The centrality of the Spirit

 

But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” Numbers 11:29 ESV

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—John 14:6 ESV

Nevertheless, 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. John 16:7 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV

Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 ESV

Introduction

            The Church is created by God according to His plans Matthew 16:18. The local church is given a very specific mission to carry on the ministry of Christ by spreading the good news of salvation by grace through faith to all the people of the world Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:16-20, John 20:21. We are to do the work together and together continue in the work towards perfection by the grace of Christ Jesus in the Spirit even as our Lord prayed for us in John 17:17, see also Ephesians 4:13-14, Colossians 1:9-10, etc., etc.  This is to God’s glory Philippians 1:9-11. The ultimate purpose is the glorification of God as it is with all God does Psalm 25:11, 83, Isaiah 42:8, 48:9-11, Habakkuk 2:14, Romans 15:7, Ephesians 1:4-6, etc., etc. He instructs us also to seek His glory Matthew 6:9-10, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17. In this we require the aid of the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:4, John 15:5, 1 Peter 4:11. And so we see in John 14-16, and in Acts 1:8 that we are to have the Spirit.

The necessity of the Spirit and of order

We require the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who convicts John 16:7-11. It is the Spirit that empowers the work of the Church Acts 1:8. It is the Spirit who gifts, and directs the use of gifts 1 Corinthians 12:4. We see that it is the Holy Spirit whose movement propels the Church forward all throughout the book of Acts, and the continuation of Church history gives the same testimony. It is the Spirit who comes to us from the Father at the request of the Son to be to us in these latter days what Christ had been while on Earth, that is God with us, and now within us. Therefore, we ought to heed this commandment, “Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19.

The Spirit first manifests to the Church as tongues of fire Acts 2:3-4. Like a fire we may quench the Spirit, which grieves the Spirit: as it had ought to grieve us. For the reasons given above it ought to grieve us as it does the Spirit when rather than fanning those divine flames, we quench them. How will man in his own feeble powers accomplish anything? Again John 15:5, and all the narratives of scripture and of history cry out that man shall not accomplish anything on his own. Therefore, if we would see God’s will done on Earth as it is in Heaven, we had better not quench that Spirit which was sent to us from Heaven by the Father at Christ’s request to lead us, and provide for us, and minister to us according to Christ’s designs for us John 14:16-28, 15:26, 16:7-13, 1 Corinthians 2:10.

            Now we might go astray to one side or the other on this, and indeed many have gone astray. There are those who wishing the working of the Spirit have allowed everything without discernment failing to heed the warning and obey the commandment of our Lord in Matthew 10:16. The result is disastrous as warned in Matthew 7:6. They drink of all streams equally failing to receive the proper nourishment Psalm 1, Ephesians 4:14.  Seeing the Spirit everywhere, they easily go astray. Perhaps they judge more by outward appearances than by truth.

            Against this folly some react pulling hard in the other direction. They may seem wise, but they are no longer gentle as doves Matthew 10:16. They come near to judgementalism trusting in their own powers of discernment to save them rather than God. They are prepared to find fault and to cut off Matthew 7:1-5. They are in fact no wiser and no better off than their counterparts on the other extreme. Indeed, this may be the more dangerous position as it is closed off much as the Pharisees were closed off John 9, etc. And let us not forget that the threat to the judgmental is far worse than to the undiscerning Matthew 7:1-6.

            In both of these conditions we become wise in our own eyes, which is not wise at all Proverbs 3:7. It is easy and seemingly natural for humanity to move like a pendulum from one extreme to the other. But there is no profit in either extreme for the Church. The far reaches of the spectrum make a broad way, and we are called to walk a narrow way Matthew 7:13-14. This way lies between the extremes. It is the solid ground on which we are meant to stand Matthew 7:24-27. They are all God’s churches; they must be where He is.

            If we fail to test the spirits, we disobey God’s clear commandment in 1 John 4:1-6. Moreover, they cultivate confusion and God is not the author of such confusion 1 Corinthians 14:33. They introduce into their lives and into their church services disorder which is contrary to the character of God. This is implicitly and explicitly wrong.

But all things should be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40 ESV

            God is a God of order and must be worshipped in an orderly manner. However, it must be His established order and not our own. He must direct us and not us Him Isaiah 40:13, Romans 11:13-14, 12:2. We should not expect that everything God ordains, or commands, or does will make perfect sense to us Isaiah 55:8-9, 1 Corinthians 1:27.

            God has given in scripture regulating principles to His Church to govern it in every aspect of its operation. God has not set a mere bassline to be met, beyond which anything is acceptable. God has instead set exact parameter to define acceptable practice. So, what we have are regulations, parameters that bound in what should and should not happen in our assemblies These parameters create a space in which the Holy Spirit can, and will work. They ought therefore to be enacted, and upheld by the churches with God’s help. This is to God’s glory as we have seen, and to our good by the building up of the church 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, John 17:17, etc., etc. This purpose extends to all regulation given within scripture to the Church.

            It is good for us to consider these matters each in turn. In doing so we ought to prayerfully examine our own attitudes and hearts to see that we are in line with God’s design. We should also give thought to our corporate attitudes and seek to keep our church within God parameters. If in any particular we have gone off in our own way we risk quenching and grieving the Spirit and so denying ourselves the fullness of the blessing which Christ intended for us. We risk losing the one thing which the world cannot answer the awesome power of God the Holy Spirit. Let us fan the flames beloved.

The order of assembly

            Now let us first note what is assumed here, mainly that the church will assemble together regularly. This is a part of God’s intended order for the churches. It is stated plainly in Hebrews 10:25, it continually seen in Acts, and is everywhere else assumed. That the assembly is meant to be a physical assembly should be clear from the way in which man was made Genesis 2:7, God’s physical manifestation when dealing with men, His use of men to communicate with other men, the Incarnation of Christ, and the continual testimonies of the apostles in writing that physical presence is superior and indeed necessary. From all of this and general observation of human nature the necessity of physical assemblies should be well established. Now we do not say that the Spirit cannot work through distance. However, anyone who fails to gather with the saints is outside of God’s will and so may quench and grieve the Spirit.

            That the assemblies are to be regular is also implicit in the commands given regarding the community of faith. In the earliest records of Acts, we are told the saints convened daily. The weekly gathering of the churches on Sunday has been with us for hundreds of years.  There is no explicit command beyond that we should meet regularly, and so it appears we may choose how often we meet so long as we are consistent and our meetings are sufficient to accomplish the purposes they are ordained for.

            We may rest our expectation only on special occasions as though God would only pour out the Spirit in grand events. We come to Sunday services thinking them mundane, and bound to be mundane; but where is this idea ever taught in the Bible? God surely operates in His own time, and we might expect revival to come forth at any service where the Spirit is present which is every service wherein believers are present.

The order of the organization

            There is to be an organizational order within the churches. There is, as we see in 1 Corinthians 12-14, a right way to use spiritual gifts, and a right spirit: which is that of love without which all gifts and abilities are useless. A local church is a single body with many members and each member has a designated function which they must fulfill in order for the body to function properly Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-27, Ephesians 4:4-16. The church is provided by God with offices of particular responsibility.

Some are called to bear a particular responsibility of shepherding Titus 1:5, 2 Timothy 2:2, etc. These men must be qualified according to God’s standards 1 Timothy 3:1-7. Titus 6:9. Theirs is a particular ministry Acts 6:4, 1 Timothy 4:1-12, 2 Timothy 2:14-15, 4:1-2, Titus 2. The responsibilities here maintain the order of the church. Now if no one will be responsible there will be no order, and wherever there are too few to bear the weight of responsibility there will be a danger to the right order. So, it is written, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” 1 Timothy 5:17 ESV.

Now as these men bear a particular responsibility, they must take heed to their own hearts as it is written, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” James 3:1 ESV.  This is not just for their own sake but for the sake of those who they watch over Acts 20:28, 1 Timothy 4:16. There is much work that must be done before the work of ministry may commence in earnest. A minister must be abiding in Christ so that Christ through the Spirit might abide in Him else the man can do nothing John 15:5. Consider in your hour of need if you require a mere man, or a man who is full of the Spirit? Would you hear a man who knows a word, or who has a word from the Lord burning like a fire in his bones Jeremiah 20:9?  A man must be mastered by the word of God to rightly preach. He must study to rightly divide it 2 Timothy 2:15. He must give himself as the elders in Acts 6 to prayer and the ministry of the word understanding the gravity of the calling. The elder and especially the one who preaches must not quench the Spirit, so let him take heed to his own life.

Here it is worth saying that the preacher or pastor should never feel himself totally adequate apart from the Spirit. His trust should not be in his own abilities, or his preparation though both may be used of God; but the trust must be in the Holy Spirit who elevate the feeble abilities of men to effective heights, and anoints preparation to inspiration. To this end he must preach the word and nothing besides. He must seek faithfulness to the text above all else. He must love God and the people of God 1 Peter 5:2. His authority is derived and must be stewarded carefully 1 Peter 5:3. Let him know this and seek the aid of God in his work. The whole congregation ought to seek to aid their ministers in the task set before them. They should strive together with the minister in their prayers Romans 15:30, Ephesians 6:19, etc. Both the one who preaches, or teaches and those who receive should desire and look for the faithful exposition of God’s word in the power of the Spirit of Truth.

We are to submit to the men God has placed over us Hebrews 13:17. We should trust the order God has laid out, and that within that order He can and will work His good purpose amongst us and through us. Here I would for a moment speak as one who has been under pastors and preachers for, we may easily quench the Spirit by refusing the one ordained. I say ordained here as ordained by God to preach or to teach or to counsel or to serve at a particular time and place. We may look at the outward things, or measure against our preferences, and we might find that such and such a one is not fit to be used of the Holy Spirit and cut ourselves off. But God has told us what we are to look for in a pastor, or a preacher, or a teacher; and if they have the right heart and do right with the word of God, why should they not be used of God? We might limit the Spirit to anoint only those who seem particularly worthy to us for their evident strength. 1 Corinthians 1:27, and 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, and the many narratives of the Bible ought to keep us from such thinking. The Spirit may come upon any true minister of the gospel to perform mighty works. Nor should we ignore a man for His youth 1 Timothy 4:12. Nor indeed should ignore any in whom the Spirit is present thinking they could never be used.

We should watch what a man does with the word and their hearts Matthew 7:15-20, 2 Peter 2. Test the word against the word Romans 16:17, Galatians 1:8. Only be careful not to confuse sound doctrine with lesser things, or to raise to primary importance something that is not necessary to salvation. There are no perfect pastors, only Christ is perfect. If the man is earnestly striving after Christ consider him worthy of esteem 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, Galatians 6:6. In this we cannot help as he seeks to fan the flames of the Spirit: and we will benefit.

The office of deacon was given to maintain the focus, order, of the elders Act 6:3. They are also qualified according to God’s standard 1 Timothy 3:8-12. These too are necessary to maintaining order within the church. Those who serve well also deserve respect 1 Timothy 3:13. The office can be abused even as the office of elder, and deacons must take heed to their own souls. Deacons might also be abused and we should take heed in how we treat them. Those who bear responsibility ought to have the support of the whole faith family.

The role of deacon is different but no less necessary than that of elder. Where the offices of elder and deacon are confused the order of the faith family is in jeopardy. This is a very real and present danger where elders are few. If there are many elders and few deacons the same danger exists. If the body is working together rightly the danger is reduced, but the only sure safeguard is to maintain a full plurality of elders and of deacons.

As problems in these areas may seem difficult or even impossible to solve let us remind ourselves that God dearly loves His children and is ready to hear their cares 1 Peter 5:7. He desires and works to the ultimate good Romans 8:28. He handles false teachers, and evil ministers in His own time Matthew 7:19, 2 Peter 2. He provided for the Church’s need of good men in Acts 1 and 6 and all throughout. He does not change Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17. He is faithful, Deuteronomy 7:9, even when we are not 2 Timothy 2:13.

The relationship of all members of the body are to be defined by and governed by love John 15:12-13. We are to serve one another Romans 12:10, Galatians 5:13. In this love we bear with one another, showing grace and mercy and forgiveness even as we were shown by God in Christ Colossians 3:11-12. There is no end to this love, it is to continue in us always with all its attributes 1 Corinthians 13, Hebrews 13:1. In this we are reliant upon the Lord 1 Thessalonians 3:12. There can be no boasting or envy or complaints among the faith family James 5:9, Galatians 5:26. Rather brothers and sisters are to minister to one another 1 Thessalonians 5:14. Where relations within the local church breakdown and are not repaired the Spirit must be hindered. Thus, we all must watch our hearts which are deceitful and wicked Jeremiah 17:9. We have the help of the God who knows our heart fully as work out our salvation Philippians 2:12. 

 “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Romans 15:5-7 ESV

The order of the services

There are some things we are to do when we gather. We have spoken already of how the word ought to be preached. Let us only add that no time is set within scripture, and the lengths of sermons has varied greatly from time to time and place to place. The purpose of preaching is to convey the truth so let this govern the length of a message. It should be long enough to communicated clearly the meaning and application of the passage at hand, but not so long that people will lose it’s substance for its duration. Above all let the Spirit lead in this, and those other things which scripture does not specify.

