all may learn and all be encouraged. And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,
the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should
be in submission as the law says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them
ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?
If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing
to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.
So my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues,
but all things should be done decently and in order.
Well, friends, I don't know about you, but this week I've been particularly struck by how much
chaos there seems to be in the world. For weeks we've been hearing about the chaotic events in the UK,
the Brexit vote, and now the turmoil over choosing a new prime minister.
And much closer to home, we've been witnessing even more chaos, it seems,
with the tragic shootings in Texas and Minnesota and Louisiana.
On and on it seems to come.
And you know, these are just the chaotic things that happen to hit the headlines.
How much more are we not reading about in other parts of the world, in other cities of our country,
even behind the closed doors of our own neighborhoods?
Confusion, disorder, chaos.
And here we gather this morning, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And what should characterize our gathering?
Should the church just be more of the same?
Another place where chaos is boiling below the surface,
ready to break out at any moment, like water bursting through a rusty pipe.
Too often, you know, this has been the case.
Too often the church has looked just like the world in this regard.
A place of enmity and strife and confusion and chaos.
But our text this morning speaks to us in both challenging and inviting words.
The church should be a place, we read here, not of chaos, but of order.
An order that not just the church, but our world so desperately needs.
You'll remember if you've been with us over the last few weeks,
that Paul here is coming to the conclusion of his instruction to the church here in Corinth
on the topic of spiritual gifts.
And in verse 39 through 40, at the very end of the text, Paul, hopefully, sums it up as clearly as he possibly can.
Here's the big idea that he's been sort of working towards this whole chapter.
You ready?
Here it is.
Earnestly desire to prophesy.
That is, to speak timely, insightful, spirit-led words of encouragement and upbuilding.
Don't forbid speaking in tongues.
Okay, don't totally rule that out.
But all things should be done decently and in order.
Or as another translation puts it,
everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
So when it comes to spiritual gifts and public worship,
Paul says the bottom line is,
all things should be done decently and in order,
in a fitting and orderly way.
Order!
Okay.
But why?
Are we talking here about order just for order's sake?
Is Paul just sort of being a stick in the mud here?
A little nervous about things getting out of hand?
Like the school principal who walks into the noisy lunchroom and tells everyone to quiet down and stop having a good time.
This is school after all.
No, you see, that's not it at all.
You see, if the public worship of the church is not meant to be a sort of chaotic frenzy on the one hand,
neither is it meant to be a dry and stiff formalism on the other.
I mean, think about it, friends.
Nothing about the worship of the one true God ought to be boring and dry.
We are worshiping God, after all.
The creator of galaxies and quarks and canyons and everything that takes your breath away.
The author behind all poetry and music and every beauty you've ever seen.
The one we're told in the book of Hebrews is a consuming fire.
There ought to be nothing boring here.
And forgive us, preachers, if sometimes we bore you.
We're falling short of our calling.
Order for order's sake, not quite.
So what is the reason?
Why orderly worship of all the things that Paul could drive home?
Well, our text gives us three reasons.
And the first one is this.
Do all things decently and in order because orderly worship, Paul seems to say,
lets everyone take part.
Jump back to the beginning of our passage.
The vision here is of an incredibly participatory worship, is it not?
The way Paul would have it, corporate worship is not a spectator sport.
It's not like showing up to see a movie at a movie theater where you sit back,
eat some popcorn, and hope to be sort of mildly entertained for the next hour and a half or two hours.
You hope not two hours, right, when you come to church.
No, the way Paul would have it, the way the New Testament would have it,
corporate worship is more like showing up at one of those murder mystery dinners
where everyone has a role to play in the unfolding drama.
You show up and you're expected to participate.
And if you don't, well, you just don't have that much fun, do you?
Everyone comes with something to share.
You see that in verse 26.
And for Paul, that's a good thing.
Paul doesn't say, oh, you came with a hymn.
No, no, no, no, no.
You're just supposed to come with your popcorn bucket so you can sit back and enjoy the show.
Okay.
Now, if that's the case, if everyone comes with something to share,
if this is meant to be a participatory gathering,
at first, a little bit of chaos might seem like the best way to let everybody jump in.
Why have any guidelines or structure or order or service leaders?
Why not just let the spirit move?
Won't that ensure that everyone gets a chance to participate?
But, you know, the reality is that's almost never how it works out in practice.
Chaos almost always ends up meaning that the strong and the domineering are the ones who steal the show.
And they run roughshod over the humbler and the quieter ones.
You know, if the teacher in the classroom never says,
why don't we hear from someone who hasn't shared yet?
It's always going to be that obnoxious kid in the front row who blurts out the answers to all the questions.
Isn't it?
I know, because I was too often that kid.
