Leading With the Holy Spirit
“I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them.” Romans 15:14
Intro: We have all heard of the “rat maze experiment.” They put a rat at one end of a maze and a piece of cheese at the other end. At first the rat bumps around until it finally finds the piece of cheese. The next time they put the rat in, he bumps around a little less and gets the cheese faster. After a while the rat will zip through the maze and have the bite of cheese in its mouth in a few seconds. Even after you take the cheese completely out of the maze the rat will still make a beeline for the end of the maze. But it want be too long before the rat figures out the cheese is gone and so he stops going. That’s the difference between rats and people. The rat stops.
Even though I tell this illustration in fun we all get into the same ruts over and over again. We go back to the same habits, the same hang-ups. We routinely struggle with the same weaknesses, repeat the same mistakes. We are constantly dealing with the same brokenness, the same hurts, the same sorrows and grief, the same temptations, the same sin. Do you stop and ask, “What have I learned from my past? What must I do differently this week? What do I need to change?
Today we are going to talk about “Leading With the Holy Spirit.” Specifically from both a perspective of being a pastor but also for the perspective of you as laity.
But first let’s look briefly at the roll of the Pastor. Clergy have one distinctive difference from laity. Clergy are licensed or ordained. I was ordained by Bishop Morgan, who was ordained by Bishop Hodge, who was ordained by Bishop McMurry, who was ordained by Bishop Key, who was ordained by Bishop Andrew, who was ordained by Bishop M’Kendree, who was ordained by Bishop Francis Asbury, Asbury was ordained by Thomas Coke, who was ordained by John Wesley.
Clergy are ordained to fulfill the leadership role of the people of God through the ministries of Service, Word, Sacraments, and Order. It has been said many times and with simple truth, that if a pastor ever has to point this out during a discussion, then the pastor has already lost the debate. That’s why I say it today in this teaching context, not in a confrontational moment but so that everyone might understand our form of church government and Discipline.
“Even though clergy are set apart by the Church for ordained ministry, pastors are subject to all the frailties of the human condition, and pressures of society, and yet we are required to maintain the highest standards of holy living in the world.” Book of Discipline ΒΆ 304.3. This sentence has different meanings to different people but to me it simply means that pastors are not perfect. It just means that pastors are called to love one another and show that love like Christ did to everyone who he met. The Apostle Paul makes this clear in Philippians 3:12. He speaks of his own life and writes, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ has taken hold of me.” Paul admits it—he wasn’t perfect. But he was striving. He was growing. He was making progress in his Christian life.
Much like you must do in your own personal spiritual life: If He Touches you – then you have to Talk about it.
If He Heals you – someone should Hear about it. If He Saves you – then you ought to Share it. If He Delivers you – you have to Declare it.
As we journey along the path of our life and mature more in our walk by faith with Jesus, as we draw closer to our end, we have to admit that our lives will never perfectly reflect the truth we preach. But it is by Grace. "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 It is in our weakness that Christian character develops. It is in our flaws that we find forgiveness for self and others. As we recognize our limitations, our lack of talent, our lack of power, we learn to depend more and more on God and we deepen our worship. As we admit that we point other people to Jesus through God’s strength not our own. None of us can save anyone by being perfect. That was the failure of the Old Testament Law. But when I a sinner, repent of my sin and know that Christ on the Cross has rescued, redeemed, atoned, made up for my mistakes, you and I can share that experience with the world. Then, that makes us messengers of God.
Every believer is called to be at work in missions or ministry – not just clergy. As laity, all of you have a calling, a duty and a responsibility to teach the Good News and reach out to others in love. It is a paradox when any Christian or believer does anything less.
There is a story about a sheep that always complained about being in the flock because everyone in the flock smelled like a sheep. To live above with those we love, oh that will be glory. But to live below with those we know that is a different story. 1 John 4:20 says, “Anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
Love should be an easy thing to give but it is not always easy to love is it? “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. There is probably no greater summary of God’s love than John 3:16. God’s love is truly an overwhelming love. There is so much that the Bible says about God’s love that we can barely comprehend it. It is kind of like trying to teach a child about a star. You can take a child out at night and say look there is star, and there is star, and there is star. Everywhere you look there is star. But all you are really doing is teaching a child to look up to see it. So it is with the love of God. All I have to do is stretch my heart and open it up to God. The shining love of God is everywhere so that we may be encouraged to look up and have hope. The Greek word for world (kosmos) has a unique and perhaps unexpected meaning. It is defined as “the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ.”
We might think that God sent his Son to the believers. Or that God sent his Son to the Jews. That Jesus died for the good, the righteous, the keepers of the law. But the Greek indicates something quite different.
We live in a world of hurt people. You may even meet someone who just doesn’t like you. Have you ever had someone say, “don’t you ever speak to me again?” That would make it pretty difficult for you to make peace with that person. I have had many people ask me what do you do in these circumstances. How do you move on? How do you go on? Learn this lesson: You are not in charge of other people’s forgiveness. You are responsible for being forgiving in your own heart.
In a Facebook post recently Leonard Sweet asked the question, “How many of us are living as if Jesus were coming tomorrow when we should be living as if Jesus were here today? Because he is.” God always has a better plan than we do. He causes the rain to fall on the good and the evil alike. The sun to shine on the just and the unjust the same. He even sent his Son to die on the cross for all of the world.
After Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus ascended back up into heaven. But not without leaving us an extraordinary gift. He told the disciples to “go and wait until the Holy Spirit comes and fills them with power from heaven.” Luke 24:29 So in Acts 2 the disciples had waited for ten days. Forty days after the resurrection Jesus ascended into heaven giving us the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit. For ten days the disciples waited in the Upper Room. Forty plus ten equals “fifty or pente” implied in the Greek (2532 Strong’s) as cumulative force and implied in the Greek (1182 Strong’s) as ten times. Get this: Not as in a tenth of the power or force but as multiplied by ten times the power or force of God. If you thought Jesus was strong and powerful and healing and forgiving just multiply that ten times the power, ten times the healing, ten times the forgiveness. That is what the Holy Spirit offers when it was fully come. I can think of no theological words that we the mainline churches struggle with more than the words Pentecost and Holy Spirit. The whole idea of spiritual fire, and speaking in tongues, and mighty wind or Methodist shouting, or dancing in the spirit just set some people on edge.
A pastor shared that recently a man in church became overwhelmed with the love for God. Some call it slain in the spirit. As the choir was ended a song and began the scripture reading, the man began shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. His wail was high-pitched and frightened some people. The choir gathered around him including a nurse. When it was discerned that he was alright, and in fact he asked the choir to sing the song again, they continued and some were worshipping joyfully. The next morning a long-time, church member abruptly announced he was leaving because of it. He said that "there were no hard feelings" which of course wasn't true. If Ripley’s Believe It or Not wanted a picture of someone on fire for the Lord. Could you send it to them? Why is it still so difficult for us to understand and acknowledge the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit?
This brings us now to think about the laity. The church is made up of a rich tapestry of traditions, an ever increasing melting pot of backgrounds, and cultures and different ways to praise and worship. On that first Pentecost they understood. In fact that is one of the works of the Holy Spirit. It allowed every believer to hear them speaking in their own languages of the lands where they were born. “Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Cappadocia, Pontus, and Provinces of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt and Libya, Romans, Jews, Cretans and Arabians, everyone led by the Holy Spirit heard these other people speaking in their own languages about the wonderful things God has done.” Acts 2:9-11 How much of what is done in the church happens with very little thought, not much prayer, and without the leading of the Holy Spirit? The late A.W. Tozer, author of the book Pursuit of God said “If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the Church today, 95% of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference.” The church must be “Leading With the Holy Spirit.” When you invite the Holy Spirit into your life, then you cannot expect to still be in charge and live life your own way.
A small time preacher was invited to speak at a large symposium of scientist and physicist. He began by lifting up a glass and asked, “How can I get the air out of the glass?” A prominent department head of sub-atomic particles stood up and explained how that one could use a pump and draw all the air out by creating a vacuum but that would most likely shatter the glass. After several other suggestions the preacher raised the glass picked up a pitcher of water and filled the glass. There, he said, "all the air has been removed." He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by drawing out a sin here and removing a sin there, but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
A couple of verses farther in out text Romans 15:15 Paul says, “Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For I am by God's grace, a special messenger by Christ Jesus.” What does it mean when you the laity are “Leading With the Holy Spirit?” There is one word that pops into my mind here. The word is “sanctification.” Sanctify means "to set apart, to make holy." In Old Testament the Tabernacle was sanctified. Placed between the altar and the tent of meeting was a bronze bowl with water that was used to make clean or baptize the priest before they touched the altar or the sacrifices. There was a table of “showbread” twelve loaves that symbolized God’s provision for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. As long as there was bread on the table God was present. (Christ became the one loaf for all.) There was a Candlestick made of pure gold. The priest burned the purest olive oil and as long as the candle was lit it was a picture of God’s light in the dark world. (Christ became the light of the world.) There were holy incense that were placed right near the entrance of the Holy of Holies and the smell of the incense was a reminder of the prayers of the priest that went up to heaven every morning. There was a mighty veil and on the other side was the “Holy of Holies.” In that Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant which contained a bowl of manna, Aaron’s rod, and the tablets of the Ten Commandments. These were things that were set apart as holy. In the bible you find lots of things that were sanctified: houses, fields, feasts, altars, and people. Today, all Christians are to be sanctified.
How? More than anything it is what you let God do to you. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” It is God’s action that makes believers new. You see you never will be able to control all these sinful aspects of your life. You can try. You can want to. But don’t fool yourself. The only way to be sanctified, holy, and justified, made right with God is by Leading With the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit at work in you that brings salvation. It is the work of Jesus on the Cross that brings forgiveness and deliverance. It is God’s actions that make you a believer. Our sins are washed away by water and spirit. I Thessalonians 5:19 “Quench not the Spirit.” Do not put out the Spirit’s Fire. Let the presence of the Holy Spirit warm your heart and comfort your soul.
When you are finished praying your daily prayers and you get up from kneeling at the altar and you can say to yourself I am doing my best to follow the leading of God, then you don’t have to worry about what anyone else thinks or says about you. Just be true to who God wants you to be. Just stay the course that God has put in front of you. Remain faithful and true to the leading of the Holy Spirit. “I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them.” Romans 15:14. I believe in Christmas, I believe in Easter, I believe in Pentecost. I believe in Leading With the Holy Spirit. Let’s teach and encourage one another to let the Holy Spirit work in our life. Let the full expression of the Holy Spirit be free to work in the life of the church that we might know and receive the gifts and full benefits of the Kingdom of God. Amen.
