WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.000 This morning we're going to be in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and we're going to be reading verses 26 through 40. 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:09.119 So as you're turning there, just a little heads up. 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:26.160 If you aren't familiar with this passage, or you haven't gone through this passage, or you've never been comfortable with this passage, I just want to encourage you, stick around till the end, because there's a few things in here that culturally we look at and we go like, wow, how can Paul say that in scripture? 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:33.439 But the thing is it doesn't depend on our culture because our culture was different 50 years ago and 50 years before that, and it's going to be different 50 years from now. 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:38.799 This is all about what God's word is telling us, and it doesn't have so much to do with our culture. 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:50.960 But I think if you stick around to the end, you see the context of this passage, you see what Paul's point is, and we look at how God has given authority, He's given different roles within his kingdom. 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:54.719 Uh, I think you'll leave here satisfied with the answer. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:01:00.320 Anyway, like I said, we're in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, and we're going to start in verse 26. 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:03.840 So if you're able, would you please stand for the reading of God's word? 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:16.079 What then, brothers and sisters, whenever you come together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:18.799 Everything is to be done for building up. 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:25.599 If anyone speaks in a tongue, there are to be only two, or at the most three, each in turn. 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:27.439 And let someone interpret. 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:34.959 But if there is no interpreter, that person is to keep silent in the church and to s and speak to himself and God. 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:39.280 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should evaluate. 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:44.719 But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent. 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:51.280 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that every one may learn, and every one may be encouraged. 00:01:51.519 --> 00:02:07.920 And the prophets' spirits are subject to the prophets, since God is not a God of disorder, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints, the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but are to submit themselves as the law also says. 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:14.960 If they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, since it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:20.000 Or did the word of God originate from you, or did it come to you only? 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:27.680 If any one thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should recognize that what I write to you is the Lord's command. 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:30.479 If anyone ignores this, he will be ignored. 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:36.400 So then, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:40.639 But everything is to be done decently and in order. 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:42.000 Let's pray. 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:45.599 Lord, we thank you so much for your word. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:58.240 Lord, we thank you that because we go through whole books at a time in order, Lord, that we have to cover hard subjects and hard topics like this that need to be taught and need to be understood. 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:03.520 So I pray that you would help us to come with a spirit of understanding here this morning. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:08.080 That our hearts and our minds and our ears would be open to the things that you have for us. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:15.360 Lord, that your word would come alive in our hands as we're reading this and that you would bring us all to a great place of understanding. 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:20.879 Lord, help me to teach this well and clearly, and I pray that you would fill me with your spirit. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:24.240 Lord, to overflowing to teach this passage here this morning. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:31.360 But Lord, I just pray for all of us that you would fill each one of us with your spirit. 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:40.479 That each one, as we're going to talk about, each one of our gifts would be active and would be in use and in circulation within this body that you've placed us in here. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:42.479 We pray these things in Jesus' name. 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:43.280 Amen. 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:45.039 You may be seated. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:55.280 So before we jump in and start looking at each one of these verses individually, there's a few things that I want to point out before we jump right into verse 26. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:00.159 So Paul, as we've talked a lot about, is addressing this church in Corinth. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:07.759 And he's addressing, I want you to notice from the get-go there in verse 26, he's addressing brothers and, what does it say? 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:08.879 Sisters. 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:19.600 He uses the phrase both in verse 26 and then at the end of our passage in verse 39 as well, which is going to help us clarify a lot once we actually get to verse 34. 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:23.519 So just keep that in mind that he's addressing both the brothers and the sisters. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:37.839 Now, the second thing, uh, and this is something that I hope we all get to walk away with uh today out of these doors, is that we remain in control of ourselves when the spirit is moving through us. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:39.759 We're not in a trance. 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:44.560 We don't lose control, we don't lose awareness when the spirit is moving. 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:49.759 We have the ability to even wait, you know, when he is moving, when he's prompting us. 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:55.519 Or we have the ability to even keep silent what the spirit is telling us. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:57.680 We can keep that to ourselves if need be. 00:04:57.759 --> 00:04:59.279 And Paul's gonna say that. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:10.480 And the last thing that I want us to remember is that verse 26, I really see verse 26 as being the climax of chapters 11 through 14. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:13.199 And I know these chapters seem to be highly repetitive. 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:20.800 If you've been here for the last month and a half or so, you've noticed that these this section is highly repetitive that Paul's going through. 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:25.040 But Paul had a lot to sort out in this church, in this Corinthian church. 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:33.360 He needed to give them instruction, he needed to give them direction in all of these areas, so we're gonna be faithful to continue through and do the same. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:41.680 But if you had to sum up chapters 11 through 14, I think we could best sum up this whole section with verse 26. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:43.519 So look at verse 26 with me. 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:53.439 What then, brothers and sisters, whenever you come together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:06:00.160 Everything, that word's key, everything is to be done for building up. 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:04.160 That last line there, everything is to be done for building up. 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:07.920 If you highlight, if you underline, go ahead and do that in your Bible. 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:15.439 Because it covers what we covered in chapter 11 of how we're supposed to pray, how we're supposed to take communion. 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:24.000 In chapter 12, on how we function as a body, how it works together, and God's given us different roles within the body of Christ. 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:29.040 Chapter 13, doing everything out of love for one another. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:38.720 And then in chapter 14, which we did the first half last week, we're finishing it this week, of how we should use our gifts in a public worship setting. 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:46.800 All of that can be wrapped up in verse 26, kind of as the climax of the chapter, because it's all outward focus. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:51.279 We've talked a lot about this, but spiritual gifts are outward focused. 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:57.120 I think it can be summed up in everything is to be done for building up. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:06:59.920 You know, Warren Wearsby has a quote that I love. 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:08.560 He says, a worship service should lift up the Lord and build up the saints, not puff up the participants. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:09.839 I'll read that again. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:17.680 A worship service should lift up the Lord and build up the saints, not puff up the participants. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:25.680 And I mention that quote because something that's easy to miss here is the attitude of the Corinthian church. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:40.000 Though their motive might be right, or might not be right, I should say, in how they're practicing these gifts, these people were coming together as a church with an attitude of what can I contribute today. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:48.879 They weren't coming to be spectators and to just receive, they're coming with an attitude of what they can contribute, even if, as we've seen, their motives were wrong. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:59.120 And Paul doesn't correct them for wanting to contribute, he just gives them direction on how to do these things better, on how to do these things more correctly. 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:02.000 You know, I heard a quote a long time ago and I looked for it this week. 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:10.240 I couldn't find the original person that said it, but the quote is: I would rather tame a fanatic than resurrect a corpse. 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:12.639 Think about that. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:19.680 You know, it seems like Paul's dealing with some spiritual gift fanatics in this Corinthian church. 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:24.160 And he's going to try and tame things down a bit, so to speak. 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:30.560 I don't think that we deal with that here, with spiritual gift fanatics. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:35.840 As I look out, I've never looked at any one of you and thought, wow, that person is a spiritual gift fanatic. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:46.720 But as a church, I think we're somewhere in the middle of all other churches, so to speak, where we do believe that the gifts of the Spirit are active for today. 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:52.000 But we don't place an emphasis during our service on the miraculous gifts. 00:08:52.159 --> 00:09:01.200 You know, our emphasis, as it says in verse 26, is on hymns, and that just means songs that we're singing, and it's on the gift of teaching. 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:04.559 Those are the two things that we place our focus on on Sunday mornings. 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:16.240 With a hope that your gifts are being used before service, maybe even during the greeting time since they're so long, as Ben was mentioning, and after service as well. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:29.919 You know, you may remember last year I encouraged this whole body that was here that if you consider this to be your home church, would you please consider showing up 15 minutes early before the service starts? 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:36.240 One of those reasons of why I mentioned that is because one of our core values is that everyone is a greeter. 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:47.279 That's what if you're a part of this church, it's not just the job of the person standing by the back door, it's the job of everybody to be a greeter to each other and to the newcomers and to welcome everybody in. 