In chapter 14, Paul is instructing
the Corinthians. He says, "...follow after love,
charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may
prophesy." Or you might say of this verse, he is saying, "...and
desire spiritual gifts that ye may prophesy." In other words,
don't desire spiritual gifts for the gift's sake. Don't desire a particular spiritual
gift because you like it or because you see it in someone else or
because it seems like it would be good to possess that. But he says, desire spiritual
gifts that ye may prophesy. Now in the Old Testament, the
Lord ordained certain prophets, God who at sundry times and in
divers manners spake unto the fathers by the prophets. That is past tense. He spake
in time past by the prophets. Now there were many prophets
that were raised up, and not everyone was a But the Lord raised up prophets
to bring the Word of God to the people of God. And they prophesied. But that was then, this is now. Now, the Scripture says here,
but rather that ye may prophesy. He didn't say, Desire spiritual
gifts so that someone may prophesy to you. But he said, Desire spiritual
gifts that ye may prophesy. Now, the gift of prophecy, of
course, today you've got guys running around all over the country
that claim to be prophets. They write books. They get on
TV. They make big money selling books
and tapes and what I would tell you, they're duping people into
listening to them because they have the gift of oratory and
they take the Bible and quote a few things out of it and it
sounds good for a while, but they get off on all kinds of
stuff. I mean, they've got answers on everything. There's prophets
that can tell you everything. I mean, they don't have any doubts
about anything. They just know everything. And that's necessary if you're
going to be that kind of a prophet, isn't it? Because the Lord said,
by this you'll know who the prophets are. If they don't speak according
to My Word, it's because there's no truth in them. So if a prophet
came and he told you something and it didn't come to pass, guess
what? You knew he was not a prophet
of God, is that correct? And so when you've got guys,
because there's a bunch of them, claiming to be prophets and telling
you all kinds of stuff and it don't come to pass, well brethren,
you can know one thing according to the Word of God, he wasn't
a prophet of God. Because a prophet of God, when
he says something, It's going to be true. It's going to come
to pass. And so, God who at sundry times and in
divers manner spake in time past by the prophets hath in these
last days. Now we've talked about this before.
When are the last days? You hear people say, oh well
the last days are coming. Or, I believe this is the last
days. Well, they're right when they
say, I believe these are the last days because this is the
last time. That's what John said. He said, brethren, this is the
last time. There's not another time coming.
There's no other days. that are yet set upon the earth
other than these days. This is the last time because
Christ has come. There is not another age to be
unfolded in the earth. Christ has shown His redemption
on Calvary's cross and this is the last time. So we are not
waiting for the last days. These are the last days. They
are not coming any other ones. or any other age. That was kind
of going along with what you said there, you know, about the
lives of Sarah. And we all do have many lives,
but you come to a point in your life when this is your life.
I mean, this is it. You're not on the upward trail. You're going down and that's
it. And there's not coming another
one. You know, I was reading the other day, somebody had said
that the person has been born who is going to live to be a
thousand years old. Because, you know, this is the
question. They say, man, we're going to
come up with some pills and medicine and stuff, and then we just want
them to die. If that fails, we'll just put
your head on somebody else's body. I don't know where they'll
get the bodies, you know. Maybe they'll clone them and
have, you know, you can have another body ready so when this
one wears out, you can just sew your head onto that one. But
whatever. I mean, because you see men think
in the flesh that they can continue on. Brethren, this is the last
time. I mean, you know, it takes a
man a while to realize this is the last time. I don't know what
that age is, but I've got to it. I realize this is the last
time. This is the last hoorah. I mean,
there ain't coming another time. You know, there's nothing. The
next big event on the horizon is not one that people look forward
to, but that's just the facts. That's the way that it is. Now,
it's not that way always in your life because you can see great
events. And I don't mean to be morbid,
because it's not morbid to me. I mean, according to what the
Word of God says, this is a glorious thing. Paul said, Paul got to
that place, he said, to be absent from the bodies to be present
with the Lord. And you know, when these old
bodies start breaking down, You can't do the things you wanted
to do and things hurt that didn't hurt. You've got aches and pains
in places you didn't even know you had places. And things, you
know, this world becomes less and less a thing of desire. I don't know how I got off on
that, but anyway, we were talking about the lives and the last
time. This is the last time. And I don't expect that, you
know, a young man can understand that at all, because I sure couldn't.
