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1 Corinthians 14:13-25 ESV
13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.
I.PREACHING THE GOSPEL WELL TO YOURSELF (13-15)
A.Believing the Gospel anew again each day keeps us operating in faith and away from sin. (Hebrews 11:6)
B.Believing the Gospel anew again each day keeps us from thinking it is on us to keep our good standing with God.
C.Believing the Gospel anew again each day keeps us focused on Christ and not us.
D.Believing the Gospel anew again each day reminds you that you may not be able to forget your past, but God has already chosen not to remember it.
E.Believing the Gospel anew again each day keeps us from a stunted sanctification and half-hearted worship.
II.PREACHING THE GOSPEL WELL TO THE WORLD (16-25)
A.Speaking the Gospel clearly is better for the lost person than speaking in tongues unintelligibly.
B.Tongues leave people lost and thinking Christians are crazy while prophecy has the potential to make Christians.
C.Tongues help make customers and consumers, not Christians.
NEXT STEPS
1.As we speak the Gospel and preach the Gospel, it has to make sense to people for them to do anything with it.
2.When it comes to sharing the Gospel, keep it simple and ask people to respond.
NEXT WEEK: Order in the Church — 1 Corinthians 14:26-40