Convinced Of All | 1 Corinthians 14:23-25

Opening Remarks: 

We finished up our series in Philippians last week

Might spend a week or two doing general messages until we start on our next book (Exodus)

I like to use time in between series to preach Mindset Messages

Maybe not as practical, but helpful in our thinking toward certain things

Last Sunday night was a Mindset Message about Sustainable Growth. If we want to continue growing as a church, we have to welcome others like were welcomed into God’s family. We also have to adjust for the growth that is taking place and accept the fact that sometimes things need to change. And we have to trust God’s grace to do it. Without His help, sustainable growth is impossible.

Tonight’s message is similar to something I’ve preached before about our approach to church services.

The one thing we do the most together as a church family is assemble. Five times a week:

MPM

SS

AM Worship

PM Worship

Wed Prayer and Service

I know not all of those are official church services, but if we’re going to gather that much, I want it to be effective. I want it to be meaningful. And I want us all to be on the same page.

There’s a mindset found here in 1 Cor. 14 that is invaluable to a church family that meets as much as we do.

Some people might call this the “tongues chapter.” And it does deal with tongues, but I believe it would be more accurate to call it the “edification chapter,” because that’s Paul’s primary application.

He’s trying to get an otherwise self-focused church to understand that the point of gathering as a church family is to edify one other. He simply uses tongues and prophecy to make his point. We’ll start by reading three verses and refer to others as we go, but let’s look at I Cor. 14:23-25.

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I heard my Pastor, Bro Hardy, preach from this passage multiple times. In fact, he used to preach some of these principles every year or two because he felt it was important for a church to be reminded about having the right mindset when we gather.

So I preached out of this text a few years back, not the same message as Pastor Hardy, but inspired by some of the same thoughts. We get our title out of verse 24 where it says the unbeliever is “Convinced of All.”

When people step into our services, are we all helping to convince them that the God is in us of a truth? If not, why not?

PRAY

I. Two Kinds Of Church Service

Imagine with me that we’re watching a large split screen with two church services going on at the same time.

Church service #1 looks like verse 23.

A guest walks into that kind of a church service.

Many people in the congregation are speaking in different languages that the guests don’t understand.

As the guest walks into the service and observes what’s going on, he assumes, according to verse 23, that everything going on is pretty strange and a little crazy.

“Mad” literally means one that seems to be out of his right mind.

If the unbelieving guest comes in and can’t understand the tongues, they will assume that we’re mad.  

Church service #2 looks like verses 24-25.

A visiting guest walks into a service that looks like this.

The members in this church service are more interested in prophesying, which means teaching or preaching truth plainly in a language that others do understand.

The response of the guest is different.

“He is convinced of all” – Everyone

“The secrets of his heart are made manifest” – that clearly refers to conviction

“Falling down on his face he will worship God” – he humbles himself before the God of Heaven.

“And report that God is in you of a truth” – determines that God is real in the people he’s observing

If we had a choice between those two services, I imagine all of would choose service #2.

We would rather someone conclude “God is real in them” instead of “Those people are crazy.”

I don’t care what kind of program or facility or energy or experience you have at a church, the greatest thing that can be said about Eastside Baptist Church is that “God is in them of a truth.” 

II.  So What Makes The Difference?

Technically, the difference was in whether they used tongues or prophesying.

Now, I think most of us understand the difference based on the simple explanation I’ve already given.

Tongues, specifically unknown tongues as verse 4 mentions, means speaking in a different languages.

When the apostles spoke with other tongues in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, people from multiple cultures heard the Gospel in their own languages. They said, “How hear we every man in our own tongue?” They were amazed. Others mocked and said, “These men are full of new wine.”

That’s NT tongues. The first mention of tongues was God using simple men to translate God’s Word into other languages.

Modern tongues are nothing like that. It’s not a language. There’s no interpreter. It’s chaos.

Whereas prophesying is the Bible word for teaching or admonishing or comforting.

One results in understanding and the other does not.

But Paul is pointing out a bigger difference than just the technicalities. It’s not just about what each of them means. For Paul, it was also about motive.

