A Warm Heart and a Sound Mind
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What must we think of the Holy Spirit? As Presbyterians we are often accused of not recognizing the reality that the HS brings. We are known as the FROZEN CHOSEN.
Intro
Intro
Illus: We are Devil worshippers.
I remember walking into the hospital room and it felt cold and dark.
Visiting a man who was hospitalized with cancer.
This was his response to me as I introduced myself.
Have you ever had an experience like this?
Most of us would ignore it as something within us, and that may be true.
How do we discern if the HS is working in us or if it is something completely different.
Illus: Many stories of people doing bad things and stating because God told them to do so. Subjectivity.
We love it!
The HS is often blamed for many things.
Proposition: We should be comfortable with not knowing everything that God knows, and live by faith in Him.
What we know and believe about the HS from Scripture is important.
THEOLOGY-
NOT a bad word:
Wikipedia -
"Theology" can also now be used in a derived sense to mean "a system of theoretical principles; an (impractical or rigid) ideology.”
Theologia - Theos - God and Logia - Word or oracles
The study of God, how we view God as given in his word
We must read his word
We must think through what we read and seek to understand it
That understanding is solidified by the HS
What we believe is going to direct how we live.
We all have a theology, what we believe about God
What is it we should believe about the 3rd person of the Trinity the HS?
Drama
Drama
Luke has referred to the foundation in the gospel - LUKE
He now prepares us for the arrival of the HS by giving us some details of what happened prior to his arrival.
Disciples ask an eschatological intrigued question
Tells us what we really want to know. SECRETS of GOD
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
Acts 1:
Jesus redirects their thoughts and their selfish desires to know
Illus: Much like Adam and Eve
A desire to know as much as the CREATOR GOD
What are we to know?:
Doctrine
Doctrine
PLACE
Some things are unknown to mankind and appear to be a mystery
The disciples question: What will you do now?
An expected realized eschatology
They wanted answers
Jesus answers the question
Don’t worry about things that are not your business
Verse 7
Here is what you can expect to happen
The Holy Spirit will come
He will provide you with power
And He will make you a witness
God is sovereign and much is unknown to us
Illus: Job sought counsel with God
Job desired to have answers from God:
Oh, that I had one to hear me!
(Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!)
Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!
Job 31:
God responds:
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Job 38:
Job’s response was to repent!
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job 42:
We need to have a balanced approach to the relationship we have with God
He is the creator and we are the creature.
Once, we get this orientation correct we can see the need for God sending his HS to provide:
POWER
The Holy Spirit provides the power for the Christian
Apostles received a power
And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
For the Apostles it was to provide power
This was a special power for a limited time.
Up to this point Jesus was the power
Apostolic Age
He would come as the helper promised by Jesus
Healing and special works
Jesus promised this in
Much like Jesus was given an extra measure of the HS to remain perfect
For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.
WCF
The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition Chapter VIII. Of Christ the Mediator
III. The Lord Jesus, in his human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure;
We have the HS also
He would come to continue what Jesus had begun
We have been baptized with the HS
Given the power to be a witness
We should have a balanced theology (a biblical) concerning the HS
Various church movements
Pentecostal - heavy emphasis on the HS and affection
Tends to error on the side of emotional subjectivity and excludes objectivity of Scripture
Wesleyan movement - heavy emphasis on sanctification and can lead to perfectionism
Tends to error on the side of perfection as set by man and not Scripture and excludes objectivity of Scripture
Reformed movement - Can tend to be Word of God heavy and exclude the work of the HS
Tends to error on objectivity and appear cold and rigid, devoid of the HS
The goal should be to have a balanced and biblical approach to Christianity and how we view the HS.
“So, whoever we are and whatever we do for God, our great desire should be to be filled with God’s Spirit so that our work will spring from his resulting power.” - Ajith Fernando NIV Commentary on Acts, pg. 64.
Once we understand the source of our power, the HS we can then see our:
PURPOSE
God works through his people to be a witness about himself
This is an outward working of God
To build his kingdom
To grow his church
To God it is a solid plan
individually and corporately
A plan of drawing people to himself unto salvation
This plan includes those already in the kingdom to draw others
Discipleship
Witness - What are Christians a witness to?
perfection in ourselves?
Our own good works?
No, rather, to God and His glory
We should be Great Commission Christians
Christians should be OK with God’s mystery
We should be rooted in the objectivity and truth of God’s Word
We should rather focus on being a witness
Illus: One concerning
We should be flexible and realize the HS works as He desires
But, He is our source of Strength
We should be Christians who are both of warm heart and sound mind
Doxology
Doxology
Praise God that we can be balanced Christians
We should praise him for giving us faith unto salvation
Balanced in the Truth of God’s Word while living in the Spontaneity and mystery of God’s Spirit
Praise Gd that he give us discernment of teh Spirit
We should praise Him for continually building faith in us
We should be comfortable with simply being a witness for him
Illus: Spending time and energy on the right things
Ghost army?
Illus: E. Stanley Jones (Ajith Fernando)
1884-1973
American Missionary to India
Called to “preach” or be a “lawyer”
He would be “God’s Lawyer”
“to present his brief for him, to plead his case.”
Many family and friends showed up for his first sermon
used a word “indifferentism” only 2 sentences in
Snickers and smirks
He froze and lost his train of thought
“Well, friends, I’m sorry to tell you, but I’ve forgotten my sermon.”
As he walked back to his seat he heard God:
“Haven’t I done anything for you?”
“Why, yes you have.”
“Then couldn’t you tell that?”
He turned back to the pulpit and said:
“Friends, we you see, I can’t preach, but you know my life before and after conversion; and while I can’t preach, I do love the Lord, and I will witness for him the balance of my days.”
After the service a young man came up and said:
“I want to find out what you have found.”
God has chosen us to be his witnesses. Witnesses powered by the HS. Let us consider each one, how God is using us as a witness.
And, when he does, praise Him, who gives power and uses us to HIs glory.
Let us have a balanced approach to this life, a warm heart moved by the HS, and a sound mind, rooted in the truth of His word.
Then and only then will you be a witness for God.