Embracing the Extraordinary Through the Holy Spirit

Devotional

Day 1: You Are Christ’s Ambassadors—Called to Carry His Appeal

God has chosen ordinary people to be His ambassadors, carrying the message of reconciliation to a world in need. This is not a distant or abstract calling, but a present reality: as you walk in relationship with the Holy Spirit, you become the means by which God makes His heartfelt appeal to others. No matter how ordinary you may feel, God desires to use you to bring deliverance, hope, and the reality of His kingdom to those around you. Embrace your identity as an ambassador, knowing that the words of Jesus and the power of His Spirit rest upon you, giving you a new authority and purpose. [07:41]

2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV)
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience God’s appeal through you today, and how can you intentionally reach out to them as Christ’s ambassador?

Day 2: Led by the Spirit—A Daily, Ongoing Relationship

Being led by the Holy Spirit is not a one-time event or a Sunday ritual, but an ongoing, daily journey. The Spirit’s leading is often gentle—a whisper rather than a shout—and requires a posture of listening and deliberate following. As you practice the presence of the Holy Spirit in the ordinary moments of your life, you become a carrier of His presence, bringing revival and life wherever you go. The Spirit’s leadership transforms mundane routines into opportunities for God’s kingdom to break in, and it is through this daily dependence that you truly live as a son or daughter of God. [19:01]

Romans 8:14 (ESV)
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Reflection: What is one ordinary part of your day where you can deliberately invite the Holy Spirit to lead you, and how might that change your experience?

Day 3: The Holy Spirit—Unbodily Personal Power

The Holy Spirit is not a distant force or abstract concept, but the very breath and wind of God—unbodily personal power—moving wherever He pleases. Just as the wind cannot be contained or predicted, so the Spirit brings life and transformation in ways that often defy our expectations or comfort zones. The Spirit was present from creation, bringing life to what was dead, and continues to move today, reviving hearts and congregations that are open to His presence. Don’t close the doors of your heart or your gatherings to the wind of God; instead, invite Him to breathe new life into every dry and weary place. [24:08]

John 3:8 (ESV)
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Reflection: Where have you been resistant to the unpredictable movement of the Holy Spirit, and how can you open yourself to His life-giving wind today?

Day 4: The Holy Spirit—A Person Who Knows, Feels, and Wills

The Holy Spirit is not an “it” but a person with intellect, emotions, and will. He thinks, feels, and chooses, and He desires to reveal God’s thoughts and heart to you each day. The Spirit can be grieved, loved, and even lied to, which means your relationship with Him is deeply personal and interactive. As you grow in awareness of His personhood, you can experience His comfort, guidance, and love in ways that no earthly counselor can provide. The Spirit wants to share with you what He thinks about you, your community, and your circumstances—will you listen? [31:25]

1 Corinthians 2:10-12 (ESV)
These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

Reflection: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal one new thought He has about you today—what do you sense He is saying?

Day 5: The Holy Spirit—Fully God, Empowering You to Live Beyond Limitations

The Holy Spirit is fully God—eternal, holy, all-powerful, and ever-present. He is not to be neglected or treated as less than the Father or the Son. Because God’s Spirit dwells in you, you are empowered to live beyond your natural limitations, to step into the extraordinary, and to participate in the supernatural life Jesus modeled. The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in you, enabling you to walk in freedom, boldness, and joy. Lay aside your limitations, receive the fullness of the Spirit, and step into the promises and purposes God has for you and the generations to come. [35:07]

1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

Reflection: What limitation or fear do you need to lay down today so you can fully embrace the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Sermon Summary

This morning, the invitation is to move from the ordinary to the extraordinary by embracing the reality of life with the Holy Spirit. So often, we overcomplicate our faith, forgetting that the most profound truths are often the simplest: we are called to live in relationship with God, and it is out of this relationship that true fruitfulness flows. Just as Pretoria is filled with ambassadors and dignitaries, so too are we called to be Christ’s ambassadors—carrying His authority, His message, and His presence into a world that desperately needs reconciliation and hope.

The Holy Spirit is not a distant concept or a mere theological idea. He is a person—fully God—who desires to walk with us, to lead us, and to empower us. The Christian life is not meant to be lived in our own strength, but in daily, ongoing partnership with the Spirit. This is not a Sunday-only experience or a fleeting emotional high, but a continual, experiential relationship. The Spirit is not just present in the extraordinary moments, but in the mundane, the daily grind, the washing of dishes, the raising of children, the ordinary routines of life. When we practice His presence, even the most routine moments become opportunities for God’s kingdom to break in.

To know the Holy Spirit is to know the very breath, the wind, the ruach of God. He is the one who brings life to dry bones, who transforms the dead and ordinary into a living, powerful army. Yet, we can close ourselves off—through religion, routine, or unbelief—and miss the wind of God moving among us. The Spirit has intellect, will, and emotions; He thinks, He feels, He chooses, and He desires to reveal God’s heart to us every day. He is not an “it,” but a “He”—the Comforter, the Advocate, the Paraclete who walks beside us.

The call is to lay aside limitations, to stop living as if we are ordinary, and to step into the fullness of what God has for us. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, and He wants to do more than we can ask or imagine. The invitation is open: will you trade in your “old number plates” for the red plates of heavenly authority? Will you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you, empower you, and make you a vessel of God’s appeal to the world? The door is open—step out of the prison of limitation and into the freedom and power of the Spirit.

