About the author :
Rev. Rod Russell-Brown graduated from the Alliance College of Theology in 1980 with a B.Th. He was ordained in 1983 and in 1990 was granted an M.A. (Biblical Studies) from Pacific College of Graduate Studies, Melbourne. He has served as a pastor in Perth, Washington from 1981-1991 and in Canberra ACT from 1992 to 2000. Rev Russell-Brown is the current President of the Christian and Missionary Alliance of Australia and has served in the position since 2000. Rod is married to Philippa and has two children Amanda (20) and Simon (18). He resides in Canberra, ACT. His interests include playing music, surfing, soccer and electronics.
Presented at the AWF International Assembly in Dalfsen, Netherlands, April 2004
Introduction
The subject we will consider this morning is ‘what part does the Holy Spirit play in mission.’ This is a very big subject. We could have looked at: the Spirit’s leading the task of world-wide evangelisation discerning the Spirit’s leading the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in missions the clash of the Holy Spirit and Demonic powers Of necessity I’ve had to limit the consideration to what I consider are some key points that particularly relate to the Holy Spirit’s ministry in the work of the Great Commission.
For your information, I consider myself a local church pastor essentially and have not served as a missionary. I am a young denominational leader and so please listen with those things in mind. I should add that the written manuscript that you’ve received was not meant to be read. It was designed to be preached. So excuse the more conversational style in the written version.
So what does the Holy Spirit have to do with missions? Let me suggest 2 areas that are key.
I. The Holy Spirit who grows our character
A. What does the bible say?
I want to pick up key points in Romans 6 and 8 as these chapters speak particularly about the matter of sanctification.
1. Romans 6
Significantly, this foundational chapter dealing with sanctification doesn’t mention the Holy Spirit. Romans 6 begins rather with the work of Christ on the cross. The first 5 chapters of Romans you will remember deal with the issues of sin and salvation. Paul then moves to deal with sanctification.
a. We need to understand who we are in Christ – dead yet alive.
You and I have been set apart for Christ. We no longer have to sin. That is the whole message of Rom 6:1-14
(Rom 6:6-8 NIV) For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—{7} because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. {8} Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
We need to know, come to recognise, to perceive this truth.
b. We need to believe that we are dead yet alive in Christ.
(Rom 6:11 NIV) In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
This counting1 ourselves or reckoning ourselves to be dead is an action of faith. It is saying “I choose to think of myself as being dead to sin, for in Christ I am! Further, in Christ I am alive.” It is not enough to intellectually know it, I must have faith, believe this truth.
c. We need to live like it.
Paul goes on to say, in effect – “this is who you are Christian, live like it!”
(Rom 6:12 NIV) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
We are to no longer sin for 2 reasons. The first is that it is disobedience to God to sin. The second, is that I no longer have to sin. Sin is no longer necessary.
Gal 2:20 says that Christ lives in me. I am a new person in Christ no longer under obligation to the flesh, no longer having to sin. As I walk by faith in Christ, I am empowered to obey Christ. Christ’s Spirit giving me ability in the midst of temptation. Sanctification is not freedom from temptation but rather victory in obedience despite temptation.
d. We need to recognise the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
In Romans 8 it is the person of the Holy Spirit who is emphasised. The Apostle Paul describes the work of sanctification in cooperative terms. The Holy Spirit operates in our lives but the believer must respond. Sanctification is natural for the Christian but it is not automatic. We must choose obedience; choose victory.
In Rom 8:5-8 Paul compares sinful living and Spirit living. The result is if you choose the sinful living, the flesh, death results. If you choose the Spirit, life and peace results.
He goes on to say in Rom 8:12-13:
“Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live”
So the Spirit empowers the believer to obey, applying the work of the cross in everyday life.
2. Summary of Romans passages
So what can we conclude from these passages? There is a new dynamic that operates in the life of the believer. By faith in identifying with Jesus Christ not only has the penalty of sin been done away with so too has the power of sin in the believer’s life. We have here both the motivation to conquer sin, God’s command, but also the power to conquer sin, the work of Christ on the Cross as applied by the Holy Spirit.
So how is the believer set free? By trying, just trying harder and being disciplined? By suppressing sin pushing it down? There is some truth in these ideas. But the more accurate picture is “emancipation by habitation.” I am set free not because of my ability to hold on to God and be good for Him but rather because He now indwells me by the Holy Spirit. My will and ability are now infused with power by his will and ability.
“…and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in Son of God.”
B. Illustration
Have you ever seen the ways bullies operate in the school- yard? They will come up to the weakest kid usually and push them about. They will push and push you. But because of fear of being beaten up or fear that if you got into a fight you couldn’t win, you always back down. There is within you and I a tendency, an inclination to sin, to disobey God (the sin nature has not been eradicated). The bible calls that nature sin, the old man or the flesh – various names. Our tendency to sin is like the bully in the schoolyard, it will push you and push you and push you. Friends what is the best thing to have in a fight? That is simple – a strong friend who beat the living daylights out of the other guy. Do you know we have a powerful friend, who will never leave us? When the bully of sin comes to me and says, “I’ve got you, you can’t win, you have no option except to disobey God.” You can say – I have a friend, more than a friend a conquering hero who lives inside me and I don’t have to give in. I will fight you sin, but not with my puny strength but with the strength of Jesus Christ the risen Lord!
C. Applying the truth
So how does this all apply to us and specifically to missions?
1. Who are we sending?
Are we serious about sending people to the ends of the earth with the message of the cross? Well it seems to me that we better be able to live the message that we preach. Now I’m not suggesting perfection, only heaven will bring that. Yet there should be substantial character maturity in those we send and certainly in our own lives as mission leaders.
L.L. King, past president of the C&MA in the US understood the importance of sanctification preceding ministry. He commented:
“The record makes clear that Dr. Simpson and his associates first organised the Evangelical Christian Alliance. This fellowship of Christians united in their devotion to Jesus Christ and to the truths of Scripture that pointed to Him as the all-sufficient Lord. Afterward, they formed the Evangelical Missionary Alliance as the missions arm of that fellowship of faith.
They followed this sequence because its fulfilment (ie missions) depended on Holy Spirit-filled individuals who supremely loved Jesus. Our special trust to evangelise at home and abroad therefore finds its source and strength in a very personal imperative: to experience the truth we proclaim, truth that finds its complete expression and fulfilment in Jesus Christ. Dr. Simpson himself set for us that standard: “I felt I dare not hold any truth in God’s Word as a mere theory or to teach others what I had not personally proved.””2
In another place Dr. Simpson commented:
“Many a missionary among the unsaved tribesmen has found that the failure of his temper and spirit has done more in a moment to counteract all his teaching than years could undo.” On the other hand “The power that can suppress the angry word, and stand in sweetness in the hour of provocation in the humble kitchen and laundry, has often become an object lesson to the proud and cultured mistress, until her heart has hungered for the blessing which has made her lowly servant’s life a ministry of power, and her humble heart a heaven of love”3
I am aware that some of the challenges that have regularly surfaced amongst missionary work has been issues of interpersonal relationships. Often these have not been between missionary and those to whom they minister but rather between missionary and fellow missionary. Sometimes there have been genuine cultural differences. My point is that even given cultural differences, eventually the work of the Cross must flow over cultural lines so that unity and forgiveness can flow.
I was blessed at the last AWF APAC meeting where InterDev was facilitating a partnership with the various Alliance organisations in Thailand culminating in the organisation INTO, ministry to Thai people overseas. But God broke in during the meetings and we saw confession of sin, healing, forgiveness granted for some long-term issues. There were cultural issues involved here. Yet God moved.
Walking the walk of holiness is tough enough in our home cultures, but it becomes a whole lot more complex cross-culturally. So our missionary candidates and those of us who oversee them need to walk in regular character development, becoming more and more like Jesus Christ.
2. Means of Sanctification – the church
We recognise means of sanctification, ways that the Holy Spirit uses to change us. Typically we recognise:
- The blood of Christ – bringing pardon from sins and power over sin.
- The Holy Spirit Himself
- The Word of God, the truth of Scripture
- Prayer and other spiritual disciplines
- The ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Can I suggest that there is another key means of grace that we might do well to systematically develop? I speak of the church and more specifically accountability relationships. I have seen that an accountability group of some sort can greatly help in dealing with sin issues that arise. Part of our problem at least in Western Christianity is the problem of independence amongst many of us. We are usually happy to work as colleagues in ministry but sometimes not as brothers and sisters to look after each other’s souls. We men are particularly challenged in this.
Can I suggest that things are going become tougher in people’s lives and more critical as we go on because of the dysfunctional nature of many families in the Western World. The missionary candidates we are/will be sending often won’t have had the benefit of a Christian culture that values a wholesome family. They then take their family of origin problems into their marriage and ministry. It was an indicator of our times when Bob Fetherlin a year or so back sent around to missionaries a personal challenge on the dangers of pornography and specifically internet pornography.
We can’t walk this sanctification track alone. The Holy Spirit uses means including His people.
I have personally found 2 things helpful to me in this area.
First, committing to coaching relationships. I have a man I speak to once every 4-6 weeks. We talk about ministry and he asks me accountability and support questions about things God has put on my heart to achieve. In addition he’ll ask, “how are you going, what about your wife and kids, what’s happening?” That has helped greatly to keep me walking on the straight and narrow. He’s a guy around my own age.
Second, I’ve found being a part of an accountability group helpful. We would ask each other 10 standard accountability questions relating to our walk covering – resentments, unforgiveness, honesty, purity etc. One particular morning our group worked through the questions and a brother had said that he’d been greatly tempted sexually through the week. It was knowing that the group meeting was coming up and the support that we were able to give that kept him from sin. We need each other in this Christian life.
The first area deals with the Holy Spirit who grows our character. The second are a . . .
II. The Holy Spirit who empowers the missionary enterprise
A. What does the bible say?
We’ve talked about being set apart, sanctified from sin. This is the sense of being filled with the Spirit as it is used in Eph. 5:18. Let’s consider being filled with the Holy Spirit from another angle. The book Acts speaks of being filled with the Holy Spirit in a different sense and that is primarily in the context of being empowered for service. I have found it helpful to distinguish between the sanctifying work of the Spirit and the empowering work of the Spirit. There are a few ways the verb “to be filled” is used. According to Acts – people were filled as follows:
A person can be filled with lies (5:3), with jealousy (5:17; 13:45), with rage and confusion (19:28,29).
As apposed to these things, the early believers and specifically the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit.4 (2:4; 4:8; 4:31; 9:17; 13:9; 13:52). What did this filling with the Holy Spirit lead to?
It resulted in speaking in tongues on a number of occasions, worshiping God, speaking the word of God with boldness and prophesying.
However in terms of the key promise in Acts 1:8, being filled with the Holy Spirit pre-eminently resulted in being witnesses all around the world.
(Acts 1:8 NASB) “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
The emphasis in Acts was upon the Holy Spirit leading and empowering the church in evangelism that resulted in the planting of churches.We can say then from Acts that the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to serve Jesus Christ. What does this empowering look like in practice? Let me suggest that the Holy Spirit’s manifestation is primarily in and through the Holy Spirit’s gifts. We can contrast this to the sanctifying work of the Spirit which is primarily manifested in the Holy Spirits fruit as per Gal 5.
B. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
There are 3 major lists of gifts in Rom. 12, 1 Cor. 12 and Eph. 4. Many of these gifts, eg teaching, administration etc, are straightforward and attract no controversy. However there are other gifts that are considered very controversial.
