Stray Thoughts: What Do We Do? Follow Jesus

For the past couple of ‘Stray Thoughts’ posts, I’ve been considering our situation and what we as Christians are to be doing in response. Thus far, I’ve encouraged you to rejoice in what Jesus is doing even as you need to grieve because of the evil that He is using to accomplish His goal. That leaves one more thing for me to add to that list. We need to follow Jesus. That may sound obvious, but there is more involved in that than what many think.

So, follow Jesus. And what does that mean? I think that it would be fair to say that one common answer to that question would go something like this. We need to take the truths revealed in the Bible and apply them to life. How’s that sound? Well, to be sure, it’s true. It’s true but incomplete. And that is the source of so many problems: providing true but incomplete answers. Including what is missing makes all the difference. And that missing part is what I want to talk about.
 

The Guidance of the Spirit

Back in the days of my youth, there was this eruption in the Church. It wasn’t just in America but in many places around the world. And it was not just among Protestants but also within the Catholic Church. I’m referring to the Charismatic Movement. There were many questions about the ministry of the Spirit that were raised then. And there were many different answers offered.

There still is debate among some about the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, things like prophecy. I’m not going to be dealing with that today. I want to take up something that will speak more to where you are. I want to speak to you about the guidance of the Spirit. As you read the Bible you’ll come upon commands like ‘walk by the Spirit’ or comments about being led by the Spirit. And you’ll also read about those who did something because the Spirit told them to do that. And you may have encountered people who have told you that they made some choice because the Spirit told them to do so. Does the Spirit actually still do that sort of thing? It’s this aspect of the Spirit’s ministry that I want to help you with this morning.

One of the key issues in dealing with this has to do with the relationship between the Spirit and the Scriptures. There are some who expect the Spirit to lead quite apart from any input from the Scriptures. And there are those who expect the Scriptures alone to provide all the guidance a Christian will ever need. Then there are those who are somewhere in the middle. I’d like to explore this topic so that you will have a clearer understanding about the relationship of the Spirit and the Scriptures when it comes to how God guides through life. That’s something that we all need to be clear about if we’re going to live well.

The Spirit Groans

We’re back to Romans 8 and back to learning about the ministry of the Holy Spirit among us. We’re going to work our way through a few more sentences of what Paul is teaching on His ministry, but we’ll do that just a bit at a time.

Let’s start with this.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. Romans 8:26

It’s important to spend a little time on this notion of weakness. And I want to do that because we have all been taught not to be weak. One persistent message of the world in which we live is that we don’t have to be weak. If we try hard enough, we can accomplish anything. And if we are honest with ourselves, even when it comes to being a disciple of Jesus we believe that we will be able to do a good job of it if we try hard enough. But the fact of the matter is that, try as we may, we really can’t do a good job of it. We really are weak.

This is something that Paul, himself, had to learn and did learn.

Witness of the Spirit

We’re back in Romans chapter 8. And Paul is still teaching about the ministry of the Spirit in the life of a Christian. Today, we come to something that the Spirit does that we really need to understand. It’s bound up with a couple of questions that aren’t asked very much these days, a couple of questions that really should be considered more frequently. ‘Are you sure that you’re a Christian? If you think you are, how do you know that?’

Listen to what Paul wrote.

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…  Romans 8.16

I’m pretty sure that we all have questions about what Paul means by this. I certainly had some myself before I began to study for this sermon. And while some questions still remain for me, the bigger aspects of what this is about have become much clearer. It has been my prayer this week that I would be able to do a good job passing on to you what the Spirit has shown me.

Freedom to Obey

You’d think that people who have been Christian for a while would understand the Gospel pretty well. And some do. But then again, some don’t. And one reason for this is that those who don’t have been misled by well-intentioned teachers. Those teachers really wanted to help them live the Gospel faithfully. But those teachers weren’t as helpful as they wanted to be because there were parts of the Gospel that they themselves didn’t understand well enough.

For example, Gospel facts are sometimes presented as commands from God. So, instead of just enjoying the blessings that God has already granted, some Christians have been told to work hard to gain those blessings. Or to mention something closer to home, some Christians have been taught more about what the Spirit of God no longer does instead of being helped to enjoy what He actually still does.

Bottom line: there are too many Christians who aren’t living with as much Gospel power as they might. And that’s really not good. It’s not good for individual Christians and it’s not good for the life of the Church.

Today, we begin a new section in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. It is clearly tied to what went before, but Paul will be introducing a new element to the Gospel that he has been writing about. In this new section Paul will explain something of the role of the Spirit in making the glories of the Gospel ours. This has been an area of the Gospel that has been confusing to some. So, I’m hoping that I will be able to provide a little more clarity. And what I am aiming for is not just that you would have a greater understanding of the Gospel. I’m also aiming for you having a greater understanding of yourselves. One of the most important questions for you to answer well is this: Who am I? I want you all to understand well who you are so that you will flourish, so that you will make more progress in becoming whole people. Our world is in dire need of whole people. And I like to think that you can do something to meet that need.

The Communion of the Holy Spirit

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14

I think that it’s likely that many of you, when you were growing up, heard that verse more than just once or twice. You heard it as a benediction at the end of a worship service. And one thing that stands out about the verse is how boldly it proclaims the Trinity. Each person of the Godhead is mentioned and from each person a particular blessing is to be granted. This morning we’re going to take a look at one of those blessings. We’re going to consider the Spirit and His blessing of communion.

The Spirit in You

Today is Pentecost Sunday. This is the day that churches around the world remember the coming of the Spirit after Jesus' ascension to the right hand of God. So, I thought it would be good to talk to you about the Spirit. It's a sad fact that who the Spirit is and what He does are things that are not well understood among Christians these days. I hope to help you to understand Him a little better this morning.

I'm going to do this in a way that is different from what is normal for me. I'm going to use a whole chapter of the Bible, all of Romans 8. That's a lot of territory, but we're only going to be considering what this chapter has to say about the Spirit.

In all of this I have one big idea to present to you. The Spirit's role in the Gospel isn't just a little add-on to having Jesus as Savior and Lord. The presence of the Spirit in the Christian is essential to the Gospel. Having the Spirit defines who you are. His presence in your life has changed you in some very important ways. That's the main idea of the sermon.

Now, please listen as I read Romans 8. (Note to you who are reading this sermon: It would be a good idea for you to read the chapter now. Really. Yes, the whole chapter.)

Here's the first thing that I want you to know.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit…

You have the Spirit. There is no 'ought' or 'it would be good if' or anything like that. It's just a fact. You have the Spirit. And just as Paul could say that to every member of that church in Rome, I can say it to every member of Faith Reformed. You have the Spirit. His presence in your life is part of the Gospel, an essential part of the Gospel. Once again I'm stressing the facts of the Gospel, the indicatives. So, wherever you go, whatever you are doing, you have the Spirit.

One result of that is that you have resources for living that those who are not disciples of Jesus don't. So, for one thing, while they are still slaves, you have been set free.

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

All who are not disciples of Jesus are limited by sin and death. They are slaves of sin. They don't have the option of doing what is good and right. They can choose to sin to a greater or lesser degree, but they can't choose to do good. And as a result, they are hemmed in by death, the inevitable result of sin. Here, go back and review last week's sermon about life versus death.

But you are different. The Spirit has done something in you. You are no longer a slave to those things. Understand what that means. You can choose to do what is good and right. You can choose those things that lead to a greater and greater experience of life. You can choose to draw near to the Father. You can choose to follow Jesus faithfully. You can choose to enjoy more and more of what it means to be a Christian. You can do this because you have the Spirit. So, consider this from Proverbs.

The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. ​The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.

While life for those who are not disciples of Jesus is really bad, life for you is becoming better and better. Because of the Spirit, you have been set free to live, to really live.

