Sunday, October 11, 2009
Acts Community Bible Study: "The Holy Spirit"
well, last couple Community Bible studies have been regarding how Christians/persons of faith deal with that neat "third" option called "The Holy Spirit." You know...the thing besides God and Jesus that fulfills our souls in our quest to understand and rest for the day we will be in heaven? In looking at our "fullness"-involvement in God...as Romans Chapter 8:5 says..."Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the spirit."...It appears our needing for the holy spirit to be in us will provide that very fullness. But how do we go about it? A great illustration in our lecture was an excerpt from Max Lucado...who explained it this way. Max compares the role of the Spirit in our lives to a guy who wants to learn to dance. He's a rational, intelligent sort of guy, so he goes to the bookstore and buys a how-to book. He takes it home and begins studying. He does everything it says with meticulous care. When the instructions say sway, he sways. When the instructions say lean, he leans. When the instructions say spin, he spins. He even cuts out paper footprints and arranges them on the family room floor so he will know exactly where to step.
Finally, he thinks he's got it down pat. He calls his wife in and says, "Honey, watch!" With book in hand and reading aloud so she'll know he's done his homework, he follows the instructions step by step. It says, "Take one step with your right foot." So he takes one step with his right foot. Then it says, "Turn slowly to the left." He turns slowly to the left. He keeps it up, reading and then moving, reading and dancing, through the whole thing.
Then he collapses exhausted on the sofa and says to his wife, "What do you think? I executed it perfectly!" To which she replies, "You executed it all right. You killed it!"
The bumfuzzled husband says, "But I followed the rules, I laid out the pattern, I did everything the book said . . ."
"But," she sighs, "you forgot the most important part. WHERE WAS THE MUSIC?!!
With that, she puts on a CD. "Try it again. Quit worrying about the steps and just follow the music." She holds out her hand, and he gets up and takes it.
The music starts, and the next thing the guy knows
he's dancing without the book! :)
We Christians are prone to follow the book while ignoring the music. We master the doctrine, outline the chapters, memorize verse, debate the rules, and stiffly step down the dance floor of life with no music in our hearts.
Dancing with no music is tough stuff.
Jesus knew that.
For that reason, on the night before His death He introduced the disciples to the song maker of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
I hope you have already decided to find this music for yourself! Ask God to help you make the leap from stepping to the heart of it all...the music of the holy spirit! :)
Finally, he thinks he's got it down pat. He calls his wife in and says, "Honey, watch!" With book in hand and reading aloud so she'll know he's done his homework, he follows the instructions step by step. It says, "Take one step with your right foot." So he takes one step with his right foot. Then it says, "Turn slowly to the left." He turns slowly to the left. He keeps it up, reading and then moving, reading and dancing, through the whole thing.
Then he collapses exhausted on the sofa and says to his wife, "What do you think? I executed it perfectly!" To which she replies, "You executed it all right. You killed it!"
The bumfuzzled husband says, "But I followed the rules, I laid out the pattern, I did everything the book said . . ."
"But," she sighs, "you forgot the most important part. WHERE WAS THE MUSIC?!!
With that, she puts on a CD. "Try it again. Quit worrying about the steps and just follow the music." She holds out her hand, and he gets up and takes it.
The music starts, and the next thing the guy knows
he's dancing without the book! :)
We Christians are prone to follow the book while ignoring the music. We master the doctrine, outline the chapters, memorize verse, debate the rules, and stiffly step down the dance floor of life with no music in our hearts.
Dancing with no music is tough stuff.
Jesus knew that.
For that reason, on the night before His death He introduced the disciples to the song maker of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
I hope you have already decided to find this music for yourself! Ask God to help you make the leap from stepping to the heart of it all...the music of the holy spirit! :)
