Charismatic Chaos / A Return to Babel (Sermon Audio)

1st Corinthians chapter number 14 starts out with these words follow after charity in desire spiritual gifts

But rather that ye may prophesy For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men but unto

God for no man understandeth him the title of this morning's message is charismatic chaos a return to Babel in the scripture reading this morning

We read the account from Genesis 11 of the Tower of Babel where the people of the earth all

Spoke one language they were united and they did what they disobeyed the commandment of the

Lord to be fruitful and multiply and to go out and to Populate the entire earth the

Lord wanted them to move out and scatter across the whole earth They said no, we're going to make a name for ourselves.

We're going to build a tower unto heaven and the Lord confused their language and Scattered them because they disobeyed so he came down and the

King James Version says he confounded their Language therefore that place was called

Babel in Acts chapter 2 we see a type of reversal of This event on the day of Pentecost Where the

Apostles spoke with other tongues and it says that the people gathered there in Jerusalem were from every nation under heaven

They all spoke different languages But when the Apostles spoke with other tongues each one heard them speak in his own language, so it was a type of miniature reversal of the judgment at the

Tower of Babel But unfortunately here in 1st Corinthians 14, which was about 25 years after the day of Pentecost We see in a sense a return to Babel Because some in the

Corinthian Church were speaking with what the Bible calls an unknown tongue a type of Sound perhaps a babbling sound that nobody could understand

That's what unknown tongue means and Paul begins the chapter by saying follow after charity

That's his conclusion from last week 1st Corinthians 13 known as the love chapter the conclusion of chapter 14

I think is at the end verse 40 Says this Paul says let all things be done decently and in order.

So what does that tell you? Well, it tells you there was some disorder in the

Corinthian Church That's why he had to say that so some of the church members along with lacking love

We've been talking about this. They were abusing the spiritual gifts in particular the gift of Speaking with tongues and what did this do?

It led to chaos in the church That's why I titled it charismatic chaos.

Remember I gave you the definition to the term charismatic today You might think of someone who's charismatic

They have a charismatic personality a magnetic type of personality or a group of Christians that are labeled charismatics

According to the Greek term charismatic. It means a gifting. So it's the gifts of the

Holy Spirit That's what charismatic mean, but they were abusing the gifts. And again, it led to Chaos so much so that Paul says skip ahead to verse 23 for a moment

He says in verse 23 if therefore the whole church become together into one place and all speak with tongues

And there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers. Will they not say that ye are mad?

So because of their behavior if somebody walks in and doesn't understand what's going on, they're gonna think you guys are crazy

That's what Paul is saying. So it was a chaotic scene to be sure First one though, it sets the tone follow

After charity Paul isn't writing this to get on their case.

He loves the people in the church He wants to correct them for their own benefit So follow after charity wants them to get along with one another so important in a local church follow after charity in Desire the spiritual gifts

Paul isn't speaking against the gifts. The gifts are of the Holy Ghost. So they're a good thing It's the abuse.

That was the problem. So pursue love desire the gifts, but especially

Prophecy now, what is the gift of prophecy? We hear the word and we think of a prophet a prophet who receives revelation from God and a prophet we

Typically think of prophesying as foretelling future events and that is true

Prophet in the Old Testament often they did foretell future events and they did receive revelation from God, but remember this

Prophecy is not just foretelling Prophecy is also forth telling so prophecy is also preaching the prophets of the

Old Testament after all were preachers, so Why does

Paul tell them to desire preaching or prophecy over tongues? Well, we see the answer found in verses 2 and 3 look at those

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue Speaketh not unto men but unto

God for no man Understandeth them how be it in the spirit he speaketh mysteries he that prophesied speaketh unto men to edification and exhortation and comfort

You might have noticed by now, I'm sure a few of you have that I'm reading from the

King James Version of the Bible and that's not a mistake. I didn't leave my other

Bible at home I just grabbed whatever I could find. It's not a mistake. Okay, so why am I using the

King James Version? Well because the King James translators they picked up on something that Really is easy to miss

We've already Established that the gifts especially the gift of tongues was abused and if you look closely

And this is generally true when Paul speaks of tongues plural with an s

He speaks about it in a positive way, but when he speaks about a tongue

Singular he seems to speak about it in a negative way in the King James Translators picked up on that.

So what did they do? They whenever the singular use of tongue is mentioned in the

KJV it calls it an unknown Tongue why because nobody understood what was being said

Most likely because nothing was being said it was gibberish It was it was babbling or maybe like an ecstatic utterances

You see many religions not just Christianity Christianity We think has its gifts and tongues other religions have this too

Christianity is not the only faith that claims tongues or an ecstatic utterance

So many religions do this remember our sermon from chapter 12 how

Paul talked about the pagans? When they were Gentiles when they were pagans they were carried away

On to these dumb idols Paul says so they we believe they work themselves up into a

Frenzy and they got carried away and started losing control over their speech and their behavior and the idea in pagan religion

Is that now they were giving themselves over to another spirit? So they were no longer being controlled in the flesh.

They were now being controlled by a spirit That was very common in pagan religion and often they would speak gibberish or some sort of ecstatic utterance

It appears something like that may have been going on here in the church at Corinth Does anyone remember what

Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6? He said when you pray do not be like the heathens

Why because they had vain Repetition so Jesus said when you pray do not use vain repetitions like the heathen do so sometimes

Christians And they may be well intentioned and you can just imagine if you were brought up in a church

And this is what they taught. This is probably what you would believe, right? so Sometimes Christians whether it's intentional or unintentional

We pick up on Pagan practices we live in a pagan world and sometimes we pick up on these practices just a

Common example that everybody is familiar with these days take for example yoga, right?

Now listen, I realize there's probably there could be one or two people in this church who practice yoga

You think about it? stretching Breathing doing exercises

There's nothing wrong with that nothing wrong with that at all But if you put it together in just the right way, it could be a gateway into Eastern religion so some of these pagan practices could open people up to things they

Shouldn't get involved with doesn't always happen, but it is a possibility So repeating words over and over again you say well, what's the problem of that?

Well, why did they do that there's Christian churches who do this monks will chant Repeat phrases over and over again.

There are churches. They they will do this Why do they why do they do that sometimes for hours repeating the same phrase now to you that may sound strange

But it happens all the time. Why do they do it? It does something to your mind

Okay, it does have an effect it can put you in an altered state of consciousness and Someone again might say well, what's the big deal?

Just repeating words over and over again. Well, Jesus said don't do it. Don't use vain repetitions

Also, I believe it can open you up to the spiritual realm and that can be very dangerous

The proof of this you could go look later on today There are a multitude of videos on the internet where Christians supposedly are teaching people how to speak in tongues

Has anyone ever seen one of those? videos I'm the only one okay

Trust me they exist. Okay What all they say you can choose a few syllables a few syllables a few noises

Repeat them and then add in a few others and then boom you're speaking with tongues. Listen Nobody can be taught how to speak in tongues

It's a spiritual gift. You either have it or you don't you cannot be taught

So something like that is an abuse and that's probably similar to what was going on Here in Corinth what

Paul calls an unknown? Tongue and listen we all probably many of us know people who do this and this is not a message of condemnation just like Paul's message is not a message of condemnation.

It is a message of correction in showing people the truth So I think we need to be careful and we should be gracious If somebody claims the name of Christ, they have a testimony and they're living the

Christian life We should start with grace. Do you agree with that? We should start with grace

Notice Paul does not say that these people were unsaved He doesn't say that if anyone does this they're being controlled by other spirits or demons.

He doesn't say that Paul wrote this letter from a long ways away. He got a report.

