Walking in the Spirit - God working in your life! The Holy Spirit Empowers us to Love!

GREET EVERYONE-

If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.

Our Vision:

We Desire see every follower of Jesus well equipped and fully deployed on the mission of Jesus.

What mission? - This questions leads us to articulate His mission for His church in a simple way.

Our Mission:

Is to engage people into a multiplying relationship with Jesus!

WELCOME-

LETS GRAB OUR BIBLES IF YOU HAVE ONE AND

Open it to 1st John Chapter 3 as we continue in our current teaching series Walking in the Spirit - Seeing the Power of God in your life.

IN this series we will be exposing some of what the Bible tells us is the walking of the Holy Spirit as we live our life IN the Spirit.

PRAYER FOR THE SERIES

My Prayer for this series and in fact all of the series of this year is that our relationship with the Holy Spirit would grow.

WE are in a relationship , an indwelling relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Loved ones it is the Spirit of GOD that lives in us as Saved people as God’s Children.

My prayer is that through a growing relationship with the Holy Spirit we would grow in our relationship with Jesus and our service to Jesus as we either begin to live our or continue to live out the mission of Jesus that Jesus has called all of us into all the while as we realize the great love of Jesus for us.

And through our growing obedience to Jesus by the very power and relationship we have with the Holy Spirit of God working in us, we would grow in our relationship with God and we would know and love the father even more.

PRAYER FOR THE MESSAGE

My prayer for this mornings message is that we would come to know or begin to know a few things.

1 - The the Holy Spirit gives us power.

2 - What the Power is for and what the Power is not for

3 - And in knowing these truths we would all begin to experience His power in deeper more abiding ways - His power that is already living in side of us

IF we have been saved by grace through faith and regenerated unto new life by the Holy Spirit.

TRUTH -

ENGAGEMENT –

This last couple of weeks, as I have been walking through life and just doing the fatherhood, husbandry, pastoring, elder, provider,out in public and private at home life thing that we all do.

I have been noticing something that has always been in front of all of us but seemingly gets more and more obvious.

and maybe you have noticed it becoming more and more obvious as well.

We have really jacked things up!

I mean we humans as a collective effort have really messed things up.

I think that there are plenty of examples of how we have messed things up - from the resurgence of anti Jewish philosophy -

Ya know we will repeat history if we don't learn from it. And reality is we cannot learn from it is we are not made to actually learn the subject.

Different message for a different time.

To the unmitigated craziness of the modern popular music industry shows that are on.

Gender issues - Sexual Issues - mainstreaming Adult entertainment and entertainers. Marriage confusion -

Political strife - At home and internationally - Relationship strife - Mental illness all time high since they started recording it.

Addiction - Overdoses - Suicide among young people.

Manhood reduction - Womanhood erasure -

I mean it is all out there in the open.

and Loved ones - It is a mess.

I mean go to HEB or Wall mart and just people watch - You will see brokenness all over!

Sometimes it can be a little overwhelming.

One of the things that I think we have really messed up and created a whole lot of Confusion - which might be at the root cause of all of this mess -

We lost the ability to know not only what Love is, but How to love and to Know Love.

You might be saying at this very moment “Pastor that sounds like a whole lot of psychology babel”

To which I would say - Nope that is a whole lot of Bible truth!

But ya know loves ones - This confusion is nothing new.

TENSION

The reason that this is more than likely the center of all of this is we, as humans, in our culture we don't really spend much time understanding what love is and what it is not -

Reality is most take one of two approaches we either copy what we learned fro our parents or other influencers that modeled something for us.

OR

We reject what was modeled for us and we then kind of create our own version of what we want and we spend significant time and energy attempting to life that out - in what we individually define as Love

And it can really be confusing - As we grow and learn we might pick up some advice and knowledge from others such as Dr Google -

Dr Google will tell us that there are 7 types or kinds of Love out there in our human experience -

And that can be kind of confusing and it is not all that surprising becasue what they really have done is simply categorized the 7 different ways that we as broken humans live out what we call love.

And you might think to your self - Many that is some modern twist and no wonder we are confused.

Well truth is that we as humans have been getting things messed up since the beginning of when we were created - I’m mean Eve looked at the fruit and she did “love it” and she did take a bite and then led Adam to take one as well.

Even back in Jesus day - The Greeks and Romans had it all messed up as well and even in their time they had 7 definitions of Love.

Actually they were a little more messed up than we are they had 9 different words that defined 9 types of love.

