Session 3: The Holy Spirit in the Church and Beyond
We reflected on how the Spirit prepared for the coming of Jesus and also prepared Jesus himself.
But when you read the Gospel, you don’t see the active work of the Spirit during Jesus’ ministry.
Why?
Not because the Spirit was not there, but because the Spirit and Jesus were so intimately connected that you don’t see the separate work of the Spirit.
The Spirit worked through Jesus. Jesus did all the wonderful things like casting out demons, healing the sick with the help of the Spirit. Jesus performed the miracles with the power of the Spirit.
But when Jesus died and ascended to heaven, now we see the work of the Spirit apart from Jesus.
Luke was the only one among Gospel writers who described the work of the Spirit after Jesus was gone.
Luke wrote not only the Gospel of Luke but also another book. What is his second book? Yes, the Acts of the Apostles. Actually, Luke wrote Luke and the Acts as one book. But it was so long that it could not fit on one scroll, and so it was separated.
Some people called his second book the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Because it was all about the works of the Holy Spirit.
As the Spirit gave birth to Jesus, the Spirit gave birth to the church.
If Christ is the head of the church, then the Spirit is the soul of the church.
The Spirit makes church alive. The Spirit gives church vitality.
The church is not just an institution. The church is where the Spirit works and moves. The Spirit inspires people, changes their hearts, opens their eyes, and guides the church.
The Holy Spirit makes the church the church. We do many activities such as weekly worship, Bible studies, church activities, and missions. But if we do that without the Holy Spirit, they are simply human activities.
When I first came to this church in 1992, there was a small number of people. This year is 30 year anniversary.
God has done wonderful things through this church. Mission in South Africa, Madagascar, Malawi, Kazakstan, Indigenous ministry such as Rocky Bay and Sioux Valley, China, and Philippines. Evangel Hall, Teesdale.
We became a representative church in our denomination. Our ESM Praise team was invited to do praise for the PCC GA this coming week. 16 churches: more than 2 ministers. We have four + James.
When you read the Acts of the Apostles carefully, you will see one image coming out very strongly.
That image is this:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
What image do you see here?
The Spirit moved towards the new world, having broken down all boundaries and crumbled down walls. The Spirit broke boundaries.
Moving from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This movement was not just a geographical transition.
When I moved from Seoul to Toronto, it wasn’t just a geographical move. I had to deal with many barriers. Language barriers, cultural barriers, racial issues, food, and that wasn’t easy.
In my life, for the first time, I felt so small. They always asked me where I came from. I said Korea. And they didn’t even know where Korea was.
I once went to a market, and a cashier asked me, “Oh, are you the one who was looking for milk?” I said no.
She said, “Oh, you Chinese people all look alike.” I said I am not Chinese.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, “you all look the same.”
It doesn’t matter – maybe to her, but it mattered to me. I felt so belittled. I didn’t have an identity any more.
Even after I became ordained, this happened within the Christian community. I was interviewing a candidate for ministry. Two of us. A white minister and I.
Not a single time, the candidate looked at me during the interview. Even when I asked questions, he answered, looking at the white minister. I was invisible to him. I felt totally ignored.
After the interview, I raised an issue with my interview partner. He said, Oh, maybe because you look young. What’s that got to do with anything.
Barriers are not only political or theological. They become deeply personal.
So, moving from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth was not just a geographical move.
The Spirit needed to dismantle ideological, religious, and cultural barriers. The Spirit had to deal with different theological ideas and political powers. The Spirit had to overcome tradition.
It is impossible to do all these things with human ability. Disciples didn’t do it. It was the Holy Spirit who worked through them.
Jesus’ movement began with a small number of people. 120. These 120 people were around superpowers like Rome and powerful religious establishments like Judaism, and all kinds of religious beliefs like emperor worship and so many different gods.
Paul once went to Athens and saw objects of so many gods, and among them, there was even the statue of an “unknown god.” They had all kinds of gods and worshipped each one of them. Just in case they missed a god – they put “unknown god.”
Paul had to preach in that kind of environment. It is a miracle that Christianity survived through so many of these obstacles. Not only survive but thrive.
They were like David in front of Goliath. Do you get the picture? But the early Christians were confident as David was confident before Goliath.
That’s what the Spirit does. The Spirit gives you confidence.
Confidence doesn’t come from affirmations, having many positive experiences, or achieving success. Confidence is about your belief in yourself.
Jesus believes in you. He said you would do greater things than he did. Jesus believes in you more than you believe in yourself. The Holy Spirit gives you that confidence.
Let us see the way the Holy Spirit came to all people after Jesus died.
Until then, the Spirit worked only through Jesus. The disciples didn’t do anything. They just followed Jesus. Now the Holy Spirit came on them.
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” (Acts 2:1-13)
The Spirit broke down the language barrier.
The opposite of this happened when? Yes, Babel Tower.
Babel → Division
Pentecost → Unity
Spirit → Breaking barriers
At Babel, humanity was divided by language. At Pentecost, the Spirit turned language into a bridge.
Curse turned into blessing.
The Spirit broke down the linguistic and cultural barriers and made them one.
One of our church themes is coexistence of all people. Right now in our church we have two languages and two cultures. Coexistence does not mean just to be together physically. There should be respect, care, and love. It is possible only through the Spirit.
When the Spirit came upon them, their first reaction was confusion. They never experienced this.
The Spirit chose Peter and gave him the words to speak. Peter articulated and explained to them the meaning of what just happened.
Who did Peter use? Yes, the prophet Joel. We studied at the first lecture. He was the first one who saw that the Holy Spirit came to all people, men and women, young and old, masters and slaves.
Until Joel, they believed that the Holy Spirit came only on special people like kings, prophets, and priests. What Joel prophesied was fulfilled. Peter, seeing what happened, interpreted the situation, using the Scripture.
What happened is important but the understanding of what happened is more important.
A lot of things happen in your life. But do you have the ability to interpret what is happening in your life?
The Spirit will help you. When you are intimately connected with the Spirit, your eyes will be open and you will see what is going on in your life. That is having spiritual eyes.
Why certain things happen to you? Why do you feel this way? Why these people said this to me? They are not just random things. You have to learn how to connect the dots.
When Peter interpreted what happened, his words cut to the hearts of those who experienced the coming of the Spirit.
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:37, 38)
On that day, 3,000 people repented and the church was born. That was how the church began. That was how the movement of the Spirit started.
What started with 120 people became the world religion. It wasn’t done by the plans and strategies of the disciples. It was the work of the Holy Spirit. With the power of the Holy Spirit, the early Christians broke through many challenges around them and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.
You may be surrounded by many challenges. Living in this world is not easy. Especially these days, we find it very difficult to go on with our lives. The world is very unpredictable.
Dora (Rev. from Cuba) shared with me about her anxiety. Even if the war is over, she said Trump said Cuba is next.
Many ministers don’t get enough pay because the offering is so low. They try their best but it is not easy.
Among us, we have two people from Sioux Valley. You know the history of indigenous people in this country. They went through a very difficult time. Their pain and trauma continue in the next generation.
Now with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can break through these challenges.
When you face obstacles in your life, please do not give up. When you don’t have any power to deal with your situations, do not give up.
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the power. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
You can do all things through the Holy Spirit who strengthens you. That was what Paul believed. That was what Peter believed.
The Spirit will help your weaknesses.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)
Then he said this.
We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
The Spirit is your friend. The Spirit is your helper. The Spirit is your guide.
Do not face life alone. Invite the Spirit to come in.
Discussion Questions:
- The most important work of the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascended into heaven was to break boundaries and barriers. To have a new life, you need to do the same thing. What are some boundaries and barriers that need to be broken down personally, socially and spiritually? What are some barriers Christians face these days in the culture we live in?
- The church is not just a social institution. It is a spiritual community led by the Holy Spirit. If we build a spiritual community, the next generation will be blessed by this church. What does it look like for the church to be a spiritual community? How can we build this church to be a spiritual community?
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