Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

The Comforter Pt.5

Let's turn to Corinthians. Chapter 3, verse 16, 1 Corinthians, "Now ye now that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you." So here's the Holy Spirit living within us and we've been talking about what it is that the Holy Spirit does. Look over to the twelfth chapter of Corinthians for just a second. I think this is very important, that we understand as we were reading through this twelfth chapter last session, and we started off and shared with you that first of all, Paul said "...by the Spirit I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning spiritual gifts." He wants you to be aware of God's desire to manifest Himself in our midst. "You know that you were gentiles carried away unto these dumb idols even as you were led." We talked about the reference to dumb, the inability to speak, and that God is a God of revelation. He reveals Himself to us. He reveals Himself through His Word. He's a God of communication. He's a God of confrontation. In reality then, God is pursuing us. He's revealing Himself to us. He's revealing His will to us, and very importantly as it pertains to these gifts, He's revealing our course to us. He knows where we're going; we don't. The Spirit then, as we've been studying this in John 14 and John 16, "He leads us into all truth." The Holy Spirit is your guide, that inner voice. He's leading us not just into a place, but the Holy Spirit is leading us into His image. He's leading us into spiritual growth. He's leading us into sanctified lifestyles. He's anointing us and preparing us for body ministry. Because, as we saw and read the context of this twelfth chapter and into fourteen, He begins to talk about body context--how the Lord has put us into the body as it pleases Him. When He places us, He gifts us. The Bible said we have gifts that differ, but they are given to what? Every man to prophet what? Withal. So the reason you're gifted is not for you, it's for us. These spiritual gifts aren't a badge for you to wear; they're a tool to build the body of Christ. The gifts are not a way to measure spirituality. The gifts are an ability to humble ourselves and become servants of all, and to serve. The gifts are functional.

Once we begin to realize that we have no right to sit on these things--"Stir up the gifts that are in you that you've received of me," Paul said to Timothy, "by the laying on of my hands" (Timothy 4:13-15). This has been my admonishment to you, and again tonight: stir up the gifts. What has God given you through the ministry of His Word--some of you by the laying on of our hands. What are you doing with it? Has it been in operation? Is the body of Christ being edified by what the Lord's done in your life? Now we said that the Corinthian church didn't have the same problem we have; we have the opposite problem. They had this operating in too much abundance, and we don't have it enough. But as it begins to operate, we want it to operate decently and in order. The teaching here is not to bring into control what's out of order, but to set in order that that's going to begin to manifest so that as it does, it is orderly, it edifies, and God is glorified in our midst. We talked about the trilogy of the chapters here--12, 13, and 14--and that between 12, the revelation of the gifts, and 14, the function, and sandwiched in there, Chapter 13, and that's the motive--love. It's how it works. Faith works by love, the Scripture says. There is faith, hope and charity--love, and the greatest of these is, say it--love. Anything that's not operating out of love isn't being authored by the Holy Spirit. Now love, it tells you in that thirteenth chapter, doesn't prefer itself, it doesn't behave itself unseemly, it's not puffed up. Gifts never operate to bring attention to ourselves; they're always for the purpose of edifying, strengthening, healing the members that are around us.

Then we get into Chapter 14 and I want to share a couple of practical aspects of this. "Follow after love, desire spiritual gifts but rather that you may prophesy." Now Chapter 12, verse 31, ended with this statement to us: "Covet earnestly the best gifts." We talked about that last session. Can I ask you something? Since Sunday, how much of this has been on your mind? How much energy, how much thought, have you put into your pursuit of spiritual gifts? We've coveted other things in the past, haven't we? We've coveted material things, position. We've coveted different things that have to do with vocations. We've coveted relationships. Can you say that your life is in order and you're walking in obedience to the commandment of the Holy Sprit when He tells you? Covet--strong insatiable desire for spiritual gifts--can't live without it--got to have it--the most valuable thing at this moment to me is to be able to be used by the Holy Ghost, to know that God is flowing through me, and out of my innermost being are flowing rivers of living water. I'm refreshed because I've been used of God. You know, you could be just whipped from a day's work and the anointing of God comes on you, and the unction of God comes on you and you begin to speak, edifying the body of Christ; you begin to speak a word in season to edify a brother; you minister to someone, they get born again; you prophesy; you lay hands on somebody; and I want you to know-- you're fired up, aren't you? Are you living below that? These are treasures. This is a lifestyle that's so rewarding and so fulfilling, because it's not self-consuming. It's preferring, 1 Corinthians 13. Its love; it's being used of God. What's better than being used of God? Constantly I'm reminded of times that God has spoken through me, that His unction has flowed through me. You've been able to speak a word in season--what a treasure to think that earthen vessels like you and I, just common clay drain tiles, can be the vehicle that the Holy God flows through to change a life, to save a life, to represent His majesty--and God chose you. Do you want to be used? His eyes are searching to and fro for somebody that He can use, that He can show Himself mighty. Are you coveting these spiritual gifts, the best gifts? Are you desiring the Chapter 14, verse 1, spiritual gifts?

Now he says in these gifts, seek to prophesy. Now, why would prophesy be the number one gift of all of these gifts that we're going to talk about? He goes on and tells you. Because prophesy, "...he that prophesies speaks to edification, exhortation, and comfort." You're going to see that in the fourteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, and you might want to put it in your notes, there are two key words that will cause you to understand what's going on in this chapter. One is "edify" and the other word is "church" or the body of Christ. All of this chapter is about the body of Christ being edified, purified, strengthened, comforted, encouraged, motivated; edification, exhortation; comfort, edify, build up. Exhortation; stir up, comfort, cheer up; that's what the Spirit of God is about. Much of what these gifts do is it motivates us, it encourages us, it strengths us, it causes us to be prepared for the battle that's at hand. He says, "...desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy [Then he contrasts prophesy against speaking in tongues] 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." Now that word "mysteries" in the Greek doesn't mean something that nobody can comprehend; we're not talking Nancy Drew here. "Mysteries" really means, in the Greek, spiritual truths. Now these are mysteries because they're spiritually discerned. They're mysteries to the natural man. They're mysteries to those that are in the room of the unlearned, as he goes on to make reference to that. Spiritual truths--spirit to spirit--not only spirit (man) to Spirit (God), but spirit (man) to spirit (man). When you pray in an unknown tongue the spirit prays through you, the spirit ministers and reveals spiritual truths, and refreshes your spirit. The unction ministers to my spirit many times when you're being edified, as you're being ministered to. As God visits you, the overflow can build up and reveal to me the presence of God, and as a spirit being I recognize that taking place in your life. That's why spirit filled people don't despise spirit filled people talking in tongues. I'm edified by you talking in tongues.

"For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto to men, but unto God... [and] ...edifieth himself [but he also edifies the spiritual beings that are around him.]" The ones that aren't edified, the ones that are offended, the room of the unlearned, the ones that say you're mad, are the ones that have no spiritual revelation of what's going on, and Paul tells us how to deal with these folks also as we read on in this chapter. But watch what he's going to say to us here. We speak mysteries, spiritual truths, spiritual principles, laws. They're really discernable; at times they're still in that spirit realm--spirit to spirit. "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church." So, there you see what he's talking about.

Now, get a couple of things down here that are very important. Learn what speaking in tongues is all about. "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God... [and] ...edifieth himself." Paul said, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all." The more you speak in tongues, the more you're getting built up. Now, it doesn't mean that you have to go around speaking audibly, speaking in tongues. It doesn't mean you go around screaming in tongues. But many times, as you just mutter to yourself through the day, do you find yourself doing that, praying in the spirit? You can do all kinds of stuff praying in the spirit. Now, most of us live in a society where we've got to have some kind of noise going on; we can't have it quiet, so you make the noise. But "...pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Pray in the spirit and realize that as you do, the spirit is praying through you with groanings that cannot be uttered, praying spiritual truths, mysteries, and you're being edified, and God is being magnified. Because it says, "he that prays in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men but unto God, and gives thanks well also." We find a couple of things going on--I'm building myself up and at the same time I'm giving thanks to God. There is no purer worship that speaking in tongues; it's unadulterated. There are no soul impurities. There's no carnal influence. "But I give thanks well." I worship with supernatural assistance as God ministers through me--verse 17, "...you give thanks well."