SO what the Scriptures will do for us this morning is begin to unwrap the truth that Humans did not originate Love - Human behavior does not define love -

And human desire does not fuel the Power that Love requires to work really well in our lives and in the lives of others.

You see love doesn't begin with us -

Love doesn't originate with us.

How we handle or miss handle love doesn't define what Love is,

where or better yet the who love came from

how love really works.

UNPACK

Were going to look at a few passages of text this first one is a little unusual when talking about love but it is important to understand in the Context of the scripture and the culture that Paul, by the Power of the Holy Spirit would have been Speaking the very words of God into.

We begin with 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 and verse 1

Paul is writing to the Corinthian Church - The Church in Corinth - Now here is what I want you to imagine -

You and I and Several of us we receive the Call of God to go and Make disciples and so we go -

and so we head off -

We end up in the port of Houston - We are on the Docks - All the doc workers - All the guys and gals that work on ships from all over the globe.

None of them heard of the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob

None of them heard of Jesus, the Holy Spirit -

These are all what were called back the - Gentile - Heathen - Sinners.

It could easily be thought that these people were a little further away fro God than other people.

If ya know what I mean -

Paul stays 18 months there, the first time.

Makes disciples with His team and trains leaders and the Church grows -

Goes back 2 more times.

Now remember this was a train wreck of a church - - Craziness - Clickish - Sexual Immorality happening there with the people who actually claim Jesus -

You might be thinking - Pastor, why is that something that is listed as a problem -Don’t we have that in the modern church?

The problem is that if you take on the Identity of Christ - You are supposed to be a new creature - Regenerated which means Born again - The Old person dead - The New Person Alive in Christ - The Spirit is to empower us to live a new life

And there were also belief differences happening-

and one of the other things is The Accuracy of the Gospel has been dwindled away

Timeline - Form His first time in Corinth until His letter about 3 years.

So things went sideways pretty fast.

The lack of understanding about love brought out in them a brokenness that manifested itself out in some pretty weird ways -

One of those ways was their affection for the miraculous -

You see our affections are to be towards Jesus not what Jesus can do through us -

We are to love GOD not love the things that God provides!

So Paul writes this part of the text to hopefully make some adjustments in their thinking -

You see part of the problem is they were doing things out of not being informed - What is also know as doing things out of ignorance.

You see these were largely gentiles and they had no clue of the old testament prophesies that said “in the later days I will pour pout my spirit on all flesh and your young men will have visions and your old men will dream dreams, and your sons and daughters will prophesy. “

These guys had no clue about that - So when these things were happening when they were worshiping they were going crazy and the results were not all that gospel advancing.

Why - Because they were seeing the gifts but with all the other craziness they forgot something.

Paul begins

VERSE 1 - 4

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

Paul does not want them to be ignorant of the Spirit gifts - The Fact that they are Gifts - Gifts from the Holy Spirit of God - What are and are not Supernatural Gifts from the Holy Spirit of God -

That is His hearts Desire -

Loves ones - If there is any Pastor or Elder who loves His people at all, He will not want ANYONE who claims Christ to be ignorant of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit -

Loves ones I don't want Any of us to be ignorant either -

VERSE 2&3

Paul addresses the first and possibly one of the most supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit - Salvation.

2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.

When you were pagan - Demon worshipers That is what Pagan would indicate - Worshiping Gods that did not exist.

Ya know those Gods who didn't speak to you.

They were led astray - Lost

VS3

Paul then lays out the greatest Gift of the Holy Spirit that can Ever happen to a person -

Salvation - Confessing with God that Jesus is Master of their life - Surrendering to Jesus - That is only Done and Only Spoken with the mouth by the very power of the Holy Spirit -

The Very same power that raised Jesus from the Dead.

3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

VERSE 4-11

Paul begins with bringing the people: the assembly of the called out ones in Corinth into UNITY -

Variety of Gifts -

ONE SPIRIT The Holy Spirit of God

Variety ways to Serve -

ONE MASTER - The Lord Jesus Christ

Same God who provides the power for these to work -

And look what He says on VERSE 6 To Everyone -

He gives sifts and areas of service to EVERYONE!

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

VERSE 7

The Holy Spirit shows up - That is what Manifestation means - in everyone life for a single purpose - The Common GOOD - The Benefit of everyone - The Profit and advancement of Everyone -

That is what the “Common Good” means -

Ultimately the biggest way we can benefit - the biggest gain we could ever have is everlasting life and Peace with our heavenly Father through faith In Christ Jesus -

Salvation -

This is why Paul Starts with Salvation as being the first manifestation of the Spirit.

