1 Corinthians 12: 12-31

The Synergetic Principle

Let’s now take the principle of synergy further. Why did we get out of bed this morning when many others choose the luxury of sleeping in after a busy week's work? Or choose to go off for sport or other form of relaxation? What is so special that we have come here together to do? If an alien were to walk in now what first impression it would gain from our gathering? What is the church? In what way is worship to be the central underlying facet of who we are as a people of God? Who are we and what ought we be and be doing when at worship?

Christians in the church with their various points of disagreement have been described like porcupines trying to cuddle, or like balls on a billiard table that come out for a time, bump each other and go back into their pockets again..

The church is like any other community group - a fragile group of disparate factions. The tragedy is that when it doesn’t allow the Spirit of God to change or transform us it stays disparate, irrelevant, powerless and useless. The church of Jesus has an advantage over every other group in society in that its purpose and reason for being lies outside of itself.

The church exists as a community, a koinonia, individuals held together by a common unity - the love of God expressed in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a gathering of specially gifted people each having differing tasks.

So that these tasks may be carried out, not for our own glory but in service of Jesus Christ, God through His Spirit manifests himself in a variety of ways: a message of wisdom, a message of knowledge, deep and certain faith, gifts of healings, ability to perform miracles, the gift of prophecy, of discerning spirits, of speaking in tongues, interpreting these tongues.

These are not gifts but the tools God gives. God’s grace with flesh on. God gives power as we use these tools. Given, not for individual edification, but for the common good. All of these manifestations should be actively present in the life of the church. So why aren’t they?

Two problems are evident from the very beginning concerning these manifestations and are addressed by Paul to the church Corinth and therefore to us.

The first can be called charisphobia. A phobia is a fear. There are two fears: fear of the Holy Spirit and what He will do with us; and fear of what others will think of us, whether they think we’ve are too religious, unbalanced, over the top.

There’s a song: "It only takes a spark to get a fire going" A spark can either be gently nurtured and whipped up into a great flaming and powerful force - or it can be snuffed out.

Some fears have arisen because, having been whipped up, the fire has raged out of control; dividing the people or causing jealousy. Gifts have been rejected, and strong attempts made to put out the fire rather than direct people into the fire place: the authority of the church

The second problem Paul addresses: charismania: the out of control fire - lead by human elements. Paul doesn't tell people to put out the fire because they’re playing with a powerful force, full of great potential for life and healing and freedom. but that the manifestations are God-given when filtered through the sacrifice of a greater gift - God's love.

The Holy Spirit is the demonstration of God's power. The Holy Spirit is the gift of God for the church and the way that Jesus empowers the people of God. And so the Spirit should be manifest in the church. Each is no more or less important than the other.

We each have, by definition, at least one of these spiritual gifts and ought contribute in a

number of gift areas to enable the church to carry out its threefold task of ministry.

Let me describe the journey of one UC we visited a fews years ago, which in risky faith opened itself to the Spirit's movement and the Scripture's truth and embraced the teaching of Jesus found in our gospel reading: The Spirit of the Lord is upon us. He has anointed us.

They found in the Scripture the answer to the question why the church gathers together. It is to carry on the threefold task of Jesus: - preach the gospel, heal the sick, set free those who are oppressed by demon spirits. That is our core business!

A refocussing of their ministry brought such growth that the congregation extended its facilities 4 times in 3 years. Not because of any flamboyance of this form of ministry; on the contrary it is a gentle, balanced ministry. Rather because it is a ministry which involves the whole church not just the minister. Ordinary people made extraordinary because they display the same sort of boldness the early disciples displayed after Pentecost.

There are a number of prayer ministry teams supported by other people who pray regularly and constantly for the congregation, for the city and people. They don't just share faith but regularly study the scriptures and apply them in their lives. Faith is lived. Teams are made up of ordinary people who have been gifted by the Spirit; in exactly the same way that we’ve been gifted. They’re USING these gifts with tremendous results for the kingdom of God.

By all means, let us rejoice in and affirm our individuality - but only insofar as it serves the common good. Insofar as it brings increase into the kingdom of God. We are like a body. Each person, each manifestation of the Spirit is essential, yet each different. But each is no more or no less important. May we dare to ask the Holy Spirit to manifest His gifts so that the unity of the worship and witness of this people of God may reflect the threefold ministry of Christ and draw people into His kingdom.