Thursday, December 1

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Matthew 1:20-25

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God with us.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
My father began preaching in churches when he was only 17 years old. Shortly after beginning his pastoral ministry – when he was about 19 - he was called upon to conduct his first wedding in a small rural church in Iowa. He recalls being very nervous as he was younger than both the bride and groom and he began the service with the traditional challenge to the gathered guests:

“If any of you has a reason why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

At that moment, as he tells the story, the wedding was interrupted when mother of the bride began to shriek from her place in the front of the small church. She shrieked and then went completely rigid and fell over in the pew. My father grabbed the bride’s hand and said, “Gladys, just stand here,” but beyond that he had no idea what to do. Was that technically an objection to the wedding? Should he continue? Could he continue? What was happening?

Fortunately, within a few moments several of the woman’s friends rushed to take care of the woman, who evidently had a history of small seizures during times of emotional stress or excitement. They simply carried her out and laid her down on the church lawn until she recovered and the wedding went on as planned!

At this point in the story of Jesus’ birth, nothing has gone as planned for Joseph! His engagement has been interrupted. His plans for a wife and family have been interrupted. His very life has been interrupted because God has chosen to break into the world – to break into his world!

God then tells Joseph not to get rid of Mary quietly, as he had been planning to do, but rather to take her home as his wife! Furthermore, God goes on to tell Joseph what the child’s name should be and what vocation has already been divinely ordained for the Son that he doesn’t even know yet!

I think, if I were Joseph, right about now I would call a “TIME OUT!”

“Just hold on a second God! Can I remind you that I didn’t ask for any of this? All I ever wanted was a wife and a nice family and a quiet life. I’ve worshiped and served you all my life – and I’ve never asked for much. And now you drop THIS on me! My fiancé is expecting a child through the Holy Spirit?! How am I supposed to understand that? Then you say I should go ahead and take Mary home as my wife – who knows what people are going to say? And, then, even if I agree to all of that, you even tell me what to name the child!”

I think that might be where I would have drawn the line! I think I would have been tempted to blurt out:

“Is it too much to ask to be allowed to come up with my own name for the child? I mean, I have always thought “Joey” was kind of a nice place to start! Do I have a say in any of this God?”

But notice how Joseph responds:

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Not only did Joseph obey God by taking Mary as his wife and naming the child “Jesus,” but he “had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.”

I’ve never heard a sermon (nor delivered one) about this part of the story – for obvious reasons! But Joseph voluntarily gave up his right and privilege as a married man so that both he and his wife could know for sure that this child was who the angel had said he was.

So what can I learn from this man Joseph?

I can learn that interruptions sometimes come from God. I can learn that I won’t always understand what God is doing. I can learn that obedience comes from trust. And I can learn that sacrifice is always part of love.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Wednesday, November 30

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Matthew 1:20-25

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God with us.”
When one of our sons was little – about 5 or 6 years old – he didn’t like to go into empty parts of our home when he was alone. If we were all in the family room, for example, and he needed to go down into the basement to get a toy, he would walk over and stand at the top of the stairs and just stand there until one of us noticed. When we told him to go ahead down the stairs he would say, “I’m scary Daddy,” and then either his Mom or I would walk with him down the stairs as he retrieved the toy. Each time this happened we would encourage him by telling him he could learn to do it all by himself – that there was nothing in the basement to be afraid of – that he could turn on the light and go to the basement all by himself. Over time, he eventually got to the place where I would just need go about half way down the stairs with him – and then just to stand on the first step – and with that he could muster the courage to go the rest of the way on his own. He’s now 14 and no longer needs us to be with him as he goes up and down the stairs!

I have often remembered those days with our young son when I think about the phrase, “God with us.” My little boy just needed to know someone was there – he needed to feel my presence with him.

Matthew writes:

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God with us.”
In a way, I think, we are all like my young son. The world is full of scary things, scary places and scary events - and we can feel like we are all alone. And I think Joseph had to feel something like that as he tried to decide what to do with his ruined engagement and marriage.

Then, as he tossed and turned on his bed, he had a dream that was more than a dream. It was a message; a message from God that told him he was not alone; a message that told him not to be afraid; a message that told him what he should do and why; a message that told him that God was with him – even in this unthinkable and unimaginable situation!

When Joseph woke up I don’t think he necessarily understood all that was happening to him – how could he? But I do think he knew that God was with him. And because he knew God was with him, he was no longer afraid of what was happening to him – or to do what God was asking him to do.

Are you facing a scary situation in your life? If so – and sooner or later we all do – remember that the promise of God through the prophet is also for you:

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God with us.”

Pastor Brian Coffey

Tuesday, November 29

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Matthew 1:18-19

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

A couple of years ago I was watching a Bulls game on T.V., when during a break in the action a young man proposed to a young lady. It was one of those situations where they guy had arranged to have a message put on the jumbo-tron scoreboard so that 20,000 people could share in the moment. He coaxed his unknowing girlfriend to leave their seats and walk to the edge of the court. And there, in full view of the crowd and those watching on T.V., he got down on his knee and offered her what looked to be a ring in box. She stared at the ring for a long and somewhat uncomfortable moment, then shook her head ever so slightly, threw her hands over her face, turned and ran back into the crowd. Evidently, she had turned him down!

As the crowd sat in awkward silence, the poor guy stood up and shrugged with his palms up as if to say, “Well, what are you going to do?”

I remember thinking two things: First, if you are going to propose in front of 20,000 people and more on T.V. – make sure you know what she is going to say! And second, I remember feeling sorry for the guy – because what should have been one of the happiest moments of his life had gone horribly wrong.

