Did you notice an article in the Commercial Appeal last week about a young man from Costa Rica? Roger Madrigal longed to represent his country in the Olympic white-water competition. But due to lack of funds, it seemed to be an impossible dream. Roger happened to meet a Memphis couple, George and Ginny Steffens, who are members of Christ Church. The Steffens were touched by his situation. Along with some of their friends, they raised enough money to bring him to the Olympic qualifying event last month in east Tennessee. Roger performed well enough to advance to the Olympic competition in July.

When Mr. Steffens called Roger to tell him that the money had been raised, he heard the young man crying on the other end of the line. These were tears of joy. After a flurry of Spanish, Roger responded in English, "Thank you, thank you! God bless you. God bless you!" That was for Roger a glorious surprise, a wonderful gift. God likes to bestow that kind of gift on his children. In the second chapter of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, we are told that we can't even imagine all the good things God has in mind for those who love him.

The Holy Spirit has a special role in this wonderful process. Someone has defined the Holy Spirit as God in the present tense. On this Pentecost Sunday when we give special attention to the Holy Spirit, I want to declare several truths from today's scripture that relate to the Holy Spirit.

FIRST, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD'S GIFT-GIVER.

In verse 12 of that second chapter we are told that it is only through the Holy Spirit that we can understand God's gifts. Most of the Holy Spirit's gifts to us fall into four categories: power, truth, comfort, and warning.

Some Methodists are afraid of the Holy Spirit. They fear that if they are Spirit-filled, they might become emotionally unbalanced and do bizarre things they have seen on TV religion. They think the Holy Spirit ought to stay over in the Pentecostal churches and leave us sophisticated Methodists alone. But remember, the Holy Spirit makes people more stable rather than less. While the Holy Spirit may make us exuberant and enthusiastic, we are never made weird or unbalanced. One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control.

When our Bible speaks of gifts of the Spirit, it is referring to special talents and abilities that God gives to Christians so that the church is fully equipped for her mission. Ephesians 4 and First Corinthians 12 give us lists of just a few of the gifts: evangelism, prophecy, teaching, and administration. There areas many gifts as there are people and human needs.

For example, we have a wonderful couple in our church named Ray and Ruby who often serve food to our people at Wednesday night church suppers. God has given them the gift of hospitality and service.

What is one of your spiritual gifts? Are you using it to glorify God?

In the 1920's a great Scottish sprinter, Eric Liddle, Won an Olympic gold medal. Later he became a Christian missionary in: China, and was martyred there during World War II. Eric once said, "When I run, I feel God's pleasure." God gave Eric Liddle a gift-- skill in running--and he used that gift to glorify God.

Whenever you feel God's pleasure, you are probably using one of your gifts of the Spirit.

The Bible also speaks of "fruits" of the Spirit. These are qualities that every Christian should model. Just as an apple tree produces apples, Christians with the Holy Spirit operative within them should produce these characteristics. They are spelled out in Galatians, chapter 5: love, joy, peace, perseverance, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control.

Our gifts from the Spirit will differ according to our needs and our missions. But all of us ought to produce those fruits of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is God's gift-giver.

THE SECOND TRUTH IS THIS: MOST PEOPLE CANNOT RECEIVE GOD'S GIFTS BECAUSE THEIR SPIRITS ARE SET ON THE WRONG CHANNEL.

Have you noticed the unflattering way the Christian faith is treated in most movies? That's because most movie producers have their spiritual dials set on the channel of the world rather than the channel of the Spirit.

One survey found that in all instances when TV refers to church and clergy, 90 percent are negative.

Recently I was trying to witness gently to an unchurched person. I invited him to our church. He asked, "In Your church do people speak out in worship in strange languages?" I said, "No, in our services we speak mostly Southern English with a Delta drawl."

Increasingly we are living in a pagan culture that regards faith and church as strange.

Listen to verse 14 of our text: "The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

If a person's spiritual dial is set on the channel of the world rather than the channel of the Spirit, he or she will regard the doctrine of the cross as nonsense. One professor has referred to it as child abuse on the part of God. Returning good for evil will seem absurd. Denying oneself and taking up a cross will seem to be senseless masochism.

