1 Corinthians - Week 23

0:01 Morning. Thank you to Al and to the band. I had been chatting to Al this week about, and we were agreeing on what his sort of theme would be, but at first service, whenever he started that way, it even took me by surprise. So I wasn't ready for it either. I wonder what on earth was going on. But that sets us up really, really well for what we're getting into this morning. Before we do that, though, I want to just take a couple of minutes to pray. And we want to pray for a couple of families in our church who have suffered loss this week.

0:27 First of all, Ewell and Carolyn McChesney on the loss of Ewell's mum, and then also Jim and Noreen Reid. A lot of us were here last Sunday night hearing Jim and Noreen's story on the interview on the screen and praying for them and so on. But during this week, Jim lost his brother, tragically. His brother Dennis was a scuba instructor in Cyprus and tragically died, involved in an accident there. So we want to pray for Jim and Noreen. We want to pray for Dennis's wife and his three children as well. We don't really know what to pray. We don't know how to pray necessarily, but we know that we should.

1:08 So let's do that now before we get into this. Father, we pray with struggling words, I suppose. We know, and so we do mourn with those who mourn, that we're commanded to do that. And we do that this morning with Ewell and Carol, And we do that this morning with Jim and Noreen. And we ask for Yule and Carol that they will know, as Paul talks about in Philippians, your specific and special piece that passes understanding. And we pray that too for Jim and Noreen. But even more so in that situation and that circumstance, with all that we heard of what they said last Sunday evening, with all that they have been going through and continue to go through, as this gets added to that,

1:54 we acknowledge to you our just lack of understanding at how all of this piles up and how they are meant to deal with that. But then, I think to what Noreen was talking about last Sunday night, about the word, about her love of mentoring, about what Jim was saying as well, and just how Noreen was saying that everything that she needs, Everything that we need is to be found in your word. So I pray that all of those promises, all of that truth that both of them know so well, that you will bring that in a very specific and clear way to them in the days and weeks ahead. We pray that as they deal with the enemies of death and loss and tragedy and illness, that they will know your presence with them, that they will understand and know and experience you preparing a table for them in the midst of those enemies. So difficult to know what to pray. We ask that by your spirit you will intercede with the words that we don't have. And bring your peace and your comfort into that situation we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

3:12 We have arrived at 1 Corinthians 14. this is the last chapter we're going to be looking at in this part of our walk through the letter. And the whole chapter is a single flow from Paul, but it's very long, it's 40 verses. So we're going to take it over the next two weeks. So you've got to understand as we come to this this morning that this is really one talk, part one today, part two next week. There'll be things that we don't get to today that we will hopefully complete and tidy up and so on next week. But just keep that in mind as we go through today. And as I have been saying over and over with this letter, I certainly feel like I'm saying it all the time.

3:47 We have reached another very challenging passage. We've reached another very controversial passage as well. And we've got to acknowledge that as Glen Abbey, we are a very diverse bunch. We come from a lot of different church backgrounds, perspectives, experiences. And so how we approach a passage like this together is key, the mindset that we come to it with. So I would suggest a couple of things that you try not to do this morning, or that we try not to do this morning. Try not to turn this into something where you're trying to fit Chris into a theological box, or where you're trying to label Glen Abbey with a particular label or whatever that is, or try not to come to it and you're going, he better say this, or he better say that, or I'm not going to be happy, because that doesn't fit in with where I am already. My approach personally to this over the last number of weeks has been a simple one.

4:40 I've asked the questions, what can I learn that will help me to grow? And what can I learn that will help this church to grow? Those are the questions that I've asked as I've approached this. And I have learned a lot. I've said that to staff during the week. I've learned so much from going through this passage. And I've been challenged a lot. And so I'm certainly not asking you to agree with everything I say this morning.

5:06 The old saying springs to mind in essentials unity. in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity, recognizing that what we're talking about today here is not essential gospel doctrine. So I'm inviting you into that same approach, that same goal with me. What can I learn? As we keep last week's passage front and center of our minds, that passage on love, and love as the most excellent way as we approach difficult and challenging passages like this together. So we're going to get stuck in, and the plan is this. We're going to, as I've been doing, break this up a little bit. We're just going to break it into two today.

