.jpg)
Trinity Community Church
Trinity Community Church
Encounter - When You Come Together
In this insightful message from our “Encounter” series, Pastor Kelly Kinder explores the dynamics between order and edification in worship with his sermon titled “When You Come Together.” Drawing from 1 Corinthians 14:26-40, Kelly invites us to consider how our church gatherings can become more harmonious and meaningful when guided by the Holy Spirit.
Kelly reflects on how diverse perspectives shape our spiritual experiences and emphasizes the importance of unity in faith and purpose. He discusses the transformative role of spiritual gifts in building up the church, highlighting that these gifts are given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. By using our gifts with love and understanding, we foster spiritual maturity and strengthen the body of Christ.
Delving into Paul’s teachings, Kelly addresses the proper use of tongues and prophecy in worship. He explains that speaking in tongues should be done orderly and only when an interpreter is present, ensuring that the congregation can be edified. Prophecy should also be shared thoughtfully, with others evaluating the message to maintain clarity and truth.
Kelly doesn’t shy away from tackling challenging passages, such as Paul’s instructions regarding women in worship. He clarifies that the call for women to “be silent” was context-specific, aimed at maintaining order during services, rather than a blanket prohibition on women’s participation. The goal is to prevent confusion and allow everyone to hear what the Spirit is saying.
Throughout his message, Kelly emphasizes worshiping God in spirit and truth. He reflects on how a clear and thoughtful presentation of God’s word can lead to spiritual awakenings, even among unbelievers. By aligning our worship practices with God’s commands, we create an environment where attendees can encounter the risen Christ and experience transformative power.
Kelly encourages us to embrace the spiritual realm with open hearts, serving others through our spiritual gifts. He reminds us that when each part of the body is working properly, it leads to growth and unity within the church. By approaching our gatherings with love and service, we witness how God is actively building His church.
Join us as we continue the “Encounter” series, discovering how unity, love, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance enhance our worship experience. Let’s come together to encounter God in new and profound ways, fostering a harmonious and meaningful church life.
We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!
Find us on Facebook & Instagram
Let's open the scripture. This morning we want to talk in 1 Corinthians 14, 26-40. You'll be turning there. Let's begin with that. That's our primary text 1 Corinthians 14, 26-40. Just calling this.
Kelly Kinder:When you come together, when you come together and we'll come back to this passage by the end of our message, but let's just read it together come together with and we'll come back to this passage by the end of our message, but let's just read it together. What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up, if any, speak in a tongue, let there be only two, or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent, for you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets, for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. The women should keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the law says If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Or was it from you that the word of God came, or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So my brothers earnestly desire to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues, but all things should be done decently and in order.
Kelly Kinder:You know, a few years ago, new York Times article asked this intriguing question. That article says what do diamond earrings, an old window frame, a purple bicycle, a china teapot, a jigsaw puzzle, a flat iron instant ramen and an espresso machine have in common? Well, they were all gifts that respondents to a not-so-scientific field survey said were among the best or worst they'd ever received. If you were to guess which items were wildly appreciated versus deeply resented, you would most likely fail spectacularly. The diamond earrings bombed, for example, because the giver had not noticed that the recipient, his girlfriend of three years, did not have pierced ears. The instant ramen, on the other hand was a hit, because that particular flavor, spicy miso, was not widely available, and the recipient's mother, who knew her son was crazy about it, tracked down a whole case of it.
Kelly Kinder:You see, when it comes to gift-giving, context is everything, and that's never truer than when we come and how we come to see how church is supposed to function in the gifts of the Spirit, when we're ever together. And so we ask this question what should normal church be like and look like? And for all of us? We come from different perspectives and different backgrounds, and I was going to start out the message this morning with a few videos to kind of give you an idea of that, because some might offend if I were to have shown them, because they're really way out there and some would bore you to tears, you'd make you fall asleep. And so when we come together in worship, we think about the churches of Christ. They run the gamut, and so these words, decently and in order in our text this morning, I just think, well, that's somewhat a subjective phrase, isn't it? That could mean a lot of things to different people, to each one of us. And so what I want to talk to you this morning about is really the elephant in the room, in a sense that we all have these different perspectives and agendas on what church is supposed to look like, and we all have experiences that tell us this way is the right way or that way is the right way.
