1 Corinthians 14:26–28
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. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.
Paul consistently addresses the Corinthians as “brothers” when he is taking on a difficult topic with them (cf. vv. 6,20,26,39). So in taking up the issue of tongues—a sensitive issue with them—he comes alongside and calls them his brothers. And he does so in order to help them see that chaotic tongue-speaking weakens the church.
What strengthens the church is the orderly execution of basics of corporate worship: hymns, instruction, revelation, and tongues with interpretation. In other words, one can boil down biblical worship into two basic activities: singing (a form of prayer) and teaching. And those elements reflect the nature of the Gospel. We hear the Gospel taught and we respond in prayer and praise. Therefore, what truly strengthens the church week by week is the revisitation of the Gospel in the order of worship.
Notice too that these functions of worship are not to be engaged in passively. Every member is called to engage in the instructive ministry of the worship service by at least singing. Elsewhere he explains that the primary way the body teaches each other is through psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Co. 3:16). Therefore, Paul establishes the principle that the most essential goal of every part of each worship service is that people are taught and edified.
However, it is easy to fall off on either side of this balance beam. We can make services so cerebral that they do not touch the heart and edify. On the other hand, churches can sometimes come to the conclusion that the secret to church growth is to de-emphasize teaching and only entertain the emotions. In the end, such an approach is unloving because it does not strengthen believers. I don’t believe it really wins anyone to Christ either.
This is what one man said about entertainment:
The devil has seldom done a more clever thing, than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. From speaking out the gospel, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses! ... If it is a Christian work why did not Christ speak of it? ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel’...
Lastly, amusement fails to effect the end desired. Let the heavy laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment had been God’s link in the chain of their conversion, stand up! There are none to answer! The mission of amusement produces no converts!
Can you guess who said it? It was Charles Spurgeon. Apparently it is not a new phenomenon. Christ was criticized for not entertaining [Mt. 11:17]. But Spurgeon was against entertainment in worship primarily because it did not bring people to Christ or strengthen believers. He was against it because it was unloving. God has promised to work through the corporate worship service to strengthen the church, so we must commit ourselves to it.