WEBVTT 00:00:03.986 --> 00:00:05.008 Let's open the scripture. 00:00:05.008 --> 00:00:10.214 This morning we want to talk in 1 Corinthians 14, 26-40. 00:00:10.214 --> 00:00:11.522 You'll be turning there. 00:00:11.522 --> 00:00:12.686 Let's begin with that. 00:00:12.686 --> 00:00:17.106 That's our primary text 1 Corinthians 14, 26-40. 00:00:17.106 --> 00:00:18.109 Just calling this. 00:00:18.170 --> 00:00:27.117 When you come together, when you come together and we'll come back to this passage by the end of our message, but let's just read it together come together with and we'll come back to this passage by the end of our message, but let's just read it together. 00:00:27.117 --> 00:00:27.496 What then, brothers? 00:00:27.496 --> 00:00:33.585 When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. 00:00:33.585 --> 00:00:46.167 Let all things be done for building up, if any, speak in a tongue, let there be only two, or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone and let the others weigh what is said. 00:00:46.167 --> 00:01:17.909 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent, for you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets, for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 00:01:17.909 --> 00:01:32.090 The women should keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the law says If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. 00:01:32.090 --> 00:01:38.129 Or was it from you that the word of God came, or are you the only ones it has reached? 00:01:38.129 --> 00:01:46.231 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 00:01:46.231 --> 00:01:50.290 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 00:01:50.290 --> 00:02:00.920 So my brothers earnestly desire to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues, but all things should be done decently and in order. 00:02:02.343 --> 00:02:08.114 You know, a few years ago, new York Times article asked this intriguing question. 00:02:08.114 --> 00:02:22.313 That article says what do diamond earrings, an old window frame, a purple bicycle, a china teapot, a jigsaw puzzle, a flat iron instant ramen and an espresso machine have in common? 00:02:22.313 --> 00:02:31.409 Well, they were all gifts that respondents to a not-so-scientific field survey said were among the best or worst they'd ever received. 00:02:31.409 --> 00:02:40.413 If you were to guess which items were wildly appreciated versus deeply resented, you would most likely fail spectacularly. 00:02:40.413 --> 00:02:49.974 The diamond earrings bombed, for example, because the giver had not noticed that the recipient, his girlfriend of three years, did not have pierced ears. 00:02:49.974 --> 00:03:06.674 The instant ramen, on the other hand was a hit, because that particular flavor, spicy miso, was not widely available, and the recipient's mother, who knew her son was crazy about it, tracked down a whole case of it. 00:03:08.121 --> 00:03:23.842 You see, when it comes to gift-giving, context is everything, and that's never truer than when we come and how we come to see how church is supposed to function in the gifts of the Spirit, when we're ever together. 00:03:23.842 --> 00:03:29.854 And so we ask this question what should normal church be like and look like? 00:03:29.854 --> 00:03:31.924 And for all of us? 00:03:31.924 --> 00:03:51.925 We come from different perspectives and different backgrounds, and I was going to start out the message this morning with a few videos to kind of give you an idea of that, because some might offend if I were to have shown them, because they're really way out there and some would bore you to tears, you'd make you fall asleep. 00:03:51.925 --> 00:03:56.265 And so when we come together in worship, we think about the churches of Christ. 00:03:56.265 --> 00:04:07.603 They run the gamut, and so these words, decently and in order in our text this morning, I just think, well, that's somewhat a subjective phrase, isn't it? 00:04:07.603 --> 00:04:11.692 That could mean a lot of things to different people, to each one of us. 00:04:11.692 --> 00:04:28.665 And so what I want to talk to you this morning about is really the elephant in the room, in a sense that we all have these different perspectives and agendas on what church is supposed to look like, and we all have experiences that tell us this way is the right way or that way is the right way. 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:34.425 Paul's answer about church order is really more about reality than it is about style. 00:04:34.425 --> 00:04:39.149 It's more about reality than it is about style. 00:04:39.149 --> 00:04:45.550 So we can let's just do this real quick Can we just stop right now and just pray together for unity in the spirit? 00:04:45.550 --> 00:04:57.170 So, father, I'm just so glad and grateful for every person that's here and you've brought us everyone from different backgrounds, different experiences, different places, different perspectives. 00:04:57.170 --> 00:05:07.543 But, lord, you, by your spirit, bring us together and we just pray, lord, that you bring us into one mind in the spirit of what you want to say to us this morning. 00:05:07.543 --> 00:05:08.745 Lord, teach us. 00:05:08.745 --> 00:05:12.011 We pray in Jesus' name, amen. 00:05:12.011 --> 00:05:14.500 So we're in this series. 00:05:14.500 --> 00:05:15.543 Have you been here? 00:05:15.562 --> 00:05:27.629 It's called Encounter, which is, as you know, it's really about opening, being open to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, what he wants to do with us, and so it's essential we get this right. 00:05:27.629 --> 00:05:35.528 It's essential because I think all of us want to come and we see God's presence. 