“The Basics: Refreshed In the Spirit”

Scripture: Matthew 10:40-42

This is our last week of considering some of the basic issues of Christian faith, but these are, by no means, the only issues that we must live by. Learning to live by the example and teachings of Jesus takes a life time. In the last verse of John’s gospel, we read that if everything that Jesus did and taught were written down, there wouldn’t be enough room in the entire world to hold all the books! (John 21:25) So I don’t want anyone to say that I told you that these few items of faith are all that are necessary for a Christian life!! It takes a lifetime of study and learning.

The truth is that the Great Commission is but an overview of the faith process. (Matthew 28:16-20) Trusting and believing in Jesus, and proclaiming him throughout the world is vitally important, but there is one more important aspect of faith that we must consider – and that is claiming the power of the Holy Spirit for our lives. Our passage for today doesn’t directly mention the Spirit, but the call that these verses place on our lives will fall flat without the Spirit’s involvement. And so we begin.

Read Matthew 10:40

“He who receives you receives me.” Jesus begins this section of his address by placing the commitment squarely on our shoulders! We are the first step in the world’s coming to accept him. So what does that mean for us? It means that we are the first line of witness to the people of earth. It means that, while the Holy Spirit could very well move through the earth changing lives and hearts all on his own, he doesn’t. The first step in evangelizing our world is in our willingness to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others.
Now before you get too nervous over this, I want to reassure you that there is a lot more to it than just going out and telling folks about the hope that Jesus offers. We don’t just start proclaiming Jesus without a lot of preparation. When we are called to serve him, we begin with a lot of prayer, and we DON’T pray “Lord, send someone else!” In John 14:14 Jesus told us that whatever we ask for in his name, he will do, and in Mark 11:24 we read “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” It isn’t just a matter of asking, and not just believing that we will receive it – we must also believe that we have already received it!
And that is where the Holy Spirit comes into play. The Spirit will fill all who surrender their lives to Jesus Christ, and that is the power that every Christian needs if they are to be an effective witness to the Gospel message. On our own, we fail. Period. And without Jesus as our Lord and Savior, there is no Spirit. Period. And without the Spirit, every plan, every desire, every action, every word will be totally devoid of God’s Promise and Presence. Period.
It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that enables us to truly believe that our request has already been granted, and it is the power of the Spirit that will give us the direction, the vision, and the words to proclaim Jesus to the world.

And that is what Jesus is telling us when he says when they receive us, they receive him. It’s not that we are that believable – trust me, we’re not! It’s that when we are refreshed and renewed by the Spirit of God, we become believable. But even then, there will be those who will refuse to hear and receive the word, but that is their choice, and not our fault. But even then, we may have planted a seed that will, one day, begin to sprout and grow and flower and give fruit. Once the Spirit begins, he never gives up.

Read Matthew 10:41

And now we begin to get down to the power. When we speak through the authority of the Holy Spirit, whether as a prophet or a righteous person, and if that word is received – that is, when it is believed – the one who hears and believes receives the heavenly reward. But, you may ask, can’t they believe without our proclaiming Jesus?
Romans 10:13-17 reminds us that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him if they haven’t believed? And how can they believe if they haven’t heard his good news? And how can they hear if no one has told them? And how can we tell if we haven’t been sent?
I guess the answer is that if no one – and that means us! - shares the gospel with a person, they will never call on the name of Jesus. And that means that our reluctance to witness – yours and mine – will be responsible for the failure of that person to receive the Lord’s salvation! I don’t know about you, but that isn’t a very pleasant thought! And how, when we are standing before the Throne of Judgment, can we tell the Lord “Well, I had a lot on my plate that day and I didn’t have time.” “I had to go shopping.” “I had to mow my lawn.” “I was really tired.” “I was on vacation.”
Is there any good excuse for not sharing Jesus with someone? For allowing them to miss out on their righteous reward? I can’t think of any!

And do we really think that God doesn’t know that we have many responsibilities in this life? Of course he does! And do we think that the Spirit won’t help us to care for them? Of course he will. It’s just that we can’t start using our everyday activities as excuses for not following the Holy Spirit! Others will receive the Holy Spirit whenever we are faithful in sharing that same Spirit with them.

Read Matthew 10:42

And simply speaking the Good News of Jesus Christ, in and of itself, is not enough! Matthew 25:34-36 tells us that whenever we act on behalf of Christ – when we meet the needs of another – that we are meeting the Lord’s needs, too. A cool drink of water for a parched throat, a bit of food for an empty stomach, a warm and welcoming embrace for a stranger, a visit to shut-in – each and every one of these is a service to Jesus himself.
And when we reach out to those “little ones” in the Church - to those who can never repay us, who can never return the favor - we have brought great joy to the Lord.

And it isn’t us who can actually do these things fully – it is only by following the lead and blessing of the Holy Spirit that they will be accomplished in God’s way. Jesus didn’t just send the “Counselor”, the “Advocate”, the Spirit of truth into our lives to spy on us, as some may think – the Spirit has been given to us to enable us to witness and serve, to advise us and challenge us in the faith, to lead us and empower us to do God’s will, to renew us when we stumble, to refresh us when we tire, to become the means so that others will come to know the glory of Jesus Christ.

Go and make disciples of Jesus Christ in every corner of the world.
Help them to become connected to the Body of Christ, his Church.
Teach them to trust the words of Jesus - that they were given for their life.
Be an example of what a witness for Jesus is all about.
And trust the leading of the Holy Spirit, and don’t strike out on your own – EVER!

How will they ever know the truth of Jesus if we decide to take a back seat, to live a life of fear and reluctance to ever step out, to claim an attitude of “wait and see” or worse yet, if I “wait long enough, someone else will surely do it”?

Romans 1:16 – “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” At one time, Paul was not only ashamed of the Gospel, he persecuted the Gospel as heresy! And then one day, he met the Living God, the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus, and shame and disbelief dropped from his heart, never to return again. He discovered the power of the Holy Spirit, he discovered the grace that is inherent in Jesus Christ, and he never looked back.

And as much as we may marvel at all that Paul did in the name of Jesus, the power that sustained him is within and available to each of us, too. The only difference that may exist is that Paul let that Power flow through him. There was no more shame, no more fear, no more hesitation in his life, simply because he believed and he trusted.
We all need to take a lesson from Paul – we need to let the Spirit loose within us, and then we can enjoy the trip with him all the way to glory.