The Spirit Within Us- Montreal
June 25, 2005
We are called on to live a life of serving that is rooted in the renewal of our whole selves, including our minds.
Ro.12.1-2- favourite verses in many of our lives.
Prayer is a key to this renewal of our minds.
Eph.4.17-23-24- new man/new mind
Phil.4.6-7- Paul makes requests, including the one to guard the mind.
Our church has grown in the ability to pray. We always taught the need to pray and even put a time frame on it, and we used to feel we were OK, as we prayed transactionally, in many cases. Since the conference, I’ve used that word a lot, as Randal Dick did, speaking of how we have been in relationships. Even in prayer, we did that- put in our 30 minutes, as we’ve used the expression- and thought that was enough. When we got together, for church or meetings, we’d have an opening prayer, that had to conform to various dimensions, and, above all, be short.
We’ve grown beyond that, now, to the place where we can imagine, and participate, in more significant transformational prayer- in church, at meetings, at retreats. One has understood the importance of prayer, possibly before many of the rest of us, and has faithfully led in prayer ministry for many years. This leadership role is important, and needs to be acknowledged through ordination.
Our new Ministerial Manual has an extensive section about Deacons- Steve Posiak will read this- the whole document- all 82 pages- will be on our national website before too long- it’s not a secret document by any means.
Read- Steve.
(Refer to Acts 6.1-6, 1 Ti.3, if deemed necessary.)
Ordination.
As we think about what we’ve participated in, and continue to, after church, something Paul declares warrants our attention- in 2 Ti.1.7. However, as you’re turning there, consider the following story:
“A salesman, driving on a lonely country road one dark and rainy night, had a flat tire. He opened the trunk- no tire wrench. The light form a farmhouse could be seen dimly up the road. He set out on foot through the driving rain. Surely the farmer would have a tire wrench he could borrow, he thought. Of course, it was late at night- the farmer would be asleep in his warm, dry bed. Maybe he wouldn’t answer the door. And even if he did, he’d be angry at being awakened in the middle of the night. The salesman, picking his way blindly in the dark, stumbled on . By now his shoes and clothing were soaked. Even if the farmer did answer his knock, he would probably shout something like, “What’s the big idea waking me up at this hour?” This thought made the salesman angry. What right did that farmer have to refuse him the loan of a tire wrench? After all, here he was stranded in the middle of nowhere, soaked to the skin. The farmer was a selfish clod- no doubt about that! The salesman finally reached the house and banged loudly on the door. A light went on inside, and a window opened above. A voice called out, “Who is it?” His face white with anger, the salesman called out, “You know darn well who it is. It’s me! And you can keep your blasted tire wrench. I wouldn’t borrow it now if you had the last one on earth!””
This story tells us what happens when you fear that the worst will happen- your thoughts may help to bring it about. Someone once wrote, “Fear is the wrong use of imagination. It is anticipating the worst, not the best that can happen.”
Today, I want to discuss an aspect of where we are, in our church, and where I see our needing to go.
2 Tim.1.7- Paul wrote to Timothy, a young minister- an evangelist, in our church. He wrote to him about the spirit that was within him, and which is within us, too. He wrote encouraging him, to consider his heritage, spiritually, where he’d come from and where he was and was going. In this brief verse, he speaks of what GOD gives- not the spirit of fear- some translate this as timidity and others as cowardice- craven and cringing and fawning fear. This is not what we’ve received- not what Timothy received- but a spirit of power and confidence and boldness, of love and concern, and of a sound mind, rooted, as scripture instructs, in the heavenly realm.
We all understand fear- it’s what we feel when we face a new or difficult situation. It’s what we feel for no reason, sometimes. We’ve all felt fear over the past decade or so, at various times in the journey of our church to orthodoxy. We all know what fear can do to us and in us, and scripture speaks of this, too.
Heb.2.14- 15- fear gives bondage. We know this to be true, and I guess this has been known for hundreds of years! Interesting, isn’t it? Fear leads to anxiety, inactivity, lack of action and lack of momentum. Fear holds people in what they perceive to be safe places, unable to move to someplace new that might be a bit scarey- we fear the unknown, don’t we?
1 Jn.4.18- there is no fear in love. Notice that fear involves torment- but when we’re made perfect in love, rooted in Jesus Christ, fear loses its power and its reality. The torment of fear is something all humans have known. Again, it can drive us to inactivity. Bondage and torment are powerful and for all of human history, there are those who have not gone where they needed to go, or should have gone in life, because of bondage and torment- the fruits of fear.
However, being made perfect in love has its root- notice verse 19- in Him. Holding on to Him- to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit- the huge Him- gives security and confidence. We call that ‘faith’. When we go into our unknown- not His unknown- we do what we call stepping out in faith. And that takes us somewhere very stable. We think the floor of this building is hard and stable and dependable. Faith is harder, more stable, and more dependable. Where God leads us- where Jesus, the head of our church leads us, where the Holy Spirit Comforter enables us to be- is absolutely secure. We don’t see that, oftentimes, but that is the reality in which we live, with our heads in the heavenlies and our feet firmly placed on the ground.
The Holy Spirit is an important part of our lives. He is the third one of the Godhead- understood, in historical Christianity, as the trinity. He works, yet we fear Him. Randal Dick said that in the Conference- the WCG is afraid of the Holy Spirit. I’ve thought that for awhile and was encouraged to know my thoughts are somewhere in the ballpark of those in leadership in our church.
At any rate, there is no question that we’re growing in appreciating the Holy Spirit- we kind of understand the Father and Jesus, but the Spirit seems more nebulous and harder to understand. Don’t worry about that- it’s been that way for Christians for 2000 years. However, we know that He is the helper and comforter that Jesus sent, so He’s here, too.
Paul told Timothy to stir up the spirit in him- not the spirit of fear but of power and love and sound mind. What are we to do with the Spirit? Are we to do anything? As stewards of all that God gives us, the activity of the Spirit bears on our lives, significantly.
1 Cor.12- speaks of the gifts of the Spirit. You have these, and more- we do not believe there is an exhaustive list of the gifts of the Spirit. We believe that the gifts of the Spirit are given at conversion and are gifts- something you didn’t have before you were converted, and is more than ‘just the Holy Spirit to make you a child of God’. You have something you didn’t have before you came to Jesus.
Let’s read, together- from verse 1. Notice the trinitarian formula in v.4-6.
v.7- profit of all- gifts not given to lift you up- for your benefit, alone. Of course, you’ll be benefited- no question about that. But the primary benefit is for the building of the body- this part and the whole.
v.8ff- we have some examples of the gifts given- pause and think of each one a little. Is this you?
Too many of us have been made so low in life that we are afraid to be sensitive to the Spirit- and to recognize gifts.
For our church, as we go forward, the important thing is working from the perspective of spiritual gifting, and leadership will spring up that way. We are not working from the perspective of positional authority or authority anymore. If I have a position but am not gifted, what good am I? I need to be serving according to my gifting- so do you.
So, how can you figure out what gifts you might have? Ask those who know you well, to begin with. Yes, we can use Gifts Questionnaires and profiles, and they give a starting point. But, better is to follow where the Spirit leads you. Some of you are led into working with children and there, offering, possibly healing, wisdom, or knowledge. Why are you ‘led’ there? Why are you led to be involved in prayer? Is it because of compassion- a great gift? Or because of faith? Listen to where the Spirit leads- and follow. You might get an idea that you should do something in particular- where did that come from? Two possible sources- Gods Spirit or your own mind- possibly influenced by ‘the other side’. So, pray about it, consider it, and get confirmation- this step is too often overlooked. Sometimes someone thinks they are great at something- for instance, I wanted to be able to work with youth- to be great at youth ministry- but I’ve never deluded myself that I am. I’m good at administration and organization- which enables others, including my wife, to do more effective youth ministry at camp, or here in the church.
Acts 6.5- others agreed.
Acts 13.1-3; 1 Ti.4.11-14- confirmation is important.
Don’t be afraid to try some things. You might not succeed- that’s OK- not a failure, but shows you somewhere not to be or do. You’ll find your giftedness, best, through experimentation- even more than by profiles and tests, and then what you find will be confirmed or affirmed.
None of us is here to simply sit- your gift is NOT sitting. Some of you are very encouraging. Some of you are very hospitable. Some of you are powerful in prayer. Some of you express love in special ways- Phyllis, your cards for birthdays, etc., do this. That ties us together. Some of you have great teaching ability that is underused, yet- maybe even under-developed.
Try. Use. The Holy Spirit wants to work here- don’t prevent Him from working in you.
