without Him
Michael Mehring
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 26:47
0 ratings
· 10 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Holy Spirit - every day! -connected, -flowing, -sap -what is it?,
Holy Spirit - every day! -connected, -flowing, -sap -what is it?,
At the conclusion of this morning, I want to give you
Four questions that you can ask the Holy Spirit every day
I will follow Rebecca’s lead - please stand with me as we read the Word…
Jesus is speaking here……
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
and then in verse Five - our main verse this morning…
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
in our walk with God…
There is no magic, special formula. no bells or whistles. no smoke and mirrors———-
God is just looking for people who believe Him so much —— that they act like they believe.
They act like Jesus heals.
They act like God is a miracle-worker.
They act like God hears and answers prayer
They act like God is alive and doing well
They act —— and God acts.
Now we must admit that God is sovereign King. He doesn’t need you and He doesn’t need me.
He doesn’t need us He doesn’t need anything,
the theological term is God’s ASEITY. (being self-derived or self-originated)
the only one!
in Act 17
24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
but He chooses to use us.
He chooses to work through us.
Let’s really believe that. He chooses us.
Let’s believe that the same God who worked through Moses, David, Paul and others —
wants to work through you!
with just as much power!!!
maybe even more!!!
Miracles give evidence to the fact that Jesus is alive.
Signs And wonders are to show forth His power!
He is real! He is powerful!
Nothing is impossible for Him.
and we are on assignment from God to bring people into the presence of Jesus.
to bring people into the miraculous in the presence of Jesus!
WE ARE TO CREATE ATMOSPHERES FOR THE MIRACULOUS
It is through reputation and expectation that you create an atmosphere of faith for miracles to happen.
Reputation:
constantly speak about the reputation of Jesus by sharing about the miraculous works He is doing in and through you.
Expectation:
as you share testimonies and stories of miracles, these will build faith in the people around you. They will begin to believe that the same God who performed a miracle for you or through you can do the same for them.
think about this—-
God eliminated the limits.
How far we go in the things of God is completely up to us.
It’s not up to the Father, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit and certainly not the devil;
it is absolutely up to us.
let me remind you of this —
that there is no greater power —NO GREATER POWER—
in the world than the power of the Holy Spirit.
We see that —- before Jesus returned to heaven,
He left to His Church the greatest gift that He could possibly have left——the Holy Spirit.
In giving the Church this gift, He promised, “And ye shall receive power” (Acts 1:8).
In other words, Jesus was saying, (I like this paraphrase)
“I give you the same power that was manifested in My life on earth, the same power that was manifested in My ministry. You have seen the miracles. You have seen the demonstration of supernatural power. Now I am going away, but I am not leaving you powerless. As a gift, I am giving to you, My own Church, the same power that was mine when I walked this earth.”
“I give you the same power that was manifested in My life on earth, the same power that was manifested in My ministry. You have seen the miracles. You have seen the demonstration of supernatural power. Now I am going away, but I am not leaving you powerless. As a gift, I am giving to you, My own Church, the same power that was mine when I walked this earth.”
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
are you believing? the verse says: “he who believes in Me”
are you believing?
Thousands of God’s professing children are living defeated, powerless lives.
In some instances, they’re almost bringing a reproach on the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ because they’re living lives of defeat.
I ask you again:
are you believing?
Now, I want to call your attention back to the verses we read right at the opening of this message and one to particular phrase in verse in John 15:5
the last phrase says: “without me, you can do nothing”
Jesus said of himself—
19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
The life that flowed from the Father to the Son was the Holy Spirit
The life (SAP) that flows from the vine to the branches is the Holy Spirit
When I think of how many times a day goes by, and I realize I haven’t made much of a connection with the Holy Spirit
ouch!
The first words out of my mouth every morning should be
“Holy Spirit help me today, lead me today. I will follow you.
In the last words I say every night should be
“Thank you Holy Spirit for your leadership. It’s been a good day.”
And in between the first words and last words, there should be fluid conversation, communion with the Holy Spirit, bringing course correction to my steps
There is more of God available to you.
More of His presence. More of His power. More of His glory.
More of His character. More of His kindness.
so How do you experience more?
It has everything to do with your relationship with this wonderful Person called the Holy Spirit.
It’s not about being some unique man or woman who has some divine “touch.”
It has everything to do with the presence of the Holy Spirit, the One who has been given to each of us by a good and gracious Father.
Here is the question that begins your journey:
how filled with His presence are you willing to be?
I am giving you a thrilling invitation of what could be possible in your life.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Think about this….
now I am not gifted with musical ability. really!
But suppose I sneak into my church’s sanctuary on my day off, when nobody is around, and try to play some chords on the piano.
Without my knowing it, the great Mozart (Go with me for this Illustration ) enters the narthex. The poor man is in pain from my “music,” so he walks to the front and says to me,
“I would like to help you. I have a power no one else knows about—I can transmit my ability to another person. All you have to do is to look at me and watch me intently.”
