Tongues & prophecy 1 - gifts for everyone

Emotive subject - has been a source of trouble in and between churches

2 approaches – keep clear for fear of trouble or seek to understand

1 Cor. 14:1-40 Don’t be distracted by the little grenade of vv 34-35 – the theme of this chapter is prophecy and tongues – could be titled, “Prophecy and tongues – a practical guide”

Right in the middle of the chapter is the verse that started this message for me…

V18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you

Of course we need to read on into verse 19 and we will do so in due course but first let us receive the challenge of this verse…

Paul valued the gift of tongues (spiritual gift enabling him to speak in an unknown language)

Assessment forms – all over the place these days – training course, stay in a Travelodge, buy something etc etc – few formats – popular one is the sliding scale of agreement – circle the appropriate number – 1 for strongly disagree through to 9 for strongly agree, 5 if you don’t know or have no idea what they are talking about

What would your level of agreement be with Paul’s statement here?

Do you thank God for this gift?

Do you speak in tongues more than the people you know?

Would you prefer not to talk about tongues at all?

Where there is power there will always be controversy!

• F1 – earlier in the season team Brawn were way ahead because of a clever diffuser – others challenged its legality

• Swimming – performance enhancing swimsuits made the news after the world championships in the summer – banned from next year

• Industrial revolution – Luddites attempted to vandalise mills that were making their skills redundant – agricultural workers vandalised threshing machines

• Nuclear power has always has its opponents and so do wind turbines!

• Electricity was initially viewed by many with a mixture of fear and suspicion – for many people computers still are!

Always a choice – we can keep clear or engage – I believe we need to engage with this chapter of the Bible

Two words to start us off: Gift and Outpouring

Gift

This chapter talks about two spiritual gifts (prophecy and tongues) along with a third related gift – interpretation of tongues

Need to remember that gifts are things that are given freely not bought or earned

1 Cor. 12:7-11 Given by God as he determines

Many have taken this to mean that they must be entirely passive and leave it up to God whether or not he chooses to give any particular spiritual gift

But – what did we read in 14:1?

Eagerly desire – especially prophecy

Doesn’t sound very passive!

It can sound very spiritual to be passive – “I’m just a humble servant – He is Lord – He will do as he pleases and I’m happy to submit to that”

I have learned that God responds to asking!

God is sovereign and gives as he determines but those that ask receive a lot more!

Outpouring

Could take a packet of sweets and give them out to a few people or I could throw handfuls at you – throwing handfuls would be an outpouring!

God gives gifts in different ways – sometimes it is very specific like the call of Isaiah or Jeremiah or giving supernatural strength to Samson

Other times we see an outpouring where many people receive spiritual gifts

When we understand that God works in both of these ways, then we see that there is no contradiction between the sovereignty of God in giving gifts to particular people for particular times and purposes and verses such as 14:1 and 14:5

Not everyone is called to be a prophet but we are all told to desire the gift of prophecy

Not everyone is called to bring predictive or directional prophecy but all can bring a word that strengthens, encourages or comforts

Want to suggest that prophecy and tongues are “outpouring gifts” and as such are available to all

Num. 11:25-29 They all prophesied when the Spirit came on them

Moses expressed the desire (surely God-given) that all God’s people would be prophets

1 Sam. 10:5-6 A group of people all prophesying – with music (Pentecostal meeting?)

Not likely that they were bringing a message to the nation so much as worshipping God together and hearing his voice as they worshipped

Note that twice now the effect of the Holy Spirit coming on people has been that they prophesy

1 Sam. 19:19-23 A strange story – but yet again the effect of the Holy Spirit upon people is that they prophesy – even Saul

Joel 2:28-29 Speaking of an outpouring – on all people – prophecy, dreams and visions

Outpouring of the Spirit accompanied by people receiving messages from God

Acts 2:1-4 An outpouring on a group of 120 – all spoke in tongues

Three things to note:

• Their speaking was understood and was as prophecy to the hearers
• They declared the wonders of God (v11b) – as I believe would have been the case in the OT examples we have looked at
• Peter connected this event with Joel 2 (v16)

Note what Peter says when quoting Joel:

Acts 2:17-18 I will pour out my Spirit and they will prophesy

Peter clearly connects the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with prophecy

Peter does not mention tongues here even though that is what they have been doing

The picture I see is that outpouring of the Holy Spirit is accompanied by both tongues and prophecy

Acts 10:44-47 speaking in tongues and praising God

This was how they knew that they had received the Holy Spirit

Note that Peter says they have received just as we have

Acts 19:1-6 This time both tongues and prophecy are recorded

Right through the OT and NT there is a pattern – when there is an outpouring – when people receive the Holy Spirit, they prophesy and/or speak in tongues

Next question is why?

Acts 1:4-5,8 Power!

The whole point of being baptised in the Holy Spirit is that we might be empowered for service

With this in mind look at 1 Cor. 14 again…

V3 Strengthening, encouragement and comfort – we all need this as we serve the Lord!

V4 Tongues strengthen the individual and prophecy strengthens the church

V26 all of these (tongue + interpretation is as prophecy)must be done for strengthening of the church

V31 all can prophesy …everyone instructed and encouraged

Prophecy and tongues are gifts that edify (build up) individual believers and churches

Other gifts can have particular effect outside of the church but these two “outpouring gifts” have a special place in equipping us with spiritual power

We need to be a people of power!

More on the practicalities next week but maybe you need to receive something today…