Living by the Power of God

An introductory message to our new series by Phil Rogers 30/03/08

To listen to Phil's message click here mp3

As we open the Bible and begin to read we are immediately confronted with the living God, a being of unimaginable greatness and unfathomable power. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was formless and empty and the surface of the deep was in darkness and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” The second only reference to God is to the Holy Spirit of God. The idea behind the word ‘Spirit’ is an intangible and invisible force that has tangible and visible effects. What effects the invisible Spirit produced at each word of command - let there be - and there was!

After the the death and resurrection of Jesus he remained with them from 40 days before ascending into heaven. Having sat down at his Father’s right hand he poured out this very same Holy Spirit upon his expectant followers. A new age dawned - the age of the Spirit, a new era that had never been know before. Jesus was and still is the One who baptises people with his Holy Spirit and with fire. He said - “The wind blows wherever it wants, and you hear it’s sound but don’t know where it has come from and where it is going, so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - an intangible and invisible force that has tangible and visible effects. This is the main characteristic of the age of the Spirit. Where the Spirit is moving then we will see tangible and visible effects that can only be explained as “This is God!” This is the very essence of what it means to be ‘charismatic’. We believe in the charismata - the working of the Holy Spirit in such things as tongues, visions, prophecy and healing and deliverance.We desire to see the Spirit of God manifested in our midst whenever we meet together an intangible and invisible force that has tangible and visible effects. However we live in days when such manifestations are generally on the decline. A recent article in Christianity magazine, entitled ‘Hands Down’ investigates the decline of charismatic practices in UK churches. “public usage of the gifts has become rarer in many congregations.” The conclusion of the article is that “good leadership is the key to a sensible and growing use of the gifts, poor leadership seems to be key in seeing their decline.” There are churches today that ‘are using the gifts of the Holy Spirit more than ever while other have moved away from their charismatic roots.’ My desire is that while many around us are in decline we need more of the Holy Spirit who is this intangible and invisible force that has tangible and visible effects. Don’t we? If we are not living in the power of the Holy Spirit - all we have left is our own power! And that is not good enough. It never has been and it never will be!

So I want to give good leadership and that means teaching and encouraging us all to live in the power of God, using the tools of the Spirit’s manifestations as often as we need them, which is pretty much every day!! One of the observations about the early charismatic movement is that while believers were getting baptised with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues and discovering other manifestations of the Spirit, very few people were getting saved. It did not have the evangelistic impact that one might have hoped and expected. Today we are seeing a turn around in many of the most dynamic charismatic churches - with hundreds of people turning to the Lord. Numerical growth through conversions. This is the most notable tangible and visible effect of the Spirit working!

So what is going on from a spiritual point of view. How do we understand the times in which we live? Moses was a mere 80 years old when he encountered God and the power of the Spirit came on him and he freed God’s people from slavery in Egypt. There was never again a period of such supernatural manifestations of the Spirit’s power until Jesus came. “Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt... For no-one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” Deu 33:10-12. Jesus was the ‘prophet like Moses’ He delievered us by his death and resurrection from slavery to sin and Satan. But he wasn’t named Moses. He was given the name Joshua. Many NT people were named after OT characters. Mary is Miriam, Simon is Simeon, Jude and Judas is Judah, James is Jacob and Jesus is Joshua. Joshua (the LORD saves) was the one who brought God’s people into the promised land. Jesus saves us into a spiritual ‘land flowing with milk and honey’ he baptises us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Moses brought the slaves out of Egypt, but for the last forty years of his 120 year life, he led them round in circles in the wilderness. They had the miracles, but were going nowhere! Our Joshua - Jesus wants to lead us into the fulfilment of all his promises. Who wants to have miracles and spiritual gifts and wander round in circles? We want to see God’s Kingdom, his reign extending all around this area. There is land to be taken. lives to be changed, people to be saved. We want God’s manifest presence with us with his signs and wonders as we step out and possess the territory the Lord has given us - Ascot and beyond.

So in the coming months through to September we will be looking at the life of Joshua and then looking at the chapters in the NT dealing with spiritul gifts. Do we want manifestations of the Spirit to be on the decline or on the increase here at ABC? Do we want more of God’s manifest presence amongst us or less? Do want to see the intangible and invisible Spirit having tangible and visible effects amongst us?.

I have just writen an article for Baseline on the subject of ‘open worship’ part of which I want to read to you.

"‘Open worship’ only works when the majority of the congregation come along full of the Holy Spirit. They know how to stir up the gift that is in them and recognise how important it is to go on being filled with the Spirit. They come ready and expectant that they will meet with God in a special way and ready and willing to participate as the Spirit prompts them, either spontaneously or with something given and prepared before the meeting. They are fully engaged in the various contributions that are being made and are aware of an overall sense of direction in the various contributions. There is an atmosphere of anticipation. The opening song is sung with great enthusiasm. There is a sense that God is speaking to us, the Spirit is directing us, there is a tongue and interpretation, a vision, a prophecy, a scripture reading that fits in exactly, a relevant testimony and passionate prayers that make an appropriate response to what others are bringing. Pertinent songs are introduced by the meeting leader; he has a song menu which the band has rehearsed but they may not use many of those songs. The musicians have made themselves so totally familiar with all the many songs in their church song book that they manage very well if a song is started up ‘from the floor’. They even provide quiet background accompaniment to scripture readings, prophecies and prayers that wonderfully enhance what is being said as the Spirit uses their musical gifts. There is a buzz, a sense of expectation; God’s manifest presence is here and things are happening that cannot be explained in purely human terms. This is not just people’s ‘blessed thoughts’, this is God! It has to be God - there is no other rational explanation for what is going on.

But this only comes at great cost. It requires much prayer, practice and preparation - not just of what we sense God giving us to contribute but of ourselves; our own hearts minds and spirits. That is demanding. And it also requires great faith. It is so much easier to follow a preplanned order of service than expect God to manifest his presence spontaneously in us and through us. We have to be always listening out to what God is saying. But this is far too much to expect of any congregation. So let’s forget open meetings. Let’s run with what is safe, with everything well rehearsed in advance.

No way! As long as God gives me the energy to be a church leader I won’t be satisfied with anything less than a people full of God’s Spirit and meetings full of his presence and worship that has no other explanation than “this is God!” whether that be spontaneous or given to us by God to be prepared in advance. And to that end I will teach, train and encourage total dependence on the God who is in our midst whenever we meet together."