Acts 1:1-3
"The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."
In the middle of Luke's introductory paragraph in the historical account he gathered for Theophilus, we find this startling truth: The Spirit spoke through Christ when Jesus commanded the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Helper.
In his humanity, even Jesus was touched by the Spirit, giving voice to the will of God as revealed through the Spirit. That pretty much settles it for me. If Jesus needed to be guided by the Spirit as he spoke, so do I. If Jesus needed the words of God as he gave leadership to the fledgling church, I am the same. If Jesus needed the voice of the Spirit to teach new believers, so must I.
As a pastor, I long that every word I say in the name of Christ comes only by the Spirit's command, but sadly, I suspect this is not so. Too often, every believer speaks of his own will and not that of the Spirit. We've got our own ideas, plans, and interpretations and we want others to know.
Think of how different our message might be if we guided, led and preached to the local church in which we a part only at the command of the Spirit. That is when we'd know power in our ministries. That is when God would receive all the glory as we magnify the name of Christ. That is when the church would come to be known as God's people.
Could it be that we see so few fruits in our ministries and personal witness because we've moved ahead of the Spirit's command?
LORD JESUS
Lord, I ask you to give command within my life. Command my thoughts, command my words, command my ministry. Amen.
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