A Word about the Sign Gifts

Today I want to share a word about the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit and I continue commenting from the Bible about the Gifts of the Spirit.

So far we have dealt with the origin and purpose of the Holy Spirit as well as the origin and purpose of the gifts of the Spirit. Now we need to look at the sign or miraculous gifts because these gifts are the cause of much confusion.

The three sign gifts that seem to cause the most trouble are the gifts of tongues, prophecy, and healing. We will discuss each of these, but we will begin by looking at how and when God uses miracles.

God’s Use of the Miraculous:

We must begin our consideration of this subject with a very basic fact: God created the Earth and the earth and all that is in it comes from God.

 

Equally important for our discussion toy is that God created the world to work in an orderly fashion. We know that the Sun always rises in the east and sets in the west, even when we can’t see it because of clouds. This is the way God designed the world and it is the way the world works almost all of the time.

The fact that God created the world and that God gave it rules by which it runs is the foundation of modern science. The earliest scientists were men of great faith who believed that the world was a place of order that worked the same way every time. All they had to do is observe how the world works and they could then predict the outcome of an experiment. The problem today is that scientists have made the earth a god and placed it above humanity whereas our God made people His stewards over the earth. Despite this, modern science has its beginning in Christian faith.

What then do we observe? Almost all the time the world works exactly the way God designed it to work. Miracles are not common, nor are they necessary. If we observe how nature works and if we are good stewards of nature, then we will be blessed by nature.

Remember again that God owns the Earth so He can change how nature works. When you create something you own it. When you own something, it is under your control. If your own a house you can paint it a different color. If you only rent a house, you must ask permission to paint it. God does not need to ask permission.

When He decides to, God can change how nature works. He does not do this very often. When he rested on the seventh day he said the world he had created was ‘Very good!” He likes it to work the way it normally works. At certain times and instances in history, however, God changes the way nature works. We call these acts of God miracles. They don’t happen very often, but they do happen.  The Bible records many miracles in both the Old and New Testament. Even in the Bible, however, miracles did not occur every day. What does this teach us?

God Uses Miracles to Confirm Developments in His Revelation:

A review of the Bible revels that God uses miracles in brief periods in the history of His relationship with His people. For example: 

• He used them to validate Moses. 

• He used them to establish the Jews in the Promised Land. 

• He used them to validate the ministry of the Old Testament Prophets. 

• Jesus did miracles because He is God. He used them more the bless people than to validate His ministry. His miracles did testify to Him as the Son of Man, however.

• He used them to establish the New Testament Church. 

• He used them to validate the truth of His Holy Word.

It is apparent that God uses miracles to show that something new is about to happen. He uses them to show the next step in His enteral plan. So, what is the next major event in God’s plan? From what we know, the end times would seem to be next. I believe that the end times will see an outbreak of the miraculous.  For example, when Jesus comes for us we will meet Him in the air! Certainly that will be a miracle!

God does continue to act in people’s lives, but He made nature to work in a certain way and He likes the way it works. Therefore we should not expect an outpouring of miracles until He is ready to advance his plan to the next phase.

I believe then place that God works in extraordinary ways is on the mission field. I do believe He uses miracles to validate His Word where people have never heard it before.  In contrast to that, when people have God’s Word in the midst we know it is powerful. It is a Two-edged Sword and it convicts us of our sin.  God’s Word does not need miracles to be effective. If works its own miracles in our hearts!

The Sign Gifts:

What, then, should we make of the sign gifts? I believe that while these are still valid gifts, God does not use them very often today.

Let's begin our survey with the Gift of Tongues, because this gift seems to cause the most confusion.

In Acts 2, Gods used tongues to present the Gospel to Jews gathered from all over the Roman world for Pentecost. They each heard in their own language. Some have called this the gift of hearing. These were known, human languages. It would be like me speaking in English and you hearing in Spanish, but without an interpreter!

In 1 Corinthians, Paul indicates that a person might speak with the tongues of men or the tongues of angels. Some believe this means that there is a prayer language that we can use in private prayer with God. If so, Paul does not explain how this works. Paul does however explain God’s purpose for tongues: 1 Corinthians 14:22 says, 

“Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers.” 

Again, God validates His Word by use of miracles such as tongues. 

Paul also insists that what is taught in church must be understandable by the people. He said in 1 Corinthians 14:18-19 that,

“I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

Paul also told the church at Corinth not to prohibit speaking in tongues. However, he did tell them to regulate tongues by having an interpreter: 

“If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God (1 Cor 14:17-18).”

The most important thing to Paul was for God’s Word to be used to edify the church. Speaking in unknown tongues does not do that, even if it is a human language or a heavenly language. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:8, 

“Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?”

Finally, remember that Bible does not teach that we must speak in tongues to show we are saved.  The Bible does not teach that you must speak in tongues to show you are Baptized with the Holy Spirit. Tongues is one gift among many, and Paul teaches it is not the most important one.

Next, let's consider the Gift of Prophecy:

This gift is clearly Paul’s favorite. It is the only gift that is included in all three of his lists of Spiritual Gifts. He told the church at Corinth that if they prayed for a gift, it should be prophecy.

Prophecy is one of the speaking gifts and it works to build up the church by sharing God’s Word. The gift is not defined by Paul, but he does describe how it works in 1 Corinthians 14:3, 

“The one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. “ 

So is this really a sign gift? According to Millard Erickson, a prophet is one who speaks forth for God. In the Old Testament that often included revelations of the future plans of God, but not always. 

John the Baptist is considered a prophet, but he is recorded as quoting from the Old Testament. God did prompt him to preach repentance, but he was not predicting a new thing, only reminding people of truth from God.

