And they sang a new song:    “You are worthy to take the scroll       and to open its seals,    because you were slain,       and with your blood you purchased men for God       from every tribe and language and people and nation.    You have [...]]]> Someone mentioned Revelation 5.9 to me recently:

And they sang a new song:
   “You are worthy to take the scroll
      and to open its seals,
   because you were slain,
      and with your blood you purchased men for God
      from every tribe and language and people and nation.
   You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
      and they will reign on the earth.”

Which reminded me of the film Educating Rita. For those too young to know the film, Rita (played by Julie Walters) is a hairdresser by day and an Open University student by night, seeking to create a better future for herself.

Talking to the English tutor Dr. Frank Bryant (played by Michael Caine), she explains why she wants to study, describing a family night out at the pub: “I did join in the singing but when I turned around, me mother had stopped singing and she was crying. I said, ‘Why are you crying mother?’ and she said, ‘There must be better songs to sing than these.’ And I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s what I’m trying to do—sing a better song.’”

I’m not sure there will be a better song than Rev 5.9.  And now when things  get tough, I’m glad I’ve read the book and know who it all ends.  The Lamb wins!

God’s view of “dis-ease”

We are placed between two conditions of man.

There was no dis-ease in the Garden.  Although the verdict is open as to whether there was an ecosystem in the same way as we know it, for example [...]]]> These are some notes from a seminar I led recently on prayer ministry.

God’s view of “dis-ease”

We are placed between two conditions of man.

There was no dis-ease in the Garden.  Although the verdict is open as to whether there was an ecosystem in the same way as we know it, for example the food chain.

Nor with there be pain and sufering in heaven (Revelation 21:4).

But the Fall brought pain (Genesis 3:16-19) and death (Genesis 3:22).

Healing in Old Testament

God’s nature is to bring shalom for his people(Exodus 15:26; 23:25, Jeremiah 17:14).  And there are numerous examples of healing (2 Chronicles 30:20; 2 Kings 5:14; 20:5) as the Spirit moved.

Isaiah (53:4-6) prophesies see that Jesus will deal with our sicknesses: ‘by his wounds we are healed’.

Healing in New Testament

The atonement foretold in Isaiah 53 is now realised. 

Jesus’ three-fold ministry was to preach, teach, heal (Matthew 4:23, Matthew 8:16-17; 1 Peter 2:24).

And that now applies to us (Matthew 28:20 ‘all I have commanded you’). Sozo appears 100 times in the New Testament = salvation = made whole. Sozo translated as ‘heal’ 18 times, e.g.’ Your faith has healed you’ (Matthew 9:22). Salvation includes eternal life, forgiveness, deliverance from evil, healing.

Prayer ministry is integral part of:

• Kingdom coming (Matthew 10:7) Jesus and his disciples healed all diseases and cast out demons.
• Gospel is attested by healing, both for Jesus and in the early church.
• Preaching the cross releases power (Matthew 4:23; 10:1; Acts 5:16)
• Being church. The disciples were commissioned and commanded to heal (1 Corinthians 1:17-18; 2:1-5; Matthew 10:8; Luke 10:1)

Healing in church history

There has always been healing in the churches.  The church carries on Jesus’ mission, including healing. No cessation after New Testament times. See my separate blog.

Pivotal role of faith

Healings in the Bible are accompanied by faith of the person with the problem, or a friend/ parent, or the one praying – or all of these.

Key word – expectancy. We need to settle in our heart that God wants us to change, and respond in faith in God.

Faith needs to rest in the power and the will of God, not the wisdom of man. Simple faith in Jesus as healer is necessary, and then we can seek the healing.  We cannot measure faith. It is the object of our faith that is important. We have faith in Jesus, not our faith.

Role of medicine

God given.  Work with it, not against it. Too much reliance.

How should we pray

1. Technique is not that important.
2. Pray for right approach  in each set of circumstances. Will vary in different situations.
3. Praying in twos is best, but frequently have to be on one’s own. More than three is not helpful.
4. Always best to have one person of the same sex as the person being prayed for.
5. There is a place for formal prayer (e.g. healing service, communion) and informal (e.g. after service, in homes, at work?).
6. Laying on of hands is not essential, but touch is helpful (in the right circumstances).
7. Anointing with oil is not essential – it is symbolic. Perhaps should be restricted to ‘the elders’. There is a special role for elders (see James 5:14) but this does not preclude others praying.
8. Prayer at communion can be powerfully used.
9. We should not necessarily expect manifestations. They are not essential, but sometimes happen.
10. Choose location for prayer according to needs expressed. Ask God to give words of knowledge, but he doesn’t always. Check how the person is feeling whilst praying; don’t be in a hurry.
11. Pray with eyes open may be best, unless people find it difficult.
12. Claim healing in faith. ‘Jesus heals you’. May need to rebuke illness/Satan.
13. What about evil spirits? Is it an evil spirit? Ask for discernment in the name of Jesus. Jesus is all-powerful. May need specialist help. Not too common yet in UK? May become more common with the influx of different nations and people open to other religions.

Prayer ministry at GBC

John Wimber commented ‘When we didn’t pray no-one got healed, when we prayed some did’.  So let’s do it.

1. Someone should take overall responsibility.
2. Ideally pray in mixed couples, and vary who prays with whom. Pray for each other. Always pray together before ministering.
3. People involved must be generally acceptable to the congregation (though some will prefer to go to certain people).
4. Need to have a strategy re manipulative people (they deserve prayer too). Err on side of love.
5. Don’t expect glory. That’s God’s. It can be hard, draining work, without necessarily knowing results. Majority probably don’t report outcome.
6. Can take time to build up the confidence of the church.
7. Don’t elevate ministry. Anyone can pray with anyone when necessary – but some are called to minister.
8. Vary what we do e.g. formal/ informal; elders/ others. We need to seek to have prayer seen as a normal everyday occurrence
9. Expect God to act in little things too. Cell members should pray for one another. LT too. Expect response.
10. Allow people to come on behalf of others.
11. Persevere – we never give up praying for people’s salvation from sin, therefore never give up praying for their healing.
12. If regularly involved in prayer ministry expect to be shocked.

Who can pray and what for

All disciples. Some are used more than others and some are more experienced.

Are there times when we should not pray for healing? Yes, if God reveals it is time for death (‘the ultimate healing’), but always pray for pain relief.

An attitude of love and compassion is very important.

Jesus promised greater things than he did (John 14:12) Offer prayer to non-believers – this is seen as loving and caring. A loving community is healing in itself. Seek it.

Problems

Some people are not changed – fact. But we also have strong presuppositions that some things will not be touched and that needs challenging.

The Kingdom has not yet fully come. Jesus healed perfectly. We are imperfect. Faith varies from time to time. We may have faith in Jesus, but not for healing. We can pretend. Fear blocks healing. No illnesses are beyond healing but more serious ones test our ability to trust in Jesus more than less serious ones do.

Sometimes the wrong thing is being prayed for, or there is unconfessed sin, or unbelief. Here discernment and words of knowledge are helpful. It is wrong to blame anyone.

New Testament often mentions suffering. True, but usually in connection with persecution. If God’s will is to heal all, and he is sovereign, why is his purpose not fulfilled? See 2 Peter 3:9.

Encouraged by Satan, we can give up too soon. It is easy to assume it is not God’s will to heal when there is a delay. God’s timing or order of doing things is not necessarily the same as ours.

The awesome part of the series was the baptism of four [...]]]> No sermon notes this week because it was baptisms and therefore a simple outline.What would be on your bucket list?  Mine are:

1. Visit India by train
2. Be happy with what I have and am
3. Be rich with God
4. Leave a legacy
5. Get into heaven

The awesome part of the series was the baptism of four very different people who have met Jesus in remarkable ways. But I also enjoyed the “Bucket List” video!

1 Corinthians 14 34-35 deals with an aspect of the participation of married women in worship.

These verses forcefully forbid women to speak in church. If they have questions they are to ask their husbands at home. They appear to directly contradict 1 Corinthians 11:5 where it is clear that women can and do [...]]]>

1 Corinthians 14 34-35 deals with an aspect of the participation of married women in worship.

These verses forcefully forbid women to speak in church. If they have questions they are to ask their husbands at home. They appear to directly contradict 1 Corinthians 11:5 where it is clear that women can and do pray and prophesy in church. A variety of explanations have appeared:

1. A traditional explanation has been that verses 34-35 are Paul’s standard teaching and that the material of chapter 11 must therefore refer to prayer meetings or some small group meeting rather than the worship service of the whole church.
2. The most popular explanation has been that the women at Corinth were involved in disruptive behaviour. According to this view, the principle of submission (v34) is being lost to a sprit of defiance (v35) and arbitrators of their own church order and doctrine (v36).

   The scenario supposes that the women sat together on one side of the room and the men were on the other. If women shouted questions to their husbands or defiant remarks such behaviour would cause a major disruption of the worship. Such an explanation is certainly possible but we do not know if women and men were seated separately in early Christian worship or not. They were in the Jewish synagogues, but first century Christians worshipped in homes rather than church buildings.

3. Others suggest that the ‘speaking’ refers to nothing more than ‘chattering’; although Paul doesn’t use the word this way in other places. David Prior in his IVP commentary concludes that “these Christian wives had discovered a unique freedom in the life of the Christian community, and it is possible that this freedom had gone to their heads or, more precisely, to their tongues. This lack of self-discipline was causing confusion and disorder in the worship of the church”.
4. Another recent explanation has been that verses 34-35 represent a quotation from the Corinthians. That would solve the problem of contradiction with chapter 11. It also explains the very unusual use of the Old Testament Law as a rule for New Testament Christians to obey in their practice of worship. Talbert argues that verses 34-35 represent the position of at least some at Corinth and that verse 36 is Paul’s “indignant reply.” However, the normal indicators of a quotation from the Corinthians are lacking in this passage.
5. A significant number of commentators argue that these verses were added to 1 Corinthians sometime after Paul wrote the letter. Such an approach used to be labelled “liberal” but the recent massive commentary by the very evangelical scholar, Gordon Fee, takes this position.

The number of explanations put forth for verses 34-35 shows two things. Firstly, it is very difficult to understand these verses. They seem contradict too much of what we know Paul thought about women. And, secondly, no single explanation has been sufficiently satisfactory to gain general agreement.

We may never know with certainty the best way to explain why these verses appear in this place and what we are to make of them. In such cases, a spirit of grace and tolerance is better than one of dogmatic assertion.

What is worship?

  –A common expression

  –Worship (latreia) all the time (Romans 12.1-2)

  –Worship (proskyneo) when the church gathers (John 4:20ff; Acts 2; 1 Cor 12 11; 14:26)

What it isn’t!

–Audience

–Acting (Psalm 22:3)

But it is associating with heaven’s worship (Rev 4:1-7:17)!

  Worship Involves [...]]]>

Understanding worship 101

What is worship?

  –A common expression

  –Worship (latreia) all the time (Romans 12.1-2)

  –Worship (proskyneo) when the church gathers (John 4:20ff; Acts 2; 1 Cor 12 11; 14:26)

What it isn’t!

–Audience

–Acting (Psalm 22:3)

But it is associating with heaven’s worship (Rev 4:1-7:17)!

Worship Involves everyone (v26-35; 39-40)

Hymns and teaching and revelation and tongues and interpretation (v26-28)

Weighing and then accepting instruction and encouragement (v29-31)

Order and peace out of openness to the Spirit (v32-35) and respect for gifting (v36-38)

1 Corinthians 14 34-35 deals with an aspect of the participation of married women in worship.

These verses forcefully forbid women to speak in church. If they have questions they are to ask their husbands at home. They appear to directly contradict 1 Corinthians 11:5 where it is clear that women can and do pray and prophesy in church. A variety of explanations have appeared:

1. A traditional explanation has been that verses 34-35 are Paul’s standard teaching and that the material of chapter 11 must therefore refer to prayer meetings or some small group meeting rather than the worship service of the whole church.
2. The most popular explanation has been that the women at Corinth were involved in disruptive behaviour. According to this view, the principle of submission (v34) is being lost to a sprit of defiance (v35) and arbitrators of their own church order and doctrine (v36).

   The scenario supposes that the women sat together on one side of the room and the men were on the other. If women shouted questions to their husbands or defiant remarks such behaviour would cause a major disruption of the worship. Such an explanation is certainly possible but we do not know if women and men were seated separately in early Christian worship or not. They were in the Jewish synagogues, but first century Christians worshipped in homes rather than church buildings.

3. Others suggest that the ‘speaking’ refers to nothing more than ‘chattering’; although Paul doesn’t use the word this way in other places. David Prior in his IVP commentary concludes that “these Christian wives had discovered a unique freedom in the life of the Christian community, and it is possible that this freedom had gone to their heads or, more precisely, to their tongues. This lack of self-discipline was causing confusion and disorder in the worship of the church”.
4. Another recent explanation has been that verses 34-35 represent a quotation from the Corinthians. That would solve the problem of contradiction with chapter 11. It also explains the very unusual use of the Old Testament Law as a rule for New Testament Christians to obey in their practice of worship. Talbert argues that verses 34-35 represent the position of at least some at Corinth and that verse 36 is Paul’s “indignant reply.” However, the normal indicators of a quotation from the Corinthians are lacking in this passage.
5. A significant number of commentators argue that these verses were added to 1 Corinthians sometime after Paul wrote the letter. Such an approach used to be labelled “liberal” but the recent massive commentary by the very evangelical scholar, Gordon Fee, takes this position.

The number of explanations put forth for verses 34-35 shows two things. Firstly, it is very difficult to understand these verses. They seem contradict too much of what we know Paul thought about women. And, secondly, no single explanation has been sufficiently satisfactory to gain general agreement.

We may never know with certainty the best way to explain why these verses appear in this place and what we are to make of them. In such cases, a spirit of grace and tolerance is better than one of dogmatic assertion.

Worship – You, me and God

•The body will mature as we desire and use the greater gifts (v12:31; 14:39)

•The body will mature as each of us engages 100% in worship (v12:31)

Cell Outline

1. When you come together [as a cell group], everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church”. How could you do that well in your group? What needs to change? Try and start today, by having a time of additional worship based on this principle.
2. How would someone today know that God is present at a service at GBC (v25)? How would you summarise in a brief prayer what you would like God to do for your church in this area?
3. What is the central advice given on worship in verses 26 to 40?
4. Explain what the statement (verse 33), “God is not a God of disorder, but of peace,” means to you in the context of the way you worship at GBC.
5. What application does verse 40 have for our worship at GBC?

Going deeper

1. What do you think Paul had in mind in the instructions for a woman to not speak in church in verses 34-35? How does 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 influence your understanding of verses 34-35?
2. What are verses 37-38 about? Is it fair? Is it right? Would a similar strategy by a pastor towards prophets in our time be appropriate? Why? or why not?

Witness

How can you use the witness of others in baptism this coming Sunday (17^th May) to share about Jesus to those you know? Could you ask someone to come with you to experience this powerful event?

There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer.  It is the only [...]]]>

I’m rather challenged at present by what Bunyan had to say about church.  Bunyan spent about a third of his life in prison for his faith.  Writing from prison in 1662, he says of prayer and worship:

There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer.  It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven.  It is that language wherein a creature holds correspondence with his Creator; and wherein the soul of a saint gets near to God, is entertained with great delight, and, as it were, dwells with his heavenly Father.

 

God, when manifest in the flesh, hath given us a solemn, sweeping declaration, embracing all prayer — private, social, and public — at all times and seasons, from the creation to the final consummation of all things — “God is a Spirit, and they that worship him MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH” (John 4:24).

And later he says that there is no man nor church in the world that can come to God in worship, but by the assistance of the Holy Spirit. “Without the Spirit, [even if] we had a thousand Common Prayer Books, we do not know how we should pray … One word spoken in faith, is better than a thousand prayers, as men call them, written and read, in a formal, cold, lukewarm way. ”  Or he puts it, “When you pray, rather let your heart be without words that your words without heart”.

Worship, he argues, is meaningless if the worshipper knows nothing of the dynamic inner work of the Spirit. Christians will always be non-conformists because they will always be open to the Spirit and the breaking in of the kingdom of God.

God’s people are, as it hath always been, looked upon to be a turbulent, seditious, and factious people (Ezra 4:12-16).

“A turbulent, seditious, and factious people”.  Love it!

John Bunyan on Prayer: Peace Makers, Christ’s Peace, Church Discipline