He might not have known all the details So he's addressing what he heard so he doesn't question their salvation

Nor does he say these people have opened themselves up to the spiritual realm or the demonic realm so Here's the thing just because somebody does this just because someone falls into error

No matter what the error is we should not automatically condemn them you don't just assume the worst that these

Unknown tongues or gibberish is some sort of demonic Counterfeit there are people who do assume that okay, and I've heard this throughout my life

There are people who do think that this is perhaps demonic or it is demonic

I want you to be clear on what I'm saying. Okay, so Listen up. I am

NOT saying that I am NOT saying that that is sort of a That it's a demonic

Practice what I am saying is that it could be in certain cases

So there are people who quote -unquote speak with tongues. It's gibberish and You know, they're well intentioned and I have friends who do that and you know what?

It's not a message of judgment but I do believe there are people in this world who do that type of thing and they are given over or Possessed with an unclean spirit.

So we're not painting with a broad brush. So you understand that? Everyone nod your head.

So I know that you heard that point. All right so it could be a

Possibility in certain cases the Apostle John he spoke about false teachers and he claimed and they claimed to be

Christians And he said they have the spirit of Antichrist We read that in first and second

John. It's clear John said brethren do not believe every spirit but test the spirits

So again in a static utterance and or speaking in gibberish

It seems pretty clear that Paul is trying to correct them. He isn't saying yeah, that's great.

Do it. Keep doing it Do more of it. That's not what's going on here He doesn't condemn them.

So we don't want to go beyond what the Bible says But at the same time it is possible that this could lead to something more dangerous

I think the possibility is left open look at verse 2 again, and I will explain

He says for he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men

But unto God for no man understandeth him. How be it in the spirit?

He speaketh mysteries In the spirit he speaketh mystery, this is out of the ordinary.

Okay, you don't read about this Anywhere else in the Bible or in the teachings of Jesus Jesus never taught his disciples to speak mysteries in some sort of Unintelligible language

Jesus never taught that so this is out of the ordinary One Bible commentator says this

That in the Greek because there is no definite article Before the name of God it could be translated this way

He that speaketh he speaketh not unto men but unto a God Not necessarily the one true

God It's similar to what Paul said in Acts chapter 17 where they made an altar with the inscription to what?

To the unknown God you say well God is God. No there Bible says there are many gods now

There's only one God, but there are many gods and that people believe in all these different gods

So they speak unto God it might not necessarily be the one true

God And if you think about it if this is a pagan practice the one true

God isn't going to accept it So that statement by Paul there could go either way is what

I'm saying So we have to remember the Christians in Corinth. They were former pagans There were the

Jewish believers, but all of the Gentile believers Which is probably the majority of the church most of those people were probably mixed up in pagan religion

Or brought up in pagan religion so in Corinthians Paul addresses those who ate meat sacrifice to idols

There were all these temples in the city to these foreign gods or unknown gods, so it's not unreasonable that these pagan practices crept in to the church

And you know what that's always a danger, and it's happened throughout church history where pagan practices find their way into the church or Worldliness we know this happens worldliness finds its way into The church, so that's always a danger.

That's probably what's going on here in Corinth, but what is Paul's overall point? Forget the gibberish for a moment

Forget the unknown tongue He's he's saying you should want preaching

Don't get mixed up. Don't get carried away with all this stuff. It's it's interesting. I mean it is kind of strange

It's you're gonna catch people's attention Don't worry about all that don't get mixed up in that he says pursue prophecy

Prophecy or preaching why is preaching more important because preaching teaches? preaching encourages preaching

Builds up it can motivate if someone's just speaking in gibberish is like well You know that's that's something, but what does it do for you?

It doesn't do anything and it was sowing Confusion in the Corinthian Church, and I would make the argument that it continues to sow confusion in churches today

Look at verse 4 he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edify it himself

That's not the purpose of the spiritual gifts To build up yourself imagine if you had the gift of giving

I'll just give to myself I Have the gift of helps I'll just help myself

That's not the purpose of the spiritual gifts so he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edify it himself

That's not good, but he that prophesied edify it the church And then

Paul says I would that ye all speak with tongues of course not everyone did not everyone has that gift

And notice there, that's the plural Usage of the word tongue so the legitimate gift of tongues.

