Let Us Worship Together

November 18, 2011 Daily Democrat of Durant

There are numerous reasons to select a church: geography, family history, the people, programs, and many other reasons I could fill a book as they are as individual as the people in any one church.  Yet we all know there is only one Jesus whom we all worship at various times, various buildings, and in many various ways.  That is wonderful, for we can reach more people with the One Gospel.  We even know that truly the Body of Christ is still united as Jesus is the head and each of us and each church is part of the body.  This is truly an important fact of the church and Paul makes it quite clear with his metaphor of the church being the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians.  Paul understands there are individuals and even different churches, yet his statement in Chapter 12 verse 12 still speaks to us today, even with different denominations, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

If we concentrate on our differences we will me mired in a land of differing opinions and taste, most of all.  Yes, there are differences in theological and Biblical interpretation, but if we look for the differences, you will find more to talk about in how we worship; if you search where the churches are similar, you end up at Jesus.  We can agree with Peter’s response to Jesus asking “Who do you say I am?” when Peter proclaims, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Matthew 16:15-16)  This simple confession is what truly unites us and if we come together in Jesus’ name we will have more power to do what Jesus commands us, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

I believe when we gather at our respective churches we are truly part of a larger body, with Christ as the head.  It is wonderful we can gather together from the various different churches in our community to offer Thanksgiving together for the many blessings we enjoy living in our community.  We will give primary thanks to our Creator, to our Savior, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This tangible act of gathering as one church will be at the Community Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, November 20 at 6 pm at Community Christian Church (5325 University Boulevard).  I look forward to seeing everyone that confesses Jesus as the Anointed One, the Christ, Son of the Living God, so we can share how thankful we are Jesus provides salvation for all.

Breathe Spirit

John 20: 19-23

When we think of Pentecost, we first think of Luke’s account of the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For Luke writes it was on the Jewish holiday of Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover.  There was a loud wind and tongues of fire on the believers heads.  Peter starts preaching and we celebrate this day as the birthday of the church.

Tradition does connect this gift of the Holy Spirit with Easter as we have kept the celebration of Pentecost 7 weeks from our Christian Passover, Resurrection Sunday.  John however connects the gift of the Holy Spirit directly with that day, as He gives them the Spirit on that very day.  Luke uses the term wind which in the Hebrew (ruach) means both Spirit and wind reflecting the wind of Genesis 1 that God used to create. John uses the word breathed, which would harken back to Genesis as well, chapter 2:7:

then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.

Or in Ezekiel 37 when God breathed on the dry bones to bring them back to life.  John is emphasizing with the gift of the Spirit that those received New Life in the Sprit. 

Peter and the disciples in Luke’s account knew exactly what to do with the gift of the Spirit; they evangelized.  In John even seeing the resurrected Jesus, it is not long before they take that gift and go fishing.  Jesus meats them at the lake and cooks them breakfast and reminds them, why He gave them the Holy Spirit, via his discourse with Peter:

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. (John 21: 15-17)

Jesus is saying as He said in the locked room, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  We are commissioned to share that gift.

Jesus breathed the Spirit to His believers.  They breathed it in, but to live one must also exhale.  We must breath the Spirit in and out.  This gift of the Spirit it not a gift we keep, it is a gift we must share.