When You Come Together | 1 Corinthians 14:26
It’s been our practice to spend the first month of the year giving our attention to what we call habits of grace.
We get that helpful phrase from David Mathis and his book entitled Habits of Grace. Mathis observes that talk of “spiritual disciplines” sometimes over-emphasizes our initiative, our effort, our skill, while under-emphasizing God’s grace, God’s power, and God’s provision. Mathis writes, “My hope in reshifting the focus from the spiritual disciplines to the means of grace—and then the various personal habits of grace that we develop in light of them—is to keep the gospel and the energy of God at the center.”
What are means of grace? Means of grace are the God-given channels through which God promises to supply his grace—his dynamic power—to his people. They are habits of grace because they begin by grace, they are sustained by grace, and they are God’s appointed means for lavishing more and more of his grace upon you. And they are habits of grace because they are regular and repeated practices by which we place ourselves in those pathways or channels where God promises to lavish his grace.
Habits are powerful practices that shape the kind of person you become. Justin Earley writes, “Habits are fascinating little things. They are the things we do over and over, semiconsciously to unconsciously. By definition, they are, of course, little. But the aggregate impact of habits is as big as each habit is small.”
Jay Adams illustrated the power and necessity of habits by asking this question: “When is a thief no longer a thief?” The answer can’t be “when the thief is not stealing.” He could be on his lunch break, or on a two-week vacation. Or maybe he gave up stealing for Lent … with every intent to resume stealing.
Ephesians 4:28 says, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” So a thief is no longer a thief when he puts off his habit of stealing and puts on a new habit: hard work and generosity.
You see, your habits are your routines, and your routines become who you are. We’d like to think that our hearts and hands follow our heads, but if that was the case, learning new information would always result in new affections and new practices. The reality is, our hearts follow our habits. That means we must not only learn the truth, but practice it. And as we practice it, our hearts come to love it. As Paul writes in Philippians 4:9, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9).
This year, we’re going to spend four Sundays looking at habits of grace that we practice corporately or in community. Personal habits of grace like Bible reading, meditation, and private prayer are a significant part of the Christian life. But the life of faith is not merely one of personal, private devotion; it’s lived out in community. And the Lord Jesus himself has given us corporate practices that form us into his own image.
The four corporate habits of grace we’re going to consider are corporate worship, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and church discipline. And we begin with corporate worship.
Essential or Non-Essential?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were introduced to a new category for evaluating businesses, services, and activities: essential and non-essential. Things like grocery stores, gas stations, banks, utility services, and laundromats were considered essential and could remain open. But places like gyms, movie theaters, and nail salons, were considered non-essential.
In many states, churches were categorized as non-essential. Sadly—revealingly—many Christians were quick to accept the designation of corporate worship gatherings as a non-essential activity. As one blog post from May of 2020 observed, “Church is not essential, we assume, because Christianity is just as easily practiced solo at home. Give me a Bible, some inspiring worship music, and maybe a few spiritual podcasts, and I’m good. Do we really need church to be spiritually healthy?”
How do you view the public assembly of the Church every Lord’s Day? Is it a non-essential extra? A nice add-on? An optional enhancement? Or is corporate worship essential to your soul, to the vitality of the church, to the evangelization of the world, and to the worship of God?
1 Corinthians 14:26
“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”
—1 Corinthians 14:26
Worship is a broad topic. It’s accurate to say that all of life is worship—whether you eat or drink, everything should be done to the glory of God. It’s helpful to think about personal devotion and private worship. It’s valuable to give attention to family worship. But what do we mean by corporate worship?
The word corporate may have connotations of business: a corporation is a large company. But the word comes from the Latin, corpus, meaning body. And corporate worship is when the Body of Christ gathers to worship. It’s public worship, gathered worship, assembled worship, or congregational worship.
My aim this morning is to secure your joyful participation in the corporate worship gathering of the local church by deepening your awe for what happens here. When your view of the assembled church is biblically informed, it changes the way you attend church. And the main point of 1 Corinthians 14:26 is that your regular participation in the corporate gathering of the local church is the way God builds his church.
We’re going to look at this verse in three parts: 1) the habit of corporate worship; 2) the substance of corporate worship; and 3) the effect of corporate worship.
The Habit of Corporate Worship
1 Corinthians 14:26 begins, “What then, brothers? When you come together ….” That question—“What then, brothers?”—introduces a conclusion, a main point. It comes at the end of a lengthy unit that began way back to 1 Corinthians 11. 1 Corinthians 11–14 is the longest treatment of the corporate worship gathering in the Bible. In it, Paul discusses various aspects of what the church does when it gathers. Seven times Paul uses a verb that means “to come together with others as a group, to assemble, to gather.” More specifically, Paul talks about “when you come together as a church” (11:18) and he says “the whole church comes together” (14:23).
“When you come together ….” For Paul and New Testament authors it is simply assumed that the church gathers or assembles. It’s not if you come together; it’s when you come together. Individual Christians make it a habit to gather regularly with other Christians in order to worship God together.
We have often made the point that the church is not a building or an event, but a body of believers who express their shared life in Christ by sharing their lives in community. Under the Old Covenant, God was pleased to manifest his special presence in the tabernacle in the wilderness and later in the temple in Jerusalem. But when Jesus was crucified, the veil in the temple separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn open. And when Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, he poured out his Holy Spirit on his people. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you [plural] are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” With the coming of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit, the presence of God dwells, not in a brick and mortar building, but in the gathered people of God.
We have also emphasized thick community. Thick community—as opposed to thin—is the kind of community where we share numerous facets of our lives together. We don’t just see each other for an hour or two on Sundays; during the week we share meals together, recreate together, or put down flooring together.
But while it is biblically necessary to recognize that God dwells in his people and not in a building, and that those people share life together, it is also necessary to maintain the biblical emphasis on the corporate worship gathering of those people. The church is the people and not the building. But more accurately, the church is the people gathered. As Matt Merker puts it, the church is more than a gathering, but never less than a gathering. The church is the Body of Christ, and Christ makes his Body visible to the world and when his people gather corporately.
The public or corporate gathering of God’s people is a unique event. God is present everywhere in one sense, and present with each believer through the Spirit in a profound way. But God manifests his presence in an unparalleled way when the church gathers for worship. Immediately before verse 26, Paul describes an occasion where an unbeliever enters a gathering of the church. He says, “But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you” (1 Corinthians 14:24–25).
Have you ever gotten up on a Sunday morning and thought, Is it really worth it to go through all the trouble to go to church? When you think about all the things we do here, can’t you do all of those on your own? You can read the Bible on your own. You can sing the same songs on your own. You can even listen to a sermon at your own convenience in your car or while you work out.
But make no mistake, the assembly of the church for corporate worship is a unique event. Singing on your own is not the same as singing in the assembly, hearing the voices of others, seeing their faces and their lifted hands. Reading the Bible on your own is good. But something unique happens when the whole church stands reverently, reads responsively, and receives the Word eagerly. Listening to a sermon on your own is fine. But the preaching moment is unique.
One 17th century pastor said it like this: “The Lord engages himself to let forth as it were, a stream of his comfortable, quickening presence to every particular person that fears him, but when many of these particulars join together to worship God, then these several streams are united and meet in one. So that the presence of God, which, enjoyed in private, is but a stream, in public becomes a river, a river that makes glad the city of God.”
Do you prioritize corporate worship? Is it a given for you like it is in Scripture, or is it an add-on, maybe, if nothing else comes up. “When you come together” assumes that coming together with other believers is a regular, habitual part of life. A few generations ago, this was easier to do because the first day of the week was culturally protected as a day of worship. Not anymore! Sunday is half of your precious the weekend, another day to squeeze in youth sports and mini vacations and house projects. May we, as the people of Emmaus Road Church, so prize the presence of God manifested in our public gathering that we prioritize this weekly assembly.
And lest you hear this as a burdensome obligation to attend church, let me assure you—the gathering of the church is first and foremost an act of God’s grace. Before you attend church, you must understand that God assembles the church.
Earlier in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul began his teaching on spiritual gifts by establishing that your faith in Christ and your place in community is the work of the Spirit: “You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:2-3).
How did you come to worship Jesus? How did you come to profess faith in him and confess him as Lord? The Spirit of God made you alive—made you a worshiper. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
The Substance of Corporate Worship
The habit of corporate worship is not Paul’s main point in verse 26. Gathering regularly is the given, the assumption. His main point is what happens when you gather. “When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation” (1 Corinthians 14:26).
In other words, corporate worship is participatory. All of God’s people participate in and contribute to the gathering. Back in chapter 12, Paul wrote, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. … All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11). So not only does the Spirit assemble the church by making idol worshipers into worshipers of Jesus. But when the church gathers, the Spirit is at work—apportioning, empowering, giving gifts to each member of the Body of Christ (12:8).
When the church gathers, each and every disciple of Jesus has something to contribute, “a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation,” Paul says. As Matt Merker puts it, “The pew is the platform.” Even though a few people lead the congregation from the front, every believer in the congregation plays a vital role in our public gatherings. Gathering for corporate worship is not like going to a movie, where you try not to notice (or be noticed by) the people around you. When we gather, you have a part to play. Did you know that? Do you think about that as you prepare to gather here?
In Engaging with God, David Peterson writes, “Paul expected that members of the congregation would come with some contribution prepared for the occasion or that individuals might be prompted by the Spirit to offer prayer or praise or some other ministry on the spot.”