Here we are and we see, "...But he that prophesieth," the Scripture says, "speaks unto men to edify, exhort, and comfort." Prophesy is not to give guidance to people, personal prophesy. That's one of the greatest abuses. People think that prophesy is, "I have a word for you, brother. The Lord said, bless God, you're going to go over here, and you're going to get this job, or you're going to marry this person. God's got a word for you, brother; you're called into the full time ministry". That's not what prophesy is and that's not how we receive our guidance. I've shared with people in the past--if some guy comes up and prophesies, "Well brother, the Lord God's calling you and He's sending you to India," you'd better take that dude with you because you won't know when to come home if that's how you're getting your direction! That's not what this is about. It's about a communal building up, edification, exhortation, and comfort. Now, when we begin to listen and there begins to be this spirit motivated by the spirit we read about in Chapter 12, verse one, "...by the spirit we prophesy, by the spirit we speak in tongues, by the spirit we interpret tongues." There's a distinction your spirit knows when somebody in our midst just has the gift of gab going off, or when someone is speaking by the spirit; we respond differently. It edifies, it exhorts and it comforts; it doesn't just give information. Now, much of the time it's to build up the body's position; where we are as a body, what we need as a body, not just to certain individuals, though it can be more applicable to certain individuals; but it's primarily where the community is at this time. The Spirit will speak to us as community and as individuals, we apply it specifically. "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, exhortation, and comfort."

So here we are; are you coveting spiritual gifts? Are you seeking to prophesy? Are you looking to be used of God and in a moment when the unction of God comes upon you to be able to speak a word, and see the whole body among us encouraged, strengthened? What a great gift, especially as we're coming into the hour that's upon us. We have the inauguration taking place tomorrow and different things that are going on, and right in the midst of all of this there was an article in the Times just the other day that talked about some people in Philadelphia. I don't know if any of you saw this, but these Christians were arrested, and could face 46 years in prison for a peaceful protest against homosexuals. Under the new hate law ordinances, and some of the others, they were able to put 46 years of imprisonment for practicing the first amendment. There's going to be a day when we're going to need encouragement and comfort. These gifts are not going to be luxuries. They're not going to be things that we say, "Huh, we're Pentecostals and I can't remember the last time I heard somebody speak in tongues, and an interpretation. I wonder if we ought to get that going again." You're not going to be able to live without it. In this day that we're entering into we need to begin to prepare ourselves to hear from God and know what He's saying, and be strengthened for the task that's at hand. Things are being stacked against us; we'd better be able to flow in the supernatural. "I would that all of you, [verse 5] "spoke with tongues, but rather that you prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth..." and some people stop right there. The Word doesn't stop there, but some people stop right there in their theology. For greater is he that prophesieth that's a good Baptist, for you, or Presbyterian; Nazarene. That's not what it says. It says, "I would that you all spake with tongues." Why don't we stop it right there. But rather that you prophesy--okay. "I want you all to speak with tongues, and I want you all to prophesy." "For greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues..." What's the next word? [The congregation speaks aloud, "Edify"]. "Oh, man! There's more to this verse, huh?" He interprets that the church may receive what? So what makes one more preferable than the other? What's it all about? What are these two gifts supposed to do? Edify.

The only time that prophesy is better than tongues is if tongues is not interpreted, if the gift is not fully used with it's sister gift that the body might be edified. The purpose of all the gifts is to edify. What makes the gifts great--that the body is edified. It's not about making you great, it's about making God great, about the body being built up, and that's what these gifts are for. You'll hear people say when you're out and about, "Well prophesy is better than tongues." No, edification is what it's all about. We can be edified with tongues, if it's interpreted. Now, I don't want to get off into too much of the specifics here--but I think I will. One thing that you don't hear taught anywhere, even in Pentecostal churches, with the exception of a few, is what tongues and interpretations is all about. For years, and years, and years, and years, and years, and years, a hundred years or more, and especially in your traditional Pentecostal churches of God, Assemblies of God, whatever, there was one thing that I always, as a young man, wondered--you know God's a steward, and you hear somebody prophesy, and then you'd hear somebody speak in tongues and interpretation, and it was pretty much the same thing, and the tongues, and interpretation. A guy would speak in tongues, and a guy would interpret, and the interpretation would be something along the lines of "God's in your midst, you're a people that have been called to go forth, and show forth the praises of Him that's called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, and gird up your loins, and be strong, and of good courage, and I won't leave you, and I won't forsake you, and I've gone before you to make a way, and I've built a hedge around you, and My glory's your rear guard, and no weapon formed against you, and praise God!". That just got me blessed right there, praise God, just thinking about it, the Word. So it would be an encouragement to the body, but he that prophesieth speaketh unto whom? [Men.] He that prophesieth unto, but he that speaketh in tongues speaketh not unto men but unto.... So they should be different, shouldn't they?

