The date was May 24, 1738. If you are from the Wesleyan tradition, then you may know the story. John Wesley (1703-1791) was born in Epworth, England. His father, Samuel (1766-1738), was an Anglican priest. His mother, Susannah (1762-1735), was a stay-at-home mother, who homeschooled her children, both boys and girls. She set the standard high for all parents. She taught her children how to survive in this world and be prepared for eternity. John Wesley had everything he needed to be successful, but something was missing until he was thirty-five years old. His time as a pastor was unremarkable, and he failed as a missionary in North America. After a near death experience, he went on a great spiritual quest. That quest ended on May 24, 1738, on Aldersgate Street in London, England. There is no other way to say it, John Wesley was touched by the Holy Spirit. We call it his “Aldersgate Experience,” where he experienced sanctification. In other words, he was touched by God for a divine purpose. The only thing he ever wrote about that day was a simple phrase in his personal journal, I felt my heart strangely warmed. Those words are not impressive, but his life after that experience was. From that point on, he only knew success. He took the whole world on as his parish and changed history. When he died in 1791, he left behind 135,000 followers, plus another 541 itinerant preachers. Today, according to the World Methodist Council, there are 80 million Methodists around the world in various denominations. If we could resurrect John Wesley, then he would tell you that the Holy Spirit changed everything! He would be right. Let me state the obvious.
I was not in the ministry on May 24, 1738. However, I was in the ministry two hundred and fifty years later, on May 24, 1988. I remember that year, because it was the first year I was under a United Methodist appointment. I was serving the Morristown Charge in the former St. Clairsville District in the old East Ohio Annual Conference. As May approached, I looked forward to the 250th anniversary of Wesley’s Aldersgate experience. I thought it was going to be something special, but I was disappointed. Except for a few old men riding on horses, dressed like circuit riders, there was no celebration. That year at Annual Conference, I expressed my disappointment to my District Superintendent. He was a spiritually mature man. He felt as I did. I asked him why the famous date was overlooked. He simply said, “Russ, there was no celebration, because no one in our time understands Wesley’s sanctification, because no one in our time understands the Holy Spirit.” There was no debate, because I knew he was right. Many are ignorant of the work and power of the Holy Spirit. Can I ask you a question?
Do you understand the Holy Spirit? It is a fair question, but it is a hard question to answer. Just think about it for a moment. Our understanding of the Holy Spirit is a little thin. We are much more comfortable with the other members of the trinity. We believe in a triune God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father is the creator. God created the entire world out of nothing. That is impressive. We seem to have a handle on God the Son. Jesus was the redeemer. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. We are saved by grace and by grace alone. The Holy Spirit is different, God the Holy Spirit is much more elusive. It is hard to summarize everything the Holy Spirit is and does with a few words. So, let me ask you the question again: do you understand the Holy Spirit?
I want to help you understand the Holy Spirit. I want to teach you some theology. I guess you could call this blog an academic lecture. It is not an advanced level course; It is an entry level course. I called this blog Holy Spirit 101. I have grouped my thoughts about the Holy Spirit around three questions. They are questions you must be able to answer.
This is question number one: Who is the Holy Spirit? The answer is simple. You can answer it with one word: God. The Holy Spirit is God. To completely understand the answer, consider this divine truth. The Holy Spirit was not created or revealed at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit has been present in the world from the very beginning. Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” The key word in that verse is the word us. The us in that verse is the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That means, the Holy Spirit is timeless because the Holy Spirit is God. Let me go one step farther.
The same great attributes of God the Father can be applied to God the Holy Spirit. That means, God the Holy Spirit is all powerful and all knowing. God the Holy Spirit is ever present and always perfect. God the Holy Spirit is good and loving, unchanging. God the Holy Spirit is pure and eternal.“Who is the Holy Spirit?” This is the answer: The Holy Spirit is God! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”
This is question number two: What does the Holy Spirit do? You can answer that question with one word: change. The Holy Spirit brings godly change. It is as true today as it was on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit historically has made order out of disorder, clarity out of confusion. How many examples do you need?
Just look at the disciples. Prior to Pentecost, the twelve didn’t have a clue. They followed Jesus around for three years, but they were clueless. They were present for every miracle. They were there for every parable. They heard about the Kingdom of God from the Master himself. Peter, Andrew, James and John were even on the mountaintop when Moses and Elijah appeared, the great law giver and the greatest of the prophets. They heard their endorsement of Jesus, but they didn’t have a clue. Then, the Holy Spirit came into their lives and everything changed. The pre-Pentecost Peter, who denied Christ three times, was touched by the Holy Spirit and preached to the crowd. According to the text, 3,000 were saved that day. It isn’t just true of Peter; it is true of all the disciples. Each was changed or transformed by the Holy Spirit and went on to do great things for God. The disciples would tell you, the Holy Spirit changed everything! Historically, the Holy Spirit makes order out of disorder and clarity out of confusion. What does the Holy Spirit do? It changes everything. Answer the question:“What does the Holy Spirit do?” This is the answer: The Holy Spirit brings godly change.
This is question number three: Why is the Holy Spirit important? You can answer that question with one word: revival. Sometime back the Associated Press carried this dispatch: “Glasgow, Ky.– Leslie Puckett, after struggling to start his car, lifted the hood and discovered that someone had stolen the motor.” That is the story of so many churches today! They own everything that is needed to be a church, but they lack one thing, the Holy Spirit. In other words, they don’t have a motor. Every church needs a good dose of the Holy Spirit. Answer this question: why is the Holy Spirit important? This is the answer: The Holy Spirit brings revival.
Let me say this clearly: Pentecost is a big deal. It is one of the major Christian holidays. Through the eyes of God, Pentecost is a big deal. Sadly, through the eyes of mankind, Pentecost is not a big deal. Through the eyes of mankind, Christmas is a big deal. Everybody likes receiving presents, eating cookies and holding candles. Through the eyes of mankind, Easter is a big deal. Everyone likes spring and eating candy. I have never met a person who didn’t like bunnies. Let’s be honest, through the eyes of mankind, Mother’s Day is a bigger deal than Pentecost because everyone has a mother. Through the eyes of mankind, Pentecost is not a big deal. However, through the eyes of God, Pentecost is a big deal. Maybe we don’t embrace Pentecost for the same reason we didn’t celebrate Wesley’s 250 anniversary of his Aldersgate experience, we don’t understand the Holy Spirit.
I am not going to end this blog with a poem, quote or story. I am going to end this message with a challenge. I challenge you to embrace the Holy Spirit. Don’t just pray to have a better understanding of the Holy Spirit with your mind, but pray you experience the Holy Spirit with your heart. For once you do, everything will change. Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) said, “Without Pentecost, the Christ event – the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus – remains imprisoned in history as something to remember, think about and reflect on. The Spirit of Jesus comes to dwell within us, so we are Christs here and now.”
Russ Adams 