The Spirit in Worship

*PRAY*

I believe this passage will bring us three things today:

A Warning

A Teaching

A Challenge

Warning:

We must be willing to go where God’s Word takes us. If we are to be people of the Word, then we must allow it to lead us to places that may make us uncomfortable.

We must always sit under the Word of God and never speak over it.

Isaiah 66:2 (ESV)

2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Just like what we have been reading about in Bible reading plan in Ezra 9:4; 10:3

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

We must approach God’s Word humbly (allowing God to lead through His Word), carefully (studying with an attempt to understand what was meant / what it means), and seriously (expecting to change based on what we hear God saying through His Word)

Otherwise, they are dried out hamburgers / boiled hotdogs.

ILLUST - dad cooking hamburgers like hockey pucks. I never knew there was another way to cook hamburgers. Or boiled hotdogs.

Teaching:

We are going to let the Word of God speak to us — we are not going to speak for it.

Challenge:

Will we commit to apply what we learn to our own personal lives and to the church as a whole?

The

1 Corinthians 14 (ESV)

1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts,

This connects it to the previous two chapters where we learned:

Chap 12 - there are a variety of spiritual gifts that are all given by and empowered by the same Holy Spirit. They are equally useful in building up and moving the church on its mission. Each believer has a gift and is vital in this process.

Chap 13 - Love is the mortar that holds together the bricks of the spiritual church (you and me) and so should be evident as we practice the spiritual gifts. One of the reasons love is of greater importance than the gifts is because it will outlast the gifts.

1 Corinthians 13:8–10 (ESV)

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

then face to face - final coming.

This would mean that the spiritual gifts (including speaking in tongues and prophecies) are still valid for today.

As I’ve looked at the arguments for a full cessationism I am not convinced that the plain meaning of this text is that Paul expected the Corinthian church to be open to the use of spiritual gifts and he would expect us today as well.

especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

Tongues and prophecy

What prophecy is not

Prophecy is NOT an addition to the given Scriptures.

— 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.

— There may be error in the prophecy given. (just like there may be error in the teaching given.)

— There is no error in the revelation, but there may be error in it’s delivery through fallible men.

Prophecy is NOT the same as preaching (teaching).

— Paul differentiates prophecy and teaching in this chapter and elsewhere.

What prophecy is:

“Prophecy is the human report of a divine revelation.”

— Sam Storms

I might tweak it to say:

Prophecy is a Spirit-led revealing of truth that coincides with Scripture and leads the hearers to give glory to God and live a Jesus-first life.

From the great Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon’s autobiography:

“Mr. Spurgeon looked at me as if he knew me, and in his sermon he pointed to me, and told the congregation that I was a shoemaker, and that I kept my shop open on Sundays; and I did, sir. I should have not minded that; but he also said that I took ninepence the Sunday before, and that there was fourpence profit out of it. I did take ninepence that day, and fourpence was just the profit; but how he should know that, I could not tell. Then it struck me that it was God who had spoken to my soul through him, so I shut up my shop the next Sunday. At first, I was afraid to go again to hear him, lest he should tell the people more about me; but after wards I went, and the Lord met with me, and saved my soul.”

What ‘speaking in tongues’ is

(as Paul sees it here)

An expression of the Spirit’s empowerment in a person’s life where that person speaks in a language that is unknown to them and often unknown to the listener.

It would also seem that tongues is not meaningless gibberish but meaningful and containing content even if the tongue spoken does not correspond to any known human language.

— Paul expects that an interpretation is possible.

Paul places three limitations on those speaking in tongues at Corinth:

There must be an interpreter present.

Only one may speak at a time.

Only two or three may speak.

It would seem then, that with both speaking in tongues and with prophecy the individual does not lose self-control and move into an ecstatic frenzy.

Perhaps this is what was happening in Corinth and why Paul was advocating and spelling out order in relation to the spiritual gifts.

Growing up, my understanding of speaking in tongues was Uncle Jarvis using a Christian swear word when he stubbed his toe.

Speaking in tongues is a form of praise and prayer that goes from the individual to God and benefits the one praying; whereas prophecy is a word form God to people in the church and so it builds up the church.

