Teaching 06/19/2002
Part I
The NT Church in 1 Corinthians 12
Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
·
“Each
type of building”
·
To fitly frame together
Greek: “To bring the joints together to speak.” (Ephesians 4:16 below)
·
The members of Christ’s body:
as individual buildings brought together to form a Holy of Holies for the
Lord. Joining, cementing, and fitting
through love and the ministries of all
·
The church
becomes the Holy of Holies unto the Lord as all of its members perform to their
peak spiritual efficiency by their callings, ministries, giftings, in a sphere
of uncompromising obedience. Every one
must participate through obedience whether in a stage of being mentored and
raised up or actually ministering.
·
Eph 4:16 From whom the
whole body fitly joined
together and compacted
by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the
measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself
in love.
·
The body produces self-growth and self-building up. This self
growth and building up is limited to the measure of the energy put out by each
member of the body as each one supplies to the supply in the Spirit of fully
supplying a chorus of singers.
·
Participation
and peak efficiency in ministry brings us into mutual vision, and understanding
of our faith in Christ and the particulars of our walk with Christ. Being brought into complete harmony
and accord brings us into the full knowledge of the Son of God.
Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love,
and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the
acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
·
Knit
together “ to
cause to walk or step together”
·
The knitting
together comes after every member of the local church has been fit together into
their proper place for the Lord through the ministries and callings of every
individual. The believers’ hearts are
then knit together in affection.
·
This
oneness, causes the fellowship to be united in love, thought purpose and
vision. In combination with the
effectiveness of every member’s ministries and spiritual gifts, it will bring
this local body into a full understanding of the accurate knowledge of the
mystery of the Godhead and Trinity.
This then is the fullness of the glory of God, which should be displayed
to the world and into who the whole body grows into in all things. Also out of this glory the Lord communicates
Himself effectively to His body.
·
Thus the church can be seen as an entity that is in a
continual process of being fitted together by every one’s ministry and gifts,
being joined together in love and intimacy, and growing in to God’s Holy of
Holies to manifest His glory which serve as an example of growth, communication
and fellowship and revival.
·
The revelation of
the Lord Jesus Christ allows for an assembly to grow up into Him in all
things. The revealed Person of Christ
becomes its model, pattern, or example.
Growing up into Christ allows the saints within the church to achieve
the same maturity that Christ has in the very thing that they grow fully into
Him in. The church is the only
institution that allows for people to grow fully in to Christ in all
things. Growing up into our example
makes us like our example.
The 1 Corinthians 12 Church
1Cor 12:12 ¶ For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
o Paul’s confirms what we have
already stated. The human body, and the
body of Christ as His church, should function alike.
1cor 12:14 For the body is not one member, but
many.
The Greek makes use of the “absolute
negative” for the word “not”.
a) Literally defined, we are told that under no circumstance,
should a congregation be made up of a few active members.
b) One
minister that literally controls the governing life of a church makes for all
intents and purposes, the body of Christ into a “non body”. Like wise, parishioners who fail to discern,
and fulfill their ministries, forcing ministers into positions of control, make
the church into a non
body.
c) Whether in ministry or in waiting and
mentoring every one must be operating in total obedience to the will of
God.
1Cor
12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am
not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Cor12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not
the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
v What an
incredible dependency we must have for each other. An independent spirit towards the Lord Jesus, or towards one
other, will stunt our process of growth.
Every member is called to sharpen each other, through their callings and
ministries.
1Cor 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were
the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
v
The fewer the number of members being actively discipled,
serving and or ministering within a local body, the fewer will be the giftings,
callings and ministries available to it and the subsequent revelation of the
person of Christ.
v
This
particular congregation will be greatly hindered in its discernment of demonic
infiltration; and wolves in sheep’s clothing, for example, if the gift of
discernment is not active.
1Cor14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort
v
There will be a
deficiency in the prophetic that administers guidance, exhortation, and
encouragement, and the confirmation and direction of God’s will.
1Cor3:10
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder( ARCHITECT),
I have laid the foundation,
and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth
thereupon.
o There will be an absence of the
apostolic unction for the church to be building aright on the revelatory
foundation of the person of Jesus Christ according to the logos and rhema word
v
If
the apostolic ministries are deficient, how will the right foundation be
laid? A church without the revelation
of Jesus through the apostolic witness of the risen Christ will build lopsided.
2 Peter 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the rhema words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
1Cor12:
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the
body, as it hath pleased him..
o
God put into a designated place within the body each person in
order to establish raise up and release according to His will and purpose.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
v
Literally
the Greek admonishes us, that not even of the weakest member can we say “I
have no need of you” and not be lying!
