A Spirited Discussion— Waiting is Hard

Last updated on: May 18, 2016 at 1:41 am by Ben Witherington

A Spirited Discussion— Waiting is Hard 2016-04-27T15:48:35-04:00 Ben Witherington

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Here are some thoughts about Pentecost I recently wrote up for Missio-Alliance. See what you think…

In the process of figuring out next steps when it comes to evangelism and mission work, there is a tendency on most people’s part to look for new techniques, plans and processes that work, strategies whether long or short term that lead to success and so on. We like to be hands-on and feel like we are in control. But alas, when it comes to the work of God’s Spirit, we are not in control, and should not fool ourselves about that.

Look for a moment at the context of the first Christian Pentecost experience. What did Jesus tell the disciples before he departed— “WAIT in Jerusalem UNTIL YOU RECEIVE POWER FROM ON HIGH (or the promise of the Father)”. Waiting is hard, and it involves giving up control over the outcomes of evangelism and missions. Waiting can seem like a big waste of time. But as the Scripture say “unless the Lord build your house, vain is your labor”. Empire building by the dynamic efforts of human beings we see all around us in the business world, in the political world, but this is not how the Kingdom of God is built. The Kingdom of God is not the Tower of Babel. And Pentecost is Babel in reverse— it is top down, with the Spirit of God reversing those human attempts to create one world, one people, one language. Only God, and the moving of his Spirit can really do that.

In Acts 1-2, the disciples did what they could while waiting: 1) they got together and prayed. By the way, this meant they were submitting to God’s will not telling God what needed to be done, as if God was ill-informed about the situation. Prayer is never about alerting God to something, or using a cattle prod on God; 2) they appointed a new 12th disciple for the inner circle, but notice he had to meet strict criteria— they didn’t go with the ‘he’s a charismatic dude’ criteria, or ‘he’s verbally impressive’ or ‘she looks the part’ (see the so-called selection process criteria which led finally to the choosing of King David). The Eleven went with someone who had persevered and been with the disciples and with Jesus from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, through all the tragedies and triumphs, and was still a disciple. 3) they went with the OT model of decision-making, casting lots, which presumably they would never need again once the Spirit fell on the church. At the end of the day, not any of these things produced the Christian movement. Nothing of consequence happened until the Spirit fell on all the persons in the Upper Room, and then they went out and shared the Good News with one and all.

Notice as well that the success of the early Christian mission depended on both the Spirit and the faithful proclamation of God’s Word. Not one or the other but both. As my old church history prof, Richard Lovelace, used to say the Word without the Spirit is like dry wineskins without the wine! No vivifying power at all! Whereas the Spirit without the Word, is like wine without anything to give it shape or preserve its effects, or contain it in a useful manner, or even make God’s will understandable.

If you are a student of revivals through church history, you will discover that one of the constants is that it involves both a fresh outpouring of the Spirit, and a faithful proclamation of the Word. While you can prepare yourself for evangelism by in depth study of the Word, and we should all do that, the Holy Spirit cannot be manipulated. One simply has to wait on the Spirit, pray for the action of the Spirit, seek the guidance of the Spirit as it leads one into all truth. And when the Spirit moves, it becomes very clear that this is not of our own doing. You can be ever so talented, ever so much in earnest, ever so appealing, ever so loving, but without the guidance, empowerment, work of the Spirit, nothing of lasting consequence happens. Nothing. Fads, trends, techniques, come and go, but the work of the Spirit is the sine qua non of mission and ministry. “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength….”

Consider for a moment the story of Jonah. He despised the Ninevites. Hate is probably not too strong a word judging from Jonah’s reaction to the Nineveh miracle in Jonah 4. He really didn’t want to go to Nineveh and proclaim repentance so that they could come into right relationship with God. But with great reluctance he went, he put his hand over his mouth (so to speak), and proclaimed ‘T’shuvah….’ Repent, and we are told that all of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes… even the animals!! I would have paid good money to see animals repenting….

You see the point however. This was not of Jonah’s doing, except insofar as he was a vessel for the call to repent. Jonah had absolutely nothing to brag about thereafter. It was not ‘his’ ministry, or ‘his’ hard work that got things done. It was the miraculous moving of God’s Spirit even in a foreign land, even with non-monotheistic people. Because after all, God loves all of humanity. Had Jonah tried to claim credit for what happened, this would be rather like Shakespeare’s quill pen saying “I wrote all those wonderful plays”. Nope, the pen was just the instrument in the Author’s hands.

I teach at a school that is well know for a famous revival that happened on campus some decades ago— at Asbury Seminary. It was a spontaneous thing, and what its precursors were is very much like what is described in Acts 1-2. It involved a lot of prayer and waiting, and did I mention waiting for the Spirit to fall, and more prayer. And then, surprisingly enough, something happened. A real revival of God’s people, a real pouring out of empowerment and love, and visions and transformation happened. We are still talking about that revival today at Asbury, and praying for another one.
There is a reason Jesus said— “wait in Jerusalem until…..” He knew the disciples would not get anything of lasting value accomplished without their being filled with the Spirit who inspires the true and effective proclamation of God’s Word. The Spirit is like that American Express Card commercial a while back— ‘don’t leave home without it’. It’s time for us to realize again, that we are not in control of mission, evangelism, ministry. This requires the falling of the Spirit, the leading of the Spirit, the empowerment of the Spirit, the fruit and gifts of the Spirit, for it is the Spirit who convicts, convinces, and converts a skeptical and fallen world… and indeed only the Spirit can bring about real transformation.

The question is— Are we waiting on the Lord with expectation? Are we expecting a transformation in our own lives by the power of God’s Spirit? Are we asking for empowerment and enlightenment and guidance and protection from the Spirit? Or are we rather trying to be in control of this whole thing called mission and ministry? Is it all about me? Paul had to learn this lesson the hard way. Notice what he says about himself in Gal. 2— “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” by the work and power of the Spirit. We have to come to the end of ourselves and our attempts to be in control of self and ministry, before we become fully available to be used by God’s Spirit. And this is a supremely difficult lesson to learn in the most narcissistic culture, America, that may have ever existed on earth.

Here’s a part of a poem I once wrote about Pentecost for your reflection—

The filigree flame of fire fell on the fellowship
Pursuant to the prayer and praise and paeans of the plaintiffs
Such that there was no room in the upper room,
And they fled like men fleeing a burning building.
But even the Temple courts could not contain the ebullience and effervescence
And so they were deemed drunk, tipplers before their time.
Yet all that they had imbibed was Spirit,
Which was so like fire in their bones that their wayward words
Leaked out in languages unknown to the speakers,
As if the babble of Babel had been set in reverse,
To unite a divided Empire that pretended Pax Romana.

Who knew the cost of Pentecost then or there,
Or the momentousness of the movement set in motion?
Who could have guessed the Guest who had inhabited them that day?
If possession is nine tenths of the law, then this magnificent possession
Became a magnificent obsession to lay down the Law and take up the Gospel,
And so tip the world upside down such that peace came from grace and truth,
Not law and order,
And testimony was borne not to a crime but to a crisis
Not to progress but to rescue,
Not to an Emperor, but to a Savior,
Not merely to the end of the old age,
But to the dawn of the new one.

Think on these things.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 17, 2016

Gary Hoag's Wealth in Ancient Ephesus and 1 Timothy--- The Issue of Slavery

Next Post

May 18, 2016 Southern Discomfort---- You're Summer Reading is Now Ready!!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz