The Driving Force of the Church, Pt. 5

What is the Purpose of the Church?

Well good morning everyone and welcome to Burr Oak. For those of you visiting for the first time today or viewing this online, I am Pastor Ben and it is my humbled joy to be able to bring you God’s word today. I have to tell you that being a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is an extremely humbling endeavor. While being trained up to teach from God’s word one thing I was always told was to make sure that I do not read God’s word just to put my weekly message together, but to first impact my own heart. To impact my own walk with Jesus. As I do this week in and week out, often times what I find is that there are areas or topics that a passage is leading me to talk about that I feel inadequate to preach on.

I often find myself saying, “Lord, I do not know if I can teach on this. I am not an expert, I have minimal life experience compared to others.” Or sometimes its, “Lord, my life is not a pristine example of this, how can you expect me to lead others through this?” God’s word is so precious and so powerful. It is called the sword of the Spirit. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. And just like a sword it can be used in one of two ways. It can either be misused and lead to someone being beaten down and destroyed. Or it can be used to defend and protect. It also requires a healthy dose of humility to begin to handle it.

I say all this because as this passage has been approaching since last summer when I put this schedule together, I have wrestled with the topics and these feelings of inadequacy. But ultimately, this is not about me and my expertise. This is about God’s word and will and how they govern us as his children. This is about me being a man with many flaws, with a rebellious spirit of my own that needs to be laid down. This is about all of us together growing in our knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Something that I am just in need of as the next person. So for all those that thirst, let us come and drink from the well of the words of life.

Let us have our hearts and minds brought to attention with our focus verse.

Ephesians 4:15–16 ESV

Rather, 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 is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Please pray with me. Father thank you for this day. Thank you for allowing us to gather together with each other as we seek to strive after you. Far for those of us that thirst today, allow us the ability to drink from your well. Allow us to come and find rest at your table. Make available to us the humility it takes to receive your word. Open our hearts and minds so that we may come to know you and experience more of you. Let us be sensitive to the moving of your Spirit. Come and join with us this day. We ask that you bless this message and our time together. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Well we are coming to the end of our second purpose for the church. Which what are they? Go ahead and say them, exalt God, edify the saints, and evangelize the lost. Good again. And why are these important to know? And in a healthy church what is the emphasis on each of these? And how do we put that equal emphasis on? By each of us getting involved. By coming to know the gifts that the Spirit has given us, by quickly setting after loving each other, and by having a hunger for the Spirit to use us. We keep these as our focus and we look for ways to both live out and share the good news of Jesus Christ as we are involved in our communities day in and day out.

As we close this section out, Paul has some very pointed instruction for the institutions that God has left here to point towards him. Let’s turn to our message for today. The Driving Force of the Church, Pt. 5: The Spirit of Order. If you brought your own Bible and want to follow along please turn again to chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians starting in verse 26. You can also pull that up on your device if you so choose to. If you are going to follow along in the blue pew Bible it is on page 1063. Or you may follow along on the screen. Let us hear the word of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 14:26–40 ESV

26 What then, brothers? 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 any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first 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 prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 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. 36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

May the Lord bless the reading of his word.

As we consider our passage for today there are three biblical truths we need to consider. First, Order Within the Church. Second, Order Within Marriage. And finally, When Order is Painful.

Order Within the Church

Bringing his instruction to the very specific issue within the Corinthian church to an end, Paul sets forth an example of how they should conduct an orderly worship. As we look at the first 8 verses the question we could ask is if this is the biblical model laid down for how a service ought to go? Should we be having individuals stand up and speak in tongues and then wait for the interpretation? Should we have two or three people stand and give prophecy and have the others weigh it? I do not believe that this is the mandate from this passage. Rather dealing with the specific issue that the Corinthians were having, Paul brings an extremely practical solution for a very specific issue.

When it comes to order in the church there are a few things we can learn from this section. First, as we have been talking about Paul dealing with a very specific issue within a very specific people group and we now see that culminating in him delivering a very practical solution to this disorderly situation, we can see the value in Paul’s directness.

We need to understand why this an important point. Paul through the spiritual authority given to him, he is calling the Corinthians to repentance and conformity to God’s word. And he was not being vague about it either. This is the model set before the pastor of a church. See the role of a pastor is not to make you feel good about yourself. It is not to fill your mind full of Bible knowledge. It is to call you up out of your sin and point you towards Jesus. It is to inspire and equip you to continue to in your walk with Christ.

So how does a pastor go about being able to do this? Well he needs to know the word of God, he needs to know his flock, and he needs to know the community that his flock is in. Then he needs to walk within the the strength and courage of the Spirit to say what needs to be said.

I know that there have been times that some in this family have thought that I have been preaching about them or to them. To that I would say good. As I work through my messages I think about this church family. I think about the needs and struggles that are present. I think about the issues that we have or are facing. I think about what is happening in our direct community, in our state, and in our country. I pray about how God would want me to address these issue. Now I have heard pastors say in the past that if a point of their message caused some conviction or a sting of pain to not take it up with them but with God. I get what they are saying by this. That conviction ultimately comes from the Holy Spirit. But in saying that I believe they are trying to deflect from the fact as pastor they are care for their flock by addressing those specific issues.

Now should they call an individual out by name? Not unless the issue has elevated to the level of church disciple where it needs to go before the whole church. Now why do I say all this? Mostly because it needs to be said. Too many pastors in today’s world do not operate as according to the Bible being their governing authority. A recent Barna study showed that only 37% of American pastors hold to a biblical world view. The majority, 62%, hold to what is called syncretism. Meaning that what they believe is a combination of views, or what could also be known as universalism.

The other reason I speak out on these things is because I need to hear them as well. I too am a sinner in need of God’s saving grace. There are many times that God’s word hurts for me to read, to put into practice within my own life. I have to lay down my own rebellion each and every day. And fortunately, God’s grace is so amazing that he is steadfast in not giving up on me or any of us. His mercy far out weighs our offenses. Whether it is our individual rebellions or a corporate rebellion, it needs to be laid down, and the first step to this is by calling it out for what it is.

The next thing we see in this passage is Paul pointing back to his main point of orderly worship. We saw last week that orderly worship has an impact both internally and externally. Internally love is to be the more excellent way. Or as pastor Dick put it, the ruling factor of all that God and his redeemed will do. Externally we saw that within an worship service that is govern by building up the church rather than elevating individuals, outsiders may come in and experience and atmosphere where they are convicted of their sins, repent of them, and whole-heartedly worship God. In this conclusion Paul points to two reasons that this can happen.

We find these reasons in verses 31-33.

1 Corinthians 14:31–33 (ESV)

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 prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

The first reason that orderly worship can happen is the fact that our response to the Holy Spirit is within our control. While we cannot fully understand how or why the Spirit does what he does. And we know the the Spirit gives the gifts to whom he pleases when he pleases. This does not take away the fact that our response to the Spirit is within our control. This is one of the reasons as we saw last week that we can misuse our gifts. The Spirit does not completely bypass our individual agency.

One of the clearest ways that we see this demonstrated is within the authorship of the Scriptures. We are told that all the Scriptures are God breathed.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

We also understand that man did not come up with these writings on his own.

2 Peter 1:21 ESV

21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Yet even with this carrying along that is done by the Spirit, we can see that each of the different authors used different stylistic methods to convey the truth that they Spirit led them to communicate.

God has always wanted for man to operate in tandem with him, to operate as his vice regent. He gifts us, he empowers us, but he also calls us to show up and operate in accordance to his ways and will.

Paul’s concluding reason for order is that this is God’s character.

1 Corinthians 14:33 (ESV)

33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

If we are to be representing him and his character, then there will be order present within service. Yet, even with this we need to be careful. We need to see the full extent of Paul’s exhortation. The ESV translates Paul’s message here as confusion. The Greek is rendered as disorder, upheaval, or insurrection. Paul states that this is unlike God’s character. Now where we need to be careful is what fills the void when these attribute are removed.

See an atmosphere of order can take on different sort of feelings. Some can be filled with such a tension, that you just know something is not right. Other can be filled with fear, so that you are scared to move or to act for fear of punishment. Paul shows what our atmosphere is to be like. It is to be one of peace for that is what reflects the character of God. Order and peace residing within the same place. Some of us may think that is too good to be true. That only heaven could be like that. For those that know Jesus I am sure that the age after this will be known for both its order and peace. For those that do not know Christ, it will be known for its confusion and turmoil.

We need to understand that this circles back to where we ended last week with what will outsiders find when they come through these doors. Closely connected to this is our next point.

