicted” response? 4. Paul says we should eagerly desire spiritual gifts. Have you ever done a spiritual gift discovery assessment? What did you discover?