I mean, when I was Austin's age, I didn't even have the last thing
on my mind. All them old people was the ones
over there dying and stuff. I wasn't worried about that.
Well, of course, we know that death knows no particular age,
and we're reminded of that starkly from time to time. Paul says here, desire spiritual
gifts for the purpose of prophesying. And then he goes on to upbraid
the Corinthians because there were many among them who had
various spiritual gifts, and one of those gifts that was,
for lack of a better term, rampant among them was the gift of speaking
in tongues. Now, if you listen to some people,
they would tell you that is the height, that you just can't get
no higher than that. But according to Paul, that wasn't
it. He said, look, he said, while
there may be a purpose and a time for that and God may give you
that, that's not the thing that you're wanting to do. He said
that you may prophesy. Now, some people think of prophecy
in terms of the Old Testament. that somebody is going to tell
you the future. Oh, I believe there's somebody
in here that has a big toe that's hurting. Has anybody got a big
toe? I knew it. You know, they're
going to do that kind of stuff. That's their idea of prophecy.
Oh, brother, I believe you're going to come into a bunch of
money down the road. And I see you writing out a check.
in sending it to me." You know, there's all kinds of that kind
of stuff. I mean, that's not what he's
speaking about here. What is the prophecy? He said,
"...that ye may prophesy." Now, he goes on to say it, because
you see, he says here, "...he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men, but unto God." Now Paul says in one place,
Forbid not speak with tongues. And we've not been sent into
the world to fight against speaking in tongues. You know, I'm not
seeking that gift because the Scripture never tells us to seek
it, does it? It says seek the best gift. What's the best gift? He says
it right there. Not that you might speak in tongues,
but that you might prophesy. Now what is it to prophesy? Let's
go on. For he that speaketh in an unknown
tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God. You don't know
what you're saying and neither does anybody else. He said, what
good is that? He said, it might serve a purpose. You don't speak unto men, but
unto God. For no man understandeth him,
how being in the Spirit he speaketh mysteries. He might be speaking
mysterious things. He might be speaking things that
are, as Paul said, that he saw things that couldn't be uttered.
He might be. But he doesn't know it, neither
does anybody else. I mean, that's basically what
he's saying. So we're saying, while that might be of some benefit
to the person, it's of no benefit to the brethren. He said, because he might be
in the spirit speaking mysteries, but he that prophesieth speaketh
unto men to edification and exaltation and comfort. He said there's
benefit in that. There's benefit in prophesying.
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself. That's
for his benefit. But he that prophesieth edify
the church or the body, the assembly. I would that you all speak with
tongues, but rather that you prophesy. Now why is it that
men get that so messed up? Why do you suppose? Because if
you listen to most of these guys, that's the big thing, is it not?
I mean, that's the thing. That buddy, I mean, you just
got to get this. You got to have it. And when
you get that, you won't need anything else, not so. He was
speaking to them in an unknown tongue. Ed defied himself. Now,
that's not of any benefit to the brethren, is it? And that's
why we come together, as brethren, to be benefited one with the
other. He that prophesieth edifieth
the church. I would that ye all speak with
tongues, but rather that ye prophesied. For greater is he that prophesieth
than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret that the
church may receive edification." Now, if a man speaks in an unknown
tongue, But he has the ability to interpret that, or someone
else does, then that could be of benefit, could it not, if
he's indeed speaking of the mysteries of God? And the Lord's able to... Well, we know the Lord's able,
but if He's willing, or whatever, to cause that to be interpreted
so that the body might benefit from it, then that's a benefit.
Otherwise, it's of no benefit to anybody. except in that sense
in which he has already said. Rather that you prophesy, for
greater is he that prophesieth, except he interpret that the
church may receive edifying. Now brethren, if I come unto
you speaking with tongues, what shall I prophet you, except I
shall speak to you either by revelation or by knowledge or
by prophesying or by doctrine? You say, I'm not doing you any
good unless I'm helping you in these ways. And even things without
life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction
in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if a trumpet give an uncertain
sound, who shall prepare himself to battle? If we don't know what
the trumpet is saying, how are we going to prepare ourselves?
So likewise, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be
understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? For ye shall
speak into the air. Those of you just saying some
stuff. Now, he said it might be a mystery. It might have some
benefit, but it is not that which is beneficial to the body. to
make the body strong. This particular illustration that he's using,
you know there's a place, and I can't recall the scripture
out of hand, but he says that he would be as one who Chatterboxes. Beat at the air. That's right.