I want you to understand this real Tongues was happening in the Corinthian Church the legitimate gift of tongues was happening

But then there was the abuse which is I believe the return to Babel So he says

I would that ye all speak with tongues But rather that ye prophesied for greater is he that prophesied than he that speaketh with tongues

Except he interpret that the church may receive Edifying now,

I'm not going to get into all the different views of the interpretation of tongues I'll just say this speaking with tongues the word tongue means language, right?

people from every nation tribe and tongue it's a reference to Languages so if somebody comes into the church, and they speak a foreign language

You need someone to interpret it otherwise. It's not useful

Now it appears to me in Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost the

Holy Spirit interpreted for that But here a little later on the gift of Interpretation of tongues is given to men and it's kind of hard to know how all of this works

With all the ins and outs, but we continue verse 6 now brethren if I come unto you speaking with tongues

What shall I profit you except that I speak to you either by revelation or by knowledge or by prophesying or by Doctrine these things are all good.

They are all profitable revelation knowledge Doctrine good things.

He says in verse 7 and even things without life Giving sound whether pipe or harp except they give a distinction in the sounds

How shall it be known? What is piped or? harped You you know what this is, right?

if you get a group of musicians together and Each one is playing the right part and you have a melody there.

It sounds good if everyone just Everyone's playing their own thing. It's just noise.

You can't really make a distinction. What's what nobody wants to listen to that? And he says in verse 8 for if the trumpet give an uncertain sound

Who shall prepare himself for the battle when the Israelites were in the wilderness and they were camped there?

They didn't know what was around them what nations were around them a threat perhaps So there would be one

Sound of the trumpet which was a call to worship There was another sound that said prepare for battle and if you got those two sounds mixed up or if the trumpet gave an uncertain sound

What was that prepare for battle or you want to know what the sound is so we understand this

I think Paul's point if musical instruments we expect these sounds to make sense

We can understand that how much more should human speech make sense verse 9 so likewise ye

Except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood. How shall that be known?

What is spoken for ye shall speak into the air? There are it may be so many kinds of voices in the world and none of them is without signification

Now turn we Discussed Acts chapter 2. I'd like you to turn there for a moment Acts chapter 2 as you're turning

I'll read 1st Corinthians 14 verse 11 where he says therefore If I know not the meaning of the voice

I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me

Can be translated foreigner. We get it. If you talk to a foreigner, they don't speak

English You don't know what they're saying and they don't know what you're saying. That's what he's talking about again from the account from Genesis 11 the

Tower of Babel remember Babel became Babylon and Babylon in the

Bible is synonymous with ungodliness the people who built the

Tower of Babel were united and really I think this is a Picture or a prototype for the

Antichrist and the end times that one world empire where the world will try to unite again

They tried to do it once God said no, he scattered them. It's gonna happen again in the end times

But they were united under one leader Nimrod They all spoke one language and when the

Lord saw their pride And how they were growing in might and power. What did the

Lord do? He confused their language and he scattered them Lord had he would have known none of it.

So I've wondered about this What's going on today in our nation? If the

Lord looks down upon our nation how we have grown Become the most powerful nation on the face of the earth and right around the time that we became the most powerful

What did we do? We were turning away from God and we continue to turn away from God and I just wonder if the

Lord is Looking down and saying I see what's going on And I'm not going to allow this to get beyond a certain point.

You guys are trying to make a name for yourself I will come in Confuse your language.

Isn't there confusion in our culture today? massive amounts of Confusion and chaos,

I believe this is the Lord's judgment Acts chapter 2 In a way as I said is a type of reversal of the

Tower of Babel instead of the confusion that exists When everyone's speaking a different language

What do we see verse 4? And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the

Spirit Gave them utterance and there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews devout men from every nation under heaven and when this sound occurred the multitude came together and were

Confused because everyone heard them speak in his own Language then they were all amazed and marveled saying to one another look are not all these who speak

Galileans he's referring to the Apostles there And how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born

Parthenians and Medes and Elamites? those dwelling in Mesopotamia Judea and Cappadocia Pontius in Asia in Phrygia.

