The Work God Has For Us
Bro. Marty Salamida 9/16/2025
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Summary
Bro. Marty Salamida explores the necessity of every believer finding their place as a servant within the Body of Christ, emphasizing that greatness comes through ministry and a willingness to be changed by the Holy Spirit. By taming the tongue and seeking to excel in building up others, believers contribute to the furtherance of the gospel while experiencing personal transformation.
Key points
- •Greatness in the Kingdom of God is defined by servanthood, following the example of Jesus who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.
- •Every member of the Body of Christ has a specific, necessary role, regardless of how small it may seem - the 'waiting of tables' is just as vital for the gospel's growth as preaching.
- •True learning in the church should lead to change and holiness; we must not be like those who visit the house of God but remain unchanged in their old nature.
- •The Holy Spirit acts as our 'rudder' or 'bit,' guiding our conduct and helping us tame the tongue to build up the church rather than cause strife.
- •We should seek to 'excel to edifying,' which means moving beyond the status quo to exceptionally perform our roles for the benefit and growth of others.
Scripture
Servanthood
The Body of Christ
Spiritual Growth
Holiness
Edification
Life application
This week, identify one 'small' task at home or in the church that you usually overlook and perform it with the mindset of a servant doing it unto the Lord. Before responding to a difficult situation, pause and ask the Holy Spirit to act as your rudder to guide your words toward edification.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life are you 'visiting the house of God' but resisting the changes He wants to make in your character?
- If the church is a body, which part do you feel God has currently called you to be, and how are you nourishing the rest of the members?
- Are you using your words to send forth 'sweet water' that builds others up, or 'bitter water' that causes confusion?
- What does it mean to you personally to 'excel to edifying' in your daily interactions with coworkers and family?
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Full transcript
0:00better.
0:00Okay, tonight uh my subject is preparing
0:02ourselves for the work and the service
0:06God has for each one of us, for all of
0:10us.
0:11Okay, the first scripture we're going to
0:14is Matthew 20 25 and 28. And let me give
0:19you a little background. The lady, there
0:21was a lady that came to Jesus and she
0:24had two sons and she asked uh Lord and
0:28he asked her, "Would you have me do for
0:30you?" And she said, "Well, I'd like one
0:33of my sons to sit on your right hand,"
0:35I'm paraphrasing. "And one of my sons to
0:37uh sit on your left hand." and he said,
0:41"No, I can't do that. I can't do that."
0:45He said, "Uh, it's not for me to to to
0:48make that choice." And so, we're going
0:50to go into this. And that's the thing.
0:53And then Jesus, his his disciples got a
0:56little upset at the two people, at the
0:57two guys, because who are they? You
1:00know, one's on his right hand, one's on
1:01his left hand. They thought they were
1:03trying to get close to Jesus. So, this
1:05is they were upset. So, he pulled them
1:07aside, and this is what he said to them.
1:0925- 28. Matthew 20 25-28.
1:15>> But Jesus called them unto him, and
1:17said, "Ye know that the princes of the
1:20Gentiles exercise dominion over them,
1:22and they that are great exercise
1:24authority upon them, but shall not be so
1:27among you. But whosoever will be great
1:29among you, let him be your minister. And
1:32whoever will be chief among you, let him
1:35be your servant. Even as the son of man
1:37came not to be ministered unto but to
1:39minister and to give his life a ransom
1:42for many.
1:43>> Right? And then Mark is the same thing,
1:46same scenario. Mark wrote it down just
1:48exactly almost exactly the way Matthew
1:51has it. Mark 10:42-45.
1:54Go ahead and read that. Just keep that
1:56in mind. To be a servant. To be a
1:59servant. Jesus is teaching for us.
2:03If we're going to be anything in the
2:05kingdom of God, we've got to be a
2:07servant. We are going to take that
2:10demeanor or that personality or that
2:14likeness of a servant. Go ahead, read.
2:17But Jesus called them to him, and saith
2:20unto them, Ye know that they which are
2:23accounted to rule over the Gentiles
2:24exercise lordship over them, and their
2:27great ones exercise authority upon them,
2:30but so shall it not be among you. But
2:32whosoever will be great among you shall
2:35be your minister, and whosoever of you
2:38will be the chiefest shall be servant of
2:40all. For even the son of man came not to
2:43be ministered unto but to minister and
2:45to give his life a ransom for many.
2:48>> So Jesus is teaching us that we have to
2:51take on the spirit of a servant. We have
2:55to be servants to each other
2:59in the kingdom of God. Everybody has a
3:02job in the kingdom of God. I don't I
3:05don't from the littlest to the biggest
3:07to the smallest to the best to the
3:09wealthiest to the poorest. Everybody has
3:13a job in the kingdom of God.
3:16>> It's just if you elect to take it
3:20>> and you make yourself available. That's
3:22the pro. That's where we have to make
3:24ourselves available as a servant.
3:28Okay? And uh no job is less needed than
3:31another.
3:33Uh meanwhile get Acts 6 1 and8
3:371-8 I'm sorry. Acts 6 1-8. And uh they
3:42all help every job helps for the
3:45furtherance of the gospel.
3:49You got to remember that every job I
3:51don't care if it's sweeping the floor. I
3:54don't care what it is. If it's a job
3:56you're doing for God, it helps for the
3:59furtherance of the gospel. You got to
4:02keep that in mind. We're not doing it
4:03for people. We're doing it for God. Go
4:06ahead and read that. This is Let me give
4:08you a little background scenario. What's
4:10happening first? Uh well, he'll read it.
4:13They were grumbling. So, go ahead.
4:16>> And in those days, when the number of
4:18the disciples was multiplied, there
4:20arose a murmuring of the Grecian against
4:23the Hebrews because their widows were
4:25neglected in the daily ministration.
4:27Then the twel called the multitude of
4:29the disciples unto them and said,"It is
4:32not reason that we should leave the word
4:34of God and serve tables. Wherefore,
4:37brethren, look ye out among you seven
4:39men of honest report, full of the Holy
4:42Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint
4:44over this business, but we will give
4:46ourselves continually to prayer and to
4:49the ministry of the word."
4:51>> There were ministers and then they were
4:53going to appoint people to serve the
4:55tables. Go ahead.
4:57And the saying pleased the whole
4:59multitude. And they chose Steven, a man
5:01full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and
5:03Philip and Proorus, and Niconor, and
5:07Timone and Parm Pminus, and Nicholas, a
5:11procelite of Antioch, whom they set
5:13before the apostles. And when they had
5:15prayed, they laid their hands on them,
5:18and the word of God increased. And the
5:20number of the disciples multiplied in
5:22Jerusalem greatly, and a great company
5:24of the priests were obedient to the
5:26faith. And Steven, full of faith and
5:28power, did great wonders and miracles
5:31among the people.
5:32>> Hear that? Stephen was waiting tables.
5:36And what did he do?
5:38>> What did he do?
5:39>> The last words.
5:40>> He did great wonders and miracles. He
5:42did wonders, miracles.
5:45He was waiting tables
5:49and he did wonders and miracles.
5:52So there's no least or little person in
5:57the kingdom of God. You've got to
5:59understand that. We've got to understand
6:00that it doesn't matter what the job is.
6:03Waiting tables.
6:05Okay? And he did wonders, miracles, and
6:10he did it. And so did the other men.
6:12They were full of faith and full of the
6:14Holy Ghost. Now, they could have said,
6:15"Hey, we don't want to wait tables." But
6:18they didn't. They made themselves
6:19available and God worked them for them
6:23while the others were able to minister
6:25and it all worked together for good. We
6:27have a we have one of our subjects in
6:30fellowship is the church.
6:33He talks about the history of the church
6:35from when it started to then. But right
6:37now, the church is the people, not the
6:42building.
6:43>> The church is the bu the people and it's
6:46a body. The church is a body. The body
6:50of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12 12
6:54through31.
6:56It's one body and all the parts have
7:00different uses. the thumb, the fingers,
7:03the hand, the head, the ears, the nose.
7:06Everybody,
7:08if I took your little toe and smashed it
7:11with a hammer,
7:13it would hurt your whole body.
7:16Okay? So, that little thing would hurt
7:19your whole big body. So, there's no
7:22little people. That's what I'm trying to
7:24get to tonight. There's no little people
7:27in the kingdom of God. Every part is
7:31necessary.
7:33>> Okay, go ahead. Read it. 1 Corinthians
7:3612 12-31.
7:40>> For as the body is one and hath many
7:42members, and all the members that one
7:45body, being many are one body, so also
7:48is Christ. For by one spirit are we all
7:51baptized into one body, whether we be
7:54Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or
7:56free, and have been made all made to
7:59drink into one spirit. For the body is
8:02not one member, but many. If the foot
8:04shall say, "Because I am not the hand, I
8:06am not of the body." Is it therefore not
8:08of the body? And if the ear shall say,
8:10"Because I am not the eye, I am not of
8:13the body." Is it therefore not of the
8:15body? If the whole body were an eye,
8:18where were the hearing? If the whole
8:20were hearing, where were the smelling?
8:23But now hath God set the members, every
8:26one of them, in the body as it hath
8:28pleased him.
8:29>> So God put the members in the body as it
8:33pleased him. Now, it's our
8:36responsibility to find out where we
8:38belong. And that's some people have a
8:41hard time with that. Some people have a
8:43hard time with that. years ago in the
8:45church, I don't know if you were here
8:47and those that were here, we filled out
8:49little forms about our character and
8:52about our likes and about our
8:54personality so where we could fit into
8:57the body of Christ, teaching, serving
9:00tables, cooking meals,
9:03uh vacuuming the floor, whatever
9:06whatever it was. And it's it's
9:10your responsibility
9:13and God will help you. God will help
9:15you. You start praying for it. You're
9:17either going to be useless
9:20or you're going to be used.
9:23>> Okay? You'll either be useless or you're
9:26going to be used. And useless isn't
9:27good. It's not good. Okay? That's a
9:30negative. Okay? So to be used of God,
9:33you've got to be become available
9:37and you've got to make yourself
9:38available and you've got to be open to
9:41what God gives you and how God
9:45directs you into what into what uh
9:49channel you're going to and what you're
9:51going to do and where you fit the best.
