If David Danced for the Lord in Worship, Should We?

David danced for the Lord and worship should we best is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity will hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez practicing his waltzing right now and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

You can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 course you can also post your question on one of our social media sites and you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to a voicemail from one of our listeners named Anne-Marie talking on the Holy Spirit and all of the disciples were getting a language in their language. What do you say about Paul's teaching in Corinthians that says Paul says I speak in tongues more than all and that there is a prayer language and there is English or whatever our regular unknown current what about those of us that we were I was 12 years old and I'm 70 I have been able to speak in tongues first English and speak in tongues in prayer. How do you address that that issue for those many others speak daily in our heavenly language to the Lord. Thank hi Anne-Marie, thank you for forgiving us a call and just delighted to hear that you been walking with the Lord for so many years.

God bless you.

Of course we got to go to that text in Scripture. And you're talking about. First Corinthians chapter 4 teen and because I want to get the contact summit to begin in verse six of them to read a few verses I really appreciate your question, Paul said no brothers if I come to you speaking in tongues. How will I benefit you unless I bring some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching if even lifeless instruments such as the flute or the harp. Do not give distinct notes how will anyone know what is played and if the bugle gives an indistinct sound who will get ready for battle. So with yourselves if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible. How will anyone know what he said for you will be speaking into the air.

There are doubtless many different languages in the world and none is without meaning. But if I do not know the meaning of the language. I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.

So with yourselves since you are eager for the manifestations of the spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret for advice.

If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do. I will pray with my spirit and I will pray with my mind. Also, I will sing praise with my spirit and I will sing and I will sing with my mind also.

Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit. How can anyone in the position of an outsider say amen to your giving of thanks. When he does not know what you are saying for you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church. I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others than 10,000 words in a tongue now. First, what is Paul trying to do here.

Obviously the Corinthians are eager for spiritual gifts. He says it himself, you're eager for these manifestations of the spirit.

The problem in Corinth sister is that they were they were abusing these things if you will that we weren't doing it decently and in order, as the Lord had called the church to to operate and in this way there in the apostolic church and he sang look everything that you do in the church when you gather together should be for instruction for edification. He's in a go on to say if if you know an outsider comes into your church and everyone is speaking in tongues, they're going up there. Just got a look around, say, been these people are out of their minds and understand what's going on here as of the focus really in this section of first Corinthians is whatever we do in the body of Christ should be for the edification of the hole for the building up above the other and so he says to the Corinthians. So if somebody has the gift of tongues. They should also pray that that there's an interpreter so that the rest of the congregation can say amen to the giving of thanks. Whatever is said now I don't think that Paul is talking about a heavenly prayer language there. I think he's talking about real languages that were given by the grace of the Holy Spirit. In fact, he seems to suggest that in the verses that I just read in verse 10, the first Corinthian's 14 where he says there are doubtless many different languages in the world and none of them is without meaning.

So this wasn't just meaningless. You know, repetition of words or Babel.

These were real languages that had never been learned by these people. But at the Holy Spirit by by his miraculous power. You know, gifted them with the ability to speak in these tongues and ultimately going back to acts chapter 2, which was which was the day that you were referencing there at the beginning but what happens you know that the disciples speak in tongues. He gets the attention of the crowd and Peter is then able to preach the gospel so that thousands of people come to faith in Jesus Christ and so these gifts the gifts of the Holy Spirit were given in particular, the sign gifts. I think sister were given for the edification of the church and the advancement of the gospel, especially early on, I don't think that God is ordinarily giving these miraculous gifts today.

God is free to do whatever he wants is I don't deny that I can't speak to your own personal experience as I wouldn't I would want it I would want to do them to sing here based on the text of Scripture in first Corinthian chapter 14 these were gifts given for the edification of the church meant to meant to operate decently and in order within the body and so I appreciate your question Anne-Marie, and thank you for giving us a call.

May God bless you as you continue to seek him and to follow him in and to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ, thanks for that! Andrew appreciate that this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and if you got a question about the Bible or the Christian life. We would love to hear from you.

Here's the phone number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

Our phone lines will be open for the next 15 minutes or so and we would love to hear from you. Let's go to Brenda in Nashville, Tennessee Brenda, what's your question for a drill. I am wondering if all ever spoke one-on-one or had interactions with Jesus while he was on earth. I have seen where he was. I think maybe it was just the Holy Spirit. And I just never see conversation back and forth like Jesus had with a lot of other people did Paul live after Jesus or in a different area.

Yeah, you know, I don't think that Paul had interaction with Jesus. While Jesus was conducting his earthly ministry, but we do of course have the story of Paul's conversion where the risen Christ came to the apostle Paul, then Saul of Tarsus as he was persecuting the church and confronted him and there is a conversation that the two of them have their thinking of acts chapter 9 it's repeated a number of times in the book of acts, and we read there in verse one. Saul still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if you found any, belonging to the way that is Christians the church men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem now as he went on his way he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him and falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me and he said who are you, Lord, and he said I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise, and entered the city and you will be told what you are to do and so so what is it we as a yes he did have real vivid interaction with Jesus, not while Jesus was conducting his earthly ministry, but after he accomplish that earthly ministry died on the cross rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven here he's appearing to Saul of Tarsus, converting him to become the apostle Paul and so this is where Paul gets his apostolic authority from directly from the Lord is because God is revealing to him the gospel and in fact this is what Paul is gonna bring out in the book of Galatians specifically says the gospel that I received. I didn't receive it from man.

He says I received it directly from from a revelation directly from the Lord commissioned by Jesus himself as an apostle, and so that's where you have that interaction. And then of course for the rest of his life. He's communicating with Jesus. Just like we do as well bring a weekly week.

We have this communion. The sweet communion and fellowship with Jesus Christ. We can speak to him directly as his children were united to him by the grace of the Holy Spirit so that we can call upon my Dick of what what Paul says in second Corinthians were he plead with the Lord to take away that the thorn in the flesh that he had that was given to him to humble him and he said that the Lord said to him, my grace is sufficient for you, my strength is perfected in weakness, and so did have these vivid experiences as this encounter with Jesus, but throughout his life.

I think had this continual communion with Christ in prayer and I think that's what were supposed to have as well. As followers of Jesus. God bless you Brenda.

Brenda, thanks so much for calling and for your question. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez we have some excellent Bible studies available to you. Here we have a brand-new one on the parables of King Jesus. That's the title yet the parables of King Jesus.

I'm holding it here in my hand it's it's a beautiful 10 week Bible study actually wonder is I'm excited about this. Not just because I love the parables of Jesus. I think there's so much for us to learn from the parables of Jesus, but it was written by a friend of mine, a minister or a colleague in ministry. Chuck Tedrick and and I just have so much respect for him.

I know that this resource is really going to bless you in the introduction to this study, asking the question why the parables it reads Jesus's parables are familiar and popular but they are sometimes misinterpreted or misapplied. Treated as timeless stories with moral lessons. But Jesus isn't simply relaying information or providing instruction.

He's ushering in his kingdom in this Bible study will discover that the parables are not merely describing something, but doing something the words and works of Jesus is this this is really wonderful study hope that you'll get a hold of it and you can you can get a hold of it, over core, Christianity.com for a gift of $20 or more would love to get that in your hands.

Go to core Christianity.com/studies that's core Christianity.com/studies and look for the parables of King Jesus as Israel said one of our great new Bible studies would highly recommend either for your individual study or maybe for a group or Sunday school class perhaps is looking forward to what your next Sunday school class is going to do this to be a great choice. Let's go back to the phone. Here's a voicemail we received from one of our listeners earlier this week.

This is from Barbara data. I don't know what the cottage when I women get In front of the church and dances for the Lord in a costume that can all black with gold and gold facemask that you can't see her anyway. And the idea was that David danced before the Lord, so that validates this kind of worship music that's playing them is very difficult even understand the words I'm just not sure about this seems like a person dancing is trying all the attention to themselves.

It's hard for me to accept that.

Anyway, I want to know about the biblical stance on dancing before the Lord in the worship service. Thank you very much bye-bye is it okay to dance before the Lord in a worship service. I guess it depends on how good of a dancer you are a terrible dancer you need dancing in a worship service would not bring honor to the Lord, which is you know bring shame to myself. So first I think this is the text it's being used may be in order in order to support this is second Samual chapter 6 where Edward David does dance before the Lord. The ark is being carried back to Jerusalem and it's this time of celebration. He's just overjoyed if you ever been so overjoyed by some. He just wanted to just want to do a little dance you you want to leap for joy. That's what David is doing there in second Samuel chapter 6 now it's interesting is is right before that a guy named as a reaches out his hand to touch the ark and God strikes him dead. This is one of those season people.

People here and they just think what what what was going on there but but a couple things are being communicated to Remi and obviously the joy that we should have in worship, but also the reverence that we should have in worship. I think both of those things are brought together in the second Samuel chapter 6, I remember years ago when I was a brand-new Christian maybe maybe you know first.

You know year of walking with the Lord. I was at a church and there was a dear brother, whose name happens to be David in in his 70s and one time.

You know during the musical part of worship as is everyone singing this brother in his 70s me to feel like it can really had a hard time walking, but in the middle of the song jumped in the air and did a 360.

Like all of us around him just reliable. Although it does amazing and it did draw a lot of attention.

We clapped that the people clap but but is that is that we should be doing it. My concern is the one I want to say look worship should be some more singing to the Lord, especially those songs of praise.

Those Psalms of praise. Those anthems of praise. I think there should be joy ran. There's nothing wrong with that.

There's nothing wrong with that and I think celebration loud shouts of joy, how often to the Psalms talk about this book, but when it comes to what we do in worship. And again I I mentioned this verse. Earlier at the very end of first Corinthians chapter 14 everything being done decently and in order, and for the edification of the whole one of the things you said is it's hard to even understand the music the words that are being sung and I was a you will that's exactly what Paul is getting at first grade is 14 verses if there's no understanding. We don't know what were singing. How can we actually say amen.

How can we actually worship the Lord.

So it's it's so key that one. What we sing to the Lord is coherent right what were able to understand what were saying is Orthodox is rooted in Scripture. This is one of the reasons I love singing the Psalms that are given to us in the Bible and is done for the edification of the whole were not trying to draw attention to ourselves and so then so that that's something that concerns me. But if somebody is getting up there wearing a costume that that also just seems strange to me to admit it is saying eyes on me. Focus on me. The focus in worship needs to be the triune God. That's where the focus needs to be and so anything in our worship in our singing that puts the emphasis. The focus on the individual. I think there's there's a problem and I don't think that's something that we should do when were gathered together as a church in worship because were not focusing on us on our talents even on how how well we sing were focusing on making a joyful noise unto the Lord, or a cry of lament unto the Lord as as Scripture says, and so I say I don't think that going to second Samuel six is is you know the best application to say you will. David did it, so we should have, you know dancers in our worship service.

I kind of thing that we want everything decently and in order, with the focus on the triune God rooted in Scripture and and still you know not not minimizing the joy in the excitement that we can have is were singing to the Lord. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with emotion as as we sing to God boy that's that's that's a good thing as a gift from God. But let's not draw attention to ourselves. Let's put the attention on Jesus some great advice. Thanks for that intro.

This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. We are always open to your questions about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine or theology. Any questions you might have you completely missed an email. Cecily Miller questions at core, Christianity.com or course you can leave us a voicemail 24 hours a day. Here's the number it's 1-833-843-2673. That's 833. The core let's go to James in Robinson, Illinois.

James what your question for atrial hey Janos your program. My question, I listen to the botnet work at all really good preachers putting yourself all agree that salvation is by grace through play along and not of works, and I agree with that.

Also, my question is, when it comes to Revelation. Like-minded preachers are all over the place on Revelation everybody's vastly different on how they believe. So my question is, honestly, does anyone really understand the book of Revelation. I do I'm just joking. I hope I got. I just started preaching to the book of Revelation so. But here's the thing a couple of things brother one.