Some maintain that the so-called miraculous gifts (tongues, prophecy, healing, miracles etc) have died with the age of the Apostles. Is this true? I have to say that I can see no solid evidence biblically for such a position.5
From the point of view of both scripture and what traditionally the C&MA has believed, we maintain that all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are available today for the edification of the church and for ministry to unbelievers. This includes the more controversial gifts of 1 Cor. 12:8-10 wisdom, knowledge, faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, tongues and interpretation.
Now I have observed 2 extremes that are easy to adopt when talking about miraculous manifestations and the gifts of the Spirit.
1. Accept everything
This is the person or church that will accept anything that comes along claiming to be of the Holy Spirit. Whether it’s a false prophecy, a demonic miracle, or someone barking like a dog or roaring like a lion! The tragedy here is that in a desire to see God manifest Himself in power this person accepts any so-called “gift of the spirit” without discernment. How many people have we had to be rebuild in Alliance churches from the ruins of false spiritual experiences?
2. Accept nothing
This is the person or church that will accept nothing including that which is genuinely of the Holy Spirit. This includes the rejection of a manifestation of God’s Spirit that glorifies Jesus Christ and edifies the church. The tragedy here is that there is such a fear of being deceived that God dare not show Himself in power in church or a ministry situation for you can guarantee He, ie God Himself, won’t be considered to operate “decently and in order.”
Brothers and sisters, there is the genuine supernatural manifestation of God by His Spirit and this manifestation does not have to be manipulated or “worked up” by emotional trickery. I asked our Australian churches this question and let me ask you… Could it be that some of our churches perhaps need to learn to be a little more open to the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Now I known full well that I’m on very thin ice in saying these things. However it is true that for many of us we have professed accurate doctrine but been afraid or at least unwilling to see this doctrine applied.
How many Christian people in Australia outside the C&MA have remarked to me over the years about the C&MA – “you are the people who believe in the Holy Spirit and His gifts but don’t practice them.” I’m aware of the damage that Pentecostalism/Charismatic movement has done in certain areas of the C&MA. I’m aware of the foolishness that has been exhibited. This brothers and sisters is neither reason to ignore Scripture on this matter or our historical roots. If our people are going to serve others, if they are going to minister using God’s gifts mistakes will be made. Mistakes will be made but we need to grow together and deal carefully with immature believers helping them to grow in correct use of God’s gifts. If we want things neat and tidy, we will never allow space for people to use their spiritual gifts. This particularly, although certainly not exclusively, applies to the gifts of 1 Cor 12:8-10.
Let’s have a look at some people who were filled with the Holy Spirit and what flowed from it.
C. Illustrations
1. Jesus was anointed with the Spirit prior to commencing His ministry
As we look at the life of Jesus, it is interesting to note that whilst He was fully divine from birth, an incredible and indivisible union of the Son of God and man, his public ministry didn’t commence until after His baptism. It was after Jesus had been baptised in water that the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus and then began His public ministry. (Acts 10:38 NASB) “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.”
2. Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit after his conversion
In Acts 9 we meet Paul who had an extraordinary experience with the resurrected Christ. He was clearly converted (Ananias calls him brother vs 17) and yet Annanias is instructed to lay hands on him that he’d be filled with the Holy Spirit.
In both Jesus and Paul’s case ministry began after they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. Contemporary example of empowering
Rev Robert Henry, the first Director of the C&MA of Australia tells the story of a very close friend of his. He was a bible college companion. The man had a wonderful character he was just like Christ Himself, the sort of person you loved to be around. The man entered ministry as a pastor yet he was not happy. He could see that he wasn’t leading anyone to Christ. And so, he took time out and sought God that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit, anointed particularly so that people would be converted under his ministry. As a result of this prayer to God, this earnest seeking, a major difference occurred. People started to come to Christ as a result of his ministry. God met him. As the early disciples were empowered by the Holy Spirit to witness, so was this man.
