Connecting to the stream of the Spirit
Do you remember when life seemed simpler?
Do you remember when if you wanted to make a call when you were out you had to find a telephone box or wait till you got home?
Do you remember when you used to write letters instead of sending an email?
Today we rely on email and text messages to communicate with others much more than traditional posted mail or snail mail as its called.
Before text messages, before email, the three fastest ways to communicate information were:
Telegraph - Morse Code.
Telephone - Verbal Communication.
and Tell a woman.
Well those were fast, ways to communicate but today we have Text Messages, Facebook and Twitter, Periscope, GooglePlus WhatsApp, Skype
Messages appear in real time on our computer screens, our phones, iPods, iPads and Tablets.
Today through the power of the Internet we can have friendship and near instant communication with people all around the world.
Maybe you are part of the “connected” generation.
Perhaps you spend hours tweeting on Twitter or updating your status on Facebook.
Perhaps you are one of the people who help to generate the stream of millions of words that flow across the Internet every day,
or maybe you just like to read and see what everyone else is doing.
If you are connected to this stream of information, have you considered if there is something you could be doing with it or contributing to it?
For example, this week on social media there has been a lot about the Earthquake in Nepal - have you used the information to fuel your prayers?
When friends comment about situations in their lives do you pray about them?
More importantly, are you taking the opportunity to share Christ with the people you know?
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If you are my friend on Facebook you will know that I mainly post verses from the bible, thoughts, links to Christian Music Videos, words of encouragement to other people, links to our Sermon Podcast and invitations to church events and activities.
On my Facebook account I have a number of “friends” that I have never physically met -
some of them are friends of friends that have been encouraged by what I have shared.
Others have become friends after listening to our Podcast . It’s amazing the lives that God is touching around the world with our podcast.
I get a lot of feedback on what I post,
some people comment so that others can see what they say to me and others send me messages that others can not see.
And strangely some people even re-quote what I post to their own group of friends.
When I add to the stream of information that flows around the World - my first thought is always “does this honour God in some way?”.
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Recently, on a Monday Evening I spent quite a while in prayer.
I spent time some time praying for various situations, things that I knew about from talking to people in the real world, things I knew about from communicating with my online friends and things that God just placed in my heart.
And as I prayed, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to post some verses from the bible and some words of encouragement.
Then I prayed a little more and then shared more things that I felt God wanted me to share with others.
Some of the things God prompted me to write
I did not feel were directed at specific friends,
But I felt that the Spirit was guiding me to share certain things for a reason.
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On the Tuesday morning 3 of my online friends contacted me:
One from Australia asked how I knew what was going on in her life.
She had not shared with anyone an issue she had been facing and was amazed that the words God had led me to post had spoken comfort, encouragement and direction to her.
The second person was from the USA that said, they had been praying that God would speak into a specific situation in their life - they felt that God had answered via a specific Christian music video I had shared. They were pleased it had spoken into their life when they needed guidance.
The third message from another friend simply said, Thank you, you can stop putting things for me on Facebook now, I get the message.
Isn’t God wonderful - 3 different people,
three very different situations,
and God spoke to each of them.
In the stream of information that flowed out onto the internet God used that stream of typed words of encouragement to bless, direct and encourage these people thousands of miles away and I praise Him for doing that.
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Then Tuesday afternoon 2 more people contacted me because the Lord had spoken to them through the words He had prompted me to write.
One wrote, today God has taught me that I’m beautiful no matter what anyone tells me.
God has taught me He has a plan for me. When the Holy Spirit moves—He really moves!
The other wrote something that warmed my heart even more
The Holy Spirit is doing something amazing in me today.
Pray that He will continue to keep my eyes, ears and heart open to hear what He wants me to hear and do what God is calling me to do.
Please continue to pray that I will be the person God has called me to be.
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What a prayer, what a desire, what a goal to have in life. To be the person God has called you to be.
And that got me thinking...
Yes dangerous, I know.
It got me thinking about the Supernatural Springs, the Supernatural Streams that God pours into our lives every day and the way in which He can uses a simple stream of information, to bring blessings and encouragement to our lives.
A few words of encouragement, a Bible verse, a Music video that releases a stream of blessing to those that receive it’s flow.
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This month in our series on Supernatural Springs we are considering the Stream of the Holy Spirit.
I believe that the Holy Spirit does do amazing things in people today.
I believe that right now He is doing stuff in each of us, to refine us, to change us, to bless us.
When we allow the stream of the Spirit into our lives He can heal us, He can restore us, He can lead and guide us, He can empower us, He can fill us with joy and peace and patience and love.
The Holy Spirit will can transform us into being the person God has called us to be.
But there are times when we choose not to go with the flow.
There are times when instead of flowing in the power of the Spirit we drop anchor and refuse to travel further in our Christian lives.
And there are times when our actions, inactions, words or deeds can actually cause us to go against the flow
- to swim in the opposite direction
- to move away from God’s will and purpose
Friends, each of us need to be willing to allow God to lead and guide us, He is meant to have first place in our lives, He knows what is best for us in every situation and circumstance.
His plan for us is perfect and we need to be willing to allow the Stream of the Spirit to be active in our lives.
We need to be willing to become the person God has called us to be.
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Have you ever wondered how different your life would be without God being part of it?
What if instead of becoming the person God has called you to be, you had become the person you desired to be? Or the person the World would say you should be?
