•I Corinthians 14:20-25
•Surely God is with Us
•Corinth
20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 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.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 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? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 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.
(I Corinthians 14:20-25, ESV)
Main Point
• These verses conclude a long argument about corporate worship
• It has led to their focusing on themselves
• If the purpose of gathering is the individual, then the conclusion should be speaking in tongues
• The main purpose, however, is to to be faithful to God by blessing one another
• To even the outsider if we all speak in tongues then the congregation will seem out of its mind
• It we all prophesy then even the outsider would fall on their face declaring God is with such a people
Application Points
• Surely God is with Us
– We often think that coming together we will receive all we need spiritually
– Where we (I) can grow and where the focus should be on what we (I) want
– In the New Testament they show a time of corporate learning, of being educated, and being able to practice our spiritual gifts together
– It shows an emptying of oneself
– Some might think this rather exhausting
– We are busy enough!
– Sounds like not focusing on having ones cup filled, but emptying ones cup for each other
Application Points
• Surely God is with Us (2)
– Perhaps this is why we feel so alien even in our own congregations
– Everyone is so focused on themselves when we gather that no one is focused on each other
– We focus on our own desires, wants, and needs
– In context Paul does not say anything negative about personal spirituality or the spiritual gift of tongues
– He does not say speaking in tongues has no value for the personal believer
– He is focused on the community experience and the need for the community to be built up
Application Points
• Surely God is with Us (3)
– If everyone speaks in tongues no one is built up
– Instead the goal should be to encourage one another and showing true faith in Christ
– What is true faith in Christ?
– By focusing on the other…Jesus emptied Himself of life itself
– Did this lead to Jesus being forever in darkness?
– It led to Him receiving everything
– If we have faith in Christ then we will seek to live accordance with Christ
– That fulfillment will not be found in being childish…but looking around and seeking to be emptied for on another
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Application Points
• Surely God is with Us (4)
– This way of understanding changes our perspective from one like a child into maturity
– What are some things our children never need to learn?
– To seek to gratify themselves above all
– It requires to gain knowledge, mature in our thinking
– Jesus Breaks the brokenness within ourselves
– He puts to shame the wisdom of the world
– The more we live according to Christ and His ways, the more we will bless those around us
– In Isaiah the speaking of foreign tongues is a sign to unbelievers
– If in unfaithfulness in the community it leads to God being against them…isn’t it wiser to seek to be faithful to God instead?
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Application Points
• Surely God is with Us (5)
– What is the purpose of our gatherings
– If we seek to dress to impress…then we will do whatever we can in order to make ourselves look good
– We’ve discussed the issue of our individualism, but this can become corporate
– Do we look good by watering down the Gospel?
– By not teaching the hard truths?
– What if our focus and our attention was not on the outside world?
– What if the purpose is for us to encounter God?
– What if we don’t seek out own esteem, but God Himself?
– It requires us to be forced into a maturity both individualistically and corporately
– To continue to learn about this God and His desires for us so we can seek to be the most faithful we can be
– By being faithful God will be among us
– Not because of our emotionalism, or because we are “ultra spiritual” but because God promised to be with the faithful
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Application Points
• Surely God is with Us (6)
– Let us seek to be faithful in all things
– When we seek Him above all, that is when God will be among us
– This this be our purpose, our goal, and let us not be content with anything other than God with us
– Rejoicing in each other as we seek God with us as individuals and together as we gather
– Let us be a thoughtful people, recognizing our need for change, to set aside our childish ways
– Praise God for what He has accomplished through Jesus
– Praise God that we can seek, and we can find, the greatest blessing which is God Himself
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•Application Points
•The Gospel of Christ
–Origins
–Where we began
–Fall
–What went wrong
–Redemption
–How it is fixed
–Glorification
–Where it at leads
