Living and Building by God's Spirit

Zechariah 4:6

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Wow, it's been a long time since I have stood before you to share with you God's word. I have many things to share with you; about my recent illness, about your calling in life, and about how all this relates to God's word.

Many of you have heard that I was diagnosed with a couple of terminal diseases, and you actively asked God to heal me. I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. I am convinced that the only reason I am not dead today is because the prayers of many Christians, like you, were answered. So, I am exceedingly grateful for your love and your prayers! Thanks a million. The truth is, I believe I owe you my life.

You may or may not know that from December to March I had been undergoing tests for a kidney transplant as mine were failing because of an inherited ailment called Polycystic Kidney Disease. In the process, the doctors discovered I had a fast growing cancer in my lungs and liver. With both of these things working against me the medical experts threw up their hands and said, "Go home and set your house in order. You will die within a few weeks. There is nothing we can do for you."

Well, the doctors were right, I was dying of kidney failure and lung cancer. And their prediction of my death very nearly came true. I was very close to death before God miraculously answered your prayers in a way that confounded the doctors' diagnosis.

The experience of nearly dying and then coming back to life lead me to do some serious thinking about my life and its purpose. This morning I'd like to share a few of these thoughts with you as I believe they also relate to your life.

First, I'd like to talk about prayer. Dear friends, we don't do enough of it! Prayer saved my life! I believe God changed his mind about my life and death because of the prayers of Christians around the world. God does answer prayer! God does work miracles today just as He did in Bible times! I believe we miss out on so much of the power God wants to place into our lives because we pray so little. I am also convinced that blessing and power come to the church whose people do a lot a praying for the congregation and it's ministry. Jesus tells us, "You have not because you ask not." Let us pray more!

Next, I like to talk to you a little about death. That's not a popular subject, but we will all face it. We may not all become rich, or famous, or make some great discovery--but we will all face death. So we'd better do some thinking about it.

As I lay on my deathbed my daughter asked me one day, "Dad, are you afraid of dying?" I was startled by the question because the fear of death was something I had just not thought about--even as I lay dying. For me, there was no fear of death. I was confident that my sins were forgiven and an eternal home in heaven was waiting for me because Jesus has paid for sins. With this in mind how can there be any fear of death? It is like the Apostle Paul said in first Corinthians, "Where, O Death is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?" In Jesus Christ death has lost its victory over us and its painful sting. What is there to fear about death for any Christian?

I would also like to share with you some thoughts about life. When it became apparent that your prayers for my healing were being answered and I was getting well, it was then I became sacred--of living! When you know you should be dead, but that God in answer to Christian prayer has reversed the natural course of a disease and given you a second life to live--that's scary! Serious questions came into my mind and plagued my thinking day and night: What is the purpose for which I have been given this "second life?" And, how should I now live this second life?

Actually, these questions should be ones we all think about as everyone's life is totally in God's hands every minute of every day. It's not just when God rescues us from a deadly cancer and a fatal kidney disease that we should think about this. As my life hung by a thread when I was sick unto death, I realized that everyone's life hangs by a thread at all times. Our hearts don't continue to beat because we will it, but because God ordains it. Food nourishes our bodies and gives us strength only because God blesses it. Our bodies fight disease because God gives it power. Without God supplying air for us to breath we would die in minutes. Each day your life is as much in God's hands as mine was at those critical moments when I faced death. Thus, you need to understand clearly that God has given you a second life each and every day. And He gives us this "second life" to serve him and build his Kingdom. That is why we are left here on earth and not taken to heaven. We have work to do! The two questions, What is the purpose of my life? and How should I now live my life? are as critical for you to consider as for me. Everyone of us needs to think seriously about these two questions because each day we have been given a "second life" to live for Jesus.

These two questions need to be applied first to each of us personally. Then they need to be applied congregationally, as God has united us individual Christians into being his united Holy Christian Church. It is through the church God does his big work.

As I began to come back to life again, I knew that the purpose for which God was giving me a second life was to equip Chinese leaders to share the Gospel with Chinese people. That was the specific way I was being called to build God's Kingdom. It was the answer to why I had been granted more time on earth. But how was I now to live this second life as I carried out my calling? I really wrestled with this second question for some time. And as usual, God had given the answer clearly in the Bible.

