About Prophecy and Tongues (1 Corinthians 14:1-25) | Imperfect Series

Although you’ll need to deal with what Paul is talking about here as he deals with the issue of tongues and prophecy, Paul’s primary concern here is not about answering all our questions about tongues and prophecy and instead is about the benefits of each of those gifts. In short Paul’s argument is that prophecy is a more desirable gift because it benefits the hearer while tongues benefit only the one speaking in tongues.
We learn a few things from this:
1. The word of God is incredibly important for the building up of the church.
2. The purpose of corporate worship services should be the building up of all believers not merely self-fulfillment.
If you are preaching this message make sure to speak to the other person scheduled to preach this Sunday so we make sure we are delivering a consistent message on this topic.

Sermon Notes:

• The best way to experience the presence of God in church is to love others so well that they experience the presence of God in you. (vs. 1-4)
• “Speaking in tongues is prayer or praise spoken in syllables not understood by the speaker.” Wayne Grudem
• “Prophecy is telling something that God has spontaneously brought to mind.” Wayne Grudem
• Pursuing love is more about what you are contributing than what you are experiencing. (vs. 5-12)
• Pursuing love is about making it easy for people to see and understand what is going on. (vs. 13-23)
• Pursuing love creates an environment where we see ourselves for who we really are and God for who He really is. (vs. 24-25)