9.29.24 Sermon @ Tulip CC - Rely on the Spirit

Sermon Outline

Intro/Review:

Continuing in our study of 2 Timothy and pursing Finish Line Faith. If you want to follow along you can get your Bible or app open to 2 Timothy 1 now. We’ll dive into the text shortly.

Anthony introduced us to Timothy and Paul, to the power of Prayer and Gratitude, the Value of Spiritual Relationships and the Legacy of Faith they shared. He taught on how God give us the strength to finish the race.

Today we will continue learning from Paul’s letter to Timothy, and explore a little deeper the source of the strength we have from God. We’ll be learning about Fanning the Flame of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Transition to Message:

Apple Butter experience - from a tiny flame into a burning fire…kept going with proper air and fuel, constant stirring for hours, testing and trying, adding ingredients, controlling the heat, carefully handling and working together…apples from a tree to a jar of delicious biscuit blessing!

Interesting thing is…we picked the apples, we pealed and sliced them, we cut the firewood, we built the fires and kept them going, we added the apples and ingredients, we stirred without stopping…literally…from 9 in the morning until about 3 in the afternoon, we tasted and tested the apple butter, we carefully handled and jarred it up for safe keeping…and it would be easy to celebrate all we did. Not that we can’t feel pride in our hard work and success….13 bushels of apples cooked into 135 quarts of apple butter…but someone else made the apples grow. Someone else provided the strength and skill needed to prepare the materials and ingredients for the process. Someone else delivered a beautiful fall day and safety for all those who traveled to gather.

There was plenty we could point to and be proud of, but it is nice today to reflect in praise on the One who made it all possible. I’m thankful we were able to take what He provided and turn it into something wonderful.

Fallen Condition Focus (FCF):

Did you know you can buy apple butter at the store? Probably even tastes good.

The world offers easy, comfortable, and free…and we may accept these false comforts without even knowing it. Without faith and participation there is a risk of the fire burning out and the race runner growing weary.

Dominant Thought (DT):

Relying on the Holy Spirit and Fanning the Flame of Spiritual Gifts will help us run the race of life with Finish Line Faith.

Passage Focus & Teaching:

2 Timothy 1:6–7 (NIV)

6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Jesus lived, died and lived again…to empower us with the Holy Spirit…so we may live everyday with a Finish Line Faith. We are active participants, and thus must Fan into Flame the Gifts given us in the Holy Spirit.

In the Spirit God gave us…Power, Love and Self-Disipline.

How comfortable are you with the Holy Spirit? It might be wise of us to first acknowledge some concerns we have with the Holy Spirit, and then also recognize truths about who He is.

Concerns

The Holy Spirit is generally the Least Known being of the Trinity of God…Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Makes sense, when we pray who do we most often pray to? Father? Jesus? How often do you interact with the Holy Spirit? Ever tried to get to know someone without speaking or communicating with them? PRAYER

The Holy Spirit can seem and even be Mysterious…in our sinful nature to “know” all things, mysteries don’t often set well with us…most of us aren’t comfortable with the unknown…and if you happen to be one of those folks who are comfortable with the unknown…know that the rest of us are uncomfortable with you (HaHa)

The Holy Spirit may even make us Uncomfortable…what runs through your mind as you brace yourself for a message on the Holy Spirit? Expecting me to speak in tongues? Wondering if you will hear a loud sound like a rushing wind, followed by some flaming tongues of fire dancing on top of our heads? The supernatural can’t be easily explained or understood, therefore we may feel uncomfortable.

Comforting Truths

The Holy Spirit is a Personal Being…He, and I say He with purpose-just as He is referred to in our scriptures-not “it” but He…He is a person with consciousness, a personality and a will.

The Holy Spirit is a Divine Being…existing in eternity always before and always to be, omnipresent with you and with me always, all knowing (how scary is that?), creating & empowering in supernatural ways

For those who Believe…The Holy Spirit is Indwelling…a preacher once explained the Trinity of God like this, “Our Heavenly Father is God without skin, Jesus is God with skin, and the Holy Spirit is God within our skin.” In the Old Testament God promised to be with His people, in the New Testament God promises to be in His people.

So, what does this Indwelling Spirit do for and with us? Why is God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to us so important? Today I want us open ourselves to the Holy Spirit as we learn;

How He works in and through us.

What He provides for us and enables us to experience.

First, how He works…How many of your have super powers? Can any of you fly? Lift a car with one hand? See through walls and doors? What if I told you you do have access to super power? Think I’m crazy?

God’s gift of the Holy Spirit empowers the believer with spiritual gifts…a supernatural ability that equips every believer for service to God’s people…those who know Him and those who don’t….

