The Ministry of the Holy Spirit XVI - Living Grace Fellowship

Sunday 06/22/14

Topic: Review: An you will receive Power Pt. 2

Series – The Ministry of the Holy Spirit XVI.mp3

Click here to watch the video.

Key Texts:

Acts 1:1-8; 1 Cor. 14

And you will receive Power

This week, looked deeper into our study on the Authority (exousia) and Enabling Power (Dunamis) offered by the Holy Spirit in His ministry to the church and took a deeper look at the gifts as they are used in the church taking our key texts again from Acts 1:8 & 1 Cor. 14.

In this teaching, while covering the topics of power and authority, I was also led to deal very specifically with the authority of political leaders. In my experience, most teachings concerning the appointment and authority of political leaders has been presented in a largely humanistic and apologetic fashion, attempting to “protect” the honor of God by attributing things to chance and decisions of man, which in reality belong solely within the realm of God’s sovereign power and authority.

Romans 13:1-6 are very clear concerning the appointment of political leaders, and though we in America have elected officials we are NOT exempt from the sovereign power of God!

In fact, perhaps the easiest place in the world to establish a leader God would appoint over a nation is in a government where the people have a voice in who leads them. If a nation’s heart is godly they will seek after Godly official. If their hearts are evil, they will seek leaders who will help them in the pursuit of their ungodly hearts.

How does that make it easier for God to establish the kind of leader He would place over His people?

God’s has always filled His people with their own ways. If their hearts are good – He gives them a godly leader, if their hearts are inclined towards this world, He appoints a worldly leader over them, so that they can experience the end result of their rebellion and in so realizing it – experience a change of heart back towards Him.

You see, historically, God has ALWAYS led a nation by and through it’s leaders and He has always appointed leaders who would bring about the greatest good for His people. Again, historically, every time God brings a nation into prosperity and abundance, their hearts turn against Him and become filled with pride and the cares of this life. When this happens “He brings down their hearts with labor” (Ps. 107:11-14) and causes their enemies to rule over them.

As for nations – the world HAS NEVER BEEN God’s primary focus, His primary focus has ALWAYS been His people.

In the beginning that was Adam and Eve.

Then it was the “sons of God, who called upon the name of the Lord”.

Then it was Noah, followed by Job and then Abraham and the ensuing nation of Israel.

Now, God’s primary focus is the Church…His body – regardless of nationality. God has always desired to bless His people, but His people have NEVER CHANGED.

Whenever God established His people in abundance and prosperity, within a few short generations their hearts turned towards worldly lusts and became burdened down by the cares of this life. God’s response has always been to give them leadership which would play right into their ungodly desires and so “filling them with their own desires” they become sick of them and their hearts turn back towards God.

Why did God do this?

Was it simply because He was angry?

Was it out of vindictiveness?

Was it for their good?

Obviously it was for their good, and so those who took them captive were God’s ministers for good, even if their individual actions were evil.

“And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, And those who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand. Many times He delivered them; But they rebelled in their counsel, And were brought low for their iniquity. Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, When He heard their cry; And for their sake He remembered His covenant, And relented according to the multitude of His mercies. He also made them to be pitied By all those who carried them away captive.” ~ Psa. 106:41-46

So it is today ! Many people treat the New Covenant as if it changed God when in reality it only changed us and our relationship TO God – but it did NOT change God. God is still placing those He loves into captivity and bringing them out again.

Why?

“The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.” ~ Prov. 14:14

“O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?” ~ 2Chron. 20:6

I hope you will enjoy the rest of this teaching and as a result be better equipped to co-partner with the Spirit in the work of the ministry!

We encourage you…give it a listen!

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!