Order, Understanding, and Spiritual Gifts in Worship

Devotional

Day 1: Order in Spiritual Gifts

In the church at Corinth, Paul emphasizes the importance of order and understanding when using spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of speaking in tongues. While speaking in tongues can be a valuable personal devotional practice, in public worship, it should be limited and accompanied by interpretation to ensure that the entire congregation is edified. This approach ensures that the message is clear and beneficial to all present, fostering a sense of unity and mutual growth within the church community. Paul himself, though grateful for his ability to speak in tongues, prioritizes speaking in a language understood by the congregation to benefit them spiritually. [07:31]

1 Corinthians 14:27-28 (ESV): "If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God."

Reflection: How can you contribute to creating an environment of order and understanding in your church's worship services?

Day 2: Scripture as the Foundation

Grounding beliefs and practices in Scripture is crucial to avoid confusion and conflicting doctrines. The Bible serves as the ultimate authority, providing clarity and a firm foundation for faith and practice. Without a scriptural basis, traditions and revelations can lead to chaos and subjective interpretations. This is particularly important in a world where various religious experiences and teachings may deviate from biblical truth. By adhering to Scripture, believers can ensure that their faith is rooted in truth and not swayed by personal or cultural trends. [12:50]

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV): "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

Reflection: What steps can you take to ensure that your beliefs and practices are firmly grounded in Scripture?

Day 3: Transcending Language in Worship

The gift of tongues is presented as a means to express deep spiritual emotions and gratitude to God, which often surpass the limitations of human language. This practice allows believers to communicate with God in a more profound way, bypassing the constraints of intellect and vocabulary, and offering a fuller expression of worship and prayer. It highlights the struggle of expressing deep spiritual emotions and gratitude to God due to the limitations of human language and intellect. Speaking in tongues is seen as a way to transcend these limitations, allowing for a fuller expression of worship and prayer. [41:51]

Romans 8:26 (ESV): "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

Reflection: In what ways can you seek to deepen your communication with God beyond the limitations of language?

Day 4: Faith and Humility in Spiritual Gifts

Engaging in the gift of tongues requires faith and humility, as it involves setting aside intellectual pride and embracing a form of communication that may not be fully understood by the mind. This practice challenges believers to trust in the Holy Spirit's guidance and to be open to the ways God chooses to work in their lives. It requires a willingness to embrace the unknown and to trust that God is at work, even when it is not fully comprehensible. This humility and faith are essential for spiritual growth and for experiencing the fullness of God's gifts. [49:09]

James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."

Reflection: What is one area of your spiritual life where you need to set aside intellectual pride and embrace humility?

Day 5: Openness to the Holy Spirit's Work

Believers are encouraged to remain open to the Holy Spirit's work, avoiding the pride of feeling spiritually self-sufficient. It calls for a continual dependence on God and a willingness to receive whatever He has for us, fostering a humble and receptive attitude towards spiritual growth and the gifts God provides. This openness allows for a deeper relationship with God and a greater experience of His presence and power in our lives. It is a call to be receptive to God's guidance and to trust in His plans and purposes. [01:00:02]

Galatians 5:25 (ESV): "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."

Reflection: How can you cultivate a more open and receptive attitude towards the Holy Spirit's work in your life today?

Sermon Summary

In addressing the church in Corinth, Paul provides guidance on the use of the gift of speaking in tongues, emphasizing the importance of order and understanding within the church assembly. He acknowledges the personal value of speaking in tongues in private devotion but stresses that in public worship, it should be limited and accompanied by interpretation to ensure edification for all present. Paul himself, though grateful for his ability to speak in tongues, prioritizes speaking in a language understood by the congregation to benefit them spiritually.

The sermon underscores the necessity of grounding our beliefs and practices in Scripture, warning against traditions and revelations that lack a biblical basis. The Bible is presented as the ultimate authority, providing clarity and preventing confusion that arises from conflicting revelations or doctrines. This is illustrated through a discussion on the Mormon Church and other religious experiences that deviate from scriptural teachings.

