The Holy Spirit

Section Four:  The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Present Day Church

Lesson 9

Lesson Title:  The plan and purpose of God for the Church.

 

Text:   John 20:21  ‘Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.’

 

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 4:17 ‘Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.’

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 14:12,  ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.’

 

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 1:28.

·        Jesus breathed His life into His Church (His body).  John 20:22

·        Sent them with the message of eternal life (fruitfulness).  John 20:21; 20:23.

 

 

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 Jordon River

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. 

 

 

 

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