Then there's this.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Because of the Spirit you are sons of God. Think of it: sons of God. Now, why didn't Paul write 'sons and daughters of God' or at least, 'children of God'? Was he sexist? No. Paul wrote that because he understood something. Consider the love that the Father has for His Son, for Jesus. He has the same love for you. He loves you as a son. That is simply amazing. It's as if you have been welcomed into the family of the Trinity to enjoy the love that has been there for an eternity. Actually, leave out the 'as if'. You are sons of God, and you have been welcomed into the Trinity. You are loved as sons. This is yours by the Spirit.

It's because of this that you are able to call God your Father. Now, there are some of you who have had great relationships with your human fathers. And there are some of you who haven't. But all of you are able to have a great relationship with your divine Father. He's always there, always involved in your life, always ready to listen, always ready to talk. He's a great father, and He's your Father. This is also because of the Spirit.

Thus far I have told you some of the facts of the Gospel. You have the Spirit. You have been set free to live. You are sons of God. These are facts. No 'shoulds' or 'oughts' or 'wouldn't it be nice if'. But now, it's time to talk about something you are to do.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Here, there is an expectation. You are debtors. That is, you have an obligation. Because you have the Spirit you are to put to death the deeds of the body. You are to deal with your sin. In fact, you aren't supposed to just deal with it. You are to put your sins to death. So, consider some sinful deed of your body: something you do, somewhere you go, something you say, something you listen to, something you watch. God expects you to act. He expects you to destroy that sin, to put it to death, so that you don't do it anymore.

This is where people can feel overwhelmed. 'Destroy my sin? Impossible! I can't do that. I've tried.' But remember, you have resources for things like this. You have the Spirit. You have been freed from sin and death so that you actually can choose to do good and right, and turn away from that sinful deed of the body. You are sons of God, sons of the God who is right there with you as a good Father. You can do this.

What is so helpful is that Paul doesn't leave it there. He understands our situation. So, he also writes,

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

Yes, we have all these resources. And yet, we still get all tied up in knots and trip over ourselves, especially when we try to deal with some sin. For many reasons, we still find ourselves to be very weak. The Spirit sees this, but He doesn't get annoyed or pull back. He doesn't tell us, 'Come on. You're supposed to be able to do this!' He doesn't scold us. He helps us in our weakness.

And Paul is quite clear when it comes to how the Spirit helps us.

For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

The key to your success, your being able to live well, to do things like kill some sin, is always tied to prayer. Always. There is more than just prayer but never less. And so, that is where the Spirit helps you. He says what your hearts would say if they knew how to say it. He helps you, weak as you are, to cry out to your loving Father. And how can the Father not hear your cries and respond in power and love?

Understand what I've done. This has been a quick overview of some of what the Spirit has done and continues to do in you and for you. There is more to grasp, and, God willing, we will get to that also at some point. But for the time being just deal with what you have here.

I've told you five things:

- You have the Spirit.

- He has set you free from the slavery of sin and death.

- He has made you sons of God.

- He calls you to kill your sin.

- He helps you to do that.

       

These things are true of every Christian. And that means that they are true of you.

So, what do you do with this? And the answer to that is simple. Believe it. It's the Gospel. And believing it - not just with your mind but also with your soul - will show. One way that it will show is in how you talk to yourself. It will show when you are confronted by some call of God that seems impossible. What do you tell yourself then? This is what you say. 'I can do this. The Spirit is with me. He has set me free. He has made me God's son. He is interceding for me. I can do this.' Believe this part of the Gospel, and it will show.

It may be that you will want to focus on one particular point of those five. The manuscript for the sermon will be online by this evening. Read over that point. Pray over that point. But whatever you do, believe this part of the Gospel.

Rivers of Living Water

In our text today, Jesus makes a promise. This is a promise about the Spirit and His power, and how He can change a person's life. As usual, there are two parts to today's sermon. First, I'll explain the text. But then, I'm going to ask what I think is an obvious question and that's when I hope to show you how this promise relates to your life. Our text is John 7.37-39.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit

The second half of John 1 is filled with titles and labels applied to Jesus. In today’s sermon we are going to look at one of them. Jesus is the one who baptizes with the Spirit. The Spirit is the neglected person of the Trinity. I hope to change that, at least a little. This morning we are going to take a look at the work of the Spirit in the life of the Christian, in your life. Even apart from preparing this sermon, the Spirit has been leading me to think about several aspects of what He is about. I am eager to share with you some of what I am learning. Our text this morning is John 1.29-34.

I Am Loved

Romans 8.15-17

We're back again looking at the work of the Spirit. This week we're going to consider another simple sentence that reveals something profound about the Gospel. 'The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God...'

From time to time I encourage you to meditate on Scripture. The benefit of meditation is that you have to slow down to see more of what is going on in the bit of Scripture that you are meditating on. As we slow down for this verse one thing stands out: we are children of God. This really is a big deal. I think that I can say that this element of our faith is unique among the world religions. I'm no expert on Islam, but from what I understand, no Muslim person would ever say that he is a child of God. Allah is far too distant for that kind of relationship. Such a tie just doesn't fit. Likewise, a Jewish person doesn't identify himself as a child of God. He is much more likely to identify himself as a child of Abraham. God as Father is not an important theme in modern Judaism. But we who follow Jesus are different. We call ourselves children of God and we should because it's the truth. God as our Father is a primary emphasis in our religion. Though our God is the great and awesome God over all creation, He is near to us as our Father. We are children of God. This is something that we can relish.

Many things flow from this, but I am going to pick just one. Because we are God's children, we are loved. It is so important that you feel what this means. So, let's do this. Think about some of your sins, the wicked attitudes that reside within your heart, the things that people never see. Consider your words, things that you've said that have hurt others so much, or the things you failed to say that could have healed deep wounds. I want you to call to mind the different ways that the ugliness of sin still lives within you. Do you see it? Do you have a sense of your sinfulness? We deserve the worst of the wrath of God. He should toss us all into the lowest pit of hell and throw away the key. Just a moment's honesty will bring any person to that conclusion. So, right now, I want you to say this to yourself: 'I deserve hell.' A truer statement has never been uttered. 'I deserve hell.' Have you said it to yourself? Now, tell yourself this: 'But... because of the Gospel, I am loved. God is my Father, and I am His child. I am loved.' That is simply astounding. But it's the truth. It's the Gospel.

There is, however, a problem. How well do you believe what you just told yourself about being loved? I don't think that I am far off if I say that one of the great needs for so many Christians is to know that they are loved. To know it. It seems to me that so many doubt that. Now, I'm not saying that people go around saying, 'I wonder if I'm loved?' But every time you give in to worry you doubt that your Father loves you. Every time you push yourself because you figure that you can only depend on yourself, you doubt that your Father loves you. Every time you give in to discouragement, maybe even to the point of giving up hope, you doubt that your Father loves you. It is simply a fact of the Gospel that we are loved. God is our Father and we are His children. We are loved. But it is also a fact that, in this or that situation, we doubt that.

Now you have before you two facts. Fact one: your are children of God and because of that you are loved. Fact two: To a greater or lesser extent, you doubt this way too often. Two facts. Wouldn't it be great to be able to increase your assurance about that first fact and progressively eradicate the second. But how? What do we do to be more assured that we are loved by the Father? How do we remove all doubt about that fact so that our hearts are fully persuaded? The Gospel answers that. And the Gospel answer is that you are to do nothing. Nothing. And the reason for that is clear. You are to do nothing because there is nothing that you can do to effect this kind of change. This is something that only the Spirit can do. 'The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God.' Being assured of God's Fatherly love is a work of the Spirit. Do you see why I said that this is a profound statement? It almost makes you believe that the Gospel is completely a matter of grace and not at all of works.

It's appropriate to ask a question at this point: How does the Spirit do it? How does He bring about assurance? There are some of us who would like it if He just sent us a letter in the mail. 'Dear Leon, You are my child and I love you. With all My love, God.' The problem is that even if we did receive such a letter would we believe it? I know that I would be looking for the return address of the jokester who send me such a letter. So, how does the Spirit effect this kind of change so that we would be assured that we are loved. I was listening to Pastor Mark Driscoll recently. During his talk he referred to 'Daddy dates'. He takes each of his daughters out to dinner and something else on a regular basis. In the talk I was listening to, he was talking about a 'Daddy date' with his four year old, Alexi. His goal in this is to protect his daughters. He knows that at some point there's going to be some teen age guy who's going to want to date his daughters. He wants to make sure that when that happens none of his girls are desperate for love and go off and do something stupid with that boy. His theory is that his girls will be kept safe from such a danger because they will just know: My Daddy loves me. And how would they know that? Well, they could point to the 'Daddy dates', but they won't have to. By then, they'll just know that their Daddy loves them. They'll just know. That's what the Spirit does with you. He does His work within you, by different means, so that you just know, 'I am loved. God is my Father. I am His child. I am loved.' You just know. And that is a great comfort.

All of this is so very important. It makes a huge difference in how we deal with life in this fallen world. Paul reminds us of this in our text when he mentions suffering. '[We are] heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him...' Suffering is a necessary part of being a Christian. Whenever you are confronted with some aspect of the sinfulness of this creation, and you press on to be faithful to Jesus, you will experience suffering. Some of the suffering that you face is no huge ordeal. But there are experiences of suffering that are great wrestling matches. They are hard. Paul lists some examples of what he has in mind here. Listen. 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." ' This is not an exhaustive list, just suggestive. Some of our suffering comes from other people, things like persecution. But there is also famine, distress, and danger. These are the kinds of things that come from life in a fallen world. And these sorts of things are Christian suffering because we deal with them for Jesus' sake. That's why Paul wrote, 'for your sake we are being killed all day long.' We wrestle with sin and suffer as a result because of our devotion to Jesus. We follow Jesus and we keep doing that even though it costs.

Now, this is where things begin to come together. When suffering for Jesus' sake gets hard, there is only one thing that will keep you at it: 'I am loved. God is my Father. I am His child. I am loved.' This is something that you need to know. If you know this then, when the suffering gets hard, you will be able to say, 'God's plan for me is good and wise and loving.' It is this assurance that will give you the hope that you need to continue on as a faithful disciple of Jesus. It is because of this assurance that you can cry out, 'Abba, Father.' You may cry out in great pain, but you cry out confidently, knowing that your loving Father will hear and that He will get you through it.

And being able to endure like this is important because the world is watching. Remember, we exist to make Jesus look good, and that is especially true when life gets hard. That's not to say that there aren't benefits for you in this. As you face suffering and endure as a confident child of God, your sense of joy will grow. And the reason for that is clear. As you suffer, you begin to see how very small your strength is. And as you see that, you then are forced to depend on your Father more. His promises become more important to you because you come to see more clearly that they are so necessary. And then, a funny thing happens. You discover that your Father really does keep His promises to you. Those words that used to be just some memory verses that you felt obligated to learn, become real. And what used to be something that you doubted becomes something you believe. 'Dear Leon, You are my child, and I love you. With all My love, God, Your Father.' That experience becomes fertile soil for a joy inexpressible and full of glory. As a result, hope blossoms. What it means to be an heir, to have 'an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you...' becomes so much richer.

So, suffering will come. There will be tears as you wrestle with choices and emotions and temptations. But underneath it all, holding everything else up, will be this confidence. 'I am loved. God is my Father. I am His child. I am loved.' And that confidence will be there not because of you. It will be there because of what the Spirit does in your life. He is the one who makes us confident in the Father's love. It is up to Him alone to create that kind of confidence. Remember we are not in control. The Spirit sovereignly acts. He will bless when He is good and ready to. We are not in control. And yet, as I said last week, we can put ourselves in the place where the Spirit does His work. It was in that context that I told you to read your Bible, commune with your God and use the community of the saints. There are other things to do also, but these are where you start. So, let me encourage you to continue to work at these spiritual disciplines. As you do, you will see more and more evidence that the Spirit is at work in your life. And that will bear some awesome fruit.

The Fire of the Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5.19

We are, once again, looking at the Spirit. I hope that these sermons have been helpful to you. I know that I am seeing more clearly the importance of the ministry of the Spirit as a result of thinking about these things. Our progress as a church - not to mention as individual believers - depends on our understanding and then submitting to the ways of the Spirit as He moves among us. We have much to learn. But I am confident that the Spirit will continue to patiently teach us. I am very optimistic about our future.

Let's start today by considering this key word: quench. A quick look at other places this word shows up in the New Testament is helpful. If you were to do that you'd see that it shows up in contexts dealing with fire. So, Jesus describes hell as a place, 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' And Paul exhorts us to take 'the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.' And so, I think that you can see why the NIV translates our text, 'Do not put out the Spirit's fire.' This imagery of fire fits. You'll remember that on Pentecost - the day of the coming of the Spirit - there were tongues of fire over the disciples. Elsewhere, the Bible is peppered with references to fire. There's the burning bush. Sacrifices are offered to God by means of fire. The book of Hebrews tells us that our God is a consuming fire. And John preached that one would come who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. In our text Paul is talking about the fire of the Spirit.

Imagine yourself standing near a large fire. What's going on? There's lots of heat and light. Whatever is burning is being changed. Sparks erupt from time to time. That's the Spirit doing His work in you. He is busy in your soul and the result is heat and light and change, sometimes to the accompaniment of sparks. The Spirit is busy working in you. This is the assumption of the text, and it is important that you see it. Paul doesn't tell these Christians to try to start the fire of the Spirit. He knows that the fire is already there. The Spirit is already at work. The Spirit is already at work in you. This ministry of the Spirit in your life is a basic part of the Gospel that Jesus created. Having ascended to the right hand of the Father as the risen Savior, Jesus has sent the Spirit to erupt into flames in your life. He has sent the Spirit to complete His work of salvation on your behalf. The Spirit is in you, finishing what Jesus started. That's one thought that you should take home and relish. Tell yourself, 'Jesus has given me the Spirit of God, and He is like a fire at work in my life.' That's a fact, a fact that you can enjoy.

Behind this is an important implication. I've just told you that Jesus has sent the Spirit to you. Why did He do that? Here's one big reason why. He wants you to thrive. When He found you, your life was filled with sin. The outside might have looked nice enough to impress others, but both you and He know what the inside was like. What a mess! To be sure, part of His saving you is about forgiveness. Because of Jesus your sins are all forgiven. All of them. That is, by itself, astounding. But there is more to what Jesus does for you. Another part of His saving you is that He frees you from sin. He forgives you and then He frees you from the power that sin has over your life. He frees you to be the person you were intended to be. That's why He sent the Spirit. Sin has erected many obstacles to your enjoying this freedom. And these obstacles aren't little things that you can fix. It will take the power of God Himself to remove them. And that's exactly what you have; the power of God. Jesus has sent you the Spirit to remove all of those obstacles. All of them. So, when you think of the Spirit, think of Him as fulfilling Jesus' intentions for you. Jesus wants to see you thrive; but not in some narrow 'religious' sense. He wants to see the beauty of being a whole person reflected in your life. And so, He sent the Spirit.

All of this helps to explain the point of the text. Jesus has given His Spirit to each of His saints. And yet, it's possible to dampen His ministry, to quench Him. When that happens, instead of the large bonfire that He wants to set in someone's life, there might only be a barely lit matchstick. Big difference. That's why we read, 'Do not quench the Spirit.' Instead of the experience of the power of the Spirit at work guiding from one victory to another, there's struggle and even of defeat. 'Do not quench the Spirit.' Instead of a growing communion with Father, Son and Spirit, God seems so very far away, so very uninvolved. 'Do not quench the Spirit.' Instead of a glorious joy, a love that overflows and a peace that quells all fears, life is just a matter of blah. 'Do not quench the Spirit.' Jesus wants you to thrive. So, be careful here, so that you might enjoy all the good things of the Gospel. Be careful here so that the Spirit might generate a bonfire in your life. 'Do not quench the Spirit.'

The obvious question at this point is this: What do we do so that we don't quench the Spirit? Paul answers that. Listen to the next sentence. 'Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.' Things are happening within you and around you. Some of the things that are affecting you being done by the Spirit. But there are other sources as well. And so, Paul tells the Thessalonians - and us - that we need to evaluate these things. We need to ask the question, 'What is the Spirit doing in me? In what ways is His flame changing me, empowering me so that I might thrive?' These are the things that we need to hold fast. Whatever else there may be we dump.

There's something in Proverbs that helps to answer our question of what to do.

Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations? When the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered, the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field. There will be enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance for your girls.

The main point isn't difficult. The farmer needs to know what's going on with his flocks and take care of what needs tending to so that when the situation changes, and it will, he'll be prepared and able to deal with it. That's pretty straightforward - except for this. I'm not a farmer. I don't have flocks or herds, and I never will. So, how does this speak to me? As I've pondered that over the years, a couple of thoughts have come to mind. The first had to do with the proper care of my own household. But here's another. If it is important for a farmer to look to his flocks and to care for them, how much more important is it for me to look to my soul and care for it. Life changes. There are bumps in the road, and some of them are quite severe. If you would see the fire of the Spirit grow in your life so that you will be able to face the inevitable ups and downs with joy, know well the condition of your heart and give attention to the health of your soul. This is part of what Paul means when he tells us to test all things and hold fast what is good. As you do that, you won't have to worry about quenching the Spirit. Instead, you will find yourself thriving because of what he is doing in you.

Now, there may be someone who is still thinking, 'Yes, but what do I do?!? In one sense, that's a good question. But I have prayed and thought about whether I should answer it. You see, I have a concern here. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of trying to achieve spiritual growth by formula. 'If I follow these three steps, then I'll be set. I'll make it in good shape.' There are all kinds of assumptions at work here. And the worst one is simply this: 'I am in control. If I play my cards right, I can assure myself of success in this or any area of my life. I am in control.' In control? In control of what? The Spirit?!? Who could possibly be in control of the Spirit of God? He is the Sovereign One who does whatever He wishes, whenever He wishes, however He wishes, being limited only by His holy nature. We do not control the Spirit. And just putting words to these notions shows the foolishness of such thinking. There is no formula that will produce spiritual growth. The Sovereign Spirit produces Spiritual growth. He controls the process. Beware of coming even close to such a trap.

Though I am wary of answering this question, it seemed right for me to say something in response. The Spirit has told us of some tools that He uses so that the fire within can become a great bonfire for His glory. I'm just going to mention three. Two are quite familiar, but one is less so. First, read your Bible. There is nothing that the Spirit uses more than His Word, whether read, preached or listened to. That is His major tool when it comes to His ministry in your soul. Too many of the saints have, in fact, quenched the Spirit, at least to some extent, because they neglect their Bibles. Don't be one of them. So, read your Bible. I think that you can predict the second item on the list. Say your prayers. Now, by that I'm not talking about some merely 'religious' activity that we're supposed to do. Prayer is communing with God. It's a conversation with Him. Communing with God in prayer is something that you learn. But you won't learn it out of a book. You learn to commune with God by communing with God. It takes time, but it is so worth it. So, let me re-phrase that second tool: commune with your God. Make that a regular habit of your day. The third item on our list is, I suspect, not so familiar. Talk about Spiritual things. The Spirit can use what others have to say to make clearer to you some things you need to understand. And He can use you to benefit others. The Spirit uses community to free you from your sins. Talk to others about what you've read in your Bible, about the things that you see the Spirit doing in your life, about some of the joys of your communing with God. This is the kind of thing that you can do during dinner or after worship or at the monthly luncheon or while you're taking a walk. Talk about what the Spirit is doing in your life. Talk about Spiritual things. If you do these kinds of things - reading your Bible, saying your prayers, talking about Spiritual things - you will put yourself in the place where the Spirit commonly works. And then simply wait, patiently and confidently, for the Spirit to act. He will.

Knowing the Things of God

1 Corinthians 2.9-16

We're looking at the Spirit once again. My goal in this is for you to reflect on who the Spirit is and understand better what it is that He does. Today, we look at a passage of Scripture that has been used to explain why some people get the Gospel while others don't. My intention in looking at this passage is not to look at our past and what the Spirit did back then so that we got the Gospel. Rather, it is to look at our future and what the Spirit will do in us and with us.

In the text that I read to you Paul wrote, 'The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.' The natural person doesn't get it. In fact, he can't get it. He can't because the things of God are Spiritually discerned. That is, it takes the Holy Spirit to understand these things. It takes the Spirit to understand the Gospel. But on the other hand, Paul writes, 'Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.' The spiritual person, that is, the person in whom the Spirit has done His work, does get it. He understands the Gospel and believes it. The Spirit makes the Gospel real to a person and that's why He believes it. That's why he entrusts himself to Jesus.

Now, let's look at all of that from a particular vantage point. It should be obvious that, say, some college student taking a course in religion could study the right books on the Gospel and pass some test on it with flying colors. Imagine overhearing him as he studies in the library. 'That religion test is coming. I've done all the assigned readings, and I think that I've got all that down pretty well. But I'd better go over that outline again just to be sure. So, what was that first point? Oh yeah, God is the creator of all things and He made all of this for Himself. Okay, I've got that down. What's next? Sin. Sin is rebelling against God as the creator. It is rejecting His authority. Okay, I've got that. Next - what was that third point? Something about Jesus. Jesus ... is the savior sent by God to rescue people from the justice due them for messing up, I mean sinning. All who believe what God says about Jesus as savior are forgiven all their sins. I think I've got that too.' Our religion student might take his exam the next day and get a really good grade. But, to use Paul's words, he still does not 'understand the things that have been freely given to us by God.' Paul is talking about something more profound than being able to recite the facts of the Gospel, even with some clarity. Something else is going on.

It is very important that this difference be clear. So, let me explain the difference this way. It's kind of like falling in love. Here's some young guy. He knows this young lady because they've taken some classes together. In fact, she was also a part of that group of students who crammed for the final together. It was a good thing that he spent all that time with the group. That's the only reason he did as well as he did when it came time to take the tests. So, if you asked him about that young lady he could probably tell you a few things about her: about how tall she is, color of hair, maybe even color of her eyes - though that might be pushing it. But that was last semester, and his thoughts were focused on advanced calculus at the time. But something happened recently. There was more study time together. But this time, instead of studying the class assignment he found that he was studying her. And now things are different. Now, he sees how the sun highlights her hair. Now, he notices that her eyes are so soft and inviting - and that they are a beautiful shade of hazel. Now, he notices that beneath the gentleness of her words there is a passion about things that she thinks important. Something has happened. The facts are still the same and yet, he sees them in an entirely different way. He's in love. The facts haven't changed, but it's obvious that he has.

It's the same way with the Gospel and the work of the Spirit. Let's go back to our religion student. And let's assume that something happens some time after his test on the Gospel. Let's assume that the Spirit did His work in this person's life. He gets the Gospel. The facts are the same. They haven't changed in the least. But he sees them differently. Let's listen again as he goes over that outline.

'What was that first point? God is the Creator and He has made all of this for Himself. God created all of this? Out of nothing? How did He do that? And He made it all for Himself? I guess that means that ... that He created me for Himself. I am here to do whatever He wants. I'm the creature. He's the Creator. Whoa!'

'Second point: sin. Sin is rebelling against God as the Creator. It is rejecting His authority. Oh my goodness! That's me. I'm a rebel. I've been rebelling against His authority. I've rejected the authority of the God who created me. Oh no. What is He going to do to me?'

'Oh wait! Third point: Jesus is the Savior sent by God to rescue people from the justice due them for messing up, for sinning. All who believe what God says about Jesus as Savior are forgiven all their sins. God sent Jesus to rescue me? Why would He do that? If I believe what God says about Jesus then I will be forgiven all my sins. All of them. All of them? All of them. That's amazing.'

Something is different. Something has changed. The facts are the same, but the person is different. We can't see what changed inside our student friend. We can't see the secret work of the Spirit in his heart. But we can see that something about this person has changed.

It's just like the young man who fell in love. When that happened to him, his priorities changed. Being with that special woman shot to the top of the list. His emotions were engaged in a way that they weren't before. Life feels different to him now. And he looks different to others. It's the same with our converted religion student now that the Spirit has done His work. His priorities are different. Jesus is now the priority of his life. His emotions are engaged. He is in awe of this Creator-Redeemer God. He is stunned by the joy of a forgiveness that covers all the evil and sadness of his sin. Life feels different to him now. And he looks different to others. The Spirit has done His work. 'Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.'

Our starstruck young man is fortunate that the young lady in question feels similarly. So they marry and establish a family. Fast forward a few years. Things have changed. Life has happened, with all its ups and downs. Our young couple are no longer quite so young. They still have a solid marriage, but the thrill of falling in love is no longer there. And they notice this at times - and wonder about it. But there are others in the same kind of situation who just accept this as how life works. 'After all', they tell themselves, 'you can't maintain that emotional pitch forever.' And so, the marriage remains, but the priorities have changed, and the emotions are not as engaged.

There are others, however, who take a different tack. They also understand that the emotions of new-found love don't last. But instead of accepting the myth that those feelings have to fade away, they see that such feelings can mature and develop into emotions of a kind that they could never have imagined when they were younger. The priorities have changed some, since there are more responsibilities, but, for them, what was on the top of the list is still on the top of the list. In the midst of all that has been added to life, she is still his priority. He is still her priority. And, yes, the emotions are not as electric as they once were. Instead, they are deeper and more profound. While the emotions of young love are ready for the sprint, the emotions of mature love continue the marathon, joyfully.

What I want you to see is that the same thing sometimes happens to a new faith. As the years go by, it's possible to settle for something not really like what it once was. The thrill of a new-found faith fades. 'After all', they tell themselves, 'you can't maintain that emotional pitch forever.' So, the relationship with Jesus remains, but the priorities are different and the emotions are not as engaged. I don't think that's the way it's supposed to be. In fact, I'm know that's not the way it's supposed to be. And just as there are ways to make sure that a new found love grows and develops into something deeper and much more profound, something that a young love could never have imagined, there are ways to make sure that a new-found faith - that love affair with Jesus - grows and develops into something deeper and much more profound, something that a young faith could never have imagined. Walking with Jesus after forty plus years isn't supposed to feel the same that it did when the relationship was but a few years old. It's supposed to be better and feel better. And I can tell you that, in my case, it is.

But how? That's the question, isn't it? How is a young faith, one that naively thinks it is ready to take on the world, transformed into something mature that actually can take on the world? The answer is simple. The answer is the Gospel. Remember, the Gospel is not complicated. It's simple. Not easy, but simple. Let me give you some Scripture to answer our question about 'how'. The first comes from our text. One more time: 'Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.' Making the Gospel real is the Spirit's work. He must act if we are to to know the things of God in that special way. But what He does is not just a one time event. His work in your soul is to be a life-long experience. So, we read this: 'And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.' The Spirit doesn't just do His work at the beginning of our walk with Jesus. It's up to Him to see it through to the end. It is His continuous work in the soul that takes a young faith and deepens it until it becomes a mature faith. But that then brings us to this: 'Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling...' The work of the Spirit is absolutely necessary. But that doesn't mean that we sit around, say a prayer every once in a while, and expect the Spirit to hit us with His magic wand. There is work for you to do. You need to pursue the Spirit. You need to pursue communion with Him if He is going to continue to make the Gospel real to you. There is something for you to do. So, let me encourage you to continue what you are doing. Pursue the Spirit as best you know how. Pursue communion with Him. This will bear fruit. Persevere in this and you will see things that you would never have expected.

Now, I'm sure that you have questions about this. And who knows, maybe the Spirit will bring me back to this to answer some of those questions. But He's given you more than enough to consider and mull over. And I sincerely hope that you will.

Grieving the Spirit

Ephesians 4.30

We are continuing to explore our relationship with the Spirit. I hope you understand why I do this. The Spirit is key to our success as Christians and as a church. It is crucial for us to see that clearly. As we get to know Him better, we will be changed and we will be doing things for the kingdom that we would never have expected.

Our text is short which makes it easier to see some things. For example, the word 'grieve' stands out. What we do can grieve the Spirit. Let's examine this a bit. Grieving means making a person feel sad or distressed. To grieve someone is to cause that person pain. In speaking of our relationship with the Spirit in this way Paul makes clear that the Spirit is a person. He is not an 'it' or a thing. He is a person. And that means that He thinks, feels and does other things that a person would do, like respond to others. The Spirit responds to you. He responds emotionally to you. What you do either makes the Spirit sad or it makes Him glad. He responds to you. That means nothing if the Spirit is some stranger. But it means a great deal if you and He are close.

My teacher back in 7th grade English class was Mr. Test. (Yes, that is his real name.) He was one of the very best teachers that I have ever had. One day, he announced that there would be a vocabulary test on the next day. He was going to be out for the day, but a substitute teacher would be there to hand out the tests. The next day we entered the class expecting this test. The substitute handed them out and then told us to take out our dictionaries and fill in the answers. She evidently thought that it was just to be some worksheet. One of my fellow students told her that it was intended to be a test, but she told us not to worry about that. 'Get out your dictionaries and fill in the answers.' So, we did. The next day Mr. Test discovered what had happened. When we got to class he was very angry with us. He didn't yell. He took our work from the day before and threw it all into the trash. We let him know that that we told the sub that it was to be a test. 'That sub didn't know what she was doing. She will never sub in my class again. But you! I expected better of you. I don't care what you do for the rest of the period.' I was stunned. Most of my classmates pulled out a book to read or did something else, but I could not. Here is someone with whom I had a very good relationship. He was someone I respected and looked up to. I had grieved someone who was important to me and it really bothered me. That's what Paul is getting at when he writes, 'Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.'

It is easy to fall into the temptation of thinking that our religion boils down to following some rules. The Bible is filled with good rules, and I can understand it if it bothers someone when he breaks one of them. But that's a far cry from knowing that you have grieved someone with whom you have a very good relationship, someone you look up to, someone who is important to you. That's a whole different thing. 'Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.'

Let's go a little further with this. It's important that you understand why the Spirit grieves over your sin. There are those who will say that they understand that their sin grieves the Spirit, but they are still thinking in terms of rule keeping. They think that Spirit is upset because they have broken one of His rules. That's what His grief is about. Or so they tell you. But that is just wrong. The Spirit grieves not for Himself but for you, for your sake. He wants you to flourish. And your sin is an obstacle to that. So, when you sin He is saddened because an opportunity for you to flourish a little more has been lost. What made Mr. Test such a favorite of mine is that it was clear to me that he wanted me to flourish, to do well, not just as a student but as a person. He is a small illustration of the Spirit's desires for you. To be sure, your sin is a great affront to God. It is an expression of rebellion and for that reason it should be hated. But that doesn't tell the whole story. Sin also does great damage to you. You are meant for great things, and your sin is an obstacle to that occurring. When the Spirit sees another obstacle raised, it grieves Him.

Let's look at our text from a different perspective. When Paul wrote, 'Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God', he was warning us about our sin and its effects. Did he have some specific sin in mind? Was there some particular application that he was working on? At the beginning of the sermon I told you that our text was short. It is only one sentence. But think about it. When you write a letter you don't just throw down some disconnected sentences. They all fit together to make one main thought, a paragraph. It was the same with Paul. Listen to the paragraph that Paul wrote around our one-sentence text. 'Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.'

The paragraph gives a context to what Paul is writing about in our text. What's the paragraph about? The paragraph is about body life, our life together, our being a church. It's in that context that Paul writes, 'Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.' Paul is thinking about relationships within the church, a topic that is a key theme in this letter. Notice how he instructs the Ephesians on this here. He writes a list of actions and attitudes that affect our life together as the church, and he gives both sides of the coin. Don't lie, but speak the truth. Don't steal but work so that you can share with others. Don't let corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but rather what will build up. Don't harbor a spirit of bitterness and slander but express a spirit of kindness and tenderness. Paul offers a list of things to avoid and a matching list of things to pursue in the context of being the church. And like all of Paul's lists this one isn't exhaustive nor is it intended to be. It's a list of examples. And it's supposed to give you a good idea of what he is thinking about.

Here's the point. One way that we grieve the Spirit is by our sins against the other Christians in this room, our sins against the body of Christ, the sins that reflect our failure to live together as a church. And these are sins against both sides of Paul's list. It's not good enough if someone says, 'Well, I don't express any bitterness against anyone here.' That's good, but remember Paul's companion thought. Do you express the spirit of kindness and tenderheartedness and forgiveness? It's good if no corrupting words come out of your mouth, but do you speak words that will build up and encourage the other people in this room? Neglecting to do what is good and right is as grievous to the Spirit as doing what is wrong. But bear in mind that the flip side is also true. When you say those words of grace or share what you've earned or when you do any of a multitude of other good things, you make the Spirit glad. The Spirit responds to us emotionally in light of how we live together as a church.

I want to take this one step further. When someone sins, whether its saying something harsh or failing to give some away some of what he has earned, these actions are just symptoms of a deeper problem. The deeper issue is the attitude of the heart. Remember, Adam and Eve sinned long before they reached for that apple. This is also true when someone sins against the body. One kind of attitude that is often behind the sins that Paul is pointing to goes something like this: 'I don't need you. You don't need me. We all can make it adequately well on our own.' Out of that kind of attitude come all sorts of sins against the life of the church. And it is that kind of attitude that grieves the Spirit because He knows that if we are going to succeed as Christians, if we are going to succeed as a church, we need each other. So the right attitude goes something like this: 'Each of us is needed by the rest. Each of us needs the rest. If we are going to make it, we're going to make it together.' Refusal to believe this and then to act upon that unbelief grieves the Spirit. 'Each of us is needed by the rest. Each of us needs the rest. If we are going to make it, we're going to make it together.' That's Gospel truth. And that's why we have things like luncheons and Bible studies and all the rest.

I have one last area to look at. I've been talking to you about grieving the Spirit, and the fact is that not a one of us has failed to do this. This is something that we do all too often. But remember the Gospel. As soon as your heart takes the first step toward repentance, before even one word of confession has formed on your lips, the Spirit rejoices. He rejoices and He forgives. Your sins are gone. The Spirit has forgotten all about them. You can too. And bear in mind that your repentance is a sign that you are working on these things. Your repentance shows that you are seeing the difference between what is and what should be. And that's really good. That you can see the difference is one sign that you are on the way to flourishing greatly. The Spirit is at work. He is moving you ahead. He rejoices in the change He sees in you. And you should too.

Being Filled With the Spirit

2 Timothy 1.1-7

We find ourselves in the midst of another unplanned series. Let me remind you how we got to this point. The first sermon was about the mission of the church to spread the Gospel. We were in Acts 1 for that. That led to the second sermon where we looked at fruit-bearing as an aspect of pursuing this mission. That was from John 15. And that has led us to today's sermon which is about the role of the Spirit as we bear fruit and pursue our mission. Considering the role of the Spirit today seems appropriate since this is Pentecost Sunday, a reminder of the coming of the Spirit upon the Church. My original plan was to look at several different aspects of our relationship with the Spirit. But as the sermon developed it was clear that the Spirit was guiding me to narrow my focus. I'm expecting that I will return to the topic of the Spirit in the near future so that I can deal with some of these other aspects.

In the text that I read to you Paul exhorts his young protégé to pursue his calling. He doesn't just tell him that. He also gives him a reason to be hopeful in that pursuit. '...for God gave us a Spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.' Paul points Timothy to the Spirit. Timothy has been called to be a pastor and he is having some difficulties in fulfilling that role. So, the Apostle reminds him of what he already knows. His hope for success resides in the power of the Spirit whom God has given to him. Paul reminds him of the Spirit.

Our ability to pursue our calling to follow Jesus similarly depends on the Spirit whom God has given to His Church. He must act in us or nothing will happen. I think that we all know this. And yet, I think that it is fair to say that we are not especially familiar with the Spirit or how He does His work in our lives or how we are to respond to Him. And that has great effect on the pursuit of our calling. How can we follow Jesus well if the Spirit is something of a stranger to us? It was here that I thought we'd take a look at several aspects of the Spirit's work in our lives. But, as I said, we're only going to take a look at one, the filling of the Spirit.

Paul says in Ephesians, 'Be filled with the Spirit.' To be sure, many of you have questions about this. There may be a good number of things that are not be clear to you when it comes this being filled with the Spirit. But certainly, one thing is clear. This is a command. The Apostle Paul is not making a recommendation, nor is he offering a suggestion. Paul commanded those Ephesian Christians to do something. And the Spirit is using Paul's words to, likewise, command you to do something. Be filled with the Spirit. Here is a word from God that we all need to obey. Of course, as soon as I say this, up pop some questions. 'But what does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? And how do I do that?' Those are the right questions. And they are important questions since we have this command staring us in the face.

So, let's start with the first question: What does this mean? The best way to get at this is to look other places where the Bible uses the language of being filled with something. Here are some examples.

• And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?"

• And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom.

• When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.

• But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him, and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

• And the disciples were filled with joy.

The point is clear. This is language about what is going on inside, in a person's soul. There are good things, like joy and awe, and bad things, like wrath and jealousy. And this is tied to something Jesus said. 'Out of the heart the mouth speaks.' The outer life is simply a reflection of the inner. The inside overflows to the outside. The point of the command to be filled with the Spirit is that you need to make sure that your 'inside' is filled with the good things of the Spirit. When that happens the inevitable result will be an outer life that overflows with much that is good, things like joy, love, awe and power. I think that answers our first question.

Now, on to the next question. 'How do I do that? How can I be filled with the Spirit?' This isn't a complicated question. It boils down to asking, 'How can my soul be filled with the good things of the Spirit? What do I need to do for that to happen?' You might answer that by saying something like, 'It's something that I need to pray about. I need to ask God for this.' That's a good answer. The only problem is that, for some, the next thought is, 'But I've done that already. And I don't see any change. I've prayed for more of the Spirit and I've seen nothing.' It's at this point that things can fall apart. But they don't need to.

To pray that God would fill you with His Spirit is important, crucial in fact. But that's not all that needs to happen. There are also some things that you need to do. There are commands that need to be obeyed. In our text, Paul pointed to the Spirit as the foundation for Timothy's pursuing his calling. '...for God gave us a Spirit not of fear but of power...' Timothy's hope for success in that calling depended on the Spirit. But listen to how Paul began that sentence, 'For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God...' Do you see what Paul is saying? 'To be sure, Timothy, the Spirit has all the power that you need. But you aren't supposed to just sit there, you know. There are things for you to do, Timothy. Fan into flame the gift that God has given you. Pray, Timothy. Pray all the time. But you also need to be sure to do the other things that you're supposed to.' So, you see, we aren't to pray and then sit around waiting for the Spirit to drop into our laps. There are things to do.

You can see this clearly in other parts of Paul's letter to Timothy. Consider how the Apostle describes this very powerful Spirit to Timothy. '...for God gave us a Spirit not of fear...' Isn't that an odd way of referring to the Spirit, the Spirit who is not of fear? But Paul wrote it that way for a reason. Timothy was timid. He was afraid of people. And so, Paul exhorts him appropriately. 'Timothy, give up your timid ways. Be fearless! Be bold!' There is something to do. In the very next verse he tells Timothy, '... share in suffering for the sake of the Gospel...' Jesus said that following Him would be costly. Paul certainly understood that as he wrote this from jail. And he reminds Timothy of this as well. There is something to do. And then there is this from later in this same letter. 'No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.' Paul points to three kinds of people who have something in common. They work hard to get to a goal. Paul uses their example to make his point to Timothy. There is something to do. And so, I say to you, if you would be filled with the Spirit and see His power overflow from your life, just praying, though essential, is not enough. There are things to do, commands to be obeyed.

I'm guessing that I've confused a good number of you. You're probably asking yourself, 'So, we are filled with the Spirit by obedience? We earn the Spirit? That doesn't sound right.' And it isn't. The blessing of the Spirit is a matter of grace all the way. But we still need to obey those commands.

Let me share with you something from my own life that will clarify what I'm saying. As some of you know, I have joined a book discussion group at Barnes and Noble. I had been praying that I could speak something of the Gospel to my neighbors. I was praying that because I knew it is something that God expects of His saints. So, I was praying for opportunity to do that. But one day as I was praying about this, it dawned on me that I just about never see my neighbors. How could I speak something of the Gospel to them if I never see them long enough to say anything to them. As a result, it seemed right for me to go and find some non-Christian neighbors to whom I could speak the Gospel. So, God led me to this group. The first time I met with this group was last November. I had read the selected book beforehand and took part in the discussion when we met. It was time well spent. The December meeting, by tradition, was dinner together at a restaurant; a social occasion. As a result, one December night I found myself driving to some restaurant in Cranesville that I had never been to before, to get together with some people I had met only once, to chat over dinner about who-knows-what. (I was pretty sure that it wasn't going to be about the finer points of Reformed theology.) I am not, by nature, an outgoing person. If I had my druthers, I'd do what Calvin wanted to do which was to find a quiet place to read books. So, there I was sitting in my car in the parking lot of this restaurant. I was a bit early. And the all the reasons for not going in were flooding my head. 'I don't know anything about this place. What if I don't recognized these people? I've only met them once. What if I go in and make a fool of myself?' But I reminded myself why I joined this group. I wanted to establish relationships with the other folk so that my Christianity could make itself known to them. I wanted to share the Gospel with these new-found 'neighbors' of mine. And Jesus wanted me to do that, too. And so, sitting in my car, I prayed. I don't remember what I said but the basic idea was that the Spirit would fill me with the ability to do this. And after praying, I didn't wait for some rush of feelings of power. I didn't expect that or any other tangible evidence of the Spirit's presence. And there was none. I didn't suddenly become an extrovert. But, having prayed, I got out of the car and entered the restaurant, there to develop some relationships with these people whom Jesus had led me to.

Now, here's my point. I prayed. But there was more to do. It was as I decided to take the risk to obey, that the Spirit filled me with His power. I did not earn it. But I had to decide to obey before I could see its effects. So, you might say that I was filled with the Spirit as I opened my car door to enter the restaurant. That's when it was clear that I had decided to obey. It is of the utmost importance that you pray. It is also of the utmost importance that you read your Bible. How else would I have known that I'm supposed to spread the Gospel to my neighbors apart from prayer and Bible reading? But praying and reading alone isn't enough. There are some things that you need to do. You need to take the risk that is tied up in obedience. But as you do that, you will be filled with the Spirit. The power of the Spirit will be there to give you what you need.

That's what Paul was doing with Timothy. 'Timothy, you need to pursue your calling. There are things you need to do. You need to obey Jesus and work hard at being a faithful pastor. But be assured that the Spirit will give you the ability to do any of that. Be confident in Him and His power, and then obey.'

I started this series back in Acts 1 talking about the mission that Jesus has given to us as His Church. We are to spread the Gospel. I am not satisfied with the progress that we are making on that. And I hope that you aren't satisfied, either. But the solution isn't in trying harder or employing some new method. The solution starts with our giving due attention to what God is telling us in His word and then praying about it. As we do that, the Spirit will point out what we, individually and as a church, need to do. It's at that point that we'll have to take the risk that obedience always calls for. But we do that confident that the Spirit will give us whatever we need to accomplish what He has called us to. If we follow this plan, we will see the Spirit do amazing things in us and through us. As we are filled with the Spirit, we will the Gospel spread.

Being Filled With The Spirit

Acts 6.1-8

The passage that I just read was the text that we looked at during our last Bible study. As we worked through it, we dealt with the different questions that came up and had a good discussion. It was another look at what it meant – and what it means – to be the Church. But we didn’t get to look at the qualities of the men who were chosen: being full of the Spirit, full of wisdom, faith, grace and power. After some reflection, it seemed good to deal with those today. It occurred to me that considering these qualities fits with the last two sermons that I’ve preached. I could be wrong, but I think that we are in the midst of a series. Let me explain that. I don’t plan what I am going to preach. When I wake up on Monday mornings, I usually have no clue what the sermon for Sunday is going to be about. But by the time I get to Wednesday, the Spirit has made clear what I should be preaching. So, you see, I don’t plan series. But it does seem, from this vantage point, that these three sermons fit together. So, we’ll first examine this list of qualities, and then we’ll see what it has to say to you in the context of what the Spirit has already been telling you over the last couple of weeks.

Some of you will remember back to the ‘70’s – a few of you – when the charismatic movement was quite popular. It was an exciting time and a difficult time as some important questions were being raised, questions that the Church had to answer. Here’s one of them. ‘What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? (This was tied to the larger question of what the baptism of the Spirit is all about, but we’ll limit ourselves to just that first question.) Here’s a good illustration, from the Gospel of John, of what being filled by the Spirit is about. ‘Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.’ Anyone entering the house would have quickly been aware of the pleasant aroma of the ointment.. The house was filled with its fragrance. Being filled with the Spirit is having the aroma of the Spirit spread throughout your soul so that those who come in contact with you sense it. They may not be able to label it or understand it, but they are aware of the aroma and are usually drawn to it. This aroma of the Spirit shows in different ways. One classic text on this topic is found in Ephesians 5. Listen to how Paul describes its aroma. ‘…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.’ Being filled with the Spirit affects relationships, with one another and with God. That’s the aroma of the Spirit. Another place you would find a description of this aroma is in Galatians 5, where we find Paul writing about the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience…. Paul doesn’t use the language ‘being filled with the Spirit’ here, but he’s talking about the same thing: the aroma of the Spirit in the life of a saint. Likewise, in our text. Here are some men in whom it is clear that the Spirit is at work. He has been dealing with them, changing their lives. They are filled with the Spirit. The aroma is unmistakable. In their case this aroma manifests itself by four qualities. So, let’s consider each of these.

The first is being filled with wisdom. Wisdom is the skill of having insight into life, other people and yourself. Someone has insight in these areas because he has insight into God. Who is God? What is He like? What is He doing? What’s important to Him? Proverbs is a book about wisdom, about gaining insight based on a knowledge of God. According to Proverbs, the opposite of wisdom is foolishness or folly. This isn’t being stupid or making stupid mistakes. Folly is rebellion. It is refusing to see things as God does. It is refusing the insight that He offers. It’s looking at life in Godless ways. And, as Proverbs reminds us, the rebellious end up being stupid and making stupid mistakes. There is, however, another alternative to wisdom. It’s important you see this because it is too often missed. The second alternative to being wise is being simple. Listen to the wise woman of Proverbs. ‘“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”’ This word, ‘simple’, may seem like an odd label to apply to someone. But understand what wisdom is saying. Life isn’t clear and straightforward. It isn’t simple. It’s complex. Things are not what they may seem at first glance. Proverbs goes to great pains to show us this. So, if a person is to succeed in this life, he must come to see the complexities of life lest, in his simplistic view of things, he does something stupid, and forfeit his soul. There is a certain skill required if one is going to make it, a certain ability to see beyond the superficial, a certain insight into life, into people and into yourself. This wisdom is something the Spirit gives. He gave it to the men of our text. And the people around them knew it.

Next, there’s being full of faith. Let’s first be clear on what faith is. Faith is not saying something like, ‘I believe God is going to bless me with a complete healing of my illness.’ Oh really? And why do you believe that? ‘I just do!’ That isn’t faith. That’s telling God what you think He should do next. Faith doesn’t order God around. But, of course, the comeback to this is for our friend to say, ‘But the Spirit has shown me that I will be healed!!’ And that, of course, is a claim that a wise person can evaluate. No, rather faith is responding to what God has already told you He is going to do. And so, being full of faith means that you actually expect God to keep His promises in specific ways, and thus, you act accordingly. So, for example, Jesus has told us that, though His kingdom starts small, it will fill the earth: the small seed will become a large tree, the leaven will permeate the whole loaf. [See Matthew 13.31ff.] The person who is full of faith, with this assurance from the Word, hears the Spirit saying, ‘Here’s one situation where the kingdom can take another step forward.’ And so, being full of faith, he prays. He prays confidently for this particular item that the Spirit pointed out to him. He believes God. In all of this faith responds to God and expects Him to do what He has said He will do – however outlandish such a request may seem to others who lack his faith. This kind of faith comes from being filled with the Spirit. And the aroma of the Spirit hovers over such people. I hope you can see that being full of faith is related to being full of wisdom. Having insight into God and His ways necessarily leads to believing God when He says He will do something. I might be wrong on this, but I don’t think that you can be full of faith without being full of wisdom. And I don’t think you can be full of wisdom without being full of faith.

Next, there is being full of grace. There are two parts to this. Let’s start by talking about someone who is so very gracious to others. He is patient and forgiving. There is a certain kind of gentleness associated with this person. Here is someone who cares, and it shows. In this way, he is full of grace in his relationships with others. But whence this gracious attitude? This person is able to be gracious to others because God has been gracious to him – and he knows that well. For someone to grasp what it means that his God has been gracious to him, he must first understand something of the ugliness of his own sin before that God. He needs to have a measure of insight into what God thinks about sin – his sin. Again, we’re back to the need of wisdom, insight. Here is someone for whom the Gospel is real. His sin is real, very real. It isn’t just a doctrine that he’s supposed to agree to. And as a result, God’s grace to him is also very real. And so, there is an aroma about this person, the aroma of grace, that spills over into the lives of those around him.

Last quality: full of power. What is this? Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? (You may have to be over 30 to understand that.) Listen again to our text. ‘And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.’ What is this? Are we to expect people to perform miracles? Well, there are some things that only an apostle can do. Paul calls them signs of an apostle. [See 2 Corinthians 12.] So nobody besides an apostle is going to be able to raise the dead. But consider. We’re talking about people who are full of the Spirit, that is, full of wisdom, faith and grace. How can a combination like this not result in some sort of works of power? We’re talking about someone who has insight into what’s going on in and around him, someone who believes, really believes, God’s promises, someone who deeply cares about other people. What do you suppose will happen when a person like this gets to praying? You will see amazing things happen, powerful things happen. How can they not?

We’ve been talking about being filled with the Spirit. We’ve looked at these qualities: wisdom, faith, grace and power. And then there are the other qualities like love, joy, peace and all the rest. What a glorious aroma. Who are we talking about? We’re talking about Jesus. In his Gospel, Luke described Jesus as someone who was full of the Holy Spirit. I’ve just described some of what Jesus is all about. Now, it’s important that you see this because it means that I’ve also described you. This is what you are in the process of becoming. The Spirit is now working at conforming you to the image of Jesus Himself. I’ve been describing who you are becoming. This shouldn’t be news. It’s just the Gospel. The point that I want to make from this isn’t complicated. I’d like you to become more and more like this, and sooner rather than later. I want more of the fullness of the Spirit for you now. I’d like more of the fragrance of the Spirit spreading from your life. And why is that? What the Church of Jesus needs more than anything else right now are people who are full of wisdom, faith, grace, power, love, joy, peace and all the rest. The problems that we are dealing with as the Church in America can be traced back to the scarcity of people who are filled with the Spirit. And so, the aroma of the Church today is not the aroma of those seven men in our text. And the world knows it. It is my great desire to see that change. The honor of Jesus is at stake.

I told you earlier that this sermon is tied to the previous two. In the first of those I raised two questions: What is God doing? What does God want you to do? Let me answer them. What is God doing? He is saving the world. He is in the process of making this world pure and beautiful once again. What does He want you to do? He wants you to do your part in accomplishing that task. He wants you to have more of the Spirit, to be filled with the Spirit. He wants you to have more of that aroma that is so alluring. He wants this so that He can save the world through you. And that leads to the second sermon. That’s where I talked about choices, big and little, that have such important consequences. Stephen and the others didn’t wake up one morning and say, ‘I think that I’ll be filled with the Spirit today.’ The filling of the Spirit is a blessing of grace that Jesus gives to those who work hard to get it. Stephen developed the aroma of the Spirit’s presence by making hard choices and following up those choices with the disciplined exertions of following Jesus. Such people who yearn for the Spirit’s power in their lives don’t wrestle with choosing between good and bad. Satan is far too shrewd and subtle for that. The battle for them is choosing between what is good and what is better. It takes wisdom to see beyond the obvious. The need of the day are people of the Spirit, people filled with the Spirit, people of wisdom, faith, grace and power. When such people are raised up, our world will be changed. But not before.

But, how does someone become that kind of person? Again, it’s not complicated. You just have to want it more than anything else. And if you have that yearning, it will show in your prayers. The person who wants to have the aroma of the Spirit needs to pursue it by prayer, by diligent, unceasing, honest-to-God prayer. That’s where it has to start. That’s the first choice.

And what’s the payoff? Why should anyone want to do all this hard work? Well, you get to save the world. You get to see people’s lives changed. You get to see them freed more and more from the slavery of their sins and from Satan’s games. You get to see them grow in their enjoyment of what it means to be one of God’s deeply-loved children. And then, at the end of it all, you get to see Jesus’ smile and hear Him say, ‘Nice work’ – and whatever other rewards He’s planning to give. And the wise know that that’s really worth it.