Kelly Kinder:Paul's answer about church order is really more about reality than it is about style. It's more about reality than it is about style. So we can let's just do this real quick Can we just stop right now and just pray together for unity in the spirit? So, father, I'm just so glad and grateful for every person that's here and you've brought us everyone from different backgrounds, different experiences, different places, different perspectives. But, lord, you, by your spirit, bring us together and we just pray, lord, that you bring us into one mind in the spirit of what you want to say to us this morning. Lord, teach us. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. So we're in this series. Have you been here?
Kelly Kinder:It's called Encounter, which is, as you know, it's really about opening, being open to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, what he wants to do with us, and so it's essential we get this right. It's essential because I think all of us want to come and we see God's presence. We're at work in what we're doing. Every time we come on, whether it's a Sunday or Wednesday, we want to know that God is here and he is here, but we want to experience him right. So the bottom line is and I think this comes from John 15, verse 26. It reminded me of this. Jesus said when the helper comes, remember he's our helper, whom I will send to you from the Father the spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father. He will witness about me. So this is what the Holy Spirit is about. He's about testifying to the person and work of Jesus Christ. That's his agenda and his goal is to guide us as believers, to honor his teachings and to understand what he wants to be for us. Jesus also said the spirit of truth will guide us into the truth.
Kelly Kinder:You ever been on a road where you weren't really paying attention in your car and you were kind of distracted and your car started veering off and those little, I don't know what they are. They're the corrugated places in the pavement and they really get your attention, don't they? They kind of keep you in the. It kind of disturbs you, it gets you back on the road again, and that's what the Holy Spirit's role for us is in the Christian life Sometimes to disturb us into getting back to where we need to be. And so that's important.
Kelly Kinder:Our desire I want you to hear this Our desire and I think this really comes from the elder team Our desire, our great desire, is for this church to be a word and spirit church, a word and spirit church, a word and spirit church. But what often happens is that we sort of land on either one or the other of those, without one or without the other all about the word but listen, without the power and influence of the Holy Spirit, or we're all about the Spirit while ignoring the guidance and the authority of the Scriptures. And, my friends, we need both. We need both, the Word and the Spirit. And so, to that end, I think, as you've been here, you listen, you can watch these online if you haven't We've looked at a variety of things for that.
Kelly Kinder:The first, we talked about the person and work of the Spirit, and then we moved into the fruit of the Spirit, and Tyler talked about hearing the voice of God for yourself and then for others. And then, last time, we looked specifically at the spiritual gift called tongues which may be different for some of us. You know, that may not be your gift, but that is a gift that's available for us. And so today, what I wanted to do is just to kind of see the importance of using all the gifts of the Spirit so that we minister to one another in an intelligible way. That's what this passage is really all about how the gifts of the Spirit are to operate when we get together, first in terms of the overall purpose and plan of God for the church, and then next, specifically, how the gifts of the Spirit can actually ignite an encounter for us as we come together. We may not have ever realized that, but again, I hope that's what we all want. I hope that's what we all want. But, as Paul is going through this scripture, paul's great concern is again, when we come together, that we use our gifts in a clear and in understandable way for a particular reason. That's for the edification of the church, and we're going to talk about that this morning.
Kelly Kinder:So, for our time together, let me just give you three words, three words as sort of hooks or pegs to hang your thoughts on. The first word is purpose purpose. The next word, the second word principle and the third word protocol, purpose, principle, protocol. So with that let's turn first to Paul's letter to the Ephesians. We come back to this, 1 Corinthians, in a minute. But here Paul gives us first of all sort of a I guess a sort of top down 35,000 foot view perspective, a cosmic perspective, if you will, on the work and plan for the church as we use the gifts of the Spirit, for us as a church and as individuals. And there we find the first point, the ultimate purpose of the gifts I want you to hear this, the ultimate purpose of the gifts. Ephesians 4, verses 7 and 8,.
