With A Demonstration Of The Spirit

We are making Yahweh boring. He wants to show his glory to the world, so people can know him and his love for them. He does that through us but when we limit him to our limitations and say that is all there is to Yahweh then the world yawns and turns the page. Somewhere along the way we decided to chase after respectability in the world and told people that they could not preach, teach or serve Jesus in any public ministry without letters behind their names. As we did this we seemed to have lost the ability to let God be God in us.

There is a reason Jesus called his disciples from common working people such as the fishermen. There wasn't a scholar among them because he needed people who were willing to allow the possibilities to become realities in their lives so the world could look in and be amazed. As much as the sermons have been great throughout the ages, it has been with a demonstration of Yahweh's power that much of the Kingdom has advanced.

Did you notice that when Paul was in Athens, the place of great intellectual pursuit, that he was limited to public debate. No miracles, no signs and wonders, simply an intellectual discussion, as Jesus was limited in some regions due to the unwillingness to believe beyond the flesh. And what was the result:

Some people joined him and came to believe, including Dionysius, a member of the council on Mars Hill, a woman named Damaris, and several others. (Acts 17:34)

Some. Few enough to name. At least a small harvest because Yahweh's word never returns empty, it always produces something, but very little compared to what was produced when Paul was free to demonstrate the gospel with power. Paul remarked that these people were very religious but it never went beyond an intellectual pursuit. Compare this to what happened in Corinth where Paul was able to establish the Church. The difference?

My message and my preaching weren’t presented with convincing wise words but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. (1 Corinthians 2:4)

The Spirit is never going to take us outside of the Word of God and the Word is incredible but the Lord gave us the Spirit for a reason. Our relationship with Jesus is not an intellectual pursuit any more than is my relationship with my wife. We need to let God be God through us, revealing who he is to a bored world. Will we allow the Miracle Worker work through us for the benefit of the lost?