The Holy Spirit and Prayer by Ray Stedman

The Holy Spirit and Prayer Series: Jesus Teaches on Prayer Author: Ray C. Stedman Read the Scripture: John 14:12-17 It is significant to note that, though Jesus never taught his disciples how to preach, he did teach them how to pray. Much of his teaching on prayer is found in this rich and fragrant passage, which is called The Upper Room Discourse, found in John, Chapters 13 through 17. It is a passage that is filled with astonishing concepts. I know of no more challenging part of the Word of God than this. It is a vast area of mystery and beauty and glory. I never read it without feeling tremendously humbled in the experience of it. Perhaps in this place, more fully than anywhere else, our Lord unfolds to us the unique secret of Christianity, that aspect of life that has been called "the exchanged life." This is the secret of a Christian: He is not living his own life, he is living another's life. Or, more accurately, another is living his life in him. Until you have grasped that as the mystery and key of Christian living you have not graduated from the kindergarten level of the Christian life. It is time now in our study of prayer to relate the subject to the total spectrum of Christian living. There is no passage that does it more effectively than the passage before us. In Verses 12 through 17, three revelations are given of the life of Jesus Christ at work within us: In Verse 12 we learn that the character of a Christian's work is "borrowed activity"; in Verses 13-14 we shall find that the basis of a Christian's prayer is "borrowed authority"; and in Verses 15-17 it is revealed that the secret of a Christian's living is "borrowed deity." This is the actuality of an exchanged life. That is our program for this study, So let us take it in detail. In Verse 12, the character of a Christian's work is borrowed activity: Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father." (John 14:12 RSV) Each of these divisions in this passage consists of a staggering promise of tremendous possibility, and linked with it is a statement of a limiting or qualifying condition. Frequently as we read these great passages of the Scripture, we are either so dazzled by the promise that we fail to heed the condition, or we are so frightened by the condition that we pay little heed to the promise. But it is necessary that we take very seriously both aspects of what our Lord has said. Perhaps our greatest problem is to be so awestricken by these promises that we fail to heed the condition. There is a little sign, seen occasionally in offices, which says: When all else fails, follow directions. Sometimes when we try to lay hold of a promise of God, and it seemingly does not work, the reason is we have never followed directions. Thus, a conditioning statement is always the road to fulfillment. Now, in Verse 12, the promise is tremendously plain. Jesus said "He who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do." That frightens and staggers us. It is theoretically acceptable, but it is practically unbelievable. We refuse to accept it at face value. We wonder if there is not a catch somewhere. There must be, we say, for is Jesus really saying that Christians living today, in this 20th century, do not only the works which he did but greater works than these? Is that what he is saying? The promise is so staggering that we attempt immediately to soften it. We say to ourselves, "Can this be true of me? After all, I am not Jesus Christ, and, therefore, I cannot be expected to do what he did." But how do you square an excuse like that with a verse like this? For in it Jesus plainly says, "He who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do." Here is where we need to listen very carefully to exactly what it is he is saying. For Jesus is not saying here that a sincere, dedicated Christian of 1964 will actually be able, in his sincerity and his dedicated religious effort, to do what Jesus did in the 1st century, let alone do greater works than he did. In other words, he is not contrasting our labors now with his labors then. He is not saying that dedicated Christian men and women are really going to transcend what he accomplished as the Son of God Incarnate among men. What he is saying is, as the Risen Christ, he will do through us greater works than he did as the Incarnate Christ living among men. Do you see the difference? Notice what he links with this: "because I go to the Father." What does he mean? Why, it was his going to the Father that released the full potential of the Godhead for human lives and affairs. While he was here on earth the fullness of God was available to man only in one human body, the body of Jesus. By the strength and indwelling life of the Father he did all the works that we marvel at as we read the story of his life. But what he is saying now is, that as the Risen Christ, ascended to the throne or the Father, he himself will do through us, in terms of our personalities, and by the activity of our lives, greater works today than he did in the days of his flesh. That is what he is saying. It is rather startling to realize that the work of the Incarnate Christ, that is, Jesus Christ of Nazareth working and walking among men, was, at its end, apparently a total and complete failure. We marvel as we read the story or the beginning of his ministry. Those miracles he did, astonishing things, raising men from the dead, healing the sick, opening the eyes or the blind, delivering men, women and little children from the oppression or demons, touching with his hand the withered arm of a man and immediately it springs into full growth and life again. We read the tremendous words that came from his lips,The Sermon on the Mount, the parables beside the seashore, these mysterious, marvelous, compelling things that he said. And we do not wonder at the crowds that followed him, hounding him, following him even into retreat, insisting upon his ministry, so that the news spread like wildfire throughout the land of Israel that here was a prophet risen in Israel again. Men left their work and their cities and their ordinary activities of life and went out to hear what he had to say, following him hours upon end. That was the beginning. But when you come to the end, where are the crowds? Long before, they had already begun to diminish. "Many went back and walked no more with him" John 6:66 KJV), the writers of the gospel tell us. Already many of the searching things that he had been saying had separated the weak from the strong, and many had gone back and refused to follow with him anymore. By the last week the actual number of disciples had been reduced to a comparative handful. And even these, in the hour of his capture and appearance before Pilate, forsook him and fled. In the time of his need they left him. There was only a tiny band of one man and three or four women that gathered around the foot of the cross. That was all the Incarnate Christ had to show for the marvelous ministry in the power of the Spirit which he had manifested among men. A total failure! That is the value of the works that he did. Now do you see what he means when he says "greater works than these will you do, because I go to the Father?" His ministry among men, as a man, was a failure. It did not remain; it had no enduring effects. Those who came, attracted by the things they saw, faded back into the shadows when persecution began to grow. No one stayed with him. But there is a very significant promise uttered in the midst of thisUpper Room Discourse that he addresses to these disciples. In John 15:16 he says to them, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain." John 15:16) Your fruit should remain. What you do in the power of the Spirit will not fade away. Those that you win to Christ, those that are brought by the ministry that you will be ministering will abide, and this cause will nourish in the earth and spread unto the uttermost parts till every nation shall hear the word, and out of every tribe and nation of earth shall come, at last, fruit that shall remain. This is what he means, "Greater work than these shall you do, because I go to the Father." It is his work in us. I was down this weekend at Newport Beach speaking at the Mayors' Breakfast held in Balboa Bay Club, a lavish setting with yachts and pleasure boats anchored right outside the window. It was a great temptation to be there. There were gathered at