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:51.679 But that's not the only reason I ask you all to show up 15 minutes early. 00:09:52.240 --> 00:10:00.320 Once service starts with a crowd this size, it's hard for everyone to use their spiritual gifts. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:04.720 You know, this is what we consider our formal time of discipleship. 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:06.559 A few leading many. 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:12.720 But before service and after service is a great time for those spiritual gifts to be used. 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:24.879 You know, if you have a gift of prophecy or a word of knowledge or a gift of mercy or healing or wisdom or whatever it might be, that is a great time to exercise those gifts as the Spirit leads. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:35.200 So I want to ask you again to please be intentional with what time you arrive and be intentional with what you do with that time before and after service. 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:44.159 Asking God before you even come through those doors, how can you use my gifts this morning to bless the people that are around me? 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:50.399 To come with intentionality, to not come as a spectator, but to come to contribute to the body of Christ. 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:57.120 You know, that's also one of the reasons we started doing home groups when we first started this church instead of midweek services. 00:10:57.279 --> 00:11:03.360 You know, because if you have the gift of hospitality, it can be really hard to exercise that gift on a Sunday morning. 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:14.480 But maybe you can host a home group, or maybe you can bring a dessert to that home group, or maybe you can make a newcomer feel especially welcome at that home group. 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:22.480 You know, it can also be a great place to share a gift of wisdom, or if you have the gift of teaching to share that gift as well. 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:35.679 I've been so blessed sitting through home groups when you see the gift of teaching coming out in people that aren't even leading the study, you know, and they just have this great insight and this great knowledge that they're sharing with everybody. 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:38.639 It's a great place to use that gift. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:56.399 Now, as we jump into verse 27, it seems like in the Corinthian church, just kind of from the picture that Paul has painted so far, that anyone at any time feels the freedom to blurt something out during the service. 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:06.639 Like if I'm up here teaching and one of you just starts speaking in tongues right in the middle of it, and then another person just stands up and starts prophesying, be like, Well, what's going on? 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:14.000 I know I lose my train of thought, you know, it would kind of disrupt the flow, you know, of this gift of teaching that that's happening at this time. 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:16.879 But in that church, that's what's going on. 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:27.120 If people are just popping up and it's disruptive, and multiple people are talking, and there's tongues, and there's prophecy and the healing and all that kind of stuff, and it's just it's chaos. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:30.879 Everybody's speaking at once, and nobody's built up. 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:33.519 That's kind of the picture that Paul's painted so far. 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:41.919 So we're gonna see Paul address in these next verses, verses 27 through 35, three different groups in these verses. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:51.360 And he's gonna tell them to remain under control, and not only that, but he's gonna tell each of these three groups when they should be silent. 00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:53.519 Okay, so that's that's what we're jumping into. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:55.279 So look at verse 27 with me. 00:12:55.519 --> 00:13:06.240 If anyone speaks in a tongue, there are to be only two, or at the most three, each in turn, and let somebody interpret. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:19.519 Paul already addresses this in last week's passage, which Ben did in chapter 14, verse 19, where he said, you know, he'd rather speak five words of instruction than 10,000 words in a tongue. 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:29.840 And I kind of get the impression from Paul, and this is just my own thought, that he wouldn't be disappointed if he sat through a worship service and the gift of tongues weren't exercised. 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:38.480 But he does outright say that he does not forbid them, and neither should the Corinthian church forbid them, but you kind of get that impression from what Paul's saying. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:43.120 But also notice in verse 27 that he says, each in turn. 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:46.879 If somebody is speaking in tongues, each in turn. 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:53.840 Meaning, let the first one finish, allow an interpretation, and then the next one goes. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:14:01.039 And then if there is a third one, then max let the third person go, and then we're done with tongues for the meeting, is basically what he's saying. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:07.759 So I think what the question now becomes is, well, what if there is nobody there to interpret? 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:12.480 Or what if three people have already gone and I feel like I have this gift of tongues? 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:14.080 He addresses that in verse 28. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:22.720 He says, but if there is no interpreter, that person is to keep silent in the church and speak to himself and God. 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:32.960 You see, you may have the gift of tongues and have a tongue to share that day, but verse 28 is telling us that you don't have to share it. 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:47.039 If no one's there to interpret, or if three people have already gone, it's okay to speak to yourself and God through a tongue in your own mind, in the quietness of your own heart, you can do that with the Lord. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:55.440 Because as we'll talk a bit more about after verse 33, exercising spiritual gifts is not an emergency. 