Order Within Marriage

In this life God has instilled two covenantal communities that are to point towards him. One is the Church and the other is the marriage relationship. The covenant of marriage is a good and holy thing that God established even before the fall of man. Look at what proverbs eighteen states.

Proverbs 18:22 ESV

22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

Not he who finds a long-term girlfriend. Not he who finds a friends with benefits. He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. Yet, the enemy has worked really hard to keep us from understanding this. We toss around harmless jokes like, did you know when you get married you join the three ring circus? The engagement ring, the wedding ring, and eternal suffering? Or like people think that 50 percent of marriages end in divorce is an issue. Given the other option maybe not. You know death.

And we can chuckle and laugh at these they are funny, but they point to a reality within our culture. And that growing reality is that marriage is an evil institution that no one in their right mind should enter. More and more young men and becoming increasingly less likely to not marry. And the reason being is that they see a system that is against them. What they see is that if they marry and have kids and the relationship goes sideways, they will lose their kids and all that they have worked for, and will now have to support whatever life style their now ex-wife wants to live. When it comes to marriage the legal system is against men. Studies have shown that kids excel best when both mom and dad are present in the home. They have also found that in a single parent home the kids that excel almost as well as with both parents are the ones raised by a single father.

Now please hear me. If you have been divorced, or have been a single parent, please do not misunderstand me as condemning you. That is not what I am doing. What I am saying is that we need to objectively look at these findings and as Christians come back to God’s word and ask why, why is this the case? I believe we find this answer in the fact that God has ordained an order to the marriage community just as he has the Church. And that when we decided to operate outside of what God has ordained, we experience confusion and turmoil. Let’s look to verse 33-35.

1 Corinthians 14:33–35 (ESV)

33 As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 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.

Now the most hard-lined view of this is that women are not to speak within the corporate gathering. However that would seem to contradict what Paul said just a few chapters earlier.

1 Corinthians 11:5 ESV

5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.

We did not work through chapter 11 as part of this series but it is very much connected to the aspect of orderly worship and seeing how the Spirit operates in the life of the Christian. But being faced with this how do we make sense of chapter 11 saying wives can prophesy and pray, but chapter 14 says they need to remain quite?

As D.A. Carson points out this is not a prohibition of women from ever speaking in the church as that would go against what Paul argued in chapter 11. Rather this prohibition is directly tied to the weighing or testing of the prophesies that are given. The understanding for this is that it would disrupt the created order as designed by God and affirmed by the OT.

Paul doesn’t teach that woman are not to participate within the corporate gathering. And Paul also does not teach that women should not strive to learn about God and his ways. What Paul teaches is that in understanding the created order and wives respecting their husbands, if wives have questions in regards to the Scriptures they should go to their husband to find the answers.

1 Corinthians 14:35 ESV

35 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.

Now, something I want to make you aware of, is that often with commands like these regarding the roles of men and women, there are explicit commands, and implicit commands. Meaning there are those commands that are plainly said, and there are those commands that are implied by what is said. What is plainly stated is that wives are to respect their husbands within the corporate gathering of the church and if they have questions the need to ask their husbands.

What is implied is that men you are to be studying God’s word so you can justly and honorably answer her questions. And if you are studying God’s word and letting it impact your heart, you will live in such a manner with your wife that she will respect you. She will see you as a humble, kind, and caring person. Or as Carson puts it you will,

“Love her as Christ loves the Church - an exquisitely high standard characterized by unqualified self-giving.”

Satan actively works against the communities or institutions that God has placed here to point towards him. Part of the reason for this is this earth is to be Satan’s kingdom. For the greater kingdom, the kingdom of God, to be present here is an act of war. Something that as Christians we are far to passive about. Yet, both of these covenantal communities are worth fighting for. They are worth standing up for. Yet, when so much noise is being presented as truth, it is hard to know which way is up.

This is why we must know why we believe what we believe. This is why we must stand on the truth of God’s word. Carson in closing out his comments on this section states,

“If this interpretation is correct, and there are some role distinctions between men and women to be observed, it is essential to recognize that this teaching is for our good, and not for our enslavement.”

And this brings us to our last point.

