Transforming Through the Holy Spirit's Power

Devotional

Day 1: The Holy Spirit’s Transformative Mission

The Holy Spirit’s primary role is to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. This transformation is more significant than any material blessing or spiritual gift. The focus should be on becoming more like Christ, which naturally leads to doing His work. The Holy Spirit’s work in us is to change our shame into testimonies, our weaknesses into strengths, and our emptiness into vessels filled with His presence. This transformation is not just for our benefit but also for the world to see the light of Christ through us. We must let the Holy Spirit make us, allowing Him to use even our most traumatic experiences for His glory. [12:24]

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

Reflection: What areas of your life do you feel need transformation? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to work in those areas today?

Day 2: Prioritizing Being Over Doing

Our Christian walk should prioritize being over doing. When we focus on being who God has called us to be, our actions will naturally align with His will. This shift from doing to being is crucial for true spiritual growth and effectiveness. The Holy Spirit’s role is to make us, not just give us. When we are born again, we should exhibit the fruits of the Spirit, reflecting the image of Christ in our lives. [25:40]

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Reflection: In what ways can you shift your focus from doing to being in your daily life? How can you cultivate the fruits of the Spirit in your interactions with others?

Day 3: Embracing Transformation Through Darkness

The Holy Spirit is attracted to our darkness, chaos, and emptiness because He brings light, order, and fullness out of them. Our most challenging experiences can become testimonies of God’s transformative power when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. This transformation is not just for our benefit but also for the world to see the light of Christ through us. [41:06]

Genesis 1:2-3 (ESV): "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light."

Reflection: Think of a challenging experience you are currently facing. How can you invite the Holy Spirit to bring light and order into this situation?

Day 4: Understanding Our Identity in Christ

Satan fears our identity in Christ more than our actions. Knowing who we are in Christ empowers us to stand firm against the enemy’s attacks. Our identity as children of God is our greatest weapon and source of strength. When we embrace our identity, we can let the Holy Spirit complete His work in us, transforming us into the likeness of Christ. [30:35]

Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."

Reflection: How does knowing your identity in Christ change the way you view yourself and your circumstances? What steps can you take to embrace this identity more fully?

Day 5: Turning Shame into Testimony

The Holy Spirit can turn our places of shame into platforms for proclaiming liberty and victory. Our past mistakes and traumas can be used by God to demonstrate His redemptive power, turning our shame into a powerful testimony. This transformation is not just for our benefit but also for the world to see the light of Christ through us. [47:16]

Isaiah 61:3 (ESV): "To grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified."

Reflection: Reflect on a past mistake or trauma in your life. How can you allow the Holy Spirit to turn this into a testimony of God’s redemptive power? What steps can you take to share this testimony with others?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we delved into the profound role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit, or Ruach HaKodesh, is the most important personality on earth today. His primary mission is not to give us things, but to forge us into the image of Jesus Christ. This transformation is the cardinal ministry of the Holy Spirit. We often get caught up in the external manifestations of faith—miracles, signs, and wonders—yet the true essence lies in becoming more like Christ.

Jesus promised us a Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who is exactly like Him in constitution, personality, and purpose. This Comforter’s role is to make us, not just give us. The focus should be on being rather than doing. When we are born again, we should exhibit the fruits of the Spirit, reflecting the image of Christ in our lives. The Holy Spirit is attracted to our darkness, chaos, and emptiness because He brings light, order, and fullness out of them.

The Holy Spirit’s work in us is to transform our shame into testimonies, our weaknesses into strengths, and our emptiness into vessels filled with His presence. This transformation is not just for our benefit but also for the world to see the light of Christ through us. We must let the Holy Spirit make us, allowing Him to use even our most traumatic experiences for His glory.

In essence, the priority of heaven is not to give us material things but to make us into the likeness of Christ. This process requires us to focus on being who God has called us to be, which in turn will naturally lead to doing His work. Our identity in Christ is what Satan fears the most, not our actions. Therefore, we must embrace our identity and let the Holy Spirit complete His work in us.