The focus of tongues is on self. The focus of prophesying is on others.

According to vs. 4, Paul’s primary argument for one over the other is “Who is being edified?”

Edifying literally means to build up.

Tongues – Edifying yourself

Prophesying – edifying others

So tongues means to build up yourself while prophesy points to building up other people.

He makes it clear that there’s an obvious difference between how profitable tongues and prophesying are (vs. 6).

Tongues – No profit to others

Prophesying – great profit to others

Paul makes some serious indictments about tongues.

The prophesier is greater than the tongues speaker without an interpreter (vs. 5). “I would rather that ye prophesy.”

In his own ministry Paul much preferred prophesying over tongues without an interpreter (Vs. 19)

The primary reason for all this came down to who was edified

Service #2 was accomplished when people focused on edifying others. When they walked into the assembly and it wasn’t about building up themselves.

III. I’m going to use an illustration that some people might struggle with.

I’m going to talk about Chick-fil-A.

I know not everyone loves Chick-fil-A, and that’s okay.

I want to use them as an example not because of their food but because of their stand.

Here’s a business that won’t open on Sunday because they respect the Lord’s Day.

That’s their stated purpose. So in spite of your view of their chicken, we can’t ignore that. We ought to respect it, because they could make a lot of money on Sundays. That makes me want to choose them if I’m going to spend my money on a fast food establishment.

The other thing I appreciate about them is their process.

Their employees are well-trained and respectful.

They work quickly and efficiently.

They say, “My pleasure” if you say thank you.

The last time we went to Chick-fil-A, Jase came back to the table all confused and said, “I said thank you to that girl and she said, ‘You’re welcome.’”

We were all like, “Whaaaaat?!” Because they almost always say “My pleasure.”

And they’re so consistent that it shocks you if someone forgets.

I was in a different fast food establishment a couple of weeks ago and I watched an employee take his ungloved finger and scrape off the top of a cup of ice cream to make it possible to put a lid on it.

Like the food or not, I appreciate the quality of food at Chick-fil-A, the way their employees work and interact with customers, and the buy in their workers have to the process.

It’s not true in every case, but places like Chick-fil-A are looking for people to represent a culture.

We all know what it’s like to go to a place where an employee is clearly only working for the paycheck.

And it’s totally different than an employee that has bought into the culture.

You don’t have to be experienced to buy into the culture.

You don’t have to have every answer to pleasant and happy and smile.

You don’t have to be high up the ladder to wear the uniform and be presentable.

It just takes buy in. And anyone can do it.

And if it can happen at a fast food place, can you imagine the difference buy in can make in a place like a church?

Two observations about it:

First, Chick-fil-A employees get paid, so we almost expect them to buy in. But church members don’t get paid, so the buy in for a volunteer is actually on a deeper level than an employee.

Second, it’s more impressive when an average employee buys into the culture because you don’t necessarily expect a kid making $8.50 an hour to be all in. You expect the owner to buy in. You expect the managers to be all in. But a new, young, employee makes a bigger impression because you least expect it.

And the same thing is true in a church. People assume the Pastor will be bought in. The deacons and teachers and choir members are expected to be all in. But when someone comes in and sees a regular church member with no obvious responsibilities in a service and they’re as committed as the Pastor and the staff, that is when a guest becomes convinced of all.

IV. This chapter is not about having a position. It’s about having a mindset.

We’re either thinking of ourselves or we’re focusing on others.

Self-Glorification or Edification.

One of these two words describes everything we do when we gather.

We know we can apply it to praying, singing, and saying Amen because those things are listed here. (15-16)

Praying Don’t just pray out of habit. Pray with sincerity. Pray with all your heart. That’s convincing.

Singing Music should be done with the right spirit and excellence. Vs. 12 talks about “excelling” at edifiying. It’s okay to pursue excellence in a church service. Not so you’ll be lifted up, but in order for others to be.

We strive to have specials done with excellence. Offertories. Choir songs. But also congregationals. Even if you’re not a soloist, sing with heart and gusto and excellence.

