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May 11, 2008
How to Be Pentecostal without Being Charismatic
a sermon on John 14.15-21
by David C. Mauldin
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Mobile, Alabama
A
good title can make a sermon. I came up with one for today sure to raise
eyebrows: How to Be Pentecostal without Being Charismatic. Some of you may not
be sure you know what those words mean; others may not be sure you’d like to be
either one. So I’d better define my terms. Charismatic, of course, refers to a
particular style of Christian experience. When we hear “charismatic” we think of
speaking in tongues and other very robust manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s
presence. The stereotype is charismatic Christians operate out of the heart
rather than the head because they emphasize experience and allow more freedom
for emotion. I think that stereotype is just prejudice, like calling
Presbyterians “the frozen chosen.” We tend to be comfortable in a rational,
intellectual mode, but that does not mean we do not care about the heart. We do.
All Christians seek to love God with heart, mind, soul, and strength. The
difference is a question of style. Charismatic Christians can be found among
Catholics, Anglicans, even Presbyterians, although they are rare among us. There
was a charismatic movement among Presbyterians in the 1970s here in Mobile, and
I fear it did not turn out well. It is always important that we not pass
judgment on other Christians’ experience of the Holy Spirit; but unfortunately
that tends to happen. I am not a charismatic. I don’t see any need to be. Those
who are might say I don’t know what I’m missing, but I think I might. I don’t
see what speaking in tongues, for example, would add to my love for God. I
suspect God may want some Christians to be charismatic but not all of us. So I
have no desire to be charismatic. But … I do desire a lively, intimate communion
with the Holy Spirit. The point of my title is that you don’t need the
charismatic style to cherish a deep affection for the Spirit or to be open to
the work of God’s Spirit. I use the term Pentecostal not to refer to the
Pentecostal denominations but rather to point back to the day of Pentecost.
Jesus promised his friends he would never abandon them. He would leave them,
yes, to return to the Father. They would not miss him, though, because he would
be present to them in a different way, through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would
be a teacher, a helper, a comforter, an encourager, an advocate, and a
counselor. The Spirit would be everything to them that Jesus had been.
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On the day of Pentecost, ten days after his ascension, Jesus kept his promise.
He poured out the Holy Spirit on his friends. He has promised to live in
everyone who believes in him. And this is how you know whether the Holy Spirit
lives in you: Jesus has promised. If you have faith in him, if you love him, he
lives in you—meaning his Holy Spirit lives in you. This is what it means to be a
Christian—you have Christ in you. You don’t need dramatic signs of the Spirit’s
presence, because you know the promise is good. But, having said that, a
Christian can be more or less open to the Spirit, more or less aware of his
presence. I like that old cliché: The question is not “Do you have the Holy
Spirit?” but rather “Does the Spirit have you?” As we look at our scripture
reading and think about the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives, ask yourself these
important questions: First, do you know Jesus is with you? Do you feel his
presence? Second, are you losing the battle? Are you overwhelmed by stress and
fatigue? Are you getting burned out? Is ministry a chore? Is caring for others a
chore? In other words, do you have his peace? And finally, do you expect God to
do anything? Where is his power? Do you look for God’s action in your life … in
others’ lives … in our church … in our community? These questions are what being
a Spirit-filled Christian is all about: the presence, the peace, and the power
of Jesus Christ in your life. It doesn’t matter what your style is. It doesn’t
matter if you like worship liturgical, traditional, happy-clappy, or rowdy. It
doesn’t matter if you are more a heart person or a head person. What matters is
the presence of our living Savior in your life and … and how fully you give
yourself to him. Let’s look at our scripture reading. This passage is part of
Jesus’ farewell discourse. He says these things at the last supper. He is about
to give himself on the cross. He knows his disciples have not understood his
mission. He knows they are not ready to face the trial ahead, much less carry on
his work. He knows they need him. He does his best to explain, and he offers
them consolation. Above all, he promises not to abandon them. This world can be
a hard place for Jesus’ friends, as they were soon to learn. But we don’t have
to do it on our own. That’s what he is telling them. “I will ask the Father,” he
says, “and he will give you another Counselor.” Some translations have Advocate
or Helper. In the original Greek of the New Testament the word is paraclete. It
has a range of meanings. A paraclete is someone who comes alongside you to help
or encourage you. A paraclete is there with you to comfort you. A paraclete
might also be a advocate for you in court, like an attorney. Which of these
meanings best describes the Holy Spirit? All of them. In the gospel of John,
especially, we find ambiguous words used on purpose because more than one
meaning is intended. A classic example is when Jesus tells Nicodemus, “You must
be born again.” The word he uses, anothen, can mean either “again” or “from
above.” So which is it? Is
How to Be Pentecostal without Being Charismatic 3
the birth Jesus describes a new birth to a new life? Or is it a birth from
above, something God does? Both. If you take away one meaning, you lose
something. The same applies to the word paraclete. It is a great word to
describe the Holy Spirit because everything it suggests, he does. He is present
with us, and he strengthens, encourages, guides, and so much more. Also, don’t
miss the word another. Jesus says he will ask the Father to send “another
paraclete.” Jesus of course is the first one. Paraclete is not a name for the
Holy Spirit. It describes his function in our lives. And his function, it turns
out, is exactly the same as what Jesus was doing for his friends. After
describing how the Holy Spirit will help us, Jesus promises his presence. Don’t
miss the emotion in this passage. Jesus is leaving his disciples. Yes, he will
be with them for a short time after his resurrection; but things are never going
to be again the way they have been throughout his ministry. Jesus loves these
friends. He does not want to leave them. He will not abandon them. The world
does not receive the Spirit because it doesn’t see or know him, but Jesus’
friends do know him. He is the same Spirit who has been in Jesus since they have
known him. This does not mean, by the way, that the Spirit only works in
Christians or in the church. The Spirit created the world. He certainly works
when and where and how he will, regardless of whether people believe or not. It
does mean that he lives in believers in a special way. No human being is outside
God’s knowledge or care. The Spirit dwells in believers, however, and gives us
gifts so that we can continue to do the work that Jesus did. “I will not leave
you orphaned,” Jesus promises with feeling. And we know his promise is good.
