Was God in church yesterday?

Reflecting on what Paul had written in Ephesus 5:18-19, I was struck by what you might call the Three Dimensions of Christian Living. The apostle was encouraging them not to waste their lives in debauchery, but instead to be “filled with the Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” and to “make music in their hearts to the Lord.”
In this text we are encouraged to
     A. Look inward and be filled by the Spirit, 
     B. Look around and sing with joy, and  
     C. Look up and be grateful.
“But that’s sort of a sermon outline” you say, and I agree.  Did I intend to do that? Not specifically, just sort of happened. But since we are on the subject, I’d like to sketch the steps I’d go through if, in fact, I were going to preach on those verses.
       Preachers have a number of ways of deciding what they are to preach on next Sunday or in the near future. Sometimes they are on a series and that takes care of that. At other times, they are preaching their way though a book of the Bible. However, if I were to mount the pulpit next Sunday here is how I would choose a text and develop it as well.
       First I would prayerfully reflect on some passage in scripture that had spoken to me recently and would be helpful for others as well. That’s what I was doing this morning, and at one point God seemed to say, ”Now there’s a couple of verses you might want to think about.” As I thought my way through the Ephesian passage, several related points began to emerge.  I began to realize that God was helping me understand at a deeper level what the text was saying and how it applied to my life. What was going on in my mind and heart was that instead of indulging in too much wine and debauchery (v. 18) believers should spend their days “filled with the Spirit.” The encouragement to be filled with the Spirit struck home as I considered the extent to which that could be said to be true in my life.  So I asked God to touch my heart so the truth could be shared authentically next Sunday when I explained to others what it meant to be “filled with the Spirit.” There is a distinct difference between speaking truth to others and existentially sharing it with them; it is the second that changes life.
       As the sermon continued to develop it seemed to follow logically that once we had looked within and found ourselves “filled with the Spirit,” we would look around and find ourselves in an atmosphere of joy that finds expression in the great music of the Christian faith.  Paul speaks of “psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” that believers used when they “sang and made music from their hearts to the Lord” (v. 19). At times, one simply can’t help but break out in song.
       Then (point 3 in our “sermon”) my heart would be filled with such gratitude and joy that I would have to look up and tell God how thankful I am for this experience. It is amazing what happens when the pastor becomes personally and genuinely involved with a passage from the Word. We find that God is right there with us and “worship” is no longer what the congregation does for 30 minutes before the sermon, but the continuing experience from the time God told you to preach on this text until the close of next Sunday’s service. There you are at Eutopia Chapel, 777 Joy Avenue in the town of Paradise, basking in the glory of God’s presence.
       What a privilege it is for you as pastor to go through this experience of sermon preparation with God as tutor, and then from the pulpit to allow God to speak through you Sunday after Sunday. And how blessed it is for the congregation to become one with you as the Spirit speaks individually to every heart. It is an unusual experience to “lead people into the presence of God” – and that is still the best definition of authentic preaching.