Social Media as a Model that Students Follow...

Recently, I was thinking about something that I learned from a mentor. One day, during a youth staff training time, my mentor made to following statement: "What adults do in moderation, students will do in excess".

The timeless principle in that statement is this: the behavior that adults participate in within the limits of moderation, students will model or mimic, except students often engage in the behavior in such a way as to move beyond moderation to excess.

A student who sees an adult youth staff member having a beer may respond by not having one or two beer, but six or twelve beers. A student who hears an adult use language that is edgy will often respond by using that same edgy language in an inappropriate context and in an inappropriate manner.

Now I am not talking about having a theological discussion about social drinking or language. My focus is the impact that the behavior of adults who mentor students have on students. Adults who mentor students are more emotionally and spiritually mature and also possess more mature decision making strategies (hopefully) than students.

And because of that reality, students are unable to see the mental, emotional, and spiritual decision making process that goes into behavior that would be described as being in moderation. Instead, they view an adults decision to engage in and activity or behavior in moderation as a blank check to engage in similar behavior in an often times excessive manner.

Now bring into the picture the use of social media such as facebook and twitter. As adults, do we consider the impact that what we post on these social websites has on the students that are our friends or followers? Do we consider how student will interpret the images and words that we post? What messages are we sending students when they look at our facebook or twitter page?

Now I am not trying to be the facebook or twitter police. I am just suggesting that if you work with students, that we all pause and consider the impact that what we post on social media will have on those students who view what we post. Here is a suggested simple question to ask: "Am I o.k. with what I am posting being published on the front page of the local paper for all to see?" Because, in this digital age, that is what you are doing.

What do you think? Am I way off base here? What message does your facebook and twitter page send? And are you confident that the young impressionable students who you have great influence over will not get the wrong message from your posts?

How Rejecting the Reality of the Resurrection Results in Stinking Thinking...

This week, we have been looking at a section of a letter in the Bible that reveals for us that a person can not claim to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus and reject the reality of the resurrection. So, far we have seen the Apostle Paul explain that rejecting the reality of the resurrection results in a denial of the gospel and in condemnation. In addition, rejecting the reality of the resurrection results in a denial of our future as followers of Jesus. Paul then reveals for us a fourth result that can occur when we reject the reality of the resurrection. We see this in 1 Corinthians 15:29-34:

Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? Why are we also in danger every hour? I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE. Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

Paul begins by asking a string of rhetorical questions to reveal the lack of logic that was being used by the members of the church. First Paul asks “what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” And while there has been great debate and great misinterpretation about what Paul was talking about here, in light of the remaining questions that he asks here, it is most likely that Paul is referring to members of the church who became followers of Jesus as a result of the deaths of other Christians who were martyred as a result of their faith. The transformed lives of the members of the church at Corinth resulted in Christ being revealed and reflected through their deaths in a way that others became follower of Christ and identified themselves with Christ through baptism.

Paul then transitions to his own situation as a leader in the church. If Paul was writing this today, these verses would sound something like this: “If the resurrection is not a reality, then why would I place myself in such danger? Why would I change my life in such a radical way so as to publicly proclaim the gospel and the resurrection if it is not true? Why would I place myself in a position to face such opposition if the resurrection is not a reality? If the resurrection is not true, then why don’t I live like all the philosophers and all those who are far from God?” Paul’s struggles in Ephesus are recorded for us in another letter in our Bibles, in Acts 19. Paul then quotes Isaiah 22:13 to reveal that the statements of these philosophers are not a new, but an age old response from those who are far from God.

Paul then concludes this section of his letter by commanding the members of the church to stop being misled in a wrong direction by those who were rejecting the reality of the resurrection. Instead of being misled, Paul commands the church to become sober minded and stop sinning. In other words, Paul is commanding the church, and us today, to come to their senses and get rid of their stinking thinking when it came to the resurrection. Paul explains that those who rejected the reality of the resurrection revealed the reality that they were ignorant of the nature and character of the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. And the fact that they were being misled by such people should cause them to be ashamed. And today, just as it was 2000 years ago, rejecting the reality of the resurrection results in stinking thinking.

So this morning, what do you believe about the physical and bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead? Do you believe that the resurrection of Jesus is a fact? Or do you believe that the resurrection of Jesus is fiction? Because the reality is that you cannot claim to be a Christian and reject the reality of the resurrection. Because rejecting the reality of the resurrection results in a denial of the gospel. Rejecting the reality of the resurrection results in condemnation. Rejecting the reality of the resurrection results in a denial of our future. And rejecting the reality of the resurrection results in stinking thinking.

How the Reality of the Resurrection Impacts our Future...

This week, we have been looking at a section of a letter in the Bible that reveals for us that a person can not claim to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus and reject the reality of the resurrection. So, far we have seen the Apostle Paul explain that rejecting the reality of the resurrection results in a denial of the gospel and in condemnation. Paul then continues by revealing for us a third result that can occur when we reject the reality of the resurrection. We see this result revealed for us in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28:

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

Paul begins by stating that while some may reject the reality of the resurrection, the truth is that Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. When Paul uses the phrase first fruits here, this phrase refers to the first of a kind or a portion. Paul’s point here is that rejecting the reality of the resurrection results in a denial of our future.

In these verses, Paul unpacks exactly what are future looks like as followers of Jesus as a result of Christ’s resurrection. First, Paul reveals for us the reality that we have a future relationship with God as a result of the resurrection. Paul explains that while all humanity received the divine punishment of physical death and spiritual and eternal separation from God as a result of our selfishness and sin, that through Jesus life, death, and resurrection, we have the opportunity to have the eternal relationship with God that we were created for.

Paul then transitions to reveal for the church, and us today, the order of our future bodily resurrection. Paul begins by explaining that Jesus, as the first of a kind that we will follow, has already been raised from the dead. Paul then states that at the end of God’s story on earth, when Jesus returns to earth, those who are alive will be caught up to meet Him in the air and will receive their resurrection bodies in the process.

Paul then explains that upon Jesus return to earth to establish His kingdom and judge all of humanity, those who died as followers of Jesus throughout history will be raised from the dead and receive their resurrection bodies. Upon Jesus return to earth he will bring to an end those spiritual beings who oppose God and place themselves in opposition to God and His kingdom. And in the process, through Christ’s resurrection, we see the culmination of God’s work of rescue and repair as He brings to an end death itself.

After Jesus brings all of creation into submission under God’s kingdom rule, which was predicted in Psalm 8:6, Jesus will place Himself under God the Father’s loving leadership as the first among equals. The glorious future that we have as followers of Jesus is directly related to the reality of the resurrection. It is the reality of the resurrection that provides the eternal relationship with God and one another in perfect community.

So what future do you have as a result in what you believe about the resurrection?

Why Rejecting the Reality of the Resurrection Leads to Condemnation...

Yesterday, we looked at a section of a letter in the Bible where a man named Paul revealed for us the reality that Rejecting the reality of the resurrection of Jesus results in a denial of the gospel. Now you might be thinking “But Dave, why does rejecting the reality of the resurrection deny the message of the gospel? Why is the resurrection and the gospel inseparable?” Again, if you are asking these questions, these are great questions to be asking. We see Paul answer these questions for us in the next section of this letter, which is 1 Corinthians 15:12-19:

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

Paul here confronts some of the members of the church at Corinth who were rejecting the reality of the resurrection of the dead. Some members of the church did not believe that there was a literal resurrection of the dead. Paul responds to the situation by providing four reasons as to the reality of a literal and bodily resurrection.

First, Paul states that if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Jesus was not really raised from the dead. And if Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then the message of the gospel and Christianity in general is devoid of value and meaningless. I mean, the whole point of Christianity and the gospel is Jesus life, death, and resurrection, isn’t it?

Second, Paul explains that if there is no resurrection, then they and all the other early church leaders were liars and twisted manipulators who misrepresented the nature and character of God by saying that He raised Christ from the dead when he really didn’t. They were liars and manipulators because if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is still dead. Paul’s point is that you can’t have one without the other; either there is a resurrection of the dead for everyone, or there is no resurrection of the dead for anyone, even Christ as 100% God and 100% human.

Third, Paul reveals the reality that if Christ has not been raise from the dead, then all of humanity is still separated from God as a result of their selfishness and sin. But why would that be? The resurrection from the dead provides the proof that God accepted Jesus willingness to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives so that He could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life. This morning, the reality is that if Jesus was not raised from the dead, then we have not been rescued from our selfishness and sin. For while there have been other people who were brought back to life in the Bible, Jesus is different for two reasons.

First, Jesus is the only person in the Bible who predicted that he would die and be raised from the dead before the event actually happened. The resurrection proves that Jesus said who he said he was as our Lord and Leader. Second, while other people in the Bible were brought back to life, they eventually died again. Jesus, however, was raised from the dead never to die again. Our faith and forgiveness is centered in the resurrection; without the resurrection our faith is devoid of any value to rescue and restore us to relationship with God and one another.

Fourth, Paul explains that without the resurrection, those who have professed faith in Christ as His followers and who have died physically instead experience eternal separation from God and an eternal sentence to hell. And the timeless reality that Paul reveals for us is that rejecting the reality of the resurrection results in condemnation. And because of this reality, Paul explains that if we have placed our confident trust in Christ without the reality of the resurrection, then we are pathetic. We are pathetic because we have leveraged our lives for a lie.

Tomorrow, we will look at a third result that occurs when we reject the reality of the resurrection.

What is one question that you may have when it comes to Jesus resurrection?

The Reality of the Resurrection and the Message of the Gospel...

As a church, we have been looking at a letter in our Bibles that a man named Paul wrote to a group of people who claimed to be Christians but we living their lives in a way that failed to reflect Christ or follow His teachings. And in this letter, we see Paul reveal a timeless truth that makes those who claim to be Christian in fact unchristian and far from God. And that timeless truth is that we who claim to be Christians are actually unchristian when we reject the reality of the resurrection.

The reality is that you cannot be a follower of Jesus and not believe and trust in the reality of the resurrection. You cannot correctly identify yourself as a Christian and reject that Jesus was physically and bodily raised from the dead. Now you may be wondering “why is the physical and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ so essential to being a Christian? And why do I have to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ to become a follower of Jesus?” Or maybe your biggest push back to church or the Bible or Christianity has to do with the resurrection. For you to buy Christianity, you need proof of the resurrection.

If you are asking those questions, I want you to know that these are great questions to be asking. These are great questions to be asking, because these were the same questions that the members of the church at Corinth were asking. And in this section of this letter, we will see Paul answer these questions and reveal for us four results that occur when we reject the reality of the resurrection. We see the first result beginning in 1 Corinthians 15:1. Let’s look at it together:

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Paul begins this section of his letter to the church at Corinth by reminding them of the message of the gospel that he had proclaimed to them. Paul explains that their acceptance of the message of the gospel by faith in what God had done to rescue them from their selfishness and sin was based on their firm adherence to the message of the gospel that Paul had proclaimed to them. When Paul uses the phrase unless you believed in vain, he is explaining to the church and to us today that the only way that the message of the gospel does not result in salvation from our selfishness and sin is if we respond to the message without careful thought.

Paul’s point is that believing, trusting, and following Jesus is more than an emotional response. Salvation revolves around a person recognizing and responding to their selfishness and sin by embracing the facts that surround the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel by placing their complete confidence in those facts by believing, trusting, and following Jesus as Lord and Leader. The message of the gospel that results in salvation is rational in nature and is rooted in history.

Paul then reminds the members of the church, and us here this morning of the essence of the Christian faith. What is of first importance; what is the closed handed and non-negotiable center of the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ, who is God in an bod, entered into humanity and allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life.

When Paul uses the phrase according to the Scriptures, he is reminding Christians throughout history that Jesus life and death was predicted and proclaimed throughout the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament, we read of God promising a rescuer, a deliverer to save us from our selfishness and sin and to bring us into the relationship with God we were created for. But not only was Jesus life and death proclaimed throughout the Old Testament, Paul also explains that Jesus burial and resurrection was predicted and proclaimed in the Old Testament. When Paul talks about resurrection here, he is referring to a literal, physical, bodily resurrection. Jesus died on the cross, was buried in a tomb dead as a door nail, and was brought back to life as a result of God’s transforming activity.

Paul then explains to the members of the church the reality of the resurrection as seen in the multitude of people who had contact with the resurrected Lord. When Paul uses the word appeared, he is not referring to seeing Jesus is a dream or vision; this word refers to an actual visual encounter with the Risen from the dead Jesus Christ. Paul then provides a list of people who had an encounter with Jesus after he was raised from the dead.

First, Paul lists Peter, who had denied Jesus three times while he stood outside his trial. Paul then lists the remaining eleven disciples. And while we may question the testimony of his closest followers, Paul then transitions to explain that Jesus appeared to more than five hundred people at one time, most of who were still living. Paul is saying to the church “if you do not want to believe me or the disciples, then go ask these five hundred people. Do you think five hundred people would have the same dream or vision at the same time?” Paul’s point here is that there were people who were still alive that could testify as to the truth of the reality of the resurrection.

Paul then explains that James, the brother of Jesus, who had mocked Jesus claims during His life on earth, he saw the resurrected Lord, so go ask him. The same James who is now the Senior Pastor at the church in Jerusalem. What would cause someone who had mocked Jesus to so change his opinion so as to be a leader in His movement? Paul then explains that Jesus also appeared to all of the Apostles, which we read about in Acts 1:6-11. Finally, Paul refers to his own encounter on the Damascus Road, which we read about in Acts 9. When Paul refers to himself as one untimely born, this phrase was used to describe a miscarriage or abortion. Apparently, the members of the church at Corinth viewed Paul as a freak and insignificant as compared with the other Apostles.

Paul responds to this criticism by explaining the wile he should have the lowest status among the Apostles as a result of his persecution of the early church, the exceptional effect of God’s gracious activity in his life resulted in Paul leveraging all that he had to serve the Lord and proclaim the gospel. I mean what else do you think would cause someone like Paul who persecuted the church to become the greatest missionary of the early church?

Paul’s point here is that the resurrection of the dead is a historical reality that was witnessed by hundreds of people over forty days time. I mean, all that was needed to stop the fledgling movement that was Christianity was to produce Jesus dead and rotting corpse for all to see. And for 2,000 years people have been trying to find Jesus corpse, with absolutely no success, because the reality is that Jesus has been raised from the dead by God’s supernatural activity. And it was the reality of God’s activity through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that resulted in the transformation of lives and the spread of the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel throughout history. And this morning, the reality is that to reject the reality of the resurrection results in a denial of the gospel.

Now you might be thinking “But why does rejecting the reality of the resurrection deny the message of the gospel? Why is the resurrection and the gospel inseparable?” Again, if you are asking these questions, these are great questions to be asking. Tomorrow, we will see Paul answer these questions for us.

So, what is your greatest hesitation to believing in the reality of the resurrection?

How a Lack of Order Impacts the Use of Spiritual Gifts...

This past week, we have been looking at how we are to use the spiritual gifts we have been given as followers of Jesus. Last time we saw Paul reveal for us that when we desire style over substance in spiritual gifts, the result is a lack of order. When we are driven by style over substance in spiritual gifts, we can end up wanting to exercise our spiritual gift in a way that puts the focus on us and opposes authority as we end up in competition with one another. And this leads to a lack of order in corporate worship.

Paul then applies this principle to a situation that was occurring in the church. And these verses are some of the most understood and misapplied in the entire Bible. So let’s look at these verses together:

The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.

Let’s start by looking at what these verses do not mean. These verses do not mean that women cannot speak in church. As we discovered a few weeks ago in chapter 11, the issue is not whether or not a woman could speak in church; the issue was authority. When Paul talks about speaking in these verses, he is referring to women speaking authoritatively in judging the exercising of the spiritual gifts during the main worship gatherings. Paul’s point here was that only the Elders were the authorities responsible to evaluate the exercising of the spiritual gifts to ensure their accuracy to the message and teachings of Jesus.

There were women in the church, however, who were attempting to exercise authority and leadership outside the structure of the church by questioning the accuracy of what was being said in church. Paul then explains that if they want to question the authority or accuracy of what was being said in the church through the exercising of the spiritual gifts of tongues or prophecy, they were to have that conversation at home and not in the church, which would cause further disorder and distraction.

Paul is not forbidding women to speak in church or to exercise spiritual gifts in church; Paul is forbidding their attempt to exercise authority and leadership by judging what was being said. Paul then provides the reason for forbidding women to exercise authoritative leadership by pointing the church back to the book of Genesis and creation. Paul is reinforcing what he said earlier in this letter, which we looked at a few weeks ago, where the man is the first among equals, and has the role and responsibility to lovingly lead, protect, and provide for women in ways appropriate for their relationship, which includes exercising leadership in the church.

