Jesus' Rules of Order
Jesus’ Rules of Order
Luke 22:24-27; Acts 2:37-47
A dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves…
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The transformation is incredible! In the Upper Room, on the eve of His death Jesus’ disciples are squabbling. At Pentecost, mere weeks later, there is such power and harmony as the greatest revival in the history of the church breaks out!
We can understand what happened in the Upper Room. The disciples were human … like us. They had their little jealousies. Some of them had sharp memories for wrongs and insults. Some of them were aggressive and ambitious; they knew that if you don’t promote yourself in this world, no one else will. They were jockeying for place and position in the kingdom just as would any decent Canadian.
“I deserve the place of honour,” said one.
“You don’t deserve anything,” said another. “I remember how you behaved that time in Caesarea.”
Jesus had to intercede. “The road to greatness lies through serving,” He said. “If you want to be great, then begin as a servant.”
That event is so typical of mere mortals, despite our union with Christ.
It is much harder to understand what happened at the festival of Pentecost. All those people gathered from many points of the globe… A spirit of solidarity among the disciples… No fussing or bickering… Only a witness to Jesus and what God had done at the cross… Then the Spirit of God fell upon them so mightily that the church ever since has celebrated what happened as part of its annual calendar of remembrance.
They moved from quarrelling to concert, from contention to unity. What happened? What would account for such a change? Luke, who reported both incidents, makes the reason perfectly clear. Between the Upper Room and the festival of Pentecost, between the quarrelling and the unity, they had two unforgettable experiences—the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
They had stood by and watched the Master—the One they had followed for years, the One with whom they had walked and worked and eaten and slept, the One who had been their Lord and teacher, as He had been nailed mercilessly to a rough Roman cross and raised against the Judean sky. They had seen Him suffering on the cross. They had watched His life drain out drop by drop as His blood stained the sand and the rocks at the foot of the cross. They had also been astounded by the news of the empty tomb, and by the risen presence of the man who had met them everywhere—now here, now there, and they had marvelled as He told them He would never leave them, that His Spirit would be with them forever. That’s what had happened. The crucifixion and the resurrection had altered their lives forever!
It happens in every age, doesn’t it? A man is rough and unkind, cursing and drinking and bullying the weaker persons around him. He meets the Saviour, comes up against the crucifixion and resurrection, and his life and demeanour are totally altered. He is no longer at the centre of his universe—God is. He is no longer abusive; he is thoughtful and kind—he changes. The old devil in him gives way to a new angel that moves in.
The same thing happens to churches. They become worn-out, self-centred, quarrelsome. People argue over the most inappropriate things. Then they remember the crucifixion and the resurrection. “God forgive us,” they say, “we forgot what it was all about!” And they change! Christ begins to live in and through them again. They stop asking what God can do for them and they instead ask what they can do for God. They are overtaken by a spirit of love and gentleness, of peace and harmony and good will. They begin to whisper again about change and renewal, about doing the will of God. They remember Pentecost, and yearn for what happened then to happen all over again … in them. What did happen at Pentecost?
The People United in A Spirit of Anticipation — Here we read the most astonishing statement: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place [Acts 2:1]. It is astonishing because it points to an uncommon commodity in modern church life—unity. Others have made frequent note that the early believers united for ten days in prayer and Peter then preached for ten minutes resulting in the conversion of three thousand. The contemporary church prays for ten minutes and preaches for ten days and has the audacity to speak of a great revival if three people are converted. The revival in this instance is witnessed in the fact that one hundred twenty people united for ten days in prayer. The harmony preceded the power.
When we meet, we should expect an air of anticipation to be evident in our meetings. Such anticipation is the result of nothing less than the outworking of hearts which are united in expectation that God shall be present. When we have united in prayer, when we have sought the same response of God, we will then find ourselves seized with divine expectation. Jesus promised His disciples: I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it [John 14:13,14].
Of all the requests we might imagine which would bring glory to the Father through the Son, would not the request that He should meet with us find a place at the head of the list? Would not a request that we should see His power and glory displayed among us assume a priority on any list we might imagine? Would not the request that His Name should be magnified be of greatest importance? I suggest that were we to truly understand the glorious consequence of the presence of the Risen Christ with His people we would not permit any temporal and pressing responsibility of the moment to interfere with prayer and petition for that meeting. Dear people, God is clearly pleased with a people living together in unity within the church … and harmony precedes the glorious revelation of His person.
A second aspect of the unity displayed within the apostolic church preceding Pentecost is that the believers endeavoured to know the mind of the Lord. Acts 1:14-20 reads: They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus—he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.”
