Jesus

Don’t resist the Holy Spirit’s inconvenient ministry

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7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  John 16:7-15

Jesus says He will send the Holy Spirit as the Helper for the disciples. That’s great news because their assignment in the world is daunting. Who is going to believe them? But its not all up to them! The Holy Spirit will take on the work of convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment;

of sin because they do not believe Jesus.

of righteousness because Jesus has gone to the Father.

of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged.

Conviction is uncomfortable. The application of God’s truth to our lives stirs up the mixture of guilt, shame, and fear that a person may have been managing for years. Conviction goes against our cultural reluctance to “make a person feel uncomfortable.” And thus we may not want to cooperate with the Spirit of God by proclaiming the promise of Jesus. But its the very uncomfortable and inconvenient realization of truth that makes the grace of Jesus timely and amazing.

Asking for the Holy Spirit

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9And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”  Luke 11:9-13

Our Heavenly Father delights to give for the life and benefit of His children. So, ask. So, seek. So, knock. He knows how to give good gifts! When it comes to gifts, He will even give Himself. Jesus says our Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.

So, I’m asking for the Holy Spirit who

  • brings me into God’s love and assures me that I am His. (Romans 8:12-17)
  • animates the Gospel of Jesus and lifts Him up. (John 16:4-15)
  • empowers me for the work of Jesus in the world and leads me into it. (Acts 1:4-8)
  • equips me for the benefit of the Body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12)
  • grants me wisdom for decisions. (Isaiah 11:1-3)

 

What if you lose your job?

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29And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  Luke 12:29-34

Yesterday I phoned up a friend who lives in Alberta. Eight years ago he moved from Vancouver and our church where we had shared the beginning years of his family’s discipleship journey with Jesus. His job was secure, but with the downturn in the price of oil, he like many others has lost his job.

What do you do if you lose your job?

Well no doubt its been hard. The internal struggles where apparent in his voice. But what he said next stuck joy in my heart.

He is pursuing Jesus.

He is studying God’s Word. He is taking Biblical studies classes.

He is assisting weekly with an outreach to students on a university campus.

And of course he is looking for work, not with panic, but with an ear on the heart of our Heavenly Father.

He showed me the delight of having Jesus as our treasure! In Jesus all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden (Colossians 2:3). Nothing can compare to the incredible worth of knowing Him. Jesus calls us out:

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.  (Matthew 13:44-45)

Great Expectations

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4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 5“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”   Luke 8:4-8

I love Jesus’ parable of the sower, seed, and soils. It generates confidence in the Word of God. And it causes me to wonder about the condition of my own heart. Do I have ears to hear? Could God really do wonderful, fruitful, and productive things in my life?

Jesus’ disciples were curious about the parable too, so they asked Him about it.

9And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ 11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Jesus is giving them insight into how God is working. “A sower went out to sow His seed… The seed is the word of God.” God is sowing seed, His truthful word into our lives! God is choosing people! God is bringing people into the fullness of His Kingdom!

Jesus has confidence that His words would accomplish dynamic, life-giving impact in the lives of people. When we speak and receive the Gospel of Jesus we can have the same confidence.

With Jesus for the long-haul

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6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.  Colossians 2:6-7

In a short track race the way you start really matters. Its over in seconds and if you miss the start, stumble, or fall, the race will finish without you. Fortunately the Christian life is not that way!

The Christian life is not run in seconds. Its a lifetime and none of us start our life of faith with Jesus perfectly. In fact, we may begin with a limp, with the odds stacked against us, and as seemingly unlikely candidates for the family of God.

Paul’s vision of the Christian life is one in which we are living in Jesus’ grace by faith and for the long-haul. It begins with the work of God through the Gospel of Jesus and has a simple confession: Jesus Christ is Lord. But, it also has a vision of discipleship that might go like this:

“I’m so thankful! I have received a gift — Jesus Himself; Christ Jesus the Lord is the gift. He has firmly rooted me in His family; its done! Now there’s a lifetime of knowing Him available to me. I want to walk with Him daily and trust He will build me up with His church, establishing us in the faith so we are able to make Him known and enjoy God.”