Galatians 5: 16 - 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
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It is great to get around bigness and be challenged. The way of the Kingdom is that you possess things every step of the way by faith. If you are going to get something bigger, you are going to have to get bigger yourself. You have to be able to contain and receive that which you are trying to possess. God will give you more when you 1) are a good steward of what He has already given you and 2) when you are willing to have your capacity expanded. Expanding your capacity is a fight of faith. There is always opposition.
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At the time of Jesus, people were jaded as they are today. The Pharisees were at the height of their power, imposing the Law on believers. The church had access to knowledge and Scripture, but were living under the pressure of judgement and rules. Jesus came into this situation to liberate people from the law and judgment and give us the perfect example of how to witness to people today.
In Luke 15, Jesus gives three parables that teach us how to view ourselves, reach the lost and walk with the heart of God.
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The area of reaching the lost and connecting with people who are separated from God trumps all other areas for us as a church. By just living the life God gave you, you can be a light to the world. All the light has to do to work is to be on. It doesn’t have to work hard. Reaching the corners of darkness where God wants you to go just requires you to be willing and to have a heart for God.
Luke 4:14-17 - In verse 1 Jesus was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, in verse 14, the Spirit led him into the wilderness. He was filled by the Spirit, then led by the Spirit and then filled with His power. We can be filled with the Spirit but not yet filled with His power. The ultimate goal for us as Christians is to have the Power of the Spirit operating and working in our lives.
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Psalm 144:12-14:
May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants.
May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace.
May our barns be filled with crops of every kind.
May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands, even tens of thousands,and may our oxen be loaded down with produce.
May there be no enemy breaking through our walls, no going into captivity, no cries of alarm in our town squares.
The difference between an adult and child is responsibility. The assumption and acceptance of responsibility will make you grow up fast. Sons and daughters bear the genetic code of the house. They are part of the structure of the house. They provide strength to hold the house up and hold up the people of the house. Daughters and sons take responsibility for the house and serve the house. Whatever is going on in the house, they get into it.
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There were three main feasts in the Jewish tradition, and they were all connected to times of harvest. The feast of Passover celebrated Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The feast of Pentecost, which came fifty days after Passover, celebrated the handing down of the Law of Moses. The feast of Tabernacles, also called the feast of booths or shelters, remembered God’s provision during Israel’s forty years in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt. Every year, people would come from all over Israel to the temple in Jerusalem and would build shelters around the wall of the temple. They would then live in these shelters for the duration of the feast.
John 7 tells the story of Jesus’ visit to the Feast of Shelters. He snuck into the festival on the last day to observe the sacrifice. The festival would end with a sacrifice on the altar. Once the offering had been given, a priest would fill a giant jar with water from the pool of Siloam. Siloam is translated as “sent” or “sent one”. Water in the Bible signifies life and the Holy Spirit. Another priest would bring a jar of wine. Wine in the Bible signifies the joy of life as well as sacrifice. The priests would pour the water and wine together over the altar after the sacrifice was given. The water of life mixes with the joy of life over the sacrifice, just as blood and water ran from Jesus’ wounds on the cross.
At this point in the festival, Jesus cried out to the crowd to come to him if they were thirsty. If they believed, come to him and out of their spirits would flow living water. Jesus was actually revealing himself as the Messiah at this point. His blood sacrifice brings living water – the Holy Spirit – who leads us to the greatest life we can get. In chapter 8, Jesus says “I am the light of the world,” referencing the time of the festival, on the last night, when giant lamps were lit on the altar and all attendees lit lamps of their own in response. He says “If you follow me, you will not wander in darkness.” Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah – both life and light.
