Continuing from the section dealing with how the Holy Spirit speaks to us, the second point is…

2) The Spirit speaks through the Bible.

Hebrews 3:7 – “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.””

Chris Kiiskinen is the Pastor of Student Ministries.

1 Corinthians 2:10a says, “God has revealed to us through the Spirt.” Paul had just quoted Isaiah and says that in the Bible, the Spirit speaks to or teaches us, revealing truth.

1 Timothy 4:1 is another example of the Spirit speaking directly through the Bible when it says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting
themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,”
The letters to the 7 churches in Revelation are also testimonies to the fact that the Spirit speaks in and through Scripture, as we read the phrase 7 times…“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

So biblically we can confidently state that the new way God speaks to us in the church age (as is testified to in Scripture many times) is through Jesus, via what was revealed to the Apostles in the NT and Prophets in the OT, and through the Holy Spirit, who speaks for Jesus through the writings of the Bible, His word. This living and active word is used by the Spirit to cause people to hear the “voice” of Jesus through Scripture.

3) The Spirit leads and guides us through internal and external means.

In Acts 16:6-7 we read…”And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” We don’t know how this happened, but the Spirit worked to prevent them from going somewhere. So we know that the Spirit is sovereign over our lives and circumstances.

Romans 8:14 assures believers that the Holy Spirit leads us, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” From the context of Romans 8 we read much about what the Spirit does and that the goal of His leading in our lives is so that we would live righteously, submitting to God and seeking to set our minds to be like His…all of which comes through the Spirit’s work in the life of the believer, through the word.

1 Corinthians 6:11 tells us that the Spirit works to sanctify us or literally, set us apart, making us more holy and Christ-like. (continued on page 3)

And we know that this work is accomplished by the word because of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 when he asked God to “Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth.”

In addition, the Spirit works in our minds as we grow in knowledge and understanding of the word to be conformed to Christ by “the renewal of your minds” which comes through the word. The Spirit works in and through all circumstances in our lives to lead and guide us in ways that will result in our facing trials and sufferings that he will use to mold us into greater reflections of God’s character. This work of the Spirit affects our thoughts, conscience, worldview, etc…and is an effective means by which the Spirit leads and guides our lives. All of this happens as a result of the word (especially the Gospel) being better understood and applied.

At this point, most would not disagree with any of this, but some would want to push for more ways in which the Spirit speaks…something they would say is more personal or more exciting, if you will. But what they would fail to see is that Scripture IS personal and it IS exciting. Think about it…the God of all creation has given His words to us, words of life! And for those who clamor for something more, there is no other method in the Bible for neither you nor I nor anyone else to point to and say that the Spirit will also speak through _________. We are not told to expect to hear a “still, small voice” from the Spirit, nor are we told to expect some kind of special feeling by which we will “know” that the Spirit has spoken to us in some mysterious way, other than through the clear teachings of Scripture. There are many today that teach that the Spirit will speak to us through “impressions” (a “burning in the bosom” as Mormons would call it) or through a “gut feeling” and other internal methods that rely on our mind to correctly process a feeling based on a circumstance that we find ourselves in, or a thought that comes to our mind. Indeed, many Christians long for this kind of “mystical” experience and there are those that will claim it happens to them often, maybe even multiple times each day.

But how would one know whether it is from God, or merely an emotional feeling? Truthfully, you wouldn’t. Scripture speaks to this point a bit when we read in Proverbs 16:9 that…“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” And James 4:13-15 helps us understand that the wise man is the one who will make plans and move forward, but understand that the Lord’s will is what will determine what actually happens.

So we are not taught in Scripture to wait on “feelings” nor “impressions” nor anything else, but instead, we make plans, based on the godly wisdom and then move forward. As we do this, the Spirit will work to direct our path, open and close
doors and ultimately work out God’s will in our lives. This is what the Bible teaches us to do and trust.

One note of warning to always remember is that Satan is a deceiver and will, as the word says, appear as an “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). So no doubt, he could certainly try and use our emotions or impressions as a means by which he could fool us into thinking something that is, in fact, not true. Scripture is the ONLY sure defense against this.

Some will say that this is only my interpretation and that they simply have another interpretation. Well, if so, it ought to be clearly seen biblically, which does not simply mean quote a verse where the Spirit spoke to someone, as that may in no way be valid support for what they are saying they believe. And we know from 2 Peter 1:22 that, “…knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” So we can not have conflicting interpretations of what is true. We are not just to believe something because someone writes or says it, but we are supposed to test it (1 Thess. 5:21, 1 John 4:1, etc…) and how do we test it? By seeing if it matches up with what is taught in the Bible (1 Cor. 14:32-33, etc…). The Spirit does not allow for differing, personal interpretations of the word. Now, what I have written my be incorrect, but if it is, surely it would be able to be corrected from Scripture.