Essentially, that’s what happens to Joseph in this story! Before he even has a chance to celebrate his marriage with a honeymoon, his fiancé is found to be “with child.” How could this have happened? He knows that he is not the father so he can only make one assumption: Mary has been unfaithful to him. He’s hurt; he’s angry, he’s confused; he’s humiliated. Soon the whole town will know. People will talk. What will he do? What can he do? What would you have done, if you had been in Joseph’s shoes? Look at what Joseph does:

Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

To be honest, I don’t know if I could have done it. I don’t know if I could have handled such disappointment without at least some desire to protect myself, my reputation or my dignity. I think I may have been more concerned about what my family and friends thought of me than how they treated my ex-fiance who was pregnant with a baby that wasn’t mine. But not Joseph. Notice that his concern is not for himself, but for Mary. He wants to protect her, not himself. Despite this bitter interruption of his hopes and dreams, he acts with both righteousness and grace.

As I think about Joseph’s response, I can’t help but think about the words John used to describe the child that would grow up in Joseph’s home:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Grace and truth. I think those two words describe Joseph’s own response to the great interruption of his life. And I think Joseph’s willingness to respond with both grace and truth is why God chose this man to be the earthly father of His own Son!

How do you respond to the interruptions of your life?

How do I sometimes respond to interruptions?

Frustration? Check.

Impatience? Check.

Anger? Check.

Why? Because – duh - my plans are interrupted! Because I can’t do what I want to do when I want to do it. And because I think I know what’s best for me all the time – interruptions are frustrating!

But what if the interruption is from God? What if the interruption that I see as annoying is actually God breaking into my life with an opportunity to see him, experience him, know him in a different way than ever before? What if the interruption is actually God at work?

May I – may we – increasingly learn to respond to the interruptions of life with both grace and truth so that we may allow God to do his work in and through us!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Monday, November 28

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Matthew 1:18-19

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Every married couple that has been blessed with a baby knows that the arrival of a child changes everything! One of the things I was not quite prepared for when our first child was born was how quickly those changes would happen – and how soon that little newborn would force us to make decisions.

Like most new parents we tended to respond to every cry and whimper of our little “bundle of joy.” The result, of course, was that he quickly trained us to get him anything he wanted at any time of day or night. Within a few months we were getting up several times each night in response to his cries for attention. Since he couldn’t yet talk we had to guess at his needs. Sometimes he wanted milk; sometimes he wanted juice; sometimes he just wanted to be picked up and held. But when he cried out we would always get up and get him whatever he needed to quiet down and go back to sleep. After several months of this - he was quite happy and we were quite exhausted!

After consulting our pediatrician and a few trusted friends, we learned that in order to preserve our sleep - not to mention our sanity – we were going to have to learn a different way of responding. We decided that when our little guy cried out – we would check to make sure he had a clean diaper – and that he was well fed – but other than that we would not get him extra juice or pick him up. Essentially, we would let him cry it out and go back to sleep. At least that was the plan!

The plan didn’t go so well! To put it mildly, our son was not a happy camper! Beginning on the first night of our experiment and continuing for what seemed like weeks (although it was only a matter of a few days) he demonstrated a phenomenal ability to cry with increasing strength and outrage for over an hour at a time – while we lay in bed taking turns keeping each other from running to his crib. On about the third night, we listened as he ratcheted up his angry cries to soul-splitting levels, when suddenly there was a loud thump – followed by eerie silence. Frightened by the strange sequence of sounds, I bolted out of bed and ran to his room. Peering through the darkness I saw my 6 or 7 month old son sitting in the middle of the floor. He had become so agitated that he flung himself up over the railing of his crib and onto the floor – the thump I heard was his little body hitting the floor. The silence that followed was probably because the rough landing on his backside had so startled him that, momentarily anyway, he forgot to cry!

The coming of a child really does change everything! Over the first few months of life a child will change your sleep patterns for the worse; your energy level – also for the worse; your finances – you guessed it; and, eventually, even your capacity to love – which grows beyond your wildest dreams!

In short, one could describe the arrival of a child as a great interruption!

The word interruption comes to us from two Latin words – intero – which means into – and rupere – which means to break. So to interrupt means to break into. And that’s what happens when a child is born! A baby breaks into your world and changes everything!

So it is with the great story we celebrate again during the Advent season! Look again at Matthew’s simple description of how this child broke into the world:

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever thought about this story from the perspective of an interruption? Think about it: Mary and Joseph are engaged to be married – “betrothed” in the ancient Jewish way. Everyone is looking forward to the great celebration that will be their wedding feast. Joseph is looking forward to bringing his bride into his home and eventually starting a family. Everything is perfect. Then - WHAM! - everything changes with the discovery that before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

Talk about an interruption! We’re talking interrupted engagement, interrupted plans, interrupted expectations and a completely interrupted life! Joseph had to be thinking, “I didn’t sign up for this!” And with everything in him he probably wished this painful interruption had never happened.

Yet, from the perspective of 2000 years, we can see that this particular interruption, difficult as it was for Joseph to comprehend at the time, was actually God himself breaking into human history!

The Bible tells us,

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman… (Galatians 4:4)

What Joseph had to see as the interruption of all his plans was actually a sovereign and divine interruption that brought salvation into the world.

As you begin this Advent season, notice all the ways that Christmas interrupts everyday routines! Ask God to use these interruptions to remind you of his own great interruption into history – and into your life. Ask him to break into your heart once more with his presence and love!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Friday, November 25

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Friday

We have been talking all week about the importance of Spiritual Gifts.  We have said that spiritual gifts are the abilities that God gives to every believer for the purpose of serving others and glorifying Christ.  But we haven’t talked much about what the specific gifts are that God gives.  Now before we get into this topic, I have to give you an important caution.  The New Testament gives us several suggestive lists of the different kinds of gifts, but we are not given one definitive or exhaustive list of all of the gifts.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts.  – 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 (selected)

As we look briefly at some of the individual gifts mentioned here, pay careful attention to those gifts that seem to resonate best with how God has designed you.