7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

VERSES 8-11

Paul then goes through the List -

We will go through the list but not today - Series on the gifts is coming later.

SO Paul lists them -

Speaking wisdom - That is what the utterance of wisdom is - Speaking wisdom -

Then there is the Speaking of Knowledge -

FAITH

HEALING

WORKING MIRACLES

PROPHECY

DISTINGUISHING or DISCERNING Good and Evil Spirits.

Then Various kinds of Tongues - Tongues means language -

Here is why it means Language becasue later in chapter 14 that No tongue is without meaning.

So there are various kinds of Language and then there is the interpretation of Languages.

VERSE 11

Paul then concludes this list by saying - These are all EMPOWERED - these are all Made possible and Made Manifest by the HOLY SPIRIT

and Here is what the Holy Spirit does - He “Apportions” to each one of us as HE WILLS

and SO in order for us to properly understand vs 11 and the gifts as a whole we must never take possession of a gift -

They are gifts of the Holy Spirit and HE Apportions or Distributes - The word picture is like Measuring out.

He Gives them...

AS we ask?

AS we claim?

AS we desire?

NOPE - AS HE wills!

VERSE 29-31

Now watch what Paul does in VERSES 29-31

after he is finished informing them about these spiritual manifestations.

1 Corinthians 12:29–31 (ESV)

29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

First of all everybody doesn't have the same gifting and there are higher gifts and there are gifts that are less important -

Paul says “Desire higher gifts”

Then HE concludes with a rather strange phrase -

and I will show you a still more excellent way.

Here is what HE has just said:

I am now going to show you a way of living that exceeds extraordinarily in an overt scale of extent and extremely, supremely, much greater, a far greater degree. than anything I have shown you up and until this point.

Here is what Paul Just implied -

That there is the most powerful gift of Salvation -

There are these varieties of Gifts that are given to everyone to serve each other and other people for the Common good

and then there is this much greater gift that is greater than anything else.

Then He goes through The Love Chapter of 1 cor 13 and ends it with this phrase.

Faith which is a gift of the Spirit -

Hope which is a result of Salvation -

And Love which is a fruit of the Spirit.

Love is the Greatest gift

1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

This is why Paul brings it about in Galatians 5 when He says

Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The FRUIT - The Product of the Holy Spirit is LOVE -

Interesting that if you look at the list of the what the holy Spirit produces and compare it to the Characteristics of Love in Corinthians we will find tremendous alignment.

Here is what is also important about the “Fruit” of the Holy Spirit in Paul letter to the Galatians -

In the original language of the New testament - There were different words for fruit -

One of those differences was fruit that had seed and could multiply and fruit that didn't have a noticeable seed and there for it was doubtful it would multiply -

Any guesses on which one this is?

YES the one with Seed that can Multiply!

1 John Chapter 3

Now watch what the Apostle John writes in His first letter to the churches in Asia Minor -

Now if your not familure with them those are the ones that the Jesus sent letters to in the last book.

Churches that Jesus would start by saying “I know your deeds” BUT “i have this against you”

These are the churches that John Writes to -

Also remember who John was. He is the very best friend of Jesus - The Disciple whom Jesus loved.

Here is what HE says:

1 John 3:16–24 (ESV)

VERSE 16

This is how we know what love is -

That Jesus Christ Laid down His life for US -

There are two extremely important dynamics happening here in this verse.

1st is there is a truth claim in this - That truth claim is a two edged claim.

IT has a converse and an inverse to it.

the Converse is that this is How we KNOW what love is -

This what? - The act of Jesus laying down His life for US -

The inverse is an implication of the text that without knowing how much Jesus loves us we cannot know and understand LOVE.

You see when we are made new by the Holy Spirit - And we confess Christ as Lord and Master by the Spirit - The Spirit reveals to us, through the finished work of Jesus - The origination, nature and definition of Love!

Because God is Love -

The Inverse - But what is implied as the inverse is that without Christ we cannot know the truth of Love, we cannot experience the power of divine love -

Without Christ and the Regeneration of the Holy Spirit we will only know of shadows of the Love of God as vague human interactions and definition of love that are well defined by Dr Google and complexly experienced by all humans.

