Good News God's Word: May 2015

Thursday, May 28, 2015

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Love, The Gift That Never Fails", 5/31/2015

LOVE, THE GIFT THAT NEVER FAILS

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

JUST NOISE WITHOUT LOVE

V:1 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."

A. The English word "though" is from the Greek word "ean" which is a conditional

particle. It is conditional on something else in the sentence, charity or love.

1. The English word tongue(s) is a translation from the Greek word "glossais",

which means naturally un-acquired languages (the word is plural).

a. There are many different languages of men, therefore there are many different

Gifts of languages or tongues of men.

b. Those who have the gift of language would not all be speaking the same language.

2. Notice Paul said, though I speak, not you.

3. The direct object of glossa is men and angels.

a. Men is men or anthropos.

b. The word "angel" is from the Greek word "anggelos" which in this context is

messenger or pastor.

4. The ability to speak is what you were born with, but you had to learn.

5. To speak with a tongue is a Spiritual Gift of an un-acquired language of men,

not learned by you.

B. Notice, The Apostle Paul said what makes this gift of language effective is how it is

used in charity.

1. Charity is from the Greek word "agape" which means love, affection or benevolence.

2. If we do not use this gift of language to love another person, it is just unintelligent

noise.

3. If I use my gift of language in the Church of believers who speak a common language, who am I loving on?

4. The use of a Spiritual Gift has to have a direct object other than me!! Eph 4:12

V:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."

A. Notice the gift of prophecy is a God given ability to understand the deeper mysteries

of the Bible.

1. Some of God's Word is easily understood.

2. Some of God's Word require you to do some research to understand.

3. This research has to have as its' objective, the edification of the body of Christ.

B. Prophecy is the ability to understand the Bible.

Faith is the ability to trust God while putting the Word in practice.

1. It is our faith in the truth of the Word that drives us to put it into practice.

2. The Gift of prophecy and a strong faith are useless unless they are used to exercise

our love for others in the Church.

3. Since God is love, He expects us to act with love. Eph 4:16

V:3. " And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing"

A. It is only what you do for the Lord that counts and stores blessings in heaven.

1. An act of generosity without love does not count to the Lord.

a. Any help you do is beneficial to the receiver.

b. God does not direct us to do anything without love for others as the objective.

B. Offering yourself up for some great cause does not count in heaven unless it is done

out of love for the good of others.

1. Love keeps all Spiritual Gifts working in unity. Eph 4:13

2. Love is the foundation of the Christian faith.

3. Love is the key element in the Christian family.

4. Love gives the ministry of gifts it's value.

A COMPARISON: LOVE FOR GOD VERSES LOVE FOR SELF.

V.4 "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up," Eph 4:2

A. Love is not affected by my personal problems or the difficulties I face.

1. Love separates the person from his/her actions.

2. Love sees the person as a creation from God and his/her actions as a product

of his/her thoughts and environment.

a. I do not have to like or agree with what a person does to love the individual.

b. Love understands that people have issues that causes them to act rationally or

irrationally.

B. You don't have to be kind to me, for me to be kind to you.

1. What someone does or does not do, should not affect my love for them.

2. Any actions on my part should be what is in the best interest of the individual.

C. Love is content in itself and does not want what someone else has.

1. There will all ways be someone with more than you have and something bigger

and newer than what you have.

2. Love rejoices when others excel.

D. Love always sees the other person as important and equal.

1. When you lift others up, Christ will lift you up.

2. Christ said if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me.

V:5. " Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil."

A. Love never acts out of place or out of character.

1. Love seeks a lifestyle of righteousness.

2. In Love, you should treat everyone the way you want to be treated and

everyone should be treated the same.

B. Love is considerate.

1. In Love, we should make it our aim not to cause anyone pain or distress.

2. When people are already in pain, we should in love seek to comfort them.

3. We should not be boastful or hold ourselves to be more up right than others.

C. We should be slow to speak, quick to listen and slow to anger.

1. When some people are having a bad day, they sometimes will take their

frustrations out on you.

2. Being slow to speak and quick to listen will allow you to come up with an

appropriate response that may comfort and calm the person down.

D. It is easy to say something bad about someone because we have been programmed

by the world to find the negative.

1. It takes the same amount of energy to find something good and uplifting to say

to someone as it does to say something negative.

2. The trick is, to see everyone as a child of God with some serious issues that

Word of God can comfort.

