The Measure of a Spiritual Church

Spirituality is nothing without Love. We can speak with the tongues of angels or have faith that moves mountains, but 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that without love, it’s just noise.​What does it look like to live out a spirituality that is patient, kind, and selfless? We’re looking at how to move past the "noise" and get to the heart of what following Jesus is all about.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Well, hello, welcome back. Appreciate you uh listening, downloading, turning on whatever mechanism you use to play these uh podcasts. I appreciate all you listeners. Um I know that we have a lot of people listening from all over the United States, and I'm humbled and flattered, and I hope that these podcasts are beneficial and useful. And we're gonna go ahead and jump right into last week's sermon, The Measure of a Spiritual Church. We covered three chapters, chapters 12, 13, and 14. And it was a for me, I it really opened my eyes to just how multi-sourceful. I don't know if that's a word or not, but it is now, I guess. How multiple how how multi-sourceful the Bible is, because uh I've always known this, and I'm sure many of us who have been Bible readers felt this. You can find a verse in the Bible, and it is a a diamond in the rough. I mean, you it it just really jumps out, it speaks to you, it helps you, it motivates you, it provides you with whatever was needed at that time. And I that's one of the that's one of the many attributes of God's word that we can definitely pull from and appreciate. And then you have sections, chapters. The chapter 13 is probably the most used, appreciated, valued, it is used in weddings, it is talked about in churches, it is the basis of multiple lessons. I mean, we can't say enough about what Paul writes in chapter 13. The thing is, though, is that when you apply and you see just where Paul puts chapter 13, and I know we we can we've already said this before, but it's worth repeating. The letters weren't written in chapter and verse. So Paul puts this section right in the middle of a bigger section based on spirituality and the problems that the Corinth church was having with spirituality. They had a desire, many of the congregation had the desire to be able to have the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues. They thought that being able to do that was a sign that they were very, very spiritual. And and for the most part, I would even go on to say that anyone who had a spiritual gift, and it was what Paul talks about as being, I would say, flashy, or out there a spiritual gift that caught people's attention. I would even venture to say that, you know, being able to heal, being able to prophesy, being able to, like I said, speak in a language, and when I and I'll just for the record, I'll just go ahead and say it right now. When I refer to, or when the I believe, when the Bible refers to the speaking in tongues, I believe it refers to being able to speak a foreign language that you did not have to learn. It just comes automatically to you. It would be like waking up one morning and you were able to speak Italian, even though you never took a course, you never listened to a tape, um, you never been to Italy. The Corinthians in this church in Corinth thought that those kinds of spiritual gifts were what was uh wanted and needed because it made them look spiritual. Paul says, You got it all mixed up, you got it backwards. What makes you spiritual is something that is far more better. He says it in my the version of the Bible that I read and study out of says it's a far better way, but you also have it, and you have it in abundance, and if we're gonna if we're gonna rank spiritual gifts, the ability to have the kind of love that Jesus wants us to have in our hearts is far more potent and far more impressive. And it's a sign of spiritual maturity when you have love. And so when you are in a worship service church in Corinth, when you are having a worship service, this is how things need to be done so that everyone can have the feeling and the understanding that they are all important, that they all played a part, and they all were participating in the worship service. And I really didn't do, I feel like, I didn't spend the time talking about the importance of what we do when we worship. And so I I guess I can use this this time frame now to say part of the understanding of why Paul writes about the orderly worship in chapter 14 is for the church in Corinth to understand you are the participants and Jehovah God is the audience. And if you have that mindset, when you come into a worship service, knowing that it is all about glorifying God, thanking God, acknowledging God for who He is, having a time of doing these different aspects of worship, singing, praying, hearing the word, delivering the word, partaking of communion, all encompasses the idea of we are here to glorify God, tell him thank you, uh, and and and and through that act of worship where we are the participants, God is the audience, we encourage, edify, we build one another up, and we have a fellowship that supersedes any kind of meal, even though still we we Northcrest has a fellowship meal every every Sunday. That kind of fellowship uh it strengthens us, encourages us, builds us us so that we can go out and face another week of living in this world, knowing that we have come together as a congregation of Christ and have worshipped in spirit and in truth. Now that took a little time to address before we jump into it, but I felt like I wanted to get that out there just so there would be no misunderstandings. So here we go with the measure of a spiritual church. The text is from 1 Corinthians chapters twelve through fourteen, and I hope you will be encouraged by it. We had to make some different arrangements because of sickness and illness, and um those kind of things happen when you know we're planning a worship service. So we hope that Mike gets better, and we are glad that we have so many talented individuals who can come in and fill in when the time comes. Also, by the way, uh while you're opening your Bibles to uh 1 Corinthians chapter 12, want to say um, I don't know who put the song in. I don't know if it