[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 4th of August, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. Look for the video of our services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Over the last few weeks we've been looking at what it means to work our Lord's fields, what our part is in this labor, and what some of the rules are that we should follow if we choose to participate. We also saw how the early church answered this job posting, and some of the rewards for their labors.
Today I would like to conclude this little series and at the same time begin another. And we'll let the Apostle Paul provide the reference. Please listen and follow along as I read from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, beginning in chapter 3 with verse 14 and going through to chapter 4 verse 6, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
Today I would like to conclude this little series and at the same time begin another. And we'll let the Apostle Paul provide the reference. Please listen and follow along as I read from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, beginning in chapter 3 with verse 14 and going through to chapter 4 verse 6, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, encourage you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
--Ephesians 3:14-4:6 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, when we acknowledge Jesus as Your Son and accept Him as our Lord and Master, You adopt us as Your own children. Father, thank You for bringing us into Your great family. Thank You for making us heirs of Your kingdom with Jesus. Please help us do our part in serving You and supporting our extended family, Your family. And Father, speak to us, speak to our minds and our hearts, that we may hear Your message this day. Give us a better understanding of Your will for our lives. This we pray in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
The great evangelist D. L. Moody was preparing to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor there protested, "Why do we need this ‘Mr. Moody’? He's uneducated, inexperienced. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, yet perhaps wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."
And speaking of ‘Mr. Moody’, he once opened an address before a large audience by holding up a drinking glass and asking, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass." After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
God’s Holy Spirit indeed held a monopoly on Dwight Moody. The devil certainly had no chance of getting a piece of Moody, otherwise the great evangelist would never have been able to reach so many people and bring them to the truth, to Jesus.
But what about us? Does the Holy Spirit have a monopoly over us, or does the world still control a portion of our lives? Are there still air pockets that we haven’t allowed the Spirit to completely fill? And why is this even important to us?
Well, for one thing, God’s Holy Spirit works under the full power of God Himself. Giving the Holy Spirit full reign in our lives is critical for us if for no other reason than the power He wields. Just last week we read what happened after Peter and John were released from custody when they were arrested for healing a lame man in the name of Jesus! The Apostle Luke recorded for us just a small taste of the Holy Spirit’s power, in chapter 4 of the Book of Acts, verse 31...
The whole place shook. That’s certainly a good reason for us to keep the Holy Spirit on our side, isn’t it?
I think our scripture reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians also provides at least part of the answer to that last question of why is all this important. I chose this passage because it makes a nice bridge between the job we have in serving our Lord and perhaps the greatest reward of our labors: God’s indwelling Spirit.
In this, Paul prays to God that He would strengthen us for our labors with might through His Holy Spirit. He prays that we might be able to comprehend the love of Christ, even if we can’t understand why He would love us so. And he prays that we be filled with the fullness of God, filled to fullness by God’s Holy Spirit.
For our part, Paul encourages us to walk worthy of our calling, to be worthy of what God has called us to do. And how are we to act, while doing this work? With all lowliness and gentleness, with great patience and long-suffering. We are to bear each other up, support one another in love. And we are to strive to maintain the unity of the Holy Spirit, for we are one body – the body of Jesus – and one Spirit – God’s Holy Spirit – lives within each of us! One body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God who is God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all!
Large families have always been beneficial for agrarian, agricultural societies because it takes a lot of hands to successfully work a farm. A few weeks ago we saw where Jesus said the fields are white and ripe and ready for the harvest, but the laborers on His farm are few. So He raised a family to help do all the work.
Each of us here this morning is part of that family, the largest family in the world, the family of Christ Jesus, adopted by our Father God. We are each members of this church family called Pilgrim. And our church is part of the greater body of Christ left on earth to do His work.
So we’re not alone in our labors, neither as a church nor as individuals. We have plenty of company and we can work together. We have brothers and sisters who are already out in the fields right now, working for our Lord. Some are planting the seed of God’s word, some are watering and working the soil, helping those new to the faith as they grow and mature.
We’re one big family, one body. Paul speaks of this in his 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 12 through 14, when he says...
Christ Jesus – now, today, the post-incarnate Jesus – is one body but composed of many members. And for any body to work correctly, its members must all do their job. We are that one body. We were baptized by the same Spirit into one body, no matter our race or ethnicity or country of origin or station in life. Paul says we have all been made to drink of that one Spirit - He was poured into us. Like the example Moody used with the water filling the glass, we are filled by the Spirit.
We are one body, the body of Christ Jesus, tied together by one Spirit, the Spirit of God. And we are not alone. Not only are other members of this great family - this body - working alongside us, Jesus also promised to be with us until the end of the age. God’s own Holy Spirit is in us, is with us all.
So what’s holding us back? What are we afraid of or worried about? We are one body and one Spirit. Let’s get out there and join our brothers and sisters in service to our Lord, empowered by the Spirit within. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we bow in prayer to You, as one family and in one Spirit. Thank You, Father, for sending Your Holy Spirit to live in us, uniting us. Thank You for adopting us into Your larger family, making us brothers and sisters of Jesus. Please lead us to love and help one another as a family should. Please forgive us when we don’t follow the guidance of Your Spirit within us. Help us to always show Jesus in all we do.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our disobedient ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, there were so many things You tried to teach us while You walked among us. The most important were that we love and help one another and that we go out and make disciples for You, teaching them all You said and did, and all You still do for us. Thank You, Lord, for trusting us to carry on Your work here on earth. Please encourage us, strengthen us, and help us as we labor in Your fields. And help us bring more workers for the harvest.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
The great evangelist D. L. Moody was preparing to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor there protested, "Why do we need this ‘Mr. Moody’? He's uneducated, inexperienced. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, yet perhaps wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."
And speaking of ‘Mr. Moody’, he once opened an address before a large audience by holding up a drinking glass and asking, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass." After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
God’s Holy Spirit indeed held a monopoly on Dwight Moody. The devil certainly had no chance of getting a piece of Moody, otherwise the great evangelist would never have been able to reach so many people and bring them to the truth, to Jesus.
But what about us? Does the Holy Spirit have a monopoly over us, or does the world still control a portion of our lives? Are there still air pockets that we haven’t allowed the Spirit to completely fill? And why is this even important to us?
Well, for one thing, God’s Holy Spirit works under the full power of God Himself. Giving the Holy Spirit full reign in our lives is critical for us if for no other reason than the power He wields. Just last week we read what happened after Peter and John were released from custody when they were arrested for healing a lame man in the name of Jesus! The Apostle Luke recorded for us just a small taste of the Holy Spirit’s power, in chapter 4 of the Book of Acts, verse 31...
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
--Acts 4:31 (NKJV)
I think our scripture reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians also provides at least part of the answer to that last question of why is all this important. I chose this passage because it makes a nice bridge between the job we have in serving our Lord and perhaps the greatest reward of our labors: God’s indwelling Spirit.
In this, Paul prays to God that He would strengthen us for our labors with might through His Holy Spirit. He prays that we might be able to comprehend the love of Christ, even if we can’t understand why He would love us so. And he prays that we be filled with the fullness of God, filled to fullness by God’s Holy Spirit.
For our part, Paul encourages us to walk worthy of our calling, to be worthy of what God has called us to do. And how are we to act, while doing this work? With all lowliness and gentleness, with great patience and long-suffering. We are to bear each other up, support one another in love. And we are to strive to maintain the unity of the Holy Spirit, for we are one body – the body of Jesus – and one Spirit – God’s Holy Spirit – lives within each of us! One body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God who is God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all!
Large families have always been beneficial for agrarian, agricultural societies because it takes a lot of hands to successfully work a farm. A few weeks ago we saw where Jesus said the fields are white and ripe and ready for the harvest, but the laborers on His farm are few. So He raised a family to help do all the work.
Each of us here this morning is part of that family, the largest family in the world, the family of Christ Jesus, adopted by our Father God. We are each members of this church family called Pilgrim. And our church is part of the greater body of Christ left on earth to do His work.
So we’re not alone in our labors, neither as a church nor as individuals. We have plenty of company and we can work together. We have brothers and sisters who are already out in the fields right now, working for our Lord. Some are planting the seed of God’s word, some are watering and working the soil, helping those new to the faith as they grow and mature.
We’re one big family, one body. Paul speaks of this in his 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 12 through 14, when he says...
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
--1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NKJV)
We are one body, the body of Christ Jesus, tied together by one Spirit, the Spirit of God. And we are not alone. Not only are other members of this great family - this body - working alongside us, Jesus also promised to be with us until the end of the age. God’s own Holy Spirit is in us, is with us all.
So what’s holding us back? What are we afraid of or worried about? We are one body and one Spirit. Let’s get out there and join our brothers and sisters in service to our Lord, empowered by the Spirit within. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we bow in prayer to You, as one family and in one Spirit. Thank You, Father, for sending Your Holy Spirit to live in us, uniting us. Thank You for adopting us into Your larger family, making us brothers and sisters of Jesus. Please lead us to love and help one another as a family should. Please forgive us when we don’t follow the guidance of Your Spirit within us. Help us to always show Jesus in all we do.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our disobedient ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, there were so many things You tried to teach us while You walked among us. The most important were that we love and help one another and that we go out and make disciples for You, teaching them all You said and did, and all You still do for us. Thank You, Lord, for trusting us to carry on Your work here on earth. Please encourage us, strengthen us, and help us as we labor in Your fields. And help us bring more workers for the harvest.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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