{"id":602,"date":"2008-11-24T00:01:39","date_gmt":"2008-11-24T00:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/practical-instruction-on-the-use-of-spiritual-gifts-part-5.html"},"modified":"2008-11-24T00:01:39","modified_gmt":"2008-11-24T00:01:39","slug":"practical-instruction-on-the-use-of-spiritual-gifts-part-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/practical-instruction-on-the-use-of-spiritual-gifts-part-5.html","title":{"rendered":"Practical Instruction on the Use of Spiritual Gifts, Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 12 of series: Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nYesterday I began commenting on the closing verses of 1 Corinthians 14:<\/p>\n

So, brothers and sisters, keep on eagerly desiring to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But let all things be done decently and in order (1 Cor 14:39-40, my translation)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This verse teaches us to allow the exercise of all spiritual gifts. It does not, however, endorse a chaotic, unedifying display of such gifts. Thus, Paul corrects a misunderstanding of spiritual experience that was common among the Corinthians, and is sometimes found today. Following the lead of their culture, some of the Corinthian believers thought that genuine spirituality always took the form of ecstasy, spontaneity, and even pandemonium. Paul shows, on the contrary, that the power of the Spirit is not something that leads to uncontrolled excess. Rather, the gifting of the Spirit is something that we can and should express in a calm, ordered, and sane way. Just because the Holy Spirit is empowering you, that’s no justification for interrupting a meeting or disrespecting appropriate leadership. You must express that which the Spirit gives you in a way that helps those gathered, or you should just keep quiet (1 Cor 14:26-33).
\nI know some Christians who believe that the work of the Holy Spirit must always be unplanned and spontaneous. “Lord, do something in our worship service today that we have not planned,” they pray. Now, I’d never want to limit the Spirit’s ministry, and I’d be willing to let God interrupt my carefully wrought plans for a worship service. But, rather than pray only for the Spirit’s interruption of the planned service, I pray, first of all, for his leading in the midst of my planning. I prayed this way when I was pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, and I continue to pray this way when I plan worship for Laity Lodge. My hope is that what I plan for worship already reflects the guidance of the Spirit, and doesn’t need unplanned surprises in order to fulfill God’s intentions. Genuine spirituality and the power of the Spirit are fully consistent with orderly, decent, well-planned gatherings. If our planning is so rigid that it quenches the Spirit, then let the Spirit explode our plans. But may God help our planning and our order to reflect his will so that his church may be edified!
\nI realize that most of my readers are not planning worship services, so let me relate Paul’s counsel to your situation. You may feel nervous about certain spiritual gifts because you associate them with disorder and inappropriateness. The year before I arrived at Harvard, a Christian undergraduate walked into the Faculty Club in the middle of a busy lunch hour. In a loud voice, he began speaking in tongues. Nobody could understand him, of course, but they listened in stilted silence. After a couple of minutes the student stopped and walked out. When I heard about this event during my freshman year, it certainly didn’t encourage me to be open to unfamiliar spiritual experiences! In retrospect, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Holy Spirit did not lead that young man to interrupt the Faculty Club with an unintelligible message in tongues. The event was not edifying for anyone and it was quite disorderly. Without a doubt the Spirit will sometimes lead us to do daring and scary things, but they will not violate the biblical principle of “decently and in order.” Though you can’t be sure what the Spirit wants to do with you in the future, you can be confident that you will not be led into silly displays of immature spirituality. (Photo: Harvard Faculty Club)
\nScripture urges you to be open to everything the Spirit would do in and through you. Eagerly desire those gifts that most obviously build up the body of Christ, and don’t forbid the exercise of any particular gift. Find ways to express your gifts that respect the ethos of your Christian community. Some churches make time in public worship for individual members to exercise spiritual gifts. Most do not. If your church does not, join a smaller fellowship group or ministry team where you can let the Spirit work through you to for the sake of others.
\nMoreover, remember that the Spirit is with you to empower you for ministry, not just in the gathering of the saints, but also as you\u2019re in the world. Whether you\u2019re at work or a school, whether you\u2019re coaching soccer or visiting a friend in the hospital, you are a minister of Jesus Christ. He will use you for his purposes if you are available. And he will empower you through his Spirit to do his ministry with supernatural power.
\nBut our focus should never be upon our spiritual gifts or our experiences. I\u2019ll have more to say about this in my next post in this series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 12 of series: Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series Yesterday I began commenting on the closing verses of 1 Corinthians 14: So, brothers and sisters, keep on eagerly desiring to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But let all things be done…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spiritual-gifts"],"yoast_head":"\nPractical Instruction on the Use of Spiritual Gifts, Part 5 - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}