Faith: the ability to confidently believe God for changes and spiritual growth that will enhance the purposes of God. A person with this gift is quick to believe God for things they may never see.

Distinguishing of spirits: Sometimes called discernment, this is the ability to know when truth or error is being spoken and whether a prophet is a true or false one.

Apostles: As a spiritual gift, this is the ability to begin and/or to oversee new churches and Christian ministries with a spontaneously recognized authority.

Prophecy: The ability to receive and proclaim a message from God, simply put ,prophecy is giving a declaration of God’s will to God’s people.  This gift provides a word from God to a specific group, not the normative Word of God to all believers.

Teaching: The ability to clearly explain and effectively apply the truths of God’s Word so that others will learn. This requires the capacity to accurately interpret Scripture, engage in necessary research, and organize the results in a way that is easily communicated.

Miracles: The ability to serve as an instrument through whom God accomplishes acts that manifest supernatural power. Miracles bear witness to the presence of God and the truth of His proclaimed Word, and appear to occur most frequently in association with missionary activity.

Gifts of healings: The ability to serve as a human instrument through whom God supernaturally cures illnesses and restores health. The possessor of this gift is not the source of power, but a vessel who can only heal those diseases the Lord chooses to heal. Inner healing, or healing of past emotional wounds is sometimes associated as another manifestation of this gift.

Gifts of helps: The ability to enhance the effectiveness of the ministry of other members of the body. This is the only usage of this word in the New Testament, and it appears to be distinct from the gift of service. Some suggest that while the gift of service is more group-oriented, the gift of helps is more person-oriented.

Gifts of administration: This word, like helps, appears only one time in the New Testament, and it is used outside of Scripture of a helmsman who steers a ship to its destination. This suggests that the spiritual gift of administration is the ability to steer a group of people toward the fulfillment of their goals. A person may have the gift of leadership without the gift of administration.

Various kinds of tongues: The ability to receive and impart a spiritual message in a language the recipient never learned.  It is worth noting that the gift of tongues is last in Paul’s list. This is true whenever Paul mentions tongues in 1 Corinthians. One thing we should acknowledge is that Paul considered “tongues” to be a part of worship; however, he did not expect that everyone would have the gift of tongues.  The interpretation of tongues: the ability to interpret tongues.

With all of these gifts in mind (and of course there are many others) I want you to imagine a large puzzle, say, one with about 500 pieces that we are going to attempt to put together. As with every challenging jigsaw puzzle, each piece is different in shape and often in color. Every piece is needed in order to finish the puzzle, and there are no extra pieces. If we weren’t certain of that we wouldn’t even start the puzzle. Who needs that level of frustration? Each piece, of course, fits in only one place. If we try to force it into a place where it doesn’t fit, the corners get bent and then another piece is prevented from taking its rightful spot.

Our church is very much like this jigsaw puzzle. There are over 2,000 individuals who call FBCG their church home. Each one has unique talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts.  Every one of us is vital to the big picture, to the proper functioning of this church—there are no spares or extras.  This means we all need to discover our spiritual gift and serve in the most fruitful way possible. Everybody is somebody because we’re in this together.

Jeff Frazier

Thursday, Nov. 24

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Thursday

Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He won three national championships and 14 conference titles as the head football coach for the University of Oklahoma in the 1950s.  After coaching Bud served as the chairman of the President’s Council for physical fitness during the Johnson administration. Someone once asked Wilkinson what role professional football had played in America’s physical fitness.  Wilkinson responded with these words, “Absolutely none. In football you have 22 players on the field desperately in need of rest being cheered on by 50,000 spectators in the stands desperately in need of exercise!” Unfortunately, that is true in many local churches. Too many Christians view the church this way, the members see the pastoral staff as the “players” in ministry but view themselves as merely spectators. If the church is doing well, the members cheer. If the church begins to decline, the cheers quickly turn to jeers. That may make for exciting football, but it is a lousy way to run a church. Paul says God’s pattern for the church is that every member be involved in ministry.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.  – 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Let me give you three things that this passage tells us you must do in regards to your spiritual gift.  First, you must discover what spiritual gift or gifts the Holy Spirit has given you. The Greek word for “gift” is charisma, from which we get our English words charisma and charismatic.  The charis part of the word means “grace.” The ma portion of the word is a suffix meaning a grace that it is given. They are “grace gifts” that enable a person to glorify and serve God. These grace gifts are not earned; they are not the result of hard work; they are not even ones we choose for ourselves. And they may, or may not, be related to our natural skill set.  Remember, God has not gifted you to do what you think you should do; He has gifted you to do what He wants you to do.  The grace gift(s) that God has chosen in His sovereignty to grant you are expressions of His love.  In the exercise of your spiritual gift from God you will find fulfillment.

Second, you must plug into ministry and get busy serving somewhere.  Jesus died to give you the gift (charisma) of eternal life, but He also died so that you could serve Him with your spiritual gift (charisma).  When you and I fail to do this, we fail to carry out one of the purposes in His death.  God has given you a spiritual gift to benefit others around you.  That is why it is really a tragedy if you don’t know what your spiritual gift is, if you’re not in the process of finding out what it is, or if you’re not using your gift for the body.

Third, you must depend upon God for the results.  The Holy Spirit is responsible for the results.  That means that we don’t produce anything, we can only use our gifts and trust the rest to God.  It takes a great weight off of us when we are trying to serve the Lord in ministry.  What we are called to do is to be faithful in exercising our gifts in the places where Christ directs us. Then God takes full responsibility for the eternal impact.  So let’s get out of the stands, stop being spectators and start playing our part for God’s team!

Jeff Frazier

Wednesday, November 23

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Wednesday

Did you ever play the game “Truth or Dare” when you were a kid?  You know, the game where somebody asks you a question and you can either answer truthfully, or if you don’t want to answer, you can take an unknown dare instead.  Were you the kind of kid that was more likely to share the truth or take the dare?  If you say that it depends on what the dare is, then you’re probably not really the daring type.

