If there is one fruit of the spirit that God is anxious for us to experience today it is His peace. In the midst of so much uncertainty and anxiety in the world, God does not want us to be burdened, stressed out and afraid, God wants us to experience lasting peace. In John 14 we find Jesus getting ready to leave his disciples and he knows that they are going to experience some difficult times and what Jesus wants his disciples to know is that during this time of uncertainty they do not need to be worried or afraid because the peace of God would be there for them. Jesus was giving it to them as a gift. Before Jesus leaves his disciples, he says, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you, I do not give to as the world gives, so do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. I believe this is what God still says to us today, My peace I give to you and I don’t give as the world gives, so do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Now one of the first things we notice about the peace God offers is that it is different from anything and everything the world has to offer. Any help the word offers during stressful times will be temporary, it might help for a day or two, a week or two or even longer, but in the long run, it will not last. Any peace offered to us by the world will not hold up when things get more difficult, but God’s peace will. God’s peace not only holds up under pressure - it lasts forever. More than any other fruit of the Spirit, it is the peace of God that Jesus wanted his disciples to experience and we see that not just because it was the gift Jesus gave before he was crucified, it is also the first gift given when Jesus appears after his resurrection. When Jesus first appears to his disciples on that resurrection day, his first words are, Peace be with you. Of all the things that Jesus could have said at that moment, he chose to offer them the gift of peace, not once, but twice. Jesus wants his disciples then, and God wants us today to experience the blessing of peace.
But what is this peace? The Old Testament word for peace is the Hebrew word Shalom which doesn’t mean the absence of conflict, it means fullness or being complete, and the New Testament word for peace is the Greek word Eirene which means unity and harmony in a relationship. In this case peace means being one with God. So the kind of peace we are talking about is not the absence of war, it is the fullness of God that comes when we are one with God. This peace with God or fullness of God is made possible through Jesus. In Colossians 1:20 it says it is through Jesus that God reconciled to himself all things, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. It is through the blood of Jesus, or the death and resurrection of Jesus, that we experience peace with God. It is the sacrifice of Jesus, his blood shed on the cross, that brings us into a right relationship with God so we can experience God’s fullness, and if the fullness of God’s power and love is at work within us, then there really is nothing for us to fear or be anxious about. If God is for us and if God is with us and the power of God is within us, then we can experience God’s peace because we can overcome all things. Romans 8:31-39.
So the peace God wants for us is found when we know that the fullness of God brings God’s power and strength into our lives to help us in times of need. A great example of what this peace looks like is found in Mark 4:35-41.
So in the midst of a raging storm we find Jesus sleeping peacefully. He is not worried about the storm or anxious about the waves. Even as water crashed down upon them and fills the boat in which they are sailing, Jesus is so peaceful that he is sleeping in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow. I love how Mark adds the detail of the pillow because it drives home this image of Jesus at peace even as the storms rage around him. But how can Jesus be so calm and unafraid in the midst of a dangerous storm? Where does this peace come from? Jesus is at peace because he is full of God and he knows that with God’s fullness comes God’s power. Jesus knows that with just a word he can command the wind and the waves to stop. Because Jesus is full of God spirit he is also full of God’s power and it is that power that brings Jesus confidence or peace even in the midst of a storm.
Now the power of God working in us may not calm the actual wind and waves, but the power of God can calm our hearts and minds when we face difficult situations. When we struggle through economic uncertainty or the loss of a job, we can be at peace because we know the power of God will be working to provide for our needs. When we face problems in relationships, we do not need to be troubled or afraid because the power of God is at work bringing opportunities for reconciliation and restoration. When we face the uncertainty of sickness and disease, the fullness of God gives us the power to walk through those times with strength because we know that God will bring healing and wholeness into our lives. It may not come the way we want, or at the time we want, or even in this world, but we know that the power and the love of God brings wholeness and life.
So God’s peace comes when we understand that the power of God is available to us, but God’s peace also comes when we know that our future is securely in God’s hands. We can see this from another peaceful moment in the life of Jesus. Mark 14:32-42.
While the picture we see of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane is actually one full of anxiety and stress, the peace we see in Jesus comes from this moment forward. As soon as Jesus gets up from his time of prayer we see a man at peace – from this moment on Jesus is never anxious or afraid. As we follow Jesus during the last 12 hours of his life, we see that he never loses his cool and he never appears worried. When he is betrayed by his friend – Jesus doesn’t get upset. When he is unjustly accused at his trial Jesus isn’t worried. When he is beaten and flogged for crimes he didn’t commit, and then nailed to the cross he never seems burdened o afraid. The picture we get of Jesus during his final hours is of a man who is not troubled or afraid and the reason Jesus experiences such peace is because he knows that no matter what happens to him, his future is secure in the hands of God. Jesus knows there will be a resurrection so it doesn’t matter what happens around him.
I think we learn two important lessons about peace from this story of Jesus in the garden. The first is that we can experience God’s peace if we will remember that God has our future securely in his hands and if we remember that God’s future for us is always good. Jesus knew that the final outcome of the cross was going to be an empty tomb, a resurrection. Several times Jesus said that he would be crucified but then rise again in three days. Jesus knew that death would not have the final say and so he could be at peace even as he carried the cross and breathed his last breath. No matter what situation Jesus found himself in, from the storms of the sea to carrying a cross, Jesus could be at peace because he knew that his future was in God’s hands and he knew that God always gets the victory.
If our faith and trust is in God, then we will also get the victory. Isn’t that what we heard from Romans 8? There is nothing can separate us from the love God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The final outcome of sickness, unemployment, broken relationships, shattered dreams, the grip of addictions, the fear of failure, even death itself is that we will be with God forever. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Nothing can separate us from the eternal life that is ours through Jesus Christ. As long as we keep our faith and trust in God, as long as we remain connected to the vine, we can be confident and secure that our future is in God’s hands, and God always gets the final victory. Things may not happen the way we think they should, or the way we want them to, but in the end, God always wins and if our faith and trust is in God, we will win as well.
One of the great things about our faith is that we know the final outcome. We can turn to the end of the book and see that in all things God really does win. Look at Rev. 21:3-7 and Rev. 22:1-5. In the end – God wins. There are battles that come, difficult times to endure and hardships to suffer through, but in the end, God is victorious and so are we. Because Jesus knew that God had the final victory over death, he was able to be at peace even as he hung on a cross and died. If we will remember that God has the final victory in our own lives then no matter what we go through, we can also experience God’s peace, a peace that passes our understanding, a peace that the world will never understand, and peace that will last all the way through eternity.
Now just so you don’t think this kind of peace is only reserved for Jesus, let’s look a story about one of the disciples who also experienced this powerful peace of God. In Acts 12 we find Peter being held as a prisoner after being arrested by King Herod. Herod had already executed James, the brother of John, and he now was planning on killing Peter. Peter was chained up between two guards waiting for his trial and execution, and if it had been me, I would have been a little bit troubled, but listen to what it says about Peter. Acts 12:6-7.
Peter is not only facing the greatest danger of his life, but certainly being chained between two guards can not be the most comfortable place to be, and yet here is Peter sound asleep. In fact, he is so peaceful that when the angel of the Lord comes in all of his power, the light and the glory of heaven doesn’t even wake Peter, the angel has to strike Peter on the side to wake him up – did you notice that? Again what a great little detail to add to the story. Just like Jesus sleeping with his head on pillow, this detail is given to shows us just how peaceful Peter is. Peter is so calm and confident that he is able to sleep even with his execution looming in front of him. Just like Jesus, Peter is confident in God’s power and he knows that no matter what happens his future is secure in God’s hands. This is the kind of peace that is available to us no matter what we are going through and it come, the power of God and the assurance that God has our victorious future in his hands, comes when we stay connected to God and allow God’s spirit to flow through us.
If we aren’t experiencing this kind of peace in our lives today, how can we get it? How do we stay connected to God in such a way that this fruit of the spirit will develop and mature in our hearts and lives? The answer comes by going back to the story of Jesus in the garden. What is it that Jesus is doing before he comes to a place of deep and abiding peace? What is Jesus doing that calms his heart and gives his life focus? He is praying.
Prayer is the key to experiencing God’s peace because prayer helps us stay connected to God and as we stay connected to God, as we stay in relationship with God, God’s power in us grows. Prayer also reminds us that God is in control of our lives and God always brings us victory. So prayer is the key to experiencing God’s peace, which is what the prophet Isaiah said. Look at Isaiah 26:3-4.
Perfect peace comes when we hold steadfast to the power of God and that happens during times of prayer. During his own time of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was holding steadfast to the power of God and the end result was Gods peace. Looking to God in prayer and trusting that God’s strength will be there when we need it is the key to finding a peace that will last. So let us find God’s peace for our lives, let us hold steadfast to the power of God and remember that with God there is always victory and life.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Fruit of the Spirit ~ Love
Today as we begin to explore the fruit of God’s spirit, we need to remember that the underlying principle for this fruit to develop in our lives is to stay connected to God. We’re going to hear this again and again in the weeks to come because the truth is we do not produce this fruit through our own strength and power, this Christ-like character will only develop in us if we abide in Christ and as we allow the word of God to dwell within us. When we do this, however, our lives will produce the fruit of God’s spirit, and our lives will look more and more like the life of Jesus.
Now the first fruit Paul mentions here is love, and it is no accident that love comes first. In many ways love has to be the first fruit because love is the foundation upon which everything else is built. Kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness all flow out of love, both our love for God and our love for others. True joy comes when we understand all that God’s love has done for us, and the peace that it talks about here is a peace that comes when we know God’s love is with us. Love has to come first because all the rest of the fruit flows from love, but it also comes first because first and foremost God is love. Look at 1 John 4:8. If God is love and the spirit of God dwells in our lives and shapes our hearts, then the first thing we are going to become is more loving.
But let’s be clear about what kind of love we are talking about. The word for love that Paul uses here is agape. In Greek, the language of the NT, there are three words most often used for love. There is eros which is the romantic kind of love which is based in our feeling and emotion. There is philia which is brotherly love, and then there is agape which is unconditional love. While both Eros and Philia are based in our emotions, and express the kind of love we have for people we like or those we have a strong attraction to and affection for, agape love has nothing to do with our emotions. Agape love is defined as a love that isn’t directed toward those we like, it gives itself for the welfare of all. Agape love looks for opportunities to do good to everyone. Agape love is unconditional in the sense that does not depend upon how we feel about the persons or the circumstances that surround – agape love simply gives. It’s a love that serves. Now as you can probably guess, the word for love that is used here in Galatians 5 is agape. The kind of love God produces in us is an unconditional love that serves the needs of others – it willingly sacrifices for the well being of others. It makes sense that this is the kind of love that develops within us as we stay connected to God because this is the kind of love that God is. Again, look at 1 John 4:7-13.
The word for love used again and again in this passage to talk about God is agape and we see this agape love in God when we look at the gift of his son Jesus. God loved us so much that he sent his son into this world so that we might live (9) and God sent his son Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for sin. In other words, God sent Jesus to live for us and die for us so that we might live. Now did we deserve this? No, but God’s love is unconditional and it is this unconditional love that will develop in us as we stay connected to God. I think this is what John is saying when he says that everyone who loves is born of God – in other words we draw our live from God. John goes on to say that if we love one another it’s because God lives in us and his loves is perfected in u (12). Again, the only way we can love is if we are allowing the love of God to dwell within us, and the only way we can sustain this loving attitude that will shape every action of our lives is by staying connected to God, the one who is love.
So God is love, and God is the source of our love, but God is also the motivation for our love, look at 4:11. We don’t love others just because God is producing that quality of character within us; we also choose to love at times because we are thankful for all that God has done for us. In many ways, the first step to becoming more loving is to acknowledge and accept God’s love for us. Knowing that God loves us is the one truth that changes our lives. God’s love can set us free from guilt and shame. God’s love can give shape and purpose to our lives. God’s love gives us an ultimate sense of value and worth. And really, nothing else in our faith makes any sense unless we understand that God loves.
The good news for us is that God’s love for us is agape, which means that it is unconditional and therefore it has nothing to do with our actions, behaviors, or the attitude of our hearts. God loves us when we fail. God loves us when se stumble into sin. God loves us when we walk into sin. It’s not that God likes it when we do that, but God’s love is unconditional so it doesn’t change when we do stumble and fall. God doesn’t love us more when we are good and less when we are bad, God loves us unconditionally and fully each and every day, and accepting that love can change everything.
So no matter who we are today, no matter where we have come from or what we have done, God loves us and there is nothing we can do change that. We can reject God’s love, or we can accept it today and allow it to dwell in our hearts and lives to bring forgiveness and hope and the power we need to love others. If we want to be more loving then we must first accept God’s love for ourselves and then begin to rest and abide everyday in that love.
So God is love, God is the source of love and God is the motivation for our love, but God also gives us the example of what love looks like, look at 1 John 3:16. Jesus laid down his live for us, and there it is – that’s it. That’s agape love. At its core, agape love is sacrificial and it has to be because it is unconditional. We don’t just love others when it is convenient and fits our schedules, we don’t love others when we know we will get something in return and we don’t love others because we like them, we are called to love others all the time – even when it is painful and difficult and requires us to sacrifice.
The author Dave Simmons shows us what this love can look like today in a story he tells about taking his 2 children to Sears one Saturday. His daughter Helen was 8 and his son Brandon was 5 and when the arrived at the mall the children immediately noticed that a petting zoo had been set up in the parking lot. Seeing all the baby animals filled Helen and Brandon with so some much excitement that Dave decided to let them visit the zoo while he went into to look at tools. He gave each of his children a quarter and then went into the store. After a few minutes he realized that his daughter Helen was behind him and at first he thought how great it was that she wanted to spend time with him instead of all the little baby animals, but that thought quickly faded when he saw the look into Helen’s eyes.
