They say, there are only two sorts of people that are allergic to evangelism: Christians and non-Christians. Yet, the Holy Spirit within us pulsates with a passion to proclaim the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection and to invite people to repent and believe. Jesus promises that this is what happens when the Holy Spirit falls upon his followers.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ Acts 1:8
Luke documents the “Acts of the Holy Spirit” which propel the new believers beyond the limitations of their traditions and prejudices and across the boundaries of culture and geography. So that, within a handful of decades, Paul can write to Rome, with gratefulness to God, saying that he himself has proclaimed the message of Jesus from Jerusalem to the Balkans (Rom 15:19).The Holy Spirit, scripture tells us and shows us, is the Spirit of Mission sending Christians into the world with power to bear witness to Jesus.
Alan Scott puts it well:
The Spirit of God was not given for exciting church services but to empower scattered servants. He wasn’t given so we could have better meetings or greater experiences. He was sent so we could be sent … with power, so we could bear witness to a powerful Christ.
This Sunday we are considering the heartbeat of mission: the Holy Spirit. Looking at Rom 15:19 I plan to consider three dimensions of mission: place, practice and proclamation. (3 points beginning with “P” must be a winner!)
It seems to me that many of us are in place, we are embedded in a network of connections and relationships. It also seems to me that 21st century church in the UK has been good at practise, showing the gospel in good works of care and concern, though very much lacking in the signs and wonders department. Where, to my mind, we have lost our edge is in our verbal communication of the gospel.
Words are essential to the mission of God. God himself speaks and makes himself clear to us through words. Words are necessary for us understand what God has done for us in Jesus. The New Testament shows time and again the Spirit inspiring and directing people to speak the good news and articulate the message with clarity and conviction. Words are essential to our mission:
“And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Romans 10:14
Sadly, many of us feel spiritually tongue-tied and nervous about sharing our faith with others. We feebly hope that our deeds speak for us. Of course, character gives credibility but to communicate the unchanging word of God in an everchanging world requires language, and courage.
As we think about mission in the power of the Spirit this weekend and as some of us engage after church in a “mission listening” exercise, allow me to put a word in for words, for Holy Spirit endued communication with words. Gospel means “good news” and we all know that when we hear good news it burns away within us, demanding to be told. The mark of Spirit filled believers appears to be Spirit enabled lips: we are naturally supernaturally missional.
“A Church that knows its Lord and is possessed by its Gospel cannot but propagate creatively the life that it has found. A Christian who is taking his faith seriously cannot but evangelize.”
James S Stewart
Iain