I suddenly get a great idea! I make sure that the next Sunday my regular church pianist is away. Mozart is there, but he declines to play.
So I humbly sit at the piano, and as long as I look at Mozart, my fingers really fly over those ivories. Nobody has ever played like that at Lighthouse Church in Walworth!
I start feeling pretty good, so I begin looking at the people, enjoying their admiration for my musical prowess. And then my ability is suddenly gone!
Often we make the same mistake.
We fail to keep our eyes on Jesus through the Holy Spirit and to depend on him, to abide in him.
I need you to do something with me….
Imagine with me for a moment you’re sitting in grape arbor — you’re an arbor inspector!
a beautiful lush green vine is growing
In this illustration, remember the picture it represents
Jesus is the vine
You are the branch
fruit is growing
and one more thing is included in this picture——
the sap in the vine and branches
it is the flowing life of the Holy Spirit
The fruit -grapes- are signs and wonders and miracles,
the fruit of the Holy Spirit are
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
the gifts of the Holy Spirit -
the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, the interpretation of tongues.
these are the grapes we are to bear
Now you’re sitting in this Grape arbor and Your job is observation -
I want you to see what is happening — take note —
you see the vine —strong and secure — bristling with power and life
you see the branches —flexible but attached — healthy and alive
you see the grapes —lusish and juicy - full of flavor
you imagine (see) the sap —sticky and flowing — pulsating with divine power
The first thing I want you to observe is the connections
between the vine and the branch
The connection between the vine and branch is pretty solid
the wind or rain doesn’t shake it loose
And between the branch and the grapes
The connection between the branch and the grapes is pretty loose
it is easily picked — harvested
Now as you look you can see the main purpose of the vine is to produce grapes
you would consider it dead if it did not produce fruit
now In your observation you notice that the vine doesn’t grow grapes directly on itself
The vine has everything necessary to grow grapes,
the sap - life - Holy Spirit
but it doesn’t grow grapes on itself
it wants something to grow grapes on —
an intermediary — a branch!
The purpose of the branch is to allow the flow of sap from the vine to the grapes
If you could see inside the inner workings of the branch,
would you see that it is trying to draw from the vine
it’s saying “open up the valves and give me what I need to grow grapes”
come on vine!! — pour some sap in me so I can produce fruit!!
come on — let’s get with the program—-
Vine I’m asking you again - let’s have some sap
No !! It’s only job is to be in a position to receive
No, it is saying thank you for the sap -
it feels so good as it is flowing through me
I am at rest and you are flowing through me and doing the work
producing the fruit!
Have you ever looked at a fruit tree and seen the branch struggle to produce fruit?
You’ve never seen the struggle because it doesn’t have to struggle;
the role of the branch is to just stay connected and receive of the life that is flowing into it from the vine.
It is the vine that does all the work!
when the branch is connected to the vine, fruit is the automatic result.
the branch has to do is just be connected and it will naturally produce fruit!
and it is a connection of grace —— the vine provides the power!
Too often we look to a formula instead of faith.
We try to make the fruit show up instead of simply being a branch
and allowing the vine to do the work.
Essentially, we need to “be” instead of “do.”
Instead of preaching the Gospel, we have preached traditions, principles, and formulas. We have taken our cues from the world instead of the Holy Spirit and are giving people 21 steps to a miracle that really involves everything but a relationship with Jesus.
The formula for experiencing the supernatural is simple:
be a branch and stay connected to the Vine.
Just as Jesus said He could do nothing without the Father, He is letting us know we can do nothing without Him.
So, this should tell us if fruit isn’t being produced, it is simply because we are endeavoring to do it outside of our union with Christ.
We can see this truth again in Galatians 2. 20-21 NKJV
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
If you don’t do life through Jesus, you set aside the grace of God and therefore, you will not produce fruit. We are a spirit, united to the King of the supernatural and because of our union, the supernatural will naturally manifest in our life.
This is why it’s so important to understand the reality of being a spirit being and our union with Christ. When we do so, we stop looking to outside sources and the natural things in life to try and get the supernatural to happen.
Now Imagine you’re looking at the same picture of the vine and the branch and the grapes.
Imagine if there’s a disconnection between the vine and the branch.
Maybe the branch is totally severed from the vine
The result — no sap flowing - no life - no fruit
no hope — without God
To say that a branch must be attached and abide in the vine may sound redundant at first. But the truth is pointed: there is no life and no fruit in life apart from the Vine.
Just as a branch suspended out in mid-air or lying on the ground without any attachment to the vine is lifeless and meaningless,
so a man on the earth without attachment to Christ is lifeless and meaningless.