When Dave asked his daughter what was wrong, Helen said sadly, "Well, Daddy, the petting zoo cost 50 cents. So, I gave Brandon my quarter." And then she repeated their family motto. The motto of the Simmons family is, "Love is action!”, and for years Helen had heard that motto from her parents and seen it lived out in how they treated each other, but now she was making the family motto her own. Helen had given Brandon her quarter, and as Dave said, no one loved cuddly furry creatures more than Helen.
Dave went on to say, “Now what do you think I did? Well, not what you might think. As soon as I finished my errands, I took Helen to the petting zoo and we stood by the fence and watched Brandon go crazy petting and feeding the animals. Helen stood with her hands and chin resting on the fence and just watched Brandon. I had 50 cents burning a hole in my pocket; I never offered it to Helen, and she never asked me for it, because she knew the whole family motto. It wasn’t just, "Love is action." It was, "Love is sacrificial action!" Love always pays a price. Love always costs something. Love is expensive. Love gives without thinking about any payment or reward. Helen gave her quarter to Brandon and I wanted to follow through with her lesson, Dave said. She knew she had to taste the sacrifice. She wanted to experience the total family motto. Love is sacrificial action.
Now I have to tell you that I really struggled when I read that story because I wanted Helen to be able to play with the animals, and the thought of her with her chin on the fence watching her brother have all the fun just about breaks my heart, but the more I thought about the story the more I realized that what she experienced in that moment was so much more valuable because she was experiencing what it truly means to love someone else. And think about this, as she was expressing the love of God in those moments, we also know she was experiencing the love of God herself because the only way she could have given so freely was because the fruit of God’s spirit was working in her. The only way we can truly love others is if God dwells within us.
The example of God, the example of Jesus and the example of Helen shows us that true agape love is sacrificial because it always places the needs and the lives of others before our own and when we reach out in love to others, it will cost us something – but when we do reach out in love, when we are able to love like Jesus loves – then we know the spirit of God is at work within us and really, what can be more valuable and important and life giving than that.
Now the first fruit Paul mentions here is love, and it is no accident that love comes first. In many ways love has to be the first fruit because love is the foundation upon which everything else is built. Kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness all flow out of love, both our love for God and our love for others. True joy comes when we understand all that God’s love has done for us, and the peace that it talks about here is a peace that comes when we know God’s love is with us. Love has to come first because all the rest of the fruit flows from love, but it also comes first because first and foremost God is love. Look at 1 John 4:8. If God is love and the spirit of God dwells in our lives and shapes our hearts, then the first thing we are going to become is more loving.
But let’s be clear about what kind of love we are talking about. The word for love that Paul uses here is agape. In Greek, the language of the NT, there are three words most often used for love. There is eros which is the romantic kind of love which is based in our feeling and emotion. There is philia which is brotherly love, and then there is agape which is unconditional love. While both Eros and Philia are based in our emotions, and express the kind of love we have for people we like or those we have a strong attraction to and affection for, agape love has nothing to do with our emotions. Agape love is defined as a love that isn’t directed toward those we like, it gives itself for the welfare of all. Agape love looks for opportunities to do good to everyone. Agape love is unconditional in the sense that does not depend upon how we feel about the persons or the circumstances that surround – agape love simply gives. It’s a love that serves. Now as you can probably guess, the word for love that is used here in Galatians 5 is agape. The kind of love God produces in us is an unconditional love that serves the needs of others – it willingly sacrifices for the well being of others. It makes sense that this is the kind of love that develops within us as we stay connected to God because this is the kind of love that God is. Again, look at 1 John 4:7-13.
The word for love used again and again in this passage to talk about God is agape and we see this agape love in God when we look at the gift of his son Jesus. God loved us so much that he sent his son into this world so that we might live (9) and God sent his son Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for sin. In other words, God sent Jesus to live for us and die for us so that we might live. Now did we deserve this? No, but God’s love is unconditional and it is this unconditional love that will develop in us as we stay connected to God. I think this is what John is saying when he says that everyone who loves is born of God – in other words we draw our live from God. John goes on to say that if we love one another it’s because God lives in us and his loves is perfected in u (12). Again, the only way we can love is if we are allowing the love of God to dwell within us, and the only way we can sustain this loving attitude that will shape every action of our lives is by staying connected to God, the one who is love.
So God is love, and God is the source of our love, but God is also the motivation for our love, look at 4:11. We don’t love others just because God is producing that quality of character within us; we also choose to love at times because we are thankful for all that God has done for us. In many ways, the first step to becoming more loving is to acknowledge and accept God’s love for us. Knowing that God loves us is the one truth that changes our lives. God’s love can set us free from guilt and shame. God’s love can give shape and purpose to our lives. God’s love gives us an ultimate sense of value and worth. And really, nothing else in our faith makes any sense unless we understand that God loves.
The good news for us is that God’s love for us is agape, which means that it is unconditional and therefore it has nothing to do with our actions, behaviors, or the attitude of our hearts. God loves us when we fail. God loves us when se stumble into sin. God loves us when we walk into sin. It’s not that God likes it when we do that, but God’s love is unconditional so it doesn’t change when we do stumble and fall. God doesn’t love us more when we are good and less when we are bad, God loves us unconditionally and fully each and every day, and accepting that love can change everything.
So no matter who we are today, no matter where we have come from or what we have done, God loves us and there is nothing we can do change that. We can reject God’s love, or we can accept it today and allow it to dwell in our hearts and lives to bring forgiveness and hope and the power we need to love others. If we want to be more loving then we must first accept God’s love for ourselves and then begin to rest and abide everyday in that love.
So God is love, God is the source of love and God is the motivation for our love, but God also gives us the example of what love looks like, look at 1 John 3:16. Jesus laid down his live for us, and there it is – that’s it. That’s agape love. At its core, agape love is sacrificial and it has to be because it is unconditional. We don’t just love others when it is convenient and fits our schedules, we don’t love others when we know we will get something in return and we don’t love others because we like them, we are called to love others all the time – even when it is painful and difficult and requires us to sacrifice.
The author Dave Simmons shows us what this love can look like today in a story he tells about taking his 2 children to Sears one Saturday. His daughter Helen was 8 and his son Brandon was 5 and when the arrived at the mall the children immediately noticed that a petting zoo had been set up in the parking lot. Seeing all the baby animals filled Helen and Brandon with so some much excitement that Dave decided to let them visit the zoo while he went into to look at tools. He gave each of his children a quarter and then went into the store. After a few minutes he realized that his daughter Helen was behind him and at first he thought how great it was that she wanted to spend time with him instead of all the little baby animals, but that thought quickly faded when he saw the look into Helen’s eyes.