Paul then goes on to make the point that prophecy is a greater gift of the church because it benefits everyone.

He is not saying that speaking in tongues is useless; only that without an interpretation for others to understand it is not useful.

6 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 7 If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

This is the point of the spiritual gifts — to build the church —

13 Therefore, (here’s how you you can have an orderly worship that focuses on building up the church through love) one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

Sign of Judgment to a sign of salvation

23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

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.

Challenges:

Have the right spirit in worship.

We must focus our worship on building the church not satisfy our desires or egos.

This really raises the question, “who is worship for?”

Paul approaches this differently than most typical American churches: “I’m so glad you had a meaningful time in worship”

ILLUST - Someone once walked up to Pastor Francis Chan following the Sunday service and said, “I didn’t like worship today.” To which Chan replied, “That’s OK, we weren’t worshipping you.”

Two ways in which we falter here, both I believe, were at play in the Corinthian church.

Worshipping without your mind.

The Corinthians were caught up in ecstatic acts of worship that did little to actually engage the one worshipping.

For Corinthians it was due to ecstatic worship that mimicked their pagan culture, but for Americans it is often due to the mimicking of our pagan culture of consumerism.

Worship is a performance led by a few to be watched by the many.

ILLUST - LCBC ‘movie-feel’ church

2. Thinking worship is mine.

Worship is for ME.

The Corinthians were promoting their own spiritual gift over others.

They were clamoring to speak — even speaking over each other. They wanted the spotlight.

They were acting as if worship was for them.

Worship is not for you — you’re not God.

ILLUST - It’s like walking into someone else’s birthday party and complaining about the balloons and cake. It’s not for you.

Worse yet, if a church’s worship is not led by the Spirit and tempered by God’s Word, it’s kind of like walking into a birthday party and asking the birthday boy to leave.

The right questions following worship should be done in prayer, “God, did you like it?” and with the person next to you, “Did God show up for you today?”

It is quite hard to have a Spirit-led worship in a self-serve church.

Instead, we are to have the right spirit in worship which leads to God’s glory through the building up of the church.

What does it mean to build the church?

By strengthening and adding.

Believers are strengthened, encouraged, convicted.

Unbelievers are drawn toward God:

24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

Isn’t this what we really want?!

How does this happen?

With a church-ful of Spirit-led worshippers who submit to God’s Word and love toward each other.

isn’t this different than much of modern evangelism

ILLUST - pyramid scheme

Every conversion is a direct act of the Holy Spirit

Allow the Spirit in our worship.

1 Thessalonians 5:19–21 (ESV)

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.

1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts,

Why do we NOT see the Spirit at work more in our worship?

Sin

Fear

Why are we so nervous to practice the spiritual gifts or to see the spiritual gifts practiced?

Because of abuse

Have you ever seen the gifts of speaking in tongues or prophesy abused in the church?

What about pastors? Church leaders?

This has led some to leave the church — but why not you?

Why do you still have a pastor and church leaders if you’ve seen how others who have claimed to have the gift or calling abuse it?

(Because pastors and leaders are necessary for the church)

Holy Spirit: SO AM I!

If we remove aspects of church and worship based on the fact that there has been abuses of those aspects then we will no longer have a church.

(i.e., pastors, leaders, etc)

Even in the midst of the misuse with the practice of spiritual gifts Paul calls them to earnestly desire them — Not to discontinue their use.

What does it look like to create a space That allows us to learn how to operate in the gifts of the Spirit? In a way that is tempered by the word of God, guarded and affirmed by the leaders, God has called and placed in this church

Sometimes we are so fearful of the false, that we will not even allow the wrong, and so we quench the right

In teaching, I am not always right. I pray I will never Be false, and so I have safeguards and practice well to keep me from even

So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

Are we as a church eager for manifestations of the Spirit? Isn’t that what we say we want, but do we really want it?

I’m not saying we are going to go ecstatic in our worship.

I believe that we need to carefully consider that if God’s Word says that all the spiritual gifts are still valid for the Church today, then we must make a place for it in our theology and open a space for it in our church.