Sermons

Earnestly Desire Spiritual Gifts

1. Is God Still Giving Gifts Like Prophecy?

1 Corinthians 14:1

Charles Spurgeon is one of my heroes. He lived in the 1800’s, and was a Bible-centered, Christ-glorying pastor who preached to thousands every Sunday and whose sermons were sent all around the world.

And one Sunday, while he was preaching, he pointed to a man sitting in the audience and said – “There is a man who is a shoemaker, who works on Sundays, and last Sunday made nine pence and had a four pence profit. He has sold his soul to Satan for four pence!”

A few weeks later someone from Spurgeon’s church was going door to door, sharing the Gospel, and came to this man’s home. He saw that he was reading a Spurgeon sermon, and the man told him how Spurgeon had called him out that Sunday, and knew information about him he could not have known. And this shoemaker knew it was God, that God was real, that Christ could be his Savior, and so he repented and came to faith.

And here’s what Spurgeon said about this -- “I could tell as many as a dozen similar cases in which I pointed at somebody in the hall without having the slightest knowledge of the person, or any idea that what I said was right, except that I believed I was moved by the Spirit to say it; and so striking has been my description, that the persons have gone away, and said to their friends … he must have been sent of God to my soul, or else he could not have described me so exactly.” (The Autobiography of Charles H. Spurgeon, [Curts & Jennings, 1899], Vol. II, pp. 226-227).

That’s an example of what we here at Mercy Hill believe is the spiritual gift of prophecy. And we are taking this Sunday and next Sunday to talk about spiritual gifts like prophecy

There’s a couple reasons we are doing this. One is because of the great benefits that come to people when God pours out his gifts. Another reason is because some of you are relatively new to Mercy Hill, and you have not heard what our understanding is of spiritual gifts. And some of you might have questions that get in the way of you earnestly desiring spiritual gifts. Another reason is because this is a topic on which godly people can have different opinions, but it’s important that everyone understand what the leaders here believe about spiritual gifts.

But our longing is not just that we would understand spiritual gifts, but that we as a church grow in earnestly desiring spiritual gifts, Sunday mornings, at home groups, and during the week.

So let’s turn to 1 Corinthians 14:1. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring a Bible to you. 1 Corinthians 14:1 is on page 960 in the Bibles we are passing out.

And here in this verse Paul answers a crucial question. The question is – why are spiritual gifts so important? Look at what he says in vv.1-3 --

1              Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

The reason we should earnestly desire spiritual gifts is because we pursue love – it’s because we who trust Jesus Christ love people. Here’s how that works.

The moment we welcomed Jesus Christ into our lives as our Savior, our Lord, and our heart-satisfying Treasure – we were supernaturally changed. God forgave all of our sins through Jesus’ death on the Cross. And God changed our hearts, giving us joy with outpourings of his presence. And God has promised to keep satisfying us with his joy now and forever.

And then because of that joy, and to increase that joy, he calls us to pursue love. So we love people. We love those in our home group. We love those who are part of Mercy Hill. We love our neighbors. We love those we work with.

And Paul says that one way to love those around us is by earnestly desiring spiritual gifts – because spiritual gifts will bring them great good. You can see that in vv.2-4 –

2              For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

Tongues is when God enables you to speak in a language you’ve never learned. And if it’s not interpreted, then it benefits no one. V.3 --

3              On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

4              The one who speaks in a [not-interpreted] tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

That’s why we earnestly desire spiritual gifts like prophecy – because God will use them to build people up, encourage people, and console people.

Here’s an example from the book of Acts. Turn to Acts 11:27-29 --

27            Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

28            And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).

29            So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.

Think of what would have happened if Agabus had not spoken this prophecy. If he had not spoken this prophecy, then believers in Antioch would not have known about the famine, and no money would have been sent by them to their brothers in Judea.

But Agabus did receive this prophecy, and spoke this prophecy. So the believers in Antioch did send money to their brothers in Judea, and these brothers were greatly helped. See how important prophecy is?

Prophecy, and all the spiritual gifts, are important because we love each other and want to help and encourage and bless each other.

So we’ve mentioned prophecy. But what exactly is this spiritual gift of prophecy? This is crucial for you to understand. If a visitor at your home group this week asked you what the gift of prophecy was – it’s important that you could explain it to them – with chapter and verse. And I think the clearest answer is found in vv.29-31 of this chapter.

Look at what Paul says –

29            Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.

30            If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.

31            For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,

Notice that the topic in these three verses is prophecy. We can see that because he mentions “prophets” in v.29, and he mentions “prophecy” in v.31. But notice that in v.30 instead of using the word “prophets” or “prophecy” he gives a definition of prophecy.

Read v.30 again –

30            If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.

So the gift of prophecy involves God supernaturally giving you a revelation. Charles Spurgeon was preaching – and out of nowhere God told him about this shoemaker in the audience. So prophecy involves God supernaturally, spontaneously, bringing something into your mind.

So prophecy is different from you thinking in your own mind – what can I share that would help this person. That is crucial. That is loving. We should all do that. But you thinking of something to say is not the same as prophecy. Because prophecy is not something you thought of to say – prophecy is something God gave you to say.

So prophecy is when God supernaturally, spontaneously, brings something into your mind.

But there’s another crucial aspect of prophecy. You can see it in v.29 –

29            Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.

So when someone shares a prophecy, we should weigh it. That shows that prophets do not have the same authority as apostles. Because apostles were specially gifted to speak and write perfect truth from God. But Paul was the last apostle, and now there are no more. And their writings are here in the New Testament.

And the church understood that if an apostle said something – it was automatically true. But if a prophet said something – it had to be weighed. Because prophets will receive revelation from God, but they are not always right that what they receive is revelation from God, and they are not perfect in their interpretation of what God gives them.

So we need to weigh what they say – in light of God’s Word – and by praying to see if it is for us.

So if someone comes up to you and says – God told me you are to move to Alaska. You should pray about that. To see if God confirms it to you through your own thinking, through the counsel of others, and through seeking God’s wisdom.

So prophecy is a spontaneous revelation given to you by God which others must evaluate with God’s Word and prayer.

But that raises another question – is God still giving supernatural gifts like prophecy? And this is a question on which godly people can and do disagree. But the leadership of every church has to study God’s Word and decide what they believe God’s Word is teaching. And here at Mercy Hill we have concluded that God is still giving the gift of prophecy today.

And one of the main reasons is because of what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12. In these verses Paul tells us that a time is coming when prophecy and tongues will cease. Start reading in v.8 --

8              Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge [supernatural gifts of knowledge], it will pass away.

9              For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

10            but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

So love never ends. But prophecies and tongues and supernatural gifts of knowledge will end. So when will they end? Paul says it’s “when the perfect comes.” So when is that?

There are two main views. Some say “the perfect” is referring to the time when God’s Word was completed. So if that’s what Paul meant, then the perfect has already come, and the gift of prophecy has stopped.

But others say “the perfect” is referring to the Second Coming of Christ at the end of history. So if that’s what Paul meant, then the perfect has not yet come, and prophecies and other spiritual gifts will continue to be given until Jesus returns. So which is it?

Keep reading --

11            When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

Paul is describing the church before the perfect comes, and after the perfect comes. He says that before the perfect comes the church was childlike in her knowledge. But that after the perfect comes, the church will be adult in its knowledge.

So when the Scriptures were completed, did the church suddenly move from child-like knowledge to adult knowledge? I’m not so sure. But when Christ returns, will the church move from child-like knowledge to adult knowledge? Absolutely. So v.11 makes me think that the perfect is the Second Coming of Christ.

Then v.12 --

12            For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Again, Paul is saying that before the perfect comes, the church sees in a mirror dimly and knows only in part. But after the perfect comes, the church sees face to face and knows fully.

And again, that sounds more like what happens at the Second Coming than what happened when the Scriptures were completed. Because at the Second Coming we really will see face to face – because we will be in the very presence of Jesus Christ.

So I do not believe Paul is teaching that spiritual gifts will stop when the Scriptures are completed. I believe Paul is teaching that spiritual gifts will continue until Jesus Christ returns. So this passage is not saying spiritual gifts have stopped. This passage is saying that spiritual gifts are continuing.

Questions?

So what should we do about spiritual gifts? To answer that, read v.1 again –

1              Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

So because we love others, and because spiritual gifts are still being given, we should earnestly desire them. And this Greek word “earnestly desire” means we are to strive for spiritual gifts, desire spiritual gifts, and be deeply concerned about having spiritual gifts.

That’s crucial. But that’s not the only step Paul says we can take. Look at what he says in v.13 –

13            Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret.

Here Paul is talking about a different spiritual gift, the gift of interpreting tongues. But notice that he urges someone who has a gift of tongues to pray that God would also give him the gift of interpretation.

Now that might be a new thought for some of you, so let’s read the verse again –

13            Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret.

So Paul gives us two steps to take. One is to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, and the other is to pray for spiritual gifts.

So here’s what I want to call us to do. Every day this week, because you love people around you, ask God to increase your desire for spiritual gifts, and ask God to give you spiritual gifts. And then watch what God does.

And -- on the day of your home group – because you love your home group, especially ask God to give you spiritual gifts for those in your home group – and watch what God does.

And – next Saturday as you anticipate gathering with us Sunday morning – because you love the people of Mercy Hill, ask God to give you spiritual gifts for people here Sunday morning – and watch what God does.

What God does is ultimately up to him. But it makes a difference if we are earnestly desiring and praying. So – earnestly desire spiritual gifts, and pray for spiritual gifts. And then watch what God will do!