the breakfast some two hundred men from that area, many of them non-Christians, and with us were the three mayors of the cities of Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. Norman Nelson was there and sang beautifully. After he had finished singingHow Great Thou Art, I saw one of the mayors wiping the tears from his eyes. God moved in a visible way at that meeting, and when we had finished, I overheard two men discussing it. One man, evidently a Christian, said to the other, "Well, you know, I think God was pleased with what happened this morning." The other man said, "He ought to be, he did it!" That seemed to me to capture exactly what Jesus is saying here. A Christian's true work is borrowed activity, it is never his own, and when he begins to think it is, he defeats every possibility of success. He sabotages the work of the Holy Spirit. There is a condition to this, however. Remember, I warned you of that. These great promises have a condition linked with them that qualifies them, and without the fulfillment of the condition the promise will never work. What is it? "He who believes in me." That is the condition. Now that does not mean "He who is a Christian." You say, I am a believer. That means, so many months or years ago I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and now I am a believer. That is not the sense in which he is using it here. He is not saying everyone who is a Christian, and, in that sense, a believer, will automatically be able to do these things. He uses here a verb in the present tense which means "he who is continually believing in me." He who is appropriating by faith that which I am will do these things. In the Christian life, faith is always the operative word. He is not saying, he who holds the truth, but he who acts upon it, is the one who will do these works. God gives power and ability only to faith, and it is only when we learn that that these promises come alive in our life. This is the reason why, though we know these promises must be true because of him who spoke them, yet we see so dismally little evidence of it in our living. It is because we are not ready, simply, to take God at his word, and expect him to do these things. Expectation is the condition by which this becomes realized. There is another passage, Verses 13 and 14, which sets forth the fact that the basis of a Christian's prayer is borrowed authority. "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14 RSV) Whatever, anything, I will do it. We sense immediately that this is too wide. If we take this as absolutely unlimited, a sort of magical Aladdin's lamp that we can rub and ask for any possible thing in the world, certainly we have missed the true point of this passage. It is too wide to take unreservedly. We sense also, almost instinctively, that it is too contradictory if taken without limit. We can see problems arising. What if a Christian athlete is praying for clear weather and a Christian farmer is praying for rain? Which one wins? When our friend, Mr. Hendricks, was a single young man in college he met a young lady whose mother immediately had designs on him. It came to his ears that this woman had told some of her friends that she was praying that he might be her son-in-law. I remember Mr. Hendricks pausing and saying to us, with great significance, "Have you ever thanked God for unanswered prayer?" No, this promise cannot be limitless. There is a condition here. Our Lord means exactly what he says but we must understand what he says. This is a magnificent promise of vast scope, of tremendous encompassment, but what he says is "if you ask in my name." This is the condition. That certainly means a great deal more than a magical formula to tack on to the end of our prayers. There is nothing quite as pagan, or silly, as this meaningless phrase, "this we ask in Jesus' name," added to our prayers without any understanding or regard as whether or not the prayer is actually being asked in Jesus' name. We do this because: it is traditionally acceptable, and we do not understand what "in his name" means. "In Christ's name" means in his authority, on the basis of his character, in the value of his work. Let me illustrate: All of us are familiar with the phrase, "In the name of the law." Policemen do their business "in the name of the law." Now, supposing a policeman goes into a cheap slum area of the city at three o'clock in the afternoon. He is called there because of some murderous activity that is going on, and he comes up to the address that has been given him, and knocks at the door, and says, "Open in the name of the law." No one opens the door, so after he knocks again and requests that it be opened in the name of the law and there still is no answer, he breaks it down and goes in and makes his arrest. Now, we will say, at ten o'clock that night, that same policeman is drunk. He is out in a residential area and for some reason on his own, in his drunken stupor, he stumbles up the steps of a house, and knocks on the door, and says, "Open inna name of the law." Those within hear the thick voice and recognize that it is a drunken policeman and refuse to open. So the policeman breaks down the door, and when he does, he is arrested and taken to jail himself. Why? It is the same action, and exactly the same man. What is the difference? One was truly done in the name of the law, the other was done outside the law, even though the same words were used. One was authorized activity, the other was unauthorized. That is what Jesus means. When we ask in Jesus' name we are to ask within the realm and scope of his work and his character. Whatever he is interested in having done on earth, then we, as the instruments of his activity, are involved in accomplishing it. "Whatever you need," he says, "ask for it and it shall be done." Whatever! Anything! If it is a need within this limit, you can ask for it and it shall be done, without failure. Let me illustrate again by referring to the breakfast in Newport Beach: It was my responsibility to bring a message there, and, as I frequently do in a time like that, I felt very inadequate, helpless. Here was a wealthy, affluent area. The meeting would be held in lavish surrounds, I knew, and in such a resort area, oftentimes great religious indifference abounds. Present at the meeting, I knew, would be scores of men who were not in any way outwardly identified with Christian faith and many of them would be typically shallow, rootless, unconcerned modern pagans. It was a challenging meeting, an opportunity to speak in the name of God to men who would otherwise never give an ear, and I felt it. I felt inadequate, I felt the tremendous challenge and my own inability. I have learned, by long experience and by the Word of God, to recognize that that feeling of inadequacy is an excellent thing. I welcome it now, because I know it is designed to lead me to ask for what I need. So, before the meeting began, I simply asked. I asked for three things: I asked that what I said might be relevant, that it might come to grips with the situation in which these people found themselves. Second, that it might be challenging, that I might say something that would awaken these men; and third, that it might be powerful, that its effect would not diminish, that it would not be lightly swept aside but come home with power to the heart. Now what I said was neither clever or profound, it was very simple. I simply tried to call attention to the moral revolt that is widespread in the United States today and the fact that it is eating away at our national life and destroying the very foundation of our government, things that you read and are hearing today on every side. I tried to point out something of the moral emptiness of a life like that, and how futile and meaningless and purposeless life seems to be, and what the Christian answer is. Immediately after the meeting two Chiefs of Police who were present from the cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa came right up to me, visibly moved, and shook my hand and said, "We know what you are talking about. This is the first time we have ever heard anything that seems to suggest an answer. This is what we desperately need down in this area." And one of the mayors who had, before the meeting, insisted, with some asperity, that he would have absolutely no participation in the meeting, volunteered at the end to get up and say that this was something that he felt had sounded out the crying need of that area and he hoped that this would be an annual event. He welcomed our team to come down the next week and hold Breakfast Meetings throughout that entire area. What is the explanation of that? "Whatever you need, ask, and it shall be given you," that's all. If it lies in the direction of the moving of Christ in the affairs of men today, whatever you need, ask. It will be given. Anything! If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. Now let us come quickly to this last passage, the fact that the secret of the Christian's life is borrowed deity. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you." (John 14:15-17 RSV) What a staggering promise this is! Our Lord is promising here that the One who will come to make his home in every Christian's heart and life is nothing less than God himself! The One who comes is the third Person of the Trinity, who supplies to us the fullness of God. "Filled unto the goodness of God" Ephesians 3:19), is Paul's prayer for us, that in the possession of the Holy Spirit we may understand and realize that the One who comes is God himself indwelling us. The names that he uses here suggest the richness of this promise. He said that he will be "another Counselor." I like the old translation better, the word is "Comforter," but we should understand it in its original meaning. It comes from the wordfortis, that is, "to make strong," andcom means "with." Someone who stands with you and makes you strong; that is a Comforter, one who gives strength. In this word, Jesus is saying that he who comes will be the One who has within him the fullness of power, all the strength that we could possibly need, that is the first thing. Then he is called the Spirit of Truth, and that is a wonderful statement. Don't you hunger after truth sometimes? In this bewildering world, this perplexing age in which we live, don't you sometimes almost physically hunger for someone, somewhere, somehow, who can tell us the truth? Well, that is who this One is, the Spirit of Truth, the One who unfolds reality, who exposes error, who tears away the veils, who dissolves the mists that confuse us and blind us, who removes the doubts and brings us face to face with things as they really are in life. I read a wonderful testimony by Dr. Emile Caillet concerning his discovery of the Bible as an agnostic young man. At the age of twenty-one he had never seen a Bible and it was years later, as a married man, that he finally was given a Bible. He began to read it and he discovered that this was the answer to his life-long search for what he called "a book that understands me." As he read, he discovered that this was the book because it revealed the One who understood him. His testimony was to a life-long experience of delving deeper and deeper into the marvels of a Book that understood him, because it was revealed by the Spirit of God who is the One who understands us. And note, this privilege is exclusively Christian. Only the Christian can be led by the Spirit of God into the nature of reality, into truth. Jesus said, "... even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him." This is exclusively Christian. The world will never be able to understand reality, never! As long as men remain worldlings they are blinded to the ultimate nature of things. They will never understand them because man is both the specimen to be examined and the examiner, and the problem is that the error that is in the examiner affects the examination! Man reasons continually in a vicious circle of unbelief that prevents him from discovering ultimate reality. But when the Spirit of Truth is come, he takes away the veils, he dissolves the mists. Little by little, gradually, we begin to understand who we are, and what we are, and why we are what we are, and why others are what they are, and what this world is and where it is going and what its end is going to be. The Spirit of Truth -- there is nothing more magnificently Christian than this ability to see truth clearly. But now we come to the condition, for the brutal fact is that, though every true Christian has the Spirit of Truth, thousands walk in darkness and understand no more about themselves than the most blind pagan around. Though we have the Spirit available to us, we are as deluded and as blinded as any worldling living next door. Though we have the potential he does not have, we are not getting into it. We may be Bible-taught, but we are not Spirit-taught. Why not? Because Jesus says "... he dwells with you, and he will be in you," and there is a vital distinction there. Now, please don't nail me to the mast for heresy. I know as well as you do that every believer, when he receives Jesus Christ, receives the indwelling Spirit of God, that He is in us from the beginning. We do not need later to pray for his coming. He is there right from the start. Historically, it was true that these disciples were not to receive the indwelling of the Spirit until the Day of Pentecost. He dwelt with them before but he was to be in them on the Day of Pentecost. But, having said all that, it is still true that, positionally, though the Spirit of God is dwelling in you, as far as you are concerned, experientially, it is as though he only dwelt with you. You are not laying hold of his indwelling life, and for all practical purposes he is not there, he is only with you. This is the explanation for the prevailing weakness in Christian living. The other night at our Board of Elders meeting we were wrestling with this problem. We were asking ourselves this question, "Why is it that though truth seems to be poured out continually in this place, through our teachers, in the pulpit and in so many ways, yet in many of our peoples' lives there is such a superficial shallowness? There is so little reflection of the truth our ears are hearing. Why is this? How is it that Christians can know so much and experience so little?" We were wrestling with this problem. I commented how disturbing it is to sit down with a group of people and mention some great promise of Scripture or Christian life that ought to be ours and to have everybody nod their head in agreement with it, and then to see the look of shock come into their eyes when you propose some action on it. They look amazed that you intend to take these words seriously, and act on them. As we talked about this, one of the young men who was with us said a very helpful and insightful thing. He said, "You know, I think I know what it is. I have found it in my own life. When I simply give up arguing back, and start obeying the Lord, I discover all these things begin to work. In my experience I have discovered it is possible to have God at arm's length, dwelling with me. And when he is out there, nothing works; but when I yield to his sovereign direction in my life, and I begin to act on what he says, then he is in me and things begin to happen." He put his finger right on the point. This is what Jesus says. "In you" means that you are under the control of the Holy Spirit, and yielding obedience to his totalitarian sovereignty. It means the total collapse of all your rebellion against him. "Oh," you say, "I'm not in rebellion against the Spirit of God. Why, I'm a Christian. I don't rebel against him." Let me ask you: "What kind of life are you living? Is it God-centered, or is it self-centered? Is it to please yourself that your activities are done and your desires aimed?" Then you are in rebellion against the Spirit of God, and to have him dwelling in you means the total collapse of all that revolt until you are saying, "Lord Jesus, whatever you say, your word is my command. I am ready to obey." It is not our relationship with Jesus Christ which counts before the world, it is our resemblance to him. Prayer Holy Spirit, we ask thee to search our own hearts on this day, and save us from this damnable perfidy of talking truth and not living it, of echoing orthodoxy but refusing to submit in practical ways, or shepherding our resources and protecting our lives and refusing to fling them into thy cause and abandon ourselves to thy purposes. Lord God, what hypocrites! Keep us from this, that we may know the fulness of the glory of these promises fulfilled in our lives in this day and age. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Title: The Holy Spirit and Prayer Author: Ray C. Stedman Series: Jesus Teaches on Prayer Date: April 19, 1964

