Rev. Kenton Shaw - Guest Speaker

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This is a sermon given by Rev. Kenton Shaw on Sept. 20, 2015 while Pastor Les was away.

The Autumn Season of Life

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This is a sermon that was given on Grandparents Day 2015. The message was based on Psalm 92:12-15.

Written Excerpts:

Psalm 92:12-15  The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. ¹³ Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. ¹⁴ They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,

Introduction:

Because today is “Grandparents’ Day” I wanted to bring a message that focuses on the later years of life. If we look at the seasons of the year as an analogy of the life we live, I suppose we would consider the senior years as the “autumn season” of life.

There may be some younger people here who already have begun to tune out, because you’re not in that season of life yet, so you may be thinking that this message won’t really apply to you. Before, you tune out, let me remind you that the conditions which exist in anyone’s autumn season, largely depend on the values they’ve lived by and the decisions and choices they’ve made during the “spring” and “summer” seasons of life.

So, while we try to describe some of the things the Bible says about the “elderly,” we definitely want to understand that those descriptions are dependent on many wise and appropriate choices leading up to these later years of life.

Transition: Using some of the Scriptures that were read earlier, along with some additional passages, I want to make some observations regarding the autumn season of life.

I.    Life is brief and difficult.

Ps. 90 ¹⁰  The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

You will notice in your Bibles, that this is a Psalm written by Moses. The verses leading up to v. 10 seem to speak specifically to the experiences of Israel in the wilderness wanderings.

(Wesleyan Bible Commentary) Having contrasted the eternal and almighty God with temporary and fragile humanity, the psalmist now examines that transience from a human perspective (see 90:7-11). God's anger appears in the opening and closing verses of this stanza, symbolizing its inescapableness. God's wrath is continual because human sins are continually present before Him, even secret sins (90:8). A short life (especially when contrasted with verse 4), so full of trouble, ends with a moan (90:9-10).

The reference to 70-80 years seems to be a generalization that was common for the people who were of the generation that were not permitted to enter the Promised Land. Obviously Moses himself lived to be much older than that, and Joshua and Caleb would have also. The point is that human life is brief, especially when taken in contrast to the eternal God (v. 1). Nearly every person I’ve known has characterized life as being “short,” no matter how long they live.

Since life is short and difficult, we need wisdom in order to live it productively and with the right priorities and values. (v.12) Life isn’t easy and at its longest, it is soon over. So we must live it fully connected to God and ready to meet Him at any time. We never know how soon our life will end.

II.  The “Autumn Season” can still be fruitful.

Psalm 92:12-15  The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. ¹³ Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. ¹⁴ They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,

If we look at this verse in light of the techniques of common Hebrew poetry, then we would understand “the righteous” in verse 12 to be = to “those who are planted in the house of the Lord” (v. 13)

The poet compares the stability and vitality of the righteous with the strong and flourishing trees – the palm tree and the cedar tree. Then he goes even farther to say that when they reach the stage of advancing years, they will still be stable and productive.

(KJV) v. 14 – “fat” and “flourishing”; NIV – “fresh” & “green”; NASB – “full of sap” and “always green.”

The verse is not describing someone that is dragging to the finish line with bitterness and uselessness, but is still living in a way that shows vitality and usefulness.

I realize that this is a poetic description, and is not to be understood as a hard and fast promise. I realize that some people are ravaged by disease as they approach the end of life. Yet, the psalmist is emphasizing that those who know God and live close to God are still going to have something vital to offer as they grow older and older.

The condition or “secret” to their vitality and strength is the fact that they are “planted in the house of the Lord.” (v. 13)

Compare Prov. 16:31 “The hoary [silver] head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.”

Elderly saints are a source of glory to God! The “Autumn Season” can still be a fruitful time and we can still have an influence in our families for the glory of God!

III. God is faithful until the end.

Psalm 71:9, 18    Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. ¹⁸ Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.

In this Psalm, the poet is pleading for God to remain faithful and not forsake him when he reaches the time of old age. I would like to couple this plea with another passage from the prophet Isaiah that serves as a very appropriate answer from God to this type of prayer.