00:05:35.528 --> 00:05:38.548 We're at work in what we're doing. 00:05:38.548 --> 00:05:45.867 Every time we come on, whether it's a Sunday or Wednesday, we want to know that God is here and he is here, but we want to experience him right. 00:05:45.867 --> 00:05:51.672 So the bottom line is and I think this comes from John 15, verse 26. 00:05:51.672 --> 00:05:52.964 It reminded me of this. 00:05:52.964 --> 00:06:02.432 Jesus said when the helper comes, remember he's our helper, whom I will send to you from the Father the spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father. 00:06:02.432 --> 00:06:03.966 He will witness about me. 00:06:03.966 --> 00:06:06.406 So this is what the Holy Spirit is about. 00:06:06.406 --> 00:06:10.809 He's about testifying to the person and work of Jesus Christ. 00:06:10.809 --> 00:06:19.213 That's his agenda and his goal is to guide us as believers, to honor his teachings and to understand what he wants to be for us. 00:06:19.213 --> 00:06:23.295 Jesus also said the spirit of truth will guide us into the truth. 00:06:23.336 --> 00:06:32.904 You ever been on a road where you weren't really paying attention in your car and you were kind of distracted and your car started veering off and those little, I don't know what they are. 00:06:32.904 --> 00:06:38.204 They're the corrugated places in the pavement and they really get your attention, don't they? 00:06:38.204 --> 00:06:39.988 They kind of keep you in the. 00:06:39.988 --> 00:06:50.807 It kind of disturbs you, it gets you back on the road again, and that's what the Holy Spirit's role for us is in the Christian life Sometimes to disturb us into getting back to where we need to be. 00:06:50.807 --> 00:06:52.492 And so that's important. 00:06:52.620 --> 00:07:05.360 Our desire I want you to hear this Our desire and I think this really comes from the elder team Our desire, our great desire, is for this church to be a word and spirit church, a word and spirit church, a word and spirit church. 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:26.254 But what often happens is that we sort of land on either one or the other of those, without one or without the other all about the word but listen, without the power and influence of the Holy Spirit, or we're all about the Spirit while ignoring the guidance and the authority of the Scriptures. 00:07:26.254 --> 00:07:28.747 And, my friends, we need both. 00:07:28.747 --> 00:07:31.389 We need both, the Word and the Spirit. 00:07:31.389 --> 00:07:38.687 And so, to that end, I think, as you've been here, you listen, you can watch these online if you haven't We've looked at a variety of things for that. 00:07:39.420 --> 00:07:49.632 The first, we talked about the person and work of the Spirit, and then we moved into the fruit of the Spirit, and Tyler talked about hearing the voice of God for yourself and then for others. 00:07:49.632 --> 00:07:57.387 And then, last time, we looked specifically at the spiritual gift called tongues which may be different for some of us. 00:07:57.387 --> 00:08:02.791 You know, that may not be your gift, but that is a gift that's available for us. 00:08:02.791 --> 00:08:13.872 And so today, what I wanted to do is just to kind of see the importance of using all the gifts of the Spirit so that we minister to one another in an intelligible way. 00:08:13.872 --> 00:08:36.174 That's what this passage is really all about how the gifts of the Spirit are to operate when we get together, first in terms of the overall purpose and plan of God for the church, and then next, specifically, how the gifts of the Spirit can actually ignite an encounter for us as we come together. 00:08:36.174 --> 00:08:42.470 We may not have ever realized that, but again, I hope that's what we all want. 00:08:42.470 --> 00:08:44.344 I hope that's what we all want. 00:08:44.344 --> 00:08:55.525 But, as Paul is going through this scripture, paul's great concern is again, when we come together, that we use our gifts in a clear and in understandable way for a particular reason. 00:08:55.525 --> 00:08:59.167 That's for the edification of the church, and we're going to talk about that this morning. 00:09:00.361 --> 00:09:07.471 So, for our time together, let me just give you three words, three words as sort of hooks or pegs to hang your thoughts on. 00:09:07.471 --> 00:09:10.870 The first word is purpose purpose. 00:09:10.870 --> 00:09:19.652 The next word, the second word principle and the third word protocol, purpose, principle, protocol. 00:09:19.652 --> 00:09:25.291 So with that let's turn first to Paul's letter to the Ephesians. 00:09:25.291 --> 00:09:27.623 We come back to this, 1 Corinthians, in a minute. 00:09:27.623 --> 00:09:45.833 But here Paul gives us first of all sort of a I guess a sort of top down 35,000 foot view perspective, a cosmic perspective, if you will, on the work and plan for the church as we use the gifts of the Spirit, for us as a church and as individuals. 00:09:45.833 --> 00:09:52.749 And there we find the first point, the ultimate purpose of the gifts I want you to hear this, the ultimate purpose of the gifts. 00:09:52.749 --> 00:09:54.924 Ephesians 4, verses 7 and 8,. 00:09:56.048 --> 00:10:01.205 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 00:10:01.205 --> 00:10:08.764 Therefore, it says, when he ascended on high he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men. 00:10:08.764 --> 00:10:14.600 And the first thing to note here is this that grace was given to each of us. 00:10:14.600 --> 00:10:23.787 If you belong to Jesus Christ, you have at least one and probably more spiritual gifts, and you received those gifts when you came to Christ. 00:10:23.787 --> 00:10:25.631 The Spirit gives those gifts out. 00:10:25.631 --> 00:10:27.985 It says Christ measured them out. 00:10:27.985 --> 00:10:36.129 If you go to Romans 12, you'll see that the measure of our gift is supposed to be associated with a degree of faith to use them. 00:10:36.129 --> 00:10:39.542 I encourage you to Romans 12, 1 and 2, go back and look. 00:10:39.542 --> 00:10:45.653 It says don't think too highly of yourself about your gift and don't think of yourself as a nobody. 00:10:45.653 --> 00:10:47.903 God has given you. 00:10:47.903 --> 00:10:50.850 The Holy Spirit has given you a gift to be used in the body. 00:10:50.850 --> 00:10:53.144 Notice also he gave. 00:10:53.144 --> 00:10:54.629 It says gifts to men. 00:10:54.629 --> 00:10:57.527 You know what happens when Christ went to the cross. 00:10:57.527 --> 00:10:58.149 What happened? 00:10:58.149 --> 00:10:59.966 He was vindicated at the cross. 00:10:59.966 --> 00:11:08.729 He was vindicated by his resurrection and ascension and as a conqueror over our enemy, over his enemy. 00:11:08.729 --> 00:11:09.731 He defeated Satan. 00:11:09.731 --> 00:11:11.528 He rose again. 00:11:11.528 --> 00:11:13.407 He ascended to the right hand of God. 00:11:13.407 --> 00:11:20.066 And notice, though, that Jesus, it says he gave out gifts, but he really in this giving the gifts. 00:11:20.066 --> 00:11:24.614 He really took the spoils of war from Satan. 00:11:24.614 --> 00:11:27.825 Those were his. 00:11:27.825 --> 00:11:35.072 He won those, and yet what we see here is Jesus doesn't keep those gifts for himself. 00:11:35.072 --> 00:11:41.972 He gave these gifts out as gifts of grace to us as church. 00:11:43.740 --> 00:11:47.691 You know, a few years ago, many years ago actually, I was seven or eight. 00:11:47.691 --> 00:11:54.187 You know, it's kind of funny what you remember when you're a kid, right? 00:11:54.187 --> 00:11:57.285 And I always just think you know, god wanted me to remember this. 00:11:57.285 --> 00:12:03.491 That's why I remember it as a kid of seven years, eight years old, I was one day invited to a birthday party. 00:12:03.491 --> 00:12:12.308 Seven years old, I was one day invited to a birthday party and I knew what I wanted to get my friend, because I wanted it myself. 00:12:12.308 --> 00:12:17.846 And so what mom did was she took me to I don't know some of you still may remember Kmart. 00:12:17.846 --> 00:12:25.865 It was like she took me to a place to get a toy and I knew exactly which one I wanted and I picked that out and I said I know this is what he'll like. 00:12:25.865 --> 00:12:30.234 And she said, well, let's, we got home, let's wrap it. 00:12:30.234 --> 00:12:33.322 And I said, well, let me, I kind of need to test this out. 00:12:33.322 --> 00:12:50.047 And so all day, and she let me, I don't know why she let me all day I played with my friend's gift and by the end of the day, as you can imagine, my gift, friend's gift, and by the end of the day, as you can imagine my gift, the toy was no longer something I would. 00:12:50.047 --> 00:12:50.928 It was fit to give away. 00:12:50.928 --> 00:12:54.961 And so I guess my mom, she took me back and we got another one. 00:12:54.961 --> 00:12:58.086 I still remember that. 00:12:58.607 --> 00:13:04.480 But you know I have the analogy for us in terms of spiritual gifts. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:16.394 Sometimes we treat our spiritual gifts like toys that we want to use for ourselves, when God wants us to use them as presents to give away to other people. 00:13:16.394 --> 00:13:21.508 And we can be so enamored with what he's given us that we forget the purpose that they were given. 00:13:21.508 --> 00:13:26.308 Sometimes we treat those gifts like they're our own. 00:13:26.308 --> 00:13:31.750 It says he gave gifts to men and he did that for a reason. 00:13:31.750 --> 00:13:35.563 Have you ever wondered why Jesus gave the gifts? 00:13:37.206 --> 00:13:38.009 Here's some scriptures. 00:13:38.009 --> 00:13:40.594 Maybe we'll kind of tweak your memory here. 00:13:40.594 --> 00:13:46.549 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, john 3.16. 00:13:46.549 --> 00:13:54.952 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners Romans 5.8. 00:13:54.952 --> 00:14:02.248 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 00:14:02.248 --> 00:14:04.169 1 John 3.16. 00:14:04.169 --> 00:14:08.375 And so by that we see the ultimate purpose for the gifts. 00:14:08.375 --> 00:14:15.506 A few verses later, actually in Ephesians 4.15 and 16, listen to the verse here. 00:14:15.659 --> 00:14:26.961 Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him, who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it's equipped. 00:14:26.961 --> 00:14:39.767 When each part is working properly, don't forget that makes the body grow and then underline this so that it builds itself up in love. 00:14:39.767 --> 00:14:44.254 That word building up, there is the word oikodomeo or oikodome. 00:14:44.254 --> 00:14:46.565 It's two words. 00:14:46.565 --> 00:14:51.292 Oiko or oikos is house, dome is build. 00:14:51.292 --> 00:14:53.746 So it's really about to build a house. 00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:55.265 Say, what is that talking about? 00:14:55.265 --> 00:14:57.288 He's talking not about a physical house. 00:14:57.288 --> 00:15:10.927 He's talking about building a spiritual house, and everyone who is a person, who belongs to Christ is a stone in that house, or, as he calls God's building. 00:15:10.927 --> 00:15:14.163 You are God's building, you are God's temple. 00:15:14.163 --> 00:15:20.731 Scripture says, and every one of you who know Christ is part of that house. 00:15:20.731 --> 00:15:24.648 So to build up the body, what does that mean? 00:15:24.648 --> 00:15:27.681 Really part of that house? 00:15:27.681 --> 00:15:28.842 So to build up the body, what does that mean really? 00:15:28.842 --> 00:15:32.250 We're doing whatever helps the church and the individuals who make it up. 00:15:32.250 --> 00:15:37.927 I just think of it like this to be all we're meant to be in Christ, to be all we're meant to be. 00:15:37.927 --> 00:15:40.893 Are you all you're meant to be this morning? 00:15:40.893 --> 00:15:41.921 Not yet right. 00:15:41.921 --> 00:15:59.230 So that's why church is so important, because the body helps you become all that you're meant to be, and that would include everything from being stronger spiritually, wiser, more mature, more patient, more kind, more holy, etc. 00:15:59.230 --> 00:15:59.532 Etc. 00:15:59.532 --> 00:15:59.751 Etc. 00:15:59.751 --> 00:16:05.548 So that you look and I look more and more and more like Jesus Christ. 00:16:07.091 --> 00:16:12.173 So the ultimate purpose of the gifts thing is for the, for the church, to build itself up in love. 00:16:12.173 --> 00:16:16.364 The goal, folks, is the gifts are not the goal, love is the goal. 00:16:16.364 --> 00:16:24.687 And Paul says the the goal of my instruction is what it's love first with pure heart and then a sincere faith. 00:16:24.687 --> 00:16:35.081 So, my friends, don't become so enamored with the gifts that you lose sight of this goal love, the gifts, are merely presence of grace. 00:16:35.081 --> 00:16:39.596 We're supposed to pass out to every person we see who has a need. 00:16:39.596 --> 00:16:43.727 So my question for us this morning is what did you come to give away today? 00:16:43.727 --> 00:16:54.698 As Paul says that if I have gifts but I don't have love, I am nothing. 00:16:54.698 --> 00:16:57.644 See, gifts are temporary, love is eternal. 00:16:57.644 --> 00:17:08.873 So that's what we want to be about, and so we often get caught up in this. 00:17:08.873 --> 00:17:09.779 What did I experience at church today? 00:17:09.779 --> 00:17:11.423 What did I experience? 00:17:11.423 --> 00:17:13.249 Well, here's a better question who did I love? 00:17:13.249 --> 00:17:17.261 Who did I love? 00:17:17.261 --> 00:17:23.209 Well, that brings us to our second truth this morning, what we may call the essential principle of encounter. 00:17:23.209 --> 00:17:25.811 This is so cool, the principle of encounter. 00:17:25.811 --> 00:17:29.215 And for that let's turn now to 1 Corinthians, chapter 14. 00:17:29.215 --> 00:17:39.039 And here he uses chapter 14 sort of as an end result of all he's been saying, from chapter 8 through chapter up to this point, chapter 14. 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:41.640 And here's this Corinthian church. 00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:44.308 This is a church with amazing potential. 00:17:44.308 --> 00:17:47.064 In fact, paul says. 00:17:47.064 --> 00:18:00.567 He says you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord, jesus Christ, and you're ready, you've got it all the church with amazing potential. 00:18:00.626 --> 00:18:02.873 But they also had a host of problems. 00:18:02.873 --> 00:18:15.528 This was one of the most problematic churches in the New Testament and one of their biggest problem was disorder in the time they met together concerning their gifts, trouble over spiritual gifts. 00:18:15.528 --> 00:18:25.827 For example, when it came to the gift of tongues, there were some who didn't understand what other people were saying when they shared the message in tongues, and so some people were offended by that. 00:18:25.827 --> 00:18:27.352 You ever thought about it? 00:18:27.352 --> 00:18:32.468 There are some people who just haven't been around that gift and they don't know and they don't understand. 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:38.150 Can you imagine what was happening in the early church, this church that Paul is talking to? 00:18:38.150 --> 00:18:40.159 Is that conceivably? 00:18:40.159 --> 00:18:51.152 Everybody who had this spiritual gift called tongues was standing up and everybody was talking at the same time in a language that nobody understood how confusing, how chaotic. 00:18:51.152 --> 00:18:56.391 And Paul's just telling them that tongues aren't helpful to anyone if no one understands it. 00:18:56.391 --> 00:18:59.542 They're confusing. 00:18:59.542 --> 00:19:04.183 On the other hand, there were some people who prophesied, who would tend to just kind of take up all the airtime. 00:19:04.183 --> 00:19:22.250 They got up there and they got the microphone and they just went on and on and on, and so there was some competition, if you will, to speak and to be up front, and many were speaking also at the same time, but very few were polite enough to listen to each other. 00:19:22.250 --> 00:19:31.737 So you kind of get this Paul is looking at all this and he's going. 00:19:31.737 --> 00:19:32.358 What in the world? 00:19:32.358 --> 00:19:36.653 In essence, they were acting more like children with toys than they were Christians of faith. 00:19:36.653 --> 00:19:39.459 So the result was what? 00:19:39.459 --> 00:19:42.380 There was more confusion than understanding. 00:19:43.845 --> 00:19:51.090 Whenever they got together and what Paul was doing, he's calling for spiritual maturity in this church. 00:19:51.090 --> 00:19:59.750 He says stop being kids, stop being children, stop thinking like children, but think in a mature way. 00:19:59.750 --> 00:20:15.170 And so, in order to correct this chaos, paul has to remind them of a fundamental principle that would help them to encounter the very presence of Christ that they so desperately desired but they had missed. 00:20:15.170 --> 00:20:18.663 Here's the principle found in verses 33 and 40. 00:20:18.663 --> 00:20:25.488 First, verse 33 of chapter 14, god is not a God of disorder, but of peace. 00:20:25.488 --> 00:20:30.335 Verse 33 of chapter 14, god is not a God of disorder, but of peace. 00:20:30.335 --> 00:20:36.183 Therefore, jump down to verse 40,. 00:20:36.183 --> 00:20:37.909 All things should be done decently and in order. 00:20:37.909 --> 00:20:39.012 And I was just thinking about this. 00:20:39.012 --> 00:20:43.295 God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. 00:20:43.295 --> 00:20:47.201 So all things should be done decently, in order. 00:20:47.261 --> 00:20:51.877 That brings us back to what I thought about is that if God is a God of order, where do we see that? 00:20:51.877 --> 00:20:54.967 Most of all, in creation. 00:20:54.967 --> 00:21:04.781 Everybody can look up and see God at some degree, at some level, and I had a picture. 00:21:04.781 --> 00:21:06.201 Have you got that picture I wanted to show? 00:21:06.201 --> 00:21:07.719 Let us look at this for just a minute. 00:21:07.719 --> 00:21:09.806 Not sure it's there. 00:21:09.806 --> 00:21:12.541 So we're in the fall of the year. 00:21:12.541 --> 00:21:25.366 Have you ever taken the time just to sit on your porch and pick up a leaf that's fallen into the yard and hold it up and look at the amazing design and order that's in that leaf? 00:21:25.366 --> 00:21:29.840 God is a God of order. 00:21:29.840 --> 00:21:37.404 In other words, there's symmetry, there's balance, there's design, there's order, there's even timing. 00:21:37.404 --> 00:21:50.248 The leaves don't fall, but when In the fall, there's seasons, there's seasons, and we're supposed to learn something from that by watching what we see in creation. 00:21:53.096 --> 00:22:01.309 How many of you lately have opened your closet or looked at your desk or went into your garage? 00:22:01.309 --> 00:22:06.976 If you open your closet, does everything in there fall out on the floor in front of you? 00:22:06.976 --> 00:22:12.406 But see, there's something within us that I think it's God designed that. 00:22:12.406 --> 00:22:19.675 You know, I looked at my desk this morning before I left and, boy, in preparation for the message, I had books everywhere. 00:22:19.675 --> 00:22:25.644 It was a mess and sort of along the way it starts messing with my mind. 00:22:25.644 --> 00:22:40.625 My wife was telling me this morning she had heard something about how they had recent research that said, when your brain is so caught up with all these things, it actually messes with us in a physical way in our brain. 00:22:40.625 --> 00:22:44.458 And so this is the way God wants us to look at this. 00:22:44.858 --> 00:22:51.789 Make a comparison with what you see with what I require in worship. 00:22:51.789 --> 00:22:57.066 Jesus stated this specifically in John 4, 24. 00:22:57.066 --> 00:22:58.741 Do you get the connection here? 00:22:58.741 --> 00:23:04.788 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. 00:23:04.788 --> 00:23:31.553 And so Paul's argument here is because God is a God of order and peace, your worship should reflect his nature no chaos, no confusion In spirit and in truth, in spirit means with the heart, as opposed to rituals or maybe traditions, but in truth it means accurately, in line with his nature. 00:23:31.553 --> 00:23:38.934 The best thing we could have that would help us in our worship is for you and me to know who God is in his nature, and that will guide us. 00:23:38.934 --> 00:23:46.736 It will align us with everything he wants to accomplish, instead of us kind of getting different ideas about how we should do church. 00:23:46.736 --> 00:23:54.979 So here's the thing If you want to encounter God when we're together, then you must understand how God is to be worshiped. 00:23:54.979 --> 00:23:58.546 That's what Jesus is teaching in John 4. 00:23:58.546 --> 00:24:12.306 And so the idea is to always value, always value highest, the clearest communication, so that people can understand and appreciate and therefore respond to what's being said by the Spirit of God. 00:24:12.306 --> 00:24:14.801 We have to understand. 00:24:16.674 --> 00:24:23.869 And so Paul contrasts these two gifts of prophecy and tongues that they were so up in disagreement about. 00:24:23.869 --> 00:24:39.385 In fact, paul expects here's what he expects that clear communication will result in people who visit he calls them outsiders or unbelievers they too will have a genuine encounter with the living God. 00:24:39.385 --> 00:24:58.883 I was talking about my time years ago at the college group, and every time we'd sit in there it was uncanny how sometimes the message was not anything about evangelism, but there were people who heard the word and got saved. 00:24:58.883 --> 00:25:19.599 And we would have people every Sunday coming to Christ and thinking, well, he didn't even share the gospel specific, like I would have done it, and yet the Spirit of God spoke directly, cutting them to the heart and helping them see their need for Jesus Christ for their sins. 00:25:19.599 --> 00:25:23.343 So here's what he gives us an example of this. 00:25:23.343 --> 00:25:24.065 This is so cool. 00:25:24.355 --> 00:25:35.488 He says if, therefore, verse 23, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues and outsiders or unbelievers enter, and will they not say that you are out of your mind? 00:25:35.488 --> 00:25:43.583 In other words, if no one understands someone who speaks in tongues and there's no interpreter, they won't understand, in fact, they'll think you're crazy. 