was Don or if it was Mike when they were planning the song service, but the song that we sang before, the lesson, Take Time to Be Holy, fits right in with what we're going to be looking at today. Um, and while you're in Corinthians, if you want, I want to encourage you to go ahead and read ahead. Uh, Lord willing, next Sunday will be in chapter 15. So this is a picture of what is been what is called, according to historians, a Roman triumph. What would happen, and as you can see in this picture, is when a victorious general of the Roman Empire returned to the city, they were um given a great honor. And it was called, in from the history point of view, it was called a Roman triumph. Um, the general, with his men marching behind him, would be paraded through the capital on a chariot, and the whole city would come out and cheer and applaud and praise this general for having such a great victory for Rome. Talk about a parade, right? I mean, that's probably where the parades started happening, or how we got the aspect of having a parade. And we we do that today when there's a championship, when a football team or a baseball team or a basketball team wins, they get paraded through the town in which their town represents. Uh we've had uh uh military parades and you know, and Fourth of July parades. Just you know, uh it's a way to celebrate. Now, now along riding uh with this general in the chariot, you have the picture I zoomed in on it, is um would be a slave to the general. And this this slave had two jobs. First of all, he would be holding a crown above the general's head, symbolizing uh the victory that he had won. But he while he was holding that crown up behind the general's head, there uh the the slave would be constantly whispering two phrases into the general's ear. One of those phrases would be Memento More, remember, you are a mortal, or respispose, homonym este ese momento, which meant look behind you, remember, you are a man, and this tradition was a reminder for the general to stay humble, to remind the victorious general that his glory, although much appreciated, was fleeting. I think once as we go through these next three chapters, 12, 13, and 14, you're gonna see that they stand alone by themselves. You could you could you could pull a lot of good lessons from chapter 12. All all of us here know the importance and have much appreciation for chap 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the love chapter. And then 14 has uh once again a means of standing on its own. But when you combined these three sections, we all know that Paul didn't write his letters or any of the letters were written in chapter and verse, but when you combine these three sections, you can see that it all has to deal with the idea of spirituality and what does a spiritual person look like as much as what a spiritual church looks like. So as we go through this lesson today, I want to I want you to think about this question. And the question is this if we removed every ministry, if we got rid of the building, if we were to take away the flashy talent from our congregation, but if we kept love, would we still be a spiritual church according to Paul's definition? Paul once again is addressing another problem. The Corinthians have misunderstood spirituality, they associated it with more spectacle spiritual gifts. And so in these chapters, Paul gives a basic explanation of spiritual gifts and that love is the way to measure and express one's spirituality. Love is so vital, without it, not even the most significant gift, spiritual gift, can enrich the one who possesses it. Paul then describes what toward the end, what an ideal first century house church meeting looks like, and it is a way for there to be total contribution from everyone who is apart. Everyone in this church, Paul says, has something to contribute. Paul points out that true spirituality is not measured by spectacular gifts, but by selfless love and the edification of others. And so Paul begins to correct this problem with the idea of spiritual gifts, and he basically is trying to tell them that spirituality isn't a one-size-fits-all situation. Spirituality starts with the Holy Spirit and not human talent. Paul reminds us in chapter 12, starting in verse 4, that now there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are a variety of ministries and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to the one is given the words of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the words of knowledge according to the same Spirit, and to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by one spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and another prophecy, and another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But the one and the same spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually, just as he wills. Paul is making a point, and it's something that we have have discussed in other sections of First Corinthians that unity does not necessarily mean, well no, let me say that again. Unity is definitely not uniformity. Paul emphasizes that the spirit gives the gifts to each one individually as he the spirit wills. Spirituality is not earned, it is assigned for the common good. To explain this better, Paul uses the metaphor of the human body. A foot isn't lesser because it isn't a hand. You don't have to be like everyone else to be spiritual. True spirituality recognizes that every member is necessary. If the whole body were an eye, he says, where would the hearing be? Look at verse 24, the last part of verse 24. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. And if one part of the body suffers, all of the parts suffer with it. If a part is honored, all parts rejoice with it. Example, the foot saying, Well, I'm not a hand, and those who feel superior, those who see themselves as an I saying, I have no need of you. Some of I I have heard it countless times. Well, you know, preacher man, I I I can't do this or that. I can't do what you do, or I can't do what other so-and-so does because I'm just not spiritual enough. Let me tell you something. Some of you are are doing your spiritual work now just by being here. We mentioned, we mentioned Hattie Armstrong, who has been who has been sick and had to go to the hospital because her she was having some problems with her kidneys, and it turns out that you know she's she's doing a lot better and she's gonna get to come home. But when Hattie's not here, we are losing a spiritual talent and a spiritual gift from a very spiritual woman. Yes, she makes really good food and she can cook some really mean desserts. But her being here and showing up every Sunday is an encouraging thing, not only to me, but I'm sure to many of us as well. Every member sitting in these pews today, turn around and look behind you, look to the left of you and to the right of you. Every member sitting in these pews today, from the one who can uh lead singing to the one who is uh cleaning up afterwards, to the one who uh puts the bulletin together, to the one who prints it and hands them out, to the one who blows off the leaves off the off the uh porch under the driveway, to the one who opens the door and greets. Everyone here is a vital organ in the body of Christ. And Paul says, every one of you here already have a spiritual gift that is far better than any tongue, speaking in tongue, the gift of prophecy, or anything else that Paul would consider flashy. Paul says, I'm about to explain to you a far better way. I think it's no secret that chapter 13 is the hinge that connects 12 and 14 together. Uh the the the love chapter is like I said before, it can stand on its own, and we all have have an appreciation. Some of you probably have the whole chapter memorized, uh, but I What I want to point out is that Paul is making a case that what we already have and what we already can develop is far more important and better than anything we could say or do or that would be considered spiritual. Verse 1 of chapter 13 If I speak in the tongues of mankind and of angels, but have not love, I have become a noisy gong or a clinging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries, and I have of faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all, if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory but do not have love, it does me no good. Paul argues that you can have the most spiritual sounding speech, the deepest knowledge, the most spiritual sacrificial life. But without love, you are simply just a noisy gong. How many of you remember the TV show, The Gong Show? You could have a panel of judges who would who would uh would sit and and and listen to uh uh amateurs coming in uh onto the stage to sing a song, tell a joke, do a dance routine or whatever, and if one of the judges didn't like it, they could pick up this big, large stick and get behind this very large uh gong, you know, and just tee off. You want to know a good test for spirituality? Spirituality is not a feeling, it's not a situation where you fall into a trance. Oh, spirituality is a character. Paul concludes in this chapter that faith and hope and love remain. What does he mean by that? What does he mean that faith and hope and love will remain throughout, and the greatest is love. I believe the reason why Paul wants to put puts it this way is because he wants us to remember that love is the blood of the church. Love is the lubricant of the church. In the first three verses, it highlights the highest spiritual achievements, tongues of angels, understanding all mysteries, moving mountains, and Paul says, without love, the spiritual value of these things is a big fat goose egg, zero. Did you notice that when you when you read through verses four through seven, Paul's definition of love are all action verbs, patience, kindness, isn't jealous, doesn't brag, it's not arrogant, it doesn't keep account of wrongs suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with truth. It keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love isn't a feeling, church. It's a way we are told and trained how to treat other people. Now I'll just say this if your spirituality makes you arrogant or impatient with others, I'm gonna tell I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that that ain't from the spirit. But I want you to notice also that the spiritual gifts that he mentions here and in the chapters previous, like prophecy and speaking in tongues, are temporary tools for this life. Faith, hope, and love are eternal. And out of those three things that are eternal, love is at the is at the cream of the crop at the very top. Paul suggests that this obsession with showy gifts is really a sign of spiritual immaturity. And love is a sign of spiritual adulthood. Look at verse 11. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child. When I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, and love remain in the greatest, these three, but the greatest of these is love. Paul pictures a time in the future, as he's writing this letter to Corinth, when that will no longer, when spiritual gifts will no longer happen. When the what many describe as a full revelation of God came, Paul says, He will know fully. We are able to see God clearly with his word. The word of God, the Bible. We now are not dimly looking at God. Now, God has revealed all that we need to see him clearly through his word. When you see this trans, and you can see this transition take place at the end of Luke's gospel and at the beginning of his second book, the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the Apostles and the beginning and starting of the church in Jerusalem. All these things are taking place. Wondrous signs, miracles, uh, a community, a congregation is coming together into one compound. And then as you get into chapter 8, you see that because of what, because of Stephen's speech and other things taking place, that there is persecution and they are scattered, and everywhere they go, they start another church, another congregation. And then later on in that timeline, Paul goes back and not only does he probably do it himself, but he instructs Timothy to establish elders in every congregation that were planted. And when you look at that little timeline and that transition from elders and one church compound to multiple churches and elders in every church, you can see how this exactly fits with what we learn about in chapter 13. Only the apostles could give a Christian a spiritual gift through the laying on of hands. And