¡§Scrooge¡¨ is a classic story that emphasis the ¡§what¡¨ against ¡§what if¡¨. It is the story of a wealthy, miserly businessman who does not know any joy in life nor wills for anyone else to taste the same. He use to have heart but it died some years before.
The spirits of Christmas past, present and future visit Ebenezer Scrooge. The spirit of Christmas past reminded Scrooge of who he was. The spirit of the present showed him who he is and most dreadful of all is the spirit of the future that shows him what will become of him as a result of his current living and choices. The picture is a most horrifying reality of death and complete disregard by the community who mocks the man who was Scrooge. Of course, he awakens from the dream, sees the wrong of his selfish and self-centered heart and changes instantly which shapes a different future ¡V one that leads him to experience unbelievable joy and exhilarating satisfaction by living a life that is built around helping others.
The story is not unlike the characters of today¡¦s lesson. We will see the followers of Jesus in three stages of their lives ¡V past, present and future. We¡¦ll look at who they were before Jesus, who they are during Jesus¡¦ time with them and who they became after Jesus returned to the Father.
My mentioning ¡§The Spirits of Pentecost¡¨ was not a typing error. It was quite intentional. While it is, in part, a reference to the Holy Spirit who came during the Feast of Pentecost and His baptism of fire it also refers to how Jesus¡¦ followers responded to the Divine Presence. The response of the human spirit to the Holy Spirit is critical to the extent that God can be transfused into humanity.
The Holy Spirit offers his influence but he does not guarantee his empowerment. If we are not prepared to exercise the proper spirit toward the Spirit we will lose the intended blessing and anointing of God. We must never forget the gift of free will, which even the Holy Spirit will never violate.
We need to understand the disciples
1. Before Jesus
Matthew 4:18 ¡V Simon and Andrew were casting their nets in the water for they were fishermen ¡V nothing special going on here. Matthew 4:21 ¡V James and John (sons of Zebedee) were in a boat with their father ¡V the same scenario as Simon and Andrew. The fact that these four men immediately left their trade to follow Jesus speaks as much about their desire for something more purposeful than hauling nets, as it does their likely frequent conversations with Jesus before he called them, that prompted their response when he said, ¡§It¡¦s time to go. Decide. If you will follow, then follow me now.¡¨
How well-intentioned we often are:
„X ¡§I¡¦d give more but¡K¡¨
„X ¡§I¡¦ll get involved in the work of the ministry when¡K¡¨
„X ¡§I would if¡K¡¨
The truth is the Spirit has called. We have heard and continue to hear His voice about behaviour, response and responsibility and He says to us in essence, ¡§Enough with the ¡§buts, when¡¦s or ifs¡¨. You know what you are to do and how I would have you live so if you¡¦re going to obey me, then get on with it and follow me.¡¨
The calling of Matthew, who wrote the gospel just quoted, never happened until chapter 9. He was a tax revenue agent. Who in their right minds would want him around during tax time?! However, Jesus called him and he quickly followed. Not only that, Jesus had a second revenue agent, as he also called Levi (Mark 2:14) from the tax table. Somewhere along the way he also called Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Thaddaeus, another James (the son of Alphaeus), and Judas, who later betrayed him. Their lives were dictated by Old Covenant living ¡V Feast of Pentecost was one such practice. Others involved restrictive rules and regulations, cleansing ceremonies and multiple religious practices ¡V an exhausting list. Teens, if you think the rules at home are difficult, try reading Leviticus some time! There existed severe repercussions for sinful or unacceptable behaviour, sometimes resulting in stoning or even death. The disciples were fishermen, revenue agents for government, physicians and family men. For the most part, they lived safe, predictable lives and performed their community service and family obligations as any good citizen and provider should.
Before Jesus came, the disciples had a spirit of religion and morality.
