Spirit Lead Leaders

Read John 14:12-18, 23, 25-27, Acts 1:4-5, 8, 2:1-4,

John 14:12–18 ESV

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:23 ESV

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 14:25–27 ESV

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Acts 1:4–5 ESV

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 2:1–4 ESV

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

I read those passages to you, because today is the day of Pentecost, 2020. Each and every year we remember this special time, because two very significant events occurred on this very day, some 2,000 years ago.

First, the Holy Spirit of almighty God was poured out upon the 120 men and women who were waiting in the upper room, as Acts 2 describes to us. This amazing and miraculous event, of course, leads to the second significant event that took place on this day, 2,000 years ago.

On this very day, the day we call Pentecost in the Greek, which is also the Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks in the Jewish festivals, on this same day the Body of Christ, the ekklesia, the church, was birthed and came into existence!

Today is the birthday of the Body of Christ!

And so, as we remember and celebrate this very special day today together, I want us to also take this time and remember and celebrate another very special event.

We are going to partake in holy communion this morning.

We cannot remember and celebrate the day that the Body of Christ was born, without first and foremost, remembering of what it cost the Christ in getting us here.

Ask for the ushers to come and prepare to disperse the communion sacraments.

The observance of communion is to remind us of what it cost Jesus to buy back our freedom from sin and death and eternal separation from almighty God.

As a I always say, “You don’t have to be a member of THIS part of the body of Christ, to partake in communion, BUT, you most definitely must be a member of THE Body of Christ, in order to partake in communion!

ASK THE PEOPLE TO COME AND BE SERVED FOR COMMUNION AND THEN RETURN TO THEIR SEATS WHILE THE TEAM LEAD IN ANOTHER SONG.

Now that everyone has been served, just hold onto your bread and your cup for a couple of minutes, as I want to share with you a couple of thoughts.

Jesus was sharing with His disciples on the night of His arrest, of what He was about to do for the sins of the world. He used the unleavened bread of the passover meal to symbolize that of His perfect, sinless body which was going to be broken and marred and horribly tortured,as it was being prepared for the altar of the cross.

And then upon the cross, which was a type for the altar in the temple, His precious, pure and sinless blood would run and trickle down the sides of the altar, as it was being presented before almighty God as payment for the sins of the world!

One sacrifice for all times, so that in this one man’s sacrifice, the many would come to salvation!

As Paul said in Romans 5, “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.”

That is what we are remembering at this time and each and every time that we observe communion together. The great and costly sacrifice that Jesus made for each and every one of us upon that cross!

You know, in the book of Leviticus, chapter 23, we read of where God gave the instructions for the Feast of Weeks, or what we call Pentecost. And since today is Pentecost Sunday and it’s the conclusion of the Feast of Weeks festival, I felt it only appropriate to share a little with you on what was entailed in this particular feast that God had put into place, as it is relevant for today.

In those instructions in the Levitical Law, God said that the people were to bring from the first of their wheat harvests, two loaves of leavened bread as a wave offering, to be offered before the Lord.

But along with these loaves, there was also to be sacrificed, 7 lambs, 1 bull and 2 rams. which were to be offered as a “burnt offering” to the Lord.

Also, another male goat was to be offered as a “sin"offering and 2 more male lambs were to be offered as a “peace offering” before the Lord!

As we remember and observe communion today, on this day, Pentecost Sunday, 2020, it’s important that you and I remember that Jesus became and fulfilled every one of those sacrifices for us, that were offered during this festival to almighty God!

Jesus was offered up before God as a sin offering, once and for all, so that our sins would be forgiven and paid in full!

As Hebrews 10 tells us, Jesus said to to the Father, “Behold, I have come to do your will. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

And Jesus was offered up as a peace offering for you and I, as Isaiah 53:5 tells us,

Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

And finally, Jesus became the burnt offering to almighty God for us.

Of all of the offerings that were to be brought before the Lord, according the Law of Moses, whether voluntarily or mandatory, none were more costly to the people, than that of the “burnt offering”.

