Sent With The Spirit

Prayer for Dave and Ray

Presence Over Performance

Engagement Over Entertainment

God Over Gimmicks

Introduction

As most of you have probably heard, Charlie Kirk a Christian influencer was killed this week. Charlie was known for having a winsome spirit while having conversations with young people on college campuses all across this country.

Charlie was someone who had deeply held beliefs and they informed the way that he interacted in the world. He didn’t beat around the bush and that was exactly what endeared him to the upcoming Gen Z crowd.

In a world where all truth is relative, where the establishment has lied to us time and time again, Charlie stood out as a person of integrity who wasn’t afraid to say what he believed and was able to defend it passionately.

I saw an interview with Charlie Kirk this week that stood out to me. When asked why Charlie started Turning Point and started engaging college kids with truth, he explained quite simply that it was his faith that drove him. It was because of his faith in God that he determined that he would go out and speak the truth.

“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith.”

— Charlie Kirk

And to me, this is the essence of what of what I am trying to encourage you into with this new series we started called SENT. Jesus SENDS us out to proclaim a message of truth. Now, the enemy will attack. If you go, you are recognizing we are in a spiritual battle and that battle has high stakes, but it is a battle worth engaging in, because people’s lives hang in the balance.

Today I want to continue on in our series and I want to encourage you to have courage. But courage doesn’t come from inside of us. It’s not something we can work up. It’s something we can pray for and ultimately it’s the Holy Spirit who will embolden us and give us the courage to speak.

The Holy Spirit is essential in the life of a Christian. In order to do what God has planned for you, you will need the Holy Spirit in your life. Let’s hear what God says in his word…

Main Text

John 20:21–22 ESV

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Jesus here is commissioning his disciples to go into all the world and spread his message to all creation. As He is sending them out, he does so by breathing on them and telling them to receive the Holy Spirit.

This is important, because the point of this series is this, we are sent in the same way as the Father sent Jesus. This leads me to my main point…The Spirit Went With Jesus and He Will Go With Us As Well.

The Father didn’t send Jesus out on his own. The Father sent Jesus out with the Holy Spirit and Jesus does the same with us. Let’s look at how the Spirit impacted Jesus’ life and perhaps we can get a clue as to how he wants to impact ours.

Here are three ways the Holy Spirit impacted Jesus’s ministry:

Jesus Was Filled With The Spirit

Jesus was a man who was full of the Holy Spirit. He was filled with the Spirit at his baptism and you can read about that in Luke Chapter 3. And we know this was the case because directly after his baptism, we read this…

Luke 4:1 ESV

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness

Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. I want you to think like this…if Jesus needed to be full of the Holy Spirit, how much more do we need to be filled with the Spirit? And why do we try to live our lives without the Holy Spirit??

Some of us treat the Holy Spirit like we treat the gas tank in our cars. We are constantly driving around on empty!

Jesus was FULL of the Spirit. He wasn’t halfway, he wasn’t empty, he was full. We need a filling of the Holy Spirit. Paul says in Ephesians 5:18 to be continuously filled with the Spirit. A never-ending flow of the Spirit into you.

Some of you may say, I was filled with the Spirit when I got saved, I’m good. That is a lie. You may have been filled with the Spirit that day, but the Bible says we need a continuous filling. WE cannot live on yesterday’s fire. We need a fresh fire, a fresh anointing, a fresh filling of the Spirit.

John the Baptist prophesied that while he baptizes with water, Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with Fire. (Matt 3:11) Now, I gotta ask, are you baptized in His Spirit? Have you been baptized in His Fire? If not, what are you waiting for? That’s a promise of Scripture. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and you should be too.

God commands us to be filled with the Spirit, and if we are not filled it is because we are living beneath our privileges.

Dwight Lyman Moody (Evangelist)

Jesus called the Holy Spirit a GIFT! It’s a privilege that we NEED if we are going to live a life that makes an impact in this world. Don’t take the Holy Spirit for granted!

I don’t care if you are young or old, it’s not too late to get on mission with God and to fulfill his purposes in your life, but you need the Holy Spirit if you are going to GO in His Name!

Jesus Was Empowered By The Spirit

Jesus received power from the Spirit of God to do all that God had asked of him. This is key. If you remember from our 1st John series, we talked about the fact that Jesus was 100% man and 100% God, but while on earth, we are told in Phil 2:7, that Jesus emptied himself of his godly attributes while walking the earth as a man.

Jesus lived his life by the power of the Holy Spirit. That same spirit which is available to us today. Listen to what the Apostle Peter says in Acts.

Acts 10:38 ESV

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power. These are two markers of his ministry. He didn’t do this on his own, he did it working in conjunction with the Holy Spirit of God.

You most certainly need the Holy Spirit as you are going. That’s a given. You cannot do this on your own strength. You cannot transform lives, you cannot change hearts. That’s the Spirit’s job.

The Holy Spirit (or Spirit of God) transforms and empowers God’s people.

Craig Keener

It’s The Spirit’s Job To Transform Lives. Too often we try to change people on our own power. We try to BE the Holy Spirit for others. I’ve done this. I’ve tried to be the Holy Spirit for someone. Tried to make them change with my words and actions. I’ve come to the realization over the years that I’m wholly incapable of changing anyone…even myself! I need Him!

Next we see Jesus was…

Jesus Was Led By The Spirit

Jesus followed the Spirit’s leading. We read earlier in Luke 4 that he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. After his baptism, after being filled with the Spirit, the Spirit leads him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Listen, if you are going to be facing the devil, you better be full of the Spirit.

Jesus followed the Spirit’s guidance and we should do the same.

When the Lord speaks to your heart, when he tells you to do something, do you listen or do you ignore? Do you even make time to hear him speak to you?

If you don’t have a regular quiet time with God, it’s going to be very hard to hear his guidance. If you aren’t reading his word regularly, it’s going to be very hard to hear His voice.

God speaks to those that listen.

Romans 8:14 ESV

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

The Spirit is always trying to lead you, but most of the time we aren’t listening. We are too self-absorbed in our lives to listen to his guidance, but we need to look at the life of Jesus and surrender ourselves to the Spirit and his guidance.

The true meaning of being Spirit-filled is to be Spirit-controlled. If you want to be full of the Spirit, give the Spirit full control of your life! The Spirit is looking for those type of people to lead. Those are the hearts that He desires. Hearts that are turned to Him, just like Jesus.

We Are Sent With The Same Spirit

Just like Jesus…

We Are To Be:

Filled With The Spirit

Empowered By the Spirit

Led By the Spirit

The Spirit Must Be Received

Jesus in our passage doesn’t force the Holy Spirit onto them. He tells them they must receive Him. In other words: The Holy Spirit Comes Where He Is Wanted.

God Is A Gentleman. The Holy Spirit doesn’t force himself on anyone. He doesn’t make you follow Him. This is a choice. It’s a priviledge, but it’s a choice, it’s a decision you have to make. Are you willing to surrender your life to the Holy Spirit and allow full control in your life?

Because he is a gentleman, We Must Ask For The Spirit:

Luke 11:13 ESV

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Parable of the Rooms?

God wants to give you a good gift today. God wants you to be empowered by the same Spirit that empowered Jesus. Contrary to how you may have learned about the Spirit in the past, I want you to know today, that the Holy Spirit is real. He is moving in the world today. He didn’t disappear with the apostles. He wants to fill you.

Decision

But you have to ask Him. You have to invite him into your life. You must ask Him to fill you.

Today I want to give time for prayer. We need the Holy Spirit. We need his empowerment. Look at the world around you. We need boldness. We need to stand with courage.

Will you make that decision today? Or will you continue to live your life on your terms. Will you still