GREAT GRACE OCTOBER 2020

What follows are some notes that will hopefully serve you as a useful study outline about some the specific workings of grace in our lives. I am trying to capture the range of New Testament descriptions that are behind Jude’s concern about false teachers “who pervert the grace of God” (Jude v4). I’ve provided the alliteration for good measure for free – a gracious act indeed!

1.   Saving grace: “saved through grace” (Acts 15:11); “It is by grace you have been saved – this is not from yourselves – it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). But part of this experience of saving grace is the instruction we receive for the totality of our lives. Listen to how Paul describes it: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titrus 2:11) Do you see then that when Jude says that they change the grace, then what goes out the window is the instruction in righteousness that is the work of grace in us.

2.   Securing or grace: “this grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:1-2); “the true grace of God. Stand firm in it” (1Peter 5:12). Grace secures us, or we could call this strengthening grace: “the word of his grace which can build you up” (Acts 20:32).

3.   Sanctifying grace: this is grace’s work in growing, maturing, promoting, encouraging and effecting our progress in faith and holy godliness, in pleasing God. Paul describes his conduct and character: “We have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relationships with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace” (2 Corinthians 1:12).

4.   Serving or stewarding grace: “Use your gifts to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace” (1 Peter 4:10). “The grace God gave me to be a minister”  (Acts 15:15). This is the enablement to minister – the charismata – the grace gifts. Listen to Paul’s summation of ministry in his farewell to the Ephesians elders: “If only I may finish the race and complete the task…of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).

5.   Sharing grace: “Grace given to me for you…” (Ephsesians 3:2); “all of you share in God’s grace with me” (Philippians 1:7).

6.   Sending grace: the callings of God, commending to the word of His grace. Paul’s testimony: “God called me … by His grace and was pleased to reveal His Son in me” (Galatians 1:15)

7.   Supplicating grace: “Spirit of grace and supplication…” (Zecheriah 12:10). “Throne of grace … find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The result of prayer was that “much grace was upon them” (Acts 4:33).

8.   Supporting or supplying grace: B.B. Warfield, the great reformed Princeton theologian, speaking on Acts 9:1, noted how Paul was prepared by prayer for the reception of grace through Ananias. Thus the Spirit of grace prepares for the provision of grace through prayer. Prayer “adjusts the heart for the influx of grace” (Warfield).

9.   Speaking grace: “Grace those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). “Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt”  (Colossians4:6). This is about favor as well as flavor! It is so crucial that this grace is expressed through us in a culture of contempt and anger. Are you surprised that when they changed grace the speech of the false teachers in Jude is “speaking abusively … grumblers … faultfinders … they boast … and flatter”. All preaching of the gospel is speaking grace: “the message of His grace … good news of God’s grace … the word of His grace … grace is reaching more and more people” (Acts 14:3, 20:24, 20:32; 2 Corinthians 4:15).

10. Singing grace: “With psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, with grace in your hearts to God” (Colossian 4:16). The hymnody and psalmody, formal and informal, liturgical and non-liturgical, ancient and modern – all of grace that must be turned into gratitude in song and antiphon. The range of grace requires more range of human intonation as our heart wants to give all the keys of its grateful piano to God. If you are dull to worship you are dull to grace.

11. Sustaining grace: this is about special times of need –  “My grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians12:9). “Let us approach the throne of grace … and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16) “God gives grace to the humble” (1Peter 5:5).

12. Staying grace: By staying here I’m not referring to the idea of an abiding grace, though it is, but in the sense of staying the hand of judgment. I would add this one because the grace of God is not just manifested in what He does do, but in what He doesn’t do – for example, not judge by delaying judgment. Maybe I can stretch something else under this category. God’s grace is manifest in what He gives and allows, in what He provides, but it is also in what He disallows, what He prohibits. The word that commands us ‘not to’, is a staying word of grace. Stop! Halt! No further! Do not transgress! Do not move that boundary! Thou shalt not! (It is crucial to understand the law as an expression of God’s love and grace. He loves us so much that He commands us not to engage that which He knows will destroy us and separate us from Him.) In Genesis: all the trees (provision) except (prohibition). These are equally evidences of grace. The fall is fundamentally a sin against grace. There is grace in giving, but also grace in the staying of things, the with-holding, the taking away of those things that are not going to promote spiritual growth in grace. Again, in Jude, if you remove the grace of God in its truth, you remove the commands of God.

13. Suffering grace: grace often brings God’s goodness in a way that doesn’t at first feel good to us. “It has been granted (literally-graced) for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in him but to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29).

14. Suffusing (well up from within) grace: “the grace that is in me” says Paul - the grace that dwells within – the indwelling spirit of grace that rises within us, that “overflows” again to use Paul’s language. This grace that changes us, that makes us in turn, gracious.

15. Sovereign grace: “grace might reign through righteousness..” (Romans 5:21) Now you can see that if grace goes, the belief in the sovereignty of Christ goes with it.

16. Surpassing grace: “the surpassing grace God has given … the incomparable riches of His grace … the grace of the Lord was poured out abundantly” (2 Corinthians 9:14; Ephesians 2:7; 1 Timothy 1:14). The depths and breadths of grace cannot be measured, cannot be plumbed, cannot be contained.

How awful is it then to sin against, to try to change, this saving, securing, sanctifying, serving, sustaining, sharing, sending, supplicating, supporting, supplying, speaking, singing, staying, suffering, suffusing, sovereign grace. Clearly, just these few scriptural quotes that I have given are sufficient to dispel any notion that grace is sweetly benign, or is something that is helpful now and again. Grace is not a commodity, a thing – but the very active and engaging presence and personality of God in our lives and circumstances. Invasion, infusion is what we should be thinking about. To sin against grace is to sin against the very nature and heart of God.  Grace’s power, its penetration, its communication – every expression is proactively an expression of the nature of God ministering to the needs of man – it is strong grace according to the NT. It is a strong brew, and those who experience it are grace intoxicated, but more importantly, God-centered and God adoring. This leads me to an important final but foundational point. If you like, grace is self-effacing. It points away from itself to the giver of grace.  What is grace about, that the false teachers just don’t get? After all the purposes it serves that I’ve just mentioned, all its glorious operations, I can put it even more precisely. Is grace just for us? Is it all about us?  In a word grace is for God.

Let me explain it in a way that helps you understand the nature of Jude’s zeal against false teachers “who pervert the grace of our God” (Jude v.4). One of the repeated words in conjunction with these false teachers in Jude was “themselves” (12, 16). Their lives are all about “their own” desires (16); for “their own advantage” (16). We live in a self-absorbed culture, including Christian culture. Our decisions are suited to what works best for us, pleases us, conforms to our preferences, supports our traditions and perceptions, fits our comfort zones. This is true of how we often choose our churches, our missions, our vocations, and how we express our spirituality. This raises an important point. Do we need God in order to experience this grace we need, or do we need grace in order to experience the God we desire. John Piper has put it this way: “Is the ultimate treasure the grace of God or the God of grace?” This is a key question he is asking, and it all has to do with who is at the center. What is the ultimate object and purpose of grace? To gratify me or to glorify God? Is the main issue that I receive grace’s works or that God receives my grateful, because graceful, worship?

As simple and foundational as this is, it is the most ignored truth. All doctrines start with the doctrine of God (e.g. evangelism – His nature before human need). This is true for the doctrine of grace. Again, quoting Piper: “We cherish grace because it brings us to God, rather than cherishing God because He brings us grace.” In other words, our worship is about the God of grace, not primarily about the work of grace described by all those fine words beginning with “S”! Every which way you look at grace, any description of grace, the ultimate purpose is a revelation of who God is. Grace is utterly God-horizoned, God-focused, God-centered. Grace’s ultimate homing instinct is the glory of God. He is totally self-sufficient so

 grace to us is this brilliant overflow of His life. Grace is not pipetted or rationed or given in small portions – it is always amazing, always huge, always extravagant.  When God’s life and love wash over us, spill over us, soak into us, we call it grace. Grace is not other to Himself. We often limit our understanding of grace to the particular provision or answer or deliverance that we get. No the grace is Himself – for that is always the best that He can give. In any case, God being God, is moved by His nature, His gracious and compassionate and loving nature, to continually show Himself, give Himself away, reveal Himself so He can be known. Now do you understand the heinous and blasphemous nature of the sin against grace? It is the rejection of the personhood of God no less. And Jude presents this not as some kind of intellectual theological atheism but as awful unholiness that defies God’s personality and breaks relationship.

Here endeth the notes.

Pastorally yours,

Stuart McAlpine

(This cannot be reprinted without permission.)

APOSTOLIC WOMEN

Dearest Family,

For the last few months we have been studying the text of the Acts of the Apostles. At first sight it would be easy to assume that this is referring to the Twelve disciples, who were indeed a particular apostolic group. To be one of those kind of apostles, as we see in the election process for Judas’ replacement in Acts 1:21, you had to fulfill specific qualifications: having been with Jesus from His baptism to His ascension and a witness of his resurrection. But the fact is that apart from Peter, these Twelve are not mentioned in the main narrative at all. Peter is prominent, together with Apostle James (not the oneof-the-twelve James) and he shares the stage with an apostle who did not qualify for the Twelve, yet he was an apostle nonetheless, who said, “I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle.” (1 Cor. 15:9) Then, as the story of the church unfolds in the New Testament, we encounter other apostles like Barnabas, Silas, Apollos, Timothy. Paul refers to Epaphroditus as the Philippians ‘apostle’ (2:25) The delegation that was sent to Jerusalem in 2 Cor. 8:23 are described as apostles. What I am saying is that though the Twelve are acknowledged at the beginning of Acts they cannot be the only apostles referred to in the title. They are not. It is a much broader company, and although the narrative seems at first sight to be dominated by male apostles, women were integral to the apostolic ministry and were apostolic themselves. They were neither also-rans nor add-ons.

On Sunday I referred to the long and entrenched history that had cast a shadow over women’s lives and ministries in the church. But it is not only to the Garden of Eden that we go for answers, but more importantly to the Garden of the empty tomb, that liberates us to work out, discover, and experience the implications of this mighty redemption for men and women, equally the image of God, who in Christ become God’s new humanity. My point in Sunday’s message was to assert the importance of the Acts narrative in honoring the spiritual ministry and leadership of women, both consistent with what preceded it in the gospels, and ground-breaking in its expectations of what would be normative in the church.

Briefly, we looked at the gospel record that preceded Luke’s Acts narrative, and in particular noted the continuity in Acts of his emphasis in his gospel, especially when it came to the way he featured the role of women, first in Jesus’ personal life and then in the life of His body, the church, beginning from the opening verses of Matthew’s genealogy, all the way through to the end of John’s account where the first word out of the angel’s mouth at the tomb was “woman” and the first word that the resurrected Christ spoke was: “Woman!” (Jn. 20:13, 15) The first name he addressed was a woman’s: “Mary!” (Jn. 20:16) Less than 20 written verses later in his two-volume work, he describes the women in the upper room, who were equally initiated by the Holy Spirit into an experience of tongues of fire on their heads and new tongues in their mouths, and equally commissioned to the nations.

I suggest you listen to the download to get the quick survey that I did of strategic moments in the Acts narrative that serve to instruct us by the examples of incredible apostolic women, beginning with Mary in the first chapter, all the way through to Philip’s four prophesying daughters toward the end of the story. Luke was an impeccable historian and is deliberate in what he draws our attention to. He takes us as readers into a world of fulfilled prophecy, from which advantage point it is understood that Jesus has brought salvation to the entire world, absolutely no exclusions. No less than 23 times in Acts, he draws that attention to a group that had previously experienced exclusion. You cannot miss them - they are called women. But yet we do often miss them, or treat them as minor characters in a play, or as extras on a film set, as the headline of the narrative seems first to be Peter’s mission and then Paul’s. At first look, there doesn’t seem to be a woman apostle in sight. Luke would be really discouraged if October 12, 2016 we missed them. His immediate mention of the women present in the first chapter is in total keeping with the prominent place he gave women in his writings. One commentator observes: “Given the culture’s usual down-playing of women’s public roles, the equal participation of women is noteworthy, especially their apparent mixing with men.” (Keener BBC IVP) It is that equality of togetherness that is the first presentation in Acts of the church. It was foundational, not concessionary or supplementary. Indeed, Luke’s descriptions about the roles and responsibilities, the integrality and influence, the local ministry and international mission of women needs to be understood against a cultural backdrop of patriarchalism, but much more importantly and positively, as evidence of the power of the gospel to break separating walls of prejudice that deny and destroy the truths about the equality of humanity, dignity and responsibility - in the image of God He made THEM! “Male and female He created THEM … let THEM rule over … God blessed THEM … I give you … they will be YOURS …” (Gen. 1: 26-29)

I often say that Jesus was a man’s man and a woman’s man, in that he equally knew and holily loved both men and women. The Acts of the Apostles were the acts of both men and women. The text includes the stories of apostolic women. From the beginning in Acts 1, they had an equal place in the gathering, and received an equal share of the Spirit’s dispensation and anointing. They would have participated in the decision-making processes when the text says that the church discussed something and made a decision. They were equal in status, they were equal at the place of prayer, they were equal as candidates for spiritual empowerment, they were equal as converts and members of the church, they were equal in serving, in leading, in church planting, in spiritual gifts. They were treated equally when it came to accountability and responsibility. They were equally in the priesthood of all believers.

