Well, I tell you what, especially in ministry, God digs down deep and says, oh, look at this.
You need to get rid of this. And it's a journey of God pointing out these things, and we become individually, spiritually stronger, and we also become corporately, or as a fellowship, spiritually stronger. Welcome to Cross the Bridge with David McGee. David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina.
No matter where we are in our walk with Christ, we all need to grow up more in our faith. David McGee helps us do just that, as he continues in 1 Corinthians 14. Before we join Pastor David, we want to let you know about an outreach opportunity that could bring hope to countless prisoners. This month, Cross the Bridge is teaming with men and women like yourself in order to provide Pastor David's devotional book, Cross the Bridge Every Day to Inmates. When you call today and help support the ministry with a gift of $25 or more, we'll send you a book and also provide one to a prisoner in need. To take part in this important outreach, call 877-458-5508. That's 877-458-5508.
Or go online to crossthebridge.com. Now here's David McGee with part three of his teaching, bodybuilding. And when we go to 1 Corinthians 14, verse six says, but now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? Or in the New Living Translation, I love bouncing between those two translations, but the New Living Translation in this one says even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harps must play the notes clearly or no one will recognize the melody. People need to understand what you're saying.
And when we talk about building up the body, and this passage talks about building up the body, let's understand, we're all called, we're all supposed to be building up the body. Again, it's really easy to do. And sometimes when you're not in the mood to do it, especially when you should, how many times, don't answer this out loud, but how many times have you really not felt like coming here? You're just bummed out, you're anxious, you heard this or felt this, and yeah, I'm just not going.
But then you're, yeah, no, I'm gonna go. And then you came and that was the service where God just spoke to you. Do you think that's by accident?
No. The enemy wanted you so bummed out that you wouldn't hear from God. That's a tool that he uses, not just on you.
He'll use it on all of us. I was so confused as a new believer because going to the church and with my family and young kids at the time, and man, it was like, oh, we would just have these big arguments, man, and then these big thunderous clouds and blah, blah, blah. And we lived five minutes from the church, man, you know what I mean?
It broke out quickly. And I thought, man, that is so weird. And I felt, oh, I'm such a weak Christian and I don't know. And then one day I happened to share with a leader in that church and I said, man, I don't get this. Every Sunday I have this big family fight on the way to church. And he just chuckled and he goes, yeah, that's the enemy.
I went, what? He goes, no, when you get here, he wants you thinking about something else. He wants you thinking about the discussion on the way to church. He wants you to be thinking about what's wrong with your life. He wants you to think about what's wrong with your family or your marriage or your kids while you're sitting in here and you're supposed to be receiving from God himself.
Some of you had an argument on the way to church and you're just gone. The enemy wants to put you in a place where you're not able, and then you press through. And the more you press through, the more you're encouraged.
And the more likely, friend, next time you'll press through again. And then God begins to use you as one of these people who's building up the body. Because keep in mind, gang, you're either doing one or the other. Next life lesson here is we're either building up the body or tearing it down with our words and actions.
We are either building up the body or tearing it down with our words and actions. Paul is here using this music analogy. And I did that.
That's cool. He's saying, you know what? Music has to make sense for people to understand it, for it to mean something.
Remember the old story. There's a guy that starts playing guitar and he plays the G chord and he gets the G chord down. So he just plays the G chord all day long. And his friends are getting really tired of the G chord, you know. He's thinking, man, what are we going to do? This guy's driving us crazy. Well, let's go tell him to take him to see somebody else that plays guitar. So they took him out and just watched this guy doing all this stuff, you know.
Okay, let's talk to him. Hey, did you enjoy the music? Yeah. Did you enjoy that guy playing guitar? Oh, yeah, I did. Well, did you notice how he was moving his hands around? The guy said, yeah. Well, what do you think about that? The guy said, well, I think he's still looking for his chord.
See, I found mine. Music has to make sense to the listener. So what you're saying needs to make sense to the listener. We're going to kind of open that up a little bit more with verse 8 here.
Verse 8 says, for if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? Now, maybe you're listening to this and you're going, well, I'm not a musician. I'm not sure how this applies for me. Well, hold on just one second. Now, first of all, let's understand that we're kind of playing into the discussion that James really opens up a faith versus works. Because some people say, well, no, no, no, I'm very spiritual.
Really? Well, show me. No, I mean, I'm a spiritual person.
