I invite you to take the Word of God with me this morning, and if you open to 1 Corinthians and chapter 14, 1 Corinthians and chapter 14. We come this morning to the concluding message of this section in this particular epistle. And as we have in view here, when I say this section, I'm talking about 1 Corinthians chapter 12, 13, and 14, together, and as we have repeatedly said, this whole section is to be studied together. Each chapter really does not stand alone. As we have examined in those three chapters, there is some verses that transition each chapter that is basically building on top of the first. And so, We are to regard this section, 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14, as Paul instructing the believers at Corinth in order for them not to remain ignorant about very important things. Remember how this whole section started. We're here in 1 Corinthians 14. We're going to end the chapter, but go back to chapter 12 and verse 1. Remember what Paul said in chapter 12, verse 1. Here's what he said. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you... What's the last word? ignorant. So he really wants to instruct them. He doesn't want them to remain ignorant. He wants them to know certain truths, and he is going to spend the time, as we have seen in chapter 12, 13, and 14, to instruct them in those truths. And notice chapter 14 and verse 38. Here's how he ends this section by saying, But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. So, if you notice, as we end this section, Paul is reproving those who would remain, notice, willfully ignorant. We are familiar with the English proverb that goes something like this, you can lead a horse to the water, but you can't make it drink. Meaning, there is basically nothing you can do with someone who remains willfully ignorant. You may bring them to the truth of God's Word, but still they refuse to accept its authority in their lives. Now remember, Paul had just said in 1 Corinthians 14, What Paul has been instructing them here is not a suggestion. It is the commands of the Lord, and that's how He has presented that. Now, here are the three chapters in review. If you've been there the whole time, we've spent quite a bit of time in chapter 12, 13, and 14. So let me give you a brief review, and then we'll try to have a summary of those three chapters together. It was back in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 that he deals with spiritual gifts. If you put a title on each chapter, here's the title I would put. Chapter 12, Spiritual Gifts. Chapter 13, Charity. And then, Chapter 14 is Edifying, or Edification through Prophesying. So, in Chapter 12, we noted here, here's how he is trying to instruct them. Spiritual gifts are of God, for the profit of the whole church at Corinth. The spiritual gifts are distributed by God Himself to individuals with the benefit of the whole church in mind. So that's a summary of chapter 12. Then chapter 13, which deals with charity, we see that charity is to be the chief pursuit of believers at Corinth. Without charity, spiritual gifts are rendered ineffective. The very presence of charity in each life is to be tested, therefore, by God's standard. And as we see, this is not some theoretical, right? Just love or charity is not to be determined by you saying you have charity or by you saying I love you or I love the brothers in Christ. It is to be determined by observable evidence in our own lives and we are to examine that. And then chapter 14, which focuses on edification, he instructs the believers by telling them that edification of the whole church is to be the ministry mindset of every believer. Understanding is necessary in order for edification to take place. That's why he prioritizes prophesying over, which was still in effect at that time, speaking in tongues. And he mentions that the one ministry that is to be the chief focus of the church meeting is the ministry of prophesying. which is, as we've talked about, the teaching, the declaring, the announcing of God's holy word. Now, we're just gonna conclude here. So notice 1 Corinthians 14, we're gonna read the last three verses of the chapter and then give a summary. So notice, would you stand with me for the reading of God's word as we conclude this section? 1 Corinthians 14, notice with me verse 38. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order. Now again, our focus here is in verse 38 when he says, but if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Going back to how this whole section started, that the reason why Paul is taking the time to explain spiritual gifts and to dive into charity and then to deal with edification is because he does not want them to remain ignorant. And yet he concludes by saying, after all I've told you. If you remain ignorant, then you be ignorant. I don't know what else to tell you. So I'd like to preach this morning a message that I've entitled, The Tragedy of Willful Ignorance. The Tragedy of Willful Ignorance. Let's pray. Father, we thank you this morning for a few moments that are set aside in this church meeting to deal with that aspect that you speak of in chapter 14 concerning prophesying. Lord, we do ask that the teaching and the preaching of God's Word would be communicated clearly in a way that everybody can understand. We pray, Lord, that we would see these things as not the words of men, but indeed as the commandments of God, and that we would not be ignorant and remain ignorant of those things, but that we might know them and also take the next step to live by them. So, Lord, help us, give us understanding, and by Your Spirit guide us into the truth of Your Word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you. You may be seated. So I am looking at this section as we think about those three chapters where Paul is intending for them not to remain ignorant. And he ends this section by saying, look, I really don't want you to remain ignorant, but if you're going to be ignorant, then there's nothing else I can do. You either are going to accept what I'm telling you, teaching you, and conveying to you or you reject it and if you reject it then you remain but not just an ignorance as if you don't know but now a different type of ignorance that is an ignorance that is willful that rejects the truth that rejects the in verse 30 37 the commandments of the lord you see you have an excuse if you don't know the commandments of the lord But you don't have an excuse if you know the commandments of the Lord, and therefore we have to acknowledge those commandments, and then we have to live and abide by them. And so here I would like to look at each chapter and maybe take a summary of each chapter, but specifically with this aspect that Paul is trying to deal with the ignorance. Now notice, this is not me trying to say that our church is better than the church at Corinth. We know that the church at Corinth was a young church. And we know that they did not have at that time what we have today in the New Testament. So this is not something where we look down on this church and say, you know, we say, well, the church at Corinth, I always joke when I see a church that's named Corinth Baptist Church. And I thought, why would you name the church Corinth Baptist Church? Because we think of the church at Corinth as, oh yeah, that's the carnal church. That's how Paul talked to this church back in chapter 3 through chapter 5. He had told them that you're carnal and he was not ashamed to confront them with that. But we acknowledge again it was in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 that he wrote to them and said this to them. He says, Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." That's the group that he's writing to. People who used to be drunks and he gave that list, says that's what you were, but then you got saved. You came to saving faith in Jesus Christ and God changed your life. That's what you were. But now you're cleansed and you're washed. And my prayer for you this morning is if you don't know that your sins have been forgiven, that you have received the cleansing from God, that you would know the forgiveness of sin and the cleansing from God that comes by simple faith in Jesus Christ, acknowledging that we are sinners under the wrath of God, but that God in His love sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us in our place he became sin for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." And so we don't earn salvation. We don't work for salvation. It is given by the grace of God as we by faith believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross. And so if you don't know that today, that's how your sins can be cleansed, by faith in Jesus Christ. That's the group of people that he's writing to. And it's a young church. They don't have the privilege of what we have today. And I would consider a privilege that we have the closed of God's revelation in the New Testament. We know what is to be the doctrine of the church. We know how the church is to operate and how the people inside the church are to conduct themselves. But they didn't have the New Testament at that time. What they have in some form is the instruction of the Apostle Paul for the time he had remained in Corinth, and that was not that long. So, when we look at this here, let's not be too critical of the church. He is dealing with people who, in a sense, are ignorant. And by the way, I think that is all of us, when we first came to know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we were ignorant about many things, were we not? And hopefully, through the years, we've learned and we've grown in our knowledge, and not only have we learned those things, but we have accepted the truth of God's Word and, Lord willing, are attempting, with the help of God, to live by those truths. And so in chapter 12, he deals with their ignorance, specifically of spiritual gifts, but here's what he says, that their ignorance caused them to misunderstand spiritual gifts. If you go to chapter 12, that's what he is dealing with. Notice in verse 1, now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. So evidently, their ignorance caused them to misunderstand spiritual gifts. And he highlights a number of things in chapter 12. Let me bring our attention to, first of all, verse 7. He deals, first of all, with the fact that they were ignorant of the purpose of spiritual gifts. Why does the church, or why does God give spiritual gifts to individuals within the church? And he says that in verse 7. Notice with me. But the manifestation of the Spirit, which