So, you see, order in corporate worship ensures that the loudest voices,
the most domineering, pushy personalities, don't monopolize the meeting,
which seems to be what was taking place at Corinth.
In other words, an orderly service ensures that the quieter, humbler voices that we need to hear
can also be heard.
So then, in verses 27 through 31, Paul gives us some ground rules.
Only let two or three speak in tongues or in prophecy.
And make sure they speak in turn, not over each other, okay?
Take note of how Paul is implying self-control here.
If you want to do, if you can't happen to do what you want to do at this gathering,
just wait for another opportunity.
And by the way, tongues, speakers, you need an interpreter.
If no interpreter is present, stay silent.
Oh, and prophecy, speakers, look,
you can wait till someone is done speaking before you start speaking.
And don't blab on and on and on and on and on and on.
That seems to be what verse 32 is all about.
It's a bit confusing on the surface.
The spirit of prophets are subject to prophets.
I think what Paul means there is that you, prophet, whoever you might be,
you, speaker, you are in control of your own spirit.
That is, you don't just have to blurt something out
because there's something on your heart or in your spirit to say.
You can wait.
You can exercise self-control here.
But now note, even if you're not speaking,
Paul seems to be very strongly seeing that you're still participating.
You may be quiet, but you're not passive.
The tongue speakers are still speaking to themselves and God.
Those who are not prophesying are weighing what is said.
The vision here is of a gathering where everyone is engaged in heart and mind
with all that's being said.
Okay, fair enough.
Now, at this point, you might be thinking,
wait a minute.
I've been coming to Trinity for fill in the blank.
Three months, three years, 30 years.
Our Sunday morning services don't look anything like this.
Right?
Does that mean we have it completely wrong?
Are we missing the mark here?
Next Sunday, should we just set up a microphone in the middle of this stage
stage and say, okay, who's got a word?
Well, I think there are a few things to say to that.
First, we would actually love to see Sundays as a time
where more people are sharing encouraging words
to the congregation up front.
And not just when someone becomes a member or gets baptized,
as great as those times of sharing are.
But also, maybe when the Lord is just teaching you something
that will be edifying to share with the whole congregation.
What might that look like?
Well, the Lord's been teaching you something
that you think might be edifying to share with the whole congregation.
Come talk to one of the elders
so that we can pray about the best means
of actually communicating that to your church family
so we can help you discern the best means of building up your body.
Okay, the second thing to say
is that this gathering on Sundays
isn't the only gathering of our church.
There are different sorts of gatherings
that can have different sorts of purposes
and that give us different opportunities
to use our gifts in different sorts of ways.
In the church where I became a Christian,
there was a midweek service on Wednesday nights.
How many people here went to a church growing up
that was like Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night?
Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.
Some of you are like,
why would you ever go to church three times a week?
That's nuts.
Okay, well, the church I went to,
we had this midweek service, right?
And I'll tell you,
that midweek service looked a bit like 1 Corinthians 14.
Instead of the songs being planned ahead of time,
people would call out hymn numbers.
And then we'd hope the pianist kind of knew that one.
Then there was an open time
when what we called testimonies were given.
And when prayers were prayed.
And when scripture passages were shared and taught.
And you know, here at Trinity,
if you become a part of a midweek small group,
you might see something a lot more like 1 Corinthians 14.
In fact, I will say from personal experience,
I have seen the gift of prophecy at work
all the time in my small group.
I don't think the members of my small group
would have necessarily called it that.
But if we understand prophecy,
as we've been saying over the last few weeks,
as timely, insightful, spirit-filled words
that apply the truths of scripture
to a specific situation,
then I've seen that again and again and again.
Someone struggling with a sin
and a brother or sister shares a word
that's very encouraging and challenging.
Someone wrestling with anxiety or fear
and someone saying,
I've struggled with that too.
Here's how the Lord has helped me.
Someone just over our Bible study time
sharing something
that seems to hit the nail on the head
for all of us
and it ends up being woven through
a lot of our prayers
later in our time together.
I've seen the gift of prophecy at work
in our small group again and again and again.
No one has spoken in tongues yet.
I don't think anyone has the gift of interpretation
that I know of,
so, you know, we're good there.
We don't need to go there.
But it could happen, right?
And then we'd say,
does anybody have the gift of interpretation?
And maybe someone would.
Who knows?
But the point is
that these smaller gatherings
provide good context
to exercise gifts in different ways.
Now, it's also clear from the New Testament,
if you look at the book of Acts
or the pastoral epistles, for example,
that biblical preaching and teaching,
sustained exposition of the Bible,
and encouraging one another
through song and scripture readings
and taking up a collection,
these are also part of a healthy,
public worship life at the church.