He also revealed himself as the forerunner of the Holy Spirit. By promising to bring living water, Jesus was referencing the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1 - The word “earth” means atmosphere. Go into any and every place and bring me (Holy Spirit) and inhabit. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you receive POWER. Go into the World, but not in a physical sense. Go into the world with the Holy Spirit’s power. Go into the world and change the ATMOSPHERE. Take the Holy Spirit with you into your daily physical life. We are growing something in the natural just as much as the spiritual. We go from one glory to another glory as we let the Kingdom of God lead us. We need to create this environment at Church and in all of our worlds.
This week – our Holy Spirit Conference - will be so much bigger in the spirit than what we see in the natural. When we build in the natural, it makes way for God to move in the spirit. The small group (CCC Atlanta) that we started with began to grow a small atmosphere that the Holy Spirit could live and operate in. Now we have a bigger, more intense environment for the Holy Spirit to live in. We have conditioned our world to house Him. When we leave the “church”, the atmosphere follows us. As we move deeper into our understanding of the Holy Spirit, the bigger the atmosphere that surrounds us. As we add members to the church, the bigger the atmosphere as a whole. The atmosphere is where change happens. Changed physical reality is a SMALL manifestation of the larger more important change in the atmosphere. Changing and growing your Holy Spirit environment is the key to changing the hearts of people and revealing the Holy Spirit to the World.
God is placing a new burden on some of us. It is a burden of the Holy Spirit to go to a new place. It’s the burden of the vision - to not just be an integral part of this church, but to take on God’s calling and to take on the vision of the calling. Going through the fire is the best thing for vision. It makes the vision stronger and it makes you stronger. You have to be willing to go ahead of the rest and plow the hard ground. You have to be willing sacrifice and do whatever it takes to bring about God’s vision.
God really does work all things together for good for those who love him. Paul, speaking from a Roman jail to one of his favorite churches in Philipi, reported that the Christians in Rome had become bolder because of his imprisonment. Something that the devil tries to use for bad, when God has the hearts of the people, God will use it for good. People have to be willing to put their lives on the line for the vision and burden of building God’s house. I am praying that over the next few days that this burden will come upon us.
What gets me up praying for this church is seeing people about to get started on the great adventure. There is unlimited potential in God’s house. It’s like a crucible – God’s fire is unquenchable. Sometimes you find yourself in the fire of God and all you can do is cry out to God.
But that is part of preparation for carrying the vision and building God’s kingdom. Some of us are going to get this feeling and feel this burden. It’s going to feel weird. It is like God asking you to come up, move forward, and come farther - showing you where he wants you to be.
God will challenge you in one of three areas:
1. Money – you have got to slay the money/giving giant. It is a giant that torments people and holds them back. It keeps you at the start. If you ever flinch when we take an offering, you haven’t slayed the giant. You ought to be rejoicing! How awesome it is that we get to give to God? That he would even receive our offering? That he would even take the time to receive it, because he doesn’t always.
2. The giant of Attendance – the giant of being in the house and coming to the house of God. The hardest thing for some new Christians to get is starting a new lifestyle and adjusting their world to get plugged into the house of God so that it becomes automatic and becomes a priority. Everything happens in the house of God.
3. The giant of Servanthood - understanding that your are a servant and that God uses servants.
When you win in all three of these areas God has a clear passage to you and he will bring revelation to you and put things on you that you wouldn’t be able to carry before. My prayer for next week is that a bunch of people defeat these things. People who haven’t gotten it yet to get it.
That happens through pastoring and leadership in the church. Pastoring people is leading them. Shepherding is about sheltering God’s people, protecting them and leading them into green pastures so that they can get fed. Speaking faith filled words over their lives that the Holy Spirit can get on. Then these words become true. God gets on it and puts his power on it. Bring the crowd into the core. There is something about building strength and stamina in the Spirit. We do it together, at times like Holy Spirit conference, so when we aren’t together, we have the stamina to stand on our own – in our own world.
Get a hold of someone and get them on the journey. Put God first and see what he will do.
