|
|
|
|
Wisdom On Spiritual GiftsSermon Starts with Pastor Rich playing the piano. I suppose of all the teachings of the bible the area of spiritual gifts is probably the one that causes more division then any other. The gift of tongues being the biggest controversy in our day. But not only in our day, there in Corinth they had a tongues issue as well, there were those who were out of line and out of control in the use of the gifts of the Spirit, so Paul in this letter of exhortation to these first century Christians, uses three chapters to straighten out their problems. Remember as the church in Corinth received this letter- they had on model before them, they had no church history, they were new in their faith and trying to find the way to worship God as a congregation. So Paul takes his time, he explains the Spirituals in chapter 12, listing some of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, and telling them, to understand that they are given for the common good of the church. To build one another up, instead of what was happening there in Corinth where they were tearing one another down. Then Paul takes them to the principles of love. What love is and what it does, and tells them, no matter what gifts anyone has, if it is not tempered with love, then it is just noise, the person is nothing, and the manifestation has no reward. Love rules, the love that God poured out to us as he sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ to die in our place, to bare our sins, to redeem our lives. So as we consider chapter 14, the details of the workings of the speaking gifts of the Holy Spirit, we will look at this chapter over for two weeks but today – I want to go through it slowly, as we consider: “Wisdom on the Spiritual gifts.” READ V1.
Paul starts by tying into what we call the love chapter. Follow the way of Agape. Follow love. Isn't that what our Lord taught? John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Jesus said: Follow love, love one another, not just because it is my command but it is the manifestation of being my followers. Love follows those who love God. We have laws in America that state “a woman must take care of her child.” A social worker can come to a new mother’s home and ask “Are you taking care of your baby? The Law says you have to.” The woman, holding her baby, thinks “I don’t need a law to make me take care of my baby.” Why? Because she loves her baby! She feeds her, holds her, changes her because she loves her child. That is the law of Love that Jesus gave us, we are not under a restraint to love but we love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19-21 We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. It doesn't get much clearer then that my friends, we love each other because he first loved us. So Paul starts with the overall principle of love. Follow the way, or the pattern of Agape. Then eagerly desire spiritual gifts. When love is the principle we follow we will not be like the Corinthian church, where they were divided over gifts, we will use our gifts to nurture, to build up, and to love. In the gifts we are to desire Paul mentions desire prophesy over all the other gifts. Why prophesy? Because that is the gift of speaking to the church the words of our Lord. Prophesy is for encouraging, prophesy is for exhorting, prophesy is for building up the church. It is the gift of speaking forth the word of God. Not necessarily foretelling the future, but forth-telling the word of God. How does prophesy work in the modern church? Thanks for asking. In Expositional preaching from the pulpit. Prophesy is seen in the speaking of one to another, as you feel led to encourage one another from the Lord. Prophecy is evidenced when we pray for one another. When we were at the Worship Conference last week, one of the Pastors, came up to me and gave me a word of encouragement, I don't think he even understood what it all meant - but to me it was as if God himself were speaking to me. I encourage you guys, as you minister to one another, allow God to speak through you. Every time you speak the word of God, each time you wittiness for Jesus, every time you encourage others in God's word or by his principles you are in a sense prophesying. The overall principle of chapter 14. Follow love, desire gifts, especially gifts that build up. READ V 2-5
Now I know there are some of you in this room who do not believe the gift of tongues is for today. There are others in our church who think High Sierra Fellowship should use this gift every week all the time. So I encourage you as we go through this text, and continue in it next week- to see what Paul is telling the Corinthians, and see how this applies today to the church at large, and our vision here in this fellowship. So Paul lays out a comparison of the two different gifts, or tongues and prophesy. 1. TONGUES In Corinth we find that they had some tongue problems. Not just the gift of tongues, but the way they spoke, the way they divided over leadership, the things they said to one another lead to law suits. So they had a lot of tongue problems. But here the gift of tongues, given by the Holy Spirit had lead to a problem in the ways they were using it. The gift of tongues is: “The ability to speak a language that you have never learned.” In Acts chapter 2, the languages were known languages of the world. In 1 Corinthians 13, and Romans 8, it seems that tongues could involve even heavenly languages of angels. Here in comparing tongues to prophesy Paul says, tongues speaks to God, not to men. No one can understand what he is saying but he speaks mysteries from the Spirit. Speaking in tongues edifies ones self, like me on the piano, you didn't know what I was playing, but I was enjoying it. Paul says, he wishes everyone spoke in tongues, but if they did, and knowing they all don't, that he wants that gift to be used in the church with interpretation, so everyone will be built up and encouraged.
