Order in Worship (2)
Life after Pentecost (XIV)
1 Corinthians 14
Spiritual gifts are
wonderful, yet dangerous if it is used in wrong ways.
Spiritual gifts are not rewards.
They are not indication of Spiritual maturity.
They are gifts,
GRACE given by God to use for EDIFICATION of the Church, the body of Christ.
Here we are in chapter 14. After Paul talking about the spiritual gifts in chapter 12, he
moves to chapter 13 explaining why Love, AGAPE is the most important thing in
the body of the church. Now he moves to specifying the two gifts of talking
in tongues and prophecy.
Paul is concern that during worship and in church life in
general some of the gifts were reemphasized and some were proud that
they have it. Talking in God’s language is big thing. Yet, Paul who had this
gift is cautious. I remember in
“Now,
brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge
or prophecy or word of instruction? 7Even in the case of lifeless
things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what
tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?” (6-7)
I love this analogy. Take musical instruments. Every
instrument has an order and system that the musician can play. If it did not
sound the right notes, it is not music and everyone will close its ears. Musical
instruments should obey laws of harmony.
“8Again, if the trumpet does not
sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?”
Imagine,
the trumpet will be used for battle.
Soldiers know the tune for marching or attacking and so one. What if it just
makes notes without meaning, Chaos.
“So it is
with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone
know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10Undoubtedly
there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without
meaning. 11If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is
saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. 12So
it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in
gifts that build up the church.” (9-12)
Please notice
that Paul is not denying that talking in tongues exist. He is cautious
to be used not just for personal edification, but also with interpretation for
the edification of the all body. Therefore he insists that few words with
understanding rather words with no meaning.
Here we move to worship
services.
“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. 27If anyone speaks in a
tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must
interpret. 28If there is no interpreter,
the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
29Two
or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is
said. 30And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down,
the first speaker should stop. 31For you can all prophesy in turn so
that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32The spirits of
prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33For God is not a
God of disorder but of peace.” (26-33)
Every Sunday we have worship
service. Our worship has order:
Call to worship,
songs of praise and thanksgiving,
songs and prayers of confession,
prayers for congregation,
welcome and announcements,
the reading of the word,
teaching and preaching,
choir singing, or the band and offering ourselves to God,
and benediction.
I love it, yet I am worried
that we are fallen in a trap called, we have done
always this way. We evangelical who started to worship freely are fallen in
the same trap as it used to be with other orthodox traditions. We became too structured.
We lost with in the order the sense of spontaneity. Certain songs, pipe
organ, or modern instruments, drums guitars became the only the right way to
worship God. Paul is warning the first century church, and believe me it is
warning us today.
1- Worship must not be done in selfish way, MY WAY or
NO OTHER WAY.
We live in consumer society. The costumers must leave
the supermarket pleased. Church is not a shop or supermarket. We come to the
house of the Lord empty to be filled with the Spirit of the Lord. Music,
instruments are just means. If the music that is been used is not your style,
one can find other ways to be in communication with the Lord. Your attitude is
very important, Anyway, if you realize I try to use
all kind of musical instruments, all kinds of styles, so we can reach out for
all ages and tastes. I am challenging all of you saying what if the style is
not what you want, what if the preachers did not preach with passion and
charisma, are you going to leave the church because this church is not
satisfying your needs.
Ask yourself? What am I
looking in a church when I worship? Am I seeking God to use my gifts or I am “shopping’
a church which satisfy MY NEEDS. Worship must not be
done in selfish way. Paul is urging the
2- Worship must be intelligible.
Paul writes:
“For if I
pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15So
what shall I do? I will pray with my
spirit, but I will also pray with my
mind; I will sing with my spirit,
but I will also sing with my mind. 16If
you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among
those who do not understand[e] say
"Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are
saying? (14-17)
Our worship must be in a way
that the members can understand and use their spirit and their mind. God speaks
to us in different ways. Allow the Spirit of the Lord to touch your mind and
soul. I find sometimes we in our church stress too much the mind. And I see in some other churches the stress
in the soul, feelings. Let us worship God in spirit and mind.
3- Worship God on your Knees, broken, in repentance
Time to
grow up. Do you remember this from
chapter 13. I was like a child and now I am adult.
Paul brings an important
lesson from the Old testament. Remember he used to be
a Jewish rabbi. He knew his history very well.
“Brothers,
stop thinking like children. In
regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21In the Law it is written:
"Through
men of strange tongues
and through the lips of foreigners
I will speak to this people,
but even
then they will not listen to me,"[f] says the
Lord.” (20-21)
We read these verses in
Isaiah. Isaiah was telling to his people that because they did not obeyed to
God. God will send on them new people, Assyrians, who speak foreign language.
They will come and rain on Israelite. God will speak to this foreign nation.
The message is there but the Israelite will not understand it.
This is very sad and
dangerous. Imagine you are hearing and you do not understand.
What Paul says latter is important:
“Tongues,
then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is
for believers, not for unbelievers. 23So if the whole church comes
together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand[g] or some
unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24But
if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand[h]comes in while
everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and
will be judged by all, 25and the secrets of his heart will be laid
bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really
among you!" (22-25)
When a new person comes in to
church, can he find an atmosphere of believers who are on their knees in
humility worshiping God in a way that the prophecy-teaching-preaching is done
in a way that is constructive. The message should hit
our mind, soul, heart, feelings, everything. It is not just up to the preacher
only. The preacher should be prepared. The congregation has its role of coming
to church in empty cop, in humility, in confession, in repentance, in allowing
the Spirit to work in you. I will say therefore even the words are not enough. If we are not receptive to the Spirit of the Lord,
nothing will happen in your worship.
In the end:
Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and
do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40But everything should be done
in a fitting and orderly way.
Amen