"The Spirit Says"
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· 8 viewsHere's the good news, if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and put yoUr trust in him, you have been adopted as one of God's children. That makes Christians heirs to God's Kingdom; however,
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FOCUS STATEMENT
FOCUS STATEMENT
Here's the good news,
if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and put your trust in him,
you have been adopted as one of God's children.
That makes all Christians heirs to God's Kingdom; however, to whom much is given, much is required.
POINT OF RELATION
POINT OF RELATION
[Show Homey D. Clown video clip]
I am not sure how many of you used to watch In Living Color on Fox.
That was a sketch comedy show much like Saturday Night Live,
starring the Wayans family
(including Keenan Ivory Wayans, Kim Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Damon Wayans, and Marlon Wayans),
as well as Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez, Rosie Perez, Tommy Davidson, and David Alan Grier, to name a few.
I loved the show because, whether I realized it at the time or not,
It taught me, no matter in how subtle a way, the black experience in this country.
Let’s look at today’s sketch about Homey the Clown.
As a kid, Homey’s specific use of language and his references would have passed right over me...
because I wasn’t living the black experience in rural, white, Sussex County, New Jersey.
So, what I saw was a clown who was annoyed by rather childish kids.
That’s it.
Perhaps that is all you saw too; however, a closer examination showed something else.
First, we noticed that Homey’s objections have only to do with things that degrade him as a human being.
So, he wasn’t going to entertain being degraded, whether it be by kids watching him trip on a banana peel,
or it be kids wanting to toss cream pies in his face.
Why is this? Why do such things bother Homey?
He didn’t really say anything that he specifically did to get into trouble;
however, that is beside the point. It doesn’t matter why he’s in…but THAT He’s in.
Blacks disproportionately face incarceration and criminalization.
What we know is more than enough...
He’s another jailed brother and the only out of that cell was through degrading himself as Homey D. Clown, which he, of course, has to announce by law. That announcement further degrades and dehumanizes him.
To the kids, he’s just silly cartoonish guy who likes to tell jokes and be funny.
That is how most kids would see a clown.
Homey’s perspective is the opposite.
He has too long played the fool for the man, aka the government,
and he ain’t ever going to play the fool again...nope...the clown says, “Homey don’t play that.”
THINGS TO CONSIDER
THINGS TO CONSIDER
While seeing the Holy Spirit in light of Homey D. Clown doesn’t entirely fit for a number of obvious reasons,
there is enough of a connection that I felt it was an entertaining and worthwhile enough for analogy.
For far too long, the Holy Spirit has been treated with less significance than the other two-thirds of the trinity.
Yet, that is Biblically and doctrinally false.
Our Christian creeds teach us that the three persons of the Trinity are all unique personalities and, at the same time, are completely of the same substance...
meaning that none of the three persons of the trinity can be seen as less God than any other.
Thus the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are equally God and there could not be God apart from the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
That is who God has revealed Godself to be.
We can all acknowledge that it is hard to fully grasp the Christian Godhead.
Like the kids in the sketch, we try to understand the Holy Spirit by grasping what he does.
For instance, clowns make funny faces. They also slip on banana peels and get cream pies thrown in their faces;
however, those things aren’t what make Homey the type of clown he is.
Not at all. Homey was at one time like every one of those kids at the birthday party, looking wide-eyed with excitement at what fun the party would be.
Except that, as he grew up, Homey realized that his reality didn’t afford him the same life it afforded others.
He didn’t make it to college.
His path led him to the streets, to prison and to a criminal record.
Homey knows people want a fun-loving, less-than-human, laughin’ clown to cheer them up...
But what they don’t know is that..Homey don’t play that!
Like Homey, if we reduce the Holy Spirit down to a specific function, we don’t have the Holy Spirit in full.
For instance, we may have a companion however,
is that all that the Holy Spirit is?
What about the advocate and protector who sustains the Christian life?
The fact is that the Holy Spirit is more than a job or a function;
however, the Holy Spirit is the presence of God with us and
it is that reality that will help us to know what the Holy Spirit plays as well as
when the Spirit don’t play that!!!
WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS
WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS
Let’s follow the sketch and see what Scripture says that the Spirit don’t play...
The Spirit don’t play favorites...
The Spirit don’t play excuses
The Spirit don’t make fun
The Spirit don’t tear down
What we do know about the Spirit is that Jesus was sending the Holy Spirit
as our advocate and our helper.
The Spirit is linked to both the Father and the Son
in passages such as 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:4-5; Matthew 28:19.
We also know that the Holy Spirit has Transformative power
The Holy Spirit empowers us to minister to others (through prophecy, healing, witnessing, preaching, and the other gifts of the Spirit), and...
The Holy Spirit gives us the foretaste of the future.
It is the Holy Spirit that works Sanctification into our lives,
perfecting us in God’s love.
The Holy Spirit enters into anyone who is open to God’s guidance, and those who are become heirs to Christ’s glory;
however, as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:17: “...if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering” (NLT).
Brother Paul’s words on what kinship with God means is very insightful, actually.
To share in God’s glory means to share in Christ’s suffering.
How could that be?
Our very asking of that question betrays our sinfulness.
We think we are entitled to avoid suffering since Christ suffered;
however, to truly be akin to Christ, one must also be akin to his self-sacrificial love as well.
This is was what Rev. Dietrich Bonhoeffer opened his book The Cost of Discipleship with:
“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.
Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.
It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.
Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.” - Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship (pp. 44-45). Touchstone. Kindle Edition.
What Bonhoeffer was articulating was exactly what Paul wrote in our Scripture today,
God’s grace is free...and one is free to accept it and share in God’s glory
...but make no mistake, it will cost you.
In order to share in Christ’s glory, one must also share in Christ’s suffering.
No pain...no gain.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
Have you found yourself called to serve Christ
and either you have no clue what you’re called to,
or you you know what you’re calling is and you’re afraid to answer it.
Regardless, the Holy Spirit says...”I don’t think so! Spirit don’t play that!
I am the Spirit of the most High God.
I hovered over the deep, I have filled the upper rooms of houses
and the inner chambers of human hearts.
I, God, the Holy Spirit know my plan for you and will guide you there.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US
No matter what your demographical make up is,
your congregation is called to serve your local community
and it is called to make disciples of those in your local community as well.
WE MAY BE THINKING:
WE MAY BE THINKING:
“...But we’re too old” or “...that’s why we need more younger families”...
THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYS: “I don’t think so...Spirit don’t play that!”
WE MAY BE THINKING:
WE MAY BE THINKING:
“...But God, that’s the pastor’s job”
or “I have other things I need to do”
THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYS “I don’t think so...Spirit don’t play that!”
WE MAY BE THINKING:
WE MAY BE THINKING:
...”But Lord, I am not worthy. I’m just a human”
or “I’m not any good at that”
THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYS...“Oh stop it! Spirit don’t play that!”
Let’s be truthful, we have a lot of excuses as to why we “can’t” put the work in.
Furthermore, Biblical truth reveals that all people called by God have had such excuses...
but the Holy Spirit doesn’t do excuses.
Rather, the spirit points us in the direction God knows we CAN go...
we only make excuses to deny our call out of fear.
Each attempt at denial,
each willingness to settle for the self-fulfillment comfort club,
each push toward apathetic complacency leads us to holy rebuke, “The Spirit don’t play that!”
God Created us!
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God created us and we were created in God’s image.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...the Holy Mystery...
is the One, true, God and we are called to be united to the TRIUNE GOD!
There is no room for excuses or for “cheap grace”, the SPIRIT DON’T PLAY THAT.
JUSTICE, MERCY, HUMILITY, DISCIPLESHIP:
”The Spirit plays that”...and we are being challenged to as well.
HOW IS THE SPIRIT CALLING YOU TO SERVE?
Email us at newtonumc07860@gmail.com...
or bring in your answer on June 6th and place in prayer basket. Amen? Amen.