In this sermon, the speaker shares a story about a young man named Jeff who boldly approached a Greek Orthodox priest in a supermarket to inquire about the meaning of the cross. Despite causing a slight disruption, Jeff's actions were driven by a holy boldness and a desire to witness for Christ. The speaker then goes on to discuss the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit, referencing Ephesians 5:18. He emphasizes the need to constantly be filled with the Spirit and highlights the actions that should accompany this filling, such as speaking, singing, thanking, and submitting. The speaker also encourages listeners to be diligent in the work that God has assigned to them and to find contentment in it, as God's guidance often comes when we are busy fulfilling our responsibilities.

Father, we come to you tonight and we pray that you will Open up your word to us by the Spirit of God that we may see wondrous things out of your law Thank you for the holy scriptures tonight Lord Inspired inerrant verbally inspired we just thank you for them Pray that we might even go away from the conference more diligent Bible students than we've ever been before We pray as we study the word that we may see Christ in every line and make each faithful saying mine pray that we might indeed be Hearers of the word and doers as well That we might receive the engrafted word which is able to save our souls Able to save them from eternal damnation and able to save them from damage in this life Undoubtedly Lord there are many unspoken Needs in our audience tonight. We thank you that the Spirit of God in his own wonderful way Can take those needs and interpret them the throne of grace tonight. We pray that that might be the case We pray that blessing might flow out from this conference to assemblies near and far and Indeed to the outermost parts of the earth We ask it as we give our thanks in Jesus name I Missed a question this morning. I didn't do it on purpose. It was tucked here What does the last part of 1st Corinthians 12 13 mean? 1st Corinthians 12 13 Says for by one spirit Where we all baptized into one body Whether we be Jews or Greeks Whether we be bond or free and we're all made to drink of one spirit The question is that expression have have been all made to drink into one spirit Well, the first part of the verse says we were baptized into one body and we went over that in detail The expression to drink of one spirit It says drink into in the King James most versions say drink of one spirit It means to share together in the ministries of the Holy Spirit in the blessings of the Holy Spirit in other words we are a community and our communion is in the blessings of The Holy Spirit and so to drink there means to have fellowship with to share in and to drink of the Holy Spirit means to share in all that he has for us Don't forget if you want to ask questions just leave them up here on the podium Well, let's go over the material we've covered so far as far as the ministries of the Holy Spirit We saw that he convicts the unsaved of sin Otherwise, they never would be saved and that conviction is essential for salvation. He regenerates the wonderful work of the new birth He places believers in the body of Christ, which we've just had he indwells believers all believers and the church as well He gives the believers a conscious a consciousness of sonship. We spoke about the seal of the spirit Security possession Destination the earnest the down payment the guarantee the engagement ring another comforter Speaking of the Holy Spirit is the one who comes Alongside to help in every time of need the anointing the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit that enables us to discern between truth and error and Also the sufficiency of the Word of God and the Spirit of God and then when the meeting ended this morning we were talking about the filling of the Spirit and we were discussing how to be filled with the Spirit and you remember we said that first of all We practice instant confession of sin And forsaking of sin we don't let sins accumulate in our lives Secondly we said that we must be Continuously committed to the will of God to the Spirit of God's control in our lives And then I think when the hour closed we were in Colossians chapter 3 verse 16 where it says be constantly filled with The Word of Christ I want to go over that it was so hurried turn first of all to Ephesians Chapter 5 Verse 18 Ephesians chapter 5 verse 18 it says and be not drunk with wine where it is except but be filled with the Spirit Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God Okay there be filled with the Spirit which incidentally means be constantly being filled with the Spirit not a once-for-all thing But a continual thing and then notice what it says speaking singing thanking and submitting You got it now turn to Colossians chapter 3 Colossians chapter 3 says in verse 6 16 sorry Colossians 3 16 let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord Whatsoever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father Through him in Ephesians. It says when you're filled with the Spirit these results follow in Colossians It says when the Word of Christ dwells in you richly these same results follow at least teaching and singing Which means that to be filled with a spirit is to have the Word of Christ dwelling in you richly Because we mentioned things equal to the same thing are equal to each other For a fourth thing be Christ centered not self-centered Be Christ centered not self-centered John chapter 16 verse 14. We've already read it these verses come up frequently, but it's just that there are different shades of thought and We're going to go over this in detail later on but it says in John 16 14. He shall glorify me For he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you We live in an age and especially in evangelical world when people are taught to be self-centered Modern counseling largely turns the searchlight in upon self Popular preachers talk about self more than they talk about Christ Robert Schuller wrote a book called self-esteem the new reformation He said that the great mistake of the Reformers was that the theology was God centered instead of man centered should have been man-centered So there you are all of these books having to do with self self self No wonder people are flying apart at the seams If there's no victory in self All that I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth what Yeah, it's a good lesson to learn and never forget no good thing If you look within yourself of victory, you're looking in the wrong place you have to look up to the right hand of God where the Lord Jesus is sitting in throne a person Who is filled with the Spirit? Is not filled with self. You can't be filled with self And filled with the Spirit at the same time and a person who's filled with the Spirit is glorifying Christ That's how you can tell spirit filled ministry That's how you can tell Spirit filled teaching it glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. That's when the Spirit of God is at work So number four be Christ centered not self-centered What else to do to be filled with the Spirit Number five go about your daily work doing the things that your hands find to do and Believing that God is working in and through you You remember how we committed our lives to the Lord at the beginning of the day? We came to him for an exchange of will we said I take your will here is my will Well, then you go through the day and you do the work that your hands find to do It might be dishes Might be mopping a floor. It might be any one of those things It's all right Any honorable work can be done to the glory of God and a man can be filled with the Spirit and be a street sweeper Can't he doesn't make any difference how? Mundane it is how menial it is. He can do it to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ This is where a lot of people get off the trail. They think that only platform work is spirit filled They think that only active witnessing is spiritual But that isn't true some of the most spirit filled people in the world today are behind the scenes You never see them in public But they're living Christ Before others and then number six accept what happens to you as God's will for you. Don't go through life fretting Worrying or anything else just accept what happens as the will of God for you Now the Bible tells us that there are certain results of being filled with the Spirit, you know what they are Well, first of all this power this power Luke chapter 24 49 Luke chapter 24 and verse 49 Says Verse 48 and ye are witnesses of these things behold I send the promise of my father upon you but carrying in the city of Jerusalem until he be endued with power from on high Tell you when the Spirit of God is working through a human vessel things are accomplished that are humanly Impossible and Acts chapter 1 and verse 8, of course very similar to that Acts chapter 1 and verse 8 Power the power of the Holy Spirit But ye shall receive power After that the Holy Ghost has come upon you you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem Judea Samaria the uttermost parts of the earth. I just want to pause here to give an illustration It was my privilege to know Fred Elliott who was the father of Jim Elliott And I think Fred Elliott was a spirit-filled man. And one day I was standing with him outside the LaGrange Gospel Hall In LaGrange, Illinois, and they were right by the Burlington Railroad tracks and just as we were talking there our voices were drowned out by three diesel engines roaring by carrying the California Zephyr, you know and we just our Conversation just suspended and and when it got all through he tapped me in the shoulder He said power brother But nothing like the power that raised him from the dead. I Had thought it was just a train He he saw a spiritual truth That wonderful. It was a spirit-filled man, you know, he could relate things to the spiritual side another time In his home in Portland He was sitting at the table with the family and they were having their morning devotions. He was reading the Bible and All of a sudden out of the yard. He heard a tremendous clatter and noise, you know It was the garbage man coming to pick up the garbage Fred Elliott put his Bible aside Got up from the table went over opened the window and called out a cheery. Good morning to the garbage man Is that right to do to interrupt Bible reading for it? Yes, that was very right to do He made no distinction between the secular and the sacred To him that cheery greeting to the garbage man was just as sacred as reading the Bible and I think he's right He was a spirit-filled man and he went through life and he did the things that his hands found to do and he did them with all his heart then Boldness another result of being filled with the spirit is boldness in the things of God acts chapter 4 Acts chapter 4 verse 13 and this is a recurring theme in the book of Acts I've just picked out a couple of verses here now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and Perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men. They marveled and took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus Acts chapter 4 13 verse 29 Same chapter and now Lord here they are and now Lord behold their threatenings and grant unto thy servant that with all Boldness, they may speak thy word in that wonderful verse 31 When they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the Word of God with boldness Beautiful in