5:46 I'm going to read the first 12 verses, and then we'll talk a bit, and then I'll read verses 13 to 25, and we'll talk a bit, and then next week we'll finish off as we look at verses 26 to 40 and bring everything together. And to organize our thinking a little bit, I just want to, as we read and then look at things. Just ask two questions after we've read each time. And those are this. How does this section help us to build a picture of the problems that were going on in the Church of Corinth? We've been thinking a lot each week about the context that Paul's writing into. And then secondly, how does this section, the verses that we're looking at, help us build a picture of the Spirit-given gifts of tongues and prophecy? And then at the end, we'll spend some time reflecting on ourselves and our own situation and our own context, using some of the guiding principles for gathered worship that Paul outlines as he goes through all that.

6:43 So that's the plan for the next 30 minutes or so. Let's get stuck into what Paul says here. Verses 1 to 12 of chapter 14. Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God. Indeed, no one understands them. They utter mysteries by the Spirit, but the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging, and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.

7:15 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets so that the church may be edified. Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you unless I bring some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there's a distinction in the notes? Again, if the trumpet doesn't sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you're saying? You'll just be speaking into the air.

7:59 Undoubtedly, there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me, so it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. So, what have we got so far? These verses build on the picture that we've pieced together over recent weeks about what's going on in this church in Corinth and the serious problems that they are encountering. As we heard last week, they were not following the way of love. They were not pursuing love. They were not especially desiring prophecy.

8:47 They were especially desiring tongues because they had come to elevate tongues as this sort of badge of super spirituality. In fact, many of them probably thought of themselves as spiritually superior even to Paul because when he had been with them in their gatherings, they never heard him speak in tongues. He didn't appear to have this super spiritual gift. They were far more interested in building up themselves in their own special spiritual experiences and making themselves as well look impressive than they were in building others up in love or in strengthening the body as a whole. And as a result, those who were speaking in tongues were dominating this church's gatherings in a way that was chaotic. Picture the scene, lots of people speaking out or shouting out unintelligibly, all simultaneously at the same time. You can imagine the commotion that would have been taking place. And so Paul speaks into that, and he does that in a very pastoral way.

9:57 He does that in a very non-confrontational way. Instead of calling them out and saying, look at the state of what you're doing, He sets up this imaginary scenario of him coming back to see them and coming back to one of their gatherings. And him speaking in tongues at one of their gatherings. And he asks the rhetorical question, if I did this, if I came back to you in this way, what good will I be to you? And of course his logical response to that is absolutely none. And he gives them these pictures to help them see what it is. He's talking about, in the first one, about the pipe and the harp. Sort of brought me back a little bit.

10:38 Brought me back to P4 recorder lessons in Kings Park Primary School. Anybody remember doing recorder in primary school? Yeah, you remember week one? Of course, they're not really done anymore. Take a look at that, yeah. So glad I was taught recorder at school. It has really come in handy during my adult life. I've lost count of the times.

10:58 I've resolved a difficult situation with a quick blast of three blind mice. That was sent to me during services this morning. But I wonder whether you remember that. Week one of recorder lessons. I couldn't get a recorder. I think since COVID, they've gone out of fashion. But somebody lent me a tin whistle. So imagine that week one, the B note.

11:15 Do you remember having to play the B note? A finger and thumb over the top circle. That's the sort of thing that Paul is getting at here. Uninterpreted tongues he's saying in the gathering are as helpful as a six-year-old who can play a B note on the recorder leading your worship. That's the sort of stuff he's getting at. All they do is they create ambiguity and confusion. That's what he's getting at with the trumpet sound he talks about, the second picture that needs to be clear to tell soldiers what to do, whether to advance or whether to retreat. And then thirdly, they also create this sense of alienation, of difference and distance between those who are gathered like there is between foreigners who don't understand what each other is saying.

12:05 And that's what's happening here. Disorder, confusion, division, alienation, all as a result of the selfishly motivated misuse of the gift of tongues in their gatherings. Second question then about this. How do these verses build a picture of the Holy Spirit given gifts of tongues and prophecy? What can we learn from these verses directly? And what I want to do here is to try and do that in a way that doesn't come with some sort of preconceived shaping, but just lift off the page what Paul actually says here. Just work our way through, and these points will pop up behind me on the screen, to try and build this picture, sort of put pieces together of a jigsaw that will begin this week, and then we'll finish off next week. So first of all, what about these two gifts do they have in common?

12:58 Well, first, maybe obvious, maybe not. Both are from the Holy Spirit. The Greek word Paul uses here is different from the word he uses in Romans 12, charismata, for talking about gifts. The word he uses here is pneumatica, which really doesn't actually include that concept of gifts in there. It really just means of the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Second, as far as I can see, going back to chapter 13, both continue to be for believers today. Chapter 13, Paul talks about prophecy ceasing. And he talks about tongues passing away when completeness comes, if you remember back to last week.

13:40 But it's very clear, and we did this, we talked about this, that he's talking about the time when Jesus will return. So we are still in the time of incompleteness, of partial knowledge. And so both of these, as far as we can tell from what the New Testament says, are still for the church today. Third, both are to be eagerly desired, but especially prophecy. Paul's not saying here that one is bad and one is good. He's saying that both are good because they both come from a good God just for different purposes and different contexts. This eagerly desire also potentially challenges the sometimes very fixed perspective we have on gifts, on spiritual gifts. As if you somehow get this package for life on your conversion.

14:34 And there's nothing can change across time or circumstances or experience or understanding. As if there's nothing new can be added. I suppose I ask the question into that. Why would Paul then say to this whole church eagerly desire if that was the case? What about how they contrast then? How about how they're different? Well, in verses 2 and 3, Paul explains that speaking in tongue is speaking to God, not to other people. Apart from God, no one understands what is being said, not even the speaker themselves.

15:10 And that's not a bad thing in itself. It just needs to be understood for how the gift is used. Prophecy, by contrast, is speaking to other people in a way that they understand. And here's a key phrase. Key phrase for their strengthening, encouraging, and comfort. When we think of prophecy, we're often prone to think along these lines. When we come to it, I'll let you read this next slide, hopefully. And let it sink in.

15:44 that's what we think about isn't it when we think about prophecy we've got all this into our head we think it's to do with all to do with what the old testament prophets did in terms of prophesying about the future and all of that sort of thing but paul doesn't mention anything of that here he talks about strengthening encouraging comfort and that challenges too i think a potentially flawed way of thinking about and too narrowly defining what prophecy might encompass what might fit inside the circle of what prophetic is. Could it be that that circle of what it is is actually a lot broader than many of us tend to think? Back to tongues. They do, as a good gift from the Spirit, build up, but only the individual themselves, Paul says. And actually, in gathered worship, as Paul's analogies have highlighted, tongues can be dangerous because they can have the opposite effect of edifying the church. They can confuse, divide, alienate. They can make people feel spiritually second class.

16:47 Prophecy, on the other hand, in its clarity and in its intelligibility edifies the church. It unites. It reaches way, way beyond impacting just the individual themselves. And that's why Paul assesses prophecy as greater than tongues. He measures the value or the greatness of a gift depending on how much it fulfills this purpose of strengthening the whole church. So we're building this picture up of these two gifts. Let's move on then to verses 13 to 25. For this reason, the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say.

17:27 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. Otherwise, when you're praising God in the spirit, how can someone else who is now put in the position of an inquirer say amen to your thanksgiving since they do not know what you're saying? You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified. I thank God, Paul says, that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church, I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than 10,000 words in a tongue.

18:15 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil, be infants, but in your thinking, be adults. In the law, it is written with other tongues and through the lips of foreigners, I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord. Tongues then are a sign not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers, but for believers. So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, They are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, God is really among you.

19:10 Again, as we read between the lines of what Paul says here, we can continue to build even more understanding of what's going on in this church of what he's speaking into. He's on interpretation and on them engaging their minds. And in doing that, he's trying to take them beyond where they currently are. And we can imagine, I think, something of their perspective, interpretation, understanding that those things aren't necessary for me to have my fulfilling, my exciting, my transcendent spiritual experience. In fact, you know what? those things get in the way. They're so constraining.

19:52 They're so earthly. They're so boring. Paul, you're always about rules and regulations and adding all these things that dampen everything else down. But Paul calls that way of thinking out them. Stop thinking like children. Stop thinking like children. You are treating the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given you in the same way as a toddler treats a new toy. You know, that's like holding on tight.

20:23 Mine, saying it's mine all the time. This is for me, not letting it go, not giving out to anybody else. Like a child with a new toy. But you need to grow up, he says. You need to follow the way of love. You need to see the bigger picture, the way adults do. Adults sacrifice. They sacrifice their own desires.

