Is that right, brother? That's the one, right? Praise the Lord. Amen. He can answer it quick, fast and in a hurry. Or he can do it in his time and it upsets you sometimes. But he still gets it done. Amen. I appreciate the opportunity to be with you folks again. And I didn't plan this. Greater minds than mine did it. Amen. But anyway, we'll do the best we can to be a help to you. I wonder if I could teach you something this morning from the word of God. Maybe it'll be a help to you. I hope and pray that it will. Take your Bible, go to 1 Corinthians chapter number 12, please. 1 Corinthians chapter number 12. Hold your place there. and then go to Exodus chapter number 20. First Corinthians chapter number 12 and Exodus chapter number 20. Hope you had a good week. Hope you had a good day yesterday. Had a great time at the dinner and I was just blessed to be able to be here and I just, well I tell you that was some more good eating. Y'all probably do that once or twice a week, don't you? But I enjoyed myself and enjoyed, it's always a pleasure to come to this place. And I'm always humbled to be able to stand here. Don't ever take it for granted. Amen. So let's see if the Lord will give us something to help us this morning from the word of God. Look with me, please. First Corinthians chapter number 12. And I wanna begin reading in verse number six. First Corinthians chapter 12, verse number six, please. Find your place, say amen. All right, verse number six says, and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. For the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom. To another, the word of knowledge by the same spirit. To another, faith by the same spirit. To another, the gifts of healing by the same spirit. To another, the working of miracles. To another, prophecy. To another, discerning of spirits. To another, diverse kinds of tongues. To another, the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and the self, same spirit. dividing to every man severally as he will. Now go with me please to verse number 27. Verse number 27, still in chapter number 12, the Bible says, now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular. And God has said some in the church, First apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers. After that, miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles, question mark. Are all prophets, are all teachers, are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing, do all speak with tongues, do all interpret? but covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. And I'm interested in that last little verse there. The Bible says, but covet earnestly the best gifts. Amen. And in case you have not picked up on it yet, that goes against a lot of verses in your Bible. God explicitly commands us, do not covet. Am I right? In case you're doubting, look with me at Exodus chapter number 20. Just a simple verse here. Look at verse number 17. Exodus chapter 20, verse number 17. Read with me the first four words. Not covet. Then he goes on and lists several things. Thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. I'm gonna take my coat off if you don't mind, brother. So God is telling us He's commanding us, don't covet. And then as you read in 1 Corinthians 12, 31, he said, covet the best gift. Wow. Now, men have done what scholars like to do, That's correct God. And if you ever have a problem in your Bible with words or sentences or verses that seemingly contradict one another, the problem is between your ears. It's not in God's Word. So we need to find out Which is it? Would that be fair? Anybody interested? Matter of fact, these two verses that we just read revealed the difference between the charismatic movement and the independent Baptist movement. And I'm going to show you. Amen? One verse tells us to covet earnestly the best gifts. Of course, that 1 Corinthians 12, 31. Then we read here in Exodus 20, he said, thou shalt not covet. Amen? I mean, that's pretty blatant. Two commands that are opposite each other. Amen? So covetousness, excuse me, I have trouble with that word, is not only a sin, it is also the root of sins, many sins, amen? For example, covetousness is the root of the sin, stealing. Why did you steal that? Because I coveted it. Or maybe the route to lying. Why did you lie? To cover up what I stole. Why did you steal it? Because I coveted it. Amen? Or adultery. And swearing, and we could go on and on. with that being the root of many sins. The Bible says in Habakkuk 2, 9, he says, Woe to him that coveteth. Amen? He says in Colossians 3, 5, that we are to mortify covetousness. In other words, kill it. God said, put it to death. Amen? He says in Hebrews 13, five, be without covetousness. I think that's pretty clear, don't you? Amen? But that same God tells us that we are to earnestly covet the best gifts. Amen. Also, you can, for reference, write down Psalms 119, verse 36, Luke 12, 15, and Isaiah 57, verse 17. So he gives us two commands in the word of God here. Command number one, covet. Command number two, don't covet. Amen. Y'all wanna just go home and study that and we'll leave it like it is. Are you on? Let's find out what it's talking about. All