Empowered for Mission: Pursue Love - web

1 Corinthians 14:1-25 (CSB)

1. BUILD UP THE CHURCH (vv. 1-12)

• 1 Cor 14:1 
• PURSUE LOVE and desire spiritual gifts, and ESPECIALLY that you may prophesy.
• Love Is the Pursuit, Gifts Are the Tools (vv. 1-5)
• Paul doesn't say, "Don't desire spiritual gifts." 
• He says, "Desire them - within the framework of LOVE”
• NOW, WHAT IS PROPHESY?
• In the New Testament, prophecy is 
• Spirit-empowered speech that makes God's truth clear so people can respond. 
• And here's what's important: 
• PROPHESY must be tested and weighed by the church against Scripture. 
• PROPHESY can be a timely word, an encouragement, an insight but it NEVER contradicts Scripture, and it's always subject to evaluation by mature believers.
• 1 Corinthians 14:2-4 
• For the person who speaks in a tongue is not speaking to people BUT TO GOD, since no one understands him; he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. 
• BUT the person who PROPHESIES speaks to people for their strengthening (building up), encouragement, and consolation. 
• The person who speaks in a tongue BUILDS HIMSELF UP, but the person who prophesies BUILDS UP THE CHURCH.
• Do you see the contrast?
• Tongues without interpretation: builds you up.
• And we know from previous passages that spiritual gifts are FOR THE COMMON GOOD!
• PROPHESY: BUILDS UP THE CHURCH.
• 1 Corinthians 14:5
• I wish all of you spoke in tongues (which implies that all do not), BUT EVEN MORE that you PROPHESIED. The person who PROPHESIES is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets SO THAT THE CHURCH MAY BE BUILT UP.
• PAUL ISN’T SAYING TONGUES ARE BAD OR IRRELEVANT. 
• He's saying the goal of corporate worship isn't personal edification - it's corporate edification.
• ORDER and CLARITY Is Non-Negotiable (vv. 6-12)
• Now Paul gets really practical. He uses three illustrations to hammer home one point: If people can't understand, it's useless.
• 1 Corinthians 14:6
• So now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?
• Translation: If you can't understand me, what good am I to you?
• Then he gives two examples:
• Illustration #1: Musical Instruments (vv. 7-8)
• Unclear communication leads to chaos.
• Illustration #2: Foreign Languages (vv. 9-11)
• The Application (v. 12)
• 1 Cor 14:12
• So also you - since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to EXCEL (be in abundance) in BUILDING UP THE CHURCH.
• Here it is again. The goal isn't to be impressive or do something amazing. 
• The goal is to build up the church.

1. MATURITY CHOOSES OTHERS FIRST (vv. 13-19)

• Now Paul shifts to personal responsibility.
• 1 Cor 14:13
• Therefore the person who speaks in a tongue should pray that he can interpret.
• Why? 
• SO THE CHURCH CAN BE BUILT UP
• INTERPRETATION: 
• What does interpretation actually look like? Is it word-for-word translation or conveying the meaning? 
• Based on the context, it seems to be conveying the essential meaning so that others can understand and participate. 
• Who can interpret? 
• Paul suggests the person speaking should pray for this ability, but others in the congregation may have this gift as well. 
• And here's the practical reality: 
• If someone speaks in tongues in a corporate setting and no interpretation comes, that's a sign to remain silent. 
• The goal is always edification, not performance.
• Private Worship vs. Public Worship (vv. 14-17)
• 1 Cor 14:14-15
• For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What then? I will pray with the spirit, AND I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing praise with the spirit, AND I will also sing praise with my understanding.
• Paul's saying: There's a place for praying in the Spirit, and there's a place for praying with your mind. 
• Both are good and beneficial. 
• BUT IN CORPORATE WORSHIP, the mind must be engaged so others can participate.
• 1 Cor 14:16-17
• Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit, how will the outsider say 'Amen' at your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up.
• Paul assumes the congregation is participating. 
• He mentions them saying "Amen" to your thanksgiving. 
• Paul envisions a church where everyone is engaged, everyone is listening, everyone is responding. 
• Paul's Personal Example (vv. 18-19)
• 1 Cor 14:18
• I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
• Paul speaks in tongues more than anyone in the Corinthian church?
• 1 Cor 14:19
• Yet in the church I would rather speak FIVE WORDS with my understanding, IN ORDER to teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
• Let that ratio sink in.
• Five intelligible words over ten thousand unintelligible ones.
• That's not a slight preference. That's a radical choice.
• Why? 
• Because Paul cares more about helping people than impressing people.
• Here's what maturity looks like: 
• MATURITY IS WILLING TO SACRIFICE PERSONAL PREFERENCE FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS
• That's the kind of spiritual maturity God is calling us to.
• God is calling us to order instead of chaos
• Then we are acting within our created order and purpose.
• God is calling us to be active in our gifts FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF THE BODY