At the risk of stretching this little analogy too far, Sometimes I think God’s word is a kind of “Truth and Dare” game; God gives us His truth and (in a sense) dares us to believe it.  God puts the question to us – are you willing to trust what my Word says?  Are you willing to believe that I am in control?  Are you daring enough to surrender your life to me?

Consider these words from the Apostle Paul…

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.  Now to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  - 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Do you see that?  You are gifted by God!  Paul clearly states that “to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given”.  To who?  To each one.  To everyone who trusts Jesus Christ.  It’s true, do you dare to believe it?  You are gifted!

Spiritual Gifts are simply abilities that God gives to every believer for the purpose of serving others in the Body of Christ.  You might not think of yourself as a gifted person, you might struggle with self-doubt and low self-esteem.  No matter how you feel, from God’s point of view you are gifted.  Regardless of how you view yourself, God’s word declares that if you belong to Christ, then you have been gifted by God to be used by the Holy Spirit in service to others. 

In a way, God “Double Dares” us; He dares us first to believe that we are gifted, and second He dares us to use our gifts.

Which of these truths (and/or dares) are most difficult for you?

Do you struggle to believe that you actually have gifts, which God can use?

Do you struggle to take action and put your gifts into use for God?

Have you ever stopped to consider how it might feel to God for you not to believe that He has uniquely gifted you, or how it might feel to Him for you to refuse to put the gifts He gave you into action?

Spend a few minutes in prayer…

Praising God that He has uniquely gifted you to make a difference in the world for His glory!

Asking God to forgive you for either failing to believe or failing to use the gifts He has given you. 

Resolving to discover what gifts God has given you, and to use them in service to others and for Christ!

Jeff Frazier

Tuesday, November 22

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Tuesday

Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.  You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.  Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.   – 1 Corinthians 12:1-3

Why would Paul begin this part of his letter by saying that he doesn’t want the Corinthian Christians to be ignorant about spiritual gifts?  Apparently they were ignorant, or at least there was some confusion about this issue.  In fact, many NT scholars think that Paul is probably responding to some specific questions of the Corinthian church about spiritual gifts.  While we don’t know the exact questions, we do know that the Corinthian Christians were exceptionally gifted (1 Cor. 1:5-7) and yet at the same time one of the most divided and carnal churches in the New Testament.  So, it may have been that they were confusing particular spiritual gifts as a sign of their spiritual superiority.  Whatever the case, Paul says, “Hey look, you are not getting this, so let me make it clear to you.”

There are two other places where Paul uses similar language about things he does not want Christians to be ignorant of.  In the book of Romans, he says don't be ignorant of God's plan for Israel (Romans 11:25).  In 1 Thessalonians, Paul says not to be ignorant about the second coming of Jesus (1 Thess. 4:13). 

Ironically, many Christians are still confused and ignorant on these exact points today!  Let’s face it, there are many things that we are ignorant about when it comes to God.  Some things we simply cannot know or understand on this side of eternity because our finite minds are limited.  However, just because we cannot know everything, does not mean that we cannot know anything!  This is why Paul says that he does not want us to be ignorant, he wants us to be clear about those things which God has made clear.  It is all too easy for us to bring our materialistic and/or superstitious views into our understanding of spiritual truth.  I have known many people who become Christians and attempt to import some of their old beliefs or ways of thinking into their understanding of the Gospel.  This is very dangerous, because it can slowly and subtly lead us further and further away from the center of Biblical truth.  This is why Paul reminds the Corinthians about their pagan past.  He says they were “led astray”, in other words, they cannot understand spiritual gifts on their own. 

This might sound kind of obvious or simple, but we cannot understand the things of the Spirit without the Spirit. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.  – 1 Corinthians 2:14

At the end of this passage, Paul gives us the key to discerning true spiritual gifts.

Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.  

–      1 Corinthians 12:3 

Paul lays down for us a broad principle for discerning matters regarding spiritual gifts: judge things by how they relate to Jesus Christ.  Does a supposed spiritual gift glorify Jesus?  This is the ultimate test.  Does it bring attention to Jesus or to man?  Does it promote the true Jesus, or a false one? 

Jesus made it plain, saying that when the Holy Spirit would come, He will testify of Me (John 15:26), and He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and make it known to you (John 16:14).  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not to promote Himself or any man, but to glorify and represent Jesus.  

Jeff Frazier

Monday, November 21

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Monday

There is a historical legend about the generosity of Alexander the Great.  Apparently Alexander put forth the promise that once a year at a great feast, the members of his court could make any request of him, and as long as it was in his power to grant the request, he would not refuse them.  However, because Alexander was known to be capricious at times and unpredictable in his moods, no court member ever asked for anything too extravagant.  One year at the time of the great feast, a lowly court advisor who was in desperate financial trouble and unable to provide for his family, came to ask the great king for nearly $100,000 worth of money and aid.  The court treasurer tried to dissuade the young man saying that he might lose his head for asking for such an outrageous sum.  But Alexander heard of this man’s request and demanded that he come forward.  To the surprise of everyone, Alexander granted the man’s request and even gave the man a higher position in his court!  Alexander is reported to have said, “This man knows how to ask a gift of a king!  The largeness of his request shows that he believes me to have both the means and the will to grant it.”

What if I told you that you could ask God for one thing and He would not refuse you – what would you ask Him for?  Perhaps like King Solomon in the Old Testament, you would ask God for wisdom.  Maybe you would ask Him for courage, or faith, or peace, or protection. 

Do you realize that God has already given you the greatest gift He can possibly give?  Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians… Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  – 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

In the book of Numbers, Moses is frustrated with the way the Israelites are resisting him and their God.  At one point, some of the other leaders of Israel temporarily experience the Spirit in their lives and Moses cries out to God wishing that God’s Spirit would rest on all God’s people (Num. 11:29).  Later on in the Old Testament, the prophet Joel predicts that there will come a day when God will pour out His Spirit on all people (Joel 2:28).  In the New Testament book of Acts, Peter declares that what Moses wished for, and what Joel predicted, has finally come true!  We have all been given the gift of the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is a guarantee from God that He is with us and that our future is completely secure with Him.  The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift God can give us, because by giving the Holy Spirit, He is giving us Himself!  Every other gift that God gives to His children, He gives through His Holy Spirit.  Do you want peace in the midst of some trial?  God gives that through the presence of His Spirit.  Do you want faith and courage to face the future?  God gives that through His Spirit.  Do you want direction or guidance for some decision you are facing?  God gives that through His Spirit. 

Now, If the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift that God can give, then He is the greatest gift that we can possibly ask for as well.  Ah but, and this is the really good news, God has already given us the Holy Spirit the moment we place our trust in Christ.  In other words, the best thing you can possibly ask God for, He has already given to you!  Do you believe that?  Do live as if that is true?  I don’t know about you, but too often I am concerned about all of the things I don’t have and all of the things I wish that God would give me or do for me.  I don’t always see that He has already given me Himself when He gave me His Holy Spirit.  What more can I ask for?  What more do I want?  What more do any of us really need? 

Jeff Frazier 

Friday, November 18

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Acts 1:8

“But 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.”

A couple of weeks ago John and Carrie Smith shared their story with FBCG. They shared how God brought them together and led them through a process of spiritual growth to the point where they have committed themselves and their children to full time missionary service (John is a pilot) with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua, New Guinea. They shared how God has been teaching them to look for opportunities to share their faith with others whenever the opportunity arises. John recently shared the following story with me.

John said he had a friend at work named “Bill” who approached him one day when he observed John reading his Bible while on break time. Bill was not a believer and was quite skeptical about both the Bible and John’s faith as a Christian. Bill even went so far as to identify himself as an atheist. But over time John and Bill had a number of conversations about Christianity, the Bible and other world religions and it became clear to John that Bill was seeking the truth about God.

John and his wife Carrie began to pray for Bill and looked for opportunities to share Christ with him in ways he could understand. After a number of months of these kinds of spiritual conversations, John and Carrie felt that Bill was very close to making the “leap of faith” but still needed something more to convince him.

But then John and Carrie learned that Bill had taken a new job that was going to move him to Tampa, Florida – which would end their frequent conversations. So John and Carrie asked Bill if they could pray with him, asking God to put someone in his life in Tampa who could continue to help him with his questions about faith. Bill agreed and they prayed.

A few days later Bill called John and Carrie from Florida. He told them that God had not waited until he arrived in Tampa to answer their prayer. A woman sat in the seat next to him on the flight and took out her Bible and started to read. In the conversation that ensued she shared with Bill many of the same truths that John and Carrie had been sharing with him over the previous months. Bill figured this was no accident and shortly after that flight he opened his heart to Christ!

In Acts 1 Jesus said: “But 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.”

Notice two things: that Jesus promises that we will receive power from and through the Holy Spirit; and notice the purpose of that power – to enable us to be witnesses!

Now, we know that the power of the Holy Spirit is ours through faith in Christ. We know that the Spirit assures us of our salvation and produces the “fruit of the Spirit” in our lives. We also know that the Holy Spirit gives each one of us certain gifts to be used to serve others and build the church. But Jesus wants us to know that the Spirit also empowers us as individuals and as a church to be his witnesses in the world!

Do you have a “Bill” in your life? Would you be willing to ask God for an opportunity to share the truth and love of Christ with that person – in word or deed? Imagine what could happen if each one of us reached out like that to just one person this year!

Thank God for the gift of his Holy Spirit and ask him to empower you to be his witness!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Thursday, November 17

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John 4:23-24

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

One of the most powerful worship experiences of my life took place not at FBCG (although I have had many such experiences here!) but in Turkey of all places.

I had traveled to Turkey with once of the first teams from FBCG to visit that nation after we had adopted Turkey as our “unreached people group.” As most of you know, Turkey is an overwhelmingly Islamic country with very few Christians and very few churches. But toward the end of our trip we gathered in one of those churches to worship on a Sunday morning.

The church gathered in a second floor room that felt kind of like a small hotel banquet room. As I recall there were about 50 people including our group. But two things were immediately noticeable. First, the congregation gathered that morning was more diverse than any group of people I had ever been part of – made up of Turks, Americans, Iranians, South Koreans, Central and South Americans, South Africans and Europeans. Our worship time was led by a musically talented Swedish family who sang in both Turkish and English. The sermon was delivered by a German pastor who spoke in English but had his words translated by an Iranian woman into Turkish.

But the second, and more important thing I noticed, was that our worship was filled with a sense of the Holy Spirit’s presence. In speaking of true worship, Jesus said:

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

I think Jesus is teaching us two things about worship in this text. First, he is teaching us that our worship is not dependent on things like location, nationality, language or music style. The context of these verses is a discussion with a Samaritan woman about the long-standing conflict between Jews and Samaritans regarding the proper place of worship. Jesus is saying that place doesn’t matter; language doesn’t matter; culture doesn’t matter – what matters is spirit and truth!

In other words; who and why we worship is more important than where and how we worship!

Some of us worship in Geneva, Illinois.

Some of us worship in Ankara, Turkey.

Some of us worship in Nairobi, Kenya.

Some of us worship in beautiful sanctuaries topped with soaring steeples; some of us worship under acacia trees on the African plain.

Some of us sing hymns accompanied by pipe organ and choir; some of us sing songs accompanied by guitars and keyboards; still others dance and sing to tambourines and drums.