Kelly Kinder:But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, it says, when he ascended on high he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men. And the first thing to note here is this that grace was given to each of us. If you belong to Jesus Christ, you have at least one and probably more spiritual gifts, and you received those gifts when you came to Christ. The Spirit gives those gifts out. It says Christ measured them out. If you go to Romans 12, you'll see that the measure of our gift is supposed to be associated with a degree of faith to use them. I encourage you to Romans 12, 1 and 2, go back and look. It says don't think too highly of yourself about your gift and don't think of yourself as a nobody. God has given you. The Holy Spirit has given you a gift to be used in the body. Notice also he gave. It says gifts to men. You know what happens when Christ went to the cross. What happened? He was vindicated at the cross. He was vindicated by his resurrection and ascension and as a conqueror over our enemy, over his enemy. He defeated Satan. He rose again. He ascended to the right hand of God. And notice, though, that Jesus, it says he gave out gifts, but he really in this giving the gifts. He really took the spoils of war from Satan. Those were his. He won those, and yet what we see here is Jesus doesn't keep those gifts for himself. He gave these gifts out as gifts of grace to us as church.
Kelly Kinder:You know, a few years ago, many years ago actually, I was seven or eight. You know, it's kind of funny what you remember when you're a kid, right? And I always just think you know, god wanted me to remember this. That's why I remember it as a kid of seven years, eight years old, I was one day invited to a birthday party. Seven years old, I was one day invited to a birthday party and I knew what I wanted to get my friend, because I wanted it myself. And so what mom did was she took me to I don't know some of you still may remember Kmart. It was like she took me to a place to get a toy and I knew exactly which one I wanted and I picked that out and I said I know this is what he'll like. And she said, well, let's, we got home, let's wrap it. And I said, well, let me, I kind of need to test this out. And so all day, and she let me, I don't know why she let me all day I played with my friend's gift and by the end of the day, as you can imagine, my gift, friend's gift, and by the end of the day, as you can imagine my gift, the toy was no longer something I would. It was fit to give away. And so I guess my mom, she took me back and we got another one. I still remember that.
Kelly Kinder:But you know I have the analogy for us in terms of spiritual gifts. Sometimes we treat our spiritual gifts like toys that we want to use for ourselves, when God wants us to use them as presents to give away to other people. And we can be so enamored with what he's given us that we forget the purpose that they were given. Sometimes we treat those gifts like they're our own. It says he gave gifts to men and he did that for a reason. Have you ever wondered why Jesus gave the gifts?
Kelly Kinder:Here's some scriptures. Maybe we'll kind of tweak your memory here. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, john 3.16. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners Romans 5.8. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 1 John 3.16. And so by that we see the ultimate purpose for the gifts. A few verses later, actually in Ephesians 4.15 and 16, listen to the verse here.
Kelly Kinder:Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him, who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it's equipped. When each part is working properly, don't forget that makes the body grow and then underline this so that it builds itself up in love. That word building up, there is the word oikodomeo or oikodome. It's two words. Oiko or oikos is house, dome is build. So it's really about to build a house.
Kelly Kinder:Say, what is that talking about? He's talking not about a physical house. He's talking about building a spiritual house, and everyone who is a person, who belongs to Christ is a stone in that house, or, as he calls God's building. You are God's building, you are God's temple. Scripture says, and every one of you who know Christ is part of that house. So to build up the body, what does that mean? Really part of that house? So to build up the body, what does that mean really? We're doing whatever helps the church and the individuals who make it up. I just think of it like this to be all we're meant to be in Christ, to be all we're meant to be. Are you all you're meant to be this morning? Not yet right. So that's why church is so important, because the body helps you become all that you're meant to be, and that would include everything from being stronger spiritually, wiser, more mature, more patient, more kind, more holy, etc. Etc. Etc. So that you look and I look more and more and more like Jesus Christ.
