The Mechanics and Dynamics of Christian Faith

Intro

Text - JOHN 6.62-63

John 6:62–63 NASB 2020

62 What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life.

Title - The Mechanics and Dynamics of Christian Faith

Background

Quotation from WMB

77 Mechanics ain’t what runs the automobile. It’s the dynamics that runs it.

78 The mechanics don’t run the church; it’s the dynamics, the Holy Ghost that gets into this Word. It’s not a seminary that teaches you all the theology and the Greek interpretations. But it’s the dynamics of the Holy Ghost in there, to set That afire and to bring it to pass, and to make it live just exactly what the promised Word is for this hour. Not the mechanics; the dynamics! It takes mechanics and dynamics, the Word and the Spirit, they are the One that gives Life. 64-0122 - Looking Unto Jesus / Rev. William Marrion Branham

Key Questions

is it possible to have the Word without the Spirit?

what happens when you separate the Spirit from the Word of God?

The Main Idea

The Word of God and the Spirit of God are the mechanics and the dynamics of Christian life.

It is not possible to become a true Christian with only the Word or the Spirit. The Word and the Spirit work together.

In real life however, most Christians are on either sides of the spectrume.

there Christians who focus more on the Word and leave out the Spirit of God

there Christians who focus more on experiencing the Spirit of God and leave sound biblical study

But we need both!

The Gospel is composed of the Word and Spirit

1 Thessalonians 1:5–7 NASB 2020

5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sakes. 6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word during great affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

The gospel is not just a set of teachings that are fed to the people’s hearing.

it comes with Holy Spirit and power

The Spirit is the power of the gospel - Romans 1.16

Romans 1:16 NASB 2020

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

IT IS POWERFUL BECAUSE IT NOT ALL WORDS

The Spirit is the life that is in the word - John 6.63

John 6:63 NASB 2020

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life.

Illustrations

Adam - without the breath of God, there is only dust! - Genesis 2.7

Genesis 2:7 NASB 2020

7 Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person.

man is fundamentally dust that is animated by the breath of God.

Jesus Christ - without the Spirit of God, there is only a sinless man - Matthew 3.16-17

Matthew 3:16–17 NASB 2020

16 After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, 17 and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

the Son of God is fundamentally a sinless human that is filled with the Spirit of God!

Believers of Jesus - without the Spirit of God, there is only religion!

The Word is the sword of the Spirit - Ephesians 6.17

Ephesians 6:17 NASB 2020

17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Without the Word of God we will never know and experience the presence and power of God.

no man has seen God (in His divine essence)

the only way God can manifest Himself is through a vessel.

In the beginning, it was the Logos - John 1.1-3

John 1:1–3 NASB 2020

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.

2,000 years ago, it was Jesus Christ - John 1.14, 18

John 1:14 NASB 2020

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:18 NASB 2020

18 No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.

In the Churches Ages, it is the Gospel! 2 Cor 4.5-6

2 Corinthians 4:5–6 NASB 2020

5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants on account of Jesus. 6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

The ministry is to be done with both the Word and the Spirit of God

In the days of the apostles, gospel preaching always came with power!

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 NASB 2020

1 And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come as someone superior in speaking ability or wisdom, as I proclaimed to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I also was with you in weakness and fear, and in great trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of mankind, but on the power of God.

Paul here was putting emphasis on the need for the Spirit of God to go with gospel preaching.

But in reality, true apostolic preaching always comes with power!

The Spirit of God is always present to back up the Word.

After the apostolic age - the Spirit of God ceased to move in the churches because preachers and churches slowly departed from apostolic teaching!

Illustrations

in the garden of Eden - the couple was removed from the presence of God AFTER they disobeyed God’s command

Without the pure Word, the Spirit of God has no place in the churches!

Without the Spirit of God in the churches, the gospel gets corrupted very easily!

In the time of restoration -

the Spirit of God began the restoration work AFTER the churches acknowledged the falling away from apostolic faith and began to acknowledge the need to preach and teach them again!

BIBLICAL MINISTRY IS MINISTRY THAT IS GUIDED BY THE WORD AND MOVED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

The Christian life is the expression of both the Word and the Spirit

Where the Word of God is believed and received, there the Spirit of God is welcome!

but why are there Spirit less churches who claim to focus on the Word?

these are not really Bible-based, but credo-based churches

then why are there Spirit-filled churches that do not prioritize biblical preaching and teaching?

their experiences are not genuine moves of the Spirit, but pmost likely emotion-driven

their experiences rely on believing God for their needs, but there is not saving work of the Spirit of God.

Where the Spirit of God is moving, people are guided to the truth! - John 16.13-15

John 16:13–15 NASB 2020

13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THE WORD OF GOD MADE ALIVE BY THE SPIRIT

Romans 8:10–11 NASB 2020

10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THE SPIRIT OF GOD MOVING THROUGH THE WORD

Romans 8:14–16 NASB 2020

14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

Conclusion

IF YOU WANT A DYNAMIC - POWERFUL - CHRISTIAN LIFE

COMMIT TO THE PURE WORD OF GOD

DO NOT MIX THE WORD OF GOD WITH CHURCH CREDO AND DOGMA

IF YOU WANT THE MECHANICS - SOUND DOCTRINE - OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

LEARN TO LISTEN AND BE GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Song

Let Your Word be Born (chorus)

Burning the Midnight Oil (chorus)