Jesus our Model Part 2

Intro:

This morning we are going to jump back in to our series on the Holy Spirit entitled Chasing the Wind. Over the last several weeks, I have been sharing with you about the abundant life that is in Jesus, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit filled life.

These series of messages began with a simple word from the Lord. When He said to me, “Everything you need is in me.” Remember, that everything has an end purpose that reflects its created order. The created purpose of man is to reflect the image and the glory of God on the earth.

The maturity process in Christ is one where we learn to become Christlike. In the process God imparts His nature, substance, and being into our human spirits. This maturing process and the life that is in Jesus begins with the word of God, and is given to us through the Holy Spirit.

The life in Christ that has been given to us through the Holy Spirit has the inherent capacity for producing and maintaining living beings. It is characterized by healthiness (health in ones physical, mental and emotional state), happiness (contentment with Joy), exuberance (joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic), energy, and vitality (the power to endure-capacity to live and develop).

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Submit:

To develop we learn to recognize:

Jesus is the good shepherd who has life in Himself, but it is the Spirit who gives life to us. John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

The sheep know his voice and follow it through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” To have success as a believer it is essential to build a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit is first an inward ministry. John 14:16–17 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

To live by the Spirit, we must set our minds on spiritual things. Romans 8:5–6 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

The Holy Spirit is our advocate, counselor, and comforter. He will affirm to us through an inward witness that we are children of God. He will also come to aid us in counsel, teach us, and lead and guide us into all truth.

When you surrender your life to Christ you receive the Holy Spirit as the earnest of your inheritance in Christ, and He is in you for your benefit.

But there is also an outward working of the Holy Spirit. He is in you for your benefit, but He will also come upon you in power for the benefit of others.

Turn again to Acts 1:4-8

In Acts 1:4-8 Jesus is instructing the disciples on how they are to proceed for future assignment. He says, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The power spoken of by Jesus is a Supernatural power that has controlling influence over everyday realities. This is what we often refer to as the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 10:27.

Isaiah 10:27 “It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.”

The Supernatural anointing of the Holy Spirit is a yoke breaking, miracle working, bondage destroying, dead raising, deliverance bringing, dynamic healing anointing, and he is to come upon you to be a witness of Jesus. Bringing great benefit to others in need.

Normally, we would look at the effect of the baptism of the Spirit on the disciples, but I want to show you the effect of the anointing in the life of Jesus. Jesus is our primary model. I want to show you that Jesus had to live as a man in right relationship with the Father anointed by the Spirit.

What I love about Jesus is that He has shown us the way. He was God in the flesh, but chose to live just like His creation. Deity stepped down from glory and put on flesh.

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Apply:

Turn with me to Matthew 3:16-17.

Matthew 3:16 “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”

For a moment I want to consider the glimpse of the process that has led up to this moment. Jesus is roughly 30 years old when He is baptized in water by John, but for thirty years Jesus has been in a process of development.

His birth was prophesied and miraculous! Born of a virgin He is the son of God, but we don’t see him doing great exploits yet. His childhood is not recorded.

At twelve years old along with His parents He went to Jerusalem for the feast of passover. As the family leaves to go home, Jesus lingers behind in Jerusalem. After three days His parents find Him in the temple. For three days He is found sitting in the midst of the teachers both listening and asking questions.

They were astonished at His understanding and answers. When His parents find him and inquire why He didn’t go with them, His response was Luke 2:49 “And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

What does He do? He goes home with parents and submits to them. We don’t hear anything again until Jesus’s baptism. He begins to call some disciples to himself, but His time to be revealed to all has not yet come.

His mom Mary forces Him to do a miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus turns water into wine. His response to her is that His time had not yet come, but He honors His mother through obedience.

Why do I tell you all of these things. I want you to see that even with Jesus there was a process. It took time for Him to grow. He had to learn obedience. Hebrews 5:8 tells us that “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”

Jesus the son of God went through the process. The only difference is that He was not born into sin.

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Closing:

All of this led up to Jesus being baptized by John in water. Immediately after Jesus comes up from the water the scripture records that John saw the heavens open and the Spirit of God descending on Jesus like a dove and settling on him.

Up to this point Jesus has had to live as a man in right relationship with the Father. He has lived in obedience to His parents, and the time has come for the scripture to be fulfilled.

What does Jesus need to complete His assignment? To be filled with the Holy Spirit.

I can’t stress how vitally important this is! Jesus the Son of God the creator of all things needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Over the next few weeks we will look at the outward effect of the Holy Spirit on his life.

After he was filled do you know what happened? Matthew 3:17.

It’s recorded in Matthew 3:17 “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.””

He received affirmation of His identity. Can I tell you this morning, before you ever attempt to see the power of God demonstrated you need to have your identity affirmed by God. Without affirmation you may end up pursuing the works of God and use them as a replacement for identity.

What God does through you is not who you are. It’s simply what He is doing through your life. Before Jesus performed a single miracle, or any great exploit for the kingdom His identity is affirmed. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

If Jesus needed the affirmation of His Father, we also need the affirmation of the Father. Our identity comes from Him. If we are to see others correctly we must view ourselves correctly also. In Him, you are loved, chosen, forgiven, adopted, and empowered by His grace.

We will pick up next week by looking at the work of the Spirit in and through Jesus.

But as I close I want you to pause for a moment and close your eyes.

Prayer:

I believe that right now God is going to speak to you to affirm who you are in Him. I believe there are some that are here this morning, that are struggling to believe that you are accepted and loved.

Salvation