And our Sunday morning gatherings
seem like a good time
to devote to those things.
Now, of course,
we could do all of those things
in one big service.
But with 200 to 300 people here on a Sunday,
that would probably make for a really long service.
Right?
And fortunately,
lots of people would probably be too intimidated
to speak up and exercise their gifts.
So,
we meet more than once.
And we meet in lots of different ways.
We meet in different forms
so that we can embody the breadth
of what a healthy church gathering looks like.
Okay, one more point to be made
as we think about the sort of,
maybe dissonance
between what we see in 1 Corinthians 14
and what we see here.
And that point is that
as we think
of how our Sunday morning service
is compared to what we see here
in 1 Corinthians 14,
I think it's true
that orderly worship,
which is what Paul's big idea is here,
orderly worship,
even in a large meeting
like this,
orderly worship
still facilitates
the participation
and mutual edification
that Paul really wants.
in other words,
even if things don't look identical
on the surface,
the principles are still
being embodied.
Orderly worship
allows everyone
to take part
in what's happening.
This is one of the reasons
why we have an order of service.
So that when we come together,
we're not just spectators
of what's happening
up on stage,
but so that we can enter
into
the worship service itself
with our spirits
and with our minds,
as Paul says back
in verses 14 through 15.
And we put a lot of thought
into making the order of service.
It's not just a random string
of songs and reading and prayer,
but something that actually
takes us,
if you notice,
week in and week out
on a journey
through the gospel narrative.
This is what we're hoping to do
with our order of service.
We begin,
did you notice,
it's right there in your bulletin,
with a time of adoration.
Right?
Praising God for who he is.
And then we move, what,
to a time of confession.
Acknowledging our sin
and our need of a savior.
And then we move to the cross.
And we sing and we speak
of what Jesus has done
for all who believe.
Paying the penalty for our sin.
Rising again to give us new life.
And then after we've
adored God for who he is
and we've celebrated
what Christ has done for us
to forgive our sins,
having celebrated God's grace
in that way,
we move to a time of sharing
what God's been doing
in our lives.
And particularly,
coming to God
as our heavenly father
who knows our needs
even before we ask them.
and pouring out our hearts
to him
with our needs
and our petitions
and our prayers.
So you see,
we're moving
through the narrative
of the gospel.
God,
we adore him.
We're sinners
and we need to confess
that before him.
Christ has done something
once and for all for us
and that opens up
a new kind of relationship
and response to God.
God,
we're shaping our services
around the message,
the story of the good news.
Why do we do that?
Friends,
so that week in
and week out
in a hundred different ways,
we can participate together
in the celebration
of the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
Which 1 Peter tells us
even angels
long to look at
and look into
with wonder.
the gospel is something
that will never grow old
for all eternity.
So every Sunday,
we want to come before it
and in the hundreds
of different ways
in which we can celebrate it,
we want to be
diving into it together.
So I hope
that our orderly service
and our order of service
empowers your meaningful
participation.
You know,
this is another reason
why
we also
don't just have
an order of service,
but
we print out
the sermon text
ahead of time
on the sermon cards
so that we can be
engaging with the text
together
before we come
on Sundays
and so that we can be
praying for the message.
Just this week,
I actually heard
of a student
in our youth group
who uses the sermon text
each week
as part of his quiet time.
I think that's
a great example
for all of us.
I guarantee you
that you will get
more out of Sunday mornings,
you will feel more engaged
if you read
and you meditate
on the text
ahead of time
and pray for the message
on Sunday.
Pick up a good study Bible
like the ESV study Bible
or there's others out there,
you don't have to get that one.
But that will be
a good help to you
as you study the passage
during the week
and get your bearings in it
and start to meditate on it
to help you delve into it.
But you know,
it's not just leading up
to the service
but in the time
following the service.
You know,
what we do
after the benediction
here
is still very much
part of our
gathered worship.
We engage
with one another
over the text.
I know some of the
small groups
are actually using
the sermon text
as part of their
weekly small group discussion
to be carrying
what we're doing here
into their one anothering
throughout the week.
That gives them a way
to connect
what's happening
on Sundays
to their mutual teaching
and edifying
of one another
in their small group.
So there are lots of ways
in which
our services
through being orderly
are actually encouraging
this kind of mutual
full-on participation
that we're all engaged
in what's happening here.
Okay, let's keep moving.
I hope you see
that the first big reason
why orderly worship
is so important
is because
chaos can't produce
and maintain
a culture
of mutual participation
and mutual building up.
But Paul says
orderly worship can.
Okay.
Now,
let me say a few words
about verses 34 and 35.
Ah,
when was he going to
start talking about that?
Okay,
here we go.
These verses
in the text of our passage
seem to come out of nowhere,
right?
