“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 is a River Sunday—a service designed to follow the flow of the Holy Spirit with time for us to experience the gifts of the Spirit. It’s a great opportunity for growth in the area of corporately hosting the presence of God—something we highly value as a Spirit and Word Church.
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 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 a pastoral leader direct the flow of the service.
We already make room for this every Sunday by allowing people to share an exhortation, scripture, or rhema word. This Sunday will simply be giving more time to intentionally follow the flow of the river of the Holy Spirit. This service is not simply an extended time of singing songs of worship, however the worship team will be involved as we all lean in to follow the Spirit.
Although we do not have our normal sermon portion of the service during a River Sunday, the Spirit sometimes leads a pastor to teach on a particular passage. We invite you to come with high expectations of what God will do and with a readiness to contribute your part. This doesn’t mean everyone will end up sharing but all New Day regulars should be willing to be used by the Lord and open to receiving from one another.