Show Up
Due to the lockdowns, social isolation, and other related factors brought upon by the pandemic in 2020, there was a rise in suicides. According to a CNN report, teens contemplating suicide reached 25%. In Japan the rise in suicides was so high that it prompted the Japanese government to appoint a “minister of loneliness” in an attempt to reduce the social isolation that has been linked to the increase in suicides.
We were created for togetherness, which is why, even before the fall, God declared that it was not good that man should be alone (Gen. 2:18). Loneliness speaks to a human longing and its very existence points to something common to us all. As Lydia Brownback explained, “Loneliness is an indicator that something is missing, and that something is found only in Jesus Christ. He completes what’s missing, that thing we identify as 'loneliness,' beginning from the moment we are joined to him in faith and brought to completion in glory. In other words, the primary reason we are lonely is that we aren’t home yet.”
The unintended consequences of lockdowns and social isolation has not only deepened the loneliness in the world, it has also led many believers to spiritually drift from home—from that place of refreshing fellowship with God and His people. They’re no longer in a place where they are manifesting and maintaining the fellowship of Christ in community with other believers as heavenly witnesses to the world. To be a witness to the world and sustain spiritual health and vitality, Christians must maintain the unity of the faith in the bond of peace and love. Like a human body made up of different parts, the church, the body of Christ is made up of believers uniquely gifted by the Holy Spirit so that we can grow together, refresh one another, and work cooperatively to minister God’s grace in a lost and lonely world (Acts 2:42).
Knowing the need for believers to grow in community with other believers, Paul closes his letter to the church of Corinth by writing: “Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints—be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.” (1 Corinthians 16:15-16)
Paul’s final instructions to the Corinthians involved a man and his family who all had an honorable reputation among them. After highlighting their devotion in serving the church, Paul urges the Corinthians to be subject to this faithful family and to other fellow workers and laborers in the church. Paul also recognizes two other men, who together with Stephanas, had come to Ephesus to be with Paul. He writes: “I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people” (1 Corinthians 16:17-18). In regards to these 3 men, Paul said that they were men who not only refreshed his spirit, but also refreshed the spirits of the Corinthians back home.
Like the apostle Paul, we should regularly express our gratitude and appreciation for the refreshment that comes from the devoted service of Spirit-filled Christians. We all need to receive it and we all need to give it. What makes the devoted service of the saints a refreshment to the soul is that it’s done in love (1 Corinthians 16:13). Because of the sacrificial devotion these men had demonstrated through their refreshing labor to the church, Paul urges the Corinthians in verses 16 and 18 to submit themselves to these men and give them recognition. The culture of Corinth tended to value and give recognition to men with great oratory skills and flare. And because they valued giftedness over character, the church was full of strife, division, and jealousy. So, in his final words, Paul reminds the church that character demonstrated through loving devotion and service is what will give refreshment and bring the church together in love to shine for Christ in a dark world.
How would you describe your involvement in the local church? Like the household of Stephanus, are we devoted to the service of the saints? The church owes a debt of gratitude to those faithful few whose devotion to the church often goes unnoticed. We should go out of our way to show our gratitude in word and by giving them strong support while we do our part to serve the church in love.
As Paul closes out his letter, he shares the greetings of the saints separated by hundreds of miles: “The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the lord. All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand” (1 Corinthians 16:19-20).
The cliquish church in Corinth not only needed to be reminded of the loving fellowship that existed outside of their church, but also of the loving fellowship they needed to cultivate in their own local church. So in addition to sending them greetings from the churches of Asia and a more personal greeting from Aquila and Prisca and the church in their house, Paul exhorted them in verse 20: “Greet one another with a holy kiss.”
I appreciate Chuck Swindoll’s thoughts on this: “Their own local church, marred with schisms, desperately needed to foster an environment of acceptance and forgiveness. Even today, in our stiff, hands-off society, in which real personal relationships and life-on-life intimacy are cheapened by online networks, many of us feel afraid to literally reach out and embrace somebody. We would just as soon text them, email them, or leave a voice message. But we need to freely give and receive tangible signs of affection—the squeeze of a hand, a friendly embrace, a genuine expression of affirmation. One of the best ways to truly communicate our love to others is through personal presence and tangible contact.”
Thank God for technology, but virtual church, which is an oxymoron, should not and cannot be a substitute for physical presence and tangible contact. We need to respect the space of others and never force ourselves upon anyone. But we cannot allow a culture of isolation and individualism to dictate the culture of the church or deter us from the loving affection that must be appropriately cultivated in the church.
Remember, Paul wrote this letter to bring much needed instructions and correction to a church that because of a lack of love, was not displaying the unity that must characterize the church of Christ. And because of the lack of love, they were poor witnesses to the world of the reconciling power of the gospel. As Adrian Rogers suggested: “Far more damage is done in our churches by those who are not Spirit-filled than those who are drunks. Far more harm is done by people who are trying to do the work of God in their own flesh.”
It’s important to note that the final instructions Paul gives for how to be healthy Christians, who make up healthy churches, is not something we can do in our own strength. You cannot give what you don’t have. This is why Paul writes in verse 22: “If anyone has no love for the lord, let him be accursed. Our lord, come.” To understand what Paul is saying in his pronouncement, we need to interpret it in the context of Paul’s instruction for the church to serve one another in loving fellowship. To be accursed is to be separated from the loving fellowship of God and His people who live in the hope of Christ’s return. So Paul is saying that if someone chooses not to respond to the love of God in Christ, then let him remain outside the blessings of this community as a consequence or his own decision.
But when you know the love of God not only will you love God and look forward to Christ’s return, you will also love what He loves. And understanding that we cannot know His love apart from being strengthen by the Spirit in our inner man, Paul concludes: "The grace of the lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen” (1 Corinthians 16:23-24).
The Apostle Paul understood that the only thing that could heal the disunity in the church was for the grace of God to be with them. This is why he not only ends his letter with the benediction of grace, he also began his letter by writing, "grace to you" (1 Corinthian 1:3). And the point is that Paul knew that through his letter, which was inspired by the Holy Spirit, grace would be imparted to the Corinthians in order to strengthen them to be the church that God called them to be.
Paul also concludes his letter with: “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” He wanted them to know that despite their flaws, he loved them. But more than that, he wanted them to experience his love which was rooted in Christ Jesus. Because it’s knowing His love more fully through the work of the Spirit within, that compels us to be devoted to the service of flawed believers to the praise of His glory and grace.
A community that experiences the love of God will be compelled to share the love of God with one another. As believers, we can know His love more deeply through the grace that comes to us as we commune with God and one another in prayer and the word. Jesus is the living water that our souls need to be refreshed and renewed. We must make time to enjoy His presence, which is manifested in us as we abide in Him and work for Him (John 15:1-8).
If we are going to be refreshing to others for Christ, we must be present in their lives. I often hear Christians praying for the presence of God to show up. Show up where? The presence of God manifests in and through the life of believers. God shows up when Spirit-filled Christians show up to be a blessing to others.
Remember that our first calling is not ministry, but intimacy. Ministry is the overflow of intimacy. As we daily draw near to God, may His love overflow in our lives and enable us to be a refreshment to one another and to a thirsty world for the greater fame of Jesus.
Author: Pastor Marco David
We were created for togetherness, which is why, even before the fall, God declared that it was not good that man should be alone (Gen. 2:18). Loneliness speaks to a human longing and its very existence points to something common to us all. As Lydia Brownback explained, “Loneliness is an indicator that something is missing, and that something is found only in Jesus Christ. He completes what’s missing, that thing we identify as 'loneliness,' beginning from the moment we are joined to him in faith and brought to completion in glory. In other words, the primary reason we are lonely is that we aren’t home yet.”
The unintended consequences of lockdowns and social isolation has not only deepened the loneliness in the world, it has also led many believers to spiritually drift from home—from that place of refreshing fellowship with God and His people. They’re no longer in a place where they are manifesting and maintaining the fellowship of Christ in community with other believers as heavenly witnesses to the world. To be a witness to the world and sustain spiritual health and vitality, Christians must maintain the unity of the faith in the bond of peace and love. Like a human body made up of different parts, the church, the body of Christ is made up of believers uniquely gifted by the Holy Spirit so that we can grow together, refresh one another, and work cooperatively to minister God’s grace in a lost and lonely world (Acts 2:42).
Knowing the need for believers to grow in community with other believers, Paul closes his letter to the church of Corinth by writing: “Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints—be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.” (1 Corinthians 16:15-16)
Paul’s final instructions to the Corinthians involved a man and his family who all had an honorable reputation among them. After highlighting their devotion in serving the church, Paul urges the Corinthians to be subject to this faithful family and to other fellow workers and laborers in the church. Paul also recognizes two other men, who together with Stephanas, had come to Ephesus to be with Paul. He writes: “I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people” (1 Corinthians 16:17-18). In regards to these 3 men, Paul said that they were men who not only refreshed his spirit, but also refreshed the spirits of the Corinthians back home.
Like the apostle Paul, we should regularly express our gratitude and appreciation for the refreshment that comes from the devoted service of Spirit-filled Christians. We all need to receive it and we all need to give it. What makes the devoted service of the saints a refreshment to the soul is that it’s done in love (1 Corinthians 16:13). Because of the sacrificial devotion these men had demonstrated through their refreshing labor to the church, Paul urges the Corinthians in verses 16 and 18 to submit themselves to these men and give them recognition. The culture of Corinth tended to value and give recognition to men with great oratory skills and flare. And because they valued giftedness over character, the church was full of strife, division, and jealousy. So, in his final words, Paul reminds the church that character demonstrated through loving devotion and service is what will give refreshment and bring the church together in love to shine for Christ in a dark world.
How would you describe your involvement in the local church? Like the household of Stephanus, are we devoted to the service of the saints? The church owes a debt of gratitude to those faithful few whose devotion to the church often goes unnoticed. We should go out of our way to show our gratitude in word and by giving them strong support while we do our part to serve the church in love.
As Paul closes out his letter, he shares the greetings of the saints separated by hundreds of miles: “The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the lord. All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand” (1 Corinthians 16:19-20).
The cliquish church in Corinth not only needed to be reminded of the loving fellowship that existed outside of their church, but also of the loving fellowship they needed to cultivate in their own local church. So in addition to sending them greetings from the churches of Asia and a more personal greeting from Aquila and Prisca and the church in their house, Paul exhorted them in verse 20: “Greet one another with a holy kiss.”
I appreciate Chuck Swindoll’s thoughts on this: “Their own local church, marred with schisms, desperately needed to foster an environment of acceptance and forgiveness. Even today, in our stiff, hands-off society, in which real personal relationships and life-on-life intimacy are cheapened by online networks, many of us feel afraid to literally reach out and embrace somebody. We would just as soon text them, email them, or leave a voice message. But we need to freely give and receive tangible signs of affection—the squeeze of a hand, a friendly embrace, a genuine expression of affirmation. One of the best ways to truly communicate our love to others is through personal presence and tangible contact.”
Thank God for technology, but virtual church, which is an oxymoron, should not and cannot be a substitute for physical presence and tangible contact. We need to respect the space of others and never force ourselves upon anyone. But we cannot allow a culture of isolation and individualism to dictate the culture of the church or deter us from the loving affection that must be appropriately cultivated in the church.
Remember, Paul wrote this letter to bring much needed instructions and correction to a church that because of a lack of love, was not displaying the unity that must characterize the church of Christ. And because of the lack of love, they were poor witnesses to the world of the reconciling power of the gospel. As Adrian Rogers suggested: “Far more damage is done in our churches by those who are not Spirit-filled than those who are drunks. Far more harm is done by people who are trying to do the work of God in their own flesh.”
It’s important to note that the final instructions Paul gives for how to be healthy Christians, who make up healthy churches, is not something we can do in our own strength. You cannot give what you don’t have. This is why Paul writes in verse 22: “If anyone has no love for the lord, let him be accursed. Our lord, come.” To understand what Paul is saying in his pronouncement, we need to interpret it in the context of Paul’s instruction for the church to serve one another in loving fellowship. To be accursed is to be separated from the loving fellowship of God and His people who live in the hope of Christ’s return. So Paul is saying that if someone chooses not to respond to the love of God in Christ, then let him remain outside the blessings of this community as a consequence or his own decision.
But when you know the love of God not only will you love God and look forward to Christ’s return, you will also love what He loves. And understanding that we cannot know His love apart from being strengthen by the Spirit in our inner man, Paul concludes: "The grace of the lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen” (1 Corinthians 16:23-24).
The Apostle Paul understood that the only thing that could heal the disunity in the church was for the grace of God to be with them. This is why he not only ends his letter with the benediction of grace, he also began his letter by writing, "grace to you" (1 Corinthian 1:3). And the point is that Paul knew that through his letter, which was inspired by the Holy Spirit, grace would be imparted to the Corinthians in order to strengthen them to be the church that God called them to be.
Paul also concludes his letter with: “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” He wanted them to know that despite their flaws, he loved them. But more than that, he wanted them to experience his love which was rooted in Christ Jesus. Because it’s knowing His love more fully through the work of the Spirit within, that compels us to be devoted to the service of flawed believers to the praise of His glory and grace.
A community that experiences the love of God will be compelled to share the love of God with one another. As believers, we can know His love more deeply through the grace that comes to us as we commune with God and one another in prayer and the word. Jesus is the living water that our souls need to be refreshed and renewed. We must make time to enjoy His presence, which is manifested in us as we abide in Him and work for Him (John 15:1-8).
If we are going to be refreshing to others for Christ, we must be present in their lives. I often hear Christians praying for the presence of God to show up. Show up where? The presence of God manifests in and through the life of believers. God shows up when Spirit-filled Christians show up to be a blessing to others.
Remember that our first calling is not ministry, but intimacy. Ministry is the overflow of intimacy. As we daily draw near to God, may His love overflow in our lives and enable us to be a refreshment to one another and to a thirsty world for the greater fame of Jesus.
Author: Pastor Marco David