By Pastor Greg
When I travel, occasionally I will
meet someone who asks what I do for a living.
If I tell them I am a Pastor, people usually find an excuse to walk
away. Oh, every now and then, a person
will ask a question about God, but for the most part, people are uncomfortable
when they learn of my calling. Maybe
they’re worried about getting struck by lightning or something. I don’t know.
Maybe I should try this guy’s
suggestion. Watch this …
When I watch that video, I am
reminded of just how much the Church influences the world today. And it’s sometimes hard to believe the whole
thing started through a rag-tag group of Jewish apostles. But then again, these apostles walked with
Jesus. They had met the Man.
Sometimes I think the task Jesus
gave us if far too hard. He wants us to
make disciples over all the earth (Matthew 28:19), but He’s not here to
help. He is in Heaven preparing a place
for us (John 14:2). I think evangelism
would be a whole lot easier if He was here. “Guys, let me introduce you to
Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Go ahead Jesus, show them a miracle so they will believe.”
I can’t quite fathom this; Jesus
wants me, little old imperfect me, to reach the world with His message of
salvation. Does He know what He is
asking? I’m supposed to convince the
world that they are sinners in need of a Savior, and that Jesus of Nazareth is
the Messiah? Why would they believe
someone like me?
Have you ever felt this way?
I’m not sure if these thoughts
occurred to the apostles, but I’m sure they would, eventually … especially once
Jesus ascends to Heaven. However, to
prepare them for that moment, Jesus makes them a promise. In John 14:12 He says the number of people they
reach will be even greater than what they have seen up to this point (just
consider the description of the Church mentioned in that video). A day is coming, says Jesus, when these
apostles will be leading people to eternal life even though He is not around. And
this will happen all because of the Advocate.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,
who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads
into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him
and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and
later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as
orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer
see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live [1]
(John 14:16-18).
Once He ascends to Heaven, Jesus
says He would send the Holy Spirit, suggesting that He, the Spirit, would work
on their behalf … which He did. Just as
Jesus promised in verse 17 (He is among you now, later He will be in you), the
Holy Spirit filled the apostles 10 days after Jesus ascended to Heaven. And what this group of men and women
accomplished has turned the world upside down (or right side up). This is what the Spirit can do. Dwelling inside the heart of a Christian, the
Spirit works in that person and through that person … changing them and
changing the world.
The word advocate reminds us of someone who pleads a case ... which the
Spirit does. He is our advocate before
God. The Spirit identifies us as those
ransomed by Christ (Ephesians 1:14). But
the Greek word parakletos also means counselor, which is the role Jesus give
the Spirit in John 14:26. Here, the Holy
Spirit teaches and instructs. In 1 Corinthians 2:12 Paul suggests that it is the Holy Spirit who helps us
understand spiritual things. He (the
Spirit) helps us understand God’s work and God’s will. The Spirit is who helps us understand God’s
Word (the Bible). These are just a few
of the things the Spirit does in
us. Yet that is only part of what the
Spirit does. He also works through us.
The Church described in that video
is quite accurate. The Church has a far
deeper influence in this world than most people realize. This world has been changed because the
Spirit worked through men and women and children who became the hands, feet,
arms, and mouth of God. The world is changed
when Christians become the instrument through which the Spirit works.
It is the Holy Spirit that enables
us do to the work of the Church. He
gives each believer a special gift, and it is these gifts that help the Church
reach the people of this world with the message of salvation. In Ephesians 4:11 Paul says that leaders
gifted by the Spirit have a responsibility to, “equip God’s people to do his work and build up
the church, the body of Christ.”
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul compares the many different gifts of the
Spirit as a body. A human body has many different parts, and
each part has a unique function. It is
the same with the Church. Not everyone
has the same gift, but they were given by the same Spirit. This is what it means to be instructed by the
Spirit. He brings different people
together – people with different gifts and abilities – to work together as a
church.
I’ll be honest, there are a lot of
days I don’t feel adequate to do the work God has placed before me. I suspect many of you feel the same. How are we supposed to do Kingdom work when
we are less than perfect ourselves? I
mean, it’s not like we are making donuts here.
We are dealing with matters of eternity!
What we are dealing with is the eternal soul of those living around us. What if we mess up? What if we say the wrong thing? What if we make the wrong decision? How are we supposed to change the world when
it seems everything is working against us?
John the Apostle says we are like
little children living in a dangerous world.
Fragile. Innocent. Unaware of all the dangers. Yet … he suggests that despite this, we “have overcome [those
dangers]; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). And just who
is in us? The Holy Spirit, of
course. We, who are believers in Jesus,
have been given an incredible gift. God
has poured Himself into us. He, the
Spirit, enables us to live a life that is holy and set apart (that’s what
“sanctification” means). The spirit
enables us to honor God with our life.
The Spirit enables us to love as we should. The Spirit helps us understand spiritual
things. The Spirit leads us into all
truth. The Spirit works in us and through us. So don’t be discouraged. Don’t lose heart, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire
and the power to do what pleases Him” (Philippians 2:13).
I keep thinking that it takes
dynamic people with magnetic personalities to make a difference for Jesus in
this world. I keep thinking that I don’t
measure up. But then I remember that
what we see of the church in the world today happened all because people who
don’t measure up allowed the Spirit to do great things through them. You and I cannot change the world. But the Spirit of God can. We just need to let Him work in us and
through us. That’s what will change our
world.
[1] Tyndale House Publishers.
(2007). Holy Bible: New Living
Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 14:16–19). Carol Stream, IL.
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