You might be thinking: Pastor are you saying that an unbeliever cannot love -

Nope - not saying that at all. There are lots of atheist that love their children and love their spouses and have great marriages and relationships.

Not saying that at all.

But in order to place this and understand this in context of what the scriptures are saying what we need to do Loves ones is...

we need to understand how severe the love of God really is -

How severe is the Love of God towards us?

The Scripture says that while we were weak at the Right time Jesus dies for us.

While we were Sinners - Rebelling against almighty God - Christ dies for us.

While we were enemies of God - our relationship with God was repaired

VERSE 16

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

How do we lay down our lives for the Brothers? and who are the Brothers?

Brothers in this context is not a word that is used to mean a blood relative

Some of you might be saying - WE know that Pastor it means Brother in Christ -

Loved ones the Apostle John is using a term here that is literally means “anyone who lives close by”

Here is the dictionary meaning of the word in the original language of the New Testament -

a person who lives close beside others and who thus by implication is a part of a so-called ‘in-group,’ that is, the group with which an individual identifies both ethnically and culturally—‘neighbor, brother

For us loves one since we have made the world very small with technology - This word for us could literally mean anybody -

How do we lay down our lives?

First is in meeting the practical needs...

Second is like Jesus - To see the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in them unto Salvation..

Laboring, as a woman in Child Birth until Christ is formed!

VERSE 17

John then asks us a very rhetorical question!

He knew the answer and loved ones so do we.

17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

What does “closing your heart against someone”

What does that look like?

Driving in the city - You see the guy on the corner that says “need help will work for food” and your heart and minds begin to speak things like “Get a job bro” God help those who help them selves” Ya know stuff like that.

VERSE 18

John then come in verse 18 and explains how to share the Gospel - We share the Gospel in DEED and in TRUTH -

You see loves one I mot sure there is a single person in the world who is not in need somehow -

And I’m not sure there in not a person who is hurting somehow -

And most people who I have met who are not Jesus followers at some level will only listen to you as you you have to earned the right to be heard -

In other words - And I am taking the words of Dr Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ -

They will only care how much you know until they know how much you care.

18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

VERSE 19

John then says -

This is how you know that you are saved -

This is how you know there is on going fruit of being conformed into the likeness and image of Jesus when these kinds of sacrificial - gospel advancing characteristics are in your life.

That is why in Verse 19 John starts by saying “by this we shall know we are of the truth -

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

VERSE 20-22

John Finishes verse 19-22 by saying “what ever we ask we receive from Him becasue we keep His commandments and we do what pleases Him -

Who is the Him? Jesus.

They live a life that was so uniquely different, living out the mission of Jesus - By representing Christ and making Him Known.

They, John and the boys - Kept HIS commandments and life lives that were pleasing to Jesus -

You see loved one when we come to Jesus and we surrender to Him and we begin to life for Him and for His glory - We Please Him WHY

VERSE 23 - 24

John Answers that in VERSE 23 and 24

His Commandment is that we Believe - Trust - in the Name of Jesus Christ - Love ONE people -

HOW Like Jesus loved us?

23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Here is the phenomenal part about all of this -

none of this can every be done in a way that earns our favor with God.

These guys didn't live a life that was pleasing to God to earn anything from God or receive anything from God.

These guys were moved by the Power of the Spirit to live lives that were pleasing to God becasue they had already been changed into new creatures by the very love and power of God.

They had already recieved the Blessing of God - the father of the Lord Jesus Christ - They had already received being blessed in every spirit way in Christ Jesus and their hearts desire - Their only Desire was to live a life blessed God -

A life that was so unique that what their life did was to bring Glory - A life that revealed Christ and made Him Known.

STICKY POINT

Loved ones - AS we come to the close of this message -

The first thing tat must stick this morning is self examination.

WE must examine our selves to make sure we are of the Faith as Paul instructs the Corinthian Church.

Here is the take away form What God has Spoken to us through the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John this morning

Love is a gift and a production of the Indwelling Holy Spirit -

The Spirit comes in to our life with Power and

When we know Love by Knowing Jesus - The Holy Spirit gives us not just the power but also the desire to Love People the way Jesus loved us.

Jesus gave everything that we may have eternal life with Him -all of our sins washed away and forgiven - Our relationship with the One true God who loves us and created us and repaired our broken relationship with Him and desires to repair our human brokenness by sending Himself in the form of the Person of Jesus Christ to live and die and suffer so that all of our rebellion could be washed away.

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ - And this is certainly good news.

PRAYER TEAM