The Holy Spirit
Section Four: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the
Lesson 9
Lesson Title: The plan and purpose of God for the Church.
Text:
John
Introduction: The plan and purpose of God for our lives is
for us to be like Jesus.
Jesus came to earth for one
purpose – so that we can be like Him.
As He is in this world – so
are we. 1 John
Like Him in righteousness,
and also like Him in ministry - the Holy Spirit ministering through His body.
Introductory Story: Church is called to be fruitful.
At a meeting I gave a word
of prophecy that the Church has not been called to be a voice crying out in the
wilderness.
I thought what does this
mean? John the Baptist was a man crying
out in the wilderness but a wilderness was a place of barrenness.
Then I understood - the
Church has not been called to be a voice in a barren place. The Church has been called to be fruitful.
Fruitfulness comes through
the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
1) These are not
the days of Moses because Moses longed to see all God’s people prophesying and
that the Lord would pour out His Spirit upon all His people.
2) These are not
the days of Elijah because the anointing was only upon a few leaders and the
people had to seek after the anointed leader.
3) These are the
days of the prophet Joel when the Lord has poured out His Spirit upon all His
people.
Main Points
1.
The
Earthly Ministry of Jesus – in the power of the Holy Spirit
Jesus only ministered in the
power of the Holy Spirit.
We could not be like Him if
He ministered by His own inherent power of the Son of God.
a) Jesus
ministering through His body. The same
power. Jesus ministered by the power of
the Holy Spirit so that His disciples could do the same things that He did. Jesus told them that those who believe will
do the same works. shall you do’. John
b) The life of
Jesus in His body. The same
Spirit.
·
When Adam was created God breathed into His nostrils
and he became a living being. Genesis 2:7
·
Then God said ‘Be fruitful and multiply’ Genesis
·
Jesus breathed His life into His Church (His body). John 20:22
·
Sent them with the message of eternal life
(fruitfulness). John
2.
The Ascension – for His people.
Jesus ascended so that we can be like Him in
authority.
We know that Jesus Christ is Lord.
But the eternal Son of God has always been Lord.
Jesus did not ascend for
Himself. He has always been there. He ascended for His people. Ephesians 2:6
The incarnate Son of God is seated at the right hand
of the Father far above principalities and powers. Ephesians 1:20-23
He represents me and I am seated with Him in heavenly
places.
Jesus Christ is Lord – and in Him we reign.
This is why Jesus said to His disciples ‘I go to
prepare a place for you’. The place he
prepared is to be seated in the heavenly places in Christ.
Crucified with Christ – my record is clean nothing is
written against me. Washed in the blood
Risen With Christ – justified by new life in
Christ. His life in me.
Ascended with Christ – seated far above principalities
and powers, and given the power of the Holy Spirit. His power is upon me.
3.
Day of Pentecost
Holy Spirit anointed the
life of Christ
Same as in the
Believers spoke with other
tongues
All the gifts of the Spirit
are seen in the Old Testament except tongues and interpretation of tongues.
When I thought about this I
realised that a new heart is needed to speak with a new tongue.
The Holy Spirit could not
move upon the people of God to speak in a new tongue because this gift required
a new heart to operate.
The body of Christ is
created in Christ Jesus to minister as He did.
To move in the gifts of the
Holy Spirit as He did.
To be like Him in every area
of ministry.
The promise of the Holy Spirit is given to
those who believe.
It is not special ministries but people who
believe.
·
Trusting the Word of God.
·
Moving in the gifts of the Spirit
The Church must have the life of Christ and
the power of the Holy Spirit.
·
We need to have the life of Christ in us to be like
Him in speaking the Word of God (The bread of life)
·
We need the power of the Holy Spirit to be like Him
in ministry.
Illustration: The Gifts of the Spirit move through the body
of Christ.
The Gifts are given to
empower the body of Christ to minister.
Gifts of healings
Holy Spirit gives gifts to
believers – believer passes the gift on.
Gift is lost if there is not
a connection.
Holy Spirit – believer – receiver.
There must be an immediate response
to the gift.
Example of a lost gift – when a person doubts if a
particular gift is for him or her, and does not respond then the gift will be
lost and it cannot be retrieved.
All the body of Christ
should move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Example of a received gift - Paul in Lystra. (Acts 14:8-10) ¶ And
there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from
his mother’s womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who
stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said
with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.’
Paul saw the man had faith
to be healed.
He shouted ‘stand up’.
The lame man leaped and
walked.
This was not just faith in
the scriptures it was the moving of the Holy Spirit at a particular time.
If the man had not responded
at that moment the gift would have been lost.
The gift was a combination
between the power of the Holy Spirit at a particular moment – the ministry of
Paul – the faith of the lame man top receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Summary:
Believers should be like
Jesus in ministry.
Moving in the power of the
Holy Spirit as Jesus did.
1) To be like Him in His earthly ministry. The Life of Christ in His body – one body in
Christ
2) To be like Him in authority – seated in the
heavenly places in Christ.
3) To be like Him in ministry - moving in the
power of the Holy Spirit.