1. THE LOST ARE ALWAYS IN THE ROOM (vv. 20-25)

• STOP THINKING LIKE CHILDREN (v. 20)
• 1 Cor 14:20 
• Brothers and sisters, don't be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.
• Paul's saying: Grow up.
• Tongues as a Sign of Judgment (vv. 21-22)
• 1 Cor 14:21-22
• It is written in the law, 'By people of other tongues and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, and even then, they will not listen to me,' says the Lord. 
• Speaking in tongues, then, is a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers. But prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers.
• Paul quotes Isaiah 28, where God warned Israel that because they rejected His clear message, He would speak to them in foreign languages they couldn't understand—through the Assyrian invasion.
• The Unbeliever's Response (vv. 23-25)
• Now watch this.
• 1 Cor 14:23
• If, therefore, the whole church assembles together and all are speaking in tongues and people who are outsiders or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds?"
• 1 Cor 14:24-25
• But if all are prophesying and some unbeliever or outsider comes in, 
• HE IS CONVICTED BY ALL and is called to account by all. 
• THE SECRETS OF HIS HEART WILL BE REVEALED, 
• and as a result HE WILL FALL FACEDOWN AND WORSHIP GOD, 
• proclaiming, 'GOD IS REALLY AMONG YOU'
• Do you see the difference?
• When the gospel is clear, when God's word is proclaimed with power and clarity, something supernatural happens:
• Hearts are exposed. The unbeliever realizes, "God knows me."
• Truth is revealed. They see their sin and God's grace.
• Worship breaks out. 
• They fall down and say, "GOD IS REALLY HERE."
• If we emphasize order, won't we quench the Spirit? Won't we become dry and dead?"
• No. Here's why: 
• The Spirit is a God of order. 
• Paul will say this explicitly in verse 33: 
• 1 Cor 14:33
• …since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
• The Spirit doesn't lead into chaos. 
• True spiritual freedom operates within boundaries—just like music needs time signatures, just like a river needs banks.
• Order doesn't restrict the Spirit. 
• Order protects the mission. 
• Order creates space for the Spirit to actually be heard and understood.

1. THE GOSPEL IS WHAT MATTERS

• Now, let me bring this full circle.
• Why does God care so much about clarity? 
• Why does He care so much about the lost being in the room?
• Because God has always been in the business of making Himself known.
• Think about the gospel.
• God didn't stay distant. 
• No—God put on flesh. Jesus came down. He spoke our language. He entered our pain. He made the invisible God visible.
• John 1:14 says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
• God made Himself clear at the cost of His own life.
• Jesus didn't die so we could have exclusive spiritual experiences. 
• He died so that anyone no matter how broken, how far, how confused could come to Him and be saved.
• And when we prioritize clarity, when we make the gospel accessible, when we choose love over performance we're imitating Christ.
• We're saying, "We care more about you meeting Jesus than about us looking spiritual."
• That's the heart of God. And if we're going to be a church filled with His Spirit, we need to have His heart for the lost.

8 REFLECTION/APPLICATION QUESTIONS

1. Am I using my spiritual gifts primarily to build up myself (personal experience, feeling spiritual, gaining recognition) or to build up others? What's one specific way I could shift from self-focused to others-focused use of my gifts this week?
2. If I had to choose between being spiritually impressive or being spiritually helpful, which do I honestly prefer? When was the last time I sacrificed something I wanted in order to serve someone else's spiritual growth?
3. If someone who had never been to church walked into our worship service this Sunday, would they be able to understand what's happening and encounter Jesus? What's one thing I could do to help make our gatherings more accessible to outsiders?
4. In my prayers, conversations, or service, am I speaking in a way that helps people understand God better, or am I using "Christian-ese" that confuses or excludes people? Where do I need to choose clarity over complexity?
5. When I think about my spiritual life, am I more focused on "What am I experiencing?" or "Who am I serving?" What would it look like for me to move from spiritual consumption to spiritual contribution?
6. What personal preference, comfort, or spiritual practice might God be asking me to adjust or sacrifice for the sake of reaching others or building up the body? Am I willing to say "yes" to that?
7. Do I actually believe there are lost people in our church services, small groups, and community who need to encounter Jesus? How does that belief (or lack of it) show up in the way I pray, serve, and engage on Sundays?
8. What's one specific gift God has given me (encouragement, hospitality, teaching, generosity, mercy, service, etc.) that I could use this week to help one specific person grow closer to Jesus? Who is that person, and when will I reach out?

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHILE READING SCRIPTURE

What does this reveal about God?

What does this reveal about you in relation to God?

What do you need to do about it?