Open 264 RR 752 The 100 Year Prayer Meeting Close 265 Children's Story It is said that a certain guide lived in the deserts of Arabia who never lost his way. He carried with him a homing pigeon with a very fine cord attached to one of its legs. When in doubt as to which path to take, he threw the bird into the air. The pigeon quickly strained at the cord to fly in the direction of home, and thus led the guide accurately to his goal. Because of this unique practice he was known as "the dove man." ..... Application to Holy Spirit leading us. I did a series of doctrinal sermons. When I did, I had a very specific reason for choosing as the first topic of those studies the topic of the Holy Spirit. When you think about it, no matter what importance everything else holds, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit precedes all others as for its practical application goes. Ellen White wrote: “Man, in the work of saving of the soul, is wholly dependent upon God. He cannot of himself move one step toward Christ unless the Spirit of God draws him, and this drawing is ever, and will continue until man grieves the Holy Ghost by his persistent refusal.” . HP 27.2 Think about it for a moment, it is my understanding that we do not have any interest in God, or spiritual things at all until the Holy Spirit begins to work with us. The very first interest that we have in God the very first inclination we have to look towards them is all inspired, motivated, and created by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the embryo of all our spiritual desires. If we go to the first chapter of Genesis we will find in the very first verses, the presence of the Holy Spirit working at the instruction or direction of the Godhead to take the word and make it into reality. The Bible says that the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. It is interesting also in the first chapter we find the creation was by the word. And God said, and there was, and God called. This is a formula for creation. This formula created a world. This formula created a universe. And this formula created a church. And it created every Christian in that church. Now there are probably two tendencies as we begin to study the Holy Spirit. The first is to see the Holy Spirit mainly in a very theological, practical, cerebral way. We can study about the Holy Spirit we can dissect the meaning of the Holy Spirit we can talk about the theology of the Holy Spirit. And too many times has exactly what we do On the other hand we can see the Holy Spirit totally as an emotional process and look for the feeling the high, the ecstasy, and totally ignore the very practical aspects of the teaching of the Holy Spirit Today, rather than a theological dialogue, I simply want to share with you how the Spirit works in telling you the story of what happened on the 13th of August in the year 1727, and the story of the 100 year prayer meeting. On this day a small group of Christian believers calling themselves Moravians met together in a very life-changing meeting. The people in this community were to assemble on Count Zinzendorf's properly in Saxony. They had been there for about five years. These people were descendants of the Hussites who came from Bohemia where they had to go underground to escape persecution. They finally escaped across the border into Saxony. There they built their new community called in English "The Lord's Watch." Other persecuted Christians joined them but some brought in contentious doctrines. The group was experiencing a lot of dissension and arguments. The records tell us that Count Zinzendorf, the owner of the property stepped in to try to stop their arguing. He went house to house family to family visiting with the people trying to restore a spirit of unity, and brought them to sign a brotherly agreement. This agreement is reflected in the statement that you have probably heard: "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity." This is the background of the communion service that took place on Wednesday, August 13, 1727. Count Zinzendorf had visited every home, every community member the day before to make sure that they were going to be ready for the Lord's supper. They came in to the wooden church building with a sense of shame at the memory of their quarrelsome disputes. This was the first communion that the community had had since all of this trouble started. During the ceremony the Holy Spirit began to move among the people there and they responded with praise and weeping. God the Holy Spirit was clearly present in a way not experienced before. When the service officially ended the members gathered together continue to pray at weep together in asking and extending forgiveness of each other, and just enjoying God's presence. Zinzendorf sent word back to the kitchen 2 km away and had baskets of food be prepared so the community members could continue in small group fellowship. So began the Moravian's tradition of the love feast. As a result of this prayer meeting the whole community sensed that they needed to turn from their pettiness and follow God's calling. Those with bad attitudes repented, relationships were restored, and an around-the-clock 24 hour a day prayer meeting was begun with teams taking one hour at a time. This prayer meeting would go on for over 100 years. Five years later, this small community of a couple of hundred refugees, begin to send out missionaries to the Caribbean and Surinam, to Lapland and Greenland, to Morocco and South Africa, to Russia and Turkey, and in Georgia in America. This began when Anthony, a former slave, came to speak at the Church, told of the deplorable conditions of the slaves in the West Indies. The night he spoke two young Moravians could not sleep as they struggled with the sense that God was speaking to them in their hearts to offer themselves to go and to minister to those slaves. When they were told that perhaps the only way they could do this is to become slaves themselves, they said they were willing if that is what it would take. Their first two missionaries Leonard Dober and David Nitschmann left on August 25, 1732 to sail for St. Thomas. After that other places were studied and more missionaries were sent out. They went to the worst places in the most severe conditions. Many of them quickly died. For example, of the 18 who went to St. Thomas as reinforcements for the work, half died within the first nine months. But the more the died, the more that