Kelly Kinder:So the ultimate purpose of the gifts thing is for the, for the church, to build itself up in love. The goal, folks, is the gifts are not the goal, love is the goal. And Paul says the the goal of my instruction is what it's love first with pure heart and then a sincere faith. So, my friends, don't become so enamored with the gifts that you lose sight of this goal love, the gifts, are merely presence of grace. We're supposed to pass out to every person we see who has a need. So my question for us this morning is what did you come to give away today? As Paul says that if I have gifts but I don't have love, I am nothing. See, gifts are temporary, love is eternal. So that's what we want to be about, and so we often get caught up in this. What did I experience at church today? What did I experience? Well, here's a better question who did I love? Who did I love? Well, that brings us to our second truth this morning, what we may call the essential principle of encounter. This is so cool, the principle of encounter. And for that let's turn now to 1 Corinthians, chapter 14. And here he uses chapter 14 sort of as an end result of all he's been saying, from chapter 8 through chapter up to this point, chapter 14. And here's this Corinthian church. This is a church with amazing potential. In fact, paul says. He says you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord, jesus Christ, and you're ready, you've got it all the church with amazing potential.
Kelly Kinder:But they also had a host of problems. This was one of the most problematic churches in the New Testament and one of their biggest problem was disorder in the time they met together concerning their gifts, trouble over spiritual gifts. For example, when it came to the gift of tongues, there were some who didn't understand what other people were saying when they shared the message in tongues, and so some people were offended by that. You ever thought about it? There are some people who just haven't been around that gift and they don't know and they don't understand.
Kelly Kinder:Can you imagine what was happening in the early church, this church that Paul is talking to? Is that conceivably? Everybody who had this spiritual gift called tongues was standing up and everybody was talking at the same time in a language that nobody understood how confusing, how chaotic. And Paul's just telling them that tongues aren't helpful to anyone if no one understands it. They're confusing. On the other hand, there were some people who prophesied, who would tend to just kind of take up all the airtime. They got up there and they got the microphone and they just went on and on and on, and so there was some competition, if you will, to speak and to be up front, and many were speaking also at the same time, but very few were polite enough to listen to each other. So you kind of get this Paul is looking at all this and he's going. What in the world? In essence, they were acting more like children with toys than they were Christians of faith. So the result was what? There was more confusion than understanding.
Kelly Kinder:Whenever they got together and what Paul was doing, he's calling for spiritual maturity in this church. He says stop being kids, stop being children, stop thinking like children, but think in a mature way. And so, in order to correct this chaos, paul has to remind them of a fundamental principle that would help them to encounter the very presence of Christ that they so desperately desired but they had missed. Here's the principle found in verses 33 and 40. First, verse 33 of chapter 14, god is not a God of disorder, but of peace. Verse 33 of chapter 14, god is not a God of disorder, but of peace. Therefore, jump down to verse 40,. All things should be done decently and in order. And I was just thinking about this. God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. So all things should be done decently, in order.
Kelly Kinder:That brings us back to what I thought about is that if God is a God of order, where do we see that? Most of all, in creation. Everybody can look up and see God at some degree, at some level, and I had a picture. Have you got that picture I wanted to show? Let us look at this for just a minute. Not sure it's there. So we're in the fall of the year. Have you ever taken the time just to sit on your porch and pick up a leaf that's fallen into the yard and hold it up and look at the amazing design and order that's in that leaf? God is a God of order. In other words, there's symmetry, there's balance, there's design, there's order, there's even timing. The leaves don't fall, but when In the fall, there's seasons, there's seasons, and we're supposed to learn something from that by watching what we see in creation.
Kelly Kinder:How many of you lately have opened your closet or looked at your desk or went into your garage? If you open your closet, does everything in there fall out on the floor in front of you? But see, there's something within us that I think it's God designed that. You know, I looked at my desk this morning before I left and, boy, in preparation for the message, I had books everywhere. It was a mess and sort of along the way it starts messing with my mind. My wife was telling me this morning she had heard something about how they had recent research that said, when your brain is so caught up with all these things, it actually messes with us in a physical way in our brain. And so this is the way God wants us to look at this.
Kelly Kinder:Make a comparison with what you see with what I require in worship. Jesus stated this specifically in John 4, 24. Do you get the connection here? God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. And so Paul's argument here is because God is a God of order and peace, your worship should reflect his nature no chaos, no confusion In spirit and in truth, in spirit means with the heart, as opposed to rituals or maybe traditions, but in truth it means accurately, in line with his nature. The best thing we could have that would help us in our worship is for you and me to know who God is in his nature, and that will guide us. It will align us with everything he wants to accomplish, instead of us kind of getting different ideas about how we should do church. So here's the thing If you want to encounter God when we're together, then you must understand how God is to be worshiped. That's what Jesus is teaching in John 4. And so the idea is to always value, always value highest, the clearest communication, so that people can understand and appreciate and therefore respond to what's being said by the Spirit of God. We have to understand.
Kelly Kinder:And so Paul contrasts these two gifts of prophecy and tongues that they were so up in disagreement about. In fact, paul expects here's what he expects that clear communication will result in people who visit he calls them outsiders or unbelievers they too will have a genuine encounter with the living God. I was talking about my time years ago at the college group, and every time we'd sit in there it was uncanny how sometimes the message was not anything about evangelism, but there were people who heard the word and got saved. And we would have people every Sunday coming to Christ and thinking, well, he didn't even share the gospel specific, like I would have done it, and yet the Spirit of God spoke directly, cutting them to the heart and helping them see their need for Jesus Christ for their sins. So here's what he gives us an example of this. This is so cool.
Kelly Kinder:He says if, therefore, verse 23, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues and outsiders or unbelievers enter, and will they not say that you are out of your mind? In other words, if no one understands someone who speaks in tongues and there's no interpreter, they won't understand, in fact, they'll think you're crazy. They won't understand, in fact, they'll think you're crazy. But if all prophesy and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 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. Do you see how God's word can, if it's clearly presented, or the person who is speaking the mind of God through a prophecy or a word of maybe a song or a hymn or some kind of instruction. If that's revealed through the Spirit of God to us as people and to those who are outsiders, it can flip everything. Because it says the enemy Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers so they can't even see the gospel. So it takes the power of God to turn that around so that people can actually understand what God intends for them to understand, and the gifts of the Spirit help us do that.
Kelly Kinder:So this is nothing less, folks, than spiritual awakening. Do you want that for our church? Absolutely. So. If Paul is basically saying this, we can expect to encounter the risen Christ when we worship the true God in the right way, not how we think he ought to be worshipped, but as he is in spirit and in truth. That's so important. Lastly, having clearly in mind the purpose of God through the gifts, that is what is it. Build up the body in love and then here the principle for encounter, worship the true God in the gifts. That is what is it. Build up the body in love and then hear the principle for encounter, worship the true God in the right way.
Kelly Kinder:We come last to the proper protocol for worship, and this is from our readings this morning. And the question I just ask is how can we best allow the Spirit of God to work among us in our time together? I mean, our time is pretty short, unless you're in a church that goes for hours. Our time is pretty short together on a Sunday. So we've got this narrow window for God to do His thing. So I hope we all come expecting that God. Will we get ourselves in a position to hear His voice, the proper protocol for worship.
Kelly Kinder:And let me just say this we certainly, as elders, we certainly don't want to quench or grieve the Spirit or control anything that he's doing, what he desires to do among us, but we do want to follow Christ's instruction through Paul. Here Paul doesn't say I'm giving you my opinion, here's what I think we ought to do among us, but we do want to follow Christ's instruction through Paul. Here Paul doesn't say I'm giving you my opinion, here's what I think we ought to do. No, he says this is the command of the Lord. So I want to just kind of make this last part just as practical as we can. Here Let me just say a couple of things.
Kelly Kinder:And here's the thing there may be several people who come here on a Sunday, who have on any given Sunday, they believe they have something from God to share with the church. And the question to ask in every time is will this word build up the church in love? He says in verse 26,. He says in verse 26, when you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. Can somebody get me some water? Yeah, thank you. Let all things be done for building up, thank you.