We sometimes talk about the clarity of Scripture. It's one of the attributes of Scripture the perspicuity of Scripture we mean by that is that, at least with regard to salvation. The gospel, the Scriptures are so clear that even a child can understand. You know what we need the grace of God that we need the forgiveness of sins that the Scriptures are clear in communicating this to us, but not all scriptures are equally clear.

There are passages and books of the Bible that are more difficult. Peter himself said of 1/3 of Paul's writings into some of those things that Paul says her are kinda hard to understand, and the unstable will twist those things to their own destruction. And so we have to approach Scripture with humility. We have to we have to think through okay what what is the genre here that I'm looking at. We have a great Bible study.

By the way on how to read the Bible, which I think can be helpful in in sort of figuring this out is is reproaching different books of the Bible. One of the reasons why and I'm seeing this as I've begun studying the book of Revelation for the series were doing it at my church.

One of the things that people have a hard time with the book of Revelation with it.

It is just one. There's so many symbols apocalyptic imagery revisions. It's not it's not to be read like one of the historical historical books per se work were looking at these visionary prophecies and were trying to understand what what the symbols relate to and that requires wisdom that requires you know, digging into the Scriptures a lot what what I'm finding and what others have have recognizes so much of the book of Revelation is rooted in the language of the Old Testament.

Seems like every single versus echoing something in the Old Testament, so it's really hard to understand. The book of Revelation.

If were not also steeped in the Old Testament Scriptures because John is drawing from those as he communicates his visions. And so, so when we realize that not all Scripture is equally clear and that some books of the Bible like the book of Revelation. You have all this apocalyptic imagery V symbols. It should because is okay we we we need to be extra cautious here, as were unpacking this book and explaining the meaning of these various symbols and sometimes the meaning of the symbols is given to us right there in the text.

You know, and when John sees the division of that the seven golden lampstands. He's told those seven lampstands what their what their symbols of is the church it's Jesus walking in the midst of his church.

Sometimes the Scripture gives us the inspired interpretation, but not not all the time and so we we have to be humble. We have to read the text of Scripture in its context understanding is genre understanding that the Old Testament background understanding the original audience and and sometimes people don't do that. They don't do the hard work of digging into the Old Testament. First of thinking through okay. What is what is the genre here of this prophetic letter. This apocalyptic vision that John has received is a week we start to approach these books the wrong way I think and that's what you have so much diversity of interpretation, we again studying the Bible friends requires humility the help of the Holy Spirit.

We call it the illumination of the Holy Spirit. So when we when we open up the Scriptures just want to encourage you to pray and say God help me, help me to understand your word to receive your word into my heart and guide me as I read, we want to do it in the context of community in the context of the church that is were not just you know reading it alone in our closet and coming to know these theological conclusions that nobody else is come to an built the last 2000 years of church history were reading in in communion with the whole church, and in particular with our local church we go to church.

You know growing together with the believers there that and so I guess we do that, that there is more unity there's more of an ability to come together and and and sift through some of the challenges in interpretation, but a lot of times, a lot of times James people don't do that and as a result, you get all these ideas always interpretations all this disagreement, but the good news is as as you noted, is when it comes to the main thing the gospel the fact that Christ is victorious over sin and death, which frankly, when looking at the book of Revelation is central to that book as well.

We agree that Jesus is victorious and that Jesus is coming back to judge the world, regardless of what people's take on on the book of Revelation is it that in terms of an Orthodox understanding of the book that something that everybody agrees with is that Jesus is going to return to judge the earth, and that he's conquered sin and death, and that we, the church, the believers are gonna rain with him through his great sacrifice and so brother thank you for for that question and may God give his church unity around these matters because because that's what I believe the Lord wants us us to be united around his word. We also have a wonderful Bible study on the book of Revelation for listeners that want to dig deeper obscure is a drill as you're going through your sermon series right now is anything jumped out at you that didn't jump out before I honestly like I said earlier, just the relationship that the book of Revelation has to the Old Testament really knowing the Old Testament is so helpful for interpreting the book of Revelation, but not just the book of Revelation the entire Bible as well. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us.

Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together