The Driving Force of the Church, Pt. 4
The Purpose of the Church: Edify the Saints • Sermon • Submitted
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What is the Purpose of the Church?
What is the Purpose of the Church?
Well good morning everyone. For those of you who are visiting for the first time today or viewing this online I am Pastor Ben and it is so good to be with you today. I want to thank everyone that helped out last week while Corey and I were out of town. I am so appreciative of this church family and all that you guys do.
We have been spending our time honing in on a particular aspect to the second purpose of the Church. Which what are our purposes, say them with me. Exalt God, edify the saints, and evangelize the lost. Again, exalt God, edify the saints and evangelize the lost. All that we do as the church organization should flow through and from these purposes.
As we have been spending the last several weeks looking at the second purpose, we have come to find that edification severs to help us come together in oneness, it helps us to know why we believe what we believe, and it is our fuel tank of encouragement as we walk out these doors each week and go into the world.
Now the last several weeks we have been looking to one very specific aspect to the edification process that makes it even possible. This is the God element that makes the church organization different than any other social organization. It is the Spirit of God that carries us and drives us along through our walks with Christ both as individuals and as a corporate body.
As we have tried to grow in our understanding of the Spirit what we have come to see is that there is only one Holy Spirit who gifts God’s people in many different ways so that the body of Christ may be built up. And that while there are many different gifts no one gift is greater than any other in value as all are needed. We have also seen that it is the Spirit that unites us and makes us one body. And within this body we all have different gifts and talents that lead to our individual different purposes so that the body may be whole. If we were all gifted and wired the same we would be missing the beauty and functionality of a whole body.
After laying all this out through chapter 12, Paul then shifts to show how through the Spirit the body is to govern the differences that arise within it.
But before we go any further let us have our hearts and minds brought to attention with our focus verse. Say this with me.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Please pray with me.
Father we thank you for this day and the ability to to gather together. Lord we ask your blessing on this message and our time together. May you be honored and glorified. Lord this is your service, may you visit us today. May you open our hearts and minds to receive your word and keep us sensitive to the moving of your Spirit. Lord we praise your name. Amen.
Last week we saw a shift in our text. Paul up to this point had been talking about the spiritual gifts and how the Spirit administers them. He is correcting some improper thought processes and actions that were occuring within the Corinthians’ church. As he is detailing this out he instructs the Corinthians to,
1 Corinthians 12:31 (ESV)
But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
Yet, before he goes into detailing out what these higher gifts are Paul leads the Corinthians down the path of greater understanding. He picks back up by stating,
1 Corinthians 12:31 (ESV)
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
And what was that most excellent way? It was the way of love. Pastor Dick walked you through this passage last week. The passage so commonly referred to as the love chapter. A passage so well known that many atheist and agnostics are willing to embrace this one chapter. A chapter that many a Christian counselors will used as an exercise within premarital or marriage counseling. Often you will hear them say, “Okay where it says the word love put your name in.” The they will ask if this honestly describes you. While there may be some merit in this, that is no the intention of this passage. 1 Cor 13 is from God to the Church for the Church to teach them how to interact with each other.
We are familiar with the new command.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
1 Cor 13 expounds on this. It defines what it means to love another. Yet, we cannot do it perfectly. There is only one name that can be entered into that passage and it perfectly describe them every time and that is the name of Jesus. Are we to strive for it, yes. But will we be perfect at it, no. That is why we need Jesus, he is the one who loves perfectly because he is the embodiment of love.
And that is why Paul places this passage in the midst of his teaching on the spiritual gifts. What governs the church is not who has obtained a greater manifestation of a gift. Or the one who looks like they have it all together, or the one who shows that they can do the most. What, or rather who, governs the church is Jesus Christ. That which we are to strive for is being his image bearer, the embodiment of love.
I believe Pastor Dick’s exhortation towards the end of his message was spot on. “Love is to be the ruling factor of all that God and his redeemed will do.” A more excellent way.
This bring us to our message for today. The Driving Force of the Church, Pt. 4: The Spirit Among Us. We will be picking up in chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians. If you have brought your own Bible or want to follow along on your device please pull it up now. If you are using the blue pew Bible it is on page 1062. Or you can follow along on the screen.
Let us hear the word of the Lord.
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
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.
On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.
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.
Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?
If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played?
And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?
So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air.
There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning,
but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.
So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.
What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”
Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.
If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?
But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,
the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.
May the Lord bless the reading of his word.
