The Why of Love | Build Up the Church in Love - 1 Corinthians 14 | June 9

SCRIPTURE

“Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. 2 For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. 4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

5 I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.” (NLT)

NEXT STEPS

Hey family!

Real quick, I just want to give a bit of a high level recap of where we’ve been the last several weeks as we are nearing the end of this beautiful letter. Because, believe it or not, we’re almost there.

We started off by talking a lot about what we as Christians are called to, because Paul wanted to remind the Corinthians. He wanted to remind them of what they were saved from and alternatively what they were saved to. So he is calling us to not look back, but to press on toward Jesus. Wherever you are at right now, whether you’ve been a believer for a long time or just for a short few years, there’s one question that is alway appropriate – what’s your next step toward Jesus?

It causes you to consider where you’re at, where you’ve come from and where you are headed. What is your next step toward Jesus? Is it foundational? Is it something like baptism – to officially declare to the body and the world that you have set your heart to follow King Jesus? Is it faith-forming, to meditate on the nature of God, on what it looks like to be satisfied in God alone? To seek His presence?

What’s your next step toward Jesus? None of us have arrived yet. Is it functional? Do you need to grow in some particular areas? Is the Spirit trying to work in certain areas of your life and you just need to let Him?

I once heard a description of what it means to quench the Spirit, which is a phrase used in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 that has some bearing on what we're talking about today in chapter 14 because it deals with prophecy and how we should think about prophecy. “19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything…” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, ESV).

If you picture your spiritual life as a house, but it’s on fire. And in this case a house fire is a good thing. Oftentimes, we want God to work in certain areas of our lives, we want Him to burn in this room but not that other room. God don’t touch that part of my heart, I want you to work here. I want you to help me have a better prayer life or help me love more. But I don’t want you to deal with my anger. I don’t want you to convict me of submission. I don’t want to give up anything. I just want to be a better Chrisitan you know, doing Chrisitan things.

So we try to redirect the fire. We try to keep certain rooms from burning, we shut them off and say God here’s where I want you to work. You can’t have that yet – I’m not sure if you can ever have that. We quench the Spirit. We’re putting out the fire. We’re dictating to God where we want Him to live and move and have His being.

When what we should be doing is figuring out where He wants to burn and fanning that into a raging conflagration. If you want God to burn in certain areas, in certain rooms, fan and fuel where He’s at and what He wants to deal with and then the fire will spread to the rest of your life.

Paul told Timothy, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you… 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7, ESV). Wherever He’s at, whatever He wants to do, let Him work, give it to Him, nothing is hidden, nothing is off limits. Lord take over and burn. What’s your next step toward Jesus? It’s difficult, but there’s probably some people around you who have observed and are aware of what that may be even more than you are. Where is the Spirit trying to move in your life? Stop getting in the way with your own ideas of what that should look like.

Paul has been calling us to not look back, but to press on toward Jesus. A disciple of Jesus, and we are all called to be disciples, should be growing in Christ-likenss. I’ve been using the term becoming real people because that’s what it truly is. We are becoming conformed to the image of the real God – Jesus. Being conformed means it’s okay to lose a part of yourself – in fact, it’s going to require it. What are you afraid of losing? What are you afraid of letting go of? What do you think will happen if you just let go? Let’s press on toward Jesus together.

WE GROW TOGETHER

Paul’s been calling us to togetherness.

We have not been saved to a private faith, but to a family. Your salvation is not for you alone, but for the faith of those around you. There is a togetherness that exists in Christian fellowship, there is unity, where our lives are inextricably woven together under the headship of King Jesus.

One of my favorite metaphors is of the giant sequoia trees, which despite their towering height grow very shallow roots, because they also never grow alone, but they depend on one another, they lean on one another, they spread their roots out wide and wrap their lives around each other’s lives.

We as Christians grow together toward Jesus. We take these steps together. Together, we are being shaped into the image of Christ to model with our culture, with our teaching, with our words, and actions; this is what it looks like to follow Jesus. This is how we handle money. This is how we handle relationships. This is how we love. This is how we handle conflict. This is what it looks like to be a disciple of Christ. We lay aside our preferences and pursue people. We press in and we lift up.

That’s still been the conversation as we’ve entered into this last stretch looking at the Who of Love, the Way of love, and now the Why of love. Love bears all things. Love believes all things. Love endures all things. Love is not fragile, but opens itself up to being wronged again and again for a very specific purpose. A purpose that we’re going to talk about today.

PURSUE LOVE

I said last week that chapter 13 was the climax. Which means we’re not really going to encounter anything new from now on, but it’s going to point back to this climax as we pursue love. The next three chapters are going to point back and say here’s why. There’s purpose in love. It’s not just for good vibes. We’re doing something when we pursue love in this self-sacrificing way that seeks the spiritual good of those around you.

