Spiritus Sanctus (Powerful Gift)

Power – some use it for good, others abuse it.  Power – an authority or influence over others.  Through history we have seen people do many different things to get power.  You wanna know something funny?  As Christians, we have been given a power as a free gift and yet most of the time we don’t even recognize it or act upon it in the times when it is useful!

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS POWER

The Holy Spirit is power.  It is power for living a holy life and it is power for overcoming.  Without it our struggles are magnified.  God has sent the Holy Spirit in a type of pattern or process if you would…

We receive the Holy Spirit at Salvation when we say yes to Christ

We can receive the Holy Spirit through a “Second Blessing” which is distinct from receiving of the Holy Spirit at Salvation and is marked by certain manifestations in our life

We continue to grow in the Holy Spirit as we yield to him and His authority

Philippians 2:12

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”

I really like what John Wesley says regarding this idea.  His thoughts come from the Ascension Feast Sermon circa 1791.

“The cause of their decline (In the early Church) was not, as has been supposed, because there is no more need for [the gifts of the Spirit], “(Or) because all the world had become Christian”….The real cause was: the love of many, of almost all Christians so called, was waxed cold;…The real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were no longer to be found in the Christian Church [was that] the Christians were turned heathen again, and had only a dead form left.”

John Wesley’s assertion or accusation of the Church was that it had lost the Holy Spirit and the power that comes with the Holy Spirit.  Paul alludes to certain times, certain history in his second letter to Timothy that conveys Wesley’s point…

2 Timothy 3:1-5

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

Notice how Paul completes his thought, “Avoid Such People.”  Kind of fits that whole compass of bad company corrupts good character!  See, as Christians, we are called to even avoid the APPEARANCE of evil.  That was the problem here – these people may look good on the surface, but by what they did outside of the “church” reflected something entirely different.  Does anyone remember the old saying “You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?!”  You see, this is what I am playing at – talking the talk only gets you so far but if you walk in it, if you are seeking the growth then you can find the power and find the AUTHORITY…

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS AUTHORITY

We have been given an authority along with that power that when chosen to be recognized, activated and used under the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can conquer things that we may never have imagined.  That authority is applied in two major ways:

The Holy Spirit gives power and authority for Godly, Holy living

The Holy Spirit empowers us with authority over sin and temptations of this world

Brennan Manning is a great example of this.  His picture of sin within himself still rings so deep within me today.  Brennan struggled for years with addiction and one day he was so down and so low and so deep in a hole that when he looked in the mirror, he could physically SEE the sin that controlled and enveloped him.  That was when he knew he could defeat it.  He recognized it so plainly when he saw himself that it caused him to no longer be able to deny that sin and realize even more his need for the strength of the Spirit.

Paul once again in his second letter to Timothy reveals to us what it means to have that authority, what it means to have the Holy Spirit in this way:

2 Timothy 1:7

“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

I attended a weekend retreat entitled “Steps to Freedom in Christ.”  At the time it was the student version and it was lead by Neil Anderson and Dave Park.  I loved the way we released things through the power of the Holy Spirit during our time together, but what I remember most was the words we used at the start of every session to prepare for what God was going to do.  We would pray out loud together:

“By the power and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ; I command…I DO NOT suggest…I command any and all evil to get out of here!”

There are so many things that we could talk about – so many amazing gifts and workings of the Holy Spirit that bring this power and authority to light – but for now, I want you to focus on what is at hand, what we have accomplished today, because a biblical understanding of the experience of the infilling of the Holy Spirit is imperative if we are going to put His gifts and manifestations in perspective.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our salvation gives us forgiveness from our sins and brings us into a right a relationship with God and the future reward of Heaven!  But I am equally convinced that God has and wants to give us even more – a life that is being changed into His likeness and a power that overcomes sin and failure.

But there is SO MUCH MORE!  The Holy Spirit is “the more” – More of the Father and More of the Son, and each one of us today needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  If we have not asked Him to fill us – then as an act of faith we need to do so.

The church of Jesus Christ has become weak, ineffective and fallen to retreat without the infilling of the Holy Spirit!  Every Christian is susceptible to the consequence of the Fall.  The cure to overcome sin and failure is the blood of Christ and the power in the blood is through the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Will you come and be filled?  Do you want to be the most you can be as a child of God – then ask to be filled.  Ask to be refilled if you need to because sometimes we just need a second touch!

