Spirit Filled Life

UnCommon Human

Story

Opening Verse:

Joel 2:28–32““And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.”

Joel Prohesied That the Holy Spirit would come. Then Peter on the day of Pentacost quoted Joel ……..Years earlier

(Acts 2:16–21 “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’”

Teaching_ At Pentecost the Holy Spirit was released throughout the entire world—to men, women, slave owners, slaves, Jews, and Gentiles. Everyone can receive the Spirit. This was a revolutionary thought for first-century Jews. Pentecost was designed to be a clear indication—to Jew and Gentile alike—that the messianic age had arrived. The Messiah had come!

Q:In Acts 1:4–5“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.””

What did Jesus tell His Disciples To Wait For?

wait for the Promise of the Father

Life Application New Testament Commentary The Promise of the Holy Spirit / 1:1–5

1:4–5 As the risen Christ met with his disciples, here eating a meal with them, he surely told them many things. Luke records only a handful of sentences from those forty days of instruction, so they certainly are important words. Christ first told his followers to stay and not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised. This points back to Luke 24:49. He had spoken about this before, at the Last Supper: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit” (John 14:16–17).

This would be a new kind of baptism. John baptized with water, said Jesus, but these believers would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist had baptized people as a sign of repentance. They had confessed their sins and had determined to live as God wanted them to live. Baptism was an outward sign of commitment. To be effective, it had to be accompanied by an inward change of attitude leading to a changed life. John’s baptism did not give salvation; it prepared a person to welcome the coming Messiah and receive his message and his baptism (Matthew 3:11).

The Old Testament promised a time when God would demonstrate his purifying power among people (Isaiah 32:15; Ezekiel 39:29). The prophets also looked forward to a purifying fire (Isaiah 4:4; Malachi 3:2). This looked ahead to Pentecost (Acts 2:1–6), when the Holy Spirit would be sent by Jesus in the form of tongues of fire, empowering his followers to preach the gospel. All believers, those who would later come to Jesus Christ for salvation, would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the fire of purification (in the Greek one article precedes these words, indicating that they were not two separate baptisms). This baptism would purify and refine each believer. When Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit, the entire person would be transformed by the Spirit’s power.

If Jesus had stayed on earth, his physical presence would have limited the spread of the gospel because physically he could be in only one place at a time. After Christ was taken up into heaven, he would be spiritually present everywhere through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was sent so that God would be with and within his followers after Christ returned to heaven. The Spirit would comfort them, guide them to know his truth, remind them of Jesus’ words, give them the right words to say, and fill them with power. As promised by Christ in the upper room (John 13–17) and by the Father (see Peter’s speech in Acts 2:17 and following), the Holy Spirit would be the next great event in the life of the church. Many believe it to be the very birth of the church.

Acts 1:8 “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 Joke: A man walks into the gym... he asks, "where do I sit to wait for the fitness to happen?"

>I once went camping and remembered to bring my brand-new, powerful LED flashlight. It was a beautiful, powerful tool, but I had forgotten the batteries.

INTRO:

Athlete Story: The Unflappable Runner

In the 1970s, legendary runner Frank Shorter won the Olympic marathon because he mastered the basics. His training wasn't about shiny gadgets; it was about 150 miles of slow, consistent running every single week. While everyone else tried complex, flashy shortcuts, Shorter stuck to the boring, common work consistently. That consistency gave him the uncommon endurance to pull away from the pack.

Tonight we are going to look at how to live out the Spirit-Filled Life — Through 6 Pillars- Making Us That Uncommon Human - who performs the common uncommonly well! We stick to the basics, just like any athlete. Setting Us apart from the world

1. 🥇 Pillar 1: Believe (Foundation)

John 3:16 (NKJV) |

| Verse | “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” |

Teaching: The moment you believe, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in (en) you.

Quote: Chuck Smith taught that this is the essential gift of new life. You've received the promise, but you must ask for the power.

* Cross-Reference (NKJV): Luke 11:13: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

* Fitness Tie: Nutrition (Energy & Focus): This is your pre-workout phase. Belief is the foundational Nutrition for your spiritual workout. We must fuel up spiritually first.

