TITLE: LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
TEXT: 2 Cor 4:1-16
INTRO: As Pentecostal people, you and I share something that none of the rest of the "Christian" world has. A life truly in the Spirit. While other groups of Christians may teach about the Holy Spirit….may acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives….may even speak of being empowered by the Holy Spirit…..there is never-the-less a clear-cut difference in our experience. The Baptism in The Holy Spirit brings us into a new dimension of life. A life lived in the Spirit. Tonight I want to do my very best to make this life more understandable to us all. You see, there seems to be some confusion about what this Spirit life consists of in all of us. As your pastor, I have told you often that the Baptism in The Holy Spirit brings supernatural power & supernatural gifts…this is true…but after much reflection and allowing the Lord to speak to my heart, I realize that I may not have told you enough about Spirit’s role in our personal lives. This message is a correctional one. Although I have spoken to you generally in the past along these lines, tonight I am going to be very specific. I want everyone to listen closely. This is a very important message. It is designed to bring everyone of us under the divine control of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives.
1 Cor 1:1-4
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ-their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.NIV
1 Cor 1:7
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
NIV
1 Cor 1:10-13
10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
NIV
1 Cor 3:1-4
1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ.
2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?
4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? NIV
I. IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE GIFTS AND STILL BE A BABY.
A. Just because you can lay hands on the sick and
see them recover does not automatically label
you a Spiritual giant.
1. The gifts of the Spirit come with the
Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor 12:11
11 All these are the work of one and the same
Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
B. You can give messages in tongues….you can
interpret….you can prophesy…you can do
miracles….and yet be a baby in the things of
the Spirit.
1 Cor 13:1-3
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
NIV
1. The center of the Spirit filled life is
the love of God flowing through us and out
of us to everyone around us!
a. It is very possible for God’s Spirit to work
through us even though we have not grown into
His image because it is God’s Spirit working
in jars of clay!
b. Whenever the Spirit of God meets with the
flesh...there are problems.
GOD’S POWER IS LIKE EVERY OTHER PART OF GOD, PERFECT! IT IS ONLY WHEN HE GET’S INVOLVED WITH THE FLESH THAT PROBLEMS ARISE…THE PROBLEMS ARE ALWAYS IN US.
IF IT WAS HAPPENING IN THE CHURCH IN CORINTH…THEN IT CAN CERTAINLY HAPPEN AT PIKE COUNTY A/G!
II. THE PURPOSE OF THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT IS
MORE THAN JUST GIFTS.
A. If I have been remiss in any of my preaching and
teaching, it very well could be in this area.
1. You have heard me say God is more
interested in you "Being than Doing."
a. There is a threefold plan that our
Lord has for every Spirit filled
person.
BEING…DOING…HAVING
(1) Being- The main purpose for the Baptism in The
Holy Spirit is to give you power.
POWER TO WORK IN THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT?….SURE, BUT THAT IS NOT THE FIRST REASON…..THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE ALL MISSED IT! THE FIRST REASON IS SO YOU WILL HAVE THE POWER TO BE WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO BE!
WHAT DOES HE WANT YOU TO BE?
HE WANTS YOU TO BE LIKE HIS DEAR SON, JESUS! THIS IS JOB #1 IN GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU!
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN REGARDS TO BEING?….ATTITUDE.
Phil 2:5-8
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled
himself NIV
(a) The more the power of the Spirit is at work in
you…the more like this scripture you will become.
(b) This is by far the important aspect of the
Spirit-filled life.
(c) This is why Jesus constantly talked about dying
to self.
Luke 9:23
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. NIV
THIS IS RECORDED FOR US THREE TIMES IN THE GOSPELS FOR SPECIAL EMPHASIS.
(d) What it means is simply this….LET THE HOLY
SPIRIT CONTROL YOUR INNER MAN,NOT THE FLESH.
(e) What this will ultimately do is completely
reshape your character.
YOUR CHARACTER IS WHAT YOU REALLY ARE!
SOMEONE HAS RIGHTLY SAID, "CHARACTER IS WHAT YOU ARE WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING.
(2) Doing-What you do will then grow directly out of
what your character consists of.
(a) Work and busyness for busyness’ sake is time
wasted!
(b) When we are walking in the Spirit….the Spirit
will begin to direct our deeds.
WHEN OUR DEEDS ARE DIRECTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, NOTHING WILL BE WASTED!
Col 3:17
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.NIV
THE ONLY WAY THIS SCRIPTURE CAN BE FULFILLED IN OUR LIVES IS BY ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE EVERY STEP!
(3) Having-It is the Lord’s will that we have
everything we need to live for Him in total
victory.
2 Cor 9:8
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.NIV
(a) Most of us usually think of this verse in
material terms. i.e. Home,clothes,Food,Money,
other material things.
WHILE I’M SURE THAT THIS IS PART OF IT…THE IMPORTANT THINGS IN THIS VERSE REALLY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PHYSICAL!
