Wait
“People of Israel, listen! God publicly
endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders and signs
through him, as you well know.
But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was
carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you
nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released
him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not
keep him in its grip. So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has
made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” ¶Peter’s
words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles,
“Brothers, what should we do?” (Acts 2:22-24;
36-37)
What got into Peter?
Just seven weeks ago he was hiding because of Jesus; now he’s proclaiming the
death of Jesus and calling the assembled crowd a bunch of murderers. Before the
crucifixion, he denied Jesus; now he’s proclaiming him the Christ. On the eve
of Good Friday, you couldn't get him to say a word. Today, you can't get him to
shut up. "My fellow Jews, and all of you who are in Jerusalem, listen to
me. Pay attention to what I have to say." (Acts 2:14)
What got into him?
He was a coward at the crucifixion. An innocent observation from a servant girl
undid him. Soldiers didn't bludgeon him. The Sanhedrin didn't browbeat him.
Rome didn't threaten to deport him. No, a waitress from the downtown diner
heard his accent and said he knew Jesus. Peter panicked. He not only denied his
Lord; he bleeped the very idea. "Then Peter began to place a curse on
himself and swear, 'I don't know the man!'" (Matthew 26:74) But look at
him on the day of Pentecost, declaring to a crowd of thousands, "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and
Messiah!" (Acts 2:36)
Gutsy language. Lynch mobs feed off of that kind of stuff. The same crowd that
shouted, "Crucify him!" could crucify Peter, too. From wimp to
warrior in fifty days. What happened?
We admire the
Pentecost Peter, but more often identify with the Passover Peter. We battle
addictions we can't shake, pasts we can't escape, bills we can't pay, and
sorrows that won't fade. Our convictions wrinkle, and our resolve melts into a
puddle of regret. And we wonder why. We look at other believers and ask, “Why
is her life so fruitful and mine so barren?” “Why is his life so powerful and
mine so weak?” “Aren't we saved by the same Christ? Don't we read the same
Scripture and rally around the same cross?” Why do some look like the early
Peter and others like the latter? Maybe the real question is, “Why do I
vacillate between the two in any given week?”
Jesus embedded an
answer to that question in his final earthly message. He told Peter and the
other followers, "Wait here to receive the promise from the Father which I
told you about. John baptized people with water, but in a few days you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1:4-5) So what got into Peter? God's
Spirit got into Peter. Ten days after Jesus' ascension into heaven, "all
of them were filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:4) The followers were
drenched in power. As declared by the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32), they all
were "sons and daughters . . . young men . . . old men . . . servants,
both men and women." (Acts 2:17-18) The Holy Spirit, in his own time and
according to his own way, filled the followers with supernatural strength. Wasn’t
that Jesus’ promise?
As his days on
earth came to an end, he said, "But very truly I tell you, it is for your
good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you;
but if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7) The bad news: Jesus was
going away. The good news: Jesus was sending them the Spirit. During his
earthly ministry Jesus lived near and with the disciples. The Holy Spirit,
however, would live in the disciples. What Jesus did with the followers, the
Spirit would do through them, and now with us. Jesus healed; the Spirit heals
through us. Jesus taught; the Spirit teaches through us. Jesus comforted; the
Spirit comforts through us. The Spirit continues the work of Christ. The Holy
Spirit isn’t enthusiasm, compassion, or bravado. He might stimulate those emotions,
but he himself is a person. He determines itineraries (Acts 16:6), distributes
spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:7-11), and selects church leaders. (Acts 13:2) He
teaches (John 14:26), guides (John 16:13), and comforts. (John 16:7) "He dwells
with you and will be in you." (John 14:1)
Occasional
guest? Hardly. The Holy Spirit is a year-round resident in the hearts of his
children who believe. His power becomes our power. But then why do we suffer
from power failures? Well, it’s kind of like the story of a Welsh woman who lived
many years ago in a remote valley and who’d determined that it would finally be
worth the cost and trouble to have electricity in her home. Several weeks after
the installation, however, the power company noticed that she’d barely used any
electricity. So they sent a meter reader out to her property to see what was
wrong. "Is there a problem?" the technician asked. "No,"
she answered, "we're quite satisfied. Every night we turn on the electric
lights to see how to light our lamps."
We're prone to
do the same: depend on God's Spirit to save us but not to sustain us. We’re like
the Galatians whom Paul asked, "After starting your new
lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human
effort?" (Galatians 3:3) We turn to the Spirit to get us started,
and then we continue in our own strength. The Christians in Ephesus did the
same thing. The apostle Paul assured them that they had received the Spirit.
God "put his special mark of ownership on you by giving you the Holy
Spirit that he had promised." (Ephesians 1:13) Even so, he had to urge
them to be "filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18) Interesting.
Can a person be saved and not full of the Holy Spirit? Apparently. They were in
Ephesus, and the same thing happened in Jerusalem, too.
When the
apostles instructed the church to select deacons, they said, "So, brothers
and sisters, choose seven of your own men who are good, full of the Spirit and
full of wisdom." (Acts 6:3) The fact that men "full of the
Spirit" were to be chosen suggests that men not full of the Spirit were also
available. In other words, we can have the Spirit but not let the Spirit of God
have us. When God's Spirit directs us, however, we actually "keep in step
with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25) It’s like he’s the drum major; we’re the
marching band. He’s the sergeant; we’re the platoon. He directs and leads; we
obey and follow. But that’s not always the easiest thing to do because we all tend
to go our own way.
Many years ago, I
installed a new HP ink cartridge in my
printer. But when I sent my document to the printer, the page was completely blank.
Nothing. It was probably half an hour before I noticed this thin, little strip
of translucent tape covering the ink jet of the cartridge. There was plenty of
ink in the new cartridge, but until the tape was removed, an impression couldn’t
be left. So, is there anything in your life that needs to be removed? Any
impediment to seeing the impression of God's Spirit?
The truth is
that we can grieve the Spirit with our angry words (Ephesians 4:29-30; Isaiah
63:10), and resist the Spirit in our disobedience. (Acts 7:51) We can even test
or conspire against the Spirit. (Acts 5:9) We can also quench the Spirit by
having no regard for God's teachings. "Never damp the fire of the Spirit,
and never despise what is spoken in the name of the Lord." (1 Thess. 5:19-20)
Here’s something
that may help. We know that the "fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
(Galatians 5:22-23) God's Spirit creates and distributes these characteristics.
They are like indicator lights on our spiritual dashboards. Whenever we sense
them, or see them, we know we’re walking in the Spirit. But whenever we lack
them, or the light goes out, we know we’re out of step with the Spirit. Walking
in the Spirit is responding to the promptings that God gives us. Don't sense
any nudging? Then be patient and wait. Jesus told the disciples to "wait for
the gift my Father promised . . . the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1:4-5)
Abraham waited 25
years for his promised son. Moses waited 40 years in the wilderness. Jesus
waited 30 years before he began his ministry. God instills seasons of silence
in his plan. Winter is needed for the soil to bear fruit in the spring. Time is
needed for a crop to develop. And disciples wait for the movement of God. Wait
for him to move, nudge and then direct you. Like the novices on Dancing with the Stars, who let the
professionals lead, let his Spirit lead you. It's nice to be led by a master. “He
guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (Psalm 25:9) “Whether
you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you,
saying, "This is the way; walk in it." (Isaiah 30:21)
Wait on the
Spirit. If Peter and the apostles needed his help, don't we? They walked with
Jesus for three years, heard his preaching, and saw his miracles. They saw the
body of Christ buried in the grave and raised from the dead. They witnessed his
upper room appearance and heard his instructions. Hadn’t they received the best
possible training? How could they not be ready? Yet Jesus told them to wait on
the Spirit. "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father
promised . . . the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1:4-5) Learn to wait, to be silent,
to listen for his voice. Cherish stillness; sensitize yourself to his touch.
"Just think – you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts
are right in front of you as you wait
expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene." (1
Corinthians 1:7-8)
We don’t have to
hurry or scurry. The Spirit-led life doesn’t panic; it trusts. “God's power is
very great for us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength God
used to raise Christ from the dead and put him at his right side in the
heavenly world.” (Ephesians 1:19-20) The same hand that pushed the rock from
the tomb can shove your doubts away. The same power that stirred the still
heart of Christ can put life into your flagging faith. The same strength that
put Satan on his heels can, and will, defeat Satan in your life. Just keep the
power supply on. Don’t be like that Welsh woman who used her new-found power just
so she could locate, and then light the lamps of her past.
Grace,
Randy
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