“Speak, Prophesy, Encourage”

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:1-17

In Walter Brueggemann’s book, “The Prophetic Imagination” (Fortress Press, 1978), he wrote about prophesy. He believes that “The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish and evoke a consciousness and perception [that is] alternative to the consciousness and perception of the … culture around us.” Following Brueggemann’s logic, one would have to conclude that a prophet is essentially countercultural.
- Homiletics Online

The truth is that prophecy was never intended to justify our culture. As a matter of fact, if you read through the Major and Minor Prophets in scripture, every single one was speaking out against the status quo! And were the words they spoke expressing their own thoughts? Hardly! The words came directly from the Lord God Jehovah Himself.

Think about Jeremiah. In 1:7, we read of Jeremiah’s reluctance to proclaim the Lord’s message, because he was only a child, but God tells him “You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” The Lord’s plan for the prophet had been put in place before the boy was even born, and it was to play out just as the Divine Plan intended.

Isaiah, too, received a vision from God regarding the sinfulness of Judah and Jerusalem, and we read in verse 2 “Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the Lord has spoken”. (Isaiah 1:1-4)

How about the gift Daniel was given to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2) - he not only tells the meaning of the dream, but he relates the dream itself perfectly. And in verse 45, we read “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future.” The interpretation wasn’t Daniel’s to give – he only related what “the Great God” had told him.

In Hosea 1:2 – “When the Lord began to speak through Hosea …” It was Hosea’s voice, but it was God who was speaking.

And over and over, we are told that the prophets were called to carry the Lord’s message, and to never offer their own words as a replacement for them. Of course prophesy runs counter to every culture, and in every age, because it is God’s word for those who are lost without it!

Read 1 Corinthians 14:1-5

Before I go any further, I want to go on record as telling you that I fully believe that all the gifts of the Spirit are still being granted today, including tongues and interpretation of tongues. But I also believe that tongues are being abused and falsified far more than they are conveying the word of God.

Having said that, today we are going to focus on true tongues, and the message that they carry to us. We can certainly learn other languages on our own, but when we speak intelligible words that we have never learned, that can only come from the Lord.
Paul challenges us to open ourselves up to receive spiritual gifts. And of all the gifts that we considered two weeks ago (1 Corinthians 12:8-10), he claims that prophecy is the most desirable. Greater than wisdom and knowledge? Greater than faith and healing? Than miraculous powers? Than differentiation between various spirits? Or tongues and interpretation of tongues?

That’s what he says! Prophesy is the greater gift! And he offers a few more gifts in Romans 12:4-8 – gifts like service, teaching, encouragement, generosity, and so on. And he wants us to understand that prophecy is the most important one. Why, of all these wonderful gifts, would this point be so important?

Every gift, with the exception of prophesy and tongues, is a means for us to reach out to care for the needs of others. But prophecy is God’s reaching out to us, to give us his word for our lives. Prophecy is intended to mold and shape our lives in God’s image, and to call us away from the ways of earth. It is given to address a range of human needs, as well as spiritual, to edify, console, encourage, teach, challenge – that we might be exposed to God’s way, and understand what it can mean for our lives.
And if the insight is given in a tongue, whether one of human origin or that of the angels (1 Corinthians 13:1), and no one knows what it means, Paul says that we are only uttering a “mystery”. Prophecy is meant to raise the church to greater heights, but the apostle says that a tongue only glorifies the speaker.
Only interpretation can reveal the prophesy contained within the language, whatever it may be.

Read 1 Corinthians 14:6-9

Paul uses music to make his point. Think about it this way – what if every hymn we sang today used only one chord and one rhythm, and what if we never announced the title of the hymn – you were just expected to know what words to sing. Everyone would be singing their own favorite hymn, and some of you may even make up few words. No one would be lifting up the intended song.

So it is with tongues if they are never interpreted – in Paul’s words, you would just be “speaking into the air”. Now I will say that I know folks who say that they pray in tongues without interpretation. Scripture doesn’t say anything about this, except back in verse 2, where Paul writes that tongues alone can never speak to other people, but that they do speak to God. Is this a bad thing? No. In Romans 8:26, we read that when our words fail us in prayer, that “the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
“Groans” are pretty much uninterpretable and unintelligible for us, but maybe these are the very thoughts that God needs to hear. I don’t know much about groans, but scripture is very clear that tongues offered as other than prayer contain prophesy, and should be clarified for all who are present.

Read 1 Corinthians 14:10-12

Seek the gifts that build up the church. Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation with a stranger who spoke a completely different language? How far would you get in developing this new relationship? Not very far, I suspect! What if God sent us thoughts and words and visions that never made any sense to us? How far would we get in walking and serving in the Name of the Lord? We would be guessing all the time, and without much accuracy, either.

How important is clear prophecy for our lives? Vitally important.

Read 1 Corinthians 14:13-17

There is a very interesting relationship between our spirit and our mind. The spirit within us enables us to know the Will of God, but our mind puts that Will into action. Which one is more important? Which one is more vital for our lives? Neither – they are to work together. I’m sure that everyone knows of someone who has said, or at least implied, that “we should fake it until we make it!” The intent is that it pleases God when we do good works, even if we have no relationship with him. The truth is that when we do this, it will certainly respond to some need that a person has, but it brings no glory to God – the “work” is being offered in our name, not God’s, and it only brings glory to ourselves. On the other hand, if we know the will of God, and hear his call on our lives, but still do nothing about it, what has anyone gained?

I truly believe that the Lord’s will for our lives has little to do with secrecy, and even less to do with our acclaim. The Lord gives us his word – and it’s not just for our instruction, but to share with others. When we speak out to reveal his word to others, that is the prophecy that Paul has been speaking about. And when that word to given to others, it is meant to encourage them, and strengthen them, and to build them up.

The point of Paul’s writing in these chapters, combined with the challenge to do all things in the love of God which we read about in Chapter 13, it is then that we are living and responding in the way and will of our all mighty, all generous, all gracious God. We all need to give it a try – and letting the Lord work his gifts in our lives is not all that difficult to do!

“Many Parts, One Vision”

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

The church is, or at least it should be, about working together, and using our gifts and abilities for the common good. Unfortunately, all too often there seems to be someone who wants to have their own way in everything that happens, and they want to be involved in every aspect of the church. And while full commitment and involvement may seem like a good thing, the truth is that the Lord has given us all certain abilities and gifts, with the intent that we should all be using them, with each other, in service to our Great God. No one person should ever try to do everything, because 1) it take away opportunities from others, and 2) it can eat up our time which might better be spent in other ways!
All through scripture, we see a divine pairing of people in the tasks that have been set out for them - people like Moses and Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, Esther and Mordecai, Ruth and Naomi, and, of course, the disciples who Jesus sent out in twos, and Paul who had any number of companions. We are to help each other in many and diverse ways, and not replace them.

But this hasn’t always been a consistent approach in the Church.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

We are a unit. We are no longer individuals – we are many, joined together as one, in the name of Jesus. In the previous few verses from last week, Paul writes that there are many kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit, and different kinds of service, but the same Lord. (1 Corinthians 12:4-5) We even have different life stories that describe the working of the Spirit in our own lives, but each one must bring our focus back to the power of our Living God.
And our baptism, both by water and the Spirit, unites us in the Lord. Paul says that there are no divisions and no distinctions, other than in the gifts we receive – and that we are all called to serve him within one vision and with one purpose.

And he tells us that we are to “drink” in the Spirit. Doesn’t’ that bring a marvelous image to mind? It is the Holy Spirit that not only unites us, but also nourishes us and sustains us and enables us as members of the Body of Christ.

And our baptism in Christ is our initiation into a new relationship that includes all who would show their love to Almighty God through the use of their gifts.

Of course, our human relationships don’t always flow smoothly, do they? Those who we become part of, whether in our families, or in our jobs, or in the organizations that we belong to – there are always difficulties and conflicts that arise, sometimes threatening to tear us apart. The same is true of our spiritual relationships. And we must be vigilant in faith, and work hard to make sure that the church does not go the way of the world.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:14-20

In verse 6 of this chapter, Paul challenges us to remember that there are many different tasks that are required in this Body we call the Church, but that there is still only one God and one vision for all of our lives (1 Corinthians 12:6). I know that many times, denominational differences, as well as those of the more personal kind, cause a lot of problems for Christianity, but I also know that if we set them aside, and don’t beat each other up over these differences, we can do marvelous things together.
Over the past two years, we have sponsored tent revivals that have been wonderful, and that there have been over 30 churches who have come together to see this happen. We have had Baptists, and Pentecostals, and Methodists, and independents, and even a couple Presbyterians and Roman Catholics were intimately involved. And no one was intentionally excluded, or elevated, or demeaned, or praised, and even though there are some significant differences in our worship styles and our doctrines, we were able to work as one Body in Christ.