A Response to John McArthur’s Teaching on Tongues

In his exposition on 1 Corinthians 13, Paul’s chapter on love, John McArthur begins with a critical analysis of tongues. It is very evident from his introduction that he speaks from a bias against the modern phenomena of glossalalia, or speaking in tongues. As he progresses through his lesson, he clearly states his rejection of the tongues movement of today. At the same time, he seems to approve of the New Testament version of tongues. Ancient tongues-speaking was legitimate, according to McArthur, but modern tongues-speaking is counterfeit. He does not offer any reason for this shift from approved tongues to non-approved tongues nor does he say when it happened. (He may do this in later studies.) 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (KJV) 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. McArthur makes a great deal of the definition of tongues as “languages.” He emphasizes that the Greek word used for tongues is glossa, which is normatively translated as languages. This is correct. No Greek scholar would dispute this. He does, however, extrapolate the idea that the languages were human languages from the way the word is used throughout the Bible, especially the New Testament. Although he does not say this directly, he strongly implies that because the languages were human languages, the spiritual aspect of speaking in tongues is diminished. In fact, he excoriates, brutally I think, the Corinthian church for operating the spiritual gifts in the flesh, rather than in the Spirit. In one instance, he even implies that the Corinthians were paganistic in their practices, if not beliefs. But the core of McArthur’s case against the modern tongues movement turns out to be little more than a straw man. He cites the main reason for rejecting tongues is that it is babbling or gibberish, and not a real language. Now, we see why he spent so much time showing that glossa is a human language. Legitimate tongues, or languages, are uttered in accordance with all the rules of language. A language has structure, meaning and content. Regardless of the family of languages, substantive ideas must be conveyed through the use of language. Babbling and gibberish have no such structure. Babbling is merely a hodgepodge of nonsensical syllables strung together and called a “prayer language” or a “devotional language.” Although he claims he could cite more sources, he refers to one linguistic scholar who researched the glossalalia movement for several years and never one time came across anyone who was “speaking in tongues” using a proper language. On this basis, McArthur dismisses the entire tongues movement today as illegitimate. This dismissal is far too sweeping. It is estimated that over 600 million people have experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit as they did on the day of Pentecost. The roots of the practice and teaching go back to the era of the church fathers. Eusebius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Chrysostom of Constantinople and Augustine of Hippo all provide evidence of the spiritual gifts, including speaking in tongues. Traces of the gift, although suppressed and discouraged, appear throughout the middle Ages. Prior to the reformation, groups such as the Albagenses and the Waldenses were reported to speak in tongues. Later, tongues speaking was reported among the Quakers, Pietists, Moravians and even the early Methodists. In the nineteenth century, a renewed interest in spiritual gifts began building, especially in England and the United States. Then, the Azusa Street Revival broke out at the turn of the twentieth century, starting a tidal wave of belief and experiences in the gifts. McArthur seems to brand all of the above as unscriptural and illegitimate. He does not cite one reference to theologians or scholars, of which there are many, who take the opposite view. He does not cite one instance of speaking in tongues that satisfies his definition of a language. He evidently believes that all tongues speaking after the Apostolic age is in error. My view is that tongues as the Spirit give the utterance is indeed a language. It is not babble or gibberish. There are hundreds of languages and thousands of dialects, however, and some of them are so strange that classifying them as a language is difficult. Certain African tribes, for example, have clicking sounds for words. Many Oriental languages rely more on tones than phonemes. Many languages are now extinct. The Holy Spirit does speak through us today in tongues. Some tongues are unknown, as defined by the Apostle Paul. Yes, the word unknown was italicized by the King James translators. McArthur simply dismisses this as well, but does not provide a good reason for doing so, except that it doesn’t fit his paradigm. This is not an acceptable position for a Bible teacher to take. Check out the following websites: http://www.av1611.org/jmelton/italics.html http://www.chick.com/reading/books/158/158_11.asp I must pause in my response because of time, but there are more problems with McArthur’s teaching on 1 Corinthians 13 that I see. For example, how can he demonstrate that there is a definitive difference between the tongues of the disciples in Acts, or even the Corinthian church, and the tongues of this modern age? Why does he not differentiate between the baptism of the Holy Spirit accompanied by tongues and the gift of tongues as practiced in the church in Corinth? How does his position square with the Apostle Paul’s admonition that the church was not to forbid speaking in tongues? These and many more questions deserve answers. I hope to get back to this in the coming week. Posted on Friday, February 19, 2010 at 06:46PM by J. Mark Jordan | 2 Comments View Printer Friendly Version Email Article to Friend Reader Comments (2) I grew up as a child in the UPCI, and attended church basically every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Thursday night (we didn't have Wednesday night services) service since I was a child until I was 18 years old, and I never once heard a discernible human language when people were speaking "in tongues", and that was a very, very common phenomenon. It's thus not hard to understand the difficulty people have in believing that "speaking in tongues" is anything beyond a euphoric utterance that has no discernible meaning, i.e., how does one distinguish between joyful babbling (and I am not making light of that, it can be quite wonderful!) and actual language? The truth is, you can't, unless you recognize the language to some degree, at least. Neither my father, my mother, my pastor, nor any particular person I can even think of currently in my history with Oneness Pentecostalism, ever received the Holy Ghost with speaking in tongues that were confirmed by another person present to have been truly a bona fide language. I heard occasional third-hand stories of speaking in tongues that were verified by others present to have been actual human languages they recognized, but apparently it's so rare that it's not required, even though "speaking in tongues" is supposedly the required evidence for receiving the Holy Ghost, according to traditional Apostolic doctrine. This makes the "speaking in tongues" requirement a rather shaky foundation for salvation, indeed! In that case, I know no one personally who is saved, because I have never known personally (though I believe there are some!), anyone who has spoken in another language miraculously. October 11, 2010 | Tim Garcia You claim this: "It is estimated that over 600 million people have experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit as they did on the day of Pentecost." However, on the day of Pentecost, these were *confirmed known tongues* that were *real languages*, because they were confirmed by unbelievers to be their own languages. I truly doubt 600 million people have had similar experiences of speaking in tongues that people around them (particularly unbelievers who would not have any stake in the game either way) said, "hey, they're speaking MY language!" That is the true experience of the day of Pentecost (known tongues confirmed by people who recognized their language), and I know no one in the UPCI church I grew up in that ever experienced the true Day of Pentecost experience, pastor included, and he was and is still a presbyter in the South Texas district.

