Holy Spirit Empowered

HOLY SPIRIT- EMPOWERED

Introduction: What comes to your mind when you hear the word Empowered? Do we think of a police officer in uniform who flagged your car and gave you a traffic violation ticket? What provides the policeman with authority and makes him powerful? The police department’s badge and the uniform give him authority, and the gun in his hands makes him powerful. So, we better listen to him in the traffic. When he removes his policeman’s clothes, he has no more authority.

            We respect and admire people who are empowered, right?  But did you know that every born-again believer is also empowered?  You may be wondering by whom, how, and why? Last week we began our journey to understand Hope Church’s Core values. To refresh your memory, what is a core value? It is a principle that guides an organization's internal conduct as well as its relationship with the external world. Before my arrival here as a pastor, a team of people may have prayerfully identified six core values that would guide internal conduct and help Hope Church in their relationship with the outside world.

            For the next several weeks, we will look at our Core Values and what they mean to us as a church. How are they shaping our internal conduct, and how are they influencing us in our relationships with the outside world? Our first core value is that we are a Biblically-Centered Church. This means God’s word the scriptures are our final authority in all matters of life. Our second Core Value is that we are a Holy Spirit-Empowered Church.

            We all hunger for life in the Spirit; without the Spirit’s influence, no amount of Bible knowledge amounts to anything of eternal value. At Hope Church, we earnestly pray for the Holy Spirit to convict non-believers and empower believers to be powerful witnesses for Him.

 I title this message, Holy Spirit-Empowered.  John 16:5-15

            If we truly hunger for life in the Spirit and are convinced that the Sprit’s empowerment is necessary for a fruitful and purposeful living, then it is essential that we understand all the Holy Spirit has in store for us. Let’s bear the fruit and use the gifts of the Holy Spirit for God’s glory.

            John Maxwell notes, “Leaders can never empower anyone else until they are first supernaturally empowered themselves…Whenever someone is filled with the Holy Spirit, something happens. Empowered leaders express God’s power; then empower others.” Before we look further, how do we understand who the Holy Spirit is, and what are his workings in the life of a believer? How and why He empowers believers? 

I. Who is the Holy Spirit?

            The context for our passage is set in John chapter 14, where Jesus consoled his grieving disciples that they were not going to be left as orphans because he was going to send another helper or advocate. The Greek term here literally means, “one called alongside to help.  This helper will be with them and in them forever. He will make a permanent residence in believers.

            In Vs. 17, Jesus clarified who this helper was by saying, “He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.” That brings us to the question of who is the Holy Spirit? If you have grown up in the church, you have been taught about the Holy Spirit as the third person in the Trinity. The scriptures teach us that God has manifested himself as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We see this concept of the Triune God throughout the Bible. For example.  

            Genesis 1:1-3 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

The Bible begins, continues, and ends with the working of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. For that reason, at Hope Church, we believe and worship the Triune God.

II. Why did the Holy Spirit come into this world?

            The Holy Spirit came into the world to continue and complete what Jesu came to do, which is to save the lost and to represent Jesus here on the earth. John 14: 26, “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative that is the Holy Spirit, he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

            Jesus further explained the three exclusive works that the Holy Spirit only could do. John 16:8-11, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.”

            The first work of the Holy Spirit is the conviction of Sin. Though all humanity is depraved and cursed by their violation of God’s law and sinful by nature, what ultimately the Holy Spirit convicts of them is their sin of unbelief. Their unwillingness to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as savior. I still remember how I came under the compelling conviction of the Holy Spirit in that evangelistic meeting three decades ago and surrendered my life to Christ.

            Secondly, the Holy Spirit will convict people about true righteousness by exposing their self-righteousness and hypocrisy. Jesus often called out those who were righteous in their own eyes. He called them blind guides, hypocrites, whitewashed tombs, and the children of the devil.   After Jesus ascended to heaven, now it is the work of the Holy Spirit to call out and expose the darkness of the human heart. We can feel the weight of such conviction when we come under it. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit convicts the individual believer and the world about the upcoming judgment. God has already pronounced judgment upon Satan, the great deceiver.

            The Holy Spirit inspired John the evangelist to record what will happen to Satan, and those who follow him, and the glorious future of all those who have believed in Jesus in the last two chapters of the book of Revelation. That brings us to our third point, how and why the Holy Spirit empowers all believers in Christ.