4. Contemporary example of empowered ministry
There is counselling that relies on the ability to be able to understand people and to read them in a counselling situation. Now understand I’m all for trained counsellors. Yet there is counselling that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Philippa, my wife, some years ago found her self in a counselling situation. She had previously sought God’s Spirit’s infilling and had on this occasion. In the midst of this situation a picture popped into her head. It was the picture of a girl ridding a pushbike and they were chained to a house along with her. Somewhat bizarre you’ll agree. Not knowing exactly what this was about, she asked the counselee, “does this mean anything to you?” Her answer “well yes,…”
The counselee explained that she’d been bound to her house because of all of things that had happened there. She would escape by riding away on her bike. Of course the woman was still bound up and she had no escape. God gave Philippa a supernatural knowledge of this situation. Now this I would describe as the biblical “word of knowledge” gift. It is not something that can be turned on at will but a gifting as the Spirit wills. The fruit and change from that encounter were highly significant. The counselee experienced real freedom as she repented of her sin and dedicated herself to God. The picture that Philippa was given by the Spirit was instrumental in the woman becoming free.
D. Applying the truth
So friends, I want to ask us simply – have we been preaching and teaching the necessity of being filled with the Holy Spirit and about the gifts of the Spirit? Have we been instructing new believers in this area of the Christian walk?
Have we perhaps drawn back a little because of the foolishness we see in other believers in other churches?
Let me ask a more basic question, have we ourselves been filled with the Holy Spirit? Have we perhaps “leaked?” For me at least it is easy to find myself depending on techniques instead of God. For this reason I need to seek daily to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit. And can I tell you the further I go in the Christian Life, the more I need to be filled for the things God has called us to is too big for any of us to fulfil on our own.
I have appreciated using management techniques. I’ve appreciated material from a number of sources encouraging me to establish, purpose and mission statements, establishing biblical goals and measuring the results. I have encouraged people to use various tools available to us in Australia, Church Resource Ministries “Refocussing Your Church” and “Natural Church Development.” BUT…Friends these things by themselves will not renew the church. Management techniques can never bring revival and renewal to the church. These are matters of God’s Spirit. It starts with you and I as we walk in the Holy Spirit as empowered men and women. Learning, academic understanding is vitally important, but it must not be set against or substituted for the Holy Spirit’s empowering.
So what about the Holy Spirit in missions? We desire to see Unreached People Groups touched for the gospel. We desire to see people who have never heard the gospel converted. How can we do this if there is not the empowering work of the Holy Spirit? How on earth can we go into demonically bound places and expect that we can by merely natural means see a turning to Christ? Our missionaries and missionary candidates need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. They need to listen to the Spirit of Christ saying, “go and do this or that.” They need to answer the Macedonian call, or obey by not going into an Asia or a Bithynia.6. We as leaders need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is not something we can work up or make happen but we can seek God daily to empower us. And so we pray “Lord today I’ve got this, this and this to do. Empower me to do these things in your way and to your glory. Fill me with your Spirit.”
Let me comment on a personal challenge we face in Australia. We have a number of people being licensed as pastors who were not brought up within the C&MA. As such they have often come with a conservative evangelical perspective on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This has meant that in some of our churches that it is tough to speak about particularly the empowering work of the Spirit because of some leaders fear, or diffidence on the matter or outright confusion about the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
As we seek to plant churches we need to be careful that we are maintaining our spiritual ethos and values.
One senior Chinese leader in Australia recently commented that issues of prayer and an appreciation of the ministry of the Holy Spirit were major weaknesses in the Chinese work in Australia.
Friends we cannot afford to attempt doing supernatural work with merely natural talents. We need the Holy Spirit’s anointing His touch, His filling.
It may be that we have been filled with the Holy Spirit before, we’ve seen His anointing. The fact is we can revert to trusting our own abilities instead of God’s anointing. Is that where we are today?
III. Conclusion
What does the Holy Spirit have to do with missions? We’ve looked at 2 areas that are vitally important.
– The Holy Spirit takes the work of Christ and sanctifies us growing our character.
– The Spirit also empowers and directs the missionary enterprise.
May our ministries be operating under the sanctifying and empowering work of God’s Holy Spirit