00:25:43.583 --> 00:25:48.025 They won't understand, in fact, they'll think you're crazy. 00:25:48.025 --> 00:26:03.511 But if all prophesy and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. 00:26:03.511 --> 00:26:16.115 Do you see how God's word can, if it's clearly presented, or the person who is speaking the mind of God through a prophecy or a word of maybe a song or a hymn or some kind of instruction. 00:26:16.115 --> 00:26:26.366 If that's revealed through the Spirit of God to us as people and to those who are outsiders, it can flip everything. 00:26:26.366 --> 00:26:36.501 Because it says the enemy Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers so they can't even see the gospel. 00:26:36.501 --> 00:26:48.223 So it takes the power of God to turn that around so that people can actually understand what God intends for them to understand, and the gifts of the Spirit help us do that. 00:26:49.115 --> 00:26:52.746 So this is nothing less, folks, than spiritual awakening. 00:26:52.746 --> 00:26:55.299 Do you want that for our church? 00:26:55.299 --> 00:26:57.205 Absolutely. 00:26:57.205 --> 00:26:57.816 So. 00:26:57.816 --> 00:27:14.067 If Paul is basically saying this, we can expect to encounter the risen Christ when we worship the true God in the right way, not how we think he ought to be worshipped, but as he is in spirit and in truth. 00:27:14.067 --> 00:27:15.361 That's so important. 00:27:15.361 --> 00:27:23.557 Lastly, having clearly in mind the purpose of God through the gifts, that is what is it. 00:27:23.557 --> 00:27:26.269 Build up the body in love and then here the principle for encounter, worship the true God in the gifts. 00:27:26.269 --> 00:27:26.290 That is what is it. 00:27:26.290 --> 00:27:30.063 Build up the body in love and then hear the principle for encounter, worship the true God in the right way. 00:27:31.548 --> 00:27:37.683 We come last to the proper protocol for worship, and this is from our readings this morning. 00:27:37.683 --> 00:27:43.442 And the question I just ask is how can we best allow the Spirit of God to work among us in our time together? 00:27:43.442 --> 00:27:49.414 I mean, our time is pretty short, unless you're in a church that goes for hours. 00:27:49.414 --> 00:27:52.444 Our time is pretty short together on a Sunday. 00:27:52.444 --> 00:27:57.767 So we've got this narrow window for God to do His thing. 00:27:57.767 --> 00:28:02.145 So I hope we all come expecting that God. 00:28:02.145 --> 00:28:10.220 Will we get ourselves in a position to hear His voice, the proper protocol for worship. 00:28:10.582 --> 00:28:24.606 And let me just say this we certainly, as elders, we certainly don't want to quench or grieve the Spirit or control anything that he's doing, what he desires to do among us, but we do want to follow Christ's instruction through Paul. 00:28:24.606 --> 00:28:26.116 Here Paul doesn't say I'm giving you my opinion, here's what I think we ought to do among us, but we do want to follow Christ's instruction through Paul. 00:28:26.116 --> 00:28:29.861 Here Paul doesn't say I'm giving you my opinion, here's what I think we ought to do. 00:28:29.861 --> 00:28:31.923 No, he says this is the command of the Lord. 00:28:31.923 --> 00:28:38.507 So I want to just kind of make this last part just as practical as we can. 00:28:38.507 --> 00:28:40.782 Here Let me just say a couple of things. 00:28:41.699 --> 00:28:52.386 And here's the thing there may be several people who come here on a Sunday, who have on any given Sunday, they believe they have something from God to share with the church. 00:28:52.386 --> 00:29:00.566 And the question to ask in every time is will this word build up the church in love? 00:29:00.566 --> 00:29:04.222 He says in verse 26,. 00:29:04.222 --> 00:29:16.487 He says in verse 26, when you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. 00:29:16.487 --> 00:29:19.029 Let all things be done for building up. 00:29:19.029 --> 00:29:20.131 Can somebody get me some water? 00:29:20.131 --> 00:29:26.550 Yeah, thank you. 00:29:26.550 --> 00:29:31.115 Let all things be done for building up, thank you. 00:29:32.416 --> 00:29:45.664 And I just kind of want to tell you what this looks like for us as the pastors, because sometimes you'll see someone come up occasionally with something that they'd like to share, and that's great. 00:29:45.664 --> 00:29:47.685 But what is going on with us? 00:29:47.685 --> 00:29:49.747 What's going on with us? 00:29:49.747 --> 00:29:52.548 What are we talking about when somebody does that? 00:29:52.548 --> 00:29:53.410 Well, I'll tell you. 00:29:53.410 --> 00:29:57.011 One of the things we do is we listen to hear is this biblical? 00:29:57.011 --> 00:29:59.192 What is this person sharing? 00:29:59.192 --> 00:30:01.376 Is it biblical? 00:30:01.396 --> 00:30:12.750 And then we also look, I think and this is sort of not easy to do we try to get a sense on what the Holy Spirit has been doing all along in the worship service. 00:30:12.750 --> 00:30:18.163 And I will tell you just as an example, a real example. 00:30:18.163 --> 00:30:19.875 You don't get to see that because we see it from the end result. 00:30:19.875 --> 00:30:25.827 We know what the message is going to be, but I don't coordinate with anybody else about the songs. 00:30:25.827 --> 00:30:28.575 We don't coordinate with anybody else about the songs. 00:30:28.575 --> 00:30:35.511 We don't coordinate with anybody else about anyone that gets up and shares. 00:30:35.511 --> 00:30:42.517 God just does it and we're trying to discern is this the Holy Spirit and example? 00:30:42.537 --> 00:30:45.521 This morning I was actually thinking of the Scripture. 00:30:45.521 --> 00:30:49.710 The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. 00:30:49.710 --> 00:30:57.188 I was actually going to share that and Brooke ended up reading that very scripture. 00:30:57.188 --> 00:30:58.131 See how that kind of works. 00:30:58.131 --> 00:31:01.740 And we're trying to see, we're trying to put all these things together and trying to discern is this of God? 00:31:01.740 --> 00:31:09.617 So that we can get a clear message, so that it would be understandable when that happens. 00:31:09.617 --> 00:31:24.326 I hate it for you but we as pastors, we get to see all that and that's why I'm telling you you just got to understand God does things that a lot of times we don't see God's at work in this place when you may think nothing is happening. 00:31:24.326 --> 00:31:26.803 He is walking among the lampstands, folks. 00:31:26.803 --> 00:31:28.260 He's walking among His church. 00:31:28.260 --> 00:31:46.423 So we don't want to grieve or quench the Spirit and when someone shares a message, it could be, for example, something that's spontaneous off the cuff, as God gives them in the moment something to say, or it could be something they've thought about all week. 00:31:46.423 --> 00:31:49.121 Both of those are okay. 00:31:49.121 --> 00:31:52.805 There's nothing magical about something being spontaneous. 00:31:52.805 --> 00:31:55.682 If it's for God's people, that's okay. 00:31:57.695 --> 00:32:06.448 So now in Paul, in verse 26 through 40, he gives us these specific guidances on how we should order our times together. 00:32:06.448 --> 00:32:15.186 And again he's playing these two scriptures, these two gifts off from one another prophecy and tongues, because it's kind of representative of all the other things that God might want to do. 00:32:15.186 --> 00:32:16.858 First of all, tongues. 00:32:16.858 --> 00:32:24.428 He says, speaking of that, the Lord, not Paul limits the number of speakers with the gift of tongues. 00:32:24.428 --> 00:32:30.127 And then he asks for them to restrain themselves when an interpreter is not present. 00:32:30.127 --> 00:32:34.105 In other words, they're supposed to exercise some self-control. 00:32:34.105 --> 00:32:42.795 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or three at most, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 00:32:42.795 --> 00:32:49.346 But if there's no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 00:32:49.346 --> 00:32:51.450 So a few bullet points into there. 00:32:51.450 --> 00:32:55.425 First, he's telling us tongues are not to be prohibited. 00:32:55.425 --> 00:32:56.458 They're a spiritual gift. 00:32:56.458 --> 00:32:59.326 So don't prevent anyone from speaking in tongues. 00:32:59.326 --> 00:33:02.223 So that's verse 39. 00:33:03.195 --> 00:33:04.883 But Paul does have some conditions here. 00:33:04.883 --> 00:33:12.744 Let's say, for example, that a person comes in and he has a message in tongues and what Paul says he says it up in verse 13. 00:33:12.744 --> 00:33:25.449 He said that person who thinks they have a message in tongues should first pray privately verse 13, that he would understand what he doesn't understand when he's speaking in the Spirit in tongues. 00:33:25.449 --> 00:33:29.046 He should pray that he would understand it so he can give the interpretation. 00:33:29.046 --> 00:33:45.626 Maybe he hears accurately, maybe he hears should have bought a Honda, but I bought a Kia and of course I'm being silly, but I want you to understand that the enemy can counterfeit stuff like that. 00:33:45.626 --> 00:33:51.425 This is what Paul was having to deal with with that first Corinthian church. 00:33:51.515 --> 00:34:10.867 A lot of people were coming out of the sibling cults and it was normal for them to talk at the same time, to have ecstatic utterances in the spirit tongues, and even anthropologists will tell you there are religions all around the world where their adherents speak in tongues. 00:34:10.867 --> 00:34:14.804 So tongues doesn't necessarily mean it's of God. 00:34:14.804 --> 00:34:21.641 There needs to be someone who interprets what is said, the person who believes he has a message in tongues. 00:34:21.641 --> 00:34:28.436 If that's the case and they feel like they have a clear, beneficial interpretation, what should happen? 00:34:28.436 --> 00:34:32.847 Well, they should give that message in English if they know what it is. 00:34:32.847 --> 00:34:45.648 And what happens is, at that moment, if you've come up and shared with us, we're going to give you the microphone, or hold on to it for some of the cases, and let you share that message. 00:34:45.648 --> 00:34:52.483 And if you can interpret that message I think we had one last week then all good and fine. 00:34:52.483 --> 00:34:56.847 But if they give the message in a tongue, no one understands it. 00:34:56.847 --> 00:34:58.161 What's the pastor going to do? 00:34:58.161 --> 00:35:00.820 He'll say does anyone here have the interpretation? 00:35:00.820 --> 00:35:03.768 Anyone? 00:35:03.768 --> 00:35:11.663 And if there is someone, he would get up and share that message in English so we all could understand. 00:35:11.663 --> 00:35:16.605 And then, if not, paul says well, you need to just sit down, please. 00:35:16.605 --> 00:35:24.923 This is not of God, and so that's sort of the way that works. 00:35:33.876 --> 00:35:34.619 Prophecy, let's go to that. 00:35:34.619 --> 00:35:35.201 It's sort of similar. 00:35:35.201 --> 00:35:37.710 There's some similarities with the protocol for tongues, but it's a little different. 00:35:37.710 --> 00:35:38.393 A little different in some ways. 00:35:38.393 --> 00:35:53.360 Paul says the Lord again, not Paul limits the number of speakers with the gift of prophecy and he has them also restrain themselves when something is revealed to them to another speaker. 