Now as one begins to recover from a deadly illness he has time to pray and think and read many chapters of the Bible. During my recovery period I began reading 30, 40, and even 50 chapters a day. I read through the New Testament, then all the popular books of the Old Testament. Finally, all I had left were a few of the minor prophets which most people don't read. You know, guys like Malachi, Zechariah, Haggai, Zephaniah, Micah, Amos, etc. It was in Zechariah that I heard God speak clearly to me on the matter of my question. I was reading along when all of a sudden one verse stood out as it were printed in gold. I knew instantly that I had the answer to may nagging question, how was I now to live this second life?

Having just come from death to life, this answer was very important to me. I believe it is equally important for you, since we all need to find the purpose for which we have been granted another day of life, and, we all need to know how to live this second life.

The story surrounding this special verse in Zechariah is very interesting and applies to both you and me. Let me share a little background with you.

There was a guy you may not remember who is spoken of extensively in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah, and is mentioned in the genealogies of Matthew and Luke. His name is Zerubbabel. He was one of the Jews who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity. Zerubbabel was governor of Jerusalem as it was being rebuilt. While Nehemiah is known for rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, Zerubbabel is best known for rebuilding the temple during those difficult times. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged Zerubbabel to finish rebuilding the temple so that the people would have a place to worship and so that there would be a central place for the dissemination of knowledge about God for all people. This work was Zerubbabel's great purpose in life. The prophet would tell him how he was to live that life. Here is what he said:

"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty."
Zechariah 4:6

I wasn't called back to life to build a physical building, but to carry out God's work of "building his church" by equipping Chinese men and woman to carry the Gospel out to hundreds of thousands of other Chinese. That is my purpose. But How was I to live this life of purpose? The answer was clear, not by my own weakened strength, but in and by the power of God's Holy Spirit! It is no different for you!

The Hebrew words for "might" and "power" are strongly broad and encompass many areas which have to do with building something great. They cover inner strength, such as courage, bravery and personal dedication, which are absolutely necessary if we are to build anything great. We need such a personality, but that is not truly how great things are build for the Lord--they are built by God's Spirit! The Hebrew words "might" and "power" also encompass such things as the human resources, financial resources, leadership resources and the building plan. All these are needed in any great building project--but it is not with these things alone that we are to build--but by God's Spirit! The expansion of God's Church cannot be properly carried out by mere external means. Human strength and wisdom alone will fail. God says, "My Spirit must do it!"

And the Spirit can do it! The Spirit can overcome all obstacles. No matter how mountain-high the difficulties may loom, the Spirit can make them a flat plane (v.7). Every seeming impossibility will become an opportunity through the Spirit's power! This is a truth we need to recited every day!

As I read Zechariah's words to Zerubbabel I instantly saw the correlation between the building of the temple in Jerusalem and the building of God's kingdom anywhere on earth. My situation--and your situation--are similar to Zerubbabel's situation--and God has a similar message for us today-- God's kingdom is not going to be built by human strength and power, but by God's Spirit!

What peace and joy seized my heart at this realization. I had become extremely aware of my own weaknesses through my illness. That is a blessing few of us have. Before I was sick I believed I had might and power of my own and could serve God in my personal power. God showed me clearly that I was weak. I was called to be a builder, but not in my own strength. It is no different for you.

When it comes to big building projects, God wants us to work together. This is one reason why congregations are a part of the biblical concept of Church. In the great temple building project the people united to get the work done. God had given each man and woman unique gifts, which, if united in the larger goal of temple building, could accomplish great things. That means they had to work together in the power of the Spirit to get that job done. What they were building would last for generations and serve people they would never see.

Basically speaking, as a Christian, you are charged by God to take part in building his Church by expanding his Kingdom. The work you do will last for generations to come and serve people you never will see. You are building a church that will share the forgiveness of Christ and meet the spiritual needs of thousands of people. My friends, that's a big responsibility. That responsibility can only be carried out if we are united in love and mission--and empowered by the Holy Spirit! Prayer, as I learned very pointedly, is an important part of building by God's Spirit.

Dear friends, we are living at a time of great turning points in history. This is not everyday church work you and I have been called to do. We have been given a "second life" to carry out God's special purposes at this special time in history. This is crucial work that will affect thousands of lives. I hope you see how exciting it is to be at this crossroads. I hope you see how significant it is that God has chosen you to be here right now with this great work before you. We don't deserve such an honor. We don't have the love or the might and power necessary to build a great church for the future. But we do have the Holy Spirit with us, and it is by his might and power that we can accomplish much for the Lord. Let us unite in mission and prayer so that God's Spirit can be the real power and might behind our efforts at building God's Church here on earth.

Pastor Loren Steele
July 2003