“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39)
John explains that the river Jesus speaks of is the Holy Spirit. Rivers are not static; they move. The flow of a river brings life and is powerful. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is dynamic, bringing life and power. This week we will have our first River Sunday—a service designed to follow the flow of the Holy Spirit with time for us to experience the gifts of the Spirit that I taught earlier this month.
New Day South Carolina has done these types of Sundays for some time, I’ve witnessed it, and want to reproduce it in our congregation. There is a “learning curve”, as this is a different type of service than what we are used to, but it is good. And it is leaning into an area in which we are already strong. It is important to understand that this is NOT simply an extended time of worship. The worship team will be involved, but the focus will be on following the Spirit’s lead.
1 Corinthians 14:26 says, “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” This verse is a guide for us. The Bible also says in 1 Corinthians 14:40, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” We will seek to pattern the service after these verses, providing opportunities for individuals to come share a prophecy (rhema word), tongue with interpretation, song, word of wisdom or knowledge, prayer for healing, or whatever the Holy Spirit gives. We will bring order to this by having Pastors Bill & Marilee Menser lead and direct the flow of the service.
We already do this during our worship every Sunday by allowing people to share an exhortation, scripture, or rhema word. This Sunday will simply be giving more time for this and intentionally following the flow of the river of the Holy Spirit. Although we will not have a sermon planned, we have nevertheless spent a lot of time seeking God and following the Spirit’s lead in preparing for this service. I invite you to come with high expectations of what God will do through us. I also invite you to come ready to contribute your part. This doesn’t mean you know in advance what you will do or say, although that is possible. It primarily means you come ready and willing to be used by the Lord and to receive from one another.