means the way in which God gives spiritual gifts, those are the manifestations of the Spirit in the lives of individuals. What is the purpose? Notice, but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man, here it is, to profit with all." So here's one thing very important that they were ignorant of. They were ignorant of the purpose of spiritual gifts. And so now Paul is teaching them and he's trying to encourage them along. He says, look, I know you don't know this, but I'm trying to instruct you and to tell you that the reason why God gives spiritual gifts is so that the whole church, when you come together into one place as a church in Corinth, I want the whole church to be profited by the use of those spiritual gifts. That is their purpose. And so again, that's very important because that helps the believer in Corinth now to correct their ignorant thinking and to say, okay, now I know why God gives me a gift. The gift is given to me not for my profit, but for the profit of the whole. So their ignorance caused them to misunderstand spiritual gifts, first of all, in their purpose. Secondly, if we move down a little further down in the chapter, they were also ignorant of the distribution of spiritual gifts. In other words, How are spiritual gifts attained? How do men get those spiritual gifts? And kind of who is in charge of knowing what gifts? Do you choose your gift? Or how does that all work? Well, he says in verse 11 of chapter 12, But all these worketh, that one in the selfsame spirit, dividing to every man severally, as he will. So here, evidently they were ignorant of their distribution, the distribution of spiritual gifts. How are those distributed? They're distributed according to God's will, not man's will. It's not like at that time, and sometimes we get this idea, well, if you wanted the gift of healing, you picked it. And if you wanted the gift of speaking in tongues, you picked it. And if you wanted the ... whatever. You know that's not what he says. Notice down in verse 18 of chapter 12. But now hath God set members, every one of them, in the body as it hath pleased him. You see, and so here he's talking about how every member has a function, and he has talked about how it functions as one body. And we understand, he says, the ear cannot say to the hand, I'm not part of the body. No, you're one body, and each one has its function. And so they were not only ignorant of the purpose of spiritual gifts, they were evidently also ignorant of the distribution of spiritual gifts. How do those come about? They come about by the will of God. According to His will, as it pleases Him." Let me ask you this. Who do you think is better equipped to know what the church needs? Man or God? Yeah, right. He is the one who is the, to have the preeminence. He is the one who is above the church. By the way, this is not the church of Pastor Sam Knickerbocker. It's the church of God. It belongs to Him. He is the one who orchestrates the distribution of spiritual gifts, again, for what purpose? For the profit of the whole. So, again, this is simple instruction, but evidently they were ignorant of those things because of what was happening in the church. there's a third thing. So they were ignorant of the purpose of spiritual gifts. They were ignorant of the distribution of spiritual gifts, but they were also ignorant of the hierarchy of spiritual gifts. If you go down with me in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, notice verse 28. And so he talked about, by the way, how every member, every part of the body is necessary and And you can't say that, oh, well, we have no need of that part of the body. No, everyone is needed. And even those parts that you may deem to be less significant, you need to honor them more. And that's what he spent time talking about. Then he deals with, but there is a hierarchy of Let me put it this way, of significance for the benefit of the church meeting, which is what he deals with in chapter 14, there is a hierarchy of spiritual gifts. Notice in verse 28, he gives it to us, gives it to them. And God hath set some in the church. Now, who has set God, right? Again, he's the one who orchestrates this. First, apostles. Secondarily, prophets. Thirdly, teachers. Now notice 1, 2, 3. Does that seem like it's a matter of importance? Yes, then he says, after that, after that list of hierarchy, then you can put all the ones in the same basket. You have the miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, government, diversities of tongues. And so he says all the ones fall under the hierarchy of abhorrence. So he says apostles, prophets, teachers. And all three of those have one thing in common. They are in charge of communicating the Word of God. the apostles established the doctrine of the church, the prophets communicated and heralded forth the truth of God's Word, and the teachers spent the time to communicate so that everyone understood the truth of God's Word. That's the hierarchy. And so God says, now you can't be ignorant of this because this is what, notice, God has set in the church. And so when we come to the church meeting, the believers in Corinth had to have an understanding. What is it that God determines to be the more important on the hierarchy of spiritual gifts to be done in the church? And