Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit audio video notes. Many of us grew up in a church where the trinity consisted of the Father and the Son. They taught you about Father God and about the Son, Jesus Christ, but avoided the Holy Spirit (Ghost). Why? Overemphasis with rolling on the floor and outburst in tongues and disorder is why. People do weird things and call it the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not weird. Let’s talk.
SUPERNATURAL
By Delbert Young
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
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Video
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
Scriptures: Acts 1:8, John 14:16-17, John 3:3, John 3:5-6, Romans 8:16, John 14:26, John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, Acts 4:31, Romans 8:5, Romans 8:6, Galatians 5:16-17, Hebrews 2:3-4, 1 Corinthians 12:7, Ephesians 5:18, Acts 7:51, Mark 3:28-29
How many of you at some point in your walk with the Lord have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speak in other tongues? Please stand with me. The reason I asked you to stand is to let everyone know that we at Life Gate Church do believe in tongues because the Bible teaches it. I also did this to tell you if you do not speak in tongues you will never be pressured in this direction here. It is like salvation. It is personal and between you and the Holy Spirit. We don’t make a spectacle of the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us not to do that in 1 Corinthians 14.
Today, I want to talk about the REALITY AND POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. We forget, but, it is the Holy Spirit who makes the church SUPERNATURAL. God wants to empower you to live a SUPERNATURAL life. That requires the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8 But you will RECEIVE POWER when the HOLY SPIRIT comes on you; and you will be my WITNESSES in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Jesus said power comes with the Holy Spirit. Dunamis power to BE HIS WITNESSES. That does not mean simply talking to people about Jesus. It means to SUPERNATURALLY impact lives in such a way people will move from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. That is only done through the POWER of the Holy Spirit.
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
Many of you grew up in a church (me included) where the “trinity” consisted of the Father and the Son. They taught you about Father God and about the Son, Jesus Christ, but avoided the Holy Spirit (Ghost). Why? As I said last week, there is (1) Overemphasis with rolling on the floor and outburst in tongues and disorder. People do and say some of the strangest things and call it the Holy Spirit. Paul addressed this in 1 Corinthians 14. People talk about being “led by the Spirit” when in reality they want to do something “their way,” or “strange.” Being “led by the Spirit” is a lifestyle, not a moment. It’s power, not a feeling. The overemphasis leads to (2) Under emphasis where the Holy Spirit is avoided, thus causing the avoiding of a SUPERNATURAL life and church.
As you study scripture, you find the Holy Spirit IS a being of the Trinity. His presence in the life of a child of God is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world CANNOT ACCEPT HIM, because it neither sees HIM nor knows HIM. But you KNOW HIM, for HE lives with you and will be IN YOU.
We learn much about the Holy Spirit from those words.
The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” The Holy Spirit is a “he.” The Holy Spirit is not a “gut” feeling or goose bumps. The Holy Spirit is a being of power.
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
Unbelievers CANNOT ACCEPT HIM. Why? Because they can’t see him nor know him. If you are an unbeliever, you will say this all sounds weird to me. It is supposed to if you are not born of the Spirit of God. However, it concerns me when a person who says he or she is a believer and cannot accept the Holy Spirit. They are supposed to KNOW HIM – relationship, active in their life.
Jesus did not leave it with the Holy Spirit living with you. Jesus said he WILL BE IN YOU. What does that mean? You have power in you to TALK TO GOD. You have power in you to HEAR FROM GOD. It means you have at your disposal powerful gifts of God. It means you are no longer a natural person. You are SUPERNATURAL.
Let’s look at 5 things the Holy Spirit brings to your life in power.
1) THE POWER OF SALVATION
Once a Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus at night so his Pharisee friends would not know he was talking to Jesus about all the powerful things Jesus did. Nicodemus said you MUST BE FROM GOD – you must be SUPERNATURAL.
John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
Nicodemus said, “Do what! That’s weird. I am a grown man. I can’t go back into my mother’s womb!”
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
John 3:5-6 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the SPIRIT. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the SPIRIT GIVES BIRTH TO SPIRIT.
Your mother and father gave you a flesh/natural birth, but to be “spiritual/SUPERNATURAL” you must be born of the Spirit. When you truly come to Christ you are born again, but of the Spirit. At that time, you begin to see and understand spiritual/SUPERNATURAL things of the kingdom of God. To live a SUPERNATURAL life, you must experience THE POWER OF SALVATION.
Some people question if they are truly born again. How does one know if he or she is born again of God?
Romans 8:16 The SPIRIT himself TESTIFIES with our spirit that we are God’s children.
The Greek word translated testifies is summartureo and means to testify jointly, i.e. corroborate by (concurrent) evidence. The Holy Spirit in you, shows you with evidence you are a child of God. What is the evidence? The evidence is HOLY SPIRIT POWER operating in your life. It begins with the power of salvation.
2) THE POWER TO WALK IN GOD’S WILL
John 14:26 But the Counselor, the HOLY SPIRIT, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
How amazing is that? The Holy Spirit of God himself is your teacher. The Holy Spirit is your guide, and the Holy Spirit will counsel you through life. He leads you through life to walk in God’s will. How does this work out? It’s much like our camera people. They have an ear bud listening to the director from the media room. The director has a page listing who is leading the next song, or who will do the next thing. The director instructs each camera person what to do. It’s like the news or sports commentators on television.
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
It sounds something like this: Standby, we will air in 2 minutes. Then it’s 1 minute. Then it’s 30 seconds, and then “Standby, 5, 4, 3, 2 – sit up – smile,” the cameras roll, and you see everything happening perfectly. What is the point? The entire time, in their ears, they hear the voice of the one who knows what is about to happen. He is guiding, counseling, teaching, and giving directions.
This is what happens with the believer.
Inside is the voice of the Holy Spirit who knows what is about to happen. Say you are somewhere and need to make a decision, but you don’t know what to do. You pray and then listen. The voice of the Holy Spirit will speak to you. “Do this.” Someone needs some encouragement. The Holy Spirit leads you and speaks to you. “Reach out to that person. Encourage him or her.” Maybe you are witnessing to someone and you don’t know what to say. Inwardly, pray and listen. The Holy Spirit gives you the words to say. You are going through life and the Holy Spirit says, “Stop! Don’t go there!” “Wait! It’s not time.” “Help that person.” “Give money to this person.” “Don’t give money to that person.” The Holy Spirit will guide you through life.
John 16:13 But when he, the SPIRIT of truth, comes, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and HE WILL TELL YOU WHAT IS YET TO COME.
The Holy Spirit gives you POWER FOR SALVATION and POWER TO WALK IN GOD’S WILL.
3) POWER TO SHARE CHRIST BOLDLY.
The apostle Paul was intimidated in some areas when it came to presenting the gospel. He said he was not a great speaker, but this didn’t matter because this is not how people came to Christ anyway.
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT’S POWER, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on GOD’S POWER.
Instead of thinking about “witnessing” as only “talking to people about Jesus,” we need to think DEMONSTRATION. What if instead of trying to talk to a person about Christ, you expressed Christ through doing something for the person. It could be something as simple as giving them an audio CD or the notes from the lesson. It could be preparing them a meal when they are sick. Also it could be praying on the phone with them. It could be helping them out of a tight financial spot. I promise you if you ask the Holy Spirit what you can do for a person to demonstrate God’s love, he will show you.
Acts 4:31 After they PRAYED, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT and spoke the word of God BOLDLY.
Pray and ask the Lord to show you what you can do for someone to demonstrate God’s love. Have faith in what you hear and boldly go for it. I promise you, it’s not the devil telling you to do something that will demonstrate God’s love to someone. The Holy Spirit will give you power for Salvation, power to walk in God’s will, power to speak boldly, and…
4) POWER TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE.
Living a “Holy Life” sounds religious, so let’s say power to live a SUPERNATURAL LIFE led by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the HOLY SPIRIT think about things that please the Spirit.
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
Before a person knows Christ, it is very easy for sinful thoughts to dominate them. Without the Holy Spirit, we have no defense. We are weak. It’s “Think that lustful thought.” “Get angry!” “Scream at your child!” “Steal that money!” “Hate!” “Be Bitter!” If the Holy Spirit is in you, you have power to control those thoughts and think about things that please him – love, joy, peace, gentleness, faith, etc.
Romans 8:6 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the HOLY SPIRIT controls your mind, there is life and peace.
Which controls your mind today? Before you knew Christ, it was nearly impossible to break away from sin. However, after you know Christ, you have the power of the Holy Spirit to break away from anything.