20:44 They sacrifice their own needs. They sacrifice their own dreams even for the sake of those who they love. That's what you need to think about and how you need to think about all that the Spirit has given you. These gifts are not toys for you to play with and hold on to. For you, they're the Spirit's gifts for the church, for the body, to be given through you, not to you. Stop thinking like toddlers. Start thinking like grownups, he says. Again, then, asking again, what do these verses have to tell us about tongues and prophecy?

21:27 How can they build our picture even more? Well, first, Paul urges that those with the gift of tongues should always be praying that they'll be able to interpret what it is they are saying. Notice the post-focus here. Despite many traditions which wait for an interpretation from someone else, his focus appears to be here on the individual themselves praying that they'd be able to interpret what they're saying. Because again, his razor-sharp focus, all that he is interested in, all he's focused on, is in what builds up the whole body, the whole church. And on interpreted tongues, he's clear, do not build up the church. They just don't do it. They don't have that impact.

22:19 But then, sort of off the back of that, Paul has this sort of mic drop moment. By the way, I speak in tongues more than all of you. Paul spoke in tongues. And he speaks into them thinking that somehow they're spiritually superior to him. But what he's saying is this, I speak in tongues more than all of you. Yes, that in my own private prayer life, that builds me up, that encourages me. But here's why you've never heard me speak in tongues in your gathered worship or anywhere else. And you maybe never will.

22:53 Because I'd rather say five words that make sense and teach other people than 10,000 words in a tongue that do nothing for other people. Look at the ratio. Five words. A single phrase. Greater than 10,000 words in a tongue. Over an hour, I suppose, of speaking. That's the ratio. That's where Paul ends up.

23:24 And that's why they've never heard him speak in tongues, even though he does. Verses 22 to 25 give us a lot more to build up this picture. But they can be pretty confusing. Maybe you've picked this up. Maybe you picked up what seems to be a contradiction in what Paul's saying here as I read it. because in verse 22 he says that tongues are a sign for unbelievers but then he goes on to talk about how using them in the gathering will only end up making unbelievers think that you're crazy how how does that add up it doesn't seem to make any sense what he's saying this sign that makes people think that you're crazy well a clue is in the old testament quote that he uses It comes from Isaiah 28, and the context is of God's people in exile. Far from God, and God's judgment on them, and their distance from him being illustrated to them, through them being surrounded by all of these languages that they don't understand. So these foreign languages serve to act as an illustration, to emphasize their alienation from, their distance from God.

24:34 They gave them that very deep sense that they were not at home. And that's the picture that Paul is painting here. Saying to this church, when you use uninterpreted tongues in gathered worship, you make people who are believers, you make people who are actually on the inside because of God's grace, You make people who are actually part of the body, you make them feel like they are on the outside. You make them feel like they don't belong. You make them feel like they are unbelievers still under God's judgment. You make them feel like they are not at home. That's the consequence of the way things are playing out in your church. And on top of that, yes, you make people who are actually unbelievers think that you're out of your mind.

25:28 and they want nothing to do with you, this acts as an obstacle, actually, to unbelievers. By contrast, then, he says, when people in the church prophesy, that not only builds up the church, that not only unites and makes all believers feel included, but when someone who does not yet believe comes in and they hear prophecy that is coherent and intelligible and they can understand that God can and will use what is said to do what? What does he say? To convict them of their sin, to bring them under judgment in the sense of them understanding their current guilt before God, to lay bare the secrets of their heart and to break through into their lives through prophecy. Every time I read what's said here, I think of the woman at the well in John 4 saying of Jesus, he told me everything I ever did. And that same spirit that convicted that woman through Jesus can and will through the church's prophecy convict unbelievers and lead them into belief and worship and lead them into exclaiming, God is really among you. What a contrast to your own man.

26:58 So, our picture of tongues and prophecy. As you can see, we're doing, I'm just trying to lift this stuff off the page. And that's developing, and we'll complete that next week. And we'll talk more about those, and we'll link that then more to what we do here and why we do it that particular way. And also, is there anything in here that as a church we need challenged by? We need corrected by. But in the short time we have left, I just want to look at this. Paul gives this church, and he gives us then a number of guiding principles.