Therefore, we can be confident of the Spirit’s presence. But do we pay
attention? Surely we would not take for granted the immediate presence of
Almighty God? Surely we would pay attention? Surely we would listen? Do we? As
individual believers, as a congregation, do we live in the power of the Spirit?
Or do we live as if Pentecost never happened? I want you to think now about the
difference the Holy Spirit makes in your life. Let’s keep the same questions in
mind as we build on what we learned from our scripture reading. I will talk
about the presence, peace, and power of the Spirit. First the presence. Brian
McLaren in his book A Generous Orthodoxy says he has learned a lot about the
Holy Spirit from charismatic Christians, but he has learned even more from
contemplatives. At first glance, a contemplative appears to be the opposite of a
charismatic. A charismatic raises his hands, shouts, and dances in worship. A
contemplative sits quietly or takes a leisurely walk. Although they look
different, and certainly have a different style, they share one important thing
in common: They both believe the risen Jesus is present to us by his Spirit, so
that we can know him. We can experience his presence.
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McLaren suggests the main difference is, a charismatic looks for the Spirit
beyond the normal—in speaking in tongues, miracles, and so on; a contemplative
discerns the presence of the Spirit within the normal. An example he gives is
Igantius of Loyola, who was described this way by his friends: “We often saw how
even the smallest things could make his spirit soar upwards to God who even in
the smallest things is the Greatest. At the sight of a little plant, a leaf, a
flower or a fruit, an insignificant worm or a tiny animal, Ignatius could soar
free above the heaven and reach through into things which lie beyond our senses”
[McLaren, p. 197]. I believe God works miracles today, although today as in the
days of Jesus’ ministry, he does not call particular attention to them. Yet I
think the contemplatives have much to teach us. We ought not look for God’s
presence and hand only in the dramatic, only in the unusual. God would not be
God if he were not present in our worship, for example, sedate though it tends
to be. He is present in the sacraments, when we gather around tables to eat, in
our children, in our singing. Stop once in a while. Quit being so busy. Take a
deep breath. Look around. Realize that God is active all around you. McLaren
goes on to point out another thing charismatics and contemplatives, at their
best, share: joy. Joy and serenity are the best evidence for the Spirit’s work
in a person’s life. This is so important. We live in a materialistic society, a
busy society. I love that song, “I’m in a hurry to get things done. I rush and
rush until life’s no fun.” That’s us. What gets squeezed out? Paying attention
to the Spirit. Noticing Jesus. He is there. He lives in you. He has promised.
You don’t have to jump around or shout. All you really need is to pay attention.
Open yourself to him in prayer. Realize that he is there. Maybe prayer and
paying attention to God is more important than a lot of the other things we are
doing. Maybe we will never know the kind of peace and joy God wants for us if
all our praying is done on the fly and we never stop to ponder how God is
present or what God might be doing. That’s presence. Second is peace. McLaren
writes in that same chapter how in his travels he has met a lot of people who
love God and really pour themselves out in ministry. They tend to fall into two
categories. Those who are burned out or on the road to burnout and those who
have learned the art of contemplation, finding God in the little things and in
quiet rest. Jesus promised us peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give
you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid.” That’s also in the farewell discourse, just a few verses
beyond our reading. Paul wrote about the “peace of God that surpasses all
understanding” [Phil 4.7]. Notice, by the way, how both those passages hint that
the peace Christ gives us is different from what can be found anywhere else.
What is this peace? How do we get it? The peace of Christ does not mean trouble
will be absent from your life. How could he promise that? He’s already promised
being his
How to Be Pentecostal without Being Charismatic 5
friend will get you into trouble. God never exempts his people from suffering.
Instead he sends us right to the places the world is hurting the most, because
he loves the world. So this peace does not mean you get an easy ride. Financial
trouble, difficult people, stress at work, health problems, late night trips to
the hospital, you name it—it’s all part of life. You don’t get a free pass. You
can, however, find peace within the storm. The world may be falling apart around
you, but you remain calm and poised. That’s the peace of Christ. Often we only
make things worse. We pile up activities until every moment is filled. That’s a
recipe for frustration. Even the church is guilty. We let a dedicated few take
on too much. In order to maintain our sanity long-term, we have to prayerfully
and biblically discern our priorities. Even when we strive for a healthy
balance, however, life has a way of blowing us over. But this business about
peace goes way beyond busy-ness. It is about knowing you are in God’s hands when
the diagnosis is bad, when you lose someone precious, or when you go out into
the world to find a job. Knowing God is present and in control gives us a
measure of peace, but there is a peace beyond even this. The Holy Spirit can
give a supernatural peace that defies understanding. You have it just because he
is there and he is a calming presence. If you have ever been through a
catastrophe and a friend stayed beside you, you know how comforting the presence
of another person can be. It helps to have someone there. The promise of
Pentecost is: Jesus is there. He is with you. Have you ever felt jealous of the
men and women in the gospels? They got to see Jesus and spend time in his
physical presence. They got to know him and be close to him. You think, “Wow,
wouldn’t that be great. I know I’d have more faith, be a better Christian, feel
closer to God—or whatever—if I had the experience they had.” “Nonsense,” says
Jesus. According to him, if we take seriously his words in the farewell
discourse, we are better off than they were. I know that’s hard to believe. It
would not occur naturally to me to think that. But there it is. According to
Jesus, he is present with us, just in a different way; and he thinks this new
way is better. Finally, the power. This is the big one. This is the one I want
you to really consider, because I think we Presbyterians tend to believe in the
presence of the Holy Spirit, and we look for his comfort and the peace. But do
we expect his power? Do we factor God into our thinking? Do we look for his
power? One reason Jesus gave us his Spirit is that he has given us a job to do.
He asked us to carry on his work. He told us to share the Good News and make
disciples. He knew that job was too big for us. We can’t do it … without the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the presence of Almighty God in our lives, in
our church, in our world. God, who created the entire universe from nothing,
just by saying the word.
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God, who called a people for himself and rescued them from slavery in Egypt.
God, who raised Jesus from the dead. With God all things are possible. So why do
we look around and see nothing but dead ends? The Holy Spirit is power. He
brings the power of God to bear on human lives and situations. Granted this is
not a power we can control. We do not have the Spirit, so that we can apply his
power in whatever way we want. Instead, the Spirit has us, and works with power
when and how he will. Granted also, we do not always know what the Spirit is
doing. In my work as a pastor, I sometimes think I can perceive the hand of God,
but not often. Most of the time I think of myself as a solider who has been
given orders. I do not know the master plan. I do not know how my orders fit
into the grand scheme. I know only that I am to do this and this to the best of
my ability, trusting God to make a way. That’s enough. God knows what he is
doing. I know I can’t do it on my own. He has to do it. I have learned to look
to him with expectation. You have no idea what God is capable of … or the
amazing things he can do with just one person who resolves to be faithful. God
doesn’t need us, but he can sure use us if we will just heed the Spirit’s call.
I realize this is supposed to be a “how to” sermon, but I do not have a list of
things to do to make the Spirit’s presence, peace, and power real to you,
especially the power. If you are a Christian, you can be confident of the
Spirit’s presence because Jesus promised. Beyond that, most of it is up to him.
You can cultivate awareness of the Spirit and openness to his work. You can
pray. Ask him for the peace and joy he desires to give you. Ask him to do
whatever he wants in your life and in our church. Expect him to do great things.
Be diligent in prayer. Humble yourself. Lift your heart to God in praise. Beyond
these simple things, however, it is up to God. I am not a charismatic and have
no desire to be—nothing against charismatics; that’s just not who I am. But I
want to live for God as if Pentecost makes a difference, because it does. I want
to experience the presence of our risen Lord. I want to know his peace. I want
to see his power. I desire the kind of deep, intimate communion with God that is
only possible when the Holy Spirit lives in me. I hope you do too. If you do,
pray with me in your hearts: Lord Jesus, pour out your Spirit afresh on us, as
on the day of Pentecost. You have given your promise, and that is enough for us.
We know you live in us. Help us to discern your presence. Give us your peace.
Use us with your power. We give ourselves to you. Make your glory known among
us. Amen. rev_mauldin@yahoo.com