00:14:56.240 --> 00:14:57.279 I'm gonna say that again. 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:00.559 Exercising spiritual gifts is not an emergency. 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:02.159 Look at verse 29, I think. 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:07.679 Two or three prophets should speak and the others should evaluate. 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:13.840 But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:19.679 Basically, the first prophet shouldn't just go on and on and on and on and on and keep going the whole time. 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:25.759 But they're to be respectful that the Holy Spirit has given other people something to say as well. 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:31.200 So they shouldn't prof they should prophesy, and then they should be silent. 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:35.759 So this is where he's saying, under control, and this is when you can be silent. 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:42.399 And it's for the sake of order, it's for the sake of everyone being built up. 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:48.000 And then what does it say that the rest of us should be doing there in verse 29? 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:51.120 Everybody else should be evaluating. 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:52.720 Tells us to evaluate. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:54.960 You know, Ben mentioned this last week. 00:15:55.200 --> 00:16:01.840 Everything that is said on God's behalf should be evaluated and held up to scripture. 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:09.360 Because far too often, you know, our flesh wants to get involved and tweak things to fit our own agenda. 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:19.440 So we have to be evaluating while people are speaking or while they're telling us something directly because we got to make sure what we're hearing is of God and is scriptural. 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:24.000 You know, and this happens, I think, to us a lot. 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:31.919 The Holy Spirit reveals something to us, gives us something to say, but then we want to add our two cents in with what God wants to say as well. 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:36.559 You know, because we feel like God maybe left something out that these people really need to hear, right? 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:47.679 You know, I um and this happens as well as false prophets, and we'll talk about that uh in a second, but I'm reminded of the story of Moses in Numbers 20. 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:54.480 And it's a story where Moses is leading the Israelites through the wilderness, they desperately need water. 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:57.039 The Israelites start complaining against Moses. 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:07.440 Moses goes to the Lord, God tells him to take his staff, but to speak to the rock, and the water will bring and the rock will bring forth water. 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:14.079 Instead, Moses speaks to the Israelites what he thinks that they need to hear. 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:19.279 He doesn't speak to the rock, but he strikes it in anger twice with his staff. 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:28.880 God's still faithful, he gives the Israelites plenty of water, but Moses is in big trouble because he disobeyed the Lord's instruction. 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:35.279 He spoke what he wanted to to the Israelites instead of following the Lord's instruction because his flesh got in the way. 00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:38.400 He was fed up with Israel and he wanted to let them know. 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:40.400 And he's in big trouble. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:45.119 He doesn't get to go into the promised land after that with the Israelites. 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:54.319 And I bring that up because in our spiritual gifts, we need to be careful not to add to what the Holy Spirit is giving us and telling us. 00:17:54.480 --> 00:18:01.920 That's why the rest of us should evaluate everything that is said on behalf of the Lord. 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:04.480 You should evaluate, please hear me in this. 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:06.799 You should evaluate everything I say. 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:09.039 Every single thing that I say. 00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:14.480 The only thing that you should outright believe for me is when I'm reading scripture and you're following along. 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:15.920 That's the only time. 00:18:16.079 --> 00:18:18.400 Everything else needs to be evaluated. 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:23.519 And you need to evaluate everything that's spoken through the lens of Scripture. 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:33.440 You know, just because somebody says, God told me to tell you, or God wants you to know, doesn't mean you shouldn't evaluate what they're about to say. 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:42.640 1 John 4 1 tells us, dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God. 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:47.279 Because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 00:18:47.680 --> 00:19:00.240 You know, we can't just believe somebody because they have a platform, because they have a pulpit, or a TV, or radio, a program, or a YouTube channel, or a podcast, or because they wrote a book. 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:04.400 Evaluate everything through the lens of Scripture. 00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:12.240 You know, that's why we so highly encourage each and every one of you to be in God's word, to be in Scripture on a daily basis. 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:16.480 We encourage you to read your Bibles cover to cover. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:18.720 No matter how long it takes you. 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:29.359 You know, if you started the Through the Bible in a year with us last June, we had, you know, we're announcing it, we had the handouts and all that kind of stuff, and you got a quarter of the way through and you gave up, keep going. 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:33.039 I really want to encourage you, don't get discouraged, keep going. 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:36.160 Do the Bible through four years, if that's what it takes. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:38.319 But read your Bibles cover to cover. 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:46.640 Be in Scripture daily because you can't evaluate if something's scriptural or not if you don't know what's in the Bible. 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:57.039 And it's so important that each and every one of us is in the Bible and understand it, and you're not just coming on Sundays, and this is the only scripture that you get every week. 00:19:57.200 --> 00:19:59.680 But we need to evaluate everything. 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:01.519 Paul goes on in verse 31. 00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:09.599 He says, For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone may learn and everyone may be encouraged. 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:18.160 And the prophets' spirits are subject to the prophets, since God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:22.720 And there it is, spiritual gifts are not emergencies. 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:38.079 You know, the leading of the spirit is not an out-of-body experience, you know, where we lose control, you know, and like we have to act as soon as we feel that nudging of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:44.640 These verses confirm that you're still in control of what you do, and you can wait. 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:50.079 You know, I've heard it said that the Holy Spirit never interrupts himself. 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:52.960 And I think that is very true. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:54.960 You know, look at verse 32 again. 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:57.279 It says the prophets' spirits. 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:09.759 That's a lowercase s on spirits there, meaning that it's talking about our spirit, our the prophet's spirit, not the Holy Spirit, but it says the prophets' spirits are subject to the prophets. 00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:16.799 Though we're in we're inspired by the Holy Spirit, we still have control of what our spirit does with it. 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:21.279 And what our spirit does not do with it as well. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:28.000 Which means that we have the ability to quench the spirit, where he nudges us, says, hey, do this, and we just say, No way. 00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:29.200 That's too weird. 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:30.640 What if I'm wrong? 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:32.400 What if this is my flesh? 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:34.079 What if they think I'm weird? 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:43.920 You know, all those thoughts start to come into our head, and we have the ability to quench that and say, no, I know, Lord, this is what you want me to do, but I'm not going to do it right now. 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:53.039 Because our spirit is still subject to us, to what we want to do with the guiding of the Holy Spirit. 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:59.759 All that to say, when the Spirit moves within us, we do not lose control of our faculties. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:03.279 You know, otherwise chaos would ensue. 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:09.039 As verse 33 says, God is not a God of disorder, he's a God of peace. 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:13.200 And I don't want us to miss what it says in verse 31 either. 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:22.079 It says, so that everyone may learn, and everyone may be encouraged. 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:25.920 You know, we are not slaves to spiritual gifts. 00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:28.720 They're for the purpose of serving others. 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:33.440 And if we talk so much about, they're for the purpose of building others up. 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:39.039 Now, before we read the end of verse 33, this is a pretty controversial verse, by the way. 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:46.480 I want to talk about a few things because, like I said, this is one of the most controversial verses in the New Testament. 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:51.920 And like everything, we want to make sure that we are seeing this verse in context. 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:58.799 So, first, I want to remind us of the beginning of this section that we've been going through, 1 Corinthians 11, 3 through 5. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:01.759 You know, Ben covered this very well a few weeks ago. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:09.440 And if you weren't here, I would suggest that you listen to it specifically regarding authority and how God views authority. 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:18.079 And how in our culture, you know, we see authority as a hierarchy, and we see being under authority as demeaning. 00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:22.720 But Ben talked a lot about how God doesn't see it that way. 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:27.519 You know, he created various things with different roles for different purposes. 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:35.680 And he created men and women to be fully equal, yet to hold different roles in his kingdom. 00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:47.759 You know, I worked as a house painter through college, and I got my contractor's license after opened up my own house painting business and did that for a couple years before I got into ministry. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:56.079 And the the first thing that they taught me, and the first thing that I would teach new painters when they would come in, is how to cut and roll. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.720 Those are kind of the basics of painting. 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:03.039 Cutting just meaning all the brushwork and then rolling, you know, being the roller. 00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:09.039 So if we were to walk into a room like this, say we're gonna paint this wall, there's usually a crew of three. 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:23.680 That's kind of the optimal way to do it, where two people are cutting with the brushes, you know, one on the top, one on the bottom, and then somebody would come with a roller, and that would keep everybody busy, nobody got too far ahead of each other, and you would complete the wall together. 