3. The best of us can have a bad day and in need of a Word from the Lord to calm

us down.

V:6. " Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth."

A. When you have that close relationship with Lord, you do not get involved

in things that do not please Him.

1. A Christian should not get involved in gossip or negative talk about another person.

a. We should find it in our hearts to pray for those who are suffering, as a result of

their wrong doings.

b. None of us are so good that we can't fall into temptations of some sort.

2. We should never get involved in spreading lies and untruths. Eph 4:29

B. We should find joy when the truth is told and is uplifting.

1. None of us are insulated from the hurt of inconsiderate words that

down play or over look our devoted participation.

2. With that in mind, we should find joy in spreading the truth about others.

WHAT LOVE DOES

V:7. " Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

A. Love always protects the reputation of others.

1. Love does not broadcast wrongs done.

2. Love may know something that is true but negative and keep silent about it.

3. Love does not talk about another person for selfish gain.

B. Love believes the best about another person.

1. Love believes that whatever a person sets his/her mind on, can be accomplished.

2. Love supports and encourages others.

C. Love knows that God can do the impossible.

1. Love knows that all things are possible for those who love the Lord and are called

according to His purposes.

2. Love never gives up hope.

3. Hope is the assurance that God will do exactly what He said.

D. Love endures the discomforts of life.

1. Love endures the disappointments of life.

2. Love knows that if we endure, we will soon reap what God promises.

V:8. " Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."

A. God is love.

1. God is Alpha and Omega. He has no beginning and no ending.

2. God does not change. He is the same today as He was in the past and will

be in the future.

3. God's love is manifested in what He continuously does for us.

B. The Bible is closed.

1. The New and Old Testaments are complete.

2. There will be no new revelations.

3. Some of the prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled and some are yet to be

fulfilled.

4. There will be no new prophecies.

5. You can't add anything to the Word and you can't take anything away from it.

C. The Gift of languages was given to the early Church to translate the Gospel in

every known language.

1. We no longer have a need for that gift.

2. We now have computers, cell phones and Ipads that can translate our voice

into another language immediately.

a. I can speak in English and my cell phone can repeat in any language I chose.

D. We have numerous Bible Commentaries and language tools that help us gain a

good understanding of God's Word.

1. We have the super natural knowledge in front of us to use at our will.

2. This supernatural gift of knowledge is no longer required..

WHAT WE WILL BECOME

V:9. " For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."

A. The Bible contains so much wisdom that we can never grasp all the knowledge that is

contained in it.

1. The Bible is the living Word and therefore constantly provides insight into our

daily lives.

2. We can study day and night and not know all there is to gain from the Word.

3. Our minds can only absorb a limited amount of the wisdom that is contained

in the Word.

B. While we are in the flesh, we are constantly under the influence of the world's

thoughts and ideas.

1. The world's thoughts can distract from the Word and distort our understanding.

2. We live in the light of Jesus surrounded by darkness.

3. When Jesus comes again to receive His Church, we will be in total light with

no influence of darkness.

a. Because we will be with Jesus in heaven, we will then have total knowledge.

b. We will be transformed into immortality. Our Spirit will be released from the

flesh and we will be one with Jesus.

4. Being one with Jesus we will have all knowledge.

V:11. " When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

A. This verse speaks to the maturity of the Church.

1. A child is immature and filled with foolishness.

2. A child has to be taught the wisdom of the Lord to make wise decisions.

3. A child has to be taught the righteousness of God to know God.

B. When the church was in its' early stage, spiritual gifts such as language, prophecy

and instant healings were needed to draw men to the Word.

1. Now that the Church is mature, some of the spiritual gifts given to the

early church are not needed.

2. We have no need to claim one gift is more important than another.

V:12. " For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known". Eph 4:13

A. Every one of us will has an appointed time to die to be with the Lord.

1. All of our gifts are temporary, because we will not take them with us into heaven.

2. We were born naked and will take nothing out of this world.

THE GREATEST CHARTERISTIC

V:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

A. The greatest Gift is Love.

1. We were born in Love and we will die in Love.

2. God is Love.

3. To be one with Jesus, is to be one in Love.

DO EVERYTHING IN TRUTH AND LOVE

Rev. M. Mitchell, Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

Friday, May 22, 2015

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The When and The Why To Using The Gifts Of Languages", 5/24/2015

THE WHEN AND THE WHY TO USE THE

GIFT OF LANGUAGES

Act 2:1-7, 12, 1 Cor 14:13-19

Acts 2:1-7

THE DAY THE CHURCH GOT STARTED

V:1. " When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. "

A. Pentecost occurred fifty days after the resurrection Jesus.

1. Jesus spent 40 days on earth after His resurrection visiting with His Disciples

before ascending into heaven.