It is unconscionable that Paul should be accused of being a misogynist. There is an untold story of deep sadness and brokenness in his life, for although he appears as a single in the narrative, to be a member of the Sanhedrin, he must have been married at one point. We do not know what happened or what pain he bore, or what decision he made to commit himself in his singleness to the cause of the gospel. I can hear a great tenderness in his voice when he writes about marriage. But I also think that when he was radically converted on the road to Damascus, he had to deal in his repentance with his sin against women-believers, many of whom had died and had been imprisoned as a result of his hostility and persecution. The fact is that when the Lord stopped him on the road, he was going to Damascus to persecute those who belonged to the Way “whether men or women.” Women had been his victims. In the Acts narrative time line, women as well as men were being incarcerated and martyred for their faith in Jesus. I’m saying this to point out that of all the equalities that the narrative presents, the equality of suffering has to be acknowledged. I think the redeemed, delivered, forgiven Paul was as aware of this in his ministry as anyone, and consequently always sensitive to the extraordinary spirituality of the women he knew, always respectful of their spiritual influence in the church and their contribution to the Acts of the Apostles, not simply as secondary players who sent the men mission care packages, but as frontline apostolic messengers, fearless witnesses, formational disciplers, generous financiers, just and merciful workers, foundational church planters.

“Also some women … along with the women …” (Lk. 8:1; Acts 1:14) There couldn’t be more weighted understatements. Yes, Acts is a story about apostolic men, but it is equally a record of apostolic women. And the history of the church has not changed in these dynamics, and the history of this church, which incidentally was birthed in a prayer meeting organized by a woman, has been no different. I offer you Sunday’s message as a meager contribution to the Acts series, in praise of God, and in honor of his spiritual daughters, my sisters – and in praise of the acts of godly apostolic women!

Pastorally yours,

Stuart

MISSIONS AND THE ANTIOCH GROUP

Dearest family,

Sunday was definitely all about justice and the nations. It was good to be able to identify with IJM’s Freedom Sunday through Ruthie’s and Anna’s presentation and also through Andrew’s for World Vision. It was appropriate that we had a James 1:27 lunch after church, eating Mexican fajitas to raise money for a Russian orphanage outreach. Thank you to all of you who ate and gave. We raised just over $2000. We need as much as possible so if you were not able to give you can send your tax deductible gift to The Antioch Group at the church office.

I did not have much time for much teaching but I did direct you to two biblical discussion points that were related to the DNA of the day. The first was about the nature of the church at Antioch, after which our COSC mission outreach is named. The second was about the biblical presentation of justice and the recovery of shalom for God’s creation on God’s terms. I mentioned that after our launch service of COSC as a new church plant in May, 1987, the first sermon I preached was titled “First at Antioch” as we sought to identify some key characteristics of this NT church in Acts of the Apostles that became the springboard for mission to the nations, in the hope that we could have the same DNA. Briefly, I mentioned that the following were some of these:

• The priority of worship and all of its constituent elements: praise, prayer and preaching. 

• The plurality of leadership: a commitment to elders not one-man ministry. 

• The parity of membership: every member is gifted and serving, and there is an equality of service, no status attached. 

• The purity of fellowship: they were in Christ, in the Spirit and in community. 

• The practicality of stewardship: they stewarded people and possessions.

That was a recipe for openness and generosity, that meant a flow of their life outside their own borders of fellowship into their community and the nations.

I then made a few comments about biblical justice and mission, emphasizing that our convictions must be grounded first in the nature of God, not the need of man. I suggested four truths that have to be received in order to act justly:

1. The character of God

2. The concern of God

3. The command of God

4. The condemnation of God\

These should get our attention. We noted that the zoom lens kept magnifying until we could not miss the personal call to obedience in just living. Intercession has to be integral to intervention. We need to just ask and ask justly, in order to then act justly. Justice has a way of re-arranging our personal prayer lists and values. Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it like this: “Our being Christians today will be limited to two things: prayer and doing justice among men.” Ever thought of coming to the monthly TAG prayer meeting?

Pastorally yours,

Stuart

APOSTOLIC AFFECTIONS

Dearest family,

It is impossible to read the book of Acts without being impacted by what I will call apostolic actions. From the outset, Acts 2:43 tells us that “wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles” many of which are recorded in the next 26 chapters. After all, the text is called ‘The Acts of the Apostles.’ These apostolic actions attest to the power of God, to their dependence on the Holy Spirit, to their faith. However, on Sunday I drew your attention, not to the obvious actions but to what begins in a hidden place, the heart, before it is expressed in public, not as actions, but as affections. Our subject was ‘apostolic affections’.

It is not possible to be saved, to be filled with the Spirit and have blah affections. That doesn’t mean we are loud or suddenly become extroverts but it does mean that we are related to how God feels, as well as acts. We are affected by what affects the perceptions and receptions of God’s love. We are not emotionally disconnected from what moves the heart of God. Not surprisingly, the apostles were men of passion and affection. The narrative is a historical record of what happened, what was seen by “eyewitnesses”. Volume 1 of Luke’s history, his gospel, was explicit about this. He was writing an account of “those who from the first were the eyewitnesses.” (1:2) So the emphasis is on the exterior acts.

Although there is no self-revelation of the characters about what is going on in their emotions, in the form of soliloquy, or by way of self-confession, or by way of a story-teller’s description of their emotional expressions, or by way of recorded conversation, once in a while, evidence of their affections surface through tiny cracks, but Luke does not draw any particular attention to them or comment on them: the affections behind the pleading and warning of the preaching, the gladness and encouragement of the fellowship, the sincere love and worship of the community. There are evidences of affections that were not so comfortable or comforting of self and others: “troubled” (16:18), “sharp dispute and debate” (15:2), “sharp disagreement” (15:39), “shook out his clothes in protest” (18:6), “greatly distressed to see the city full of idols” (17:16). We know they were tempted to the emotions of real fear or why would they be told not to be afraid (18:9).

It is when we get to read the epistles that we feel the currents of affection in these apostles’ hearts. Re-read the epistles of Peter and John and feel those affectionate appeals yourself. But the main person of attention in Acts, apart from Jesus, is unquestionably Paul. He gets a bad rap from so many, who regard him as if he is some hard-hearted doctrinaire character. He is accused of being tough and rough confrontationally, of being a misogynist, of being unpastoral or unsympathetic. He seems to have no problem going head to head with folk. Some see him not as compassionate but dispassionate – all of which of course is a nasty demonic PR attempt to discredit and subvert his teaching and his gospel. This could not be more wrong.

When you read his epistles, it is the Paul of Acts, in some cases expressing his affections to the people he was teaching and reaching in the missionary journeys that Luke records in the narrative: the Galatians (16:6), the Philippians (16:12), the Thessalonians (17:1), the Corinthians August 30, 2016 (18:1), the Ephesians (19:1), the Romans (28:11). Whenever Paul talks about the affections of Jesus that are characteristic of life in the Spirit, he is talking about the affections of his own heart. He knows those affections of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience” that he exhorts the Colossians to have (3:12); “the sincere love” that he asks of the Corinthians (2 Cor. 6:6) Sometimes his appeal to another’s affections is to simply give his own as an example, as to Timothy: “You know about my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance.” (2 Tim. 3:10) There is no way in this letter I can repeat the range of references that I gave you so I suggest you listen to the download of the message. We looked at the range of his expressed affections including: joy, gentleness, fatherly and brotherly love, longing. But as strong and encouraging as these affections are, Paul could not spare himself the pains that come from deep affection, and the damage that affections have to endure. This is why he describes himself and his affections as being of “patient endurance” (2 Cor. 1:6) We noted the words he used to describe his affections: fear, jealousy, conflict, trembling, grief, affliction, anguish, sorrow, tears. It is that mention of tears that captures the heart of Paul’s apostolic affections.