But we all, as Christians, worship the same Lord and in the same Spirit.

The second thing Jesus is teaching us isn’t quite so obvious – yet I believe is assumed in his words. Jesus assumes that his followers will worship him together – in community.

While I can certainly worship God in a meaningful and powerful way when I am alone – there is something unique and irreplaceable that happens when I worship in the community of others! The Bible is full of instructions that encourage God’s people to worship together rather than alone. Most of the Psalms were written as songs intended for the whole community of Israel to share together. In the New Testament Paul says clearly:

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another… Hebrews 10:25

We know that on any given weekend only about 45% of the people who call FBCG home actually attend one of our worship services. We also know that this is consistent with other churches throughout North America. We live in a busy culture with many other things grabbing for our time and attention. We also provide many ways for people to stay connected with their church family between weekends – Bible Studies, prayer groups, small groups, on-line resources, etc. And while all of that is good – there is something fundamentally important about the body of Christ sharing worship together!

Do you know that when you are unable to join your church family for worship – something is missing that is irreplaceable? Sometimes we think that because there are a lot of people who make up our church family – around 4,000 - it doesn’t make much difference when we are not there. But the Bible teaches that your presence, your voice (even if you don’t like to sing), your heart – is important because God has “arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be” (1 Corinthians 12:18). Our collective worship is diminished - we all experience just a little bit less when any one of us is missing.

Timothy Ralston writes,  “The Holy Spirit forms the community itself as a sanctuary for the worship of the living God. He empowers each individual to contribute to the unity that alone testifies to the deity of the Savior.”

He is saying that the church is not a building. The church is people. We – each and every one of us who call FBCG home - are the church of Jesus Christ! When even one of us is missing – the church is that much less than God intends it to be.

Thank God for calling you to be part of his family, and commit yourself and your family to making worship a priority in your life!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Wednesday, November 16

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Ephesians 4:1-6

As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

On that same trip to Russian years ago when I visited the Cathedral of St. Peter St. Paul, I also had the opportunity to preach several times at Transfiguration Baptist Church in Samara, Russia. Transfiguration is one of the most influential protestant churches in that region of Russia and was our “sister church” at the time.

The first time I preached was on a Sunday morning. Russian services are very long – from 2 to 2 ½ hours - and usually feature several choirs along with several speakers. By the time I got up to preach the congregation had already been sitting there for over an hour and a half – much longer than I am used to being in a worship service. The message I had prepared was my usual 25 minutes or so – and adding the time needed for an interpreter to repeat my words in Russian – the sermon was close to 50 minutes long. I remember being very aware of how much time was passing – and I felt bad that I had preached so long.

When I sat down after the sermon, the senior pastor, Pastor Victor, immediately turned to me and said in his strong Russian accent, “Pastor Brian, why you speak so little? When we Russians come to church we want big spiritual feast.”

I was scheduled to preach again that night so I decided to give it my best shot. I spent the afternoon putting two sermons together so I would be sure to satisfy my Russian friends’ hunger for a “big spiritual feast.” So when the time came for the evening sermon I preached for a little over an hour – including the interpreter. After finishing, I sat down next to Pastor Victor, sure I had fulfilled my goal. While the congregation was singing the closing hymn I leaned over and asked him, “How was that?” He looked back at me and said, “Little bit too long!” Fortunately, I think Victor was just teasing me!

The truth is that Victor and I could share the same pulpit – despite the differences between us in language and cultural background – because we had far more in common than what made us different!

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:3-6

The Apostle Paul mentions “seven ones” in just two sentences.

One body.

One Spirit.

One hope.

One Lord.

One faith.

One baptism.

One God and Father.

Each weekend FBCG worships in six different services in four different venues on two campuses. Yet because we share these “7 ones” we are unified as a church.

Each Sunday, our bothers and sisters in Samara, Russia, or in Ankara, Turkey, worship in different languages and musical traditions, yet, because we share these “7 ones” with them we are unified as the church of Jesus Christ!

The miracle of the church is that despite all of our myriad differences as human beings – we are ONE. And we are unified because we share one Spirit – the Spirit of Christ himself. This does not mean that we will always agree on everything; this doesn’t mean we will all enjoy the same kind of music or the same style of preaching; it doesn’t mean that we will necessarily share the same passions in ministry – but it does mean, as Paul reminds us, that we will:

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Thank God for the unifying power of his Spirit and ask him to help us protect and strengthen the unity of his church.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Tuesday, November 15

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John 3:5-7

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh and the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again.”

Acts2:38-39

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Our first son was born after a very long and difficult labor process that ended with a caesarian section. Without going into too much detail, let me just say that the process was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time. While my wife bore the brunt of the pain and trauma, I was there when the doctor pulled our son out into the world.

The first thing I remember noticing was that we had a boy; but almost simultaneously I noticed that something was wrong with his head! Evidently because labor had been so long, his head had been pulled all out of shape - way out of shape! Neither my wife nor my son like for me to say it this way – but the back of his head was so elongated that it looked like she had given birth to something resembling a pterodactyl!

I was panic-stricken and studied the doctor’s and nurse’s faces for signs of concern – which I didn’t find. I finally got up the courage to ask one of them, “Uh, what about his, uh, head?” to which the nurse reassuringly said, “Oh, don’t worry about that – it will return to normal shape in no time.” And, thankfully, that’s exactly what happened over the next few hours.

Everyone has a birth story! Every mother, of course, remembers the whole process in great detail. And every father who had the blessing of being present at birth can remember the moment of the child’s first breath – usually a squeaky cry!

But what about spiritual birth? What does it mean to be born of the Spirit?

Regarding spiritual birth, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh and the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” John 3:5

Peter further explained the process of spiritual birth in the first sermon recorded in the book of Acts:  Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 

We are born again, spiritually speaking, when we recognize our own sin and then open our hearts to faith in Jesus Christ and receive his forgiveness. At that moment we also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in our hearts by faith. Baptism, then, is an outward symbol of our spiritual re-birth!

What about the church? What role does the Holy Spirit play in the birth of the church?

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. Acts 2:1

FBCG was born in 1894 when 7 Swedish immigrants who lived in Geneva decided that traveling to Batavia (where there was a Swedish speaking Baptist church in those days) by horse and buggy took too long. They decided to form the “First Swedish Baptist Church of Geneva” with no idea what their newborn church would become over 117 years later! But because those 7 faithful men and women had given their hearts to Christ and sought to honor him, God blessed them with his Holy Spirit and a new church was not only born but has continued to grow and thrive for over a century!

We have said throughout this series that the Holy Spirit is like the wind. Just as we cannot see the wind, but rather only the impact of the wind – so also we cannot see the Holy Spirit but only the result of the Spirit’s activity. The whole book of Acts is a testimony to the power of the wind of the Holy Spirit that created the first church of Jesus Christ. In the same way, I believe that the power and work of the Holy Spirit can and must be seen in and through FBCG – in our local region and even around the world.

This means that, as people who have experienced spiritual re-birth in Christ; as people called to be this church in this day, we have inherited both a legacy and a responsibility! We have inherited a legacy of faithfulness and we have a responsibility to allow the Holy Spirit to continue his work in and through us as his church!

Thank God for those 7 Swedish immigrants who listened to the Spirit long ago – and ask him to make FBCG all he wants us to be!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Monday, November 14

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Acts 2:1-4

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Let’s begin with a tale of two churches.

The first is the Cathedral of St. Peter St. Paul in St. Petersburg, Russia. I had a chance to visit this magnificent 18th century church as part of a short term team from FBCG some 15 years ago. The spire of the cathedral towers 400 feet above street level. The interior is filled with beautiful mosaics of gospel stories as well as dozens of icons depicting traditional saints of the faith. The center of the sanctuary features a great golden pulpit that rises ten feet from the floor. Naturally, as a preacher, I was attracted to the pulpit – but the stairway up into the pulpit was blocked by a chain. On the chain was a plaque that read, in part, “This pulpit has been used only once in the history of the cathedral – and that was to excommunicate Leo Tolstoy from the Russian Orthodox Church.”

I remember standing there in a kind of dumbfounded shock as the implication of those words settled in. It meant that in over 300 years – more than 3 centuries – the gospel had never been preached from that pulpit. It meant that this magnificent cathedral – originally intended to be a place dedicated to the worship of God and to be filled with the presence of the Spirit of Christ – was filled instead with coffins containing the remains of former czars and their families. For most of its history, the Cathedral of St. Peter St. Paul, despite its name and glorious appearance, has been nothing more than a religious and cultural museum.

The second church is one I visited just this past August; Hillside Church in Armonk, New York, the church where I grew up. It’s a smallish, almost quaint, traditional looking colonial frame church with a small steeple sitting on – you guessed it – a hillside. There is nothing spectacular about the building, and, truth be told, it might need some fresh paint and touch-up work here and there. But what I remember about the nine years or so my family spent at Hillside is not the building – but rather the people – and what it felt like to be among those people. The church was not the sanctuary, which seated a little over 200 people when packed full, but rather the Spirit that filled the sanctuary when people worshiped and the word of God was preached. The church was not the tiny broom closet where my 4th grade Sunday school class met – but rather the Spirit that enabled Mr. Gundersen to teach 5 little boys how to understand the Bible.

In other words, the difference between the majestic but spiritually dead Cathedral of St. Peter St. Paul and the humble but spiritually alive church of my youth – is the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit!

The book of Acts describes the beginning of the church with these words:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting… All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4

Notice that the church came into being when God sent the promised Holy Spirit into and upon a group of “Jesus followers” when they were gathered together in one place. While I can’t explain exactly how this happened – we can know it did happen – because the church of Jesus Christ is still here today! And I believe it continues to happen today because I experienced it as a child and continue to experience it week after week at FBCG.

When a place is filled with people who have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them by faith, God fills that room with his own presence through that same Spirit! What makes us the church of Jesus Christ is not the nice building we meet in, or the name on the sign, but rather the Spirit that lives in each one of us by faith!

Thank God for the gift of his Holy Spirit and ask him to continue to make FBCG a place where the wind of the Spirit can be felt by all!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Friday, November 11

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Friday

I have a good friend who used to say that it was his life long dream to own his own business and to be successful.  He spent a long time building and developing his business and did indeed achieve the success that he had dreamed of.  Ironically, after he came to know and follow Jesus, this same friend eventually ended up selling his businesses and moving his family to another part of the world in order to serve the Lord.  I remember him telling me that if he had known everything Christ was going to do in his life from the start, he probably wouldn’t have signed up to follow Him.  I think that is true for most of us.  We say that we want to know God’s will for our lives, we say we want to know what His future plans have in store for us…but the truth is that we probably couldn’t handle it if God were to tell us everything up front.  This is something like what Jesus was saying to His disciples in John 16…

I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.  – John 16:12-15

Jesus has much more to say to them, but this is not the time because they are not ready to hear it all.  Has it ever occurred to you that God is actually gracious in what he does NOT tell us?  God withholds from us those things we do not need to know, those things which would only cause us needless anxiety or confusion if we did know them. Jesus withheld information from His disciples for their own good. It was another manifestation of His grace not to tell them all they wanted to know.  God is gracious, both in what He reveals, and in what He conceals.  I don’t know about you, but this not how I generally feel about all of the “unknowns” in my life.