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:29.599 Different roles, but they were working together for the same person for the same purpose. 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:32.079 But I want to ask you a question. 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:36.480 Which is more important, the people that are cutting in or the people that are rolling? 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:39.440 Yes, yes, somebody said yes. 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:49.279 Well, exactly the people that are cutting in, they're moving slower, they're not putting as much paint on the wall, but they're having to be a lot more careful with what they're doing, they're moving slower. 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:55.440 The person with the rollers put a lot more paint on the wall, they're moving faster, they don't have to be quite as careful. 00:24:55.599 --> 00:25:05.599 But the thing is, if we only cut in this wall around with a different color than is up there and we left it, how do you think the Lutheran church would feel? 00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:09.119 You probably get a phone call, you know, the next day. 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:16.640 Or if we just rolled the wall and we didn't cut in around it, you know, how do you think the Lutheran Church would feel? 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:19.119 Either way, it's not going to be complete, right? 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:21.359 But it's different roles. 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:28.880 Different, but but the cutter isn't more important than the roller, and the roller isn't more important than the cutter. 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:32.160 You know, different roles equal importance. 00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:35.440 We just need to remember that when we're talking about these things. 00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:43.920 Just as God the Father and Jesus are equally God, but as Paul said in chapter 11, God is the head of Jesus. 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:44.799 And I'll read that to you. 00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:55.599 He says, but I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:26:03.279 Again, if you miss Ben's sermon on this and this stuff still makes you uncomfortable, please take a listen to that. 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:08.480 And if you're still uncomfortable, then go talk to Ben, because he's the one that no, I'm just kidding. 00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:18.480 The second thing that I want to remind us of before we jump into the end of verse 33 is the context of verse 33, because this is all about context here. 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:20.319 What have we been talking about? 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:22.640 We've been talking about evaluating, right? 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:25.759 Specifically evaluating prophecy. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:28.319 So we have to keep that in mind as we read this. 00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:29.759 Look at the end of verse 33. 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:41.279 It says, as in all the churches of the saints, the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but are to submit themselves as the law also says. 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:49.119 So the context, I'm gonna remind you again, of women being silent in church here is regarding evaluation of prophecy. 00:26:49.359 --> 00:27:00.319 As we just reviewed from chapter 11, Paul already addressed how women should pray and how they should prophesy in a public context. 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:17.839 Two weeks ago we reviewed that verse from Joel that was cross-referenced in Acts 2, where it said, I will even pour out my spirit on my servants in those days, in these days we're talking about with the Corinthian church, both men and women, and they will prophesy. 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:22.160 You know, the first verse that we read this morning, I pointed it out to you already, verse 26. 00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:25.039 It says, What then, brothers and sisters? 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:32.400 Whenever you come together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:34.960 He's addressing brothers and sisters there. 00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:40.799 The end of today's passage in verse 39 says, So then, my what does it say? 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:48.319 Brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:53.759 So is Paul saying women must be silent in church all the time? 00:27:54.640 --> 00:27:54.960 No. 00:27:55.359 --> 00:28:03.680 The only way that we can come to that conclusion is if we zoom in on verse 34 and we take it completely out of context. 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:07.279 So the question is, what does it mean in context? 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:16.319 When evaluating prophecy and speaking up about it, God has set it up as something for the men to do. 00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:20.559 That's part of their role that He has given the men to do in the church. 00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:25.519 Notice though, he doesn't say women shouldn't evaluate everything that is said. 00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:32.559 He's saying it's up to the men to bring the correction should they need to bring correction in that time. 00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:39.119 You know, I think it's because correcting somebody in a church setting has so much to do with authority. 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:46.799 If a man prophesies and a woman stands up and says, he's wrong, you know, that's exercising authority over that man. 00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:49.920 So Paul just says, leave it up to the men. 00:28:50.079 --> 00:28:52.400 That's the role that God has placed them in. 00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:55.359 It's not more important than a woman's role. 00:28:56.400 --> 00:29:00.240 It doesn't make them superior in any way over the women. 00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:05.519 It's just one person is cutting in the wall and the other person is rolling the wall. 00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:07.039 Equal but different. 00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:09.839 He goes on in verse 35 regarding women. 