According to Wayne Grudem, prophecy happens when a person has a message from God put upon their heart. They are convicted of God that they must tell this message, but it can never be something that contradicts Scripture.  

Modern day prophecy cannot include foretelling a new future, because we believe the Canon of Scripture closed with the Revelation of John. The next great event on God’s calendar has been predicted. When the End Times come to pass there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth. Those who are alive and remain will be taken into heaven and remain in God’s presence unto eternity. Until these things come to pass what more new things does God need to tell us?

Prophecy, then, is the forth telling or proclamation of a message from God, based on his Word, guided by His Spirit for the purpose of strengthening, encouraging, and comforting God’s people. So to me, prophecy seems similar to the gift of discernment in many ways. So is prophecy a sign gift? You be the judge!

The last sign gift we will consider is the Gift of Healing:

This gift is only mentioned once. Paul includes it in his list of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. It is probably like the gift of working miracles Paul mentioned which close to healing in this list 

We have already discussed God’s use of miracles. He does them when He wants to and for His own reasons. Does God heal today through miracles? Yes, but he doesn’t do it every time and, in truth, He did not heal everyone in the New Testament. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Paul admits, 

“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Like many other gifts, Paul did not teach us how the gift of healing worked.  He merely states the gift exists but give us no other information.

We were taught by James, however, how to minister to those who are sick. He said, 

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5;13-16).”

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the man who was beaten had oil applied to his wounds. Oil was used as medicine in Biblical times. Many teach today to pray for the sick and also to give them medicine.

In Bible times people believed that sin caused illness. Jesus taught that all illness does not come through sin. We understand this better today because science has taught us about bacteria, viruses, and genetic disorders.  Often we get sick because the world is not perfect the way God created it to be. Mankind’s sin has marred God’s perfect creation and so we all get sick. Getting sick does not always mean, that you have committed some specific sin.

Some illnesses do some from sinful habits, however.  Abusing drugs, abusing alcohol, overeating, and not getting exercise can make us sick. We need to repent of these both physically and spiritually to get well.

Let me share from my past ministry three examples of healing:

• My wife and I went to church with woman whose brain tumor disappeared after our congregation prayed for her.

• We served on the mission fiend with a man whose shoulder pain was eased after we joined with some colleagues to pray for him and anointed him with oil. He was able to wait several months for corrective surgery.

• Finally, in a church where I was the pastor, a woman whose cancer treatments made her ill fell into a coma. Our church prayed earnestly for her, but she died anyway. She was healed when she went to be in heaven with her Lord and Savior.

Conclusion:

So, in conclusion, it is difficult to be dogmatic about these sign gifts. I tend to believe that in most cases where the church is established, and Christians have the Bible and the empowering of the Holy Spirit that God does not use the sign gifts very often. On the other hand, on many mission fields, where there is no church and where the Bible is not readily available, I believe God may choose to activate the sign gifts more.

God is still the Great Physician, and I believe He still heals miraculously, and I also believe He wants us to take advantage of the medical knowledge He has given us the ability to acquire and use.

Like Paul, I also believe that one day most gifts will cease, and only the greatest gift of all will remain. We will explore this gift the next time we are together.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Gift of the Holy Spirit

Today I want to share a word about the Gift of the Holy Spirit as I continue in a series commenting on the Gifts of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit gives us power for ministry. He does this by giving us spiritual gifts. If we take this literally, then every Christian must be a charismatic!

The root word for “charismatic” is “charism,” which means “free gift” in Greek, and we have all received the free gift of the Holy Spirit from God!  The issue is not whether we all have a gift from God, because we all do. The question is whether or not we understand these gifts and how they operate. That is what we will try to do today.

The Nature of the Gift of the Holy Spirit:

The Holy Spirit is God, and His gift of the Holy Spirit comes out of His Nature:

• God is good and He always gives good things to His people.

• God is supernatural and His gifts have supernatural power.

• God reveals Himself to us; He gives us the knowledge we need. We have the knowledge we need to have about Spiritual Gifts.

The free gift of the Holy Spirit is a blessing that is unique to those in God’s Family. God gives good gifts to all people, but the best gifts He reserves for those who love Him, those who have accepted Christ’s sacrifice for their sin. Much of the gift of the Holy Spirit is observed in our lives through the Gifts of the Spirit.

Origin and Purpose of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

The Spiritual Gifts come to believers when they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit gives at least one spiritual gift to every believer.

Ephesian 4:4-7 says, 

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Romans 12:6 says, 

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”

No special anointing or second Baptism is required.  When the disciples of John received the Holy Spirit and then spoke in tongues it was not a second baptism of the Spirit because they had not yet been become followers of Christ. When they were saved, they received the Holy Spirit for the first time, the same way we do today.

The Bible also tells us that the purpose of these gifts is to build-up or edify the church and to glorify God.

Ephesians 4:11-13 states, 

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” 

1 Peter 4:10-11 says: 

So, how do these gifts work? Some theologians believe that the Holy Spirit empowers our natural talents. Some believe that spiritual gifts are abilities given by God that are totally unnatural to us. Some believe it can be both, but the Bible does not really tell us which is true! What is important is that we have been given gifts to use. How they work is not nearly as important as the fact that God gives each of His children the power to do some kind of ministry, either to speak or to serve as Peter says.

The Gifts of the Spirit must be Exercised in Humility:

Paul instructed the church at Rome this way:

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (Romans 12:3-5).”

Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”

We must not use our gifts to build our reputation or our standing in the church or community. We must use our gifts for their intended purpose, which is to edify the church, the Body of Christ on earth, and to glorify God. This applies to all gifts, but in particular to the sign or miraculous gifts.

Biblical Lists of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

We only have four places in the New Testament that record gifts of the Holy Spirit.

• Romans 12:6-8: prophecy, service, teaching, giving, encouragement, leadership, and mercy.

• 1 Corinthians 12:8-30: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, teaching, apostleship.

• Ephesians 4:11: apostleship, prophet, evangelists, pastor, teacher.

• 1 Peter 4:10-11: speaking and service.

In these lists we find some important things to note: 

First, Peter neatly categorizes the gifts for us into speaking and serving. 

Second, some teach that the list of Ephesian 4:11 is a list of offices not a list of gifts. Since the power for this work is from the Holy Spirit and the purpose of the work is to edify the church, this may be a distinction without a difference. 

Nowhere in the Bible does it say these are all the gifts that the Spirit bestows. There may be others, but at the same time there is no place in the Bible that it says there are more. 

Prophecy is the only gift that is included on all three of Paul’s lists, and both Paul and Peter emphasize the attitude of the one exercising the gift more than they do the individual gifts themselves.

For example, 1 Peter 4:8-11 says, 

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Also Paul told the church at Corinth to “eagerly desire the greater gifts,” and then he showed them “the most excellent way” which is of course, love (1 Corinthians `13).

Individual Experience of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

How does one know what gift they have from the Holy Spirit? This can be harder than you might think, since we see no direct teaching from the Bible about this subject.

Romans 8:16 says,

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” 

This indicates that the Spirit teaches us spiritual things and thus the Spirit will inform us of the gifts he has given us. We also can ask the Holy Spirit to give us a gift, but Paul tells us it should be one of the greater gifts. We also know from experience that our pastors, friends, and counselors can give us insight into the gifts they see in us.

Regardless of what gift we have, we are to be good stewards of the gift of the Spirit as well as the Gifts of the Spirit.

The emphasis in the Bible is on using the gifts we have been given. For example, Paul instructed Timothy, 

“Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you (1 Timothy 4:14).”  

The implication here is two-fold: a gift becomes more effective when it is regularly used; also, a gift can wither and become useless if it is not used. The bottom line here is that knowledge of our gifts is not as important as using them! The Holy Spirit gives us gifts and the power to use them to bless God and God’s people.

The Duration of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

We must realize that our spiritual gift may not last forever. Paul tells us that most gifts will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 says, 

“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.”

What will remain in the end are faith, hope, and love, and Paul says that the greatest of these is love. Love must guide our use of the gifts, and we will talk more of this later.

We also know from history that the sign gifts seemed to cease after the First Century. These gifts were not seen often after the death of the last Apostles and the church ministered for centuries all over the world without the sign gifts being a prominent feature of our work. Therefore, many believe that the sign gifts have ceased to be given. Of course, the development of the Charismatic Movement in the 20th Century challenged the idea that the sign gifts had ceased. Charismatics believe that the sign gifts are normal, and required to demonstrate your salvation. Again, we will talk more about this in the future.

Conclusion and Summary: 

• The Holy Spirit Gives gifts to all Christians for ministry.

• The purpose of these gifts is to glorify God and the help God’s people become mature.

• There are four lists of gifts in the Bible: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4. There are two basic types of gift: speaking gifts and serving gifts.

• Some gifts are miraculous gifts or sign gifts. There is disagreement about whether these gifts have ceased or not. 

• We must be good stewards of our gifts by using them for ministry.

• What will remain in the end are faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love. Love must guide our use of the gifts.

Join me again next time when we will explore the sign gifts.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Being Empowered by the Spirit

Today I want to share a word about being Empowered by the Spirit as I begin a short series in which I comment on what the Bible teaches about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are central to the ability of God’s people to love Him and be on mission with Him in the world. Without them we would lack the power to serve God, but before we get to the core issue of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, we need to address a couple of points.

First, the information I am bringing to this series is based on the Bible. I have studied the Bible as well as the writings of several learned commentators, and I am confident that I have good, reliable information to share with you, but I am in no way presenting myself as a learned professor. I am learning along with you!

Second, we need to begin every story at the beginning, and so we need to lay a solid foundation for our study of this subject. For this reason, I will begin our work in this area by reviewing the coming of the Holy Spirit and the role He plays in empowering our ministry.

The Revelation of the Holy Spirit:

The Bible reveals to us one God in Three Persons. God reveals Himself to us through His Word and His Word tells us that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Father God is prominent in the Old Testament. Jesus the Son is prominent in the Gospels. The Holy Spirit is prominent in the Book of Acts and the Epistles.

The wholeness of God is seen throughout the Bible, however.

The coming of the Spirit was foretold in the Old Testament; for example Numbers 11:24-29 says:

So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again. However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

1 Samuel 16:13-14 tells us:

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.

In Isaiah 61:1 we read:

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

Jeremiah 31:33 reveals to us God’s plan:

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

Joel 2:28 also tells us:

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”

We see from these and other Old Testament verses that the Holy Spirit was at work during the time before Christ, but the Spirit did not fall on all of God’s people. Only selected leaders were filled with the Holy Spirit in Israel. 

We also see, however, that God’s clearly intended the Spirit to come upon all His people at the time and place of His choosing.

The coming of the Spirit was introduced in the Gospels:

In Mark Chapter 1, John preached to the crowds about Jesus saying, 

“After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

When Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit was seen descending on Him like a dove and after His baptism the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where He was tempted by Satan.

