Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 3-112 (Practical Christian Living)

Rowland Croucher’s sermon: The Holy Spirit’s Gift of Energy! appeared in CLM-3-110 & CLM-3-111. He suggests the following discussion material.

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S GIFT OF ENERGY – DISCUSSION

* In Colossians 1:24 Paul insists that he rejoices in his sufferings for the church. Does this suggest an unhealthy masochism on Paul’s part? Does it matter that these sufferings are not just any afflictions, but those which, like the Cross, are endured for the sake of others? Under what circumstances can you rejoice in your sufferings? (As someone complained to me this week: ‘If God wants human beings to hear and build their lives on the Word of God, why doesn’t He make it easier?’).

* Talk about health and stress. Humans of course vary greatly in terms of their productivity under stress. As stress increases, some are super effective; others are incapacitated. Do you ‘fall apart’ or ‘get going?’ What can make the difference?

* People receive the Holy Spirit, in Luke’s meaning of the term, in different ways. Some people receive the Spirit more or less spontaneously, while for others the response is quite conscious and deliberate; some experience dramatic manifestations of the Spirit, while with others the manifestations are more subdued. The way in which people receive the Spirit will be determined, to some extent, by the situation and by the person (his or her personality type, age, station in life, church environment). More important than the particular way we receive the Spirit, however, is what we do after having received. It’s like the difference between a big church wedding and a small family wedding. The kind of wedding you have doesn’t determine the kind of marriage you’ll have. What’s important is how you live out the reality of married life. (Larry Christenson, ‘Receiving the Holy Spirit’ in LaVonne Neff et al (eds), Practical Christianity, Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1988, p. 164.). Do you agree?

* Study Paul’s prayers for the Ephesians (1:15-23, 3:14-21). Do we pray for one another like this? What might happen if we did?

* ‘Paul says he suffered devastating attacks from within the church. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Caesar is killed by a group of assailants. A famous line is “et tu, Brute?” Caesar was stunned that one he thought was a friend would turn on him. Anyone who has served in the church for any length of time understands this feeling. Some of the most painful blows come from the ones we thought were our friends. It would be nice if everyone in the church applied God’s commands to love, kindness and encouragement. It would be nice, but it is not the way it is.’ It might be helpful to talk about that.

* Why not pray for one another for the Holy Spirit to ‘control’ or ‘fill’ each person in your group?

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Shalom!

Rowland Croucher http://jmm.org.au/index.htm