Interpretation is God's word, and you don't hear this taught anywhere, and you don't hear it practiced anywhere. But interpretation of tongues, "...he that speaketh in tongues speaketh unto God and giveth thanks." So really what we're talking about is a supernatural giving of thanks, so tongues and interpretation would be supernatural worship, and praise, and thanksgiving, and magnification of God, and God being made big. Now, in the midst of all of that it could have to do with the body being encouraged, and built up, etc., and in fact it will cause that even if it doesn't speak directly to that. Understand what these gifts are about; that's why there has to be interpretation; that's how the body gets edified, is hearing how good God is and how big God is. Now, if there's no interpretation and we're all just speaking in tongues, we're giving thanks well, we're praising God, but as a community we're not being edified, and if an unbeliever comes in, will they not say you're mad? If everybody in here is just blasting out in tongues and it's going on, and on, and that's all there is to it, those that occupy the room of the unlearned, the unbelievers that come in, won't understand what's going on because they're not spirit filled, so they have no discernment, they're not being edified, they're not being blessed--going, "praise God, this is cool!" Have you ever noticed how when you're in Africa and they're singing worship choruses, that you don't know the words to, your spirit still picks up the ministry and you're blessed--don't understand a word they're saying, and then they begin to pray in tongues. They're praying in Swahili--I don't understand that; now they're praying in tongues--I don't understand that, but I'm still blessed, praise God, because I'm aware of the Spirit's presence. But those that occupy the room of the unlearned, those that are the pagans that come into our midst, they're not able to discern that, and so they have to be able to deal with something discernable which is prophesy or the interpretation of the tongues, and then it reveals the secret of their hearts, Paul goes on to say in this fourteenth chapter.

I know that everybody's done their homework and read these chapters, so you know what I'm talking about when I'm making reference to these things; we don't necessarily have to go through every verse. It's important for us to understand, then, that's it's about edification, and as we're coveting the best gifts, and we're seeking to prophesy, and as we're praying to interpret. "He that speaks in tongues let him pray that he might interpret." So if I'm going to be used in tongues I need to be praying, believing God to give me the interpretation. Now, I don't have to always have the interpretation if I'm the one that speaks in tongues, and I can give a message in tongues if I know that in our midst there's an interpreter. Now the interpreter doesn't interpret by comprehension naturally; the interpreter interprets by the spirit supernaturally, and responds to that unction in our midst. But that doesn't mean that somebody can interpret anytime they feel, because it's by the spirit, chapter 12 says. That doesn't mean that you can just go off in tongues and think "Somebody will interpret that one, bless God." That's why you need to pray that you would interpret. If you give a message in tongues and you don't interpret, and you've just kind of gone off half-cocked, and the interpreter among us doesn't receive the interpretation, then you're out of order. But I want to tell you something. If that unction's upon you and you're praying to interpret, and you know this is God, God will bring the interpretation to you or somebody else. The point Paul's making here is, don't go off half-cocked and just think, "Bless God! I'll just let it rip in tongues, and somebody will interpret this thing!" No, you pray that you interpret. You be responsible. You make sure that there's an interpreter in our midst. How do we know that? We sense it in the spirit. You don't come in and say, "Anybody here going to interpret this morning?" This is all in the spirit realm as we're seeking to worship God and edify the body.

Are you coveting spiritual gifts? Do you want to see what can happen in this supernatural realm; how we can be edified, and built up, and comforted in this lousy day that we're living in? Here we are a people called to walk in the spirit, to live in the realm of the supernatural. "I would that you all spake in tongues rather that you prophesy." [Verse 6.] "Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what will it profit you, except I speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?" That 'give distinction' in the Greek, it's talking about really arranging an order, like musical arrangements or whatever. There's purpose, there's order--you know, kind of like rap music. Boy, that's anything but a distinct sound! Well, there's probably some type of order to it, it's just a chaotic order. Maybe it's just that I'm old and can't hear it. (Jerry was saying, "Yeah, that's probably what it is!") But it's important that we realize that there is to be a distinction. Basically what he's saying here, and as you go on you'll see that he talks about, "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to battle?" Paul's making reference to the fact that the guy doesn't just get on the trumpet and just go [imitating generic horn] and everybody knows what to do. There're certain sounds that have to do with marching, with going to battle, and so we know the difference, don't we? [imitating horn playing reveille] That's different than [imitating horn playing Taps]. There's a distinct sound. The Greek here--it's an interesting word as you look at this word 'sound,' and then in verse 10 where it says "There are also many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification." The Greek word is phone. He's making a distinction here when he talks about voices; he's not talking about languages, he's truly talking about sounds. That's why tongues are intelligible by sound and not necessarily by language. God is supernatural; He's aware of all of the sounds.