And the Church as a whole must show that we live this difference. The gifts that come to each of us from the Spirit are neither greater nor smaller than any other, and there are no members of the Body who are greater or less significant than all the rest. We work together to accomplish the will of Almighty God. We know that the Spirit of God sees no discrepancies in our lives, and neither should we.

Paul uses the human body to make a comparison to the Church. And we can understand the analogy – that our hands have specific purposes that our ears and eyes do not, but that they do work together for the common good of the entire body. My eyes tell me that they need some help reading scripture because the print is small, and they then show me where my glasses are, my hands pick them up and place them on my face, my ears hold them in place, all so that my eyes can read the smaller print in my Bible!

And even though our hands and feet perform similar functions, they are still unique and are, for the most part, non-interchangeable – except when we are in need. Some folks can pick things up with their feet, and some can actually walk on their hands! But it takes work to be able to do this, and it doesn’t come naturally.
Later in this chapter, the apostle writes that God has, in general, given equal honor to all parts, so that no division should occur, and that all parts might care for each other and help each other. And each of us needs to not only help others, but to let others help us, when necessary.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-31

And then there is the issue of self-esteem and self-reliance. Both are valued as human traits, but when it comes to living in Christ, they can only hinder us. Paul may very well have seen this issue rising up in the Corinthian church which may very well have prompted this letter, and we are no different. We must never be boastful or prideful over what we can do, or have done, and just as importantly, must never belittle others, or ourselves, for what they (we) cannot do. No one is less important, and no one brings any less to the Body of Christ than anyone else does.
Paul even tells us that some parts of the Body remain hidden behind the scenes, but that they are to be treated with just as much respect as the more prominent parts. And why? Because they have been created and placed and called by God, and to give them any less honor is to imply that God didn’t know what he is doing!

And the concern that we have for others must be weighed carefully, that no one is singled out for special treatment, but that all receive exactly what they need.

Yesterday at the District Workshops, our District Lay Leader, Drew Griffin, offered some thoughts on “Transformational Leadership”, and in his presentation, he played a video entitled “When you know your WHY ..”. The essence of the piece was that we can’t put our “what” and our “how” first – that we need to understand “why” we serve the Lord before we begin any task. We need to let the reason for our service drive our desire to not only “do” for the Lord, but to determine “how” we do for him. The bottom line of the video was this – “when you know what your “why” is, your “what” has more impact and purpose.”

Paul is telling us that we need to focus on “why” we have left the ways of the world and have entered the Body of Christ, and when we do know, the “whats” and “hows” of our service become more poignant and intentional and effective. The “why” of the body of Christ is to work together to glorify the name of Jesus throughout the world. And when we begin to live that, the “what” of our life will become complete.

The Church is about unity in purpose, our surrender in ability, and support and encouragement of each other in all things. The Church is about the purpose –the “why” – of this life, and the “why” of the Church is Jesus and all that he has done for us.

Praise the Lord for the ways he has made us, and for the ways that the Spirit guides us. May he always be our Way, our Truth, and our Life.

“God’s Gifts, Our Service”

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Our text for today is one of those that many pastors like to avoid. It’s controversial, it’s open to many different interpretations, and quite honestly, whenever you venture into a discussion of the Spiritual gifts, the only certainty is that your thoughts are going to clash with someone else’s! So I will just say that in our discussion today, the thoughts are mine, and if you disagree, we can always talk more about the issues later.
And I have a feeling that if Christians were asked what gifts had come to them from the Holy Spirit, the vast majority of them would offer a list of human abilities that they have. They would mention abilities such as a logical mind, or mechanical ability, or a heart for peace, or public speaking, or intelligence, or any of a myriad of other human traits that we have developed or use on a daily basis.
The truth is that these abilities tend to stay with us through a major part of our lives, and can be held by anyone, whether they are Christians or not. Spiritual gifts are different. First, they will only rest upon those who will use them to glorify the name of Jesus. Second, they may come for a number of years, or they may come for only a few days or weeks. The gifts of the Spirit are neither universal nor permanent nor easily understood, and this is why most people don’t want to talk about them!

