Being Led by the Holy Spiritনমুনা

BEING FULL OF HOLY SPIRIT, ON FIRE FOR GOD

INTRODUCTION

This is a message from the Lord Jesus before He was taken up into heaven, meaning that God's promises for giving Helper, Comforter, and Teacher to all believers are real. It started from the disciples of Jesus - the apostles -- to receive Holy Spirit, and it has been continuing till now for His church. 

There are some people who argue that the power of the Holy Spirit is only given when the apostles were gathered in Jerusalem or only in the age of Acts’ church. This is a misconception and very unfortunate, why? Because the power of the Holy Spirit is given to all believers in order to empower His church in proclaiming the Kingdom of God on earth.

Let us pay attention to the message of the Lord Jesus in the above verse, it is said that if we receive the power of the Holy Spirit then we will be witnesses. What does it mean to be a witness? It means that we will declare Christ through our lives, the power of the Holy Spirit will equip us to be God's messengers from Jerusalem (this is about our family), Judea (among believers), and Samaria (Among unbelievers) and to the end of the earth (as far as we can).

Thus, we who are filled with the Holy Spirit will be used as God’s instrument effectively, as the bearer of the good news for the world. The Word of God says in Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him Who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

If we believe that we have received salvation from God, this is the time for us to rise up, serve God and our neighbor passionately. And that passion comes from within, once we receive the Lord Jesus as Lord and King, His Spirit reigns within us. We need to raise the Spirit of God in us so that our lives will be on fire for the glory of God.

DISCUSSION

What happens to us when the Holy Spirit pours out on us?

Let's read: Ezekiel 36: 25-27 

1. Cleansed or purified from all impurity

The Holy Spirit is described as flowing water. One function of water in addition to drinking water is also to clean up. Every morning we always take a shower before going out of the house, or late afternoon after the activities. Imagine if one day we do not take a shower, moreover if we don’t do it for days! Surely everyone may run away from us because our dirty bodies give off unpleasant odors. We need clean water to take a bath in order to keep our bodies clean and fresh. Likewise, we need the Holy Spirit to flow upon us so that our inner is also cleansed from all kinds of pollutants of this world. There are so many dirty worldly things that may come into our minds. Nothing can clean thrash from our hearts and minds, only the power of God's Spirit and His words can do.

2. Given a new heart

If the Spirit of God flows and fills us, then all the old characters in our hearts will be removed or erased. What's our old heart look like? It is a hard heart, a rebel heart, a fooled heart and makes our character more like a worldly person. While a new heart is like the heart of Jesus, it is the gentle heart. Matthew 11:29 says that Jesus is meek. 

People who have meek hearts are easy to be warned, willing to listen to advice, willing to learn, obedient, and diligent to do everything that God commanded. We can learn from the person who made a vessel or a pot from clay, the potter should mix the clay with water to make it easy to be formed. The clay is our heart, and the water is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. So we will be formed easily when the Holy Spirit comes down and fills us.

3. More passionate about loving and serving God

When one loves and cares for his/her own spouse deeply, surely that person will show the proud and admiration for his or her spouse. Spiritually, Jesus Christ is our beloved. When the Holy Spirit comes down and fills us, then the Holy Spirit will make us have more love and more admiration for the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit will make us more excited to know the Lord Jesus deeper. Where can we get to know God from? Through reading the Bible. When the Holy Spirit dwells in us, the Holy Spirit will give us great enthusiasm in reading the Bible and equip us as a doer of it. Then, the Holy Spirit will inspire us to share our experience with the Lord Jesus with others. The Holy Spirit will lead us to approach the people who are thirsty and eager to get the Living Water that is Jesus Christ.

CLOSING

• To be able to enjoy true and pure Christian life is not because of our own strength, to be able to be used by God maximally is not because of our knowledge, to be more excited to God is not because of the density of our ministry schedule. But the purity life of the Christian is caused by the flow of the Holy Spirit. Our ministry and how maximum God will use us are the work of the Holy Spirit.

• Open our hearts. Ask for the mercy of God and the power of His blood for the forgiveness of all our sins. Then humbly like the helpless people who come to ask for help, ask the Holy Spirit to come upon us.

DISCUSSION 

Tell your experience briefly when the Holy Spirit comes down and fills you.