Series: Soul Care and the Holy Spirit
Opening Video: Jim Cymbala interview by CBN – The Holy Spirit
(5 min).
Testimony of the power of the Holy Spirit:
Hand out his books to people in church as a gift for ones who give a testimony to the power of the HS!
Series: Soul Care and the Holy Spirit
See summary on power points!
Sermon: Moses and the Holy Spirit
Scripture Text: Numbers 11:
1 Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire died down. 3 So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the LORD had burned among them.
Quail From the Lord
4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
7 The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. 8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. 9 When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.
10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the LORD, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? 13 Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”
16 The LORD said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.
18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The LORD heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”
21 But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you
say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ 22 Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”
23 The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”
24 So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the Tent. 25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again.
26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”
29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” 31 Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.
35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth and stayed there.
Introduction:
In our Scripture text today we have Moses who has been empowered by the Holy Spirit leading and dealing with the Israelite people in the wilderness they number about 2 million people. It would be hard enough to lead 2 million people into the wilderness but they are also mumbling, grumbling and complaining all the time.
The murmuring and complaining of the people has pushed Moses to the breaking point – God is starting to send fire down on the nay-sayer complainers.
If you have not from face book complaining can become contagious – we have all read the comments – we see the repeated comments of people complaining. The complaints run from Jobs, to job pay, to having to work crazy hours, to relationships, to life, to getting tickets, to politics. People complain about others and the list of murmuring and grumbling goes on even today on Facebook – I wonder how God feels about all the complaining?
People even complain about Deer Crossing signs:
In 2011 a letter was written to a local newspaper: “A lot of deer get hit by cars west of Crown Point on U.S. 231. There are too many cars to have the deer crossing here. The deer crossing sign needs to be moved to a road with less traffic. - Tim Abbott, Crown Point”
This letter was indeed submitted by Crown Point, Indiana, resident Tim Abbott and published by the Munster, Indiana, Times on 19 August 2011, and the missive garnered a good deal of public attention after it was read on the air by Tonight Show host Jay Leno in September 2011 and again when it was posted on the Facebook page of Star Trek actor George Takei in June 2012.
On 17 September 2012, a woman later dubbed "Donna the Deer Lady" called the weekly "vent line" feature of Fargo radio station Y94's "Morning Playhouse" show and stated that she had been in three car accidents involving deer in the last few years, all of which had occurred near deer-crossing signs; she then offered seemingly earnest complaints about officials' "allowing these deer crossings to be in such high-traffic areas" and questioned "why we are encouraging deer to cross the interstate." The following month, a recording of that call received wide circulation on the Internet via YouTube:
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/humor/letters/deercrossing.asp#ibS04AWWy4cSIOpV.99
Lou Holtz said this about complainers on his football team: “When you complain 20% don’t care what you are saying and the other 80% think you deserve it so quit complaining.”
Moses has hit his breaking point – he is overwhelmed – worn out – frustrated- with all the complaining from the people. They are murmuring against God for their hardship, they want to go back to Egypt, they want to go back to bondage, they are saying “Egypt was better.” “Following the Lord is not worth the hardship and suffering they have been facing.”
The result is God gets angry and consumes the outskirts of the camp with fire from Heaven. Moses is caught in the middle and he cries out to God for mercy – result is God’s anger subsides. The people a short time letter do it again- ranting against God’s provision. The mouths open and the words roll off them assaulting the Lord – complaining – saying negative comments!
It once again begins spreading throughout the millions of people and God is being ridiculed and criticized for what He provides – only manna – no meat. Egypt provided better for them – their food was better – God is angry again at their unappreciative attitudes.
Moses is in the middle and he has had enough of being in the middle between the people and God. He is overwhelmed to the point of wanting out at any cost in leading these people. He asks God to kill him! The burden and negative attitudes of the people is too much for him and he is asking God to just let him die. The pressure is too much – the task is too huge – he cannot do it anymore. He wants out – he feels like a failure – he cannot make the people happy, they don’t appreciate God, they don’t appreciate the miracles of God, the supernatural provision of manna or the God they see every day in the pillar of cloud from the Tabernacle and the pillar of fire at night. The people want meat and feeding 2 million people meat is too much for Moses! He has no idea where He is going to get enough meat to feed this many people!
Moses by the way is empowered by the Holy Spirit for His task but he is over whelmed and looking to God for help with this huge burden. God then tells Moses to choose 70 leaders – proven leaders in the camp to bring to the Tabernacle to have them empowered with the same spirit Moses has – God will descend and place on these men His Spirit to help Moses lead through them and deal with the people and the stress.
Holy Spirit in the OT was revealed as having the ability to empower people for specific acts of service and for leadership tasks.