To Bring Forth Fruit by Ray Stedman daily devotion for April 4

To Bring Forth Fruit
Daily Devotion for April 4
From the Writings of Ray Stedman
Read the Scripture: Genesis 1:9-13

And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. And it was so (Genesis 1:9).

God's act in calling the land up out of the oceans seems to mark the period of evening in this third day. During this period we have the rising of the continents, the weathering of the rocks, and the soil forming gradually to make preparation for the plant life that is to follow.

But remember that all this on the physical level is but a manifestation of the parallel spiritual and moral reality, and every view of nature ought to speak volumes to us about who God is, what He does, and what He intends. These things are at once real and visible and, at the same time, the picture of something unseen that relates to our inner life.

We learn that this human life on earth, between the period of birth and death, is itself divided. This is pictured for us by the rising of the land out of the ocean. The waters are a picture of human life. Rising up out of the ocean of human life is land, which has the capability of producing fruit. Thus, there exists that which is capable of producing fruit and that which is totally incapable of doing so.

There is an old humanity that, by nature, is incapable of fulfilling what God desires; a new humanity, called out of the old, is capable of producing the fruit God envisions. The old humanity is all one fallen race--blinded, darkened, confused, restless, and, as the ocean is one yet divided, so fallen humanity is separated into divisions: nations, peoples, and tongues. The prophet Isaiah says, the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud (Isaiah 57:20).

You are asking, Do you mean that all who are not Christian are wicked? We need to bear in mind that there is a respectable form of wickedness as well as a notorious form. You can be knowingly wicked, and you can be ignorantly wicked. People who are exposed to the knowledge of God's purpose, His love, and the program He has for the deliverance of humanity from its bondage and resist God's work, rejecting the Savior whom God has sent and refusing to yield to His gracious call, are clearly wicked and oppose God's will. They are raising their fist in a defiant act against their Creator. That is also why they are restless. The restlessness of our age is directly due to the fact that it is wicked. It is pictured by the ocean, with its wild, surging waves that are never still.

But out of that ocean there comes a new humanity, the earth, a fruitful race of those in Jesus Christ, all one originally in Him as the continents were once, but now divided and fragmented by the forces that have come in since to separate us from one another. Yet there is an ever-present underlying unity that we discover when we come together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, thank You that You are bringing a new humanity out of the old, and that as part of that new humanity I can bear fruit for You.

Life Application: The natural world speaks to us metaphorically about the inner life of our humanity. Can we see a distinction in our lives between the old, fallen race & new life in Christ?

Related Message: This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray's messages. Please read "To Bring Forth Fruit" or listen to Ray for more on this portion of scripture.

Because He Lives by Anne Graham lotz

The JOY of My HEART: April 6, 2012

Because He Lives

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

John 10:11, NKJV

Real meaning to your life is found in the glorious dawn of God's story, which breaks into full revelation in the Person of Jesus Christ. What an astounding truth! What a life-changing message!

Because He emptied Himself of all but love, you can be filled.

Because His body was broken, your life can be whole.

Because His blood was shed, your sin can be forgiven.

Because He submitted to injustice, you can forgive.

