1 Corinthians 14:26-33 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. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two — or at the most three — should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
Today's focus is a continuation of our last few breakfasts on Corinthians 14. Paul speaks about the Spirit of God's manifestations in the church. The infilling of the Holy Spirit has brought a new dimension in their lives: the Holy Spirit functioning within individual believers, glorifying God and clarifying their spiritual understanding. Paul knows this revelatory Spirit abides in them richly, revealing beautiful truths to them: When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. This wonderful Spirit of God within them separates them from what is secular and causes them to understand and to appreciate the living God. As new creatures because of the Spirit's transforming power within them, they are also members of the body of Christ, known as the church. Within the church, the Spirit of God does not function for each member's edification alone, but for the instruction and edification of the whole body. Therefore, Paul instructs the Corinthians on the orderly operation of the Holy Spirit within a community of believers. Manifesting spiritual gifts should not bring chaos because the Holy Spirit strengthens and encourages the church by using individual believers in a supernatural way. Believers should do their part as the Spirit moves them for the benefit of the church. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. He warns them about aberrant behavior, discordant behavior in the church. If such chaotic actions are allowed, the secular community around them will think they are crazy. 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? (vs. 23) The church within a community should be a place where people learn about the living, eternal God, not a place of discordant behavior. The Spirit of God brings peace, not discord. As James wrote: For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:16-18)
We must beware of taking the supernatural out of the church. If we do, we take the preternatural away from the church, making the church just another social gathering, a fraternal organization, a club, a place to enjoy fellowship with others. Let this not be the fate of the body of Christ. The church is a supernatural body, out of the ordinary, fitted together by God himself. The Holy Spirit propels, motivates, and energizes the church by indwelling every facet of the body of Christ. This Holy Spirit performs supernatural actions within the church, within every member. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12) When we gather together, we should bring hymns, insights, revelations, answers to prayers, to the body. We should come to church with a passion for God and what He has been telling us and doing in our lives, prepared to tell others about God's revelations and miracles. Instead of merely listening and occupying a pew, we should be active, vibrant parts of the body of Christ; ready to share God's blessing with testimonies of his goodness. If we are reluctant to experience God in this dynamic way, our spiritual lives will become anemic as we wander in our own spiritual wildernesses, not hearing the Spirit's voice of encouragement and admonition, not seeing the cloud by day and the pillar of fire at night. Our scripture focus reveals action, dynamism. Do we covet such activity in our churches, or is this kind of activism too demanding, too dependent on our spirituality, on our listening to the Spirit, on our desire to know God? Are we afraid to have a church service dependent on the spirituality of the members in the congregation? Has it become easier to have paid professional pastors and talented musicians fully responsible for the church services? When we depend on these individuals, our role in the church is less important, less demanding; allowing us to conduct ourselves the way we want without any real spiritual obligations to our fellow believers. We do not have to be spiritual, supernatural. We can be secular to the absolute degree and still feel we belong in the church of the living, intimate God who longs for the worship of his people.
As newborn children of God, joint-heirs with Christ, we are not meant to live as those who do not know the Lord. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4) Breakfast companions, are we setting our hearts on things above or are we so secular minded we do not even think or believe that we should bring a spiritual gift to the body of Christ. Of course, we must occupy this world until the Lord comes, for we must survive in this world; however, God intended us to live as spiritual beings. We are new creatures IN CHRIST. Consequently, in this new spiritual reality, do we have a tongue, an interpretation, an inspiration, a prophecy, an encouragement, an instruction for the church? Or, do we consider that passe, something done in the olden times by the nascent church, but not for us, the more mature church? We must consider: Is not Christ the same today as He was in yesteryear? Is this teaching of Paul, something for the Corinthians alone, but not for our churches? Do we believe the Holy Spirit's voice is not needed in an active way in our body of believers? As spiritual beings, are we dependent on God's voice or man's voice? Are we to advance in spiritual wisdom and knowledge solely through ordinary ways of cognition or are we to advance through revelations and insights given by God? Are the great thinkers, philosophers, theologians our foundations for knowledge about existence and eternal revelations? Or is the Holy Spirit and his works still the foundation of knowing anything about the existence or God? As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him. (1 John 2:27) God's gift, the Holy Spirit, is eternal and omnipresent. He knows everything going on in our lives. He knows what our churches need, what our families need, what we need. He desires to speak to us in the great NOW. When we are in fellowship with other believers, the Holy Spirit is present. Will we allow him to be active, to be our counselor, our advocate, our comforter, our healer, our guide? Allow for the Holy Spirit's manifestations to be in the church of the living God.
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