The sermon also explores the personal and communal aspects of spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of tongues. It highlights the struggle of expressing deep spiritual emotions and gratitude to God due to the limitations of human language and intellect. Speaking in tongues is seen as a way to transcend these limitations, allowing for a fuller expression of worship and prayer. This practice, however, requires faith and humility, as it involves setting aside intellectual pride and embracing a form of communication that may not be fully understood by the mind.

Ultimately, the sermon calls for an openness to the Holy Spirit's work, encouraging believers to remain humble and dependent on God. It emphasizes the importance of being receptive to God's guidance and the gifts He provides, while maintaining a commitment to scriptural truth as the foundation for faith and practice.

Key Takeaways

1. iy4xxLH8yk&t=451s'>[07:31]
2. Scripture as the Final Authority: The sermon stresses the importance of grounding our beliefs and practices in Scripture. Without a scriptural basis, traditions and revelations can lead to confusion and conflicting doctrines. The Bible serves as the ultimate authority, providing a clear foundation for faith and practice, and preventing the chaos that arises from subjective interpretations.

3. Expressing Deep Spiritual Emotions: The gift of tongues is presented as a means to express deep spiritual emotions and gratitude to God, which often surpass the limitations of human language. This practice allows believers to communicate with God in a more profound way, bypassing the constraints of intellect and vocabulary, and offering a fuller expression of worship and prayer.

4. Faith and Humility in Spiritual Gifts: Engaging in the gift of tongues requires faith and humility, as it involves setting aside intellectual pride and embracing a form of communication that may not be fully understood by the mind. This practice challenges believers to trust in the Holy Spirit's guidance and to be open to the ways God chooses to work in their lives.

5. Openness to the Holy Spirit's Work: The sermon encourages believers to remain open to the Holy Spirit's work, avoiding the pride of feeling spiritually self-sufficient. It calls for a continual dependence on God and a willingness to receive whatever He has for us, fostering a humble and receptive attitude towards spiritual growth and the gifts God provides.

** [07:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:04] - Addressing Abuses in Corinth
[07:31] - Limitations in Public Worship
[10:24] - Traditions vs. Scripture
[12:50] - Scripture as Authority
[15:18] - Conflicting Revelations
[19:08] - Testing Spirits
[21:53] - Practices Without Scriptural Basis
[24:26] - Misinterpretations of Tongues
[28:20] - Childhood Experiences
[34:23] - Personal Study and Realizations
[39:08] - Purpose of Tongues
[41:51] - Expressing Spiritual Emotions
[47:04] - Praying in God's Will
[49:09] - Faith and Intellect
[55:49] - Future of Spiritual Gifts

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

1 Corinthians 14:1-33
2 Peter 1:3
Galatians 1:8

---

Observation Questions:

What specific instructions does Paul give regarding the use of the gift of tongues in the church assembly? How does he suggest it should be practiced to ensure edification for all? [07:31]
According to the sermon, what is the role of Scripture in guiding our beliefs and practices? How does this relate to the examples given about the Mormon Church? [12:50]
How does the sermon describe the personal value of speaking in tongues in private devotion? What limitations does Paul place on its use in public worship? [08:20]
What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between spiritual gifts and intellectual pride? How does this relate to the need for faith and humility? [49:09]

---

Interpretation Questions:

How does Paul’s emphasis on order and understanding in worship challenge or affirm current practices in your church community? What might be the benefits of following his guidance? [09:55]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that grounding our beliefs in Scripture can prevent confusion and conflicting doctrines? How might this apply to modern religious experiences? [12:50]
How does the sermon explain the struggle of expressing deep spiritual emotions and gratitude to God? In what ways does the gift of tongues help transcend these limitations? [41:51]
What does the sermon imply about the necessity of faith and humility in embracing spiritual gifts? How might this challenge someone’s intellectual pride? [49:09]

---

Application Questions:

