Sep 19 2008
Stepping Back Into the Spirit
This teaching is an excerpt from our Radio Antioch Podcast, Episode 3.
Have any of you ever found yourself in a situation where the things seem so tough, and your faith just seems to be not quite up to the task of facing it? Or been in a place where you know in your heart that the Lord will take you through, and yet in your mind you feel overwhelmed?
I can share from personal experience some of the things I do when things seem overwhelming. I have been growing into a teaching and preaching ministry for a little over ten years. Sometimes we minister in the United States, speaking in churches. Other times we are doing church planting and mission work in Africa. It was in Tanzania where I had one of these moments.
A Photo from the Pastor’s Conference in Arusha, Tanzania
I had gone to Arusha, Tanzania with my friend Dr. Cliff Pash of Advancing the Kingdom ministries. In the mornings we were holding a Pastor’s conference encouraging and teaching a number of the local ministers. I had preached my heart out that morning, and we had ministered to a large number of people. I had poured out everything that I had to give and was empty. Afterward we had lunch and the team members were praying and sharing what they felt the Lord wanted us to do at the evening meetings. In the evenings we had been doing an outdoor crusade with evangelism and prayer for healing and deliverance in a local village, with crowds of over 500 people. At lunch, the team decides that I have the word of the Lord for this evening, and I have to preach the evening meeting. Those who know me well know that I am more of a teacher than an evangelist. But this was a crisis. I had no sermon written, and felt totally worn out and empty.
But I knew what to do. Each day between the meetings, we went back to the Youth with a Mission base where we were staying, and spent some time alone, maybe taking a nap, or getting alone with God so as to be refreshed for the evening service. As soon as I got there, I put on my headphones and begin to listen to worship music. I was praying “Lord, you know that there is maybe a half an hour before the driver comes and beeps his horn and we have to leave, but YOU are able to restore me, give me a sermon, fill me with your peace and make the ministry tonight effective and powerful” I laid on the bed and worshiped through about 5 songs. I began to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, and it was like the Lord was telling me, “it’s alright son, they aren’t there to listen to you, they are there to meet me. It doesn’t matter if you make a fool of yourself, it wouldn’t be the first time and it really would not matter anyway. It will be alright” I felt at peace, and recharged.
Preparing for the Evening Crusade in Ngaramtoni village
Soon the driver drove up in the old Toyota diesel van (Many Americans would be afraid to ride in these things, but they stuff 15 Africans in them and away they go!) I was in tears as I went out to join them. So we went to the crusade, and the ministry went more than “alright”, with many saved, healed and touched. I just had to pull back and step “out of the situation” and “into the Spirit” just long enough to transform my thinking, and to become full of life. And the next time I was in a situation like that, it was easier to do.
How many of you know that if you will learn to “Step back into the Spirit”, to practice being “In Christ” instead of merely being “In Church” this will become easier each time. Practice “Standing” on the scripture, refreshing your mind for a few moments in the promises of the scripture, so that you can be more than an over-comer in Christ. The secret is to take those moments in the secret place of prayer and worship to focus on being in Christ. The next time you feel a little stretched in your situation, practice “stepping back into the Spirit” to recharge. It will give you a new view of the situation and give you the over-coming life of Christ to share with those around you.
I find the phrase “stepping back into the Spirit” interesting given that we are told to “walk in the Spirit.” Step, walk, get it?
I’ve had occasions, on long drives, to doze off. What wakes me is the fact that the road is no longer a smooth surface but bumpy. It seems that we have a tendency to accept “bumpy” until it gets extreme and only then do we decide to wake up and get back on the road. Why do we travel most life’s highway running along side of it instead of on it.
“Walking in the Spirit” implies to me a continuous process. As does another phrase I like, “practicing His presence.” It seems strange and yet we seem to forget that He is always with us, not just when we call Him.
Being in the Spirit does not dictate that our environment will always be agreeable. Look at Jesus in the boat. The same storm threatened Him as did the disciples but He had peace in the midst of the storm. Peace as I recall is one of the results of the Spirit with in us.
I know that we are in a learning process. I remember when I first started learning to drive. It was so difficult to keep that car going the way I wanted, but accepting the ditches (and I hit a few) was not an option.
And so I would tweak your advice a little. Practice walking in the Spirit, wake up when things (within us) get bumpy and then “step back into the Spirit.”
Yes, that is exactly what I was saying in the first paragraph. We may “walk” in the Spirit much of the time, but a situation comes up where we find ourselves “out on a limb” faith-wise, and have to go “back” to the Spirit first before we can overcome. I like the driving analogy. The “bump strips” on the road are designed to wake us up. I think sometimes God allows us to go through a few bumps so that we will wake up and see that we are getting off the narrow road. Well Said!
What is a frozen chosen preacher?
Hi Martin.
The “Frozen Chosen” is my attempt at humor, gently poking fun at some churches that seem so gloomy, “just holding on till Jesus comes back” and also for those who are so hung up in rules and traditions of men that there is no freedom in their worship or their Christian life…Instead of being full of new life in Christ they almost seem frozen.
Blessings,
Dave