Kelly Kinder:And I just kind of want to tell you what this looks like for us as the pastors, because sometimes you'll see someone come up occasionally with something that they'd like to share, and that's great. But what is going on with us? What's going on with us? What are we talking about when somebody does that? Well, I'll tell you. One of the things we do is we listen to hear is this biblical? What is this person sharing? Is it biblical?
Kelly Kinder:And then we also look, I think and this is sort of not easy to do we try to get a sense on what the Holy Spirit has been doing all along in the worship service. And I will tell you just as an example, a real example. You don't get to see that because we see it from the end result. We know what the message is going to be, but I don't coordinate with anybody else about the songs. We don't coordinate with anybody else about the songs. We don't coordinate with anybody else about anyone that gets up and shares. God just does it and we're trying to discern is this the Holy Spirit and example?
Kelly Kinder:This morning I was actually thinking of the Scripture. The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. I was actually going to share that and Brooke ended up reading that very scripture. See how that kind of works. And we're trying to see, we're trying to put all these things together and trying to discern is this of God? So that we can get a clear message, so that it would be understandable when that happens. I hate it for you but we as pastors, we get to see all that and that's why I'm telling you you just got to understand God does things that a lot of times we don't see God's at work in this place when you may think nothing is happening. He is walking among the lampstands, folks. He's walking among His church. So we don't want to grieve or quench the Spirit and when someone shares a message, it could be, for example, something that's spontaneous off the cuff, as God gives them in the moment something to say, or it could be something they've thought about all week. Both of those are okay. There's nothing magical about something being spontaneous. If it's for God's people, that's okay.
Kelly Kinder:So now in Paul, in verse 26 through 40, he gives us these specific guidances on how we should order our times together. And again he's playing these two scriptures, these two gifts off from one another prophecy and tongues, because it's kind of representative of all the other things that God might want to do. First of all, tongues. He says, speaking of that, the Lord, not Paul limits the number of speakers with the gift of tongues. And then he asks for them to restrain themselves when an interpreter is not present. In other words, they're supposed to exercise some self-control. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or three at most, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there's no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. So a few bullet points into there. First, he's telling us tongues are not to be prohibited. They're a spiritual gift. So don't prevent anyone from speaking in tongues. So that's verse 39.
Kelly Kinder:But Paul does have some conditions here. Let's say, for example, that a person comes in and he has a message in tongues and what Paul says he says it up in verse 13. He said that person who thinks they have a message in tongues should first pray privately verse 13, that he would understand what he doesn't understand when he's speaking in the Spirit in tongues. He should pray that he would understand it so he can give the interpretation. Maybe he hears accurately, maybe he hears should have bought a Honda, but I bought a Kia and of course I'm being silly, but I want you to understand that the enemy can counterfeit stuff like that. This is what Paul was having to deal with with that first Corinthian church.
Kelly Kinder:A lot of people were coming out of the sibling cults and it was normal for them to talk at the same time, to have ecstatic utterances in the spirit tongues, and even anthropologists will tell you there are religions all around the world where their adherents speak in tongues. So tongues doesn't necessarily mean it's of God. There needs to be someone who interprets what is said, the person who believes he has a message in tongues. If that's the case and they feel like they have a clear, beneficial interpretation, what should happen? Well, they should give that message in English if they know what it is. And what happens is, at that moment, if you've come up and shared with us, we're going to give you the microphone, or hold on to it for some of the cases, and let you share that message. And if you can interpret that message I think we had one last week then all good and fine. But if they give the message in a tongue, no one understands it. What's the pastor going to do? He'll say does anyone here have the interpretation? Anyone? And if there is someone, he would get up and share that message in English so we all could understand. And then, if not, paul says well, you need to just sit down, please. This is not of God, and so that's sort of the way that works.