“I served the Lord with great humility and tears… remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears” (Acts 20: 19, 31) This chapter marks the end of the missionary journeys and the beginning of the final season of Paul’s life, with his arrests that lead to his eventual house imprisonment and martyrdom in Rome. In a way, this is Paul’s epitaph, his most concentrated self-description. There are hundreds of books written about Paul’s preaching and teaching, his praying and his missionary journeys, but as important as all of these aspects of his life are, what about these tears? May his weeping not have been the reason for his reaping? Did not Ps. 126:5 say, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy”? Paul’s private tears are as essential an explanation for much of the Acts narrative as Paul’s public miracles, and they have something important to teach us as their flow connects us with the stream of God’s heart for the church and the world.

Paul is indeed walking in the footsteps of Jesus, who was the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus offered his prayers and petitions “with loud cries and tears.” (5:7) The gospels reveal the times that His own affections could not be contained. He shed tears when he encountered: a refusal to accept his revelation (Bethany): a refusal to accept his requirements (Rich young ruler); a refusal to accept his relationship (Jerusalem). Basically, we love and are inspired by the effectiveness of the acts of the apostles and covet them for our own context, but we are less desirous of their affections. But he wrote to the Corinthians “with many tears”; he warned the Ephesians day and night “with tears”; he reminded the Philippians “with tears” that “many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” Is this just Paul being emotional? No, this is Paul being like Jesus. Here is a theology of tears based on conclusions drawn from just about every reference to tears in scripture:

1. Tears are an appropriate response for the people of God: to backsliding, to sin, to unfaithfulness, to spiritual adultery. “My eyes fail from weeping because my people are being destroyed… the people will go in tears to seek the Lord… “(Lam. 2:11; Jer.50:4)

2. God responds to tears of repentance and brokenness: “I have heard your prayers and seen your tears. I will heal you… the Lord has heard my weeping… (2 Kg. 20:5; Ps. 6:8)

3. Tears are God’s call and desire sometimes: “Return with fasting and weeping… the Lord called you to weep… You strum away like David but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph… Grieve, mourn, wail… (Joel 2:12; Is22:12; Amos 6:5; Jm. 4:9)

4. Tears are the experience and expression of the Godhead:
   a. God: “I drench you with my tears… My heart laments, my inmost being… Is there any sorrow like my sorrow? (Isa. 16:9; Isa. 16:11-12; Lam. 1:12)
   b. Jesus: “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief… prayed with loud cries and tears… (Isa. 53:3; Hebr. 5:7)
   c. Spirit: “Grieve not the Holy Spirit… (Eph. 4:30)

In summary, in scripture tears express: the grief that God feels, the grief that God requires, the grief that God responds to, the grief that God’s people experience and express as they respond to God’s heart.

David asked God, “Put my tears in your bottle.” (Ps. 56:8) We too have a choice in personal and national circumstances: are we going to chuck our hope in the trash can, or are we going to put our tears in a bottle? Someone commented: “It is amazing there are so few tears when there is so much to weep about.” Maybe we need to ask why there is so little apostolic affection? We don’t have any? We have it but are afraid to show it? We have it but don’t know how to show it? We’re too governed by secular social codes and their protocols of social politeness, dignity and decorum? A wrong and deficient view of God? A lack of understanding of what we received at salvation, including a new heart and the affections of God. Does our temperament control God’s affections in us and through us? Is there a deficiency in our desire?

We want to see the actions of God but we also need to express the affections of God. Would it ever be said of us that we “served with humility and tears”?

Pastorally yours,

Stuart

GREAT GRACE

Dearest family,

On Sunday, I lingered in the text of Acts 15 that Bo high-lighted in his narrative approach last Sunday, because of its pivotal declaration from Peter that they could not put a “yoke” on the disciples’ necks: “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are saved, just as they are.” (15:11) I spent the time giving a compacted overview of the operations of grace, the strongest theological undercurrent in the narrative of Acts. The opening of Luke’s Volume 1, his gospel account, describes from the very get-go how God’s work is to remove disgrace and bring His favor. The grace of God was upon Jesus, who John declared was “full of grace” from which we have all received “grace upon grace”. From the beginning to the end of the NT, Jesus and grace are synonymous. Grace is in Him, grace is through Him. No wonder then that the evidential and essential mark of the early church was that “great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). Luke establishes the character of the church as the character of Jesus.

So what marked the greatness of the early church? The word “great” pops up all the time in the text: “great boldness… (4:29) great power…(4:33) great numbers… (11:21) great wonders… (6:8) great joy… (8:8; 15:3) great persecution (8:1)” However, there was something else that was “great” that explained all these. In 4:33 we read that “great grace was upon them all.” It described:

• the character of the leaders like Stephen: “full of grace and power” (6:8) 

• the good things that were happening: “what the grace of God had done” (11:23) 

• discipleship: “they urged them to continue in the grace of God” (13:43) 

• the very nature and essence of the gospel: “the message of His grace” (14:3) 

• the experience of God’s care and nurture: they were “commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.” (15:40) 

• the experience of salvation: Christians were those who “by grace had believed” (18:27) 

• the mission and call: “the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (20:24) 

• the communication of both written scripture and spoken teaching: “the word of His grace” (20:32) Indeed, great grace was upon them all. No wonder it is!

“Grace is the sum and substance of NT faith” (Packer) “Everything is of grace in the Christian life from the very beginning to the very end.” (Lloyd-Jones) Why? Because it is the sum of the nature of the Godhead: “God of all grace… Spirit of grace (Hebr.10:29) … the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 15:11). The whole of NT theology is summed up in it. It has been said that what justice is to law, and love to marriage, grace is to Christianity. In Acts, euphemisms for Christians were grace soaked: they were those who “continued in the grace of God” (13:43); they were those who “by grace had believed” (18:27) What they believed was the gospel described as “the grace of God…the gospel of grace…the word of grace” It was a synonym for anything that was good, that was God no less in his dynamic and delivering, passionate and purposeful, fathering and favoring, birthing and blessing, saving and sanctifying power.

Teachers are always looking for ways to take a wide range of points, of scriptures, and bring them together in a summarized and more easily assimilated form. The simplest ordering when it comes August 16, 2016 to the subject of grace is often traditionally presented in the two categories of common grace and saving grace. John Wesley was the one who first spoke of three main identifiable workings of grace: Prevenient (preparing) grace, Accepting (justifying) grace, Sustaining (Sanctifying) grace.