So much so
that some commentators
have even speculated
whether they were added
to the manuscript
at some later date.
Some people have wondered
maybe there was a scribe
who just sort of wrote
that in the margins
and eventually
just kind of got stuck in.
Okay.
The reality is
that these verses
are in every single manuscript
of 1 Corinthians
that we have.
So it seems that Paul
actually did write them.
So,
what do they mean?
You know,
it's very important
when we run across
a passage like this,
ones that at first
are very arresting
and seem very unclear
and on the surface
maybe seem a little offensive
or on the surface
seem a lot offensive.
Okay.
It's important
to interpret
the less clear parts
of Scripture
in light of the more
clear parts of Scripture.
and when we do that
we realize pretty quickly
that there's one thing
that this text
cannot be saying.
This text cannot be saying
that women
should never ever
participate verbally
in public worship.
How do we know that?
Well, look,
if you go back
three chapters
to 1 Corinthians 11
we see there
very clearly
that women
are praying
and prophesying
in the church
and Paul has
zero problem with it.
He just wants
to make sure
that they respect
their husbands
as they do so.
That's the deal
with head coverings.
So unless Paul
is hopelessly
contradicting himself
he can't mean
that women
should never ever
pray or speak
in church.
So whatever Paul
means by keep silent
that can't be it.
Okay.
So what does Paul
mean then?
Well here commentators
go in all sorts
of different directions
and if you're interested
in the nitty gritty details
you can come talk
to me afterwards
and we can have
a long conversation
about all the crazy ways
in which scholars
try to put these pieces
together.
But here's another principle.
If we should always
interpret the less clear
parts of scripture
by the more clear parts
we should also
always look at texts
in their context.
And what's the context
of these verses?
Verses 34 and 35.
Not just
speaking in church
in general.
The immediate context
in verses 29 through 33
is what?
The giving
and the weighing
of prophecy.
Now
as we just pointed out
from 1 Corinthians 11
and as we actually see
all across
the New Testament
women
were
most certainly
giving words of prophecy
and sharing all sorts
of encouraging words
in the church.
So
the best bet
seems to be
that verses 34
to 35
have something
to do
with the weighing
of prophecy.
That is
the evaluation
of prophecy.
And at this point
it seems
there are broadly
two directions,
two interpretations
that could make sense.
And here's where
some commentators
go with this.
One reading
would seem
to understand
these verses
to be saying
that married women
shouldn't publicly
evaluate and question
the prophecies
of their husbands.
Instead
they should talk
to their husbands
at home
lest
they run the risk
of dishonoring
their husbands
and undermining
the special relationship
that exists
in a marriage
between a husband
and wife
that's meant
to mirror
Christ in the church.
And so
in this reading
Paul isn't saying
that women
shouldn't speak
at all
but again
in the context
of weighing prophecies
they shouldn't speak
in evaluation
of their husbands.
Okay
that's the first way
of reading the passage
and that would understand
verses 34
through 35
as relating
to a particular
relationship
right?
To the relationship
of marriage.
The second way
we could understand
these verses
is to see them
referring
not necessarily
to a particular
relationship
marriage
but relating
to a particular
office
in the church.
That is
the office
or the role
that was responsible
for giving
the final
public evaluation
of anything
that was formally
taught
in the church assembly.
and held up
as true doctrine.
Think of it this way
when the first century
New Testament church
gathered
as Paul says
each one had a hymn
each one had a lesson
each one had a revelation
a word of prophecy
an interpreted tongue
who was entrusted
with the final
buck stops here
Jesus is going
to judge us for it
responsibility
to weigh
and evaluate
and make sure
that whatever
was being held up
as true doctrine
in the church
aligned
with
the apostles
teaching
and the deposit
of the faith
once for all
delivered to the saints
who was going
to make sure
that the teaching
was going to be upheld
in that life giving way
and we see that
in the New Testament
that responsibility
was entrusted
to the office
of the elders.
Yes, every believer
is meant to test
and weigh
what's being taught
in good
Berean-like
open your Bibles
and study the scriptures
fashion.
If you have no idea
who the Bereans are
I'm sorry for that
esoteric reference
come talk to me afterwards.
They were Christians
in the city of Berea
who really sort of
dug into the Bible
and understood
the apostles' teaching.
Okay.
Every believer
is meant to be doing that
but
the responsibility
of overseeing
and preserving
the faithful teaching
in the congregation
falls especially
to the office
of the elders.
Who are the elders?
We see from the New Testament
that the elders
are those men
whom the congregation
formally recognizes
as being able
to faithfully teach
and defend
the biblical
apostolic teaching
and whose character
consistently conforms
to the image of Christ.