But today, we are going to begin some conversation regarding them, and so, the first question - when do we receive these spiritual gifts? As a recap from last week, they first come as a result of a prayerful life, and second, they come to enable a special call that the Lord has placed on a willing and dedicated servant.

And what are these unique and divine gifts all about?

Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-3

A few thoughts on the phrase “Jesus is Lord”:
First, these are words that many only identify with worship, but they must imply a much greater claim on our lives. It must reflect the attitude that we have throughout our lives, regardless of the place and situation we find ourselves in. It’s about every moment of every day, every decision we make, every step we take, every breath we inhale and every word we speak. The NIB says this: “To say that “Jesus is Lord” has meant, from the earliest days, to refuse to have life divided into secular and sacred, with two value systems operative, in two separate areas [of our lives].”

Second, this phrase also signifies that the one who speaks these words truly believes that Christ has authority, and is authority, and will, one day, return to complete the Godly work that was begun at creation. It signifies the end of death and pain, and that healing will come to the broken people of this world. It also declares that the sin and evil and wrongdoing that we are subjected to every day is unacceptable to Almighty God. It means that we believe that he alone will prevail over evil, but that all who believe in him will share in His ultimate victory.

And Paul would have us know that simply reiterating these words means nothing, but that to claim them, and to trust in all that they mean for our lives, can only be by the grace and Spirit of our Almighty Lord.
So the first aspect of our spiritual gifts is that every time we step out in faith, whether it is in word or deed, it will always be by appointment, and by anointing, of the Holy Spirit.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Paul begins to speak about the gifts that come to us from God, and the point that he is making in these verses is that each of us can receive the gift, or gifts (!) that God has ordained, and we are to use them in the way that the Lord desires. Each is unique, but it appears that none are any greater or more glorious or more important than any other.

Each gift is different than the others, but they all come from the same Spirit. Why would our One Lord offer different gifts to different people? Simply, to show us that we must work together to accomplish his will, and that none of us is any more important than anyone else.
There are also different calls on each of us, but all calls come from the same Power Above and for the accomplishment of the same Divine purpose. God’s plan is so intricate and extensive, that none of us could possibly accomplish anything on our own.
And there are different tasks that are necessary, but one God who guides them all. Our place in the Lord’s plan is to make ourselves available to follow his lead. It isn’t about our abilities, it isn’t about our thoughts or plans, it isn’t how great or least we are – it is God’s work and God’s way that is put in motion to meet his needs.

And what does all of this accomplish? The second purpose of these gifts is that they are for the good of all humanity! Interestingly enough, they are not just for God’s benefit, or even for believers – they are for all.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:8-10

An interesting list, to say the least. I know that some folks believe that some gifts are more significant than others, and they attempt to assign an order of importance to each. But as we have seen earlier, there are none that are more or less important, and there are no tasks that please the Lord more than others. In some passages of scripture, the order of assignments and accomplishments may indicate importance, but in this instance, they don’t. It may even be that Paul set this order in place simply to reverse the expectations of importance assigned by the Corinthian Church. In any case, they carry equal weight in God’s eyes.

Let’s take a quick look at each of these gifts, and please note that each one is prefaced by the thought that while an individual may have multiple gifts, no one has been given all of them, and that while any particular gift may be given to a number of people, none are given to everyone.

The first two are similar, but have some distinct differences, and I would like to reverse their order for the purpose of this discussion.

Knowledge and Wisdom. Knowledge is about those things we know, those things we have learned, or information that we have gained. Wisdom, on the other hand, is our ability to connect and use that Knowledge for good. Obviously, these work together, but we also must realize that they are not necessarily given together. If one person has knowledge, they may very well be called to work closely with someone else who can put all of their knowledge together. Think of Wisdom as the understanding and the ability to apply Knowledge.

Faith. This may seem a bit strange, in that all believers have faith. But the implication here is two-fold:
First, faith is a gift from God, and is something that we accept, and can, in no way, claim as our own. It is meant to strengthen us in our life with Christ, as well as to enable us to reach out to the world in His name.
Second, we are filled with faith in varying degrees. The Spirit grants us more and more faith as we grow through study of His word, and by trust in His guidance, and by stepping out in service, and by prayer and meditation. The Spiritual faith that we receive is not necessarily to the same degree or to the same depth as anyone else. And that is OK. We can always grow in faith.

Healing. I have known several people who claim that they have the gift of healing, but I think they have missed the point of this gift. Healing isn’t ours to give to others – healing simply moves from God, through us, and to those who are in need. So who does Spiritual healing move through and to? Through those who fully believe and trust that God can and will heal, and to those who trust that he does heal. Why aren’t all faithful people healed? I have no idea - it simply moves by the will of the Holy Spirit.

Miraculous Powers. (Note: This was inadvertently omitted from the initial manuscript. The following is similar to what was offered.) 15 years ago, the pastor of a small United Methodist church in rural, upstate New York challenged his congregation to pray for wisdom to know what the Lord wanted them to do, but which would be impossible for them to accomplish. They did, the Lord spoke, and the “impossible” project was under way. This 40 person congregation was called to go to Ecuador, for, initially, an unknown purpose, but which became a construction project for a school. It would grow to be three stories high, with, at first, about 60 children receiving a Christian education. They would be partnered with a number of churches and denominations, including an Assembly of God congregation in Brazil who now administer the school.
Attendance now numbers nearly 250 children, with a special program for children with developmental disabilities. Current plans are to add a 4th story to the facility to accommodate even more programs.
This is, obviously, not something that a small, rural church could even conceive of doing, but apparently the Lord could. This is what “miraculous powers” can do when the faithful seek and listen and respond, and I am blessed beyond measure to be this congregation’s current pastor.

Prophecy. In two weeks, we will be considering the place of prophecy, along with tongues and interpretation. But for now, suffice it to say that prophecy is the revealing of God’s word for our lives. We have a number of prophetic messages and books that are an integral part of scripture, but this gift, I believe, is also given to people of all ages, including today. Remember, though, that prophecy is not the same as fortune telling or divination - it is simply the revealing of God’s will. It could involve some future act, but not always. It comes as something that the Lord wants us to hear and know right now.

Distinguishing of Spirits. This gift is intended to help us in determining whether a spirit that is speaking to us is of God or not, whether a prophet and his prophecy is true or false, whether another person’s intent is Godly or not.

Tongues and Interpretation. We see this gift in action at Pentecost (Acts 2:5-13) and at a few other times throughout Acts and the Epistles. It is generally experienced as a language that we don’t understand, and quite honestly, is one that is faked by many and misunderstood by far more.

Wystan Auden, a British poet and author, tells us:
The Christian church came into being at Pentecost. The gift of the Holy Spirit on that occasion is generally called the gift of tongues, but it might equally as well be called the gift of ears. ... As writers, readers, human beings, we cannot speak to or understand each other unless we are first prepared to listen. Of all the gifts that the Holy Spirit is able to bestow, the one for which we should first and most earnestly pray is humility of ear.

--W. H. Auden, in a 1967 lecture, "Words and the Word."

There may be some substance to his thoughts, and even though Acts 2:4 says that the disciples “began to speak in other tongues”, verses 6 & 8 tell us that the people heard in their own language. And in Acts 2:13, we read that “some made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’” Apparently, their ears weren’t open to what was being said.

In two weeks, we will examine tongues and interpretation to a greater depth, as Paul will explain that interpretation will always be vital whenever these other languages are spoken (or heard!), and that when the gift of language is given, there must be someone present who has received the gift of understanding so they can interpret the meaning and message.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:11

Paul concludes this passage with a very important thought for us – that each of these gifts are granted by the Spirit, and that we have little say, other than to express a desire to receive them, and even at that, it is the Spirit who decides who gets what.

Next week we continue with this chapter to examine the purpose of the Body of Christ, and how we are to work together with the gifts that God so generously grants to each of us.

“The Joy of God”

Scripture: Luke 3:15-18; 21-22

Many people only see the teachings of Jesus in a negative light. They think that they are arrogant, and abrasive, and demeaning ... and hateful. Of course, Jesus is none of these – It’s just that his way is difficult to follow. And what most folks forget is that Jesus has experienced everything that we have, and will, and even more, and that the words and concepts that he brings to us are only meant to help us through this life, and to bridge us into the next.

Today, we consider one of those events in the Lord’s life that might be considered as extraneous, but actually was truly important for both him and us. Today we take a look at Jesus’ baptism.

Read Luke 3:15-18

John’s preaching was so powerful and so poignant that many came to him, thinking that this just might be their long awaited Messiah. But the Baptist makes it very clear that his words, his efforts, his baptism, is only meant to lead the world to repentance, and that the message that he carries shows the way to One who will also baptize, but in a far more powerful and important way. Jesus was coming to baptize with salvation. John says that his only purpose is to point the way to the true Man of God, and that he (John) isn’t worthy to even be the lowest servant of this One.

John describes this coming baptism as being by the Holy Spirit and fire – two very strange and foreign concepts to say the least! There are only a couple of references to a “holy spirit” in the Old Testament, and they refer more to the sense of God’s presence that resides within us, than it does to the Third Person of the Triune God. And fire? They knew about fire, but what did that have to do with baptism?

Pastor Ed Searcy offers this take on Jesus’ baptism:

You’ve heard of a “baptism by fire”? That’s a Jesus baptism. No sprinkling of water. In fact, no water at all. When Jesus baptizes, it’s with the rush of gale force wind that’s the power of God’s energy coming to stir up everything. Jesus baptizes with a fire that burns away the chaff of life. The unnecessary parts are incinerated. Gone are the addictions that devour. Greed and pride and arrogance and violence become a pile of ash.

No one looks forward to a baptism by fire. It’s human nature to run the other way, to delay, to hope it will pass by. Finally, it becomes clear that the only way home, the only way to wholeness, the only way to life is through the fire. It takes all the courage one can muster to walk into the fire, trusting that it will not destroy everything. That is when Israel remembers — that is when we hear — the promise of the Lord: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. ... Do not fear, for I am with you.” (Isaiah 42:1-5)

—Ed Searcy, “When you pass through the waters,” January 14, 2007, University Hill United Church Congregation, http://sermon.uhill.swift-web.com

Whether the people remembered this passage from the prophet Isaiah or not, baptism by fire was not a comforting concept! And it isn’t all that pleasant for the folks of the 21st century, either! But as Pastor Searcy writes, it’s only the unnecessary things of this life that will be destroyed, and all of the goodness that comes from the Lord will not only be kept safe, but they will be enhanced. That is what John is referring to when he speaks of the chaff being consumed with unquenchable fire – chaff is the useless stuff that is left over when the husk is thrashed from the grain. Spiritual chaff is the sin that hovers around and within our being, trying to look like the Lord’s goodness.
The holy fire and Holy Spirit are one - this fire is the purifying work of the Spirit, and the Spirit comes to the repentant to complete the work of faith.

Read Luke 3:21-22

So why would Jesus even need a “baptism of repentance”? What did he need to repent of? He was sinless; he was walking totally in the way of the Father; there was nothing that he needed to turn away from! But in Matthew 3:13-15, Jesus tells John that his baptism is necessary, and the reason was “to fulfill all righteousness”! This “fulfillment” is Jesus’ way of simply saying that it is required as part of his call to carry out the revealed will of God. It would seem, therefore, that Jesus’ baptism was actually more of an anointing and strengthening for the work that he was about to begin than it was as repentance.
And when does the Spirit come upon Jesus? During prayer. And how often do we discover Jesus in conversation with his Father? Over and over again. And at this pivotal moment- the beginning of Jesus’ ministry – prayer is absolutely crucial. He confirms his dedication to gaining salvation for the world, and he affirms the will of God for his life.
And this has significance for our baptism, too – it is the beginning of our new walk with the Lord. It’s about turning away from the world’s evil, and it’s about making a commitment to serve Almighty God in his way. And it must always be approached through prayer and meditation and commitment.

The heavens open, and God speaks of the love and joy that he has for his Son. The opening of heaven is a sign of God’s blessing, just as the closing of heaven is sign of his displeasure. And the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus in bodily form. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Spirit had a body or that it even looked like a bird, but simply that it had a gentle, physical appearance – it could be seen.
When we approach our baptism in an honest and truthful way, the heavens open for us, just as they did for Christ. Even though we may never actually see the physical form of God’s Spirit, it will be there, none the less.

From Homiletics Online;
There's a story from many years ago about a missionary who was evangelizing an African tribe. After months of hard work, 14 men were ready to be baptized. Then, the chief stood up and announced: "I forbid these men to come forward for baptism. If they do, by this time tomorrow they will be dead."
The men stepped aside to speak with one another. Upon their return, one of them addressed the chief: "We have decided to be baptized. If we die, then we will be with Jesus."
After the baptismal service, the chief came to the missionary secretly and said: "Tell me about this Jesus. His power is greater than mine."

It seems that the joy, and the power of the Lord was upon them, and is upon all who will bind themselves to the way of the Lord. After all, why would the fishermen immediately leave all that they had ever known behind when Jesus called them to become “fishers of men”? How could it be if it hadn’t been for the Spirit? (Mark 1:16-20) Why would Stephen so joyfully accept death if he hadn’t seen the heavens open for him? (Acts 7:54-60) Why would Saul / Paul leave his prosecutory efforts behind to open himself up to persecution and prosecution, if Jesus hadn’t first prepared a better way for him? (Acts 9:1-9)

The joy of the Lord has nothing to do with the pleasures and victories of earth. They are as distinct and separate as the sea is from the land. The joy of the Lord, as evidenced in the coming of the Spirt, commissions and empowers us for ministry in the name of Jesus Christ. And whether the Voice of heaven calls out “well done, good and faithful servant”, or simply “come to me, my cherished child”, it is the Lord’s will and his marvelous plan that is about to unfold in our lives. And we must never fear that call, for when the Lord calls, he also enables and supplies our every need. The joy of the Lord provides it all.

Next week, we begin a series on the gifts that come to us through the Holy Spirit every time we say “yes” to the call that is placed on our lives. Praise the Lord, for he makes everything possible by faith in the One who baptizes by both Spirit and fire.

"The Plan is in Place" - Epiphany

Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-12

Today is Epiphany –the day Christ was revealed to the Gentile world. Usually, this is when we celebrate the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem, but its significance is actually much greater than that. This celebration marks the day when the non-Jewish world could begin to see the Jewish Christ as their Savior, too. But that process would a very difficult and trying one, to say the least!

The Pharisee Saul was one of the most feared men in first century Christianity. He was highly educated, he was zealous in his faith, he was committed in his efforts to wipe out those “heretics” who followed the teachings of Jesus, and he was encouraged in his efforts by the Jewish hierarchy. He was, in every sense of the word, a “state sponsored terrorist”!
He worked diligently to find and arrest anyone who ascribed to the Way of Jesus and to destroy their ways of worship (Acts 8:1-3). He was committed to overseeing the execution of those he deemed to be the most dangerous (Acts 7:54-60), and to force as many as possible to renounce their faith in Christ (Acts 26:9-11).
Saul was powerful in his faith, and had no doubt whatsoever that he was on the right tract, and that his work was endorsed by not only the Jewish authorities, but by his great God Jehovah. But the Lord had other plans, and he was about to work a new way, and a new name, in the man. The road to Damascus – a way that Saul had traveled before – would take on a new meaning for this hater of Christ. By a divine “epiphany”, he would come to understand exactly what attracted so many to this new understanding of faith, and this “Hebrew of Hebrews” would become the primary evangelist to the Gentile world.

Read Ephesians 3:1-7

The persecutor Saul, now known as Paul, the one who had once imprisoned the people of Jesus, was now in a Roman prison under the same sentence. But there was one major difference – before this, his zealousness was for the benefit of his own faith. But this new faith in Christ had nothing to do with his benefit – it was to be a blessing for the Gentiles. It was no longer about making himself look better to Jehovah – it was about giving others the chance to experience grace by faith in Christ. And the grace that he now enjoyed was never for his glorification – it was for those who had never before mattered in his, or any eyes, in all of Israel.

God’s plan of salvation was working its way through this former fanatic of the law, but Paul doesn’t refer to it as a “plan” – he says that it is “the mystery” of faith. This mystery of God’s plan has previously been misunderstood by Israel. Paul says that it has been hidden – not that the Lord had never told the people, they just had never known what it meant. In Genesis 22:17-18, Abraham is told that his ancestors will be blessed so that they can be a blessing to the rest of the world. But Israel had never understood that this meant that others would know salvation by the grace of their God. And Paul readily admits that he wouldn’t have understood it either, if it hadn’t been for the Lord’s “revelation”.
After all, who could even begin to understand God’s way, except by the conveying of his wisdom and vision. The prophet Isaiah (55:6-9) wrote of God’s call to the people – and we read that the Lord declares “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Almighty God’s ways – his plan – will always remain a mystery to us, except by faith in Jesus Christ.

The problem with humanity is that we think that we would like to know about salvation, but, unfortunately, most will never accept it if there are any strings attached! “Just give it to me, and leave me alone!”
And even if the Lord did reveal his plan to those who had no faith, it wouldn’t make any sense to them, and it would still be worthless in their lives. But the old “Saul” never understood the plan either, that is until he had faith in Christ and became Paul. It was then that the plan began to make sense, and he would respond to this mysterious revelation in incredible ways.

The plan that God has had all along is this – that Gentiles, people who cannot claim descendency from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, will share in the promise of salvation with Israel – not by heritage, but by faith in Jesus Christ. And not only will they have a share in glory, but it will be as though they are truly and fully sons and daughters of Abraham.

Read Ephesians 3:8-12

Paul continues to refer to himself as “servant”, and especially as “the least of all God’s people”. Contrast this with his personal attitude before he met Christ – when he saw himself as being the greatest. In his letter to the Philippians (3:4-6), he confesses that he had been very proud of his position in Israel – “If anyone has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more; circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.”
As a Jew, Saul had every reason to be proud of who he was, and everyone else would have shown him great honor and respect. But by faith in Christ, he had gained a whole new perspective on life. It was no longer his wisdom and position that gained him glory, but his humble service to whatever the Lord called him to do. And he sees his mission to the Gentiles as evidence of God’s grace in this life – that he had been chosen to be the one to reveal the long hidden plan of God to the “excluded”.

But is Paul truly the least of all the apostles of Christ? Remember that the appearance of humility or greatness is a matter of perspective. In our own eyes, we must claim and act with a humble heart, that we have set earthly greatness aside in favor of the humble heart that comes from surrendering to Almighty God. But in God’s eyes, the humble become great in his kingdom. Paul even makes reference to the purpose of the Church – that it exists to reveal the wisdom of God to all authority, to the insight of earth. He refers to the eternal purpose of the church which, in a fundamental way, is to be the evidence of God’s power over evil and ignorance.

Unfortunately, the Church is filled with fallible humans, and as such, we, as a whole, aren’t always in tune with the Lord’s eternal purpose! But when we serve the Lord in a humble and submissive way, we can receive, and we will be able to share, the divine wisdom that Paul is talking about.

So where are we in this passage? Are we serving the Lord through a servant’s heart, or are we still stuck in searching for glory through the ways of earth? Do we strive to be admired by the people of this world, or are we focused on becoming “the least” within their limited vision? The apostle Paul would have us know that there is no hope and no plan except in the Lord God Almighty, and that understanding and trust in that plan will continue to be an unsolved and unrevealed mystery until we surrender our ways to Christ.

The message on the Campville UMC sign board this week says “New Year – Same God”! I like it, and I think that we could almost add “New Life” to this, for that is what Paul’s message is about - a new life and a new way for all. God’s plan has been in existence since the beginning – it’s just that no one understood it until Jesus came on the scene, and introduced the world to a brand new way in him. The point of Paul’s revelation to the mystery of the Plan is that we don’t know everything yet, but God reveals his wisdom to us bit by bit as we grow in faith. His message is that the Church must stand firm in the ways and word of the Almighty if we are to grow in faith, and must never begin to fall back into the ways and word of earth.
It is by God’s grace that we have been invited into glory – that our human position in life is no longer a limiting factor for us. But our dependence and hope for this life can no longer be our primary focus, either. Paul came to realize that this life was never about him – that it was about God and his message to the world. Paul left his own plan and position behind so that he might begin sharing the Lord’s plan, in the Lord’s way, and to the Lord’s purpose, with all who would listen.

That’s the “new life” that this “new year” can bring to each of us, if we let it. The plan is there – if only we will reach out and claim it for ourselves.