right? Let's see if we can reconcile these two seemingly contradictions in the Word of God. So the subject here, back in 1 Corinthians, let's go back there and see if we can work this out. Amen? The subject is about the gifts of the Spirit. Amen? And so the gifts of the Spirit, and this is very important, listen, they are gifts of service. Amen? They are not gifts to me. Everybody understand what I'm saying? When God says covet the best gifts, he's not saying covet these things for yourself. Amen? The gifts are not given to me, but they're given to others through me. So when God says you're to covet the best gifts, he's saying you are to desire to get the best gifts for that person because they need the best. Everybody with me on that? Amen? And it'll get a little clearer as we go here. So the gifts of the Spirit, now folks, listen now, they're not given to you they're given through you. That's very, very important. So what he's saying is, I am to covet the best gifts for the opportunity to help others with it. Everybody all right? Okay. It's just, In other words, me wanting the best for somebody else in service to them. Amen? So it's not wrong for me to covet something for you. But it's wrong for me to covet something for myself. And that's exactly what he's telling us. Everybody all right? So, listen now, that's why, that's one of the reasons why the charismatic movement is so messed up and confused. Because if I had the gifts of the spirit, if I could speak in tongues, it would edify myself. That's the reason they do it. When the gifts of the Spirit are obviously not for me, but for somebody else. Amen? And so what happens is their selfishness traps them. Amen? They want these special gifts so they can feel good, they can have the power of God, and they can have all these things, these gifts, to put them on, apply them to my life. That's not what it's for, folks. Amen? Now, let me go a little further. Everybody all right? Any questions? I want you to get a hold of this, it'll help you. Amen? And believe me, that's why the charismatics miss the boat on this thing. Amen? They want gifts for their self, tongues to edify their self, and I want a gift to be a help to somebody else. That's the difference in the two denominations. It is, listen now, it is sinful, to covet anything for yourself. Everybody all right with that? Presbyterian nod. Amen. I want the gift for somebody else. Amen. When God came to live inside of me, when he came to live inside of you, he brought with him two main things. You ready? Amen? When I say God, I'm talking about God the Holy Ghost. Right? Listen now, the moment, the very moment you got born again, how many of you saved this morning? Isn't it good to be saved? Boy, that's good, amen? And when you got born again, that very moment, the Holy Spirit of God moved inside. You don't get saved and then six months later get the gifts of the Spirit. You get everything you need that moment he moves in because they're in him. Amen. There's two things that moved in when the Holy Ghost of God moved in. First of all, he brought the fruit of the Spirit. Secondly, he brought the gifts of the Spirit. Now, the fruit of the Spirit is, watch, the fruit of the Spirit is for the treatment of others. Somebody help me out here. Name a few of the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, kindness, what is it? Long-suffering. Anybody? How many fruit of the Spirit? Nine. Nine fruit, amen, of the Spirit. If you have a basket, it's got grapes and oranges and apples. You don't have a basket of fruits. You have a fruit basket. A basket of fruit. Amen? That's why it's not plural. because it's fruit. And God, when God saves you, he put the Holy Ghost of God inside of you and he brought with him the fruit of the Spirit. You don't get saved and then come up to the preacher six weeks later and say, preacher, I just don't understand why I can't love people. Or you might say, preacher, I don't know why people don't love me. Amen? I just, you know what I need? I just need more love. No you don't. You ain't ever gonna get no more than what you got. You never gonna get, are you listening to what I'm saying? I'm talking about the fruit of the Spirit. Amen? That God gave you the fruit of the Spirit by the Holy Spirit when he moved into your heart when you got born again and that was for the purpose of how you treat others. Everybody all right? So you want to be loved more? Just love more. Amen. You need a friend? Be friendly. You have it inside of you already. Some of you, you ever tried to live, sit down on an airplane beside a crab? Anybody ever tried to hug a porcupine? It don't work out too well. Amen? And you say, but preacher, they're saved. That's right. But they got a clog in their pipe when it comes to the treatment of others. Amen? The Bible said God has worked it in you. And it's up to you to work it out. Everybody all right? All right, so you got the fruit of the spirit when you get saved. All of it. Don't get more later. You got it right then. You use that fruit for treating others. Everybody all right with that? Any questions? Amen. Long suffering, joy, peace, all those fruits. Amen. All right, so it is given to me for the treatment of others Amen, but the gifts of the spirit Are not for the treatment of others, but it's for the service of others To serve others Everybody all right I'm trying to Take it kind of easy. Some of you I see trying to get some notes, and I think it's important. Amen? The gifts are for the service of others, and the fruit is for the treatment of others. Amen? You know, do you realize that nations in the tribulation are gonna be judged? according to how they treat Israel in the tribulation. Amen? How they serve Israel in the tribulation. A time of Jacob's trouble, Israel's trouble. And they're gonna need help. They need help now. And our country has turned its back on them. God have mercy. I've always preached. There's two things gonna ruin this nation. Amen two things The day we turn her back on Israel We're cooked goose You hear what I'm saying? We're cooked and the fact that they're that God's children are still here and still want what's right. I Amen? Now, having said that, let me just make a statement. I'm not trying to be your pastor. I'm not telling you what to do except for right now. Amen? Listen to me. I don't care if your family has been Democrats for 100 years. Are you listening? The party today is not the party of 50 years ago. It is not the party of John Kennedy. Do you hear what I'm saying? It is a cult today. It is cursed. It's run by the power of Satan. Are you hearing what I'm saying? I'm not talking about the word. I'm not talking about the word. I'm talking about the agenda of it. the people, the whole process, every bit of it. Now listen to me, folks. It is evil. It is wrong for you as a child of God to say you're a born-again Christian to support anything that God hates. How many of you believe God hates abortion? the taking of life, human life. God hates it. How many of you believe God hates the sexualization of children? How many of you believe that God hates mutilating body parts of children? That is right out of the exhaust pipes of hell. That is the agenda of the Democratic Party. among other things, the Green New Deal. Let's go back here. Let's get back on this. Folks, listen to me. I'm telling you, number one, first of all, you need to vote. Don't you open your mouth about any conditions of anything if you don't vote. Amen. If you don't vote, you are trampling on the blood and bodies of the men and women that gave their life for your freedom to do that. Everybody all right? Vote. It's your chance. to defy big government. It's your chance to defy tyranny and wrongdoing, amen? That's your one chance, your one day to voice your opinion and make it count. You need to vote, amen? And who to vote for? Listen to me, we're not voting for a pastor. We're not voting for a Sunday school teacher. You're voting for a president. And you just look and see who is trying to uphold the righteousness of God in this country as close as they can with what they have. And that's who you're to vote for. It's not about character. Well, I don't like the way Trump speaks. What's that got to do with anything? Newsflash, they're both sinners. They're both sinners. It's not about the person, it's about their agenda. Everybody all right? Vote. Everybody know who to vote for? All right. So, number one. The fruit of the Spirit is for the treatment of others. The gifts of the Spirit are for the what? Service of others, amen? Purpose, I get joy. I get joy, watch, so I can give joy. I get peace so I can bring peace to others. That's not hard, is it? Amen. I get love. Why? So I can love others. Help others love. Everybody all right? Amen. Whatever it is, whatever you need, give from the poverty and God will abundantly bless it. Amen. Well, people just ain't been kind to me, preacher. Well, then I got a news for you. You start being kind to everybody else. The only, listen now, I've probably used this before. It is impossible for you to run down, chase down, catch, and hold on to happiness. Happiness is not to be caught and held. You can't captivate it and keep it for yourself. You'll never have it. The only way, the only way that you'll ever find happiness is by giving happiness to somebody else. Doesn't that make sense? It's a no-brainer, folks. You are given the fruit of the Spirit for the treatment of others. Amen? You are given the gifts of the Spirit. Why? Gifts for service of others. Is that all right? But watch, selfishness clogs your pipes so those gifts and fruit cannot get out. Amen? One of the most dangerous things, as a child of God, you'll ever be is selfish. Amen? And if you want to get that bug off your shoulder, see me at the church. I need about $1,200 today. Everybody all right? It was a joke. But I still need it though. Now, all right, everybody understand that. You understand the difference between God telling you to covet the best gifts, earnestly, and God saying, do not covet. You understand the difference. All right, I want to give you a couple dangers and we'll be done. Real quick, amen? Here's a few dangers. The greatest joy there is would be God using you to deliver gifts to someone else. Now, let me see if I can bring this down. Instead of the word gifts, let's use the word, hmm, pizza. Anybody ever delivered