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)
You can bring a word to encourage, build up, something that the Lord gives!
- in turn. Go round the room. ¡§Go on. Bring something from the Lord¡¨
Now- it will be to varying degrees depending on
- your gifting. Maturity. Knowledge of the word and God¡¦s ways. The anointing
- the season.
- Your faith Roms 12:6, and God¡¦s grace (same passage)
But unless you step out and do it- a) you¡¦ll never know b) you¡¦ll never grow c) you¡¦re not being obedient!
Illustr: Gordon¡¦s word last Sun pm. Really spoke to some of you!
- heavens there¡¦s nothing like being a leader to make you do what we ALL should be doing!
- Let Gordon be an example and incentive to you!
And the result of people prophesying is threefold
- conviction of sin
- convinced that he will be judged by all
- secrets of his heart laid bare
¡§CONVINCED BY ALL THAT HE IS A SINNER¡¨ V24a
Now- there are those who think that ¡¥prophecy¡¦, in 1 Cor, is just inspired preaching
- but this makes it clear that it is so much more
o it is something v specific.. specific to that person... for that person¡K that cuts to the chase and rips their heart open
- it¡¦s God¡¦s word made living and active. Specific.
HEB 4:12 For the word of God IS living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
And mature prophecy brings conviction of sin.
- ¡§convinced by all that he is a sinner¡¦ doesn¡¦t mean everyone saying ¡¥you¡¦re a sinner¡¦. (like some feel Christians do! That¡¦s not our place)
- no: it¡¦s their revelations that convict (lit) of sin
Conviction of sin is not the same as condemnation. We¡¦re not looking to make people feel grotty and condemned
- but one of the first works of the HS in bringing someone to faith is Him bringing a conviction that ¡¥I NEED FORGIVENESS¡¦. I am a sinner (nice though I may be)
Jn 16:8 When the Holy Spirit comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 i
Come Holy Spirit!
It¡¦s like happened through the ministry of a man I know ¡¥There¡¦s a man here and you¡¦ve just left your wife. God wants to show you how to work this through¡¦
- the man wasn¡¦t a Christian. Boy did he come forward and repent!
¡§CONVINCED THAT HE WILL BE JUDGED BY ALL¡¨ V24b
What¡¦s this, then?
- again- it¡¦s not all judging him
- it¡¦s THEY are convinced they will be judged by all
I think this is talking about something we so rarely experience
- that sense of awe and respect when you are in the presence of a real man or woman of God
o reverence for the God of Christians.. but also the people of God
Like Acts 5;12 And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number
Like ¡V Smith Wigglesworth: a man said to him on a train ¡§your face convicts me of sin¡¨
- now: folks have said other things about my face, but never that!
We often ask of certain people of old - ¡§why were they more holy than us?¡¨
- it¡¦s because they WERE more holy than us! More serious, dedicated, set-apart. Pneumatikon
But that¡¦s what happens when the Spirit moves in power amongst God¡¦s people
- want that? Learn the spiritual dynamic
¡§SECRETS OF HEART LAID BARE¡¨ V24
Jer 17:10 and Rev 2;23 describe God and Jesus as being the One who search hearts and minds
- and the Spirit of Prophecy sometimes reveals these secret things to God¡¦s people
o for them to pray on their own
o for the sake of someone present
Goodness this is powerful stuff
- Illustr, Nigeria: ¡§Man here from Germany. You have a bad knee. Who is Elizabeth? Come out and confess what job you are doing.!¡¨ A black man came out, with X-ray of knee. Confessed that he was a drug dealer. Not ready to talk about Elizabeth.
¡§GOD IS REALLY AMONG YOU!¡¨ V25
And that¡¦s the result of this ministry.
Actually, this ¡¥God is really among you¡¦ bit is a quote, I reckon, from a bit in the OT. Zech 8:23.
- A bit where they would have read it¡K and we do¡K and think ¡¥How is that going to be fulfilled?!¡¦
- how are ten men from all languages going to take hold of the garment of one JEW and say ¡¥let us go with you¡¦?
= because of things like this. Because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
- who is the one who gives power for witness!
- Because WE are the fulfilment of OT promises
What do these visitors do?
- fall down
- worship! They have moved from enquirer to believer. Seeker to saved. The person in process has moved to being a Christian who is convicted and convinced
- declare that God is among His people
Let me leave you, in closing, with the Zech passage:
ZEC 8:23 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, `Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’ "
Closing songs + communion:
Today I choose to follow you. To the River. What can I say.