Kelly Kinder:Prophecy, let's go to that. It's sort of similar. There's some similarities with the protocol for tongues, but it's a little different. A little different in some ways. Paul says the Lord again, not Paul limits the number of speakers with the gift of prophecy and he has them also restrain themselves when something is revealed to them to another speaker.
Kelly Kinder:So listen to the scripture. Let two or three prophets speak and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent, for you all can prophesy, one by one. He doesn't mean the whole congregation. Get that. He's saying all you who have the prophetic word today, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. And the spirit of prophets are subject to prophets. So bullet points Number one is two to three prophets should speak.
Kelly Kinder:And when we're thinking about prophecy it's not so much. A lot of times we think of that as foretelling. Sometimes we tell or foretelling, telling the future. But it's really foretelling, it's explaining. But Paul specifically says the prophet is a person verse 3, that builds, encourages and comforts people. So if you're down, you'll get a benefit from that. If you're discouraged, you'll be benefited by that. If you feel like you need somebody to give you a little bump and say, yeah, go ahead and do that, that's for you. That is the prophetic word that's given, not so much predictive as basically something for the here and now, to encourage the body.
Kelly Kinder:And then he says others should evaluate or judge the message. They should weigh in on what is said. And the question there is about who are the others that are supposed to be weighing in. Some people think it's the prophet, people who have the prophetic gifts themselves. Other times people say, well, it could be the whole body. And here's where I think we may sometimes miss it. I think the early church, when people shared these things, probably just stopped. We feel like we have to keep moving. They just stopped and they weighed these things, and what did they do? They prayed for discernment. So we're so in a rush to make it happen, and sometimes we just need to stop and pray and ask God what are you saying here? God Is this? You and so others evaluate or judge the message, and so any of these prophets if it's prophets, they could also weigh in on these words and give their thoughts. Yeah, this is God. This is God. It has the character of God. This is biblical, this is encouraging to the body.
Kelly Kinder:And then the last, the one that he says in verses 30 to 31, is take turns. I mean, don't get up there and be a Mike Hogg. Realize there are other people that have a word from God too. You have the Spirit of God in you too. So if another person receives a prophetic message. While the first one is speaking, it says the first person should sit down. I think it doesn't mean that he necessarily interrupts that prophet. It could be. Have you ever been in a conversation where someone is saying something and you say let me stop you just a minute because it's relevant to the thing they just said? It could be that. Or it could just mean, well, let the guy finish, but he needs to finish, hurry up and finish and sit down and let the next guy go who's got something to say. So that's two.
Kelly Kinder:Now it says the third one, paul, wants to address his women with questions, and when I was talking to the elders they said well, you are a brave man, because it says the women should keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak but should be in submission. As the law also says, if there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. You are a brave man. So, oh, my goodness, look at the time Kind of got in my way. Now I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of you women. That was probably not smart, patty. Okay, really, I'm really not afraid, because this is the Word of God.
Kelly Kinder:The problem is understanding it, interpreting it right, and of course we don't have all the clues. We don't have all the answers here. We're trying to. You know, if you read through the book of 1 Corinthians, what Paul does is he answers questions that we don't have the questions for. He gives the answers to the questions that we don't have. So we have to sort of read through the lines here. Here's the thing Be silent, it cannot mean that women are never to speak in church, because in chapter 11, it says they both can prophesy and they can pray publicly in church. So we can't mean that. So I got to thinking I'm a little bit of a pickle here, so I don't know what to tell you. No, I'm kidding, I had.
Kelly Kinder:This thought in my mind is that when I'm envisioning what Paul is experiencing, he's looking on the outside end and he's seeing all this chaos and confusion going on. And he's already told those who have tongues, sometimes they just need to be silent, and prophets, sometimes you need to sit down and be quiet. It's not your turn. And he's telling the women a similar thing be silent. His concern is always to hear clearly what the Spirit is saying to the churches. And so here's what I envision Say, a prophet gets up to speak or a tongue is given, an interpretation is given in the church, and someone raises a hand, a woman raises her hands and has a question, and so it sort of gets people. There's a you know what a rabbit trail is, right. So the question brings that whole body off on a rabbit trail, and so they really start getting off of the thing, the very thing that God wants to say. And he said don't do that, let those women just ask the question at home from their husbands.
