Peace

Introduction

When I was in college and started preaching some, I would go wherever I could to speak. Many times a dear friend would arrange for me to go to places or there were times that Barbara’s family in Gassaway, TN would ask me to come and preach. It was not unusual in these small, rural areas to experience some things quit different from what I was used to. These smaller places had different ways of doing things. I remember one place had an old wooden floor and small children were given toys to play with during the assembly. I would preach and hear these toy cars and trucks pushed along over the floor with some “noises” with the play. I was the only one that seemed to be distracted by such.

Worship is important. Coming together to remember what God has done for us and to be reaffirm our faith and our intent to live for him is fundamental. Worship, however, is not about individual preferences it is about unity. Our attitudes are to reflect that we care deeply about what will encourage and strengthen the body of Christ. Those who lead an assembly must focus more on what will be helpful for all rather than how to exalt self. As fellow participants we understand that the music, the prayers, and the words are to help us in our faith journey. We listen with discernment but not with a critical spirit. Times of meeting together as the body of Christ matters.

It mattered in ancient Corinth as well. Paul in chapters 12—14 has placed a lot of emphasis on the use of the gifts that only the Holy Spirit can give and how those gifts can either be used to build up the body of Christ or how they can be used to divide. Their use is based on the attitude of those with the gifts. To make the gifts competitive in nature is to ensure disunity and disharmony. Such is the case in our text this morning. The competition between gifts and individuals resulted in Paul having to give specific instructions about the disruption that was occurring in the assembly. As we study together today, we will see the disruption and the resulting disharmony was never God’s intent nor does it reflect on the true character of God.

Commands

In 1:11, Paul has received a report that there are divisions among the believers. From the beginning this is the issue that Paul has dealt with. Along with that report came a letter asking Paul to address some specific issues (7:1). However, those areas of specific concern and the report about divisions are not two different issues. The specific problems reflect the underlying issue — there is worldly competitive spirit that has infiltrated the church.

This competitive spirit has revealed itself in chapter 5 in which the church has been unwilling to address a sin issue trying to demonstrate their superior tolerance.

It has shown itself in chapter 6 when believer has taken believer to court instead of having the mind to maintain unity.

This competitive spirit has revealed itself in relationship like marriage in which people are trying to prove their spiritual enlightenment by avoiding conjugal relations, leaving their spouse, and refusing to marry.

This spirit revealed itself the faith of some was shaken because others took their freedom too far.

The spirit was seen in their sharing of the Lord’s Supper when the wealthy pulled away from the poor enjoying a wonderful meal together while the others were left with little.

And this spirit has been seen in their worship assembly as the believers competed over whose spiritual gift was better. As Frank taught us last week, instead of focusing on their unity, they focused on personal desire and brought dishonor to the assembly and people were not built up but were diminished.

So in our text, Paul is going to give specific instructions to deal with this competitive spirit and the disruption it is causing the assembly. First, to those who have the gift of speaking in tongues, Paul says only 2 or 3 may speak and they must speak one at a time. Additionally, they can only use this gift if an interpreter is there; otherwise, the tongue has not building up benefit for the body. The instructions are straightforward and demonstrates that Paul was interested in restoring order to the assembly.

To the prophets similar instructions are given. The prophet was one who received a revelation from God. While there was limited distribution of OT scripture, much of the NT was yet to be written. God used prophets as the means to get his message out. There came a time when such a gift was not necessary. These prophets are restricted as well to two or three speaking. They are to make known their revelation one at a time and all are to listen with discerning ears absorbing the wisdom of what is said. Verse 33 appears to be a summary reminder — these instructions are given to restore order to very disordered assemblies so that, verse 26, everything can be done for the strengthening of the church.

Paul addresses a third group that is disruptive in the assembly and these are married women. The NIV translates “women” and then in verse 35 instructs that these women are to ask their husbands at home. Paul wrote this letter in Greek and that language has only generic words for women and men. Those words when used together often signal that the writer is talking about wives and husbands. This is the case here. Married women were asking questions in the assembly and Paul’s instructions is for the women to stop this practice because it is disruptive and to inquire at home with their husbands. A couple of things to note.

Many automatically ask what about single women. This forces us to answer questions Paul isn’t addressing. While there were single women (see chapter 7), most women married at an early age and were uneducated. In the first century, husbands tended to ignore their wives. So Paul is instructing that men take the time to talk with their wives about spiritual things and not to use the assembly as the place for these discussions. In other words, Paul’s instructions actually create an atmosphere where the home becomes a place for both men and women to share equally in spiritual growth and education.

Second, Paul says for these instructions to be ignored brings shame. And to reinforce the seriousness of these instructions in verse 33 he says this is what is taught in all congregations and then in verses 36—38 through rhetorical questions demonstrates that there isn’t a separate message for these believers and that any one who claims to be a prophet will agree with God’s commands.

Finally, in verses 39—40 Paul instructs that he wants prophesying to continue and tongue speaking is fine when done appropriately. But verse 40 is the summation — everything is to be done in a fitting and orderly way. No more chaos. No more confusion. This assembly is to be a place of order.

Lessons

There are two lessons I want to focus on. First, as we have seen over and over again in this letter Paul calls for a change in attitude rather than promoting one’s own agenda. The disorder and confusion of the assembly was a result of their core issue. They were competitive believing that there were clearly superior gifts. Instead of encouraging of each other; they were pursuing their own spiritual superiority. There was a greater desire to show what I could can do over the desire to show what God has done. We must pursue love. It is the greatest gift of all and the one that will last through eternity.

Second, the assembly is to reflect the character of God. God is not a God of disorder but of peace. God does not create confusion. He brings order out of the confusion. Worship is a time to bring order out of the chaos of life. Worship is to be a time to recognize that in a world filled with madness and dissension and instability, there is a God who longs to bring peace.

Relationships in the world may be unstable, but God is a God of peace and harmony. We should find that in our worship.

There may be chaos in the events of life, but God is a God of peace and tranquility. We should find that in our worship.

When things are falling a part around us; when there seems to be little rhyme or reason to the events; when our inner self is in turmoil; it is in the God we worship that we find peace.

When our sin brought division and separation from him, it was God through Jesus who brought peace to us. The war has been fought and it is over.

In the words of Bill and Gloria Gaither — It is finished, the battle is over. It is finished, there’ll be no more war. It is finished, the end of the conflict. It is finished, and Jesus is Lord. This is the reassurance of worship. This is where we confirm our peace. This is where we reaffirm our faith. This is where we come to know the truth so that the disorder of the world no longer has a hold on us. For we believe that Jesus is Lord.

Invitation.

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