"For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power."
1 Corinthians 4:20
Sometimes, I think if the Church could only take this verse on as a life verse, a lot of the problems we have would fade away. Ironically, a lot of churches seem to be more about talk than about power. We talk about the way things should be done, we talk about each other, we talk about the car the pastor drives or the house the corps officer lives in. But how often can we really say we are about the business of experiencing the power of the Kingdom of God when we are at church?
It's always a little funny to take a shot at blogging within the confines of a blog post, but even this medium can serve to encourage us to talk and not to tap into the power of the Kingdom of God.
Event Christianity comes into play here as well. Lots of people love to go to conferences and retreats and talk about how life will be different when they return. Those of us who plan such events often struggle to be sure that anything ever truly comes out the mountaintop times.
I think the challenge is that it's so easy to talk, but it takes a lot more work to be disciplined enough to experience the power of God regularly. Some of that is about noticing the power of God in the small things of life. Part of it is about being in the spiritual disciplines enough to position ourselves to experience power. A lot of it is about being Kingdom-minded rather than concentrating on the small things in front of us on a daily basis. David Crowder has a song about it. Wanna hear it? Hear it go...
How Great from Illuminate
Listen.
I'm so bored of little gods while
standing on the edge of something large
Standing here so close to You
We could be consumed. What a glorious day
I give up. I lay down. Rest my face upon the ground
Lift my eyes to your sky. Rid my heart of all I hide
So sweet this surrender
How great Your love for us
How great our love for You
That grace would cover us
How great Your love
How marvelous. How brilliantly.
How luminous You shine in me
And who can fail to give You awe?
To fear You God so sovereign and strong?
How great your love.
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6 comments:
I think power is a great thing. I also think that there must be a balance here.
I think too often we have non-thinking Christians, whose faith is embedded. They have not worked out their faith. They have accepted someone else's.
I think talking about faith is a great thing, as long it does not become cynical. REal questioning and exploring the deep issues of faith, I believe is welcomed by God.
Unfortunately, I think we do too much grumbling, not enough searching. Therein is the difference. Searching and reasoning with God helps us find His power. It certainly does not come from events alone, but can be sparked by them. I guess that is why Jesus called us to seek the Kingdom and the prophet asked us to reason together.
I guess this comment is more in response to Larry's comment than to the original post.
Searching for God and his will has long been a pet peeve of mine. Although there is a place for it, I think many Christians either a) do too much of it or b) use it as an excuse to not take action. Have I ranted on this in this comments field before? Perhaps.
I've been rereading Micah. God shows himself to be seriously powerful in the words of his prophet Micah, calling out to the mountains to witness the sins of his people and calling for some serious destruction.
And the people respond with their plaintive
6 With what shall I come to the LORD
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
7 Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
In today's parlance, I hear them saying "Sheesh, God, what do you want from me?" and then offering up their most outrageous list. "You want my SUV? You want me to sell my house and live near poor people? You want me to do things my friends from college don't understand and might make fun of me for?"
And God says YUP. Or rather, he says "Don't exaggerate about your stuff. I'm asking you to do something more radical":
Act justly
Love mercy
Walk humbly with Me.
Now that is power. It is simple power that doesn't take much talk or searching or reasoning to understand.
Wow! great stuff Drew! I love the word of God. I love when I hear it come alive in the thoughts and lives of others. Thank you for bringing those verses alive for me today in your responce to Larry.
oops! sorry Jeff, I guess I didn't see the "bro" part- is it possible to mix up twins on blogger!!?? I guess so! LOL! You take that comment from me back from Drew....it was yours. ;)
Well put Jeff! I always wonder about our grumblings and what God thinks when we hark on the way things are done here, there, and everywhere else. God has given us all individual gifts and ideas to be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit. Who are we really to question other's motives if they are working at advancing the Kingdom of God?
I guess it would be OK to use other peoples "talk" in this case ....perhaps.....
"I am done with great things , and big things and great institutions and big success. And I am for those tiny,invisible,molecular moral forces that work from individual to individual through the crannies of the world. Like so many rootlets or like the capillary oozing of water, yet which, if you give them time, will rend the hardest monuments of man's pride"
william James said it , but I think that the simple, everyday practice of the gospel of love and service brings power by the sheer weight of its faithfulness and persistent love...... walking with Jesus was the training for discipleship..... not the feast days.....
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