The Work of the Spirit

Every message that is preached and taught, every song that is played and sung, every word of counsel or encouragement that is written and spoken at Peine Ridge Church is bathed in prayer.  Our prayer is that God would make us faithful in the giving of His truth and that He would make that truth effective in the hearts and lives of those who hear.  We hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will work through the clear, correct, and uninhibited proclamation of His Word to powerfully change, challenge, comfort, and convict.

So when we received emails, like the two we received last week, we were blessed and thought it best to bless you with them as well.  The two emails that follow are in response to our preaching and teaching about the Christian liberty issue of alcohol.  These emails are two different responses to the same message.
Listen to this excerpt of the message “Handle With Care” given on July 7, 2011 from 1 Timothy 5:22-25:

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But the Holy Spirit, in His perfect wisdom, worked in two different people exactly what they needed.

I wanted to send you all a quick note to say thank you for helping me to understand more about the Christian liberty we have to drink alcohol or not drink alcohol.

I myself have never witnessed adults drinking alcohol responsibly.  (Honestly, I don’t really understand what that “responsibly” term means other than what I have seen in TV ads meaning that you should have a sober driver or take a taxi- so in that reference the people would be drunk which isn’t in accord with Scripture.  So, I am referring to drinking alcohol without getting drunk when I say responsibly).  I have only witnessed and participated in under-age drinking, as well as witnessing my ex-husband’s dealings with drinking -which was not pleasant, and of course what I have seen on television.  Because of my experience with alcohol, I have always thought drinking can only lead to sinful behavior and have therefore abstained since becoming a mother and then Christ-follower.  When I would see other Christians drinking or talking about having a drink I would wonder how people who loved God could participate in such behavior assuming that the end result would be what I have experienced and witnessed.

Over this last year your sermons and messages to the Covenant Members have really caused me to think about my conviction to not drink and how I view others who do…

I recently apologized to one of my family members in response to reading the Covenant Members email about our affiliation with the Missouri Baptist Convention.  That email caused me to realize more concretely that drinking isn’t the issue, and that drinking in and of itself isn’t sinful.  I was making much of something that may not even have led to what I thought it would.

I also have been teaching my son what I am learning regarding this, because before I was very dogmatic that drinking alcohol was never okay.  We were at the store last week and he mentioned something about all the alcohol and how it was so “wrong” that people drank such things.  I stopped him and explained that even Jesus drank wine, and not only that but He turned water into wine for a wedding party-His first miracle, no less.  So we should not be so quick to make judgments of others drinking alcohol.  I did tell him that for now that I will continue to abstain, but for different reasons than I had before.

So, again, thank you for imparting God’s wisdom from the Scriptures to our family and helping me to be less judgmental!

And the other email:

I have been praying for my good friend from college today and reflecting on our lives as we lived together for years in Christian community and ministry. For many years we grew together in our faith with the same convictions and teaching, but there has been an evident change in our convictions and desire to live to glorify God. Over the last few years and especially the last year with PRC I have come to grow greatly in my faith and have my eyes opened to areas of sinfulness in me. As many of my brothers from college are planning a bachelor party I confronted my friend about the possible sinning that will be happening with drunkenness. It breaks my heart and makes me ill knowing that these men who proclaim God as savior and even some desire or have desired to do full-time ministry are not convicted to be above reproach or accountable in their drinking for this celebration.

This experience has given me great thankfulness for the way that you three have encouraged me through words of affirmation and words of loving exhortation and rebuke. Please continue to be faithful in speaking these words of love and truth to our church and know how much it encourages me to live like Christ. No matter how difficult it is to realize my sinfulness, it is truly a blessing to suffer pain from sin being revealed and dealt with in my life instead of allowing it to continue to grow. Be encouraged as you deal with sin, knowing that whether the work God that is doing in and through you seems to be effective… it is.

When we read emails like these, we are reminded again of why we do what we do, namely, that the Spirit of God has promised to work through our prayers and the preaching and teaching of His Word.  But not only do these letters encourage us as pastors, but they should encourage you as well, in seeing the Spirit of God working in the hearts and lives of His people.  The sovereign Holy Spirit of God works in ways we can not always see, but when we do see Him working, we should be thankful, joyful, and full of praise.  Amen?