Pastor's Circle - Rurel Ausley

Rural Ausley, Lead Pastor of Niceville United Methodist Church, came into the Pastor's Circle to talk about the Holy Spirit.

Do we place enough emphasis on the Holy Spirit?

Probably not.

I know Francis Chan has a book out called Forgotten God, where he makes that same point.

We're going to start a sermon series, and talk about that - the Holy Spirit's ministry.

Why did we forget the Holy Spirit?

I don't know.

You and I came up a little differently, growing up in the '70's during the charismatic movement.

I think in the United States in the church...it's easier...we do stuff in the flesh, rather than depending on the movement of the Spirit.

How are we supposed to relate to the Spirit?

I know for me, Jesus said I'm going away...I try to think of it as Jesus' resurrected presence in us through the Holy Spirit is as real to us as He was when He walked on this earth.

Maybe we don't think much about the Spirit because that Spirit is not trying to draw attention to Himself.

Maybe so.

He teaches us what Jesus said. Reminds us of what Jesus did.

I think part of what the Holy Spirit does is try to give us a larger vision of what we could be.

What are some of the key things you're going to talk about what the Holy Spirit can be for them?

Well that's one of the things - that the Holy Spirit can give them a greater vision.

I want to teach them that the Holy Spirit can give them a deeper relationship with Jesus.

If you look at the disciples ministry before and after Pentecost, you can see that their effectiveness quotient went way higher.

The difference that that's going to make in effectiveness in ministry. We're not operating in the flesh. We're not trying to do our own thing...we're operating out of the power He gives to us.

I think it's boldness and courage.

When you look at the church as a whole, the church does not seem to be doing very well.

The majority of churches seem to be very small and dying.

Where is the marching forth like a mighty army?

Maybe he's right. Maybe we have forgotten about the Holy Spirit.

Or worse, maybe we're ignorant.

The United Methodist's annual conference is coming up. Is the presence of the Holy Spirit important there?

Absolutely.

I feel like we have a theological issue in the United Methodist Church.

What we need is a theological understanding that God has come, and he wants to do something in our life. He wants to make us Holy.

If we were doing those things, it would bring revival, and make a total difference.

What's the barrier between us and the Holy Spirit?

I think it probably scares us sometimes.

We prefer things more intellectual, more cerebral, more understandable, more concrete.

Sometimes when things happen through the Spirit, it's gets a little bit beyond our control.

You don't know what's going to happen next?

There's a fear there, if I surrender all.

There's a fear that He'd do something distasteful if we surrender.

If more people would surrender, I think He would do incredible things.

You have two people. One has the Spirit, the other doesn't. What's the difference?

The difference is how they're living out their lives, particularly.

He deepens their lives with the fruit of the Spirit.

The difference between those two you mentioned is night and day.