Tune-ology: Favorites (Week Eleven)

Casting Crowns burst onto the music scene in 1999 and instantly captured hearts and ears.  “What if His People Prayed” was an anthem that called out the lazy church on its inability to use the power of the spirit of prayer and communication to God to battle our failing society.

Following up was “Voice of Truth” and “Who Am I.”

All of these songs made huge impacts on so many lives and people began to rip the album from the shelves.

I cannot even begin to tell you why the are in my favorites list because it would be all about that and not about the amazing lyrics that Mark Hall and the gang write and the powerful messages that God provides through them and their music.

I am honored to have a friend in Juan DeVevo and his wife Melody who are in the band and even though I don’t get to see them often, they are always welcoming when I do and Juan has spoken some strong faith into my life over the years and been a great encouragement.  That alone can make them one of my favorites!

Jesus is alive in the hearts of the members of Casting Crowns and they are a powerful musical tool used by God to change lives through the message of their songs.  Everyone should have them as a favorite!

Voice of Truth

The Altar and the Door

Set Me Free

While You Were Sleeping

Thrive

MM – To Whom it May Concern

I have to say something about this song.  Years ago when I wrote this, I was dwelling on what God would desire for me in a spouse.  The captured that as a conversation between Jesus and myself on that whole process and was directed as a letter to the one who would eventually be my wife.

This is not even the original version.  The first one was called “Inadequate Answers” which described my frustration over losing what I thought was the “one.”

Then, with the help of a couple friends it was revised into this song.

A little side note: there is also a revised “wedding” version of this song that captures emotion of finding and pledging vows to the “one.”

I hope you enjoy this song.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Lyrics and Music by Luke David, Luke M. & Jeremiah A.

©2004 ASCAP\All Rights Reserved

Verse 1

I’m still tryin’ to find those profound words

The ones that will get me from here to there

And all the questions I have without answers

Will be uncovered by what You have to say

But somehow no matter what my ears may hear

My heart will shout out loud and clear

Chorus

You’ll be the love, the love of my life

A priceless treasure, God’s choice for my wife

A friend that sticks closer through good and through bad

The person to which I’ll give all that I have

And to you at this moment I may not be

Oh but I can see, you are the one for me

Verse 2

My heart will keep beating and yearning for you

A heart that stays strong and a love that stays true

And my future’s ahead and I don’t really know

But when I find you my love I will never let go

I feel you’re so close oh yes I do

And I won’t stop loving you

Bridge

So why have I not found the same love I find in You

Haven’t I tried, haven’t I tried to seek and find Your truth

It’s never wrong cause everything from You is right

Lord please shine Your light on her for me

Yes could You please shine Your light on what you have for me

Spiritus Sanctus (Pentecost)

I knelt beside the small bed where I had just laid my son to sleep.  As I had held him in my arms I had become overwhelmed with emotions from all different angles.  And now, as I knelt, watching him sleep, my hand upon his small chest feeling him breathe – I bowed my head and continued to pray.

Different events in our lives bring about many different changes.  See, change is really an inevitable process as we grow and as we mature – both in life and in faith.  For me, the major changes were having my children.  Learning to balance this new responsibility can create chaos at times.

But the thing I realized that night as I prayed so many things over my son, the thing that hit me like a ton of bricks was how differently I began to view Jesus.  I realized that once again, how I saw my Father in Heaven was beginning to change once again.

I am taking the next three Friday posts to speak on the subject of  “Spiritus Sanctus.”  Now, believe it or not, I had 4 years of Latin in high school – so I really like this title!  There are not a lot of ideas that develope in understanding how the Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament.  We only catch bits and pieces in the OT and therefore do not have a great visual or grasp that goes real deep.

Now, as we move forward, we begin to talk about PENTECOST.  Pentecost is celebrated about 7 weeks after Passover.  In the OT, Passover celebrated the release of the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt and Pentecost celebrated the gift of the 10 Commandments from God.

In the New Testament, these take on a whole new meaning.  See, change in how we view and associate both celebrations unfolds based on God’s new truth.  They still represent the things God did for his people in the OT, but have become much more with the establishment of the new law and the NT.

