Led by the Spirit

The Stagnation of Christian Growth

 

            I recently visited a friend whom I have not seen for a long time.  We had a wonderful fellowship time sharing what God has been doing in our lives.  During our conversation, the subject of Chinese church in North America was brought up.  More and more Christians have been questioning the disconnection of church ministry and the world.  Messages from the pulpit seem to be missing the heartbeat of the congregation.  My friend observed that with the global economy in shambles and the OBCs[1] fixing their vision on the trial of the former Taiwan President for corruption, the pulpit has offered not a single word on the spiritual perspectives on these issues.  On the other hand, his children who go to American churches seem to be getting more vibrant messages.  In our short gathering, he virtually described to me the world of God should be better than what he experienced.

 

 

            The analysis he concluded with was theological.  He suspected that while Chinese Christians emphasized so much on being led by the Spirit, eventually it became an excuse for the stagnation of personal growth because of the lacking of reflection.  Over the years, I have spoken to many godly brothers who shared the same frustration.  They all devote their lives to Christ faithfully.  At the same time, they lose faith in the Body of Christ.  “Church”, to some, has become a dead end road.  They get together every Sunday to worship God, but these gatherings fail to lead them to an abundant life.  When they turned their heads to their American neighbors, they seem to find American churches more vibrant and may be embodying something they found missing in their own ethnic community.  As someone who studies theology, I resonate much with my friend’s analysis.  However, I must contend that his depiction on Christian spirituality is more universal (or cross-cultural) than he realized.  The grass is not greener next door.  When I surfed the web this morning, I read an article posted on the seminary alumni blog written by a Caucasian American brother.  This article, titled Toward a Classic Strategy for Evangelical Renewal, opens with this statement:

 

While a vibrant Christianity continues to thrive in several contexts throughout the world, much of the American evangelical scene at the present moment lacks spiritual vitality. Though some churches are growing numerically, many therein are marked by a disconcerting superficiality of commitment that belies the life-changing power of the Christian gospel.

 

Another “witness” would be a recently published book titled Who’s Afraid of the Holy Spirit.  My former theology professor, Dr. Jim Sawyer, contributed a wonderful article to this anthology called The Father, the Son, and the Holy Scripture.  Anybody who remains long enough in the evangelical world would smile, if not right out burst into laughter, at the title.  Message?  We are sooooo lost! 

 

Led by the Spirit

            While my friend observed some American churches continued to grow, the good news really belongs to the minority.  Most churches, American or Chinese, still struggle with internal and external issues.  The mere fact that the well respected theologian, John Stott, at his senior years still writes on the subject of Ecclesiology says a lot.  In the preface of The Living Church, he says “…the church is increasingly out of tune with contemporary culture, and that unless it comes to terms with change, it faces extinction.” Although he was referring to the churches in England, the same may be applied to their counter parts in North America. 

            So why would a church who seeks the Spirit be so lost?  I believe one reason is that Evangelicalism traditionally has a very weak understanding of Pneumatology.  The general culture in the church ascribes the work of the Spirit to supernaturalism.  When it comes to “spiritual matters”, the understood consensus dictates that the less involvement of human decision the better.  The most prominent biblical reference sought to support this tenet comes mainly from Isaiah 55:8-9 and Proverbs 3:5.  Since human thoughts cannot possibly compared to God’s thought (rightly so) and we are taught to trust in the Lord instead of leaning on our understanding, the corollary conclusion inevitably leads to mysticism.  So often I heard testimonies from my Christian brothers (this part of my experience comes mainly from Chinese churches) who claimed they had no idea how something happened but God had blessed them in mystical ways.  While I was happy for them with their blessings, two things bothered me with regard to Christian growth.  First, why would a follower of God be so ignorant of the work of God?  Second, under the tone of saying “he had no idea how something happened” hid a sense of spiritual pride that says “God touched my life—we are close.” Gradually, ignorance equals spiritual maturity. 