* Quote: "Faith is not an emotion; it is a decision." — C.S. Lewis

* Visual Cue: PILLAR 1 VISUAL: The Full Pyramid Base (BELIEVE). Highlight the base tier (Believe / Nutrition).

2. 🥈 Pillar 2: Humility (Maintenance)

| Scripture | Proverbs 3:34 (NKJV) |

| Verse | “Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble.” |

Teaching & Application

* Expository Teaching: Humility is the common practice of admitting dependence. The Spirit guides you into all truth (John 16:13), often through humbling lessons.

* Cross-Reference (NKJV): James 4:6: “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””

* Fitness Tie: Mobility & Body Maintenance: Humility is doing your Mobility work—admitting where you are stiff. Tony Evans says the humble believer hands over the remote control of their life to the Spirit for control.

* Uncommon Action: Perform the common act of daily confession, yielding the control in uncommon obedience.

* Visual Cue: PILLAR 2 VISUAL: Pyramid builds to Tier 2 (HUMILITY). Highlight Tiers 1 & 2 (Humility / Mobility).

3. 🥉 Pillar 3: Love (Heart Rate)

| Scripture | John 13:34-35 (NKJV) |

|---|---|

| Verse | “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” |

Teaching & Application

* Expository Teaching: We cannot generate divine love (Agape). The Spirit-Filled Life is essential because the Spirit pours out this love into our hearts (Rom 5:5). Love is the uncommon quality that sets you apart.

* Cross-Reference (NKJV): Romans 5:5: “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

* Fitness Tie: Endurance & Heart Rate: Love is the spiritual Endurance. The Spirit ensures the steady, strong beat of the Spirit-Controlled heart, preventing your spiritual endurance from failing.

* Uncommon Action: When feeling friction, ask the Holy Spirit to pour out His love through you, turning a common conflict into an uncommon moment of grace.

* Visual Cue: PILLAR 3 VISUAL: Pyramid builds to Tier 3 (LOVE). Highlight Tiers 1, 2, & 3 (Love / Endurance).

4. 4️⃣ Pillar 4: Serve (Body Awareness)

| Scripture | Galatians 5:13 (NKJV) |

|---|---|

| Verse | “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” |

Teaching & Application

* Expository Teaching: Freedom is for loving service. To serve effectively, we need the Spirit's power to flow upon (epi) us. This power is dunamis (dynamite, Acts 1:8).

* Cross-Reference (NKJV): 1 Peter 4:10: “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

* Fitness Tie: Gymnastics & Body Awareness: This is Functional Strength. The Uncommon Human is Fit 2 Serve because the Spirit enables them to apply their strength using spiritual gifts. Tony Evans says the Spirit is God's down payment assuring the mission.

* Quote: "A lack of the Holy Spirit's power means a lack of witness." — D.L. Moody

* Visual Cue: PILLAR 4 VISUAL: Pyramid builds to Tier 4 (SERVE). Highlight Tiers 1-4 (Serve / Gymnastics).

5. 5️⃣ Pillar 5: Character (Strength)

| Scripture | Romans 5:3-4 (NKJV) |

|---|---|

| Verse | “...knowing that tribulation produces patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” |

Teaching & Application

* Expository Teaching: Character is built under pressure (tribulation). The Spirit sustains you through trials, producing uncommon resilience and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

* Cross-Reference (NKJV): Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

* Fitness Tie: Weights & Strength: Character is built like Weights training. The common, boring work of abiding produces the uncommon muscle of spiritual self-control. You gain victory over sin by pushing against resistance.

* Quote: "The only thing we have to offer to the world is the life of the Holy Spirit." — A.W. Tozer

* Visual Cue: PILLAR 5 VISUAL: Pyramid builds to Tier 5 (CHARACTER). Highlight Tiers 1-5 (Character / Weights).

6. 6️⃣ Pillar 6: Transformation (Speed)

| Scripture | Romans 12:2 (NKJV) |

|---|---|

| Verse | “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” |

Teaching & Application

* Expository Teaching: The Holy Spirit is the agent of this mind renewal, ensuring your lifelong change is progressive and effective (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is the continuous goal of the Spirit-Filled Life.

