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The Holy Spirit and You, Part 8

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The Power of the Spirit

We hear a lot about “power” today. Some people want more of it, others feel like they have none. There’s coal power and nuclear power. There’s the power to create and the power to destroy. We seem to be living in the age of “power.” The church, too, is living in an age of “power,” and a church or a Christian without spiritual power is living behind the times. When Christ ascended to continue His work in Heaven, the Holy Spirit descended to continue His work here on Earth. But the Holy Spirit didn’t come to us as a helpless baby in a manger, He came in power, as “a rushing mighty wind,” a symbol of self-generating power. It is God’s will that every church, regardless of the “label” attached to it, live and work in this spiritual, “pentecostal,” power. And yet, as we look at the Church of Jesus Christ today, we see a distinct lack of spiritual power. We see lots of programs and man-generated systematic doctrines and we see plenty of churches looking for the acceptance of man, but so many of them are bereft of the Spirit. We have ministers with more letters after their names than you can find in a can of alphabet soup, who can speak with great eloquence and quote other eloquent (often dead) ministers in their sermons, yet they have no spiritual power. What’s really needed in the Church today – all churches – is the power of the Holy Spirit, manifested from behind and in front of the pulpit. Christians are desperate for that power, whether they realize it or not. It’s not another program or committee or dinner or choral presentation the Church needs. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit. The great thing is, this power resides in EVERY believer. This power of the Spirit is:

1. Desperately needed

Think about what Jesus told the disciples in Luke 24:49–

“And now I will send the Holy Sprit upon you, just as my Father promised. Don’t begin telling others yet—stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” (Luke 24:49 TLB)

As far as Jesus was concerned, there was no point in doing His work without the power of the Holy Spirit. In the context of Luke 24, Jesus had assured His disciples of His resurrection and He gave them some final instructions. But then Jesus did something significant: He talked to them about the Scriptures. And He explained that even beyond the resurrection, something else had to happen in order to fulfill Scriptures written generations ago. It involved preaching the Gospel and it involved waiting in Jerusalem for something to happen. Before they attempted to do anything Jesus had told them to do, they NEEDED a power from Heaven that only the Holy Spirit could give. We, today, are called to the same work and we need that same power.

Then he said, “This is God’s message to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty—you will succeed because of my Spirit, though you are few and weak.’ Therefore no mountain, however high, can stand before Zerubbabel! For it will flatten out before him! And Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple with mighty shouts of thanksgiving for God’s mercy, declaring that all was done by grace alone.” (Zechariah 4:6, 7 TLB)

Work for The Lord, be it building the Temple or preaching the Word or just sharing your testimony with one who is lost, cannot be done by your determination alone. It cannot be done in your power alone. It MUST be done in the power of the Holy Spirit. William Carey famously said,

Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.

That’s a good quote as far as it goes. But, if you are going to attempt great things for God, you’d better make sure you are doing them in the power of the Spirit. If you aren’t sure the power of the Spirit is behind you, then you’d better wait to make sure. King David, one time, was told to wait for the tree-tops to move before he could do what God had called him to do.

When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the balsam trees, attack! For it will signify that the Lord has prepared the way for you and will destroy them.” So David did as the Lord had instructed him and destroyed the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer. (2 Samuel 5:24, 25 TLB)

You and I need the power of the Holy Spirit if we are to do anything of lasting value for Kingdom of God.

2. Promised

But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect, to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, about my death and resurrection. (Acts 1:8 TLB)

It was Jesus who said this and Jesus always keeps His promises! He fulfilled that same promise in Timothy’s life through the apostle Paul:

This being so, I want to remind you to stir into flame the strength and boldness that is in you, that entered into you when I laid my hands upon your head and blessed you. For the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them. (2 Timothy 1:6, 7 TLB)

Timothy wasn’t anywhere near the Upper Room when the Spirit fell and neither was Paul, yet here we see Timothy receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit – God’s gift or promise to believers – through the ministry of Paul.

Just as becoming a Christian involves coming into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection, power to live for and serve Him comes through a relationship with the Holy Spirit whereby He endues you with His power. You need it!

3. Life-giving

Consider these verses:

He is the one who has helped us tell others about his new agreement to save them. We do not tell them that they must obey every law of God or die; but we tell them there is life for them from the Holy Spirit. The old way, trying to be saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives them life. (2 Corinthians 3:6 TLB)

But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead… (Ephesians 2:4, 5 TLB)

And if the Spirit of God, who raised up Jesus from the dead, lives in you, he will make your dying bodies live again after you die, by means of this same Holy Spirit living within you. (Romans 8:11 TLB)

The Holy Spirit will not only raise your mortal body as He did Christ’s, He imparts abundant life to you today! The Holy Spirit gives you life today; it’s a new life, full of God’s grace and mercy and power.

4. Enough

I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my preaching was very plain, not with a lot of oratory and human wisdom, but the Holy Spirit’s power was in my words, proving to those who heard them that the message was from God. (1 Corinthians 2:3, 4 TLB)

Paul was not a weak man. Looking at the incredible work he did on his missionary journeys, the churches he founded and the lives he changed, we know that he was not weak. So to what was Paul referring when he told the Corinthians he “came to them in weakness?” Paul described his attitude as he preached the Word in any city. Wherever he found himself doing the work of The Lord, he decreased so that Christ in him might increase. He shared Christ without gimmicks and without relying on the the wisdom of man, of which he had plenty. Instead, Paul shared Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. He relied on the Holy Spirit. Paul found out that the power of the Spirit was all he needed.

When I think of the wisdom and scope of his plan, I fall down on my knees and pray to the Father of all the great family of God—some of them already in heaven and some down here on earth—that out of his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you the mighty inner strengthening of his Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 3:14-16 TLB)

It was Paul’s earnest prayer in light of God’s plan that Christians be filled with God’s glorious, unlimited resources: the power of the Holy Spirit.

5. Cannot be purchased

When Simon saw this—that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles placed their hands upon people’s heads—he offered money to buy this power. (Acts 8:18 TLB)

A man named Simon was so impressed with the power of the Holy Spirit, he thought he could buy this power. It sounds foolish, but there are Christians who are just as foolish. They see other other believers working in the power of the Spirit and they think they can “buy” this power, not necessarily with money, though. They think they get the power of the Spirit through education, for example. Or through church membership. Or through being baptized in water. Or through other means. That’s wrong-headed thinking of the highest order! The power of the Holy Spirit is a gift to be received; it is not something you can buy any more than you can by a puff of wind.

6. Cannot be imitated

“And say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall always be my holy anointing oil. It must never be poured upon an ordinary person, and you shall never make any of it yourselves, for it is holy, and it shall be treated by you as holy. Anyone who compounds any incense like it or puts any of it upon someone who is not a priest shall be excommunicated.’” (Exodus 30:31-33 TLB)

The anointing oil in the Old Testament is a type of the Holy Spirit. God made it explicitly clear to His people that it could could not be imitated. There could be NO substitute acceptable to God. When it comes to doing great things for God, you cannot substitute anything for the power of the Holy Spirit. You cannot substitute enthusiasm for the power of the Holy Spirit. You cannot substitute worship songs for the power of the Holy Spirit. You cannot substitute education for the power of the Holy Spirit. Clever plans and programs cannot do the what only the Holy Spirit can do.

7. May be taken away

Finally, as difficult as it may be to imagine, the power of the Holy Spirit may be taken away from a believer. The power of God rested on Samson, but because of sin and selfishness, that power was snatched away.

Then she screamed, “The Philistines are here to capture you, Samson!” And he woke up and thought, “I will do as before; I’ll just shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize that the Lord had left him. (Judges 16:20 TLB)

Without the power of the Spirit, the mighty Samson was reduced to an ordinary man. He was so focused on himself he didn’t even realize he last that power. He took the Holy Spirit for granted. He was utterly helpless with the power of the Spirit.

There is nothing so pathetic as a Christian who has lost the power of the Spirit. It’s not that the Holy Spirit has been taken from them, but the Holy Spirit is sensitive, and if a believer neglects Him or lives in open rebellion to Him, though His presence may remain His power He will withhold from that believer until that believer makes his heart right.

But there is another way the Holy Spirit may be taken from a believer.

I will come down and talk with you there, and I will take of the Spirit which is on you and will put it upon them also; they shall bear the burden of the people along with you, so that you will not have the task alone. (Numbers 11:17 TLB)

This is God speaking to Moses. Interesting, isn’t it? When you are serving God in the power of the Holy Spirit, God knows if and when you need help, and He will help you! God never expects any of us to “go it alone.” When the Church of Jesus Christ is full of people full of the Holy Spirit and full of His power, a believer who is without that power doesn’t stand a chance! The power of the Holy Spirit is self-perpetuating. We may pray for other believers to receive it. We may lay hands on believers to receive it. But in the end, it is God who will endue that believer with the power of His Holy Spirit. There is not begging involved. Only receiving.