Hey guys - Amazing message by Pastor Steve Deal on exercising spiritual authority…
Romans 8: 18-23 - In this scripture, Paul tells us that what we suffer now is nothing in comparison with the glory God will give to us – the full rights we have as children of God. We have been given the authority as children of God to perform miracles, signs and wonders, but we don’t practice using our authority that often. As with anything, as you grow with something and get used to it, you become better at doing it. This same principle applies with the things of the Spirit.
We have to exercise our spiritual authority and gifts. Just as our faith gets built up and grows through prayer and worship, so our ability to use our spiritual authority will grow as we step out in faith and use what God has given us. We have the word of God and the Spirit of God backing our authority and bringing things to pass on our behalf, although we don’t always see an immediate result or effect. God gives us the force and the power to back the authority He has given. God the father is standing behind us as Christians, enforcing what we say and giving us the power and authority to make things happen.
So why doesn’t it always seem like anything happens? We aren’t exercising our faith or moving in our gifts. The word of God works. There is enough power in one Scripture to heal everyone around us. One word from God has the power to heal the world. We have to exercise our authority to speak the word into situations. We come expecting. We have to be desperate for God and desperate for something to happen. Then, we move in faith, exercising our spiritual authority and expecting God to move.
Part of using our gifts is allowing ourselves to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. We have put a bad connotation on the word control. We don’t like to be controlled. But we are all controlled by something (Romans 8). The definition of being in control is being able to direct a person, situation or activity. Out of control is no longer being able to manage. Under control, in case of danger or emergency, being dealt with safely or competently.
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature, think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. When your sinful nature controls your mind there is death. But if the Spirit controls your mind there is life and peace. Our sinful nature has never cared for the laws of God and therefore those controlled by a sinful nature can never please God. When led and governed by the Spirit, he begins to shape your thoughts and actions, and it becomes obvious who is controlling you based on your fruit.
There is a constant struggle raging in our minds between our sinful nature and our desire to serve God (Romans 7). Sometimes we get worn down because we are constantly fighting and constantly make the wrong decisions. But there is no condemnation for them who belong to Christ Jesus. The power of the Spirit has freed us from the destructive power of sin and destroyed sin’s control through Jesus.
The battle really kicks in during worship or when we are praying, but we have to press through. The Spirit begins to reveal things to us when we continue to focus, expect and cry out for God. God comes when we cry out to him. God wants to be desired, but how many of us come to him with that kind of desire? We have to get passionate about God again.
You have to come into the presence of God and unload (Psalm 66). The Bible says to cast your burdens upon Jesus because he cares for you. Then, worship him. Fan your spiritual flame and the spiritual gifts God has given you. God has anointed us to do amazing things. Look at the nature of Jesus: He’s not going to break you. He wants to encourage you and build you up. The Holy Spirit is always with you. He is just looking for some expectation.
1 Peter 1:1-2 - While we are here on planet earth we are stewards. We own nothing. Everything comes from God and we are here to multiply what He has given us. The parable of the talents shows that God expects us to multiply what He gives us—our abilities, giftings—whatever it is that was given by God. We are meant to cultivate traits so God can use them.
We are placed here for a purpose. Our citizenship is in Heaven, but we are chosen here on Earth. We are called out to advance God’s kingdom here.
Traditional vs. Missional - The mindset of tradition states that people come to church to consume programs offered to them and then leave. People are shifting their mindsets and realizing that they have a purpose. Everyone is searching for their purpose—we find it in God’s house. There is a new way of thinking from ‘I’m coming here to get’ to a release and longing to be used, built up, and sent into the world. A traditional mindset developed a position on everything, and a missional mindset is about experiencing the Holy Spirit. We want to experience what the Holy Spirit is going in us and in the church.
The Holy Spirit was sent to come alongside to help, encourage, and comfort. We do not just want knowledge of the Holy Spirit. We want to believe by faith and have an experience. God wants to express his love in a way that is real for us, an experience.
This new mindset means that every person has access to God. Others can help us connect with God but no one needs to stand between us and God. Every person can come before God even when you do not feel worthy enough to do so because we are not told to live by our feelings but by our faith.
A missional church collectively joins together and engages in something. We participate and worship together. We can have beliefs about the Holy Spirit or we can experience him in our lives. We will all come to have a revelation of who God is. The more we progress the more God will reveal to us. The word of God will come alive. The Holy Spirit will reveal truth to us; not just what we are told by others, but a truth we have found on our own. Discover God for yourself. Every person has a call, but God must become real to you first.
The Holy Spirit is at work in the world. God has a plan and it includes the salvation of every person. But everyday people are perishing, so His will is not enough. We have a part to play. We fulfill God’s will. We have been chosen, given the spirit, and been empowered. The Spirit is the key that unlocks our future in fulfilling God’s plan. The spirit will lead us as we allow him.
In Joel 2:28, God is beginning to pour out his latter rain: “Then after I have poured out my rains again…”
Water is a consistent theme in the Bible. Rain is caught in basins and forms rivers. Water equals life, and God’s rain and rivers equal divine blessing and abundant life.
When God rains down on us, we don’t want to waste it. We want to catch it all. The church acts as the catcher when God rains down on the earth. The rivers that are formed from God’s rain flow through the house of God. God wants this river to be a raging torrent to reach the world, and it is our job as the church to make this happen. When the church is flowing in the river, then the Spirit of God falls on all flesh.
This is why it is so important for us to become members of the house of God and serve it – to be missional in mindset and not consumers of the church. Just because you are saved and part of the family doesn’t mean you are a son or daughter of the house. Being a son or daughter requires relationship. “Your sons and daughters will prophesy … they will confound the wise…” When sons and daughters understand authority and submission, they are released to be a mouthpiece and receive wisdom way beyond their years.
Part of our job in building the house is to create this releasing environment. God wants to release you. This release comes from serving. When you come to Christ, you lower yourself – you become generous and serving. You submit to God and submit to others. The Bible says that the lowly shall be elevated to the mountaintop, and the last shall be first.
Psalm 1 talks about being planted next to the river. The Hebrew translation for this word is actually channel. Channels are man-made basins to catch and redirect water. See how God wants us to be part of his plan? God wants us to build the river. God wants us involved by creating a place for the latter rain to be caught. Then, people will start planting by the river and will prosper. Everything people need is in the water, and the house of God is the channel. The Bible says that a tree planted near the water will flourish, but a tree planted away from water will struggle to survive. We want the river to be wide, strong and well-built so that when God rains down – rains down his Spirit – we can catch it. That is why we are focusing so much on the Holy Spirit.
Rain in the Bible is equated to blessing. We are designed to be trees planted by the river. If we stay away from God’s river, we become malnourished and shriveled. Part of being planted by the river is being connected to the house of God.
The one word that describes us is “connect” – connect to God, connect to yourself, connect to others. Connecting up, connecting in and connecting out. This is part of being missional. It is not the call of God for us to be an island When the rain of God is caught and the Holy Spirit is allowed to move, it is easy to connect with God. We need to create that environment to bring people to God – an environment of faith and expectation. The church isn’t just here to get bodies in the seats. We are charged with keeping the river strong, flowing and pure, and fueled so people can feel the river in us and thus be drawn to God through us. God wants commitment. God told Gideon that he didn’t need a lot of people, but the ripe, committed people to accomplish the goal. The ones who are looking.
We don’t want to grow the church at the expense of growing people in God and planting them deeply by the river. We want people to discover their place in God’s house and in the mission. We want to produce, not consume. We serve the house of God – it doesn’t serve us. We want to play our part to make the river wider by serving, praying, submitting, encouraging. We want to build a river filled with servants that love to serve God and are willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill his purpose. We want an outpouring and we want to catch it.
We don’t want God’s rain to go to waste. This is part of our mission.
