Gifts Of The Spirit 11: The Power Of Prophecy Series

Gifts of the Spirit 11: the Power of prophecy. 1 Cor 14:20-33

WBC 7.11.04 pm

INTRODUCTION

Want to speak of the power of prophecy, tonight

- that¡¦s what Paul is wanting to do in this bit of 1 Cor

- starts by contrasting it with ¡¥uninterpreted tongues¡¦ (v20-23)

o but in a way that can be confusing to us at first read!

At a glance seems to say: v22 tongues are a sign for unbelievers, prophecy for believers¡K but if an unbeliever comes in (v23) and people prophesy they¡¦ll be knocked for 6

- ¡§hang on! I thought you just it was tongues that were the sign for unbelievers. I don¡¦t understand!¡¨

So- let me explain

- Paul says tongues are good. But uninterpreted tongues are not cool because of how they make people feel.

o (Tongues + interpretation is great! = prophecy)

- but uninterpreted tongues makes people feel ¡¥out of it¡¦, isolated, as though they don¡¦t understand

- ¡K. As though they are foreigners to the one who is speaking (v11)

o foreigners in a strange land¡K

¡K and that¡¦s something you Jews should be able to relate to! Being surrounded by people talking an unintelligible language¡Kfeeling foreigners in a strange land

- it¡¦s what happened to you when you were carted off to Babylon!

o Not a +ve experience, eh?! A negative one

o And it was a sign. Not a positive one, but a negative one

„X A sign of your unbelief!

„X ( quotes Is 28, and their Babylon experience)

So- for you: other hearing unintelligible languages, feeling isolated, was a sign of:

- you being unbelievers. Judgement

And you don¡¦t want to put others through that, eh?! You don¡¦t want to give them that kind of sign!

- you want to give them life changing prophecy, edification, the positive sign that makes them become¡K feel ¡K believers!

He then goes on to explain how prophecy can do this! The power of prophecy

- to make believers of people

- to edify believers

- to be a positive sign that God is amongst His believing people

Does that make sense? So the v22 bit is about how tongues were a ¡Vve sign of judgement and them being unbelievers in Babylon.V23 talks about the power of prophecy, and how it is a sign of¡K means to belief

- a +ve sign

¡§SOME UNBELIEVERS COME IN¡¨ V23,24

Note the first thing, here. We so often miss this

- Paul simply expects unbelievers to come in¡K come in and be convicted and converted!

That¡¦s just normal to him

- it¡¦s a word and a challenge to US!

I¡¦m horrified to say the church has done a pretty good job of keeping them out.. driving them away

- it has even, often, had a theology to support this

- eg: Baptist churches have looked for a ¡¥pure church¡¦, filled only with believers. A gathered group.

- Some other denominations have gone even further: no coming in unless you¡¦ve been in our denomination for 100 years and both grandparents and all pastors can still write you a letter of commendation! (that¡¦s not come to communion, that¡¦s come to church!)

But this passage says that there should be ¡¥people in process¡¦ amongst us

- (and we should do all we can not to drive them away)

- And in Mt 13 Jesus speaks of the wheat and weeds growing together

And then the power of God, maybe manifested in prophecy, will convict and convert them!

V 23b ¡§some unbelievers come in¡¨

- oh Lord¡K oh foks ¡V let them come! Lord, bring them in!

And then it says why:

¡§WHILE EVERYONE IS PROPHESYING¡¨ V24

Note this. It says ¡§bring em in, because if they come in and ¡¥the stuff¡¦ is happening¡K pneumatikon are happening¡K spiritual men and women are moving in the Spirit¡K the dynamic is there¡K.¡¨

- they will go out changed!

Note : - it¡¦s everyone

- here the ¡¥spiritual thing¡¦ mentioned is prophecy

Everyone! You!

- BEFORE we even get onto whether you can prophesy or not- there¡¦s no escaping God expects YOU to be involved in this kind of corporate dynamism that brings people to their knees!

- YOU

(corporate prophecy is safer and can bear more fruit than individual)

And it seems to suggest here that everyone can prophesy. You can!

- v31 seems to confirm it: ¡§you CAN all prophesy in turn, to encourage!¡¨

o now, maybe you WON¡¦T¡K as that will be pandemonium

o but you CAN. Should be up for it!

You may not all be teachers: but you can teach others at times

You may not all be evangelists: but you can WITNESS!

You may not all be prophets- but you can all prophesy at times!

- because the Spirit of prophecy has been poured out on all flesh (Joel 2)