There are times I wish it were possible to be transported back to the actual days recorded in the Book of Acts. One of those times and places was in the church at Antioch. The atmosphere was filled with worship because those in the church were filled with the Holy Spirit and they truly depended on Him for all they did. Their time of prayer was combined with fasting; denying themselves so their spiritual senses would be sharper and more keenly aware of His leadership.
As those dreams fade into reality and I think about what God wants to do in and through His Church today, I begin praying for a different kind of revival than we have ever had in the history of the Church. Most revivals in history have a dynamic start, but are soon reduced to historical fact rather than a continuing, present reality. What we see in Acts 13:3 is cooperation of the church with the Holy Spirit; “Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them [Barnabas and Saul] and sent them off.” In the previous verse, the Spirit had told the church to “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul”. They had no idea what the ten or eleven years was going to accomplish – spreading the gospel and planting churches from Antioch to Rome, all because one church chose to listen and obey the Holy Spirit. They identified with His work at that moment. Where is this heart and commitment today? Whether we call it revival, awakening or renewal is beside the main point. What matters is that hearts stop thinking about ourselves and our comforts and start longing for God to give us repentant hearts for ignoring the Holy Spirit. I cannot describe what the Spirit will do, but I know it will multiply God’s work and bring Him glory. Are you willing to surrender yourself to the Spirit’s control and leading?
0 Comments
It is doubtful most of us understand how much God wants our cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Before I say more about this subject, let’s back up and take a look at a few statements Jesus made during His ministry that built in the disciples an expectation of greater things than what they were seeing. Nathanael wondered how it was that Jesus saw him before Philip called him. “Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these”” (John 1:50). This was followed by many miracles, both in public and private.
Something happened at the end of Jesus’ ministry that focused their attention on what would happen after He left this world and returned to the Father. In the context of instructing the disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, ““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” (14:12). What were these “greater works” going to be? At the end of John 15, Jesus makes a very insightful statement that helps understand these “greater works”. “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27). While the disciples carried on the work of healing after the Holy Spirit came, there was a “greater work” they would do in being a witness of the kingdom and gospel of grace that saves the souls of people. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Healing is temporal – for a limited time, until physical death comes. Salvation of soul is eternal. That perspective helps us understand what Jesus meant by “greater works”. “So those who received his [Peter’s] word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). THAT IS A “GREATER WORK” WHICH IMPACTS ETERNITY! This leads into my subject tomorrow--How do we cooperate with the Holy Spirit? We notice from Acts 13:2 that “the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul”. I fear that one of the greatest hindrances to power in the Church and ministry today is that we do not see ourselves as divine property. We plan and execute our plans as if we were in charge of events. I have caught myself many times thinking that certain parts of a service must happen in a specific order, rather than seeking the will and leading of the Holy Spirit. It is true that Paul promoted order in the church, “for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). Placing everything we do under the Spirit’s control so spiritual functions do not descend into mere human ritual is critical. This is where we need to understand that we are divine property.
Seeing ourselves as divine property means that our purpose has been planned in advance by God. That purpose always demands a holy (set apart), obedient attitude in our minds. We belong to the Holy Spirit. There was a plan forged in the mind and will of God before the foundation of the world “that we who…hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:12). Paul makes a powerful statement to the Corinthians; “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). If we understood this more, we could never allow what belongs to God to be used for sinful, selfish purposes. This truth is not confined to certain days of the week or isolated activities. It is true all the time! The more we allow the Spirit to form this attitude in us, the more often we will serve under His control, go where He wants to send us, and better represent him. We will then “be to the praise of His glory”! We have often referred to the divine process of selecting and sending in Acts 13:1-4. God had put together the right persons at the church in Antioch, even though they came from different backgrounds. In this diverse church, there was one common feature that united this group; “they were worshipping the Lord and fasting” (13:2). Because Christ was the true center of this fellowship, it was natural for them to listen for the voice and instructions of the Holy Spirit. They knew that without His leading and the Headship of Jesus Christ, nothing of any value would be accomplished. Everything had to be set aside as unimportant except worship and seeking the Lord through an act of prayerful devotion to Him.
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them”” (13:2). They were not expecting the Holy Spirit to give this command. They were focused on worship and making sure Christ their Head was directing the church, not some committee. Though they were not expecting such a quick and clear answer, it came with clarity and specific instructions. No one had any claim on these two men except the Holy Spirit, because He had a work for them to do that was far beyond what this church could imagine. As we will see tomorrow in more detail, Antioch had no hesitation in what the Spirit asked for. They were in full agreement and ready to obey. Was the state of the church at Antioch the only requirement for sending out missionaries? NO! Should this condition be present in every church on a continual basis? Yes! It really does not matter what any church may be wanting to do, there must be a pervasive attitude of dependence on the Lord Jesus as our living Head, so that He can freely communicate His will to us through the Holy Spirit. We also must be fully convinced that what the Holy Spirit says to the churches is always in full agreement with the Word of God which He has communicated to us, otherwise something of man is at the source. The question then that we must answer is: how much do we want to provide the spiritual conditions through dependent worship, prayer and fasting that will make way for such clear communications? As I have been reviewing the work of the Holy Spirit in the Early Church, I overlooked one of the verses that gives great insight into His work. The Church grew and multiplied because of His work. Uneducated, common men were empowered by the Spirit and astonished the religious leaders so they had no ability to stop what God was doing (Acts 4:13). Persecution was their only tool against these Spirit filled men, which actually turned into stimulation of believers to more boldly proclaim the name and gospel of the Lord Jesus.
When God saved a man, who was guilty of the worst crimes against believers, and then brought him into the Church through His mighty power, the Church was afraid. It took a man (Barnabas) who was characteristically a comfort to the Church, and knew intimately how God was working in this man to confirm to the church in Jerusalem, that Saul was the real work of God. This series of events led to a condition of comfort; “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied” (Acts 9:31). This feature of the Spirit is not experienced unless we are led by Him, both personally and as the Church. His work is to build us up in spiritual maturity. It does not matter what the circumstances are, but it does matter whether our lives are in step with Him. I have been asked by some why their church is stagnant and there is no growth. Why are there internal struggles that suck out all the energy and desire to evangelize? Some are discouraged and even pastors are ready to leave. THERE IS NO COMFORT OF THE SPIRIT! When any individual or church will humble themselves before the Lord and recognize their need and submit to the leading of the Spirit, then they will experience His comfort. Where the Church knows “the comfort of the Holy Spirit”, there will be spontaneous multiplication. God is never late in confirming those who walk in obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Two of our team felt an urgent call of the Lord to reach a people group in Southeast Asia who have never heard the gospel. As plans began to form and a trip scheduled, God started giving connections to others who had the same passion. As our team met with several in a nearby place, it was evident that God was bringing together His like-minded servants for one purpose – reach this tribe.
These little pieces of confirmation are exactly what Peter experienced as he obeyed the Spirit’s leading. “The Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word” (Acts 10:44). When the Jerusalem church “heard these things, they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life” (11:18). “The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord” (11:21). Confirmation multiplied as they rolled in from all directions so that Peter knew he was following the lead of the Holy Spirit. Would you know the voice of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God or in prayer? Would you obey even if you didn’t fully understand? Are you prepared to put aside traditions, habits, and comforts in order to obey the Spirit? Imagine being in prayer, perhaps praying about how you long for the gospel to reach your own people group and suddenly you see a vision, and then hear a voice. Suppose that voice tells you to leave the comforts of your ministry to your own people and go, carry the message of Jesus to another culture, another people group you do not know. What if this call challenges all you have learned through your training and religious denomination. Would you listen? Would you obey the instructions given by this ‘divine voice’?
That was Peter’s experience. He had been called by Jesus to be with Him and follow Him (John 1:41-42; Mark 13:14-16). Those were three and a half years of intense training, only to end with turning his back on Jesus in the hour of greatest need. As with Peter, so our failure does not stop the divine plan from the foundations of the world. Peter was restored after the resurrection of Jesus and assembled with the 120 for prayer as the day of Pentecost arrived. Now, filled with the Spirit, Peter becomes a powerful tool for the Lord in building His Church. Things were going well for Peter until this private, housetop time of prayer. Then the instructions came; “And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven” (Acts 10:13–16). Could he ignore this voice? I am amazed at God’s patience with me!! He had a plan for Peter and patiently moved him out of tradition and comfort so he would carry the gospel to the Gentiles. God has been abundantly patient with you and me, and with the Church that in general has ignored the command to “GO” to “all nations” – ethnos – people groups (Matthew 28:19). Confirmation came to Peter, and it will come to us, not beforehand, but as we act in obedience to the Holy Spirit speaking to us. Another mark of the Spirit in the Early Church was His clear and unmistakable guidance. Since the formation of the Church was a divine movement, it also needed divine guidance. After persecution arose through the stoning of Stephen, the church in Jerusalem was scattered. Where would they go and continue the work God had begun? Philip was one of those chosen in Acts 6 because he was “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (6:3) who “went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ” (8:4).
In this moment of sorrow and scattering for the Church, Philip found ways to keep spreading the Good News! “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place” (Acts 8:26). There was no hesitation with Philip; “And he rose and went.” God had something planned for Philip that would push the gospel into territory where it had never been heard. Philip’s listening ear for the direction of the Lord and his obedient heart made this assignment end “when they came up out of the water [of baptism], the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). The Spirit will not work where there are stubborn minds and hearts. He is looking for willing, submissive persons who realize God has a much bigger plan than what we see in our circumstances. The surprises that God wants to show us are only seen after we yield ourselves to the Spirit. One of the profound marks of the Early Church was how persons were filled by the Spirit for a specific work God wanted them to do. They were given through Him, the ability to powerfully proclaim truth and the gospel. We are familiar with Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (2:4). This happened again when the Church gathered to ask God for boldness in spite of severe opposition; “they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (4:31).
The action of God in the Church was also at times when the message required a particular filling by the Spirit so that God’s power would be present in the message. It was certainly true on the Day of Pentecost as Peter answered the amazement and perplexity of the crowd that observed what God was doing. It brought immediate conviction in the hearts of those listening. God also filled Peter when he answered the rulers, elders and scribes about the healing of the lame man; “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them…” (4:8). Peter and all the disciples knew their purpose and religious leaders and their threats were not going to stop what God was doing. What would happen if we were more concerned that this would be true of us today. Have we settled for sermons that merely pass on biblical information with no convicting power; not change in those who listen to the message? Have we lost the vision of God’s eternal plan before the ages of time that the Spirit in the Church would accomplish bringing the nations to praise God (Psalm 45:17) and become “a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21)? Let us ask God to rekindle His plan and purpose in us! There is an extraordinary way that Jesus commanded His disciples to spread the gospel to every people group. The first command was to “GO” (Matthew 28:19). Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He said, “you will receive power” and “you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Matthew and Luke both focus our attention on what is happening through the internal voice of the Spirit.
Roland Allen writes; “This manner of command is peculiar to the Gospel. Others direct from without, Christ directs within; others order, Christ inspires; others speak external words, Christ gives the Spirit which desires and strives for that which He commands; others administer a dead letter, Christ imparts life. Luke’s writings…speak of men who received the Holy Spirit and were driven by that Spirit to act in accord with the nature of the Spirit.” (1) We need to better understand the workings of Christ and the Holy Spirit through the inner man. When we do, our concern will change from pushing outward missionary forms and programs to making sure our hearts are in tune with the Holy Spirit. He is the one who unites our hearts with the mind of God for the lost and then gives us the inner power to move out from our comfortable places to where He will use us to accomplish His eternal purpose. (1) The Ministry of the Spirit, Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970, page 5. |
Archives
December 2023
Link To Our Old Blog:
|