Everything of the animal in the burnt offering, except for the skin and the blood, was placed upon the altar and slowly burned up, as a sweet aroma before the Lord God!

From all of the other offerings sacrificed to God, parts of the animal were given back as a meal to either those who had offered it, or to the priests, as an allotment for their service to the Lord. But not the burnt offering. It was completely and totally offered up, burned up, upon the altar!

And meat, back then, was an expensive and costly item. They didn’t just run to the store and grab a pack of meat like we do.

It was much more costly to a person, than any of us can relate to, or imagine.

This is why David says what he says, after he took the census that he was not supposed to take and he had sinned against God and he goes to build an altar to God and Ornan, the owner of the threshing floor tells David that he would freely give to David the threshing floor and his oxen for the sacrifice, as well as the yoke from the oxen for the wood for the fire. Ornan was willing to freely give everything for the burnt offering to the Lord.

Davids says to Ornan, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.”

The person bringing the animal for the burnt offering, (and remember that the animal had to be without blemish or spot; perfect), that person would place both hands upon the animal and lean into it, thus signifying that they were identifying with the animal, as they transferred everything onto the animal and with the understanding that the animal was taking their place, becoming their substitution, completely and totally before God and for the sins that they had committed. And also, the burnt offering was a voluntary offering of the people to God.

It’s worth noting also, that the person bringing the offering was to be the one who killed the animal. In other words, it was at the hands of the sinner, that the burnt offering was to be killed for the sacrifice!

That is what happened to Jesus. He was offered up freely, of His own will and killed at the hands of the sinners who brought Him to the altar!

He was offered up completely and totally to God the Father upon the cross; nothing was held back and nothing was spared, just like with the burnt offering.

The entirety of the Christ was placed upon the altar. He held back nothing for us and nothing was spared or held back from His suffering!

It was the most costly of ALL sacrifices, just as God the Father had designed it when He put into place the “burnt offering” for the people and their sins and He did so, in knowing what it would cost Him through His own Son’s death!

And because Jesus was willing to lay down His life and offered up as the burnt offering, completely and without holding back for His own sake, you and I are able to do the same thing, as Paul tells us in Romans 12:1, “

Romans 12:1 KJV 1900

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

One more thing, the Hebrew word for “burnt offering” is “holah”, and it typically refers to, or means, “ascend,“ literally to “go up in smoke.”

So, the animal’s blood was shed, symbolic for the “atonement” and then the smoke of the sacrifice would rise, symbolic of resurrection!

The burnt offering went up to God, as a pleasing aroma, because of its offering and meaning.

When Jesus, the “burnt offering” for you and I was completely offered up here as our eternal sacrifice, His blood was shed for our atonement and then He ascended, went up to the Father!

And so today, the Feast of Weeks, once again, comes to a conclusion (minus the need for sacrifices or burnt offerings any longer) and also with today being the exact same day when the Holy Spirit was first poured out upon all flesh in that amazing moment in the upper room on Pentecost Sunday, you and I have assembled together today, as a family, to remember and thank God the Father, for Jesus the Christ, who became the fulfillment of everything in the Bible, that pertains to our life and Godliness!

And because of His great sacrifice for us and our sins, today we can now share in the the unsearchable riches of Christ and for all eternity!

OBSERVE COMMUNION TOGETHER IN READING I CORINTHIANS 11:23-26,

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Last week, I spoke to you on the subject of the Body of Christ needing spiritual leaders to be raised up within the body, so that they could lead others into the kingdom and also to mentor and guide those who were coming in and who were new to the faith. And the example that I gave to you on this subject, was that of the Apostle Paul and his teaching and mentoring Timothy, one of his spiritual sons, as to how to lead others and how to raise up spiritual leaders within the church.

I also gave you the daunting task of reading those two letter that Paul wrote to Timothy, the epistles of I and II Timothy. Did everyone remember to do their homework?

I wanted you to focus more on II Timothy in your reading, and in particular, I was more focused on the 2nd chapter of II Timothy, because in that chapter, Paul gives Timothy 7 examples, of what a kingdom leader could be likened to.

And please keep in mind that these 7 descriptions that Paul lists for Timothy and for us, are not an all inclusive list of traits. In other words, it’s not that you must be able to check off that you have attained and become each one of these things.

Rather, what I want you to focus on for this message and this teaching, is that each one of the 7 descriptions that Paul mentions in II Timothy 2, are all singular in their focus and they are all driven with a “like mindedness” approach.

TEACHER - (verse 2, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”

SOLDIER - (verses 3-4, “Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.”)

ATHLETE - (verse 5, “And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules.”)

FARMER - (verse 6, “And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor.”)

WORKER - ( verse 15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”)

VESSEL - (verse 20-21, “In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.”)

SERVANT - (verse 24, “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.”)

A TEACHER - strives to do the one thing, which is to teach others. This one attribute, I would stress to you with the greatest of importance, as this is what we are called to do. I Think that is why Paul lists this one first on his list to Timothy and it is reiterated throughout these letters and in his other epistles.

We are all called to teach the word, as Paul says in chapter 3 verses 16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

And then again in chapter 4 verses 1-2, Paul charges Timothy and stresses the urgency of getting the gospel message to others, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

And then Paul stresses the urgency of getting the message out there and as to why it must out and not stop, because, as he says in chapter 4 verses 3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

Paul stressed the same thing to his other spiritual son, Titus, where he told him in Titus 2:1, “As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Titus 2:1”

In fact, in the 15 verses of Titus 2, (in the NLT), Paul stresses about “TEACHING”, 9 times!

How you and I live, should reflect what you and I teach!

In all of the 7 things that Paul uses as analogous for Timothy, in II Timothy 2, that pertain to being a spiritual leader, they are all driven by “like mindedness”. All 7 of them (teacher, soldier, athlete, farmer, worker, vessel and servant), they all have a single focus in mind; to achieve their one goal with which they strive towards.

Paul said in Philippians 2:5,

Philippians 2:5 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

As faithful followers of Jesus and as spiritual leaders in His body, we are to be “single minded”, “like minded”, “CHRIST MINDED”, in all of our deeds and actions!

We, just like those 7 examples of a leader, should be using our gifts and our calling for the single purpose of fulfilling our role as a follower of Jesus the Christ!

And the thing that I will stress today, on this day, more than ever, as it is in fact Pentecost Sunday, is that the ONLY way that you and I can become “like minded”, “CHRIST MINDED”, is to be led by the Holy Spirit of almighty God!

He will UNIFY the body of Christ, if we will listen to Him and follow Him.

The Bible says that the believers in Acts 2, when the church was first born, “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all who believed were together and had all things in common (they were unified).”

And the outcome of this unity, according to the Bible, was that, “the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

You see, that is the result of the church being led by Holy Spirit, versus being led by the mind of men.

If it’s Holy Spirit leading the church, God draws people and the kingdom increases!

If it’s man and his thinking and his desire and will that drives the church, then it’s man that increases numbers and the building increases in size, but the kingdom goes no where!

Only God can draw and bring the increase to His kingdom!

Paul said, “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. (UNIFIED)

Let me close in reminding you of Paul’s instruction for us in Ephesians 5:16, 18, where he tells us,

Ephesians 5:16 ESV

making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:18 NLT

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,

IF TIME PERMITTING, USE THE ANALOGY OF THE FOUNTAIN PEN AND THE INK.

MENTION OF ANNE LOTZ GRAHAM ASKING FOR WOMEN (SPECIFICALLY), BUT MEN CAN JOIN IN THIS TIME ALSO, IN JOINING IN TOGETHER FOR PRAYER THIS EVENING FOR THIS NATION AND THE CONDITION OF THE NATION. (FROM 7-8 CST)