For some reason, even more than other years, I am finding myself wishing I could transport you all into this venue so you can just experience the worship. I don’t know how I can really portray the worship well on this blog. Lets just say I sometimes wonder about the structural integrity of this glorious building as a few thousand people all bounce up and down in unison and sing loudly! It somehow even reminded me of a verse in scripture which says of the ancient Israelites that on one occasion they were
“rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise”
During the worship time, someone brought a word based on the idea that together can also be read to-get-her.
Two books were mentioned, firstly Influential Women by Wendy Virgo which speak of the important role that women can play for good and evil in churches. This book will help in addressing the wrong perception some have of the role of women in our churches
The second book was God Knows You Are Human by Terry, this book tells us how God puts us back together again. It outlines Bible characters who experienced God’s favor and mercy.
Terry read from Ephesians 2:1-10
He explained he would be speaking this year about Newfrontiers, its past present and future. This would be different from usual as he didn’t plan to expound a particular passage. In order to help us look forward, he would today look back “The further back you look the clearer you can look forward”
His purpose was to highlight foundational values. In fact I wish I could have caught every word, so please do get the video or audio of this as it is a fantastic summary of what it is that we value in this movement.
We are fundamentally a word and spirit movement. We must value this and treasure it. We don’t want to drift either way. We are both reformed and charismatic.
Where we started: We were dead. Not a very exciting place to begin! Didn’t come together as entrepreneurial whiz kids who started something to go around the world. Terry said he is reformed because he believes the Bible tells me it was of God that I was saved. Dead people don’t search for God. They don’t contribute a lot. They need God to take action. There is a glorious “but God” He spoke, he acted
We were living according to the culture of this world. We evaluated things in the way the world does. The world doesn’t know the first thing about living as Eugene Peterson says.
This world is a short term thing, an age passing away. We used to follow that way. There was another power, another force at work. Sometimes people say “I don’t know what came over me” The devil drives us further than we would have chosen to go. We are subject to the lusts of the flesh. If there is no God, what a terrible world to live in. But while we were in that disgusting state, God loved us with a great wonderful love. He entered into that world.
God did something to us. We were raised with Christ. We were included in the resurrection of Jesus. All who are in him are raised to a newness of life. We are all given a new heart. No longer evil and deceitful heart. He has made us alive. We are saved by grace! God is the initiator. Even faith is the gift of God. He breathed life into us. God has done an amazing thing. His mercy, not your wise choice, his lavish grace not your longing. No one searches for God. If there was a bit of a search in your heart, then God had begun to work on your corpse-like person. He began to draw you to himself. We can celebrate his amazing goodness. It wasn’t my idea it was his. It wasn’t my initiative it was his. He loved me when I was so lost, so why would he stop loving me now? This God is FOR me! Its great news. We are a “but God” people. God changed our lives completely.
Verse 10 says we are created in Christ Jesus. God does things out of nothing. Not just forgiven, not patched up, we are a new creation! Its true of an individual and also the whole church. If anyone is in Christ then we are a new creation.
We are his workmanship. We are like a poem (which is the Greek word used here), a work of art. God puts us through set backs, delays, heartaches, heart breaks. Terry remembers how God broke his heart in his 20s and thanks God for that now. God wants to be able to trust you with things. He wants to know you will build straight not at an angle.
Terry then shared a recent prophetic word that someone had given. The guist of this word was that we in Newfrontiers are God’s workmanship, his work of art. We are surprisingly different, and people will be drawn in. We are not to merely copy the techniques of others. What God is creating in us is Spirit breathed, and it will attract others. We are to learn from techniques, but to realise he has built layers of diversity, textures of relationship and colours of grace in us. This word predicted that though we have been hidden away, now it is time for us to be brought out, made pubic, put on display and as a result many will be drawn.
In Christ Jesus we in Newfrontiers have been formed into a people. We have benefited massively from others coming in and have been changed and shaped. But we have been created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has prepared for us.
We have a sovereign God behind us. What are the works God has prepared specifically for us in Newfrontiers to walk in? God has spoken to us over the years through prophecy.
John Groves had a word where he saw a herd of elephants that were charging where there was no road. They made a road, where there is no road. Others will follow and together you can accomplish more than you could alone”
We are now in all these nations. But decades ago when we started there was no road. No one was doing this stuff. No one was saying we are church planting. The idea of going together was not often spoken of in those days. You either stayed or sent a missionary.
We realized that being personally charismatic was not enough. Its not just about a private prayer language. Its about doing things very differently. Its hard to think back to what church was like back then. It felt like we had to change church life completely. It almost felt arrogant. How can we do this together? We began to train leaders, send teams, plant churches, conferences, and raise finance. We did all these things together.
We were directed to plant churches back in the whole of the UK then to go to the ends of the earth. We are now going together to the big cities of the world.
We were told we would gather old bricks that would join our new wall. We will have seen that, and we are going to see it more. So many men are in sad independent lonely works. They need to be in a galvanized world mission movement.
