Keep In Mind: Biblical Truth About the Holy Spirit - part 1

 Keep In Mind: Biblical Truth About the Holy Spirit

 In my experience, many folks are not quite sure what to make of the third person of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit.  This goes for church-going people as well as those who rarely “darken the door.”  We will be doing a lot of learning and reflecting on the Holy Spirit as we begin a new sermon series at Harderwyk for the summer because we will be working through the Book of Acts and the Holy Spirit is a BIG character in that story.

With this in mind, I hope to add some resources on an occasional basis through this series, that “stake-out” the boundaries of biblical teaching on the Holy Spirit.  They grow out of years of study, personal reflection and conversations with people that I shepherd.  So with thanks to all those people who have been part of my journey, let’s get started.

I. The Holy Spirit Is There From the Beginning! – Genesis 1:2 to be exact!  There we read,

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  Don’t let yourself think that the Spirit somehow appeared for the first time on God’s stage at Pentecost.  The Spirit is as eternal as God, since the Spirit is God.  Co-equal and co-eternal are two of the “summary terms” for that Bible’s teaching on this.

II. Spiritual Gifts?  Part of the Whole Story As Well! – Growing up, I had the mistaken impression that “gifts of the Spirit” became part of God’s story at the first Pentecost recorded in Acts 2.  Reading the Bible showed me how wrong I was.

Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³ and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—⁴ to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze. - Exodus 31:1–4

That is a great description of the spiritual gift of craftsmanship, which by the way, one might expect from a God Who is Himself a Creative Creator!  So don’t think spiritual gifts – more on those in the future – were not happening among God’s people until Pentecost.  David had the gift of leadership.  Isaiah the gift of prophecy.  I could go on, and will later in the series.

For now: Think of the continuity of the person and work of the Holy Spirit from the Old Testament to the New Testament as we start the Book of Acts.

III. The Holy Spirit Is A Person, Not Simply Some Impersonal "Force" or "Influence" - Let me say it again: The Holy Spirit is a "person," not an impersonal force.  The Spirit is a spiritual person, but a person all the same.  Throughout the Scripture, the Spirit has all the characteristics of personality - will, relationship, quenchable, etc.

Still my favorite presentation of this is the first chapter of "The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit" by 19th century evangelist R.A. Torrey called "The Personality of the Spirit."  It is clear, succinct and full of biblical references for further study.  Here's a taste:

It is also of the highest importance from the practical standpoint that we decide whether the Holy Spirit is merely some mysterious and wonderful power that we in our weakness and ignorance are somehow to get hold of and use, or whether the Holy Spirit is a real Person, infinitely holy, infinitely wise, infinitely mighty and infinitely tender who is to get hold of and use us. (p. 3)

By the way, you can have access to this book and MANY other classics for no or little cost .  Simple download the FREE Kindle app for your computer, tablet, iPad or phone and pull them in from the Kindle option on their Amazon.com listing.  CLICK HERE for this book by Torrey, currently at 99 cents.  CLICK HERE for my favorite Andrew Murray book for free.

What Do You Mean By “Gospel-Centered” Preaching?

Several decades ago, while “mid-career,” I underwent a paradigm shift of life and ministry that I often refer to as a “Gospel Renaissance.”  Neither my doctrine nor my personality changed appreciably, but the effect of my beliefs on my life were – at least in my mind – dramatic.  A key place that people have noticed it was in my preaching.  Since then, I’ve studied, reflected and practiced a lot on what I now call “Gospel-Centered Preaching.” (GCP) Some of that follows, in answer to the question: What do you mean by “Gospel-Centered Preaching?” 

NOT A Particular Style of Delivery – I certainly DO NOT mean some sort of stereotypical “tent-revival with hell-fire and brimstone altar calls.”  The Gospel of God’s Grace is first of all Good News.  It is the announcement of what God has done to redeem His broken creation through the death and resurrection of God the Son, not a style of emotional abuse or manipulation.  GCP is about the motivation and direction of the message, not the style of its delivery.

Biblical – GCP grows out of the text of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.  It recognizes the authority for “faith and practice” that resides there, and the preacher’s dependence on the Holy Spirit to understand and communicate those texts with transforming power for the hearers.  But GCP is more than just academically sound or doctrinally pure exposition of ancient books, it is communicating a timeless message from these ancient texts so a needful world can hear and respond.

Christ-Centered or Christocentric – Jesus Himself gave us the hermeneutical key to understanding all 66 books of the Bible: it was Him.  Listen to what He says in 

• Luke 24:27 (NIV) - 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 
• Luke 24:44 (NIV) - 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 
• John 5:39–40 (NIV) - 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 

Understanding the identity of Jesus as well as his life, death and resurrection is the meta-narrative that draws every verse of the Bible together.  CLICK HERE for an artful 2-minute video of Tim Keller demonstrating this through the Old Testament. 

God/Jesus/Spirit Is the Ultimate Hero of Each Story – There are stories in the Bible that have human heroes: David conquers Goliath (I Samuel 17), Daniel is faithful in prayer and survives the lions’ den (Daniel 6), Esther risks her life for God’s people and all are saved.  While these human heroes may be models of a Spirit-empowered life that can inspire us to faithfulness in our own setting, they are also humans, impacted by their own sin and shortcomings.  More importantly, they are intended to point us beyond themselves to the “True-and-Perfect” Hero of the greater story.  If we focus exclusively on them as human heroes, we are prone to moralism and miss the Gospel which is actually the power of God to transform our hearts.  

For example: If David is no more than an example of human bravery born of trusting God, then we exhort people to “be brave,” and hope no one asks about Bathsheba.  But if David is a brave deliverer that God has raised up to rescue Israel, then we see in him a “shadow” of the Great Rescuer who will conquer the giant of our sin – as well as David’s - at the cross.

So be inspired by David, Daniel and Esther.  See what it looks like to live trusting in God no matter what we face.  But in each of them, let your focus be on the True-and-Perfect One that they point to – the person of Jesus.

“In The Shadow of the Cross” – If the Gospel of God’s Grace is the central, meta-narrative of the Bible itself, then the cross is at the center of the Gospel – and of GCP.  Everything leads up to that ultimate moment, and then everything flows from it as well.  The Apostle Paul demonstrated this focus for his own ministry, writing in I Corinthians 2:2: For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  What happened on Golgotha has impact for all humanity and all human endeavors.  GCP aims to make that connection and impact clear for the church and the world.

Heart-Focused – The behaviors and words of a person flow from their motivational center – what the Bible calls “the heart.” (Luke 6:45, Mark 7:20, Matthew 12:35).  This means that the fundamental human problem is not behaviors that can be trained, educated or shamed away by preaching.  It is the heart that needs transformation.  When that happens by the power of the Gospel, then the behaviors and words that flow from that Gospel-transformed heart become different.  GCP understands the fruitlessness of behavior-based, moralistic preaching, depending instead on the Holy Spirit working through the Gospel of Grace proclaimed to effect a change of heart in the hearer.

Questions to Ask – There are a variety of questions that I ask myself as I prepare that help me keep a Gospel focus to my preaching.  They include:

• Have I helped my listener see Jesus as the ultimate hero of this text?  
• Who is the main or active character in the sermon?  The listener?  Me?  Or God?
• Did Jesus need to die and be raised for anything that was said in this sermon?
• If Jesus had not been crucified, would it change anything I said in this sermon?

Resources

• The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones
• A priceless book for all ages.  Each story is told for children with this Gospel-Centered perspective.
• Preaching: Communicating Faith In An Age of Skepticism by Timothy J Keller
• Keller is a prime practitioner of GCP in our time.  This gives you a look at his practice of it.
• Preaching Christ From The Old Testament by Sidney Greidanus
• An academic work that is very accessible by a CRC pastor and Calvin Seminary professor

Best Sermon EVER! This Past Sunday

Yesterday – Sunday, January 24 – we had to cancel Celebration's worship service on short notice, but I still heard one of the best sermons EVER!  CLICK HERE if you want to hear it as well.  I strongly encourage you to find 40 minutes and listen.  It is gold and worth your attention.

The Whole Story

Boy, was I disappointed yesterday when we were not able to meet or even livestream our worship services because of COVID exposures and positives among my co-workers.  It was a good decision for health reasons, and I am fully supportive.  But you folks of Celebration know me:  I love being together, worshipping in whatever setting is safe and preaching the Gospel of God’s Grace!

So, Mary Lynn and I were there at home with the snow on Sunday morning considering how best to honor God on His sabbath.  Long story short: among several things, we listened together to a sermon by Tim Keller called “Meditation.”  It was the beginning in a series about Spiritual Formation called Psalms: Disciplines of Grace that he preached on April 7, 2002.  Yes – that’s “2002.”  But God used it to alter my “2020!”

So  .  .  .

CLICK HERE to hear the entire 40-minute sermon.

CLICK HERE it watch a recent 8-minute YouTube video made during the COVID lockdown in New York City where he summarizes a portion of the sermon material.  Bonus: you will get to hear from his wife Kathy on this video as well.

CLICK HERE for a letter from Martin Luther – yes, the 16^th century reformer – to his barber about prayer.  Dr. Keller refers to this in his sermon.

CLICK HERE for a blog post by an author I do not know, but who helpfully lays out with pictures the process for meditation that Dr. Keller mentions learning from Martin Luther.

CLICK HERE to email and let me know if you have other questions or ideas.

For Next Sunday, January 31: Because we have more time for planning and preparation, Harderwyk will indeed have an online worship option.  We are waiting for a number of test results to figure out how to do that most safely and what form that will take.  But I look forward to seeing you again next Sunday, either onsite or online as we determine later in the week.

In the meantime, join me and hear one of the best sermons I’ve ever heard.  We all need this one.

Grace Abounding,

Pastor Bill

"So What Do You Mean By 'Evangelical'?"

I am ordained in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, so when people use the term “evangelical” I listen up and get a bit particular.  Depending on the circles you run in, the word “evangelical” can have a variety of associations and meanings.  Let’s dig into that a bit.

National Association of Evangelicals

Who should know better what “evangelical” means than the National Association of Evangelicals?  CLICK HERE for their website.  This organization, founded in 1942, now represents 45,000 local churches in the United States from nearly 40 different denomination, including the Christian Reformed Church of North America to which Harderwyk belongs, and the EPC where I am ordained.

From the NAE website:

Historian David Bebbington also provides a helpful summary of evangelical distinctives, identifying four primary characteristics of evangelicalism:

• Conversionism: the belief that lives need to be transformed through a “born-again” experience and a life long process of following Jesus
• Activism: the expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts
• Biblicism: a high regard for and obedience to the Bible as the ultimate authority
• Crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as making possible the redemption of humanity

For more information:

CLICK HERE for a 2 minute NAE video

CLICK HERE for the NAE webpage “What Is An Evangelical?”

Historically, these convictions can be seen as a distinct segment within in many denominations and traditions through centuries: Charles Spurgeon – a 19th century English Baptist, John Newton, William Wilberforce and the Wesley brothers in the 18th century.

Our Current Confusion

I call them “Political Evangelicals.”  As it turns out, there are people who identify their religious conviction as “evangelical” when they are surveyed in an exit poll during an election.  Unfortunately, it is well-known though rarely talked about that upwards of 40-60% - actual research is fairly rare and varies in findings – of people who choose “evangelical” in an exit poll have not been to a church gathering of any sort in over one year – and this is pre-COVID!  If pressed to respond to Bebbington’s “Four Points,” these people will not hold to one OR MORE of those core convictions.  

Suffice it to say that conclusions about “evangelicals” based on exit polls are worth doubting if you want to know what people who regularly worship in churches with those four convictions are thinking.

There is A LOT of background on this question of "political evangelicals" and the confusion with exit polls.  As always, I'm happy to talk more with anyone about this.  Simple contact me through Harderwyk Ministries and we can make arrangements.  As a start, here are three resources:

• "What Is An Evangelical?" - Christianity Today, Nov 2015 - CLICK HERE
• "Defining Evangelical" - The Atlantic, Nov 2015 - CLICK HERE
• "Where is Trump's Evangelical Base?  Not in Church" - The Washington Post, March 2016 - CLICK HERE

Look at the dates and sources and you will see why I said this question has been around for a while.  It continues.

Marching With Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

From the 1963 book Why We Can't Wait by Dr. Martin Luther, Jr. - p. 64

Every volunteer was required to sign a Commitment Card that read:

I hereby Pledge Myself - My Person and Body - to the nonviolent movement.  Therefore I will keep the following Ten Commandments:

1. Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus. 
2. Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation — not victory. 
3. Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love. 
4. Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free. 
5. Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free. 
6. Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy. 
7. Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world. 
8. Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue or heart. 
9. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health. 
10. Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain of a demonstration.”

I sign this pledge, having seriously considered what I do and with the determination and will to persevere.

 

This Commitment Card speaks for itself in reflecting the influence of the Gospel and a biblical worldview on Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in their Civil Rights work.

It also begs the question: How different is this from the commitments driving the leaders and participants of all the various expressions of social unrest over this past year?

Heavenward - Daily Prayers With Scotty Smith

I often refer to and use portions of the daily prayers by Scotty Smith in our Celebration Worship Services here at Harderwyk.  Here are linked instructions on how you can make these prayers a part of your daily life - receiving them either by email or as a feed in the PrayerMate app for smartphone or tablet.

Receiving Daily Emails

1. Open Web Browser and go to: www.TheGospelCoalition.Com
2. Click “Explore” in the top left corner of the webpage
3. Scroll down the list on the left and click “Blogs”
4. Scroll down the list on the left and click  “Scotty Smith – Heavenward”
5. On the right of that page, look for “Subscribe to Scotty’s Blog”
6. Enter your email address in the box above that and press Enter on your keyboard
7. That will clear as it registers your address and now you should receive each morning into your email inbox an email from addressee “Scotty Smith” with the title of the prayer for that day in the subject line.  If you do not see it within a day or two, you may want to check your filters or spam folder before trying the process again.

As a Daily Feed in the PrayerMate app on your smartphone or tablet

This is Pastor Bill’s favorite method.  The PrayerMate app is a central part of my daily prayer routine and I highly recommend it.

1. Install the PrayerMate app by Discipleship Technologies from your Apple or Android App Store.
2. There are a number of learning helps when you first open the app and even more on their website: CLICK HERE.  Check out this intro from YouTube: CLICK HERE  as well as this step-by-step start-up: CLICK HERE
3. Once you have installed the PrayerMate app:
1. Tap “Add Subject” from the menu at the bottom of the page
2. Type “Heavenward” in the field below “What would you like to pray for?”
3. This should bring up the Suggested Resource  “Heavenward by Scotty Smith.”
4. Tap “Subscribe To This Feed” and follow instructions.
4. Call Pastor Bill at the church or email him at Bill@Harderwyk.com to let him know that you are interested in using PrayerMate in your own prayer life.  You may also be interested in knowing about some ways that Harderwyk may begin sharing prayer requests using PrayerMate.

If You Prefer a Book Format

Everyday Prayers: 365 Days To A Gospel-Centered Faith by Scotty Smith – CLICK HERE

Every Season Prayers: Gospel-Centered Prayers for the Whole of Life by Scotty Smith – CLICK HERE

Vaccines and Total Depravity

For the record: I can hardly wait to get vaccinated for COVID-19.  I’ll be happy to develop what immunity I can that way, so that I don’t get sick – or perhaps just “as sick as I otherwise would” – or even more importantly, pass it on to others.

But I also know that things happen in life.  And not all of them are good things.

People mean well.  They do their best.  They have good intentions.  They take precautions.  But then something unexpected results.  We call it the “Law of Unexpected Consequences.”

For me as a Christ-follower – of the “Calvinist” stripe, to be more specific – I understand that “Law of Unexpected Consequences” to sometimes be the result of sin in our world.  The Canons of Dordt called it Total Depravity.  Sin – and its brokenness – touch everything that humans are and everything that humans create.  Of course, not everything we do or make is bad, evil or dangerous.  I’m thankful for modern plumbing, modern medicine and big-screen TV’s – to name just a few.  But each of these have “unintended consequences” and not all of them are beneficial to everyone all the time.  We are broken people living in a broken world who create things. That is a reflection of being made in the “image of God.” We usually intend those things for good, but they are touched by our brokenness.  Unintended consequences can result, even with pure motives.

Including with vaccines.

So let us be honest about that:  The anxiously awaited COVID-19 vaccine will have some unintended consequences.  I expect most to be minor for most people.  Some consequences will be more problematic for some people.  I fear – and expect – that for a small fraction of people, the vaccine might even be fatal.

The question is not “Are there risks?”  The question is: “To the best of our knowledge, what are the risks?  And are they worth the benefits? And what is the risk/benefit of doing nothing?”  And then, there is the Law of Unintended Consequences.

So I am ready to be vaccinated, even as I understand the risks and the Law of Unintended Consequences.

All this comes to mind as the United Kingdom has approved and begun to administer a COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer.  Meanwhile, here in the United States, we will be waiting at least another two weeks for FDA approval.  Am I upset that the US is “in second place”?  Not really, and here’s why.

Part of this process is evaluating risk and potential consequences.  Our FDA has a history of being more thorough in this part of the process and as a result, taking longer getting medications to market than other countries.  I am willing to live with that though because I remember the drug thalidomide.  Let me point you to two references:

British doctors prescribed thalidomide for expectant mothers from 1958 to 1962 to control the symptoms of morning sickness. The drug, developed by a German firm, was used internationally as a sedative and hailed because overdose simply caused prolonged sleep, not death. – CLICK HERE

Thalidomide was first marketed in 1957 in West Germany, where it was available over the counter. When first released, thalidomide was promoted for anxiety, trouble sleeping, "tension", and morning sickness. While initially thought to be safe in pregnancy, concerns regarding birth defects arose in 1961 and the medication was removed from the market in Europe that year. The total number of people affected by use during pregnancy is estimated at 10,000, of whom about 40% died around the time of birth. Those who survived had limb, eye, urinary tract, and heart problems. Its initial entry into the US market was prevented by Frances Kelsey at the FDA.  (Emphasis mine.) The birth defects caused by thalidomide led to the development of greater drug regulation and monitoring in many countries. – CLICK HERE

Though I am anxious to get vaccinated so I can eventually shake hands with people, sing hymns without a mask and go to a restaurant, I’m willing to move slowly on this one and better evaluate risks and consequences.  I’ll keep my mask on, keep my distance and stay home for another two weeks.  Even three if that helps.

Until then, we are broken people living as best we can in a broken world, but aware of the Law of Unintended Consequences.  We’re sinners, who long for a Savior.  Come, Lord Jesus.