Saying Amen There should be an environment of response. It’s not just about my encouragement. If it’s true you should respond. Men, especially, be responsive. You talk about convincing others, you can be convincing with your response to the preaching and the music. If you appreciate it or you agree with it, say Amen.

This applies to everything we do when we come together.

Paul says in Vs. 26, “Let all things be done unto edifying.” Let everything you do when you come together build others up.

Every ministry and every interaction can be done in a way that someone else is edified.

 V.  Applications

Think through every thing you do when we gather from the perspective of a guest.

From the moment you enter the property.

The way you drive down Grand Slam

The way you pull into the parking lot

Where you choose to park (do we leave spots close to the building open for guests)

How early you arrive. Our arrival time says something about how important this is.

If you’re habitually late, especially as a leader or teacher or someone in an elected position, consider what message that sends to those you’re trying to lead.

Where you sit can be convincing or not. If a guest comes in and sees most members are toward the back and the sides, what message does that send about how much we anticipate our assembly?

The way you greet people.

Do you smile? You might say, “I don’t smile!” Fine, but is an approachable or an unapproachable look more convincing?

Do you remember their names?

Do you take time to listen and look engaged?

Do you seem excited that they’re here?

When you come into the room, do you talk with others? I love it when people stand around and fellowship. It sends the message that we enjoy each other’s company. It’s a family, not just a gathering.

How you dress is either convincing or it’s not.

I know we live in a casual society, but you can go anywhere and see casual.

What does “convincing” look like in a church service?

We don’t have dress code, and we don’t make it a matter of spirituality.

You can be spiritual and dress casually.

But the question is not about spirituality, it’s about being convincing.

How we present ourselves makes a statement about how seriously we take what we do here.

People will dress up for banquets and nice meals and concerts and weddings. But I would submit to you that what happens here is more significant because of who we’re meeting with.

So let’s be less about what’s comfortable and more about what’s convincing.

I’m not even saying three piece suits and tuxedos. But what articles of clothing would help convince someone that we are serious about what happens here?

I don’t want to be a Pharisee. But I do believe it’s a matter of convincing others, not just what is most comfortable.

And some people say, “Well, if we dress up then people who are casual feel out of place.” We certainly don’t want them to feel out of place. But I would say that I’d rather give them a higher view of what we’re doing rather than send the message that what happens here is no different than what happens anywhere else any other day of the week.

How you engage in a service is either convincing or not.

Consider that in staying alert. I know it’s hard, but there ought to be an effort to stay awake. Consider going to bed earlier on Saturday night.

You might say, “That’s extreme.” No, it’s convincing.

How about movement. Let’s do our best to keep it to a minimum. Not for my sake, but for the sake of a guest.

Let me ask: If a guest comes in and it’s one of those services where people come in and out quite a bit, are they more or less likely to be distracted?

So if I’m thinking about them being edified, I’m going to do whatever it takes not to move short of an emergency because of them, not me.

This applies to how we treat every service.

Having food and drinks in the sanctuary.

Being mindful of how much the kiddos are running in the hallways.

Choir members - It’s the small things like having a certain countenance because the livestream never lies.

Or even training our little ones to sit still and quiet during the service without having toys or having to be entertained. Is it a lot of work? Absolutely. But if a guest comes in and sees every member, down to the youngest children, trained and disciplined to sit still, then that is truly the definition of being “Convinced Of All.”

Every member being convincing in every moment.

Now listen, it’s unquestionably harder to operate this way.

I’d rather not have to deal with some of these things.

It would be easier for all of us to just let things happen naturally. And not have to worry about being convincing.

It can be exhausting for everything to be thought-out and subjected to excellence.

But someone’s convincing is at stake.

And according to this text, a convincing church is willing to make adjustments to be a witness for the sake of others.

I’m convinced it’s not going to matter nearly as much coming from the Pastor. They expect that. But it means more when it comes from a member sitting next to them. That’s when they know the buy in is real.

Every church is made up of two different kinds of members

Those helping to convince

Those hindering the convincing

Which one do you want to be?