so when the apostles passed away, then the gifts could no longer be transferred. The apostle Paul confirms this truth in chapter 13. Paul highlights that spiritual gifts were always intended to be temporary, concluding once God's full revelation was recorded as Scripture, the Bible. With the written word now accessible to everyone, the need for miraculous signs has passed, leaving us with a complete and final knowledge of His will. It is widely accepted that scriptures were completed, fully written before the end of the first century. The scriptures were complete, and when the scriptures were completed, and the apostles have gone on, shed their earthly coil, if you will, and then the miraculous gifts stopped. And it all stops, coincidentally, all around the end of the first century, just as God said it would happen in Scripture. The plainness to which we can know God now through His Bible, through His Word, is it's such a unique time in human history. You can have a Bible on your computer, you can have a Bible downloaded onto your phone. It is still the most number, it's still the number one bestseller in any place. You can buy them in book off of Amazon and other web pages. You can go get a Bible from the local Walmart store. Once God revealed his word and his will to his apostles and the prophets, these spiritual gifts that Paul talks about will no longer and are no longer necessary. Those gifts had a specific responsibility. And that was, and it could be seen as revealing the knowledge of God. So once the apostles and the prophets wrote down God's word, the gifts of the Spirit are no longer necessary. Now let me throw in a timeout right quick. And let me say this. I know that many of us, including myself, have experienced some amazing things in our lives that could only be described as miraculous. To that, in comparison to what Paul is writing about here, let me say this. The the experience of these amazing things like overcoming an illness, healing, uh being at on the being uh clinging to life and then making a full recovery, surviving an amazing uh a car wreck, you name it, let me say this. God is still able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we can ask, think, according to the power that works within us. God still works, God's majesty and power and sovereignty is still shown daily. Let me also say this: the Holy Spirit, He is still living inside of all who have surrendered and have made Jesus Christ Lord and master of their lives through baptism. And the Holy Spirit is our direct line of connection and communication to our Heavenly Father who is in heaven. And finally, let me say this prayer is powerful. That's why studies show that if if a group of people pray for an individual who is suffering from an illness, they they overcome that illness or that surgery ten times faster. We when we pray, I don't know if you ever thought about it this way, but I really want you to think about it right now. When we're talking about this whole idea of experiencing some miraculous things that have happened in our lives or to our family or to our friends or to this church, when we think about this, I want you to think about this. When we are praying, we are communicating with the master of the universe. Jehovah God, who spoke the world into existence, who grabbed a pile of mud, formed it into the shape of man, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. And that man started walking and talking and doing everything that he that God wanted him to do. When it comes to miraculous spiritual gifts, gifts of the Holy Spirit, being transferred and handed down from one an apostle to someone else. Paul says those will eventually cease and no longer be needed. So that only three things remain once the full revelation of God, the Bible, the Word of God came. And it's faith, and that's hope, and the greatest of them of the three, love. And these are great Christian characteristics that we have to use. All of them, faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love. And so to transition this, Paul spends chapter 14 dealing with how to the how-tos of worship. And really, Paul has a distinct message in this section, and that is this. And this is what and Paul, well, this is what Paul is trying to communicate to the church in Corinth. If they can't understand it, how can then they can't grow from it? I'm gonna say that again. If they can't understand it, they can't grow from it. Paul's main argument for gifts of prophecy and over over the gifts of tongues is simple, in that the one who is prophesying builds up the church in this time frame. True spirituality is obsessed with the growth of others, not the experience of oneself. If your spiritual gift is making you look better and not doing anything to help promote growth in the congregation, maybe it's not a spiritual gift. Look what he says in verse 3 of chapter 14. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation. The one who speaks in tongues edifies himself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but rather that you would prophesy. And greater is the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edification. So, in this situation at the core of the church, why does Paul prefer prophecy, preaching and teaching, over tongue? It's because prophecy edifies. Prophecy builds up the church. Paul insists on clear communication within the congregation. Think about it this way. In the army, if a bugler gives a distinct sound, who is it responsible for to get ready for battle? The one who hears it. And let me say this. Look, I know that we believe and have it in our and have it in our understanding that God, our God is a God of love, our God is a God of mercy, our God is the creator of salvation, our God is a just God, and our God is a great creator. But there is one thing that we may not focus on too much, but we're going to focus on it right now, and that is this our God is not an author of confusion. Verse 31 of chapter 14. For you can all prophesy one by one so that all may learn and all may be exhorted. 