SUPER: NATURALLY! #1: ADD GOD’S SUPER TO YOUR NATURAL (Without Being Weird)
INTRO TO TOPIC: A LOOK AT SUPERMAN:
• Superman is one of my favourite superheroes. Comics, movies, TV shows.
• When I was a kid I wanted to be Superman. S on T-shirts and red capes. Why?
• Mild mannered reporter Clark Kent steps into a phone booth and comes out SUPER.
• He’s able to leap a tall building in a single bound, run faster than a speeding bullet.
• He’s the best super hero out there! But what makes him super? What’s on the inside!
INTRO TO THE HOLY SPIRIT:
• One day, Jesus made the most shocking statement to His disciples:
• “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away…” (John 16:7a).
• Why would He say that? He healed broken hearts, forgave sinners, transformed lives!
• “…for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7b, NKJV). That Helper is the Holy Spirit.
ADD GOD’S SUPER TO YOUR NATURAL:
• “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” (2 Cor. 4:7, NKJV). Earthen vessels = jars of clay!
• “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).
• Notice Jesus said you would receive power, not become weird. Too much weirdness!
• Have you been in a church where someone prophesied: “Thus saith the Lawr-dah!”
• What kind of power? Power to be different. To be more loving, joyful, peaceful. To resist temptation and say no to sin and addictions. To pray and see miracles happen in others.
• To learn more about the Holy Spirit and the church, we’re going to turn to Acts:
THE BIG IDEA: God’s desire is that His church would walk in the Spirit, living the Spirit-filled life, and bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
INTRO TO THE BOOK OF ACTS:
“1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:1-5, NKJV).
• Acts is the 5th book of the New Testament, and was written by the physician Luke.
• Read the insert “Introduction to the Book of Acts” bulletin insert for more info.
• It is both a HISTORY (of what happened in the first century) and a BLUEPRINT (for what God wants to see happen in the church today).
• CHALLENGE: Read through the Book of Acts over the next couple of months!
GOD’S BLUEPRINT FOR THE CHURCH: Luke’s description of the church:
“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:41-47, NKJV).
GOD’S BLUEPRINT FOR THE CHURCH:
1. Teaching (apostle’s doctrine – reading and studying the Bible together)
2. Fellowship (breaking of bread – sharing meals and lives together – home groups!)
3. Prayer (praying together and believing God for supernatural miracles)
4. Sense of Awe (people respected the church because of God’s favour on it)
5. Signs and Wonders (sign = points to Jesus, wonder = causes people to wonder)
6. Sharing & generosity (had all things common and divided as anyone had need)
7. Unity (one accord – they walked in love, acceptance and forgiveness)
8. Gladness (joy – a supernatural fruit of the Spirit filled life!)
9. Simplicity of Heart (our lives are too busy and complicated!)
10. Praising God (people of praise and worship – glorified God with their lives)
11. Favour with the People (they were a supernatural force for God)
12. Daily Salvations (lots of people were getting saved every day)
• How does our church compare to that picture? We’re not there yet!
LIVING THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE: BEARING THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT:
“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.” (Gal. 5:22-23, NLT).
• Love - agape – unconditional love, acceptance and forgiveness
• Joy - Not happiness based on circumstances, but an inner satisfaction
• Peace - peace of heart (no worries or fears, not tense)
• Patience - (longsuffering – KJV) - endurance, steadfastness (not hurried)
• Kindness - moral goodness or integrity; thoughtful or generous (not selfish)
• Goodness - uprightness of heart and life (not bitter, angry or aggressive)
• Faithfulness - the character of one who can be relied on – faithful to friends, church
• Gentleness - mildness, meekness – not harsh
• Self-control - one who masters his desires and passions – doesn’t give into the flesh
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
How can we have more fruit of the Spirit in our lives? We are like a TREE:
What are three things a plant needs to survive and thrive? Sunlight, water and food.
1) Water: Abide in Jesus: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5, NKJV).
2) Food: Abide in the Word: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7, NKJV).
3) Sunlight: Abide in God’s love: “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” (John 15:9, NKJV).
• If we do these things, we won’t have to try to be more loving, we will be.
• This is how we can add God’s SUPER to our NATURAL – without being weird!
CLOSE: Next week, we’re going to talk more about the Holy Spirit and how we can be filled with the Spirit and empowered with His supernatural gifts!
Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor’s Blog: http://pastorchrisjordan.wordpress.com/