it. We had a young fellow in our program last year And I really believe he was continually filled with the Holy Spirit of God and he had this boldness in witness One day he went into our Safeway supermarket and he saw a Greek Orthodox priest with his black clothes on and a big chain around his neck and a big cross here And Jeff went up to him. He said, oh, he said I see that you're a holy man He said would you mind telling me what that cross means? What an introduction Scene number two They're at they're at the meat counter all the packaged meat Jeff has his Bible over the packaged meat Witnessing to the Greek Orthodox priest people trying to get their hamburger and they can't get it But it was a holy boldness Was the priest offended? No, he got his telephone number and called him up later and wanted to talk to him What is it filled with the Holy Spirit? That's what it is Another of our young fellows if you met him He seems as meek as a mouse He's he's an Indian. He's from a Sikh family. He's got a big black bushy beard and big black head of hair And but you let him go on the campus I tell you he's something I went on the campus one day and I Paul I Didn't know you attended college here. He said I don't well. I said, what are you doing here? He said I'm after souls One day he was speaking to a young fellow on the campus. He was witnessing had the young fellow said I'm not interested Paul kept talking the fellows that I told you I'm not interested Paul said a few more minutes a few more words and the fellow walked off in high dutch and and Paul kept called after him Hell is for fools The fellow came back meekly and let Paul share the gospel with him Jerry here the beat of that Boldness have you met him? Tell you the Spirit of God working in him and that's what you have in the book of Acts a boldness in proclaiming the truth of God and then joy acts chapter 13 joy Wherever the Spirit of God is filling a person. He is full of joy as well It says in verse 52 acts 13 52 and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost Dear friends. Let's have a little joy. The Lord will forgive you for being a happy Christian. He really will God hates complaining. He hates murmuring, but he loves joy. And then of course praise. This is characteristic of The filling of the Spirit praise Luke chapter 1. I think these are lovely passages Luke chapter 1 verses 67 Through 75, of course I'm not going to read them all but you know what it is The father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied thing and he opens his mouth and praise to God flows out of his mouth the passage from 67 through 75 and Then of course in Ephesians 5 the passage we already read, you know giving thanks Continually a thankful heart and then also in Ephesians chapter 5 submission submission a mark of being filled With the Holy Spirit not rebellion against authority Submission the Holy Spirit filled now. Not only does the Holy Spirit fill but he also guides He guides Romans chapter 8 verse 14, let's look at that we're going to think about the subject of guidance for just a few moments Luke, I mean Romans chapter 8 and verse 14 for as many as are led by the Spirit of God. They are the sons of God When you come to a verse like that all Christians are seen in verse 14 as being led by the Spirit of God It doesn't mean some inner circle of Christians who experience supernatural guidance all Christians in that verse are led by the Spirit of God and it goes on to say that they are the sons of God Galatians chapter 5 verse 18 Galatians chapter 5 verse 18 But if you're led of The Spirit you're not under the law again, that's all Christians if you're led of the Spirit You're not under the law Christians are not under the law. They are under grace This raises a question how does the Spirit of God guide his people only guides them in many ways He guides them through the Word of God First of all, the Word of God contains a general outline of the will of God, doesn't it? And as we study the Word of God and saturate our minds with it and saturate our lives with it We have in general tune with the will of God But he guides in specific ways, too Sometimes you're looking for the guidance of God and you read a verse of Scripture and it stands out in neon light Somebody else could read it that day that wouldn't say a thing to them, but it just answers your need of the moment Sometime ago Steve Richards was in Turkey they had been in Turkey for years and He was wondering does the Lord Want me to stay in Turkey with my family. I think they had been there 10 years or something And he was praying about this Lord. You want me to stay in? Turkey and one morning he's as he's praying the Lord he comes to Psalm 37 verse 3 this was in his reading that morning Psalm 37 verse 3 now He was reading it in the Turkish Bible and it's just a little bit different in the Turkish Bible, which is alright It says in the King James trust in the Lord and do good So shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed But do you know what it says in the Turkish Bible? It says trust in the Lord and do good dwell in the land and feed on the faithfulness of the Lord that was just the guidance he needed for that day and for the day to come dwell in the land and Feed on the faithfulness of the Lord and on the basis of that verse. He stayed in Turkey God spoke to him through it. Now you could read that this morning and it wouldn't say much to you with it Many years ago an uncle of mine came out from Scotland went to Vancouver and he was used of the Lord in seeing souls saved They're in Vancouver. And then he began to wonder I wonder should I go back to Scotland? And as he was praying about it, he read this verse. He said it read him You've compassed this mountain long enough arise and go toward