I was recently in Orlando for the annual Foursquare Convention. It’s through the Foursquare denomination that I am a licensed pastor. I’ve always enjoyed these gatherings because they allow me to connect with others in the Foursquare family. In particular, I was able to have lunch with Pastor Jon Spellman and his wife, Tina, from Georgia. Jon and I were in a few online classes at The King’s University and we took two intensive classes together in 2009. I have a love-hate relationship with this man. I love this man like a brother. But I hate him because while we were in our hermeneutics and exegetical classes, and I was taking furious notes, Jon was playing a computer game. It wasn’t that he was slacking, he’s a bit ADD and not a note-taker. So the game helps him to concentrate better. Or maybe he really is a slacker.
So during a break at the convention, the Spellman’s and I grab a bite to eat. In the midst of the meal, Jon (@jspellman123) shared with me something that made me think and ponder for the rest of the trip. What he said still rocks my world because I think he’s on to something. He said for decades the evangelical church has primarily focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Altar calls are based on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Good Friday and Easter programs feature songs or skits that portray the death and resurrection of Christ. Christmas messages emphasizes how Christ was born to die. Jon said it’s not that this event wasn’t important; it has been very important since it happened 2000 years ago. But (and this was what rocked my world) what if the death and resurrection was a prelude to something else? The Christian church has been so focused on the death and resurrection of Christ, we’ve missed what happened 50 days after. He calls this the 50-Day Shift, inspired by the teachings of Jerry Cook.
After the resurrection, Christ was on earth for forty days. Then He ascended. The believers gathered in one place for ten more days. Then it happened. The Holy Spirit came and filled the believers. This is known as Pentecost. But I believe the theological and applicable significances has been lost in today’s church.
Think about it. In the Old Testament, God the Father was somewhere “out there.” He spoke through a burning bush, a donkey, prophets, and so on. For the most part, He was there but distant. Then in the Gospels, God the Son comes to earth in the flesh; this is known as the incarnation. God is no longer “out there,” He is walking side by side WITH people. He then dies, resurrects, and ascends. Then Pentecost comes. God is no longer “out there,” He is no longer walking WITH humanity side-by-side, He is now IN believers. What if one of Jesus’ main goal was for God to be IN us? Wow! That blows my mind! I’ve always known God is in me, but when put in historical perspective you can see how this may have been one of Jesus’ goals that the church has missed and never emphasizes.
Now when I read John 14, it becomes clearer. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be IN you” (14:16-17, emphasis mine). “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I IN you (14:20, emphasis mine).
John 16:7 says, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” This was a goal of Jesus’…to have the Holy Spirit come! Why? So He could be IN us! As Pastor Jon puts it, “The end game wasn’t to avoid hell; the end game was for God to be in us!”
This theological truth has many ramifications in our lives. If God is now in us, how do we live differently? I believe one reason we don’t have good leaders who last is because they don’t know how to engage with the Holy Spirit who is now IN believers.
Questions to Think About:
Do you think the church has underemphasized the significance of Pentecost?
If one of Christ’s goals was to have God IN us, then how does that impact your daily life?
© Gary Lau 2013
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