When Dave asked his daughter what was wrong, Helen said sadly, "Well, Daddy, the petting zoo cost 50 cents. So, I gave Brandon my quarter." And then she repeated their family motto. The motto of the Simmons family is, "Love is action!”, and for years Helen had heard that motto from her parents and seen it lived out in how they treated each other, but now she was making the family motto her own. Helen had given Brandon her quarter, and as Dave said, no one loved cuddly furry creatures more than Helen.
Dave went on to say, “Now what do you think I did? Well, not what you might think. As soon as I finished my errands, I took Helen to the petting zoo and we stood by the fence and watched Brandon go crazy petting and feeding the animals. Helen stood with her hands and chin resting on the fence and just watched Brandon. I had 50 cents burning a hole in my pocket; I never offered it to Helen, and she never asked me for it, because she knew the whole family motto. It wasn’t just, "Love is action." It was, "Love is sacrificial action!" Love always pays a price. Love always costs something. Love is expensive. Love gives without thinking about any payment or reward. Helen gave her quarter to Brandon and I wanted to follow through with her lesson, Dave said. She knew she had to taste the sacrifice. She wanted to experience the total family motto. Love is sacrificial action.
Now I have to tell you that I really struggled when I read that story because I wanted Helen to be able to play with the animals, and the thought of her with her chin on the fence watching her brother have all the fun just about breaks my heart, but the more I thought about the story the more I realized that what she experienced in that moment was so much more valuable because she was experiencing what it truly means to love someone else. And think about this, as she was expressing the love of God in those moments, we also know she was experiencing the love of God herself because the only way she could have given so freely was because the fruit of God’s spirit was working in her. The only way we can truly love others is if God dwells within us.
The example of God, the example of Jesus and the example of Helen shows us that true agape love is sacrificial because it always places the needs and the lives of others before our own and when we reach out in love to others, it will cost us something – but when we do reach out in love, when we are able to love like Jesus loves – then we know the spirit of God is at work within us and really, what can be more valuable and important and life giving than that.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Fruit of the Spirit ~ Introduction
In Galatians 5:22 the apostle Paul says that the fruit of God’s spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. What Paul is saying is that these are the qualities of character that we as followers of Jesus should reflect in our lives, and my guess is that most of us want to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. The question isn’t whether we want this kind of character, the question is how do we develop it and how do we let it take hold in our lives and shape who we are each and every day? And what exactly does this fruit look like? What does it mean for us to be loving, kind or good?
These are some of the questions I want us to explore this summer as we look at what it means for us to develop the fruit of God’s spirit. Each week we will look at one of these character traits and explore how we can develop this fruit in our lives, but today I want us to look at the key to it all. There is one underlying principle that we need to keep in mind as we talk about developing the fruit of God’s spirit, and the key is this – we have to stay connected to God. While we need to be focused and intentional on developing a strong and Godly character in our lives, the source of the fruit, the strength to live a life that reflects the life of Jesus does not come from somewhere deep inside of us. We don’t become more loving and kind just because we decide to, or make the commitment to work hard at it. We reflect this fruit of God’s spirit by simply staying connected to God. The fruit of the spirit develops in our lives as we maintain a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is why Paul uses the image of fruit in the first place
Think about fruit for a moment. Fruit does not produce itself – it is formed by the branch as the branch stays connected to the vine. If you think about grapes – grapes don’t produce themselves, they emerge from the branch, and the branch doesn’t make them on their own, they just stay connected to the vine. All that the branch needs to produce fruit flows from the vine and as long as the branch stays connected to the vine, fruit will develop and ripen. If the branch is cut off from the vine however, it can not produce fruit. The branch can not produce fruit on its own – it has to stay connected to the vine, and we can not produce the fruit of God’s spirit on our own – we have to stay connected to the vine, which is Jesus Christ.
This is what Jesus is saying in John 15. If you remain in me and I in you – you will bear much fruit. But apart from me – you can do nothing. In other words, if we want our character to reflect that of Jesus, we have to stay connected to him, and if we set out and try to develop a Godly character on our own –we will fail. In his classic book on the Holy Spirit, Billy Graham says this same thing. As long as I strain and work to produce the fruit of the spirit from within myself, I will end up fruitless and frustrated. But as I abide in Christ – as I maintain a close, obedient, dependent relationship with him – God’s Holy Spirit works in my life, creating in me the fruit of the Spirit. Billy Graham goes on to say that this fruit doesn’t just suddenly appear overnight – wouldn’t it be nice if it did – but it doesn’t. It takes time for fruit to emerge and mature on the branches of a vine, and it will also take time for God’s spirit to produce fruit in our lives. It might take a lifetime for our lives to reflect the love and kindness and patience of Jesus – but as long as we stay connected to God and allow the Holy Spirit to dwell within us – the fruit will ripen and mature.
So the fruit of God’s spirit will develop within us as we stay connected to God, but this is not a passive process in which we do nothing – there are some ways we can work with God in the process. Look with me at Psalm 1:1-3.
Notice again that the image used here is that of a plant that stays connected to the source of life. Here it is a tree that is planted by a stream so its roots are able to draw all the water it needs for the leaves to develop and the fruit to ripen and mature. We see again the importance of staying connected to the source of life, which is God, but one of the specific ways the psalm tells us to do that is to stay connected to the word of God. Those who meditate on God’s law, or on God’s word day and night are like the trees planted by the streams of water.
God’s word has an important role in our staying connected to God. Jesus said the same thing in John 15:7 if you remain in my and my words remain in you – ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you. There seems to be a direct correlation between the place we give God’s word in our lives and the development of a Godly character. I’m not sure we can fully understand how it all works, but the Bible does say that God’s word is living and active so as we read it, meditate on it, study it, memorize it and apply it to our lives – it actively shapes who we are. I’m not sure it’s quite as simple as saying, if you want the fruit of the spirit in your life just read the Bible – but I think we can safely say that if we do not read God’s word – the fruit of God’s spirit will not develop. There is simply no getting around the importance of God’s word in the development of our faith and character.
While Psalm 1 shows us that we can help develop God’s character in our lives, it also say us that there are ways that hinder the development of God’s character in our lives. Look at Psalm 1:1-2.
What keeps the fruit of God’s spirit from developing in our lives is our disobedience and sin, and the reason for this is simple to see, it’s because sin cuts us off from God. Think back to the story of Adam and Eve, when they disobeyed God, the consequence of their actions was being separated from God, literally, they were kicked out of the garden. It’s no different for us. Our sin separates us from God & while there is forgiveness and grace which works to restore that relationship, ongoing sin in our lives means that the development of a Christ-like character will be slowed down.
A great example of this is pride. As long as we try to do things on our own and think that we can handle every situation that comes our way in our own wisdom, strength and power – God is not able to give us the help and strength we need. And it’s not just pride in our relationship with God, as long as we think we can live on our own and don’t need the help of others we cut off the help and support God can send our way through his people. Pride is like the branch cutting itself off from the vine because it thinks it can do everything on it’s own – it can’t. If we think we can do it all in our own strength and power and don’t allow the spirit of God to dwell within us – not only will we produce no fruit, but in time we will die. Paul says that ultimately the consequence of sin, or the consequence of being separated from God, is death.