9:53Whether you're a greeter at the door,
9:55whether it doesn't matter. It doesn't
9:58matter. Every part is necessary. That's
10:01what I'm trying to bring across tonight.
10:04Every part is necessary. Every part.
10:07Okay. Now,
10:10there are some stipulations
10:13to being used of God.
10:16The guys even waiting the tables were
10:18full of the Holy Ghost.
10:20And the Holy Ghost could use them
10:23because they were full of the spirit of
10:25God and they were able to be used. Now,
10:29I'm going to give you uh there was there
10:32were some people with David and uh get
10:37get Psalms 55 18 and 19. Psalms 55:18
10:43and 19. What happened is these people
10:46were part of the church.
10:48And at that time, David was was I guess
10:53he realized it. And I'm giving you the
10:56the scriptures ahead of what Isaac's
10:58going to read. So what happened is these
11:02people even went to the house of God
11:04with him, but they they were deceptive.
11:08They wouldn't they they were they
11:10weren't right. And they even went to the
11:13house of God. They were his friends. He
11:15said, "If my friend
11:17if if somebody came at me with a sword,
11:19at least I know how to fight him. But
11:22these guys are my friends. I didn't see
11:24this coming. I did not see this coming.
11:28But then
11:30the reason being is read it.
11:33>> He hath delivered my soul in peace from
11:35the battle.
11:36>> This is David speaking. Go ahead.
11:38>> He hath delivered my soul in peace from
11:40the battle that was against me. For
11:42there were many with me. God shall hear
11:44and afflict them. Even he that abideth
11:46of old sila because they have no
11:49changes. Therefore they fear not.
11:52>> Read yet again. They have what?
11:53>> They have no changes.
11:55>> They didn't change.
11:57They went to the house of God.
12:01They were there. They walked with David.
12:06They were friendly with David, but they
12:09didn't change when they got to the house
12:11of God. They didn't change. The word of
12:14God didn't change them. They didn't they
12:17didn't adapt to the spirit of God. They
12:22stayed in their deceitful ways. They
12:24stayed in their old ways, their
12:26lifestyle, their old lifestyle. Now, I'm
12:29going to give you a a a uh
12:34a trait of change and it's holiness.
12:37Now, there's all levels of holiness, all
12:40parameters of holiness and and uh
12:45if you want to serve God, you got to
12:47make changes.
12:49Okay? And if you want to be used of God,
12:53it doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't
12:55happen overnight. A lot of us say, "Oh,
12:57God's not doing anything in my life. I
12:59want it to happen right now." It does
13:01not happen overnight.
13:03>> It happens as you walk with God.
13:06>> Oh, Shay was in that, too. I see Shay
13:08back there. He was in the class. He know
13:10he's he's going to hear some of it, too.
13:12Anyhow, uh holiness is the spirit the
13:17spiritual meaning consists of the
13:21quality of your life.
13:24The quality of your life
13:28and conduct.
13:30These people didn't change. They went to
13:32the house of God with David, but they
13:34didn't change. And he didn't read it.
13:36But the their end result was very bad.
13:39It wasn't good.
13:41God turned turned them and and went
13:43against them. Okay? And separation from
13:48the world
13:50and consecration to God. It's leave one
13:54and go to the other. And that's what's
13:56going to happen. If you really start
13:58seeking God, you're going to leave your
14:00old ways and you're going to take on
14:04new. And every time you come to church,
14:07you'll change a little bit. You'll
14:09change. It says with James 3 1-18,
14:15and I'm going to just preface it with
14:17this. With wisdom comes the power God
14:21gives you to do good works.
14:24And and change is the result of all true
14:30learning. The more you learn, the more
14:34you're going to change. And if you learn
14:38and you're learning and your mind is
14:40towards righteousness,
14:42that's what you're going to learn. How
14:44to become more righteous. How to become
14:48more like Jesus. How to walk in the
14:52light as he's in the light. That you'll
14:55have fellowship one with another.
14:59And his blood cleanses us from all sin.
15:03Remember that. to have fellowship. Now,
15:06these guys walked with David, but they
15:08didn't change. They even went to the
15:10house of God. They didn't change.
15:14You got to change.
15:16If not, you know, you heard it. Get in,
15:19get out, or get run over. You know how
15:21it is.
15:23So, you got to keep moving and you got
15:25to keep moving towards God.
15:27Righteousness exaltth the nation, but
15:30sin is a reproach to any land. Go ahead,
15:33read that for me.
15:35James 3
15:37>> James 31 1-18 through 18
15:40>> My brethren, be not many masters,
15:43knowing that we shall receive the
15:44greater condemnation. For in many things
15:47we offend all, if any man offend not in
15:50word, the same is a perfect man, and
15:52able also to bridle the whole body.
15:55Behold, we put bits in the hor's mouths
15:58that they may obey us, and we turn about
16:01their whole body. Behold also the ships
16:04which though they be so great and are
16:06driven of fierce winds, yet are they
16:09turned about with a very small helm,
16:11whethersoever the governor listeth.
16:15Even so the tongue is a little member
16:17and boasteth great things. Behold, how
16:21great a matter a little fire kindleth.
