Sabbath: The Holy Spirit and the Church
Read for This Week’s Study: Eph. 1:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:3-7; Acts 17:11; Eph. 4:5-6; Acts 2:4-11.
Memory Text: “Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:3-5, NASB).
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
Sometimes we think of the Holy Spirit at work only on the individual level and in the lives of individual believers. But this work in individuals is the foundation of a spiritual community. The Holy Spirit is ultimately responsible for the existence of the church of Christ.
We are often tempted to think that the church exists and grows because of our various evangelistic and missionary activities. Yes, God wants to achieve His glorious plans for the church, and do so with our help. But the real reason for the church lies not in what we do; nor is it the result of our efficient organization and effective administration, however important these are. The church exists because of what God has already done and continues to do for us through the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who creates a spiritual community and fellowship that has the Written Word of God, inspired by the same Spirit, as its authority for faith and practice. The Spirit-inspired Bible is the foundation for the theological unity of the church. Without the work of the Spirit, the church would not exist and could not continue to fulfill its united mission.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 4.
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This is wonderful. Thank great Jehovah for the lesson.
Our head elder shared in his sermon some weeks ago that running a church without the Holy Spirit is like trying to mow a lawn using a pair or scissors. To accomplish the task of mowing the grass that way will take a very long time, if at all possible to do that. The Holy Spirit in the church is like mowing the same lawn using a powerful motorized mower. That way the task will be accomplished fast and happily.
Joe let's take that one step further. What if instead of the church letting the pastor mow the lawn(visiting, uplifting, encouraging members, and new interests), under the pastors, origination, and instruction we now have 12 lawn mowers(elders, deacons, deaconist, laymen and women),
mowing simotainiously. The Holy Spirit uses us, we don't use the Holy Spirit.
I think that we are on to something when Maurice talks about our organization as bottom up rather than top down. We share the reformation principle of the "priesthood of all believers," which means that leaders of the church, be it at the local level or higher up, are there mainly to maintain unity of the church and a smooth running of the organizational machine. But sometimes we equate this very practical structure with spiritual authority as one moves up the ladder. The local church should not wait for the GC to say, "It's time for Revival and Reformation." The local church should act as the fulcrum of all ministries of the church and the other parts are there maily as resources. There are essential ministries that the local church by itself would find very difficult to carry out. For example, without the GC the world-wide missions of our church would be unthinkable, but that should be seen as an extension of the mission of the local church, not as a GC project detached from local churches. I know I am loading up here, but more next time. I need to read the lesson for this week first.
Good point. You could take a plant and put it in the soil, put nutrience around it , water it, leaving it in the sunlight, but you cannot make it grow. Tell me. Can you make something grow, hard as a rock in something completely wet during the space of only three months. But someone can make a peach.
The written Word of God inspired by the Spirit when received in faith and applied accordingly is the power of God at work through us. Refusing or failing to follow a clear revealed will of God is to deny the Spirit access to our person. From Joe's analogy I also think we are the lawn mowers powered and directed by the Spirit where output of each mower depends on the type and amount of power given access into the mower.
I think we must remember that the Holy Spirit only works in the souls that give their wills to be His work-place.
I must permit Him to motivate my will to produce success in ministry. If I think I'm smart enough or rich enough to truly do well without His motivation of Love, I am fooling myself.
If the real reason for the church doesn't lie in what we do; nor is it the result of our efficient organization and effective administration,
Now what can we say to those church's leaders who are doing nothing to keep warm the unit of the church by their services ?!
I am not sure just what you mean by the first part of your comment, but I assume that you are questioning in some sense, church organisation. It is worth remembering that in the Seventh-day Adventist church the strength of the church is in its community of believers. Essentially it has been designed as a ground up organisation, rather than a top-down hierarchy. Unfortunately, sometimes we lose sight of the blueprint and we do get things back to front.
It is up to us as individuals in the church to work towards unity and when that happens at grass-root level, then we will chose a leadership that reflects that principle. It is something that is worth remembering as the time arrives for choosing nominating committee members and conference delegates.
The baptism of the Spirit is upcoming soon and it is important to understand the method and reason for Baptism. It is maybe the most important step we will take in each of our lives. The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist was necessary because it was inaugurated by God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We repeat those same vows when we are baptized by immersion. A symbol of Jesus resurrection from the dead, and it is also a new start from a sinful life that we are born with.
Are people not already receiving the baptism of the Spirit?
Beautiful message. Saying that the holy spirit also can create unity within the different Christian churches and denominations that all have the Holy Scriptures as the ground of their believes. Let's allow the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts and do his work...
Our Lord Jesus Christ used the Holy Spirit to establish the church and empowered it to execute the great Commission. The Holy Spirit is the power that drives the mission of the church and without His presence the church would be found to labour in vain.
The church is the living Body of Christ, made alive by the Spirit of God(see Eze 37:1-14), IF in fact that body is alive. Only those who are Christ's and filled by His Spirit are truly united as the Church of God, though many might have their names enrolled and even hold high positions. The Bible defines who are the people of God, and never is it because of a profession, position or membership. It is always defined by the obedience of faith. We are called to examine ourselves, "whether ye be in the faith". We are never called to examine others, but will know them by their fruits as we will be known by ours.
Greetings all. Its my first time to comment though i have been following discussions every week. I think we should avail ourselves to Him the Holy Spirit SO that He can use us mightily to do God,s bidding. I also believe that Christ availed Himself to be used by the Spirit to do the mighty works He accomplished on earth. SHALOM
holy spirit is willing but the human flesh is weak so in my opinion i think we need the fruit of the spirit so that the holy spirit can fill us completely and we can do the great mission that are in front of us which contributes to the growing of the church
Steven, do we get the fruit so that the Spirit will come or do we receive the Spirit so that the fruit comes?
The Holy Spirit is the petrol that provides energy to the car but for the car to move efficiently all the parts of the car has to be in good shape and united in mission or purpose,if the the other parts of the car are not united the car will move slowly and at times will not move at all.Us as a church we have to be willing to be united,if we are united the Holy Spirit will use us to preach this end time message.we need to pray for Unity And peace at the bottom,if the bottom is united the top will be united .
Mhofu, I think the Holy Spirit is like the driver of the car. He decides the nature of the trip and the direction of the car. He controls when the car stops, what it runs over, and the whole character of the actions of the car. If the driver should change the character of the action of the car will change.
We have a choice of two drivers--selfishness or God's Love.
In what ways then, does the Holy Spirit make church unity a unique characteristic of the church - is church unity and function any better than worldly organizations like clubs and societies?
Bhud, I think the unity of the church depends solely on the driver of its members. If we are driven by our selfishness we may be clickish but not unified for Godly service. If we are driven by the Love of God via His Holy Spirit we are connected throughout the world by this Love of God and unity of purpose is the inevitable result.
We are given the choice as to who will drive us.
If the unity and function of the church is no better than worldly organizations, then heaven will have no advantage over this world. The oneness that Jesus prayed for will be eternal and those who inhabit the new earth "will delight themselves in the abundance of Peace." No such thing found in worldly organizations.