Look at 1 Timothy chapter 3
if you want to see
a description of elders.
So what does this mean?
Paul in verses 34
through 35
of our text
isn't saying
that women
shouldn't speak at all.
But in the context
of weighing prophecies
he's saying
that they shouldn't speak
in the place
of an elder.
And I think
if we were to push Paul
on this
he would also say
non-elder males
shouldn't be
speaking in the place
of an elder either.
Because this isn't
an office that just
goes to every male
indiscriminately
but those whom
the congregation
all of us
have seen
and tested
and approved
to occupy
that office
for us.
Okay.
There are two readings.
Maybe none of them
seem satisfying to you
but there they are.
Which one is it?
Well again
I think both
are somewhat plausible.
And the reality is
we don't want to be
overly dogmatic
or close fisted
about the meaning
of text
that pretty much
everyone recognizes
are really tricky
to discern
the exact meaning of.
Every single
honest commentator
who looks at these
verses will say
man it's hard to know
exactly what Paul
has in mind here.
Personally
I find the second
reading to make
the most sense
in light of the rest
of the New Testament.
But
we don't want to
lose the forest
for the trees here
friends.
This passage
is helping us
see the importance
of orderly worship.
And part of
orderly worship
means at times
deferring to others.
Look at verse 28.
Those who speak
in tongues
should defer
when there isn't
an interpreter around.
They too
should keep silent.
In verse 30
those who prophesy
should defer
when another prophet
stands up to speak.
And all of that
is for our good.
And so friends
we can trust too
that whatever
Paul has in mind here
whether it's
regarding the relationship
between husband and wives
or whether it's
regarding the office
of the elder
that God
intends this too
for our good
and for our freedom
and for the
upbuilding of the church.
Okay
we've seen then
that orderly worship
lets everyone
play their part.
If you want to come
talk to me about
this passage
after the service
please come
I'd love to talk
more about it.
But there are more
reasons that Paul
gives for the
importance of
orderly worship.
And the next big
reason is this.
He tells us to do
all things decently
and in order
because orderly worship
is the Lord's command.
Look at verse 36.
Paul here is sort of
picking up the line
of thinking
from verses 32
and 33.
And in verse 36
he seems to be
responding to a
potential question
or a potential
sort of pushback
from the Corinthians.
They were probably
thinking something like
look Paul
won't this order
of yours
quench the spirit?
I mean
what if the spirit
gives me a word
that just has
to be said?
Do you really
want me to wait?
You surely
don't think
I should just
refuse
the leading
of the spirit?
Won't that stifle
God's work
in our midst?
Not to mention
squander the spirit's
gifts?
And Paul sort of
replies to that
critique or criticism
with a little bit
of sarcasm
doesn't he?
Oh really?
Does the word
of God
come from you?
Are you the only
ones with the word
of God?
Do you have a corner
on how God's word
ought to work?
Are you the authorities
on this matter?
No
Paul says
Jesus is
he's the Lord
and his word
is what we ought
to do
and his word
is that we ought
to do things
in an orderly way
and defer to one
another
and exercise
self-control
in our meetings
at the end
of verse 37
Paul says
the things
I'm writing
to you
are a command
of the Lord
and in Paul's
writings
the Lord
almost always
means
the Lord
Jesus
himself
Paul is saying
wants worship
to be orderly
and friends
if that's true
if this is something
that Jesus
wants for us
isn't that enough?