16:24And the tongue is a fire, a world of
16:27iniquity. So is the tongue among our
16:29members that it defileth the whole body
16:31and setth on fire the course of nature
16:34and is set on fire of hell. For every
16:37kind of beasts and of birds and of
16:39serpents and of the things in the sea is
16:42tamed and hath been tamed of mankind.
16:45But the tongue can no man tame. It is an
16:47unruly evil full of deadly poison.
16:51Therewith bless we God, even the Father,
16:53and therew with curse we men, which are
16:55made after the the similitude of God.
16:58Out of the same mouth proceedth blessing
17:00and cursing, my brethren, these things
17:03ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send
17:06forth at the same place sweet water and
17:09bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren,
17:11bear olive berries, either a vine figs?
17:15So can no fountain both yield salt water
17:17and fresh? who is a wise man and endued
17:20with knowledge among you. Let him show
17:22out of a good conversation his works
17:25with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have
17:27bitter envying and strife in your
17:29hearts, glory not and lie not against
17:31the truth. This wisdom descendeth not
17:34from above, but is earthly, sensual,
17:36devilish. For where envying and strife
17:39is, there is confusion in every evil
17:41work. But the wisdom that is from above
17:44is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
17:47and easy to be entreated, full of mercy
17:49and good fruits, without partiality, and
17:51without hypocrisy. And the fruit of
17:53righteousness is sown in peace of them
17:56that make peace.
17:58>> What it what it's telling us right here
18:00is that a fountain can bring forth sweet
18:04water and bitter water at the same time.
18:07And that's us. The bit in our mouth is
18:11the Holy Ghost. The rudder that we have
18:14is the Holy Ghost.
18:17Said he'll lead us and guide us into all
18:20truth for his name's sake.
18:23So that rudder is going to if we let it,
18:27if we let it, that's the factor. If we
18:32let it and we're sensitive to that move
18:35of God and to the spirit of God, he'll
18:39lead us and guide us into all truth and
18:41righteousness for his name's sake. Not
18:45for our name's sake, for his name's
18:47sake. For the furtherance of the gospel,
18:51that the kingdom of God will come. The
18:54kingdom of God is not meat and it's not
18:56drink, but it's righteousness,
18:59its peace, and its joy. where in the
19:03Holy Ghost.
19:05That's our rudder. That's our bit.
19:07That's our leader. That's what guides
19:10us. That's our guide. He said, "I won't
19:13leave you comfortless. I'll send you the
19:14comforter."
19:15>> It's our comforter.
19:17>> It's everything that we have of God in
19:21an earthn vessel.
19:23Okay? Remember that with wisdom comes
19:26the power God gives you to do good
19:29works. Why do we want to do good works?
19:32So people will see the good works and
19:34glorify God for the furtherance of the
19:38gospel. You are part of the body of
19:41Christ.
19:43That's where you belong. That's what you
19:46are.
19:48And if you accept it and you give
19:51yourself to it, God will lead you. He
19:55will lead you. He'll teach you. You'll
19:58learn. you'll change.
20:01You know, a lot of people say, "Well, I
20:03could say it, too. I'm not what I should
20:06be, but I'm not what I used to be
20:08either."
20:09>> You know how they You heard people say
20:11that. Well, it's true.
20:14We got Some of us have a long way to go,
20:17you know, and and the thing is,
20:21and I'm I'm talking like everybody has
20:23the Holy Ghost here right now, okay? And
20:26I don't know the difference. I'm just
20:28talking the way I'm talking is that I
20:31believe everybody here is part of the
20:33body of Christ or can be or can be if
20:37you accept it. Okay? But if you learn
20:43these people that went with David to the
20:45house of God that didn't change, second
20:49Peter 2 20 and 22.
20:54This is what Peter said
20:56about people that didn't change and
20:59people that didn't didn't do right and
21:02they went back and they they kept their
21:05old lifestyle.
21:07This is what Peter said. Go ahead. For
21:09if after they have escaped the
21:11pollutions of the world through the
21:13knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus
21:15Christ, they are again entangled therein
21:17and overcome, the latter end is worse
21:20with them than the beginning.
21:21>> It's better. Go ahead.
21:24>> For it had been better for them not to
21:26have known the way of righteousness than
21:28after they have known it to turn from
21:30the holy commandment delivered unto
21:32them. But it has happened unto them.
21:34According to the true proverb, the dog
21:37is turned to his own vomit again and the
21:40show that was washed to her wallowing in
21:43the mire.
21:43>> Believe me, you don't want that to
21:45happen. We don't want that to happen. We
21:48don't want to see that in anybody. We
21:49don't want to see that in our children.
21:51We don't want to see that in anybody
21:54that happened to. But David saw it. It
21:56happened to his friends, people that
21:59went to church with him. We don't want
22:01that to happen. Jesus said it it's
22:03likened to a a a house and and and a man
22:08that had well I'm going to bring it down
22:10to us. We have the Holy Ghost.
22:12>> We let it go. We go back and we do what
22:15we were doing. We get the lifestyle. We
22:17live the lifestyle that is not
22:19righteousness. Okay. that that spirit
22:22when when that spirit the spirit of God
22:25is not pre present or pre or dominant in
22:30our life the spirit comes back the old
22:33spirit comes back to the house
22:36and he finds it he looks at it he said
22:38woo the house is swept it's clean it's
22:41empty it's garnished I'm going to call
22:44some of my friends seven more spirits
22:47come with it seven more ugly spirits
22:51bad spirits come with it. We don't want
22:55that to happen to people. I've seen it
22:57happen. And I'm not talking happen
23:00stance. I'm talking
23:03experience. Okay?
23:06It's hard to get back in that situation.
23:09It is hard to get back. You can you can
23:14but it's like rolling the dice. Okay. If
23:18if I can say that it's hard. It's very
23:22very hard. You don't want that to
23:24happen. You don't want some more spirits
23:26to come and torment you, make you do
23:28things that you don't want to do. Okay.
23:33All right. Let's go on. That's the ugly
23:35part.
23:37Hopefully, we'll get to the good part.
23:39Okay.
23:42All right. God's work in service.
23:44Remember, this is getting us ready to
23:46work in the kingdom of God and to be
23:49servants in the kingdom of God. Whatever
23:52God's got for us. And I can't tell you
23:54what God's got for you. I don't know.
23:58You know, every man working out his own
24:00salvation with fear and trembling. Well,
24:04do it like that. Face it like that. Seek
24:07after it. You seek, you'll find it. You
24:09knock, it'll be open. You ask, you'll
24:13get it. Okay.
24:15All right. James 1:27. This is pure
24:19religion. This is how we ought to
24:22There's all kinds of examples how we how
24:24we ought to ought to be and how we ought
24:26to operate in this world. Go ahead, read
24:28that one. James 1:27. This is pure
24:32religion. It's called
24:34>> pure religion and undefiled before God
24:37and the father. Is this to visit the
24:40fatherless and widows in their
24:41affliction and to keep himself unspotted
24:44from the world?
24:46>> Keep yourself what?
24:48>> Unspotted.
24:49>> Unspotted from the world. But listen,
24:53before that he said to visit the
24:55fatherless. What's the big deal about
24:57that?
24:59To to to what did you say about the
25:01widow?
25:02>> To visit the fatherless and widows in
25:04their
25:04>> to visit the widow. What's the big deal
25:07about that? There's widows everywhere.
25:11What's the big deal? But that's pure
25:13religion. When you make yourself
25:15accessible and you do those things, you
25:18do it unto God.
25:21That's a point for you.
25:24Okay? You're moving up the ladder.
25:28You're moving towards righteousness,
25:30pure religion. Remember that. That's
25:32simple. That is simple.
25:35Okay. God's wisdom allows us to do our
25:39jobs cunningly even on our jobs to
25:42conduct business correctly
25:45in a moral
25:48atmosphere and in a moral way not
25:50cheating. you know where it says God
25:53doesn't like
25:55a bad balance like like back in the days
25:59I I I've told this before back in the
26:01day like you go into a grocery store you
26:03buy a pound of a pound of flour pound of
26:05sugar they put it on the on the weight
26:08and some guys had had weighted weights
26:12they had the little pan weighted so so
26:15it would look there would be less flour
26:17in here but more weight on the pan
26:19because it would show a pound but You
26:21may be only getting 3/4 of a pound. That
26:23guy just made a a quarter of a pound
26:26profit on you plus the profit he made
26:27for the pound he sold you that he told
26:30you he sold you. Okay? God doesn't like
26:33an unjust way. You got to do business
26:36right. You got to do business right to
26:39deal with life's issues properly.
26:43There's a good way to do things and a
26:45bad way to do things. The Lord said
26:47vengeance is mine. A lot of people
26:49think, you know, he hit me, I hit him
26:52back. He stole from me, I steal back.
26:54You know, he threw me under the bus, I
26:55throw him under the bus. To make sound
26:58decisions daily. We make decisions
27:01daily. We need our right mind to make
27:05decisions.
27:08Okay.
27:09I'm doing a Bible study and I've been
27:11doing it for a long time. It's called
27:13SAD.
27:15S A D.
27:18It's like MAD, you know, mothers against
27:19drunk drivers. Well, this is saints
27:22against decisive destructive decisions.
27:27Saints against destructive decisions. We
27:30have to make daily for our families, for
27:34ourselves. We've got to make decisions.
27:36We need our right mind. We need the
27:38guidance of the Holy Ghost for that.
27:41I mean, it's simple. It's simple to ask
27:44God. I mean, you know, indecisions,
27:49okay, to help us in all our
27:53relationships,
27:54how we deal with people, how we interact
27:56with people, do we do it kindly, do we
27:59visit the widow, do we wi visit the
28:02fatherless, are we gentle,
28:05you know, the fruits of the spirit, are
28:08we but it's, you got to understand, it's
28:11not for our benefit. is for the kingdom
28:15of God. It's for the furtherance of the
28:18gospel.
28:20I I don't understand what waiting tables
28:24and and cleaning up after people was for
28:27the furtherance of go of the gospel, but
28:29it was
28:31it was okay. We've got to understand
28:33that.
28:35Work business people all
28:39circumstances friends classmates
28:43relationships. We have to deal with it
28:45daily. People that we work with, we have
28:47to be kind. We can't be, you know,
28:51abusive.
28:54We can't be for God's sake.
28:58Okay?
29:01And this is where I wanted to get to
29:05because we're part of the body of
29:07Christ. And now 1 Corinthians
29:15uh 1 Corinthians
29:1713.
29:19Wait, let me get to it. Let me get to
29:251 Corinthians 13.
29:35It's talking about
29:37wait 12 and hold on get to these. Okay.
29:4214 and 12. 14 and 12.
29:51>> 14 and 12. You got it.
29:53>> Yep.
29:53>> Go ahead. Even so, ye, for as much as ye
29:56are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek
29:59that ye may excel to the edifying of the
30:01church. And what is the church?
30:05The body of Christ.
30:08Seek that you might excel
30:12to the edifying of the body.
30:15Okay?
30:17And that's the church.
30:22To excel is to go beyond or surpass
30:27in good qualities
30:30or deeds. To exceed
30:33or to outdo the normal to go the second
30:37mile
30:40like the good Samaritan
30:43to go the second mile. Okay. to be
30:47exceptionally good at or proficient and
30:50at in an activity or a subject
30:55you excel. Seek that you might excel. To
30:59the edifying that means to the edify is
31:03to build. You're building up the church.
31:06You're building up the body of Christ.
31:07You're give you're bringing nourishment.
31:09You're bringing help. You're bringing
31:12unity. you know, where where the Bible
31:15says how good it it was for brethren to
31:18dwell together
31:20in in in peace and in in righteousness.
31:24It it's like the oil that was down the
31:27beard and it went down the skirts. And
31:30it it's just it's just a good thing to
31:33edify, to build, to instruct
31:36and improve by good example
31:41to profit morally or spiritually.
31:44Seek that you might excel to the
31:46edifying that you might help the body of
31:49Christ, the kingdom of God. Edification
31:53is the growth and the building of faith.
31:57Seek that you might excel to the
31:59edification of the body. That's to make
32:02it grow and to bring to bring health to
32:05it. To bring help and to do your part in
32:08the body, the little finger, the toe,
32:11whatever it is.
32:161 Corinthians 14:2 and six.
32:20I'm gonna sing a song in a minute. Mindy
32:22knows it. Jay knows it.
32:26For he that speaketh in an unknown
32:29tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto
32:31God. For no man understandeth him, how
32:34be it in the spirit he speaketh
32:36mysteries, but he that prophesith
32:38speaketh unto men to edification and
32:41exhortation and comfort. He that
32:44speaketh in an unknown tongue edifth
32:46himself, but he that prophesieth edifith
32:50the church. I would that ye all spake
32:52with tongues, but rather that ye
32:55prophesy. For greater is he that
32:56prophesieth than he that speaketh with
32:59tongues, except he interpret that the
33:01church may receive edifying. Now,
33:04brethren, if I come unto you speaking
33:05with tongues, what shall I profit you
33:07except I shall speak to you either by
33:10revelation or by knowledge or pro by
33:13prophesying or by doctrine?
33:15>> Okay, that's good.
33:17What what we're doing here is the spirit
33:20of prophecy is the spirit of Jesus
33:23Christ. You got to understand that it's
33:25not it's not prophesi there is
33:27prophetical words that go beyond and
33:31reveal and do future stuff. But there's
33:34prophecy how now in the speaking and in
33:37the interaction with people. You know
33:40this the word of God is quick and it's
33:42powerful sharper than any two-edged
33:44sword. So when that spirit comes forth,
33:47it's the spirit of Jesus Christ. The
33:49spirit of prophecy is the spirit of
33:51Jesus Christ. And what is the spirit of
33:54Jesus Christ? The Holy Ghost. So what is
33:57it? Everybody has that spirit.
34:02The word of God is quick and powerful,
34:03sharper than two any two-edged sword.
34:07And what does it do? It it it pierces.
34:11It divides us under the marrow and the
34:13bone. and and is a discerner
34:18of the thoughts and the intents of the
34:20heart.
34:21>> So when you prophesy and you're speaking
34:23to somebody, you may say, "Hey, how you
34:26doing today?" Uh, you know, I was
34:28thinking uh how you been and uh I was
34:31wondering, you know, how you doing at
34:33work? You might have had a hard day. You
34:35know, say, "Oh, by the way, I had a real
34:37hard day." And then you start speaking
34:40and and and and helping help and say,
34:43"Oh, that's okay. We all have hard days.
34:46You know, you're not the lone ranger
34:47here. We all got problems, you know."
34:50>> So So you're speaking you're speaking
34:53and the spirit of Jesus Christ. You're
34:56you're you're interacting. You're you're
34:59having it. And and I may say something
35:01that was in his mind. I'm not a mind
35:04readader.
35:05It's the word of God. I may say a
35:07scripture that he read today.
35:10I may it doesn't matter. But that's by
35:13the spirit of Jesus Christ. That is the
35:16spirit of prophecy.
35:19That's the thoughts and the intents of
35:21men's hearts. Now, back in Isuza Street,
35:25when the Holy Ghost broke out in Isuza
35:27Street, this is in California in the
35:29early 1900s, okay? People got up and
35:33spoke. Some people spoke in tongues by
35:37the spirit of prophecy, but there might
35:40have been a a somebody from China next
35:42to him and the tongues were in Chinese.