Those who seek life and meaning someplace other than in Christ are doomed to failure.
but that is not our focus this morning… we are looking at attached branches
now Imagine if you will — a steel band around the branch
Picture this — there are steal bands on all the branches connected to the vine
The bands on the branches are of various sizes and produce all kinds of different results
The enemy is so deceptive
he says —— the bands are put there to help shape and develop us
he tells us to believe that the branches need these bands for identification and value
It might be a Methodist band, or a Catholic band, or a Baptist band, or a Lutheran band, or a Pentecostal band, or an independent band,
the band from my home church was…changed when the pastor said to me
“we don’t believe that — go across the street — that church believes that”
but in reality — the band just cuts off some of the flow of the sap
It Is not enough sap for some of the gifts of the Spirit,
or maybe none of the gifts
or maybe only a limited amount of the fruit of the Spirit
Maybe it’s a little tighter - maybe it’s just Sunday morning band
maybe it’s just once or twice a month band
We really all have two bands, a corporate band and an individual band
an external band and an internal band
peer pressure — inner doubt
the bands are put there to limit us
What puts the band there in the first place?
Well, in reality, the enemy is behind it (both)
The bands are there
to restrict us
to limit us
to hold us in check
to keep us by hiding behind a lie that we think is truth
Let me ask you a question—-
If you have two branches, the same size growing side-by-side and one has a band on it and one does not which one will get bigger — grow stronger?
Right!
What tightens the band?
Buying into the thoughts of man instead of the thoughts of God
I’m not saying at all that Every denomination is bad. Every denomination has some of the thoughts of God but far too often they’re mixed with the thoughts of man and that does not make a happy union
You must test the doctrines of any denomination against the Word of God
You must test the teaching of this church against The Word of God
Everything in life and I mean everything has to be tested against the Word of God
The Word of God is the only place that we have absolute truth
Set aside everything that does not align itself with the Word of God
What loosens the bands or
removes them altogether?
REST!
rest not striving
10 As we enter into God’s faith-rest life we cease from our own works, just as God celebrates his finished works and rests in them.
can you imagine —- From such a vine as Christ — what a vintage must come!
Being branches in him, what fruit we must produce!
There can be nothing scanty or poverty-stricken in the fruitage of a vine so full of sap.
Fruit of the best quality, fruit in the utmost abundance, fruit unrivalled,
must be borne by branches connected such a vine.
Without me, you can do nothing,
but with me —— watch out world!
That word “do” has music in it.
Yes, brethren, Jesus went about about doing good, and, being in him, we shall also do good
I told you at the beginning of this message about something you could ask the Holy Spirit—-
so what are the 4 questions we need to ask?
Holy Spirit, would you lead me today, direct my steps.
Holy Spirit, would you lead me today, direct my steps.
Lead me in the way I should go
be a lamp to my feet and a light into my path.
I only want to go where you go.
I only want to do what you’re doing.
When I think of how many times a day goes by, and I realize I haven’t made much of a connection with the Holy Spirit
The first words out of my mouth every morning should be
“Holy Spirit help me today, lead me today. I will follow you.
In the last words I say every night should be
“Thank you Holy Spirit for your leadership. It’s been a good day.”
And in between the first words and last words, there should be fluid conversation, communion with the Holy Spirit, bringing course correction to my steps
Holy Spirit, I need your help In this situation.
Holy Spirit, I need your help In this situation.
You could just say I need your help,
but I want you to make it more specific.
I need - want your help in this situation that I’m facing right now.
I need your grace
I need your protection
I need your Guidance and direction.
I need your Provision.
I need your Strength.
Holy Spirit, what are you doing for this person?
Holy Spirit, what are you doing for this person?
The person you are highlighting to me right now
is it Salvation
is it Healing. Physical? Emotional? Spiritual?
is it Deliverance.
is it Freedom
is it Hope
What are your good plans for them today?
Holy Spirit, how do you want me to be involved?
Holy Spirit, how do you want me to be involved?
I am willing to do what you want me to do — direct my actions
Do you want me to just pray quietly
Should I Pray with the person
If I should speak to the person, Give me the words
Do I need to exercise authority
Can I speak healing
How about ministering deliverance
What should I do ————
4 questions to ask -
Holy Spirit, would you lead me today, direct my steps.
Holy Spirit, I need your help In this situation.
Holy Spirit, what are you doing for this person?
Holy Spirit, how do you want me to be involved?
But above all things we must have Christ with us in the power of his actual presence.
Do we always think of this—“Without me ye can do nothing”?
We are going today to teach the young; shall we be quite sure to take Christ with us?
or on the road shall we suddenly stop and say, “I am without my Master, and I must not go another step”?
The abiding consciousness of Christ is the essential element of our strength.
We can no more convert a sinner without Christ than we could light up new stars in the sky.
Power to change the human will, power to enlighten the imind as to the things of God,
and to influence their mind as to repentance and faith, must come entirely from the Most High.
Do we believe that?
The power lies with the Master, not with the servant;
the might is in His hand, not in the weapon.
We must have Christ in these chairs and in these aisles, and in this pulpit, and Christ in our classes, and Christ at the street corner when we stand up there to talk of him,
we must have him in all that we do, or we shall do nothing.
come, flow through us, Holy Spirit