I don't know how much communication goes on among chickens or ducks, but there seems to be something going on; you know what I mean. It's not all just pecking order. When a duck goes, "quack," and all the little ducks go, something was communicated. I'm sure I heard a duck go, "quack" like mom, "quack, quack", and they all jump in line, and then they head off. Somewhere there's some communication that's taking place and to us it's just sounds. These voices, these sounds, the tongues, whatever, it has signification. Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the voice, the sound, I'm like a barbarian to a duck. They understand. That word 'meaning' is interesting, and it's really an interesting word. It comes in the area of 'dunamis'. We know what that means. It means power or ability; force. If I don't know the force of the sound, if I don't know what's behind it, the sacredness, that it's originating from the Spirit of God, because I don't know the Spirit, I'm distinct from them and I'm like a barbarian; I am a foreigner. That word 'barbarian' is just talking about a foreigner. It doesn't mean Attila the Hun necessarily, but just somebody that's a foreigner; alien. We're very familiar with that, aren't we? (You shouldn't be able to drive if you can't read English, man. Signs are in English. These dudes are driving by Braille, man!) He's saying they're not going to understand and so make sure that things are orderly because we're seeking to do one thing, and I've got to end with this for this evening. Verse 12, "...Forasmuch as you are zealous of spiritual gifts, [Are you?] Seek that you may excel to the edifying of the church." I'm going to be gone for a few services and I don't know for sure that he will, but I may have Chuck just pick up this chapter, and go from there. He taught School of the Prophets. [Pastor speaking to Pastor La Rock] You took the course on Gifts of the Spirit for a couple of semesters, didn't you? Praise God! We did! We had an excellent teacher, Harold Horton, and Donald Gee, and some great books, praise God! I don't know that he'll feel led to do that, but if he does he can pick up and finish this chapter off for us and make sure that as we're believing God to come into our midst that we're ready and understand what these gifts are about, how they're to operate so we don't have to clean a whole bunch of stuff. They'll just begin to work like they're supposed to. But are you coveting the best gifts? Are you zealous of spiritual gifts? Are you desiring spiritual gifts? Are we stirring up the gift that's in us that God can show Himself mighty, that He can be magnified, and that the church can be edified? That's what we're believing God for.

Father, we just thank You for Your Word and for the opportunity to serve You, to be used of You. Come into our midst and show Yourself mighty. Father, we thank You for the healing of that baby, we just ask You to be glorified in our midst, and Father, we're believing that the unction of God, that someone among us will touch the hem of Your garment through intercession, that someone will allow the gift of healings to rise up, and pray the prayer of faith, and speak the Word of God, and that that child would be made whole in Jesus' name. You don't have to go there and touch that baby. The man said to Jesus, he marveled at his faith, "I'm a man of authority. You don't have to come, just speak a word, and my servant will be healed" (Matthew 8:8-9). Father, we speak that word in the name of Jesus for that healing to manifest; be glorified in our midst. Father, come among us and strengthen us, and build us up. Make us a people that hunger and thirst for your presence. Make us a people that are only at rest when the cloud is present. We want to know you Lord; we want to see your face. Save us from ourselves, Father. Give us grace and strength to worship You and to serve You. Be our treasure; be that pearl of great price. Let Your wisdom, Your Word, and the understanding of it, be more precious than rubies. Let us boast in Your majesty and in our commonness. Be all in all, Father, in Jesus' name, Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord tonight. As Gary plays for us, we'll just take a moment in His presence. Those of you who have been desiring to be filled with the Spirit, don't seek tongues; seek God. Worship Him, thank Him! You can't earn it, you can't learn it, you just accept it. Just let it happen for His glory. Hallelujah!. Father, fill Your children with Your Spirit, in the name of Jesus. Let's sing it together. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Thank you, Father, in Jesus' name, amen. Amen! Before you go, turn to somebody and say, "Covet the best gifts!" Amen! Go in peace. God's love go with you.

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