That's great. Tell me, what do you do? Oh, I don't really do anything. Well, I thought you were spiritual.
Well, I am. I mean, inwardly. No, inwardly spiritual is selfish. If you're spiritual, you can point at, well, I'm doing this, I'm doing that, I'm serving a church, I'm giving a church, I'm doing this, I'm doing that.
That's works. You're not saved by works, but you're saved for works. Once you get saved, you naturally, supernaturally start doing stuff. Now, speaking about the horn and the trumpet, which, you know, you wake up in the morning, soldiers blow the horn, they blow the horn, taps. Somebody gives the ultimate sacrifice. They sound the trumpet to charge.
They signed it to retreat. So the horn was very important. Of course, the modern military horn really is an adaptation, if you think about it, on the ancient horn, the shofar. The Israelites respond to the shofar. It was blown a certain way to attack. It was blown a certain way to retreat. It was blown a certain way to gather people together to worship.
The shofar is a long horn. And maybe you're going, well, I'm not musical. What?
No, no, no. Paul is saying here, when you do something, and he's using the analogy of when you play music, but obviously it's back to this unknown tongue. And maybe you're saying, well, I don't have the gift of unknown tongue, so this really doesn't apply to me.
Yes, it does. Because at the heart of it, what is Paul saying? Paul is saying, when you communicate, people gotta understand what you're saying. Now, how does that apply to us as Christians?
Gang, we begin to speak our own language. And I love theological terms. And I could probably impress you with using multiple syllabic, lots of syllables, words, theological terms. You go, wow.
That's impressive. I mean, I don't know what it means, but that's a big word. I don't do that. Well, I want you to understand what I'm talking about. And sometimes without knowing it, we slip into what I call Christianese.
We've got our own little language and nobody else knows what it means. Hey, brother, have you been redeemed by the blood of the lamb? Redeemed.
Redeemed brings up green stamp memories. And you know, I don't know what. And the blood of the lamb, what is it y'all are doing over there? Instead of just saying, hey, man, have you ever asked God to forgive you? That's easy to understand, isn't it? So let's be careful when we're sharing with somebody that we're using terms that they understand.
And even some terms that we think are simple, they don't have the same definition. Grace. If you ask an unbeliever, what is grace? What's something y'all say before you eat or something?
No, no, no. Grace to me, to a follower of Jesus is the unmerited favor of God. Unearned, but God is willing to bless me in spite of me. Most people don't understand that. They haven't taught that. So even using these words like grace, we need to explain them. And this is what's so important. And God's using this ministry so powerfully.
Why? Because of the clear cut way that we share the gospel. We don't clutter it up with all these weird theological terms that people don't understand.
Life lesson here. The world needs to hear a clear cut, solid presentation of the good news, the gospel. And it takes a team or a body to do this. The world needs to hear a clear cut, solid presentation of the good news, the gospel.
And it takes a team or a body to do this. Are you aware that, and I've got mixed emotions about this, but are you aware that we're one of the few national ministries that every radio program, every television program includes a sharing of the gospel? That you can listen to Christian radio for several hours and not hear just an invitation to the gospel?
Now I understand people are buying radio and TV time and it's incredibly expensive and you want to teach as much as you can, but gang, there's that guy that's just flipping by the dial out in Kansas that stops for a moment. And for the first time I asked God to forgive him. And we, I got one shot at him.
I want to make sure that he's here in the gospel. Amen. And when we're talking about the body, do you realize that's not something I can do? This is way beyond anything that one person could do. Yeah, maybe it's me talking, but man, there's people putting it together. There's people recording it.
There's people that are editing it. There's people that are recording other parts. There's people that are given that are buying. We buy the radio time. So we all get involved because it takes a team so that people can hear the gospel. And as we proclaim, we need to make sure they understand what it is we're talking about.
You're listening to Cross the Bridge with David McGee. We'll be back to the teaching in just a moment. This month, though, we're focusing on prison ministry.
And with me today is David McGee. Pastor, we know that sharing the Word of God is always important to you. And why is it so important to get God's Word into the prisons as well? Our prison system is built around trying to change the lives of people who've made bad decisions. And yet you can't change a life without changing the heart. And that's where God's Word and God's Spirit are so powerful. They can change a life.
