Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit in Us

 

Summary

In this gathering, I am filled with excitement and anticipation for what God might do among us. Reflecting on the story of Joseph in Genesis, I am reminded of how God can work powerfully through a single individual. Imagine the potential if God were to strongly support each of us here today. The Bible tells us that God is actively seeking those whose hearts are blameless, to manifest His power through them. This is not about our natural abilities or talents, but about the supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the common good.

The Holy Spirit's presence is not just a concept but a reality that can transform our lives. Just as a person can be possessed by a demon, we can be filled and led by the Holy Spirit. This is not about hearing from me, Francis Chan, but about encountering God through His Spirit. I urge you to desire this encounter, to pray for the Spirit to speak through me, and to experience something miraculous today.

Worship is not confined to a gathering; it should be a personal, daily experience. When you are alone, does your heart cry out to God? The Spirit-filled life is marked by a continuous melody of worship and thanksgiving. It's concerning when people only find joy in corporate worship but lack that same passion when alone with God. The Spirit within us should naturally lead us to cry out "Abba, Father," even if we've never experienced earthly parental love.

The evidence of the Spirit's work in us is a transformed life. We cannot continue in sin if God's seed abides in us. The Spirit compels us to righteousness and love for others. If we find ourselves needing external motivation to follow God, we must examine whether the Spirit truly dwells within us. The Spirit's presence should drive us to love, serve, and witness to others, not out of obligation but from a deep, internal desire.

I challenge you to examine your life. If all external supports were removed, would your faith remain? The Spirit's work is internal and transformative, making us alive in Christ and compelling us to live for His kingdom. If you haven't experienced this transformation, seek God earnestly. Confess your need for His Spirit and allow Him to change you from the inside out.

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Key Takeaways:

1. God's Desire to Manifest Through Us: God is actively seeking those whose hearts are blameless to manifest His power through them. This is not about our natural abilities but about the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit for the common good. We should earnestly desire and pray for this manifestation in our lives. [01:20]

2. Personal Worship and Relationship with God: Worship should not be confined to corporate gatherings but should be a personal, daily experience. When alone, our hearts should naturally cry out to God, reflecting a deep, personal relationship with Him. This is the mark of a Spirit-filled life. [12:53]

3. Transformation Through the Holy Spirit: The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives leads to a transformation where we cannot continue in sin. The Spirit compels us to righteousness and love for others, indicating a genuine relationship with God. [28:04]

4. Internal Motivation to Follow God: If we find ourselves needing external motivation to follow God, we must examine whether the Spirit truly dwells within us. The Spirit's presence should drive us to love, serve, and witness to others from a deep, internal desire. [31:16]

5. Examine Your Faith: We must examine our faith to ensure it is not dependent on external supports. The Spirit's work is internal and transformative, making us alive in Christ and compelling us to live for His kingdom. If you haven't experienced this transformation, seek God earnestly. [51:43]

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Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:31] - Potential in the Room
- [01:20] - God's Search for Blameless Hearts
- [02:32] - Manifestation of the Holy Spirit
- [05:57] - Encountering God, Not Man
- [09:32] - Praying for the Spirit's Presence
- [12:53] - Personal Worship and Joy
- [16:38] - Crying Out Abba Father
- [21:46] - Swimming Without a Life Jacket
- [24:54] - Evidence of the Spirit's Work
- [31:16] - Internal Motivation and Righteousness
- [36:26] - Love and Generosity
- [39:28] - Desire to Witness
- [46:31] - Transformation and New Nature
- [51:43] - Examining Your Faith

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 39:2-3 - "The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did."
2. 1 Corinthians 12:7 - "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."
3. Galatians 4:6 - "Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'"

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Observation Questions:

1. How does the story of Joseph in Genesis illustrate the concept of God being with someone and causing them to prosper? ([00:49])

2. What does 1 Corinthians 12:7 say about the purpose of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit? How is this different from natural abilities? ([02:06])

3. According to Galatians 4:6, what is the role of the Spirit in our relationship with God? How does this relate to the idea of calling out "Abba, Father"? ([16:58])

4. What are some examples given in the sermon of how the Holy Spirit's presence can transform a person's life? ([28:04])

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What does it mean for God to seek those whose hearts are blameless, and how can this be applied to our lives today? ([01:20])

2. How does the concept of personal worship differ from corporate worship, and why is it important for a Spirit-filled life? ([12:53])

3. In what ways does the Holy Spirit compel us to righteousness and love for others, according to the sermon? ([28:04])

4. How can we discern whether our motivation to follow God is internal, driven by the Spirit, or external? ([31:16])

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your personal worship time. How can you cultivate a deeper, more personal relationship with God outside of corporate gatherings? ([12:53])

2. Consider a time when you felt the Holy Spirit leading you to act in love or righteousness. How did you respond, and what can you learn from that experience? ([28:04])

3. Examine your motivations for following God. Are there areas in your life where you rely more on external supports than on the Spirit's internal work? How can you address this? ([31:16])

4. If all external supports were removed from your faith journey, would your faith remain strong? What steps can you take to ensure your faith is deeply rooted in the Spirit? ([51:43])

5. Identify one area of your life where you struggle with sin. How can you invite the Holy Spirit to transform this area and lead you to righteousness? ([28:04])

6. Think of a person in your life who needs to experience God's love. How can you be a witness to them this week, empowered by the Holy Spirit? ([39:28])

7. Reflect on the idea of being filled and led by the Holy Spirit. What practical steps can you take to open yourself more to the Spirit's work in your daily life? ([05:57])

Devotional

Day 1: God's Power Through Blameless Hearts
God is actively seeking individuals whose hearts are blameless to manifest His power through them. This is not about relying on our natural abilities or talents but about the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit for the common good. When we earnestly desire and pray for this manifestation in our lives, we open ourselves to being used by God in extraordinary ways. The story of Joseph in Genesis serves as a powerful reminder of how God can work through a single individual to bring about His purposes. Imagine the potential if God were to strongly support each of us today. [01:20]

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him." (2 Chronicles 16:9, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to seek God's strength rather than relying on your own abilities? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to work through you for the common good today?