III. Holy Spirit-Empowered.

            Besides convicting people of unbelief, righteousness, and judgment, the Holy Spirit is sent into the world to come alongside and help the believers in their spiritual journey. It is one thing to be born again, pray, read your bible, and attend church regularly, but it is another thing to be Empowered by the Holy Spirit. You might be wondering why I need empowerment?

            If you want to live a life that is pleasing and honoring to God, and if you want your life to count, if you're going to impact this world for Christ, then you need this empowerment. Jesus had promised to His disciples that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit, for what?

            Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Greek word Dunamis means power from where we get the English word dynamite. In other words, when the Holy Spirit comes upon God’s people, they will become bold and explosive for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

             We knew by reading the Church history, what happened to an uneducated, and dejected disciple of Christ named Peter?  When He was filled with the Holy Spirit, he gave a powerful sermon and three thousand people were convicted by the Holy Spirit and were baptized. 

            That was the beginning of the worldwide church of Jesus Christ. God is not yet done. God desires that all his followers would be empowered by the Holy Spirit so that they can be powerful witnesses for Him in this world and bring more people into His Kingdom.

            How is the Holy Spirit empowering individual believers and the church at large? By causing them to bear fruit and equipping them with various ministry gifts. The apostle Paul encourages the believers in Galatia to live and be guided by the Holy Spirit so that Holy Spirit will produce fruit in them. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23.

            How are you bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life? Now about the gifts. I Peter 4:10, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” These gifts are not meant for us to enjoy but to serve one another. The Bible records three categories of Gifts. Today we only have time to look at them briefly.

            The first category, a set of seven motivational gifts: Romans 12:6-8, 1. Prophecy. 2. Server. 3. Teacher. 4. Exhorter. 5. Giver. 6. Leadership. 7. Mercy. The second category, a set of nine manifestation gifts: I Corinthians 12:7-10, 1. The word of wisdom. 2. The word of knowledge. 3. Faith. 4. Gifts of healings. 5. Working of miracles. 6. Prophecy. 7. Discerning of spirits. 8. Various kinds of tongues. 9. Interpretation of tongues.

            The third category, a set of five ministry or equipping gifts: Ephesians 4:11, 1. The apostle. 2. The prophet. 3. The evangelist. 4. The pastor. 5. The teacher. These are not titles, but functions. I encourage you to go home and read about these different gifts; I am sure you will find one or two gifts the Holy Spirit may have given you. If so, how are you using those gifts?

            The Holy Spirit gives us these gifts so that we might serve one another. If being empowered by the Holy Spirit is one of our core values, then we must study and learn about all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including the gift of speaking in tongues. It is not enough to know about them but use them in the Lord’s service. My prayer is that the Lord will continue to fill us with His Holy Spirit. That is what makes Hope Church Holy Spirit-Empowered. Amen!

           

           

Biblically Centered ( God's Word the Solid Foundation)

BIBLICALLY-CENTERED

 (God’s Word the Solid Foundation)

Introduction: James E. White quotes an old phrase, “Which hills are you prepared to die on? Meaning, which stands are you going to take no matter what the cost?  For what are you ready to die? Your answer will determine your core values.” What is a core value? It is a principle that guides an organization's internal conduct as well as its relationship with the external world.

            Every organization or company in the corporate world operates by a set of core values. Churches should be no different. Three years ago, while I was searching for a ministry opportunity, I looked at various Church's websites to know their beliefs and core values.

            When I looked at Hope Church's beliefs, and core values, I said to my self this is the church I would like to pastor, so I applied, and the rest is history. Before my arrival here, a team of people may have prayerfully identified six core values that would guide their internal conduct and help them in their relationship with the outside world.

            These are our hills that we should be willing to die on. For the next six weeks, we will look at our Core Values and what they mean to us as a church. The first Core Value: “We are a Biblically- Centered Church.” In preparation for this series, I asked a group of people in our church to help me. Some gave me brilliant ideas, and I will be using some of them.

            Throughout this sermon series on Core Values, we will be asking, questions like why this Core Value is essential for us? How are we practically implementing this value in our personal lives and the life of Hope Church? I title this message: God’s Word the Solid Foundation.