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. Paul has set boundaries on the worship service to ensure that the seekers and the members alike can learn and be encouraged. That is why I believe in the simplicity of worship. We're not flashy, we're not fancy, we don't do a lot of stand up, sit down, we don't do a lot of this or that. We come in, we sing, we pray. I try to deliver a message of encouragement to a preacher, but anyone can do that if they're so willing to. We we partake of communion where we share the gospel until Christ comes again. We have study, we have fellowship together, not only in here with the Father, but after services, we come back and we have a meal where we can continue to encourage and edify and build one another up, and that's it. That's all we do here. So that no matter who walks through those doors, whether they are a member who is traveling through and just wants to have a Sunday where he can worship with like-minded Christians, or if it's a seeker coming in who wants to know about Jesus, who wants to know about the family of God, who wants to know what he needs to be done to have eternal life, they can come in and experience a simple worship and leave feeling like they have done what God has asked them to do on a day called Sunday. The final rule in all this in chapter 14 is in verse 40. All things should be done decently and in order. Why? Because God is not a God of confusion, but he is a God of peace. The takeaway this morning, then, is another question, really. And the question for the takeaway that you can go home today and Discuss or ponder yourself or talk about it while we're having our fellowship meal is this. What is then a spiritual person? I think you can see based on these three chapters, a spiritual person is not necessarily the one with the most flashy role. But a spiritual person is one who is, according to chapter twelve, connected to the body. According to chapter thirteen, characterized by love. And according to chapter fourteen, committed to building others up in an orderly way. Being spiritual isn't about how much we know or how loud we can speak. It's about how much we love and how well we serve. Spirituality then can be measured by how much we are helping our neighbors understand the word of God. But disorder, disruption, and comparative display of gifts that are read about in the church in Corinth. And in this time frame and in this letter, competitive displays of gifts that are being done in the Corinth church did nothing to build their members into a likeness and the image of God. The only thing it did was reveal how far apart they were from God. And we at Northcrest in 2026 don't need to be doing that. Because God's desire for us is to live in a community with one another and reflect his heart as we love God and love our neighborhood. Encouraging them to change their thinking, correct what they're doing, or stop doing this and start doing that, and that mindset. And the the idea of First Corinthians is no divisions. Act like a family. Unity and love go hand in hand. To the point that you almost can't have one without the other. And that you are not required to have anything extra or do anything extra in order to display what you believe and how you feel and what you know God has done for you. Are you changed? Absolutely. But that change is not something that may it may or may not be necessarily drastic in its changing. Your evolution is a a very I don't want to say slow process, but it it's almost well, it would be like it would be like growing a beard. And I know that some of you can't relate to this, but I know that some of you might understand this. You don't wake up one morning and you have a and have a full-fledged well, some of you might. I don't know. I I know one guy who who had to shave twice a day because his five o'clock shadow came in thick. I mean, he had I mean he would shave in the morning, and then about in the afternoon he would he would run a rager through his face again because he would have his his five o'clock shadow could look like a beard. But the point I'm trying to make is that your evolution into being a go being an enemy of God to a child of God isn't something that necessarily takes place overnight. You grow into it. That's why some pay sometimes the reference is made when somebody becomes a new new Christian, they are a babe in Christ. You don't grow a beard overnight and you don't become or changed into a child of God overnight. You grow into it. You learn and and you learn and you mature and you and it and if you're thinking it's going to do something to you physically, uh that that's not necessarily the case either. We are not required to do, and I'm going to use a phrase that is used in in the modern the the young the young people use this term sometimes. We don't are we are not required to be extra. We are required to be ambassadors and show Jesus in our lives and how we act and what we do. Yes, there will be changes because you're not going to be able to do some things that you were you did in the past when you were outside of Christ. Your language will change. Your attitude will change when you go when you go from being a seeker of Christ to a member of Christ. Your thoughts will change, but the extra things Paul says are not necessary. Live your life. Stay in the word, stay in prayer, stay in fellowship with like-minded Christians, and see what happens. I'm going to say something that I've said a thousand times. Being the child of God that God's called you to be, you may not think it may be powerful and effective, but let me tell you something. You just might be the only Bible someone ever reads. And someone seeing your change and your walk with Christ will affect them. And they're going to want to know more about it. Just that simple, folks. It is complicated, don't get me wrong, but it can be just that simple. As we close out today, I just want to remind you that we uh always are looking to hear from you. Uh, and we do that by uh giving you our email address. You can contact me if you have any questions or comments, or if you have a uh a study that you would like to know about, or if you wanted to uh get a clarification on something that maybe you heard in one of my sermons, you can reach me at preacherman1178 at gmail.com. That's preacherman1178 at gmail.com. We would love to hear from you. Thanks for tuning in today. Hope you have a blessed day and always remember who you are and whose you are.