I hear it's cold there in Phrygia and Pamphylia Egypt in the parts of Libya adjoining

Cyrene visitors from Rome both Jews and proselytes, so you had natural -born

Jews and Proselytes these people were not Jewish. They were foreigners They spoke another language, but they believed in the

God of of Israel So they were there Cretans and Arabs and we hear them speaking in our own

Tongues our own languages the wonderful works of God Can anybody doubt at this point after reading that that tongues the authentic gift of tongues are foreign languages?

I mean, that's literally what it says That is the clearest definition of tongues in the whole

Bible could not be more clear remember last week we brought up the Principle of first mention the first time you see something in the

Bible. That's the most clear Explanation study that why this is the first time memory serves me correctly

I mean if I'm wrong afterwards, but this is the first time anyone ever spoke With tongues it is very clear

They are foreign languages they each heard in their own language now turn back to first Corinthians 14

Because it's good to be certain about that Just have that clear biblical definition of what the authentic gift of tongues was

So as you're turning back to first Corinthians 14 the languages that were confused at the

Tower of Babel That's where God confused them confounded them. They were brought together on a small scale at Pentecost But in first Corinthians 14 again,

I think we see sort of a return to Babel because it's being confused again with the unknown tongue

Now the next few verses are often used by those who believe that speaking in tongues is for today

I addressed this last week and I think well every church member knows this that we have more scored a church believe that the

Authentic gift of tongues has ceased. So I do not believe that Could it happen could

God do it? I mean could it be happening? Yes, it's possible obviously, but we believe that tongues ceased most likely

In the first century, but people who believe it is for today they will point to these verses as Evidence that tongues is not a foreign language, but an unintelligible

Prayer language that it sounds like gibberish to pretty much everybody but you know,

God understands The words and only God that's what they think that this passage is teaching.

I don't think that's what Paul is saying We know the Apostle Paul by now, don't we?

It's quite a guy to say to say the least Paul at times

Was sarcastic. I know some people don't like sarcasm and you know, if somebody is sarcastic all the time

That's not good. But Paul at times was sarcastic. Okay, which means I'm allowed to be sarcastic a little bit

I think that's what it means. I Do believe I'm not dogmatic about this, but I do believe

Paul is probably being sarcastic here Let's just read starting in verse 12 1st

Corinthians 14 12 Even so ye or as much as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts speak or seek that ye may excel

To the edifying of the church Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue

Pray that he may interpret For if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prayeth could be

Sarcasm, but my understanding is unfruitful What is it then?

I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also and I will sing with the spirit and I will sing

With the understanding also else when thou shalt bless with the spirit How shall he that occupied the room with the unlearned say amen at the giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not

What thou sayest for thou verily give us? Thanks. Well, but the other is not edified

I thank my God I speak with tongues more than ye all

When you notice again, it's tongues plural so Paul spoke he had the authentic gift of Tongues or languages, but Paul says in verse 14 look at 14 again if I pray in an unknown tongue

My spirit prayeth. That's a good thing, right? That's how people interpret that it's a good thing

Wrong, it's not a good thing. Look at verse 19 yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice

I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue

Now I admit this is a difficult chapter to interpret up and to this point I can understand why someone might see things a little differently

Not after that verse not after that verse Paul literally says

I would rather speak five words that you guys can understand than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue

Five words why because he can teach You'll understand you can get something out of it.

Let's see five words thou shall Love thy neighbor

That's better than ten thousand words that cannot be understood you see

This speaking in an unknown tongue. This wasn't doing the church any good. It was just another thing tearing the church apart

Verse 20 brethren be not children in understanding how be it in malice be children

But in understanding be men so just like in chapter 13 Paul said, you know when

I was younger I spoke as a child. So here again. He is calling them to maturity Speaking in gibberish with all due respect is something

Children do or something babies do you say listen if that's the gift of tongues.

I used to speak in tongues When I was one two years old My kids all spoke in tongues

I can testify to that It was gibberish So here

Paul in verse 21 is paraphrasing the prophet Isaiah He says in the law.

