Welcome, Holy Spirit

Tongues.

Prophecy.

The moving of the Holy Spirit in a church service.

Unfortunately, when it comes to tongues and prophecy, it’s such a debate amongst believers on what should be allowed. The debate comes from what is considered too much and what might actually scare away someone who isn’t a believer just yet.

According to 1 Corinthians 14, both tongues and prophecy are actually for those who do not believe, not the believers. So the question isn’t will you offend someone by walking in these gifts. If they get offended, it’ll be by the preaching of their sin being wrong.

The real question is, which services are you willing to tell the Holy Spirit He isn’t welcomed in order to please man.

It sounds blunt when put that way, yet Paul clearly explains that when the church moves in the gifts of tongues and prophecy they allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the deepest secrets of those who do not believe.

It would be easy for someone who doesn’t believe to say that there was good preaching, good worship and good fellowship. Giving all glory to man. Yet, when the gifts of prophecy and tongues are used and heart matters are revealed, a non believer can truly say it was God and God alone who moved his heart.

Sure, if all you do is speak in tongues and prophecy then people will begin to think you are a crazy part of the body of Christ. So in order to allow the Holy Spirit to move, there is a correct way of doing it and Paul outlines that clearly in 1 Corinthians 14.

God isn’t a God of chaos. He is a God of clear vision and order. It is very possible to enjoy the gifts of tongues and prophecy within every service while staying in clear order.

Don’t allow the fear that someone who doesn’t believe will be scared off by these gifts to keep them from being released, but remember that the gifts of tongues and prophecy are clearly used to help them draw closer to their creator. Which is the ultimate goal of the church.

Verses used

1 Corinthians 14:1-31