In today’s podcast, we are going to talk about the ‘power of we.’ What do I mean by the ‘power of we?’ What I mean by that is the power of a group versus the power of an individual. The power of we in a world of I. Ecclesiastes says that two are better than one. Why is that? Why is the ability of a group so much more potent than the ability of a single person? The May 1987 edition of National Geographic included a feature about the arctic wolf. Author L. David Mech described how a seven-member pack had targeted several musk-oxen calves who were guarded by eleven adults. As the wolves approached their quarry, the musk-oxen bunched in an impenetrable semicircle, their deadly rear hooves facing out, and the calves remained safe during a long standoff with the enemy. But then a single ox broke rank, and the herd scattered into nervous little groups. A skirmish ensued, and the adults finally fled in panic, leaving the calves to the mercy of the predators. Not a single calf survived. Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 that wolves would come after his departure, not sparing the flock. Wolves continue to attack the church today but cannot penetrate and destroy when unity is maintained. When believers break ranks, however, they provide easy prey.¹ The group’s ability, the strength found in unity, The Power of We In A World Of I — that’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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Why God Believes in Church and Why You Need to Be There

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This week’s call is:

We must always remember how culture, how the part of the world we live, influences our interpretation of the Bible and not read our individualistic tendencies into God’s Word. You cannot be as effective a believer by yourself as you can in a group. It’s time to get back to group life.

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Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question: What are your thoughts about COVID and the current push to isolate people?  Please share your comments in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

You can find additional information on the Name of Jesus in the resources listed below.

1. #S1-049: How to Cultivate Gods Presence In Your Life [Podcast]
2. #S1-050: More How to Cultivate Gods Presence In Your Life [Podcast]
3. # S3:025: How Timely Adjustments Unlock The Presence of God [Podcast]
4. #S3-026: Why Successful People Allow the Lord to Build Their Life [Podcast]

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes

The Power of We and Individualism

• We must always remember how culture and how the part of the world we live in influences our Bible interpretation.
• The Bible is an eastern book — that is, it is from the eastern part of the world — the Eastern hemisphere.
• Eastern authors wrote it.
• The culture and the concepts of the east are communicated within the pages of scripture.
• Now, that doesn’t mean that western thought and culture are wrong.
• Right and wrong is not the issue.
• Those of us who live in the western part of the globe, the western hemisphere, must fight against the natural tendency to view scripture through the eyes of our culture.
• So, when the Bible expresses a ‘we’ concept, that’s God’s thinking.
• It’s neither east nor west.
• When the Lord means ‘we,’ He doesn’t mean I.
• He means ‘we,’ and it doesn’t matter whether He used an ‘eastern’ author to record His thoughts.
• In the Bible, ‘we’ means we — it doesn’t mean I.
• But, in the West, we sometimes change the ‘we’ to an I because of our individualism.
• The differences between eastern and western cultures are varied.
• In the west, people define themselves by their individual accomplishments, their individual careers.
• It’s much different in the east, and with that thought, here’s the quote of the day.

In contemporary Western culture, the individual is thought of as the primary unit of society. We moderns see ourselves as free agents who may rightly pursue our own interests and self-development, with or without the endorsement of the collective groupings (family [see Household, Family], church, nation) with which we are associated. But in premodern times and in many undeveloped countries today the individual finds his or her identity and meaning for living not as an individual but as a member of one or more communities of which the individual is but a part. The extended family, the village, the state and the religious community are the primary categories. It is this viewpoint that both the OT and NT writers presuppose.²

• Now again, all of that is well and good.
• But, let’s reiterate — when God says ‘we,’ He doesn’t mean I.
• Let’s take a look at some verses of scripture that help us see what we’re talking about.

The Power of We in the Corinthian Church

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (ESV) — 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

• So, here in the west, in churches all over America, you will hear believers say, ‘My body is a Temple — a temple of the Holy Ghost.
• You may have heard teaching about taking care of your temple – that is, taking care of your body — what you eat, exercising your body, resting your body — you know that whole line.
• All of this is good and true.
• You should take care of your temple if that’s what you want to call it.
• But, there is a problem with this interpretation of this verse.
• The Greek for ‘you,’ used four times here in these two verses, is plural.
• This is where difficulties translating into another language comes into play.
• English has only one word for translating plural and singular uses of the word you.
• The word ‘you’ can refer to a group like the Yankees or your church or Sunday school class.
• Or, the word ‘you’ can refer to an individual, a single person.
• You the group — you the person is the same word ‘you.’
• When we are reading the Bible, how can we determine if it’s ‘you’ the person or ‘you’ the referenced group?
• Greek is such a wonderful language — you know the New Testament was written in Greek.
• Greek has a differentiator, and we can tell by that differentiator, whether it’s plural or singular.
• Hebrew is the same way.
• So, back to First Corinthians three.

Do you not know that YOU are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in YOU? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and YOU are that temple.

The Power of We and the Greek Word ‘You’

• The Greek word YOU in big letters in each case is plural.
• Paul is saying, ‘You, the group — you the church are a Temple.
• Paul is not talking about the individual believer.
• The church body, which is comprised of individuals, is the Temple.
• Now, why is that distinction important?
• Well, for one, you can’t be as effective a believer if you’re by yourself.
• There is a corporate side to the Anointing.
• I don’t care what they tell you about COVID and how you have to quarantine.
• The individual believer needs their fellow believers to function as the Temple of God that the Spirit of God indwells.

Romans 14:8 (ESV) — 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

• No man is an island, have you heard that expression?
• God works through the church, the body of Christ, the group.
• The anointing of God, the power present to heal, deliver, and set free, is greater and works to a higher degree with the group.
• We need the group.
• Christianity is a group sport.
• God works through the individual, but he works to an even greater degree through a company of individuals that have one mind and one heart.

Matthew 18:20 (ESV) — 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

The Power of We: Different Ministries of the Spirit

• When we talk about the stronger manifestation of God’s power in a group – which is why we are calling this the ‘power of we’ — it’s good to understand that the Spirit of God does indwell the individual but that He also indwells a group of believers.
• He works through an individual, but He can work stronger through a group.
• A prayer team can be more potent than a praying individual.
• Jesus didn’t send out a single person to heal the sick and cast out devils; He sent out seventy-two.

Luke 10:1 (ESV) — 1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

The Power of We: A Side Journey

• While we are over here, let’s take a small side journey and talk about these seventy-two that Jesus sent out.
• Notice the words ‘after this.’
• You have to ask the question, ‘after what?’
• After this… after what?
• The words’ after this’ are words of sequence.
• They let us that there was something that went on before.
• What when on before Luke 10:1?
• The events of chapter nine.
• Go back and take a look at chapter nine.
• If you take the liberty to read these events, they reveal many glaring faults of the disciples.
• Take, for example, Luke 9:46–48.

Luke 9:46–48 (ESV) — 46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

• What do we have here? — nothing but a pride-filled discussion on ‘who is the greatest.’
• You know what God thinks about pride — don’t you?
• He hates it.

Proverbs 6:16–19 (NKJV) — 16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

James 4:6 (NKJV) — 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

• Pride is not a good thing.
• How did Jesus handle this apparent flaw exhibited by His disciples?
• Did He chew them out, did He get angry with them, did He make them sit out for a while, did He tell them that they were not usable?
• No — He talked to them — He taught them — He explained to them and then He sent them — seventy-two of them.
• ‘He sent them?’ — Yes read it — ‘After this, After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them.’
• Now read the next account in the sequence, Luke 9:49–50.

Luke 9:49–50 (NKJV) — 49 Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”

• What’s going on here?
• This is John now, the beloved disciple — the one who talked about the love of God more than any other disciple.
• What is this that John exhibits here? — isn’t it a spirit of elitism?
• These people don’t follow us Jesus — they are not part of our group — we told them to quit what they were doing — stop bringing deliverance to people.
• Precious people were getting free, and John said STOP.
• Elitism is even more pride.
• You mean the guy who loved Jesus so much got over into pride?
• Yes, it’s easy to do because pride is part of the sin nature.
• It’s always there.
• I mean, ALWAYS in big capital letters.
• If you haven’t seen pride in your life this week — you are blinded or desensitized because I tell you it is there.
• So, what did Jesus do about this spirit of elitism?
• He instructed them, and He explained to them.
• And ‘After this, After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them.’
• Now, we come to the next part of this same sequence in Luke nine.

Luke 9:51–56 (NKJV) — 51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

• The disciple’s behavior gets no better fast.
• “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
• Just what awful thing did this group of Samaritans do to deserve the death penalty?
• The disciples wanted to burn these people alive — send fire down upon them — totally burn these people to a crisp.
• Why?
• Because they were Samaritans.
• Samaritans were part from Israel and part from Samaria.
• So, what we have the disciples displaying in Jesus’ presence is a spirit of murder and racism.
• Jesus response?
• He rebuked them, the scripture said.
• To rebuke means to reprove, to warn forcefully as expressing strong disapproval.
• But then, ‘After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them.’
• Is that what you would have done if you had members in your church who acted the way these disciples of Jesus did?
• But, yet there is more — there’s another incident.

Luke 9:57–62 (NKJV) — 57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” 61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

• So in the previous incidents, we have pride, elitism, the spirit of murder, and racism.
• What do we have here in this next passage?
• How about improper priorities?
• What about the failure to put God’s Kingdom first?
• What about people looking in two directions?
• You are displaying with their actions that maybe they don’t really want to look forward and commit to building the Kingdom of God — instead, they are looking back, yearning for something else besides the things of God?
• One more time, what does Jesus do?
• He instructs and teaches and explains, and out of this group, appoints 72 men and sends them out.
• So, He corrects them and then sends them.
• He disciplines them with His words and then empowers them.
• Jesus doesn’t make them sit out because of their faults, sins, pride, and racial tendencies.
• No, Jesus loves them and sends them out.
• Why?
• Because He believes in you.
• Jesus believes that you will listen to His Words and bring your life up to the level of the truth.
• And, He demonstrates this belief in you with corresponding action.
• His belief and His actions align — they work together, despite all of you’ve done or didn’t do – sins of omission, sins of commissions.
• Jesus is not as hung up on your mistakes – on your missing it – on you overriding Him as you seem to be.
• Aren’t you glad about that?
• Now getting back to our mainline.

The Power of We: Holy Spirit ‘Coming Upon’ Scriptures

• The Spirit of God is both in you and can come upon you individually.

Acts 8:16 (ESV) — 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 10:44 (ESV) — 44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.

Acts 11:15 (ESV) — 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.

• But, He also indwells a group.
• His indwelling a group is holy — that’s what this verse of scripture said.
• This is vital — note the Lord’s commentary on the group — if anyone destroys the group, God will destroy him.
• The word ‘anyone’ is singular.
• So, if anyone destroys the temple, the group, the power of we, God will destroy that individual.
• You don’t want to mess with the group — it’s a holy, sanctified, set apart thing.
• With all that’s happening in the world today, people need to stand up and take note.
• When you turn against the group, when you fight against the group, God will fight against you.

Three Healing Questions from Jesus Life

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References: