Author: David Worcester

Lead Pastor of Compass Church http://CompassChurchSD.com #Jesus, #Family #ChurchPlanting #CollegeMinistry. #Missions http://GospelAppointments.com @collegiatecoll

How The Gift Tongues Should Be Practiced In The Church – 1 Corinthians 14:21-40

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From my reading in 1 Corinthians 14:21-40 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Paul gave some healthy parameters for the usage of tongues in the church.

These instructions are specifically for the sake of visitors.

“Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy.” 1 Cor 14:3

A room full of people speaking in all different languages is not something people are used to and will scare people away. If you do speak in tongues in the church meeting here are Paul’s instructions.

“No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.” 1 Cor 14:27-28

It is surprising to me that some churches totally ignore these clear instructions.

I believe these instructions are in more of a house church or smaller group setting. No more than two or three people should speak. The should speak one at a time, and if there is no interpreter then they should not speak in tongues at all in the meeting, but should do it privately.

The principle behind these instructions is to have an orderly service.

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.” 1 Cor 14:33

There is one more important instruction that some of us need to heed as well.

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues. But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.” 1 Cor 14:39-40

Because some people have abused the usage of tongues, others have seemingly forbided it. In issues like this it is important for us to get our instructions from scripture and not the popular culture around us.

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Let love be your highest goal! – 1 Corinthians 14:1-20

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From my reading in 1 Corinthians 14:1-20 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

 “Let love be your highest goal!” 1 Cor 14:1

Love should be our highest goal in life. Not success. Not popularity. Not money. Love.

Loving God should be our very highest goal, and loving others should be our second highest goal. When Jesus was asked what the greatest command in the Bible was he said,

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matt 22:36-40

Any time a lesser goal that gets in the way of loving God and others is out of place. A good question for you to ask yourself when you are making decisions is…

“Is this loving toward God and others?”

If not then don’t do it! The rule of love is that love rules. Here’s some application questions for you…

Have you been pursuing  your other goals in a way that is unloving? 

Has pursuing your goals forced you to isolate yourself from God and others?

Who can you intentionally connect with?

When can you carve out time to spend time alone with God? 

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16 Characteristics Of Biblical Love – 1 Corinthians 13

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From my reading in 1 Corinthians 13 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

The type of love that Paul describes in 1 Cor 13 is a love given by God, and Jesus is the perfect example. Here are 16 characteristics of love from this chapter.

1. Love infuses meaning into every aspect of life.

No matter how much success, skill or meaningful work you have, with out love you are bankrupt. Love is what makes life worthwhile.

2. Love is patient.

Love doesn’t rush. Love is willing to wait for others. Love is willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. When you get married you get to work on this one!

3. Love is kind.

Despite what your sunday school posters say kindness is not sitting in a meadow and petting a lamb. Kindness is about treating others the way that you would like to be treated. It is about looking to the interests of others above your own.

4. Love does not envy.

When you are jealous, you are being selfish. Instead of celebrating a good thing with the person, you are putting the focus back on yourself. Facebook is sometimes a struggle of me because I can see people with certain things I want and instead of being happy for them I am jealous. Love celebrates instead of envying.

5. Love does not boast.

A person with love doesn’t have to tell everyone about how great your life is. They are content serving Jesus and letting him get the credit.

6. Love is not proud.

Love doesn’t push to the front of the line or consider itself better than others. Love is humble. Love looks out for the needs of other people.

7. Love is not rude.

Love makes a point to not offend people unnecessarily. Some people make a sport out of offending people, but that is not loving.

8. Love is not easily angered.

Love gives the benefit of the doubt. Loving people give grace because they have been given grace. This makes for a much more pleasant life.

9. Love keeps no record of wrong.

Loving people don’t dredge up old hurts and hold grudges.

10. Love rejoices with the truth.

Loving people are happy when truth wins and they do not enjoy any type of evil.

11. Love protects.

Loving people protect those who can not protect themselves.

12. Love trusts.

To have love there must be an atmosphere of trust. No trust, no love. Trust is the foundation of a loving relationship.

13. Love hopes.

Loving people have hope for others. They wish the best for people.

14. Love always preservers.

Love doesn’t give up. Loving people don’t run away when it get’s hard. They are there for the long haul!

15. Love never fails.

Love will always win out in the end. When Jesus takes his followers up to heaven we will participate in this victory.

16. Love is the greatest.

Of all the qualities you can have, love is the greatest. If you do nothing else today seek to become a more loving person by God’s power !

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Everyone Doesn’t Have The Same Spiritual Gifts – 1 Corinthians 12

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From my reading in 1 Corinthians 12 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

There is a misunderstanding in come Churches that certain spiritual gifts are given to everyone.

For example some believe the gift of tongues is the sign that you really have the Holy Spirit, and if you don’t speak in tongues then you must not really have the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately for people with this view…

Paul clearly tells us that we all don’t have all the gifts.

“Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.” 1 Cor 12:29-31

A healthy church should have a variety of spiritual gifts to help it operate.

That is why we need each other. No one person has been given all the spiritual gifts.

When it comes to the gift of tongues, some churches put pressure on people to speak in tongues as a sign that you have the Holy Spirit. But what if you don’t have the gift of tongues?   I believe it is wrong to judge the spiritual level of a person based on one gift. I also believe that because of this problem some churches have neglected tounges all together. I think this is wrong also.

Your spiritual gifts are to work in tandem with others in order for there to be a healthy body of Christ.

If we all had all the gifts then what would be the point of Paul spending so much time explaining how we are a body with different parts! The different parts are only truly helpful if they serve different functions.

“If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 1 Cor 12:17-21

We need all the spiritual gifts in order to be healthy! I believe we should celebrate all the spiritual gifts and not pressure anyone to exhibit one gift.

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Don’t Mess With The Lord’s Supper – 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

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From my reading in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Paul rebuked the Corinthians for not taking the Lord’s supper as seriously.

Some people were hogging all the food and even getting wasted on the wine! Needless to say they were missing the point!

Most people don’t have that problem, especially with the tiny communion glasses we use at Church! But Paul did give instructions about the attitude that we should approach the Lord’s supper with.

“So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.” 1 Cor 11:27-30

We should examine our hearts before taking the Lord’s supper.

You can’t fool God. If you are going through the motions he knows it. One thing that I like to do before taking the Lord’s supper is to confess my sins and make sure I have a clean conscience before God. I want to come to Him unhindered and remember how he died for those sins.

We don’t have to be perfect to receive the Lord’s supper, but we must be humble.

The purpose is the remember what Jesus did for us. If you are taking it for any other reason you shouldn’t be doing it.

I pray that this passage would be a reminder to us not to mess with the Lord’s supper.

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Discipleship Is More Caught Than Taught, The Importance Of Modeling – 1 Corinthians 11:1-16

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From my reading in 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

People don’t follow what you say, they follow what you do.

That is why is it is so important that if you are discipling someone that you are modeling for them.

The apostle Paul boldly invited the Corinthians to follow his example because he was following the example of Jesus.

“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” 1 Cor 11:1

If you are asking others to follow you then you need to make sure that you are following Jesus. Otherwise you could be leading them down the wrong path!

People need a model.

I was a pole vaulter in high school. If someone gave me a book about pole vaulting, it would have been really hard to learn. But my dad was a college pole vaulter at the University of Florida and he was my coach.  Because he knew what he was doing he could coach me and even model how to do some techniques. I was able to win the State Championship largely because my dad modeled how to pole vault for me.

One reason I love leading mission trips and doing outreach on campus is that I can take people with me and do on the job training.

If you are building a house or telling someone about Jesus you should take someone younger in your faith with you so that you can model for them how to do that. Try to never serve alone. Try to never share the gospel alone.  Always think about who you can bring along to pass on your passion for Christ.

Howard Hendricks has said, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day.”

Your life is the greatest lesson you will teach your disciple. People don’t do what you say, they do what you model.

Discipleship is more caught than taught.

Who can you start spending time with to model what following Jesus with?

Here’s an even better question, Is your life currently something worth following?

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Why We Should Do Everything, God’s Glory – 1 Corinthians 10:19-33

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From my reading in 1 Corinthians 10:19-33 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

God’s glory should be the goal of our lives.

The first verse that I memorized in college had a profound effect on my life.

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Cor 10:31

Our lives are about giving God glory. Everything we do should be toward that aim.

Whatever we do can become an act of worship if we do it for God’s glory.

God is inviting us to serve him with every part of our lives. For students we can glorify him through our school work. For those who work we can work hard for God. When we are playing we should play with God in mind. When we are enjoying a meal together with friends and family we should do it for God’s glory.

Any activity other than sin can be done for God’s glory!

I pray that our lives would be lived as an act of worship, not for our glory but for God’s.

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Life Saving Truths To Remember When Facing Temptation – 1 Corinthians 10:1-18

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From my reading in 1 Corinthians 10:1-18 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Temptation affects all of us.

Everyone faces temptation regularly. Even Jesus faced temptation. Paul shares some profound truths for us to remember when we are facing temptations.

“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Cor 12-13

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall…

You are never beyond temptation. If you think you have an area down and won’t struggle you should be careful because you may have fallen into pride. And pride comes before a fall. Don’t let your guard down, because temptation can strike at any moment.

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience…

People all over the world face the same temptations that you face. No matter what your specific temptation is it is a comforting thought to know that you are not the only one!

 And God is faithful…

You can remember that God is faithful when you are fighting temptation and it will give you comfort.

He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand…

God will not allow us to be tempted more than our ability to say no by his strength! That means when we give in to our temptation it is never God’s fault.

When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

God will prove a way out! This is a comforting thought. Sometimes that way out comes early and if you don’t take it then you will fall.

I encourage you that next time you are facing a temptation remember there is a way out, look for  the way out and then take it!

Being tempted is not a sin, we all experience it. By God’s grace he can give us the power to say no to temptations and yes to his plan for us!

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The Importance Of Having A Contextualized Ministry – 1 Corinthians 9

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From my reading in 1 Corinthians 9 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

“Seeker sensitive” has become almost a swear word in some church circles.

Since when was it wrong to be sensitive and care about the very people that your are trying to reach?  We should never sin in order to reach people, but why not do everything else in our power to relate to the people we are trying to reach. I love the phrase.

“we will do anything outside of sin to reach people for the gospel.”

The funny thing is that we never have any trouble if someone has a contextualized ministry when they are overseas!

Whether it is popular or not, in order to have an effective ministry you must contextualize to the culture you are trying to reach. The apostle Paul is a great example of this.

“Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.” When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.  I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. 1 Cor 9:19-23

Paul became a salve to those he was trying to reach.

He was willing to change his approach in order to change peoples lives. He tried to find common ground with everyone so he could save those willing to come to Jesus. He did this for the sake of the good news, and so should we.

There is a myth that we have to sacrifice the true gospel in order to contextualize to the culture. 

If we change the gospel it is not longer the gospel and loses it’s power. Churches have tried that and failed.

The message of the gospel should never change but the methods of ministry should constantly be changing.

It takes courage  to contextualize but I challenge your ministry to do whatever it takes to preach the message of Jesus in a way that makes sense to the culture!

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The Danger Of Knowledge Without Love – 1 Corinthians 8

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From my reading in 1 Corinthians 8 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Knowledge without love leads to pride.

Knowing a lot is an extremely good thing! But when the truth is not expressed or applied in a loving way it is dangerous. The apostle Paul warned the Corinthian church about the dangers of knowledge without love.

“Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.  Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.” 1 Cor 8:1-3

Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up!

I love the phrase here, “Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.” Even if we know the right answer it doesn’t mean that we have to beat people over the head with it. We should always have an attitude of humility when speaking the truth. Paul wrote a similar warning to the in Ephesus.

“ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”  Eph 4:15

We can know the truth, but let us share it in a way that actually helps people!

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