With the new revelation of the NT, Passover represents the death and resurrection of Jesus, and Pentecost represents the establishment of that new law or the new covenant.  Today we are going to focus on the major change that exists at Pentecost with the now “indwelling” of the Holy Spirit.  You see, now that Jesus has come, died, risen and ascended into heaven, his promise of leaving something behind to guide the believers was to be fulfilled – we now have a real manifestation of the Holy Spirit.  We now have the Holy Spirit and the power that comes with it.  Look at Acts 2:

Acts 2:1-4

“And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Unlike the OT, the Holy Spirit is now here and is here to stay.

Pentecost changed how the Holy Spirit would work in the world.

The Holy Spirit offers change.  Pentecost is now the time when all people, Jews and Gentiles, were offered the opportunity to be changed by having a relationship with God.

This change cannot happen without conviction.  When the Holy Spirit came, he brought with him a new form of conviction of right and wrong that hits deep within the hearts of people.  This conviction is a power of the Holy Spirit that brings about the change by revealing to the hearts of people the disobedience and the need for God.

How about an illustration for this – think of the idea of obedience when it comes to living with Christ or living without Him.  Our “conscience” may be something different indeed!  Follow me on this…

Con: an argument or evidence in opposition; the negative position or one holding it

Science: the state of knowing : knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding

So, therefore – our CONSCIENCE is the evidence in opposition to the world’s ideals! HA!

The Holy Spirit offers a solution to the problem – conversion.

Acts 2:37-41

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”

Peter answered and gave direct instruction – see, verse 37 shows the conviction and then verse 38, his response, is the conversion.

Due to this new truth – this active Holy Spirit – verse 41 says that about three thousand were added to the church that day!

The Holy Spirit is a MUST in our lives – the way the truth and the life – we can only enter the Kingdom of God through this conversion and acceptance.

Pentecost also changed the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.

This promise is discovered in Acts chapter 1 verse 8.  And then we find the promise being fulfilled where we have already seen in Acts 2 verse 4.

Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

Acts 2:4

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Pentecost is now the birth of a new beginning.  In the OT it was the chosen people of God, Israel.  In the NT it is now the church.  Now all who come to the cross, all who come to the truth, all who choose to accept Jesus have the right to be called a child of God.

This identity is now found in the Holy Spirit – not just the Holy Spirit but the POWER from God that it brings to the life of the believer.  This power was not for selfish reasons or for preservation, but for true outspoken evangelism and the advancement of the good news of Jesus.

We have a pattern that is revealed – showing us the change that the Holy Spirit brought within the believer.  When Jesus was crucified, his followers ran and went into hiding.  When they discovered the empty tomb – they found some hope.  But these did not give them courage – they still hid away believing it was too dangerous to go out or to speak of what they knew.

Pentecost now CHANGES EVERYTHING!  With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the followers of Christ, merely 7 weeks after the resurrection, you couldn’t keep them quiet!

Where are we today with this power?  Where are we today with the Holy Spirit?

Our culture today, our society today is blowing off the truth.  They are seeking to minimize what our beliefs are supposed to be.  Instead they maximize their efforts to dethrone the truth of Jesus.  Our media, our government, and sadly, even in certain cases – churches and Christ followers are making light of the absolutes that we know to be true.

We need to take action – we need to be bold once again.  This power is not necessarily in the numbers that we build but in the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of people.  I love the way Billy Graham spoke on this:

“Where is the hope?  I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us.  Where is the hope?  The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us or what laws are passed or what great things we do as a nation.  Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people.  And that’s where our hope is in this country and that’s where our hope is in life.”

Being a Christian to me doesn’t make you a part of a religion or someone who simply believes in something.

No, Christianity is a WAY OF LIFE.  It is how we live and how we live that out is what shines before men and what shows them who our Jesus is.  He is my Jesus.  I am His child.  We belong together.

The Holy Spirit changed people – it moved them to speak up and speak out for the truth of the message of Christ.  Will you join them?

If you are sitting and wondering if you have that power, I invite you to receive the Holy Spirit to help reveal to you the change that is needed in your life and allow Him to do so – bringing faith to the forefront and live in the fullness of Jesus.

We have the power and we have the privilege through the Holy Spirit to change people’s lives and to change the face of this world.  Use what God has provided to continue to bring forth the change. Don’t just simply listen to the word – together, let’s DO WHAT IT SAYS through the changing power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Tune-ology: Favorites (Week Ten)

My Worship Collection within my favorites would not be complete without the writings and music of the great heart of Chris Tomlin.

I have been not only a fan who listens, but also as a pastor and worship leader, someone who uses his worship songs on a regular basis.

Most of his songs, no matter how far back you go, are still easily useable in today’s modern worship services.

However, Chris continues to follow the leading of God as he writes and moves forward with the ever changing church when it comes to music.  His style and his passion bring forth a worship experience through his music that everyone can enjoy.

The best part – no matter what he does, he still seeks to find the heart of God in his writing.  He knows THAT is what it is about.

Favorites would not be complete without a little Chris Tomlin!

God’s Great Dance Floor

Not to Us

The Way I Was Made

I Will Rise

I Will Follow

MM – Amazed

AMAZED

Lyrics and Music by Luke David

©2008 ASCAP\All Rights Reserved

Verse 1

He who has eyes let him see

Let him behold the glory of the King

He who has ears let him hear

That the word on his heart would remain near

Let him who would speak

Shout out loud the praise he sings

Of a wonderful God

That’s captured this heart

Chorus 1

I am amazed, as I sit here in silence

I fall on my face, completely astonished

Verse 2

If we keep silent of all that You’ve done

Then the rocks would cry out to tell everyone

All people will know You are God

Whether by ear, by sight, or by tongue

At the sound of Your voice

The angels sing and they rejoice

We’ll confess with our mouths

And every knee shall bow

Chorus 2

I am amazed, as I sit here in silence

I fall on my face, completely astonished

With three nails and a cross

You saved the whole world at the ultimate cost

To believe that it’s true

You loved us that much before we ever loved You

And I am amazed

Living Life Together (On the Move)

We have learned that our commitment to community is more than just a Sunday morning event.  We have learned that the elements in our lives of worship, the word and accountability are essential to our growth in community.  What remains is a vision for how this affects the community around us.  Whether it is those we are in contact with already and more importantly – how those outside of the circle view us.  We must be ON THE MOVE for Christ.

I want to draw your attention to three objectives that I believe are imperative to being ON THE MOVE in our faith and in our community.

1. SALT
2. LIGHT
3. PURPOSE

Point One:

            SALT

Matthew 5:13

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”

Let’s define SALT – This is what we will call our “identity.”  Salt is a seasoning – you all know this.  It is something that is added to our food to make it taste better.  Without it in many cases, whether cooking or seasoning, the food would taste bland.  With our faith, it is the same way.  Each of us has that identity, that salt if you will.  Our salt is our gift which is our identity and we should seek to find that identity in Christ.  When we don’t, that is when the saltiness is gone – we become “lukewarm” as John wrote in Revelation chapter 3 – and we are no longer good for anything – we have no use.  Don’t you want a REAL identity?  Being REAL will make you, me, your friends, your family – it will make us effective.  By being effective, we can be LIGHT!

Point Two: 

            LIGHT

Matthew 5:14-16

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Let’s define LIGHT – This is what we will call our “example.”  Our faith must be lived out.  Like Jesus said in Matthew 5:15 – people don’t light a lamp and hide it!  We should not hide what we have from those around us – we should use it as a tool.  When we do, we keep our identity or SALT in check!  Look at what James says:

James 1:22

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

James 2:14-19

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

James is pounding home the point that Jesus made in Matthew 5:16 – that your example, your LIGHT should shine brightly before others and in turn they will see Jesus and glorify Him because of what they see.  That famous quote from Francis of Assisi:

 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel, and, if necessary, use words.”

When we find our identity in Christ and live that our through our example – when we are SALT and LIGHT – then we create a true PURPOSE to what we are doing and what we can accomplish.

Point Three: 

            PURPOSE

Matthew 16:24-25

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Let’s define PURPOSE – This is what we will call our “vision.”  There are so many places in scripture where we could define this point like the great commission in Matthew 28 or being holy in 1 Peter 1 or gifts and members of one body in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, but I believe Matthew 16 sums it all up pretty well.  All of these other ideas seem to make perfect sense and complete the whole idea – FOLLOW ME!  FOLLOW ME!  This is what Jesus is asking.  This is the purpose we are called to.  When we follow, when we love him with all our heart, soul, mind, strength – when we do these things, we deny ourselves for the sake of Christ and lose our lives for a greater purpose.

When we follow:

1. We are SALT – Our identity is found in Christ
2. We are LIGHT – Our example is seen by those around us
3. We create PURPOSE – Our vision is clear and we serve something greater than ourselves

Here is the challenge – Are you ready to start leaving something lasting behind?  Are you ready to truly accomplish something?  Are you ready to live out more than just one day a week, to live a life of worship and get out from beyond the walls to serve a greater purpose than you can imagine?  You have that opportunity today to start that process – Be salt, Be light, find purpose!

Tune-ology: Favorites (Week Nine)

When it comes to my favorites, Rich Mullins caps the charts simply because he wrote my favorite song.

Quite awhile ago I wrote a post on that and you can view it here.

Rich was not just a musician, he was a songwriter in every sense of the word.  And not only that, he was a songwriter who used the Spirit of God to guide him in his theology.

He captured words and painted pictures with them in ways that so many people can only dream of doing.  He was real, he was broken and he was honest.

I could go on and on about the late, great Rich Mullins, but will just let his music speak for itself.

If I Stand

Awesome God

Hold Me Jesus

Boy Like Me, Man Like You

Sometimes By Step

MM – When On a Rainy Day

When on a Rainy Day

When on a rainy day,

you don`t want to go out a play.

You just stay inside

stay in your room and hide,

till the rain goes away,

on a rainy day.

When you have nothing to do,

you watch a show or two.

Sleeping away,

that long rainy day,

when outside the weather is blue,

you have nothing to do.

So spend sometime with your Father,

since lately you don`t seem to bother.

Learn of His love,

of His home up above,

and how to love one another,

spend sometime with the Father.

He`ll bring such joy to you,

all the rainy day through.

Outside there`s no light,

but the Son still shines bright,

as you feel His love so true,

He`ll bring joy to you.

On a rainy day

you have nothing to do

spend sometime with your Father

He`ll bring joy to you.

Living Life Together (Deep Roots)

Living Life Together!  What does that phrase truly mean to each of us?

I want to stress to you the importance of living this out more than just one day a week, more than just on Sunday’s when we gather here together.  It is of the utmost importance to invest in one another as often as possible – because we are family and you must know – there is an investment of love, time, generosity, and encouragement.  These are the simple tools needed to apply ourselves to the family more than just on Sunday.

Now, how do we do this and bring it to a place that becomes a good habit?  What garners strength and pushes us to establish deeper roots that grasp hold of the rich soil that can feed us and make us stronger?

Let’s start with the overall view of community…

Acts 4:32-35

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”

THEY HAD EVERYTHING IN COMMON!  Having things in common is community!  You see where I am going with this?  No one was in need.  They knew they were taken care of because of the community of believers they were in.  The philosophy was, “I got your back, Jack!”  They built a trust in each other and no one was ever in need.

Specifically, I think that we can define three major pillars that create this community and build this trust that allows us to live together – to grow together and move outside that comfort zone.  Of course, there is a catch 22, and that is, you must come out of your comfort zone within these pillars in order to be comfortable with being out of your comfort zone!  If applied though – it becomes easier – the three pillars are:

1. Worship
2. Word
3. Accountability

Let’s break them down one at a time to better understand each one’s practical application!

Pillar One: 

            WORSHIP

Here is the first question – what does worship really mean?

Matthew 4:10

“Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

Everybody is thinking it and I will say it – DUH!  Still there is a mute point with that verse because regardless we should worship God and God alone.

In the original Greek “to worship” is used in the context of worshipping God or Christ more than 21 times within the New Testament, in: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 1 Corinthians, and even in Revelation.

Now we normally set the tuner on our minds to think about music and Sunday morning when we talk about the term worship.  How many times of those 21 that the Bible refers to the use of music in the worship of God?

ZERO!!!!!

That’s right; at no time in any of the 21 passages does the Bible refer to the worship of God with music.  So what does that mean?  It means that our worship of God must be in everything!!  In happiness, sorrow, pain, suffering, etc.  No matter the situation or emotion – worship is everything!

Now, even though the example I use here involves singing, it is worship in suffering, the hardest of times to give glory to God, but Paul and Silas were faithful.  We find a great description of this in a devotional book written by the former members of DC Talk, “Live Like a Jesus Freak”

Paul and Silas were in jail.  Not just any jail, either.  They were put into an inner cell of the prison, with their feet chained to heavy blocks of wood.  This was maximum security to the max.  The situation looked hopeless.  They had few friends in this city.  They had no lawyer to call, no one to post bail for them.  At midnight, when their situation was at its darkest, Paul and Silas used the one weapon the jailer could not take from them: worship.  They started singing—loudly.  Other prisoners wearing similar chains sat up in their cells and listened.  Imagine that!  Singing in the dungeon!  We don’t know what songs these two Jesus Freaks chose.  All we know is what happened as a result of Paul and Silas worshipping God.  A strong earthquake rattled the prison.  Doors flew open.  Chains fell off.  Paul and Silas were free!  Worship is a powerful instrument in the hands of a Jesus Freak.  When even one person praises God, the earth shakes and prisoners are set free.

What an incredible outpouring of emotion must have occurred.  Literally, Paul and Silas were set free!  I love that last sentence – if one person praises God (not necessarily saying with music but praises Him by any means and in any situation) prisoners will be set free!!  This is what can occur when we worship together – our hearts are set free, those around us can be set free – we are one body together in Christ!

Pillar Two: 

            WORD

The second pillar we stand on for foundation is the WORD!  This should be done not only on an individual basis, but together!  This is one of the major reasons we fellowship on Sunday, but the application of the WORD is seen through small groups, Bible studies, family devotions, and even simple conversations with friends over coffee.  It never ceases – it is always present and it is always ALIVE!

Hebrews 4:12

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

I love what A.W. Tozer says on this in “The Pursuit of God,”

Not God spoke, but God is speaking.  He is, by His nature, continually articulate.  He fills the world with His speaking voice.

This wisdom sinks DEEP.  This is the fuel and food of our roots.  To go deeper we MUST obtain a desire for more and more of God’s Word.  This is the essential element that binds them all together.  That’s why it is the middle pillar.  It holds the primary weight and balances the other two out.  Fear and application of God’s Word will take us to a whole new level.  Look at how Solomon shows us this in Proverbs:

Proverbs 3:3-7

“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”

Don’t let this wisdom leave you!  It brings favor from God and man.  A trust in that word leads us in the narrow and correct direction – putting aside our own wisdom and respecting God’s is the only way to go.  We can’t let ourselves get in the way.  Tozer talks about this as well:

The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress in because they haven’t yet come to the end of themselves.  We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God’s work within us.

Pillar Three: 

            ACCOUNTABILITY

I am going to make one point to the idea of accountability.  Because I believe the importance of this pillar is put perfectly within this verse.  I believe that this is the scriptural foundation for why accountability is so important.

Proverbs 27:17

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

This almost comes across to me like a commandment.  It is a fact – but it is also a commandment.  How good are we alone if we do not have others to spot us?  Think about it like this – has anyone ever gone rappelling?  You have a belay line and that line is held and supported by someone below you.  It is the “lifeline” of sorts.  It is connected into your harness.  If you slip, the person on belay is the weigh down that holds you and keeps you from falling to the ground.

Imagine if you had no belay line when you were rappelling!  See, someone needs to be there for safety.  That person keeps you from falling.  We can see this the same way with our brother’s and sister’s in Christ when it comes to accountability.  We hold each other to the standard that Christ has called us to – we are each other’s lifeline, each other’s spiritual belay line that keeps each other from falling.

We have a map to follow.  We have pillars and a foundation to build on!  We have to be willing to build into this church family as a whole.  We are a part of a bigger purpose – a bigger community that we can be involved in!

We are meant to be LIVING LIFE TOGETHER!  This means we break bread together – hang out together – raise our kids together – support one another!

People, listen to me – We can’t further this great message – we can’t build ourselves up – we can’t do this alone – we NEED each other!  PLEASE – don’t just walk out the door on a Sunday morning or wherever you maybe that God has you for that matter.  Let’s make a pact to start creating a community and growing DEEP ROOTS right now!