Church Builders
1st Corinthians Series
March 1st, 2026, CCCAG
Scripture- 1 Corinthians 14:1–32
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Introduction:
I’ve shared before I got saved outside of a church service. It was through the faithful witness of several coworkers who had to take a lot of abuse and sarcasm from me to finally break through my natural sarcasm and cynicism.
It was my second church service in a Pentecostal church that wasn’t A/G, but very AG in beliefs and practice. I was alone as Tammie worked the previous night and also really resistant to my conversion.
At that service, that I saw something that freaked me out little.
We are in the middle of a powerful worship service, people are dancing, singing loudly, and really into praising Jesus when all of the sudden, some older gentlemen starts shouting in some weird language, and then says “Thus saith the LORD God of hosts”
Immediately, everything stopped.
I had no idea what this was- I grew up Lutheran, and you never ever talk in church in anything other than a monotone reciting of “The brief order of confession and forgiveness on page 56 of the hymnal”.
All I saw was a huge disruption to the service. I’m waiting for the ushers to grab this guy and drag him out of the sanctuary.
But instead, people bowed their head, while this guy loudly proclaimed what God was speaking to us through him.
The pastor staff then changed the entire course of that service around what this person had just said.
It was my first exposure to the public speaking in tongues, and prophecy.
When I brought it up to my friend and coworker that led me into the faith, he pointed me right here to this chapter in 1st Corinthians.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve read about how the Holy Spirit moves in the church through the offices of the church- Apostle, prophet, Evangelist, Pastor/Teacher. We’ve seen the gifts that the Holy Spirit listed out for us, and how we will see how these offices and gifts interact within the church service.
Chapter 14 is mostly about the gifts of the Holy Spirit being used within the church service. Keep that in mind.
The other point we have to keep in mind when we read this chapter, is seen in verse 1-
Pursue Love (Agape).
Pursuing love is the primary pursuit of all believers in Jesus.
Not holiness,
not religion,
not spiritual gifts.
Agape Love is the nature of Jesus Christ being formed in the hearts, minds, and spirits in the church.
Everything else flows from that. Obedience and Holiness is easy if you are passionately in love with Jesus.
We will get into this more later, but keep that in mind as we read further, because it’s the framework of everything else in the chapter.
So let’s explore Chapter 14,
1 Corinthians 14: 1-5
Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. 2 For the person who speaks in a tongue, is not speaking to people but to God, since no one understands him; he speaks mysteries in the Spirit.
3 On the other hand, the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation. 4 The person who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 I wish all of you spoke in tongues, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.
Prayer
The verses we just read talking about the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy being formational in the church to build the lives both the corporate body and the individual Christian.
When you stand on a construction site, there’s noise. Movement. Power. Sparks. Dust.
But nobody walks onto a job site and says,
“Look at that incredible nail gun.”
The nail gun is not the goal.
The structure being built is the point.
And in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul addresses a church that had fallen in love with the tools.
They were passionate about spiritual gifts.
They were expressive.
They were zealous.
They were even competitive about it- comparing one person’s gift to other people with the same gift.
But they were not strengthening one another.
So Paul anchors the entire chapter with this sentence in verse 12:
1 Cor 14:12 “Since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in building up the church.”
That is the north star and anchor of this chapter. Building the body of Christ to shine the Gospel into a dark world.
We are holding up Jesus Christ as Savior, and to do that the church has to be a center of saints edifying one another.
The church is Not another place where we have to prove ourselves.
Not another place of comparison
And not another are where we try to climb a ladder to be recognized.
It’s about Edification.
When we get our mind right about this we will see that-
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not spiritual trophies.
They are construction equipment.
In a church filled with people under construction.
But that is not where they were when Paul wrote this letter.
If you looked at them from the outside,
Corinth was spiritually active.
They spoke in tongues.
They prophesied.
They gathered with intensity.
But
They were divided.
They were competitive.
They were showing off.
The problem in Corinth was not lack of the Spirit.
It was lack of maturity.
Paul does not tell them to stop pursuing gifts.
He tells them in verse 1 “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts…”
It's critical that we see the order.
Love is the pursuit. The gifts help us build love for God within us.
Last week we talked about the Holy Spirit anchoring the spiritual gifts around agape love.
We discovered Chapter 13 is not an interruption between two chapters about spiritual offices and gifts. It is the foundation.
