The Truth Church

Bishop Riggen continues his series on apostolic authority, teaching the second lesson on spiritual gifts from 1 Corinthians 12. He stresses that the church must not be ignorant concerning these gifts, as they are essential for balanced spiritual growth alongside prayer and ministry. The gifts are supernatural, not natural talents, and are governed by rules established in Scripture. He reviews the three categories of gifts: revelation (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, discerning of spirits), power (faith, healing, miracles), and inspiration (prophecy, tongues, interpretation). Focusing on the revelation gifts, he defines the word of knowledge as God revealing a specific fact about a person or situation that could not be known naturally, giving examples from Acts (Peter and Ananias/Sapphira, Ananias and Saul). The word of wisdom is God revealing a plan or course of action to deal with a situation, illustrated by Paul on the ship and Peter at Cornelius’s house. The discerning of spirits is the ability to identify whether a spirit is divine, human, or demonic, crucial for protecting the church from deception and knowing how to minister. Bishop Riggen exhorts believers to earnestly desire these gifts, yield to the Holy Spirit, and allow God to build His church supernaturally, not by human wisdom or talent.

Pastor Hilton opens his message by reading Philippians 3:7-14, where Paul declares that he counts all his achievements as loss for the excellency of knowing Christ. He emphasizes that Paul, despite his impressive religious pedigree—a Pharisee, a Hebrew of Hebrews, blameless in the law—still considered everything as dung that he might win Christ. Pastor Hilton focuses on the word 'apprehension,' explaining its two meanings: fear of the unknown, and the act of grasping or laying hold of something. He urges the congregation not to be hesitant or fearful about reaching for what God has for them. Using Paul's example, he illustrates that believers must learn to forget both past successes and past failures in order to press forward toward the prize of the high calling. Successes can become obstacles if we hold them too tightly, leaving no room for more from God. Failures, likewise, can paralyze us if we dwell on them. Pastor Hilton stresses the importance of contentment in material things, quoting 1 Timothy 6:6-10, so that our focus shifts to seeking first the kingdom of God. He challenges the church to stop being apprehensive and instead begin apprehending—to reach out with open hands and receive the gifts God has already prepared, including righteousness, godliness, faith, love, and ultimately eternal life. He concludes by calling the congregation to come to the altar, lay hold on what God is offering, and move from fear to faith.

The minister begins by reading 1 Corinthians 12:1, emphasizing Paul's desire that believers not be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts. He explains that God is a God of order, not confusion, and that the gifts operate according to divine rules. The minister reviews the nine gifts listed in verses 8-10 and categorizes them into three groups: gifts of revelation (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, discerning of spirits) which provide the divine ability to know what God knows; gifts of power (faith, healing, working of miracles) which provide the divine ability to do what God does; and gifts of inspiration (prophecy, tongues, interpretation) which provide the divine ability to speak what God says. He stresses that these gifts are not natural talents but supernatural impartations, and they are intended to profit the entire church, not individuals. The minister urges the congregation to earnestly covet the best gifts, noting that the best gifts are those most profitable for edifying the body of Christ, particularly prophecy and interpretation of tongues. He warns against confusion in services and emphasizes that gifts must operate according to biblical order and authority. The minister concludes by declaring that when the church functions as the unified body of Christ, the fullness of God operates through these gifts, enabling believers to know, do, and say what God does, thereby impacting the world supernaturally.

Bishop Riggen emphasizes from 1 Timothy 2:1-4 that prayer is the first and foremost obligation of every believer. He argues that prayer is not merely a task but the primary means by which God transforms believers into His image. Drawing on a prior teaching about "premier principles," he explains that God's holiness takes precedent even over His love, requiring redemption for sinful humanity. He contrasts conformity—merely adopting outward religious behaviors—with true transformation, which is a metamorphosis of the heart that occurs through time spent in God's presence. Using the illustration of a tadpole becoming a frog, he stresses that external standards become natural when one's character is changed from within. He cautions against forcing outward changes on others without allowing the Spirit to work inwardly. The preacher shares stories of Bishop Lambeth's grandmother, whose intimate prayer life led to miraculous provision—keys rising from a trash bin and an angel delivering lost luggage—to demonstrate that God delights in answering prayers that advance His kingdom. He urges believers to connect their requests to kingdom purposes, assuring that God desires to give joy by responding to faith. Bishop Riggen calls the congregation to expect breakthrough miracles, citing biblical precedents like Joshua's long day and Hezekiah's sign, and insists that the God who parted the Red Sea and shut lions' mouths can handle any present problem.

Pastor Hilton preaches from Hebrews 12:18-24, contrasting the old covenant given at Mount Sinai—a tangible, fearsome mountain where the law was delivered—with the new covenant believers have entered at Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. He emphasizes that Christians are not returning to the old mountain of laws and commands that struck terror, but have come to a new mountain of grace, the church of the firstborn, with Jesus as the mediator. The pastor draws from Psalm 78:4 and Judges 2:10 to warn that each generation must personally encounter God, not merely rely on the experiences of their forebears. He illustrates this using the Israelites who witnessed daily miracles—the cloud, pillar of fire, manna—yet those wonders became familiar and forgotten, leading to a generation that did not know the Lord. Using the example of Joshua, who lingered in the tabernacle after Moses left, Pastor Hilton urges listeners to remain in God's presence until they have their own first-generation experience. He cautions against hypocrisy, where lips honor God but hearts are distant, and challenges the congregation—especially young people—to develop their own relationship with the Lord, their own prayer life, and their own conviction. The sermon's spiritual purpose is to call believers to move beyond inherited faith and mere memorials, earnestly contending for the faith and personally receiving the Holy Ghost, so that this generation may experience God's power anew.