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School of Church Growth

9. The Spirit-Led Church
Being the friend of Holy Spirit

 

 


3,000 free pages      
 

In Your Bible Read This
John 14, 15 -26; chapter 15.26 - 16.15

Here Is Your Memory Verse
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Cor. 13.13

Afterwards Talk About This
When you are witnessing or praying for a sick person, what difference
will it make now you know that you do not go alone to minister to them?

Something To Do Before Next Time
Begin to relate to Holy Spirit as you would with any other dear friend.
We should not pray to him but we can certainly talk with him and share our lives.
Don’t be surprised if he speaks back as he did in Acts 13.2, and Acts 16, 6-10.

Written Diploma Work
The Bible talks about Holy Spirit using many titles and pictures like dove,
water, oil, comforter, or breath. See how many you can find, at least 10.

Meditate On This Passage
Acts 16, 6-10

Spend a Minute to Change the World
Pray For Cuba - 10,000,000 Caribbean people
Repression, rationing and lack, past persecution of 3% believers
Widespread occult spiritism
 

 
Be sure to teach this lesson to others.
Always pray and prepare well adding
your own verses and stories to bring it to life.

 

Do You Know What You Are Asking?

At the end of our church services we often bless each other with the words of our memory verse, but have you ever thought what we are desiring for each other?

The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit
The word fellowship is koinoñia, which means partnership, or intimate friend- ship with Holy Spirit. Believers every where know the power, the gifts and the fruit of Holy Spirit, but how many of us know him as a close friend?

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

Some people think that the Holy Spirit is just a kind of energy, power or lightning. But they could not be more mistaken.

The Holy Spirit Is A Person
In fact he is a very important person, the Third Person in God's 'family tree,' the Trinity: Mat. 28.19; 2 Cor. 13.13. He is a spirit person, as much a person as you are but without the limitations of a body. We can pray daily: 'Holy Spirit, fill me with your power, guide me, give me wisdom and courage,' because he is a definite, specific person we can talk to and relate to.

Why Is This Important?

It means you can relate to God easily. A man can never relate to a force, an energy or a mere inanimate influence, and not even to man’s best friend, a dog. God wants us to have a personal relationship with him and, knowing that we can only relate to a person, he has given us Holy Spirit to be our personal friend, our helper and our comforter.

For the disciples who had spent three years with Jesus, Holy Spirit came and took the place of Jesus with them and in fact was even closer because he was inside each one. Because Holy Spirit is a Spirit person he was able to be with all the disciples, all the time, not limited to being in one place at a time as Jesus permitted himself to be. The same is true today. Holy Spirit, God himself is with all of us, always.

Is Holy Spirit A Real Person?

Doctors say that a real person must have a mind, a will and emotions. That’s the test we must put to the Holy Spirit.

Has Holy Spirit Got A Mind?
Mind means intelligence, thought and reason. Yes, he has a sharp mind! See Romans 8.27 and 1 Cor. 2. 10-13.

Has Holy Spirit Got A Will?
Will has to do with intention, choice, desire and determination. Yes, Holy Spirit has his own will and he agrees with the Father and Son. 1 Cor. 12.11.

Has Holy Spirit Got Emotions?
Has he feelings and passion? He loves and that is the most powerful emotion of all, and there is passion in his groans of intercession; Romans 15.30, 8.26,27.

Jesus Always Calls Him A Person

In just one particular conversation Jesus calls the Holy Spirit "he" and "him" many times: John 16.7-15. And in John 14.15-17. Jesus also gives him a personal title, Counsellor (Advocate), meaning the One who stands alongside you as a lawyer to defend you. The Holy Spirit is the One who takes hold together with us against our weakness and infirmities: Romans 8.26.

Holy Spirit Has A Personal Ministry
When you see what his job is you will be surprised, and he is doing it all well, all the time, everywhere ~

He works, 1 Cor. 12.11;
He searches, 1 Cor. 2.10;
He speaks, Acts 13.2;
He testifies, John 15.26;
He instructs, Neh. 9.20;

He convicts, John 16. 8-11;
He prays, Romans 8.26;
He leads, Matthew 4.1;
He guides into truth, John 16.13;
He glorifies Jesus, John 16.14;

He brings new birth, John 3.5-6;
He argues, Gen. 6.3;
He directs ministry, Acts 8.29;
He sends messengers, Isaiah 48.16;
He calls men to ministry, Acts 20.28;
He gives gifts, 1 Cor. 12.7-11.

He Also Has Personal Feelings
He can be grieved,
insulted,
lied to,
tested,
blasphemed,
resisted and extinguished.
See Ephesians 4.30, Isaiah 63.10,
Hebrews 10.29, Acts 5.3, Mat. 12.31, Acts 7.51; 5.9, 1 Thess. 5.19.

What Does This Mean To Me?

We can grow into deep friendship with a companion or with a marriage partner, so how much more can we surely build an intimate two-way friendship with a totally trustworthy Divine person and friend who loves me, lives in me, speaks to me and wants to work with me and through me.

  • He is ‘Holy’ Spirit and his holiness can saturate my inner desires and empower me to be holy. 1 Peter 1.15

  • I am never alone. 2 Cor. 13.13

  • He has all the gifts of God to share with me as I face the needs of each day. Isaiah 11.2-4, Luke 4.18

  • As a witness for Jesus I never have to strive to do God's work in convicting others of their sin, lack of righteousness and imminent judgement. Only the Spirit of God can do the work of God. I can do my part, and relax allowing Holy Spirit to do his own Divine work. John 16.8. Our job is to minister the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3.6

  • At church we can yield to the Holy Spirit and risk allowing him to direct our worship, prayers, future plans and our ministry to each other.

  • Acts 2, 1-4 tells us how God sent Holy Spirit just as Joel prophesied, and Jesus promised in John 14.16. You no longer have to wait for him, just ask him to come and fill your life, and make him welcome.

 

To Close Pray for the World's Most Unreached Peoples by Name
 
Taken from the Joshua Project Unreached Peoples List these people have no church and as yet no cell, church or mission has committed themselves to prayer, adoption or church planting among this people.
 

Tanzania

People Name

Language

Population

Han Chinese (Cantonese, Nung)

Chinese, Yue

15,000

Wasi

Chasi

40,000

 

 


 

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