27:35 Maybe you've noticed them as we've gone through. For healthy and fruitful worship gatherings. Whether that's in a big gathering like this together, or whether that's in our home groups, smaller ones during the week, any of our gatherings that take place. And what I want to do is simply to pick up on some of those and to use those for us to reflect on ourselves. And as I've said every week, haven't I, that we are not like the church in Corinth. There are a lot of differences. Thankfully, we are not contending this morning with lots of chaotic and confusing and alienating tongue speaking. But there's still a lot here to really challenge us.

28:14 There's still a lot here for the Holy Spirit to bring to bear on us. We may, yes, tick Paul's box in terms of order. But what about everything else he says here? We need to look through that. So let's go through. There's about five points very quickly. First one, pursue love. Paul's opening words here, follow the way of love or pursue love, send us back to chapter 13, which sits at the very heart, at the very core of all he says.

28:44 when it comes to this church, when it comes to this body, there is so much, isn't there, that we can pursue, that we can chase after that is not love, that is not motivated by love. Think about it. There's my spiritual experience. What am I getting? There's my self-fulfillment. There's my being fed. There's my pride. There's my ego.

29:12 There's my preferences. there's my entertainment there's my theology there's my people there's being part of a church which gives off the image of success or popularity which gives off the image of culturally relevant which gives off the image of cutting edge in some way have we when it comes to the church and our primary motivations for what makes us want to be part of a church have we got ourselves stuck in any of these as our core way of thinking. Above all else, Paul says into that, pursue love. As a response to Jesus, love for you, as we talked about last week, spend all that the Spirit gives to you in love out to other people. And in that pursuit of love, then, Paul calls us, secondly, to eagerly desire the Holy Spirit. Eagerly desire the Spirit, eagerly desire His work, His empowerment, His gifting.

30:18 And a question then for us is, are we doing that? Inspired by love, motivated by love, moved by love. Are we praying for, are we crying out to God with that expectant anticipation, all that in His wisdom and in His grace he might gift to us for the sake of others, for the sake of this church, for the good of this body, for all that this church needs right now and all that this church might need in the future, taking those steps to empower and equip this church for 10 years' time and 20 years' time and 30 years' time until Christ returns, whenever that is. Have we just sort of given that over to the professionals? To the people on staff or to the elders or to the 20% who really get this? And actually all we do in this church is consume what others give us. Paul's saying here, in your pursuit of love, eagerly desire more of the Holy Spirit.

31:38 Eagerly desire more of his gifting and more of his power. And motivated by love, that's not a selfish request. It's an act of obedience. In fact, the opposite is the case. Do not eagerly desire all that the Spirit has to give you. that's actually in a sense more selfish because it leaves you with less to give away and in doing that then it impoverishes the body it impoverishes the church link to that then the third thing Paul calls us to try to excel in what builds up the church to this church Paul wanted them to prioritize excelling in prophecy over excelling in tongues but what about this church?

32:28 What does this church need? What does this church need right now and in the future? And as the Holy Spirit grows particular yearnings in your heart to build this church up in certain ways how are you seeking to excel? Does that mean make it clear? It's not about sitting around waiting to be zapped. Holy Spirit doesn't work that way. God doesn't work that way. If God, for example, is growing a desire in your heart to teach, how are you striving to grow in knowledge and an understanding of his word right now, even if you're not getting any opportunities for that?

33:11 How are you trying to take then any opportunity you do get, however seemingly small, whether it feels really insignificant, to develop that potential gifting? Think back to what Andy was saying earlier about mentoring and so on. Are we ever looking for people who can help us in this? Whatever the opportunities are right now. If God then perhaps is growing in your heart a yearning to bring strengthening and encouragement and comfort to others with spirit-led, spirit-impowered, spirit-incisive and specific prophetic speech that aligns with his word, How again are you seeking to excel? Are you seeking in any way? I think of the people who do this. Who the Holy Spirit is working through in this way.

34:02 And I think about what they're like. They are praying constantly. They are deep again in his words. So they're able to test. What they think might. How do they think the Spirit might want to communicate through them? Whether that lines up with his infallible word or not. And then again, are you growing in humility?

