KINDS OF CHURCHMEN

Sep 6

#611 KINDS OF CHURCHMEN

Scripture Acts 2:5-21 Orig. Date 1/8/1975

Passage: 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[a] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Peter Addresses the Crowd

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 “‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[b]

Keywords: Holy Spirit Church Revival

Introduction

I wonder what they are saying about my fellow-preacher down in Florida. I suspect that it is not all good. In a sermon, preached to his people, and then printed in a book for all the world to see, he took precarious liberties. He compared the church to a bar. A BAR! of all things.

He said something about bars being crowded because people wanted to go to them. Now according to Mr. Moody, the church should be crowded for the same reason. Then he went on to suggest the four basic attitudes which resulted in people visiting bars.

1. Enjoyment—people go because it brings them pleasure.

2. Fellowship—others go because there are people there whom they enjoy being with.

3. Anonymity—some folks go because they can find isolation in being left alone.

4. Intoxication—finally, there are those who go because they are sure of getting the intoxication that is advertised.

Now, I intend to be the last one who will give positive promotion to a bar. I will do everything I can to move you away from such a place. But Mr. Moody is right. Here are four good reasons why people should attend a church. In fact, this is somewhat of the subject of this text. Acts 2:16-17 deals quite frankly with the intoxication business. It says, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, it shall come to pass in the last days, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.” Why in the world would anyone choose booze, when in the place of it they could have the intoxication of the Spirit of God?

Considering then, that a form of intoxication seems somehow necessary, let’s take a look and see what kind of churchmen we have around.

I. I Introduce to You First, the Sprits-Filled Churchman.

Somewhere back there across the years the steps were taken that identified our friend with the king. Some would take the easy way out—if there is a problem with alcohol then he isn’t a Christian. This may be the case with some but not all. Our friend is involved. He is involved in spite of an acknowledged problem.

Now let me quickly point out, lest I seem unfair. There are lots of others who may have a similar problem. It just isn’t spelled a-l-c-o-h-o-l.

· The mind-benders

· The ego-inflaters

· The depressants

· The anti-depressants

· The stimulants

· The guilt-ridders

· The inhibition-fighters

· And on and on.

Now, we’re going to deal with the other side of this problem in point two, but let that wait for a moment.

One thing that is acknowledged here is man’s innate insufficiency. We start very early looking for ways that will make us more acceptable to ourselves and others. Paul carefully instructed his readers even tho’ they were Christians “be not conformed to this world.” He had already informed them (7:19) of the personal problem that he had had in being done with the world. “The evil which I would not, that I do. The good that I would, that I do not.”

The person who chooses to walk this trail can find easy justification. Therapeutic—even Paul suggested that Timothy “take a little wine for his stomach.” “Everybody’s doing it” as an excuse is undebatable. “Most people can handle it”; but those who can’t find out too late.

Dear Lord, do not let me compromise my faith. Don’t let me, with the things I do, drive spikes of doubt and indecision into others searching hearts.

II. Secondly, I Would Introduce You to the Unspirits-filled Churchman.

This, too, is our friend, and he too is involved as he understands involvement with the kingdom. But you will not soon see his ruby red lips [stained] with wine. You will not find him in alcoholic stupor or with mind blown half out of his skull by drugs.

You may find him championing a cause in the name of Jesus without asking the permission of Jesus. There are some things which we feel so strongly about that we wrongly conclude that [they] are right. It has been said before and I remind you, “We do not use the Holy Spirit, we allow Him to use us.”

This kind of exclusiveness on the part of a Christian, leaves him subject to two mistakes: (1) The mistake of scriptural misinterpretation—There are people who refuse to believe that the wine at Cana was fermented; some would conclude that Jesus Himself drank from a bottle with a Welch’s label; (2) The mistake of a personal attitude which must be a mockery to Jesus. If the Christian would radiate the spirit of Jesus to the world, then we would of necessity begin with love.

[June] 11th was the 13th anniversary of remarks made by J.F. Kennedy in commencement address to the graduating class at Yale University. “Let us not engage in the wrong argument at the wrong time between the wrong people in the wrong country—while the real problems of our own time grow and multiply, fertilized by our neglect.”