2 Cor 4:18
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. NIV
I BELIEVE THAT THIS SCRIPTURE REALLY EMPHASIZES THE FACT THAT IF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS CONTROLLING YOUR LIFE…WHATEVER YOU NEED TO BRING GLORY TO GOD WILL BE THERE IN YOU AUTOMATICALLY…WHEN YOU NEED IT, IT WILL BE THERE, YOU DON’T HAVE TO EVEN THINK ABOUT IT OR WORRY ABOUT IT….IF THE LORD IS TRULY IN CONTROL IN YOU,
-THE POWER TO WITNESS
-THE POWER TO BRING BLESSING
-THE POWER TO BRING ENCOURAGEMENT
-THE POWER TO REACH OUT AND BRING HEALING
-THE POWER TO STEP OUT IN FAITH
WHATEVER YOU NEED AT THE TIME YOU NEED IT WILL BE THERE!
III. DON’T SEEK GIFTS, SEEK THE MIND OF JESUS.
A. This was the flaw Paul saw in the church at
Corinth. They were hung up on the gifts
instead of the giver.
1. The gifts are extremely important.
(a) The Holy Spirit was poured out on the day
of Pentecost for the express purpose of
bringing supernatural gifts into the church
body.
(b) The gifts should be in operation in every
service.
(c) The scriptures tell us to seek the best
gifts.
BUT YOU AND I MUST REMEMBER THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT’S PRESENCE IN US IS TO MAKE US INTO THE IMAGE OF JESUS!
2. If we are to be the powerful church that God
intends for us to be…we must grow up in Him.
(a) Paul told the church at Corinth that they
were babies.
(b) Even though the gifts of the Spirit were
present in such a degree that they were out
of control…they were still babies.
PAUL HAD TO GIVE THEM SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE THE GIFTS IN THE SERVICES
1 Cor 14:26-33
26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two-or at the most three-should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.
28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.
30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop.
31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.
32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.
33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.NIV
1 Cor 14:39-40
39 Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.NIV
NOW HERE IS WHERE I WANT TO GET SPECIFIC!
3. The goal the Lord has given for this church to
reach for is SPIRITUAL MATURITY!
a. It is not God’s intention for only the gifts
to be at work among us. He wants the gifts…
but…
b. The Lord fully intends for His Spirit to make
us over…inside…that’s where it counts!
c. It is the will of the Spirit for Pike County
A/G to be full of men and women who can stand
when no one else is able.
d. It is the will of the Spirit for Pike County
A/G to be full of men and women who are so
controlled by the Spirit that they can take
anything the Devil dishes out.
e. Men and women who have learned not to get
upset when things don’t go their way.
f. Men and women who have the mind of Jesus.
THEY DON’T GET THEIR FEELINGS HURT!
THEY DON’T LET CIRCUMSTANCES KEEP THEM FROM HAVING VICTORY!
THEIR JOY IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON SOMEONE ELSE OR SOME OTHER GROUP!
AND MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE:
THEY HAVE ALLOWED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO MAKE THEM OVER TO
THE POINT THAT THEY SEE THIS WORLD LIKE GOD SEES IT.
THEY HAVE COME TO THE PLACE WHERE SELF AND SELFISH THINGS NO LONGER RULE THEIR LIVES.
THEY ARE DRIVEN BY A HIGHER LAW…THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS!
THEY THINK LIKE HIM BECAUSE THEY HAVE HIS MIND!
DON’T SHOW ME YOUR MATURITY BY A TONGUE OR AN INTERPRETATION.
DON’T SHOW ME YOUR MATURITY BY LAYING HANDS ON THE SICK WITH POSITIVE RESULTS.
DON’T SHOW ME YOUR MATURITY BY THE GIFT OF PROPHECY.
DON’T SHOW ME YOUR SPIRITUAL MATURITY BY SOME SIGN OR WONDER…NO…
SHOW ME YOUR MATURITY BY STANDING UNSELFISHLY AGAINST ANYTHING THAT WOULD COME AGAINST THE UNITY OF THE BODY!
SHOW ME YOUR MATURITY BY BEING THERE WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH…WHEN IT SEEMS THE WHOLE WORLD IS AGAINST US AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN MAKE IT!
SHOW ME YOUR MATURITY BY SUPPORTING THE BODY OF CHRIST WITHOUT ANY CONCERN OF HOW YOU MAY LOOK OR HOW IT MAY AFFECT YOU PERSONALLY!
CONCLUSION: Tonight I want us to take a real good look at our spiritual lives. Have we grown up in Christ? Have we listened to the Holy Spirit enough that He has been able to bring us into a place of real maturity? If the Apostle Paul were to write us a letter today…would he say that we are mere men? Would he say that we are only babies? What does it take to set you off? How much opposition can you take? How much persecution can you endure? How well do you handle being rejected? How much suffering will you allow before you rebel against the Spirit of the Lord that is at work in you? Jesus could not be turned from His mission by anything….What have you allowed to turn you from being here….from doing what God has called you to do? How are you living up to the responsibility God has given you?