If the one
who loved us
and gave himself
for us
and who rose
again conquering
death
and who sits
at the Father's
right hand
interceding for us
and one day
will come again
in glory
if that Jesus
says
when you
gather for
worship
do things
in an orderly
way
that should
be enough
if I happen
to get lost
in the woods
and suddenly
out of nowhere
Bear Grylls
comes down
on a line
and lands
next to me
and says
I'm not going
to try a British
accent
you can fill
one in
hey
if we do
things this
way
we'll find
our way
again
and we'll
make it
home
so trust
me
and let's
do it
this way
look
what am
I going
to do
I'm probably
not going
to say
well look
Bear
you're Bear
Grylls
and all
but I mean
really
do you think
that's what
we should
do
why
give me
ten good
reasons
why
I should
follow
your
advice
no
I am
immediately
going to
trust him
and do
what he
says
he's Bear
Grylls
do you know
who Bear
Grylls
is
if you
don't
go google
him
afterwards
he's a
stud
he knows
what he's
talking
about
friends
how much
more
ought we
to trust
the words
of the
risen
Lord
Jesus
when we
kind of
lose
our way
when it
comes to
what we
ought to
do
when we
gather
together
for
worship
it's
his
church
it's
his
world
he
rules
and reigns
it
in his
good
loving
merciful
patient
just
way
we
should
listen
to
what
he
says
and of
course
the million
dollar
question
is
well where
exactly
do we
find the
words
of
Jesus
today
in
verses
37
through
38
actually
point
us
to
where
we
ought
to
look
Paul
says
if
anyone
thinks
he
is
a
prophet
or
spiritual
he
should
acknowledge
that
the
things
I
am
writing
to
you
are
a
command
of
Lord
do
you
see
what
the
text
is
implying
here
the
commands
of
the
Lord
Jesus
the
words
of
our
risen
savior
and
the
head
of
the
church
how
do
they
come
to
us
today
where
do
we
find
them
through
the
teaching
and
the
writing
of
Jesus
appointed
representatives
the
ones
he
entrusted
to
speak
and
teach
his
words
to
the
church
that
is
the
apostles
then
Paul
says
something
really
bold
if
anyone
doesn't
recognize
this
he
is
not
recognized
that
is
not
recognized
by
God
now
that
would
be
the
most
insanely
audacious
thing
in the
world
to
say
if
Jesus
himself
hadn't
said
the
exact
same
thing
during
Jesus
earthly
ministry
when
he
sent
out
his
apostles
to
teach
you
see
this
in
Luke
chapter
10
for
instance
Jesus
told
them
this
to
his
apostles
to
those
chosen
twelve
that
he
appointed
for
this
task
whoever
hears
you
hears
me
and
the
one
who
rejects
you
rejects
me
and
the
one
who
rejects
me
rejects
him
who
sent
me
so
you
see
Jesus
himself
the
historical
Jesus
himself
is
drawing
a
direct
link
between
God
the
father
and
himself
and
his
apostles
do
you
want to
know
what
God
has
to
say
listen
to
his
son
do
you
want
to
know
what
the
son
has
to
say
listen
to
the
apostles
that
he
appointed
to
teach
and
preach
in
his
name
and
where
do
we
find
the
teaching
of
Jesus
appointed
apostles
today
in
the
new
testament
friends
that's
why
the
bible
is
our
well
spring
that's
why
Sunday
after
Sunday
we
open
it
up
and
we
read
it
and
we
try
to
teach
the
message
of
the
scriptures
here
we
have
the
words
Jesus
himself
gave
to
his
church
through
his
apostles
in
the
new
testament
and
through
his
prophets
in
the
old
testament
too
and
this
apostolic
word
that
Jesus
entrusted
is
preserved
in
scripture
for
the
church
and
isn't
that
good
news
that
instead
of
wondering
where
we
can
hear
the
voice
of
our
Lord
he
says
here
it
is
it
is
for
you
so
you
can
always
have
his
words
so
we
can
always
have
his
voice
leading
us
and
guiding
us
and
correcting
us
and
comforting
us
we
often
think
that
having
an
authoritative
bible
is
this
huge
problem
but
in fact
it's
this
great
gift
that
we
don't
have
to
make
things
up
on
our
own
that
we
don't
have
to
create
God
in
our
own
image
that
we
don't
have
to
guess
what
Jesus
says
but
he
38
is
that
truly
spiritual
worship
places
the
apostolic
words
of
Jesus
which
we
have
preserved
for
us
in
scripture
at
the
center
of
everything
in
other
words
they're
the
order
underneath
the
order
that's
why
our
orderly
worship
seeks
to be
just
saturated
with
the
words
of
scripture
our
songs
and
prayers
and
testimonies
and
sermons
we
want
them
to
be
infused
with
the
bible
why
because
we
don't
have
anything
else
better
to
say
yeah
we
don't
have
anything
else
better
to
say
than
what
God
is
saying
in
his
word
Beth
and I
recently
started
making
cold brew
coffee
at
home
do you
know
what
cold brew
coffee
is
the
process
is
really
easy
actually
you
grind
up
some
coffee
you
put
it
in
a
container
of
water
and
then
you
just
put
it
in
your
fridge
for
12
hours
rich
super
caffeinated
beverage
to
jump
start
your
day
or
you
can
go
to
Starbucks
and
pay
like
six
bucks
for
one
we'll
make
ours
at
home
okay
friends
that's
sort
of