Because He finished His Father's work, your life has worth.

Because He was forsaken, you will never be alone.

Because He was buried, you can be raised.

Because He lives, you don't have to be afraid.

Because He was raised, you can be strong.

Because He reached down to you, you don't have to work your way up to Him.

Because His promises are always true, you can have Hope!

Praise God for just giving us Jesus!

Blessings,



Anne Graham Lotz

AnGeL Ministries Website

http://www.todayspreacher.com

Unlock Great Sites That Will Boost Your Preaching...



Sermon and Worship Helps...



Sermon Search - This site is sponsored by Crosswalk. It has a professional appearance, is easy to navigate and contains some very useful material. I know you will find "Points to Ponder" by Dr. Stephen F. Olford of great value.

Preach the Word - This is a great site by David Legge, the Pastor-teacher at Iron Hall Assembly in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has his messages on audio along with links to other audio messages from excellent preachers such as Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

Pastor's Helper! – Dr. Barry L. Davis has brought his wealth of experience to this site and has made something that can be easily used by the layman and the preacher. This is a great resource.

Sermon Notebook – Brother Alan Carr has assembled a great site for sermon preparation and reference. It is well worth the stop.

Equipping.com Don Pucik originally began this site in April 1996 under the name "The Sermon Source" and relaunched it in February 2000 as Equipping Saints Ministries (ESM). Its mission is to assist, encourage stimulate pastors and church leaders in stimulating in their efforts to equip their saints for ministry.

PreachingPlus - a can't miss site housing images, illustrations, indexed movie clips, etc.

Sermon Central - quotes, movies, stats, sermons, etc.

Pastors.Com

Sermon Notes

MultisensoryWorship.com - provides encouragement, networking, worship resources and training for pastors, musicians, media ministers and all Christian artists.

Teach With Movies

Next-Wave - Super Gen X site taking modern issues of today and puts them under the microscope of Christianity.

DesperatePreacher

Sermons.Com

Sermon Writer

Christian Word

PreacherStudy

Sermon Help

Bible.Org

Thousands Of Sermons


Illustrations



ChristianityOnline's Illustrations

The Sermon Illustrator

The Illustration Exchange (thousands of illustrations)

Sermon Illustrations

Mister Poll (polls,surveys,stat,etc)

Hisplace - poems, jokes, stories.


News Sites, Christian Sites, and Journals That Aid Preaching ...



Gallup Polls

George Barna Research Group – an awesome site for current trends/polls/research.

Church on the Web

CyberNation - an amazing source for quotes.

The Quotations Page

Religion News Service

Maranatha Christian Journal - world news for Christians.

Christianity Today

Goshen

Gospel Communications Network

News Of The Weird

USATODAY

People Magazine

Newsweek

New York Times

Zondervan Church Source

Christian Book Distributor "CBD"


Preaching Magazines ...



Preaching Today

Preaching Magazine

Homiletics Magazine


Post-Modern Spirituality Sites ...



BeliefNet - interfaith site.

Spirit Online - all kinds of weird new age stuff

INFIDELS - mother site of atheism/agnostics.

Skeptic Magazine


Various Preaching Sites ...



Gordon-Conwell's Chapel Site - hear RealAudio sermons by Walter Kaiser, Haddon Robinson, and other Famous Modern Preachers.

Preaching.Org

Pulpit.Org

Evangelical Homiletics Society

If you have any other sites that have been helpful to your preaching, email us and we'll consider it for the LINKS page.

