What Happens to a Church Where Christ is Not Center Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts 1 Corinthians 14

What Happens to a Church Where Christ is Not Center

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts

1 Corinthians 14

Paul says “Follow the way of Love”

This is so true when it comes to the Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit

When we receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit we receive the ability for our spirit to pray and sing to God in the language of men and angels

It is through this communication we edify ourselves as we praise and pray to God

The other Gifts of the Holy Spirit all are for the edifying of others

This is why Paul says

“I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 14, “Follow the way of love”

The “Way of Love” is the way to use Spiritual Gifts

Therefore Paul ends the chapter saying

“Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts

1 Corinthians 14

I grew up in a fundamental church,

 which I am so grateful for the strong

emphasis on the Bible, Word of God.

Shortly after Sandy and I were married,

we were reading the Bible

in bed before we went to sleep.

We were reading Mark 16 when we read verse 17.

 We had read something neither one of us

 had seen or had heard of in the church…

“And these signs will accompany those who believe:

In my name they will drive out demons;

they will speak in new tongues”

There was an anger that rose up in me.

I was upset that with all my knowledge of

God’s Word I had no idea what this meant.

I spent weeks studying God’s Word to find answers.

I soon discovered the signs following

believers was more than Tongues, but what the

Bible called the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit”.

I found out several of my friends at church

were asking the same question…

 What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

I also talked to my Pastor and he told me the gifts

of the Spirit with Tongues had passed away

when the Bible was completed and now

anyone who spoke in tongues was of the devil.

All this continues to upset me as I loved

God and wanted all He had for me so

I could be all He wanted me to be.

One night I went to a small group of us

who had been studying these things.

I felt very angry and asked the group to pray for me,

I was asked if I wanted to pray, I said angrily… NO!

 

After they prayed I got on my knees and

when I started to pray the anger lifted off me

and a deep sense of love came over me as my

words of prayer became a language I did not know.

That night my love for people overwhelmed me.

I wanted to go out and express my love for

the world but had no idea how to do it.

For weeks I remained in this over-

whelming love wanting to love everyone.

This was 1972 and without my knowledge

God was pouring out His Spirit around the world

and people from every denomination were being

Baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in Tongues.

It is now well recorded and

called the Charismatic Movement.

As I read 1 Corinthians 14, I can see the

believers Paul is writing to being like me

and those in the 60’s and 70’s who received

the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Paul lays the Foundation to Spiritual Gifts like

the foundation to everything else about God.

Love… Love is the Foundation of Spiritual Gifts,

without love gifts lose their effectiveness.

Paul tells us why Tongues are important and how

they are to be used in our lives and the church.

   Paul says…

“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,

but my mind is unfruitful.

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit,

but I will also pray with my mind;

I will sing with my spirit,

but I will also sing with my mind.”

Paul says he prays and sings in tongues and he says

when he does this “his” spirit is praying and singing.

It is not the Holy Spirit that speaks in tongues,

but the spirit of the believer.

 This is why Paul says…

 When we speak in tongues we speak to God.

It is hard for us to understand what we

cannot touch, taste, smell, see, and hear.

Romans 8:16 says…

 “His Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children”

Flesh understands flesh and spirit understands spirit.

When the Holy Spirit comes upon us

our spirit connects with God’s spirit in

a way that our minds cannot understand.

Paul says…

 When we speak in tongues, we speak

in the languages of men and angels.

When we speak in tongues it is our spirit speaking to God.

That is why Paul tells us it edifies us not others.

We need self-edification that is why Paul says

I speak in tongues more than you all but in the

church I would rather speak words that edify others.

The law of love always considers others over ourselves.

So Tongues are not the only Gift of the Spirit.

There are many Gifts of the Spirit

God gives to us so we can edify others…

Build up other people with the

Gifts of the Spirit that is Love.

It is also import we realize that just as

God created the natural world with order,

Spiritual Gifts should be used with order…

“But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”

We should remember Jesus commissioned the

disciples to wait for the Baptism of Holy Spirit

so you will have the power to be my witnesses.

 

We do not have to wait any longer to receive

the Baptism and receive His Gifts.

But we do need to wait on the Spirit

 if we want order and to see the

greatest effectiveness of the Gifts.

As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 14…

 “Follow the way of love”

The “Way of Love” is

the way to use Spiritual Gifts.

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 14 NIV

14:1, Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts especially the gift of prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.   3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.

6 Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7 Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8 Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10 Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11 If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. 12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

13 For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16 If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21 In the Law it is written:

"Through men of strange tongues

and through the lips of foreigners

I will speak to this people,

but even then they will not listen to me,"

says the Lord.

22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"

26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two — or at the most three — should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.

29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

As in all the congregations of the saints, 34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

36 Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37 If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. 38 If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored.  

39 Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.