the east And he did he packed up and he traveled east and on the way he came to my father's house in Massachusetts stopped up And my father was a good Presbyterian He had family Devotions they call it family family family worship they have family worship every night brought out the Word of God read the Word of God gave thanks for every meal and So when my uncle was there my father bowed his head and gave thanks for the food Michael said to William are you a Christian my father said? Oh, no, I'm not a Christian Well, he said you just committed a sin. I never committed my father said what was that? Well, he said you just called God your father and he's not your father. You're not saved And just that simple remark punched my father into conviction of sin. He was saved shortly afterward God really does guide through the word doesn't he on the basis of that verse? He left Vancouver came to Massachusetts My father was saved and he went back My uncle went back to Scotland from there God guides by the by the Word of God and I'm sure you've all experienced that guidance in your life I certainly have well verses just come alive when you need them When you need them, I think I was mentioning up at Lake Geneva Time I was going through a very rough patch in my life very very difficult and I was really disconsolate and Didn't know which way to turn and I got a letter from a lady and she had no idea what I was going through She couldn't have known what I was gone through and at the bottom of the letter. She wrote Psalm. She read Isaiah 49-4 She didn't quote it. She just put Isaiah 49-4 at the bottom of the letter. It says then I said I have labored in vain I have spent my strength for not and in vain yet Surely my judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God in other words I felt that it was all in vain, but it wasn't so There's justice with the Lord and my work is with my God just the right first for that time in my life So God guides through the word God guides through the example of the Lord Jesus doesn't he the Lord Jesus is our model and the real test for anything is how does it appear in his sight? He guides us in that way. He guides us through circumstances Oftentimes through the timing of things at the time in my life I was seeking the guidance of the Lord and just the dates and the arrival of letters indicated the guidance of the Lord In other words when you see things happening in your life That would never happen according to the laws of chance or probability. You know, God is working You're before the Lord You're crying to him for guidance. He shows it You know it he guides oftentimes through the counsel of others Through the counsel of others. I think in seeking counsel a good thing to go to older Godly mature people don't go to people who tell you what you want to know what you want to hear at least Go to people who will be objective who are spiritual who know the Word of God Doesn't mean you have to take their advice But you take that but you listen to their advice and you weigh it in the balances of the sanctuary and let God speak to You through it and then there is a way I believe in which God guides through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit And this one you have to be very very careful of and I'll tell you why Colossians chapter 3 verse 15 Colossians chapter 3 verse 15 It says and let the peace of Christ Rule in your hearts are some versions of the Bible say Arbitrate it really means let the peace of Christ umpire in your hearts So that which you are also called in one body and be thankful I think I've been talking to people these last two weeks seeking the guidance of God and maybe there are two pathways Open to them. I Say do you have peace about this one that they know do you have peace about this one? Yeah, well, let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your heart. Let's let the peace grow But let's be careful anything that's subjective like that You have to be awfully care you hear people saying the Lord told me to do this and you know very well He didn't tell him because it's contrary to the Word of God Have to be very careful when it's subjective when it's that inward voice, but I believe the Spirit of God can Guide us in that way. Now. I just like to share a few rules of thumb That I follow in seeking the guidance of the Lord I asked the Lord to confirm the guidance in the mouths of two or three witnesses. I Just show me one indication of you will I might miss it, but if you show me two or three, I won't miss it Well, you're really Quoting his word to him because God says in the mouths of two or three witnesses shall everything be established So you're saying the Lord Lord do as you have said You said that now I'm calling upon you to do it. Will he do it? Yes, he'll do it one of the greatest crises in my life I did that I was praying about going overseas with operation mobilization in 1964 and I wrote to an unsaved friend in New York He had been with me in the Navy and he was with a public relations company in New York And I said to him, you know, I've been praying about going overseas With operation mobilization and all I'm waiting for is a green light from the Lord. It was October 23rd. I wrote to him 1964 Christmas came I got a letter from him and his family. I leaked a card but no letter January 1st, I Thought I think the Lord's gonna answer I think the Lord's gonna get down on my knees and Lord confirm the guidance of the mouths of two or three witnesses February 9th, I got a letter from my friend. He said your dog-eared letter of October 23rd is still before me. You said you were waiting for a green light He said if you're all you're waiting for is a green light Why don't you accept the slogan of a brochure that I've just been preparing for the