Now I know you may be saying, “but we can’t live a sinless life” – believe me, I know – but the answer isn’t to be perfect. God doesn’t call us to be perfect; God calls us to confess our sin when we see it. There will be times when we find ourselves struggling with sin and if we leave that sin unchecked or un-confessed it will cut us off from the flow of God’s spirit and it will keep us from experiencing the life and the character God has for us, but once we confess our sin – not only will God’s forgiveness be there, but so will God’s help, and the Holy Spirit will flow through our lives and continue a process of transformation so that we will reflect more of God’s heart and life.
This process of identifying and confessing our sin is what Jesus calls pruning. In John 15:2 Jesus says, every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. In gardening, pruning is the process of cutting off parts of the branch so the branch can be more effective and produce more fruit. When God opens our eyes to our disobedience and sin and calls us to repent and change, he is cutting away parts of our lives that keep us from Him and keep us from being all God wants us to be. As we confess our sin and experience God’s forgiveness – the way is opened for God’s spirit to flow through us and we bear more fruit.
As we look at the fruit of the spirit over the next several weeks and learn what it means for us to be more and more like Jesus, we need to keep in mind that the key to the development of a Christ-like character is to stay connected to God through a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. So this morning I invite you to ask Christ to dwell in your hearts and lives. Maybe you have never asked Jesus into your life before – if not I invite you to do it today and begin to experience the power of God’s holy spirit work in you. Maybe you have never thought about living in a close personal relationship with Jesus day after day – if not I invite you to consider that way of life and see the transformation of your heart and life and character that will take place. Maybe you have been living in this relationship with Jesus for years and if so – that’s great, but let me tell you, there are ways we can all go deeper and allow the word of Christ to dwell in more ways and new ways in our heart and life. So wherever you are in your journey of faith, if you desire more of Jesus and more of Jesus life and more of God’s fruit in your life, then I invite you to confess the sin that separates us off God and simply ask Jesus to dwell in your heart and life. It really is that simple. If that is your desire, I invite you to pray with me.
God, we desire more of you in our lives. We want to experience more of your love, joy, peace. We want to be more patience, kind, good and we want hearts that will faithful, gentle and lives that are more self-controlled, so at this moment we ask you to enter into our lives with your power and grace and love. Forgive us for all the ways we try and live life on our own. Forgive our sin that separates us from you and by the power of your spirit help us to stay connected to you by allowing your word to dwell deep within us. Lord Jesus, enter into our hearts and lives this day. We yield our lives to you and ask you for your spirit to flow through our hearts and lives
These are some of the questions I want us to explore this summer as we look at what it means for us to develop the fruit of God’s spirit. Each week we will look at one of these character traits and explore how we can develop this fruit in our lives, but today I want us to look at the key to it all. There is one underlying principle that we need to keep in mind as we talk about developing the fruit of God’s spirit, and the key is this – we have to stay connected to God. While we need to be focused and intentional on developing a strong and Godly character in our lives, the source of the fruit, the strength to live a life that reflects the life of Jesus does not come from somewhere deep inside of us. We don’t become more loving and kind just because we decide to, or make the commitment to work hard at it. We reflect this fruit of God’s spirit by simply staying connected to God. The fruit of the spirit develops in our lives as we maintain a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is why Paul uses the image of fruit in the first place
Think about fruit for a moment. Fruit does not produce itself – it is formed by the branch as the branch stays connected to the vine. If you think about grapes – grapes don’t produce themselves, they emerge from the branch, and the branch doesn’t make them on their own, they just stay connected to the vine. All that the branch needs to produce fruit flows from the vine and as long as the branch stays connected to the vine, fruit will develop and ripen. If the branch is cut off from the vine however, it can not produce fruit. The branch can not produce fruit on its own – it has to stay connected to the vine, and we can not produce the fruit of God’s spirit on our own – we have to stay connected to the vine, which is Jesus Christ.
This is what Jesus is saying in John 15. If you remain in me and I in you – you will bear much fruit. But apart from me – you can do nothing. In other words, if we want our character to reflect that of Jesus, we have to stay connected to him, and if we set out and try to develop a Godly character on our own –we will fail. In his classic book on the Holy Spirit, Billy Graham says this same thing. As long as I strain and work to produce the fruit of the spirit from within myself, I will end up fruitless and frustrated. But as I abide in Christ – as I maintain a close, obedient, dependent relationship with him – God’s Holy Spirit works in my life, creating in me the fruit of the Spirit. Billy Graham goes on to say that this fruit doesn’t just suddenly appear overnight – wouldn’t it be nice if it did – but it doesn’t. It takes time for fruit to emerge and mature on the branches of a vine, and it will also take time for God’s spirit to produce fruit in our lives. It might take a lifetime for our lives to reflect the love and kindness and patience of Jesus – but as long as we stay connected to God and allow the Holy Spirit to dwell within us – the fruit will ripen and mature.
So the fruit of God’s spirit will develop within us as we stay connected to God, but this is not a passive process in which we do nothing – there are some ways we can work with God in the process. Look with me at Psalm 1:1-3.
Notice again that the image used here is that of a plant that stays connected to the source of life. Here it is a tree that is planted by a stream so its roots are able to draw all the water it needs for the leaves to develop and the fruit to ripen and mature. We see again the importance of staying connected to the source of life, which is God, but one of the specific ways the psalm tells us to do that is to stay connected to the word of God. Those who meditate on God’s law, or on God’s word day and night are like the trees planted by the streams of water.
God’s word has an important role in our staying connected to God. Jesus said the same thing in John 15:7 if you remain in my and my words remain in you – ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you. There seems to be a direct correlation between the place we give God’s word in our lives and the development of a Godly character. I’m not sure we can fully understand how it all works, but the Bible does say that God’s word is living and active so as we read it, meditate on it, study it, memorize it and apply it to our lives – it actively shapes who we are. I’m not sure it’s quite as simple as saying, if you want the fruit of the spirit in your life just read the Bible – but I think we can safely say that if we do not read God’s word – the fruit of God’s spirit will not develop. There is simply no getting around the importance of God’s word in the development of our faith and character.
While Psalm 1 shows us that we can help develop God’s character in our lives, it also say us that there are ways that hinder the development of God’s character in our lives. Look at Psalm 1:1-2.
What keeps the fruit of God’s spirit from developing in our lives is our disobedience and sin, and the reason for this is simple to see, it’s because sin cuts us off from God. Think back to the story of Adam and Eve, when they disobeyed God, the consequence of their actions was being separated from God, literally, they were kicked out of the garden. It’s no different for us. Our sin separates us from God & while there is forgiveness and grace which works to restore that relationship, ongoing sin in our lives means that the development of a Christ-like character will be slowed down.
A great example of this is pride. As long as we try to do things on our own and think that we can handle every situation that comes our way in our own wisdom, strength and power – God is not able to give us the help and strength we need. And it’s not just pride in our relationship with God, as long as we think we can live on our own and don’t need the help of others we cut off the help and support God can send our way through his people. Pride is like the branch cutting itself off from the vine because it thinks it can do everything on it’s own – it can’t. If we think we can do it all in our own strength and power and don’t allow the spirit of God to dwell within us – not only will we produce no fruit, but in time we will die. Paul says that ultimately the consequence of sin, or the consequence of being separated from God, is death.
Now I know you may be saying, “but we can’t live a sinless life” – believe me, I know – but the answer isn’t to be perfect. God doesn’t call us to be perfect; God calls us to confess our sin when we see it. There will be times when we find ourselves struggling with sin and if we leave that sin unchecked or un-confessed it will cut us off from the flow of God’s spirit and it will keep us from experiencing the life and the character God has for us, but once we confess our sin – not only will God’s forgiveness be there, but so will God’s help, and the Holy Spirit will flow through our lives and continue a process of transformation so that we will reflect more of God’s heart and life.
This process of identifying and confessing our sin is what Jesus calls pruning. In John 15:2 Jesus says, every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. In gardening, pruning is the process of cutting off parts of the branch so the branch can be more effective and produce more fruit. When God opens our eyes to our disobedience and sin and calls us to repent and change, he is cutting away parts of our lives that keep us from Him and keep us from being all God wants us to be. As we confess our sin and experience God’s forgiveness – the way is opened for God’s spirit to flow through us and we bear more fruit.
As we look at the fruit of the spirit over the next several weeks and learn what it means for us to be more and more like Jesus, we need to keep in mind that the key to the development of a Christ-like character is to stay connected to God through a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. So this morning I invite you to ask Christ to dwell in your hearts and lives. Maybe you have never asked Jesus into your life before – if not I invite you to do it today and begin to experience the power of God’s holy spirit work in you. Maybe you have never thought about living in a close personal relationship with Jesus day after day – if not I invite you to consider that way of life and see the transformation of your heart and life and character that will take place. Maybe you have been living in this relationship with Jesus for years and if so – that’s great, but let me tell you, there are ways we can all go deeper and allow the word of Christ to dwell in more ways and new ways in our heart and life. So wherever you are in your journey of faith, if you desire more of Jesus and more of Jesus life and more of God’s fruit in your life, then I invite you to confess the sin that separates us off God and simply ask Jesus to dwell in your heart and life. It really is that simple. If that is your desire, I invite you to pray with me.
God, we desire more of you in our lives. We want to experience more of your love, joy, peace. We want to be more patience, kind, good and we want hearts that will faithful, gentle and lives that are more self-controlled, so at this moment we ask you to enter into our lives with your power and grace and love. Forgive us for all the ways we try and live life on our own. Forgive our sin that separates us from you and by the power of your spirit help us to stay connected to you by allowing your word to dwell deep within us. Lord Jesus, enter into our hearts and lives this day. We yield our lives to you and ask you for your spirit to flow through our hearts and lives
Monday, June 1, 2009
Pentecost ~ The Gift of Courage
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples over a period of 40 days and during that time he not only assured them that he was indeed alive, he also promised to give them power from God. In Acts 1:8 we hear the final words of Jesus before he ascended into heaven. He said, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Jesus doesn’t just promise to give them power, he gives them power for a purpose. The power of God was going to come upon the disciples so that they could share the good news of God’s grace and love with others. They were going to be witnesses to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit they were going to call others to repent and believe that the transforming power of God could be work in their lives too. A week later, that is exactly what happened.
It was on the day of Pentecost, which was a Jewish festival that took place 50 days after Passover that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and filled them with power, and the power of the Holy Spirit is all over this story. They felt the power of the Holy Spirit as it came as a might rushing wind filling the whole house where they were sitting. They could see the power of the Holy Spirit when they look at each other and saw what appeared to be tongues of fire resting on each person and they could hear the power of the Holy Spirit as they being to talk about what is going on and realized that they don’t understand each other because they are all speaking in different languages. That’s power – they felt it in the wind, they saw it in the fire, and they heard it in the different languages, but it was power for a purpose because what they ended up talking about in all those different languages was the wonder and the work of God. Look at Acts 2:11.
What’s amazing to see here is how God has set this whole thing up. In Acts 1:4 Jesus told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, a gift that would help them share the good news about Jesus, and the reason God wanted them to stay in the city was because on the day of Pentecost there were going to be people from all over Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth right there in the city. People from all over were going to be in the city of the festival of Pentecost and so the disciples could witness to them without even leaving the city. Of course the problem with this plan was that the disciples didn’t speak all the languages of the people, but the Holy Spirit took care of that by giving the disciples the power to speak in other languages. So God has the disciples stay in the city where people from all over the world were going to be and then He gives them the power to share with these people the work of God seen in Jesus. Not only that, God then gives Peter the power to teach and preach and call people to repent, and he is so effective that by the end of his first sermon 3,000 people have given their hearts and lives to God and entered into the life of the church. The power of God is all over this story & we see clearly that the power was given for a purpose.
As we look at the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the disciples that day, we might think that the real gift was in the ability to speak in other languages, or maybe Peter’s amazing ability to teach and preach to the people, or the gift of organization and administration that helped bring 3,000 people into the life of the church. As amazing as these gifts are – the real gift of the Holy Spirit given to the disciples that day, the gift that changed their lives and the world around them - was the gift of courage.
Look at where this story begins. At the beginning of Acts 2 the disciples are together sitting in a room. It says the Holy Spirit filled the house where they were sitting, so they are inside. Earlier in Acts it says the disciples were meeting in the upper room and other places it talked about them meeting behind locked doors. So we find them inside and the reason they are inside is because they are afraid. They are afraid of the religious and political climate of the day and they are afraid of saying too much about Jesus for fear that they might be arrested, tried or beaten for their faith in the risen Jesus. But as soon as the Holy Spirit comes upon them notice where they end up – they are outside on the street. They are in a public place where their speaking in different languages draws a crowd. People from 15 different nations and areas are drawn to the scene because they each hear someone talking in their own language. Now while this ability to speak in other languages is a miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit, and while Peter’s ability to then teach these people about Jesus and call people to repent and believe are also gifts of the Holy Spirit – if it were not for the courage of the disciples to leave the upper room and move out onto the streets and to stand up in front of thousands to speak, the other gifts would be no good. So the real gift of God which changes the world is the gift of courage.
I believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit most needed by the church today is the gift of courage. Courage to step out in faith and do what God is calling us to do. Courage to begin a journey of faith that will help us become all that God is calling us to be. Too often when we talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit we only focus on the gifts listed in the New Testament. We talk about wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discernment, tongues and the interpretation of tongues, or we think about prophecy, pastoring, teaching, evangelism and service. While all of those are gifts given by the Holy Spirit – none of them means anything if we don’t have the courage to use them. The gift of the Holy Spirit which activates all the rest is the gift of courage, so let’s ask the spirit of God to fill us with courage today. Not courage to become powerful public figures, not even courage to become influential leaders, how about just asking God for the courage to become like children.
