EVEN GREATER THINGS: WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN?

 Audio for the following may be found here. You may also listen to podcast episodes here.

“EVEN GREATER THINGS:” WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN?

            Jesus says that his people will be able to do even greater things than him (John 14:12). Various interpretation exists surrounding this statement. Being careful not to misinterpret or misrepresent what Jesus says, believers should understand the possibilities of what he means. I believe there are two primary meanings behind Jesus’ words, which should be carefully considered when dealing with the church’s work.

Greater by Volume

            One interpretation of Jesus’ words suggests that he means greater by volume, i.e. the number of people reached with the gospel. Consider the incredible advances modern generations have compared to those during Jesus’ earthly ministry. With the invention and advances of the web, swift travel, television, radio, and other mass-communication devices, God’s people can reach more people than in any point in human history. Certainly, Jesus impacted the world more than any other figure in history; yet, the church now has the capability to exceed the number of people even Jesus reached during his earthly ministry. In that regard, it, therefore, makes sense that Jesus would suggest that his people would do even greater things than he.

Greater Participation in the Spirit

            Perhaps, Jesus means a greater participation in the Spirit. Prior to Pentecost, believers did not have the free outpouring of the Holy Spirit, i.e. while surely the Spirit existed, he was not freely given to God’s people as he has been since Pentecost. Believers now have the full capacity of the Holy Spirit poured upon them; additionally, God the Spirit indwells the hearts of his people. On that first birthday of the church, God richly poured himself upon his people and has indwelled the hearts of believers since that time. Christians then participate in an even greater manner than followers of Christ during his earthly ministry. It is not that participation in the Spirit did not subsist during Jesus’ earthly dwelling; yet, the fulfillment of the Holy Spirit dwelling among his people had not yet occurred until Pentecost. Christians may now participate fully in the Spirit as the people of God rather than in a manner that was seemingly held back from full employment. In this way, the church can do greater things than not only the followers of Jesus during his earthly ministry but Jesus himself as well. No longer do God’s people have to come before a priest to approach the throne of God, for they can come directly to him as priests themselves. Such participation is vastly different even from those in Jesus’ own ministry. Because of this access and this participation in the Spirit, the church can accomplish even greater things than Jesus himself did.

Greater Things because of the Greater One

            Doing greater things does not mean being greater; Jesus is still the greatest and will always be the greatest (because he is God). While the capacity to reach people with the gospel has greatly increased since Jesus’ earthly ministry, the only reason God’s people have such access is because of Jesus. Thus, while the church can accomplish greater things, it is because of the one who is greater: Jesus Christ. No matter what we do for the glory of Christ, may we never forget that it is all because of him. Any good that comes from our lives should be returned as praise to the only one worthy; let us then give thanks to God for the honor of sharing in his story by participating with him in his work.

SECULAR HOLIDAYS: AN ARGUMENT AGAINST CENTERING CHRISTIAN WORSHIP AROUND THEM

 Audio for the following may be found here. You may also listen to podcast episodes here.

SECULAR HOLIDAYS: AN ARGUMENT AGAINST CENTERING CHRISTIAN WORSHIP AROUND THEM

            Today is Mother’s Day. As such, many churches (particularly American churches) will honor mothers. While there is nothing wrong with honoring mothers, believers should question the approach churches should take in doing so. Moreover, Christians should consider whether to employ any secular holiday in the context of worship. Certainly, one may celebrate a secular holiday and glorify God; yet, placing its focus in Christian worship gatherings raises an entirely new set of questions. My argument is that secular holidays are not rooted in biblical Christianity and, therefore, have no place in weekly Christian worship. I have three pillars to my argument, which support the overarching notion that secular holidays should be removed from Christian worship.

 

The Focus of Christian Worship Should Solely Be God’s Glory

            The only issue that matters in all of life is God’s glory; his glory is always the issue no matter the situation. Even more, Christian worship holds the glory of God as its central focus. By nature, Christian worship is designed for God’s people to take a small amount of time each week and focus on God, his story, and what he has done for his people. Anything that distracts from this central focus should not be incorporated. This is not to suggest that real elements of human life cannot or should not be acknowledged, for certainly, God cares about his people in all regards; it is, however, to suggest that when these peripheral matters because an element on which God’s people focus, it is wrong. Mother’s Day, for example, is not a biblical holiday or even one derived from Christian principles. Surely, everyone alive has a mother and motherhood should be honored and celebrated; yet, when the entirety of a Christian worship service is designed around the celebration of mothers, God’s glory is lost. Acknowledge and celebrate mothers; do not, however, make the Hallmark holiday itself a focus of an entire worship gathering. The same could be said of patriotic holidays. Jesus did not die for the American dream so to place the United States on the same level of honor as God himself is nothing short of idolatry. In fact, I suggest that any nationalistic approach to Christian worship should be avoided. I am thankful for the country in which I live; yet, I do not attempt to place my country on the same level of honor as my God. Many might argue that they do not do so even in a patriotically-themed worship service. Nonetheless, I would invite them to examine the elements of the service; most of the time, they will quickly realize that American patriotism (or otherwise) is elevated to or above God’s glory. The focus of Christian worship should unapologetically be God’s glory, not the happiness or pleasures of others.

 

Centering Worship around Secular Holidays Places Them on an Equal Level to the Gospel

            Already briefly mentioned, when a worship service is centered around a secular holiday, not only is God’s glory lost, people gain the idea that these non-biblical holidays are equal to the gospel story. One might think, for example, that July 4^th is equally worthy to be celebrated as the birth of Christ. Christian worship is designed to tell the story of God and his people, which is why liturgical traditions utilize a lectionary that moves through the entire Bible. Mixing secular holidays with the story of God could easily confuse people to believe that extra-biblical events are equal to the gospel story. Ministers and worship leaders should be careful not to take a syncretic approach to Christian worship. Certainly, celebrate and acknowledge the good aspects of life; yet, mixing secular holidays with the story of God portrays the wrong message. Nothing is equal to the story of God. As a younger man, I was adamantly opposed to the employment of a lectionary. Now, however, I fully support it, for it focuses Christian worship on the full gospel story without any influence of secular nature. As the adage goes, keep the main thing the main thing.

 

Younger Generations Learn from and Imitate What We Do

            Younger generations constantly watch what we do as experienced believers. When a young worship leader or minister sees God’s people incorporating secular holidays in a Christian worship context, the chances of him or her doing so to an even greater degree are high. Whether we realize it or not, we are being watched. The influence is perhaps subconscious but certain. To model the supremacy of the gospel story in Christian worship, leaders should be careful to design the experience with a central focus on God and his glory. With Scripture permeating the worship dialogue, meaningful and well-thought prayers, and music with a central theme, churches can assuredly provide a good example to younger generations. Whether using a lectionary or not, churches should strive to tell the story, i.e. every portion of the worship service should be a part of the dialogue. Churches have become so accustomed and okay with disconnected worship dialogues that many people do not realize the importance of planning. Some may feel that planning quenches the Holy Spirit; I contend, however, that the Holy Spirit moves equally through planning as he does through spontaneity. As a good example for younger generations then, believers should strive to proclaim the gospel story and eliminate any distractions from the worship experience that hinder the proclamation of the gospel story.

 

God Has Redeemed His People; Doesn’t He Deserve a Fraction of Their Time?

            If churches cannot remove their own desires and devices for a brief time so that his story is proclaimed each week, how important is the gospel in their lives? Many people do not understand the seriousness of worship; it is unequivocally the most important thing God’s people do. For a brief time, people should remove all distractions for the sole purpose of glorifying God through the proclamation of his story. There is plenty of time to recognize secular holidays and even do so in a way that glorifies God. The Christian worship gathering is not one of those times. The argument against the employment of secular holidays in Christian worship, therefore, is one supported by the church throughout history and one that should remind people of the vast importance of Christian worship gatherings.