Sermon May 3rd
1 Corinthians 14:1-33
GETTING THINGS IN THE RIGHT ORDER IS CRUCIAL to human thriving. The Bible is the user manual for life. Like a car, your life is made up of many different moving parts and interacts with a real world filled with other moving parts. Getting the RIGHT PIECES in the RIGHT PLACES makes a world of difference. If you take one small piece from a car and put it in a different place it can cause catastrophic results and the car will no longer work. In a similar way, if you get the wrong pieces in the wrong places in your own life, it will not thrive. For example: LOVE. It’s the right piece. Nothing is more important. But it also must be in the right place. The wisdom of this world might say that all love is good all the time. The Bible says, that “eros” love (sexual love) is reserved for a man and woman in the context of marriage and that it is both exclusive and for life. Having the RIGHT PIECE is not enough. It must also be in the RIGHT PLACE. Paul says, “Eagerly desire” the gifts of the spirit. What are the GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT? God gives supernatural gifts that allow for miraculous things like: knowing the future, knowing things about others that only could be spiritually revealed, speaking in a heavenly tongue, knowing how to speak languages you have never learned, interceding for the sick and they are healed. FROM THIS LIST Paul says, “ESPECIALLY PROPHECY.” Why? Because unlike the rest, this is a binding agent. It builds up the Church. The Greek word, “oikodomay” means “to build up” Paul teaches that, IF THE SIGN GIFTS ARE NOT BUILDING UP THE CHURCH THEY HAVE NO PURPOSE. God is a God of ORDER and PEACE. What does this mean? ORDER: There is protocol. Things should be done in an orderly way. PEACE: SHALOM. “Everything as it should be according to God.” Right piece, right place.
Discussion Questions
- How are the “sign gifts” misused in the Church? Have you ever experienced this?
- Is it fair to say that Paul has a greater purpose in this chapter than explaining the place of speaking in tongues and prophecy in the church service? What is that greater purpose?
- With all of our diversity, how can Trinity Church maintain unity regarding the different views on speaking in tongues and prophecy?