Before Jesus came to our lives, most of us focused on moral living, job security, family care and acquiring things. There may have been, for many, after-school sports, weekend hockey runs or parties from Friday to Sunday. Entertainment and self-enjoyment were at the top of the purpose-peak of existence. Generally we were good people with good intentions. Most people in our city, province, country, are moral, good people. Sadly, they live a pre-Christ existence. They go to a religious service at Easter or Christmas, or attend the occasional funeral or wedding. They do not however, become engaged in the language, spirit or Presence of Holy God in that activity. Another alarming reality confronts us. Some of us may find our selves in a pre-Christ state of spirit, mind and experience. It is possible to be engaged religiously but not relationally; to have the religious jargon but not the spiritual expression of the Holy Spirit; to enjoy the music but not be energized by the Master.
Before Jesus the disciples were all that. But things changed:
2. During Jesus
They were still abiding by Old Covenant practices. Even Jesus honored those during his lifetime and ministry. They were still fishermen, revenue agents, physicians and family men, but this time with a purposeful focus ¡V something new was in the air. The religious order was being challenged and replaced with the promise of relationship with God. People¡¦s lives were being changed. Sickness was healed; there was room in this Family for outcasts who didn¡¦t fit anywhere in mainstream society. Unethical, immoral and illegal practices were replaced being replaced with honesty in men who desired holy character and credibility. Despair was replaced with hope; what was lacking in daily needs was being substituted with plenty; sharing was an option to greed. During their time with Christ, these guys had an awakening sense of value and purpose; something different was on the move; they felt more confident as leaders and members of spiritual community as time passed. Yet, there was a storm brewing. Just as ominous as gathering storm clouds, one could feel a chill in the air as an eerie feeling crept into their hearts. It was soon realized in its ugliest reality when Jesus was falsely tried in a mock Court and condemned with a death sentence. These run-of-the-mill-guys were afraid for their lives. If the power of The Christ could be brutally nailed to a tree, there was no hope they would survive many days before they would be killed for having been associated with him. Now they cowered in fear and every knock on the door meant they held their breath and wondered¡K
During Jesus time with them, the disciples had a spirit of optimism, intrigue and curiosity.
Far too many of us live mediocre lives. We have the Spirit of Christ within us but he has not been unleashed to bring about the glory of his Kingdom in the lives we live and this for any number of reasons ¡V fear, negative past experiences, or lack of faith that things will be different. Far too many live a Christian experience where Christ is more dead than alive. He becomes alive when optimism wells up within us and He quickly dies when that optimism is replaced with pessimism and negativity. We tend to be intrigued by concepts of God in the broader context of faith community and curious about why ¡§he works there¡¨ but ¡§not here¡¨.
While I was on vacation last week I had the privilege of visiting an older gentleman, a retired pastor of another faith. From his hospital bed he spoke to me of faith and relationship with God. I experienced a repeated chill as he spoke. What was that? I suggest it was nothing less than the Divine presence, God¡¦s presence touching me through the heart of a man who knows what it means to allow the Holy Spirit to be unleashed.
Do we have a measure of the Spirit of God yet not know Him in a way that He rocks our world and give us passion for a God-centered life? Is it the Holy Spirit that creates disharmony among us? Does the Holy Spirit feed our justifications for lack of responsible involvement of time, talents and treasures? Is the Holy Spirit responsible for our fears? Does he lead us to clutching the pain of the past resulting in little, or no power for the present?
Before Jesus came, the disciples had a spirit of religion and morality.
During Jesus time with them, the disciples had a spirit of optimism, intrigue and curiosity.
3. After Jesus
Life-altering behaviour ¡V see Acts 2:42-47. This attitude is not unlike a movement in a small Newfoundland town named Lewisporte. It has been said that a French preacher and revivalist, Gagnon, had congregants selling their homes for the work of the church. Truckers sold their multi-thousand dollar rigs to do the same. Gagnon¡¦s reputation was suspect, many believing him to be a preacher skimming profits for himself by robbing the people he was suppose to be serving. While this was never proven or validated, the one lesson in this story is a picture of what was happening in Acts when the Holy Spirit filled his people.
I do not stand in judgment of Gagnon. I confess that I would be extremely excited if, as a church, we were of one mind and spirit whereby we were selling things off to increase our financial resources to do God-glorifying ministry. I¡¦m not sure I could handle the thrill of such freedom in the church, either personally or as the officer-leader! The lesson is clear. When we experience the filling of the Holy Spirit it affects our personal response to human need and the call to do ministry. Just as this filling of the Holy Spirit was characterized by habits and response that called God¡¦s people to part with everything they owned, to which they responded without hesitation, that same filling within us will definitely move our human spirit to know what God wants and to say ¡§yes¡¨ unconditionally.
The principle we extract from this passage, the lesson we are called to learn is, when the Holy Spirit breathes His life into us, it calls us to an experience that defies human intellect and natural understanding. We will give ourselves to behaviours and priorities that will leave the world thinking we¡¦re out of our minds. Indeed we are out of our minds because having the mind of Christ, we are literally out of our own, natural way of decision-making, priorities and choices. It is an attitude that the world could not possibly hope to understand.
The disciples were bold, daring and delivered! Delivered from fear of failure or death; delivered from merely living out their days to living on purpose and with the power of the Holy Spirit! Some would have still practiced their livelihood trades for their family¡¦s provisions but this time a new Spirit motivated their waking and working. That new Spirit changed their spirits, their attitudes about life and other people. They were willing to lay down their lives, as many did.
Jesus¡¦ followers had the option of remaining as they were; of deciding ¡§it was good while it lasted¡¨. They chose a different path however and experienced the power of the Holy Spirit! They lived in the power of the Holy Spirit!
After Jesus the disciples had a spirit of cooperation with the Holy Spirit and lived a life of purpose, power and freedom!
Our living, attitudes, priorities and behaviour witness to the measure of the Holy Spirit¡¦s influence in our lives and speak of the extent to which our spirit agrees with the Holy Spirit. The ¡§after Jesus¡¨ experience should be, unquestionably, life-altering, redefining our priorities, purposes, preferences and behaviours. It is a sad and grieving testimony when the ¡§after Jesus¡¨ experience means just enough of God to trim the edges of the past but not enough of God to shape us for now and the future.
After Jesus¡¦ time with them, and revelations among them after his resurrection, the disciples had a spirit of freedom, purpose and overwhelming relationship with God. Not only that but they also had the experience of the Holy Spirit now pulsating in their lives and gushing through their spiritual hearts. We can live on the continuum of spiritual experience between ¡¥safe¡¦ to ¡¥released to do the will of the Spirit of God¡¦.
Before Jesus came, the disciples had a spirit of religion and morality.
During Jesus time with them, the disciples had a spirit of optimism, intrigue and curiosity.
After Jesus the disciples had a spirit of cooperation with the Holy Spirit and lived a life of purpose, power and freedom!
Movie ¡§About a Boy¡¨.
Scene Setup: Will Lightman (Hugh Grant) is a bored, spoiled, London bachelor. He fills up his time with meaningless activities, but his need for meaning comes crashing in on him as he takes an inventory of his life. This entire scene, narrated by Will, shows him coming to terms with his shallowness. To get through his day, he must break it down into 30 minute "units of time."
Play movie clip. Scene:
"My life is made up of units of time.
Buy a CD. Two units. (Scene of him at a music store)
Eat Lunch. Three units (scene of him eating lunch alone in a restaurant)
Exercise. Two units. (Scene of him shooting pool)
(Scene of him alone in his apartment) All in all I had a very full life¡K.
It¡¦s just that it didn¡¦t mean anything."
(He falls to his knees in sad loneliness).
Application:
Too many people, including followers of Jesus Christ, live life as if it was compartmentalized in units of time. We were meant for more. We were meant for a relationship with God, and we were meant to care for others.
Wrap
Do you have
_____ a spirit of religion and morality?
Would you see yourself as someone with
_____ a spirit of optimism, intrigue and curiosity?
Do you live with an attitude that would suggest you have
_____ a spirit of cooperation with the Holy Spirit and live a life of purpose, power and freedom?
Based on your answer, where should you go from here?
