Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
We are in the thick of Football season in America, and often the mayhem at the games, especially College Football games, is very much like the scene at soccer games at the international level. Passion runs high and celebration is at a fever pitch. In America when you add the College marching bands and the tailgate food and fun for several hours before the big game, it can be quite an experience.
This year I’ve even seen thousands of college students pouring out onto the field after the games, swarming the teams and coaches. ‘Unpredictable’ and ‘spontaneous celebration’ might be two very appropriate phrases for this College football season thus far.
By contrast what words might describe what you would expect if you were invited to a Catholic Mass in a Cathedral, or a Protestant Sunday worship service in a Church, or a Jewish Sabbath service in a Synagogue?
Let’s rejoin the apostle Paul and his letter of instruction to the Christians in Corinth as Paul was challenging them regarding some reports, he had received regarding mayhem in their worship services. Paul dictates and Timothy scribes, so let’s listen: “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.... Two or three prophets should speak, and all the other people should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace – as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” (1 Cor. 14:26-33) May I ask you my friends, how does that compare to what you’ve experienced in a Catholic Mass or a Protestant worship service or a Jewish Shabbat gathering in a Synagogue?
For those in Corinth who had come to trust in Jesus from a Jewish background, of course it was quite unusual for normal members of the congregation to have the freedom to speak spontaneously to the group sharing what they sensed the Spirit of God was stirring in them.
those Gentiles who had come to Christ out of pagan or occult backgrounds, it was not at all unusual for someone to suddenly stand up in the middle of their gatherings under the influence of an evil spirit. But Paul wanted them all, both Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus in Corinth, to be sure that whatever transpired in their worship gatherings was always done in a God honoring and orderly fashion which would be attractive to others in Corinth who did not know Jesus but were interested in the Gospel.
My friends, do you see that in the first generation of Christians, as they gathered together usually in homes, there were several expectations?
First, I notice these new Christians EXPECTED God was working in all their daily lives and their gatherings would be filled with many stories of what the Holy Spirit was teaching them in this new Christian life or how God had done miracles in their lives.
Is that how it is when you gather with others in your church, no matter what type of church is your spiritual growth gathering or your church tradition?
Second, I notice these early Christians gathered expecting they would hear a fresh spiritual word from God through several others of their fellow Christians.
Not necessarily Rabbi’s or Pastors or Elders but normal fellow Christians who were pursuing an authentic and growing relationship with God and were engaged in very regular communication with God. That’s what Paul is referring to when he speaks about ‘a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.’ It’s also what Paul was describing when he wrote: ‘For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.’ Now remember my friends, these new Christians had no Bible schools, no Seminaries, no online Bible classes or even Bible studies, no theology books, no Bible conferences, in fact they didn’t even have the New Testament!
Paul was writing this, his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, in about 55ad. Already Paul had written three other letters, but we don’t know how many copies had been scribed and where they had been distributed, so we don’t know if the Corinthian Christians had seen ANY of them! Paul had written Galatians in about 49ad and 1st & 2nd Thessalonians in about 51ad. Also, James had written the letter which bears his name in about 48ad.
The Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John had not yet been written, so the story of the life and ministry of Jesus was known only as the disciples, who’d walked with Jesus, were able to tell their stories and those stories were passed along to others.
Can you see my friends, that these early Christians were living a very vibrant experience based relationship with Jesus and when they came together for prayer and worship and sharing in the Communion celebration of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, they came fully expecting that the Holy Spirit had been very active since the last time they had gathered together and therefore many people would have fresh news of what God was doing in their lives and what they were learning from the Holy Spirit.
Remember Jesus had made this promise to His disciples: “When He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth…. He will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify Me because it is from Me that the Holy Spirit will receive what He will make known to you.” (John 16:13-15)
Now friends, we need to pause and ponder. How does what I just described compare to what you understand and what you are experiencing as the Christian daily life if you have trusted Jesus Christ to be your Savior? Or is your Christian life primarily built on your expectation that your spiritual growth will be spoon fed to you by Bible teachers or your Pastor on Sunday or spiritual books you read or podcasts you listen to?
I’m asking what your expectations are of what the Holy Spirit will do in your life every day, during the normal routine of your life? I’m asking if you expect and are experiencing the Holy Spirit teaching you great spiritual truth regularly; or the Holy Spirit guiding you specifically in the practical aspects of your life; or the risen Lord Jesus doing miracles in your life as you encounter those things that are bigger than you and require a direct involvement of God?
Are you and I expecting and anticipating God’s powerful involvement in our lives like those first century Christians expected and experienced? And when we gather with other Christians are we expecting that we will hear fresh spiritual excitement from them as they report what God is teaching them and doing in their lives? If not, why not?
I think we should stop right here and spend some time talking with God about our expectations of our Christian journey and how God directly involves Himself in our spiritual growth and vitality, and all practical aspects of our lives. And here’s a song to help us prayerfully consider these things, my friends…
Today’s Scripture is 1 Cor. 14:26-33.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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