SOS School of the Spirit

It is with great excitement that I announce the start of our School of the Spirit to start in early March. It was through the leading of the Holy Spirit that I realised that such a school was needed to see the start of a new wave or even move of God's Spirit over this region where we live in the Blue Mountains.

I must confess that in recent years I have been rather disappointed and negative about the lack of genuine fruit and gifts of the Spirit being manifested in our gatherings. But rather continuing to be negative I now know that I need to repent and actually do something about it.

After my recent trip to Sweden and seeing how there is a real ground swell of people who are sincerely desiring to see God's Spirit move in a tangible way. And after reading a book on the development of the Pentecostal Revival in Europe and the Americas, I can now see that the only thing we must do is to hunger and thirst for his presence.

It is this hungering and thirsting which will bring the change, knowing that real change begins in us. Yes, corporate change does and will come when enough people come together who want the same thing, but change must firstly come to the individual.

I am therefore resolute in starting the change that is needed firstly in my own life and prayerfully in many more to come. I am reading and praying more in the Spirit and believing that my desiring for His presence will see a great move of God's Spirit to our region.

Please believe with me, even it is just for your own sake and life!

The School of the Spirit will be launched in a few weeks at Wycliffe Christian School, 133 Rickard Rd, Warrimoo NSW. Keep an eye on this space for the exact date or call 0421 372 384 for more information.

Map of Wycliffe Christian School Location

A New Year Sermon

Introduction – Paul is his life lived as one with a mission and objective in mind. Despite being beaten and bruised, ship wrecked and taken prisoner he encourages us in Philippians 3:13 to “press on towards the goal, the high calling we have in Jesus...” Whilst many of us at this time are busy breaking the New Year’s resolutions we made earlier, Paul was a man that would deny all things to serve in the Kingdom of our Lord.

As we examine Pauls life, whilst at first glance this statement may not sound so profound, however it really is amazing after experiencing beatings, stoning, shipwrecks and even now whilst writing to the church in Philippi, being imprisoned for his faith.

But this is no longer the man who at one time stood by and held the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen. See Acts 6

Paul makes this amazing statement in 2 Cor 4:7-12, where he says “7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”

What gave Paul this incredible fervour to carry on, to go the extra mile despite all that he experienced?

Not only did he experience hardship, but he had also given up so much of what many of us might call being comfortable. That is, his family, his position amongst leading Pharisees, his citizenship as a Roman...

What inspired Paul to Keep on Going?

Lovers of all things Jesus – the love of God compels us, but more so being in love with God should compels us.  Not because we should or have to, but because we are so in love that we can do no less.

Colossians 3:3 says Setting our hearts and eyes on him above rather than on things below. Having the mind of Christ...

Not just a lover of the written word, but of the Spoken word. Being one who was praying in the Spirit on all occasions. See Ephesians 6:18

Not Religious as we know it culturally today, rather as described in the bible.

Seekers of His Kingdom – His kingdom is the opposite of the worldly kingdom in which we live. Knowing his kingdom is within us, that we are His body and everything and everyone that we engage in this life we are able to bring His kingdom.

Matthew 6:33; Matt 5:10

When speaking to the disciples who wanted to know if they would be seated with him in heaven, Jesus says in Luke 11 that those who wish to be “first must be last” and again in Luke 9 Jesus says if anyone would come after me, “must deny himself, take up the cross and follow him.”

Led of the Holy Spirit –Romans 8 says being lead by his Spirit is what makes us into sons rather than staying us slaves.

Christ has bought us with the price of His blood.

The prodigal son came to realise that returning as a servant with a heart that was humbled, broken and repentant brought opportunity to live as a son in His father’s kingdom.

There is much symbolism in the story of the prodigal son, eg ring to trade in the fathers name; cloak is the authority the son has in different regions; shoes represent the ability to go much like Ephesians speaks about the shoes of readiness; the fatten calf speaks of the blessing.

The most power part however, of this story is the part that says “and the father saw him from afar off, ran to him and embraced him” speaking of the intimacy the father longs for between us and himself.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says???

As we move forward in the new year, one of the most powerful things we can possible do, is to obey the voice and leadings of the Holy Spirit.

Our old founding pastor, used to say “find out what Holy Spirit is doing and do that” because He will always make you look good.

The Lord commands Joshua in chapter three to “meditate on this word day and night” resulting in the Lord making him very successful. Joshua 3

I believe it is this closeness to the Spirit and obedience to him that brings genuine success in all that we do.

Conditions affecting the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2

Acts 2:1-10

As we read this scripture we could ask ourselves, what where the conditions that influenced the believers that perhaps saw the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them in such a mighty way. In looking at some of these conditions we are able to compare the conditions of our own time and perhaps wee how we might also see an outpouring like this in our time.