2. Jesus instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received

power from on High. Acts 1:8

3. This date was adopted from Lev 23:16. After the Passover Festival, the

Jews were instructed to wait seven weeks until the next holiday called

Festival of Weeks.

4. The Festival of Weeks became the day to commemorate the giving of the Law

to Moses on Mount Sinai Ex 23:16

B. One hundred and twenty disciples were all in one place and on one accord.

1. When there is unity in the Church, God can work wonders.

2. There is tremendous power in unity.

V:2 " Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. "

A. According to Acts 1:15, there were 120 disciples in one place (perhaps the Temple)

when the Holy spirit was first given.

1. This marked the beginning of the church.

2. This marked the empowering of the church.

3. This was the beginning of Gods Grace in the Church.

4. The Law being fulfilled Jesus death on the cross, Grace took effect.

B. This was a divine act of God.

1. It was miraculous act of God.

2. It was a planned act of God.

3. It fulfilled the promise of Jesus.

C. The sound had it's origin in heaven.

1. The sound was high in volume.

2. The sound filled the house.

3. The sound filled the disciples.

V:3. " They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them."

A. They were all in prayer and on one accord.

1. Prayer moves God to work on the behalf of believers.

2. The giving of the Holy Spirit was made visible so the disciples could see

and witness the miracle.

2. Great things can be accomplished in the Church when all the members

are focused on the will of the Father.

B. God had one hundred and twenty witnesses to this great event.

1. There was a single source of the tongues of fire which separated itself

to each individual believer.

2. This source is unlimited and goes where God directs it.

3. God's power rested with each believer.

4. Like Thunder and lighting, the Spirit came suddenly with great power and a loud

sound.

a. The sound of thunder fills the atmosphere..

b. Lightening can set on fire anything it touches

THE GIVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

V:4. " All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

A. All believers are equipped with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

1. To be filled with the Holy Spirit, we have to be completely submissive to

the will of the Father.

2. The Spiritual Gift to speak in languages unlearned comes at the will of the Father.

3. The power and the effectiveness of all Spiritual Gifts is the Holy Spirit.

V:5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

A. Jesus was crucified doing the Passover Festival

1. The Passover Festival commemorates the might acts of God when He allowed

the death Angel to Passover all the first born of Israel.

2. The death Angel kill all the first born of the Egyptians causing the Pharaoh to

release Israel from slavery.

3. Every Jew from all known countries traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover

festival.

B. God identified devout men from 16 different countries whose language was

different from Israel.

1. These men had a lifestyle of following the Jewish Law.

2. These men knew the Father but did not know Jesus.

3. They were in Jerusalem out of obedience to the Law.

THE GIFT OF LANGUAGE DRAWS UNBELIEVERS

V:6. " When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. "

A. Like thunder, the sound of the rushing wind alerted these devout men to the area

where the 120 disciples were assembled.

1. The 120 disciples were empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak the devout Jews

individual languages.

2. The devout Jews were confused that men who didn't know their language were

speaking their individual languages.

V:7. " Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?"

A. These devout Jews had been in Jerusalem long enough to know that these

Galilean disciples did not have the training or the education to speak a

different language.

B. This event was unexpected because they had never heard a Galilean speak their

language.

1. You can not always judge a book by its' cover..

2. With the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do all things that pleases God.

3. There is nothing to hard for God.

4. Since we belong to God, there is nothing to hard for us with the power of

God.

SEARCH THE WORD TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING

Acts 2:12

V:12. " Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

A. When you study God's Word, you ought to be amazed.

1. Every day you ought to be amazed at God's grace.

1. The study of God's Word ought to cause you to seek a deeper understanding.

2. You will never get too knowledgeable that you can't learn more about God.

B. The devout Jews were amazed, because they had never seen this display of

God's power.