As we work through our passage for today, there are three biblical truths we must consider. First, What are the Higher Gifts? Second, When our Gifts do not Edify. And finally, The Affect of our Gifts on Unbelievers. Now as we approach this passage I want to remind you again that Paul is addressing a very specific issue within a very specific people group. The argument from this passage is not whether or not tongues and prophesy exists. That was an accepted reality for Paul. Paul is giving principles for how to navigate division in the church. It is those principles that we are seeking to find.
What are the Higher Gifts?
What are the Higher Gifts?
Before showing us a more excellent way, Paul’s exhortation to us is to earnestly desire the higher gifts. Yet, if we understand that the Spirit gives the gifts at his discretion, does that mean the Spirit gives additional favor to some but not to others? How are we to understand this? For this section we are going to look at the first five verses.
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 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. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 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.
Paul starts this section by tying together chapters 12 and 13. He is beginning to work towards a conclusion of this section. He states “Pursue love and earnestly desire the gifts.” Both of these are in a command format as in they are things that we are to be doing, but should we understand that there is an order or an emphasis on one over the other. I believe that since Paul has already qualified love as the more excellent way over the gifts this does give it a president. But let’s look closer to this phrasing.
The idea that Paul is giving in pursuing after love is not that of a casual stroll. It is not the idea that you love others will come in some laxidasical fashion, where you can just sit back and relax and one day wake up and be the embodiment of love. That is not how this works. Paul command here gives the idea of setting after it in quick motion. To run or to press on. This is something you are to consciously and intentionally work towards. It is not something you are to hope just shows up, but rather something you work after.
Paul’s phrasing here for desiring the gifts is the same as it is in chapter 12. The idea here is to be dedicated or to earnestly exert oneself. To fully understand this we need to understand why the Spirit gives us gifts anyways. The gifts are not given so that we may brag or boast about ourselves, this is what Paul is instructing the Corinthians on. Rather the gifts are given so that Christians may be used by the Spirit. Paul’s command then through this section is earnestly desire to be used by the Spirit. Do not be content to just sit and receive. Do not be content in just being a consumer. The Scriptures command that you earnestly exert yourself in being used by the Spirit.
Yet, Paul does not leave us simply with these commands, he gives a qualification. His qualification to the Corinthians is to desire the gift of prophesy.
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
Why would he call this one gift out of all the ones that he listed in chapter 12? He lists, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, interpretation of tongues, apostles, prophets, teachers, helping, and administration. Out of all these why would he call out prophecy?
Well as we will come to notice it seemed that within the Corinthian church the biggest issue was between that of the usage of tongues and prophecy. These are the two gifts Paul hones in on here. But what is his point. Well as he shows in verse 4, within the context of the local church the gifts that build up and inspire the others are what should be used. The gifts that serve and equip others rather than the gifts that are more self serving.
The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.
This brings us to our next section
When Our Gifts do not Edify
When Our Gifts do not Edify
Paul spends the meat of this section dealing with the issue of gifts being used in a way that is not edifying to others. Remember we have established that the Spirit gives these gifts for the building up or the edification of the church. But that does not prevent us from misusing the gifts in a way that they were not intended. Using himself as an example Paul poses a question to the Corinthians.
Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?
Paul is still driving the point that our gifts are to be used for the edification of those around us. That if we are off doing our own thing, in our own fashion, for our own selves how honoring are we being to God? Using the gift of tongues Paul demonstrates why this is an issue.
If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air.
He begins by comparing what they are doing, that being unintelligible speech, to that of lifeless instruments. If these instrument are not played in an intelligible way as to be beneficial to those listening, how less likely are those that are doing nothing more then speaking to the air?
Now when it comes to understanding the biblical purpose for intelligible speech or interpretation as being edifying to the body we need to see what God has done with the verbal communication devices of man.
After the flood, once the earth was repopulated by the sons of Noah, we read the account of the Tower of Babel. The reason man was able to begin to accomplish something as grand as this was that communication was not a barrier. It was for this reason that God confused their tongues, to keep them from building a great thing and making a name for themselves.
What we need to understand is that the usage of the gift of tongues, in whatever form you want to consider it, is the reversal of what happen at the Tower of Babel. God was giving to his people the ability to communicate to build a great thing that honors and glorifies God rather than man. Yet, the issue in Corinth is that they are misusing this gift. They are using it for self elevation rather than God exaltation.
This still happens far too often today and the result is a division in a church, a separation of classes, the forming of cliches. And Paul warns against this. Look what he says in verses 10 and 11.
There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.
See when we couple the gifts the Spirit has given us with selfish ambition or our pride we create an alienation with those around us. Especially those who may disagree us. Rather than working through our disagreements and continuing to grow as one in Christ, we become tribalistic in our thinking.
We need to understand and heed Paul’s warning here. The gifts that God gives us through the Spirit are not to be used for selfish gain. They are not to be used to draw lines of distinction between brothers and sisters in Christ. They are to be used to honor and glorify God by continuing to build up the church. And this is not a suggestion, this is a command from the Scriptures.
So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
Our gifts, whatever they may be, including the gift of tongues, is to be used for the building up of the church. They are to be used for the inspiration and equipping of each other.
Now there is one thing I want you to notice from this passage. While the Corinthians are misusing the gift of tongues Paul no where tells them to refrain from using it. They are not commanded to stop using this gift. In fact Paul sort of shames them by detailing his use of tongues.
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Even the gift of tongues has its place amongst God’s people. Within the corporate church tongues should be used only if there is an interpretation that can be presented, if not then it should not be presented. Within the corporate gathering our gifts are to be used to instruct and build one another up. This is because our gifts affect each other, and not just us but unbelievers as well.
This brings us to our next point.
The Affect of Our Gifts on Unbelievers
The Affect of Our Gifts on Unbelievers
As Paul works to close this section he transitions from having the Corinthians look inwardly to begin to look outwardly. Or rather to see the affect that there disorderly conduct has on the unbelievers around them.
He begins by exhorting them to grow up in their thinking. While they need to stay away from evil and not flirt with sin, they need to be mature in their thinking.
Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
The sign of this maturity is the looking to the care and concerns of others more than your own. It was demonstrated by a character of true humility. Paul in dealing with this very specific issue draws their attention to God’s word to correct their thinking and actions.
This is where most evangelical Christians understand the doctrine of the sufficiency of the Scriptures. By this I mean that the Scriptures teach us how to navigate this life by understanding why man experiences what he does within this life. How or why he responds to those experiences. And how he is to live in regards to his relationship with God and his fellow man.
This is also the premise for Biblical Counseling and discipleship. Using God’s word to navigate life. If you want to know more about this or come to understand how this is different than secular counseling or even Christian counseling, I would highly recommend you attend the conference in Kendallville on May 6th. It will show you what Paul is doing here for the Corinthians by bringing correction to a disorderly situation by using God’s word.
Now Paul tells them that the sign of tongues is not for believers but for unbelievers.
Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.
What we need to understand is that Paul is not saying this is a positive sign but rather a negative sign. Commenting on this section Bruce Winter states,
The New Bible Commentary (14:20–25 Prophecies, Tongues and Unbelievers)
“While it is appropriate that they should be innocent of evil, they should think like grownups. This involves understanding what is written in the Law...where Paul deduces that tongues are a sign for the unbeliever (but a negative one; it will confirm his unbelief!) and prophecy is for Christians.”
Paul’s proof of this is that if an unbeliever walks in and see everyone speaking in tongues, speaking in unintelligible speech, they will assume they are out of their mind, and this will take away from the testimony of Christ. Winter’s continue in his comment,
The New Bible Commentary (14:20–25 Prophecies, Tongues and Unbelievers)
“If the unbeliever or an inquirer comes into church and all are speaking in tongues, then he will conclude that the group is insane. With everybody prophesying however, the unbeliever or an inquirer will be affected. There will be conviction and judgment by all, and his heart will be exposed, he will fall down in worship, and acknowledge God’s presence.”
What will outsiders find when they walk through these doors? This is a question every church needs to wrestle with. Some churches find the solution in being seeker sensitive. They use crafty advertising, and events to draw people in and get their interests. Some water down the gospel in order to not offend new people. Some turn a cold shoulder and worship they way the have always done things. Some are in such utter chaos, that a shadow lingers amongst them that makes new people feel unwelcomed.
What outsiders find when they walk through these doors? Paul’s words indicate here that what they should find is an atmosphere that has been created where God is glorified above all else. Within this atmosphere that is manifested by how the church people care for each other, how they seek to inspire and equip each other, how they seek to love each other above all else. Within this atmosphere the unbeliever will be convicted of their sin, they will seek repentance, and they will whole-heartedly worship God.
This is what they ought to find when they walk through these doors. And if the Spirit is truly amongst us this is what they will find. May the Lord continue to guide us in these endeavors. Amen.