WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

There are many ways that people approach the Scriptures in the Bible that tell about the supernatural works of the Holy Spirit.

You can rationalize them.

You can limit them to NT times.

You can ignore them.

You can believe them.

And what about present day miracles?

If I were to speculate on what is the biggest hindrance for American Christians to open up their lives to the miracle working power of the Holy Spirit,

I would say it is their fear of what others will think.

Countercultural

So if that is what you are afraid of then you need to overcome the fear of what others think if you are EVER going to do the work that God built you to do.

Again, here is my challenge to you.

Let’s talk about control for a few minutes.

Surrender is to yield to the power or control of another person

How do you think the Spirit feels when you choose to ignore Him, refuse to obey Him and are ashamed to talk about Him?

1 Thessalonians 5:19

Ephesians 4:30

Grieving speaks of the personal anguish of the Holy Spirit when a believer quenches the holy fire that He has kindled in them.

Let’s think about how we quench the work of the Spirit in our lives.

Ephesians 4:11-16

God’s goal is for us to become mature disciples- to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ.

sanctification The only way this can be accomplished is through the help of the Spirit!

How does the Holy Spirit lead us to walk through this spiritual maturing process?

1) The Spirit illuminates the Word.

1 Peter 2:2

2) The Spirit brings us into a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Paul wrote that it is the Spirit who leads us to cry out, “Abba, Father.”

3) The Spirit glorifies Christ to us.

Remember Moses in the OT when his face shone because He had seen the glory of God and had spent time in the presence of that glory?

4) The Spirit wants to guide us into God’s dream for our life.

5) The Spirit gifts us with spiritual gifts and builds the skills necessary to for you to be an instrument used by Him to change our world.

6) The Spirit strengthens us inwardly.

Ephesians 3:16

2 Corinthians 12:9

The work that our Heavenly Father has for us is supernatural and requires a corresponding power to accomplish it.

The good news is that everything we need to have this supernatural change in our life happen is available through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Jesus calls EACH of us to live supernaturally in such a way that we display His character in everything we do.

“throne check.”