You know, it's just kind of like a fake thing. There's nothing
really going to happen. Well, that's what he's saying,
you know. If you're speaking without understanding, then you're
just chatterboxing. I mean, it's not that that...
You may get some good, you know, some exercise from it, but it's
not beneficial. It's not going to cause... You're
not going to knock anybody out. when you shatter boxes. Now the
good thing is you won't get knocked out, but it's not going to help
anybody. So he says, therefore, if I know
not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh
a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian to me. Even
so, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, Seek that
ye may excel to the edifying of the church. So it is a good
thing to desire that God would give you gifts and abilities,
but the purpose of those gifts and abilities is for the purpose
of edifying the church, not so that you can edify yourself or
so that men will point to you and say what a great teacher
he is or what a great speaker he is. That is not the purpose. We are not seeking edification
for our own selves. Wherefore let him that speaketh
in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. Now I believe
that this is the greatest modification, and this is why Paul says this,
to the gift of speaking in tongues and the the throttle, so you
speak, that puts on so that this does not grow out of hand and
get to be a thing that overwhelms the church, which it does in
many cases. He said, Let him pray that he
may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue,
my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. So we are desirous,
dear brethren, of being fruitful, not only in our own lives, but
unto the brethren. What is it then? I will pray
with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also.
I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding
also. So when we pray, let us pray
with the understanding. When we sing, let us sing with
the understanding. These are good things. Else when
thou shalt bless with the Spirit, how shall he that occupieth the
room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks?" He
doesn't know if you are praising God or if you are calling on
the devil to come in, if he doesn't know what you are saying. For
thou barely givest thanks, well, you are edified. You know that
you are praying unto God. but nobody else does. For thou
varily givest thanks well to the others not edified. I thank
my God I speak with tongues more than y'all. Now some have said
that Paul was being sarcastic here and some were saying that
he was just pointing out the fact that he did pray in a mysterious
fashion. The jury is out on that as far
as I'm concerned. But I certainly don't have any
ax to grind on that. He says, I thank my God I speak
with tongues more than y'all. Yet in the church I had rather
speak five words with my understanding than ten thousand in an unknown
tongue. Why was that? Because Paul had
one desire when he was among the brethren, and that was to
edify the brethren. to build one another up in the
most holy faith. And he said there's no other
reason that we should come together but that. See, we're not coming
together to meet some religious requirement. We're not coming
together because it's Sunday. Well, it's Sunday. Well, what's
Sunday? Well, that's the day we come
together and meet and then we eat Here, a few people run their
mouth and then we go home. Is that what it is? You know, it's easy to get into
that, isn't it? Habit is a, I mean, it consumes you sometimes, doesn't
it? Because you get to thinking,
well, it ought to be this way and it's got to be that way and
it's going to be this way and we're going to have this at this
time and this at that time. And then that's going to be it. Brethren, be not children in
understanding. How be it in malice be children,
but in understanding be men. In other words, don't be easily
offended. In malice be children. Children
don't get the nuances of what people say, do they? You know,
you can say something sarcastically to a child, and he doesn't know
the difference between you telling him or whatever. Why? Because
he's not thinking like that. Now, in our love one to the other,
our interaction, we're to be, as far as malice is concerned,
we're to be as children. We don't entertain it. It's not
in our thought pattern, but in our understanding, however. be
men. Now, in our understanding, we
are to be straightforward in the things that we say, the things
that we do, the things that we set forth. We are not to play
games, but to be men. In the law it is written, with
men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people,
and yet for all that they will not hear me, saith the Lord. Now wherefore, tongues are for
a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.
But prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for
them which believe." Now that seems like he is saying the exact
opposite of what he said to start with, doesn't it? I mean, if
you just on the surface read that, but he is actually saying
the very thing that he is trying to point out here. The Lord has
sent the gift of tongues In time past, at least, we know for a
fact, on the day of Pentecost, and he gave it for a sign. Did
he not? That people might hear. They
said, what is this? We're hearing every man. Now,
of course, there's a lot of controversy about this. The only thing we
know for a fact is that these people heard in their own language. You know, that's what the Scripture
says, that every man heard in his own tongue. Now whether that
was because the apostles were speaking in these various languages
or it was that these men simply heard the same words that they
spoke in their own language. Either way, it's an amazing thing
that happened and God gave it for the purpose of getting their
attention. But He says, Prophesying is for
the benefit of the body. And that's what he said we're
supposed to desire, is it not? To prophesy. That's how he started
the chapter off. But he says, if therefore the
whole church be come together into one place and all speak
with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned or
unbelievers, will not they say, You're mad? I mean, if you go
into a place, I've been in a few of them and that's exactly what
I thought. I guess maybe I'm a heathen. You know, just heard
just a bunch of going, carrying on. I mean, and I said, what
in the world is going on? They didn't know and neither
did I. Now they can tell you they knew
what was going on, but nobody knew what somebody else was doing.