When Order is Painful

As we worked through the Gospel Treason series there was an aspect that Pastor Bigney would comment on regularly that I really appreciated. It was the fact that when we are faced with what separates us from God it can cause difficult emotions for us to deal with. He did not hide from the reality that when we are confronted with God’s word and the Spirit has shown us that our lives are disorderly, that this can create a difficult emotional situation for us. There are times when God’s word operates like a surgical knife, cutting away from our lives that which is unholy or displeasing to God. But what do we do when these moments arise?

The first thing we need to understand is that we are not alone. As we discovered in our first message in this mini series, Paul is writing this letter to address issues within the Corinthian church that were brought to him by both written and oral communication. As he is closing out this section Paul points them to the direction of true authority.

1 Corinthians 14:37 ESV

37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.

What Paul is saying here is that all that he has written, not just wives respecting their husbands, not just the issue of prophecy and tongues, not just the issue of loving others over creating division, but all that he has written is a command from the Lord. And his point here to them is that any of them who claim to be spiritual people. If any of them are gifted with prophecy, they will know this because they will see how what Paul is writing aligns with the whole counsel of God’s word. They may not like it. They may personally be challenged by it, but that does not take away from the fact that it is true.

When we are confronted with these feelings, we are faced with one of two options. We can trust God and grow in our faith and learn to come into alignment. Or we can reject God’s commands and go our own way. The questions each of us need to answer to know which route we are going to take, is do we trust that God’s word is authoritative, inerrant, and sufficient. Or more simply put, can we trust what God has disclosed to us in his word is for our good?

Satan does not want you to trust in God’s word. He would rather you doubt it. He would rather you find reason to disprove it. He would rather you reject it as an authority over your life, because that would bring glory to him. One of the ways we can prevent this from happening is by knowing both God’s word and the arguments against it.

For example, please take the blue pew Bible and open to page 946. You should find the last chapter of the Gospel of Mark. Now look at the bracketed statement in the middle of the left column. If you flip to page 990 you will find a similar statement in John’s Gospel before the story of the woman caught in adultery. Another example is found on page 912 in Matthew’s Gospel. If you notice in chapter 17 it goes from verse 20 to verse 22 leaving out verse 21.

Now when we are faced with this it could cause us to doubt God’s word. We could raise the concern that noting is to be removed so why are there parts that are questioned? Why are there verses that have been removed? First we need to understand that the verses in question are all NT verses. The next we need to understand is that the number of removed verses is relatively small. In fact outside of the ending of Mark and the woman caught in adultery in John, there are only 17 other verses that have been removed. All this combined equates to about 40 verses total out of the 7,957 making up the NT. The next thing we need to understand is that these verses were removed because it was found that they were in fact additions to begin with.

Well how do we know this. There is a field of study called Textual Criticism. Within this field they study and compare the ancient manuscripts to determine what is mostly likely authentic, and what is an addition. For the NT there are nearly 25,000 early manuscripts of which about 6,000 are in Greek and the rest being translations from the Greek. With this the oldest manuscripts we have date to within 100-150 years after the originals were written.

In comparison Caesar’s Gallic Wars which was written in the 1st Century BC, has only 10 manuscripts in existence with the earliest being written 1,000 years after the fact. Or Aristotle’s Poetics, which was written in the 4th BC, has only 5 manuscripts and the earliest was written 1,400 years after the original.

Now why even bother to bring this up? Because where we land on God’s word makes all the difference in how we respond to this life and understand our purpose as Christians and as the church. Paul tells Timothy that all of Scripture is God breathed, but it is so for a reason.

2 Timothy 3:17 ESV

17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Are we going to have questions? Yes. Are there going to be points that we are challenged by in either understanding or in action? Absolutely. But if we trust God and allow his Spirit to operate in our lives we can grow beyond those challenges. Bruce Metzger a renowned textual critic was asked if all his studies diluted his faith. His response was,

“On the contrary…it has built it. I’ve asked questions all my life, I’ve dug into the text, I’ve studied this throughly, and today I know with confidence that my trust in Jesus has been well placed…Very well placed.”

If the ones who devote their lives to trying to find the inconsistencies within the Scriptures can have their faith built and be reassured, then so can we. We may wrestle, we may struggle, we may not like what we read nor think fondly of putting it into practice. But we can trust. Our God has designed an order to his creation, to the marriage covenant, and to the Church community. And in the areas that we wrestle, he his slow to anger, steadfast and abounding in love. May his name be forever praised!

Amen