Part of the reason that people are not satisfied with having the Holy Spirit speak to us through the Bible is that some do not believe that the Bible is sufficient! They do not truly believe that the Bible is enough for believers for the purpose of hearing God speak to us! Yet, Scripture tells us that we have already been given all that we need for life and godliness and that Scripture is sufficient for all things pertinent to following Christ ( 1 Tim 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3, etc…). So if that is true, we need nothing more to “hear” from God nor are we ever, in Scripture, taught to “listen” for anything more. But that’s for another article!

May God speak to you today…through His word, empowered by his Spirit, exalting His Son!

For further study for those interested, here are a couple of links that I’d encourage you to listen to/read.

John Piper – “The Morning I heard the Voice of God”

John MacArthur on hearing God’s voice, the dangers of this way of thinking, and the sufficiency of Scripture

Chris Kiiskinen is the Pastor of Student Ministries.

So what does it mean? It’s important for us to not only understand what we mean when we say something like this, but also that we would be sensitive to others in how we say things so that we avoid confusion and misunderstandings. In light of that, let’s look at what Scripture teaches us about just how God speaks to us.

1) He speaks through creation. (Psalm 19, Romans 1:20, etc…)
All that has been made testifies to God, showing all of us there is a God and He is powerful. There are other things that can be inferred by us, but these two points, Scripture states very directly.

2) He speaks with His audible voice. (Exodus 3:4, Matthew 3:17, etc…)
This did not happen to many people and was not, nor should it be, what we normally expect. This was a rare event happening to only a handful of people.

3) He speaks through miraculous/supernatural means. (Numbers 22:28, Daniel 5:5, etc…)
Dreams, visions and other types of supernatural
manifestations. This again did not happen to very many people and was not nor is it what we should normally expect. Often times it would happen to a single person only one time and was not even a “normal” or daily experience for them.

4) He speaks through the Law and the Prophets. (Psalm 119, Isaiah 28:18, etc… )
Thousands of times in the Old Testament we read phrases that communicate to us that what was being read was in fact the word of God to man.

5) He speaks through Jesus (the Gospels). (John 1:1, Hebrews 1:1-2, etc…)
As we look at the Gospel’s, John helps us the most to see that “the Word became flesh” and that as Christ came, the living Word of God came to dwell with us and further teach us what God has to say to us.

6) He speaks through Jesus’ Apostles. (John 17:20, 2 Thessalonians 3:1, etc…)
Jesus prayed that God the Father would bring about salvation through the words of the Apostles. To this day, this is being accomplished as God saves people through the reading and preaching of the Gospel as taught in the New Testament.

7) He speaks through the teaching and preaching of His word. (Romans 10:14-18, Colossians 3:19)
Scripture teaches us that God uses us as His messengers to deliver His word to people through preaching and teaching. This can occur by a variety of means including formal preaching, a Sunday School class, Bible studies, biblical counseling and even as simple as the sharing a testimony.

8 ) He speaks through the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:2, Hebrews 3:7, etc…)
There are about a dozen times in the New Testament (depending on your translation) where we read that the Holy Spirit spoke to people. This is where the majority of confusion and disagreement lies between Christians in regards to HOW the Holy Spirit speaks to us. This is something important for Christians to understand so that we are less likely to be fooled and more likely to stand on and for truth. I don’t know if any true Christian would disagree with examples 1 through 7 above, but when it comes to number 8, there is much debate.

At this point, it is vital that we understand what the Bible actually teaches us about how the Holy Spirit speaks to us. From the examples we see in the New Testament, we see that the Spirit spoke a few times to the Apostles or leaders of the early church and that the Spirit spoke directly through the Bible (OT and NT). Beyond that, there is not much that the Spirit seems to do, in regards to speaking. To understand further we must again turn to Scripture:

Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”
From this verse alone, we know that God has changed how He speaks to us now as opposed to how He used to. So we can not then merely say, for example, that because God spoke audibly to a few people, we should then expect Him to speak audibly to us today. There have been many times in the Bible when God used different methods to communicate with and to His people.

What is most important for us today, is to understand what the New Testament teaches us about the method by which God has chosen to speak, which is in or through His Son. And so we must seek to determine, as best as we can, how this happens. Here is what the Bible says about the HOW:

1) By the teaching of the Apostles (NT) and Prophets (OT) via the direct work of the Spirit. (John 13:20; 20:21, etc…)
Since all the apostles have died, we must biblically answer how they speak to us. Two passages that help us with this are:

Ephesians 3:3-5 , “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;”

Galatians 1:11-12, “For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Note how Paul talks about how we can understand what God says by what He revealed to and through them. And that the vehicle by which this happened was the Holy Spirit. The revelation was given to them for the benefit of telling us. So the Spirit speaks to us through what was revealed to the Apostles and has been passed on to us through Scripture.

In John 10:20, Jesus made it very clear that the Spirit would speak through the Apostles when he said, “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

Jesus promised them in John 16:13 that, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” This is a promise to the Apostles, not to all believers. So we heard the voice of Jesus, via the power of the Spirit, through the teaching of the Apostles in the written word of God.

We will continue to look into this further in next month’s Newsletter as we look at what Scripture has to say about how the Spirit speaks to us through other means. Until then…may God speak to you today…through His word, empowered by His Spirit, exalting His Son!

What does God’s Word say about the local church? How do we put this into practice? Join us this June as we gather with church leaders in Northern California to explore what it means to display God’s glory through healthy churches.

Mark Dever is the Senior Pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

Click here to register at 9Marks.

Speakers: Mark Dever and Brad Wheeler

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

8:00-9:00am – Continental breakfast (provided)
Registration/Check-In
9:00-12:00pm – Session 1 – Theological Vision—Churches that Display God’s Glory

Session 2 – Preaching & Biblical Theology

Q&A

12:00-1:00pm – Lunch (provided)

1:00-4:00pm – Session 3 – Gospel, Conversion & Evangelism

Session 4 – Membership, Discipline & Discipleship

Q&A

4:00pm – Workshop ends for day

Brad Wheeler is an Associate Pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

9:00-12:00pm – Session 5 – Leadership

Session 6 – Covenanting Together

Q&A

Workshops ends

Nearby accommodations:
Courtyard by Marriott Pleasant Hill
2250 Contra Costa Boulevard
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Click here to register at 9Marks.

1 Cor. 3:5-6

Too many believers are impressed by all the wrong things. It may be the size of church facilities. It may be the technological tools employed in the ministry. It may be “success” in ministry as measured by a variety of factors. But what is even more disturbing is how in many instances the church is beginning to mimic the cult of celebrity that is so prominent in the wider culture.

Tony Sanelli is our Pastor-Teacher.

In the outside world if a person wins a title in sports, or writes a hit song, or stars in a hit movie he/she is later “followed” by millions on twitter and consulted by major media outlets on matters such as global warming, the European financial crisis or political issues. Most of the time these people have little or no expertise in these fields whatsoever. But, they are celebrities so we should listen to them…and sadly many do.

Celebrity preachers are now in vogue in various corners of the evangelical world. They too, like their unbelieving counterparts, are sometimes consulted regarding matters they are often ill prepared to address biblically. They also have their undiscerning followers and this has had the unfortunate effect of confusing many and diminishing the contribution that “lesser members” of the body of Christ make to the whole (1 Cor. 12). The truth is no one is Omni-gifted.

How refreshing to learn that the church of Corinth had the same problem. But even more refreshing is the apostle Paul’s perspective. He asks, “what” is Apollos? And “what” is Paul? He doesn’t even ask “who” but “what.” By framing the question in this slightly disdainful way he defuses the whole problem of personality cult. Some followed Paul but others looked up to Apollos. But in the divine scheme of building the church and extending the kingdom of God they are both just servants (diakonoi).

If you read the entire context it is evident that while his main thrust is to diminish the importance of individual leaders and curtail the cult of personality, Paul does not teach that their individual roles are irrelevant or unnecessary. Indeed, he says that they are “servants through whom” these Corinthians believed. This was the result of the Lord giving opportunity to each as He willed.

It’s worth reflecting on a few of the details regarding the divine scheme for building the church.
1 – Both activities are essential. Planting and watering are essential elements of people converting and a church coming into existence and growing. Corinthians came to faith through both their efforts.
2 – Both activities depend on each other. If you water where you haven’t planted or plant where you will not water the entire exercise will be useless. There must be a partnership between those who plant and those who water. Sometimes that partnership is formal and planned. Often it is the providential hand of God that combines the two.
3 – Both activities are useless without God. It is God who causes the growth. That is, God alone produces divine effects in the human hearts that have been planted and watered. Consider all we have learned from the gospel of John in chapters 6, 8, 9 and now 10. No one can “come to me” says Jesus, “unless the Father draws him.”
While the power that delivers people from darkness and into the light of salvation comes from God, both planting (preaching or sharing the gospel truths) and watering (teaching & filling in the truth of the gospel) are vital to God’s “divine scheme” for building the church.

Some who plant seeds of the gospel do not often get to see the fruit of their labor. Some time after they plant God sends another servant along to water the ground and the seed may bear fruit over time. We reflected on this point in John chapter nine. People often come to faith over a period of time as God gradually illumines the truth of the gospel layer upon layer.

Parents should not grow discouraged but keep planting and watering. All of us should take the small windows of opportunity that the Lord often provides to plant a small seed of the gospel. Only our Lord knows where and how He will have it watered.

What is Paul? What is Apollos? What is Steve? What is Mary? We are all God’s servants through whom people come to believe. This is the divine scheme of the kingdom. I know the Lord is giving opportunities. Are you planting and watering? Think of the people you regularly see—co-workers, classmates, servers, neighbors, trail walkers, gym members, fellow Starbucks or Peets clients and family. We are virtually surrounded by fields for planting and harvesting on a daily basis. Believe God can and will use you.

We are all insignificant compared to God who causes the growth via the miracle of regeneration. But we are all vital in His scheme of things. He has assigned to each of us our responsibilities and opportunities. Let us move at His bidding.

P.S. or as they say today, BTW – God is using the evangelistic gospel of John in ways we don’t all see. Please keep praying and bringing unbelieving friends. Hopefully some will testify to His grace and we will all be encouraged.

I was struck a couple of weeks ago by the above expressions of worship. But I didn’t witness them nor experience them in a church service, but while watching the 49ers defeat the Saints in dramatic fashion.

Let me describe for you the scene at my home. Eleven seconds to go in the game. The 49ers have one shot to try to win the game or to send it in to overtime. Alex Smith, the much maligned quarterback, throws the best pass of his life.

It’s caught. Game over. Victory. I stand, raise my arms and exclaim, “Did he catch it?! Did he catch it?! He caught it!!” Joy. Excitement… Worship.

Scott Denny is the Administrative Pastor at Grace Bible Church

He had. They did. Victory. Worship.

I watched as, without fear, these fans, these loyal fans, declared their allegiance to complete strangers with smiles on their faces, declaring their team to be number one to anyone who would listen. For that moment, that fleeting moment, they proudly and without fear boasted in the greatness of their team. Victory. Worship.

I smiled as I recalled my own joy, and then something weird happened. I became unusually sad. Jealousy crept into my heart. Jealousy for the people created in the image of God, to express their joy, their unabashed, unashamed joy in a fashion intended for the Creator, not the creation (Romans 1:25).

I was jealous for the worship reserved for God alone. I was jealous for the ultimate Victory to be declared without shame (Romans 1:16) and made known without reservation that true Victory, everlasting Victory, is found in Jesus Christ alone (1 Corinthians 15:57).

I ached for them. I wanted them to jump up and down and shout for joy not over a game but over a Savior, over a Hope, over a Victory that never fades and is eternal.

Then, I ached for me and for God’s church. Far too often I, we, suppress the only true joy, hope, and victory that is imperishable, incorruptible and never fades away (1 Peter 1:4).

How many times had I leapt for joy over the final out of a World Series victory? How many high-fives had I given over a Golden Bear defeat of the Stanford Cardinal? How many times had I worshiped God’s glorious creation with far greater zeal than I worshiped my Glorious Creator? How many times had I failed to honor my King as I hastily and shamefully put the lamp of the gospel under a basket (Matthew 5:15)?

I want to scream out along with the apostle Paul, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). And with the next breath, along with Paul, I can utter with all humility “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

I thank God that Salvation belongs to the Lord. I thank God that He will save people from every nation, tribe and tongue and the gates of hell (and my failures – our failures) will not prevail against the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:18).

Paul declares that is what makes the mystery of the gospel so precious. That God would use “earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7) – lowly, easily broken, clay pots – to store so great a treasure so “that the excellence of the power [of the gospel] may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

God in his great wisdom “has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

In my foolishness I can desire comfort and safety, which locks my mouth shut as I seek the approval of men. In my weakness, I can sacrifice what is eternally glorious for temporary and fleeting joy as I seek a moment of glory for myself… a moment reserved for the King… a moment that will fade and never satisfy.

Yet, as I reflect on the celebrated victories of my favorite sports teams, and ponder the joys that have been fleeting, I rest in the promise that the greatness and glory of God is magnified and even more precious in spite of my failures because it amplifies and magnifies the excellence of His power to save fallen people like you and me, and then in all amazement He uses the weak and broken, like you and me, to declare the excellencies of His name.

I am confident that God uses all things together for good for those who love Him for those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). I am confident that in our weakness He is made strong (2 Corinthians 12:9). I am confident that those who hear his voice will follow Him ( John 10:25). I am confident that He will not lose a single sheep ( John 10:29).

I am confident that in spite of our weaknesses (maybe even because of them) He is most glorified (2 Corinthians 4:7). I am confident that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Do not grow weary. Do not lose hope. Do not despair. He is coming. “Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 20:20). Victory! Worship!