First Corinthians, Chapter 12.  We’ll go back and take just a moment in review, here.  And he says in the twelfth chapter of this book to the Corinthians, [verse 1], “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.”  “I would not have you ignorant.  I want to give you some understanding, some revelation, here, about what these gifts are, how they operate, and why they operate.  What they’re for, what they’re supposed to create in our lives.”  And he talks about the fact that the Holy Spirit is going to come and bring to you and me these gifts that are several, the Scripture says, reminding us that we are one body that has many members, verse 12, but it’s the same Spirit.  “For the body (verse 14) is not one member, but many.”  And then verse 18 tells us that, “God has now set the members in the church, every one of them…as it hath pleased him.”  “Every one of them as it has pleased Him.” 

Now, we’ll take just a moment and remind ourselves that as these gifts begin to operate, the natural tendencies for many of us would be, “Well, it doesn’t seem to be operating as prolifically in my life as it does in somebody else.”  “I wish I didn’t have this gift over here.”  “I would really like one that’s a little more spectacular.”  Whatever it is.  Let’s remember that every gift, meaning us personally, individually as people, and every gift of the Spirit operates as it pleases Him.  Amen?  So, the head cannot say to the foot, he goes on and gives this illustration, “We have no need of you.”  So, every one of us as individuals needs to be in our place, need to rejoice in the calling and the giftings that God has placed in our lives; and then also, ready and thankful for and pleased with the gifts of the Holy Spirit that operate through us to the edification of the church.

He tells us that we’re a people that don’t serve a god—Paul, speaking toward all of the idols of his day, and he calls them dumb idols, meaning the inability to speak.  We said that’s the one thing that stands out in Christianity.  Our God, the resurrected Jesus Christ, Who ascended and is seated at the right hand of God the Father, ever living to make intercession for us.  Our God talks to us; amen?  And He talks to us, the Scripture says, through the Teacher, the Holy Ghost, who shall bring all things to your remembrance that Jesus taught. 

The Holy Ghost talks to us.  The primary method of the Holy Ghost talking to you and me is the Word of God; amen?  You want to hear God speak?  Open the Bible.  This is God speaking to us.  This is not just paper and ink.  The Bible said this Word is alive, and it is powerful; amen?  This Word has life in it.  So, we’re admonished, then, to find this Word, let it be more precious to us than gold.  The Bible speaks, concerning this Word that we have in our hands, here, tonight, “Man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God…” (Deuteronomy 8:3).  Amen?  This is life unto us.