In doing my own scriptural summary on Sunday I had more than two or three points I’m afraid, so in keeping with my promise to put them in the letter this week, here they are for you to use as a prayer list for the operation of grace in your own life and experience, circumstances and relationships.

1. Saving grace: “saved through grace” (Acts 15:11) Part of this experience of saving grace is the instruction we receive for the totality of our lives. Listen to how Paul describes it to Titus (2:11): “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

2. Securing or strengthening grace: “this grace in which we stand” (Rom.5:1-2) …the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.” (1Pet.5:12) We could probably also call this strengthening grace: “the word of his grace which can build you up” (Acts 20:32)

3. Sanctifying grace: this is grace’s work in growing, maturing, promoting, encouraging and effecting our progress in faith and godliness, in pleasing God. Writing to the Corinthians Paul describes his conduct and character: “We have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relationships with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace.” (2Cor.1:12)

4. Serving or stewarding grace: “Use your gifts to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace.” (1 Pet. 4:10) “The grace God gave me to be a minister” (Acts 15:15). This is the enablement to minister with the charismata, the grace gifts. His summation of ministry in his farewell to the Ephesians elders says it all: “If only I may finish the race and complete the task…of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24)

5. Sharing grace: “Grace given to me for you…” (Eph. 3:2) “all of you share in God’s grace with me…” (Phil. 1:7)

6. Sending grace: It is grace that both calls and commissions “God called me…by his grace and was pleased to reveal His Son in me.” (Gal. 1:15)

7. Supplicating grace: “Spirit of grace and supplication…” (Zech. 12:10) “Throne of grace…find grace to help us in our time of need…” (Heb. 4:16) The result of the church’s prayer was “much grace was upon them” (Acts 4:33)

8. Supporting or supplying grace: In Acts 9:11 Paul was prepared by prayer for the reception of grace through Ananias, so the Spirit of grace both prepares us for this supply and then provides grace’s support.

9. Speaking grace: “grace those who listen” (Eph.4:29) “Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt.” (Col.4:6) Favor as well as flavor! So crucial that this grace is expressed through us in a culture of contempt and anger.

10. Singing grace: “With psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, with grace in your hearts to God.” (Col.4:16) The work of grace becomes the gratitude in worship. Lack of worship is always little. Great grace produces great worship.

11. Sustaining grace: (strengthening grace) this is about special times of need: “My grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2Cor.12:9); “Let us approach the throne of grace…and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebr.4:16) “God gives grace to the humble.” (1Pet.5:5)

12. Staying grace: By ‘staying’ here I’m not referring to the idea of an abiding grace, that always stays with us, though it does, but in the sense of staying the hand of judgment. The grace of God is not just manifested in what He does do, but in what He doesn’t - for example, delay judgment. Yes, God’s grace is manifest in what He gives and allows, in what He provides, but it is also in what He disallows and prohibits. The word that commands us not to, is a staying word of grace. Stop! Halt! No further! Do not transgress! Do not move that boundary! Thou shalt not! It is crucial to understand the law as an expression of God’s grace. He loves us so much that he commands us not to engage that which He knows will destroy us and separate us from Him. In Genesis: all the trees (provision) except (prohibition). They were equally evidences of grace. There is grace in the giving, but also grace in the staying of things, the with-holding or taking away of those things that are not going to promote spiritual growth in grace.

13. Suffering grace: grace often brings God’s goodness in a way that doesn’t at first feel good to us. Phil.1:29: “It has been granted (literally-graced) for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in him but to suffer for him.”

14. Suffusing (well up from within) grace: “the grace that is in me” says Paul. This indwelling spirit of grace that rises within us, “overflows” to use Paul’s language. This grace that changes us, makes us overflowingly gracious.

15. Sovereign grace: “grace might reign through righteousness...” (Rom. 5:21)

Clearly, just these few scriptural quotes that I have given are sufficient to dispel any notion that grace is sweetly benign, or is something that is helpful now and again. Grace is not a commodity, a thing – but the very active and engaging presence and personality of God in our lives and circumstances. Invasion, infusion is what we should be thinking about. Grace’s power, its penetration, its communication – every expression is proactively an expression of the nature of God ministering to the needs of man – it is strong grace according to the NT. It is a strong brew, and those who experience it are grace intoxicated, but more importantly, God-centered and God adoring. Whoever would choose a yoke of bondage for their necks over a garland of grace?

May this “great grace” be on you all too!

Stuart

ASKING AND ACTING IN JESUS' NAME

Dearest family,

Personally, I was really blessed by the praise, the prayer and the preaching on Sunday. Preaching you ask? But you were preaching and that sounds weird! Frankly, if the person delivering the message is not blessed and stirred and challenged by the Word they are bringing, they should probably not be speaking it. The “how’s” of our delivery and presentation are always open to improvement but the “what” of our communication, the truth of the Word that is brought, should indeed bless the speaker as well as the hearer. So yes, I was really blessed by the considerations of “the name of Jesus.”

What I decided to do was ride on the tails of Monique’s excellent message last Sunday, when she drew your attention to the unmissable emphasis in the text of Acts on “the name of Jesus.” So crucial is it to grasp this that I thought I’d use the shorter time I had to further reinforce what Monique was rightly focusing on. Remember, that in those early chapters of Acts with such emphasis on “the name of Jesus”, the apostles and converts were not yet known as Christians. That identification came a bit later: they were “called Christians first at Antioch” (11:26). From the beginning of the church they were primarily described and defined by their association and identification with the name of Jesus. Everything they did and said, invoked and evoked Jesus. They were called “those who call on this name” (9:21) and “those who bear my name” (15:17). It is interesting to note that in the book of Revelation, describing a church under pressure and persecution, the church in our present world in fact, the description of the spiritual faithful is “those who are true to my name.” There is therefore a particular appropriateness in the reward for such: the Lord says He will “write on them my new name.”

The apostles only had one explanation for everything that was happening: “It is by the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:10).

• You could only be saved by calling on the name (2:21) and there was no other name by which anyone could be saved (4:17). 

• They preached that you could only repent and get baptized in the name of Jesus (2:38).

• They understood that forgiveness could only be received through His name (10:43). 

• The bottom line was that the gospel was described as “the good news of the name of Jesus Christ” (8:16).  They healed in the name of Jesus (3:6; 4:10). 

• Faith was only understood as being in the name of Jesus (3:10). 

• Their teaching was in the name of Jesus (5:40) and they only ever “spoke in the name” (9:28)

• Many of the disciples in Jerusalem did not believe that Saul had become a disciple and feared mischief, that he was possibly a plant. However, it was the testimony of Barnabas that Saul now preached “fearlessly in the name of Jesus” (9:27) that clinched the evidence for his conversion. 