Galatians 2.20 blueletterbible.org

Chuck Smith's Sermon Notes
Galatians 2:20
Pastor Chuck Smith
Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa, California
"THE LIFE I NOW LIVE"
I. THE STRUGGLE WITH SIN.
A. It is something that we all experience.
B. The Bible records the history of man's struggle with sin.
1. The Bible declares that there is none righteous, no not one.
2. The Bible says that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.
3. The Bible tells of the power that sin can have over a person's life.
4. Paul spoke of his own struggle with his sinful nature.
ROM 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
ROM 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that [it is] good.
ROM 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
ROM 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.
ROM 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
ROM 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
ROM 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
ROM 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
ROM 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
ROM 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
5. A little further in this epistle Paul will tell us that the flesh is warring against our spirit, and our spirit against our flesh so that we do always do what we would.
C. Even those men who are held up as hero's in the Bible were often guilty of sin.
1. God said of King David that he was a man after God's own heart, yet he sinned horribly.
2. Abraham the man who is held up as the classic example of the blessings God bestows upon the man of faith, sinned when he lied about his relationship with his wife. His lie interestingly enough was prompted by his lack of faith in God's keeping power.
3. Moses the great leader of the people of God the man through whom God revealed His law and statutes was guilty of smiting the rock in a fit of anger.
D. We are all aware of the destructive nature of sin.
1. We know how it can destroy our lives.
2. We know how it destroys marriages, and families.
3. We know how it destroys a culture.
4. We know how it can destroy a nation. The Bible and history have shown how that one nation after another has been destroyed by sin.
a. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
E. We are all aware how that sin leads into bondage. How that it can overpower a person and take control of their lives.
F. We all have an abhorrence of sin when someone else is committing it.
G. Yet sin has a powerful attraction, and it appeals to our flesh, and we find it very difficult to resist.
H. Why would God make sin so attractive, and leave us so vulnerable and weak?
1. To the first question, He allowed sin to be attractive so that my declarations of love could be tested.
2. Jesus said to Peter, "Do you love Me more than these?" My guess is that Jesus was nodding toward the fish.
a. Fishing like so many other things seems to get in a person's blood.
b. It was certainly in Peter's blood. When Jesus didn't show up on schedule, Peter said, "I'm going fishing."
3. Jesus is often asking you, "Do you love Me more that these?"
a. You are fully aware of what the these are in your life.
b. If the these were ugly and abhorrent, the affirmation of my love would not be meaningful.
4. He has allowed sin to be attractive so that my forsaking it to follow Him might be a truly meaningful act of love.
5. As to the second question, why does He leave us so vulnerable and weak?
a. So that we will learn to trust in Him for His deliverance and help.
b. He wants me to trust His love and power so he leaves me weak and vulnerable.
II. GOD'S PLAN FOR VICTORY OVER THE POWER OF SIN.
A. Putting us to death.
1. A dead man is not tempted to sin.
2. There may be all kinds of temptation placed before him, but he will not so much as move a finger, or blink an eye.
B. In his letter to the Romans Paul said,
ROM 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
ROM 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
ROM 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
ROM 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
ROM 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
ROM 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
ROM 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
ROM 6:13 Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.
ROM 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
C. God has provided that we might be crucified with Christ.
1. That is what Paul is affirming in this verse, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet now I but Christ lives in me."
2. In Chapter 5 of this book Paul will say,
GAL 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and desires.
3. Note that Paul says, "Reckon yourselves to be dead unto sin."
a. The word reckon is a word of faith.
b. It is a position I take by faith.
c. How so? I still have the strong urge to sin, and am still tempted, but I say to myself, "I have been crucified with Christ, I am dead to sin, I do not need to yield to that temptation. I am His, I am not my own to do as I please."
III. DEAD, BUT ALIVE. NEVERTHELESS I LIVE, YET NOT I BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME, AND THE LIFE I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH, I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME.
A. I am still living, yet not for myself, my body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in me, I am not my own, I have been bought with a price, I am to glorify God in my body and spirit which are His.
B. The problem with most Christians is that they are part time Christians.
1. They come to church, sit in the pew, sing the songs, listen to the teaching of the Word and feel that they have fulfilled their spiritual obligations for the week.
2. For a few hours of the week they belong to Jesus, the rest of the time they are free to pursue their own desires and will.
3. Living for Jesus was never intended to be a part time obligation.
4. The true child of God has renounced his own control over his life and submitted himself to follow the orders of Jesus.
5. This is what the Lordship of Jesus is all about.
6. If Jesus Christ is truly my lord, then I am duty bound to obey Him, and to seek to please him in all that I do.
C. Note how the Apostles introduce themselves in their letters.
1. Romans 1:1 "Paul a bond slave of Jesus Christ."
2. James 1:1, "James a bond slave of Jesus Christ."
3. II Peter 1:1 "Peter a bond slave of Jesus Christ."
4. Jude 1:1 "Jude a bond slave of Jesus Christ."
D. This is what Paul is saying when he declares, "Nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in Me and the life I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God."
Return to Top
Return to Search Results
Return to Sermon Notes Index
Cite This Page:
Smith, Chuck. "Galatians 2:20," Chuck Smith - Sermon Notes. Blue Letter Bible. 7 Apr 2005. 15 February 2012.
.

Galatians 2.20 higherpraise.com

Sermons and Outlines



Galatians 2:20

YOU CAN DO IT!


Intro: Nike, the athletic shoe manufacturer has made a fortune off the simple slogan, “Just do it!” I guess they mean this, “Whatever it is you enjoy doing in the arena of recreation, Just Do It, because we have everything you need to get it done!” The strange thing is, people hear that slogan and they say, “Hey, maybe I can do it!” They buy the shoes, the sweats, the headbands all with the Nike swoosh and a few actually do it! A few run those marathons, engage in those triathlons, ride those bike, swim those rivers, climb those mountains, hike those trails, jump from those airplanes, or whatever. But, most folks just don’t do it! All that gear and all those fancy slogans did not inspire them to do anything but spend their money and now their expensive exercise equipment grows moss in the garage.

I realized the other day that preaching is a lot like writing slogans for athletic shoe companies. We preachers stand up in front of people and say to them “Just do it! Just live for Jesus! Just be all you can be for Him! Just get, up, get in, get out and go for God!” A few people who hear the slogans (read sermons) actually buy the message and go do it. But, the majority buy the message and say, “That’s wonderful! I really want to do just that!” They hear the Word, believe the message and take the equipment home, but they never do anything with it! Like that tennis racket, those golf clubs, your jogging shoes, which collect dust in the basement, the sermons you heard and were moved by now collect dust in your memory banks.

Well, I want you to know it doesn’t have to be that way! Our text was written by a man who bought the whole store! Paul heard the message of Christ and he said, “That’s who I want to be!” Now, in this passage he tells us how we can be everything God wants us to be as well. I want you to know that this verse teaches us that every believer can walk like Jesus Christ every day. Paul is telling us “Just do it! Just live for Jesus and here is how you can do just that.” This verse says, “You Can Do It” that is the thought I want to address this morning! The truths taught here tell us how you can do it.


I. BY REALIZING YOUR POSITION IN CHRIST

A. We Must Realize Our Past Position - The little phrase “I am crucified” is in the perfect tense. This refers to a once for all action that never needs to be repeated. In other words, what Paul is saying is this: “I was crucified when Jesus was crucified and that crucifixion was a one time for all time experience. I was crucified and I stand crucified!” What does that mean for you? If you are saved, then when Jesus died on His cross, you died with Him, Rom. 6:4-6; Col. 2:11-14. (Ill. It was here that the wages of our sins were forever paid in full, Rom. 6:23.) (Ill. That is why the believer never need fear death! We have already experienced it with Jesus and it retains no power over us, 1 Cor. 15:55; 2 Cor. 5:1-9.)

