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July 2001, Page 6.
Index of articles.
Bible & Sermons:
index,
Antioch,
David,
Ephesians,
Bible reading,
Pentecost,
Bible versions.
The song
that goes with
this sermon.
In this issue:
(July 2001)
Vicar's Letter,
Money,
Teapot,
Question.
The Holy Spirit's Teapot
"In the last days," says the Lord God through the prophet Joel, "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Whatever did he mean?
"This is it," said the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost. This coming of the Holy Spirit on Jesus' followers is what it means. The churchwill not be dependent on just one or two leaders who have the Spirit. Instead, all God's people will have their ministries - their particular way that God's Spirit will use them to bless others.
How will it happen? First, many of God's people hear God speaking to them and will pass on what he says to others: they will prophesy. The church will listen to their message and weigh up what God says. As a result, God's Spirit will flow into the whole church.
The church will receive vision. Vision focusses what we do: there are many good things we could do, but vision picks the few particular things which God wants us to put our energy into. As a result we work together instead of all hiving off into our separate good works.
And we will receive a picture of the future - dreams of what it could be like, which will steer us so that our focus can catch up with where the needy poits of the world really are. "Why does the church have to change?" asked a member. "Because somebody keeps moving the world," is the answer.
So, as a result of us receiving the Spirit, focussing on where we put our effort, hearing God's voice to steer us, we can pass God's love on to others. Like ... a teapot!
I'm a little teapot - we receive God's Spirit and we can pass him on to others. Short and stout - we're not specially good, but that doesn't matter because God can use us anyway. Here's my handle - God can guide us, here's my spout - God can focus our effort. When I get the steam up, hear me shout - when God fills his people with his Spirit we get excited and motivated for his work, and full of enthusiasm. Lift me up and pour me out! Wouldn't it be worth it to spend our life in bringing God's blessings into other people's lives? We can be his teapot for filling others.
John Hartley