In Matthew 18:2, Jesus calls forward a little child and places him in the midst of all his disciples and he says, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The key to becoming the people God wants us to be is having the courage to become like a child. Think about the courage our children showed today. They stood up and shared their faith with us. They shared their gifts through music, songs and scriptures. They gave testimonies about what they have learned about God. They had the courage to welcome and greet people as the entered into worship. Think about the courage the children show us each week as they come forward for the children’s time. It’s hard to get adults to come forward and do anything, let alone talk and share about their faith and be involved in worship, but children are often eager to take part. We need to have the courage to step out like little children and embrace the simplicity of our faith, the joy of our faith, and like children we need to be fearless when people ask us to help out and be involved, like children, we can’t be afraid to fail.
Children not only have the courage to step out in faith and share their gifts and knowledge and questions and answers, they also seem to know better than we do what the right priorities are in life. Many times children don’t care about the rules of the game, or winning the game – they are just happy to play. Children show us the value of sharing and giving. They remind us to find the simply joy in life. If we are willing to listen and observe, we might learn from children how to make the decisions that honor the values of God’s kingdom. Listen to this story told by Bill Harley on NPR’s all thing considered.
Last year, my young son played T-ball… Needless to say, I was delighted when Dylan wanted to play… Now on the other team there was a girl I will call Tracy. Tracy came each week. I know, since my son’s team always played her team. She was not very good. She had coke bottle glasses and hearing aids on each ear. She ran in a loping, carefree way with one leg pulling after the other, one arm windmilling wildly in the air.
Everyone in the bleachers cheered for her, regardless of what team their progeny played for. In all the games I saw, she never hit the ball, not even close. It sat there on the tee waiting to be hit and it never was. Sometimes after ten or eleven swings, Tracy hit the tee and the ball would fall off the tee and sit on the ground six inches from home plate. “Run! Run!” yelled Tracy’s coach and Tracy would lope off to first clutching the bat in both arms smiling. Someone usually woke up and ran her down with the ball before she reached first. Everyone applauded.
The last game of the season, Tracy came up and through some fluke, or simply in a nod toward the law of averages, she creamed the ball. She smoked it right up the middle through the legs of 17 players. Kids dodged it as it went by or looked absentmindedly at it as it rolled unstopped, seemingly gaining speed, hoping over second base, heading into center field. Have I told you that there are no outfielders in t-ball? There are for three minutes in the beginning of every inning, but then they move into the infield to be closer to the action, or, at lest, to their friends.
Tracy hit the ball and stood at home, delighted. “Run!” yelled her coach. “Run!” All the parents, all of us, stood and screamed, “Run Tracy run, run!” Tracy turned and smiled at us, and then, happy to please, galumphed off to first. The first base coach waved his arms ‘round and ‘round when Tracy stopped at first. “Keep going, Tracy keep going! Go!” Happy to please, she headed to second. By the time she was halfway to second; seven members of the opposition had reached the ball and were passing it among themselves. It’s a rule in T-ball – everyone on the defending team has to touch every ball.
The ball began to make its long circuitous route toward home plate, passing from one side of the field to the other. Tracy headed to third. Adults fell out of the bleachers, “Go Tracy Go!” Tracy reached third and stopped, but the parents were very close to her now and she got the message. Her coach stood at home plate calling her as the ball passed over the first basemen’s head and landed in the fielding team’s empty dugout. “Come on Tracy! Come on baby! Get a home run!”
Tracy started for home, and then it happened. During the pandemonium, no one noticed the twelve year old geriatric mutt that had lazily settled itself down in front of the bleachers five feet from the third base line. As Tracy rounded third, the dog, awakened by the screaming, sat up and wagged its tail at Tracy as she headed down the line. The tongue hung out, mouth pulled back in an unmistakable canine smile, and Tracy stopped, right there. Halfway home, thirty feet from a legitimate home run.
She looked at the dog. Her coach called, “Come on, Tracy. Come on home!” He went to his knees behind the plate pleading. The crowd cheered, “Go Tracy Go!” She looked at all the adults, at her own parents shrieking and catching it all on video. She looked at the dog. The dog wagged its tail. She looked at her coach. She looked at home. She looked at the dog. Everything went into slow motion. She went for the dog! It was a moment of complete and stunned silence. And then, perhaps not as loud, but deeper, longer and more heartfelt, we all applauded as Tracy fell to her knees to hung the dog. Two roads diverged on a third base line. Tracy went for the dog. (story from Michael Yaconelli’s book Dangerous Wonder – one of the best books I have ever read!!)
How many of us would have had the courage to choose love over winning? How many of us would have had the courage to let go of all that the world says is important so that we can embrace the values of God’s kingdom. Children often have the courage to set the right priorities and they often have the boldness to step out and do the right thing. That’s the kind of courage we need today & this courage does not come from within us – it comes from the Holy Spirit, so as we celebrate Pentecost and remember that God has given us His power for his purposes, and today as we give thanks for the children God has placed before us– let us ask God to give us the gift of courage, a gift that if we use, can change the world because it will change us.
It was on the day of Pentecost, which was a Jewish festival that took place 50 days after Passover that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and filled them with power, and the power of the Holy Spirit is all over this story. They felt the power of the Holy Spirit as it came as a might rushing wind filling the whole house where they were sitting. They could see the power of the Holy Spirit when they look at each other and saw what appeared to be tongues of fire resting on each person and they could hear the power of the Holy Spirit as they being to talk about what is going on and realized that they don’t understand each other because they are all speaking in different languages. That’s power – they felt it in the wind, they saw it in the fire, and they heard it in the different languages, but it was power for a purpose because what they ended up talking about in all those different languages was the wonder and the work of God. Look at Acts 2:11.
What’s amazing to see here is how God has set this whole thing up. In Acts 1:4 Jesus told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, a gift that would help them share the good news about Jesus, and the reason God wanted them to stay in the city was because on the day of Pentecost there were going to be people from all over Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth right there in the city. People from all over were going to be in the city of the festival of Pentecost and so the disciples could witness to them without even leaving the city. Of course the problem with this plan was that the disciples didn’t speak all the languages of the people, but the Holy Spirit took care of that by giving the disciples the power to speak in other languages. So God has the disciples stay in the city where people from all over the world were going to be and then He gives them the power to share with these people the work of God seen in Jesus. Not only that, God then gives Peter the power to teach and preach and call people to repent, and he is so effective that by the end of his first sermon 3,000 people have given their hearts and lives to God and entered into the life of the church. The power of God is all over this story & we see clearly that the power was given for a purpose.