They can change your heart. We can share the Word of God with somebody. You can help send us into the prisons to share the plan of salvation, see that prisoner get saved, and then begin to disciple him and teach him the Word of God so that when he gets out, he is different than when he came in. With all that is going on in the world today, why are you so interested in prison ministry? Jesus Himself said, if you've gone to the prisoner, it's as if you've gone to Me.
Friend, have you ever gone into the prisons for the sake of ministry? Join with us now, because as we join together with your prayer support, with your financial support, and with the actions of the team and the materials that we can put in their hands, we know people will be saved. We know they will be discipled.
We know that they will come out different than when they came in, because the Word of God tells us that God can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we're able to ask or think. We're hearing these testimonies of these lives that are being changed, and we thank God for that. And we know we're just in the beginning of what the Lord's going to do as you join with us to help us to help them.
Thank you for sharing, Pastor. If you're listening and agree with David about our need to help those in prison, we would love to hear from you. You can call 877-458-5508. That's 877-458-5508. And when you give $25 or more, we'll send you a copy of Cross the Bridge every day. Not only that, but we'll match your gift by sending another copy of David's devotional to an inmate in need. Also, your gift of $200 or more will provide a case of 10 books that will be used to help change lives for eternity. Again, that number is 877-458-5508.
Or go online to CrossTheBridge.com. Now let's return to Pastor David's teaching. Paul continues with this, verse 9. So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.
Again, let's understand this applies to all of us. In the New Living Translation, this verse says it's the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don't understand, how will they know what you're saying?
You might as well be talking into empty space. And again, if you're reading this chapter at first glance, you go, well, I was speaking about people that are speaking in tongues. I don't speak in tongues, so it has nothing to do with me. Au contraire.
That's French for it ain't so. Okay. It has everything to do with you because as you're sharing your faith, you need to use words people understand. And what's weird is some people think, well, I don't know these long theological terms. I need to figure out what they are so I can share my faith.
Oh no. Cause one of the most glorious testimonies in this book is a man who says, you know what? I don't know. I don't understand the theology.
Here's what I do know. I was blind and now I see. Amen.
And with that little verse, that man gave birth to one of the greatest hymns the church will ever know. That simple thing. I don't, all I know is I was blind and now I see keeping it simple. And it doesn't matter what you say. If it's, if it doesn't have significance for the, to the listener, you're not really sharing. And that's why it's key to listen to people, to talk to them.
And then as you share spiritually that it should be of some significance to them. Yeah. I was in Israel sharing with a Jewish person and, and he said something about, well, you know, you have these, you guys are like cannibals. I was like, what are you talking about?
Cannibals. And he goes, well, you know, you have that thing you do where you eat flesh and drink blood. And it took me a few seconds to think, what in the world is he talking about?
Oh, wait a minute. He's misunderstood communion. Somebody somewhere told him that in the midst of communion, the juice turns literally to blood and people drink it and the wafer turns to literal flesh and they eat it. You see how important communication is? Cause I had to explain, no, no, no, no, no. These are symbols and it means you're partaking in the death of Jesus Christ. We don't believe we don't teach it.
It changes and to blood. So it's important to speak in terms people understand communications important man. And also when you're communicating with somebody, do you understand that it is the responsibility of the person that's speaking over what the person that's listening hears? Now this in a family discussion or marriage discussion or discussion with a kid, it is a really good tool to say, okay, now that I've said this, what do you think I just said? And have them say back what you didn't.
You know what? It's a very interesting little thing to do that. I remember one time after teaching, I said, you know, we, we all want to experience God, but we also want to be Bereans and look into the word and make sure what we're talking about is solid. I got finished and this lady came up, she said, I loved what you said about not being Bereans. And I said, I'm sorry. She said, yeah, about, you know, looking at the Bible is yeah, that's okay, but we really need to experience God.
That's not what I said. It was my responsibility to clear it up so we who are communicating our faith, it's our responsibility of how they understand what we're sharing, that it's my responsibility for you guys to know what I'm saying up here. So we, you know, we do the life lessons, we do the online postings with that applies to all of us. And this is the life lesson.
Be sure you are using words and terms people clearly understand. This is a great, great section of scripture. And the more I've dug into it, the more encouraged and excited I've become because this chapter, again, at first glance you think, oh, this is all about an unknown time.
No, it's not. It's about building up the body and being a bodybuilder. And the real question is, are you? Now, if you're new here, this to a certain degree, I guess this is internal because you're still checking stuff out and that's great and that's fine. And if you're here and you've not yet asked Jesus to forgive you ever since, you know what?
