#BeEquipped | Four12

Are the spiritual gifts for today? There is a growing debate around cessationism – whether the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the church today. In this session, Andrew Selley and Mike Davies respond to this discussion, weighing up what Scripture shows us about the biblical work of the Holy Spirit. They address the tensions to be held between quenching the Spirit and the excesses found in some charismatic churches today. Are we embracing the fullness of New Testament Christianity when we allow spiritual gifts such as prophecy and tongues to operate, or was the promise of signs and wonders for a different time? This session is part of the #BeEquipped series – conversations about current issues facing the church. Explore more thought-provoking messages from this series. This is a Four12 Podcast About the Speakers: Andrew Selley is the apostolic leader of Four12 (F12) and the lead elder of multisite, Joshua Generation Church. He has been in full-time ministry since 1996. After serving on the NCMI apostolic team for five years, he founded Four12 in 2011. Andrew is based in California, USA, with his wife, Emma, and their daughter, Enyah. Mike Davies serves on eldership within Joshua Generation Church, South Africa. He is married to Chantal, and they have two daughters. He loves to see people equipped to effectively serve the Kingdom of God through teaching and writing.

Today people are not only instructed to acknowledge the sins of those who came before them, but also to repent on their behalf publicly. Is it possible to repent of the actions of your forefathers or countrymen, or is it simply a pointless and endless exercise? What is the difference between recognising the past and apologising for it?

Some say that we must tithe or we will be punished, while others say it was commanded under the Law of Moses and is no longer required. But what does the Bible say? What should our motivation to tithe be, and where should we find our guidance about whether we do it or not?

'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.’ Matthew 5:8 (NIV) As believers, we are aware that sexual sin is a compromise and Biblically should not be tolerated, yet, it seems particularly difficult to bring this area into the light and for believers to walk in freedom. In this session, Ryan Kingsley and Luke Hulley take a closer look at the issue of sexual sin in the church. In particular, they discuss why tolerating sexual sin is satan’s silent strategy to disarm the church and the vital importance of accountability, confession and repentance in walking people into freedom. They remind us of the loving discipline of the Father, whose heart is to redeem and restore those He loves.

‘But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) One of the main priorities of our generation is diversity, inclusivity and equal representation in business, media, sport and entertainment. In this latest session, Shaun Brauteseth and Luke Hulley look at diversity in church leadership. They discuss how church leadership structures work and whether the church should build the same way as others do to keep up with the world around them. Ultimately, they remind us that the church is God’s people; it is His Kingdom, and, as Lord and King, we need to keep in step with His Spirit and do things His way.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.’ Hebrews 3:13 (NIV) “Accountability” is one word the world despises, and even the church seems to have grown to oppose it, mainly because it is misunderstood or we have grown overfamiliar with the term, forgetting the power of living it out. Ryan Kingsley and Shaun Brauteseth unpack the concept of “accountability” – what it is, why we need it, and where it is seen in the Bible. They take a closer look at the biggest reasons people oppose accountability and discuss why it’s not others meddling in your life. Instead, they position accountability as an opportunity to truly live like Jesus. Ryan and Shaun close by calling us to be bold, live in the light and give an account today so we can stand firm to the end.

Questions have arisen in the church worldwide as it has been revealed that yet another prominent evangelical leader and Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias, was leading something of a double life with unconfessed sexual sin. In this clip, Andrew and Luke address questions, such as, “How can such a leader fall in sin while being used so powerfully by God?”, “What about the things Ravi said and taught, are they still true?”, “Would Ravi have made it to Heaven?”, “Is there a problem in the Evangelical church today with so many leaders falling in sin?”, and “What does Four12, and Andrew, practically do to try and prevent the same occurring within their leadership?”. They also touch on accountability and openness, the irrevocable call of God, realistic expectations on leaders and imitating them, the biblical church’s role as a place of safety as God has ordained, and the faithfulness of our God.