2. PROPHESY As we said, prophesy is the fore-telling of God's word. Paul says, prophesy is to be desired because it builds up the church. Prophecy speaks to men, not to God. At they same time, prophesy speaks the word of God, to men and women who need the word of God. When people were abandoning Jesus, because many of his sayings were hard. Jesus looked at his men, and asked them. John 6:67-69 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" .... Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Prophecy is manifest quite often when we pray. I have been in prayer circles when someone prays just the right thing. I believe that God gave them the words, they pray in a way that it is God encouraging the one being prayed for. Paul compares tongues and prophecy and shows us why prophesy is better. READ V6- 12
In the church, what good is tongues unless we understand what is being spoken. Take my banging on the piano, I could be having a great time, but to the rest of you, I'm out to lunch! Why? Because there is no distinction between the notes. Did you know there are only 7 whole notes in music? How you arrange them, what octave they are in, is the difference between noise and harmony. Harmony is what was lacking in Corinth, harmony within the place where God wanted to work. 1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. Corinth divided over so many things, but it was God's plan, and the leading of the Holy Spirit that they would be united in all things. Living in humility, compassion, harmony, and love. In the army they have different calls for different actives, if your going to battle you don't play taps,-- if your going to a funeral you don't play revelry - if your getting out of bed your not playing lights out. Each song has a purpose, so it is with the gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit, there are illegitimate uses, and there are times for restraint and use of other gifts. Tongues, Paul says- in the church and by themselves –are not building anyone up. The person is speaking to air, like me in Nicaragua, my Spanish is very poor. I am a foreigner, to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. Not much communication, not much edification going on. 1 Cor 14:12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. Find balance in the use of the gifts, try to excel in the gifts that build up, that encourage, the exhort, for you know that God is working with those gifts. Take the gift of helps, when you exercise that gift, God is using you in practical ways to show his love. Take the gift of mercy, when you help restore a fallen brother or sister, God is using you as his own hands and voice. It is good to desire gifts, but make sure you are using them rightly, and using gifts that do good within the congregation of God. That's where Paul takes us next. READ V 13-19
How many have been in church services where the gift of tongues are openly exercised? Here is what I have found- see if your experience is not similar. Oftentimes when this gift is manifest in churches I find it is not used within the biblical guidelines found here in the scriptures. Look again with me at V2. 1 Cor 14:2 NLT For if your gift is the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking to God but not to people, since they won't be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. Tongues, he says, speak to God, not to men. On the day of Pentecost when the Spirit fell on the church, they spoke in unknown languages, and the people that were passing by, overheard them in their native tongues. But what was it they were saying? They were declaring praises unto God. They were speaking to God not to men. Acts 2:7-12 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs — we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" The people of foreign lands heard the wonders of God declared in their own languages. Today when we see tongues manifest in a church service - oftentimes someone gives a message in a unknown language, and someone else or that same person gives an interpretation that usually is a word of encouragement, or exhortation. “Ye verly I say unto you, (God speaks King James). And they proceed with a word to the church. According to this text and the book of Acts, that is really two different gifts being manifest. First tongues, and in the church they should not be spoken unless there is interpretation. Secondly prophesy, the gift of speaking forth God's word. For exhortation, and encouragement. I believe the proper use of tongues in the church will always speak to God, magnifying him, exalting him, and praising him. The bible speaks about tongues in only three books, first the end of Mark's gospel, then thee times in the book of Acts, and here in 1 Corinthians chapters 12,13 and 14. In Acts and here in 1 Corinthians it is always mentioned with speaking to God, not to men. Praising God and speaking about the wonders of God. Prophecy is the gift that builds up, stirs up, and lifts up. Tongues when wrongly used, to this day divides, it causes some to feel superior, others to feel inferior, it cause doubt, and some unbelievers will think, “you Christians are nuts.” Maybe you are giving thanks, maybe you are praising God, but like Me on the