Last Sunday fathers were not only being celebrated but they were digging in deep and telling classic dad jokes, as evident on social media. Out of concern for any Dads who may have exhausted their supply and may be in need of updating your....'Dad-a-base' of Dad jokes, allow me....!
First of all, it's important that you're able to tell the difference between a basic pun and a Dad joke. A pun can make you groan, but a Dad joke goes even.....'Father'.
For example, one child complained to her dad that she was getting hungry, to which he replied, 'Well, go look in the fridge – but remember to knock first..., just in case there's a....salad dressing.”
By the way, if you're unsure when a joke becomes a classic Dad joke, you can tell when either it's fully groan...., or when the punchline becomes a-parent! So there you go.
Anyway..., our readings today are father Paul's concluding comments in his second letter to his spiritual children in Corinth. As Paul's prone to do, he uses his favorite word to mark the transition from what he's been writing to what follows, the word, 'therefore'. It's akin to..., “In conclusion...”
As a student writing his term paper put it: “And in conclusion, I restate my main points in a super wordy fashion to squeeze another paragraph out of this paper.”
Some may feel that reflects Paul's conclusion. As a seminary classmate of mine put it: “Flight control to Paul – could you please stop hovering and land your letter already?!”
Actually, Paul's prepared to do just that. “Therefore,” he writes, “my dear brothers and sisters, always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”
(1 Corinthians 15:58)
What follows that sentence is chapter 16, which we just read. Its contents read as though Paul is anticipating their question: “Like what? What kind of work do you mean?”
Paul then provides seven concrete examples of how we can enthusiastically work together for the Lord, making the goodness and love of God...apparent – and that's no Dad joke! It's his call to combat the chameleon complex to blend in and instead stand out...! The first is this - Be Generous!
He begins by talking about taking an offering: “Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God's people in Jerusalem. On the first day of the week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned.” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)
Once again, Paul responds to a question they've put in writing to him. They're not asking if they should contribute financially but how. So Paul urges them to contribute weekly and generously.
Paul reminds us that one of the main ways we work together to do the Lord's work is by giving out of our earnings regularly and generously. It's why LCR tithes on all of the offerings that come in each week. That is, over 10% of what is given goes out to support ministries both local and global such as the Dove House, Habitat for Humanity, the Food Bank and a number of missionaries. Like wise we are all encouraged, like the Corinthians, to tithe on our earnings weekly and generously.
Second: “Be on guard!” (1 Cor 16:13) In his fourth letter Paul elaborates: “I fear that your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted. So be wary of false apostles and teachers.”
(2 Corinthians 11:3, 13)
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One of our great weaknesses is our tendency to seek/encourage the voices around and within us that say what we want to hear, whose message supports what we already think and do. As Paul warns Timothy: “A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound teaching but will follow their own desires and look for teachers who'll tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.”
(2 Timothy 4:3)
So one, be generous, & two be on guard so that as the Who sang it, “we won't be fooled again”!
Three, “Stand firm in the faith.” (1 Corinthians 16:13) That is, keep yourself well connected to the person and teachings of Jesus. Weekly, daily, nurture your faith. Make sure that you give God your ear as often as possible thru daily devotions, weekly small group Bible study and weekly worship.
A young man visiting his grandpa, talked about how busy he was at work, how easily distracted he got due to his social life, and asked his grandpa how he stayed so strong in his faith over the years. Without a word his grandpa picked up a pair of tongs and removed a white hot blazing coal from the fireplace and set it on the mantelpiece, where it quickly went red and then black as it cooled off.... He picked it up again and placed it back in the fire and within moments it went white hot again. He didn't say a word but his grandson got the message. To stay strong and firm, keep your coal in the fire!
Most find that once a week is not enough. We need other avenues, other venues, in addition to weekly worship to keep our faith burning hot. It's why Paul urges us to stand firm in the faith.
Four, “Submit and show appreciation to those who serve you.” (1 Corinthians 16:16, 18) Its a call to resist the inclination to constantly question and disregard those who serve as our leaders and teachers. We read last week of how Paul chastised some of the women who were doing exactly that.
Paul gets specific here by mentioning some of the leaders in question by name such as Timothy, Paul's young protege', and Apollos, a renown and dynamic preacher of his day. They're like guest speakers Paul has sent to them; but he also mentions three local men who are serving among them. He names them in his letter as a way of honoring them, but also to be crystal clear who he's talking about.
As it turns out the three he names are the ones who brought him their letter which Paul is responding to
“I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to submit to Stephanus and his household, the first believers in Greece, and others like them who serve with such devotion. I'm so glad that Stephanus, Fortunatus and Achaicus have come here. They've been such an encouragement to me as they are to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.” (1 Corinthians 16:15-18)
I must say, Claudia and I are so blessed by the way you shower us with such appreciation!
Five, “Be courageous !” (1 Corinthians 16:13) Paul here the fear so many of us experience when it comes to sharing our faith or inviting a someone to worship. We're like the boys in the old Life cereal commercial. “I'm not going to try it – you try it! Wait, let's get Mikey!” Fear is the enemy's weapon of choice in keeping us from being Christ's ambassadors to those who cross our path.
It's why we're called to partner in this. Where one of us has the opportunity to witness or invite another can follow up or pray for the one being invited. As Paul wrote earlier: “The one who plants and the one who waters work together for the same purpose and both will be rewarded...”
(1 Corinthians 3:8)
Most of our guests on the Marriage Course showed up because one of you planted a seed by inviting while others partnered by praying for them. For that to happen we have to fight our inhibitions
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If we're to grow numerically as a mission post of Christ's kingdom, more and more of us are going to have to find he courage to invite those we meet to worship or to the Alpha Course. Yes, many won't come, but just like we've experienced with praying for healing, before we started doing so, none was healed. Now that we do, some are. Not all you invite will come, but some very well may!
Be courageous in inviting! Six, “Be strong!” (1 Corinthians 16:13) This echoes what Paul wrote in his section on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. There, Paul repeatedly refers to how God uses these spiritual gifts to strengthen believers. 'A person who prays in tongues is strengthened personally but one who speaks a prophetic word strengthens the entire church... I wish you could all speak in tongues....or prophesy...so that the whole church could be strengthened.' (1 Corinthians 14:4-5)
How do we be strong? We use the gifts the Holy Spirit gives us, both the natural ones we posses because of our natural abilities and interests, as well as the supernatural ones, like tongues and healing and words of knowledge, to build up the Body of Christ. We become strong as we use what God has given us to encourage one another and are strengthened in our confidence of the love of God in Jesus Christ evident and present among us as we pray for one another and serve one another.
I shared how when we prayed together a few weeks ago one woman in the room experienced a powerful healing in her body. The experience served to not only encourage her but strengthen the faith of her family, and in particular, her husband. She texted me that he'd been praying during the prayer time and that God seemed to impress upon him that if he had the faith of a mustard seed her arm would be healed. “Then you prayed over me and my arm felt warm and tingling and then totally normal – no pain. My husband spoke to our family about all of this and how God used it to increase his faith as well
Be strong in the Spirit! Use your gifts to strengthen one another. And finally, Seven, “Do everything in love!” (1 Corinthians 16:14) It's Paul's underlying message throughout the letter...!
Not sentimental love, or romantic love, or even brotherly love, but do everything in agape love, a Greek word for love that means loving with a selfless, sacrificial, whether you feel like it or not love!
As Christians, we not only have God's Spirit alive within us, but we are bearers of his reckless, unconditional, and transforming love to the world around us, one life at a time! Robby Dawkins tells of a how and his friends from his church embodied that love one day at their local hospital. They had gone there to seek assignments from God by which they could demonstrate His agape love.
In the ER waiting room they came upon a couple of prostitutes. When they offered to pray with them they initially declined but then one of them broke down in tears and shared that her apartment had caught on fire while she was “at work” and that her son had been seriously burned. She shared her fear that the authorities were going to take her son away from her, so Robby and the others knelt beside them and prayed. God gave them insight to her heart and her relationship with her son. He asked her to look at him and he said, “You need to know this, to get this: Jesus loves you. He really loves you!”
Something cracked in the air and she burst into tears. Pretty soon her friend was weeping too. “The two women told us later that it felt as though they were looking into the eyes of love. Now I know for sure that wasn't me.
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“Agape love is power and passion that takes action to set people free. There's nothing sugar-coated about such love. It's the greatest weapon of warfare God has given the church. Simply being more aware of the needs around us is the way to start loving others. We're here to serve, to listen, to intercede and to bring a message of reconciliation to disconnected people from the heart of the Father. When we're willing to take the risk and step out in the belief that Christ is able to work through us, we begin to encounter the presence of the Father and the reality of what it means to be led by Jesus Spirit!
(from Robby Dawkins' Do What Jesus Did)
So “Be courageous, be strong, and do everything in the power of agape love!” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14) “Marantha! (That's Aramaic for 'Our Lord, come!' It's a call for Jesus to return but also to make his presence known here & now!) May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you! Marantha!”
Amen?! (1 Corinthians 16:22-23)