Lighthouse Church Durban

Working with the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus, empowering us, leading us and revealing things to us. Just as we are dependent on Jesus, we are dependent on the Holy Spirit and when we keep in step with the Spirit, we keep in step with Jesus.

When we keep in step, we will bear fruit - our character and behaviour will change.

The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in our gatherings. He works amongst us and he gives us supernatural gifts - working in different ways with different people. All of this strengthens and equips the church.

John 14:15-18, Acts 1:4-8, John 14:25-26, 15:26, 16:13-14, Galatians 5:25, Acts 16:6-10, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Duration:: 18m
Broadcast on:: 16 Nov 2024
Audio Format:: other

Hi there and welcome to the Lighthouse Church sermon broadcast. The title of today's message is "Working with the Holy Spirit." We recently learned that God has recreated us to do good things that He has prepared for us to do. We learned that He works in us and through us with His power. And that means that we are all people of purpose and we are all the right person for the job. We learned that it's not about our ability but his ability and our availability. We then looked at two illustrations from Jesus that help us practically teaching us how to be available, to experience His working in us and through us. The illustration of branches on a vine teaches us our dependence on Him. So we need to get close and stay close to Jesus. The illustration of being yoked in with Him teaches us our need to move in His direction in His time and in His pace. In other words, to keep in step with Him. In both sermons, it was very clear that we are dependent on God's power. Today, we will look at the empowering work of the Holy Spirit so that we can work better with Him. Looking towards His ascension to heaven, Jesus gave His disciples this assurance. John chapter 14 from verse 15, I'll read all texts from the new international version. If you love me, keep my commands and I will ask the Father and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever the spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Jesus, as a human, is no longer walking on the earth, but He has not left us. The Holy Spirit is now working as another advocate. He now comes alongside us. And while the human Jesus was only in one place at one time, the Holy Spirit is everywhere. He makes it possible for every single follower of Jesus, wherever you are, to live and to work in close relationship with Him, to be a branch on the vine, to be yoked in with Jesus. It's therefore very important that we learn to work with the Holy Spirit. Today, we'll look for guidance in the Bible so that we can get better at this. Let's begin in Acts chapter 1 from verse 4. On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He, that's Jesus, gave them this command. Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which He had heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then they gathered around them and asked them, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father are set by His own authority, 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." I think the first lesson we must learn here is that we are dependent on the Holy Spirit. Some people seem to think that the Holy Spirit is an optional extra. I've heard some people speak about Spirit-filled Christians as if you could choose to be either an ordinary Christian or a Spirit-filled Christian. Now, I don't want to criticize anyone. I just want to highlight Jesus command here to His disciples. He told them to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit, to wait for His power. He is the one who empowers us so that we are supernaturally enabled to be Jesus' witnesses. Just as we are dependent on Jesus, we are dependent on the Holy Spirit. The next lesson is that we can trust the Holy Spirit to continue the work of Jesus. John chapter 14 from verse 25, "All this I've spoken while still with you, but the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John chapter 15 in verse 26, "When the advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me." And John chapter 16 from verse 13, "When he, the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you." These words show this glorious unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are one God and they have one mission to seek and save the lost. The Holy Spirit does not change the mission. He continues the mission. The next lesson that we need to learn is that we must keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Colossians chapter 5 verse 25, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." The Greek expression rendered keep in step with speaks of walking in line behind the leader. Now, we've already learned from the illustration of being yoked like an ox with Jesus that we need to keep in step with Jesus, walking in his direction, at his pace, at his time. Here, we are being told the same thing. The Holy Spirit leads us just as Jesus does, so we need to keep step with him. Here's an example, a practical example from the Bible, Acts chapter 16 from verse 6. Paul and his companions travel through the region of Frigia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Marsia, they tried to enter the Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to, so they passed by Marsia and went down to Troas. During the night, Paul had a vision of a man from Man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. I love this story for two reasons in particular. Firstly, we see the unity of God, the Son, and the Spirit in action. The mission team knew that they were being led by the Holy Spirit, and they knew that they were being led by Jesus. Secondly, I think it wonderfully shows a practical example of the human experience of keeping in step with the Spirit. For that apostolic team, their human logic said that they should go into the regions before them. After all, those regions needed to be reached, but the Lord had a different priority. Those nearby places would need to wait for the right time. They should go to Macedonia instead, but they had to find their way. They tried Asia, and the Lord stopped them, and