what
we
want
to
happen
with
public
worship
we
want
the
scriptures
to
so
saturate
everything
we
do
that
you
can't
help
but
get
a
good
strong
rich
dose
of
Jesus
life
giving
words
on
Sunday
which
is
why
if
you
have
a
friend
who
is
seeking
God
or
if
you
yourself
are
feeling
far
from
God
bring
them
to
a
gathering
where
the
scriptures
are
being
explained
and
read
and
talked
about
and
prayed
and
preached
because
God
is
speaking
through
his
word
and
it
also
means
that
if
we
want
to
grow
in
our
maturity
of
using
our
spiritual
gifts
in
worship
the
best
thing
that
we
can
do
is
pray
earnestly
which
Paul
says
a
number
of
times
in
this
passage
and
immerse
ourselves
in
scripture
so
let me
ask
friends
do
you
have
a
way
of
doing
that
what
steps
are
you
taking
to
soak
in
the
scriptures
and
to
fill
your
mind
with
the
mind
of
Christ
showing
up
to
public
worship
is
the
first
best
step
but
are
you
taking
advantage
of
other
means
maybe
you
have
tried
reading
through
the
Bible
in
a
year
and
have
totally
failed
okay
I have
done
that
like
a
thousand
times
somewhere
around
you
know
Deuteronomy
if you are
really having
a good
year
you
peter
out
right
let me
offer
another
strategy
if that
one
hasn't
worked
for
you
pick
one
book
of
the
Bible
like
the
book
of
Ephesians
it's
short
or
the
Gospel
of
Mark
it's
also
kind
of
short
pick
one
book
and
read
it
over
and
over
and
over
again
and
pray
through
it
and
journal
about
it
and
outline
it
and
memorize
key
verses
and
talk
to
a
friend
about
what
you're
learning
from
that
one
book
just
soak
in
that
one
book
until
you
feel
like
you
know
it
really
well
like
the
living
room
of
your
house
until
it
feels
like
it's
inside
of
you
maybe
that'll
take
a few
months
maybe
it'll
take
six
months
for
a
longer
book
it might
take
a whole
year
but
just
inhabit
that
book
and
only
then
move
on
to
another
book
and
do
the
same
thing
in
other
words
instead
of
going
a
mile
wide
and
an
inch
deep
go
an
inch
deep
and
a
mile
wide
and
I
guarantee
you
will
not
be
so
orderly
worship
then
is
Jesus'
command
and
we
want
his
words
to
be
at
the
center
of
all
that
we
do
but
there's
one
last
point
that
our
text
holds
up
for
us
as
we
consider
orderly
worship
and
it's
this
is
a
short
point
do
all
things
decently
and
in
order
because
orderly
worship
displays
God's
character
to
the
world
look
back
at
verse
33
do
all
this
Paul
says
for
God
is
not
a
God
of
confusion
but
of
peace
in
our
worship
in
our
life
together
whether
we
like
it
or
not
we
are
saying
something
about
the
character
of
God
so
what
do
people
see
when
they
join
us
do
they
see
chaos
do
they
see
people
just
trying
to
one
up
each
other
and
show
off
or
do
they
see
something
different
not
just
in
what
said
but
how
our
life
together
is
functioning
do
they
see
the
God
of
peace
listen
to how
Paul
describes
it
in
his
letter
to
the
Ephesians
he
says
remember
that
you
were
at
that
time
separated
from
Christ
alienated
from
the
commonwealth
of
Israel
strangers
to
the
covenants
of
promise
having
no
hope
and
without
God
in
the
world
but
now
in
Christ
Jesus
you
who
were
once
far
off
have
been
brought
near
by
the
blood
of
Christ
for
he
himself
is
our
peace
who
has
made
us
both
one
and
has
broken
down
in
his
flesh
the
dividing
wall
of
hostility
by
abolishing
the
law
of
commandments
expressed
in
ordinances
that
he
might
create
in
himself
one
new
man
in
place
of
the
two
so
making
peace
and
might
reconcile
us
both
to
God
in
one
body
through
the
cross
thereby
killing
the
hostility
Paul
goes on
he says
and he
came
and he
preached
peace
to
you
who
are
far
off
and
peace
to
those
who
are
near
for
through
him
we
both
have
access
in
one
spirit
to
the
father
could
there
be a
more
sweeping
vision
for
how
what
Jesus
has
done
on
the
cross
not
just
reconciles
us
to
God
but
reconciles
us
to
one
another
it
makes
peace
one
with
God
and
one
with
one
another
the
dividing
wall
of
hostility
that
separates
Jew
and
Gentile
and all
the
races
for that
matter
and rich
and poor
and male
and female
and all
these things
that divide
us
has been
ripped
down
through the
death
and the
resurrection
of Jesus
because we
all come
to God
on equal
terms
through him
and he
now is our
righteousness
and our
peace
not anything
else
peace
friends
the
God
we
worship
is the
God
of
peace
and our
gatherings
ought to be a
glorious
display of
that peace
and in the
Bible
peace is not
static
and it's not
lifeless
the biblical
concept of
peace is rich
and dynamic
it replaces
enmity and
conflict and
hostility
not with the
mere absence
of those
things
but with the
presence of
something positive
of harmony
and of right
relationship
and of the
world healed
and put back
the way it's
supposed to be
imagine a
highway where
everyone is
driving however
they see fit
what would that
look like
there would be
accidents and
chaos everywhere
and biblical
peace is not
just getting
everyone off the
road and
making an
empty highway
no biblical
peace is all
the cars of
all kinds
flowing seamlessly
to their
destination
and so friends
orderly worship
isn't necessarily
going to look
the same
everywhere
it's going to
take different
forms and
different rich
expressions
orderly worship
for our
Anglican
brothers and
sisters will
look different
from orderly
worship among
our Pentecostal
brothers and
sisters right
and they could
both be
upholding
Paul's
principle here
because biblical
peace displaying
the God of
peace biblical
peace is like a
great dance
where the
dynamic inner
life of our
triune God
Father Son and
Holy Spirit
begins to be
reflected in our
life together
so that where
once we just
tried to show
off our gifts
and pretend and
perform and make
ourselves look good
and as a result
there was conflict
and strife
now because of
what Jesus has
done and through
his spirit
we care more
about coming
together and
building each
other up
and there's
concord and
there's compassion
and there's even
deference
and of course
another name for
all this is love
and that's what
1 Corinthians 12
through 14 has
really been all
about
hasn't it
with chapter 13
beating like a
heart in the
middle of it
all love a
love that issues
in peace and
friends isn't
that the gospel
as James said
earlier that God
so loved us that
he came and he
paid the penalty
for our sins to
give us eternal
life to give us
unending peace
peace and
friends in our
chaotic world
that may be the
hardest thing
to come by
we are hard
pressed to even
get a glimpse
of peace
but the vision
here is that in
our life together
as the church
that here
there's actually
a foretaste
of it
that here
the hurting
world can actually
see something
different
they can actually
see God's
peace on display
that they can
find a people
of peace
displaying
the God
of peace
the God
who made
peace for his
enemies through
his own death
on a cross
and of course
Paul's vision
isn't just that
they'd see it
on Sunday
mornings
but as we
go out from
here they'd
see it in
all that we
do
in our
families
in our
work
in our
relationships
with our
neighbors
that there
would just
be an aroma
of something
different
of peace
so you see
friends orderly
worship isn't
just order for
order's sake
ultimately
at its highest
end it's a
reflection of
God's own
character
it's a
reflection of
that character
out into the
world God
has made
this world
that God
aims to
restore and
to renew
does that
seem stunning
to you
could something
as small
as our
public worship
gathering
really play
that big
of a part
in God's
purposes in
the world
giving people
a glimpse
of who God
is
hands down
the Bible
would say
yes
yes it
does
and let's
pray that
our worship
gatherings
and our
life together
do the
same thing
let's pray
together
God we
praise you
as the
God of
peace
and we
ask that
we would
be a
people of
peace
Lord not
just in how
we conduct
ourselves on
Sunday but
in all of
our
relationships
we need
your spirit
to make
this happen
God so
often we
have fallen
short as
your church
but thank you
that you have
not left us
but you've
given us your
holy spirit
to work out
this peace
that you've
granted us
so God
heal us
make us a
loving people
and help
this world
that you love
our city
that you love
so much
to see
peace
in and
through us
we pray
this in your
name Jesus
our prince of
peace
amen
well friends
the music team
is going to
come up and
lead us in a
final hymn
and let's
use the
words of
this hymn
as a means
of just
meditating on
and reflecting
and taking
into our
hearts the
message of
our passage
this morning
would you
stand
beneath the
cross of
Jesus
I find a
place to
stand
and wonder
at such
mercy
that
upholds
me
as I
am
for
hands
that should
discard
me
hold
wounds
which tell
me
come
beneath
the cross
of
Jesus
my
undirty
soul
is
beneath
the cross
of
Jesus
his
family
is
my
own
what
strangers
chasing
selfish
dreams
of
the grace
of
how
could
I
now
dissout
the
ones
that
you
have
known
beneath
the cross
of
Jesus
see
the
children
call
my
God
love
beneath
the cross
of
Jesus
above
before
the
cross
we
follow
in
his
footsteps
where
the
promise
to
his
heart
how
great
the
joy
before
us
to
be
his
perfect
God
beneath
the
cross
of
Jesus
we
will
bear
in
the
lives
friends
hear the
benediction
now may
the
God
of
peace
who
brought
again
from
the
dead
our
Lord
Jesus
the
great
shepherd
of
the
sheep
by
the
blood
of
the
eternal
covenant
equip
you
with
everything
good
that
you
may
do
his
will
working
in
us
that
which
is
pleasing
in
his
sight
through
Jesus
Christ
to
whom
be
glory
forever
and
ever
amen
friends
go
in
peace
you
Thank you.