Paul adds that this should not be done in a chaotic or self-promoting way, but with order and decency. He says, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (v. 33), and, “All things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).
The way we make room for this is by setting up what we call a prophecy mic or ministry mic down here in the front. If you think the Spirit has given you a word of encouragement, a passage of Scripture, a prophetic word, or a burden to pray for a particular need—whether you arrive with that after prayerfully preparing for his gathering, or a thought spontaneously comes to mind during our gathering—you can bring that to the elder closest to the mic. 1 Corinthians 14:29 tells us to “weigh what is said,” and 1 Thessalonians 5:19–21 commands us, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” The elder by the ministry mic is responsible to weigh anything you bring to make sure that 1) it aligns with Scripture and that 2) the timing and delivery is appropriate.
That ministry mic is one way we make room for what 1 Corinthians 14:26 describes, but it’s certainly not the only way to participate on Sunday mornings. You contribute when you engage in singing with your heart and hands and voice. Ephesians 5:18–19 says, “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” When I think about those times when I most deeply feel the truth of the songs we’re singing, it’s not that the musicians are so talented; it’s that the congregation was so engaged. It’s when I look around and see with own my eyes brothers and sisters in Christ engaged in worship. Of course you could listen to the same songs with your headphones. But it is another thing altogether to lift your voice with a roaring chorus of believers. God means for the full-throated singing of the congregation to stir your soul and kindle the fire of faith.
It might be easiest to see how singing is participatory, but really, every aspect of Sunday morning is an opportunity for you to engage and contribute. During the Call to Worship, God’s Word is read and you are invited to worship. During the pastoral prayer, you are not just listening; you are praying. And even at this moment, the sermon is a corporate event. As one Body, we all receive the same word together. And when you listen attentively, take notes, nod your head (in agreement, not falling asleep), or even vocalize your agreement with an amen, you participate.
When you come to corporate worship, you come, not as a spectator seeking to be entertained, not as a connoisseur or critic coming to evaluate the music or the rhetoric, not as a consumer looking for personal satisfaction—you come as a Spirit-filled contributor and a vital participant.
The Effect of Corporate Worship
Look again at our text: “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26). When the Body of Christ gathers corporately and each member is actively engaged, the result is that the whole Body is built up and strengthened.
This is Paul’s central point in 1 Corinthians 14, which he drives home by repetition: “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation” (v. 3). “The one who prophesies builds up the church” (v. 4). “So that the church may be built up” (v. 5). “So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church” (v. 12). “Let all things be done for building up” (v. 26).
We tend to think of “edifying” or “building up” in individual terms, as personal encouragement. But when Paul talks about building up, he is echoing rich Old Testament language. Prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah spoke of God’s work of salvation in terms of repairing ruins:
“I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up” (Jeremiah 24:6).
“They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations” (Isaiah 61:4).
To build up echoes the language of King Solomon who built a house for the name of the LORD: “But I have built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever” (2 Chronicles 6:2).
And Jesus spoke this way when he told Peter, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
So when Paul speaks of building up the church (1 Cor 14:4, 12), he is talking about much more than some positive, encouraging vibes. He is talking about a massive construction project—building a temple, constructing the dwelling place of God out of living stones. And you are part of that! You are the living stones being built together, and the way Jesus builds his church is by filling you with his Spirit to empower you to minister to one another so that his church is built up and established.
Commenting on 1 Corinthians 14, David Peterson writes, “Paul would urge us … to view the well-being and strengthening of the whole church as the primary aim of the gathering. There ought to be a real engagement with other believers in the context of mutual ministry, shared prayer and praise, not simply a friendly chat over a cup of coffee after church!”
In some circles, the goal of the gathering is to facilitate intense personal emotions and experiences. You can tell if you’ve been influenced by this way of thinking if you tend to evaluate Sunday mornings by how much you get out of it. Did I like the songs? Did I like the sermon? Did I feel close to God?
1 Corinthians 14:26 strikes down individualistic, consumeristic worship. Rather than thinking, “Did I get anything out of that,” come into the assembly asking, “What can I contribute?” And if you do any evaluating, evaluate yourself first: “Was my attitude joyful? Was I engaged? Did I express my delight in God so as to build up the church?”
Now, you may think, “I thought the aim of corporate worship was to worship God. Doesn’t edifying others take the focus away from God? But edifying the church and glorifying God are not two separate and distinct ends. They are two sides of the same coin. When you express your faith in and love for God, God is exalted and the church is edified.
As we begin 2024, would you resolve, by God’s grace, to enter this assembly with the attitude of 1 Corinthians 14:12: “Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.” Ask God to make you more eager for manifestations of his Spirit. And express that eagerness by making every effort to build up the Body.