This weekend, I begin a series of messages on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. Over the past few months, as I’ve shared that sense of God’s leadership with various groups of church leaders, some raised a telltale eyebrow; others simply asked, “Preacher, aren’t you concerned about where that might lead?”
I’m sure the excesses of some and the theological inaccuracies of others prompt a measure of concern—but as for me, “ain’t skeered” pretty well sums it up! I’m counting on Jesus’ promise: “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). My prayer is that He will lead us in much the same way as Jim Cymbala describes in this personal moment:
After I had been pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle for about a year, the church had grown to fifty people, but we were facing problems: little money, few people coming to faith in Christ. One Tuesday afternoon I sat in my cubbyhole office on Atlantic Avenue, depressed. I know that later that day, fifteen people, at most, would come to church to pray. “How could God call me and my wife to this city not to make a difference?” I wondered.
I walked into our empty, little sanctuary and recited to God a list of my problems: “Look at this building, this neighborhood . . . Our offerings are laughable . . . I can’t trust So-and-so . . . There’s so little to work with.”
Then the Holy Spirit impressed upon me, “I will show you the biggest problem in the church. It’s you.”
In that moment I saw with excruciating clarity that I didn’t really love the people as God wanted me to. I prepared sermons just to get through another Sunday. I was basically prayerless. I was proud.
I fell on my face before God and began to weep. “God, whatever it takes, please change me. I would rather die than live out some useless ministry of catch phrases.” That was a turning point for me and the church.
“God wants to change us,” I said from the pulpit. “If we’ll let him work in us, all things are possible. We can be a church that makes a difference, that helps people find Christ.”
May God with us lead us forward into the future He has for us!
I’m proud to be your pastor,
Jerry
Posted on
Sun, March 6, 2011
by Dr. Jerry Carlisle, senior pastor
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