In Luke 11 Jesus taught the Disciples about prayer and ended by saying in verse 13, 

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

During the Festival of Tabernacles in John 7 Jesus announced that the Holy Spirit would empower the ministry of His followers:

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

The longest teaching from Jesus about the Holy Spirit is found in John 14, beginning in verse 16:

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 

He also said, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Finally, Jesus’s final words in Acts 1:4-8 included instructions about waiting for the Holy Spirit:

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”  He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Coming of the Holy Spirit:

The coming of the Holy Spirit is a major sub-theme in the Book of Acts. In fact some have called this book, the Acts of the Holy Spirit. In Acts we see that the Holy Spirit came down to all the major peoples of the world:

The Biblical world had three races: Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles. The Holy Spirit first was given to Jews in Acts 2. The Holy Spirit was given to Samaritans in Acts 8. The Holy Spirit was given to Gentiles in Acts 10. By Acts 10 all these major races had received the Holy Spirit. In each instance when the Holy Spirit came upon the representatives of one of the three major races, a sign was given: speaking in tongues.

In Acts 19, the disciples of John were evangelized by Paul. They had no knowledge of Jesus, and they had never given their lives to him. Once these disciples had been saved, they received the Holy Spirit and they spoke in tongues.

After the time that Holy Spirit came upon these four categories of people: Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, and the disciples of John, speaking in tongues never accompanied a conversion experience in Acts or the rest of the New Testament. This is important to remember for our future discussions.

By the end of the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit had come into the church and the church was spreading across the known world.

The Work of the Holy Spirit:

So, what does the Holy Spirit do in our lives?

The Holy Spirit puts God’s love in our hearts (Romans 5:5) and he gives us hope through the Spirit (Romans  15:13).

The Holy Spirit bears its fruit in our lives: 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

The Holy Spirit is the seal and the evidence of our salvation. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, 

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

According to 1 Peter 1:2, the Holy Spirit also works to sanctify us so that we can be obedient to God. Without the Holy Spirit, we would be like the Children of Israel: we would know what is right, but not be able to do what is right. Paul refers to this in Romans Chapters 7 and 8.

The Holy Spirit also gives us the power to have joy in suffering (1Thessalonians 1:6) and He helps us guard the truth we have been given through being taught God’s Word (2 Timothy 1:13-14). And, of course, the Holy Spirit inspired the written Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and He gives us gifts for ministry (Hebrews 2:4).

1 John 5:6 says that the Holy Spirit bears witness to Christ and that the Holy Spirit is truth.

Conclusion and Summary: 

• God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has been active across the entirety of the history of God’s people.

• The coming of the Holy Spirit was foretold in the Old Testament, by John the Baptist, and Jesus Himself.

• During the time of the Book Acts, the Holy Spirit came upon all the major categories or races. The sign that was given when this happened was speaking in tongues.

• There is no record of individual people who received salvation from Christ speaking in tongues as a sign after all the major categories or races of people had been given the Holy Spirit. 

• The Holy Spirit empowers us to obey God and to minister in His name, and he also give us the power to grow and mature in Christ. The Holy Spirit bears His fruit in our lives and makes us fit for God’s Kingdom.

• The Holy Spirit gives us gifts for ministry.

The Holy Spirit gives us gifts for ministry. Such a simple sentence with such massive implications. We are truly empowered by God Himself, though His Spirit in our lives to partner with Him in ministry. How awesome and how awe inspiriting is that?

I will be back soon with a word about both the Gift and the Gifts of the Spirit.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Healthy Church Discipline

Today I want to share a word about healthy church discipline as I comment on Acts 5:1-11, which reads,

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”  But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

As we rebuild our ministries after COVID-19, we have been reviewing the characteristics of a healthy church as taught by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. One of those characteristics is Biblical church discipline, which reminds me of a story told by Dr. Landrum Leavell, who was then president of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr. Leavell had travelled to Moscow to meet with the leaders of Baptist churches there. During their conversations, the subject of church discipline came up. Dr. Leavell commented that Southern Baptists Churches did not implement church discipline very often, to which his Russian Baptist host replied, “And that is why you cannot find half of your church members,” which was a somewhat pointed, if accurate observation. 

It is very true that the churches in the SBC have over 14 million members, but far less than half of those are what we consider to be active members of our churches. That’s why one wag joked, “Do you know what the biggest church in the SBC is? It’s the down-home Baptist church. Just about everyone I ask in my town about church membership say that they are members ‘down home’!”

Church discipline is a difficult subject to get right. When it is ignored, churches are harmed, but when it is done poorly churches are also harmed. What does the Bible say about this delicate subject?

First, Church Discipline is a Serious Responsibility:

If nothing else is clear from our focal passage today, we can see that church discipline is a serious matter!

We often idolize the early church, but in fact, the early church had to negotiate more than a few sticky issues. In the New Testament we see teachings about how the church was to handle such sins as racism, misogyny, polygamy, sexual impurity, and interpersonal relationships. This reminds me that today we can find a warning of a hair dryer which cautions us from using it in a shower or bathtub, because someone used a hair dryer in a shower or a bathtub! In the same way, we know that the cautions about these issues we find in the Bible are because someone was racist, misogynist, polygamist, of loose morals, and just plan ornery!

From this story in Acts 5 we see how serious God takes the issue of the abuse of His church, the Bride of Christ. We also can see that God will not be mocked by those in His own Family. Misbehavior in the church is a serious issue to God, and in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, it cost them their mortal lives.

For God church discipline is evidently a life-or-death matter, so maybe a word to the wise is sufficient? If God is this serious about the behavior of church members, so should we be!