I was in a meeting this past week where a graduate student, who by all accounts doesn’t seem to be a believer, I don’t know maybe she is. But her observation was, and I’ll paraphrase in my own words, but her observation was young people today have a great fear of outwardly appearing to not accept and approve but when it comes down to it, they only show up if they clearly know what they are getting out of it. That our culture is creating a people who are outwardly accepting but inwardly concerned only with how it benefits them. That’s how they make decisions. Love calls us to be unconcerned with what we’re getting out of it. Love calls us to lay down our self and pursue the spiritual good of others.

Paul’s still talking about orderly worship. He’s still confronting the Corinthians in all the messed up ways that they had gotten it wrong, in the same ways that we get it wrong. He’s bringing it back to spiritual gifts even. This time he’s focusing on two specific spiritual gifts to use them as the proof texts for where the Corithians were going astray and why they should be thinking differently, loving differently.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

With that in mind, I want to repeat our definition of a spiritual gift in case you have forgotten, or didn’t write it down, or weren’t here a couple weeks ago, because that will help us understand the question why do we love. Not what we get out of it, but the purpose motivating love.

So, a spiritual gift is an expression of the love of God in and through you to initiate, build, and sustain faith in another person. It’s the expression of the love of God through you for the faith of another.

In all the ways that you could possibly be gifted, if the Spirit's not moving through it and faith is not the result of it, then it’s not a spiritual gift. I don’t care if you have taken a test and can name your gifts or not, it’s not a spiritual gift if it’s not Spirit supplied, God-honoring, and others-directed.

You know what’s kind of funny? And I’m afraid we’ve been lied to a bit. Paul doesn’t even use the word gift – not in chapter 14 at least. In chapter 12 he uses the word charisma which is sort of like a gift but even more so reflective of the grace and favor showered upon us by God. It’s more about the Spirit’s working in your life. Paul in essence is commanding us to not desire a tangible gift, but the work of the Spirit in your life. He is literally saying, follow the way of love, pursue love and desire for the Spirit to work in you and through you. We get so caught up in the gift that it shows in our translations. The work of the Spirit in us and through us can be so much more practical if we’re not preoccupied with naming our gifts.

Do you know where the Spirit inhabiting a human being is first mentioned in the Bible? Where is there first a mention of the Spirit of God embodied in a person? It’s probably not where you think. It’s probably less exciting than you imagine.

Exodus 35, “30 Moses told the people of Israel, “The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31 The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 32 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. 33 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. 34 And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. 35 The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.”

That’s the first time the Bible mentions that the Spirit of God filled a human and endowed him with a gifting from the spirit. To make art and teach others to make art to bring glory to God and faith in people through the tabernacle.

Two weeks ago, in our family group, we had this discussion with regard to chapter 12. Because from our point of view there are certain gifts especially healings that seem more supernaturally transcendent to us. But in chapter 12 Paul seems to separate miracles from healings, which are kind of the main gifts we think of to be miraculous. When Jesus did miracles, He was usually healing someone, so what are we misunderstanding? Where’s the disconnect?

I believe the point to be made is that because a spiritual gift is an expression of God’s love through you for the faith of another, they are all miraculous, no matter how normal they seem to us. They are all spiritual gifts because they all work from the spirit for the spirit to bring about the miracle of faith in someone where faith didn’t already exist. All of us are here today because of the result of a miracle, of a thousand miracles, which have initiated within us faith where it did not previously exist.

No matter what gifts you have, they are all miracles. They are all miraculous because God is the one creating faith out of nothing through them. The Corinthians were getting so hung up on the one they perceived to be best, the one that brought the most attention to themselves. Which is where this chapter comes from.

That’s not why we love. Love doesn’t bring attention to itself. We still get hung up on gifts in the same way. We become so fixated on debating the place on those gifts that appear to be the most supernatural to us. Both sides, whether you are cessationist and believe the more miraculous signs of the Spirit are present sense the fullness of revelation was complete, or whether you are continuationist and believe those gifts will still be needed until Jesus returns. The focus is on the wrong thing and it blinds both sides.

For some of you, those categories brought up feelings where you believe whoever is on the other side of that, or whatever argument, is what’s wrong with Christianity while not acknowledging the ways in which you yourself take it too far. We all take it too far, when we should instead humbly learn from the hearts of other Spirit-filled, Bible-believing disciples of Jesus who might happen to disagree with us in some ways.

They are all supernatural, no matter how mundane they may appear to us. All the ways the Spirit gifts us are supernaturally transcendent. That’s the point of this chapter. Paul just uses tongues and prophecy as the vehicle for how we are to judge our desire for all gifts and how to best utilize those gifts in a gathering of believers.

PROPHECY VS TONGUES

It’s probably helpful to establish some definition and understanding to what Paul has in mind when he uses these terms tongues and prophecies. Everyone might have a different picture in their minds for both of these. We all have different stories and experiences. And throughout the Bible there are some ways these words are used that differ from the way Paul is using them.