We are to sing; we are to sing certain kinds of songs with definite contents Colossians 3:16. We are to sing together and so the songs must be such as everyone can sing. We are all of us to sing one to another, not some selection to everyone else. We are to sing the truth of scripture, and the truths of scripture are to be abundantly present in what we sing. Failing these we have only made noise and the Spirit is not in it.

It is right and good that we should desire to give our best to God. In worshiping God through song with the congregation we ought to give our best Psalm 33:3. However, this desire can become a stumbling block to us. God listens to the heart more than to the voice or the instrument Ephesians 5:19-20, John 4:24. We must not lose focus either for bad music or good music.

There is a right way to take the Lord’s supper 1 Corinthians 11:20-34. This ordinance must be taken rightly for taking it wrongly is to blaspheme the body and blood of Christ 1 Corinthians 11:27. 29, Hebrews 10:29. It is the Lord’s table and not ours, we cannot welcome any He does not welcome; nor can we deny any He would not deny. In like manner we must practice the ordinance of baptism as God would have us practice it. Here there is some debate, and some of it has to do with a deliberate attempt to obscure the clear meaning of God’s word by transliterating what should be translated. The word baptism is an anglicized Greek word which mean to submerge. The imagery is consistent with biblical teaching that believers have died and been raised with Christ Romans 6:1-11, Colossians 2:12. Baptism is to follow a profession of faith in Christ Acts 2:41, 8:12-13, 38-39, 18:8.  This makes baptism most effective as a symbolic milestone in a believers newly begun life.

In our corporate prayers we are directed by our heart for God and for our brethren. In our fellowship likewise we are directed by right attitudes. Within these contexts the leading of the Spirit is significant. What opportunities might be missed because we have hardened ourselves to the Spirit’s promptings? We ought as the song bids us, “think what Spirit dwells within thee,” and fan the flames that we might know His guidance and empowering to do all we ought for God’s glory.

So, we see how God has setup His churches making a space within which God the Spirit may operate freely. To add or take away restricts the Spirit and we suffer for it. Wisdom is required, and God will grant us wisdom if we earnestly seek it from Him James 1:5-6. These errors are many, but it may be there is really only one error which underlies them all.

The grave error

When we become caught up with the possibilities of an event, or enamored of a certain personality, or fixed upon some formality, or fascinated by some strategy, or taken with talents our greatest fault is exposed. That it is not really the Holy Spirit we are looking for at all, but something else entirely. Where we find something else to rely on besides the Spirit; the Spirit will be quenched. It makes no difference what it is we rely on, if we find the powerful provision of God’s Spirit insufficient, we will find ourselves denied that power: for how shall He let His glory go to another? A particularly egregious example is that of charlatans who cloak their deceit in charismatic language and depend upon stagecraft to work lesser wonders like the magicians in Pharoah’s court who duplicate only the first few miracle God wrought through Moses and Aaron. Such pretenders may undermine our confidence in the Spirit, or cause us to react against them pulling too hard in the opposite direction and so disallowing the work of the Spirit almost entirely.

            This was the grave error of the Laodiceans who thought they in themselves were rich, but they were wretchedly poor Revelation 3:15-17. The things of this world can never replace the things of God Revelation 3: 18. We must not be deceived in this; the working of the Holy Spirit is the wonder which the world cannot duplicate or answer. It is the Holy Spirit that makes hot or cold, useful to the work of the Kingdom, and apart from that we are useless. No, that is enough for the word of God comes against the Laodiceans that they will surely be removed unless they repent and come to know the true and living God in Christ through the Spirit Revelation 3:15-16, 19-20.  This will require trusting God beyond our understanding Proverbs 3:6. As t is written, “The just shall walk by faith.” Romans 1:17.

Conclusion

            We must do that which God commands in the way He commands that they be done, and in our doing we ought to have the expectation that He is working in our midst. Moreover, we may have the expectation that at any moment our Father might at behest of our Lord pour out the Spirit of truth upon us to revive us. This He has done already and we can read of it in Acts and the further history of the Church to this very day. This true revival we ought to seek earnestly in prayer for it is our great need. This is what we are seeking as we form our services, and our churches according to God revealed design. If God is at the center of our church, then the Spirit must be central in our gatherings. And if these things be so we must have hope in God Jeremiah 32:27, Matthew 19:26.” Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” Ephesians 8:10 ESV.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV