LOUD AND CLEAR
I Corinthians 14:1-5
S: Prophesy
C: Intelligibility
Th: Orderly Worship
Pr: OUR WORSHIP IS TO BE INTELLIGIBLE.
?: How? How do we make worship intelligible?
KW: Practices
TS: We will find in our study of I Corinthians 14:1-5 five practices that will help our worship to be intelligible.
Type: Expository, Propositional
The ____ practice is to…
I. CHASE AFTER LOVE (1)
II. COVET PROPHESY (1)
III. CONCEDE TONGUES’ WEAKNESS (2-4)
IV. COMPREHEND PROPHESY’S STRENGTH (2-4)
V. COMMUNICATE CLEARLY (5)
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Think of others over self.
• Speak what God brings to your mind.
• Aim to build the church.
Version: ESV
RMBC 16 January 05 AM
INTRODUCTION:
Have you ever struggled with communication?
ILL personal
My family is filled with those who have communicated for a living.
For example, my great-grandfather on my mom’s side was a Baptist pastor.
My dad was a teacher and a principal.
On Dondra’s side, her dad is a pastor and her mom is a teacher.
So you think there wouldn’t be a struggle in this area.
Yet, when JJ was two years old, he showed no real interest in English as a means of communication. He would talk, but it was gibberish, all with the correct inflection. But there was no English, until one day, a school bus could be seen driving by from our living room window, and he said “bus.”
But JJ came by it honestly. When I was three, I did not do any kind of conversation with people. In fact, I did rather well with one word sentences and a lot of pointing.
But to be truthful, it is my dad that takes the prize in this matter. He spoke very little through age five, and most of it was not English. In fact, what he spoke resembled English, but was purely of his own making. For example, whenever he saw a horse, he would call it “gorky.”
My poor grandmother…
When it came time to send my Dad to Kindergarten, she was a bit distraught. Was he ready? He doesn’t even speak the language (though he did seem to understand it)! Was there something wrong with her child?
Kindergarten turned out not to be any problem. In fact, after one week of classes, as my grandmother prepared to read my dad a book at bedtime, he stopped her, and then read the whole story to her from beginning to end.
I guess a lot he had been going on in that mind!
But until he communicated in an intelligible way, no one knew it.
TRANSITION:
You know…
1. Our corporate worship doesn’t work if we don’t understand each other.
If, when I speak, it makes no sense to you, you are going to be frustrated.
You are going to wonder why you came.
Understanding what was going on was a problem the church in Corinth had.
And before I tell you why that was a problem, let us note that…
2. The worship in Corinth was confusing.
It was not supposed to be, but it was.
You may remember, if you were here for our studies last year, that Paul writes a letter to this church that consistently and lovingly challenges them to get their act together.
They were Christians, but they often did not act like it.
They were possessors of the Holy Spirit, but the way they treated one another, put that fact into question.
We have learned in our study of I Corinthians that as Christians, the Holy Spirit resides in us.
And because He resides in us, He blesses us with gifts…spiritual gifts…special abilities…that are for the benefit of the church.
When they are used properly, they bring a unity of voice and purpose to the church.
In Corinth, we know that…
3. Spiritual gifts were being used and abused.
We know they were being abused because the church community did not have unity.
There were individuals in the church that did not want to be reigned in by the truth of God’s Word.
In fact, we might have heard people in that day say something I have heard in today’s culture, “I don’t care what the Bible says. I know what I have experienced.”
And this speaks to a principle we must never forget…
God does not contradict himself.
This means that we do not interpret the Bible by our experience.
It is the opposite…
We always interpret our experience with the Bible.
We are to never let ourselves become the final authority.
That belongs solely to God and His Holy Word.
As we come to our passage today, we will see that Paul discusses two specific gifts: tongues and prophesy.
3.1 The spiritual gift of tongues is the ability to speak God’s words in a language that you do not know.
It is a language that you have not learned.
This is what makes it a gift.
It has been given you.
Its first appearance occurs in Acts 2.
People from all over the Roman empire have gathered for the Feast of Pentecost, and they heard the apostles speaking in their own language.
I want you to note this…
It was a known foreign language, and they understood what the apostles were saying.
3.2 The spiritual gift of prophecy is the ability (and responsibility) to speak the words God brings to mind.
The basic meaning of prophecy is the idea of forth-telling.
It is the idea of announcing.
Typically, when we hear the word, we think more of foretelling.
But the telling of the future is not its basic meaning.
It is forth-telling, not foretelling.
Now before we go any further, please permit me to speak about some important and related doctrine.
First, as Christians, we believe Scripture is complete.
There is no need for any additions.
What Old Testament and New Testament prophecy have in common is that the basic meaning is the same – it is a forth-telling of truth.
But there is a difference.
In the Old Testament, prophets spoke the very words of God.
In the New Testament though, prophets no longer have that role.
It is the apostles that have that role.
This does not mean that prophecy ceased to existed.
It continued, but in another form.
In the New Testament, prophecy becomes speaking something God brings to mind.
And it is still important because it becomes a vehicle for us to stay attuned to God’s will for our lives.
Along with this, note that it is something that is to be communicated.
It is to happen in the gathering of the community.
And it is to be understood.
Which leads us to this broader fact…
4. OUR WORSHIP IS TO BE INTELLIGIBLE.
When we gather together as a church family, our worship is to make sense.
There is to be intelligibility in the assembly.
So…
5. We will find in our study of I Corinthians 14:1-5 five practices that will help our worship to be intelligible.
Here is our text…
(1) Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, 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.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first practice is to CHASE AFTER LOVE (1).
1. Love is always to be our priority.
As Christians, we are to always remember that love is what is eternal.
Correspondingly, we are to remember that spiritual gifts are not.
So, though spiritual gifts have a rightful and helpful place in the church, they are not the most important.
Paul uses strong language here.
He says we are to pursue love.
The Greek word that is translated “pursue” means to follow, hunt, and chase with intensity.
With determination, we are to chase after love as if we are hunting it.
And the way we prove that we are doing that very thing is that others come before us.
2. We are to consider others before our self.
In our relationships with each other, we have to make sure that we are not motivated by pride or boasting.
This is a liability, so to speak, when it comes to spiritual gifts.
It is easier than one might think, that when you realize that you have a certain gift, that you might think you are more special than others.
But once we have entertained such a thought, we are going the wrong direction.
For when we use and exercise our gifts, it is to be an expression of our love for each other.
This brings us to…
II. The second practice is to COVET PROPHESY (1).
1. Their desire for gifting was bringing dissension (cf. 12:31).
The Corinthians had developed a fascination for the gift of tongues.
This fascination caused them to believe that this gift of language was a superior gift.
And as a result, they were filled with pride.
You may remember from our study of chapter 12, Paul makes the observation that they were eagerly desiring the so-called “greater” or “higher” gifts, but what they were supposed to be doing was seeking love.
And he is repeating that thought here in verse 1.
You see, they were wanting the wrong things.
Because of their past Greek culture and religion, they desired the sophisticated and the mysterious.
They became distracted by the excitement and self-gratification of the speaking of these languages.
So Paul works to set the record straight…
2. If there is any gift that should be desired, it is the ability to speak God’s words.
If they insisted on clamoring over the same gift, it would be much better if it was prophecy.
And the reason was simple.
The gift of prophecy promotes understanding.
There is no miscommunication.
There is no wondering what is going on.
There is no worry about translation.
ILL Translation: Communication ads
Talking about translation problems…
I want to share with you some nominees for the Chevy Nova Award.
They are given out in honor of General Motor’s fiasco in trying to market the Nova in Central and South America. "No va" means, of course, in Spanish, “it doesn’t go.”
When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the labels of what’s inside, since many people can’t read.
An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope’s visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "I Saw the Potato" (la papa).
And…
Pepsi’s "Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave" in Chinese.
Well, now we come to…
III. The third practice is to CONCEDE TONGUES’ WEAKNESS (2-4).
Next week, we are going to cover this point in more depth.
But for the time being, let us note…
1. When there is no interpretation, the only benefit is to the speaker.
Now, we should not get the idea that Paul thinks tongues is a bad thing.
That would be a total misrepresentation of his point.
He understands that tongues as a role, and for the one that is graciously gifted by it, there is a point of personal refreshment that God would grace one in such a way.
But the problem was, of course, is that it could be exercised in such a way that it demonstrated very little concern for others.
This is what Paul is fighting.
When they were gathered for worship, if tongues were going to be used, it had to be done in the right fashion.
You see…
2. Tongues is for the unbeliever (22).
We will study this verse next week, but our mention of it now fills in a concept that is necessary at this point…
Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.
Tongues has a rightful place.
It is for the unbeliever.
And where do we see that the most clearly?
Back in Acts 2, when the apostles were speaking the foreign languages in Jerusalem.
The gift of tongues is primarily an evangelistic gift that is meant to be a blessing for the nations!
Now we come to…
IV. The fourth practice is to COMPREHEND PROPHESY’S STRENGTH (2-4).
1. Prophecy strengthens the body of believers.
Prophecy is meant to build the church.
It is for edification.
This word, edification, in its root meaning, speaks to building and construction.
When the gift of prophecy is exercised, it is like the laying of a foundation, offering stability to the church.
It is an immediate reminder that God is speaking and our souls are strengthened.
Prophecy encourages the church.
The meaning of the word is the idea of coming to a person’s side and putting an arm around the shoulder.
This means that prophecy is meant to be personal and giving direction.
It is the idea of, “consider this truth before you go on further…”
Prophecy also comforts us.
The meaning of the word here is the idea of talking very closely.
It is the offering of tenderness and hope.
It is giving sensitive counsel.
When the gift of prophecy is exercised, it…
2. Prophecy makes an immediate difference.
It is very personal.
It is very practical.
And when it occurs, we sometimes say, ““My goodness, how did that speaker know about me?”
It comes to us so clearly…
ILL Communication: Hey Babe
At church one morning, the teacher was about to start her four-year-old Sunday school class when a little boy showed up without any identification. The teacher managed to get his first name, but couldn’t find out his last name.
"Brian, what’s your daddy’s name?" she asked.
"Daddy," he replied.
She tried again, "Brian, what’s your mommy’s name?"
"Mommy," he answered.
Suddenly she realized exactly how she could get the answer she needed. "Brian, what does your daddy call your mommy?"
His face lit up. With a grin and a deep voice, he replied, “Hey, Babe.”
Well…
V. The fifth practice is to COMMUNICATE CLEARLY (5).
1. The gift of tongues has its place.
Paul clues us in at this point the importance of interpretation.
When the gift of tongues is being used, it is to be understood.
If there is no interpretation available at worship, it is to be held back.
Worship is to be intelligible.
In a lesser way, if I desired to show off my ability to use Greek and Hebrew, which are the biblical languages, and also use theological words that require a dictionary, you might be impressed with the knowledge, but you probably wouldn’t learn as much.
Why?
Because…
I wouldn’t be communicating clearly.
You see…
2. The greater gift for the church is the gift of prophecy.
ILL Communication: Middle man kicks
One wife tells the story of when she and her husband, Michael, were at a restaurant with his boss, a rather stern older man. When Michael began a story, which she was sure he had told before, she gave him a kick under the table. There was no response, so she gave him another poke. Still the story went on. Suddenly he stopped, grinned and said, "Oh, but I’ve told you this one before, haven’t I?"
They all chuckled and changed the subject. Later, on the dance floor, she asked her husband why it had taken him so long to get her message. "What do you mean?" he replied. "I cut the story off as soon as you kicked me."
"But I kicked you twice and it still took you awhile to stop!"
Suddenly they both realized what had happened. Sheepishly they returned to their table to apologize. The boss smiled and said, "Don’t worry. After the second one I figured it wasn’t for me, so I passed it along!"
Well, this points us to the power and strength of prophecy.
There is no middle man.
The words and thoughts God has for us come to us immediately.
APPLICATION:
So how do we apply this to our own lives?
First…
1. In worship, think how others are affected by what you say and do.
None of us operate in isolation during worship, no matter what our role might be.
Those that are on the platform need to take extra care, especially those of us who possess a tendency to say whatever pops into our mind (by the way, that would be me!).
But this is not just an issue for those that are in the front.
What you say and what you do affect those around you.
What you don’t do affects those around you.
We can be a distraction to others, especially if we are not participating with the community, and doing our own thing, so to speak.
For example, you persistently speak to those around you at inappropriate times, write notes to your neighbors through the whole service, or refuse to sing because you don’t like something, you are demonstrating a love of self over others.
Instead, since worship is communal, we are take the opportunity to be of one voice and mind so that God will speak to us during our time together.
Second…
2. Speak what God brings to mind.
Personally, I believe that the spiritual gift of prophecy is active, but highly underused.
But I can name some people that I have heard practice it…
[names]
They have insight that is extraordinary for that given moment.
You can tell it is spiritual by the way people respond.
So when God gives you insight, do not hold it back.
It is your responsibility to speak.
You see…
3. We each have a responsibility to build the church.
When God gives you a message…it is loud and clear…it is not just for you.
That insight is a living Word for the entire community.
So, be sure to speak it.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Think of others before yourself…for when we gather to worship, we do not operate in isolation; we are in community with the responsibility to be of one mind and voice before God.
Seek the gift of prophecy (you are allowed)…for having insight on God’s mind and then speaking His words is a privilege and a responsibility, for it builds the church.
Now may your love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best; and may you be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Amen
RESOURCES:
Fee, Gordon. The New International Commentary on the New Testament
MacArthur, John. I Corinthians
Grudem, Wayne. The Gift of Prophecy.
Merrill, Eugene. “Who Are Today’s True Prophets?” Christianity Today, March 12, 1971
Morris, Leon. “The Voice of the Prophet.” Christianity Today, September 27, 1974.
SermonCentral
“Speak Clearly” Chris Talton
“The Superiority of Prophecy” A. Todd Coget
“The Priority of Edification in Our Worship” Doug Goins
“Tongues: A Controversial Gift” Dan Erickson
“Prophecy: Words to Us from God?” Dan Erickson
“Order Out of Chaos” Ron Ritchie