Galatians 5:16-17 So I advise you to live according to your new life in the HOLY SPIRIT. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the HOLY SPIRIT wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and YOUR CHOICES ARE NEVER FREE FROM THIS CONFLICT.
There will always be a battle in your mind – ALWAYS! The kingdom of light – enlightened/supernatural thoughts – are always fighting against the kingdom of darkness – dark thoughts. The person who has received the Holy Spirit has power to live a holy life. Let’s look at one more.
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
5) TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
When the Holy Spirit comes into your life, he always brings with him spiritual gifts.
Hebrews 2:3-4 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great SALVATION? This SALVATION, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also TESTIFIED to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT DISTRIBUTED ACCORDING TO HIS WILL.
Spiritual gifts testify of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life. Gifts of the Holy Spirit testify to your SALVATION. Many of these gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. Though you probably will not hear tongues during the corporate service at Life Gate (1Co 14:9), if you come down for prayer ministry you might. Also, you may well receive a word of wisdom, word of knowledge, prophecy, discerning of spirits, faith, healing, mercy, etc. Some people here have the gift of serving, some teaching, leadership, administration, evangelism, mercy, etc. These gifts make a difference in the lives of people.
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
The Lord never intended the gifts to be used only at Church, but rather to help the church impact the world. The gifts go with us every day and every place we go. That is why when someone says they want the “Spirit to move” at church, I don’t know exactly what they mean. When is the Holy Spirit not moving? We are to take and use the gifts to make a difference in the lives of people with whom we work, at home, relationships, etc. Jesus used his spiritual gifts every place he went. We do too. So, what is your gift(s)? Are you using them? If not, there is something God wants done that is not being done because of you.
1 Corinthians 12:7 A spiritual gift is given to EACH OF US as a means of helping the entire church.
You have at least one spiritual gift that will make a difference in the church and in lives. The Holy Spirit has given you power of salvation, power to walk in God’s will, power to share Christ boldly, power to live a holy life, and power to make a difference through spiritual gifts.
The Bible tells us to…
BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.
Allow the Holy Spirit to direct your life, not a substance. Pentecostals and Charismatics, make being filled with the Holy Spirit weird, not SUPERNATURAL. I regrettably admit, I have been both and know it’s people who are weird, not the Holy Spirit.
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
Delbert, how is a person filled with the Holy Spirit? There was a time I would have said you must speak in tongues, but Jesus never said that and neither did Paul, or Peter, or John, etc even though each of them did speak in tongues. If you are hungry that way for God, you will speak in tongues. Today, here is what I say when asked about being filled with the Holy Spirit.
DO NOT RESIST THE SPIRIT.
Instead receive the Holy Spirit and he will fill you. Is that too simple? How does one resist? If you are a Christ follower, you have experienced a knowing deep within that God was directing you to do something. It can’t be explained, so I won’t waste time trying. You should know what I mean. You say or think, “I believe God wants me to _______.” At that moment, you have a choice to obey the prompting of God, or to RESIST.
Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always RESIST THE HOLY SPIRIT!
What happens when you resist? Exactly what happened to the Pharisees. You become “religious,” unable to change (stiff-necked). You become hard-hearted and unable to hear truth (uncircumcised heart and ears). There are horrific results when this goes on long enough. It was to those “resisting” Pharisees Jesus said…
Mark 3:28-29 “I assure you that any sin can be forgiven, including blasphemy; but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. It is an eternal sin.”
Jesus said that God gives us lots of mercy and leeway, but when it comes to the Holy Spirit, don’t mess around. Don’t get hard toward the Holy Spirit. This is serious stuff. This is SUPERNATURAL stuff. BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT BY NOT RESISTING HIM.
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is as much a part of the trinity as is Father God and the Lord Jesus. Because of that, when he comes in your life, he comes with power. He gives you the power of SALVATION, power to do GOD’S WILL, power to speak God’s word BOLDLY, power to live a HOLY LIFE, and power to make a difference with SPIRITUAL GIFTS. That’s why the Lord wants us FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT. Do not resist him. Instead, love him. Adore him as you do the Father and the Son. Receive him and live a SUPERNATURAL LIFE.
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit audio video notes
Reality and Power of the Holy Spirit audio video notes
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