LN 15: "The Spirit Inspires" (02.17.08)

[message mp3 could possibly be coming soon ...]

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SUMMARY

Inspiration is something that gives meaning to your life, drives you, causes you to get up in the morning, to face life, to strive to excel, to enjoy life. Having something that inspires you is essential for people. What is it that inspires you? What gives meaning and feeling to your life?

As we continue to look at how the mission of the Church is formed by the Holy Spirit, we discover that the Spirit inspires. The word ‘inspiration’ means slightly different things in different contexts. To inspire is to: 1) /to guide or control by divine influence, 2) to animate, quicken, influence or impel, 3) to take something (air) into the lungs in breathing; inhale. I want to use these three definitions to consider three ways in which the Holy Spirit works. I want us see how the Spirit: 1) inspired Scripture, 2) uses Scripture to inspire us, and 3) causes us to inspire the things of God.

We find this work of the Spirit in our passage: 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

In this letter, Paul is writing to his young colleague Timothy, giving him advice on how to be a pastor. He encourages Timothy to guard the Gospel, to persevere in it, preach it and even suffer for it. And so in the passage we read, Paul reminds Timothy of two essential things for Christian life and ministry: the potency of Scripture and the power of the Spirit. As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1.5, “…our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” The potency of Scripture comes from the power of the Spirit.

And so Paul reminds Timothy and the Church that it is THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO INSPIRED SCRIPTURE. As we read in v.16, “All Scripture is God-breathed…” Now, nowhere in this passage is the Holy Spirit explicitly mentioned. So how do we know then that it is the Spirit who inspired Scripture? One reason is that the Spirit is implicitly mentioned in the term God-breathed. For the word for Spirit, in both Hebrew and Greek, means “wind, breath or spirit”. And so something that is God-breathed implies the work of the Spirit. For the Spirit is, in a sense, the wind or breath of God. Another reason is that Peter explicitly says so. In 1 Peter 1:20-21 we read, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Scripture therefore is not human aspiration or wishful thinking. It is not human invention, but divine revelation. It is God’s self-disclosure to His people. The Holy Spirit is the Author of Scripture. And he authored Scripture so as to nourish the people of God. Therefore Scripture is able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the person of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Scripture is therefore authoritative for us as Christians, for through it the Holy Spirit speaks and reveals the will of God and the plan of salvation.

AND THE HOLY SPIRIT USES SCRIPTURE TO INSPIRE US. This is crucial for us to understand as we consider the mission of the Church. Our mission is rooted in and fueled by the Gospel – the truth of Scripture – the message of salvation in Christ.

The Spirit who authored the Bible now speaks through the Bible. But we need to be very clear about what we mean by this. The Bible doesn’t come in a 3 ring binder, so that we can add pages to it or remove pages from it. Scripture is complete. God has revealed Himself to us in Scripture and that revelation is complete in its form. However, God continues to speak to us through His revelation – by means of Scripture. He is not adding new revelation to what he has already spoken.

The work of the Holy Spirit is two-fold. He has inspired God’s Word to be written down. And He now illuminates that written word. He opens our eyes and ears and minds and hearts to perceive and comprehend God’s message to us.

This is where the United Church of Christ gets it dangerously wrong. They have a new marketing campaign called “Still speaking”. In writing about this campaign on his blog, UCC pastor Rev. Chuck Currie wrote, “Comedian Gracie Allen is credited with saying: “Never place a period where God has placed a comma.” What does that mean? For many of us in the UCC it means that God still has more to say to us than just that which was written in the Bible.” The comma (not the cross) now seems to be the main symbol for the UCC. But the problem is that a comma strips the authority from Scripture. It’s like saying, “Thus saith the Lord, for right now” or “I the Lord have spoken, kind of – in a manner of speaking” or “You shall not, unless some new idea or cultural trend comes along.” And when a comedian provides your mission statement, it stands to reason that you become a joke.

I believe God is still speaking and He is saying what He has always said - things like: “I love you”, “repent”, “come to me”, “follow me”, “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.” God is not giving us new information, nor is His revelation dependent upon cultural trends. He is calling us to be conformed to that which He has already revealed.

And so, the Spirit who authored the Bible now speaks through the Bible. He uses Scripture to inspire us to live for Christ. And He does so in a number of ways that the 2 Timothy passage makes clear.

In v. 15 we read of, “the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”. The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to make us wise for salvation. 1 Corinthians 2.9-10 states, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” The Gospel, the plan of salvation, the truth of Jesus is revealed to us by the Spirit. He regenerates us – brings us to life so that we can respond to the love and grace of God in Christ.

The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to educate us in truth and train us in righteousness. We read in verse 16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The Spirit educates us in truth. To do this, He teaches us. Jesus said in John 14.26, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." And the Holy Spirit also educates us by using Scripture to refute error and convict us of sin and the need for righteousness. Our text calls this rebuking. Jesus said, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16.7-8)

But the Holy Spirit uses Scripture not just to correct errors of thought and belief, but also to train us in righteousness – in right living. The Spirit uses Scripture to correct our moral failures. Scripture shows us how to live – how to love God and treat one another. Many people shy away from Scripture for this reason. They don’t want to submit to God. They don’t like to be wrong or be told they are wrong. However, Proverbs 12:1 addresses this and does so rather bluntly. We read there: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.”

And God gives us rules for living and corrects us not to limit life, but to enhance it – to give us fullness of life. Deuteronomy 10.12-13 “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” And again, Deuteronomy 32.45-47 states, “When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, ‘… They are not just idle words for you-- they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."

The words that are our life are therefore useful for our training and discipline. Hebrews 12.6, 11 states, "the Lord disciplines those he loves … No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." When we live under and in Scripture (as opposed to skipping on it and only picking the flowers we like), we will grow in holiness as the Spirit uses the truth and potency of Scripture to conform us to Christ. And when we are actively and continually being taught and trained by the Spirit through Scripture, we are thoroughly equipped for every good work. We are able to live for God.

The Holy Spirit inspired Scripture, uses Scripture to inspire us, and finally, CAUSES US TO INSPIRE THE THINGS OF GOD. Remember our last definition? (to take something (air) into the lungs in breathing; inhale). The Holy Spirit gives us the capacity to breathe. He brings us to life. He conforms us to the image of Christ and enables us to follow Him and take in the things of God.

We read Paul’s encouragement to Timothy in v. 14, “continue in what you have learned…”. Continue - remain, stay, abide; live, dwell; last, endure, persevere in what you have learned and become convinced of. Breathe in the Word of God. In the same way that breathing oxygen gives life and energy to our bodies, breathing in God’s Word gives life and energy to our souls – to all that we are, the whole person.

What is it that inspires you? What gives meaning and feeling to your life? Should it not be God’s Word – His revelation to us – the Good News of Jesus Christ – the story of God’s love for us and His accomplishing our salvation? But it’s not just words that inspire us. It is the power of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit through Scripture and by His power inspires us to live for God. He dwells in us and draws us to God. He shapes and forms us to be like Christ and then breathes in us the breath of life so we can take in the life of God. There is no greater inspiration – no greater feeling or meaning in life.

So, be rooted in Scripture and filled with the Spirit - taking it God’s Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way in you – to teach you and train you that you may be thoroughly equipped for living life to the full.

LN 14: "The Spirit Constructs" (02.10.08)

[message mp3 coming soon]


SUMMARY
Construction is a part of who we are as the Church. For our English word Church comes from Kirk which in turn comes from kyriokos, meaning “house of the Lord”. So the Church is the house of the Lord and, like any house, it has to be built.

Now, most major construction projects involve plans, blueprints, and sketches – pictures of what is being built. Well, in the construction work of the Spirit, we likewise have pictures of what is being built. We find some of these pictures in Ephesians 2.19-22.

This passage provides three pictures of what the Spirit is constructing us to be: God’s Kingdom, God’s Family and God’s Temple (see: John Stott, The Message of Ephesians, IVP, 1979). But before we focus on the construction itself, we need to take note of the materials used. What are the construction materials? They are people – human beings. Those whom God has called. Those who believe in and are following after Jesus. And this is a diverse group - from every tribe and nation and people and language – men and women, black, white and everything in between, poor and rich, educated and uneducated, Giants and Patriots fans, Red Sox and … even Yankees fans - all those that God has called to Himself through Christ. Sinners, enemies of God, the lost, broken, blind, deaf, dead – these are the people that the Holy Spirit of God uses in His construction work. People like you and me. Why does the Spirit use such damaged materials? To show that the glory of the Church rests not in the perfection of the original materials used, but in the One who is constructing.

And what is the Spirit constructing? We find the first picture in the beginning of v. 19. The Spirit is forming us into GOD'S KINGDOM. We read, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people.”

Paul’s described the condition of the Gentile people in 2:12: “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” That was our condition as well. Apart from Christ, we were enemies of God, alienated and separated from Him - without hope. But now, through Christ, we have been made fellow-citizens with God’s people. But what exactly are we citizens of? We are citizens of God’s Kingdom. And the Kingdom of God is the rule of God. As R.T. France states, “the kingdom of God is not making a statement about a thing called ‘the kingdom,’ but about God, that he is the king. Thus … to ‘enter the kingdom of God’ is to come under his rule, to accept him as king.” Life under the reign of God constitutes a new world-order, a new value system, a new allegiance, a new hope, a new future. The Kingdom is the radical in-breaking of God into history and human lives. So what does this mean to be a part of God’s Kingdom? How can we have all this (new outlook, new hope, new future)? We have it because we belong. To be part of God’s Kingdom means to belong. We were rootless outside of Christ. Now we have stability. We were outsiders, refugees now we are citizens.

The second picture is found in the last part of v. 19: “you are … fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household…” We are GOD'S FAMILY. More than citizens, we are children and heirs. And this reality of being the Family of God affects our relationships in two directions: vertical and horizontal – toward God and toward one another.

First, how does this affect our relationship with God? We have access to God because we are beloved children. John wrote, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3.1). As children we have access and we can therefore, “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4.16). And as children, we have acceptance by God. God draws us near. Because of Jesus, we are not rejected by God, but rather accepted. He runs to us, embraces us, welcomes us in and re-inherits us as His own. And as children, we have affection from God. God loves you. That phrase unfortunately has become a cliché - we print it on magnets and bumper stickers. However, though we throw the phrase around, it is true nonetheless. And, more than, it is the greatest truth you could ever know. We are loved by God. We are God’s beloved. Not because we are particularly loveable, but because God is love and He has shown us His love in Jesus Christ.

Secondly, how does this affect our relationship with one another? It revolutionizes it. In Christ, walls of separation come tumbling down. There is “neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. In Christ, we are not strangers but brothers and sisters. And as such, we are connected to one another. We are not alone. We are in this thing together. But far too often we rebuild barriers and fail to work together. That is our fault and not God’s plan. For God’s plan is that by the Spirit, we are brought together in the Son to serve the Father as His beloved children.

The third picture is found in vv. 20-22. We are GOD'S TEMPLE: “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” As we look at being God’s temple, I want us to notice first the foundation, then the cornerstone and then the temple itself.

Every building has a foundation. Foundations are critical to building. Whether a building stands or falls is dependent upon its foundation. Ours is a society that is removing foundations and is trying to hold itself up without a foundation. But unlike our modern society, followers of Christ have a foundation – a solid, immovable foundation. That foundation is the truth of God – the Word of God. Paul describes it as the apostles and prophets. This seems to suggest that the foundation is the inspired instruction that came through the apostles and prophets, or in other words, the NT Scriptures. As John Stott suggests, “The church stands or falls by its loyal dependence on the foundation truths which God revealed to his apostles and prophets and which are now preserved in the New Testament Scriptures” (Message of Ephesians, 107).

Essential to the foundation was the cornerstone. The cornerstone was the first stone laid and from it the line, structure and frame of the building was held together. The cornerstone established the building. Christ is the Cornerstone of the Church. We are held together in Him. We rise up, we grow because of Him. He sets our direction. He holds us up. He holds us together.

And in Him we rise, “to become a holy temple in the Lord,” for we are “being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” The Temple was the heart of the nation and the center of worship. The reason for this was that it was the holy place where the presence of God dwelled. Now Paul (and others such as Peter) takes this most sacred place and declares that those who are in Christ are now the real, true Temple of the Living God. God no longer dwells in holy buildings, but in holy people. Christians are, as the Apostle Peter states, “living stones being built into a spiritual house”. And as these stones come together a dwelling place is created – a Temple for the Lord. It is in the People of God, the Church, that the eternal and living God dwells by His Spirit.

So, we have seen the pictures. The Spirit is constructing us to be God’s Kingdom, God’s Family and God’s Temple. Therefore, as the Church, we are: a people formed by God’s rule, flowing with God’s love and filled by God’s presence.

We are a people. The Church is not a building or a program. It is people. Church is not something we go to or are entertained by or bored by. Church is us. We are participants in worship and we are the ministers of the Gospel.

We are formed by God’s rule. As citizens of the Kingdom, Christ’s character is to define our character; Christ’s way is to be our way. God’s rule is our life and joy. For that is our only comfort in life and in death – that we are not our own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to our faithful savior Jesus Christ.

We are flowing with God’s love. As children of God, we are dearly loved. We are shown grace, mercy and compassion. Therefore, we likewise must love. We likewise must show grace, mercy and compassion to others. Love is the defining mark of the Church. A church without love is not a church. If we do not love, we cannot claim to belong to Christ.

And we are filled by God’s presence. How is it that we are formed by God’s rule and flowing with God’s love? Because we are filled with God’s Spirit. God’s power is at work in us – transforming us from what we were into what we were meant to be. And God’s power is at work through us. God uses us to reveal who he is. He uses us to call people to be reconciled to Him. He uses us to minister to others with the love and truth of Christ. The light of His presence is with us and therefore (as I mentioned in the first message in this series) like a lighthouse, the Church draws people in – through danger into the safe haven of Christ; and like a flashlight, we do not just stand there, we go out in search of the lost and broken in order to help bring them to Christ. To be the Temple of God – people of God’s presence is to draw people in and to allow the word of life to go out.

We, the Church, are God’s construction project. As Paul says in v. 10: “we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are God’s workmanship. The word is poiema – from which we get our word ‘poem’. We are God’s poem; His creation; His masterpiece. His workmanship. For we are being built into a people formed by God’s rule, flowing with God’s love and filled by God’s presence.


SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER
(linked to www.biblegateway.com & www.rca.org)

Context - Ephesians 2.1-22
Children of God - John 1.10-13
Love as defining mark of the Church - 1 John 4.7-21
Belonging - Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1