Justice Scalia of the Supreme Court said recently, "We must pray for the courage to endure the scorn of the sophisticated world. You know, the wise do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. It is quite absurd to them."

Most people cannot receive God's gifts because their spiritual dial is set on the channel of the world rather than God's channel.

Here is the third truth I want to declare:

ANY CHRISTIAN CAN LIVE A SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE.

Most Christians are not living a spirit-filled life. That's why so many are defeated, pessimistic, grumpy, and contentious. Billy Graham has said that, according to his research, at least 90 percent of all Christians in America are living defeated lives.

Each of us is like a transistor radio. We can run off our own batteries if we want to, but those batteries will run down. But if we activate the Holy Spirit's resources that are available to us, it's like plugging that transistor radio into the electrical socket. It has power to burn.

The two most common reasons that Christians are Spirit- deficient are these: unconfessed sin and self-sufficiency. Unconfessed sin acts like dirt within your spiritual carburetor.

Self-sufficiency is a form of human pride. We believe that we have the power and wisdom within ourselves to live effectively. Therefore, we turn to God only on special occasions or in emergencies.

One of the greatest comedy acts in the history of show business was the beloved husband and wife team of George Burns and Gracie Allen. In real life, Gracie was very wise and bright, but she always played the part of a naive, sweetly simple, off-the-wall personality. On one of their radio programs, Gracie became upset because her new electric clock kept losing time. So she finally called a repairman. He discovered the problem immediately. The electric clock was not plugged in. Gracie said, "I know that. I didn't want to waste electricity, so I only plug it in when I want to know what time it is!"

Some Christians only plug in to the resources of the Holy Spirit on special occasions or in emergencies. But the Holy Spirit wants to be our daily companion, not just our 9-1-1 service.

If you want to live a Spirit-filled life, I offer two prescriptions: First, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any unconfessed sin in your life. Is there bitterness, unbelief, or unforgiveness? Are you spiritually cold, having left your first love of the Lord? Have your schedule and personal affairs come between you and your Savior? Have you lost your willingness to sacrifice your time, comforts, and even your reputation for God's sake? Confessing sin-- with a willingness to change--frees the Holy Spirit to activate His power and work through you.

The second prescription is this: Ask daily for a fresh infilling of God's Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 5:18, God commands us to be filled with the Spirit. Then in First John 5:15, we are told that if we ask anything of God in accordance with his will, He will do it. We know that God wants us to be filled with the Spirit; therefore, when we ask sincerely, we can be assured He will fill us.

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit already dwells within you. The Holy Spirit took up residence in your heart the moment you confessed your sin and claimed Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. But that indwelling Holy Spirit is not activated or unleashed unless we ask. Ephesians 5:18 is in the present tense in the Greek--"Be filled with the Spirit"--meaning that we must be constantly and continually filled, controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Let me illustrate. All of us have electricity in our homes, provided by the utility company. However, the rooms in our homes are dark until we flip the switches.

Similarly, we Christians have the Holy Spirit indwelling us. But that Spirit is not activated or unleashed until we specifically ask. God does not usually intrude where He is not invited.

The single most important part of my morning prayer each day is this simple request: "Dear Lord, for the next 24 hours I want to be empowered and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Equip me with needed resources and put me to your tasks. Fill me to overflowing with your Spirit." God's glorious responses to that simple request, made on a continuing basis, have revolutionized my spiritual life.

In the beautiful mountain area above Greenville, South Carolina, is an open-air chapel called "Pretty Place." Hundreds of couples have been married there. From that spot one can see many miles of blue-ridged peaks. At the front of the chapel, etched in stone, is this poem by an anonymous author:

"You can only see a little of the ocean,

A few miles distant from the sandy shore;

But out there, just beyond the eye's horizon,

There is more, immeasurably more.

You can only see a little of God's loving;

A few precious treasures from his mighty store;

But out there, just beyond the eye's horizon,

There is more, immeasurably more.