It is written with men of other tongues and other lips. I will speak unto this people

He was talking about the Israelites and yet for all that will Let me start over and yet for all that will

They not hear me see the Kings. This is why I don't use the King James And Yet for all that they will not hear me say if the

Lord so Paul is paraphrasing the prophet Isaiah showing that the legitimate gift of tongues was a sign of Judgment against unbelieving

Israel don't miss that. So how do you get that from that? Well, this is where you have to study

It does take time, but it is believed that tongues is a judgment against unbelieving

Israel. See the Jews hated the Gentiles And all of these people they spoke the languages

On the day of Pentecost they spoke the languages of the Gentiles So for the

Jews who didn't believe remember how some mocked these men are drunk. They're filled with new wine

Those were some of the Jews that did not believe but those who spoke these other languages

Gentile languages They heard the wonderful works of God. So tongues is a judgment against Unbelieving Israel some didn't have ears to hear if you don't believe in Christ You don't have ears to hear some people don't understand the

Bible at all They don't get any of it. Why they don't have the Spirit of God. They don't have faith

Once you believe it starts to make sense, doesn't it? Look at verse 22 where for tongues are for a sign

Not to them that believe but to them that believe not

So speaking with the tongue really doesn't an unknown tongue really doesn't have any purpose in the church

Doesn't have a purpose because it's for them. It's not for them that believe that's what Paul clearly says

Speaking in this unknown tongue or tongues is not for them that believe it's for them that believeth not

So it's a sign for them that don't believe Many scholars believe and I tend to agree with this that the legitimate gift of tongues probably ceased

By 70 AD what happened in 70 AD? Can I prove this? No, am I certain about this?

No, 70 AD is when the Lord judged Jerusalem the

Romans attacked Jerusalem the temple was destroyed So we believe by then tongues

Probably see so tongues. He says are for a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not

But prophesying serveth not for them that believe not but for them which?

Believe in other words, the church doesn't need tongues What does the church need?

Prophecy right the top of the church needs a word from God the church needs preaching look at verse 23

We already read this earlier If therefore the whole church become together into one place and all speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers

Will they not say that ye are mad that you are? Crazy, you guys are out of your minds

But if all prophesy and there come in one that believeth not or one unlearned

He is convinced of all and he is judged of all And thus are the secrets of the heart made manifest and so falling down on his face

He will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth

So tongues causes them to say you're crazy Preaching gets people saved, right?

What's going to get someone safe speaking in tongues or preaching the gospel?

What's going to bring the conviction of the Holy Spirit tongues or preaching repentance of sin

What's going to get through to a person speech that can't be understood or straight talk and sound doctrine?

answers obvious verse 26 How is it then brethren? When you come together

Every one of you hath a psalm hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a revelation have an interpretation

Let all things be done unto edifying if any man speak in an unknown tongue

Let it be by two or at the most by three That by course and let one interpret.

So he's laying down some guidelines if you're going to do this This is how you need to do it He says in verse 28

But if there be no interpreter let him keep silence in the church and let him speak to himself and to God Could be sarcasm again, and this is my viewpoint

I am not certain of it, but my understanding of this

Paul imposed this rule To silence the gibberish. I remember years ago our last pastor here

Pastor Larry Riddle once was asked a question about would you allow tongues here at Morse Corner Church?

Of course I'm standing there I'm waiting for him to say no no way or something like that. What did he say he said?

Yeah Yeah, we ought to allow Someone to get up and speak in tongues as long as there was an interpreter and I think he knew

There's no way that's gonna happen. So yeah, go ahead but This will fix that.

I think that's what Paul is doing here He's laying down a rule that someone has to interpret it because he knows nobody can problem solved

Now legitimate tongues or languages can be interpreted But nobody can interpret gibberish can they and if somebody says they can interpret gibberish

They are not being completely honest. This has happened. I've heard of this people have

Tested this out. So now the video of someone speaking in Tongues, it's modern -day tongue.

So it's sounds like gibberish. So they'll bring in somebody They'll find somebody who claims to have the interpretation.

They bring them in have them watch it right down the interpretation Okay. Thank you. See you later

Then they find someone else who has the gift of interpretation of time. He comes in Here's the same video writes down the interpretation do that with five six seven people doesn't matter how many guess what happens

They all say different things. So what does that prove? This is not

Tongues, so this is one rule Paul lays down to fight against the chaos

And it's doing this in a way. You're not saying you guys are wrong. You're acting like he doesn't do it in a confrontational way

It's quite a clever thing Verse 29 he lays down now a rule for the prophets who also need to be tested

So not only those who claim to speak in tongues that they need to be Tested the prophets need to be tested

In first Thessalonians 5 Paul says do not despise prophecies

But test all things hold fast to that which is good So today when somebody preaches whether it's me

Pastor Brussel down the road or someone on TV anytime somebody preaches.

What are you to do? You are to test everything that I say that's why you carry your

Bible to church with you or During the sermon you have it opened and you're following along I saw a video a couple days ago.

The pastor was literally making things up I won't mention his name. He's very famous on TV.

One of the most famous Pastors in all of the country. He was making stuff up right and left.

I'm thinking how does nobody Nobody realize this I suspect somebody does but you can't question the anointed man of God.

That's how that group looks at it We need to test everything Test what

I say against the Word of God for many false prophets have gone out into the world

You remember they even tested the Apostle Paul the Bereans did and the Bible says that they were noble for doing that Let the prophets speak two or three and let the other judge if anything be revealed to another that sitteth by Let the first hold his peace

For he may all or for he may all prophesy one by one that all may learn

It all may be comforted so things were done in an orderly fashion and People also were to control their behavior.

I know this is also obvious look at verses 32 and 33 the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets

For God is not the author of confusion But of peace as in all the churches of the

Saints So as far as the next few verses we talked about this last week

May have been some disruption from some of the Corinthian women He says let your women keep silence in the churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak

But they are commanded to be under obedience as also sayeth the law

We talked about female Bishops or female elders that wasn't something that happened in the church

He says in verse 38 and if they will learn anything Let them ask their husbands at home for it is a shame for women to speak in church

So yeah, there might have been some disruption Paul saying please don't act that way or you know

Don't cause a commotion and yes, the leadership of the church is to be male

Paul says in verses 36 and 37 Because someone will say well, that's just the way it was back then.

This is just cultural times have changed Well, he says these are the commandments of God He says in verse 36 what came the

Word of God out from you or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge

That the things that I write on to you are right unto you are what? The commandments of the

Lord. Well, I don't agree with that Verse 38, but if any man be ignorant, let let him be ignorant

At least one amen So the conclusion the bottom line is this

Okay The Bible I think is clear if we look at it and take the time to study it and what it's actually

Saying on all of these issues I believe the Bible is clear and either we are going to stand on the

Word of God and we will be called ignorant by The world if we do that or we can stand with the world and be called

Ignorant by God that's the choice that you have. So the Corinthian church, they were just doing their own thing

Whatever we want to do, however, it goes. It's our choice Paul's trying to correct them almost done verse 39

Wherefore brethren covet to prophesy and forbid not to speak with tongues

And this is let the legitimate gift of tongues and finally verse 40. Let all things be done

Decently and in order a church that goes its own way will be a church that will fall into indecency and Chaos and we don't want to be like the

Corinthians in this area Let's close in prayer Father we thank you that you are a

God of love and mercy and compassion your servants The Apostles were men of love and compassion but they also spoke the truth with boldness and as Paul says in this chapter

God is not the author of Confusion so we pray that you the Holy Spirit would sink your message deep into our hearts

May we be a church that would follow after charity? May we be a people that are willing to put others first?

May we seek to glorify you and all that we say and do may we strive to be biblical in every area?

May our words and our doctrine be clear and easy to be understood for the building up of the body of Christ For unto you

O Lord be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages world without end