Amazing Partner, Amazing People, part 5

Secondly, again from 1 Corinthians 14, we learn that the expression of speaking in tongues is both personal and corporate. In this chapter Paul teaches that speaking in tongues has a personal purpose and a corporate purpose. There is a little phrase that Paul uses, “But in the Church,” as he wrote to correct some abuses within the Church. He was not, in his correction, trying to eliminate tongues in the corporate worship time, but rather pointing out that there was a different gift of tongues for the corporate setting that not every believer would have even though every believer should have tongues as evidence of the Holy Spirit in their life.
 

Amazing People are People with an Exhortation

That word, “exhortation,” is an old word that means “words that encourage or inspire.” Amazing people want to see others become amazing people too, so they look for the ways and words to inspire others to become all they were created to be. 

One the Day of Pentecost, Peter could have stopped with His explanation of what was happening, but he wanted everyone in the crowd to move beyond the facts of what was happening to personal faith and relationship. That was the purpose of his message: his words were to instruct and inspire. How many of us want those we know and love to come to a personal faith and fullness in Christ?

Peter’s Spirit-enabled answer gives us two keys to life-changing communication.
 

Words that change lives are relevant. Peter was answering the question the crowd was asking (Isn’t that a novel approach!). Life-changing communication doesn’t begin with the question, “what am I going to say,” it begins with the question, “who am I trying to talk to, what are the real needs and issues they’re wrestling with?” Spirit enabled exhortation meets people where they are. 

Words that change lives are Christ-centered. The theme of Peter’s exhortation was Jesus. If we truly want to help people live amazing lives, it will not happen with indoctrination to our “belief system;” it will only happen with an introduction to Jesus.
 

As we close let me ask us all again, “How many want to be Amazing People?” How many of us want to live such an amazing life that people will wonder what happened to you – and if it can happen to them? END