Jeff Ling

Steve Fry, pastor of The Gate in Nashville and director of Messenger Fellowship, is the author of today’s post.

In his book, Paul, the Spirit and the People of God, Gordon Fee, recounts a time during his tenure at Regent College, when some of his students asked him this question: “ If you were to return to pastoral ministry, what would you do?” Fee says that his answer was immediate: “No matter how long it might take, I would set about with a singular passion to help a local body of believers recapture the New Testament Church’s understanding of itself as an eschatological community.”

I think that in large measure, the average local church in America doesn’t really grasp this. In the charismatic world, the emphasis on the ‘baptism in the Spirit’ is often highly individualized. Most believers – even if they do have the sense that the Holy Spirit is a person – see the Spirit’s infilling work more in terms of personal empowerment.

But what Fee is recognizing here is that our sense of self definition as a church has alarmingly shifted from that of the primitive church we read about in Acts. The first Christians knew that they as a people were to be the taste of the future for their generation in the present. The Apostle Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit as “the down payment” of our future glory. What the Acts Church understood was that the Spirit’s power coming upon them and flowing through them was the sign of the future. They didn’t just look to the future; they knew that in a sense they were the future!

A wise marathon runner studies and knows the course of his race. He knows where the finish line is. Because he knows that that finish line is perhaps twenty miles away, he knows how to run his race at every point.

Knowing where the finish line is determines the way he paces himself and runs his race. For us as The Church it ought to be the same. Because the Holy Spirit indwells us individually and corporately, we should possess a keen awareness of what the ‘end’ looks like and adjust our present priorities and lifestyles in the light of that end.

To put it another way, let me ask a question. What will the end-time people of God look like? If we hold to a biblical worldview – regardless of our particular eschatological viewpoints – we know that there will be a generation who will actually witness the second coming of Christ .

We often hear talk of end time revival and ‘the glory of the lord covering the earth as the waters covers the sea.’ I for one do believe that there will be a manifestation of the glory of God in such a global fashion. What would a fully empowered Church look like just months prior to the coming of Jesus? I think there would be a passion to see lost men and women come to Jesus; I think there would be a passion to worship with abandon; I think there would be a release of authority over the enemy and power to do the works of Jesus in an unprecedented way.

I suggest that to live eschatologically, or as Gordon Fee says to define ourselves as an eschatological community, is to do precisely this: to live with the end in mind. To let the reality of the victory of Jesus at the end of the age shape who we are and what we do in the present time.

Terry Virgo on Being Reformed and Charismatic from Terry Virgo on Vimeo.

R.T. Kendall brought a stirring message to the Summit attendees last night, challenging us to be men and woman deeply devoted to the Word and abandoned to the power of the Holy Spirit. R.T. brings a unique perspective to those within the charismatic stream. He followed D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel in London, preaching there for 25 years. Upon his retirement, he returned to the states and God spoke to his heart that the next season of his life would be spent ministering to charismatics. He wasn’t happy about it but he obeyed.  Over the years, he has become a vital voice bringing the message that not until the church becomes aligned to both the Word and the Spirit will we see the great awakening that God longs to pour out upon the nations.

R.T.’s text was from Matthew 22:23-33.

In the passage, the Sadducees, a group smaller but more influential than the Pharisees are attempting to entrap Jesus in a controversy over the Law. The Sadducees were experts on the law but highly anti-supernatural. They denied the resurrection of the dead and the existence of angels.  There was no such thing as life after death as far as they were concerned. The question put to Jesus here is almost sarcastic and patronizing as they don’t believe the conflict the question presents is even possible. Jesus confronts them over their lack in both their understanding of the Word and the Spirit.

“But Jesus answered them, You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” v.29

R.T. challenged us to embrace both the Word of God and the Power of God. He had spent many years in the evangelical world witnessing a strong emphasis on the Word but a lack of spiritual power demonstrated in signs, wonders and the gifts of the Spirit. Having spent considerable time among charismatics he was dismayed to discover people who were a mile wide in gifts and manifestations but an inch deep in their knowledge of the Word. He solidly rebuked us in regard to Bible reading, understanding and memorization. The lack of sound doctrine was simply appalling. He’s right.

R.T. believes that we’ve seen precious little of the kind of revival that God wants to pour out but heaven is withholding that blessings until the church rightfully aligns to the Word and the Spirit.   We must recover both sides. An unbalanced and divided church will struggle on in it’s plea for God to restore the honor of His name and astonish the world until we do.

R.T. asked us the question “How well do we know our Bible?” several times.  On the other hand, he asked, “do we really care deeply to see the power of God.” We must know both!  He mentioned a dinner with John Wimber during which he gave a “word” to John. John had been known to say that the “reformers gave us the word” and now “we need to do the works.” Kendall said to John, “you’re speaking to Pharaohs who know not Joseph.”  (Exodus 1:8) In other words, you’re asking a generation who does’t know the Bible or sound doctrine to launch out into the supernatural.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” - John 14:26

For spiritual power to flow from our lives with integrity and wisdom it must have the foundation and borders of the Word

R.T. rebuked us for being impatient with Bible study, not to mention a lack of memorizing scripture? He asked: “What if the Spirit gives us a Sovereign visitation? Who will he use?”  The answer was that God will use those who have gone to the trouble to know the Word and their doctrine well. It is that preparation which enables an outpouring of power to be stewarded wisely.

There’s much more that could be reported here from his talk. Hopefully I can pick that up in a later post…