Text: 1 Corinthians 14:26-33
Focus: The Holy Spirit
Function: to help us feel free to let the Spirit lead in our midst
26 What should be done then, my brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three and each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If someone sitting receives a revelation, let the first person be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged 32 (and the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets, 33 for God is a God not of disorder but of peace), as in all the churches of the saints.
Good morning to the beloved of God!
This is the last sermon on my mini series on the gifts and the power of the Holy Spirit to bring glory to Christ and build the community faith.
So far we have learned how the Holy Spirit dwells in everybody and gives them gifts of manifestations of God’s presence within them.
The gift of tongues was of either men or angels, according to Chapter 13:1. I believe the tongues of angels is a prayer language whereby we don’t know how to pray, but the Spirit intercedes with groans and mutterings too deep for words and we get to pray our hearts according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26)
Two of the gifts were signs for unbelievers. (verses 1-5) The tongues of men gift was used by God as a sign to unbelievers. They would hear a message delivered to them by someone who didn’t know the language and it would be a word of advice or as it states earlier in our chapter, some sort of revelation about them pointing them to their need for God’s mercy. And preaching, or prophecy, also draws people to Christ. Paul also alludes to that in Romans 10.
Anyway, I think it is a pretty cool gift, and that can be the problem. We can, as they did, get proud.
So, at the end of Chapter 12, Paul tells them to pursue the greater gifts and then he lists them.
He reminds them in chapter 13 to keep focused on love because that is the proof of their faith, not these showy demonstrations of power.
And then in the beginning of 14, he makes it clear that the division was caused by the one gift of tongues.
And I believe he is really careful not to quench the power and the moving of the Holy Spirit in their midst. He just wants them to focus on how the Spirit causes them to love others instead of puffing up their own ego.
So in Chapter 14 he gives organizing, or instructional, principles about how the gift of tongues and its corresponding gift prophesy are supposed to work.
Essentially he says that if you are just praying your angelic prayer language to God, keep it silent because others will only hear babbling and people who don’t understand will mock us.
And it happens, I saw a video last week mocking a preacher of Christian Nationalism praying in tongues. And Paul implies that mocking us for that without someone to explain does indeed appear foolish. So avoid foolish stuff.
But if the tongue is a prophetic message and someone can interpret it, then go ahead.
And he gives instructions, two or three at the most, in order and give watch and see where the Spirit is leading when this is happening.
He gives one caution about the leading of the Spirit and he tells them that they can’t use the excuse that the Spirit took control to break the flow of the meeting.
Specifically he says that we have control over the when and how we speak or move in the Spirit and we should be sensitive to the Spirit’ timing and moving.
I don’t know how to tell you to do that except for me it is a pretty strong gut feeling or intuition that I have at times.
But the main point, after he tells them to not be crazy with their expressions, is the be free to express what the Spirit is doing in their midst.
The point is to be free to let the Spirit flow in our midst.
Now this is where it gets really cool here at Painter Creek.
We have created an environment that enables people to use their Spirit driven gifts, talents and passions to express their love for Christ and others.
One of the best Spiritual expression of that is worship in music since music seems to resonate the emotional and spiritual significance of what we are singing about.
It draws us close to God and I love our music, I think it works well here. I connect with God during our singing.
Musical expression is a gift and a talent from God according to scripture.
But so is art. So is poetry. Look at the beauty of the and meaning behind the table decorations each week. Understand the creativity behind the liturgy each week.
The Bible is full of different kinds of worship expressions. Did you know that Psalms 119, the longest chapter in the Bible is actually an acrostic Poem from the Jewish alphabet? David takes each letter of the alphabet and every line of each stanza starts with that letter. It must have taken him months to write it. It is a beautiful expression of the art of poetry and it is recorded in our book of worship for eternity.
That is why I love to hear the Poetry when it is read because I know that it is God inspired. It speaks to me and draws me closer to God.
The idea in the passage is to get people to express their love for God, for nature and for others through the Spirit’s leading in their lives.
There is also the gift of helps and service when people sense a reward from God for cleaning, fixing things and keeping things going. Paul emphasizes the less visible gifts as the most important because they keep us functioning.
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of meals and hospitality as a Spiritual gift and expression.
When we were meeting at the Fourman’s house, the eating and making of the meals was more than just food. I felt it. It was a spiritual connection and bond.
Look at the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels came to town to see for themselves if the wickedness was that bad.
And Lot was the only righteous person.
And he proves his righteousness by welcoming the stranger. Welcoming the stranger has been a Middle Eastern religious value throughout their history.
The gift of hospitality builds this church. We can keep on growing by capitalizing on that gift.
And now were doing a Garage/Bake sale fundraiser. It’s an inspired idea that will draw us and the community together.
What I am saying is that I see the Spirit moving in many ways here at Painter Creek and you all are participating with your gifts. Thank you.
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