Unleashed

Introduction

Illustration:

ILLUSTRATION: Coming home from camp

The things that were done when we had our most meaningful faith experiences become our favorite things.

If they’re good for us, they’re good for everyone

ILLUSTRATION: Invitation to a first century Christian to our Sunday worship

What would they encounter?

What would they say?

What is Church?

A group assembled for a purpose

Used broadly in culture: Assembly, meeting of a political body

A group assembled for a purpose (Matthew, Acts, Revelation, NT).

The entire group of Christians living in one place - the church in Jerusalem, Corinth, etc.

The universal called out people of God empowered by the Spirit to be present in the world sharing and living the good news of the Kingdom

Called out people empowered by the Spirit to be present in the world sharing and living the good news of the Kingdom

The community of the end time

Met in the synagogues or homes on - smaller, more intimate gatherings

Did not meet in buildings until the early 200’s.

CHALLENGE: TRANSLATING BIBLICAL PRACTICE FOR TODAY

Primary Activity: Worship

Entering God’s Presence

Primary Activity: Worship

Moses going into the Tabernacle, knew he was entering the presence of God. Early church in - the building shook with the power of God.

Biblical worship was characterized with a holy expectancy. The people believed they would hear the voice of God.

Engage

In worship we engage with, dwell upon and express the greatness, beauty, and goodness of God through music, words rituals, symbols.

To worship is to experience reality, to touch life. It is to know, feel, to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community. It is being invaded by the glory of God.

Worship is the human response to God’s initiative; our response to the expressions of life from the heart of the Father.

Our minds and hearts are filled with wonder.

Respond

Worship is an expression and witness of the reality of the Kingdom of God.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Church

In the Greek world the word “church” designated an assembly of people, a meeting, such as a regularly summoned political body, or simply a gathering of people.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Church

The specifically Christian usages of this concept vary considerably in the NT. (1) In analogy to the OT, it sometimes refers to a church meeting, as when Paul says to the Christians in Corinth: “… when you assemble as a [in] church” (1 Cor 11:18). This means that Christians are the people of God especially when they are gathered for worship.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Church

In texts such as Matthew 18:17; Acts 5:11; 1 Corinthians 4:17; and Philippians 4:15, “church” refers to the entire group of Christians living in one place. Often the local character of a Christian congregation is emphasized, as in the phrases, “the church in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1), “in Corinth” (1 Cor 1:2), “in Thessalonica” (1 Thes 1:1). (3) In other texts, house assemblies of Christians are called churches, such as those who met in the house of Priscilla and Aquila (Rom 16:3; 1 Cor 16:19). (4) Throughout the NT, “the church” designates the universal church, to which all believers belong (see Acts 9:31; 1 Cor 6:4; Eph 1:22; Col 1:18).

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Church

It is clear from the NT as a whole that the Christian community understood itself as the community of the end time,

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Church

called out of both Judaism and the gentile world a new people, empowered by his Spirit to be present in the world, sharing the good news (gospel) of his radical, unconditional love for his creation (Eph 2:11–22).

http://www.strategicrenewal.com/coaching/

Worship is an expression and witness of the reality of the Kingdom of God.

Consuming Worship

Worship

Biblical worship was characterized with a holy expectancy. The people believed they would hear the voice of God.

Looking for an experience that soothes the struggles, appeals to tastes, preferences

Willard, Divine Conspiracy.

Make the journey more comfortable; numb the pain

Be a safe place

Willard, Divine Conspiracy.

We don’t experience worship, we experience God and our response is worship.

“The question to ask isn’t ‘Did I experience God in worship?’ That is an important question. However, the greater question is, ‘Did God experience MY worship today?’”

Jon Sterns

Jon Sterns

Build Up

Come together means come together for worship where any (not necessarily all) of them might be expected to take part in the service.

Edification - When the church gathers for worship, everything done must be for edification.

We build one another up so that all believers might become spiritually mature (Discipleship).

We build one another up so that all believers might become spiritually mature (Discipleship). Grenz, Theology for the Community of God.

Grenz, Theology for the Community of God.

Parts

Declaration in Worship: Telling one another of God’s Goodness

Prophetic

Scripture

Sermon

Voicing their convictions, praise during the singing.

In these ways, Telling one another of God’s goodness. .

Music is a way to give emotional expression to what we can’t say with words alone.

Played on primarily string instruments

Music was and is important to worship as it is a way to give emotional expression to what we can’t say with words alone.

The music we create reflects deep thoughts, feelings, pain, joys, fears, hopes and expectations for life with Jesus. Grenz, Theology for the Community of God.

Through it we offer God our feelings along with our beliefs in honor of the Lord.

Grenz, Theology for the Community of God.

Prophetic

Scripture

Sermon

Voicing our convictions, praise during the singing.

Telling one another of God’s goodness. .

Grenz, Theology for the Community of God.

Order: The Key to Freedom

Order: The Key to Freedom

ILLUSTRATION: Coming home from camp

The things that were done when we had our most meaningful faith experiences become our favorite things.

If they’re good for us, they’re good for everyone

We have no way of knowing how typical of the whole church worship at Corinth was, but what we have here is considered to be the norm.

To provide an intentionally orderly framework for worship that unleashes people in their gifts, offers our very best to the Lord and that pleases him.

Theirs were more spontaneous and less structured and evolved over time to become moreso.

Prophetic

There was thus a variety of ingredients in the service. But the guiding rule is ‘Let all things be done for edification.

Scripture

Purpose of an intentionally orderly framework/structure for worship is to please the Lord by unleashing people in their gifts and offer our very best to the Lord.

Sermon

Voicing our convictions, praise during the singing.

Telling one another of God’s goodness. .

Grenz, Theology for the Community of God.

Public worship is very important. Everything in it must be done in as seemly a manner as possible, and with due regard for order.

Surrender to authority on how worship is to happen.

To provide an intentionally orderly framework for worship that unleashes people in their gifts, offers our very best to the Lord and that pleases him.

Surrender to authority on how worship is to happen.

Forms are Tools

Again Paul emphasizes the importance of self-restraint for the greater good; see note at 11:33–34.

There is no correct form of worship.

Using forms and rituals do not produce worship.

They facilitate it by providing flow, direction.

We have not worshiped the Lord until the Spirit touches spirit.

As humans, we must have forms and are free to use forms that enhance worship.

Richard Foster.

PAUL: Surrender to authority on how worship is to happen.

Prophecy

My first experience with the Prophetic

Early Christian - connected with the outpouring of the Spirit

Christian prophets were leaders of their churches in the worship gatherings.

Also functioned as teachers but their words were received as having God’s authority.

Primary Function: Learning

By unpacking the meaning of the OT scriptures and traditions of Jesus.

Main Purpose: Encouragement

The Role of the Christian Prophet. Christian prophets were leaders in early Christian communities (; ), yet this leadership was not administrative, but rather took place primarily within the framework of the gatherings of Christians for worship.

In many respects the roles of apostle, prophet, and teacher overlapped one another. Apostles such as Peter () and Paul () were prophets as well as teachers. Apostles, in fact, seem to have possessed all of the charisms granted to the church. Prophets also functioned as teachers (, , , ), though unlike teachers their words came with immediate divine authority. The primary role of teachers was to expound the meaning of the OT and of the traditions stemming from Jesus. Prophets, like apostles and teachers, did not hold offices in local communities like bishops, elders, and deacons. Rather they were chosen, not by individual congregations, but by divine commission and so were honored and accepted in all local communities.1

1 Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Prophecy,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1778.

3. The Function of Prophecy. According to Paul, the central purpose of prophecy (as of all other spiritual gifts) was that of building up or edifying the church.

The fact that the central function of Christian prophecy is paraenesis, or ethical exhortation and encouragement, tells us very little about the content of such prophecy. Prophetic utterance occasionally provided divine guidance in making important decisions in early Christianity. Through a prophetic utterance, Paul and Barnabas were selected for a particular mission (; cf. 1 Tm 1:18; 4:14)

That Paul instructed people with the gift of prophecy to speak in turn and then await evaluation by others in attendance suggests that the kind of “prophecy” in view here is not predictive or a foretelling of future events.

As all other gifts, was to build up or edify the church with godly guidance given through words, visions, dreams, images, impressions.

Instruction

Related to Prophecy

A word of instruction (didachē) is a piece of Christian teaching.

A revelation will be some specific matter that God has revealed to the believer, perhaps a ‘prophecy’ or something like it.

Tongues

The Great tongues controversy and what we believe about Tongues

Spiritual gift

They are to speak one at a time, which seems to show that the Corinthians had had experience of a number of people exercising this gift simultaneously, which must have been very confusing.

Someone must interpret

Edification is the supreme consideration, so ‘tongues’ must not be used unless there is an interpreter.

The great tongues debate and what we believe about it

A word of instruction (didachē) is a piece of Christian teaching.

A revelation will be some specific matter that God has revealed to the believer, perhaps a ‘prophecy’ or something like it.

Prophecy is for learning and encouragement.

Spiritual gift

They are to speak one at a time, which seems to show that the Corinthians had had experience of a number of people exercising this gift simultaneously, which must have been very confusing.

Someone must interpret

Edification is the supreme consideration, so ‘tongues’ must not be used unless there is an interpreter.

Women

CSB Study Bible: Notes

Context is critical

Again Paul emphasizes the importance of self-restraint for the greater good; see note at 11:33–34.

Unschooled; permitted to learn from their husbands.

During prophetic words and teaching, would turn to husbands - a disruption

For the sake of order, were to ask their questions of their husbands at home about what was spoken.

Be in submission - observe the Law and cultural custom of how women were to learn.

Women

Why? To not bring a suspicion of immodesty which would have been the charge.

1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary 6. Women in Church (14:34–36)

If As in all the congregations of the saints (cf. 4:17) goes with this verse, Paul is calling on the Corinthians to conform to accepted Christian practice. For women to take on themselves the role of instructors would have been to discredit Christianity in the eyes of most people. Indeed, among the Greeks women were discouraged from saying anything in public. Plutarch says that the virtuous woman ‘ought to be modest and guarded about saying anything in the hearing of outsiders’ (Advice to Bride and Groom, 31); again, ‘a woman ought to do her talking either to her husband or through her husband’ (ibid., 32). Paul calls on them to observe the customs. He does more. He refers to the Law to remind them that they are to be in submission (he does not add ‘to their husbands’; it is a general status of which he speaks, cf. Eph. 5:21).

1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary 6. Women in Church (14:34–36)

‘In all likelihood what was uppermost in his mind was the lax moral state of Corinth and the feeling that nothing, absolutely nothing, must be done which would bring upon the infant Church the faintest suspicion of immodesty. It would certainly be very wrong to take these words of Paul out of the context for which they were written.’ We must exercise due caution in applying his principle to our own very different situation. For example, in recent discussions this passage is often cited as deciding the question of the ordination of women. But it should be applied to that question only with reserve. Paul is not discussing whether and how qualified women may minister, but how women should learn (v. 35)

During assemblies of the church at Corinth, women were not permitted to speak in the process of evaluating prophetic utterances (vv. 29–30, 37). For the sake of propriety and order, they were to ask their own husbands in private at home about what was spoken. These verses should not be taken as a prohibition against women speaking in church. To say otherwise contradicts Paul elsewhere (e.g., 11:5).

1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary 5. The Practical Outcome (14:26–33)

Prophecy is also subject to regulation. Just as in the case of ‘tongues’, there should be no more than two or three prophets speaking at one service.

Tongues

Spiritual gift

They are to speak one at a time, which seems to show that the Corinthians had had experience of a number of people exercising this gift simultaneously, which must have been very confusing. Paul forbids it. Someone must interpret carries on the position Paul has consistently taken up. Edification is the supreme consideration, so ‘tongues’ must not be used unless there is an interpreter. This shows that we are not to think of ‘tongues’ as the result of an irresistible impulse of the Spirit,

They are to speak one at a time, which seems to show that the Corinthians had had experience of a number of people exercising this gift simultaneously, which must have been very confusing.

Someone must interpret

Edification is the supreme consideration, so ‘tongues’ must not be used unless there is an interpreter.

This shows that we are not to think of ‘tongues’ as the result of an irresistible impulse of the Spirit.

A word of instruction (didachē) is a piece of Christian teaching.

A revelation will be some specific matter that God has revealed to the believer, perhaps a ‘prophecy’ or something like it.

Music and Singing

Early church sang a lot - the NT has numerous songs.

A hymn or ‘psalm’ was a song sung often with a meditation

Bring a song your wrote

Played on primarily string instruments

Music was and is important to worship as it is a way to give emotional expression to what we can’t say with words alone.

Ex: Psalms - shouting, singing, dancing, adoring

Joy, gratitude

Bring a song your wrote

Played on primarily string instruments

The music we create reflects deep thoughts, feelings, pain, joys, fears, hopes and expectations for life with Jesus.

Praise

A psalms in the Old Testament, and some think that a Corinthian would come with one of these and perhaps a meditation on it.

Stanley Grenz, Theology for the Community of God

But singing was common among the early Christians (cf. v. 15; ; ; ), and the New Testament has a number of Christian songs (e.g. , , and the songs in Revelation).

Praise

Bringing our emotions into the act of worship.

Praise

The way we bring our emotions into the act of worship.

Singing moves us into praise and provides the medium for the expression of emotion - joy, gratitude, etc.

God calls for worship that involves our whole being.

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

Ex: Psalms - shouting, singing, dancing, adoring.

Singing moves us into praise and provides the medium for the expression of emotion - joy, gratitude, etc.

God calls for worship that involves our whole being.

Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

Everyone Plays

In early church worship, everyone got to play. More spontaneous due to smaller groups meeting in homes however, it was done with intention and order. While there was more freedom for all, some cultural realities and norms framed their worship practices.

Being a member of the church of Jesus Christ and a local congregation is a mutual covenant agreement to walk together as God’s people. Each person senses a responsibility to belong to God and to nurture the confession of Christ in others.

Stanley Grenz, Theology for the Community of God

Paul directed the Corinthians to welcome one another when they assembled to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

CSB Study Bible: Notes

By way of a summary, Paul directed the Corinthians to welcome one another when they assembled to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

Exploring their gifts - specifically prophetic gifts

Exploring their gifts - specifically prophetic gifts

Become more open to a variety of ways to offer worship to the Lord - silence, exhuberance, verbal, etc.

Become more open to a variety of ways to offer worship to the Lord - silence, exhuberance, verbal, etc.

Mutual submission

Mutual submission for the greater good

Surrender to authority on how worship is to happen.

CSB Study Bible: Notes

Again Paul emphasizes the importance of self-restraint for the greater good; see note at 11:33–34.

Gathering/Approaching Worship

Gather for Worship

Worship is an expression and witness of the reality of the Kingdom of God.

Come prepared, ready to worship.

When you don’t feel like it.

When they’re not doing the thing you like.

Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

A Holy Expectancy

Go praying, expecting and looking for God to do a new and living work among you.

Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

Get here early and begin to lift our hearts to the king.

Learn the voice of the spirit.

Pray for those leading worship - imagine the presence of the Lord in and around them.

Live every day as a Kingdom citizen - with Jesus, listening to his voice, doing what you see him doing.Get here early and begin to lift our heart in adoration of the king.Pray for those leading worship - imagine the presence of the Lord in and around them.As people arrive, look around for others who might need prayer and walk them into the refreshing presence of the spirit in your prayers for them.

Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

As people arrive, look around for others who might need prayer and walk them into the refreshing presence of the spirit in your prayers for them.

Worship is not a time for comfort or personal preference. It is a time of opening ourselves to the adventurous life of the spirt.

Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

Go: The Fruit of Worship

Worship is an expression and witness of the reality of the Kingdom of God.

Just as worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience.

To stand before the God of the universe is to be changed.

If worship doesn’t move us into obedient action, it has not been worship.

“[Worship] enables us to hear the call to follow Jesus and do the things he did and instructed from joining him in the battle against the forces that are harassing us personally, those he wants to restore to himself (socially), and institutionally in confidence, love, grace, and truth, prayers, tears, in patience, faithfulness and in all the fruit of the spirit that we may overcome evil with good.”

It enables us to hear the call to follow Jesus and do the things he did and instructed from joining him in the battle against the forces that are harassing us personally, those he wants to restore to himself (socially), and institutionally in confidence, love, grace, and truth, prayers, tears, in patience, faithfulness and in all the fruit of the spirit that we may overcome evil with good.

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

Those who have learned and experienced the voice and presence of God in every day life can never again life satisfied without the practice of the presence of God and doing what they see Jesus doing.

Learn the voice of the spirit.

Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

Foster, Celebration of Discipline.