Sunday Morning Service

I Corinthians 14 (Click on scripture reference for audio access)

“They Really Are Gifts You Know!” • 1.6.13 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- Imagine visiting the church of God in Corinth, based solely on what we have studied. You would easily discover a tense atmosphere because of their division over leadership and wisdom.

- You'd soon be confused by the defilement of an unnatural affection that everyone seemed to tolerate, but that you would not ever endorse!

- Soon enough, the shame of disgrace would rear it's head, as you listened to the update on the latest court situation between two congregants.

- Then, after the pre-service appetizers, the meal starts you watch as everyone begins to eat and drink like they do at a party. Some don't get any food.

- By this time, you are cursing the person who told you about this group, when the main event begins and everyone immediately starts speaking in tongues revealing their total disorder!

- Paul lovingly continues to correct his Corinthians in chapter 14.

Text

• I Corinthians 14:1-5 : "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification." : The Corinthians had been in hot pursuit of the gifts but it was love that they should have sought!

- Love is not an optional pursuit for any church in any time! Paul is commanding that they follow hard after love and that they continue along their way toward love, to desire spiritual gifts.

- The gifts are not the problem. You should desire to know what your gift is. Seek out what gift you may possess, but especially make room for prophesy, hearing the heart of God!

- Prophesy is to take precedence over the gift of tongues as the people of God assemble together. Tongues are meant for communication between men and God.

- When a person speaks in tongues, even the one speaking does not have an idea of what is being said! Nobody understands him! What he is saying is hidden to him!

- Tongues, as a rule, is a private personal experience between the believer and the Lord. Prophesy, however is a predominantly public experience.

- The one who speaks builds up, encourages and comforts people. Prophesy, the speaking forth of God's Word and intention through what has been written, promotes your growth.

- Your walk with the Lord will be directly related to your daily intake of His Word! Today, as you listen with the intent of obeying, you are being grown to be like Christ.

- You are being encouraged in your walk to follow after the Lord, to keep on the path, to reject notions that have tempted you.

- And what comfort does the Word of God bring to our souls? The person who prophecies has a wonderful privilege! The person who speaks in tongues simply builds himself up!

- That is not a derogatory comment. If you speak in tongues, be blessed! He wants the Corinthians to speak in tongues and share if they receive the interpretation.

- Otherwise, God's main call to His church is that they share in the prophetic gift.

• I Corinthians 14:6-12 : "But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel." : Paul would only be wasting everyone's time if demonstrated his "tongues talent"!

- Tongues, without explanation, revelation, knowledge, prophesy or teaching, were of no use.

- But they were gathering for a concert of tongues! What if someone did that here? You would hear words, be impressed, but not understand! Where in the world does that approach work!?

- Instruments need musicians to intelligently connect notes which form chords which brings melody to life. Soldiers depend on certain sounds to know how to move and act.

- The Corinthians just wanted to explore the gifts without a reason. They were zealous for the gifts but not for one another!

- Be zealous for the gift that God has given you, but let it be that you are also zealous for it to make an impact in the lives of those around you. Seek to excel in that way.

• I Corinthians 14:13,14 : "Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful." : This is how tongues must function in a group setting. Because the whole assembled group is the focus, if you speak in tongues, pray also that an interpretation will follow.

- Note the level of control necessary. A person with the gift of tongues is not out of control. They can speak in a tongue and have the presence of mind to pray for interpretation!

- Often gifted people act as though they are victimized by the Holy Spirit. Wrong! If you are in a group, the interpretation is what matters and the Spirit who gives the one is willing to give the other.

• I Corinthians 14:15-17 : "What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say 'Amen' at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified." : I will pray in tongues, but I will pray with the understanding or with words that I can understand, as well. The same with singing.

- You get the impression that the people of Corinth were only interested in getting lost in the experience of their gifts. If they had their way, all they would do was speak in tongues for an hour!

- Everyone would just keep speaking into the air, offering things up to God, while the person sitting in the visitor's section, literally, the idiots, would stand there completely confused!

- How can they say "amen" to what they did not understand? How can they agree with you? How can they enter into a relationship with the Lord!?

- Yes, those with a spiritual gift were giving thanks to God by exercising it. That's a good thing, but speaking in a language that involves the other person is a better thing!

• I Corinthians 14:18,19 : "I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue." : Listen to Paul! He spoke in tongues more than all of the Corinthians combined! He enjoyed that gift in context.

- But he knew the greater value was to teach, to bring men into an understanding of the Lord's will for their life! What's the ratio? For every 1,000 words in a tongue, 5 words in Greek would suffice!

• I Corinthians 14:20,21 : "Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. In the law it is written: 'With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people;
And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,' says the Lord." : The Corinthians were not to be untrained in understanding. They had been acting like kids!

- In wickedness, they were to be infants, but in understanding, they were to be fully grown men! Paul is equating their attention and love for the gifts over the love for each other to wickedness!

- He wants them to hold to a proper balance, noting what scripture says about the gift of tongues in their assembly.

- Paul quotes from Isaiah 28:11, which is a passage predicting the Assyrian invasion and the sound of their strange language.

