Our T-cells have to be engaged for our bodies to stay healthy, but how do our souls stay healthy?
We engage our W-cells. As in worship cells.
Rejoicing when we don’t feel like it isn’t hypocrisy; it’s obedience.
I love how the Bible doesn’t make us view the lives of those who went before us from the nosebleed section of life’s auditorium. Nope. They are up close in living color.
Today, the early church is on the stage. They are found showing forth a power that looked confusing to those around them…and people thought they were drunk.
Acts 2:15 tell us this: “These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!
No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.”
“Do not be drunk but be filled with the H/S.”
The first words that are ever used to describe the church in human history are these: “They look drunk.”
Don’t you love the Bible. God doesn’t have a problem with our raw reactions that look different than what we expected. Our Divine Dad tells the story like it is. He was honest and Acts 2 shows us how things happened when the unbelievers showed up and wondered what was going on.
The Apostle Peter had to remind them that it was only morning… and he spoke out boldly saying:
“We are not drunk. We are filled with the Holy Ghost.” Wait, they must have been acting in a way that was equated to drunkenness. Friends, think about it…
How much of that is being said about the church in our day? Rarely
If anything seems too uncultured, we raise our eyebrows and look away and stay away.
I wonder if today’s church is too cultured.
As in no oddness please.
Are we too relevant for that kind of display in our churches today. Is it nonsense?
Throughout church history, we see outrageous surrender.
We see Mary giving it all at the feet of Jesus – the crowd disappeared in the audience of one.
We see David dancing before God and showing skin. His own wife was offended at his display of freedom.
The whole nation is watching you, David.
Why are you dancing like this? What happened to your composure?
Scripture tells us that she was barren until the day of her death by her judgement of David’s abandonment to His God.
What can we learn from this story?
Our own self-righteousness or indifference to celebrate God’s freedom in our lives or the lives of others can lead to spiritual barrenness.
We have barren churches and movements across America and dead places where God’s power should be present but it is not.
Let’s read Eph 5:15 in full:
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”
Next week, we are going to continue this conversation on being filled with the spirit.
Join us and invite others to do the same.