keyboard, you not edifying anyone but yourselves. The Corinthians were putting the emphasize on their own personal edification and neglecting the church. They were building themselves up, but they did not build up their fellow believers. Their attitude, not only hurt others, but it also hurt themselves because - if we are all members of the same body, the way we relate to the other members will ultimately affect us personally. Remember "The hand cannot say unto the arm, “I don't need you!" Whenever one member of the body (the church) is not working right, then everyone is affected. Next week we consider the second part of this chapter and look at the two uses of tongues, and how I believe it should work in the church - even to this day. But here having told them to seek and use gifts that build up. Paul says “I thank the Lord that I speak in tongues more then you Corinthians.” But in the church, when you gather together, I would rather speak just a few words that will build up, then thousands of words might divide. I have found when a church is focused on tongues within their regular meetings, then they tend to limit the people they will reach and be able to minster to. Some people may visit and God is calling them, and from what happens during their services – when too much emphasize is on outward manifestations, these people will leave thinking: “what a bunch of wackos.” So what do we do? READ V20-25
In the church, in the church services, speak clearly, so that we will. 1st. Worship God, 2nd Build one another up, and 3rd Draw the unbelievers. To prove his point Paul quotes from Isaiah 28, to show us that tongues were spoken about by the old testament prophet. When the Babylonians overtook Jerusalem, there were foreigners in God's city speaking strange tongues. Those Babylonians were God's instruments to speak to Israel about their worshiping other gods. God sent the foreigners to declare that God is great, and Isaiah spoke about it ahead of time so they would know it was God when it happened. Paul takes that prophesy and says, just like Isaiah was speaking about God using the Babylonians as his mouthpiece, so now with these manifestations of tongues, it is God saying: “I have called people of strange lips to be my mouthpiece in these days.” So Israel will know I am God- so the world will know I am the Lord almighty, I send this sign, as a sign for believers not unbelievers to declare my greatness, and that I am in control of the church – and I have opened the church to foreigners, the gentiles. When an unbeliever comes in and he hears all the people speaking in tongues, he going to think this is strange. But if he hears men and women worshiping God, declaring the praises of God, speaking the word of God in order and by the spirit-- that man, that woman will be convicted and join in worship because they will know that God is really in that place. So how does it all play out today? I speak in tongues, Pastor Barry does not have that gift, and next week will consider in detail how I believe it all works today. But as we close let me share with you how we conduct our worship at High Sierra Fellowship. Today, many churches who love God, who follow our Lord Jesus are like Corinth - in that they misuse the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Paul when dealing with them does not tell Corinth to dismiss the “Spirituals”, nor does he tell them to deny them, rather he tells them to desire the gifts but gives them guidelines for their use. If you had seen the recent documentary of the 1000 lb man on the Discovery channel, and concluded that eating food was bad for you and decided to quit eating altogether because of his abuse. You wouldn't live much longer. Yes, the man has eaten too much, he has abused his body and food. But the answer to abuse or miss use is not non-use, but proper use. We believe in the gifts of the Spirit, but the way we use them in the church is what we as the leadership of this congregation feel is God's vision for us. In our weekend services we do not allow the public speaking in tongues. Why? Some of you might say, “you are limiting the Holy Spirit.” That may be but we have found this the best way to agree with Paul, where he says. 1 Cor 14:19 ...In the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. We want to build up the believers. We want to draw the unbelievers. We want to instruct, and encourage, one another as we gather. We find like in Corinth an over emphasis on tongues will lead only to division and problems. When we have believer meetings, at our retreats, in small group studies, and in private devotion and prayer, we encourage the use of tongues for those who have that gift. If you have sought the gift of tongues and do not have it. You are not less then any believer, for the result of the Holy Spirit working in the life of a believer is not tongues or any other outward manifestational gift. Rather the result, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is - love. Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Love ever gives. 1 Cor 8:1-3 ... Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God. PRAY, INVITE, BENEDICTION. SING Series: 1
Corinthians -Through the Bible |
(C) High Sierra Fellowship 2008 |