Second, Church Disciple is an Individual Responsibility:

Accountability in church is not something for which the pastor or church leadership is responsible. According to Jesus, it is everyone’s responsibility, as He taught in Matthew 18:15-17:

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

This is a well-known, if not well-practiced, passage of Scripture and the procedure directed by Jesus is understood by most believers. The sad fact is that few people who are offended by another church member do what the Lord directed us to do. Fewer still obey another clear teaching of Jesus regarding relationships in God’s flock. In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus instructed,

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Again, Christ’s guidance is clear here about how we are to act, but the key idea we often miss is this: whether we are the offender or the offended, we must take the first step!

It is a truism in management circles that “everyone’s job is no one’s job.” Managers are taught that a task must be assigned to an individual or a specific team to ensure that the job will get done. That is not the case with church discipline.

Church discipline is more like paying taxes, it is a universal requirement that you can shirk, but at your own risk!

Next, Church Discipline is also a Collective Responsibility:

Church discipline and accountability is not just for individuals, but for the church as a whole. Paul instructed the church at Corinth thusly,

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

1 Corinthians 5:11-13

Of course, while one purpose of church discipline is to make sure the witness of the church is above reproach, it is also designed to help restore our brothers and sisters who have fallen into sinful behavior, as Paul went on to tell the Galatians,

Brothers if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 

Galatians 6:1

So, as we can see from these passages, accountability is not only good for church health, but it is also good for individual spiritual health.

Next Church Discipline is an Enduring Responsibility:

Church discipline is not a one-time event, because we are accountable to God for the duration of our lives. 

In Matthew 18, after Jesus had taught about how to address offenses between God’s people, Peter asked him a follow-up question. We can tell Peter had been thinking about what Jesus had said because in Matthew 18:21-22 we see this exchange,

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."

We know that the number in the Bible that represent perfection is seven, and so it seems as if Peter was putting a big number in front if Jesus, but Peter received back a surprise. Jesus, in saying that seven was not enough, and that seventy times seven was a better number, did not mean 490 times, but an infinite number of times, like the infinite forgiveness we have of our sin in Christ.

I have learned in my own love that when conflict arises, the path of humility is the best for me to take. I believe this is what Jesus was saying also. We have heard it said, “I’m done with you!” but we are never done forgiving our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Conclusion:

One of the most stressful events of my ministry career was when I was pastor of a church where two lay leaders were in conflict over a point of theology. These two men were individually lovely people, but their relationship deteriorated quickly, and it was starting to materially affect the fellowship in the church and the ability of the church to do ministry. 

I brought them together at a neutral site and explained to them that they were important leaders in the church and that they had to work out their disagreement for the church to be healthy. I told them that they could disagree, but they had to do so without being disagreeable. To my relief they received my counsel, and they learned to work together. They were never great friends, but they were good church members, and they learned to cooperate for the good of the church and the Kingdom.

I cannot claim any credit for that outcome; it certainly was the work of the Holy Spirit that brought those two men together. That experience does give us a model and an example of how accountability and church discipline can help produce a healthy church.

Church discipline may be awkward, it may be difficult, and it may cause fear to strike our hearts, but it doesn't make it any less important to the local church and its work for the Kingdom of God.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Healthy Church Ordinances

Today I want to share a word about Healthy Ordinances as I comment on Matthew 21:28-31, which reads,

“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.”

This a parable which teaches through an illustration, what Jesus taught more plainly in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Jesus did not give many direct commandments but two of them involve the Ordinances of the Church. The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention teaches new churches on the mission field that Biblical administration of the ordinances is one of the characteristics of a healthy church. As we rebuild our church ministries in the aftermath of Covid-19, one area that we should consider is how we conduct Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Healthy Baptism:

As we consider the administration of Baptism, we realize that Jesus was baptized by John, and then in the Great Commission, Jesus commanded us to baptize those who become His disciples. A great example of that is found in Acts 8:27-31 and 35-38,

And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship  and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him . . . Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

This passage is a great model for us because it so clearly presents two bedrock truths about baptism.

The first fact is baptism must come after conversion. 

Philip presented the Gospel clearly to the eunuch and the eunuch understood what was said to him. We don’t have the details of the conversation, but the Ethiopian demonstrated his commitment to the truth by willingly submitting to baptism. In fact, he was so enthusiastic about the idea that he almost demanded to be baptized!

The other fact we observe is that baptism is properly done by immersion, because it illustrates important facts about the Gospel. 

As Romans 6:4 tells us, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Note that Philip and the Ethiopian went down into the water and that the word baptize means to immerse. Our immersion during baptism is a demonstration of the Gospel and it is a sermon physically acted out. Baptism is not just for the new disciple; it is also a message to the lost.

What about someone who can’t get into a baptismal pool? I believe the example of my older sister is a valid answer to that.

My sister, who died when I was 10 years old had a chronic, degenerative disease and she was homebound. That did not prevent her giving her life to Christ, but the question of her baptism was a real puzzle. In the end, our pastor prayed and came up with a brilliant solution.

A group from the church gathered in our home around my sister who was lying in her hospital bed. Our pastor conducted an absolutely ordinary baptismal until the point he would have normally immersed my sister, but in her case, he drew a blanket up over her head and them lowered it, saying, “Buried with Him in baptism, we are raised to walk in newness of life. Of all the baptisms I have seen or even performed myself, hers was the most touching of all.

Besides having a proper candidate and a proper mode, we also need to maintain the proper sequence.

Baptists believe that salvation and baptism must come before church membership and participation in the Lord’s Supper. We usually get the Lord’s Supper part right, but many churches have developed a habit of admitting someone into membership on the day that they make their profession of faith instead of after their baptism.  That this practice has become common is understandable because a person declaring for Christ is something to be celebrated. Let me suggest, however, a better way.