 

 

Appealing to the Scriptures

            What about Isaiah and Proverbs?   Two words—bad exegesis!  A basic exegetical principle is that we must read the passage within its context.  In Isaiah 55, the prophet is calling out to the remnants of Israel scattered in Babylon to seek the Lord.  He uses word play in Hebrew poetry with verses seven to nine.  In verse seven, he says “Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.” Then, he urges the evil man to turn to the Lord in the same verse.  Why?  The Lord says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” In other words, the prophet is not comparing God’s thought with man’s thought in general, but he is labeling complacency and idolatry (and other sins of Israel) with ‘way of the wicked’ or ‘thoughts of the evil.’ Only in this context we may truly understand the prophet properly when he writes “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The prophet’s message?  Sin is bad; seek the Lord.  Proverbs 3 is a similar case.  Verses 5-6 & 7-8 are parallel in chapter three.  “Understanding” (v.5) and “wise” (v.7) are interchangeable terms in Proverbs.  Verse 7 tells us the author is laying before his son two choices in life.  One is godly; the other is evil.  To the godly choice, the father calls it God’s wisdom; the other, “your own understanding.” Follow God’s way and he will bless you (vv.6, 8).  Follow the evil way, you will perish.  Message?  Shun evil and follow God’s way.  On the other hand, if we take the author’s saying as shun our using our brain, the rest of Proverbs will make no sense.

            Making the will of God as something completely foreign to the will of believers is dangerous.  Not only it encourages anti-intellectualism, it implies the will of Christ is not found in the Body of Christ.  This way, spiritual growth reduces itself to a mystery.  Quite contrary to how some might view being led by the Spirit, the Bible actually encourages us to learn the will of God.  When Moses renewed the covenant with the Israelites, he said:  “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach…No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it (Deut 30:11-14).” And, the Apostle Paul tells us that all scripture is God-breathed, good for us, and for a purpose—so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17).  God does not intend to hide his will from us.  On the contrary, he wishes for us to learn his will because his will is good for us!  I like what Erwin McManus, the lead pastor of Mosaic Church, says in Uprising that most people want God to give them a map but God gives us a compass instead.  God does not tell us which girl to marry but he teaches us how to build a marriage.  God does not tell us which job to do but he let us understand how he wires us so we may serve him best in how he creates us.  When Jesus told the disciples that he was going away and that he was sending the Holy Spirit, he called the Spirit the Counselor (John 16:7) and the Spirit of truth (John 16:12).  The third Person of the Trinity does not come to do something completely different from Christ (John 16:13).  What the Spirit does is to point to Jesus and tells the world “Trust Him, imitate Him, and follow Him.” I believe this is how our Heavenly Father intends for us to follow the guidance of the Spirit. 

 

A Word on Pastoral Calling

            An unfortunate fact is that too many pastors carry with them too much emphasis on supernaturalism in their theology—especially in their pastoral calling.  I find many seminary students depend on an emotional experience or some kind of supernatural incident to confirm their calling into full-time ministry.  While I believe firmly in the supernatural work of God, I must also point out that God often works through natural means before supernatural.  In other words, natural means is God’s plan A.  The calling to serve God is already in the Bible!  “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord (Rom 12:11).” That was it.  Immediately before this section in the same chapter, Paul says that God gives us different gifts in serving Him.  Then, serve Him as a pastor if you have the gift.  If you are not sure what gifts are required, search the Bible and talk to those who are wise and experienced in pastorate. 

Seeking supernatural calling into ministry creates many illusions for the minister, which often spills over to the church.  Some go to the seminary because they love God but also because they could not find love and acceptance outside God.  Ministry has become a therapy for them.  At the personal level, they might be socially handicapped and do not even know how to build a healthy relationship.  Some may be looking for a “burning bush” experience to confirm what they do.  In the end, it might create a subtle spiritual pride that lifts them up to the pedestal.  Since God has called “Moses” to lead his people, anybody who does not follow must be the “stiff-necked Israelites.”  Finally, seeking supernatural calling might hinder us from seeing naturally occurring obstacles in life that might help us grow or simply require our wisdom.  For example, when the church is not ready for women leadership (and if you are a woman), either be prepared to become the revolutionist or stay put.  Do not expect God to take away the challenge.  God is still working with his church…in his time.  Or, when the church is not following you, sit back and reflect on how to lead.  This might be a strategic time in your life to grow as a pastor—just like how God works on your sheep to help them become better husbands, wives, bosses, or employees.  I have seen and heard too many pastors became bitter towards God and the church because they were waiting for the supernatural to come. 

