We
continue today with our sermon series based around the Apostles Creed.
Previously, Andy looked at God the Father, the Creator God who made and formed
us in God's own image. Philip and Andy looked at Jesus, the Son, who became one
with us and died to save and redeem human-kind, and last week Dan spoke to us
about judgement. This week I am going to look at the phrase 'I believe in the
Holy Spirit', and at the 3rd person of the Trinity, the person of the Holy
Spirit.
I use the word 'person' as the Holy Spirit is not a force, or a power, or a transcendent 'other-worldly' presence, but a 'person'. And although we sometimes use the term 'Holy Ghost' the Holy Spirit is not a ghost in the 'spooky' sense of the word. The Holy Spirit has a 'person'-ality: the personality of God. The Holy Spirit is real. We may not be able to touch Him physically, but His presence is nevertheless real and powerful, as we shall go on to see.
So who is the Holy Spirit? He is part of the Trinity. He is God. Defining the Holy Spirit however is very difficult, as I don't believe He can be defined. He is the creative presence of God in our world, and according to the book of Genesis, was involved in the creation of the world. He is unchanging, yes, but at the same time, he is always working in new ways in the Church and the world. The Holy Spirit is impossible to 'tie down'. You cannot say 'the Holy Spirit does this and that' or that 'the Holy Spirit is predictable and allows works in this or that way.' Just as creative people are always looking for new opportunities, connections, and ways of working and being, so the Holy Spirit is always on the move, working in creative and sometimes unusual and surprising ways in our world. The only unchanging things about the Holy Spirit is that He is God, is without sin, and always brings glory to Jesus and the Father. The other thing about the Holy Spirit which I would like to explore in some detail today, is that He always leads God's people, the Church, into deeper levels of service and commitment.
Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He said to His disciples: '… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you'. And this is exactly what happened on the day of Pentecost. The book of Acts tells us:
'When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them'
The Apostle Peter then goes on to give his interpretation of this great outpouring of God's Spirit and powerfully exhorts the people of Jerusalem to turn to God and to save themselves. As a result of Peter's anointed preaching, an amazing 3000 people turn to Christ in a single day.
This is certainly amazing. Wouldn't it be fantastic if 3000 folk suddenly came through the doors of an MCC Manchester service to give their lives to the Lord. At times throughout the history of the Christian Church, there have been spiritual revivals just like the one described in the book of Acts, often characterised by people falling and weeping before God in repentance. Some Christians today pray fervently for another Pentecost experience, hoping that God will supernaturally bring many people to faith with powerful signs and wonders like this.
However, I believe the most amazing thing about the day of Pentecost was not the fact that 3000 people were saved on one day. It is what these 3000 people did in response to their powerful spiritual conversion experience that is truly amazing. The early disciples were filled with the Spirit, but it is what they did in response to being filled with the Spirit which is incredible.
In Acts 2 verse 42 we read the words 'They Devoted Themselves'. The response of the 3000 converts was not to go back to their everyday lives unchanged, but to give themselves wholly to God. They became completely committed to following the Lord and seeking His purposes for their lives. This complete transformation of attitude and outlook could only have happened by the Spirit of God working in their lives. The Holy Spirit working within this first Christian community gave them an inner drive, or what my old pastor would call, an 'inner want-to'. They had the motivating, empowering presence of the Holy Spirit willing them towards a deeper commitment to God.
Similarly, our devotion to God should spring from the Spirit working within us. God has placed a genuine desire to follow Him and to serve Him within us by His Spirit. We don't have to work ourselves up into a frenzy before we begin to commit to following the Lord and doing God's will. We don't have to wait for an inspiring sermon before we can get involved with serving God in His church. We just allow the Spirit within to drive us forward in devotion to God. Serving God is in our nature as Christians. Paul writes in Philipians that the Spirit 'works in you to will and to act according to His purpose'.
Interestingly, the presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of the early disciples not only drove them to be completely devoted to the Lord, but also to be deeply devoted to their leaders, the Apostles. It says in this passage from Acts that 'They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching…' In other words, not only were these early Spirit-filled disciples thoroughly devoted to God, they were also devoted to the leadership and direction of those placed above them in the Lord. There was no antagonism with the leadership of the Church. There was no divisiveness. No hidden agendas, or power struggles between the leaders and those who were 'leaders in their own minds'. The early disciples devoted themselves fully to the leaders God had placed over them, humbly recognising that God had placed them in authority over the Church for their own benefit and strengthening.
A great sign of the presence of the Spirit in a church is unity and peace among the congregation, among the leadership, and between the congregation and the leadership. Paul writes in Ephesians 4 verse 3: 'Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.' Back-biting and bickering against the leadership of a Church is a sign of a carnal, worldly Church, not a Holy Spirit-filled Church. The greatest gift anyone can give their Pastor and leaders is the spirit of agreement. Not a blind, unquestioning allegiance, but an agreement to lay aside one's own agendas, and march to the same drum-beat together, under the guidance of those whom God has placed over us to lead us and to guide us. Again, it is the Holy Spirit who motivates us to keep this unity among ourselves for as Paul writes again in 1 Corinthians 14: 'our God is not a God of disorder but of peace.'
We, like the early disciples have also been filled with the Holy Spirit. We say every week those words 'I believe in the Holy Spirit' from the Apostles Creed. This is not merely a intellectual statement, but an acknowledgment that the Holy Spirit is among us, and within each and every one of us who have given ourselves to Christ. We, like the early disciples, are being led by this same Spirit within us who creatively, and in many and varied ways, draws us into a deeper and deeper devotion to God and to His Church day by day. If we allow the Holy Spirit within us to lead us to a deeper commitment to following Christ, and if we resolve unequivocally to devote ourselves to Him, we can expect to see a number of things happen.
1. Awe
The first thing is 'Awe'. The passage says that 'everyone was filled with awe'. It's like the early Christians went around with a permanent surprised look on their faces. They couldn't believe what they were seeing: normal, everyday people whose lives were being completely transformed by the love of God.
I've been really encouraged recently by a first-time visitor being awe-struck and amazed by our Church. She said they couldn't believe what she saw and felt 'awe'-struck by the service. She testified afterwards that she really felt the presence of the Holy Spirit very powerfully in the service. Proof, if you like, that when people devote themselves and dwell in unity together, the Spirit works His 'awe'-some magic.
2. Fellowship
Secondly, as the congregation of the early Church experienced the power
of the Spirit and devoted themselves to God and the vision of the leadership,
they also grew closer together in fellowship. They met for worship each day as
it says in Acts 2: 46: 'Every day they continued to meet together in the temple
courts.' From their deep desire to worship flowed their love and care for each
other. There was a natural depth to their fellowship. They helped each other out
materially, giving to anyone as they had need. They loved one another. As Jesus
said in John 13: 35: 'By this all folk will know that you are my disciples, if
you love one another.' Their devotion to God and His Church led them in turn to
a deep love for each other, a love that could not be manufactured without the
Spirit's presence among them.
3. Growth
The final outcome of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the disciples' subsequent devotion to God and His Church, was growth in numbers. The Bible says that 'The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.' A sign of a healthy, Spirit-filled Church is growth in numbers and influence. Our Church, here in Manchester has grown amazingly in influence over the past year or two. We have thousands of hits on our website, masses of media interest, TV coverage, and National newspaper coverage. Thousands of people across the country and the world have heard of our Church, and we have tremendous respect in the gay village, around Manchester generally, and among the police and other organisations. At the same time, we are steadily growing in numbers in our weekly Sunday Services. This is a sign that God's Spirit is powerfully at work among us. More than ever, it is so important at this time to 'keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace' to quote St. Paul. We are to devote to God wholeheartedly and to use our gifts and skills creatively to serve the Lord in this Church. If we are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into a whole new level of devotion and commitment to God, then we can likewise expect to see more people drawn to us. People are attracted to a Church where people are in unity, and devoted to God and His cause. WE can expected to see 'the Lord adding to our number daily those who are being saved'.
There are bound to be changes that come with a Church growing. But, if we are Spirit-filled people (which we are), and if we are a 'Spirit-filled' Church (which we are), then we need to allow the Spirit to lead us into a deeper devotion to God and His Church if we are to see growth happen! When the people of God get devoted and committed, the Church grows. But, when God's people are complacent, the Church's growth becomes stunted. The growth of our Church does not actually rest with God, but with us! As we grow, I encourage us all to lay down our gifts, skills, time and talents before the Lord and say, 'God, whatever you want me to use, whatever you want me to do, whatever way you want me to serve, I'll do it if it means that our Church will grow as a result.' As our Church continues to grow and develop, let us be open to the creative and innovative ways in which the Spirit wants to lead us. And as we go into what I believe is a new phase of our Church's life together my prayer is 'Come Holy Spirit, fill us, equip us, lead us to devotion, open up new and creative ways for us to serve you, so that others may know, through us, the love you have for them.'
'I believe in the Holy Spirit' is a fine statement to make on a Sunday afternoon. But it's not simply what we say or even believe about the Holy Spirit that counts, but what we do with the gift of the Holy Spirit, that will make the difference in our lives, our communties, and our generation.
Amen!
(Neil Whitaker)
This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.