Paul then concludes this section of his letter to the church by explaining that if anyone wanted to push back on his directions and commands, they need to recognize that these are not his commands; these commands and directions are from the Lord. And because of this reality, the person who will not recognize or pay attention to these principles so as to follow them has consequences. And the consequence for disregarding these commands is that God will disregard and fail to pay attention to them.

Paul then reminds the members of the church to strive to exercise the spiritual gifts of prophecy. At the same time, however, Paul states that they were not to forbid the exercising of the spiritual gift of tongues. But in the exercising of the spiritual gifts, whatever gift they may be, they must be exercised in a way that is appropriate and that provides the order necessary that results in the spiritual good and growth of others.

So what is the desire that drives the use and exercise of your spiritual gifts? Are you driven by style over substance in spiritual gifts? Or are you driven by the spiritual good and growth of others?

How Desiring Style over Substance Results in a Lack of Order...

This week, we are looking at a section of a letter written by a man named Paul that reveals for us four results that occur when we abuse spiritual gifts by desiring style over substance in spiritual gifts. After revealing that style over substance results in spiritual immaturity, a lack of profit for others,and a hindering of the kigdom mission we have been given, Paul applies these three timeless principles to what was occurring during corporate worship at the church.

And in this application, we see a fourth result that occurs when we desire style over substance when it comes to spiritual gifts. We see this in 1 Corinthians 14:26-34:

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

Paul begins by literally asking “What then? What should you do to apply this?” Paul then answers this question with a very specific application. Paul explains that during times of corporate worship, whether it is during times of corporate singing, corporate prayer, or during the sermon, all aspects of the corporate worship is to be focused on the spiritual good and growth of others. And to achieve that goal, Paul provides several timeless principles of application.

To understand what Paul was communicating here, we first must understand what church looked like in Paul’s day. Now when one attended a church service in Corinth, what would happen is that after a time of corporate singing and prayer, people in the church would stand up and speak, sharing either their testimonies or messages that they heard from other Christians. Some would even exercise spiritual gifts that involved the public communication of new verbal messages from God. It is important to understand that they did not have what we have today as the Bible; the New Testament was still being written.

With this culture of oral sharing and the time of testimonies and messages from God, there would be a need for people of spiritual maturity and authority to keep order and accuracy in the services. These church leaders, known as elders, would evaluate and judge what was being said as to its accuracy with the truth of the gospel message. Then an elder would speak or even read a letter that the church may have received from Paul or Peter, for example.

With this context of corporate worship in mind, Paul explains that if anyone exercised the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, that there were to be two or three at most and that there must be a person present who had the spiritual gift of interpreting of tongues so that this new verbal revelation from God would be able to be clearly understood. Paul then states that if there was no one there who possessed the gift of interpretation that the person was not allowed to exercise the gift of tongues but was to stay silent.

Paul then transitions from the spiritual gift of tongues to the spiritual gift of prophecy. Paul states that only two or three prophets were to speak in the main worship gathering and let others pass judgment. The others that Paul is referring to are the Elders, who were the leadership within the church responsible to evaluate the exercising of the spiritual gifts to ensure their accuracy to the message and teachings of Jesus. Paul then explains if a second prophet exercises their spiritual gift, the previous prophet was not to respond to what was said, because the spiritual prophetic gifts are subject to the prophets in whom the Holy Spirit dwells.

Paul then makes a statement that reveals for us a fourth result that can occur when we desire style over substance in spiritual gifts: “for God is not a God of confusion but of peace”. What is interesting is that this word confusion, in the language that this was originally written in literally means to be opposed to authority. When Paul talks about peace, he is referring to a state of good order that results from harmonious relationships.

And here we see the reality that desiring style over substance leads to a lack of order. When we are driven by style over substance in spiritual gifts, we can end up wanting to exercise our spiritual gift in a way that puts the focus on us and opposes authority as we end up in competition with one another. And this leads to a lack of order in corporate worship.

Paul then applies this pprinciple to a situation that was occurring in the church at Corinth, which we will look at tomorrow.

How do you use your spiritual gifts? Is the exercise of your spiritual gifts leading to a lack of order in corporate worship? Or is the exercise of your spiritual gifts rresulting in the spiritual good and growth of others?