Spirit-filled service is a service that is conscious of human insufficiency. Notice Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 10:1, " I am base among you " - or, in other words, " I don't have an impressive personality." Tradition tells us that the Apostle Paul was only 4 feet 10 inches tall. He was bald, and beset by an eye-disease. He did not have a filmstar-like personality. The success of his labours did not depend on any human factor, for there was nothing impressive about his appearance or his speech.
Concerning his preaching, Paul writes to the Corinthians, " I was with you in fear and much trembling " (1 Cor. 2:3). When he preached, he felt conscious of his weakness, rather than of the power of God flowing through him. This is Spirit-filled service - for, remember, that a church was established in heathen Corinth as a result of Paul's preaching.
When the Spirit of God speaks through a man, the man himself is not usually conscious of being God's mouthpiece. I'm always wary of those folk who are so sure, when they stand in the pulpit, that God is speaking through them (and who are not hesitant to say so). My experience with such people has been that God has never spoken through them at all. They've just had conceited ideas of being prophetic voices. The man through whom God speaks is usually not conscious of that fact at all. The Apostle Paul says in one of his writings, " I think I am giving you counsel from God's Spirit when I say this " (1 Cor. 7:40-LB). He was not sure whether God was speaking through him. Yet we know that it was God's Voice, for what Paul himself was unaware of it.
Spirit-filled service is one that is conscious of human insufficiency. As Paul says, " When I am weak, then I am strong " (2 Cor. 12:10). The Spirit-filled servant of God goes again and again to God, like the man in the parable, saying, " I have nothing to give others. Please give me the living bread " (Luke 11:5-8). The Lord's servant is perpetually conscious of his own insufficiency.
Let us not have any mistaken ideas of Spirit-filled service. It has no great awareness of God's power, but on the contrary of fear and uncertainty. It is only long after the labours are all over than on looking back there will be the assurance that God did indeed work through us.
Be the first to react on this!
Zac Poonen ( - Present)
God called brother Zac Poonen to a new work early on in his Christian experience. The movement is now called Christian Fellowship Churches where the New Covenant of New Testament Christianity is clearly preached.Brother Zac Poonen has written 25 books most of them being on the deeper Christian life. Many of these have been translated into a number of languages and have been circulated widely around the world. He clearly and passionately shares the narrow way of Christian discipleship that is neglected by so many modern preachers.
Recommends these books by Zac Poonen:
Through The Bible by Zac Poonen
The Final Triumph-A verse by verse study of the book of Revelation by Zac Poonen
Beauty for Ashes by Zac Poonen
Zac Poonen is a former Indian Naval Officer who has been in full time ministry in India for nearly 50 years as a Bible teacher and preacher. He holds responsibility for a number of churches in India and abroad. He currently pastors the Christian Fellowship Church in Bangalore, Karnataka.
He has written more than 25 books and numerous articles in English - which have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages. His messages are available on audio and video format.
Like the other elders in his church, Zac Poonen also supports himself and his family through what he describes as "tent-making" and does not receive any salary for his services. He does not receive any royalties for any of his books, CDs or DVDs, that are published by Christian Fellowship Centre, Bangalore.