so evidently, Their ignorance caused them to misunderstand spiritual gifts, their purpose, their distribution, and their hierarchy. And by the way, he says in verse 31 of chapter 12, but covet earnestly the, what gifts? The best gifts. Now, we know, he already said, a member of the body is not more important than another member. But there are certain gifts that are to be earnestly coveted after because they are the best for what? For the profit of the whole, which is what he has said in chapter 12. So that's what he addresses. So their ignorance caused them to misunderstand spiritual gifts, their purpose, their distribution, and their hierarchy. So that's chapter 12. But now he continues because evidently in chapter 13 we see that their ignorance also caused them to disregard or we might say to devalue charity. Their ignorance caused them to disregard or to devalue charity. And so, in chapter 13, this chapter is all about charity, but he brings them in a direction because evidently they were ignorant of the need for charity in relationship to spiritual gifts. Notice, there is a relationship between spiritual gifts and charity. He expresses that in the first three verses of the chapter. Notice what he says. of chapter 13. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Evidently, they were ignorant of the relationship between spiritual gifts and the necessity for charity to be present in the use of spiritual gifts. So, their ignorance caused them to disregard or devalue charity. They were ignorant of this necessity for charity. They were ignorant of the necessity for charity. It's interesting that it was back in chapter 8, if you turn a few pages back, 1 Corinthians 8, verse 1, He was in the midst of dealing with some of the conflicts that was going on in the church at Corinth, and in the midst of dealing with this, he addresses a problem which he further explains here in chapter 13, but he touched on it in chapter 8, verse 1. Notice, now, as touching things offered unto idols, which was one of the issues that they were having problems over, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity, what? Edifieth. So he had already kind of mentioned it already. He touched on it that your mind may be filled with knowledge, but that's not very effective at encouraging someone or building somebody up. But you know what is? Charity is. And so charity is that element that has to come alongside spiritual gifts in order to make spiritual gift more effective. So they were ignorant of the necessity of charity. And he shows here that if you have those spiritual gifts, and interestingly in verse 3, he says, though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, we call that today charity, do we not? So you can do, what he says is you can do a charitable act but not have charity in your heart, that's pointless. So, and then he just lists how charity is to be, how we may examine that in our lives, what's the depth of that charity. So they were ignorant of the necessity for charity. They were also known as ignorant of the power of charity. Because here's what he says in verse eight, charity never faileth. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. And so, charity has a particular power. Notice in verse 13, he says, And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity. We're talking in Sunday School about faith. And where we think now about hope, the promises of God that we claim, it gives us a hope as we live in this world. We think about the blessed hope of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we think about charity. And we would say that both faith, hope, charity, that is what animates believers to live the Christian life. Right? Faith animates us. We are learning in Sunday school that faith is synonymous with obedience to God. That's what we do. Faith acts. It's not passive, but it acts upon what it believes. And it's not some theoretical because in Hebrews 11 we see that by faith they all did something. They obey God. And so faith animates us, moves us. Hope animates us. It moves us. But the greatest of these is charity. There is nothing that so animates and moves and empowers the believer than charity does. That's what he says. Now abideth faith, hope, charity, but the greatest of these, the greatest thing that should animate us out of these three is charity. And so they were ignorant evidently of the power of charity. But there's a third thing. They were also ignorant of the effectiveness of charity. The effectiveness of charity. You see, as we look at chapter 13, We learn here that those spiritual gifts in the first three chapters are, in a sense, rendered ineffective if charity is not present, which means the opposite is true. If charity is present, then spiritual gifts are then effective. They do become effective. They do, and so that's why in chapter 14, verse 1, he says, therefore, follow after, what? Charity. Notice he doesn't say follow after spiritual guests. Right? Because, again, from our understanding of chapter 12, it's not like you can choose that, well, I want that gift, so let me pursue that and follow that. No. You follow after charity. God takes care of the spiritual gifts. You focus on charity. God takes care of the spiritual aspect. And then if you have an understanding and you don't remain