The Holy Spirit Part 2
This morning I want to look at the Holy Spirit again to be a Spirit led Christian and a Spirit led church.
Last week we talked about the purpose of the Holy Spirit.
The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to give you power to do what it is God wants you to do.
This morning I want to talk about how we can bask but before we do I have good news, everyone say good news…
There are a few things I want to discuss about the Holy Spirit before we move on
First and foremost, if you are a Christian you have the Holy Spirit right now… Amen!
The Holy Spirit is alive in you! Everyone say Alive!
I Cor. 6:19, Romans 8:9-11, Gal. 4:6-7
Acts 2:38 tells us this. It takes all parts, first you confess, repent and are baptized into Christ and you receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This promises is for you and for your children…
V39
This is referred to as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, If you are a Christian, you have been Marked by God!
II Cor. 1:21
Again it is up to you if want to use Him or be led by Him.
You can be a Christian and have an indwelling of the Holy Spirit and never experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
You can have the indwelling and never experience that special anointing.
Imagine being a Christian and never using His power or learn to be under His influence.
Many Christians do this and they are missing out on the promise and power God has provided for them. This is why they are ineffective in their prayer life and personal life.
Everyone say tragic…well we are not here to talk about tragedy, no a victory.
This morning I want to look at how to be filled to with the Holy Spirit so you will be led by Him.
How to bask in the Holy Spirit
I. By faith:
Look at Gal. 3:14, John 7:39, Heb. 11:6
Say this, God wants to reward me, but I must seek Him!
Basking in the Holy Spirit begins with the belief that God will send His promised Spirit to those who seek Him out.
Again understand you must believe as if it happens part of faith does not doubt.
Everyone say faith does not doubt.
Faith is more than just believing, it is belief in action….
Faith does not just believe in something…it acts!
I believe in God, I even believe He knows best…but I put my faith in my own hands!
I believe in God, I even believe He will provide…but I put my faith in my pocketbook.
Faith is belief that goes into action….
Think of a story about two farmers who prayed for rain and only one went out to prepare his field for rain, which farmer God will bless…the one who prepared his field for rain. If you pray for rain, go prepare your field to receive rain.
Don’t pray for rain and think “I will wait to see if God is going to send rain, then I will act.”
It may take a week, a month, or a year, but the rain will come so go prepare your field.
Faith is a fact amen and an act! Say faith is a fact, say faith is an act!
It is all about the doing…
How many want to be Spirit led?
Then it takes action, it takes you getting up and taking a step of faith and preparing your field for rain.
Let’s look at an example of a man who took a step of faith.
Matthew 14:29
Look at Peter who gets out of the boat:
Here he goes, all the other apostles are sitting in fear but Peter takes a step of faith.
Then something happens…
Maybe he heard the other apostles saying, man look at that Peter should not be able to do that. Or who does Peter think he is?
Maybe he felt the waves crashing around him
Maybe walking on water felt weird or strange, especially the first time
Whatever it was, he took his eyes off Jesus and was no longer being led by the Spirit but by sight and began to sink.
If that was the end of the story it would be discouraging, if every time we took a step of faith and we sunk and that the end, then stay in your boat, but look what Jesus did…
verse 31 immediately, everyone say immediately, Jesus take out His hand, see Peter made the first step,
Jesus did not say, swim back Peter you want to rely on self rely on self.
I know the Scripture says you of little faith why did you doubt, but I image It was done with love.
I bet Jesus said Peter I am proud of you for making the effort and taking a step of faith…you need to learn to trust me, but I am proud of you.
you may have only taken a few steps but next time you may be able to take a few more, and soon you may be able to walk across the whole lake on water in faith powered by the Holy Spirit.
I’d imagine Peter, for years to come, was asked, man what was like when you walked on that water…
I’d imagine Christ looked back at the 11 and said, you of little faith, you did not even try!
The problem is we want to stay in our boat.
There is the boat of tradition, of comfort, the boat of pleasing people, the boat of fear
We sit and see faith, wave at faith; man I wish I had that faith
We sit and we see blessing, wave at it, and we wish we had that type of blessing
We sit and see a ministry prosper, wave at it, and we wish we had it,
We sit and we see a growing church, wave at it, and we wish we had it.
We sit and we see Jesus walking by, wave at Jesus, and we wish we had Jesus
Well, get out of the boat.
Christians do not need a wishbone, they need a backbone!
If you want the full measure of the Holy Spirit you are going to have to take a step of faith and say I would rather drown than spend one more day in that boat…
I may sink, but I know Jesus is going to be there to catch me….
I would rather drown then spend one more minute in this boat.
Here is what we do…hold onto the boat and wave like a mad man and yell Jesus…come get me…
Or we put on foot on the boat(use emotion) and wave Jesus down I am over here….
Last week we looked at the promise of the Holy Spirit it is a fact we accept but it takes action on our part as well.
Begins with belief Acts 2:38-39
And continues with seeking God out! Luke 11:5-10
The second way to bask in the Holy Spirit is to have a complete unyielding to His direction…get self out of the way… do you think Peter was completely trusting on the Spirit when he was walking on water, what happened when He stopped.
If you are sinking, trust more! Everyone say trust more!
After you realize you need to bask in the Holy Spirit, you do step two…Pray for it in faith, step three is yielding and is the most difficult.
It is easier to do it myself than wait and yield to God. Amen, at least it is for me…
Example.
One of the most popular phrases I hear working with kids and non-Christian people
WHATEVER
you need to be honest in work to be trusted with more, what ever
You need to do well in school to excel whatever
You know what whatever means don’t you…I’ll do it my way….
Christians too:
You need to love others to be loved, whatever,
You need to tithe to God to be blessed finically, whatever
You need to submit to your husband and love your wife for your marriage to grow, whatever
You need to submit to the leaders of the church for unity to occur, whatever
Folks God is a God or order not whatever….when it comes to the Holy Spirit we must submit to His always not whatever.
He who basks in the Holy Spirit is the one who seek it out, prays for it in faith, and yields to His direction
This is where it gets tricky…some may be seeking the fullness of the Holy Spirit, a special outpouring and anointing but it may not come because they do not seek it, they do not seek it in faith, or they do not yield to the Holy Spirit, but when we do this He will come in a way that makes it possible for us to walk on water
I. The Holy Spirit is able to make a success out of a failure or a failure out of success. Paul wrote, "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant." (2 Cor. 3:5,6)
Ask the Lord to turn any aspects of your life and ministry that is failing into a success. Be willing to give up any thought, attitude or practice that is causing you to fail the Spirit's will.
II. The Holy Spirit can bring new life into dead things.
Your faith, your home life, your job, your marriage Peter wrote, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit." (I Pet. 3:18) Ask the Lord to bring many who are now dead to life with His power.
III. The Holy Spirit possesses all wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Isaiah wrote, "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." (Isa. 11:2) Ask the Lord to help you to gain greater insights from the Spirit in all aspects of your personal life, relationships and ministries.
IV. The Holy Spirit does not accept rejection well. Jesus said, "But whoever
blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." (Mark 3:29)
Help people to take seriously all of the truths of the Spirit.