Jesus is not saying that His disciples will never know these things.  In fact He says that He has much more to tell them.  This ought to encourage and excite us as His followers – Jesus has more for us!  This is the reason that the Holy Spirit comes, to give us more of Jesus!  God reveals His truth to us progressively, we are all in process, none of us has arrived at a perfect knowledge of who God is or of what God is doing in us.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

–      2 Peter 3:18

As a father, there are certain things I want my children to know before they grow up and leave my house.  There are certain truths about God, certain values and principles for their lives that I want them to have before they are out on their own.  The problem is that I cannot give them those things all at once.  I cannot sit my son down when he is 7 years old and tell him everything he needs to know about life in one shot.  It would simply be too much for him; he would not be able to comprehend it all because he is not ready for it yet.  This is what Jesus is saying to us, He has so much more to teach us and to show us about who God is and who we are to become by His grace – this is why He sends us the holy Spirit, to be our teacher in His place. 

Jeff Frazier 

Thursday, Nov. 10

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Thursday

Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.  – John 16:8-11

Jesus tells His disciples that when He leaves to return to the Father, the Holy Spirit will come to them.  He says that the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives will convince and convict the world of three things; of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.  Yesterday we looked at how the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin.  Today I want to examine how the Holy Spirit works in our lives to convict the world of righteousness. 

Righteousness is kind of a religious or churchy word.  It is not a word that we use very often in daily conversation, or if we do, we use it in a pejorative sense, like “that person is so self-righteous.”  Basically the word means to be in right relationship with, or to be right.  In Biblical terms, righteousness means to be right with God.  Although we may not use the term, most of us have an inner sense that we are not right, a sense that something is wrong, and a desire to be better than we are.  Why do we spend billions of dollars a year on therapies, programs and procedures to try and change or fix ourselves inside and out?  Because we are trying to “get right”. 

This is the fundamental human approach to the problem of righteousness, to try and fix it on our own.  In fact, most world religions or belief systems work on this same basic principle.  If you say the enough prayers, do enough good deeds, give enough to the poor, memorize enough scripture, go to enough religious meetings, meditate enough, serve enough, etc. then you will be “right”.  This approach to righteousness is kind of like a spiritual treadmill on which you run your whole life long trying to measure up to some invisible standard.  The Bible says that the problem with this approach is that in the end you are all worn out and no closer to being right with God than when you started.

This is why Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will convict the world “in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer”…what does He mean when he says that it is because He is going to the Father?  Jesus is telling us that He IS the way to get right with God, and the fact that He is already gone to be with the Father is our guarantee! 

He is gone to the Father; and the seal of Divine authority has therefore been placed on everything He said and did in the Father's name.

He is gone to the Father; and it is clear, therefore, that He has been accepted as the Savior and Redeemer of men.

He is gone to the Father; and He intercedes for us there so that we might be admitted to the rights and privileges of a child of God.

This is why the Apostle Paul calls the Holy Spirit a “deposit” in our hearts… Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  
– 2 Cor. 1:21-22

Jesus is totally unlike every other religious teacher and leader in history because He does not claim to show us the way to be righteous, He claims to be our righteousness!  Confuscious, Buddha, Mohammed, The Dali Llama, Dr. Phil, Oprah, and all of the rest are telling us what we have to do in order to get right.  Jesus (through the work of the Holy Spirit) is telling us that no amount of effort on our part can ever make us right with God, because He has already done it!  Our world needs more righteous people (not more self-righteous people) more men and women who live with the incredible joy of knowing that they have been made right with God through Christ.  This is what the Holy Spirit is doing in the world, and He wants to begin with you!

Jeff Frazier

Wednesday, November 9

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Wednesday

This week we have been examining Jesus’ words to His disciples from John 16 about the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’  Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.  – John 16:5-11

Jesus is telling His disciples that He must go away so that the Holy Spirit can come and expand the redemptive work of God in the world.  This would have been difficult for the disciples to understand since they had sacrificed everything to follow Jesus.  Although we live with the benefit of hindsight, I think most Christians today also struggle with the notion that we are fortunate to be living in what the prophet Joel calls the “Last Days”…

And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.  – Joel 2:28-29

This means that if you trust Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and for your eternal security, then the Holy Spirit of God has been poured out into your life.  Jesus says that this Spirit is at work in you to transform your life, and to show the world its need for a savior.  This is what Jesus means when He says that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin because it does not believe in Him.  Now there are plenty of people who believe that Jesus existed, but that doesn’t make them genuine Christians.  There are even people who believe that Jesus was a great teacher and a divine being, but that still does not mean that they believe in Him as Savior.  To believe in Jesus is to believe in Him as Savior and Lord.  The problem is that most people are willing to accept Jesus as teacher, role model or guide, but they are not willing to accept Him as their Savior.  What Jesus is saying is that the world does not believe in Jesus as Savior because it does not recognize its need for one.  

The German philosopher Frederich Nietzche said that Christianity claims to liberate people, but it must burden them first.  Nietzche believed the Christian message invented the idea of sin in order to liberate people from false burdens.  In other words, Christianity makes people feel lousy in order to make them feel good.  He said “Christianity must burden the heart before it can lighten it, and for this reason it will not last.”  Well, Nietzche is dead and gone, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is still changing lives.  But Nietzche was at least partly right, Christianity does point out our sin and our need for a Savior, because it is honest about the human condition. Sin is the corruption of God’s will for humanity, and it lives in each one of us.  We may not like to think or talk about it, but every one of us has the sense that we are not and the world is not as it ought to be.  We carry around a sense of shame and guilt deep in our hearts.  We have all done and said things that have added to the brokenness of the world.  The work of the holy Spirit is not to invent burdens, but to point out the truth that each of us already feels deep inside.

Here in John 16, Jesus is telling us that the Holy Spirit is at work in us to bring us to the point of confession and repentance so that we can experience forgiveness and the liberating grace of God in our lives!  Do you see that your experience of God’s grace is a message to the world? This is how God wants to convict and convince the world – by redeeming people!

Jeff Frazier