HOLY DISRUPTION
Today, The Day of Pentecost, we remember how it all began.
On the day of Pentecost a small group of people
was transformed from an assembly of souls who weren’t quite sure why they were together,
into an Army of Light. Suddenly, this motley crew became a magnet that
drew thousands that very day out of darkness into God’s kingdom of light.
They began the day in private, meeting
behind closed doors, but before the day was half over, they were out in public boldly
manifesting the kingdom of God to the world out there and setting hearts on fire.
And within a few years, what took place in Jerusalem that day was repeated in every city in the Roman world.
Jesus had told them that they would
be his witnesses, but they never dreamed they would be witnesses on this scale,
with this power.
The impact of this little group on
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and the world took place without the help of
big money or big names. It grew, not by promotion, but by attraction. They didn’t
need television, newspaper ads, celebrity hype, as so much Christian evangelism
seems to need today. It was all
grass roots. The only power they relied upon, the only power, was the power that visited them that day - and disrupted
their lives forever.
Disrupted their lives - that’s the
key. For the only difference between that motley crew and us is that they had arrived
at a point where they were willing to allow their lives to be disrupted by God,
whereas we are still scared to death of anything that would upset our present tame
routine.
One of the questions asked in confirmation
class is, “Is the church on earth for the purpose of making war or peace?” And everybody
always answers, “Peace”. They give good reasons, wonderful reasons…
“Blessed are the peacemakers…” (Matt. 5:9)
But there’s another side to that question we seem to miss these
days. Jesus also says;
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring
peace to the earth. I did not come to bring
peace, but a sword. For I have come to
turn
a man against his father, a daughter against
her mother…” (Matt.10:34)
“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and
how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke12:49)
He’s talking about disruption. Disruption
in the spirit realm that always results in shock waves in the realm of daily life.
We’re not
living in a rose garden, we’re living in a battle zone.
There’s a war going on between the
powers of darkness and the powers of light. As long as you remain passive, the powers
of darkness will leave you alone, because they already have you. But the minute
you align yourself with the kingdom of light:
-
you become a target
-
you are in the
war.
The ultimate war. The war behind all wars. The outcome of this
war is already assured by the cross of Christ, but there’s still danger, still battles
to be fought.
On Pentecost, when the Spirit fell
on this motley assembly of Jesus’ followers, they were transformed from passive
people into storm troops in the war between darkness and light. And every Pentecost since, every outpouring of the Spirit on a group
or an individual, has caused the same disruption, a
change of direction,
attitude,
priorities,
as people move from passive to active in the war between darkness
and light.
You ask;
“Why isn’t the Spirit moving with more power in the church?”
“Why isn’t the Spirit moving with more power in my life?”
The answer is simple:
Are we willing to let the Spirit
of God come in and do to us what
he did to those people?
Are we willing to yield to the point
where he can disrupt our lives
how and when and where he chooses?
John 14:12:
“I tell you
the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do
even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.”
This is not an exaggeration!
This is absolutely true!
If we believe, we will do his works,
we will cast out demons,
we will heal the sick!
But to believe
in Jesus, is more than to say, “I believe”.
- It means that he calls the shots
- and that means our comfortable routine
will be interrupted whenever he chooses.
- It means we begin to live by every
word that comes out of his mouth.
“And I will
do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring
glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my
name, and I will do it.”
This is not an exaggeration!
This is absolutely true!
Whatever we
ask in his name, he will do!
But to ask in Jesus’ name means more then
tacking the formula, “in Jesus’ name”, on the end of our prayers.
It means that your mind and heart are submitted to his authority
in all
things. To submit where his word shows you to make changes in;
your attitude,
your thinking,
your behavior,
your speech.
Now you’re in his name.
Now you ask in his name and things start to happen.
This is not an exaggeration!
This is absolutely true!
You will have
the Spirit living inside you just as he lived inside Jesus:
- to guide you,
- to empower
you,
- to give your tongue utterance as
he gave their tongues utterance.
But all this comes at the price of loving Jesus to the point where
we keep his commandments all the way.
This means that we have to know what those
commands are:
Read them.
Listen to them.
Do something
about them.
And don’t think that this won’t disrupt our lives!
It’s one thing to have your life
disrupted by bad news from the doctor, an accident, or tragedy striking someone
you love. Those disruptions are just no fun. It’s quite another thing to have your
life disrupted by the Spirit of God. When God disrupts your life,
it’s never bad.
It’s always good!
It’s like being jolted out of an
evil trance.
It’s like being awakened in time
to get out of a burning building.
It’s being given something worthwhile
to do for the first time in your life.
But God’s disruption won’t happen
against your will. Bad news from the doctor comes whether you like it or not. But
the Spirit’s mighty visit into your life will come only if you’re ready for it - willing - hungry - thirsty.
Of course, you never know in advance how the Spirit of God is going
to move on you.
What he’s going to do.
Where he’s going to lead.
What changes this is going to bring
about in your way of life.
All you know for sure is that, if
you open your heart to receive the Spirit as those people opened their hearts on
Pentecost, new things will start happening to you and in you.
Good things.
Holy things.
Supernatural things that will blast
you out of that rut into a new and wonderful life right here on this earth.
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I
will ask the Father, and he will give
you another Counselor
to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot
accept him, because it neither sees him or
knows him. But
you know him, for he lives with you and will
be in you.
And when the Spirit is in you, he comes to take you on a road
you have never traveled before.
So don’t open your heart…
Don’t ask for the Spirit unless you’re ready for changes.
But if you are
ready to let God’s Spirit do a work in you, as he sees fit, just say the word and
that new,
holy,
supernatural work will begin in you
this very hour!