The Goal is Whole: One Together, Part 1 Community Witness, O1.1: Immersion in the Holy Spirit

FULL STUDY:

In units 1 and 2 we have discovered who we have become in the new creation. We have a new identity, an eternal destiny, and a brand new, holy nature. The emphasis in these themes has been mostly on the incredible transformation we have as individuals. This is an essential foundation, but now we need to turn to some of the higher purposes of God, which mostly focus on who we are as a people. The new creation only comes into fullness in a corporate (body) context. It is more about “we” than it is about “me”. Further, built within the very new creation nature is the call into union with Christ, where we begin to share His burden for the fallen world around us. Called to be His, we are also called to co-work with Him in impacting others. This is the focus of this series – Community Witness.

There is a big, wide world full of lost people, held captive in a fallen race, while Jesus has opened the way into a new creation. The Scripture is clear on God’s position on this:

35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38)

Later, the Apostle Peter clarified the reach in this harvest-commission:

9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

The will of God is that none perish, but all come to repentance (the new creation). Clearly, from the Matthew 9 passage, Jesus expected this to happen as His workers are sent out into His harvest. We are to be those workers!

Just like we have discovered that our new creation life is manifested as we align with Jesus, and learn to tap the power of His life and presence within, so we will now discover that the task of being witnesses of Jesus to the world also requires union with Him. Further, we discover that Jesus has sent THE co-worker and Helper to lead the way in witnessing. The Holy Spirit is the One who truly testifies of Jesus. As we learn to flow with the Holy Spirit together, so we become empowered together as witnesses.

“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.” (John 15:26-27).

The apostles’ testimony was earthly only. They could testify of Jesus’ life, and the death he was about to die. They could testify of Him rising from the dead, and returning to heaven. That’s a big deal! We need that history, to inspire confidence in the message, and we are reliant on the Scripture to provide that today. None of us were there! But real testimony goes further than that, to include who Jesus then became, what He went on to win, and the resulting glory He dwells in now. It’s heavenly! If we are to be witnesses of Jesus, we need to be witnesses on that level. That’s why they needed the Holy Spirit, and why we need Him too. Jesus told His apostles to wait until they had received the Holy Spirit before they launched out as His witnesses, because they could not do it without Him. If they had the earthly eye-witness testimony and yet He still told them they needed the Holy Spirit, how much more us!

“He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:46-49)

“Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…. 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:4-5 and 8.)

The Holy Spirit also comes to us today to immerse us in the new creation life. He is the true witness within us.

In those passages, notice that Jesus did not speak about witnessing as an individual. We can all play a part as individuals for sure, but there is a much bigger and more glorious way – witnessing as a community. The new creation community breaks the limitations of selfless living and opens up powerful witness.

Jesus told them that receiving the Holy Spirit was essential for them to be witnesses. Prior to the new creation coming, the disciples were a team, but a team of individuals. What Jesus was about to release was something brand new and unique. He was going to release His Spirit into each of them, so that they would be joined in the Spirit as ONE BODY.

When the Holy Spirit was poured out just a few days later, He filled them with power and they became bold witnesses of His. But something else happened too. It was fledgling and not well understood straight away, but Paul later spoke about this. It is a high purpose and part of the Holy Spirit’s new creation witness:

“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13).

It is not a mistake that Jesus told those first disciples to wait together in one place. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is meant for a community, not just an individual. They were ALL baptized together, and by the miracle of the new creation, they were baptized together into one body – the body of Christ. As His body, we are His witnesses together! As His body we together live under His headship. Paul explained this more to the Ephesians:

“but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16).

Witnessing is a body calling. In the vision we champion this strongly. We champion the body identity, the many-membered approach, and we champion the headship of Jesus. Witnessing is about Him, and as His body we embrace His headship.

This is an identity issue, but also an authority issue. We are all called to yield to Him as head, and yield to each other as valued members of one body. This has a huge impact on community life, but also is the essential arena for Spirit-filled witnessing.

Together we come, yield our own agendas, submit our talents and gifts, celebrate the victory of unity, and welcome Him to take His place as head of us all, together. We turn from doing this for Him. Instead, we champion doing things with Him. He is our focus, purpose, head, leader, and guide. Community witness happens when a new creation community together manifests Jesus to the world.

In the INN vision, our goal is to create environments where Jesus’ headship and creativity can emerge. We expect Him to keep surprising us, keep astounding us, and keep thrilling us! Together we must learn how to host Jesus together, discern His will, and let Him have His way. After all, He said at the beginning, “I will build My church.” (Matthew 16:18).

We have a mission and a calling to co-work with Him as He continues to impact a fallen world:

“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38).

Because Jesus has not changed, we know He still wants to spread His love, heal sicknesses, and deliver people from oppression. We know He wants to welcome multitudes into His glorious new creation, into eternal destiny, to be part of His purpose and His glory. It is a mandate of love. That is the fullness, and we are called as His ambassadors to co-work with Him in this.

We are all called to be part of the answer for a fallen humanity, but we will need to do this together. Together, filled with the Holy Spirit, we can potentially impact the masses, one step and one life at a time. Let us join Him in the harvest, as His witnesses!