ORDER 101

Lately I had the privilege to share with some precious folks on the subject ORDER.

Truly there's so much to investigate and share on this, the persuasion was different tho'and thoughts kept developing as I meditated after sharing, reading and also learning. I hope my study notes would help.

God is a God of ORDER!
He made all things in and to stay in order. Infact the structure set in the Ephesians hold a lot like that to the Corinthians on this subject of ORDER.

Let all things be done rmdecently and in order - 1 Corinth 14:40

Let's approach this subject first picturing the Local Assembly and musing on the fourteenth chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians. Actually the chapter can be summarised into this as coined and taught by Pst Sekou - Let all play

You don’t come into Pentecost for long before you hear of 1 Corinthians 14. There have been many civil wars fought over that chapter alone than almost any other chapter in the history of the church. Even among Pentecostals there is little agreement on the implementation of that chapter.

Interestingly it is a letter written to a carnal, infantile, bickering, but holy Corinthian church, I really wonder what that says about us these days if we are arguing over that which Paul declared to be milk. If the truth be told, very few are on meat these days, an alarming majority are on husks.

Paul had the full complement of believers at Corinth in view when he wrote this piece. The idea was not “Hey Pastor, read what Paul’s saying, then tell us what to do”

Pentecost was Pentecost because 120 people produced thought provoking pandemonium. Then they gave way for one person to speak, and then they all did something. This cycle repeated many times over, because this is the way that the company of the redeemed function. It was a beautiful tension, but it was an orchestra where all could play whether they were apostles or not. All could play because the veil was torn and all are a holy priesthood gazing directly at the glory of God

I am not discussing tongues or the exercise of utterance gifts today. I am just saying that the apostle labored in the whole chapter to help the Corinthians understand that in the local church, the meeting is about holy participation, and not casual, cold distant observer status that we call order these days. To be sincere we have more order, but it often looks like we have “ordered out” the Spirit. When you read order in 1 Corinthians 14, think ordering “in”, not out. Think in terms of ordered so that all can play.

Whatever tradition or culture is developed in a local church so that the whole body of believers can play, that is correct order, that is what brings the sweet triumphant note of victory into focus.

If all the redeemed ones play, our natural minds will not know what will happen next, but the Head of the church will know, and he will convey it to all those who function by the intelligence that he will supply by the Spirit. We know that somethings will happen and we will test them, improve at holding fast to that which is good, and we will all learn. What a way to play.

Another interesting word in that chapter is “all” and “everyone”. I am convinced that beyond the obvious discussion of the administration of spiritual gifts, Paul was communicating the ethos that exists in the heart of the Father God; the chapter really says let all play.

Granted, that the pastor plays a central role and that should be the case, but is it remotely possible that the Holy Spirit inspires any other than the preacher in the local church? Thinking people who have been inspired by the revelation that we are a brotherhood of holy and royal priests hewn out of the same stone, forming one habitation for God in the Spirit and in-dwelt by a God who speaks, know that far more people should participate vocally  and contribute spiritually in our meetings in the local church.

In the new creation, we see, from the masterful rebukes and corrections that the Spirit gave through Paul to the Corinthian church that input from sources other than the preacher are just as important and normative as anything the preacher might have to say.

The way it is these days, makes for easier management, calls for no real need for wisdom on how to maintain the delicate balance between order and chaos and plainly allows many believers to be lazy and unschooled in the ways of the Spirit and how to test all things, prove all things, have utterances to judge because more often the only one expressing any anointing is the preacher who is mostly already developed.

But what if ours is a church of tens of thousands? Erm don’t let’s go there. Well, maybe Paul has to write 3rd Corinthians! In those cases, we have to task ourselves how to remain scriptural in practice so all blood bought ones can play, for whatever happens, all can play ….

I perceive in my spirit, that some day, not far from now,

church services will be for the local body of believers, and not only the preacher.

They will be conducted so that the believers present

get to acknowledge, yield to, experience, and demonstrate the Holy Ghost, and not so the holy spectators can watch the preacher do so.

We will have meetings where we really are tasked to test all things,

Where we will scratch our heads, surprised by the Spirit and his ways

boldly correct some things that need correcting, and all learn the ways of the Spirit.

A company is rising that will be uncomfortable with the silence we now call order,

they will be ready to swim with God into deeper shores. They will see the borderland of things spiritual, and answer the call of the supernatural

It might not be good for TV, but it will make for the return of a supernatural christianity,

it will push the preachers into new levels of growth.

Ah! orderly chaos require heavenly strategy. Get ready!!!