B. We Must Realize Our Present Position - Not only does Paul tell us that the believer is dead because he has been crucified with Christ, but that the believer is also alive! The phrase “I live” is in the present tense. Yes, we died with Jesus, but faith in Him has raised us from the death of sin and has made us eternally alive, John 5:25. (Ill. On the surface this seems like a paradox. It seems impossible that one may be dead and alive at the same time, yet that is how life is for believers. We are dead to sin, but alive in Jesus. Not just alive until our bodies cease to live, but alive forever! Just as we share His death, we also share His life!) (Ill. Eternal life does not begin when you get to heaven. Eternal life began the instant you received Jesus as your Savior, John 10:10; John 10:28!)



II. BY RELYING ON THE POWER OF CHRIST

(Ill. Paul is quick to credit his ability to live the Christian life to the Lord Jesus Christ. He knows what we need to know: This thing is all about Him and not about us!)

A. We Have The Power Of His Resurrection - “Christ liveth in me” - That statement reminds us that not only did Jesus die on the cross for our sins, but He rose from the dead three days later! He died in humility, Phil 2:5-8, and he arose in power and great glory, Rom. 1:4; 6:9! Just as Jesus rose from the grave different than He was buried, everyone who comes to Him by faith is also altered forever, 2 Cor. 5:17. Why? Because the power of His resurrection life works itself out in the believers life and makes them different than they were when they met Him, 1 Pet. 1:3. The resurrected Christ dispenses His life to everyone who comes to Him by faith. When a person is saved, death ceases to work in them marking them as sinners, Eph. 1-3. Life now works itself out within them, marking them as children of God, Eph. 2:4-10! I am not just alive, but He is alive within me!

B. We Have The Power Of His Residence - “Christ liveth IN me” - Jesus doesn’t just come on the sinner and save him and change him forever, but He also moves into that person’s heart, giving them power within to live like Him! This was His promise while He was still on the earth, John 14:16-18! He promised to give the believer His Spirit to dwell within them. The indwelling Holy Spirit is present to lead us, John 16:13; to teach us, John 14:26; to empower us, 1 Cor. 12:4-11, Acts 1:8; to comfort us, John 14:16-18, (Ill. “Comforter” = “One who comes alongside another to give aid and comfort”.) And to correct us, John 16:7-11! As we yield more of our lives to Him, He produces more of Himself through us, Gal. 5:22-24. The fact that Jesus is within us is the only thing that makes the Christian life possible and productive for His glory!



III. BY RESTING IN THE PROVISIONS OF CHRIST

A. There Is The Supply Of Faith - “The life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God.” Paul makes the strong statement that the faith given to him by Jesus is what makes his life possible. Thank God We do not have to supply our own faith for the journey! Our Savior provides us the faith we need to make to trip! (Ill. Think of it this way, would you agree with me that you are saved by faith, Eph. 2:8-9? Where did the faith to believe in Jesus come from? Verse 8 says that it “is the gift of God!” God gives you the faith you need to be saved in the beginning. When we are saved, the Holy Spirit, Who is the source of faith comes to live within our hearts. As we journey through life toward Heaven, He dispenses faith in proportion to that which we face. You see, faith is like a muscle. When it is taken into the gym of life, it can do little in the beginning, but as it is exercised in the little things day by day it grows considerably, until it is able to accomplish great things through Jesus Christ! Now, how does one go about exercising faith? Simple, Rom. 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” As we hear the Word of God and take God at His word by faith, our faith grows stronger and stronger. But, in reality, it isn’t our faith that grows stronger, it is His faith within us that increases as we grow!

B. There Is The Sacrifice Of His Flesh - “Who gave Himself for me” - Everything I have talked about today is possible only because Jesus went to the cross and bore our sins in His Own body! Because He loved us, Rom. 5:8, He took our place on the cross. There, He absorbed the wrath of God for those who will receive Him and He alone makes the Christian life possible! (Ill. The churches are filled with people who are trying to live the Christian life without first coming to faith in Christ! Friend, you can never be a Christian without first meeting the Christ! He is the only One Who can make dead men alive! He is the only One Who can break sin’s bondage and sets men free. He is the only One Who can take a life wrecked, ruined and doomed by sin and change everything by the power of His saving grace, Acts 4:12; John 14:6; Acts 16:31.) (Ill. The Gospel is not what many think it is! Too many believe it concerns the church, the baptismal pool, the preacher, turning over new leaves, stopping some things and starting other things. The Gospel has nothing to do with any of that! The Gospel is far simpler, and that is what makes it so hard for many, 1 Cot. 1:18. The Gospel is summed up in 1 Cor. 15:3-4. It is spelled out in Rom. 10:9. It was bought and paid for at the cross. It was ratified in the resurrection and all that is left for men to do is to receive it by faith and they will be saved! Have you done that? Until you do, you can never live the Christian life! But, as soon as you receive Jesus, you have received everything that is necessary for you to live for God!)


Conc: Some people who have heard this message this morning have heard with a lost heart. If that is your situation, then you need to know that you can be saved if you will come to Jesus and receive Him!

Others have heard this word and you are thinking, “I really would like to become more like Jesus! I really would like for Him to live His life through me. But, I’ve tried before and come up short. I bought the shoes, but I couldn’t run the race!” Let me invite you to come before Him again this morning. Let me invite you to confess to Him that your failure to do it was all about you and not Him. Let me invite you to a fresh commitment before the Lord today!

Still others used to run the race for Jesus, now you are in it just for yourself. You are on His track, but you are running your race. Let me invite you to get things back in their proper order! Let me encourage you to begin to run for Him again.

Now, there are some here who are running well. You heard the message, you bought the shoes and you are running the race for the glory of God. Let me encourage you to keep running for Him! Hang in there Brother, I think I can se the finish line just ahead!

Wherever you may be today, the Lord will help you to get where you need to be. If you will come to Him, He will meet you where yo u are and He will take you where He wants you to be. You Can Do it and He will see to it. Won’t you come if He is calling?