35:45And that that person said, "Hey, where'd
35:48you learn Chinese?" Said, "Chinese? I
35:51don't know Chinese, but I just heard you
35:53speaking in Chinese and you were telling
35:54me this."
35:56That's what happened in Anuza Street.
35:58The spirit of Jesus Christ was so strong
36:02that it revealed what was going on in
36:05people's hearts and in their minds and
36:07how they spoke and where they were from.
36:10Okay, that's just a little insight to
36:12prophecy. Not not way down the road. It
36:15is down the road also. And the spirit of
36:17prophecy usually takes things from the
36:19past
36:21and the present and projects them to the
36:24future.
36:25You know how they say history repeats
36:27itself? Well, the spirit of prophecy a
36:31lot of times will pull from the old old
36:33testament which was our teacher and it
36:36projects to the future. You know a lot
36:39of people say I forgot which if it was
36:41Elijah somebody saw an airplane in the
36:43air. You know, I don't know if that's
36:45true, but you know, I've heard that that
36:48they've seen, you know, prophets saw
36:50that and they saw the future coming, but
36:54I haven't had that. I I haven't had that
36:57experience yet, but maybe I would.
36:59Anyhow,
37:01edification
37:03building 41 11-16 we
37:09Ephesians 4 11-16
37:13building
37:15growth working together increase and
37:18edifying Ephesians 4 11- 16 go ahead
37:24>> and he gave some apostles and some
37:26prophets and some evangelists and some
37:29pastors and teachers, for the perfecting
37:32of the saints, for the work of the
37:34ministry, for the edifying of the body
37:36of Christ, till we all come in the unity
37:38of the faith and of the knowledge of the
37:41Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the
37:43measure of the stature of the fullness
37:45of Christ, that we henceforth be no more
37:48children, tossed to and fro, and carried
37:51about with every wind of doctrine, by
37:52the slight of men, and cunning
37:54craftiness, whereby they lie and wait to
37:57deceive. but speaking the truth in love
37:59may grow up into him in all things which
38:02is the head, even Christ.
38:04>> Amen. That's what it's all about. We're
38:07changing. We're changing for the kingdom
38:10of God, but we benefit from it in our
38:13own life. I've said this so many times.
38:16This is the best life we can live on
38:19this earth.
38:21>> And we have the promise of heaven. It's
38:24like having our cake and eating it too,
38:27>> you know? I mean, come on. This is the
38:31best life we can live in this world.
38:35And if anybody don't agree, come ask me.
38:37I'll tell you.
38:39That's the way it is. I believe that.
38:42Okay.
38:45Okay. To excel. It's all about
38:47excelling. The five-fold ministry is
38:49there to build us up in faith, but it's
38:52to build the church of God, the body of
38:54Christ. We are the body of Christ
38:59members. Each member in particular,
39:01remember that.
39:04Don't mix up the word excel acceel,
39:09which means speed increase.
39:12May not be very speedy. Like I said, it
39:15happens over time. You don't wake up the
39:18next day and become bright and shining
39:21star. You know what I'm saying? You
39:23won't illuminate. You don't have a halo
39:25over your head the next day. Now, you
39:27know, you'll grow into that until we all
39:31grow into the measure of Christ. You
39:35come from glory to glory. We're changed
39:37from glory to glory. Every time you come
39:40to church, if the operation of the
39:43spirit of God is working in you, you
39:46will go out that door different.
39:48You will be changed a little bit. You'll
39:51be changed. Your personality will
39:53change. Your your thinking will change.
39:56That's what the spirit of God. That's
39:58why we meet. That's why we come to
40:01church. I want to be changed. I want to
40:04be better.
40:06Not just for me, but for the kingdom of
40:08God. But it benefits me to do that.
40:14Okay? So don't mix up the word excel
40:19which is increase with the word excel
40:23which also means exceptional
40:25performance. That's where we want to get
40:27to exceptional performance.
40:31You know you you heard the phrase
40:33hitting on all eights. You know what
40:34that means? That's like an eight
40:36cylinder engine hitting on all eights.
40:38If you got a bad spark plug, it's not
40:40going to go. You're going to get a pop
40:41somewhere. You're going to not get
40:43fired. You're not going to be hitting on
40:45all eights. This you need to be to where
40:48you're exceptionally performing
40:51in Jesus Christ.
40:56Okay. Now, I'm going to sing.
40:59Now, I don't know. I did it in Sunday
41:02school and I and Shay knows the song and
41:05Mindy knows the song. Okay. Now, this is
41:08real important in holiness. Okay. Now,
41:12now Ray's over there. He's he's my armor
41:14guard tonight. There's Everybody knows
41:17the rules, right? No throwing things at
41:19the talker at the speaker. No throwing
41:23and no
41:24booing the speaker. Otherwise,
41:30I get you. Okay. All right.
41:35Now, 1 Corinthians 12, just read that.
41:38Well, read 14 2-6.
41:411 Corinthians and then I'll say maybe
41:4514 2-6.
41:481 Corinthians.
41:49>> For he that speaketh in an unknown
41:51tongues.
41:51>> Okay, you already did that one. I'm
41:53sorry. 14 and 12. I'm sorry.