Isaiah 46:3-4 (NKJV) ³  "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb: ⁴  Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

If you check the context and review the two previous verses in this chapter, you will find that God is drawing a distinct contrast between himself and the pagan idols that they had been worshiping. While the idols had failed them and not provided what they needed or hoped, God was still the faithful, covenant-keeping God of their fathers and he would carry them and deliver them even to old age.

While this prophecy is specifically directed to the nation of Israel, we can make a spiritual application to all those who are trusting in God and following His ways. God can be counted on! God is Faithful!

The psalmist prayed, “O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.”

God promises to be faithful, so we can testify and declare to the younger generations that He is trustworthy and it is worth it all to serve the living God!

I’ve known plenty of people who reached the final years of life and had regrets for not dedicating their lives to the Lord and living for His glory earlier in life. But, I’ve never met anyone who faithfully lived for Christ and followed Him throughout their lives, then come down to the end of life and say, “You know, I really regret giving my heart to Jesus. I wish I had waited until now to get right with God.” No, those who have been redeemed and faithfully served the Lord are always very grateful that Jesus reached them at an early age and they only wish they had served Him longer!

Conclusion:

This topic does apply to every one of us today whether we are grandparents and senior citizens or not. If we’re not already in that “category” then we are certainly headed that way rapidly.

The main issue is that whether we are older or younger, we all need to be trusting in God and living a life that is characterized as “the righteous who are planted in the house of the Lord,” so that we can maintain vitality and testify for the glory of God even as we get older and older.

Let’s close the service today by standing together and singing our closing song:

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

Walking in Holiness

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This is the 8th and final sermon in a series of messages on the subject of sanctification. It is based on Eph. 4:17-18.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Today we are going to wrap up a series of messages I have been giving on the topic of sanctification.

Many of you will recall that I spoke of hearing a professor from Asbury Seminary speak on the topic of holiness and then I read his book. That speaker was Dr. John Oswalt and I have been using a good bit of material from his book for this series.

This will be the 8^th and final message in the series, and yet, somehow I feel like I’ve only “scratched the surface” on this subject! Yet, I hope that we have been able to open our minds and understanding a little more about the subject, and create a desire in each of us to seek all of God’s grace in our lives to make us what He wants us to be.

Let me share a few short quotes I found in one source on the topic of holy living.

Someone has figured that we have thirty-five thousand laws trying to enforce the Ten Commandments.
God would never save us by grace so we could live in disgrace.
Our own dirt always seems cleaner [than everyone else’s].  — (The Complete Book of Zingers)

Transition: I want to use this last sermon in this series to wrap up our discussion on sanctification.

Proposition: For the time we have today let us consider some misconceptions about sanctification as well as some important pitfalls to avoid as we live the life of holiness day by day.

(As we talk about each of these issues, we may only refer briefly to different scriptures because most of these we have talk about to some extent throughout the series.)

I.    Misconceptions about Sanctification

A.  Confusion about the concept of “perfection”

We’ve talked about this already, so I just want to review before about the biblical concepts of perfection…

·     It is not speaking of absolute perfection.

·     It is not speaking of “Adamic perfection”

(Oswalt) …Most occurrences of the verb [form] for the word “perfect” have to do with the completion of an object or a process…. But there are four places [regarding Job and David] where the verb is used of human behavior, and these show that the kind of completion being talked [about] is of a moral and ethical nature.

“In other words, Job’s behavior toward God is not partly obedient and partly disobedient; it is wholly [completely] obedient. In the same way [David’s prayer in Ps. 19], the person who is delivered from [presumptuous sin] will be completely obedient. Rebellion will have no part in his or her life.”

This same root word is used in its adjective form to describe sacrificial animals that are complete in the sense that they are everything they are expected to be; with no defect; unblemished.

(Oswalt) Does not mean they were “show animals.” i.e. – it doesn’t mean that they could not be better in some way, or improved upon in some way, but they were entirely without defects.

A second word for “perfect” used in the Hebrew is the same root word that “shalom” comes from, which is often translated as “peace.” It also has to do with idea of completeness, but rather than stressing lack of blemish or defect, it carries the idea of “all parts being present,” or “wholeness.” So, a “whole heart” or “perfect heart” describes someone that is undivided in their thinking, their will and their choices.

B.  Confusion about the definition of “sin”

The Bible makes some clear distinctions when it talks about sin, and when we are not clear on those
distinctions, then it causes confusion in our beliefs about sanctification.

· knowledge vs. ignorance (Jas. 1:17)
· willful vs. unintentional (1 John 3:4)

legal vs. moral

“Legal” – focuses only on the fact that the law has been violated, but doesn’t look at intent, motive, or understanding. “Moral” – not only looks at violation, but also considers intent, knowledge and motive. (morally accountable)

When we fail to recognize these distinctions that are described in the Bible, then we can have two possible errors that affect our concept of sanctification.

• We can fail to distinguish between deliberate, willful disobedience, and mistakes caused by limited knowledge or other human weaknesses.

So, some may see no difference between a deliberate choice to commit fornication vs. forgetting someone you promised to pray for. (“See, nobody’s perfect!”)

 

• We can conclude that it is not possible for anyone to be victorious over sin, so we might as well just accept it and live with it.  

This attitude can convince some to not even seek for holiness, because it isn’t possible anyway.

If the life of holiness isn’t possible, then there are plenty of Scriptures that mock us by indicating we need to strive for it.

 

II.  Pitfalls to Avoid

In addition to the need for clarification on these matters, we also need to point out some of the errors or pitfalls that can sabotage our progress in holiness.

A.  The pitfall of “perfection-ism”

By misunderstanding the concept of perfection, we can think it refers to outward performance rather than inward wholeness. We begin to condemn ourselves when our performance doesn’t measure up to our ideas or even our desires to be holy, especially when we compare ourselves with other great Christians about whom we’ve read only wonderful, glowing reports of their lives.

Performance of godly behavior and conduct is important, but we must realize that our heart motives and desires are much more important. As long as our heart is wholly surrendered and consecrated to the Lord, our performance will keep improving.

B.  The pitfall of “legalism”

Legalism is the practice of measuring how holy I am based on what I do or don’t do. Emphasis again is on outward performance, and adherence to rules. Yes, outward behavior and conduct are important as we can see by the Apostle Paul’s occasions where he prescribes standards of behavior for his readers. But, we must never lose sight of the fact that holiness is about a relationship rather than a religious regimen and code.

C.  The pitfall of “judgmentalism”

Closely related to the previous two, and following right along after them is judgmentalism. As we evaluate our performance and measure ourselves by standards of what we do and don’t do, then we tend to judge/condemn ourselves and lay a heavy guilt trip on ourselves. This also tends to be projected outward toward others. And, along with it, is the tendency to compare ourselves with ourselves. (Who is more/less holy than the other?)

As you might have observed already, these pitfalls accurately describe the Pharisees. The Pharisees looked at their religion/faith as an “it” rather than a relationship with a person “Him.”

(Oswalt) Does God want us to behave in holy ways? Of course he does. It is written throughout the Bible, from cover to cover. But much more than that, he wants to live in us, and to have us live in him in a love relationship. This is what he really wants: that intimate, loving relationship that results from our complete surrender to his love and our happy obedience to his will. This is what the Pharisees were unwilling to give. They were willing to give God legalistic obedience, but they were unwilling to give him themselves.

Conclusion:

(Oswalt) So, [asking] “Am I holy?” is the wrong question. The questions are: “Is Jesus the sole, reigning Lord of my life? Is Jesus’ mind being created in me? Is Jesus being glorified by my behavior? Are people being drawn to Jesus because of my life? Is Jesus becoming more beautiful, more desirable because of what he is doing in my life?”

When these type of questions are the focus, we will tend more and more to de-emphasize ourselves and our performance or achievements, and we will understand that everything is a result of His life being lived through us.

Let’s prepare to sing # 540 in the blue hymnals: My Hope Is in the Lord

As we sing this song, let us remember that our only hope for salvation and sanctification is by grace through faith in the blood of Jesus.

When we focus too much on performance and achievements, then we become like the Pharisees and we begin to act and talk as if our righteousness is a result of our own efforts.

But, “my hope is in the Lord!” “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

Let’s stand and sing this hymn with passion and meaning from the depths of our hearts.

Living in the Spirit

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This is the 7th sermon in a series of messages on sanctification. The texts I used were Luke 11:13 and 1 Thess. 3:9-10.

