The Holy Spirit

At the moment of salvation, the time we received Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to take His place and dwells in the center of our hearts. But we do not stop there. We are not satisfied. We want Him in full! Our new birth in Christ does not change natural qualities but brings them in line with holy purpose; when they are placed under the control of the Holy Spirit, they are raised to new effectiveness. Hidden abilities are often released.

To know the Holy Spirit is our foundation. To acknowledge his person is to embrace his person as precious, wonderful. He is a real person who came to reside within Jesus Christ’s true followers after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven (Acts 2). A person that can feel us – our pain, our purpose and our potentials.
He is a person equal in every way with God the Father and God the Son; considered to be the 3rd member of the Godhead. (Matthew 29:18-20. He is another helper to us.(John 14:16-18)

The Holy Spirit bears “witness” of Jesus Christ (John 15:26, 16:14). He tells people’s heart about the truth of Him. He also acts as a Christian’s teacher (1 Cor. 2:9-14). He reveals God’s will and God’s truth to a Christian. “He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all I said to you.” (John 14:26). “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit was given to live inside those who believe in Jesus, in order to produce God’s character in the life of a believer. In the way that we can not do on our own, the Holy Spirit will build into our lives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)

The Holy Spirit also performs a function for non-Christians as well. He convicts people’s hearts of God’s truth concerning how sinful we are – needing God’s forgiveness; how righteous Jesus is…that He died in our place, for our sins; and God’s eventual judgment of the world and those who do not know Him (John 16:8-11). The Holy Spirit tugs on our hearts and minds, asking us to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and a new life.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit - Acts 2:1-13 The Spirit descends at Pentecost”. Pentecost was the second of the Annual harvest festival.

The Holy Spirit is the gift that was promised by the Father – a new and greater empowering of the Holy Spirit that the disciples were to await in Jerusalem (Luke 3:15-17/ John said “he who is mightier than I is coming and he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire”. )

Spiritual leadership requires Spirit-filled people. Other qualities are important; to be Spirit-filled is indispensable. (crucial, vital, essential, necessary, very important, requisite, obligatory)

HOW?
1. BE SPIRIT LED AND FILLED
Acts 6:4 – filled with the holy spirit does not mean to pour into a passive container but ‘to take possession of the mind’. Luke 5:26 ‘they were filled with awe?” (admiration, wonder, amazement, surprise, astonishment)

There is strength and passion when we invite the Spirit to fill us. The Spirit’s power grips our lives with strength and passion.

Acts 6:1-7
The growth of the church created problems when a number of Hellenistic (Greek Speaking Jews) responded to the gospel. The resulting language barrier led to the neglect of some needy widows, and the apostles called upon the Greek speaking community to choose leaders to meet the need.

The church at Jerusalem listened to the apostles’ instructions and selected seven men who possessed the one necessary qualification. (Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

Vs. 4 – essential to the work of the apostles was their devotion to prayer and to the ministry of the word.
Vs. 6 – the apostles confirmed the congregational election when they prayed and laid their hands on them.
Result: Because of their Spirit-filled work, the church was blessed. The men selected to distribute the food and earthly care, were soon seen as the Spirit’s agents in dispensing (provision, providing, giving out) heavenly blessings.
Vs. 7 – the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem in spite of suffering and persecution (5:41); in spite of sin in the church (5:1-11) and in spite of conflict (6:1) the church continued to grow.

Leaders who are faithful in the exercise of their gifts prepare the way for promotion to greater responsibilities and usefulness.
Like Stephen, he became the first martyr for Christ, and his death played a large role in the conversion of Paul. He was filled with the Spirit, bore witness to Christ and died a radiant martyr (6:3; 7:55)

Acts 20:28 – “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers”. Here, Paul counseled leaders in the church at Ephesus on how to understand their office. These leaders did not hold office by apostolic selection or popular election but by divine appointment. They were accountable not only to the church but also to the Holy Spirit.

Without the filling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, how could the apostles have faced the superhuman task ahead? They needed supernatural power for their warfare against the devil and hell.

They need a helper. (Luke 24:29). They need to put on the Armor of God. (Eph. 6:10-18)

2. VOLUNTARILY SURRENDERS LIFE AND WILL TO THE TO THE SPIRIT
Surrender all. Through faith, the believer’s personality is permeated (filled, infuse, saturate), mastered and controlled by the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit does not take control of anyone against his or her will. When people who lack spiritual fitness are elected to leadership positions, the Holy Spirit quietly withdraws and leaves them to implement their own policies according to their own standards. The result is not spiritual administration.

3. BE CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT
The Christian leader’s mind, emotions, will, and physical strength all become available for the Spirit to guide and use.
Under the Spirit’s control, natural gifts of leadership are lifted to the highest power, sanctified for holy purpose. All the fruits of the Spirit start to grow in the leader’s life. His witness is more winsome, service more steady, and testimony is more powerful.

The early leaders of the church were sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. They surrendered their own wills to the Spirit’s control. They delighted to obey the Spirit’s promptings and guidance.

The Spirit helped Peter to overcome his bias and meet with Cornelius, which led to blessings for the Gentile world (10:19; 11:12).
The Spirit intervened to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. The Spirit’s great purpose is missions!

John 7:37-39 says that all real Christian service is but the expression of Spirit power through believers yielded to Him. And each believer has as much of the Spirit’s presence as he or she will ever need. Our task is to remain yielded to Him. The Holy Spirit comes because He is needed; because is wanted.

Covet the anointing of the Holy Spirit as you fulfill your calling. Luke 4:17-19 “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him…unrolling it, he reads “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Acts 2:17 “In the last days, God says: I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

Is the Spirit talking to you today?