OK...here goes...I'm going to try this again.
Sermon Notes Part#2
The main question Bro Mike posed for us in his sermon was:
How Did the Spirit-filled Church Respond to the Holy Spirit?
He talked about how important it is to consider how the early church, our prototype church, acted. (A prototype is a model from which later copies are made, and we are one of those copies).
What did they do at the very beginning? That is our model.
The Holy Spirit is not static, but dynamic. His movements have ups and down and ebbs and flows.
The outside sign to that first church could have been "The Spirit-filled Church."
So how did they, 2000 years ago, respond to the Holy Spirit?
1. With reverence
2. With generosity
3. With fellowship
4. With humility
1. Reverence. NASB says "Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe." NIV says "everyone was filled with awe." NKJV says "Then fear came upon every soul." He referred also to Isaiah 6 when Isaiah "saw the Lord" and his reaction: "Woe is me..I am ruined.."
Reverence is extreme worship.
How does this kind of worship look?
For some it is characterized by dignity. Bro Mike gave the illustration of a church in which the worship leader did not announce the number of the hymn they were going to sing. The number was printed in the bulletin and to announce it seemed "undignified" -- extra words not needed -- did not contribute to reverence to use extraneous words or motions.
He then talked about the "sanctuary" and how some people call it a "worship center" -- it is not an auditorium....what is it? He prefers "sanctuary." A place committed to the worship of God. Not for coffee, cokes, etc. We are greatly blessed in this country that our sanctuaries are considered places to be respected and protected by law, as other buildings. Christians, in many countries, if robbed or burned or vandalized, would not get help from from authorities.
We don't come to enjoy the show; we come to worship Him.
What is the place of the Holy Spirit in our worship?
The place given the Holy Spirit is to move among us and through us to bring glory to God and to influence all who are present and open to His movement.
1. Don't quench the Spirit (1 Thess 5:19). The NIV says "Do not put out the Spirit's fire."
2. Don't grieve the Spirit (Eph 4:30).
The Holy Spirit is not weak. He is committed. He does not compromise.
How do we contribute to the church in having an experience of "awe"?
Do we, more often than not, come to church services expecting just another ordinary service? Or, rather, do we come expecting or anticipating that God will do something extraordinary? Even a revival?
Then Bro Mike talked about his own response. (It's funny that I hesitate to talk about it because it seems so personal -- but he said it to several hundred people!) Anyway, he said that when he feels led to maybe do something different the first question he asks himself is: "Will I be willing to do this repeatedly in the future?" And then he answers "No" and so does not respond to the urge, which might be the prompting of the Holy Spirit. He asks us to pray about that....for him.....
Is he saying he wants to be more...impulsive? No, that is sort of negative. Responsive might be a better word. It is hard for me to write this. I kind of like the fact that Bro Mike thinks things through carefully and deliberately, and is not rash or impulsive.
I remember once hearing about a situation which I thought I needed to correct. But I forced myself to consider, to think carefully and pray about it first. I thought "I should wait and act slowly, more like Bro Mike would." So I did. I waited. I pondered. I prayed. Then I looked at my watch...it had been 8 minutes!!!! Well, that's certainly long enough....so I made the call. It all turned out OK.....but I certainly didn't exercise patience.
He said he wants us to pray for him--that he would be willing to step out and challenge the ordinary -- so I'm praying for him in that regard. And we prayed for him about this at our 5 PM Sunday Prayer Service....
If I am wrong about this prayer request from him, it probably doesn't matter because this piece is so long likely no one will read this far anyway!
He also talked about "Fellowship" and mentioned that if some people aren't eager to be with God's people, then something is wrong. He will speak about generosity later.
But I am still back at the other part. Sometimes I want to raise my hands when we sing -- if I am sitting at the back of the sanctuary or in the balcony I often do. But not when I am sitting near the front.....And sometimes I want to cheer and shout during the music.....but I don't.....but I do do these things when I am alone......
The ancient Hebrews did all this and more in their worship -- they danced and shouted for pure joy.
I would like to be more like them.
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