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:18.480 He says, if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, since it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:24.640 Remember, we've been saying all along as we're going through 1 Corinthians that we're reading somebody else's mail. 00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:27.599 It's like hearing one side of a phone conversation. 00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:33.839 We didn't see what Paul was given, whether that was a verbal report or whatever. 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:40.960 We just get to hear Paul's response to all of these questions and the report that he received considering this church. 00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:47.759 And it seems as if Paul's addressing something very specific here. 00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:54.160 Like maybe the women are not heeding the headship that God has placed over them during these meetings. 00:29:54.319 --> 00:30:00.319 You know, as we've established, Paul talks about when women pray, when women prophesy, when women speak in tongues. 00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:03.920 So he can't be saying that they can't speak at all. 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:12.079 And I think Paul's words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2, 11 and 12, are very helpful to this conversation. 00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:17.119 So I want to read you those verses real quick, and then we'll bring it all together. 00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:21.119 He says, A woman is to learn quietly with full submission. 00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:26.400 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. 00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:29.680 Instead, she is to remain quiet. 00:30:30.079 --> 00:30:41.440 So both this passage in 1 Timothy and the passage that we're in this morning in verse 35, in our context this morning, they are both in the context of learning. 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:47.599 So during the teaching time, he's basically saying, don't disrupt the meeting. 00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:58.480 If you have questions or something to say while being taught, you should go to the one God's placed in authority over you after the service and ask that question. 00:30:58.720 --> 00:31:05.440 Now remember, this whole section is about keeping order within their church meetings because they've been experiencing chaos so far. 00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:10.240 And this is just one more thing that Paul's giving them to help keep order in those times. 00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:30.400 You know, some will speculate that the church in Corinth may have been set up kind of like a traditional synagogue where women are on one side and men are on the other side, and maybe some of these women that don't know church etiquette, synagogue etiquette or whatever, are interrupting the teacher with questions, like, hey, wait, hold on, what's that mean? 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:31.680 Can you bring clarification? 00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:44.480 Or maybe, you know, there's some Gentile women that have never been in a church setting or synagogue setting before, and they didn't grow up that way, and so they're yelling across the room to their husbands, like, hey, what does that mean? 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:46.319 Or this guy's full of it. 00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:47.920 Let's get out of here, you know. 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:50.799 Fortunately, you guys can sit next to each other and do that now. 00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:55.039 But that may be what's going on. 00:31:55.200 --> 00:32:01.599 We don't know uh exactly what's going on in this church, but some speculate that maybe that's what he's addressing, you know, in this time. 00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:11.359 What we do know is Paul needs to address something having to do with women interrupting during the time when everybody should be learning. 00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:15.359 So it's during the teaching time or during the time of prophecy. 00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:23.759 So he, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, put some restrictions for the sake of order and authority in this church. 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:32.880 And these are the only restrictions that we see in the New Testament on women, are these two regarding teaching and authority because they're kind of the same thing. 00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:43.359 And Paul basically says in verse 36, you know, after everything I'm telling you here, if you still take issue with this, you need to take it up with the Lord and not shoot the messenger. 00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:44.720 Look at verse 36. 00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:48.559 He says, Or did the word of God originate from you? 00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:51.039 Or did it come to you only? 00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:59.759 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should recognize that what I write to you is the Lord's command. 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:03.359 If anyone ignores this, he will be ignored. 00:33:03.920 --> 00:33:19.200 He's basically just saying, if you're gifted in any of these ways, or you think you are spiritual, you need to listen to God's word and not just do things the way that you want to do things. 00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:24.400 You know, the the Corinthian church has already doubted, we've seen, we've doubted Paul's apostleship. 00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:30.480 So I think he throws this in here just to say if you don't like what I'm saying, you just need to take it up with the Lord. 00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:32.880 You know, don't shoot the messenger, just talk to God about it. 00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:34.319 Look at verse 39. 00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:50.079 So then, my brothers and sisters, there it is again, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues, but everything is to be done decently and in order. 00:33:50.480 --> 00:34:01.039 Do these things, wait your turn, do it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, according to the Word of God, decently and in order. 00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:11.599 You know, this is really a great gauge of discerning whether a church is operating by the Spirit of God and by the Word of God or not. 00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:21.199 You know, if it's chaos, if everyone's participating all at once and no one knows what's going on, then it's not operating by the Word of God. 00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:36.960 You know, and you'll hear, and I've heard this argument before, you'll hear people say, well, in our church everybody speaks in tongues all at once, but it's okay because you know it's our prayer language, it's for our personal edification that we're all doing that at once, so we don't need an interpretation, we don't need to take terms. 00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:50.320 Well, Paul makes it abundantly clear in these last handful of chapters that it's great to do these things in the quietness of your own mind or when you're alone. 00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:55.760 But when the church gathers together, it's not about self-edification. 00:34:56.320 --> 00:35:00.960 When the church gathers together, it's all about building one another up. 00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:07.440 So I can't give that argument a whole lot of validity based on what Paul has been telling us here in Scripture. 00:35:07.840 --> 00:35:10.719 And what did verse 26 say anyway? 00:35:11.039 --> 00:35:14.800 Everything being done for the building up. 00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:16.480 That's why we're here right now. 00:35:16.559 --> 00:35:23.840 As a church, each one of us is for the building up, to love God and to love others. 00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:34.000 Now, as I said at the beginning, you know, we as a church we like to focus on the hymns, you know, the songs, and on the teaching from God's word in our services. 00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:48.239 But as an elder board, we've been talking about, you know, what if somebody does have a gift of the Spirit that the Holy Spirit is impressing upon them during a service that is meant to build up the whole body. 00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:49.440 What do we do with that? 00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:53.679 Because we've never given you instructions on what to do that. 00:35:54.559 --> 00:36:20.559 So for now, this is where we are, we're still discussing it as an elder board, but for now, in this season as a church, if you sense the Holy Spirit impressing on you something to share that's meant for the whole group, you know, since we have the ability to wait and it's not an emergency like we've been talking about, just go find an elder in the back that's not doing something up here, you know, during worship or or or during the time of teaching. 00:36:20.719 --> 00:36:25.519 Because 90% of the time there is an elder that's in the back of the church. 00:36:25.760 --> 00:36:32.239 And just go back to them and tell them, hey, the Holy Spirit gave me this to share. 00:36:32.480 --> 00:36:39.440 And then that elder will evaluate with you know if he agrees, if it's for the whole body or not at the time. 00:36:39.599 --> 00:36:47.760 And if it is, he'll just come up during the next natural transition in the service and give you the space to be able to share that with the congregation. 00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:53.360 You know, we don't ever want to quench what the Holy Spirit might want to do here in this place. 00:36:53.519 --> 00:37:00.480 But like I said, with a group this size, you know, if people just start standing up at will, it could become a little bit chaotic. 00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:06.320 And if somebody comes in that we don't know and starts to do something disruptive, then that could be chaos as well. 00:37:06.480 --> 00:37:08.639 So for now, that's what we're gonna do. 00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:15.760 And if it's from the Holy Spirit, I want you to know we won't see it as an interruption in the service. 00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:18.559 We won't see it as disruptive. 00:37:19.199 --> 00:37:26.559 Because we want, if the Holy Spirit wants to do something for this body, we want to be able to allow that space for him to do so. 00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:31.360 So, like I said, for now, in this season, that's how we're going to handle this. 00:37:31.519 --> 00:37:34.079 May change later as the the church changes. 00:37:34.159 --> 00:37:37.280 Uh, but for now, if you feel that impression, just go in the back. 00:37:37.440 --> 00:37:39.199 In the back right now, Ben's back there. 00:37:39.280 --> 00:37:39.840 Where's Pete? 00:37:39.920 --> 00:37:41.760 Is Pete in here or is he in the with the kids? 00:37:41.920 --> 00:37:44.159 Always being like Jesus back with the kids. 00:37:46.320 --> 00:37:55.119 Um but Pete and then Brian Barnes, who isn't here this morning, but he's always outside at the door greeting or in the in the kitchen as well. 00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:56.559 Just come to one of the four of us. 00:37:56.639 --> 00:38:04.159 I'm one of the elders as well, um, and just tell us, because I I say 90%, it's almost 100% of the time, one of the elders is back there. 00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:10.159 Just go grab him, tell them what's going on, and at the next natural transition, then we'll see what the Holy Spirit wants to do. 00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:13.360 It's it'll be as simple as that, but let's pray together. 00:38:13.679 --> 00:38:15.760 Lord, I thank you so much for your word. 00:38:16.239 --> 00:38:25.760 I thank you for each and every person that you have brought here this morning, that you have made a part of this body, Lord, of this church. 00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:30.000 I thank you for the giftings that you have given each one of us. 00:38:31.599 --> 00:38:38.559 Lord, not for ourselves, not for self-edification, but that you've given us for the building up of your church. 00:38:38.800 --> 00:38:42.719 Lord, ultimately for the building up of your kingdom. 00:38:43.119 --> 00:38:48.079 Lord, I pray that you would show us how to use those gifts in our everyday life. 00:38:48.559 --> 00:39:03.440 Before service, after service, at work, Lord, when we're in home groups, when in discipleship times, when we're just hanging out with people and in fellowship, when we're barbecuing tonight or tomorrow or whatever it might be. 00:39:03.679 --> 00:39:14.559 Lord, that you would uh just have your way, that you would show us how to use these gifts to build one another up, to build this church, the body of Christ, up. 00:39:14.800 --> 00:39:23.440 Lord, help us to be willing to step out in faith, to be stretched in ways that we might feel awkward at first or even afraid. 00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:35.679 Would you just show us how to listen, to walk by the voice of the Holy Spirit, and to act out in the ways that He's inspiring, that He's nudging, that He's telling us to. 00:39:35.920 --> 00:39:39.199 Show us how to do this well as a body, we pray. 00:39:39.360 --> 00:39:40.400 In Jesus' name. 00:39:40.719 --> 00:39:41.360 Amen.