ignorant about spiritual gifts, then in combination with charity, that's what you focus on. Focus on charity. God takes care of the rest. God takes care of the spiritual aspect. We see those two things. They were ignorant. Their ignorance caused them to misunderstand spiritual gifts. So he instructs them in chapter 12. Their ignorance caused them to disregard or devalue charity. And so he instructs them in that in chapter 13. But now we come to chapter 14, which brings the whole thing together. And evidently here, as he instructs them in chapter 14, their ignorance also caused them to fail in fulfilling God's intent for the church meeting. Their ignorance caused them to fail in fulfilling God's intent for the church meeting. Evidently, there was chaos in the church. We know that because he kind of ends chapter 14 by saying this, let all things be done decently and in order. The reason why he says that is because things were not being done decently and in order, and so he had set up some rules, and they were quite strict rules for those at the time who did speak in tongues. Now, if you're going to do that, here's the rules, and I gave those rules last week. He also mentions that if verse 23, "...if therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned and unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?" And so evidently somebody comes who's an unbeliever, they see the behavior of the believers in the church at Corinth when they came to the church meeting and they thought, these people are crazy. That's not what we want, is it? So, but here's the bigger point. The point here is not tongues. The point is their ignorance caused them to fail in fulfilling God's intent for the church meeting. Now, what is God's intent for the church meeting? Here's what we learn. They were evidently ignorant of God's desired outcome. They were ignorant of God's desired outcome. And what I mean by desired outcome is what does God Desire to happen in the heart and life of believers when the whole church comes together into one place. What does God, why did God call the church, want the church to assemble itself together regularly? Why does Hebrews tell us not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the, why does he, why should believers not forsake the assembling of God's people? Because God has an intent. God has a desired outcome. Do you recognize that as you came to church this morning, God had a desired outcome for this church meeting? And that desired outcome is found in one word, edification. You say, well, how do we know that? Well, let me show you. We know because that's the emphasis through the chapter. Here's what he says in verse 3 of chapter 14. Notice verse 4. Verse 5, I would that ye all speak with tongues, but rather that ye prophesy, for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except ye interpret that the church may receive edification. Notice verse 12, even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Verse 17, For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. Go down to verse 26. How is it then, brethren, when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation? Let all things be done unto edification. Do we get the point here that Paul's trying to come across? What is God's desired outcome of this church meeting? Edification. So they were evidently ignorant of God's desired outcome. And because they were ignorant of that, if you're ignorant, well, how can it happen? How can that be the desired outcome? What he's showing is the desired outcome will not happen by chance. Something must be done purposefully in the church meeting for the desired outcome to happen. Things have to be ordered and done purposefully for the desired outcome. That's why he says now there has to be some order. There has to be some structure. Things have to be done decently. So, That's very important. They were ignorant of the desired outcome. The desired outcome was edification. So he instructs them in that way in chapter 14. And then they were also ignorant of evidently the preeminent ministry of prophesying. In chapter 14, he touches back on chapter 12 by bringing two spiritual gifts, and he's going to bring those in contrast. Now, we already learned in chapter 12, remember, that he gave a hierarchy of spiritual gifts that they were evidently ignorant of. He said, now, God has set in the church apostles and prophets and teachers. That's first, secondarily, thirdly. And then you can put all of the other gifts into one basket. But there is a hierarchy of those. And so now Paul brings in the hierarchy and he says, now let's talk about prophesying, which stands preeminent in the hierarchy of spiritual gifts. And let's bring the gift of speaking in tongues and let's contrast those because if God hath set that hierarchy, but if what is happening in the assertive speaking in tongues has become preeminent, that something is out of order, something is wrong. So you need to kind of, he spends the whole chapter 14, you kind of have to, if you come together as a church, you kind of have to set aside the speaking in tongues to bring in the ministry that God hath set, which is prophesying. And so, very, very important. By the way, he concludes that in verse 39 of chapter 14, wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy and forbid not to speak with tongues. Now, people say, well, see, you're not supposed to forbid to speak. Well, wait a minute. He just gave the rules. Remember the rules. Two, at the most three. Also, it has to be by course, not all at the same time, all taking turns, and there has to be someone to interpret what you're saying so that they can communicate to the church so that the church can understand. If you don't abide by those rules, he says, be quiet. So he says, look, I'm not saying not to speak in tongues, but remember, if somebody does, somebody has to interpret in order for the church to understand. If that doesn't take place, he says, be quiet. Don't do it in the church. at the time when evidently that gift was still valid. So he says, Therefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. So they were ignorant of the desired outcome. They were ignorant of the preeminent ministry of prophesying. And the reason why prophesying was more important, he uses another word throughout chapter 14. That's the word understanding. He says, if you speak with tongues, nobody is able to understand you. But if you prophesy, then people are able to understand you. So understanding will happen when the ministry of prophesying takes place. So, don't be ignorant of God's desired outcome, edification. Don't be ignorant of the preeminent ministry of prophesying. By the way, when we come to the church meeting, that's why the platform and the pulpit is central to the church auditorium. In some groups and some churches, you'll find the pulpit is to the side. The reading of God's Word is done on the side. And we believe that prophesying and teaching is to be central to the church meeting. So, various elements here that are helpful. Everything leads up to what? To the teaching and the preaching of God's Word. When we sing, we sing to God, but what are we doing? We're preparing our hearts because we know God wants to speak to us. We spent some time as we begin the church meeting on Sunday mornings by bowing before Him because we're saying, God, You're an authority over us. We bow and we humble ourselves before You because we are Your subjects, Your servants, and we come together for You. When everything that we find here in the church meeting leads up to what? The teaching and the preaching of the gospel. Now, I know what somebody says, well, you think that that's the most important thing because you're doing it. And I would say to you, no, I'm saying that's the most important thing because God says it is the most important thing. And so whether it's Brother Hap Ryan getting up this morning and teaching Sunday school, whether it's the Lent upstairs teaching the children's Sunday school, or Wayne teaching the young men's Sunday school, or Melissa, my wife, teaching the four and five-year-olds Sunday school, somebody stands up and communicates what? The Word of God. So in those classes, you know, there are various things that take place, but you know what is central to every one of those? The word, the communication of God's word. That is to be the preeminent ministry that is to take place within the life of the church. So evidently they were ignorant, and their ignorance caused them to fail in fulfilling God's intent for the church meeting. There's a third thing, and that is they were ignorant of how to determine the success and value of a church meeting. They were ignorant of how to determine the success and value of the church meeting. I already mentioned that word, but it's the word understanding. Notice what he says in verse 2. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God. For no man understandeth him. Notice down in verse 9, so likewise he accept the utterer by the tongue words easy to be understood. How shall it be known what is spoken? Down to verse 14, and if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Verse 16, out when thou shalt bless with the spirit. How shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say amen at thy giving a thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? Verse 19, Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding than by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Verse 20, Brethren, be not children in understanding, howbeit in malice be children, but in understanding be men. You see, they were ignorant as to how do you determine the success and the value of a church meeting. I'll tell you how you determine that. If people leave this place this morning saying, here's what I have understood. Here's what I've understood. I've understood the truth of God's word. All things need to be done. Yes, the desired outcome is edification. The preeminent ministry is prophesying. But how do you determine the success of a church meeting if people are able to understand? So, if we begin the church meeting, and Ray, as he did this morning, invites us into worship, he opens the Word of God, and he explains, he explained this morning, why this morning we began the meeting by bowing. He showed us how the Word of God teaches us how we are to bow before God. You see? So we leave this morning not just bowing, but we leave hopefully with an understanding as to why we are to bow. What is the reason as to why we bow? We then stood up and we, well, we opened in prayer and that prayer was communicated with words of understanding. And we can say amen because we understand the words and we agree with the words. Then we took our hymnals, and our hymnals are filled with truth from God's Word. Right? What was one of the hymns that we sung? Give me the number. Yeah, the first one, 423. 423. So we sung a song this morning. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Isn't that the truth? My hope, the hope we have of eternal life, is built on nothing less than His blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, like me, as good and as sweet as I think I might be, I can't trust my sweetest frame. But wholly, completely lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. We sung, why? Because we were singing the truth of God's Word, and we can leave with this reminder that the foundation of our faith is not based on ourselves and our goodness, it's based on the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ and Him alone and completely. And we sung that this morning. I know sometimes we get in the habit of we sing things and we don't think about the words, but that's what we sung this morning. And we are to do that in understanding. We sung two songs, and we had the offerings, and we mentioned some people to pray for specifically, and the usher prayed for those needs, and then we gave out and passed the offering plates, and Bethany played a song on the piano. Anybody remember the song? Leland? No? Anybody remember the song? What was the song, Bethany? But the point is, we ask the pianist to play a hymn that we're familiar with, so that as the pianist plays, words are heard. Correct? We are rehearsing those words. Why? Because truth is being communicated through music. And it's something familiar. We stand up and we sing again, and then we have special music, and then there's the opening of God's Word, and we stand together. And you know why we stand together? Because we want to recognize that this is the Word of God. We receive this as the Word of God, not as the Word of men. And so when we read the Scripture, God is speaking. You enter into a courtroom today, the judge comes in, and you know what Erright does? Everybody rises. Why? Because out of respect and reverence. Because the judge is about to speak. Well, there's no one that's more important than God Himself. And when we open His Word, He wants to speak to us. And so we stand out of reverence for God. Now, we don't always express that, but every once in a while we'll mention why we do that. So why? So that we leave this place having an understanding as to why we do what we do. After the message, we're concluding here in just a moment. In just a moment, so it's almost done. But we have an invitation. And we may not say this week after week, but the invitation is that part of the meeting where we respond to how God speaks to us. Now you can make your seat an altar, you can come to the altar and bow before God, but basically it's us acknowledging together, God has spoken to me. I have understood what God said through the ministry of prophesying and I've been edified. And I'm not gonna leave it at that. I'm gonna respond to God because it is so important that God speak to me and is of great value to me and a benefit to me if I respond to God speaking to me. And then, after we're dismissed, we go through the announcements, we talk about the things in the life and ministry of the church that are coming up, and we communicate so that people know what's going on in the church and how they can be involved and participate. And then we dismissed. And most of the time in this church, at least in this church, people fellowship for a while. And when they fellowship for a while, they talk to one another. Sometimes they bring up some needs or things of experience so that they can pray for one another and encourage one another. Everything is to be done with understanding. That's how you determine the success of a meeting or not. How do we know that this has been a successful meeting or not? Not because people have been entertained. but because people have understood through the communication of God's truth and they've been edified. So he concludes this section by saying, if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. If you don't understand this, Paul says, then I don't know how to help you. I've brought, you can bring a horse to the water. but you can't make him drink. And so may the Lord help us to understand here that the apostle Paul is trying to instruct them so that they don't remain ignorant. And I'm not blaming the church. They were a young church and they didn't have the New Testament as we have it today. And Paul is, and by the way, Paul commends them in his second epistle for correcting some things in the church. And so it is our duty to come and to say, okay, I need to come here with the right mindset and I need to understand how spiritual gifts and charity and edification, how all those things work together. They're all designed to come together. And so may the Lord help us. I want to put it this way, that let's understand why God gives spiritual gifts, but let's pursue and apprehend charity. And let's all come to church with all the same mindset. What should happen here is edification should take place. That is God's desired outcome for the church meeting. Let's pray.