“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth…” (John 14.15-17a).

Programs. Principles. Techniques. Strategies.

It may be assumed that the Holy Spirit is driving our efforts.

I’m sometimes known for stating the obvious, so here goes: Compelling preaching and effective ministry depend on the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit.

The rapid spread of the gospel in the first century can only be attributed to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Before any technology came into the mix, the church depended on the Spirit, or she wasn’t effective.

This is our starting point. We must be grounded in the Spirit, walking according to the Spirit, before we use technology to spread the gospel and proclaim Christ.

We begin with the Spirit and remain in the Spirit. Paul confronted the churches of Galatia who had started to rely on rule-keeping instead of the Spirit.

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law or by believing what you heard? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (Gal 3.2-3).

Principles and techniques hadn’t brought the Spirit to them. They believed the message about Jesus, put their trust in Him to save them, and they were redeemed.

Friends have long understood the necessity of relying on the Holy Spirit. Seth Hinshaw observed,

“Proceeding as the Holy Spirit led, they felt free to concentrate upon the process of seeking and finding the Divine Presence” (The Spoken Ministry Among Friends, 7).

They relied on the Spirit because they became utterly convinced that the Spirit is Jesus, present with, in, and among His disciples. They believed He was among them because He lived in them, just like Jesus promised (John 14:20).

No one limits the Spirit of God in such worship or brings forth his own laboriously assembled ideas. But everyone will state whatever the Lord has placed in his heart. And it will not be uttered from man’s own will or wisdom, but in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and of power (Dean Freiday, editor. Barclay’s Apology, 248).

Take time to wait before the Lord and invite His Spirit to meet you in a quiet place. Pitch your tent there and remain in His presence. It takes faith because you might not feel like the Lord is near. Write the time you have reserved to meet with the Spirit of Christ on your daily calendar if that would help. Think of it as an appointment you will keep. Avoid the temptation to cancel the appointment because you have too much to do. The busiest time or season needs this regular appointment even more.

For further study: Isaiah 40.28-31; John 14.15-27, 15.26; Romans 8.5-11

ABOUT

Jeff Blackburn has been proclaiming Christ for over 43 years. He served Friends congregations in Indiana and Kansas. His most recent pastoral assignment was with Greensburg Mennonite Church, Greensburg, Kansas, where he enjoyed nearly 30 years of ministry before being called to coordinate the Friends Preaching Initiative in 2024. He works with aspiring preachers and ministry students on campus, often preaches in churches in the region. He developed three new courses for a preaching certificate offered through Barclay College, and he created a preaching lab for Barclay students to work on their communication skills.

Jeff grew up in small-town Indiana, attending Quaker Haven Camp every summer before counseling and directing camps. He is a graduate of Barclay College and Huntington University. He wrote for Adult Friend and The Fruit of the Vine (Barclay Press, Newberg, Oregon) for many years. Jeff enjoys music and singing, although he can’t read music very well. He continues to serve as the moderator for local schools’ spelling bees.

Jeff has written one book, Light at the End of the Funnel (Amazon, 2017) recounting the experience of surviving an EF5 tornado that devastated his town in 2007. He and his wife live in Greensburg where they are near enough to play with their grandchildren on a regular basis. The Lord put it in his heart to help train the next wave of preachers and to encourage active ministers to “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).