We were told we would change the expression of Christianity around the world. Why does it need to be changed someone asked? Well, these are some of the changes we are looking for
From legalistic to grace-shaped. The Apostle Paul would have fought to liberate many modern churches that are driven and devoid of joy.
From independence to interdependence. Many churches today are antonymous. It was never the apostolic concept that a church would be planted and then have nothing to do with world mission. Churches to see they are part of something bigger than themselves.
From closed in to looking out
From self centered to sacrificial
From Inward looking to mission orientated
From democratic to releasing gifted anointed leadership
From cessationist to charismatic
From an old wineskin to a new wineskin
The goal of Newfrontiers is to be planting new churches or helping exiting churches to change so the radical life of God can be released. God has made us an instrument for change globally.
Ephesians 1:13 says we have been “sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise.” There is life available in the Spirit. We want to be truly biblical, but we want to know the explosive power of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
A seal is stamped in wax. Its something you know about. Something visible. Adds authority or authenticity. ESV Study Bible notes says “Holy Spirit certifies the authenticity” of their salvation.
This is then referred to what happens in Acts. Peter goes to Cornelius and preaches and the Spirit falls on them. Peter sees that the gentiles are authentic people of God because of the demonstration of the Spirit.
So many teach that the Baptism of the Spirit is non-experiential. But when the Spirit came upon then for Peter that was proof they had been accepted.
When Peter describes this, he says God cleansed their hearts by faith (conversion) and then that the God who knows the heart testified to this by sending the Spirit.
In John 6:27 even of Jesus its said that the seal is set on him. John the Baptist was told that when the Spirit came on someone, that would be the one. The coming of the Spirit is tangible. It is something experiential. MLJ fought to say that Spirit was experiential. Puritans believe that it was experiential, and many in previous generations did. But the Doctor was almost alone in claiming this was something clear and unmistakable to both the person and others who look on.
We mustn’t rob the church of its joy and its awareness of God. Jesus said come and drink, not just come and learn a verse. Its dynamic. In Acts it’s very experiential. It’s not automatic and when you were converted. Even Paul saw the Lord on the road, and is called brother by Ananias so he is recognized as a believer, but told that now he would receive the Spirit.
Its not a gradual thing. Its not reserved for when you are mature. Paul asks “did you receive the Spirit?” In Ephesus they said “no”. Its plain biblical truth that the spirit is real and available in a dramatic way.
The Gospels promise the Spirit. The Epistles look back to the Spirit having come
Acts tells us how it happens.
Some say don’t use the narrative for doctrine, but we are told that “All these things written down for our instruction” – all narrative sections of the Bible teach us doctrine. All Scripture is profitable for teaching.
We must rediscover the splurge of the Spirits coming. Will never understand the growth of the NT church without understanding the Spirit.
Paul’s asks a question about receiving the Spirit in Galatians, modern commentary would say “I don’t know….” We need to KNOW we have received.
Are you thirsty? Not holy, special, very mature, just is anybody thirsty….
Terry spoke about how one man recently who received the Spirit after listening to a talk. He had asked God to lay hands on him digitally, and imagined the Lord laying his hands on him.
“suddenly, without any warning received a baptism of the spirit, shouting laughing, could hardly contain myself. Laughed cried, overjoyed, flood of prophetic activity then noticed I was not speaking in English.”
You can read more of this on my blog
Coming upon of the Spirit is deeply felt and intensely experienced. MLJ says it is crying out, an extravagant word.
We don’t receive by merit, but by hearing with faith. We have been invited to come and drink. Come and receive. Not works of law. Not being a good person. By hearing with faith. It’s a gift. Promise is for everyone that the Lord will call.
The only people who were ever told to wait, were those who had to wait for Jesus to be glorified. On the day of Pentecost, Peter declares this Jesus has now been raised, now exalted. He has sent the Spirit. After that day no one was ever told to wait!
When God saw that Cornelius heart was cleansed through faith the Spirit fell. The Holy Spirit believes in justification by faith. He owns and seals people who are justified by faith.
1 Cor 14:15 Paul says he will pray with the Spirit and also with the understanding. The two things are different. Praying with tongues is like turning on a radio with a foreign language you don’t understand. It’s a form of worship. Its like an answer to Wesley’s prayer “O for a thousand tongues to sing” and God answers and says here’s one. Paul prayed more in tongues than all of them. Its biblical not to understand tongues! He doesn’t say “maybe God will” he says “I will.” You are using apparatus you have used before. You know how to speak. When you receive the Spirit, its you that speaks in tongues. Not a case of waiting. Jesus is walking on the water, and Peter says “tell me to come to you”, Jesus says “come” and Peter doesn’t wait thinking “any minute it will come” he walked to the edge of the boat and then he moved into another realm. We similarly just begin to speak and the Spirit empower tongues.
Terry concluded by reiterating that we are committed to word and spirit, reformed and charismatic. There is an essential truth that grips us, removed out guilt and shame, and the truth that has liberated us and we have been sealed with the Spirit.
If anyone is thirsty COME and drink!
Related PostsPrevious post: TOAM – Session One Jonah and Acts by Mbonisi Malaba
Next post: TOAM Session Two By Stef Liston