pizza? Okay, it's not really hard. It's in a box. You just take that box, find the address, take it to their house. Here you go. Behold, a pizza. Wonder what would happen if you got a job today working for Domino's. You got your first call to deliver a pizza to John's house. An extravaganza. Big one, fully loaded. John's got six people at his house, they're having a party. What are y'all drinking? Mountain Dew. He made a wise choice. All right, so we get the pizza at Domino's. Runnin' over to John's house, he opens the door, I hand him the box, he opens the box and four pieces are missing. Good or bad? Ain't a bit of difference in the world. Not a bit of difference in the world. God gives you a gift to give to John, and you hold it for yourself. I was sitting in a, I'm not just talking, I'm talking about, could be anything. I was sitting in a church one day in Alabama. I was sitting on the front right here by where this young man's sitting. And we was having a song service, and had one preacher already preached. And a young man, about maybe five years old, came walking up the aisle, came over here, and he stood right in front of me like this. And he held his hand out, and I held my hand out. And he laid a $50 bill in my hand. And anytime that happens to me, especially in church, I bowed my head and I want to pray and find out why did I get this money. So I bowed my head and I said, Lord, why are you giving me this $50? And of course, God answered me like he usually does. He said, stupid, I ain't giving it to you. I'm giving it through you. And the thought did not leave my mind. Someone stood up about middle ways back on this side and said, preacher, could I interrupt just for a moment? We've got missionary so-and-so and his wife with us tonight, and we're glad to have them. They're staying at our house, and their hot water heater blew up in their camper, and I wonder if we could maybe help them a little bit. They passed a collection plate, and I put $50 in the plate. because God gave me a gift to give to someone else. Now folks, listen to me. That will work as long as you're listening to God. See, that's exactly what Faith Promise Missions is. Right? God using you, he's gonna use you to give gifts to others. And if God knows he can trust you, if he knows, if I give this to John, he gonna go to Walmart with it. Guess what? He's not gonna offer much every month through John. But the more God sees that you will take what he gives you, whatever it is, and make sure it's given through the church to missions, he'll just keep dumping more every year. That's what faith promise is. Everybody all right? So God uses fruit of the Spirit to what? For the treatment of others. Gifts of the Spirit are for the service to others. Amen? Whatever you do, it's very dangerous to intercept and keep that gift which God has given for you to deliver. Everybody all right? Number two, it is very dangerous. Watch this now, this is serious. If you're not careful, it is very dangerous for you to receive the praise and glory for bringing that gift to someone that goes to God. Let's get a little deeper, a little simpler. I bring John to his house, I bring him a pizza, amen? And you know what our natural instinct is when someone brings us a pizza? To give them a tip, amen? But when you give out spiritual gifts, God gets the tip. If God uses you to give a gift to someone else to be a gift, are you listening? God gets all the glory and all the praise. It's not about you. It's about Him. Amen? And we are so, listen folks, the reason I'm telling you is because that is a very dangerous thing to do. is to rob God of His glory. Amen? And when God, all God wants you to do is be a vessel. He will take care of the ins and outs of it. All right? And you are to make sure, absolutely it is crucial that when God uses you, because I've seen it so many times, we're a blessing to someone else, we help someone else with a gift, we bring joy to someone else, and you know what they'll do? They'll start praising us. I'm just, you know, it's kind of like, let's see, Pastor Appreciation Day. I appreciate the pastor. Nothing wrong with appreciating the pastor. but you make sure God gets the glory. If you don't, you can get in a lot of trouble with God. Amen? And when you deliver something, every Sunday, Wednesday, this man stands up and delivers to you pizza from God. Are you with me? Why do you use pizza, preacher? Because some of you slice it up and only use part of it. Am I right? But he does his part. He delivers the whole pizza from God. Amen? And if we're not careful, he'll stand back there and you'll go out the door saying, man, I'll tell you what, that was one more good message, preacher. You've done a good job today. Ain't nothing good about him. So if he does what's right, and I know he does, he'll say something like, praise the Lord. Thank God, God gets the glory for that then. Amen? And very quickly give it back to God in front of that person so they'll understand every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. God gets the glory. Amen? Questions or comments? Was that simple enough? And yet, if you apply it, folks, it's so needed in our day. So needful. All right, preacher.