Let’s take prophecy for example. We tend to most immediately take upon our culture definition which includes a vague statement of some impending event, often doom. So to us, prophecy automatically falls into the category of future-telling. And it’s true, we see this a bit in the Bible with regard to those we may call the big “P” prophets. But that’s not actually the heart of what it means to be a prophet or to prophesy.

The reason we have these characters in the Bible who are called prophets is because they are the select ones who were given a word from God to communicate to people. You see this chapter after chapter in the phrase, “Thus saith the LORD”.

“The point is that God had communicated something to the prophets, and they were speaking directly for Him. 2 Peter 1:21 says, ‘Prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.’” This sometimes included foretelling as the prophets spoke the words of God or wrote them down, but it always was a forth-telling calling people back to what God had already spoken.

I should say there are no more big “P” prophets who are creating Scripture as they speak and write. We’re not going to add your musings to the Bible and hold them out as equal. What we’re going to do is judge and evaluate your words – test and approve them by the truth of God’s word.

So too Paul is carrying on a specific idea of what prophecy is and isn’t. This is what he writes to the Corinthians as a definition of prophecy; “Prophecy is a word given to me from God for another person and they understand it and their faith is built up and God is glorified.”

“3 One who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. 4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church… If I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. (1 Corinthians 14:3-4, 6, NLT).

“If all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. 25 As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.” (1 Corinthians 14:24-25, NLT)

By contrast speaking in tongues is a good and desirable gift, but it is, by enlarge, for the person speaking and not for those who may be listening. So Paul tells them essentially to speak in tongues privately and not in gatherings unless there is an interpreter so that people may understand and the church may be strengthened.

“16 For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? 17 You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you.” (1 Corinthians 14:16-17)

BUILD UP THE CHURCH

Prophecy may be understood and is used to strengthen, encourage, and comfort the body. Tongues appear to be gibberish and so are for the individual and should be done privately unless there be a translator. Because “everything that is done must strengthen all of you.”

This is in the context of a charge against the Corinthians because they believed they were mature and better than other people. They called themselves spirit people. They craved this ability to speak in some heavenly language directed at God so that others would see and they would be exalted in their eyes, they would be puffed up.

“When Christians worship God together, it’s possible for them to exercise their spiritual gifts in ways that do not build up the rest of the body. God has no desire for the church to be filled with exciting manifestations that glorify those with the gifts but fail to edify the church.”

Paul is saying love doesn’t puff up, the purpose of love is to build up. That is why we love. And a spiritual gift is an expression of love, it should strengthen the church. It should encourage. It should comfort.

“Earlier in the letter, Paul wrote that “love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). In the context of 1 Corinthians 12–14, Paul’s famous words about love in chapter 13 reveal that love is what makes the difference between Christians whose gifts build up the body and those who are just “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).”

“Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church”, (1 Corinthians 14:11) Paul says. You’re good at spiritual gifts (tongues) but you’re bad at following Jesus.

“37 If you… think you are spiritual, you should recognize what I am saying [to be true].” (1 Corinthians 14:37).

Desire the working of the spirit in you to love people. You and I are responsible to help our brothers and sisters in Christ grow.

PARTICIPATE IN PROPHECY

God is calling us to this.

He’s calling us to desire gifts that build up.

Here’s a question for you, how many minutes did you spend this week praying for the church? Did you spend even thirty seconds praying for me, praying for the elders, praying for the others who are in this room? If we were to get a transcript of your prayers, what would it say? What are you praying for?

“When you listen to someone pray, are you longing for what they are praying? Are you aching for God to work? Are you glorying in the God they praise?”

Here’s what Paul’s prayers are full of as he writes to the Ephesians, “15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe…”

God would you give these people the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that your love might seek deep down into their bones, that lives may be changed and conformed into the likeness of King Jesus. That they might understand the hope to which you have called them. Leaving behind what once was and pressing on into the fullness of your presence.

If you would understand this desire of Paul’s for us, to strengthen the church through our love, if you would do this, if you would just remember – the Spirit of God would inhabit our lives and it will change the world. Why do we love? Why do we love – to build one another up.

“God is calling us not to be isolated, silent, encapsulated individuals in worship. Privately coming, privately hearing, privately going, with no one able to tell what we love and cherish and long for... God is calling us out of our cocoons of emotional isolation and invisible, inaudible, unshared responsiveness.”

“Edification comes not by amazement at miracles, but edification comes by the understanding of God.” Let us desire, let us seek the working of the Spirit in our lives to strengthen the church and build one another up in love.

Let’s just spend some time before we sing. The music team can come up and be playing. Just spend some time praying this passage from Ephesians 1 over each other, that God would give you, and you, and you His Spirit of wisdom and revelation to bring a word from the Lord that would strengthen, that would encourage, that would comfort, that would build up the faith in another person. That we would use our gifts and even those we may not have, because it’s not about the gift, as an expression of God’s love to build faith in another person.