The Holy Spirit empowers God’s Servants for service in Numbers 11.25-26 the helpers appointed by Moses to assist him in his work are to receive the same ‘spirit’ as he enjoys - ‘the Lord took some of the spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the seventy elders, and when the spirit rested upon them they prophesied’. The activity of the Spirit is revealed in prophesying, but in this case as a sign of permanent endowment with the Spirit of wisdom and insight for leadership.
An important observation from the Bible about the Holy Spirit was, “In the OT the Holy Spirit comes and goes while in the NT He is with us always!” Do you see the huge difference? Do you understand how blessed we are? Do you see now what Jesus gave us through the Spirit?
In Numbers 11 we have the story of Moses – the people complaining- the cry of Moses – The Lords reply to Moses and a solution to ease the pressure of leading so many people – He places the Spirit on Moses on 70 other elders – in other words the Holy Spirit is given to others to perform the role of service and leadership. The sign of the Spirit on these men was that they prophesied – they spoke the words of God!
As leaders it is easy to fall into the trap of depending on our own skills and abilities and not rely of the Holy Spirit like we should. When we have developed a knowledge base and talents in our field we have a tendency to rely on them rather than on the Holy Spirit. We seek to do the task without the Holy Spirit – we devise manmade programs and procedures that do work but in the process exclude the Spirit of God.
T.S - We need to learn the lesson of the role of the Holy Spirit in regards to leadership and service within the Kingdom of God.
I. The Holy Spirit empowers us to lead.
a. Moses was empowered by the God to lead these people – in Numbers 12 we hear about his empowerment of the Holy Spirit as he is again being attacked – but his time by his own family.
i. They don’t like his decision to marry a Cushite wife.
1. Sounds racist to me?
2. They feel that God speaks to them not just to Moses!
3. So they criticize him – rip on him – tell him he is making a huge mistake.
4. Exodus 12:4-9:
a. God appears in a cloud from the Tabernacle – and He speaks to the tree of them – see 6-8:
i. 6 he said, “Listen to my words: “When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.8 With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
ii. We see his commission at the burning bush and the task God has for Him.
1. See Exodus 3
b. The Holy Spirit is the one who creates and shapes us into the type of leader God desires within His kingdom.
i. This leadership empowerment is for church and I also believe for our secular jobs.
1. The OT speaks of empowering men to do their work or trade.
2. See Exodus 31 and the story of Bezalel and Oholiab.
a. Exodus 31:3: “and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts…”
c. The Holy Spirit today empowers leaders and He does this by choosing and recruiting the right leaders – with the right heart – like God did with Moses and the 70 Elders chosen for leadership in the Kingdom of Heaven.
i. We also see this in ACTS - The presence of the Holy Spirit was a qualifier for leadership when choosing seven leaders to care for widows found in Acts 6:3-6.
1. The Holy Spirit also guided the selection of two leaders–Saul and Barnabas–and commissioned them to preach the Gospel in Salamis as found in Acts 13:2-5.
2. The Holy Spirit chose and appointed leaders to shepherd the church.
a. This empowerment is revealed in Acts 20:28 says, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
ii. What could hinder a person from receiving the Holy Spirit and having them disqualified for empowerment?
1. Bill Bright states the following:
a. Though you are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith and faith alone, it is important to recognize that several factors contribute to preparing your heart for the filling of the Spirit.
i. First, you must desire to live a life that will please the Lord. You have the promise of our Savior, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
ii. Second, be willing to surrender your life totally and irrevocably to our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul admonishes in Romans 12:1, 2: "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will."
iii. Third, confess every known sin which the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and experience the cleansing and forgiveness which God promises in 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."…
iii. I add a fourth thing which hinders a person from being Spirit filled “Believing lies!”
1. 2 Timothy 4:1-5: 1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
2. This passage shows what also will hinder a connection to the Holy Spirit – Believing lies!
a. When we buy into lies we reject the truth.
b. We are told in this passage that in the last day’s people will want to be lied too, people claiming to be Christians will not desire truth but instead lies that make them feel good about their sin.
c. You will face this in your life – you will be lied too – you will want to be lied too – so you feel good about your sin – but the Holy Spirit will never tell you what you want to hear – he will lead you to truth – why – because believing in lies will lead you to bondage not freedom.
i. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
d. Scripture is “God-breathed” – the breath of God – the work and manifestation of the Holy Spirit teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, and trains us to be in right standing with God.
i. This is the role and the work of the Holy Spirit today! It’s not – you can do and believe whatever you want and God will still bless you and allow you entrance to heaven. You have to be directed by the Holy Spirit!
1. You have to follow truth!
2. Repent when you sin!
3. Believe what is true and biblical!
4. The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher!
a. Share your story of the school of the Holy Spirit!
b. The revelation of truth when I first got saved.
c. Urban Coalition and all the divine moments of spiritual teaching.
e. 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.
f. 1 Corinthians 2:13: This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
g. We must not allow lies to keep us from being immersed in the Holy Spirit – being filled with the Holy Spirit – if we choose the path of lies and deception we will not have room for the Holy Spirit – If we fill our life with lies – then there is no room for the Holy Spirit.
i. You must embrace the truth if you want filled with the Holy Spirit!
ii. You must reject the lies of this world if you want the Holy Spirit!
d. The Holy Spirit came on these leaders to give them the boldness and the ability to prophecy (speak the words of the Lord) even the ones still back at the camp and not at the Tabernacle.
i. The leaders of God needed to be able to deal with the complainers, troublemakers and rebels.
1. So God gave them boldness and insight into His spiritual world.
2. He empowered them with the Holy Spirit to deal with the entitlement mindsets of the people, the disrespectful attitudes toward God, the lack of appreciation for God’s provision.
ii. We see the Holy Spirit impacting the apostles In Acts 4.
1. The chapter acknowledges that Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke to the leaders. Peter and John were empowered by the Spirit with courage and boldness to speak unapologetic truth to the influential leaders of their day.
2. The Spirit did this for the elders and Moses too in the wilderness.
a. You need boldness to deal with unhappy people – you need boldness of the Holy Spirit to confront complainers and rebellious people.
3. The Holy Spirit gave this boldness to Stephen in Acts 6:9b: “These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.”
a. This is what the Holy Spirit can do for you if you open your hearts to him.
b. Do you need ability to lead today ask the Holy Spirit!
e. I see from our text today that the Holy Spirit brings encouragement – wisdom – strength to weather the leadership storms of life. This is crucial (having the empowerment of the Holy Spirit) if we want to be good godly leaders.
i. Moses needed help in dealing with so many disgruntled people so God enabled more leaders to handle the people rather than it all falling on Moses.
1. We need this kind of help in the church today too!
2. I need this kind of help!
ii. In Acts we see the Holy Spirit empowering people to do certain leadership tasks:
1. The Holy Spirit was present when Stephen was stoned Acts 7:54-56.
a. He helped Stephen face his death for the Kingdom of Heaven.
2. The Holy Spirit warned Paul about going to Jerusalem Acts 21:4-14.
a. Guiding him where his next leadership role was.
3. The Holy Spirit brought seasons of peace and comfort to the church. We need this – Moses needed this in our text today.
a. See also Acts 9:31 says, “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”
f. The Holy Spirit is the one who provides discernment and direction for leaders.
i. In our scenario Moses needed help – he felt like the leadership position he was in was overwhelming and he needed God to help him.
1. So God sent him 70 other leaders and empowered them with the Holy Spirit to carry the load.
2. To do this they needed God’s insight and discernment – how to make the right choices – in the right time – at the right place.
ii. We see in Acts how the Holy Spirit
1. When Peter and John meet up in Samaria with Philip and encountered Simon the Sorcerer they received divine direction and discernment on how to deal with him.
a. They confronted him – knew where his heart was and it lead to his repentance.
2. When Paul encountered Elymas the Sorcerer, the Holy Spirit gave Paul the discernment to see Elymas as a “child of the devil” and then the Lord struck Elymas blind - Acts 13:7-12.
3. And in Acts 16, the Holy Spirit directed Paul’s journeys as he preached the Gospel and had great success.
g. The Holy Spirit is the power to successfully handle conflict like Moses was dealing with in Numbers 11.
i. We see it in Acts as well - In Acts 15, a conflict arose in the church where some Jews insisted that non-Jewish people must be circumcised in order to be saved. After considerable discussion on the issue among Paul, Barnabas, James, the apostles, and some believing Pharisees, a conclusion was finally reached.
1. Some of the above ideas and thoughts from http://stephenblandino.com/2012/06/the-holy-spirits-role-in-leadership.html
h. The Holy Spirit empowers us for service so we can lead faithfully and wisely for the Kingdom of Heaven with His presence.
i. These men received their ability to serve in the Kingdom by the Holy Spirit coming on them.
1. We need the same today!
ii. God took leaders and then filled them with the Holy Spirit to go to another level of leadership in the Kingdom.
T.S. - It’s this kind of Spirit filled leadership which transforms people’s lives and moves the Kingdom of Heaven forward in this world. Successful spiritual leadership is also revealed through the gift of prophecy.
II. The Holy Spirit empowers leaders to prophecy so as to affirm their Spirit empowered commission.
a. In our Old Testament passage we see prophecy coming on the leaders as they are filled with the Spirit – the Holy Spirit – it was sign to others that these people had the Spirit like Moses did.
i. God’s anointing and hand was on them.
ii. The complaining and unhappy people could see God’s hand on them!
b. In the OT Prophecy was defined as:
i. Definition: "Propheticism may legitimately be defined as that understanding of history which accepts meaning only in terms of divine concern, divine purpose, divine participation," Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 3, p. 896.
ii. "The prophet is neither a philosopher nor a systematic theologian, but a covenant mediator who delivers the word of God to His people in order to shape their future by reforming their present," From Prophets and Prophecy, Encyclopedia Judaica vol. 13 p. 1152.
iii. Prophecy and the Holy Spirit has become defined as the following:
1. An inspired utterance of a prophet, viewed as a revelation of divine will.
2. A prediction of the future, made under divine inspiration.
3. Such an inspired message or prediction transmitted orally or in writing.
4. The vocation or condition of a prophet.
a. A prediction.
c. If we ask the question what was the purpose of prophecy? We discover the following from Free Bible Commentary:
i. We learn that prophecy is a way for God to speak to His people, providing guidance in their current situation and hope in His control of their lives and world events.
ii. The prophet’s messages were basically corporate in nature.
1. Which means they rebuke, encourage, engender faith and repentance, and inform God's people about Himself and His plans.
2. Usually to a group of people – like the nation of Israel.
iii. Their messages would challenge and hold people to God's covenants.
1. Reminding them of them and warning them not to break them.
iv. It was also a sign to clearly reveal God's choice of a spokesman see Deut. 13:1-3; 18:20-22 as our text reveals in Numbers today.
v. Prophets represent God to the people, while Priests represent the people to God. This is a general statement but proven out in Scripture.
vi. We see many New Testament prophets in Acts 11:27-28; 13:1; 15:32; 1 Cor. 12:10, 28-29; 14:29, 32,37; Eph. 4:11 and they are not revealers of new revelation or Scripture, but forth-tellers and foretellers of God's will in covenant situations.
d. We can also ask the question what are characteristics of Prophecy found in the Bible: The following from Free Bible Commentary:
i. In the Old Testament there seems to be a development of the concept of "prophet" and "prophecy." In early Israel there developed a fellowship of prophets, led by a strong charismatic leader such as Elijah or Elisha. Sometimes the phrase, "the sons of the prophets," was used to designate this group (2 Kings 2).
ii. The prophets were characterized by forms of ecstasy (1 Sam. 10:10-13; 19:18-24).
iii. However, this period passed rapidly into individual prophets.
iv. The prophet was often a revealer of the future, conditioned on man's immediate response.
1. The above from http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/old_testament_prophecy.html
e. In our Numbers text we see God coming down in the form of a cloud and filling 68 leaders with His Holy Spirit and they prophesied.
i. A sign that God’s Holy Spirit was on them.
1. Prophecy reveals this!
ii. But 2 of the assigned leaders did not make it to the Tabernacle encounter with God and received His Spirit right where they were in the camp.
1. See Numbers 11:26-29:
a. 26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”
b. Did you see Moses prayer here?
i. He wished – he prayed – he desired that all the Lords people were prophets!
ii. This happens in Acts 2!
c. We today have this blessing that Moses prayed for!
i. One of the great changes that came about in the new Christian community on the day of Pentecost was the emergence of prophecy as a common Christian experience.
ii. We can all benefit from this Holy Spirit gift.
iii. We today have received the "Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him". (Eph 1:17, 1 Cor 2:9-16).
d. It all started with Peter's bold interpretation of a prophecy of Joel.(Acts 2:16-18 NASB) but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
i. 17 'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT UPON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; {18} EVEN UPON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT
1. And they shall prophesy. Prophecy would now be abundant through the Holy Spirit. Their sons and daughters (verse 17) and their men-servants and maidservants (verse 18) would prophesy. Prophecy did indeed become common so that when Paul was writing to the church in Corinth and we need to remember these were house churches):
2. The above from http://www.globalchristians.org/articles/prophecy.htm
Conclusion:
After learning about the work of the Holy Spirit and the role of the Holy Spirit do you think God would have removed Him from the church today like some people teach and preach?
We are in the church age as theologians tells us and we are still to be like the Acts New Testament Church. In light of this thought, do we not need the Holy Spirit as much today as they did back in the birth of the Church and in the OT?
A church without the Holy Spirit will produce a Spiritless Church filled with Spiritless people who have no power to change the world, the culture or themselves. A Spiritless Church will become political and deceived when the Spirit is absent or ignored! We need the Holy Spirit!
What do we need to know from this message today?
We all need the Holy Spirit and His indwelling power!
Why do we need to know this?
We need to know that we cannot x the Holy Spirit out of the Church or our lives if we do then we become Spiritless churches and Spiritless Christians. This results in powerless churches and powerless Christians and this open ourselves up for deception.
What do we need to do from hearing this message?
We need to be filled with the Spirit, like the apostles in Acts 2- We need to be empowered by the Spirit like the church in Acts. We need to be guided by the Holy Spirit to truth in our world which is filled with deception.
Why do they need to do this?
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us – live in us so that we have right standing in the presence of God!
Prayer for people to be filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit.