Reflect on your personal devotional practices. How might incorporating the gift of tongues, as described in the sermon, enhance your private worship experience? [08:20]
Consider the traditions and practices in your church. Are there any that lack a solid scriptural basis? How can you address these in a way that promotes clarity and unity? [12:50]
Think about a time when you struggled to express your gratitude or emotions to God. How might the practice of speaking in tongues, as described in the sermon, offer a fuller expression of your worship? [41:51]
How can you cultivate an openness to the Holy Spirit’s work in your life while maintaining a commitment to scriptural truth? What steps can you take to ensure you remain humble and dependent on God? [01:00:02]
Identify an area in your life where intellectual pride might be hindering your spiritual growth. How can you practice humility and faith to overcome this barrier? [49:09]
How can you encourage others in your church to prioritize order and understanding in worship, especially regarding the use of spiritual gifts? What role can you play in fostering an environment of mutual edification? [09:55]
Reflect on your current understanding of spiritual gifts. How can you deepen your knowledge and practice of these gifts in a way that aligns with biblical teachings? [34:23]

Sermon Clips

surely the church in Corinth practiced this speaking in other tongues because Paul found it necessary to write to them to correct certain abuses that had sprung up with the use of this particular gift of the Spirit and so he addresses himself to these abuses in the twelfth chapter through the 14th chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians [00:05:41]

though Paul declared that he was thankful to God that he spoke in tongues more than all of the all of them did, yet when he was in church he did not seek to exercise this gift for he would rather speak five words in the language that the people understood than 10,000 words in a language they did not understand in order that they might be profited by what he was saying [00:08:09]

there are a lot of traditions that have developed with the exercise of the gift of tongues among the Pentecostal churches traditions that I feel are unscriptural I think that we need again to emphasize the fact that the Bible must be our final authority for all of our faiths whatever I believe there must be a scriptural basis for it [00:10:24]

if you do not accept the Bible as the final authority then you open the door to so many many different concepts ideas revelations or whatever and the result is confusion because there are people who have conflicting revelations and conflicting ideas today I had a young man in the office who has a lifelong family background in the Mormon Church [00:12:34]

and John we are told believe not every spirit but try the spirits to see if they be of God so if I just listen to what man says God has revealed to him or the angel of God has revealed to him then I am opening the door because have I listened to one man who claims that the angel spoke to him then really I should listen to every man who says that an angel spoke to him [00:19:34]

I am NOT interested in any doctrine or any practice in the church for which you cannot give a thoroughly solid sound scriptural basis and I don't care how exciting or or whatever it might be how unless there is a scriptural basis I'm really not interested now with the gift of speaking in tongues there have been many Pentecostal traditions that have evolved around this particular gift [00:23:38]

I look at my life and I realize that I'm a three-fold type of a being I live in a body but I have a consciousness a mind and I am basically a spirit now my spirit base is quite broad because that is the area where I meet God that's the area where I fellowship with God my mind area is very narrow very restricted [00:43:49]

when I worship God with the spirit and Paul said when I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prays though my understanding is unfruitful so when I begin to worship God with the spirit the value that I see in that is that I can bypass the narrow channel of my intellect and there can be just that open broad base of expression [00:45:52]

one of our big problems of course is the intellect itself you see intellectually it is extremely difficult for me to pray unto God or praise the Lord or communicate to God it's diff are just difficult for me to do that in a language I don't understand my intellect is insulted by it because I have to really lay my intellect aside and join with the Spirit in worshipping God this way [00:48:40]

and to have to set my intellect aside in order to communicate to God in the most efficient manner does insult my intellect and so I don't like to do it it always takes an exercise of faith you've got to exercise faith to utter sounds you don't understand not easy to utter sounds that you don't understand and my mind is always playing with those sounds [00:49:41]

so lord we just want to be open it's totally open to you god help us not to have any closed doors at all may there be no off-limits signs that we would put up to you and and say Lord you can do everything but but give us that kind of faith in confidence in you where we can just freely willingly just lay ourselves out before you and say God anything you want anything you want to do Lord [01:00:02]

keep us ever Lord by that open attitude help us never to feel that we've arrived to the point where we need nothing more God keep us from that kind of pride may we just always realize how dependent we are upon you and Lord I want more of thee and thy fullness in my life in Jesus name father [01:00:28]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?

Order, Understanding, and Spiritual Gifts in Worship

Devotional

Day 1: Order in Spiritual Gifts

Day 2: Scripture as the Foundation

Day 3: Transcending Language in Worship

Day 4: Faith and Humility in Spiritual Gifts

Day 5: Openness to the Holy Spirit's Work

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Order, Understanding, and Spiritual Gifts in Worship

Share