Two Important Truths about Spiritual Gifts;

Every Believer has at least one Spiritual Gift…

Any Ikea fans in here? Every purchased a piece of furniture or other item with a label, “Some Assembly Required”? In my basement there are a couple of containers with “spare parts”…you know, the things that are left over after assembly?

God isn’t in the business of making “spare parts”…every believer, and I mean every single one, is important and specifically gifted for Kingdom work.

Spiritual Gifts come in all Shapes & Sizes…and Every Single One of them is critically important

Romans 12:3–8 (NIV)

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Spiritual Gifts are wonderful grace-presents from God to His church, but they carry with them a few inherent dangers.

They are not given to be used as a cop-out for radical service…if I pass by the restroom in the fellowship hall and notice a toilet overflowing…I can’t pass by proclaiming my gift is in preaching and ignore the opportunity…we are called to serve, even if the opportunity isn’t always in our sweet spot.

Not to be used as a substitute for spiritual maturity…spiritual gifts cannot take the place of the Fruit of the Spirit. Just because we may be a teacher, leader or musician, doesn’t make us exempt from love, patience, or kindness.

Not for prideful misuse…we have spiritual gifts to be used for building God’s Kingdom, not to build our own popularity or attention.

Not to be unused due to laziness or fear…the church needs all hands on deck, everyone has a role and responsibility…remember there are no spare parts

Do you know what your spiritual gift or gifts are? Three important things we can do to identify and better understand the gifts God has given us;

Examine Yourself…with humility and honesty, examine your life…what you’ve experienced, how you’ve served and responded to opportunities, successes and failures

Try and test different gifts…even if they take you out of your comfort zone. Perhaps there is good reason we are uncomfortable…maybe we aren’t gifted in that area…but we could also be missing a supernatural experience…remember it is out of the power dwelling within us not by our own strength

Finally, the hardest one…Ask others for input…who are you giving full permission to share honest feedback? Are you inviting those who know you the best to speak truth in love into your life? Don’t ignore the encouragement of those who love you, they can often see what you are totally blind to.

As we wrap up today I hope you are seeing the race set out before us. I hope you can see God’s desire for us to participate and trust in him.

As we Fan the Flame of our Spiritual Gifts God is the One who through the Holy Spirit will refine and forge in us a Finish Line Faith.

Its not an easy race, Jesus said,

John 16:33 (NIV)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Look back with me at 2 Timothy…can you see what Paul is promising to Timothy in his struggles. What the Holy Spirit will give him?

2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Power, Love and Self-Discipline…and those same promises are for you and me.

Power to Endure Difficult Circumstances - Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ, arrested and tortured in Romania for 14 years…happy to preach, happy to beat us…everyone was happy.

“It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners…It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. But a number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their terms. It was a deal: we preached and they beat us. We were happy to be preaching, there were happy beating us - so everyone was happy.”

Love to Endure Difficult People - in surrender to the Holy Spirit and the fruit that He produces in us…our actions will take a supernatural turn first (fanning the flame) and our hearts will follow…instead of being mad or frustrated, try praying and praising…see what happens

Self-Discipline to Endure Difficult Temptations - control in the heat of the moment. Not only does the Spirit give us the truth that we need to rightly evaluate tempting moments, He also gives us the supernatural discipline we need to rightly act in those moments.

Transition to Close:

I can’t let you leave here today without a challenge? I hope you are recognizing a spark or smoke rising from a smoldering ash. Do you know how to take the next steps? How to set the Holy Spirit free in your left, and let that little spark become a powerful fire that brings warmth and light into the world?

Look at the new jar of apple butter and the old jar…God’s gifts are ment to be used and passed on. We can’t ignore the Spirit and we can’t bottle it up and set it on the shelf. The Spirit released and active leads us to a supernatural experience that God has in store for us.

Closing/Call to Action:

Friend - if you haven’t yet placed your trust in Jesus, I invite you to do that today. Not out of pressure or obligation, but out of loving invitation. God has a gift for you, and all He is asking you to do is accept it.

Brothers & Sister - if you are a Christ follower, may I encourage you to fan into flame the spiritual gifts God has given you? He uniquely and wonderfully crafted you, and has come to dwell in you. The supernatural power of the Holy Spirit is yours, and He is ready and able to do unbelievable service through you. Will you do the hard work of fanning the flame of faith?

Sermon Planning & Notes

DT Restatement:

Complements:

Illustrations:

Scriptures:

2 Timothy 1:6–7 (NIV)

6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Romans 12:3–8 (NIV)

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:3–8 (MSG)

3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

4 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. 5 The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, 6 let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.

If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; 7 if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; 8 if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

John 16:33 (NIV)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”