The church where I was saved and baptized, and my sisters also, had the practice of holding a quarterly membership service in which all new members of the church were received. This gave the pastor time to counsel with people transferring their membership to our church and it also gave him time to prepare candidates for baptism as well. I think there is much to commend this idea, because it was also a service in which we celebrated the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper:

The other ordinance that the church was given stewardship over was Communion, or the Lord’s Supper. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 we read,

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Like with baptism, this passage includes several important facts about Communion.

First, like baptism, Jesus has commanded us to observe the Lord’s Supper. I am not sure that Baptist churches actually obey this command often enough. I agree that our focus in worship should be God’s Word, but that very Word commands us to remember Christ through the Lord’s Supper. Is celebrating Communion three or four times a year sufficient to fulfill the spirit of this directive? I am not so sure that it does.

Next, we need to see that this ordinance not only reminds us of Christ, but as a celebration of the New Covenant it is also a time of fellowship with Him and with our fellow church members. It is a physical reminder of what Paul described in Ephesians 2:13-16:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,  and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Eating a meal together has always been an intimate and personal experience where barriers are dropped, and a common experience is shared. This is what takes place between Christ and the members of His church when Communion is celebrated.

Also, Paul notes that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper is, like baptism, a sermon which is acted out physically. As the church partakes of the bread and the cup, Jesus is proclaimed, His sacrificed is demonstrated, and our identification with Him is declared.  

Finally, we are reminded that the Lord’s Supper is just the earthly representation of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb which will be served in Heaven after Jesus returns for His Church, the Bride of Christ. That will be a celebration that will make our worship on earth pale in comparison!

Just Do It:

The ordinances of the church are just that: practices ordained by God through Christ. They are not optional, but mandatory for the church to observe. 

The meaning of each ordinance is important, though some may disagree in some of the details.

The mode of each ordinance is important, though some may also disagree in some ways about the details.

And yes, the subject of each ordinance is important, though as we know, some will disagree about the details.

What we cannot disagree on, is that we must obey our Lord and we must celebrate these ordinances of the church.  Who do we want to be like? The son in the parable that said “Yes,” but did not obey? Or do we want to be like the son who did the will of his father?

When it comes to baptism and the Lord’s Supper we need do what the slogan for the manufacturer of athletic shoes says, “Just Do It!”

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Healthy Teaching from Mark 4:1-25

Today I want to share a word about Healthy Teaching as I comment on Mark 4:1-25.

We are in the midst of a series on the Characteristics of a Healthy Church as taught on the mission field by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

I believe that this excellent Bible study material should be considered by the churches in North America also as we try to rebuild our ministries after a year of COVID-19.

The last time we visited the subject of a Healthy Church we focused on Healthy Giving, which is very important to our ministries, but today we want to focus on Healthy Teaching. It does little good for our churches to be well financed if we are not effectively teaching and preaching God’s Word.

An old saying goes, “Those who can do, and those who can’t teach.”  That, as anyone who has ever taught knows, is a false statement.  Teaching isn’t all that easy.  Let me give you a couple of examples:

In every Psychology 101 course in college the students have to participate in a laboratory experience where they train a white rat. In my school, we had to train the rat to react to a light by pressing a lever to get a treat.  You would think that training a dumb beast like a rat would be easy for intelligent humans, but that isn’t always the case. Every semester someone trains the rat to grab the light instead of pressing the lever.  It isn’t all that easy to be a teacher.

Besides being a hard task, a teacher must be sure to be teaching the right things.  They say that “practice makes perfect,” but in truth, “practice makes permanent.”  If you teach the wrong things, you will cause major problems for the students!  For example:

A child’s aunt was trying to encourage the boy to learn his times tables. She told him, “You need to just rattle off answers  like snapping your fingers.  Like, you should be able to spit out 8 times 8 equals 72!

If you didn’t understand that last part, remedial classes will be available soon!

It is not easy to be a good teacher, we today will find that Jesus was the model of healthy teaching.  Today we will see Him as the Master Teacher demonstrating His craft.  We need to watch Him and learn.  

Let’s begin by reading Mark 4:1-9

Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

THE MINISTRY OF THE TEACHER:

 Jesus devoted much of His ministry to teaching and in fact, He was often called “Rabbi,” which means, “teacher”. He taught from the beginning of His ministry until the end, and He took every opportunity He had to teach.

Jesus took advantage of “teaching moments” the same way wise parents do. Therefore, parents are the most important teachers of young children because they have so many of these “teachable moments” together.

Jesus taught in many different situations and settings: 

He taught in the synagogue, among religious Jews, and He taught as He walked and lived day by day with His disciples.

He taught large crowds who came to see Him, and He taught people in their homes at meals.

He taught in the temple, and the scholars were amazed, and He taught sinners as He showed them God’s love.

He also taught as He healed the sick and opened the eyes of the blind, He wanted them to know why these events had occurred.

Here we see Him teaching in an unusual place with an unusual technique but also with unusual profundity as well.

The exciting thing for us about the ministry of teaching is that now it belongs to the church! We are to make disciples and to do that we must teach. As we teach, others learn about the love of God, and we learn more and more ourselves because best way to learn is to teach.  The teacher always learns more than the students.

Soon after I had surrendered to the call to ministry, our pastor allowed me to teach a class of “Through the Bible in One Year.” It was a tremendous experience for me because I learned so much! I was certainly blessed more than the students were!

