I think it would be an understatement to say that right now, our country and the world really

is going through some turmoils and uncertainty.

While fear is not the cause of what is happening today. It's not the cause problem, yet fear follows

greed just like spring follows winter. You have seen it and I have seen it through the years.

After every manufactured economic boom comes the reality, when the reality

sets in, comes the uncertainty and the fear and the anxiety. We saw it in the 70s and we have

experienced it with the savings and loan debacle. We've seen it after the dot-com debacle, and we are

experiencing it now. Regardless of what happens in society, and regardless what happens to the

economy, and regardless what happened to our country, the church is there for a vital and important

purpose. The church was established for a vital and important purpose.

The church was established by Jesus Christ for a very important reason.

You know, I often chuckle when I hear people referring to the church as the leadership.

And he said, the church did this, and the church is doing this.

The church is not the leadership.

You're the church.

Did you get that? You're the church. Did you get that?

You are the church. Today, as I conclude the series of messages, know your best friend. I want to focus

our attention today on something that is of vital importance. And the question is, why on God's earth,

did God, the Holy Spirit, give gifts to every spirit-indwelt believer? I want to talk to you

about the purpose for which the Holy Spirit has given everyone at least one gift. Most people have

more than one. I want to tell you why. Why in the world does the Holy Spirit give gifts to all of us?

But before I answer this question, I need to tell you what the gifts of the Holy Spirit is not.

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