00:35:54.516 --> 00:35:55.661 So listen to the scripture. 00:35:55.661 --> 00:35:59.465 Let two or three prophets speak and let the others weigh what is said. 00:35:59.465 --> 00:36:07.414 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent, for you all can prophesy, one by one. 00:36:07.414 --> 00:36:08.858 He doesn't mean the whole congregation. 00:36:08.858 --> 00:36:09.278 Get that. 00:36:09.278 --> 00:36:16.782 He's saying all you who have the prophetic word today, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. 00:36:16.782 --> 00:36:19.449 And the spirit of prophets are subject to prophets. 00:36:19.449 --> 00:36:24.362 So bullet points Number one is two to three prophets should speak. 00:36:25.103 --> 00:36:28.028 And when we're thinking about prophecy it's not so much. 00:36:28.028 --> 00:36:31.003 A lot of times we think of that as foretelling. 00:36:31.003 --> 00:36:33.885 Sometimes we tell or foretelling, telling the future. 00:36:33.885 --> 00:36:37.981 But it's really foretelling, it's explaining. 00:36:37.981 --> 00:36:47.005 But Paul specifically says the prophet is a person verse 3, that builds, encourages and comforts people. 00:36:47.005 --> 00:36:52.326 So if you're down, you'll get a benefit from that. 00:36:52.326 --> 00:36:54.722 If you're discouraged, you'll be benefited by that. 00:36:54.722 --> 00:37:00.762 If you feel like you need somebody to give you a little bump and say, yeah, go ahead and do that, that's for you. 00:37:00.762 --> 00:37:13.170 That is the prophetic word that's given, not so much predictive as basically something for the here and now, to encourage the body. 00:37:14.014 --> 00:37:16.925 And then he says others should evaluate or judge the message. 00:37:16.925 --> 00:37:18.782 They should weigh in on what is said. 00:37:18.782 --> 00:37:23.586 And the question there is about who are the others that are supposed to be weighing in. 00:37:23.586 --> 00:37:27.885 Some people think it's the prophet, people who have the prophetic gifts themselves. 00:37:27.885 --> 00:37:34.663 Other times people say, well, it could be the whole body. 00:37:34.663 --> 00:37:38.771 And here's where I think we may sometimes miss it. 00:37:38.771 --> 00:37:41.302 I think the early church, when people shared these things, probably just stopped. 00:37:41.302 --> 00:37:43.563 We feel like we have to keep moving. 00:37:43.563 --> 00:37:48.025 They just stopped and they weighed these things, and what did they do? 00:37:48.025 --> 00:37:51.105 They prayed for discernment. 00:37:51.105 --> 00:38:01.719 So we're so in a rush to make it happen, and sometimes we just need to stop and pray and ask God what are you saying here? 00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:02.842 God Is this? 00:38:02.842 --> 00:38:14.351 You and so others evaluate or judge the message, and so any of these prophets if it's prophets, they could also weigh in on these words and give their thoughts. 00:38:14.351 --> 00:38:15.835 Yeah, this is God. 00:38:15.835 --> 00:38:16.476 This is God. 00:38:16.476 --> 00:38:18.028 It has the character of God. 00:38:18.028 --> 00:38:20.952 This is biblical, this is encouraging to the body. 00:38:22.065 --> 00:38:26.336 And then the last, the one that he says in verses 30 to 31, is take turns. 00:38:26.336 --> 00:38:29.893 I mean, don't get up there and be a Mike Hogg. 00:38:29.893 --> 00:38:33.614 Realize there are other people that have a word from God too. 00:38:33.614 --> 00:38:37.407 You have the Spirit of God in you too. 00:38:37.407 --> 00:38:39.929 So if another person receives a prophetic message. 00:38:39.929 --> 00:38:44.014 While the first one is speaking, it says the first person should sit down. 00:38:44.014 --> 00:38:47.458 I think it doesn't mean that he necessarily interrupts that prophet. 00:38:47.458 --> 00:38:47.980 It could be. 00:38:47.980 --> 00:38:56.313 Have you ever been in a conversation where someone is saying something and you say let me stop you just a minute because it's relevant to the thing they just said? 00:38:56.313 --> 00:38:57.135 It could be that. 00:38:57.135 --> 00:39:06.528 Or it could just mean, well, let the guy finish, but he needs to finish, hurry up and finish and sit down and let the next guy go who's got something to say. 00:39:06.528 --> 00:39:09.673 So that's two. 00:39:10.355 --> 00:39:28.076 Now it says the third one, paul, wants to address his women with questions, and when I was talking to the elders they said well, you are a brave man, because it says the women should keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak but should be in submission. 00:39:28.076 --> 00:39:36.813 As the law also says, if there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. 00:39:36.813 --> 00:39:38.769 You are a brave man. 00:39:38.769 --> 00:39:46.742 So, oh, my goodness, look at the time Kind of got in my way. 00:39:46.742 --> 00:39:47.525 Now I'm not afraid. 00:39:47.525 --> 00:39:48.610 I'm not afraid of you women. 00:39:48.610 --> 00:39:53.610 That was probably not smart, patty. 00:39:53.610 --> 00:40:01.096 Okay, really, I'm really not afraid, because this is the Word of God. 00:40:02.326 --> 00:40:10.851 The problem is understanding it, interpreting it right, and of course we don't have all the clues. 00:40:10.851 --> 00:40:12.311 We don't have all the answers here. 00:40:12.311 --> 00:40:14.306 We're trying to. 00:40:14.306 --> 00:40:22.777 You know, if you read through the book of 1 Corinthians, what Paul does is he answers questions that we don't have the questions for. 00:40:22.777 --> 00:40:26.655 He gives the answers to the questions that we don't have. 00:40:26.655 --> 00:40:29.454