The superior members are in desperate need of the inferior.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.
o The weakest members are the most
indispensable, necessary, and what the body cannot do without.
v
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less
honourable, upon these we bestow
more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
v Literally “we place a wreath of exceeding honor upon the weaker more unseemly
members.”
v Our deformed, indecent,
unseemly, and private parts always require special care. That same type of care should be given to
all weaker members within our congregations.
24 For our comely
parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body
together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
“To
temper That God has caused
each part of His body to
be melted and hammered together into an organic whole.
Acts 17:6
And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the
rulers of the city, crying, These
that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
1 Cor 1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by (By or In Him) him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
1Co 1:6 Even as the testimony (the revelation)
of Christ was confirmed in you:
1Co 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming (The revelation) of our Lord
Jesus Christ
Re 19:10
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do
it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of
Jesus: worship God: for
the testimony (The
revelation) of
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy
o
Please look
with me at the scriptures contained in 1 Corinthians 1:5,6 and 7. In verse five it tells us that “by Christ”
and “In Christ” (The Greek
grammatical structure is interchangeable here), we are made rich in
spiritual gifts. Two of the gifts
mentioned in this passage could be the utterance gifts, which could include
tongues, their interpretation, and the gift of prophecy. The other is the gift
of the word of knowledge, which God uses extensively in healing. Verse six goes
on to direct us to the fact, that the enrichment or increase of these spiritual
gifts in a believer’s life is directly proportional to the
revelation of Christ within the church.
Right? Verse seven instructs us that if the revelation of the Lord is
complete in the church, it will lack in no spiritual gift. Therefore, the more
that Christ is revealed in the church, the more that it will automatically flow
in the gifts and ministries that God has called the church to, revealing Him
further. The gifts are IN HIM. As
Christ is revealed, the gifts IN HIM will be automatically revealed along with
Him.
o
Now please
look with me at Revelation 19:10. Please
be careful to observe with me that Jesus does not give us prophecies per
se. Jesus is the Spirit of
Prophecy! Therefore, the more
that Jesus is manifested the church, the more that the church will
automatically flow in prophecy!
Part 2
Fundamentals of Walking in
The Spirit
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful,
and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul (psyche) and spirit( pneumatos) , and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
1
Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of
peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit(pneuma) and soul(psyche) and body(soma) be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
·
It is crucial for us to learn how to differentiate between our
souls and our spirits, and even know that the two exist.
·
In the original Greek New
Testament the distinction is radical.
Man’s spirit, or God The Holy Spirit, is defined as a pneuma. Our word pneumatic originates
from this, and has to do with air or breath.
The Meridian Webster dictionary defines pneumatic as something that
is “moved or worked by air pressure”.
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed
man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul.
·
· Our spirit is the organ that God has given us to embrace, discern, and manifest the pneumatic or windy movements of the Holy Spirit. Our souls were never equipped for this function!! The human spirit is the organ that gives residence, or is home to God’s Holy Spirit.
·
Our spirit works as a
protective womb for the presence and the motions of the Spirit of the Living
God within us. It is very much
connected with our hearts, and our consciences. Through its abilities, the human spirit embraces, discerns, and
reveals what Jesus does in the Holy Spirit.
John
4:24 God is a Spirit(pneuma): and they that worship him must worship him
in spirit(pneuma) and in truth.
John 3:8 The wind(pneuma) bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every
one that is born of the Spirit.(pneumatos).
What is the Soul?
·
The soul (pyche or psuche in the Greek) is the combination
of faculties that consists of the mind, intellect, will, and emotions. The soul performs rational and intellectual
functions. The rational will never
capture the wind! This is why
we are unable to discern God with our souls alone.
·
The
soul, as I said earlier, is a combination of our mind, will, intellect and
emotions. Its function contrary to the
spirit is not to reveal, but to actively work and choose. It is the mediator between our bodies and
our spirits. The soul is constantly
involved in a struggle to choose between the promptings of the Holy Spirit and
the promptings of our carnal flesh, our un renewed minds, the world, and the trickeries
of Satan. The Spirit of the living God
within us, must become manifested enough to win the battle for the soul.
·
The
responsibility of the soul then is to submit itself continuously to the Holy
Spirit. When it does that, the soul
will take us in the ways of the Lord.