1. In all their years, this had not happen in their presence.

2. In all their studying of God's Word, they had not seen this in scripture.

3. They knew enough about God to count this experience as a work of God.

C. The devout Jews asked "What does this mean?"

1. A wise man searches the Word God to get an understanding.

2. This experience was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. Joel 2:28

3. This was God pouring out His Spirit upon all who would believe in Jesus.

4. This event was God giving power to the Church to evangelize the world.

PRAY BEFORE USING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS

1 Corinthians 14:13-19

V:13. " For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says."

A. The gift of languages was given to build up and to edify the Church.

1. The gift of languages was given so that no one speaking in any language

would miss the Gospel truth.

2. The gift of language was given to draw unbelievers who spoke a different language

to Christ.

B. Notice at Pentecost, God focused this miracle event on the devout Jews who knew the

scriptures but had not seen Jesus in the Scriptures.

1. Having their attention, Peter preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. It is the preaching of the Word that enlighten us to an understanding of the

Word guided by the Holy Spirit.

C. The Holy Spirit gives gifts so that Word may be understood in any language.

1. Babes in Christ need an interpreter.

2. Teaching the Word in an unknown language to the hearer would not do any good.

3. The reason for speaking the Word is so men/women will be enlighten to

righteousness of God.

4. Before we began teaching the Word, we need to pray that God gives an

interpretation to the hearers of the Word.

a. We need to pray that hearts and minds be open and receptive to the Word.

b. We need to pray that our pride be hid behind the cross so that we don't get in the

way of the learning.

c. We need to pray that we do not become stumbling blocks to the teaching of God.

NOT RECOMMENDED TO PRAY IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE

V:14. " For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful."

A. This verse indicates that the one with the gift of a foreign language does not

understand the language he speaks.

1. If he prays in that foreign language, he is unfruitful in his mind.

2. Paul used this statement as an example to show the unfruitfulness

of a foreign language without interpretation.

a. We do not need to pray in a foreign language because God understands

all languages.

b. If we do not know what we are asking for in prayer, what good is our

prayers.

B. This verse also indicates that our gifts are dependent on the gifts of others for

maximum effectiveness.

1. The one with the gift of languages is dependent on the one with the gift

of interpretation.

2. The one with the gift of interpretation is dependent on the one with the gift of

languages.

3. God made us all dependent on Him and dependent on each other.

PRAISE IN YOUR NORMAL LANGUAGE

V:15. " So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind."

A. Prayer is a two way communication street.

1. We pray to God to communicate our desires and to give Him praise.

2. God communicates to us in languages we can understand.

3. What good would the Word of God be to us in a language we cannot understand?

B. If I do not know French, praising God in French would be unfruitful to me.

1. My praise is an expression of my gratefulness for who God is and what He has

done for me.

2. I cannot express my thoughts in a language I don't understand.

V:16. " If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? "

A. The Church is the place where outsiders are invited to join the body of believers.

1. What message would be given to an unbeliever if we explained the Gospel in a

language he cannot understand.

2. It is our responsibility to always act in a manner that draws others to Christ.

B. While our gifts are important, there is a proper time and place to use them.

1. If we use them out of place, we use them to our own edification

2. If we have a Church full of English speaking members, where is the need to speak in

a different language.

3. If visitors come into the assemble, we will soon discover if they have a need to be

evangelized in a different language.

a. If there is a need to speak the Gospel in a different language, God will arrange in

advance to have the one with the gift of that language present.

b. If necessary, God will have the one with the gift of interpretation present also.

4. It is God that gives the increase. He will not leave the Church lacking when there

is a desire to spread the Gospel.

V:17. " You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. "

A. Before we use our gift of language, we need to ask the questions: Who gets the

glory and who gets the edification?

1. If only you know the gift of language, then no one gets the edification and God does

not get the glory.

2. I do not need to impress you with my gift, if there is no benefit for you.

3. You do not need to be impressed, you need to be enlighten.

USE YOUR GIFTS TO EDIFY THE BODY

V:18. " I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you."

A. The Apostle Paul used himself as a role model for the Church.

1. If anyone could boast about their gifts, Paul was the one.

2. He spoke more languages than all of the Church members.

B. For Paul, it was his love for the brethren and his desire to proclaim the

Gospel to the lost that caused the use of his gifts.

1. His use of the gift of languages was to promote the Gospel of

Jesus Christ.

2. He said I am determined to know nothing, but Jesus Christ and Him

crucified.

V:19. " But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue."

A. Paul deemphasized the display of his gifts and emphasized the importance of

teaching the Word of God so others could get the right understanding.