As exciting as the ministry of teaching is, it is also a daunting responsibility. Paul taught that teachers are held to a high standard by God, and that we should not seek to be a teacher if God hasn’t called us. The good news is that the Holy Spirit has given many the gift of teaching and it is a blessing when we use it. In fact, we must use it or grieve the Spirit, and none of us want to do that!

Next, let’s consider Verses 10-12:

And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

THE METHOD OF THE TEACHER:

People learn in different ways and in His ministry, Jesus used the Full range of techniques. He taught didactically, like in the Sermon on the Mount. He taught by example, like when He healed the paralytic. He taught though experience, like when he sent the Disciples out two-by-two. Much of His teaching, however, was through parables.

A parable is essentially an illustrated sermon. The basic element of a sermon includes exposition, explanation, and illustration, but a parable is not a sermon illustration, but it is an illustrated sermon that uses a story to teach a truth.

The fact is we often remember stories when we don’t remember the sermon. I remember very clearly the time when the pastor of my home church made an impassioned description of the Israelites drowning in the Red Sea!  Obviously, he misspoke, but the combination of his vivid description and his faux pas created a visual image that I will never forget!

Jesus often taught them based on the occasion and used events or objects in view of the listeners, such as “fields white unto harvest,” or “a sower went out to sow,” or “I am the Good Shepherd . . .”

Jesus had another reason for using parables: some people He taught were not ready to hear the truth. In fact, some people were actively working against the truth. Using parables was the way that Jesus could teach them best and this is an example to all of us as we teach God’s truth.

For example, on the mission field, workers often use the technique called Chronological Bible Storying in which they tell the stories in the Bible in the order in which they occurred. In countries with authoritarian governments or where there is a dominant, non-Christian faith group, the authorities not threatened because, “They are just telling stories.”

Let’s continue by reading Verses 13-20,

And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

THE MESSAGE OF THE TEACHER: 

Jesus did many things in His ministry, but He had only one purpose.

Jesus fed people and turned water into wine. Jesus healed people and He revived the dead. Jesus also radically opposed the powers that controlled Israel and Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors. These are many different things, but all these things had just one purpose: spreading the Gospel.

Churches, also do many things. In fact, some churches are like a kicked-over ant hill. We have devised all kinds of programs from sports to scrap-booking. Activity for its own sake is not ministry, however. Churches must focus what they do in the way Jesus did. Purpose, vision, mission, are often all missing. I think this is why Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Church became so influential. People were looking for clarity

We must make teaching and preaching the Gospel our priority! We must follow the example of Jesus and teach the Gospel. We imitate Paul as he also imitated Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Paul said,

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

To allude to 1 Corinthians 13, if we aren’t teaching the Gospel, then all we are doing is just making noise and wasting time!

Let’s finish up by looking at Verses 21-25,

And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

THE MAJESTY OF THE TEACHER:

Teaching is difficult work. In my own experience I often work a whole day or more to prepare for a three-hour class for a Bible college class that I teach. Then, after I teach the class, I am often exhausted from the emotional investment in the lives of my students. Teaching can be hard work, but teachers are glad to invest their time and effort when they see their students grow and mature. 

The reward in teaching is seeing students’ lives changed. Teachers want to see that they are having an impact. They want to see growth occur.

They want to see their students be able to do what they couldn’t do before.

Jesus wanted to see the Gospel transforming lives: He wants our lives to shine out a lamp on a lamp stand. He wants our lives to be open books for God. He wants us to be growing daily in the Gospel.

Are we instruments of transformation at our church? If not, we should be. 

One way we can do this is by teaching the Gospel, because when the Gospel changes lives it is a glorious thing. 

Paul saw many lives transformed by his teaching, which is why he said in Philippians 4:1, “Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.”

CONCLUSION:

Jesus is the Master Teacher, but have we been diligent students?

The most important teaching lesson we can absorb from Him is not His methods, but His motivation. His goal was not to teach facts, but to transform lives. 

We need to dedicate ourselves to learning from Him, and if we do, we will have the abundant life He has promised! And, if we learn to teach like Him, our students can have that same abundant life as they transform into disciples.

Jesus is the example of healthy teaching. Let’s us follow His lead!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Healthy Giving

Today I want to share a word about Healthy Giving as I comment on 1 Corinthians 16:1-4:

One of my favorite church stories that I heard long ago was about a pastor who was convinced that the members of his church were not good stewards of their money, and so he decided to preach about stewardship. This church was a very demonstrative church and they often interacted with the pastor during the sermon.

The pastor began by proclaiming, “If this church is going to move forward it’s got to crawl!” “Let it crawl,” replied the congregation in unison.

The pastor continued, saying, “If this church is going to move forward it’s got to walk!” “Let it walk,” replied the congregation in unison. 

The pastor went on, “If this church is going to move forward it’s got to trot!” “Let it trot,” replied the congregation in unison.

The pastor next stated, “If this church is going to move forward it’s got to run!” "Let it run,” replied the congregation in unison.

Finally, the pastor stood tall and proclaimed, “If this church is going to move forward it's got to have more money!” “Let it crawl, preacher, let it crawl,” was the response of the congregation.

We are in the middle of a series about Healthy Churches as taught to new churches on the mission field by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. As we rebuild our ministries here in North America it might be good for us to consider this model of healthy churches. One area we need to consider is healthy giving. 

Money is a subject full of trouble. It is a major cause of trouble in marriages, in businesses and in churches. Paul's instructions about a missions offering in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 gives us a lesson on how to think about this potentially troublesome subject:

Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

Paul had called upon the churches on the mission field to give sacrificially to support and bless the church in Jerusalem which was undergoing severe persecution at this time. These instructions were given so that the church at Corinth would know how to collect this offering “decently and in order.”