* Cross-Reference (NKJV): 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all... are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

* Fitness Tie: Sports & Speed: When all the pillars are optimized, you achieve spiritual "speed"—you are spiritually quick to obey and ready to respond powerfully.

* Uncommon Action: Perform the common work of mind renewal to live an uncommon life.

* Visual Cue: PILLAR 6 VISUAL: The FULL Pyramid (TRANSFORMATION). Highlight all 6 Tiers (Transformation / Sports).

➡️ Conclusion: Fit 2 Serve Action Steps

To-Do List (Action Steps)

* Ask in Faith (The Pre-Workout): Perform the common discipline of asking the Father (Luke 11:13) to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Receive it by faith!

* Yield Control (The Form Check): Pray and tell God you are handing over the "remote control" of your life to the Holy Spirit.

* Witness (The Functional Strength): Choose one person to pray for this week and look for an opportunity to perform the common task of sharing your hope, relying on the uncommon power of the Spirit.

Closing Story: The Mighty Mississippi (1 min)

> The mighty Mississippi River is a force of nature. It’s a massive river because of the flow of the water. We are meant to become a mighty river—a channel gushing forth with life and power to everyone around us. Abide in Jesus, receive the Spirit, and be the Uncommon Human!

But before we start, remember:

The Joke: A man walks into the gym... he asks, "where do I sit to wait for the fitness to happen?" We can't just sign up and sit down! We need power. The Holy Spirit is that power source.

FINAL REVISED

Teaching:🏃‍♂️ The Spirit-Filled Life: Becoming the Uncommon Human

INTRO:

Story: The Unflappable Runner

In the 1970s, legendary runner Frank Shorter won the Olympic marathon because he mastered the basics. His training wasn't about shiny gadgets; it was about 150 miles of slow, consistent running every single week.

While everyone else tried complex, flashy shortcuts, Shorter stuck to the boring, common work consistently. That consistency gave him the uncommon endurance to pull away from the pack.

Tonight we are going to look at how to live out the Spirit-Filled Life —

Through 6 Pillars- Making Us That Uncommon Human - who performs the common uncommonly well! We stick to the basics, just like any athlete. Setting Us apart from the world

1. 🥇 Pillar: Believe (Spiritual Foundation)

This is the foundation. It begins with belief.

John 3:16 – "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Teaching: The moment we believe, the Holy Spirit moves from being with us {para}) convicting us, to in {en}) us (indwelling,

John 16:7–8 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”

His leaving meant he could live, through the Holy Spirit, in every believer throughout the world.

By the Spirit the Gospel would go out to all the world

1 Corinthians 3:16“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

This is the initial gift. Our salvation is part of the promise prophesied 800 years later on the day of pentecost by Peter in Acts Ch. 2 this is what was quoted

Joel 2:28 ““And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.”

It says God will "pour out My Spirit on all flesh."

Fitness Tie: Nutrition (The Pre-Workout): Believe is the foundational Nutrition that fuels your soul. We must fuel up spiritually first.

Quote: "Faith is not an emotion; it is a decision." — C.S. Lewis

2. 🥈 Pillar: Humility (The Base Condition)

The foundation must be stable.

Proverbs 3:34 – "Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble."

Teaching: Humility is the common practice of admitting dependence. We receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit by faith, just as we received Jesus Christ into our life by faith. We must be humble enough to ask

Luke 11:13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!””

This is also the command to "sanctify the Lord in your hearts" submitting to His control.

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

Sanctify - Meaning being set apart

Fitness Tie: Mobility & Maintenance: Humility is like your Mobility work—humbly admitting where you are stiff.

The humble believer hands over the remote control of their life to the Spirit.

3. 🥉 Pillar: Love (The Heart Rate) Now we move from our foundation to our function.

John 13:34-35 – "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Teaching: The Spirit is the Helper who ensures our relationship with God is more alive and vital. The way that people know that we are followers of Jesus is by the love we show others

John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—”

The Spirit-Filled Life pours out (Greek: rheo—gush forth,

John 7:37–39 “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

The availability of the Spirit is linked with the glorification of Jesus, for it was after Jesus’ glorification through death and resurrection that the Spirit became available to believers

John 20:22 “And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

(Romans 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Fitness Tie: Endurance: Love is spiritual Endurance. The Spirit ensures the steady, strong beat of the Spirit-Controlled heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to pour out His love through you, turning a common conflict into an uncommon moment of grace.

4. 4️⃣ Pillar: Serve (Functional Strength)

This is the purpose of the power.

Acts 1:8 – "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me..."

Teaching: The power comes upon {epi}) us to serve.

The word for power is DUNAMIS (dynamite). This is the ability to witness

(Matthew 10:19–20 “But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

The Spirit empowers us for service

Acts 10:44 “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.”

Acts 19:6 “And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”

This is what Jesus told them to wait for

Acts 1:4–5 “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.””

Fitness Tie: Functional Strength: This DUNAMIS is your functional spiritual strength.

The Spirit is God's down payment assurance that you are Fit 2 Serve.

Quote: "A lack of the Holy Spirit's power means a lack of witness." — D.L. Moody

5. 5️⃣ Pillar: Character (Strength)

This is built through consistency.

Romans 5:3–4“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Teaching: When filled, we receive increased power to overcome sin (a direct benefit of the baptism). The Holy Spirit sustains you through tribulation, helping you produce the fruit of the Spirit

(Galatians 5:22–23“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Fitness Tie: Weights & Strength: Character is built like Weight training—by pushing against resistance. The common, boring work of abiding and resisting temptation builds strength & character. We build Godly character by having the opportunity to spend time under tension.

Quote: "The only thing we have to offer to the world is the life of the Holy Spirit." — A.W. Tozer

6. 6️⃣ Pillar: Transformation (Speed)

This is the ultimate goal.

Romans 12:2 – "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

Teaching: The Spirit ensures Scripture comes alive to us, and our relationship with God is more alive and vital. The renewal of the mind transforms us progressively "from glory to glory"

(2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

* Fitness Tie: Sports & Speed: When all pillars are optimized, you achieve spiritual "speed"—you are quick to obey and ready to respond powerfully.

The Heart Check

(1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

You must "Sanctify the Lord in your heart" before you share. that means making Jesus the Head Coach. You don't take the field until you've submitted to His leadership.

* The Playbook: The Spirit makes the "playbook" (Scripture) come alive.

Memorize these common basics to achieve uncommon results:

* The Problem: Romans 3:23 (We've all sinned).

* The Penalty: Romans 6:23 (Sin's wage is death).

* The Provision: Romans 5:8 (Christ's demonstration of love).

* The Power: Romans 10:9, 13 (Saved by faith).

The Game: Witnessing

This is where the DUNAMIS (Dynamite) power we talked about earlier hits the ground.

Trust the Coach: You aren't playing in your own strength. Matthew 10:19–20

Don’t worry what you have to say, promises the Holy Spirit is the one who will speak through you.

The Result: We play the game; God keeps the score.

Acts 2:47 “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

reminds us that it is the Lord who adds to the church.

The Fit 2 Serve To-Do List (Action Steps)

Closing , here is your uncommon homework for this week:

Ask in Faith (The Pre-Workout): Ask the Father (Luke 11:13) to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Don't start your "game" without His power.

Yield Control (The Form Check): Hand over the "remote control" to the Spirit. Check your "form" daily—are you following the Coach's lead?

Pack Your Bag: Write down the Romans Road verses or put a pocket Bible in your gym bag.

Step onto the Field: Ask the Spirit for one opportunity this week to witness, trusting His power to speak through you.

Closing Story: The Mighty Mississippi

Think about the mighty Mississippi River. It isn't powerful because it holds water in; it is powerful because of its flow. If the water stops flowing, it becomes a stagnant pond.

If you keep the Spirit and your faith to yourself, you become a stagnant Christian.

But if you let the Spirit flow upon (epi) you, you become a river gushing forth that changes the landscape of eternity.

Abide in Jesus, receive the Spirit, and go live out the spirit filled life, that we where called to do. Being set apart from the world.

John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.””