• I Corinthians 14:22-25 : "Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you." : A "sign" refers to an event which let's people know that God's Kingdom is near.

- When an unbeliever walks in and hears what is happening, they should be aware that God is authentically moving in the midst of that group. The same is true here.

- When a non-believer comes into this congregation, there should be an uncomfortable encounter that signals that God wants their lives!

- What a relevant moment: Unbelievers are to come into the church and there is something for them! "Here is an open invitation to look into what it's like to come into His Kingdom, so come!"

- People love each other here in a way that you won't find on the earth. People talk radically different about their lives and interests. Then there is one message: Believe in Jesus and repent!

- Imagine then if all that you do is speak in tongues together? Imagine an unbeliever watching a display of unabated, uninteruppted tongues! They'll think your crazy!

- Prophesying though is for us who believe! Listen to that. Prophecy is effective toward us!

- But at least, an unbeliever has a chance in that environment to be convinced and convicted!

- The word "convinced" means to call one to account, to reveal fault. An unbeliever walks in to a church and the word of God preached lets them know that life is more than what they've made of it!

- They can choose to believe or they can choose to ignore what God is saying. Neither position innoculates them from the truth. They are convinced and convicted.

- The word speaks of a judgment. The unbeliever is left to consider His behavior and perhaps for the first time, or for the first time in a while, they are called to investigate their own life.

- When that happens, Paul asserts that the secrets of his heart are revealed. That which is kept in the crypt of their mind is brought up to the light.

- What a fitting way to describe the process! An unbeliever spends most of their life running from the revelation of their fears. The church is meant to present them and then allay them in Christ!

- When that happens to a person, there will be true worship and a true acknowledgement of God's presence in an assembly! What a great plan Paul! But listen to how it was actually going!

• I Corinthians 14:26-33 : "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." : Order in the church is key! Doing all for the purpose of building the whole is essential!

- Paul is not telling them to stop speaking in tongues. He is simply calling them to limit themselves. Two or three max with an interpretor or express it privately before God.

- Two or three prophets were to speak and then let the leaders weigh out what actions need to be taken in response. And when someone gets something heavenly and wants to interrupt, don't!

- "But I must speak this! I can't control it!" Wrong! The spirit of the prophet are subject to them!

- The person prophesying never loses control of their faculties. They are never subject to the Spirit in terms of possession. Only demons possesses and force their will on people!

- The Holy Spirit is not like that at all! In fact, He is quite the opposite. A person forced to speak when others are speaking or contemplating what has been spoken creates confusion.

- The same word is used for someone who creates a seditious act, intending to disrupt order. God, the Holy Spirit, is not the author or architect of that plan.

- When the Holy Spirit acts and works through an individual, there is peace. That is what He does in all the churches of the saints! What an indictment!

- Paul is telling them that the Holy Spirit, whose gifts they revere, does not produce the kind of environment that they were creating for themselves! All the other churches were quite peaceful!

• I Corinthians 14:34,35 : "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church." : Paul has already affirmed the role of women in the church of Corinth and given instruction about their praying and prophesying.

• I Corinthians 11:5 : "But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved."

- There is a rule of hermeneutics that we need to remember here: Obscure passages are to be interpreted by clearer passages.

- With that in mind and the context of this passage, the meaning is clear: While the leadership was judging a prophetic word, the women were anxious to add their opinions or ask their questions.

- This was not the proper way for the church to conduct itself. Many of these ladies were accustomed to the pagan temples, which were free for alls. Some were simply curious.

- But the church is to be different than the world. Paul most ilikely refers Numbers 30:3ff where women's vows were subject to their male head.

- The scripture then makes it clear: Let the Corinthian ladies learn at home!

- This is where we should be very glad for Greek grammar. This last phrase sums up what kind of things Paul was talking about.

- These women were consistently, repeatedly interuppting what was going on. That was the shame! Paul is not making light of their contribution. He is condeming the manner in which they did!

• I Corinthians 14:36-40 :  "Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.  Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order." : Paul anticipates their displeasure. "Where does he get off? We can do whatever we want!"

- But we can't can we? God's Word comes from Him! And why did God's Word come to them? To bring them into a real relationship with the God of the Universe!

- When we walk away from what God expects from His church, we are acting as if we control God, as if He is our genie, but it us that He has reached!

- The "prophet" that would stand against Paul was standing not against a person, but the very commandments of the Lord! You might ask, if he is ignorant of that truth, what can you do with him?

- Let that person be. They are doomed to live in their ignorance.

- For all of that, one would think that Paul would now put a moratorium on the use of gifts and chide them for being immature.

- That has been the reaction of many within the Christian community. But Paul does not forbid the gifts. He wants them to desire to prophesy and to speak in tongues!

- However, keep in mind, that everything that is to be done in the church needs to be done decently and in order.

- Decent, or in a seemly way. And in order, in a good arrangement, in fixed succession

Conclusion
- It's really this simple folks: God invented the church so that He could meet with His people. He works through those people to reach other people!

- At the end of our life, this prepares us for heaven, where the love of Christ is celebrated fully and is the only reality!