Written Excerpts:

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, ¹⁰  night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

Introduction:

As we look into God’s Word today we are continuing our discussion of sanctification, which we have been doing for 6 Sundays. To begin today I would like to read a fictional story created by Dr. John Oswalt in order to illustrate a passage found in Romans 6:16-18 which speaks about being freed from slavery to sin and made “slaves” to righteousness.

“Imagine this picture. Sitting on a curb along the street of a great city is a woman dressed in rags. Her hair hangs in greasy strings. Her skin seems impregnated with dirt. She stares around her with insolent eyes. Suddenly there is a flourish of trumpets. Around a corner comes the gilded carriage of the prince of that kingdom. He is a handsome young man of power and grace and all the princesses of the surrounding kingdoms have set their caps for him. As the carriage passes the spot where the woman is sitting, the prince suddenly calls out to the driver, ‘Stop!’ As the carriage slides to a stop, the prince says to one of the footmen, ‘Do you see that woman? That’s the woman I want to marry. Ask her if she is willing, and if she will come to live in the palace until our wedding day can be arranged.’

“Now the scene shifts. We go to the palace on the wedding day. We are in the bride’s chamber. And what do we see? There sits the bride cross-legged in the middle of the beautiful bed stuffing her mouth with candy. She is still in her rags; her hair still hangs down in greasy strings; her skin is still the color of earth. Around her are the ladies-in-waiting with the gown, the soaps, and the perfumes. At one side is the hairdresser. One of the ladies finally says hesitantly, ‘My lady, don’t—don’t you want to get ready?’ but the woman’s answer comes out harshly through her full mouth. ‘He liked me well enough when I was sitting in the gutter like this, so I guess he can marry me like this, too.’

“Yes, there was nothing I did to deserve his love. He saw me in the gutter, in my rags, and in my filth, and he said, ‘I love you. You are my bride.’ So what will I say? … ‘Well, rags were good enough for him in the beginning. I guess they will be good enough for him all the way.’ Never! Rather, I will say, ‘Oh, don’t you have some stronger soap? I need something that will get all this grime and grease off me. Don’t you have a wire brush I can use on my fingernails? And that is lovely perfume, but don’t you have something even more elegant? He deserves the best! How he could have ever loved me I don’t know, but today I will be all I can be for him.’ Everyone else looking at her said, ‘What a worthless wench.’ But the Prince saw his bride. Shall we persist in our rags, our grime—our sins? Not at all!.... We must not sin, because we cannot return again to the slavery of sin when he has called us his bride.” (Taken from Called to Be Holy)

This made-up story illustrates what seems to be the attitude of many professing Christians who are not concerned about the lack of transformation in their lives. I believe God’s Word is so clear regarding the change that spiritual birth brings about, that I would be so bold as to say this: “If a transformation has not been taking place in my life, revealing more and more evidence of it in my conduct and attitudes, then there really has never been a new birth take place, no matter how much I may have claimed it.”

We’ve been trying to show in the Bible how God has marvelously and graciously saved us from the consequences of sin and made us His own children. Or, to use the analogy we started with, He has chosen us to be His bride. But the Bible is also clear that God’s purpose and intention is to change us so radically that we can enjoy fellowship in His presence as He transforms us more and more into the likeness of His character. He takes us as we are, so that He can make us like He is.

Last Sunday, we spoke about the need for and the privilege of being baptized with the Spirit; a blessing that prophets predicted would come through the ministry of the Messiah. It is the indwelling Spirit of God that makes it possible for our stony hearts to be changed to hearts of flesh, and for our spirit of harlotry to be changed to a spirit of fidelity and loyalty to God and God alone.

However, it is even more extensive in its power and effectiveness. The Spirit of God can transform us so thoroughly that it affects our lives and our behavior day in and day out. It is a pattern of life that is lived in the Spirit.

Transition: What does it mean to talk about living in the Spirit and how is it manifested?

Proposition: We are going to look at Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians to discover the deeper need that they had, the message of hope that Paul offered, and the expected effects of this deeper life.

(Again this morning, I want to say I’m indebted to Dr. John Oswalt for many of the ideas that I will be sharing today, as has been the case all through this series.)