The Mission of the Church

Published May 22, 2013 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Great Commission, Light of the world, mission of the church, The Church

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What is the “mission” of the church? Another way to put that is, What is the “purpose” of the church? Some people see the church as a social club; sort of a religious version of any number of clubs or societies you may find in any town or city. Some people think the church is a place where people come to “get saved.” Still others see the church as a sort of “religious bank” that gives out money to people who can’t their electric bills.

The fact is, most people don’t know what the purpose of the church is, which probably explains why church attendance in mainline denominations is steadily declining. Churches that are growing tend to be ones that are focused on their “mission” or their “purpose,” and very often these churches are not affiliated with any denomination, which frees them, as they see it, to pursue that “mission” or “purpose” without being straitjacketed by unnecessary man-made rules and denominational regulations. So they say.

Since the idea of the church came from God, let’s consult God’s Book, the Bible, for answers.

1. Foretold in the Old Testament

It may surprise you to know that the church, a New Testament “thing,” is actually first hinted at in the pages of the Old Testament! Through these “hints,” we get an idea of what the “mission” of the church is. You won’t find the word “church” anywhere in the Old Testament, but you do find a very early precursor to the church – another special group of people God called into existence and separated from all other people on the earth: the nation of Israel.

(a) A light to the nations, Isaiah 42:1, 6-7

See my servant, a whom I uphold; my Chosen One in whom I delight. I have put my Spirit upon him; he will reveal justice to the nations of the world. (Isaiah 42:1 TLB)

I the Lord have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will guard and support you, for I have given you to my people as the personal confirmation of my covenant with them.d You shall also be a light to guide the nations unto me. You will open the eyes of the blind and release those who sit in prison darkness and despair. (Isaiah 42:6, 7 TLB)

In this chapter of Isaiah’s book, the prophet is beginning his rage against idolatry. Also in this chapter, the nation of Israel is referred to as “the servant of The Lord.” In Matthew 12:17-21, this prophecy of Isaiah is applied to Jesus Christ. We can see how parts of this chapter can be applied to Israel, but clearly it finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Verse 1 is often applied to Israel – the “ideal Israel” – but the Matthew passage indicates something else. It refers primarily to Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel. Isaiah wanted his readers to consider or think about God’s servant. In a sense, though, these verses do refer to Israel. After all, it is through Israel that God chose to communicate to the world. God’s gracious dealings with Israel and especially His covenant relationship with its people would be extended to all people thanks to the work of One of Israel’s very own, Jesus Christ.

So we see a sort of progression here. Israel was (and will be again in the future) a light to the nations. Jesus Christ is a light to the nations. Jesus Christ works through the church.

(b) A universal pilgrimage, Psalm 67:1-4

Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind. (Psalm 67:2 TLB)

This brief psalm is a prophetic psalm in that it reveals the ultimate purpose of God for the Earth. At one time it was thought that this psalm taught that the church would finally convert the whole world in a post millennium utopian missionary kind of way. Post-millennialism is view of Eschatology that insists (get ready for this) we are already living in the Millennium and that the church is in the process of converting the world. When this conversion is complete, Jesus Christ will return. Yes, there are Christians who believe this. Post-millennialism comes in and out of favor depending on world events and who is in the White House, it seems.

Leaving this view of Eschatology aside, this psalm is not a missionary psalm but it certainly does contain applications useful in missionary endeavors. We see, for example, that God is the source of all blessings and benefits His children receive. These blessings and benefits make life on Earth all the more enjoyable. But there is a purpose in these good things from God: they are tokens or signs of His presence that the nations – the lost – of the world may see. As it relates to Israel, surrounding nations should have been able to look at her and deduce that Israel’s God was at work in the lives of His people and their nation. Shouldn’t the same thing be true of the church today? The lost should be able to witness God’s blessings and His presence in the church and come to the conclusion that God is real and that He is interested in His people.

How glad the nations will be, singing for joy because you are their King and will give true justice to their people! (Psalm 67:4 TLB)

Obviously this hasn’t happened yet; this verse is yet to be fulfilled. But what it teaches is profound: God is interested in people and He may be their Sovereign as surely as He is Israel’s. Of course, these “nations” must acknowledge who God is and that He is their God, the One who gives all blessings and benefits. He worked through Israel to accomplish this, and He is working through One who came out of Israel, Jesus Christ, to the same end. And Jesus Christ is working through His people today, the church, to accomplish God’s goal of becoming the God of all nations and all people.

(c) God’s initiative, Romans 9:25, 26

Remember what the prophecy of Hosea says? There God says that he will find other children for himself (who are not from his Jewish family) and will love them, though no one had ever loved them before. And the heathen, of whom it once was said, “You are not my people,” shall be called “sons of the Living God.” (Romans 9:25, 26 TLB)

Just as Psalm 67 speaks of salvation coming to the nations, Paul makes the case in Romans 9 that God is even now calling all people to be a part of “His people.” This great call is God’s initiative – it was His idea and He has taken the first step. It doesn’t matter what your heritage is, you are being called to be a part of His family! All those who were not God’s people (Gentiles), are now being called by God’s grace and benevolence to become His people.

Because of his kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. (Ephesians 2:8, 9 TLB)

2. Emphasized by Christ, Luke 4:18-20; 24:46-49; Matthew 24:14

When Christians think about the “mission” or “purpose” of the church, the so-called “Great Commission” comes to mind. Versions of Jesus’ last orders to His disciples (and to us) are found in Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; and John 20:21. Luke has a different kind of “great commission” that begins with Him attending religious services.

(a) The Nazareth Manifesto, Luke 4:18-20

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him.” (Luke 4:18, 19 TLB)

In reading this passage of Scripture, Jesus defined His role as the Messiah. The only hope for all these needy people would be Him. Jesus acknowledged that He was the One who had been commissioned to bring the Good News to lost humanity. Jesus as the Messiah is concerned with both the spiritual and material needs of people. His message is a simple one: the blessings of God’s salvation is for all.

(b) Luke’s ‘Great Commission,’ Luke 24:46-49

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit upon you, just as my Father promised. Don’t begin telling others yet—stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” (Luke 24:49 TLB)

The entire chapter has one major thrust: it would be up to the disciples to share what they saw – the ministry, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus – with those who had not. These people were eyewitnesses! Their testimony would be accurate and true. But before they could begin that witnessing, Jesus made it clear they had to wait for something to happen. In order for this disparate group of people to be effective witnesses, they needed the Holy Spirit.

(c) Preaching the Gospel, Matthew 24:12

And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then, finally, the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 TLB)

Without getting into the eschatology of this verse, there is a very important lesson for today’s Christian. Throughout chapter Matthew 24, Jesus speaks of false messiahs, terrible natural disasters, and widespread persecution of believers. In spite of all those awful things taking place, the Gospel – the Good News – would be preached all over the world. Think about that! Nothing can stop the work of God from being accomplished.

3. Enacted by the early church, Acts 11:19-26; 13:46-49

Meanwhile, the believers who fled from Jerusalem during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, scattering the Good News, but only to Jews. (Acts 11:19 TLB)

(a) From Jerusalem to Antioch, Acts 11:19-26

The death of Stephen was a watershed event. It triggered mass persecution of Christians which forced members of the fledgling church to flee Jerusalem to the far ends of the Roman Empire. This literally forced the church to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus to take the Gospel to the world. Had it not been for this persecution, it may well have been that the early church would have been content to remain in Jerusalem.

But many Christians – the leaders of the church especially – remained in Jerusalem, riding out the storm of persecution. This group of believers became the “mother church,” and they were concerned about all these Gentiles from all over the Empire who were, apparently, converting to this new faith. Upon examination, church leaders acknowledged that God was indeed doing great things among the Gentiles.

(b) Mission to Gentiles, Acts 13:46-49

Acts 13 begins what we call “Paul’s First Missionary Journey,” and it tells the story of how the Gospel spread, truly, to the four corners of the world. Paul was a fearless missionary, a true trailblazer who went where no preacher had gone before! But Paul was only doing what the Great Commission told all believers to do. Paul’s message to the Gentiles whom he was evangelizing was a simple – and very familiar – one:

Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that this Good News from God should be given first to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and shown yourselves unworthy of eternal life—well, we will offer it to Gentiles. For this is as the Lord commanded when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to lead them from the farthest corners of the earth to my salvation.’” (Acts 13:46, 47 TLB)

Notice the quote the Old Testament in verse 47. We’ve come full circle! What started out as something Israel was supposed to be; what would become what Jesus was; has now become the “mission” and “purpose” of the church: to be a that light for the lost.

The Holy Spirit and You, Part 6

Published May 15, 2013 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Spirit baptism, The Holy Spirit

TheOtherBaptism

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Part 2

The New Testament teaches that there are three baptisms:

• baptism into Jesus Christ, which refers to our initial conversion

• baptism in water, which is a testimony to the world of our conversion

• baptism in the Holy Spirit, which refers to a heavenly blessing, from Jesus, whereby a believer experiences a fullness of the Spirit he never experienced before

The baptism in the Holy Spirit – this “subsequent baptism” – gives its recipient the potential of exhibiting various gifts of the Holy Spirit. Even though every born again believer is filled with the Holy Spirit at the very moment of his conversion, the teaching of the New Testament definitely supports the idea of a “subsequent baptism,” an experience available to all believers; a glorious encounter with the Spirit, that adds a depth to his relationship with Christ.

When a Christian is baptized in the Spirit, something happens to him on the inside. Somehow, that believer realizes his complete and utter helplessness and unworthiness as he feels the tangible presence of God in his heart. He will become very conscious of God’s presence in his life; he will feel when God’s Spirit is grieved because he himself will be grieved. The Word of God will take on a new, burning importance to him. He will experience a strange, new enthusiasm for the “things of God,” things like Bible study and fellowship with other believers.

It’s no exaggeration to say that a Christian baptized in the Holy Spirit has a power heretofore unknown to him, but it is a power to serve and glorify God, not a power to benefit his flesh in any way. And this is the important point. The Holy Spirit wasn’t given until Christ was glorified, and until we are prepared to glorify Him at any cost, we won’t experience the baptism in the Spirit. This is probably why so many Christians have not experienced this blessing; they may love Jesus and they may serve Him, but He is not The Lord of their hearts.

When a believer is baptized in the Spirit, certain things will happen. The Spirit always makes His presence known!

1. Amazement

“How can this be?” they exclaimed. “For these men are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking all the native languages of the lands where we were born! Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, men from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia Minor, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the Cyrene language areas of Libya, visitors from Rome—both Jews and Jewish converts—Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these men telling in our own languages about the mighty miracles of God!”

They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other. (Acts 2:7-12 TLB)

“What can this mean?” All these people visiting Jerusalem for Passover celebrations saw and heard a lot more than they bargained for! They experienced “second hand” the tremendous blessing the disciples received. They saw and heard, but they didn’t understand it. Why? It’s because the natural mind cannot make sense of the things of the Spirit. The unredeemed mind will always be blind to these things until it is set free by the Holy Spirit.

But the man who isn’t a Christian can’t understand and can’t accept these thoughts from God, which the Holy Spirit teaches us. They sound foolish to him because only those who have the Holy Spirit within them can understand what the Holy Spirit means. Others just can’t take it in. But the spiritual man has insight into everything, and that bothers and baffles the man of the world, who can’t understand him at all. 16 (1 Corinthians 2:14, 15 TLB)

When a Christian has experienced the fullness of the Holy Spirit, his life will not be the same; his speech will not be the same; God’s thoughts become his thoughts. When a preacher experiences this fullness of the Spirit, his sermons become more than just talks laced with man’s wisdom, they will demonstrate the power of Spirit because where the Spirit is, He will manifest His own presence. Listeners will ask, “What does this mean?” and lives will be changed by the Word.

2. Glory to God

Be happy if you are cursed and insulted for being a Christian, for when that happens the Spirit of God will come upon you with great glory. (1 Peter 4:14 TLB)

Not everybody appreciates the fact that you are a Christian and even within the ranks of the Church, not everybody will appreciate the fact that you have been baptized in the Spirit. Brothers and sisters in the Lord may mock you, as surprising as that may seem. It’s always that way, though. The worldly mind has a hard time comprehending the things of God. And, sadly, the church of Jesus Christ is awash in worldly minds today. But, as Peter observed, consider it a blessing when you are “cursed and insulted for being a Christian.” Consider it a badge of honor when your testimony confounds even a fellow believer because in those moments, God will be glorified! God is always glorified when He anoints one of us. God is always glorified when we are at last humbled and He becomes the One standing in our stead.

When God is truly glorified IN us, He will be glorified THROUGH us.

3. Ongoing fellowship

If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. (John 14:15, 16 TLB)

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, in your hearts, so that you don’t need anyone to teach you what is right. For he teaches you all things, and he is the Truth, and no liar; and so, just as he has said, you must live in Christ, never to depart from him. (1 John 14:6 TLB)

Our continuing fellowship with God the Father is made possible ONLY if we remain in full communion with the Holy Spirit. Now would be a good time to consider how much time you spend in active fellowship with the Holy Spirit over the past week. Did you even give Him a passing thought? You might want to reconsider the role He plays in your life! He makes fellowship with God the Father and the Son possible.

Yes, continual, ongoing fellowship is made possible by the Holy Spirit. But when we neglect the Holy Spirit, either on purpose by ignoring Him or simply by honest neglect, we are literally cutting ourselves off from the kind of intimate fellowship God wants with us.

So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the olive oil he had brought and poured it upon David’s head; and the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him and gave him great power from that day onward. (1 Samuel 16:13 TLB)

“From that day onward.” David, sins and all, had unbroken fellowship with God every day because the Spirit was in him and, as we read in the Psalms, he acknowledged His presence.

4. Holy boldness

The presence of the Holy Spirit in a believer will make that believer especially bold when it comes to sharing the Word of God. Just consider these verses:

When the Council saw the boldness of Peter and John and could see that they were obviously uneducated non-professionals, they were amazed and realized what being with Jesus had done for them! (Acts 4:13 TLB)

“Teacher,” these spies said, “we know you tell the truth no matter what! You aren’t influenced by the opinions and desires of men, but sincerely teach the ways of God. Now tell us, is it right to pay taxes to Rome, or not?” (Mark 12:14 TLB)

The Holy Spirit will make you like Jesus. Jesus courageously proclaimed the Word of God, and when you allow His Spirit to use you, so will you! You will be like Jesus: courageous. Do you find it hard to share Jesus with other people? You need to step out in faith, open your mouth, and let Him speak through you. Think about Gideon:

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet as a call to arms, and the men of Abiezer came to him. (Judges 6:34 TLB)

Gideon was filled with a holy boldness when he blew that trumpet. The fact is, when one is overflowing with the Holy Spirit, he can not help but blow that trumpet! When you are overflowing with the Holy Spirit, you can not help but speak the Word of The Lord to those who need to hear it.

“We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we saw Jesus do and heard him say.” (Acts 4:20 TLB)

5. A powerful testimony

When you walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, you will be an effective witness for Christ. This is all part of that “holy boldness” in that declaring the goodness of God will become natural to you. Here is the Biblical precedent:

After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly preached God’s message…And the apostles preached powerful sermons about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and there was warm fellowship among all the believers… (Acts 4:31, 33 TLB)

But we also see this precedent in the life and ministry of Micah, the Old Testament prophet, who wrote this:

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, fearlessly announcing God’s punishment on Israel for her sins. (Micah 3:8 TLB)

Micah was filled with the Holy Spirit and was consequently filled with His power for the purpose testifying! When you are full to overflowing with the Holy Spirit, He will anoint you to share Jesus – to testify about Him – without holding anything back. He will give you the right words to say and He will bring back to your memory the Word you have hidden in your heart. In fact, the Holy Spirit is the Great Witness, and we are co-workers with Him.

But I will send you the Comforter—the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me. And you also must tell everyone about me because you have been with me from the beginning. (John 15:26, 27 TLB)

And we are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to all who obey him. (Acts 5:32 TLB)

So the Holy Spirit will give us the power to talk about the greatness of God. But, that power will only be in direct proportion to how willingly we work with Him. If you want to experience the power of the Holy Spirit, then step out in faith and open your mouth.

6. Might works

Those who have experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit and who continue to walk in the fullness of the Spirit will be able to not only talk about the greatness of God, but they will be able to DO great things for God. Think about Samson:

At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and since he had no weapon, he ripped the lion’s jaws apart and did it as easily as though it were a young goat! (Judges 14:6 TLB)

Samson ended up a failure, but that’s not the fault of the Holy Spirit. We can see multiple examples in his life of how the Spirit gave this man supernatural strength. He can do that for you too. The “lion difficulties” of your life, which threaten to derail your faith, will become as feeble as a “young goat” when you walk in the fullness of the Spirit.

Jesus promised:

In solemn truth I tell you, anyone believing in me shall do the same miracles I have done, and even greater ones, because I am going to be with the Father. (John 14:12 TLB)

This promise was fulfilled because Jesus left and sent us the Advocate, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit opens up new avenues of service because we are given gifts to do work for Christ. So many Christians – genuine believers – are fearful of this experience, and yet there is no need to fear any blessing from Christ! The Holy Spirit’s business is NOT to embarrass you, making you do crazy things you would otherwise never do. He is not a feeling or an emotion or a foreign language. The Holy Spirit is already in you, waiting to do even more through you. Let Him engulf your whole being and you will be amazed at He will do.

Church Membership…What’s It All About?

Published May 14, 2013 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: membership in the church, The Church

The old days, when church membership was taken very seriously!

What does it mean to be a “member” of a local church? A lot of churches today don’t even have a “membership roll.” Can’t you just go to a church, give to that church, participate in the life and ministry of that church and not be on that church’s official “membership roll?”

It might surprise you, but being a member of a church is not about whether your name is on the roll or not. In fact, the New Testament teaches that being a member of a local church is all about doing things, not signing a register. Being a member of a local church means that you will do three basic things within that church:

• Build up other members

• Support church ministries

• Meet needs within and without the church

To these things Christians are called, and the very best place to do these things is within the local church. In an age when church attendance is dwindling, it’s vitally important to understand that being a part of a local church is something God takes very seriously.

Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer. (Hebrews 10:25, CEV)

1. Build each other up, Romans 15:1-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13

In considering the nature of the Church, we need to think about the responsibilities of people that make the local church. Evangelism, missions, and prayer are all important aspects of being part of the church, but according to the New Testament, we belong to a local church to encourage other members and to receive encouragement ourselves. This is what “building up” means: we build each other up. There is not a Christian alive who doesn’t need fellowship with other believers. Living daily in the world, exposed to sin and degradation constantly, our faith is apt to get worn down. We get our “spiritual batteries” recharged at church!

(a) A united community, Romans 15:1-7

Even if we believe that it makes no difference to the Lord whether we do these things, still we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves; for we must bear the “burden” of being considerate of the doubts and fears of others—of those who feel these things are wrong. Let’s please the other fellow, not ourselves, and do what is for his good and thus build him up in the Lord. Christ didn’t please himself. As the Psalmist said, “He came for the very purpose of suffering under the insults of those who were against the Lord.” (Romans 15:1-3 TLB)

In this group of verses, Paul associates himself with “mature” or “strong” believers – those Christians in Rome who were sure of their beliefs and secure in their faith. Ideally, we should all be that strong! But in reality, there are many “weak” Christians in our churches. These people have a kind of wavering faith – a faith that is easily swayed by what they see or hear. Paul’s advice is not to the “weak” to “buck up” and “have faith,” instead the weaknesses of “weaker” believers, which he refers to as a “burden,” must be borne by those of us who are “strong” and “mature.” Unfortunately in many churches, the opposite is true. The more “struggles” a brother has, the less “love” we tend to show him! Paul faced a similar situation in Corinth, and to that church, he gave this advice:

Next is your question about eating food that has been sacrificed to idols. On this question everyone feels that only his answer is the right one! But although being a “know-it-all” makes us feel important, what is really needed to build the church is love. (1 Corinthians 8:1 TLB)

Paul’s point to both churches is a simple one. We who are strong in faith should NOT lord it over those who are not. We who are strong have no right insult or humiliate weaker believers. Rather, we must be united WITH them in their journey to maturity by bearing their burden of weakness. In other words, treat them the way Jesus treats all people but putting their needs ahead of His own. Paul quotes Psalm 69:9 and applies to Jesus. He didn’t live to please Himself, and neither should we.

(b) An orderly community, 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13

Dear brothers, honor the officers of your church who work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because they are straining to help you. And remember, no quarreling among yourselves. (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13 TLB)

If we are to be patient with and bear the burdens of weaker believers, we are also to show honor to leaders in the church. This was a problem in the church in Thessalonica. Many in this church had been expecting Christ to return and therefore they quit working. Church leaders apparently admonished them to “get back to work” but their admonitions were being ignored. To make matters worse, it seems many in the community experienced conversion at about the same time and became members of the church at the same time. The fact that some had risen to positions of leadership and others hadn’t bothered those who hadn’t and they, therefore, weren’t giving those who had become leaders the proper respect.

It is true that we are one in Christ and unity transcends social position and race. However, in the Body of Christ, there are people with different callings and gifts and therefore different responsibilities. In an orderly church, church leaders are to be respected and honored. As we read on in Thessalonians, we realize very quickly that the respect and honor are given in respect to the quality of their work, not merely by virtue of their office.

2. Support church ministries, 2 Corinthians 9:6-13

Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don’t force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others. (2 Corinthians 9:7, 8 TLB)

We can do more good together than we can separately. This is the guiding principle behind giving in the New Testament, and this another reason to be a part of the local church. Some modern churches fall all over themselves to find Biblical evidence that Christians ought to tithe. The fact is, the tithe is NOT part of Christian responsibility. GENEROUS GIVING, however is. Christians are expected to give generously.

(a) A generous community, verses 6-10

It seems that Paul’s guiding principle for Christian giving is really a proverb of his day: “scanty sowing, scanty harvest; plentiful sowing, plentiful harvest.” It’s not found the Bible precisely like that, but we do have many Biblical proverbs, like these:

When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord—and he pays wonderful interest on your loan! (Proverbs 19:17 TLB)

The unjust tyrant will reap disaster, and his reign of terror shall end. Happy is the generous man, the one who feeds the poor. (Proverbs 22:8, 9 TLB)

But we don’t have to go all the way back to Old Testament days to see where Paul got his inspiration from. These words of Jesus are so popular, they’ve been set to music!

For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you.” (Luke 6:38 TLB)

Let’s hope Christians do more than just “sing” these words! Let’s put them into practice.

(b) A community glorifying God, verses 11-13

Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much, and when we take your gifts to those who need them they will break out into thanksgiving and praise to God for your help. (2 Corinthians 9:11 TLB)

These verses say a lot more than we see on the surface. When we give away to people in need, it is not the needy person who is the real beneficiary, it is God Himself! How so? Because He will receive the glory for what you did in His name.

3. Serve the needy, Acts 6:1-7; James 1:27

The last reason (at least for the purpose of this brief study) for being part of a local church, is to better help those in need. Helping the needy caused the first conflict in the church and this conflict served to show the early church leaders an important reason for the church’s existence.

But with the believers multiplying rapidly, there were rumblings of discontent. Those who spoke only Greek complained that their widows were being discriminated against, that they were not being given as much food in the daily distribution as the widows who spoke Hebrew. (Acts 6:1 TLB)

The church’s response to this “crisis” shows us the importance of being involved in the work of a local church:

Now look around among yourselves, dear brothers, and select seven men, wise and full of the Holy Spirit, who are well thought of by everyone; and we will put them in charge of this business. Then we can spend our time in prayer, preaching, and teaching. (Acts 6:3, 4 TLB)

So the whole church was involved in the apostle’s plan of action. These verses are significant. Here we see: (1) The wisdom of the apostles. They could have easily picked men to do the work, but they sought input from all the believers. (2) The wisdom of believers. God works through church membership! He speaks to members, not just to the leadership.

Now, some people may read this and think, Who needs a pastor, then? Who needs elders? We serve a God of freedom, but He’s no anarchist! God wants order in His church just as surely as He wants order in a marriage. In the church, Christ is the Head, but the New Testament teaches a plurality of elders and pastors with input from members. This is why being involved in your local church is so important: God works through all of you – pastors, elders, deacons, members – to get His work done in the most effective manner.

Here, the needs of some widows were met more effectively when some structure was put in place. A lot of Christians despise “organized religion,” and anybody who has ever had to deal with a denomination can empathize with them, but some organization is essential, and if that organization is Bible-based, it will work. It has to! It’s God’s idea.

But it must be noted that this organization was for a purpose. It was not Peter and John building a kingdom for themselves. It was for the purpose of ministry. The church needs to look after those members who are in need.

The Christian who is pure and without fault, from God the Father’s point of view, is the one who takes care of orphans and widows, and who remains true to the Lord—not soiled and dirtied by his contacts with the world. (James 1:27 TLB)

Of course, there is more to being a Christian than just looking after orphans and needy widows. But James’ point is well taken. It’s hard to consider a person a true Christian if he continually avoids fellowship in a local church and if he can continually turn a blind eye to the needs that exist within his congregation! One of the purposes for being part of a local church is to make sure those needs are met. God’s plan, like His ways, are perfect.

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Archive for May, 2013

The Holy Spirit and You, Part 8

The Mission of the Church

The Holy Spirit and You, Part 6

Church Membership…What’s It All About?

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