Without love, gifts become noise.
Without love, gifts become ego.
Without love, gifts fracture the body instead of strengthening it.
The Corinthians wanted to look spiritual.
Paul wanted them to grow up.
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So let’s look more closely at tongues and prophecy as spiritual gifts
First, we look at the gift of speaking in tongues
Let’s bring some clarity
First- tongues was not first seen in Acts 2. Many theologians suggest it was seen throughout the Old Testament, and even in Israel during their time in the desert.
If you are following the chronological plan, you will have read this scripture this last week-
Numbers 11:25- the Spirit of God falls upon the 70 elders of Israel, and the bible says they prophesied. It also says that two other men in the camp prophesied. It’s largely agreed that this was them speaking in tongues, and Moses, responding to an objection from Joshua, says,
29 b If only all the Lord’s people were prophets and the Lord would place his Spirit on them!”
In various other scriptures scattered through out the OT, there are many examples of this. It was not unique to the early church.
I would also point out, that in everything God does, satan has a counterfeit.
Example
In 1 Kings 18, We see Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Ba’al. In that narrative, the same language and wording for the biblical term of prophesy is used to describe the pagan priests worshipping and yelling to Ba’al. Again, some theologians and commentators suggest that this was an example of speaking in tongues.
But the counterfeit was not something that only happened thousands of years ago.
We also see this even today. In the Caribbean, there are several religious sects loosely related to voodoo that speak in tongues and prophesy under the influence of the kingdom of darkness.
Now listen to me carefully here- (speak carefully)
I only say this to point out- The gift isn’t the goal. Agape love for Christ is the goal. (Repeat)
Tongues are tool to help us achieve that goal.
WE need that foundation to be set before we go into the details of what the bible is talking about here in 1 Cor 14.
So
As an Assembly of God church, we recognize three expressions of the Holy Spirit speaking through us using the gift of speaking in other tongues.
The first is-
1. Personal Prayer Language
Verse 2:
“The one who speaks in a tongue is not speaking to people but to God.”
Verse 4:
“The one who speaks in a tongue builds himself up.”
This is God’s Spirit moving in our spirit, producing a spiritual language where we are unaware of what is being communicated, but nevertheless, it edifies us and builds our faith.
It’s largely meant to be private and personally devotional.
This is part of your prayer life.
It is a spiritual tool to bring you into closer communion with GOD through the HOLY SPIRIT to strengthen the inner life.
This manifestation of the gift is not less than the other manifestations of the gift. In fact, Paul even says in verse 18,
“I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.”
Paul isn’t anti-tongues.
He is anti-disorder.
He is anti-anything that takes our focus off Jesus.
That is why our Personal prayer language is directed toward God.
It does not require interpretation.
It builds the believer’s spirit.
And it is biblical.
But Paul’s concern here in 1 Cor 14 is the gathered body.
Because while personal edification matters, corporate strengthening matters more in a public assembly.
That brings us to the second expression-
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2. Public Speaking in Tongues with Interpretation
This is what I experienced as a new Christian
Verse 27:
“If anyone speaks in another tongue, there are to be only two, or at most three, each in turn, and let someone interpret.”
This is not private prayer, but a public utterance.
And it must be interpreted.
And this is where we often get into trouble.
Because if the person speaking doesn’t have a clue about what God is saying and offers no interpretation-
Paul says remain silent.
Why?
Because the purpose is to edify others, not bring attention to you.
God is not honored by confusion and the church is not strengthened by mystery that no one can grasp.
But, when interpreted, tongues strengthens, encourages, edifies, and comforts.
Remember- The governing principle:
Does it build the church? If not, stay silent.
The third expression spoken of in 1 Cor 14 is-
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3. Prophecy – Strengthening Speech
Verse 3 defines prophecy clearly:
“The one who prophesies speaks to people for strengthening, encouragement, and comfort.”
That is New Testament prophecy in its most basic form.
Yes, prophecy can include foretelling or predicting the future.
We see that in Acts. It was seen throughout the Old Testament
But most New Testament prophecy is forthtelling —
The definition of forthtelling is the Holy Spirit-inspired application of truth, clarity, or direction in a present moment.
BUT
It is not the same as Scripture, therefore it must be weighed and evaluated.
How do we do that?
First and foremost
It must align with the Word of God.
As soon as someone claiming to be a prophet, or for that matter, Apostle, evangelist, or paster/teacher drifts away from scripture, they must be silenced to protect the body.
Full stop.
That’s why scripture says in verse 29:
“Let the others evaluate.”
That instruction alone should eliminate abuse. It’s also your immediate way to see if that person is legitimate. If a person giving prophecy or instruction is does not hold themselves to being accountable to others, or pulls “I’m the man of God or touch not the Lord’s anointed” card-
Dismiss anything they have to say.
They are operating in the flesh and need to be brought under discipline not given a platform.
Another way people abuse prophecy is saying,
“I have to speak what God has given me
Verse 32 says 32 And the prophets’ spirits are subject to the prophets
In other words if they say God is forcing them to say this…it’s probably not God.
Prophecy in the New Testament is accountable to leadership and the church body.
This is why prophecy must be tested.
That creates safety in the church.
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The bible admonishes us-
Verse 20: “Don’t be childish in your thinking.”
Don’t be naïve.
One of my favorite sayings to ultracharasmatics is
Gullibility is not a gift of the Holy Spirit, discernment is.
It grieves me to say this, but
- there are wolves out there, and sometimes they look like the sheep.
That’s how the false prophet snares people
They appeal to immaturity, spectacle, and they love being seen as powerful.
Really, it’s a bit childish
Children with power tools are dangerous. We don’t let 8 year olds run around with handguns or rifles.
And that is what Paul is saying here-
The church at Corinth had power.
But they lacked discipline.
Paul is calling them upward into maturity.
Spiritual maturity is not how intense an experience feels.
Spiritual maturity is whether the entire body of Christ is stronger afterward.
If people leave confused, something failed.
If people leave strengthened, something was done rightly.
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God Is Not a God of Disorder
In verse s 26-33, Paul gives practical instructions if tongues and prophesy occur in a church service.
Two or three may speak.
One at a time.
Interpretation required.
Others evaluate.
Then Paul explains why these instructions exist-
“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”
Peace means harmony.
It means stability.
It means strength without chaos.
That does not mean we suppress the Spirit.
But we also do not manufacture emotionalism.
We pursue maturity. We pursue clarity. We pursue edification.
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The Broader Application – Beyond Tongues
Verse 26 where this passage widens.
Verse 26: “Let all things be done for building up.”
All things. Every gift in the church is to be used for the perfecting of the saints.
That applies beyond tongues and prophecy.
Teaching builds.
Encouragement builds.
Giving builds.
Service builds.
Administration builds.
Hospitality builds.
Leadership builds.
Prayer builds.
Again, every spiritual gift exists for one reason:
To strengthen the Body of Christ.
The question for you and I is not,
“Did I exercise my gift?”
The question is,
“Did someone grow because I did?”
Unfortunately, the modern church sometimes mimics the culture, and is tempted toward personal branding.
My ministry.
My platform.
My following.
My influence.
The bible teaches us
If it does not build the body, it is misuse the gifts of God.
Let’s bring it home-
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What Would It Look Like Here?
There is a concept or truism in modern churches-
In practice, the church is a reflection of the senior pastor.
In our church it means we will never be chaotic.
We are thoughtful.
Reserved.
Measured.
That is not wrong.
The danger is we do not want to drift into functional cessationism, where the Spirit doesn’t move in our services.
So this morning, I want to encourage you
If the Spirit prompts something that aligns with Scripture and strengthens the church — we welcome it.
If something would cause confusion — we slow down.
If something draws attention to a person rather than Christ — we test it.
We do not chase experiences. We pursue edification.
That is what 1 Cor 14 is all about
“Seek to excel in building up the church.”
Take a moment and Focus on that word excel.
Look at your spiritul gifting, and ask God, “How can I uses this to build up others?”
Maybe you’ll
Excel in encouragement.
Excel in teaching.
Excel in wisdom.
Excel in love.
Finally, The mark of a mature church is not volume.
It is strength, stability, unity, and growth in the people and in the church body.
Closing (all stand)
Quick Review
It is not about the hammer.
It is about the house.
It is not about the spotlight.
It is about the structure.
It is not about appearing spiritual.
It is about strengthening the body.
May we pursue love.
May we desire gifts.
May we test what is spoken.
May we protect unity.
May we grow into maturity.
And may everything we do strengthen the Body of Christ.
Let us be church builders.
Prayer Amen.