What kind of person would I be today if the Holy Spirt had not led me?
Where would I have been this morning if I had chosen not to allow the Stream of the Holy Spirit to lead me?
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If God were not guiding you according to His plan and His purpose who would you have followed?
Who would have been you role model?
What would you have become?
Would you be a scientist or an artist?
Would you be a musician or a mime?
Would you be a best selling author or a teacher?
Would you be a butcher, baker or candlestick maker?
Would you have been like Arnold Schwartznager or would you have been like Rodney Trotter from Only Fools and Horses?
If you could become anyone would you be willing to become the person that God has called you to be?
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Let’s face it, you are who you are, for a reason -
Today you are you because you are you.
But, are you, all the you, you can be today?
Are you allowing the Spirt to work in you today? To flow in you and through you?
What would your life be like if you fully allowed yourself to fully be the person God wants you to be?
What differences would there be in your life tomorrow if you allowed the Spirit to work in you today?
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This morning I want to encourage you and to challenge you, I want you to examine where you are where you really want to be.
The verses I want you to focus on this morning is
1 Corinthians 2:10-12 (NIV) which says: “God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no-one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
The NLT translates this verse: It was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.
In his book, Whatever Happened to Worship, A. W. Tozer said, The average person in the world today, without faith and without God and without hope, is engaged in a desperate personal search throughout his lifetime. He does not really know where he has been.
He does not really know what he is doing here and now. He does not know where he is going. The sad commentary is that he is doing it all on borrowed time and borrowed money and borrowed strength—and he already knows that in the end will surely die.”
For so many people in the world today,
there are times in life that nothing seems to happen
everything is boring without sense or meaning.
So many people want to be someone else simply because they feel their own life is empty.
Be honest, in your own spiritual walk,
have there been times when you have complained that everything is the same, no growth and no direction, yet when you have felt the Spirit prompt you to do something, you have chosen not to?
Maybe there have been times in your life when doubt has stopped you moving forward.
Stopped you from allowing the Holy Spirit to work in your life.
Maybe there have been times when you have asked why? Maybe there are times when you have refused to ask yourself why?
So let me ask you why, from our text, let me form a question for you from the bible verses we have read
Why when, we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us - why do we choose to accept less than God has freely given us?
Why do we spend so much time desiring to be like someone else and ignore who God is calling us to be?
How can we move past the feeling that something is wrong and allow God to work in our lives today?
How can we have greater joy in our lives?
How can we be satisfied?
How can we be the people that God has called us to be?
The simple answer is we must allow the Stream of the Spirit to flow in our lives - we must allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives so that we can become the people God has called us to be.
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Do you allow the Spirit to work in your life?
Are you really thankful for the blessings God freely gives you everyday?
When was the last time you thanked God for the beauty of His creation?
When was the last time you thanked God for what He is doing in your life?
When was the last time you thanked God for what He provides you with everyday? Your bed, your food, your clothes.
When was the last time you thanked God for His love, His grace, His Mercy?
When was the last time you allowed the Spirit to work in you and through you for God’s glory?
When was the last time you thanked God for the work of the Holy Spirit in your life?
When was the last time you asked the Spirit to work in your life to help you be the person God has called you to be?
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It is true to say that God knows your past,
God knows your present, and He knows your future.
You know your past, you are living in your present, and I’m sure you have a hope for your future.
Does your plan for the future align with God’s plan for your future?
Actually, does your plan for today align with God’s plan for you today?
So often we try and prepare for things in our own strength, and too often we wonder why things didn’t go according to our plan when we never stopped to find out what God’s perfect plan for us was.
The past, the present and the future belongs to God and we need to be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into our destiny.
We must be open to the leading of the Spirit.
Are you willing to become the person God has called you to be by allowing the Spirit to work in you today?
Are you willing to give control of your life to God?
Are you willing to allow the full power of the Holy Spirit into your life, in your home, in your family,
in your workplace.
Friends, We will never experience the full joy and contentment that God wants us to have if we do not allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.
We all need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.With His power our life can become a blessing to others.
With His power others will see and experience the love of Jesus Christ through us.
As I draw the sermon to a close let me ask you: Today, do you consider your life to be a living witness for Christ?
Today, would you allow the Holy Spirit to help you share the truth of Jesus with others?
Friends, you may look at others as role models, as people you aspire to be like, are you wiling to be the person God has called you to be?
Are you willing to allow God to use you to bring glory to Him?
Are you willing to open your life to the Holy Spirit and be a blessing to people you meet?
Remember we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”
As Christians we received the Spirit who is from God and not of the world, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God
So that we might use the gifts and talents God has given us, so that we can be the People that God has called us to be.
In this world with its constant stream of information, opinion and comment, God has called us to communicate the truth with others.
Are you sharing the truth?
Are you being Salt and Light?
Are you speaking words of wisdom and encouragement?
Are you being a blessing to those who know you?
Are you bringing honour and Glory to God in word, deed and action?
Share the Good News of God’s Saving work in your life.
Share the Good News of the Gospel.
You can do it verbally, you can do it in the written word, you can do it on Facebook or Twitter,
but do it!
Friends allow the Holy Spirit to work through you today.
Allow the stream of the Spirit to refresh you, to lead you, to empower you.
Allow the Holy Spirit to work in you today - become the person that God has called you to be!
