Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2000

Introduction

 

When a building is constructed, there must be a plan, or everything will be in chaos.

There was a church that had terrible problems building their parsonage, until someone discovered that the lumberyard had a different set of plans from that of the contractor.

It was no wonder that the materials shipped to the site did not fit into the building!

They weren't working to the architects plan.

It doesn't matter what we are building, we have to follow the plan.

The same is true of the Church.

God gives us spiritual gifts to build His house according to His plan.

The Corinthian Church was having special problems with disorders in their public meetings.

The reason is not difficult to determine: they were using their spiritual gifts to please themselves and not to build up their brethren.

Add to this problem the difficulties caused by the liberated women in the assembly, and you can understand why the church experienced carnal confusion.

The key word was not /edification,/ but /exhibition./

Apparently there was a tendency for some of the Corinthians to lose control of themselves as they exercised their gifts, and Paul had to remind them of the fundamental principles that ought to govern the public meetings of the church.

Church Order involves two things.

I.

Edification    &    II.

Organization

 

/Firstly/  Edification  

/ /

*1 Corinthians 14:26* /How is it then, brethren?

Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation.

*Let all things be done for edification.*/

/ /

As we have observed previously the key to the use of spiritual gifts */is edification/*.

Ministry must build people up in their faith if it is to be effective.

God uses many methods to impart spiritual truth to His people.

Paul lists 5 of these methods here.

First Corinthians 14:26 gives us a cameo picture of worship in the early church.

Each member was invited to participate as the Lord directed.

/a.

Variation/

 

*Psalms* edify God's people as they focus our attention on the greatness of God and His ability to meet human needs.

Psalms whether read or sung bring comfort and encouragement to all.

The word *teaching*/ /means/ *doctrine* /or/ *instruction.*

/God uses teachers to apply His word to everyday life.

Teachers are important.

They were third on Paul's list in 1 Corinthians 12 after apostles and prophets.

Teachers edify the Church as they explain God's Word.

*Tongues* is the God given ability to speak another language previously not known.

The purpose of this gift was to reach foreign unbelievers with the Good News of God's grace in their own language.

*Interpretation* enabled the Church to understand the message given to unbelievers.

The word* revelation* means*/ to unveil/* or */disclose/* something that has been hidden.

As we study God's Word often the Lord reveals things to us.

One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to lead us into all truth.

When we share these things with others we build them up too.

Bible study is a great opportunity to share what God has revealed to you.

Leading the services gives men an opportunity to share what God has revealed to them.

Building a house requires the skills of many different tradesmen.

Plumbers, tilers, bricklayers and carpenters.

In the same way God uses many spiritual gifts to edify His people.

Someone shares a word of testimony or encouragement.

Preachers and evangelists edify the Church in a different fashion.

God uses a great variety of methods to edify His people.

/ /

/b.

Interpretation/

/ /

*1 Corinthians 14:27* /If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret.

/Because understanding is required for edification, Paul */commanded/* them to interpret all messages spoken in tongues.

Immediately after tongues were shared someone had to interpret.

Otherwise the Church could not be edified.

/c.

Evaluation  /*1 Corinthians 14:29* /Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge./

/ /

/Why were the messages evaluated?/

To determine whether the speaker had accurately communicated the Word of God through the Holy Spirit.

It was possible for a speaker, under the control of his own emotions, to imagine that God was speaking to him and through him.

It was even possible for Satan to counterfeit a prophetic message.*

*When prophets spoke a word from the Lord the Church was to judge what they said with Christian doctrine.

If the prophecy didn't line up with the Old Testament or Apostolic Doctrine it was to be rejected.*

*

* *

*1 John 4:1-3* gives a warning here: /Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.

And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

/*1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 gives a good balance on this:* /Do not despise prophecies.

Test all things; hold fast what is good.

Abstain from every form of evil.

/I honestly believe that the gift of prophecy ended with the completion of the Bible.

/ /

However we ought to test all that is preached by God's Word.

We should be like the noble Bereans that/ searched the Scriptures daily to see that these things were so/.

Many Christians are deceived by false teaching because they don't test what is preached with God's Word.

/ /

Speaking Words That Edify/ -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon/

/ /

The Spaniards in Chili believed that no water was so wholesome or of so delicate a flavor as that which flowed through veins of gold.

Certainly no conversation is so edifying to the hearers as that which pours forth from a heart stored with sacred knowledge, sanctified experience, devout contemplation's, and such like precious treasures.

Application

/ /

/a.

Variation - How does this relate to us today?

/God still uses many methods to edify His people.

Singing or reading a psalm encourages believers.

Others can share a testimony.

Someone else can share what God has revealed from the Word.

Others teach the Word.

When shared appropriately all of these things can edify the Church.

/Are you able to share something in the service?/

If you are able, please see myself or one of the deacons.

/b.

Evaluation/

/ /

I don't believe that God uses tongues and prophesy today.

So interpretation has also ceased.

But I do believe that we need to evaluate everything that we are taught.

/Do you test what you hear with God's Word?/ Paul commands us to /test all things/ and /hold fast the good!/

/ /

/Secondly/  Organization

/ /

2 Verses summarize this section.*

Verses 33 & 40*/ For God is not the author of  confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.