Kelly Kinder:That brings up the other thing which I think is more significant, and Paul is concerned to maintain social conventions, because in that day, it was a shame for women to talk to another man that wasn't her husband. In fact, that was true in the marketplace, it was true in the churches, and Paul's basically trying to say I don't want you to look like the pagans, and so you need to respect these social conventions, because it looks bad. And I think Paul is reflecting that to some degree. Well, we don't have that today in the 21st century, right? It's not the same culture quite, thank the Lord, right.
Kelly Kinder:But I think it's basically to respect the idea that God has a message here, and everyone should minister in an intelligible manner so that everyone who comes and listens will be edified. They'll be built up in love. That's the goal, and great things can happen, my friends, when we listen to the word of God. Spirit-led worship can happen when we will believe and follow and honor God's word. You believe that? Well, let me leave you with just a few little bullet points I just want to share with you. Then we'll get out of here.
Kelly Kinder:The first is I want you to understand we as a church, we believe that all the gifts of the first century are available for the 21st century. We're a full gifted church, and so one of the things I just encourage you to do is, if you don't know what your gift is, there's a fit class for that that Mark Maile teaches. Another way you could do is just follow some people around that you admire, who you see operating in a particular gift. There's all kinds of gifts, and the ones that are listed, by the way, in the New Testament are just representative. So God is a multifaceted God, but I just encourage you to find your gift, and the other way to do it is just to try it out what you think you might be. Step out in faith and begin to serve the body. None of us, let me say it again, none of us who belong to Christ should be sitting doing nothing. I hope that doesn't step on your toes too badly. But you know, I have this.
Kelly Kinder:When I moved into our house years ago, one of the things I noticed at the bottom of the foundation, I thought, okay, there's something wrong with that. But the closer I got to the corner of the house, I saw, okay, there's something wrong with that. The closer I got to the corner of the house, I saw a brick was missing and I thought, how odd, here's a brick. Where's the brick? I looked down on the ground and I couldn't find it. I had to go get another one to fit in there. No, I take that back. I did find the brick on the ground and I put it back in place. It was out of place. It wasn't where it was supposed to be.
Kelly Kinder:And we're like that a lot of times is that we're just sort of out of the church life. We need to be back into the place God wants us to be so that we can minister to the rest of the building right or the rest of the house. 1 Corinthians says something interesting 2.12,. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And here's the other thing that relates to we all have to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit. And so, thinking about this, we all have to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit. And so, thinking about this, we all have physical senses, but you also have a spiritual sense. We're not just body alone, we're body, soul and spirit. There's a physical and there's an immaterial part of us, and we all have to learn how to be in tune with that spiritual side, in tune with God, spirit to spirit. And so when we cultivate our spiritual side, we become more sensitive to what the spirit wants to do when we're together. And we just kind of do that. We have to train our spiritual side. We do that through the word of God, through prayer, by being in fellowship with one another.
Kelly Kinder:And then the last thing we're often fearful, I think, of what we don't understand. Maybe we haven't seen, or maybe are really focused in on our physical faculties because we don't maybe see quite yet in a spiritual way, but that doesn't make the spiritual less real. It doesn't make the spiritual less real, doesn't make the spiritual less real. In fact, it might be more real than the physical. I know it's eternal and our physical is not so, and I say this, but in spite of I guess in spite of us at times.
Kelly Kinder:You know the Lord. He is building up his church in love and he's going to do that through surrendered believers who believe in the gifts, who use their gifts and serve with their gifts to the glory of God. Amen. So let's pray. Father, we're so grateful for what you do in our midst. Lord, we know you're here, we know you're at work and, lord, we just invite you to work even more among us. Lord, help us to use our gifts in faithful, extravagant ways, lord, that we don't keep those gifts to ourselves, but, lord, as presents. We come to every Sunday service and every Wednesday, every time we meet together and we think who will I love today through my gifts. Do that. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