(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the book of Psalms,
‘`May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it,’
and,
‘`May another take his place of leadership.’”
What I would have you notice in this portion of Scripture is the utter reliance upon the Word of God as the means to discover the will of God which these disciples displayed. Peter makes what must appear to be a common sense appeal for a response by the believers to Judas' suicide. Discontented with a mere appeal to logic, however, he directs attention to the Word of God. The great fisherman thunders It is written as he appeals to the Word of God.
Have you ever noted the number of times these first believers appealed to the Word to discover the mind of God on a given matter? Unlike many modern churches these saints did not meet to merely conduct business and then expect God would somehow meekly ratify their decision. Consider a few examples beyond that already given. Stephen, the earliest Christian martyr, defending himself before the Sanhedrin appealed to Scripture to verify his accusations against the Jewish worship [Acts 7:42]. Paul and the missionaries associated with him repeatedly appealed to the Word of God to validate their teaching [Acts 13:29, 32, 33]. James appealed to the Word for Gentile freedom in the Faith [Acts 15:15]. When defending himself before the same Sanhedrin he had once served Paul appealed to Scripture to acknowledge what would be appropriate action in the presence of the high priest [Acts 23:5]. Later, defending himself before Roman authorities he made similar appeal for the basis of his personal belief [Acts 24:14].
I read the accounts of the first church which are recorded in Acts and I am convinced that the early church believed the Word of God in a way which would embarrass professed believers today. Those first saints not only gave vocal consent to their agreement with the Word but they lived lives which revealed that each member was committed to obedience to the Word. The written Word was nothing less than the revelation of the mind of God and they dared not trifle with His revealed will.
I am bold to say that when the church schedules a business meeting each member of the congregation ought to be present. The business of the church is the business of God which He has entrusted to mere mortals, and that divine business is to be carried out in the power of His Spirit. Before ever we meet each of us should have spent time in prayer and in waiting on Him to discover His will. Thoroughly saturated with the Word we should always ask how a given decision will honour God if it is implemented. We need to again take God seriously. Precious few decisions are of such character that they must be decided immediately without pausing to discover what God would have us do. That we are not prone to wait on the unity of the Spirit is a serious indictment against us as professed believers in the sovereign God. Meetings will become exciting when we acknowledge His presence and seek His will.
There is yet a third facet to the expression of unity within the apostolic church preceding Pentecost: these believers trusted that God would direct them in their search to express His will [Acts 1:23-26]. Let me ask you a disturbing question—disturbing because the question probes deeply into our very hearts. Is God a priority in your life? I trust you answered “Yes” to that question. Answer this related question which begs an answer: Does God truly rule your life? Again, I would pray that the answer you gave is an unqualified “Yes!” Now I challenge you to weigh one last question which flows ever so naturally from the two prior queries. Do answer truthfully. What is there in your life to give evidence that God rules? If the evidence is scant or utterly absent how can you maintain that God is a priority? The evidence that God was sovereign in the life of the early church was that these first saints acted as though He were very real, immediately present, and vitally concerned that the people called by His Name reflect His glory. It is impossible to reflect the glory of God without submission to the presence of God.
The believers remained united in worship and they continued in a spirit of united worship. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved [Acts 2:42-47].
We confess that we are convinced that when we gather to worship God meets with us. Of the early Christians it is said that though they were many, there was but one heart beating among them. For too many churches it might be said that though we are one we live with many hearts beating among us. Let us determine to be once more like these early saints and endeavour to honour God through seeking and finding unity in the Spirit. Let us determine that we will so live that when we meet it is with a spirit of anticipation as we await God’s will revealed to us.
Their Message Glorified the Risen Christ — The first church was entrusted with a message which glorified the Risen Christ. The believers were each filled with the Holy Spirit [Acts 2:4] and they were specifically declaring the wonders of God [Acts 2:11]. Have you ever wondered why God has left you here? Why has God not immediately removed believers from the earth as soon as they believe? As soon as we trust Him and as soon as we are regenerated why would He not take us home? Have you ever wondered about such questions? Underscore in your mind this great truth: We are left on earth that we may glorify Christ the Lord before the world. We live to serve the True and Living God; through our brokenness we reveal His power.
This is a neglected teaching in this day so far removed from the early days of the church. Listen carefully to Christian radio programming and you will discover a disturbing theme. Watch Christian television programs and you will see one similar theme which leaves conscientious believers ill at ease. Read the Christian news magazines and you will find that same disquieting theme. A common theme unites the vast majority of these programs and articles—it is the exaltation of man.
