April 28 2019 service * Acts 5.27-32, Psalm 150 “Do You Know Where
the Holy Spirit Is? Pastor Jacqueline Hines
A famous evangelist
known for her spectacular miracles, had meetings throughout the country in the
70’s. Her name was Kathryn Kuhlman. [slide # 1 Kathryn Kuhlman] God chose her to do so many good works. She
attracted crowds, busloads from several states. Many church would want that
kind of crowd and attention. Miracles were said to happen at every service and
the crowds kept coming. The services were talked about and news reports
captured them. Perhaps the most challenged were the ushers who greeted those crowds
anxious for a miracle and the trustees who made sure the plumbing and parking
facilities were always adequate. Crowds require much hospitality and care. [slide # 2 crowd]
Kathryn Kuhlman was
much like the disciples in the book of the Acts of the Apostle. She was not an ordained
minister, but she had a life-changing message that she taught. Some were
skeptical of her services as they were associated with Oral Roberts and Benny
Hinn. The services tended to be what we
have called Pentecostal, dramatic and unfamiliar, people shouting “Amen” or
dancing in the aisles. Some felt uncomfortable. Some were indignant. There
were, and still are, those on both sides of the issue of believing that the
behavior was appropriate or even that it was led by the Holy Spirit. It was a
divisive issue in the church! So most Pentecostals go one way and the more
subdued worshippers go another way.
A few weeks ago, I
worshipped at a Friends / Quaker Meeting House a few months ago. [slide # 3 Meeting House] It was such a
blessing, though there was no music, no sermon and lots of silence. A few years
ago I went to DC to a Benny Hinn meeting. The crowd was so large, I could not
get in, so someone started a service on the sidewalk and people fell out – in
the spirit. The Holy Spirit can do dramatic or subtle works wherever and
whenever, with or without whatever.
At the same time, as we
listen and learn, we discover that evil spirits are also at work wherever and
whenever. A retired police officer was forced into early retirement due to
diabetes. He sought healing at a crowded evangelism meeting. Somehow he got
behind stage and witnessed very ugly things happening. People whom the preacher
had declared healed were back stage crawling for their crutches and others were
knocked in feigned fainting and pushed down as opposed to collapsing lovingly
as the Spirit did a special work in someone’s heart.
Kathryn, I believe, was
doing the work of the Holy Spirit. Not everyone understood her or credited her
for doing God’s work, and they, no doubt, tried to stop her, but she having the
mindset of the early disciples, decided to obey God rather than humans. She
preached and was praised and became popular. She was on television and the
financial gains were impressive. Lots of people considered it a feather in
their cap to be in one of her services or to work the stage with such a
well-known minister. It was all good.
Yet in her biography,
she talked about a point in her life when she stopped paying attention to the
Holy Spirit. She was distracted and became disobedient. She started pretending.
She started to put on an act in from of the cameras. That miracles left, the
crowds were confused. In
verse 32 Peter says God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey God, [slide # 4 …obey God] if we do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit, we
must obey God.
If you are like most
Christians, you may be ambivalent about allowing the Holy Spirit to control
your life. If we drink enough of a wine or a spirit, we are said to be under
the influence because at a certain point of drinking, we have less control.
When we are under the influence of an evil spirit, such as pride or anger, we
give Satan a license to steal, kill, and destroy. When we humble ourselves
before God and pray for God’s will to be done in our lives, we are letting the
Holy Spirit take control of our lives. [slide # 5 …thy
will…]
The Holy Spirit is
described in the bible as water, and wind, and fire, never stationary like the
earth. The Spirit is always moving and making a difference to one degree or
another. The Holy Spirit is in us to love us and guide to acts of love inasmuch
as we are willing to relinquish control, to bind Satan, to let go and let God.
We are challenged to
allow the Holy Spirit into our lives because we know as Isaiah 55 tells us,
God’s ways are not our ways. [slide
# 6 God’s ways…] God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. We may prepare for
our crown, but God may lead us to a cross. We may dream of being a jeopardy
champion like 35 year old James Holzhauer in his days of winning streak, but our
lot may be to work a 40 hour per week gig and use Google to make us smarter. We
may want to be like Wisconsin’s 24 year old Manuel Franco who won a 768 million
dollar Powerball jackpot on Tuesday. But our lot may be to be a part of the
United Methodist Church that is anti-gambling. We do well to bloom where we are
planted, to talk to God about everything.
Scott McDermott is the
pastor of Washington Crossing UMC. [slide # 7 Washington Crossing] He told a group of pastors a few
weeks ago that the Holy Spirit wants us to pray “Big”. One pastor who was there
thought he would take that word to heart and he prayed for the hearts of God’s
people to move and raise $17,000 for a minister who was ill and ready to lose
his house. The money was raised in a few days. While we are thankful for
blessings that come quickly and dramatically rather than with tears, we want to
be thankful in whatever results we find ourselves in.
Just like Bethel has a
ministry with children and a hospitality ministry with an elevator for
accessibility, a welcoming lobby and much food around the table in addition to
home and sanctuary communions, Washington Crossing has a ministry of healing.
Of course, we all affirm the healing virtues of our God. Pastor McDermott and
his congregation have been led a step further from affirming God’s healing to
developing a school for the ministry of God’s gifts. There are a dozen members
who have been trained to pray for healing and share God’s word. Through the
years they have acknowledged their need for healing. They have asked God to
heal them and they have heard God guide them to a healing ministry that blesses
many people.
It is good for
Christians to begin to perceive where the Holy Spirit is working. Whether the
Spirit moves as an invisible or forceful wind, or water that hides in the
crevices, or a fire that burns to purify, we do well to know where the Holy
Spirit is. We want to be ready to respond at the impulse of God’s love. We do
not just want to be aware of the evil that is working in our lives. We want to
be aware of the good that the Holy Spirit is doing. We want to obey God’s word
that tells us not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good. [slide # 8 overcome
evil…]
During one of the
recent Annual Conferences a representative from the Upper Room ministries did
some teaching and shared a way to deepen our awareness of the Holy Spirit
working in our lives. He suggested that spending time in silent prayer for an
extended period of time was extremely beneficial.
So, I want to invite us
to do just that, to set aside three solid minutes of silence to listen in the
case that the Holy Spirit would enter this sanctuary and enter our hearts. [slide # 9 invite the Holy…] It does not matter
if children talk during this silence or someone comes in talking because they
are not aware that we are in silent mode, or someone who talks for other
reasons. What matters is that we listen in the silence and know that something
good will always happen as we open ourselves to God’s goodness through the Holy
Spirit that is just as present as the not so holy spirits.
In these three minutes,
it will be no surprise to me if the Spirit moves in a specific way. When my
timer runs out, I will say “amen.”
===3 minutes=== [slide # 10 silence - left on
for the three minutes]
May you always be able
aware of the work of the Holy Spirit within you and around you. Amen. [slide # 11 let my spirit move…]
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