Key Takeaways

1. Fruitfulness flows from relationship, not striving. The Christian life is not about working harder to bear fruit, but about abiding in relationship with the Holy Spirit. As we walk with Him, we naturally emanate the life and power of the kingdom, destroying the works of darkness not by effort, but by presence. The realm we are most familiar with is the realm we will manifest; let it be the realm of the Spirit. [08:31]
2. The Spirit’s leading is ongoing and practical. Being “led by the Spirit” is not a one-time event or a Sunday ritual, but a daily, moment-by-moment reality. It requires intentionality—practicing His presence in the ordinary, listening for His whispers, and following His impulses even in the mundane. Revival is not something we wait for; it is something we carry wherever we go. [22:33]
3. The Holy Spirit is a person, not a force or an “it.” He has intellect, will, and emotions, and desires to reveal God’s thoughts and heart to us. Many seek counsel and comfort elsewhere, but the Spirit is the ultimate Counselor who knows us intimately and wants to speak new things to us every day. Our relationship with Him must move from information to experience. [31:25]
4. The Spirit is fully God and deserves our reverence. The Holy Spirit is not a lesser member of the Trinity, but is fully God—eternal, holy, all-powerful, and present everywhere. He authored the gospel, sustains it, and empowers its proclamation. To neglect or minimize the Spirit is to miss the fullness of God’s presence and power in our lives. [34:31]
5. Stepping into the extraordinary requires surrender and faith. God is inviting us to lay aside our limitations, our “old number plates,” and receive the authority and identity He offers through the Spirit. This is not just for a select few, but for all who are willing to believe, to step out, and to occupy the promises of God—not just for ourselves, but for the generations to come. [42:45]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:56] - The Power of Simplicity and Worship
[06:37] - From Ordinary to Extraordinary: God’s Ambassadors
[08:31] - Living Under an Open Heaven
[09:56] - God’s Appeal Through Us
[11:18] - Pentecost and the Upper Room
[13:03] - The Impossible Life: Living by the Spirit
[14:16] - Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit
[19:01] - Led by the Spirit: Ongoing Relationship
[22:33] - Practicing the Presence in the Ordinary
[24:08] - The Holy Spirit is Spirit: Wind and Breath
[26:05] - Opening Our Lives to the Spirit
[29:10] - The Holy Spirit is a Person
[34:31] - The Holy Spirit is Fully God
[42:45] - Responding: Trading Old for New
[47:26] - Ministry and Worship: Freedom in the Spirit

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 8:14 (ESV) — > For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

John 3:8 (ESV) — > The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV) — > Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Observation Questions

According to Romans 8:14, what is the mark of being a child of God? How does the word “led” suggest an ongoing relationship? ([19:01])
In John 3:8, how does Jesus describe the work of the Spirit? What does the image of wind teach us about the Holy Spirit? ([24:08])
The sermon compared ordinary number plates to red diplomatic plates. What did the red plates represent, and how does this connect to being Christ’s ambassadors? ([06:37])
What are some ways the Holy Spirit is described as a person in the sermon? What evidence from Scripture supports this? ([29:53])

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says, “Fruitfulness flows from relationship, not striving.” What does it mean to bear fruit by abiding in the Spirit rather than by working harder? ([08:31])
The Holy Spirit is described as “the Comforter, the Advocate, the Paraclete who walks beside us.” How does this change the way we think about God’s presence in our daily lives? ([14:16])
The preacher warns that we can “close ourselves off—through religion, routine, or unbelief—and miss the wind of God moving among us.” What are some practical ways this can happen in a believer’s life? ([26:05])
The call is to “lay aside limitations” and step into the fullness of what God has for us. What kinds of limitations might people hold onto, and why is it hard to let them go? ([42:45])

Application Questions

The sermon challenges us to “practice His presence in the ordinary”—even in things like washing dishes or raising children. What is one routine part of your day where you could intentionally invite the Holy Spirit’s presence? ([22:33])
The preacher said, “The Christian life is not meant to be lived in our own strength, but in daily, ongoing partnership with the Spirit.” Are there areas in your life where you are relying on your own strength instead of the Spirit? What would it look like to surrender those areas? ([13:03])
The Holy Spirit is described as having intellect, will, and emotions. How might you begin to relate to Him as a person this week, rather than as a distant force or idea? ([29:53])
The sermon asks, “Will you trade in your ‘old number plates’ for the red plates of heavenly authority?” What is one “old number plate” (old identity, fear, limitation, or habit) you sense God inviting you to lay down? ([42:45])
The preacher said, “Revival is not something we wait for; it is something we carry wherever we go.” What would it look like for you to carry revival into your workplace, school, or home this week? ([19:41])
The Spirit wants to “reveal God’s heart to us every day.” What is one practical way you can listen for the Spirit’s whispers this week? ([31:25])
The sermon ended with a call to step out of the “prison of limitation and into the freedom and power of the Spirit.” Is there a step of faith you feel prompted to take? What is holding you back, and how can the group pray for you? ([40:10])

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What does it mean to be led by the Holy Spirit?

How does the Holy Spirit reveal God's thoughts?

In what ways can believers experience the Holy Spirit daily?