Do Things Decently And In Order

Alba 3-15-2026

DO THINGS DECENTLY AND IN ORDER

I Corinthians 14:36-40

There was an elder at Carterville Christian Church who was very organized. His name was Jim Marcum. He also served as a professor and Admissions Director for Ozark Christian College. He lived on a small acreage north of Carterville where he had a workshop and some horses. One time someone broke into his workshop and stole a number of tools. He reported it to the police who came to take inventory. They asked if he could give a description of what had been taken.

Remember, I said he was very organized. The police expected a general accounting of a few of the stolen items, but Jim knew exactly what was missing down to the last screwdriver, because he not only had kept everything in its place, he had a list of each item and where it would be in his workshop. He was a man who lived his life decently and in order. He is the one who taught me to number the pages of my sermons so they would not get out of order.

Now sometimes people who are so very meticulous can get on your nerves. At other times we wish we were more like them so we wouldn't lose things so easily. No matter where we are on the spectrum of order or disorder, there is One who always does things decently and in order. Aren't you thankful? God is a God who can bring order out of chaos.

Think about it, God controls this universe. Three-hundred-sixty-five days a year everything is exactly where it should be and is doing what it is supposed to be doing. And because God is a God of order scientists are able to make the mathematical computations to guide space vehicles to the moon and other destinations in outer space.

Genesis 1:1-2 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Then God spoke and there was light. God spoke again and each time He brought order out of chaos. Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” It took God's voice, not a big bang.

Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool says in his heart, there is no God.” So the atheistic scientist, or the scientist who thinks there is no place for God in science, their Hebrews 11:3 would state: “By faith we understand that space, time, matter and energy somehow exploded from essentially nothing in the sudden big bang that was the birth of our universe.” Blowing things up? An explosion never results in order, only disorder.

I Corinthians 14:33 tells us that “God is not the author of confusion.” He wants order in the universe and order in the church. And yet the church in Corinth did not have everything in order. Often their times of gathering together to worship was in disarray. Apparently, when those Christians gathered together, many had a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. And the context seems to indicate that they all wanted to use their gift at the same time.

They did not seem to be interested in serving others, learning, or edifying one another, but only had a desire to express themselves. Everyone vied for attention and preeminence! Of course, this was chaotic! Things were being done in a confusing manner. That is why in this section of scripture, I Corinthians 14:26-40, Paul deals with four areas that need correction so that all things could be done decently and in order. Today we will discuss two of them.

The first area of correction was how they were exercising the gift of tongues: the God given ability to speak in a different language. It seems that those who had this gift would express it in their worship times, possibly even talking over someone else who was using that same gift.

For that reason in verses 27-28 he writes, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.” So the rule here is that only two or three tongues speakers should speak in a single worship gathering, and then only one at a time, and there should be an interpretation.

If no one is able to interpret, then no one is to speak in tongues in the church gathering, because tongues must be interpreted if the church is to be edified. Verse 26 says, “Let all things be done for edification.” The Spirit works only to edify. And the primary responsibility of Christians to each other is to build each other up. No gift becomes the exclusive possession of any believer for his or her personal edification and pride.