1. One of the major failures of the Church is that only a few members seek

to get the right understanding of the Word of God.

2. We do not have a problem filling the pews on Sunday morning.

3. We do have a problem getting Church members to come out for Bible Study

and Sunday School.

a. Preaching gets us into the Church.

b. Teaching keeps us in the Church.

c. Teaching help us grow in the Word and knowledge of God.

4. Proverbs 4:7 says "In all your getting, get an understanding."

B. When we don't study the Word for ourselves, we may be influenced by the thoughts

of those who may not understand the Word.

1. There is a good chance that at the Sunday Service, you will be sitting by someone

who do not come to Church on a regular basis or who is not involved in serving

God.

2. It is our responsibility to encourage other believer to get actively involved in

in the Church.

USE YOUR GIFTS TO BUILD UP THE BODY OF CHRIST

Rev M. Mitchell, Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

Thursday, May 14, 2015

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Every Believer is Important", 5/17/2015

EVERY BELIEVER IN THE CHURCH HAS EQUAL IMPORTANCE

1 Corinthians 12:14-31

AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS OF THE BODY

V:14. " Now the body is not made up of one part but of many."

A. The Human body is magnificently made by God to do His will and to

give Him praise and honor.

1. The human body is made of different parts, each joined together to function as

one unit.

2. I am not sure you can count all the parts of the body.

3. Certainly, we can count what we see on the surface.

4. Underneath the skin are more parts not visible to the eye.

B. The skin is a divinely designed covering that houses the skeleton that God

fitted with muscles and body organs , blood and blood cells all joined together

to make a well made human machine with capabilities beyond our imagination.

1. If one part of the body stops functioning, the perfectly designed machine ceased

to work as well as God designed.

2. All parts of the body have a function.

3. All parts of the body contribute to its' the well being.

V:15. " If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it

would not for that reason cease to be part of the body."

A. The foot is made for walking, standing, jumping, running and stopping.

B. The hand is made for clapping, waving, pointing, holding, pushing, pulling, directing

and sign language.

C. One enhances the other.

1. The two together can certainly do more than one.

V:16. " And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body."

A. The ear is made for hearing, listening and play a part in the balancing of the body.

B. The eye is made for seeing, sending pictures of the outside world to the brain,

distinguishing colors, shapes and objects and gives sight to guide our actions.

C. One enhances the other.

V:17. " If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?"

A. The nose is for smelling, inhaling and exhaling.

1. The nose filters the air to keep us from bringing foreign objects into the lungs.

2. The nose enables us to distinguish between different smells, providing

pleasure and alerting us to dangers.

B. Every part of the body has a specific purpose.

The eyes, the ears and the nose enhance each other.

V:18. " But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be."

A. God is the designer of the body.

1. God arranged the body parts to function the way they should, to do the job they

were designed to do.

2. God connected the body parts together and maintains their connectivity.

B. The body parts cannot function without God's control.

V:19-20 " If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body."

A. The body is not the perfect body without all it's parts.

1. It is the sum of the parts, that make the body complete.

2. If any of the parts of the body are lacking, the body can't do all that it was designed

to do.

B. Like a puzzle, the picture is not complete without all the pieces.

1. Each piece of the puzzle has a specific place in the puzzle.

2. If any of the pieces are out of place, the picture is distorted.

V:21. " The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"

A. It is the eye that provides the sight for the hand to do it's job.

1. Without the eye the hands would have to work in darkness.

2. It is the hand that provides the touch that the eye can't feel.

B. The head and the feet are on opposites sides of the body.

1. The head is at the top and the feet are at the bottom.

2. The head houses the brain that is the guide for the feet.

3. The feet takes the head where the brain directs it.

4. If there is no head, the feet are useless.

V:22-24. " On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,"

A. The head is the highest point on the body and carries expressions of approval,

disapproval, pain, pleasure, stress and distress, peace and love.

1. The feet are on the lowest point of the body, but provided the motion of the

body as directed by the head.

2. The head may have the highest honor because it gets the most attention.

3. But the feet are glorified in their motion.

a. A dancer can't dance without feet.

b. a runner can't run without the feet.

B. The head with all its glamour cannot go from place to place without the motion of the

feet.