            Biblically-Centered: “The Word of God is our ultimate authority. Mature followers of Jesus Christ must know how to read, interpret, and teach Scripture. The time one is in the Scriptures directly impacts their relationship with God and the ability to obey His commands.”

            What do we mean by being biblically-centered? Which means we take God’s word as our ultimate authority. We are building our lives on God’s word, which is our solid foundation. If you have followed my sermons, you may have noticed; they are Biblically sound. We encourage the members of Hope Church to become lifelong learners of God’s word.

            In a time where the gospel is being watered down, and strange theologies are cropping up to confuse believers, it so crucial that we remain Biblically-Centered. I want to share a few reasons why we are to build our lives on the solid foundation of God’s Word. And talk about what would that look like practically in our day to day lives. So, Let’s get started.

I LIVING BY GOD’S WORD MAKES US SPIRITUALLY MATURE

            For a new believer in Christ, God’s word is like pure milk that provides all that they need to grow strong in their faith and become spiritually mature. I Peter 2:2, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.” Like newborn babies crave for milk for their nourishment, every new believer and the seasoned believer must desire spiritual milk, daily. That makes you strong.

            What made Peter stress on this essential truth? He heard the teachings of Christ, where once he said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Jesus, through His word, becomes our Daily Bread.

            As a young believer, I read and reread the Bible cover to cover several times. Even after so many times of reading, God’s word never fails to amuse me. It is like a Gold mine. The more you learn from God’s word and apply it in your daily life, the more you will grow spiritually.

            How has been your Bible reading off late? Is it part of your Spiritual discipline? Have you read through the entire Bible from cover to cover even once? There is no condemnation in Christ. You can pick up the Bible today and start reading it, and you can complete it in one year.

II.  GOD’S WORD KEEPS US BALANCED

            In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warned his disciples to be careful about false prophets and messiahs, saying, “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.” Their intent is to deceive people, including, if possible, even God’s chosen well-seasoned saints. Be aware of false prophets.

            As per the predictions, there are so many false prophets these days going around and deceiving believers with their well-crafted sermons, and through performing miracles. As the Bible says, they are like wolves in sheep's clothing. How do we discern them so that we can stay away from them? How can we know whether they are telling the truth or a bunch of lies?

            To discern truth from error and remain spiritually balanced, we need to know the whole counsel of God from the entire word of God. The in-depth knowledge of God’s word can help us avoid all extremes. For example, there are some Christians who say; you should not take any medicines when you get sick, but only pray and trust God for healing. That is extreme!

            Yes, I believe God can perform miracles even today, but at the same time, He could use the wisdom He has given to the scientists and the doctors to cure our diseases.  There are several scriptures speak of using medical treatments such as applying bandages ( Is 1:6),  Good Samaritan’s use of oil and wine to soothe the wounds (Luke 10:34), Paul advising Timothy to take some wine for his sick stomach ( I Timothy 5:23), and Jesus was accompanied by a doctor named Luke, (Colossians 4:14). There is nothing wrong with going to doctors and use medicine.

            However, we should not forget the fact that God is our primary healer, not the doctors. When we are sick, we can always ask God to heal us, but he does not promise that He will answer the way we still want. But one thing we can be assured of is that the Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.” Ps 145:13. God’s word keeps us balanced.

III. GOD’S WORD THE SOLID FOUNDATION

            In our passage, we read a familiar story that we have heard since we were in Sunday school. Jesus told of two people who were set out to build houses. One built a house that stood through seasons, storms, and floods, whereas the other person’s home came crashing down.        What was the difference? It was the foundation. The first one built his house on a solid rock foundation, where is the other one on a shallow, shaky foundation of sand. Jesus referred to the first one as a wise man and the second one as foolish. What made the first one wise and the other foolish? Listen to Jesus’ analysis.  “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, but anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish.”

            What teachings was Jesus referring to here? When we read the context, we will notice that he was referring to His teachings on the mountainside, also known as the sermon on the mount. Jesus taught His disciples and the crowd about, being the Salt and Light. The Law.

            Anger & Adultery. Divorce & Vows. Revenge & Loving our enemies and giving to the needy. Prayer & Fasting. Money & Possessions. How not to judge others. Effective Prayer. The Golden rule & the Narrow Gate. False prophets & True Disciples.  In closing these teachings, he talked about building our life on the solid foundation of His Word.

