Earnestly Seek
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-Sermon
I. INTRO
A. Where We’ve Been
B. Where We’re Going
C. Main Text
1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
D. Prayer
E. Context
II. BODY
earnestly means
desire means
Paul is saying:
earnestly desiring looks like:
Illust: my boy’s desiring ____?
If my boys really want something they really want they...
if it’s an earnest desire you can’t re-direct them…they r singularly focused on...
Who do they go to for what they want? - the giver o what they want
So, if we are earnestly desiring spiritual gifts we must seek the gift giver
Jesus encourages us in...
9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;
12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 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!”
This is what we’re going to do 2day!
1st we’re going to receive the Baptism o the H.S.
every time we c the baptism in the H.S. in Acts the people rec right when they ask
& sometimes even before they finish hearing about it.
Often the Apostles
The Apostles lay hands on the folks seeking the Baptism & right there they rec.
I trust God that this is the normitive experience & so I believe that will be our experience today
Ask, & rec. Seek & find, Nock & the door is opened
What’s going to happen is the H.S. will come on the seeker.
Then, as we rec. the H.S. He’s going to give ur utterance…He’s going to give u the words & it’s our responsibiblity to speak out what we hear
The H.S. doesn’t take control, he gives the utterance (the words) & we must step out in faith.
If u wanna b baptized in the H.S., come up front right now
If loud music or crowds tend to distract come over here to me by the side doors & we’ll go in2 the cafe
otherwise, the musicians r going to play & the elders r going to pray w/ya
We’re going to ask God to administer Spiritual Gifts, as the Spirit wills
Seek the Spirit’s will for the gifts & their manifestation in our midst
I do not at all mean in this service as a 1x occurrence, but in our daily life as we step in2 the lives o our God given networks
Yes, If the H.S. wills to manifest gifts in our presence today we won’t reject them,
but I believe that the next big revival will happen on the streets o Bennington & not in the 4walls o this bldg
& we’re going to knock on our heavenly daddy’s door
Paul writes in...
Paul couples the desire for the gifts w/pursuing the way o Love
a.
earnestly seeking is more than pleading with God.
Unite around the leadership & mission of Jesus
1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Phil 2:1-2
This is what the early church did when the H.S. came for the 1st time
14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
acts 1:
In this state o unity & devotion the H.S. fell on them in what we call “the day o pentecost”
Pursue loving one another
1 Cor 12:
31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Cor 14:1
1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
earnestly seek the gifts
strive to make the church excellent in reflecting Jesus in action & word
1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
What we’ve done here has been a good thing, hasn’t it? - It’s a great start to earnestly desiring
But, earnestly desiring the gifts is more than singing songs & getting emotional in a church gathering (again, this has been good)
But there’s more to it.
Paul couples the desire for the gifts w/pursuing the way o Love
that is, as we seek to love others, we must, in the moments o doing acts o love we should be earnestly desiring Spirit empowerment to better love others
that is, in the middle o loving others we should be asking God’s Spirit to be giving the gifts in that moment.
“God, what would you like to say to this person”
God, I love this person, but more than that, you do…empower these hands to heal today”
God, this person needs the miracle of ____, empower my hands to perform that miracle”
Along w/ that look @ what Paul says in...
12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
strive to make the church excellent in reflecting Jesus in action & word!
become 1 o us!!
as we prayerfully consider how we might contribute God will call us in2 ministry & empower us w/Spiritual gifts to fulfill that ministry
That is, look @the needs o the Church & ask God, how you might fit in here @GMCC to meet that need
When God tells u, ask God him to empower you for this calling.
Then step out in faith by reaching out to that ministry head!
looking to start a new min?
Call the office & ask which Deacon this ministry might fit under & reach out to that deacon!
Wow pastor, that’s a lot o work!
hmmmm, are u earnestly desiring the gifts?
If u really wanna see God move in Bennington, If u really wanna see GMCC b an excellent reflection o Jesus
If u really wanna pursue love, then this is what that looks like practically!
This is what’s required for us as the church
loving people practically
praying in our own time earnestly