Day 2: Personal Worship Beyond Gatherings
Worship should not be confined to corporate gatherings but should be a personal, daily experience. When you are alone, does your heart naturally cry out to God, reflecting a deep, personal relationship with Him? This is the mark of a Spirit-filled life. It's concerning when people only find joy in corporate worship but lack that same passion when alone with God. The Spirit within us should naturally lead us to cry out "Abba, Father," even if we've never experienced earthly parental love. [12:53]

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." (John 4:23, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a personal worship experience with God today, even when you are alone? What specific steps can you take to deepen your personal relationship with Him?


Day 3: Transformation Through the Holy Spirit
The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives leads to a transformation where we cannot continue in sin. The Spirit compels us to righteousness and love for others, indicating a genuine relationship with God. If we find ourselves needing external motivation to follow God, we must examine whether the Spirit truly dwells within us. The evidence of the Spirit's work in us is a transformed life, marked by righteousness and love for others. [28:04]

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you seen the Holy Spirit transform your life? Are there areas where you still struggle with sin, and how can you invite the Spirit to bring about change?


Day 4: Internal Motivation to Follow God
If we find ourselves needing external motivation to follow God, we must examine whether the Spirit truly dwells within us. The Spirit's presence should drive us to love, serve, and witness to others from a deep, internal desire. This internal motivation is a sign of a genuine relationship with God, where our actions are not driven by obligation but by a heartfelt desire to live for His kingdom. [31:16]

"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13, ESV)

Reflection: What motivates your actions and service to God? Are there areas where you rely on external motivation, and how can you cultivate a deeper internal desire to follow Him?


Day 5: Examine Your Faith
We must examine our faith to ensure it is not dependent on external supports. The Spirit's work is internal and transformative, making us alive in Christ and compelling us to live for His kingdom. If you haven't experienced this transformation, seek God earnestly. Confess your need for His Spirit and allow Him to change you from the inside out. [51:43]

"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5, ESV)

Reflection: If all external supports were removed, would your faith remain strong? How can you ensure that your faith is rooted in a genuine relationship with God and not reliant on external factors?

Quotes



The Bible says the eyes of the Lord are actually running to and fro throughout the earth and he says he's looking for someone to strongly support. I mean, think if we could see Jesus physically walk in this room and he says, "I'm looking for someone to strongly support. Do I have any volunteers?" [00:01:17]

The Bible says in first Corinthians 12:8-12 seven or eight it says to each one is given a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the common good. Okay, I want to make sure you understand what that means because this is what I want to pray for a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the common good. [00:02:06]

I hope this morning you did not come to hear from Francis Chan. I hope you come this morning and say that's not good enough for me. I don't want a speaker to just go up there and tell me his thoughts. I would love this morning to have an encounter through the power of the Holy Spirit. [00:06:10]

When you are alone, what is the worship like? Okay, like when you're not in this room and there are thousands of people around, you don't have a great Orchestra or anything else. When you are alone at home before you came here this morning, when you woke up, was that smile on your face? [00:12:40]

The Bible says the spirit-filled person in Ephesians 5 it talks about how he has a melody going on all day to the Lord that he's always giving thanks. I don't know what it's like in the Philippines, I don't know what it's like in Manila, I don't know what it's like in this church. [00:13:27]

The Bible says that when the Holy Spirit of God enters into you that there should be a response. There's something in you Romans talks about it, Galatians 4:6 talks about it where he talks about how your spirit let me just read directly callate Galatians 4 verse 6. [00:16:34]

The Bible says when we become children of God God puts his spirit into us and somehow from the depths the core of our being we alone ourselves internally cry out Abba Father. It's the most beautiful amazing thing especially for some of us for example for me my my parents died when I was very young. [00:17:17]

The Bible says when God's Spirit enters into you that becomes your desire you don't have to have someone pulling you dragging you getting you out of your sin you can't stand it yourself and in 1st John 3 first John 3 verse 4 whoever makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness sin is lawlessness. [00:26:32]

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil no one born of God makes a practice of sinning for God's seed abides in him and he cannot keep on sinning because he's been born of God by this it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. [00:27:37]

The Bible says in Romans six through eight it explains that something happens you used to be able to sin you used to be a slave to sin like that's all you could do he says but then the spirit entered into you and now suddenly you're a slave too right. [00:28:48]

The Bible says we were all there the whole world is there everyone does what they want you're just dead you're like a zombie you just do whatever your body desires and God says all of that can change some of you today maybe you're only here because you grew up in a Christian home. [00:49:13]

The Bible says like you're not going to be able to live the life he wants to live in the flesh something miraculous has to happen you know the Bible talks about in them in Peter he talks about how I'm on to it he talks about how like a dog will return to its vomit. [00:44:01]

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Transcript
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