European Travel Commission and out of the letter fell This brochure and it said why wait till sometime. It's so easy to go to Europe now Seriously I still have the brochure and this is an unsaved man that God is using So I got down on my knees that night and I said Lord, I really believe you spoke it spoke loudly to me I Said I really believe you spoke, but remember I asked for two or three witnesses The next day February 10th. I got a letter from a former a man student who was going overseas And I had sent when I heard he was going over I'd send him a little gift of fellowship and he wrote to me he said You know, he said the Lord's been sending the foot soldier. He was kind of a fresh kid He said the Lord's been sending up the foot soldiers over for a long time I was wondering when he's going to be sending some of the big guns dash like yourself That really hit me hard Really hit me hard. I got down on my knees that night and I said Lord I asked you for two or three witnesses. You give me two I'll go But the Lord wasn't through with me yet February 11th something happened that I'm not at liberty to discuss it would reflect unfavorably on others But I get down on my knees that night and I said Lord, I'm dumb, but I'm not that dumb Yeah, really You know what? I believe I believe if you're really seeking the guidance of God You'll never miss it. If you're sincere with the Lord and that might be an encouragement to some of you tonight I believe some of you are seeking to know which way the Lord wants you to go if you're really sincere You mean business with the Lord? I don't think you'll ever miss it Guidance at any particular moment might be very dim and indistinct. But when you look back, you'll say Jesus led me all the way I really believe that so ask the Lord to confirm the guidance in and amounts of two or three witnesses then Keep busy for the Lord while you're waiting for the Lord to guide you keep busy Whatever your hands find to do do it with all your might God guides ships in motion. He really does I Want to tell you it's while the shepherds were out tending their sheep That the angels visited them That's when the angel still visit us when we're busy One of those shepherds that night in Bethlehem could have said I'm just tired of taking care of these dumb sheep. I think I'll go into Bethlehem for a pizza Well, he could have done that but he'd have missed the angels Do the work that the Lord assigns to you and be happy in doing it Then I go by this little rule if you're looking for guidance and no guidance comes God's guidance is for you to stay where you are. That's not bad. Is it? It's true too. If you're looking for God's guidance and no guidance comes God's guidance is for you to stay right where you are Darkness about going it's light about staying You Go back to the pillar cloud in the Old Testament When the pillar cloud moved they were to move if the pillar cloud didn't move they were not to move Israel was not to set forth on the journey the same today Wait for the pillar cloud to move and then finally I would say this and I go by this rule wait Until the guidance is so clear That to refuse would be positive disobedience And I believe God will honor that you say, oh, that's what I don't like to do is wait join the club It's the hardest thing for me to do is wait You say oh the world's perishing. I gotta go I know the world was perishing when Jesus was in the carpenter shop in Nazareth too, wasn't it? But he waited To time and then at age 30 God led him forth to redeem the world God knows what he's doing and We have to wait until the guidance is so clear that to refuse that guidance would be positive Disobedience and God will bless you as you do that Okay, let's look at another ministry of the Holy Spirit You didn't know this was going to open up so many doors Did you the Holy Spirit prays for believers and I'm so glad he does Romans chapter 8 Romans chapter 8 verse 26 Likewise the Spirit also help us our infirmities For we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself Make an intercession for us with groanings Which cannot be uttered He that search of the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints According to the will of God, you know, that's a wonderful thing. I hope you rejoice in that verse as I do We don't know what to pray for as we are doing We really don't we do the best we can But for instance, we don't know what's best for us. Maybe a loved one is sick. How do you pray? I don't know how to pray What a wonderful comfort it is to know the Spirit of God is praying for us groaning which cannot be uttered and God can interpret those groans. You know what that says to me. It says the most spiritual prayer is a groan Because that's what the Spirit of God and incidentally it's the Spirit groans not ours in that It's the Spirit of God in that verse that groaning and not we our self, but the wonderful thing is he makes Intercession for us According to the will of God that's really tremendous and Sitting here in the room tonight you and I cannot know what we owe to the prayers of the Lord Jesus and to the prayers of the Holy Spirit on our behalf someday, we'll know someday God's going to unroll the canvas and We'll see how he was praying for us according to the will of God And that explains a lot in our Christian lives Now I think I'll just start on the next one We won't get very far but I'd like to start on the next one and that is that he gives gifts And of course, I can't read all of that 1st Corinthians 12 1 to 31 But we're going to be spending some time in 1st Corinthians Chapters 12 13 and 14 incidentally that him on chapter 13 was very appropriate tonight, wasn't it? Here tonight by way of introduction. I just want to do a little detective work with you about the gifts I'd like to do a little detective work with you and ask the question. What was going on in Corinth? Anyway that brought forth these chapters 12 13 and 14 well, the first thing I'd like to tell you is this First little bit of detective work the Saints were exalting the spectacular gifts Above the edifying gifts Now let me show you you have to read between the lines chapter 14 verse 1 follow after love Yet desire earnestly Spiritual gifts, but rather that she may prophesy It's okay to desire spiritual gifts, but there are some that are preferable to others But rather that she may prophesy verse 12 even so he for as much as he are zealous of spiritual gifts seek that he may excel to the edifying of the church and Verses 18 and 19. I thank God I Speak with tongues more than you all how be it in the church. I'd rather speak five words with my understanding That by my voice I might teach others also than 10,000 words in a tongue In other words, they were exalting Spectacular gifts we might call them fine gifts above edifying gifts. That's the first thing Secondly They were exalting the gifts of the spirit above the fruit of the spirit They were exalting the gifts of the spirit above the fruit of the spirit How do you know because verse 13 says it though? I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not loved love is the fruit of the spirit in it He said I'm become Asounding grass a reclaiming symbol though. I have the gift of prophecy one of the gifts and Understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not loved They were exalting the gifts of the spirit above the fruit of the spirit Paul is Correcting that in these passages of Scripture It says that though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned have not loved Prophetess me nothing. I Read recently of one of the early martyrs of the Christian Church Who is faithful as to Christ he was going to be put to death And they let him out to the stake where he's going to be burned and as they let about the state a Christian Who had wronged him? Rushed out to plead for forgiveness And as the martyr was walking on to the state He brushed him aside Wouldn't have anything to do with him a man pleading for forgiveness Wouldn't have anything to do with him and that man's never been listed among the martyrs of the Christian Church His name has never been listed though. I give my body to be burned and have not loved It profits me nothing third they were insisting That everyone should have one particular gift How do you know that well chapter 12 verse 11? chapter 12 verse 11 said but all these work of the one and the self same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will and then verses 28 through 30 God has set some in the church first Apostle secondarily prophets thirdly teachers after that Miracles then gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues are all Are all Apostles and the way that's written in the original language of the New Testament. It requires a no answer It says not all are our Apostles. Are they? Or prophets or teachers or workers of miracles all do not have the gifts of healing do they Don't know that says that in any of the modern versions, but that's really the thought here It requires a negative answer. Do all speak with tongues do all interpret the implied answer is no So they were insisting that everyone should have one particular gift Paul is correcting that here Next they were using the gifts for self Rather than for others they were using the gifts for self edification or for self display Rather than for others Paul corrects that in 1st Corinthians 12 7 it says but the Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all that means for the profit of all Why did God give you a gift for yourself? No So that you can benefit others That's why the gifts were given We were not intended to be the terminals of the blessing but channels of the blessing To others and then in chapter 13, of course the whole emphasis of chapter 13 is love Thinks of others not of self. That's why chapter 13 is here love thinks of others not of self Verse 4 of chapter 13 love suffers longs kind love envies Not it goes right on down the list what love does and what love thinks chapter 14 verse 4 He that speaks in a tongue edifies himself But he that prophesies edifies the church That's the difference they were using these gifts for self not for others They weren't intended to be used that way then they were using the gifts as a child use as a toy So to say that well look at chapter 13 verse 11 when I was a child I spake as a child I Understood as a child. I thought as a child when I became a man I put away childish thing He's saying don't act childishly in the use of the gifts. Don't act child I'll explain it in just a minute and then in chapter 14 verse 20 Brethren be not children in Understanding in malice be children, but in understanding be men. There it is the idea of children again What was happening? Well, a man would get up in the assembly in car And he would speak in a tongue and there was no interpretation Nobody understood a word. He was saying And Paul is saying that's using it as a toy as a child uses a toy It was never intended to be used that way nobody understands what you're saying you might as well not be talking at all and Then of course they were exalting themselves over others weren't they they were exalting themselves over others? And that's why Paul in chapter 12 Uses the illustration of the human body There's diversity in the human body, but there's interdependence, too, you know Many different members yet. There's a unity there and the members are dependent upon One another so some were made to feel inferior while others consider themselves self-sufficient and independent chapter 12 verses 12 through 27