Healthy Giving is Done Out of Grateful Obedience:

First, I think it is instructive that Paul used a term translated as “directed” in this passage. While this may mean he is directing the process by which the offering is to be collected, and he certainly was, we also need to remember the source of all that we have and ever will have on this earth. In Psalm 50:10-11, God reminds us that:

For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. 

God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the hills, the gold under the hills, and the oil under the gold under the hills. Everything we will ever have comes from Him!

God owns everything but He has but He has given people stewardship over His creation from the very beginning of time. In Genesis 1:28, God made humans the stewards over the world:

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

As the stewards of God’s world, we are to be fruitful and return to Him a profit, just as Jesus taught in the Parable of the Talents. 

To begin understanding healthy giving we need to know that God simply expects us to give. It is understood that as the owner of everything He expects and deserves our offerings to Him. The main offering that He wants is our hearts, and when He has our hearts, all the other issues of life will follow, including money.

Healthy Giving is Done to Bless Others:

Next, it is important to note that our giving is done to bless others.

As we just saw, when we give we bless God, and honor Him, but we also bless other people as well. This particular offering was designed to go to Jerusalem to help the saints there. The believers were under severe persecution and those who could help were asked to help. This kind of offering goes to people who are already saved or to people who simply have unmet human needs.

Other offerings, such as offerings for missions in the modern world, go to help the lost come to know the Lord. These offerings are used to send missionaries or to do evangelistic outreach from local churches. People are blessed through these offerings because they come to know the Lord as their Savior, and they receive the blessing of being in His flock and eventually in His presence in heaven.

Either way offerings bless God's people: those who are already saved and who are in the church as well as those who will be saved and brought into the church. The money given to churches goes to touch lives! 

When we give to God’s church it blesses Him and it blesses His people!

Healthy Giving is Done by Everyone:

Next, it is important to note that Paul is very specific that everyone in the church was expected to participate in this offering. Like Jesus referring to the Widow’s Mite, it did not matter if one was rich, or poor, or in between, but everyone was expected to participate.

Paul clearly recognized the differences in financial circumstances among people. Few people in our churches are rich, but most have more than they need. Paul wanted people to give as God had prospered them and not as they thought God prospered them. Likewise, they should not give as others thought that God had prospered them. They should simply give as God has given to then.

In truth, people in the United States are blessed! Even our poorest people would be well off in some countries around the world. Few people are so destitute that they can give nothing to the ministry of the Gospel.

Sadly, it is a commonly held belief that 20% of the people in the church do 80% of the ministry. Likewise, it is also commonly believed that 20% of the people give 80% of the offerings. Frankly, both of these figures are in opposition to the concept of Biblical stewardship. We need to offer our lives as well as our money to the service of the Lord.

Everyone needs to support the Gospel ministry, in word and deed, and in serving and giving!

Healthy Giving is Done at Church:

One thing Paul leaves no doubt about is how the giving should be done. Each week everyone should set aside an offering and it should be given regularly at church. And, again, this offering should be based on how God blessed each individual person.

The Bible clearly teaches that the church is the center of religious giving. Malachi 3:10 instructs, “Bring you all the ties into the storehouse,” And Jesus Himself paid the temple tax by way of a miracle. In Acts we see believers selling their property and bringing the proceeds to the apostles for use in the church.

Besides being the Biblical pattern, this has much to commend itself to us as well in practical terms also. The burden is shared amongst everyone and there is good accountability for what is given. This is a better opportunity for good stewardship than giving to other organizations.

One might assert that in the 1st Century there were no other options for giving except through the church. Charities and nondenominational, independent ministries did not exist then. This may be true, but with the Roman roads and the Roman postal system, if someone wanted to send money to the Jerusalem church it certainly was possible. Paul however insisted That giving be done through the local church. By this he has set the Biblical example for us today as well.

A popular quotation about giving is, “Do your giving while you're living so you're knowing where it's going.”  When we do our giving at church it's easy for us to know where it is going and what God is doing with it!

Healthy Giving is Done Wisely:

Finally, the idea that we should give our offerings through the local church is a good segue to the next principle we need to discuss and that is our giving needs to be done wisely. As we deal with money, we need to heed Christ’s advice, we should “be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.” God has given us the ability to think, and we should use it, especially in the area of stewardship and accountability. 

There is no question that money should be handled carefully. I remember being told a story of a church which was located across the street from the city firehouse.  On quiet Sunday mornings, the firefighters made a habit of sitting out front of the firehouse. Every Sunday an unaccompanied man would walk out of the front door of the church with the offering plates and carry them around to the church office where they would be counted later. As soon as he exited the church, he would reach into the offering plate and take several bills and put them in his pocket on the way to the church office. This was done in full view of the firefighters, and it went on for years. Needless to say, none of the firefighters ever became members of that church.

Money must be handled wisely to protect those who gave it, to protect those who handle it, and to protect those who would be blessed by it. Notice that a delegation was going to be sent from the mission field to Jerusalem with the offering. Even in the church, or maybe especially in the church, checks and balances must be in place for the protection of all.

How a church handles money will greatly affect its reputation and its ability to bless others.

Conclusion:

It is a well-known fact that Jesus spent more time talking about money than He did just about any other topic of daily life. He knew that if you want to know what an organization or a person cares about all you have to do is see where they spend their money. 

Our giving must be healthy if we are to have a healthy church. In 1 Corinthians 16, Paul has given us al good lesson about healthy giving. We should heed him, and we should follow his instructions in our churchmanship today!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt