Tag: Holy Spirit

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Reconciliation & Transformation Act 6: Holy Spirit & Church

This listen to the audio teaching of these teaching notes, click

http://followingjesus.org.za/sermons/act-6-holy-spirit-in-jesus-reconciled-and-reconciling-church-part-4/

This mini-series of Reconciliation & Transformation is part of ‘fishing the world’ to turn our church outward to engage in social transformation. We shared personal stories of racism and reconciliation. Then I taught God’s Greater Story in which our personal stories find meaning – God’s Seven Act Drama of Reconciliation & Transformation:

Act One: CREATION – God’s Garden of Delight
Act Two: HUMANITY – The Rebellious Fall
Act Three: RESTART – Noah, Babel and The Nations
Act Four: ISRAEL – God’s Instrument of Reconciliation
Act Seven: THE END – Shalom!
Act Five: JESUS – God’s Reconciler
Act Six: HOLY SPIRIT – Through The Church

The weird numbering is theologically important: from Israel (4), the failed instrument of reconciliation, to her prophetic hope of the The End as seen in Isaiah, and then in John’s Revelation when all things are made new (7). But THAT future END broke into our world 2000 years ago in Jesus, dissecting history (5). Act 5 is the gift of God’s Son (Jn 3:16) who accomplishes reconciliation in his own body on the cross, where all barriers and walls of division were destroyed, the principalities and powers defeated, and Jews and Gentiles reconciled into “one new humanity” (see Eph 2:14-18 & Col 2:15).

Act 6 is the gift of God’s Spirit who comes at Pentecost to effect (apply and make real) Jesus’ work of reconciliation & transformation. Act 6 goes all the way through to Christ’s Second Coming – The End of God’s drama, The Beginning of the Eternal Ages. Do you realise that we’re playing our particular part LIVE in Act 6, on the world’s stage right now as witness to world to bring the drama to The End (Act 7)? See the diagram Continue reading Reconciliation & Transformation Act 6: Holy Spirit & Church

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Forming (in) Community: Practicing Servant Gifts (2)

To listen to the audio teaching of these notes, click on this link
http://followingjesus.org.za/sermons/being-the-beloved-servant-gifts-2-part-29/

Recap on Servant Gifts (1): I made three basic points regarding the practice of servant gifts to form – and be formed in – Jesus’ community: 1) The local church is Christ’s Body, that operates organically by spiritual gifts (charisma, “enabling graces”) given through each member. 2) The right motivation (heart) and context (attitude) for the operation of the gifts is servanthood. The gifts are service (“ministry”) in Jesus’ name to one another; thus we speak of servant gifts. 3) The model of servanthood is Jesus, the Servant of YHWH who, in his service, suffers our sin and brokenness in love, to cleanse, enfold and heal us into his life and community (as he dramatically enacted in John 13).

Peter summarises this well: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Pet 4:10). God’s graces fall into two categories: supernatural gifts (by direct Spirit inspiration) and natural talents (by birth and training). Both are spiritual gifts because they are all God-given. The challenge is: are we faithful stewards of God’s multiple enabling graces, that come through each other in all their rich diverse forms, to heal and grow us to maturity in Christ?

Paul on Servant Gifts in the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:1-31)

Paul gives specific teaching on spiritual gifts in 1 Cor 12 (“manifestation gifts”, written in 54 AD), Rom 12:1-8 (“motivational gifts”, in 57 AD), and Eph 4:7-12 (“ministry-gifts”, in 60 AD). I examine each of these passages in that order to reflect Paul’s developing thinking.

The context of 1 Cor 12 is Paul’s teaching on public worship services – when the church gathers together (see 11:33, 14:26) – from chapter 10 to 14. It’s essentially about the local Body of Christ functioning organically in relational harmony through spiritual gifts. Continue reading Forming (in) Community: Practicing Servant Gifts (2)

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Following Jesus by Practicing Holy Spirit Administration – Part Two

Recap: Prayer and Holy Spirit Administration (Intimacy)

Prayer and the Holy Spirit – his indwelling leading and administration – is a seamless garment. The Spirit helps us in both “closet prayer” as in Matt 6:6f, and in “continual prayer” as in 1Thess 5:17. This is the right and left foot of walking with Jesus day by day. The practice of Spirit administration is both modes of prayer, though I focus here on cultivating ceaseless prayer as a primary means of becoming conscious of the Spirit’s movements and ministry moment by moment – to be led by the Spirit.

How do we practice the Spirit’s presence and administration?

Paul’s amazing view of prayer is to listen and enter and participate in the Trinitarian dialogue by the Spirit (Rom 8:26-27). The Spirit helps us as we pray by praying in us – interceding, even groaning – showing us what to pray, how to pray for it as per God’s mind and will. In so doing we enter the intercessions of Jesus at the Father’s side (Rom 8:34), our high priest who ever lives to pray for us (Heb 7:24-25). So, practically 1): Ask the Spirit for help in prayer, what or who to pray for, and how to pray, being assured that as we pray according to God’s will he will answer (1 John 5:14-15).

This is praying “in the name of Jesus”, in his authority and will (John 14:12-14), and “praying in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18), the Spirit leading and praying in us as per God’s will. Paul says the Spirit reveals to us God’s thoughts, the deep things in God’s heart and mind, so that “we have the mind of Christ” (1Cor 2:9-16). So, practically 2): Learn to listen; cultivate intimate sensitivity and implicit obedience to the Spirit, to spiritually discern the mind of Christ in all things, to be led by the Spirit. Then Christ’s Headship over us communicates his mind and will in and through us by his indwelling Holy Spirit – the Autonomic Nervous System in the Body of Christ. Continue reading Following Jesus by Practicing Holy Spirit Administration – Part Two

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