34:26 Are you growing in grace? Enough to recognize that sometimes you might get this wrong and people might reject your message or people might say it's wrong. Could you cope with that if somebody said that to you? How are you seeking to excel? The same goes for leading. The same goes for serving, for giving, for evangelizing, for practicing pastoral care. whatever it is. Young or old, a Christian for decades or a Christian for just a few months, what steps can we take to excel?

35:01 And another question then is, have we sacrificed the pursuit of excelling in gifts that the Spirit might give us for the sake of this church on the altar of all sorts of other things? on the altar of career on the altar of academic progress on the altar of family whatever it is maybe we started off well when we were younger and all these other things got in the way is the Spirit speaking to you this morning saying you need to pick up that baton again and you need to seek to excel once again you need to seek to grow in this way fourth out of five. Nearly done. And it's one that's really, really struck me this week. It's this one.

35:53 Give others the opportunity to say amen. In your gatherings, give others the opportunity to say amen. Paul, of course, is talking about this in verse 16 in connection with tongues. If someone doesn't understand what is being said, how can they say amen? But in our gatherings too here and in our home groups and so on, this is a challenging principle. It's one that's challenged me. Do we put what we say, do we put how we say it, what we pray and how we pray it, what we sing and how we sing it through this same filter? Is all that we're saying and praying and singing true?

36:31 Are we rejoicing in truth in that way so that people can truly respond with amen? The same for is it clear? All that we're saying and praying and singing, is it clear so that people can truly respond. Amen. Is it good? That's a goal. That should be a goal for us in our gatherings, that as many people as possible can respond, truly respond. Amen.

36:58 Links back to what Al was talking about earlier in terms of harmony. And then finally, and the one that has struck me most, just as kept on going around in my head this week, that unbelievers might come into your gathering and experience what is going on and that your worship may end with them saying, God is really among you. God is really among you. And it struck me, again, because I think as leaders, we are often very good at beating ourselves up about what we're not doing. but it struck me that actually here that has been the case recently. This was a reality specifically a few weeks ago on that Sunday when we took communion together in the morning and then when we met again in the evening to celebrate all those baptisms when there was that tangible sense of the spirit here among us in what was said and sung and so on. And actually, on that day, unbelievers did come to that conviction, had their hearts laid bare, and said, God is really among you.

38:17 That happened here. That is happening here. They responded to God in faith, and we give thanks for that. But the question is for me. I ask myself, and the question is for you, do we deeply desire more of that? Is that right at the heart of what we want to happen here? Do we eagerly desire more of the Holy Spirit, more of his gifting, more of his empowering of us prophetically in that sense, whether that's up here on a platform or whether that's in a recorded interview or whether that's in a little one-to-one conversation over there in the corner or whether that's in a prayer of response like last Sunday evening or in a time of sharing in a home group, not for our own experience, not for our own building up, but for the sake of others that through us, through fallible and messy me and through fallible and messy you in his grace and his mercy and his generosity, God might work in the hearts of others

39:16 in a way that causes them to bow down and worship and say God is really among you and turn to him in faith. is that right at the heart of what we desire? Lots to challenge then. Lots to pray through, lots to talk through. That's only part one. Going to look at more of that next week.

39:49 We'll bring it together next week, so do come back for that. But in the meantime, I can invite you to stand as we pray together and then we'll respond together in harmonious praise to finish. Let's pray. Father, may we be a church, may we be a body that first and foremost pursues love in response to your pursuing us with your love. As we grasp that, as we understand that, as we experience that more in our lives.

40:27 May we do that in our gatherings here through selfless attitudes and acts, through thoughtfulness, through care, through order, as we've talked about. By your wisdom guiding us in the careful use of the right gifts at the right time for the right people. But may a major part of that pursuit of love be you growing in us a greater eagerness for your spirit in our lives, for your spirit's empowering, for your spirit's gifting so that we can reach out and love in an empowered way that is so different from that in our own strength. We want to be a church that is week by week being strengthened together, being built together, being drawn together. where what is said and prayed and sung can be responded to with the word amen over and over again.

41:31 And we want to be a body where so many who do not yet know you are convicted and led to bow down and worship and say, God is really among you and respond in faith. We give thanks for those who have done that recently and we pray for more of that in this church. We want more and more to be added to this family, to share in the beautiful and wonderful inheritance that we have. Father, by your spirit, give us all that we need to serve you, to build up your church. For today and for the years ahead. In Jesus' name we pray.

42:24 Amen. Amen.