Then, what should we do with the burning bush and the Damascus passages?  Again, two words—bad exegesis!  Moses and Paul were not pastors.  God called them to do something very special.  Our basic exegetical principles tell us that we should not apply a special teaching as a general principle.  Well, then, is there such a thing as supernatural calling?  Or, is pastoral calling even special?  If you are asking these questions, I would urge you to seek in your heart to see if you are asking because you think God is special or because you believe that you are special.  When I think of “pastoral calling” I often think of two stories.  The first is the “calling” of Martin Luther.  As a protestant, I cannot over emphasize the significance of his work in Christianity.  Nobody in Protestantism would argue that God called Luther to serve Him.  But, how was he called?  In a stormy night, fearing that he would be killed by lightning, Luther pleaded to God for his life and promised that he would become a monk.  That was Luther’s calling.  J. I. Packer speaks of another minister that might prove even more appalling to some.  According to Packer, the Holy Spirit led John Charles Ryle (1816-1900) to become the first bishop of Liverpool.  Although young at the time, Ryle proved himself to be the man for the job over a period of twenty years.  He gave the diocese “an infrastructure and personnel that made it the most evangelical in doctrine, and evangelistic in practice, anywhere in the Church of England.”[2] So, how did this man of God, who served the Lord so faithfully and effectively, sense his pastoral calling?  Packer tells us that he simply needed the money.  Ryle found himself penniless when his father’s bank suddenly went bankrupt.  “He sought ordination, not because he wanted to be a clergyman (he didn’t) or felt an inner constraint to become one (he felt none), but because it was the only profession open to him that would give him an immediate salary.”[3] For all of you out there, who are still looking for a supernatural calling to confirm your decision, remember this:  Some of God’s best people did not even have a decent calling.  I suppose ministry is not so much about how you are called but more about how you serve. 

 

A Final Word on Supernaturalism

            If I do not end this article with saying that I truly believe in the supernatural work of the Spirit, I am sure I will be grossly misunderstood.  But, where do we put this belief?  Let me tell you a McManus story.  Several years ago when Mosaic Church was looking for a new church site, Erwin McManus and a church elder went to look at a nightclub for sale in downtown.  The property was perfect for them in many ways.  It sat in the heart of Los Angeles, which communicated their love for the city and their commitment to touch the world by reaching its people.  However, like any church looking for a property, it was out of their budget—by several million dollars.  About a year later, a Chinese couple, George and Susan Luk, bought the property and reopened the nightclub.  McManus and the elder went to talk to the Luks, hoping to solicit their permission to let Mosaic use it for their worship.  When they sat down with George, McManus said, “We’d like to invoke the presence of the living God to meet people here in this nightclub and become a voice of hope to the city.” Somehow, George was shocked at the statement.  After talking to his wife, they responded with a ‘yes’ to Mosaic in less than a week.  The cost to the church would be around one-thousand dollars a month, which would also cover the janitorial costs.  George even said to let him know if they could not afford that.  I will tell you the rest of the story in words of McManus himself.

 

It was at least a year later, sitting at dinner with George and Susan, his wife, that I discovered why they said yes so readily.  About fifteen years earlier, her mother was gravely ill.  They were certain she was going to die.  Years before, a missionary in China had given her mother a Bible that she still kept with her.  To find some solace in her condition, she opened the Bible and began to read.  She stumbled upon Isaiah 38, where Hezekiah, one of Israel’s kings during the time of Isaiah, was facing death.  God told him to put his house in order because he was going to die and he would not recover.  Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, prayed to the Lord, and asked God to spare his life.  And God replied that He heard the prayers and He would add fifteen years to Hezekiah’s life.  Susan’s mother asked her, “What do you think this means?” Susan’s hopeful reply was that God was promising that she would live another fifteen years.  Then her mother asked her, “What about the next verse?  What does that part mean?” Susan said she really didn’t know.  Nearly fifteen years later, George and Susan purchased the nightclub.  Her mother, having recovered from her illness, was asked to come and see the facility and bless their endeavor.  This is a common practice among many Asian families.  When her mother walked in, she said it would be a great place for church.  George and Susan explained that it was going to be a nightclub, and she simply repeated her observation that it would be a wonderful place for church.  Which brings us back to the passage regarding Hezekiah.  The part they could not explain said this:  “I will add fifteen years to your life.  And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria.  I will defend this city (Isa 38:5-6).” So when we walked in and told them that the nightclub would bring hope to the city and set the city free through the presence of God, it fulfilled the other half of the passage.[4]

           

            To appropriate the mystical work of the Spirit, this is how I see it.  There are controllable things in life that God appoints us to be responsible for, and we better be.  At the same time, there are many other factors that are uncontrollable, and the Holy Spirit is very much responsible for them.  Our Lord Jesus did not send us the Holy Spirit so that we would become ignorant but to empower us to grow in character.  Till this day, the third Person of the Trinity still tell us to “trust Him, imitate Him, and follow Him.”

 

 

             

           

 

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[1] Abbreviated for Overseas Born Chinese.  In this context, I am referring to the first generation immigrants from Taiwan. 

[2] Who’s Afraid of the Holy Spirit, pp. 102-103.

[3] Ibid, p. 102.

[4] Seizing Your Divine Moment, pp.67-69.