God must bring our will to a point where it has no more desire than to
submit itself to the wishes of the Holy Spirit. Our emotions must be healed and stilled before the Lord so that
we can attend to that “still small voice within”. Immature believers, or believers that are still bound in the
throes of demonic oppression or past hurts, are unable to discern clearly the
quiet voice of the Lord within. Because
the emotions are still screaming out, they drown out the presence of the Lord.
All deliverance, inner healing, counseling, and therapy must be directed at
setting us free to hear and uncompromisingly obey the Holy Spirit. Healing is the means of becoming spiritual
or pneumatic Christians. Our mind and
intellect must be renewed by the word of God so that it can adequately
understand what the Holy Spirit wishes.
·
The
spirit must become totally free, and delivered from all impurity and bondage so
that it stands out supreme.
·
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
·
he will guide Guide as a
teacher; show the way and instruct
·
you into all truth : More accurately:
Into every type of truth that pertains to us.
·
but whatsoever he
shall hear; as many things that He will hear, all these He will utter
or declare . (The confidence of the prophet)
·
and he will shew you
things to come. The prophetically coming things the Spirit will rehearse
and makes known to us. (The confidence of the prophet)
1Cor 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him.
10
But
God hath revealed them(
taking the lid off)
unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth(sounds out) all things, yea, the deep things of
God.
11 For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
·
The Holy
Spirit has a perfect intuitive knowledge of the things of God
Intuition:
Direct perception of truth independent of any reasoning process. It is an
immediate apprehension of knowledge. A quick and keen unlearned insight.
Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the
hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession
for the saints according to the will of God.
·
He, the Holy
Spirit, who examines into, tests, and sniffs out the hearts, intuitively knows
the purposes focus and objectives of the Spirit for He interprets our prayers
out to God and then makes intercession back for us in accord with God’s
will."
·
He
intuitively knows the purpose, focus and objectives of the Spirit
·
.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of
the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that
are freely given to us of God.
·
Because we
have received the Holy Spirit we have the same ability to have a perfect
intuitive knowledge of every thing that God has given to us graciously and
freely.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the
words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing
spiritual things with spiritual
·
“Those
things we continually utter prophetically
·
We
speak out the spiritual things that God has given us, using the inward
spiritual means (prophecy, visions, revelations, knowledge and so forth.) “Comparing” is defined as joining together,
compounding, and combining. We must minister out as closely and accurately as
possible to what the Lord shows us within.
Our ministry must be a compounding, combining, and a joining together
with the rhema word of the Spirit, and a compounding, combining and joining
together of the means that He wishes for us to execute that rhema word.
·
John
5:19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The
Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth (To habitually glance at what the Father does in the
Spirit. This is not discernment with
understanding) the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these
also doeth the Son likewise. ( Greek word
“homos” INTUITIVE SEEING OR
GLANCING
·
Glancing in
the Spirit to what the Father does, gives us that momentary intuitive
knowledge, which on many occasions, is enough for us to step out in faith and
do with identicalness what we have acquired intuitively in our spirits.
John 5:20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth
him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than
these, that ye may marvel.
·
For the Father is fond of the Son and shows Him all things
that He does in a way that can be proven and for proof, and greater than these works will he show
you with the goal in His mind that you may wonder.
·
We must know that continually, at all moments, the Father is
exhibiting within us all that He does in way that we can understand and confirm
what he says, and then manifest it outwardly as proof into the world.
Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every RHEMA that proceedeth( from moment to moment)
out of the mouth of God.
Romans 10:8 But what saith it?
The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the rhema word of faith,
which we preach;
Romans 10:17 So then faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the rhema word of God.
John
3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know (We utter prophetically what we know intuitively
in the Spirit in one moments time, and not as needing the acquisition of
knowledge in the continuum of time), and testify ( but however bear
acquired knowledge as with a prophetic vision) that we have seen (only
when we see with discernment and understanding); and ye receive
not our witness.
· For us to know by intuition, in one moment
of time, what the Father speaks in us (without understanding what He is
saying, and without having to get the whole message of what the Father wants to
say first) is what we need to begin to open up our mouths and speak
prophetically.
Mark 2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that
they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these
things in your hearts?\
·
Perceived: The word for perceive is defined as having a thorough, accurate,
and precise knowledge of an object. Jesus’ command of spiritual gifts was so
complete and the clarity of the Father’s voice was so precise within Him, that
His discernment of the rhema word was thorough. Yet it was intuitive knowledge and not understanding!!
Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
·
Knowing: As with the word perceived in Mark 2:8; Jesus knew in this same accurate and through
knowledge of the rhema word, that dunamis power had gone out of Him.
John 4:7 There cometh a woman of
Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were
gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of
Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which
am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10
Jesus
answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that
saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would
have given thee living water.
·
Lasting,
without failing, unceasing
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir,
thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
·
A regular well
·
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I
shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into
everlasting life.
·
Shall become
· A well or spring
continually fed by springs of water.
Acts 3:8 And he leaping up stood,
and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping , and praising
God.
·
From the word which means to leap. A well, or spring, continually fed by springs of water which
continually leaps and gushes within us up into a constant flow of Christ’s life
within us.
·
John 7:38 He that believeth on me,
as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
·
Potamos- A
river, flood or torrent. A flood can sweep down torrentially and even carry
houses away. How can we stop the gushing of springs or the flow of a river?
·
How do we
get into this flow?
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which
they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given;
because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Intuition: Direct perception of truth independent of any
reasoning process. It is an immediate apprehension of knowledge. A quick and
keen unlearned insight.
Romans 7:22 For I delight
in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in
my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to
the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am!
who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25
I
thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh
the law of sin.
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able
to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that worketh in us,
·
God does superabundantly
above what we set our minds to understand and try to figure out, if instead we
simply walk by faith that is to believe and trust Him.
·
Mike Murdock says that God’s passion is to be believed.
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who
believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
·
“What is the surpassing greatness of His power funneled into us
who are constantly believing.
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said
unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
·
To
separate, compare or analyze two things thoroughly. This causes hesitation,
doubting, and wavering. The mind that
operates like this will “noise out” and block the flow of the river of God that
gushes out the still small gentle voice of the Lord.
Mat 21:21 Jesus answered and said
unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to
the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and
be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
·
Walk
in the flow of the river of God’s rhema words.
The mind must be delivered from comparing or analyzing the voice of the
Spirit versus the voice of doubt, hesitancy and analyzing.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you,
That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast
into the sea; and shall
not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to
pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
1 Cor 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
Logic:
·
Inward
reasonings; deliberations, doubts, reflections, and questioning what is true.
Luke 24:38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your
hearts?
1 Tim 2:8 I will
therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised ( Greek word; naked (gymnos) and also gymnastics) to discern both good and evil.
(Greek: But
only for the mature and spiritually fully-grown man or woman that is attaining
to Christ’s character belongs solid food.
Even to him, or her, who has a developed the habit of spiritual perception
and discernment that can distinguish the good from the evil. Their mature perception and discernment
blossoming as the result of spiritual training performed as they have
voluntarily discarded and became naked from all worldly things, so that their spiritual
training may be vigorous and unhindered.
Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working,
which worketh in me mightily.
o We live and minister in the energy put
forth by the flow of the river of God within us. We must labor in that flow to
bring forth God’s kingdom
o Labor: To the point of exhaustion brings forth
the work of God.
o
I labor in accordance to this energy in the river of
God, which makes the things of God’s invisible kingdom operationally effective
in the visible world. This energy is always working in me effectually and
effectively with the purpose of making the thing of God fully functional
through me as I minister them into the world.
o
John
5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto ( My Father never ceases working in
the Spirit) and I work.(and
I work externally, using exactly the same procedures and in exactly the same
manner in which I see instinctively the Father working within me.)
·
Worketh is defined in exactly
the same way that a company strives to be successful in producing the services
for which it is in business for.
· Hitherto: Until now. My
Father has been continually at work, producing the services that pertain to the
business of the kingdom of God in an unbroken flow, right through all of your
Sabbaths; and even now as we speak, He works.
· And I work:
I, in like manner.
·
This
is a tremendously important point of instruction for ministers who desire to
work in the Spirit.
·
Jesus
tells us that we are to work out into the world, what the Father works
into us with exactly the same intentions, intensity, and procedures used by
the Father. Our ministry must be a carbon copy of the Father’s ministry in
us. Remember that every work of the
Father is translated into a rhema word that we can understand.
·
·
John
5:19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The
Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth (To habitually glance at what the Father does in the
Spirit. This is not discernment with
understanding) the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these
also doeth the Son likewise. ( Greek word
“homos”
·
Glancing in
the Spirit to what the Father does, gives us that momentary intuitive
knowledge, which on many occasions, is enough for us to step out in faith and
do with identicalness what we have acquired instinctively in our spirits.
·
Our right to
do so is based on the fact that we have an equal inner spiritual nature to that
of the Father, giving us identity with Him in our outward actions. We are responsible to work with
identicalness to what we see on the Spirit.
This is what the term “homos” means.
The Prophet’s
Scripture
1 Cor 13:2 And though I have the gift
of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have
all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing.
·