I.    The Need for a Deeper Level of Faith

A.  Some background information

One of Paul’s earliest letters (as was Galatians). These two letters being his earliest, give us a glimpse at a typical pattern he repeats over and over in subsequent letters. Gives us insight into Paul’s basic concern for new converts in the early days of their Christian walk of faith.

Paul begins with expressions of prayer for them and commendations to them.

B.  Commendations for Their Current Spiritual Status

They are commended for:

·     Their response to his preaching (1:6-10)

·     Their joy in their new-found faith (1:6)

·     Their response to opposition and persecution (1:6)

·     Their faith is reported by others who witnessed it (1:8-9)

C.  The Lack in Their Faith

Paul has commended them for several reasons in chapter 1. He has reviewed his own ministry among them and his ardent desire to return and visit them in chapter 2. And in chapter 3 he notes his decision to find out how they’re doing by sending Timothy, who has returned with glowing reports.

We might expect Paul to say that now it is no longer necessary for him to come. But that is not what he says. Rather, he says he is earnestly praying that God will grant him the opportunity to come to them and “perfect what is lacking in their faith.”

“lacking” – a. The basic sense “to come too late,” “to fail to attain;” b. With reference to circumstances, hysteréō means “to lack.” (e.g. rich young ruler); c. The most common sense in the NT is “to be in want.” This is the prodigal’s plight in Luke 15:14; (TDNT: Abridged in One Volume.)

So Paul is identifying a lack or want that still exists in their spiritual development. Paul realizes that the new Christians need to take “the next step of faith” to trust God for a deeper work of the Spirit in their lives.

II.  The Hope for a Deeper Level of Faith

Paul not only expresses a knowledge of what they lack, but he expresses hope for its achievement; that what they need is definitely available to them.

A.  Hope Expressed in Paul’s Tone

Paul’s statement is one of expectation and anticipation. He intends to come and convey to them a message that will provide an additional understanding and experience in the grace of God. What they had experienced and “achieved” in faith so far was great, but God had more.

So Paul wants to “perfect what is lacking.”

“perfect” – The fundamental meaning is to put a thing in its appropriate condition, to establish, set up, equip, arrange, prepare, mend. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, Zodhiates)

Paul anticipates the time when he can teach them more spiritual truths and lead them into a greater level of love and holiness.

B.  Hope is Based in God’s Work

The Apostle is optimistic that they would be able to experience a whole new level or capacity of love toward one another just as they had witnessed in Paul’s life. He is also optimistic that they could be established (made firm or solid) in holiness to a level of being blameless (from our previous discussions regarding perfection, = all that it was meant to be, nothing defective).

The verbs that are used in verses 12 & 13 are in the Greek verb tense that indicates completed action rather than action that is continuous and ongoing. They are also in a verb form that expresses a strong wish or possibility, which is indicated by the English word “may.”

So Paul’s desire to come and see them is for the express purpose of providing or supplying what is still lacking in their faith, means that God can grant them a whole new level of love and a deeper life of holiness that will prepare them for the coming of the Lord; whenever that may be.

 (Oswalt) The fact that Paul is presenting this message in the context of a “lack in their faith” shows that Paul is not merely giving them a “pep talk” and encouraging them to try a little harder. If God’s will for His people to be holy in their behavior is to be realized, it will take more than simply trying harder… It is matter of the Spirit doing His work, and that is a matter of faith.

Paul has warned both the Galatians and the Romans about the legalism and hypocrisy that results when we rely on human efforts to be righteous simply by “trying harder.” When the Holy Spirit does His work in us it produces a life with some noticeable effects.

III. The Expected Effects of the Deeper Life

What are the areas that would be affected if they would exercise this level of faith?

A.  Sexuality (4:3-8)

Sexual desire is one of the strongest desires that God gave to us. However, unless God’s Spirit does something for us, we will be mastered and destroyed by the inappropriate expressions of sexuality.

The practices of the pagan world often included gross immorality as a part of their idolatry. God’s people are to be marked by a distinct separation from the pagan world by understanding that God intended for our sexuality to be sacred, and expressed only in the context of marriage as He designed it.

The same kind of faith they exercised to be forgiven can now be exercised further to give them victory over sexual passions.

B.  Brotherly love (4:9-10)

Urging them (and us) to exercise a level of faith that enables us to overcome the “flesh” which turns everything back upon itself and prevents us from freely giving ourselves away without always questioning whether we will get our love back with interest or not. (Compare 5:12-15)

Paul wants us to forget the question, “What can these people do for me?” and instead ask, “What has God given me for these, the idle, the timid, the weak?” (see 5:14)

C. Self-Discipline (4:11-12)

It is not enough to “turn over a new leaf.” We must exercise faith and surrender to the power of the Spirit to deal with self-serving fleshly appetites.

D. Right Beliefs (4:13-5:11)

Earlier in chapter 3, Paul says that his desire was for them to be established blameless in holiness whenever Jesus appears. But now in chapter 4-5 he seems to be clarifying some of their misconceptions about the second coming. It’s as if he is saying that they must avoid the opposite extreme of thinking that their beliefs don’t really matter as long as their hearts are right. So he gives them some important instruction regarding the return of Christ.

Even though the return of Christ is the subject here, we are taking it in the broader context of previous chapters to say that living in the Spirit causes us to take care that our doctrines and beliefs are truly consistent with the revelation of God’s Word.

(Oswalt) Right living rests upon right doctrine, and right doctrine is not right unless it results in right living.

Conclusion:

(Oswalt) A famous story tells of a poor man who dreamed of taking a journey on a great ocean liner. He saved his money carefully for many years and finally calculated that he had enough money to buy the ticket. But when everything had been added up he realized he did not have enough money left over to pay for the kind of sumptuous meals he had heard they served on ocean liners. So he took what he had and bought a large box of soda crackers and some cheese and took it on board with him.

When the rest of the passengers went to the dining room for their meals, this man stayed in his room eating his crackers and cheese, just counting himself fortunate to be having this experience at all.

But on the last day, he determined that he would have at least one of those wonderful meals, so he took all the money he had left, hoping it would be enough, and went to the dining room. Imagine his surprise and chagrin when he was told by the steward that they had been holding his place at the table all week because the price of the meals was included in the price of the ticket.

This describes the state of far too many Christians. The life of the Spirit is theirs; it was purchased for them at the cross. Yet they struggle on with their “crackers and cheese” when a sumptuous feast is spread for them. Why is this the case? Because in God’s economy you cannot possess what you do not have the faith to ask for.

Do you believe God has this life for you?

Let us sing the song in our red hymnals: #193

There Is Sanctifying Power

Baptized by the Spirit

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This is the 6th message in a series of sermons on the topic of sanctification. Passages from Luke, John and Acts are primarily used for this message.

Written Excerpts:

Luke 3:16  John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Introduction:

For about 5 weeks I have been doing a series of messages relating to the topic of sanctification. To help us in our understanding of this biblical subject, I’ve been borrowing some material from the book “Called to Be Holy” written by Dr. John Oswalt.

From the very beginning of the series I’ve tried to provide some examples of how badly we need a revival of holiness and true righteousness within the American Christian church.

Some years ago a well-known researcher who does research surveys on various social issues came up with these alarming facts through one of his surveys:

The Church (Born again Christians)

·  Faith today begins with personal felt needs and ends with convenience and simplicity

Ø  In other words, many “Christians” came to accept the Lord because they believed He would solve their problem(s) or would provide something they needed.

Ø  Their practice of faith goes no farther than deeds that are simple and convenient for them.

·  54% of born again Christians are not convinced that there is [any such thing as] absolute truth

Ø  How difficult should it be for a Christian to at least affirm that “the existence of God is absolutely true?”

Ø  Or, “it is absolutely true that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world.”

·  Amount of time spent watching TV is 7 times more than all spiritual pursuits

Ø  “All spiritual pursuits” would include prayer; Bible reading; church attendance; etc.

·  8% tithe their income

·  Discipleship is unknown: 60% of converts are not connected to any Christian body in 4 weeks after conversion

·  No statistically observable differences between the values of the church & the world

·   Six primary values of both groups:

o    Material well-being

o    Satisfaction

o    Happiness

o    Approval

o    Comfort

o    Convenience

[There’s no mention of eternity, divine approval of life, fulfillment of divine purpose, service, etc.]

George Barna – “We have not transformed our culture because we are neither grieved nor embarrassed by our sin.”

When our current President was running for office, he campaigned on a pledge to “fundamentally transform our nation.” And, in my opinion, I think he’s experienced phenomenal success. In similar fashion, I believe that the American Christian church has been fundamentally transformed until it doesn’t look any different than your basic, run-of-the-mill, secular social club. Its values are no higher than the average “man on the street.” We’ve determined that it’s not possible to live holy lives, so we have been all too satisfied to prove it by our self-centered, lustful living.

The last sermon I gave in this series, which was three Sundays ago, we talked about the need of having a new spirit within us in order to have the ability to holy lives. We looked at some OT passages which revealed man’s problem stems from a “spirit of harlotry” or “spirit of prostitution” which cannot remain faithful to God and Him alone, but is constantly seduced by other “spiritual affections.” We also learned that we naturally have an unclean/impure spirit which also prevents us from being wholly devoted to the Lord. The Bible records prophecies where God promises to give His people a new heart and a new spirit so that they would and could live in obedience to His will and they could be exclusively His people.

Today, I want to continue speaking about this biblical emphasis on the work of God’s Spirit upon the heart and spirit of man to transform us into someone that is loyal and devoted to Christ through and through.

Before we continue, I want to provide a review of the “progression of thought” we have been following so far: What Must God Do [to bring you to the point that you can dwell in His holy presence]? (From Dr. Oswalt’s presentation at Table Rock Pastors’ Gathering)

• Deliver you from the consequences of your sin (by His grace through the atonement)
• Cleanse you from your idolatry (take away divided heart and spirit of “harlotry”)
• Give you a new heart and spirit (a heart that is perfect, whole, all it was meant to be; and a spirit that is truly alive to God)
• Put His Holy Spirit in you (baptize with the Holy Spirit, live within you to provide ability to be alive and whole)

Transition: With God’s help, we want to consider three aspects regarding the baptism with the Spirit.

Proposition: The baptism with the Spirit involves Christ’s messianic mission; our recognition of need; and our response in order to receive the baptism of the Spirit.

I.    The Messianic Mission

A.  OT Prophecies relating to the Messiah and the Spirit

Isaiah 11:1-2 (NKJV) ¹ There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. ² The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

This prophecy announces that the Messiah will be marked by the distinct presence of God’s Spirit upon Him.

Isaiah 32:1, 12-15 (NKJV) ¹ Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice.  ¹² People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. ¹³ On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city; ¹⁴ Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks-- ¹⁵ Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest.

Disastrous conditions shall prevail because of the sins of Israel until the “king” reigns in righteousness (v.1) and the “Spirit is poured upon us from on high.”

Isaiah 42:1 (NKJV) ¹ "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

These are some examples of references in the OT that show a clear and direct connection between the reign of the Messiah and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

B.  The affirmation of John the Baptist (Messianic “forerunner”)

Luke 3:16 John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

In the NT we have some pointed statements by John the Baptist who was the “voice in the wilderness” and the forerunner of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

(There had not been a person clearly marked as a prophet of God for 400 years.)

·          What was John’s introduction to the Christ? “I baptize you with water, but He will ‘die for your sins.’” ??????

·          No! “…but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire!”

·          All four gospels and Acts repeat this declaration.

·          Did John not believe in the atoning work of Christ on the Cross? Of course. [He also said, “Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world.”   But,]

·          He knew what the end work was [i.e., he knew that salvation through the atonement was not all that the Anointed One would perform.]

(Oswalt, Presentation at Table Rock Pastor’s Gathering)

Not only have the OT prophets spoken about the direct role the Messiah will have with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but now in the NT, the prophetic forerunner of the Messiah echoes the same message.

But, John is not the only one who specifically emphasizes this aspect of the Messiah’s task.

C.  The confirmation of the Messiah Himself

After the resurrection, when the disciples were gathered and talking about His appearance to the two on the road to Emmaus, Jesus appears again and begins to speak.

Luke 24:44-49 (NKJV) ⁴⁴ Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." ⁴⁵ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And you are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

 “Wait for the promise of the father”

·          No disciple stumbles over this

·          How surprising – they have stumbled over almost everything else He has said.

·          Has He finally said something they expected the Messiah to say?

·          They expected Him to make the Spirit available to them so they could keep the covenant.

·          They had not realized that the only way that gift could be given was through His death to Himself on our behalf (Is. 53)

·          All of our cross is to die to our own selfish ways.

(Oswalt, Presentation at Table Rock Pastor’s Gathering)

There were many truths and principles that Jesus taught to His disciples while He was with them. One of those important truths had to do with the sending of the Holy Spirit to dwell within them. (We read some of these texts in our responsive Scripture reading earlier in the service.)

As He draws near the close of His earthly ministry, He urges them to tarry until they are endued with the power from on high; referring to the outpouring of the HS at Pentecost.

II.  The Human Need

We’ve already talked about the human condition; a problem of a defective heart and spirit. We need to be rescued from the consequences of our rebellion, but we also need to have the original problem dealt with as well.

The remedy God has provided is both external and internal.

A.  The Atonement

We said earlier that God’s plan for bringing people into relationship with Him involved:

·          Delivering them from the consequences of their sin (by His grace, through the atonement)

This was the external part of His work and plan. It was the sacrifice Christ did for us, but apart from us. There was nothing we could do to provide for our own salvation. It required the atoning blood sacrifice of God’s own Son.

But, there was an internal component as well.

B. The Baptism with the Spirit

In order to…

·          Cleanse them from their idolatry (take away divided heart and spirit of “harlotry”), and

·          Give them a new heart and spirit (a heart that is perfect, whole, all it was meant to be; and a spirit that is truly alive to God)

… it would require the very presence of God Himself through the Holy Spirit to effectively make these changes inside of us.

This impartation of the Spirit begins at the time we are born again. Transformation begins to take place immediately for the person who has genuinely trusted in Christ. Yet, there is a deeper work of the Spirit that must also take place as we discover our weaknesses, our divided affections, our self-centeredness and our predisposition to retain control of our own lives. We can solve none of those problems ourselves; it takes the mighty power of the Holy Spirit freely flowing through us for God’s glory.

III. The Human Response

If you remember the time when someone explained to you how to be saved, they probably emphasized the need to be sorry for your sins and repent of them, and then place your full trust and confidence in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for salvation (rescue from all consequences of sin including eternal death). We had to renounce our sinful attitudes and choices and accept Christ’s remedy.

There is a slightly different response that is appropriate for this baptism of the Spirit we are talking about today. In addition to accepting Christ and asking Him to come into our hearts, we must make a conscious decision to invite the HS to take complete control of our lives. There must be an unconditional surrender to the lordship of Christ and a willingness to let His Spirit take the controls of our heart and life, i.e., to “sit on the throne” of our heart. And, as Paul indicates in Eph. 5:18, we must keep on being filled with the Spirit, which indicates the necessity of continually seeking and submitting to a fresh filling and anointing of the HS as often as He prompts us.

This kind of consecration implies nothing held back. We yield to God every detail and aspect of our lives, our future, and everything. Then, we believe or trust Him to fulfill His promises.

“Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it.” (1 Thes. 5:24)

This follows immediately after the verse that reads like this, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly (entirely, through and through), and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jesus came and died so there might be an adequate atonement for our sins and we could be forgiven because of His sacrifice, but He also came and died so we could be baptized by the Spirit and enjoy the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit here and now in this life.

Conclusion:

The Pattern of God’s work in His people…

·          God saves His people from the consequences of their sin by grace alone

·          He saves them in order that He might take up residence among them

·          But that is only possible if they share His character

·          However they are unable to live that character (of God) by their own ability.

·          God intends to empower them through the gift of the Spirit that His Son’s sacrifice will make available.

(Oswalt, Presentation at Table Rock Pastor’s Gathering)

Let us close the service this morning by singing the hymn that is listed in the bulletin:

Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart    #390

If you haven’t completely and totally consecrated yourself to the full control of the Holy Spirit, I urge you to do it.

You can either do it this morning by coming forward for prayer before you leave, or you can find a quiet place of prayer alone, but in any case, I urge you in the strongest terms possible to find that time of prayer and make that total surrender to the Lord.