They might have each one known what they were doing, but that's
not the purpose of the church coming together, is it? According
to what he says here. I mean, it's for the purpose
of the edification of the body. So we say, here's why we come
together. It is to prophesy one to the
other. It's not to listen to prophets. Now there's a difference. If
all prophesy and there come in one that believeth not or one
unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all. If
a man comes in and he hears a certain sound and he hears the message
of the gospel and he hears the truth of God set out, he hears
something that is going to be of note to him. And he is not
going to think everybody is crazy. You know, I mean, they may think
you're crazy because of what you say. See, the world hates
the gospel, and they think you're crazy when you tell them the
truth. But at least you've told them the truth, whether they
actually believe it or not. Otherwise, they just hear something
they don't know what they heard or whatever. So it's not of any
benefit to them or to the saints of God. But he says here, And
thus are the secrets of the heart his heart made manifest. So falling
down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in
you of a truth." Why? Because he heard a certain sound.
He heard prophesying. Now what is prophesying? It's
that which we all may do. See, one thing that we have,
it's easy to lapse into this. and meet together because we
want to hear somebody preach to us or teach us. Now, there's not a thing in the
world wrong with preaching or teaching. In fact, it's a good
thing. I love to hear preaching. I love to hear good teaching.
But, dear brethren, that in itself is not why we come together is
to hear someone do that. But the purpose of coming together
is that who may prophesy? What did he say? All may prophesy. Now does that mean that everybody
gets up every Sunday or whenever you get together and they take
a text and they stand up for thirty minutes or an hour and
they expound the text? No. That's okay. But it's not the
fabric of the church. The church doesn't come together
for preaching and teaching. The church comes together for
the mutual edification of one another. We come together to
benefit one another, to strengthen one another, to build one another
up in the most holy faith. And we're not necessarily The
best thing that can come and cause that to happen is not always
because we are sat listening to someone else preach, but it
is when we prophesy. That is whenever every individual
part of the body contributes that which has been given to
them. Now again, everybody is not given
the gift of oratory. But you see, God does work in
all of His people, does He not? I mean, there's none of God's
people that He doesn't work in. Now, He doesn't work in all of
God's people exactly the same way every day. But He works in
all of God's people every day. He's teaching us things every
day. He might not be teaching it to us out of the Bible, but
He's teaching it to us when somebody comes in to see us, and they're
in some sort of need, and we're thinking to ourselves, oh gosh,
not again. And then we think about how many
times we've gone to the Lord. I did the same thing again, and
I'm in the same shape. And He has mercy. And so you
see, we're learning things every day. You don't have to be studying
the Bible for God to be teaching you some things. Now, it's a
good thing to be taught from the Scriptures, but I tell you,
it's equally as good a thing to be taught in the school of
life as the Spirit of God works in us, both willing to do of
His good pleasure, and He brings things to our awareness. And He does that with all of
us. Sometimes we just think that's such an insignificant thing.
Brethren, that is what's significant. I mean, it's significant to stand
here and preach from the Word of God. Don't get me wrong. But
I'll tell you what I believe is more significant than that
in the life of God's people is those things that He is working
in us. And why does He teach you something?
Does He teach you things just for your sake? Now, surely there
are things He does teach you just for your sake. But you see,
I believe God is teaching His people things for our sake. And when we come together, we
prophesy and we tell one another of those things that God has
done. And we are benefited. The body is built up in the most
holy faith. How many times If someone shared
some problem that they had that arose, you say, you know, that's
the exact thing that the Lord's been dealing with me about. I
mean, that's confirmation. You see, that's help one to the
other. So prophesying is that which
is the work of the Spirit of God in the people of God. And
he works in his people. You see, all of God's people
are prophets in that fashion. He said that all may prophesy.
And then as we go on into this chapter, you'll see what he says. He says, when you come together,
when you come together, this is how it is. That's what it
should be. May the Lord help us.