As we look at the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the disciples that day, we might think that the real gift was in the ability to speak in other languages, or maybe Peter’s amazing ability to teach and preach to the people, or the gift of organization and administration that helped bring 3,000 people into the life of the church. As amazing as these gifts are – the real gift of the Holy Spirit given to the disciples that day, the gift that changed their lives and the world around them - was the gift of courage.
Look at where this story begins. At the beginning of Acts 2 the disciples are together sitting in a room. It says the Holy Spirit filled the house where they were sitting, so they are inside. Earlier in Acts it says the disciples were meeting in the upper room and other places it talked about them meeting behind locked doors. So we find them inside and the reason they are inside is because they are afraid. They are afraid of the religious and political climate of the day and they are afraid of saying too much about Jesus for fear that they might be arrested, tried or beaten for their faith in the risen Jesus. But as soon as the Holy Spirit comes upon them notice where they end up – they are outside on the street. They are in a public place where their speaking in different languages draws a crowd. People from 15 different nations and areas are drawn to the scene because they each hear someone talking in their own language. Now while this ability to speak in other languages is a miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit, and while Peter’s ability to then teach these people about Jesus and call people to repent and believe are also gifts of the Holy Spirit – if it were not for the courage of the disciples to leave the upper room and move out onto the streets and to stand up in front of thousands to speak, the other gifts would be no good. So the real gift of God which changes the world is the gift of courage.
I believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit most needed by the church today is the gift of courage. Courage to step out in faith and do what God is calling us to do. Courage to begin a journey of faith that will help us become all that God is calling us to be. Too often when we talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit we only focus on the gifts listed in the New Testament. We talk about wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discernment, tongues and the interpretation of tongues, or we think about prophecy, pastoring, teaching, evangelism and service. While all of those are gifts given by the Holy Spirit – none of them means anything if we don’t have the courage to use them. The gift of the Holy Spirit which activates all the rest is the gift of courage, so let’s ask the spirit of God to fill us with courage today. Not courage to become powerful public figures, not even courage to become influential leaders, how about just asking God for the courage to become like children.
In Matthew 18:2, Jesus calls forward a little child and places him in the midst of all his disciples and he says, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The key to becoming the people God wants us to be is having the courage to become like a child. Think about the courage our children showed today. They stood up and shared their faith with us. They shared their gifts through music, songs and scriptures. They gave testimonies about what they have learned about God. They had the courage to welcome and greet people as the entered into worship. Think about the courage the children show us each week as they come forward for the children’s time. It’s hard to get adults to come forward and do anything, let alone talk and share about their faith and be involved in worship, but children are often eager to take part. We need to have the courage to step out like little children and embrace the simplicity of our faith, the joy of our faith, and like children we need to be fearless when people ask us to help out and be involved, like children, we can’t be afraid to fail.
Children not only have the courage to step out in faith and share their gifts and knowledge and questions and answers, they also seem to know better than we do what the right priorities are in life. Many times children don’t care about the rules of the game, or winning the game – they are just happy to play. Children show us the value of sharing and giving. They remind us to find the simply joy in life. If we are willing to listen and observe, we might learn from children how to make the decisions that honor the values of God’s kingdom. Listen to this story told by Bill Harley on NPR’s all thing considered.
Last year, my young son played T-ball… Needless to say, I was delighted when Dylan wanted to play… Now on the other team there was a girl I will call Tracy. Tracy came each week. I know, since my son’s team always played her team. She was not very good. She had coke bottle glasses and hearing aids on each ear. She ran in a loping, carefree way with one leg pulling after the other, one arm windmilling wildly in the air.
Everyone in the bleachers cheered for her, regardless of what team their progeny played for. In all the games I saw, she never hit the ball, not even close. It sat there on the tee waiting to be hit and it never was. Sometimes after ten or eleven swings, Tracy hit the tee and the ball would fall off the tee and sit on the ground six inches from home plate. “Run! Run!” yelled Tracy’s coach and Tracy would lope off to first clutching the bat in both arms smiling. Someone usually woke up and ran her down with the ball before she reached first. Everyone applauded.
The last game of the season, Tracy came up and through some fluke, or simply in a nod toward the law of averages, she creamed the ball. She smoked it right up the middle through the legs of 17 players. Kids dodged it as it went by or looked absentmindedly at it as it rolled unstopped, seemingly gaining speed, hoping over second base, heading into center field. Have I told you that there are no outfielders in t-ball? There are for three minutes in the beginning of every inning, but then they move into the infield to be closer to the action, or, at lest, to their friends.
Tracy hit the ball and stood at home, delighted. “Run!” yelled her coach. “Run!” All the parents, all of us, stood and screamed, “Run Tracy run, run!” Tracy turned and smiled at us, and then, happy to please, galumphed off to first. The first base coach waved his arms ‘round and ‘round when Tracy stopped at first. “Keep going, Tracy keep going! Go!” Happy to please, she headed to second. By the time she was halfway to second; seven members of the opposition had reached the ball and were passing it among themselves. It’s a rule in T-ball – everyone on the defending team has to touch every ball.
The ball began to make its long circuitous route toward home plate, passing from one side of the field to the other. Tracy headed to third. Adults fell out of the bleachers, “Go Tracy Go!” Tracy reached third and stopped, but the parents were very close to her now and she got the message. Her coach stood at home plate calling her as the ball passed over the first basemen’s head and landed in the fielding team’s empty dugout. “Come on Tracy! Come on baby! Get a home run!”
Tracy started for home, and then it happened. During the pandemonium, no one noticed the twelve year old geriatric mutt that had lazily settled itself down in front of the bleachers five feet from the third base line. As Tracy rounded third, the dog, awakened by the screaming, sat up and wagged its tail at Tracy as she headed down the line. The tongue hung out, mouth pulled back in an unmistakable canine smile, and Tracy stopped, right there. Halfway home, thirty feet from a legitimate home run.
She looked at the dog. Her coach called, “Come on, Tracy. Come on home!” He went to his knees behind the plate pleading. The crowd cheered, “Go Tracy Go!” She looked at all the adults, at her own parents shrieking and catching it all on video. She looked at the dog. The dog wagged its tail. She looked at her coach. She looked at home. She looked at the dog. Everything went into slow motion. She went for the dog! It was a moment of complete and stunned silence. And then, perhaps not as loud, but deeper, longer and more heartfelt, we all applauded as Tracy fell to her knees to hung the dog. Two roads diverged on a third base line. Tracy went for the dog. (story from Michael Yaconelli’s book Dangerous Wonder – one of the best books I have ever read!!)
How many of us would have had the courage to choose love over winning? How many of us would have had the courage to let go of all that the world says is important so that we can embrace the values of God’s kingdom. Children often have the courage to set the right priorities and they often have the boldness to step out and do the right thing. That’s the kind of courage we need today & this courage does not come from within us – it comes from the Holy Spirit, so as we celebrate Pentecost and remember that God has given us His power for his purposes, and today as we give thanks for the children God has placed before us– let us ask God to give us the gift of courage, a gift that if we use, can change the world because it will change us.
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