Empowered by the Holy Spirit: A Believer's Journey
Summary
The sermon delivered by Pastor Susan Ready delves into the role and significance of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. The pastor begins by introducing the concept of the Holy Spirit, explaining its various meanings in Hebrew and emphasizing its power and importance. She encourages the congregation to see the Holy Spirit not just as a term to study, but as a means to know, love, worship, and draw close to the Living God.
The pastor then discusses the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, highlighting how it brings joy, power, and perspective into the lives of believers. She shares a personal testimony of how the Holy Spirit empowered her to fulfill a calling to teach God's word, emphasizing that nothing is impossible with the Holy Spirit's power and ability. The pastor also emphasizes the importance of God speaking to us through His word, reminding the congregation that God wrote the Bible and uses it to draw us closer to Him.
The sermon further explores the role of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and in empowering individuals. The pastor uses examples from the Old Testament, such as Moses and David, to illustrate how the Holy Spirit anointed specific individuals for specific purposes. She also discusses the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus, emphasizing that Jesus relied entirely on the Holy Spirit for everything he did on Earth.
The pastor then focuses on the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers today. She highlights that the Holy Spirit gives new life and brings joy to believers, encouraging the congregation to reflect on the freedom and presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The pastor concludes by reflecting on the events of Pentecost and the birth of the church, emphasizing that anyone who puts their faith in Jesus receives the Holy Spirit immediately and forever.
Key Takeaways:
- The Holy Spirit is not just a term to study, but a means to know, love, worship, and draw close to the Living God. It brings joy, power, and perspective into the lives of believers. ([12:45])
- God speaks to us through His word, and the Holy Spirit helps translate His words into our hearts. This communication is not limited to a select few, but is available to all believers. ([24:30])
- The Holy Spirit played a crucial role in the Bible, anointing specific individuals for specific purposes. It also played a significant role in the life of Jesus, who relied entirely on the Holy Spirit for everything he did on Earth. ([36:15])
- The Holy Spirit gives new life and brings joy to believers. It transforms our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, enabling us to respond in faith and believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. ([48:50])
- Anyone who puts their faith in Jesus receives the Holy Spirit immediately and forever. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means being marked as God's possession, assuring believers that God will never let them go. ([59:30])
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
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1. Genesis 1:1-2: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."
2. Acts 2:1-4: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
3. Ephesians 1:13-14: "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."
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Observation Questions:
1. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the creation story in Genesis 1:1-2?
2. In Acts 2:1-4, what happened when the Holy Spirit filled the disciples?
3. What does Ephesians 1:13-14 tell us about the Holy Spirit's role in the life of a believer?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the presence of the Holy Spirit in Genesis 1:1-2 reflect its power and significance?
2. What does the event of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4 reveal about the transformative power of the Holy Spirit?
3. How does Ephesians 1:13-14 explain the assurance and security that comes with receiving the Holy Spirit?
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt the Holy Spirit's power in your life. How did it transform your perspective or actions?
2. How can you be more open to the Holy Spirit's guidance in your daily life, similar to the disciples on the day of Pentecost?
3. Ephesians 1:13-14 speaks of being marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. How does this assurance affect your faith and trust in God?
4. Can you think of a situation this week where you can rely on the Holy Spirit's power, just as Jesus did during his time on Earth?
5. How can you use God's word, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, to draw closer to Him in your daily devotions?
Devotional
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Day 1: Embracing the Holy Spirit's Transformative Power
The Holy Spirit is not just a term to study, but a means to know, love, worship, and draw close to the Living God. It brings joy, power, and perspective into the lives of believers, transforming us from the inside out. This transformation is not just about changing our actions, but about changing our hearts and minds. [12:45]
Ezekiel 36:26 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you felt the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. How did it change your perspective or actions?
Day 2: Engaging with God's Word through the Holy Spirit
God speaks to us through His word, and the Holy Spirit helps translate His words into our hearts. This communication is not limited to a select few, but is available to all believers. The Holy Spirit helps us understand and apply God's word in our daily lives. [24:30]
1 Corinthians 2:13 - "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words."
Reflection: What is one passage in the Bible that you find difficult to understand? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand and apply this passage in your life.
Day 3: Recognizing the Holy Spirit's Role in Biblical History
The Holy Spirit played a crucial role in the Bible, anointing specific individuals for specific purposes. It also played a significant role in the life of Jesus, who relied entirely on the Holy Spirit for everything he did on Earth. The Holy Spirit continues to work in our lives today, guiding and empowering us. [36:15]
Isaiah 61:1 - "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."
Reflection: How have you seen the Holy Spirit working in your life recently? What is one area of your life where you need the Holy Spirit's guidance and empowerment?
Day 4: Experiencing New Life through the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit gives new life and brings joy to believers. It transforms our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, enabling us to respond in faith and believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. This new life is not just about a change in our status, but a change in our identity and purpose. [48:50]
Romans 8:11 - "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."
Reflection: How has the Holy Spirit brought new life and joy into your life? What is one way you can share this joy with others today?
Day 5: Receiving the Holy Spirit through Faith in Jesus
Anyone who puts their faith in Jesus receives the Holy Spirit immediately and forever. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means being marked as God's possession, assuring believers that God will never let them go. This is not just a promise for the future, but a reality for the present. [59:30]
Ephesians 1:13-14 - "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."
Reflection: How does knowing that you have received the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus impact your daily life? What is one way you can live out this truth today?
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Quotes
"The holy spirit gives us new life...we are dead like a dead body because of our sin and the only way we can respond in faith is if the Holy Spirit hovers over our hearts, takes our hearts of stone, changes them to Hearts of Flesh, and he does that just as he did at the beginning who pours his life into us and resurrects our dead bodies so that when we are made alive we can see and we can believe and we are changed and born again." #!!25:53!!#
"Do you see what it's saying here that it was the holy spirit of God who did all of those amazing Miracles that I mean signs and wonders that um Moses did who parted the sea who even gave Moses the patience to take this obstinate group of people 40 years through the desert and bring them to the promised land." #!!12:07!!#
"He entirely relied on the Holy Spirit for everything he did while he was on Earth and he did that for a number of reasons but I think one of the main ones is to show us that we can do the same thing in our Humanity." #!!19:05!!#
"Now this side of Pentecost Anyone who puts their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the moment we believe in him we receive God himself God the Holy Spirit immediately and forever forever you when you were believed you were marked in him with the seal the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing your inheritance until the Redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of his glory." #!!23:43!!#
"For those of us who do know him, how are you experiencing your new life? Do you have joy or are you just going kind of through the motions ticking things off your Christian to-do list?...Do you know that the Holy Spirit, one of the gifts he gives us, is Joy? It's a gift of the Holy Spirit, and when we have him living in us, when we actually think about what he has done for us, the freedom he has given us, the fact that he is with us every step of every minute of every day, that he is our Advocate, our comforter, that he is everything we need." #!!27:23!!#
"He's a personal God who is described as hovering over the waters like a brood hen over its nest loving drawing forth breathing life and everything came into being so that is what we see he's a person a loving person a person that we are created to know and love." #!!07:00!!#
"This is where we run up against the impossibility of understanding the true nature of our God he is so much more than anything we can possibly conceive of him and as we read further into scripture we see that he is in fact three in one God the Father God the son God the Holy Spirit one God yet distinctly three persons in essence one in personality three but we can't divide what is indivisible." #!!05:30!!#
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