            I encourage you to read about these teachings when you go home. It is not enough to know them intellectually, but more importantly, we follow them. How do we become Bible-centered Christians?  I suggest the following. At Hope Church, we encourage personal, and independent reading of scriptures to know the truth for ourselves first hand, like the Bereans in the book of Acts 17:11. We offer Sunday morning Bible times wherein groups of people explore the teachings of the Bible. Our Mid-Week Connect groups are where we focus on specific Biblical topics. Above all, we want everyone to go out and do the Word.

IV WHAT DOES BIBLICALLY-CENTERED PRACTICALLY MEAN?

            When we are living biblically-centered lives, we are not merely listeners of God’s word, but we are the doers of God’s word. In other words, we are living by God’s principles. Biblically-Centered Christians do things differently than the rest of the world because they are guided and motivated by a higher set of values and standards. For example, in this world, for many, it is no big deal to lie, steal, or commit adultery. But if you know the truth about them from the Bible, and have determined to live godly, then you will stay away from them. 

             We are being Biblically-Centered, practically means that we will speak and stand up for the truth even when it hurts.  We will love our neighbors and strangers as Christ has loved us and accepted us. We will pray for our enemies and forgive those who hurt us. We will love and respect our spouses and raise our children in fear of the Lord. We will use our resources wisely. 

            I understand it is not always easy to live that way; we may fall away from the truth and do things that are not pleasing to God. The word of God tells us that even when we are faithless, He will remain faithful.  We learn from the scriptures that, “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.” Proverbs 24:16. According to I John 1:9, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

            Dear friends at Hope Church, being Biblically-Centered, is one of our values, and we are not ashamed of it. I see many of you are already living biblically-centered lives. For those who are not and struggling to stay afloat in this world, my encouragement is that you will build your life on the Solid Foundation of God’s word. In closing, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” Eph 2:13-14. Amen!

EMBRACING AGING

EMBRACING AGING

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14

Introduction: I attend a Barnabas pastor’s support group. Part of our reason for the meeting is to share what’s going on in our lives and pray for one another. One by one, the pastors began to share about their bodily aches and pains and how they have to take care of their unwell spouses.

            As I listened to them, I thought to myself, oh boy, getting old must be tough. It was my turn to share, I said, my health is good, and I am physically feeling fit. One of them said, “You are only 54; wait until you reach our age.” I said, “I better keep up my exercises so that I will continue to remain fit.” I am in a peculiar stage as a 54-year-old. I am neither young nor old.

            That conversation made me think. Admittedly, I spent half of my life, and how am I preparing myself for hopefully the other half both physically, emotionally, and spiritually? How do I embrace aging graciously?  What does the bible say about aging? What are the benefits of aging? Can we still be significant for God in our old age? Are you afraid of aging?

            These are some of the questions many in our time are afraid to entertain? But the fact of the matter is whether we like it or not like King David said, “Once I was young now, I am Old.” The sooner we come to terms with this reality of life, the better we would be prepared to face our aging process. “Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.”

- Jennifer Yane. If you live your life as though you are a perpetual image contestant, your age is eventually going to horrify you.

            To age, without desperation in today’s society is mastery. One day we wake up, and it is as if we have aged overnight. In the passage, we read wise king Solomon advises the young and the old about the facts of life and the process of aging and the chief end of human beings. To explain the mystery of life, he uses different images. I title this message: Embracing Aging!

            Let me lay down some parameters as we approach our passage in Ecclesiastes twelfth chapter. The title Ecclesiastes comes from the Greek and Latin translations of Solomon’s book, which means, “Preacher.” As suggested in Chapter 1:1, the author of this book was king Solomon, the son of David. It is the fourth book of poetry in the Bible after Job, Psalms, and Proverbs.  Because of its poetic nature, the imagery, the metaphors presented in this book can not be taken literally. However, the essence of their meaning can be applied to real-life situations.

            The word Vanity means meaningless; it occurs about 35 times in the book, giving way to what truly matters in life. The main thrust of Ecclesiastes is that all of life is meaningless, useless, hollow, futile, vain if it is not rightly related to God. Only when our lives are based on God and His word, they are worthwhile.  With that background, let’s study our passage.

I. REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR (Ecc 11: 9-10, 12-1)

            11: 9-10, “Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. So, refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.”

            12:1, “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” The verses in chapter eleven give a lot of scope to young people to enjoy life and do whatever they want to do, also a warning that they would be brought before God to give an account of all they did in life.

            Chapter twelve begins with an alternative to the frivolous lifestyle of the youth.  It urges young people not to be carried away in their excitement and forget the One who made them. Instead, resolve to serve Him with their youthful energy before they enter into an unpleasant old age.

            The Bible has a lot of examples of those who did not throw away their youthful years and energy but used them in the service of their God. One of them was a prophet named Jeremiah, who received a mission from God at a very young age, and this is what he has to say about serving God while you are young. Lam 3:27, “And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline.” Who are you serving today? Is it God, the devil, yourself, or the world? Are you picking up the yoke of God or burdened by the expectations of this world? 

II EMBRACING AGING  (Vs. 2-7)

            Aging is a natural process. There is no getting around it. However, so many of us kick and scream against aging. Is it because we live in an age-defying culture? Much research is being done, and products produced to help people prevent, defy, and possibly reverse aging. When you go through all that trouble, to stay forever young, people don’t recognize you anymore. So why bother! Why worry and fret. Why can’t we be authentic and graciously embrace aging?

            King Solomon uses several metaphors such as a dilapidated house, nature, and a funeral procession to help us embrace the process of aging and our inescapable eventual death. Again, we don’t take these metaphors literally but look at the emphasis and the meaning they convey.

            Vs. 2, “Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky.” This verse talks about the two stages of human life — the bright sunshine stage of the youth, and the twilight zone of aging.

            Vs 3-5, In the Message we have a contemporary explanation on what happens to our bodies as we age. “In old age, your body no longer serves you so well. Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen. The shades are pulled down on the world. You can’t come and go at will. Things grind to a halt. The hum of the household fades away. You are wakened now by bird-song. Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past.

            Even a stroll down the road has its terrors. Your hair turns apple-blossom white,

Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body. Yes, you’re well on your way to eternal rest,

While your friends make plans for your funeral.” In verses, 6-7, we find another round of warning for young people to remember their creator while they are young and various symbols indicate that finally, death has overtaken us.

            “Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then, the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” Whether we like it or not, these are the facts of life one has to face.

            Remember, life however lovely it may be, is soon over. The body is put back in the same ground it came from. The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it. Those of us who perhaps are on the later stage of the journey may be wondering is that all there is for me or more? Does my life still count? Can I be useful to God, to the church, and to the society even when I am old? The answer to these questions is a resounding Yes! Beside getting senior citizens discounts, old age can be more satisfying for those who love God and continue to serve Him till the end of their lives. God could use the older people to mentor and disciple the young people.  

III. FLOURISHING IN OLD AGE

            The basis for this two-part sermon was David’s prayer in his old age, where he remembered God’s faithfulness to those who feared God and sought to do the right thing. Psalm 37:23-26, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.”

            Developmental psychologist Bernice Neugarten made a distinction between young-old age and old-old age.  As long as we can do most of what we want to do, we are young old age. When our health fundamentally changes the way we live we have entered old-old age.  However the experience of some may be that you are somewhere in between those categories with various kinds of health problems, such as failing eyesight or arthritis.

            When you see you are aging, don’t fret. You still have a lot to offer for God’s Kingdom in this world. As C.S Lewis says, “You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.” Our strength in Hope Church is that we have a number of people who are at the verge of retiring and some have already retired for quite some time. God is not yet finished with you. He is about to do a new thing in your life, pay attention to the doors of opportunities He is going to open up for you. He may ask you to do something you may have never done before.

            God has invested in many of you for a number of years. He has seen your faithful service to Him through thick and thin of this congregation. He is pleased to know that you have not given up on your faith in following God when somany of your contemporaries have turned away.     God is going to use all those years of experience to make you a blessing not only here in Hope Church, in our community and around the world. Regardless what stage of life you may be in here is the promise of God for you when you know him and live according to His will.

            Old age is a blessing from God. You will still flourish in your old age. Psalm 92: 12-14 “But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon, for they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age, they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.” God is saying to you, “I will be your God throughout your lifetime until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” Isaiah 46:4 Amen!