Messages broadcast and printed articles detail how a person may get wealthy, how an individual may conquer disease and injury, how one may obtain greater prestige and presence in the world. All these centre on how man may exalt himself. Wealth is not of itself evil; money is neutral. The conquest of disease or victory over injury is not of itself evil; we properly rejoice at every such victory. Prestige and presence in the world is not of itself evil. However that theme which repeats what I did or what I must do cannot exalt the Lord. This is the disturbing message of the contemporary religious world which should properly disquiet every conscientious saint.
If God has been pleased to entrust money to me, praise His Name. I must acknowledge that I am but an administrator appointed the task of administering those goods to His glory. If God should choose to heal my body, praise His Name. Only let me offer that healed body to serve Him in such a manner that He may be honoured through my service. If God has chosen to confer on me a position of stature and respect in this world I am obliged to understand that I hold that position for His glory. As one who occupies a position of trust and respect I am responsible to determine to use my life to honour Him through influencing others to believe that same Gospel which I have believed. Whatever my position in life I am responsible to ensure that the True and Living God is glorified through me and through the service I offer up to Him.
No doubt the flesh is disturbed by the knowledge that God is far more likely to work in our weakness than in our strength. Paul addressed this subject frequently. On one occasion he invested considerable time detailing something of his view of God’s work in his life. He had just told a wanton church about the great revelations God has given him as he confronted their love affair with the Judaizers. This is what the Apostle said.
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong [2 Corinthians 12:7-10].
It may be a source of encouragement if you were to recall the words of John 3:21. Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. Living by the truth we come into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. We bring glory to God as we reflect His presence in us. Should someone appear to exalt us we are quick to state that it is God who gives us energy. It is God who gives us knowledge and understanding. It is God who instils in us the desire to know His will and the ability to clearly communicate that will. We cannot claim any power or strength or ability of our own; but we acknowledge His power at work in us.
Let’s get practical for a moment. The message we give is seen in the manner of our life. The message we give is revealed through our response to the changing situations we face in life. The message we give is either that God is at work through us or that we are sufficient in ourselves. We recite Philippians 4:13 … do we really mean it? Is it a truth for us, or is it merely another verse? I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. I take special note that it is through Him that I can do everything. The other side of this equation is given by Jesus in John 15:5: I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. Since we know the Son always does what pleases the Father [John 8:29] we are confident that as He works through us we will likewise glorify the Father. Without question, this desire to see God glorified in our message, both the message which is spoken and that which is seen, should control our life as a congregation and our lives as individuals.
The Spirit of God Settled on All Those Present — The disciples surely didn’t expect the Spirit to settle on them while they were praying. They were as surprised as we would be. Imagine thousands of people gathered for a religious celebration, the way we gather for Christmas or Easter; and suddenly, before they knew it, something life changing happened to all of them! It was so exciting that they acted giddy as though they were drunk.
We wouldn’t want anything like that happening to us, would we? Not in our dignified settings for worship with stained glass windows, polished pews and pulpit furnishings. We pride ourselves on our self-control, our gravity, our individualism. We might find it necessary to call the ushers to escort anyone out who got too caught up in the Spirit of God.
“You can do that sort of thing elsewhere,” we say. You know, I would like to be present just one time where the Spirit of God did take over in that way. What a remarkable, unforgettable experience it would be! Feeling the Spirit like the rushing of a mighty wind through the auditorium, shaking the doors and causing the chandeliers to swing wildly, sucking air and rustling the pages of our hymnbooks and Bibles—wow!
Annie Dillman says in Teaching a Stone to Talk that we ought to wear crash helmets in church and strap ourselves to the pews because we don’t know what a dangerous zone this is. I'd like to think she’s right and that one of these days we’re all going to be surprised and overwhelmed by the coming of the Spirit. When it happens, we’ll rewrite our personal theologies and compose some new songs of worship, and the preacher will throw away the sermon he has prepared, and we’ll all hug and weep and laugh, and we too will act giddy and drunk, because it will be unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.
Why must we read Ephesians 5:18 as though it represented some strange theology? Why must we make every effort to explain away that one Scripture as though we were somehow embarrassed to even be associated with that teaching? Why do we ignore the Word of God? You do recall the command which Paul issued in that encyclical to the churches of the Province of Asia? Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Isn’t it about time that each of us realised that God intends for us to reflect His power? Isn’t it about time that each of us realised that God intends for us to be Spirit-filled? The danger of excess seems somehow less problematic to me than does the danger of neglect. How is it that we can ignore this clear teaching of the Word given through the Apostle to the Gentiles? We will avoid the drunkenness, but yet disobey the command to be filled with the Spirit.
I wish that each of us would determine in our hearts that we would not leave this place until we have received a mighty infilling of the Holy Spirit to remove the accumulated dross resulting from years of the self-life. I would that each of us would resolve to wait on God until He equipped us for service, then in a spirit of confidence we would go out to our worlds prepared to witness in power and shake our world with a holy shaking.
The great blot against our church is that we can be explained. The community about us knows us and they can account for our every action. Sociologists explain our social structure as a church. Cultural anthropologists explain our communal interactions and even our congregational activities. Psychologists explain our emotions and our responses to given stimuli. I believe it is about time that God should do something which cannot be explained! He has intervened throughout history in the life of the churches to perform a mighty work as the Spirit descended in power; I pray that He will do that again.
All Alike Shared in the Ministry of Witnessing — The text states that they all shared in the witnessing—each one speaking a different language or dialect. It was as if they were speaking the same language, when in fact they were speaking dozens—perhaps scores—of languages. Their speech that day was sufficiently broad to encompass the languages of all the lands represented by the pilgrims to the Holy City.
The fact is that all of them began to speak in other tongues. Each disciple participated in the witness to the Risen Christ. Before you get too hung up on the experience of speaking in another tongue, consider that the text emphasises the fact that the people present heard them. This is the important point too frequently overlooked. I consider this to be a miracle in itself! Filled with the Spirit we will speak—and people will hear us.
Today we speak and tragically not many people hear us. It can only be because we are not filled with the Holy Spirit. It is because we are filled with “self” and all the deficits which always accompany “self”. We hire a preacher to witness in our place, to visit the sick and the needy, to care for the work of telling others about Christ, all the while forgetting that the command of Jesus to witness was given to all the disciples. Jesus’ command to wait until endued with power from above was not restricted to a few—it was the heritage of all. I am not trying to shirk my responsibility as a pastor; I am making every effort to fulfil that duty. I cannot be thought a good pastor if I permit the flock to avoid sharing in the ministry of witness.
The Believers Shared with One Another — These early believers were so caught up in the Spirit and so happy with one another that they just opened up their purses and their homes. They gave everything they had to the fellowship, holding it all in common for the good of the poor and helpless among them. We read: All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts [Acts 2:44-46a]. Can you imagine that? If that is hard to comprehend, consider that they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people [Acts 2:46b, 47a]. These people actually enjoyed being with one another! They were truly a community of the Faith; they were truly a communion.
Oh, there were one or two clinkers among them. A little later in the book of Acts we read about Ananias and Sapphira—the couple who decided to hold out a portion of their goods. They were struck dead for lying about it. It’s a good thing God hasn’t continued that practice in the church! Nevertheless, most of them enjoyed the blessing resulting from sharing their goods and their lives. They pooled what they had to the glory of God and the power of the Kingdom.
I don’t mean to suggest that it is necessary to take a vow of poverty to become a dedicated Christian; but I do mean that when our heart is right with God we will demonstrate compassion toward one another, being greatly concerned to fellowship with one another. Making a killing at work and boosting oneself up the ladder of success will become secondary to building up the saints in the spirit of holiness. The sacred text says of those first disciples that they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. They were denoted for their devotion; they were devoted to the fellowship.
Just like couples, more churches have conflict over money problems than over anything else. People who can’t get along over money in their own families come to church and get upset about money at the church. Either there isn’t enough to carry out desires and expectations or there is too much to be spent on immediate needs. In either case people disagree about the distribution of the money. Wanting to punish the decision-makers, or not feeling any sense of commitment to the rest of the Body we can withhold our giving and think that we are honouring God. Nothing could be further from the truth. There wouldn’t be any problems about money if we each had the attitude of those folks at Pentecost and opened our purses and homes in the faith that God is going to take care of us in any case. We are prone to speak of our money and of our home, forgetting that God has entrusted all that we hold so that we may glorify Him in administering those goods.
The Church Grew In Numbers And In Power — Do you know what happened at Pentecost as result of all these things—the Spirit coming upon them, sharing in the witness to the Risen Son of God, and sharing with one another? They grew as a church; and I suspect that they grew as individuals. I encourage you to read very carefully what the divine text says of the early church: the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. When were you last in a church where the Lord added daily to the number of that Body? Perhaps God does not intend this to be true for our day or for our church. But if not, why did He tantalise us with the revelation that He did so in Jerusalem following Pentecost? God intends to build His church even today.
We can gather a crowd, but it won’t be a church. Announce that we will give away one hundred-dollar bills to the first two hundred guests and we will have a full house on a Sunday morning. When we run out of hundred-dollar bills we will run out of visitors. We can preach a message which promises ease of life and soothes the fallen heart of mankind and the building will be filled with people wanting to hear what is being said; but when we change the message to align with the Word of God we will just as quickly see the crowds melt away. We can confirm men and women in their sins and they will gladly come to adopt a religious veneer; but when we confront them with their wickedness they will just as quickly flee. When we are filled with the Spirit, sharing in the witness and sharing our lives, we will see God bless by giving people favourable attitudes toward us and God Himself will add to our number on a regular basis.
I suppose that some may raise an objection that God is not likely to act similarly in this day. Wouldn’t you like to find out? Wouldn’t you like to so submit yourself to Him, seeking to permit His Spirit to so rule over our life as a congregation and permitting Christ to exercise real control over His church that we discovered for ourselves whether God is able to do the same today that He did two millennia past? Don’t you wish we could speak from experience instead of speculation? I suggest that we do not have, because we do not ask God. I suggest that when we do ask, we do not receive, because we ask with wrong motives, that we may spend what we get on our pleasures [James 4:2,3]. When did you last pray that God would fill you with His Spirit? When did you last pray that your pastor would be Spirit-filled? When did you last pray that the Spirit of God would control your life just for a day?
It would be enough that they saw daily additions to the church, but we also read that they were enjoying the favour of all the people. I do not suggest that the world will like us; it hated our Master and I cannot believe that the world will like us. In fact I caution against seeking the approval of the world for our actions since we have received the caution from the Lord Himself:
Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets
[Luke 6:26].
The text is careful to explain that they enjoyed the favour of all the people. That word favour is translated from a little Greek word which is frequently translated grace. They had the respect of the populace about them. They had the opportunity to explain what God was doing since they received an opening to speak.
This was a revival in the truest sense of the word. I don’t mean that we should focus on the numbers added regularly to the church, although that feature is an inevitable result of revival. I mean that the fullness of the Spirit of God reigned over the people so that they worshiped with one heart and served with one mind and praised God as with one tongue. They were deeply concerned for one another and demonstrated their concern in practical fashion and they shared the ministry of witnessing instead of thinking that God had somehow instituted a division of labour within the Body. All alike shared in witness and work. All alike demonstrated compassion and concern. All alike united to glorify God. This was revival.
We can approach our church’s business as so many isolated members, individuals grateful for an opportunity to speak our minds about reports of the boards and committees and grateful for an opportunity to speak our minds about what we do and don’t like in our church. We can approach the business of our church in a detached manner which conveys a blasé spirit which reflects our lack of concern. On the other hand we can approach the business of our church in the spirit of Pentecost, knowing that God is waiting to bless our congregation with spiritual power and divine excitement. We can pray for the Spirit to come upon us. We can determine that we will share in the greatest work ever entrusted to humankind, that work of advancing the Kingdom of God through witnessing to those with whom we work and through witnessing to our neighbours. We can joyfully fellowship, sharing our lives and sharing what we have with one another in the confidence that we are going to grow as result of our prayers, our working together and our sharing of our lives. It is up to us.
I challenge you to remember the early church and the vast difference between that quarrelsome meeting in the Upper Room when each of them wanted to get ahead of the others, and the wonderful experience at Pentecost when they were all overcome by the Spirit of God. The difference between the two is accounted for by the fact that between the Upper Room and Pentecost they had the experience of witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. They were with Christ in His dying and they were with Christ in His being raised up from the grave. The whole experience of the church revolved around what God had done in Christ … and it ought to be the same for us.
I recall a story which originated in the hills of eastern Kentucky. An old physician who had gone to that state in the days of the depression related the story about a new church building he had seen erected there. A small choir loft in the chancel doubled as a Sunday school room during the Sunday school hour. Before the choir loft was a simple platform and at the front centre of the platform stood the white oak pulpit.
There were three chairs on the platform, one large one in the centre and two smaller ones on the sides. The minister sat in one of the side chairs and the song leader sat in the other. Because no one ever sat in the big chair in the middle of the platform, someone wanted to know why they had it. “That,” explained the preacher, was “the Jesus Chair.” It was put there to remind the congregation whenever they gathered that the Lord Jesus was the unseen Guest at every meeting, at every worship service, in every situation.
The Jesus Chair! Maybe every church ought to have one. Then we wouldn’t worry about Roberts’ Rules of Order, because we would remember Jesus’ Rules of Order. Then we would be less like the disciples in the Upper Room and more like all those folks at Pentecost. The Jesus Chair would remind us of the cross and resurrection—and they make all the difference in the world. Amen.