41:56>> That's the edification one.
41:57>> Yep.
41:58>> Go ahead. Do it again.
42:00Even so, ye, for as much as ye are
42:02zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye
42:05may excel to the edifying of the church.
42:08Okay?
42:08>> Wherefore let him that speaketh in an
42:10unknown tongue pray that he may
42:12interpret.
42:13>> Okay, that's good. Seek that. My point
42:16is, seek that you might excel to the
42:19edifying of the church, which is the
42:23body of Christ.
42:26Why? for the furtherance of the gospel.
42:29And remember, you will benefit from it
42:33personally. You'll benefit. You'll
42:36benefit. God will bless you like you
42:38couldn't imagine. He says, you know,
42:41prove me now. Prove them. If you don't
42:44believe me, prove them. Okay? You know,
42:47like the guy from Louisiana say, "I gone
42:49wrong." That's what Louisiana people say
42:51all the time. I don't know why. Okay?
42:54Now, we know that we come here to be
42:58changed. Okay? Now, I'm going to sing
43:01you a little song from Sunday school
43:02that I learned, I think, when I first
43:05came in. This is like 60 years old or 50
43:07years old what I learned it. Okay? But
43:10this is very important. You got to look
43:13for the truth in it. Okay? Now, you can
43:17don't don't just look at me and laugh.
43:19Okay? Okay? It goes like this. Be
43:22careful little ears. what you hear.
43:26Be careful little ears what you hear.
43:29For the Lord up above's looking down
43:32with tender love. So be careful little
43:35ears what you hear.
43:38Be careful little mouth what you say.
43:42Be careful little mouth what you say.
43:46For the I'm making it short. For the
43:48Lord up above looking down with tender
43:50love. So be careful little mouth what
43:53you say. Mouth has a dual purpose. It
43:55tastes too. Keep that in mind. Okay. All
43:59right. Be careful little hands what you
44:02touch.
44:04Be careful little hands what you touch.
44:07For the Lord up above looking down with
44:11tender love. So be careful little hands
44:13what you touch. Be careful little eyes
44:16what you see. Be careful little what
44:19you're looking at. Be careful of what
44:22you've been looking at way. Careful
44:24little eyes what you see for the Lord up
44:28above looking down with tender love. So
44:31be careful little eyes what you see. Be
44:35careful little feet. Some people got big
44:36ones. Be careful little feet where you
44:39go.
44:41Be careful little feet where you go.
44:44This is true. I'm telling you. Birds of
44:47a feather flock together.
44:50Amen. So much tomorrow as you see the
44:53day of coming.
44:55Come to church. Be careful little feet
44:58where you go for the Lord up above
45:02looking down with tender love. So be
45:04careful little feet where you go. Ears,
45:07eyes, nose, everything. Wherever you do,
45:11do it unto the Lord.
45:13>> Do it unto the Lord. And I'm telling
45:16you, it will benefit you.
45:20And then finally,
45:22Philippians 4 through8.
45:27This is where we got to be. Get your
45:30mindset. Get your mindset like concrete
45:33sets.
45:35Your attitude. God God has no respect to
45:38persons, but he does respect attitudes.
45:41Remember that your attitude, it'll
45:45either take you a long way in business,
45:48in relationships, in friendships, or
45:52it'll stop you dead in your tracks and
45:54and people will draw back from you. All
45:58right, go ahead.
45:59>> Philippians 4.
46:00>> Philippians 4 through uh 48.
46:04Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
46:06true, whatsoever things are honest,
46:09whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
46:12things are pure, whatsoever things are
46:14lovely, whatsoever things are of good
46:17report, if there be any virtue, and if
46:19there be any praise, think on these
46:21things.
46:23>> Got to get it in your mind. That's where
46:26our battles are in our mind. Sometimes
46:28when we're alone, we're stuck in our own
46:31heads.
46:32And that's the worst thing. We've got to
46:35get out of it. Get it in the word of
46:37God. If you I if you're going through
46:39the worst trial in your life, go to
46:41Psalms. Read through Psalms. Read
46:42through Proverbs.
46:44>> David went through it numerous times in
46:47in Psalms. He was always facing
46:49something. But But
46:54don't make God your last resort. Make
46:58him your first resort. Amen.
47:01>> Make him first. Not only for yourselves,
47:05but for others, for the kingdom of God,
47:07for the body of Christ. We're all in
47:10this together. You're not the lone
47:12ranger.
47:13Believe me.
47:15Everybody has their own little problems
47:18and things that they face, their own
47:21past. Keep it past.
47:24Let it stay there. Get by it. Pass it.
47:29Don't let it catch up.
47:31Go on. Okay. For the kingdom of God, for
47:35the furtherance of the gospel, and you
47:38will benefit from it. Faithfulness,
47:41diligence consistency.
47:44That's it. Faithfulness, diligent, and
47:47consistency. Consistency is hard. It's
47:51very hard. It's hard to stay consistent
47:53in a lot of things consistently day in
47:57and day out. But you've got to get that
48:00mindset. You've got to
48:03You want me to sing again? No.
48:07So, in other words, say what you mean
48:11and mean what you say.
48:14Let's all stand.