Dear Lord, keep us in every expression of our lives totally Christian. When we must defend negative causes in a world which has lost its way, let us do so with the positive thrust of love.

III. This Now Allows Me to Present to You Our Third Example of Churchmen—the Un-Spirit Filled One.

I would remind you that this is not just a recent problem. Paul came to Ephesus and found certain disciples (Acts 19). Something incited him to ask “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” The only thing which can in reality commend the Christian believer is his identification with the Holy Spirit.

It was likewise a problem through the Middle Ages. The church insisted that the believer was not to do his own thinking: Holy Spirit or not, let a hierarchist or a committee do your thinking for you.

One of the great burdens of this present day is that we assume the innate responsibility of Christ-likeness in an unchristian world. Satan’s goal has always been to get us off the train before it reaches its destination. . . and yet more disembark just short of their destination at the siding of doubt and frustration.

With circumspection, the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard wrote, “Nothing is more dangerous to true Christianity than to get men to assume lightmindedly the name of Christian, as if it were something that one is as a matter of course.”

Dear Lord, prod us that we may stay aboard the gospel caravan until we reach that final destination that you intend for us.

IV. I Introduce You Finally, the Spirit-Filled Churchman.

This is the aim of God, the goal of the gospel, the certitude to every believer who will stake his claim. The truest example of this is Simon Peter. Before Pentecost, we see him standing timorously before the pointing finger of a wisp of a girl. “This man is one of them.” But after Pentecost, after the filling, we see him standing unflinchingly before the Sanhedrin saying, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The scriptural admonitions leave no room for doubt. Galatians 5:16, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 6:8, “He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Romans 8:16, “The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”

The Holy Spirit’s function is not to ward off troubles and burdens but to give them spiritual purpose in our lives. It is the ultimate anomaly of our time to see the believer smiling through the tears that from time to time beset us. We know that nothing can happen that God cannot use for His “glory” and for my “good.”

Think what the consummate meaning is when believers of every kith and kin share this ultimacy together. Many of us are old enough to remember the news reports of the early 40’s out of Hitler’s Germany. We saw the thronged multitudes. We heard a fanatical “Sieg Heil!” And in response and in menacing unison, “Sieg Heil!”

Closing

You remember my churchman friend, there is a louder chorus to be heard. And no words are a more menacing threat to the powers of darkness in the world. Hear the call to faith, “Christ is risen!” Then breaking the silence which follows one hears the response become a deafening roar. To the white man’s voice has already been added that of [others], and the Holy Spirit multiplies the sound which we hear in response. “Yes, He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!” And if there comes to stand with me one whose consummate passion is to tell the world that Christ lives, though the color of his skin be green, he is brother to me and I am brother to him.

Dear Lord, help us to begin on the common ground of faith and walk with thee in selfless love.

Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6651309-a-drink-at-joel-s-place

https://bible.org/illustration/when-i-say-i-am-christian

1Moody, J. (1967). A Drink at Joel's Place. Word Books.

I don’t know if [Jess] Moody, a Florida pastor, is still living or not. I knew about him years ago. I have a book he wrote. I remember a sermon title, A Drink at Joel’s Place1. It’s from this scriptural admonition. He talked about bars, and the reasons people go to them. He suggested that they were similar reasons why people frequent their churches.

1. Enjoyment—people go because it brings them pleasure.

2. Fellowship—because there are people present who are enjoyable.

3. Anonymity—some go to find isolation and contentment in being left alone.

4. Intoxication—others go because they are sure of getting the intoxication advertised.

Joel foresaw this as an eventuality. Peter discovered that it was happening all around him. He saw that personal religion to some was becoming an intoxicating environment, and life as a result was taking on a new, more profound, meaning.

They, Joel and Peter, and [Jess] Moody, push the envelope closer to us. Why are you here? Is it for enjoyment, fellowship, anonymity, hey, that’s okay? But do you also get the intoxication that has been advertised?

‘When I Say, “I Am a Christian”’