1. The feet with all of their mobility can't move without the direction of the head.

2. One without the other is lacking.

3. The two working together share the glory.

UNITY IN THE BODY

V:25-26. " So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

A. When all the parts of the body work together, the body is most effective.

1. When all the parts of the body do what they were designed to do, the

body gains the glory of God.

2. When all the parts of the body work as they were designed by the maker, there is

nothing that cannot be accomplished according to the will of God.

B. When one part of the body does not work, the entire body suffers for lack of

its divine perfection.

1. If the smallest part of the body does not work there will be deformity in the

body.

2. If the blood cells, which are not visible to the eye are not produced and distributed

throughout the body, the body slowly dies.

C. Every part of the body should be concerned for the welfare of every other part of the

body.

1. When there is joy in one part of the body, that joy should spread to every part of the

body.

2. When there is pain in one part of the body, the whole body suffers.

WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

V:27. " Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

A. The Body of Christ is the sum of all Church members who believe in Jesus

Christ as Lord and Savior.

1. Everybody in the body has equal importance to God the maker and creator of

all things.

2. No one should be prideful of their position or status, because their work is not for

them, but for the effectiveness of the entire body.

3. Pride leads to envy, hatred and strife and the whole body suffers.

B. Every gift and talent should be used to glorify God and draw others to Christ.

1. Preachers preach, teachers teach and the lifestyles of every member draws others to

Christ.

2. You don't have to hold a prominent position in the Church to influence the whole

Church.

V:28. " And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues."

A. As in any organization, there is a hierarchy in the Church.

1. The hierarchy establishes order and direction.

2. No position is more important than the other.

B. God gave us Apostles because they were eye witnesses to the teaching and the

miracles of Jesus.

1. They witness the death and resurrection of Jesus and laid the foundation

for the rest of the body to be built upon.

2. They were the first teachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. Except for Saint John, they were all murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ

and preaching the truth.

C. Second, God gave us prophets.

1. The prophets were those appointed to speak under divine inspiration about

future divinely ordained events to come.

2. Saint John was both prophet and apostle.

a. God gave him the inspiration for the book of Revelation which is the prophecy of

the end times.

b. Revelation includes the final judgment and the new heaven and the new earth.

D. God gave us teachers.

1. God gifted some with the ability to understand His Word and to teach it to others.

2. How can we understand God's Word without a teacher guided by the Holy Spirit?

C. In the early Church, God gave some the gift of healing and miracles.

1. The Apostle Paul had the gift of instant healing and the gift of raising believers

from temporary death. Acts 20:9

2. Peter and John had the gift of instant healing. Acts 9:40

E. Some were giving the gift of hospitality.

1. Some went out of their way to help others.

2. Gaius was one who had a reputation of being kind to strangers.

F. Some had the gift of being wise and prudent and the ability to discern spirits.

G. Some were given the gift of languages. (tongue is really a known language Act :2)

1. As the occasion arose, they could speak different languages that they had not

learned as the Holy Spirit enabled them.

2. I was asked the question: If God gave some the ability to speak different

languages, why is it that those who speak in tongues all sound the same?

a. A light went on in my head.

b. Perhaps they don't have a gift, but are repeating something they learned over time.

3. I also noticed that people in the Church who speak this language they call "tongue"

don't have an interpreter to explain what they said. 1 Cor 14:27

a. This is strange, because Paul said if there is no interpreter, be quite. 1 Cor 14:28

b. This is even more strange since Paul said that gift of tongues(languages)

was not given for believers, but non believers. 1 Cor 14:22

WE ALL DO NOT HAVE THE SAME GIFTS

V:29-30. " Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?"

30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?"

A. There are many gifts but they are not all the same.

1. Every gift has its' purpose.

2. Every gift was given to believers to be used by them to build up and edify the body

of Christ.

3. All gifts work uniquely together.

B. Apostles, prophets and teachers all proclaim the Word of God.

1. Those who have the gift of miracles and healing build up and restore the fleshly

bodies for God's use.

2. Those who speak a language unlearn and those who interpret the unlearned

language draw unbelievers who speak that language naturally to Christ.

31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

A. The greater gift is the ability to use your gifts with love and compassion to the

benefit of the whole body of Christ. 1 Cor 14:1

B. The greater gift is obedience to God's commands.

USED YOUR GIFTS TO DRAW OTHERS TO CHRIST AND TO BUILD UP THE BODY

Rev. M. Mitchell, Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Church

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Every Believer Is Important", 5/17/2015