volunteered to go replace him. Within 25 years more than 200 became missionaries in the small community to every comment of the world. One of the early areas of mission work was in Greenland. The work there was first begun 1733. The first converts were won among the Eskimos in 1739. At first, in this frozen and inhospitable land they didn't meet with a lot of success. Indeed after more than a year there they were so discouraged over a lack of reception that the one of their number wrote: Here toils a little group of men, Endowed with scanty powers: And day by day in blank despair, They count the dreary hours. However, the time came when the gospel was received. This came after they quit preaching abstract theology and adopted the narrative method. John Hutton describes the change: "In the past they had discourse about the fall of man and the plan of salvation; henceforward they gave the people the passion story in detail; and the Eskimos themselves began to notice the difference. At the story of Adam and Eve they had merely wondered; at the story of a crown of thorns they wept; and, sometimes, at the baptismal service, their tears dripped into the font. When Count Zinzendorf heard this he said: "Henceforth we shall preach nothing but the love of the slaughtered lamb." From that time on Moravian evangelists were schooled in telling the passion story the story of Christ's death on the cross for humankind as simply as possible. Their influence spread far beyond their own efforts. During the winter of 1736 on the voyage from England to Georgia the Moravians first made contact with John Wesley. Wesley was going to the New World for the purpose of teaching the gospel to the Indians. The Moravians were going to begin a new life, to establish new settlements which in turn to send out missionaries to the Indian tribes. Wesley was at first impressed by the humility and Christ-like character shown by the people he called "the Germans," but he was still more impressed by the courage displayed by their women and children in the midst of a terrible storm. Wesley began worshipping with them and talking with them. Some of them considered him to be a restless soul not fully convinced of his own salvation. Wesley later agreed with that evaluation. After year and a half in Georgia Wesley had enough. He had been constantly criticized, had been brought to court on charges trumped up by people who call him overbearing. At last he decided to return to England. In his journal for January 24, 1738 records that he felt that he was a failure. He summed it up when he asked, "I went to America to convert the Indians; but oh, who shall convert me?" Wesley continued to meet with the Moravians when he came back to England and on May 14, 1738 he records in his journal that after a meeting where someone was reading Luther's work on the epistle to the Romans he felt "my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation: and an assurance was given to me that he had taken away my sins, it even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." The Moravians founded two communities in eastern Pennsylvania: Bethlehem and Nazareth. Which brings us to another story. Two years after the communion service that made the changes in the community they were gathering together for the drawing of lots. A time came for them to select a leader to choose an elderess, for the women of the bustling community. Four names were put on slips of paper. One was Anna Nitschmann. She was all of 14 years old, but she had already demonstrated great leadership among single women. It must have been hard for her to appear calm as the choice was announced. And yes, it was Anna. Was it a suppressed smile or a look of fright that crossed her face as her name was read? She probably noticed some that weren't too happy. But the drawing of lots of supposed to discern the leading of God. But she was so young. It in this case there been a mistake? Count Zinzendorf strongly advised her to refuse the appointment. But the young girl respectfully reminded the nobleman that she was accepting the appointment as from the Lord. Just like the shepherd boy David was a surprise for Israel, the choice of Anna would be a surprise for the Moravians. Anna was one of those was deeply affected by that outpouring of the Holy Spirit that prayer meeting communion service. She was 12 then. She dedicated her life to the Lord's service then, and immediately began organizing the women of the community into a kind of club for worship ministry. It was this activity that caught the eye of the community leaders and made them nominate her for the elderess position. Six weeks after this election, Anna led 18 of the "single sisters" to devote themselves so thoroughly to Christ that even marriage was to take second place. This commitment was a major one signaling a serious desire to serve the Lord. This single sisters group would grow over the following decade providing a stream of missionaries. Later Anna became part of the Pilgrim congregation, a group of spiritual storm troopers ready to go to the world in the name of Christ. Her mission travels took her to numerous countries even to America where she helped in the founding of Bethlehem and Nazareth, Pennsylvania where she ministered effectively among various Indian groups. To the early Moravians Anna was known as the blessed woman disciple. She had by example demolished the doubts about what a young person to do and what a woman could do in the service of Christ. She had been in a bit of rebellion after her family escaped to come to the community. There she seemed to lose interest in religious things. The community was going through severe turmoil at the time, so that didn't help much. When someone in the community would press for her conversion, she would snap, "First get converted yourself, and then talk to me." It was that awakening of August 13, 1727 turn her around. Anna twice refused marriage proposals. But after Count Zinzendorf's wife died he asked Anna to marry him and she agreed. She was a commoner and he a noble, but within the Herrnhut community, all were equals, and Anna, now 41, had proven her Christian commitment time and time again. By the time of Anna's and Count Zinzendorf’s death in 1760 the Moravians had sent out 226 missionaries and baptized more than 3000 converts. That was only 38 years since the founding of the community: only 28 years since they set their first missionaries. Perhaps you're somewhat curious about this count Zinzendorf. What made this man tick? Count Zinzendorf was born May 26, 1700 in Dresden, Germany and brought up under a strong Christian influence. Even when he was a child he showed a deep Spiritual interest. At the age of 20 he was looking at a painting of Christ crowned with thorns be noticed as inscription below which said: "I have done this for you what have you done for me?" Count Zinzendorf said about that day, "I have loved him for a long time but have never actually done anything for him for now on I will do whatever he leads me to do." At that moment he had no idea that within two years he would have his estate swarming with homeless people. Nor would he of imagine the role it would be his and bring the message of Christ the whole world. Today I would like to think of what it would mean if everyone is church thought of themselves as missionaries. What was demonstrated here was something new in the expansion of Christianity, an entire community, of families as well as of the unmarried, were devoted to the spreading of the faith. This was a Fellowship of laity and clergy men and women marrying and bearing families with the spread of the Christian message as a major objective of the membership of the group as a whole. They believe that all Christians have the right and duty to read and interpret scriptures for themselves. They were the first Protestant church to publish the Bible translated from the original Greek languages and Hebrew languages into native tongue. Many of these were preserved during the Counter-Reformation as they were baked in the loaves of bread to prevent confiscation by the authorities. So eager were they for their children to read the Bible that they became educational pioneers and publish many other books besides between 1505 and 1510 they publish 60 books in Bohemia, 50 of those came from presses owned by the group. I believe in the story we have seen an example of how the Holy Spirit works. From the determination of the Count to make his life one that would honor Jesus, to a community of people touched by the Holy Spirit changing their lives, working for him, to a world outreach that has touched countless perhaps millions of lives, we are saying a wonderful example of how God wishes to work. The Holy Spirit leads us to ask for more of His Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us on our knees to confess our sins. The Holy Spirit leads us to become one in Fellowship and brotherhood. The Holy Spirit led them to the Word of God. The Holy Spirit leads us to reach out to others to tell not the hard dry theology that we sometimes dwell on, but the heart touching theology of Jesus Christ and Him crucified: The message that brother Paul preached to the end of his life. Brothers and sisters today do we need the Holy Spirit? Have we experienced a determination to follow him more carefully? Have we experienced closeness in unity, and the assurance that we are loved, that we've been died for, and that we have experienced salvation in Jesus Christ.? Have we been led by the Holy Spirit to reach out and share the good news of Jesus Christ with our community? A relatively small community of 300 empowered by the Holy Spirit, reached large portions of the world for Jesus Christ. What does the Holy Spirit have for us? Are we asking? Are we on our knees? Just prior to His leaving His disciples for the heavenly courts, Jesus encouraged them with the promise of the Holy Spirit. This promise belongs as much to us as it did to them, and yet how rarely it is presented before the people, and its reception spoken of in the church. In consequence of this silence upon this most important theme, what promise do we know less about by its practical fulfillment than this rich promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit, whereby efficiency is to be given to all our spiritual labor? The promise of the Holy Spirit is casually brought into our discourses, is incidentally touched upon, and that is all. Prophecies have been dwelt upon, doctrines have been expounded; but that which is essential to the church in order that they may grow in spiritual strength and efficiency, in order that the preaching may carry conviction with it, and souls be converted to God, has been largely left out of ministerial effort. This subject has been set aside, as if some time in the future would be given to its consideration. Other blessings and privileges have been presented before the people until a desire has been awakened in the church for the attainment of the blessing promised of God; but the impression concerning the Holy Spirit has been that this gift is not for the church now, but that at some time in the future it would be necessary for the church to receive it. This promised blessing, if claimed by faith, would bring all other blessings in its train, and it is to be given liberally to the people of God. Through the cunning devices of the enemy the minds of God's people seem to be incapable of comprehending and appropriating the promises of God. They seem to think that only the scantiest showers of grace are to fall upon the thirsty soul. The people of God have accustomed themselves to think that they must rely upon their own efforts, that little help is to be received from heaven; and the result is that they have little light to communicate to other souls who are dying in error and darkness. The church has long been contented with little of the blessing of God; they have not felt the need of reaching up to the exalted privileges purchased for them at infinite cost. Their spiritual strength has been feeble, their experience of a dwarfed and crippled character, and they are disqualified for the work the Lord would have them to do. They are not able to present the great and glorious truths of God's Holy Word that would convict and convert souls through the agency of the Holy Spirit. The power of God awaits their demand and reception. A harvest of joy will be reaped by those who sow the holy seeds of truth. "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." {TM 174.2} Are you ready? Holy Spirit! Dwell with me; I myself would holy be; Separate from sin, I would Choose and cherish all things good; And, whatever I can be, Give to Him who gave me Thee. T. T. Lynch. I used the following resources for this sermon: http://www.zinzendorf.com/anna.htm http://www.zinzendorf.com/countz.htm http://www.zinzendorf.com/agolden.htm http://website.lineone.net/~gsward/nations/moravians.htm