1.       The promise in scripture – As we read in Joel 2:28-29 we see that over 400 years earlier the prophecy came via Joel from the Lord to do such a work. Whilst we understand and know from scripture the Holy Spirit was already at work in virtually every aspect of creation through to the work of John the Baptist preceding Acts 2, this was a new baptism of the Spirit which would be available to all who ask, indeed from generation to generation. Jesus in turn confirmed this promise prior to his returning to the Father in Acts 1:8 commanding the disciples to “wait” for the promise of the Father.

2.       They were gathered – When individuals come together in the name of Jesus, we know from scripture such as Matt 18:19; 1 Cor 10:1 that something specials takes place. Firstly we know that when we do so, the Lord promises to be there “in the midst of us”. But also an opportunity arises where our faith is released and our talk and song is unified to create “sumfonio”. This is the word which comes from the Greek word for symphony and as scripture says when there is sumfonio “whatever we ask for from our heavenly Father” will be done.

3.       Expectation of the believers – Not only did the believers obey Jesus’ command to meet together for the promise of the Spirit but they came with an expectation and longing that the Lord was going to do something new with them, something out of the ordinanary. Heb 11:1 says that “Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.” When we exercise our faith and expect to see the Lord move mightily amongst us, I believe the Lord desires to move amongst us and bring about his will through us.

4.       Prayer of the believers according to Luke 11:9-10 – When we read this scripture we see what I believe is a culmination or building upon ideas. Firstly we see the need to seek and find, which is often done by the individual in their own strength. Secondly we see the need to pray which results in receiving requiring the person to be broken and therefore requiring help and a dependence of the Lord. Finally we read that we knock and the door is opened which is better understood in the original Greek which speaks of a desperation of the person where they know they cannot give up until the door is opened as they have no other options.

5.       Time to wait on the Spirit to move. Isa 40:31 – In this scripture we understand that we have no choice but to give the Spirit time to move when He is ready, not according to our program or schedule. Often, especially within the framework of the Pentecostal movement we have programmed our meetings in such a way that there often isn't room or time for the Holy Spirit to move upon people. However the Holy Spirit much like you and I in our own relationships desire to spend time with us, a time in which we are able to sense and feel his promptings. Just as when we are spending time with our spouses or family members, the Spirit of God wants with us. In the same way, we need not religiously over do our time with the Spirit. I have been in many meetings which simply drag on with no ending in sight as the leader was insensitive to know when the Spirit has moved.

6.       A longing to see the Kingdom of God – Matt 6:33; Matt5:6 Finally these scriptures show us that we need to lay down our own lives and desire to see the Lord’s will be done in our and through us. Eg. Heidi Baker where she says God’s Kingdom is the opposite to our own and we must be willing to do things His way rather than the worlds way. Just as Jesus says in Luke, we need to be willing to lay down our own lives, kingdoms, desires and plan for his plans to bear fruit in us. As John the Baptist said of Jesus we must also say "I must decress so that He may increase."

A Diagram of Church

The 21st Century Church - Part Two Being Christ Centred

For any Christian believer, it is imperative that their life and faith are centred around Christ and all that He has wrought on the cross. This is the subject that we ultimately term Christology and would have to be one of the most comprehensive subjects studied by scholars and students today. I will therefore not attempt to take into account all of the aspects of this study but simply wish to focus this short study on being Christ centred in our lives.

Paul and Peter alike encourage the body of Christ to “be holy” and go on to explain that holiness can only be compared to Him who is Holy that is The Lord God of Israel and every aspect of the Godhead including the Son who is the Christ.

Holiness therefore is not something that is obtained by action or even words but by being and being in particular in relationship with the Father through the works that Christ has wrought on the cross.

Often we attribute Christians to those people who attend a particular church or those who attend mass or observe other sacraments. Yet the book of James and Romans explains to us that it is neither by our works or indeed any actions of our own that give us our state or standing in Christ. It is being in Christ and having Christ in us that bring us to this place of Holiness.

What does it therefore mean to be in Christ? The book of Corinthians explains that we are seated in Christ in heavenly places, and indeed Christ himself rose to be seated at the right hand of the Father. Being in Christ is about understanding our state and our standing in him and that w in turn are with Christ in heavenly places.

Naturally the state of any individual is dynamic which fluctuates depending on our circumstances and situation, often we see the result of this in what we call conditional covenant. That is covenants or promises that were written between God the Father and His creation which came with certain conditions. An example of this can be seen in the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus explains “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” Often we think that God’s grace give us a “get out of jail” free card, that is Christ is always ready and willing to forgive us all our sins. Yet this promise comes with a condition that is that we in turn forgive others who sin against us this can be seen in a number of parables used.

Our Standing in Christ is static, that is unchanging and is the eternal hope that every Christian leans on to secure a future as promised by the Father. Once again this is based covenant, but this time on unconditional covenant as opposed to conditional. One such covenant can be seen in God’s promise to never again flood the earth and to continually remind us of this promise He gave us a sign which is the rainbow.

When we understand that we are seated with Christ and either live according to his conditional or unconditional promises we can than begin to live out in our own lives that which Christ wrought in us on the cross. Philippians encourages us to “live out our salvation with fear and trembling” and it is done with an understanding of who we are in Christ. Every blessing, privilege, position and reign that Christ upholds within himself can and should be for all who are in Christ.

The 21st Century Church - Part One

When we think about the church today, that is the Christian Church, there are many images that come to mind. Some see the church as an institution, one of values and standards and morals that is mostly out of touch with society. At least that’s how those not part of it often see it. Some will say the church is simply another organisation which adheres to a certain moral code, mainly existing to establish a social structure. In fact most people, because of the churches high profile in society, will have an opinion of the church. But the real question is how does God and in particular Jesus view his church?

When Jesus in Matthew 16:18 states to Peter previously known as Simon, and pronounces him Petrus meaning rock he declares “Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” This amazing declaration not only of Peter and the transformation of a weak and feeble fisherman into an immovable force but also the declaration of the church which Jesus would himself build as an unstoppable force to be reckoned with begins what has to be a different church than what we see today.

The early church not only was unstoppable but literally turned the known world upside down and scripture along with secular reports from writers such as Josephus tell us that thousands began flocking to the church or the movement as it was also known. Reports of people being healed by simply passing under the shadow of the disciples or being set free of demonic bondage by a spoken command was common practise. The church was on its way and yet this was merely the beginning and start of what God had planned for his bride in waiting.

And so two thousand years have passed and we the church of today must ask the question, are we who Christ intended us to be? Do we within the walls of our fine cathedrals and lofty office places portray the image of Christ in all that we do? Would Jesus, if walking amongst today, say “well done good and faithful servant” or would he cringe and turn away saying “I do not know you”. Although harsh and unthinkable to someone who knows of the incredible love that God has for his creation and especially his church, this must always be at the forefront of our hearts and minds in wanting to continually please God and not man.

It is this difficult question that I would like to ask, not only of the church as a whole but even as myself, a part of the incredible body of Christ on this earth. Knowing that He, Christ is returning to a bride that is “without spot or wrinkle” as scripture tells us.

The Responsibility of Leaders

As a leader within the church, it is often spoken about the influence we have over our congregations or greater audience. Indeed due to the very nature of our work it is easy to see how this influence can go to our heads and it is then and there that we often hear of leaders falling in shame.

But what is not often spoken of is the responsibility that leadership carries within the body of Christ. It is this responsibility that I have been examining as  I have studied scripture in recent days and in particular Malachi and the minor prophets.

The minor prophets, in my opinion, give incredible insight into God's reaction to man's sins whether they be of Israel, the greater community of believers and in particular those who are called to give leadership He has intrusted with care.

Throughout these books God gives his response to our wickedness and sinful ways, and whilst it is easy to say that Christ brought us a new way through our faith in Christ and all he did on the cross, a way which we would define as grace, we must also remember that sin carries consequences.

Just as James reminds us that "faith without works is dead", so too is grace without holiness. Over and over again we see the Lord both in the old and new testaments admonishing his people to "be holy as He is Holy". The message of grace that we often preach in Romans and elsewhere in scripture comes to us as a double edged sword that is grace gives us the ability to live and be holy. This message I believe has been distorted in recent years. We often see grace as a get out of jail free card which can be pulled at any moment when the sense of guilt and shame arise.

As leaders we have a responsibility to teach the whole word and truth as it appears and not sugar coat it so as to fill church pews and by it make ourselves look good. Indeed I believe this is the very message that Malachi brings to priests which could be interpreted to of those leading the church today.

Malachi chapter 1 speaks of blemished sacrifices and as we examine this scripture we immediately say "we are no longer under the old covenant but the new" and therefore these scriptures do not relate to us, especially if we are gentiles who have been grafted into the vine. Yet, I sense the warnings of Malachi are just as relevant today then when they were written.

Paul commends us to give ourselves as "living sacrifices" and it is during his time in Ephesus in particular that we see this workout in his life the most graphically as we read in Acts 18:18-23. It is here that Paul takes a vow and finally completes this vow by shaving off his facial hair and brings it to the temple as an offering.

The blemished sacrifices we read about in Malachi represent our response to our sin. As discussed earlier, we often sugar coat sin by waving the wand of grace and calling all good, but as we read in Malachi all sin carries consequence and all leadership carry the responsibility to ensure the church lives out their "salvation with fear and trembling" as Philippians indicates.

Leaders therefore carry a heavy responsibility to lead the church in righteousness, holiness and in such a way that sees The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit honoured and glorified. It is this role which I believe the Lord Jesus would call those who wish to serve the body as ministers back to. Remembering that in the last days only a remnant will remain.