Holy Spirit - The People Of Series

Holy Spirit - The People of the

1. The People Of The Holy Spirit

So far in our series, we’ve looked at the:

* Person of the Holy Spirit

* Purpose of the Holy Spirit

* Provision of the Holy Spirit

Today, we’ll look, in our final session, at the ’People of the Holy Spirit’.

2. Introduction

So, who are the people of the Holy Spirit? Well, everyone saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. This people of the Holy Spirit have been given a rich purpose, which is to serve the risen Lord through obedience to His Great Commission:

Mat 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

When Jesus left the earth at His Ascension, He sent the promised Comforter to be with His church and to bring the empowerment of the ‘charismata’, i.e. the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

John 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor [AV ’Comforter’] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

1 Cor 12:7,11 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

The Great Commission was given to the church, in other words to the ’ekklesia’, not an institution, but the individuals in the Body of Christ - that is us.

a. ’Great Commission’ - for the whole church

Many Christians don’t believe they can carry out this task. They are correct, in that the individual was not intended to do it. The task was given to the church and it is the church that Jesus addresses in His strategy.

(i). He came as a perfect sacrifice.

Heb 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

(ii). He rose from the dead to conquer the power of Sin.

(iii). He created His church as the Body of all those who believed in Him as Lord and Saviour.

(iv). He sent the empowering of the Holy Spirit, who gave ‘charismata’ to individuals for the building up of the Body.

(v). He created ministries to bring together and release His Holy Spirit-empowered people, who carried out all the interwoven tasks that resulted in the known world receiving the Gospel in a single generation.

b. Priesthood of Believers

The early church tapped the great resource of every Believer being a priest and minister of the Gospel

* 1 Pet 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

* 1 Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

* Rev 1:6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Let’s now look at the key scripture that concerns releasing the power of God’s people back into the world, just as it was at the church’s beginning.

3. God’s Keys To Success

Eph 4:1-16 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions ? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.