Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
When you were children, how many of you were given an opportunity by your dad to pick out the meal for supper as you were walking through the grocery store? There were all kinds of things that you could choose from but chances are that you picked out the very best meal that you could possibly get. After all, it was free! How many of you have been perusing all of the bicycles at your local box store, when your dad told you that you could pick out any one of them that you wanted. Chances are that you picked out the very best one because after all, it was free!
This reminds me of the Christian Life
God offers each of the men in the church many different Spiritual gifts, and they are completely free. But as we learn today, the Apostle Paul wanted all of the men to earnestly desire the very best gifts that they could get!
1 Corinthians 12:28-31 (KJB) And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then 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 shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Covet means to long after and crave, or to yearn for or to aspire to. In its most simplistic terms, it means to want something greatly, having a strong desire to obtain that which you want. Many times this word is used when speaking about evil desires, such as wanting your neighbor’s wife, but in this passage it is used to describe how strongly we must desire good things. To desire Spiritual gifts in such a manner is truly one of the greatest desires that you could ever possess. Like a child who cannot wait to get some of his mother’s fresh homemade chocolate chip cookies, we must desire gifts from God. The Apostle clearly wanted the church to diligently seek after all of these gifts in the same manner. Perhaps somebody speaks in tongues, but they should be seeking all the rest of the gifts as well! Why would somebody only pick out one item in a grocery store, when their dad says they can pick out 10 if they so desire? Paul didn’t want them to settle with just one gift, but to covet them all!
1 Corinthians 14:1-5 (KJB) Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
The one main thing in our entire study that I want you to focus on today, is the usage of the word “all”. This word is defined as having the entire amount!
Consider this, you may have gotten some merit badges when you were in the scouts, but the goal was to obtain them all so that you could eventually become an Eagle scout! You might have started as a janitor or a cook in the kitchen, but continued to grow and seek after higher positions. This was so eventually you could own your own restaurant! Tongues are a great gift, but they are just the beginning of the Christian Life. We need to keep growing in our faith and diligently seeking after more gifts!
When I became a believer, I truly desired the gifts of healing, and ever since the birth of my children, they never saw a doctor or any type of medical treatment of any kind in my home. Whenever they were sick, I anointed them with oil in the name of Jesus Christ, and He always healed them from whatever they had. This has absolutely nothing to do with me, but God granted me that gift for the sake of my precious children. Many people don’t have these types of gifts because they really don’t diligently seek after them. They don’t even bother to fast and pray to show God how much they really, really want them! The heart must be Spiritually hungry for these gifts, seeking God and crying out regularly for them.
Prophecy is available. Apostleship is available! Obviously those who possess these gifts are going to be in perfect alignment and agreement with the teachings of the other Spirit-filled men in the King James Bible. This is because there is only ONE Spirit. Prophecy does not contradict biblical prophecy, and the spirits of prophets are subject unto the prophets, which are found throughout God’s Holy Word. What greater thing could you desire in your life than to be endued with the gifts that the Apostle Paul had? What greater thing could you desire in your life than to be filled with the gifts that were bestowed upon the Apostle Peter? These men are our role models, and we should seek to become more like them in the Spirit each and every day.
Once again to reiterate, the Apostle wanted all the men of the church to be filled with as many gifts as they possibly could, but many times you will see the same people talking week after week, but this really isn’t the way that it’s supposed to be. Many false prophets have risen up and taken center stage behind their podiums and in front of large groups of people, working the crowds like a frontman in a band. They are like great actors in a movie who love to be in the center of attention and are enamored being in the limelight. But God knows their heart because it’s really not about church growth at all, it’s all about them. All the men in the church need to get up at one time or another and start edifying the rest of the brethren.
Paul had placed Timothy in the church to make sure that they were all keeping themselves aligned with church doctrine, but Paul wanted all the men to have the opportunity to preach and do other things at services, provided they kept within the Apostles guidelines. Women had to be in subjection to men, and were absolutely forbidden from speaking, grandstanding, or participating in orderly Church matters. Men who couldn’t understand that were completely ignorant and were to be rejected from participation.
1 Corinthians 14:26-40 (KJB) How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.
So if your dad were to tell you that you could have 10 free things from the store, would you only take one of them or would you take them all? It’s not a matter of greed, because he freely wants to give them to you. Although the Apostle Paul might have preached when there weren’t enough qualified men to do it, he really wanted all the men of the church to rise up and get involved. It all begins by diligently seeking the wisdom of God, and,….
………Coveting the Best Gifts
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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