It's an honor that you would be here to choose us to listen to about who God is and what he thinks, what this book says. But for those of you that call this home, it's a very clear cut word because you're either building the body up or you're tearing it down. And obviously the enemy, and you do have a spiritual enemy, wants to tear you down, wants to tear this place down. But God's design is for you to be used to comfort other people, to encourage other people, to build up other people. Now, I understand that sometimes part of building up is tearing down. Sometimes you got to look at somebody and go, that's not right.
You need to fix this. That's part of building up the church. But all of us can be used by God to encourage each other, to exhort each other, to edify each other.
But the real question is, who are you? Or perhaps as we've been through these verses, you've been thinking back on things you said, things you did. Maybe even the Holy Spirit today has given you new knowledge that you've been spiritually selfish. Well, I'm not going to just leave you there. We've all been spiritually selfish, every person listening.
We've all been more concerned about our spirituality. And of course, when you come to Jesus, that's the thing foremost on your mind. You're coming to God saying, God, you're not saying God, you know, I'm coming to you, please forgive my mom.
You can't do that. Forgive my dad. No, you come to God and you say, God, forgive me. That's how it starts.
But then once that happens, then you begin to think, man, I got to go tell somebody else. And that growth, that spiritual growth of caring for others begins. And that is discipleship. The definition of ministry is willing to be inconvenience for the sake of others. And before you say you don't have time or you're too busy, let's remember who it is we say that we follow because Jesus took the time.
Why? Because he was thinking about you. As it's been said, while he was on the cross, you were on his mind. So as we journey towards him and follow him, friend, let's build each other up. Let's look for God to use us to encourage others. Let's be very careful that the enemy doesn't use us to tear down what God is doing. Let's pray.
God, thank you. Thank you for this time together. Thank you for this word, God, that we all are responsible for building the body of Christ up. God, use us. Fill us with your spirit to edify, to encourage one another.
And Lord, perhaps there's some here who, Lord, they've torn the body down. And God, thank you that you are willing to forgive us of any and everything that we do. But it's important we ask forgiveness. So friend, if that describes you, it's important you do business with God before you, before we're finished here. Or maybe you're sitting here today and you've never asked God to forgive you. Oh, I'm so delighted that you're listening.
I'm not thinking you're not part of the club or part of the clique. No, you're a big reason why I do what I do so I can share with folks like yourself. So I can tell you about the good news. The good news is your life isn't perfect. God already knows that. But see, He died for you so you could be declared righteous or be declared perfect.
Why? Because Jesus was perfect and Jesus died for you so that you could be forgiven. He hands you.
He's willing to hand you His perfection, but you got to receive it. You got to ask Him to forgive you. Friend, do you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven?
You can know right now. I want to lead you in a short, simple prayer. Really telling God you're sorry and asking Him to help you to live for Him. Now God wants you to pray this prayer so much that He died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask Him to forgive you.
Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven. And I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life. And I've done wrong things. I have sinned.
And I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you all of my days. In Jesus' name.
Amen. Friend, if you prayed that prayer, according to the Bible, you've been forgiven. You've been born again. Jesus said He would not turn anybody away who comes to Him. And He came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness.
Those who were sick, not the righteous. So congratulations, friend. You just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you. If you prayed that prayer with David for the first time, we would love to hear from you. You can call us toll free at 877-458-5508 to receive our First Steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. God is using Cross the Bridge to impact lives across our country, including the lives of those currently serving time in our nation's prisons. While materials provided by Muslim organizations continue to increase within our prisons, our distribution of Pastor David's book, Cross the Bridge Every Day, has been making a significant impact for Jesus with prisoners. And you can help continue that outreach by calling today. When you call today with a gift of $25 or more, we will send you David McGee's devotional book, and then match your gift by sending a copy to a prisoner in need. And if you are able to give a gift of $200 or more, we will send a case of 10 books to inmates who are without hope. Help us reach those in prison. Call today at 877-458-5508.
That's 877-458-5508. Or go online to crossthebridge.com. Also, if you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday, why not join us for our live stream at 9 and 1130 Eastern. Just visit crossthebridge.com and click on our live stream link. There you can watch Pastor David teach from his home church, The Bridge, in Kernersville, North Carolina. Again, that website is crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening. We hope you'll join us next time as we continue to cross the bridge.