• The explanation for discipleship, for surrender and sacrifice was for the name of Jesus (15:26)

• They ministered deliverance in the name of Jesus (19:5) 

• They described the evidence of the presence of God as the name of Jesus being held in “high honor” (19:17). Response to the name was the indication of a reviving move of the Holy Spirit. Not surprisingly, they understood that the prime work of the enemy and his demonic cohorts and human associates was “to oppose the name” (26:9) This is how we are first introduced to Saul as the leader of the persecution against the church. He is described as one who persecuted “all who call on your name” (9:15) But in the very next verse it is prophesied that as Paul he is going to “suffer for my name”. So it is no surprise to later hear Paul in 21:13 say that he was “ready…to die…for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 

• But another thing they did was to pray in that name. When they specifically asked God to do things (like signs and wonders) it was understood that not only was their asking in the name of Jesus, but everything requested would be only be given “through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (4:30).

Was this some new revelation post-Pentecost? No. How did the first volume of Luke’s historic record conclude? “He told them, ‘This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.” What Jesus said post-resurrection was concordant with all that he shared pre-cross in the Last Supper discourse, where no less than six times he describes that their intimate communication with the Father, that their experience of Jesus’ abiding and continuing presence, will be “in my name.” (Jn. 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23, 24, 26). Throughout the gospel record we read of the miracles in the name (Mk.9:39). Jesus said of his disciples’ future ministry, “In my name they will drive out demons” (Mk. 16:17) It was Jesus who made the connection between our acting and asking and His name. He spoke of the cup of water given in His name (Mk. 9:41); of welcoming someone in His name (Mt. 18:5) It is the equivalent of Him doing it personally Himself. When we gather in His name to ask (Mt. 18:20) He said “there I am.” He foretold that the persecution his disciples would face would be “all on account of my name.” He said, “They will treat you this way because of my name.”

His name is the equivalent of His presence. When we act or ask in His name it is as if we are in His presence and asking and acting in His place. To ask or act in His name is essentially to be in union with Him, to be one with Him, to be so identified with Him, and He with us, that we share the same name. This is why the phrase “in me” is so repeated alongside “in the name.” His name becomes our name for the purposes of accessing and approaching the Father, for asking and acting. His ID is ours and it is not identity fraud. We cannot do anything in our own name. It is His name that has grounds for appeal and for making claims upon the Father. We have no claims on God. We have done nothing that makes Him obliged to us, that makes Him our debtor. God does not owe us anything and thus He is not beholden to us. We cannot argue our merits. We can only ask and act in the name of Jesus if we know that we have absolutely no claims on God, no rights. The right that we are given, that we are graced with, is the right to ask and act in Jesus’ name when we have no right to ask in our own.

When we do so, it is on the grounds of Jesus’ claims on the Father. We do not have the ground to stand on, but He does. Centuries before, Daniel foresaw this when he said that the people did not present their asking to God “on the ground of our righteousness but on the ground of your great mercy.” (Dan. 9:18) The risen Christ can claim His redemption rights. He has His claim on us as His inheritance, promised to Him through His obedience unto death even the death of the cross. He has a claim on that which He has fully purchased. He can claim the right of access to the Father. He can claim on the basis of His relationship with the Father. He can claim upon the will of the Father because He only ever does what Father wills.

When we ask and act in the name of the one who has the claims on the one being asked, when I ask in the name of Jesus of the Father and act in His name, when I am allowed as it were to sign my asking with His signature, and act on His approval, then I am heard and responded to. Jesus gives us the right and the authority to use His name to access the resources of the Father and make our claim, as if He was the one doing the claiming. This is why we can ask and act boldly. It’s all in the name.

In His name,

Stuart

A RIGHTEOUS USE OF THE TONGUE

Dearest family,

I was hoping on Sunday that the opening of my message would have you thinking in a way that you would be surprised at the connection I would then make with the final gift of the Holy Spirit that I had not been able to comment upon in my last (second of two) message ‘Towards a Theology of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.” You may well have thought that my message was going to be about the righteous use of the tongue, and may have been wondering what that had to do with a series on Acts of the Apostles. As I hope I made clear, there is no more wonderful a righteous use of the tongue than the gift of tongues.

How’s your tongue? Ever give you problems? Like what kind? Bitten your tongue recently, or put your foot in your mouth? Wished you could have taken something back? Spoken out of turn? Bad-mouthed? Run your mouth off? Spoken through a hole in your head? Amazing the number of phrases and idioms that describe what comes out of our mouths. Have you ever done a Bible study on the tongue? Here are just some of the kinds of tongues that scripture identifies: viper’s tongue (Job 20:6); flattering tongue (Ps. 5:9); proud tongue (Ps. 12:3); lying tongue (Ps. 109:2); deceitful tongue (Ps. 120:2); false tongue (Ps. 120:3); forward tongue (Pvb. 10:31); naughty tongue (Pvb. 17:4); perverse tongue (Pvb. 17:20); backbiting tongue (Pvb. 25:23). Here are specific uses of the tongue that are condemned: gossiping, tale-bearing, false witnessing, whispering, slandering, falsely accusing, vain talking, defaming, tattling, lying, deceiving, backbiting, raging. And in the NT, the book of James is a veritable concentrate of bad news: a little member, boasts great things, is a fire, a world of iniquity, defiles whole body, sets course of nature afire, untameable, unruly evil, full of poison, blessing and cursing, capable of bitter strife. There are plenty of examples of unrighteous communication in Acts including lying, complaining, raging, threatening, bearing false witness, being abusive. (I mentioned on Sunday that on no less than 4 occasions, the root of unrighteous use of the tongue was named as ‘jealousy.’)

Can we take anymore? Given how unholy this member is, would we not want some good news about it? The tongues of fire at the day of Pentecost was an image of cleansing. It was about holiness. And that holiness was mirrored vocally in the gift of tongues. How incredible that God gives us a gift that has a pure and holy expression for our private praise and prayer, and intimate communication with the Lord. Doesn’t that make the gift very desirable, and very necessary? There are at least four different descriptions: new tongues (Mk. 16:17); other tongues (Acts 2:4); divers tongues (1 Cor. 12:10); unknown tongues (1 Cor. 14:2) Common to all is the power given by the Holy Spirit to speak a language that expresses the inexpressible, that can dialogue meaningfully with God beyond the limits of intelligible thought and language. A public tongue must be interpreted and it is most likely that whoever speaks in an unknown tongue in such a way will most likely interpret because scripture says that they should pray that they can and will do. (14:13) That has been the normal experience here in COSC. Note that it says “different kinds of tongues” so although they are not gibberish but languages, they may be extinct ones, unused dialects now, or the tongues of angels (13:1) not just men. But the assumption is that they will not be intelligible to either speaker or hearer. (However, there are occasions when this gift has been used by God to speak directly in the language of someone being addressed, as on the day of Pentecost.) Speaking in tongues is predominantly then a private gift, that edifies the speaker. So it is a crucial and non-negotiable means for building up your own spiritual life, your own spirit. Paul says that when we speak in tongues we speak “to God” so it is a gift for deepening relationship, for intimacy and for freeing intimate expression. Never forget that at the end of the day, this gift was authenticated by Jesus himself, the One who had said to “wait for the gift.” (Acts 1:4)

If Paul was in church, he would not say anything different to what he said back then: that he would that we all speak in tongues. (1 Cor. 14:5) Don’t go too quickly as a way of escape or avoidance to “Do all speak in tongues?” (1 Cor. 12:30) Paul also urges us to “eagerly desire” the gifts of God. If tongues is so important for intimacy, why on earth wouldn’t we desire this gift for the deepening of our communication with Father, particularly in our praise and our prayer.

As well as the matter of tongues and edification, I suggested another important point seldom mentioned: that there was an inviolable relationship between tongues and racial reconciliation, and that when we exegete what kind of “sign” this gift is, we have to conclude from the text that it signed the fulfillment of Jesus’ commission of the disciples to bear the gospel to the nations, beginning with their immediate world of all the nations that bordered the Mediterranean including Africans, Arabs, Greeks, Jews, Asians, present-day Europeans. Representatives of these nations said they heard “the wonders of God in our own tongues” (Acts 2:5-12). Tongues was a sign that not only witnessed to God’s redeeming work for all nations, but was itself the means of communication of that witness to the gospel.

In all three incidents in Acts when tongues are imparted (Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6) it is in a multi-racial context, one of cultural and national diversity. So what am I saying that tongues is a sign for? God is no respecter of nationality. There is no divine toleration for racial superiority and ensuing racism. Prejudice was the barrier to the Gentiles getting the gospel from the Jews. If there were any doubts, Acts 10 settles the matter. It took the vision of the sheet with unclean animals, to break the bondage in Peter and prepare him to go to Cornelius’ house. The sheer supernaturalism of this chapter, both through divine vision and voice to Peter, and angelic visitation to Cornelius, tells us that God is concerned that nobody misses the point, and that He will spare nothing in order for this truth to be relayed and received. What was the conclusion to be drawn from the manifestation of tongues to the Gentiles? The text tells us: “God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation” (10:34) To think or live differently is not just to be ungodly, but to oppose God’s love and His will and purposes. Of course the prejudiced Jews were surprised and can hardly disguise their rooted superior patronizing attitudes of heart: “even on the Gentiles’! From now on in Acts, the address of the gospel is consistently to “men of Israel and you Gentiles” (13:16); “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks” (20:21) If you take racial reconciliation seriously, you will take speaking in tongues seriously, as this gift will be a constant reminder as you employ it in your daily life, that your racial identity is a gift of God but insufficient for your redeemed identity in Christ, and the fact that you need to speak another language to enhance your intimacy with God, will remind you that God is the God of all tribes and nations. Everyone committed to God’s reconciling purposes when it comes to race, needs to receive the gift of tongues as the sign of those purposes. Does that give you yet another timely and relevant reason to desire this gift?

Pastorally yours,

Stuart

TOWARDS A THEOLOGY OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS (2)

Brothers and Sisters,

Stuart continued to explore a basic theology of the spiritual gifts this week, after speaking previously about how to approach this study in the first place. Last week he exhorted that we cannot begin with giftedness, we must begin with the Godhead! “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7). It starts with God’s presence - “manifestations of the Spirit”. Requires the participation of all members – “to each one is given”. And results in the church’s profit - “for the common good.” You cannot privatize the gifts of the Spirit, but must move in desire and maturity for the sake of the body, or at the expense of His very gracious influence in our lives.

This past Sunday he focused our study on the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1st Corinthians 12, all of which are extensively demonstrated in the book of Acts. There are three things Jesus taught in the upper room - the work of the Holy Spirit, the call to ask, and the world. Jesus said extensively that we would need the work of the Holy Spirit to do the works of Jesus, so it should come as no surprise that this would happen to two really obvious ways: character and charismata. The charismata gifts are expressed as tools to help us to know (wisdom, knowledge, discernment), to do (faith, healings, miracles) and to say (prophecy, tongues, interpretation).

GIFTS OF KNOWLEDGE: Wisdom, Knowledge, Discernment
Get wisdom (Proverbs 4:7). The tongue of the wise uses knowledge aright (15:2). Knowledge is the communication of “what” providing the truth. Wisdom is the application of the “what” and shows how to guide one to that truth. Paul is not setting up a hierarchy of gifts in his communication, but often begins his epistles with the difference between the world’s wisdom and God’s (1 Cor. 2:1, 2 Cor. 1:12, Ep. 1:18, Phil. 1:9). Thus it shouldn’t come as a shock that this is where he begins in the list of manifestation gifts. The gifts function as a team, constantly overlapping and enhancing one another towards a common result, revealing Jesus (Col. 1:1-12, 2:2-3). It is impossible for a mature manifestation of the gifts to only draw attention to the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is a self-effacing member of the Trinity, always pointing to Jesus, and Jesus always draws us to the Father. Wisdom and knowledge not only reveal Jesus, but the evoke godly character (fruit of the Spirit) in the believer. Paul starts with these gifts as Corinth was steeped in sensationalism, thus beginning with wisdom and knowledge keeps the emphasis on Christ, Christ-like character, and content. Content which is meant to bear the truth of God into peoples’ lives for their good. These two gifts are also functionally important when it comes to the public communication life of the church and are especially needed for peaching and teaching.

Word of Wisdom
This is not about natural gifting - not persuasive words of human wisdom (1 Cor. 2:4). A word of wisdom comes as a specific revelation of God’s nature that enables us to think in a specific moment about specific situation, rightly. It is often immediate, brings illumination to whoever receives it, and bears an answer to a specific question or asking. Like all gifts it is grounded in God’s word and therefore His will. It is about intimacy with Jesus, loving and listening to His voice. It will never contradict scripture. Therefore, desperately needed in preaching and teaching. In all our lives we require this word of wisdom in our communication with others, with believers or as a witness to others. The Lord will write the script for you as you are speaking to aid in revealing Jesus! This is Jesus promise; the Holy Spirit will teach you at the time the words you need to say (Luke 12:12).

Word of Knowledge
Clearly, this often overlaps and connects with the word of wisdom. Words of knowledge are not an ability to convey information, telepathy, or mind reading - all of which scripture forbids. These always bring the fruits of fear, dependency, and control. Rather it is a very specific, penetrating word of Godly knowing. People who bear that word do not become gurus, but point to Jesus. Typically, the word comes with regards to things that are hidden, and brought to the light. Jesus often operates in the word of knowledge, for example the conversation with the Samaritan woman (John 4:17), or Zacchaeus (Luke 19). In all cases, this gift is always meant to draw people deeper into God’s purposes for their lives. The gift does not humiliate or belittle, though it might be uncomfortable. It is a wonderful extension of God’s grace to somebody! Often times this gift comes as a rebuke that brings loving correction, but it can equally come as a blessing.

Discernment of Spirits
This gift is desperately needed as there is an unholy trinity at work around us: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Each of which needs to be discerned. The early church was plagued with this distraction at every point, and greatly needed the discernment of spirits. This gift works for our protection, purity, and to promote what is good. Discernment doesn’t solve the problems, but it exposes them for all the other ministrations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is clearly a spiritual perception of what is functioning and working behind what is being observed in external appearance. There are three designations of spirits in scripture: human spirits (emotions, etc.), demonic spirit (Matthew 9:27), and divine (presence the Lord and His angels). These spirits are always around us, thus discernment is non-negotiable for the work of discipleship, and defiance against the curse of the enemy in our lives.

GIFTS OF ACTION: Healings, Miracles, & Faith
Healings and miracles are both noted in the plural, as no two healings or miracles are alike, each is uniquely tailored for the person and situation. This wets our expectation of the variation of ways the Lord can manifest for each individual person. Furthermore, in this culture there is a ripe work of counterfeit healings and health methods which can invite the demonic into the life of the believer. We must be careful to examine our participation in practices, such as yoga, which may evoke and invite a healer other than Jesus. All healings are miracles, but not all miracles are healing (such as calming of the waves). It is about what God trying to say through the miracle, pointing to the love and care of God!

There will be a continued message to examine the gift of faith and the gifts of speech (prophecy, tongues, and interpretation) in coming weeks. Many thanks to all of you for the generosity of your giving to the youth mission trip to Benin on Sunday. God truly provided in abundance. We raised over $5000 (wow!) through the offering, auction, and BBQ – all of which will go directly to the ministry and people in Benin. Our deepest appreciation for your support!

May we all grow in our expectation of God’s presence in our lives, through the Holy Spirit, revealing Jesus to the world around us!

Pursuing Him,

Monique (on behalf of Stuart)

TOWARDS A THEOLOGY OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS (1)

Brothers and Sisters,

This Sunday Stuart laid a basic framework for how to approach a theology of the Spiritual Gifts. We all seemed well versed in the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful, gentleness, and self-control, but much less able to identify the nine manifestation gifts of the Holy Spirit. Yet as we read the book of Acts we cannot get away from the words of wisdom (6:10 – 7:53), knowledge (5:3), prophecy (11 & 21), healings (3:8, 9: 17-19), miracles (9:40), faith (27:13-38) discernment of spirits (16:16-18), tongues and interpretation of tongues (2 & 10) which are prevalent and pervasive in the early life of the church. Understanding how these gifts might manifest in our own church life today does require a common foundation for us all to stand upon.

Here is a summary of the overview Stuart presented:

PRE-EXISTENT EXPERIENCES AND ATTITUDES
We come to the gifts of the spirit with our own pre-existing spiritual, denominational and theological experiences. For some this will be about a recovery of past negative experience, and for others it will be a discovery of non-existent experiences. Our pre-existent attitudes can deny, discredit, distort, depreciate, distance, divorce, and despise that the gifts are part of our inheritance as a result of the finished work of Jesus Christ for the service of the Body.

TWO DANGERS, WARNINGS & ENEMIES
Not all manifestations of the spirit are equal, and can be fleshly and immaturely expressed. We must not uncritically accept everything we witness. We are also in danger of an unspiritual response to the giver, the Holy Spirit, and an irreverence for His Personhood. Our responses to the manifestations of the spirit, are responses to a Person, and they are taken personally! Scripture warns us about two things with regards to the Person of the Holy Spirit, not to grieve or quench Him. We grieve the Holy Spirit by failing to recognize His Person, purpose, presence, purity, promptings and provision. While quenching Him is about our control, culture, compromise, fear and failure to test the spirits. Scripture tells us how to discern, so we do not want the fleshly to put us off to the truth of the spiritual. Lastly, in Corinthians Paul sets up two enemies of the spiritual gifts which are ignorance and arrogance (4 & 5).

FOUR PRINICIPLES
First, the Spirit’s sovereignty is related to our surrender. There is always this lovely relationship between the sovereignty of the Spirit who initiates and our freedom to receive, but it requires our willing surrender to cooperate. The gifts and move of the Spirit are not void of personal, beautiful nuances of God expressed through this one and that one in our midst! It is not a colorless, tasteless domination. Second, the spirit can manifest any gift, through anyone, at any time as He wills. Where the power of God has worked in your own life there is the potential to operate in strength, with the gift of faith, for that work in somebody else’s life. Nothing God does for us is just unto us, but it meant to be multiplied through us. The gifts are a corporate issue! Third, Paul lays a pastoral foundation about diversity and unity. God works equally and consistently through all regardless of difference and with equality! The last principle, refers to taking care and taking risks. We safeguard against the false and fleshly manifestations by testing if it is Christ-centered (Lordship), scripture-based, and full of godly character. But within those safe boundary lines we must be bold to pursue, grow, and mature in the expressions of the Spirit, as Paul exhorts us.

CONTROL
This is not a matter of an individual being forced to do something, but a matter of oversite. The gifts and manifestations are directed by the Spirit, controlled by the character of Jesus, constrained by His love, and contained within scripture. The issue of control does not mean there is no enthusiasm, joy or affection, but it is regulated by the fruit of self-control.

CREED
It is about creed not confusion! In 1 Corinthians 12:3-8, Paul lays a Trinitarian theological foundation. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” It is the reverse order than we typically expect (Father, Son, and Spirit), but Paul is modeling a vital process wherein the Spirit submits to the Son, and the Son exalts the Father. The understanding of the unity we experience as the gifts are manifest, is the unity of the Trinity, and requires our submission to the Godhead. The point is we do not begin with giftedness, we begin with the Godhead!

THREE PURPOSES
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7). First, it reveals God’s presence, which is what is meant by “manifestations.” Second, it requires all members’ participation – “to each one is given”. What gifts are you praying for to be expressed in you and others? Third, the purpose is to result in the church’s profit - “for the common good.” You cannot privatize the gifts of the Spirit.

NEW TESTAMENT GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
Just for our understanding and reference there are three categories of gifts mentioned in scripture, motivation gifts (Romans 12:3-9), ministry gifts (Ephesians 4:11-12), and manifestation gifts (1 Cor. 12). The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not toys to be played with or extras that are not really needed. Nor are they trinkets, jewelry, to adorn us to make us look good. We must see the gifts of the spirit as functional, brilliant tools in the tool bag for doing the work of Jesus. If you are walking in and witnessing to the life of Christ it is nearly impossible not to move in the gifts of the Spirit.

THREE RESPONSES
So what do we do? Stir up the gifts that are in you (2 Tim. 1:6) . Do not neglect the gift that is in you (1 Tim. 4:14). Covet earnestly the best gifts (1 Cor. 12:31)! At the end of the day it is all about His presence and His desire to be with us.

We cannot understand the gifts as simply an individual matter! The gifts of the Spirit do not have a full meaning unless they operate through and to the Body of Christ. In fact, the lack of ministration of the gifts does impact the cohesiveness and unity of the body. We must move in desire and maturity for the sake of the body, or at the expense of His very gracious influence in our lives. Christ Our Shepherd believes the gifts are normative and they are necessary, so how are we asking and seeking for this move of the Presence of the Lord in our church life?

Pursuing Him,

Monique (on behalf of Stuart)

“HONDA: THE APOSTLES’ CAR OF CHOICE.”