then they tried but then the Lord stopped them. Finally, they worked it up. We recognize what he wants us to do, and they got back into step with the Holy Spirit. I think for us, sometimes it's like that too. We're not sure. It's not the way ahead. The way forward is not clear. We take a step, and then we feel, no, no, no, no. This is not right. Take a step back. Try something. Yes, yes. This is the way we find the way. We learn to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. We may not always be right first time, but you know what? He will lead us. Next lesson. As we keep in step with the Spirit, we will bear fruit. Galatians chapter 5, verse 22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This lesson aligns perfectly with remaining in Jesus. When we closely follow the Holy Spirit, we are closely following Jesus, and then we will be fruitful. As Jesus promised, this text describes the fruit that will grow on a branch that is attached to the vine who is Jesus. And this list is a great way to measure our closeness to Jesus, our keeping in step with the Spirit. If the full fruit is clearly evident, then we must be close to Him. If some fruit is not evident, then we need to draw the error to Him. Those are some great lessons for our daily living. I believe that they will help us to stay close to Jesus and to keep in step with Jesus as the Holy Spirit leads us. And they will help us to do those things that He has prepared for us to do as the Holy Spirit empowers us. Now let me share some lessons on keeping in step with the Holy Spirit in our gatherings, in our meetings, maybe Sunday meetings, small group meeting, 1 Corinthians 12 from verse 4. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone, it is the same God at work. Now to each one, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gift of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines. In this letter the Apostle Paul gave a great deal of extremely helpful teaching about how to keep in step with the Spirit when we meet together. I think it would need a series to cover properly, but today I'll just highlight a few key lessons. Firstly, know that the Holy Spirit is at work in our gatherings. In particular, He gives gifts, He inspires service, and He does work. We see that in verses four to six. So we should expect the Holy Spirit to be supernaturally at work when we gather together. Secondly, the Holy Spirit does much of His work through us. Verse seven says, "To each one, the manifestation of the Spirit is given." This means that we all have a part to play in what He is doing. Notice it says, "To each one, not to the select few." So we should all arrive expecting to play a part in the meeting. We should all arrive prepared to play a part in the meeting. We are all called to be participants, not spectators. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit works in different ways in different people. It says, "He gives to one, to another, to still another. He works one way in me and another way in you." So our experiences and our contributions are different. When we all exercise those, our gatherings are so rich. Fourthly, the Holy Spirit works for the common good. We see this in verse seven. "Yes, you and I will surely be personally blessed, but our meetings are not meetings. They are not all about me. They are all about all of us being built up. A meeting is not about my encounter or my revelation. It's not about my ministry, but the ministry of the Holy Spirit working through us as He chooses to strengthen and equip us as a church." Lastly, I'd like to share a quick word specifically for light-ass church on prophecy, tongues and interpretation because we really want to see these gifted work and that work well in our midst. There isn't time to read all of 1 Corinthians 14, but this chapter speaks very practically about the gifts of prophecy, tongues and interpretation. I encourage you to read that chapter during the week. These instructions are largely focused on edification that is building us up and order. I get the impression that the Corinthian church meetings were both spectacular and chaotic, so Paul called them to order. Those who receive prophetic words should work together to bring the message clearly to the people. Words that were spoken in tongues which most or all present would not understand needed to be interpreted so that people were built up and not confused. For this reason, the elders ask two things of you. If you have a word for the congregation, please submit this to the elder who's leading the meeting. The leader will then do their best to administrate those contributions in a healthy, helpful and orderly way. Secondly, when we leave space in our worship times for everyone to lift up their voices to God, we encourage you to pray and sing freely in your own language in tongues just as the Holy Spirit moves you. These can be wonderful times when gifts are at least but the Lord ministers personally to us. As you enjoy these times of spontaneous worship, please do remember that you are still in a congregational setting, so please try not to distract those around you from their worship of Jesus. I say try because you know what, sometimes we get overwhelmed. That's okay. Let me conclude. The Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus, empowering us, leading us, and revealing things to us, just as we are dependent on Jesus, we are dependent on the Holy Spirit. When we keep in step with the Spirit, we keep in step with Jesus, and when we keep in step, we will bear fruit. Our character and our behavior will change. The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in our gatherings. He works among us, and he gives us supernatural gifts, working in different ways with different people. All of this is intended to strengthen and equip the church. Let's work with the Holy Spirit in our daily lives and in our gatherings. If we do, we will bear much fruit, and we will do those things that the Lord has prepared in advance for us to do. So let's do them. Amen. [BLANK_AUDIO]

When we keep in step, we will bear fruit - our character and behaviour will change.

John 14:15-18, Acts 1:4-8, John 14:25-26, 15:26, 16:13-14, Galatians 5:25, Acts 16:6-10, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11