What Does The Holy Spirit Have To To Do With It? Series

Men’s Retreat 2005

Walking on Water

What does the Holy Spirit have to do with it?

(Galatians and assorted Scriptures)

Phil 2:12-13 …continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. NIV

Phil 2:12-13 Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. 13 That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. Msg

Phil 2:13 Theos gár estin ho energoón en humín

Do guys have difficulty with the Holy Spirit?

1. We were raised to be self sufficient as opposed to relying on others! But eventually what is referred to as “hedonic adaptation” will catch up with us and we see that we don’t have the strength to create our own happiness.

2. We were raised to do great things! But eventually we see that this ultimately involves building people and we cannot do this without God’s help.

3. We were raised to lead rather than submit. But eventually we discover that we really don’t know what we’re doing and fear that others may discover it!

Warning…some of this is Christianity 301!

How does the Holy Spirit want to help us walk on the water?

1. The Holy Spirit wants to give me his power for water walking. – help with reaching your friends and family members for Christ.

a. This power comes through salvation.

Rom 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. NIV

b. This power is experienced through baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:3-8 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." NIV

c. The primary purpose of the Baptism is to give greater power for sharing our faith (Acts 1:8) but other benefits include greater joy in our spiritual life and ministry and a heightened sense of our purpose in life!

i. Bill and Stacy Sauls –

d. This power is experienced through being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. NIV (Prayer for God’s help because of Herod’s persecution!)

Eph. 5:18 Keep on being filled with the Spirit!

Questions…

I. Am I a follower of Christ?

II. Have I experienced the baptism of the Spirit?

III. Am I desperate for a fill-up this weekend?

IV. Do I regularly pray/worship in my prayer language?

V. Am I willing to step our where the Spirit leads and share my faith?

Gal 5:25-26 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

How else does the Holy Spirit want to help us walk on the water?

2. The Holy Spirit wants to change me from the inside out.

Gal 5:16-24 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.