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Key Takeaways

1. The Holy Spirit’s Primary Role: The Holy Spirit’s main assignment is to forge us into the image of Jesus Christ. This transformation is more important than any material blessing or spiritual gift. The focus should be on becoming more like Christ, which naturally leads to doing His work. [12:24]
2. Being Over Doing: Our Christian walk should prioritize being over doing. When we focus on being who God has called us to be, our actions will naturally align with His will. This shift from doing to being is crucial for true spiritual growth and effectiveness. [25:40]
3. Transformation Through Darkness: The Holy Spirit is attracted to our darkness, chaos, and emptiness because He brings light, order, and fullness out of them. Our most challenging experiences can become testimonies of God’s transformative power when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. [41:06]
4. Identity in Christ: Satan fears our identity in Christ more than our actions. Knowing who we are in Christ empowers us to stand firm against the enemy’s attacks. Our identity as children of God is our greatest weapon and source of strength. [30:35]
5. Shame to Testimony: The Holy Spirit can turn our places of shame into platforms for proclaiming liberty and victory. Our past mistakes and traumas can be used by God to demonstrate His redemptive power, turning our shame into a powerful testimony. [47:16]
### [47:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:02] - Introduction to the Holy Spirit
[02:27] - Mastery Over the Flesh
[04:21] - The Promise of the Holy Spirit
[07:11] - Receiving the Holy Spirit
[09:51] - The Cardinal Ministry of the Holy Spirit
[12:24] - Forging the Image of Christ
[14:10] - The Role of the Comforter
[17:33] - Jesus’ Promise to Make Us
[20:15] - The Priority of Heaven
[23:18] - Focus on Being
[25:40] - Born Again to Do Miracles
[30:35] - Satan’s Fear of Our Identity
[33:01] - Doing vs. Being in Church
[41:06] - Holy Spirit Attracted to Darkness
[47:16] - Turning Shame into Testimony
[51:02] - Applying What You Heard
[55:02] - Isolating to Deal with Yourself
[56:35] - Closing Remarks

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to John 16:7, why is it beneficial for Jesus to go away? [02:27]
What was the state of the earth in Genesis 1:2, and what was the Spirit of God doing? [41:06]
In John 3:3, what does Jesus say is necessary to see the kingdom of God? [24:30]
What is the primary role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer according to the sermon? [12:24]

Interpretation Questions

How does the promise of the Holy Spirit as an Advocate (John 16:7) align with the sermon’s emphasis on the Holy Spirit’s role in our transformation? [14:10]
Why might the Holy Spirit be attracted to darkness, chaos, and emptiness as described in Genesis 1:2 and the sermon? [41:06]
What does it mean to be "born again" in the context of John 3:3, and how does this concept relate to the sermon’s focus on being over doing? [25:40]
How does understanding our identity in Christ help us stand firm against the enemy’s attacks, as mentioned in the sermon? [30:35]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you focused more on doing rather than being who God has called you to be. How can you shift your focus to being this week? [25:40]
Identify an area of darkness, chaos, or emptiness in your life. How can you invite the Holy Spirit to bring light, order, and fullness into that area? [41:06]
Think about a past experience of shame or trauma. How can you allow the Holy Spirit to transform that experience into a testimony of God’s redemptive power? [47:16]
How can you embrace your identity in Christ more fully to stand firm against the enemy’s attacks? What practical steps can you take to remind yourself of this identity daily? [30:35]
In what ways can you exhibit the fruits of the Spirit in your daily interactions to reflect the image of Christ? Choose one fruit to focus on this week and plan a specific action to cultivate it. [12:24]
How can you support others in your small group or community to focus on being rather than doing? Share one way you can encourage someone this week. [33:01]
What specific distractions in your life are preventing you from focusing on your identity in Christ? How can you minimize or eliminate these distractions this week? [55:57]

Sermon Clips

1. "Anything we read in the gospel. Your life should at least be a picture of what you read. Any scripture that you have read that's in the gospel should at least be a picture of what you read in the gospel. Greater works you should do than I. There should be at least a picture of that in your life. That you have done something greater than what you have read. He didn't say equal to. He said greater. There should be something in your life that's greater." [05:35] (75 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The cardinal ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is to forge him into the image of Jesus Christ. Y'all, y'all, you don't like you forge and steal iron. The cardinal ministry. The cardinal ministry of Holy Spirit is to forge him. Listen, the believer into the image of Jesus, the son. I got I got. Thank you. Y'all say y'all will say what to be say. That means you have to have Holy Spirit." [12:24] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The priority of heaven is not to give us anything. The biggest problem with the gospel is that we have been focused on more of the giving than the making. All over the gospel. All over the kingdom. Y'all all right? Ah. All he's doing is making you. That's what AIM2 did. All he's doing is make my God sure. Who was that behind me? Just let him. Just let him. Just let him. Just let him. I got something else for you. I got some good stuff for you." [20:15] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Satan, Hasatan, is not afraid of what you can do. He's afraid of who you are. He was telling Jesus, turn these stones. I know you've been hungry. I know you're hungry. Turn these stones into bread. You missed it. If thou be the son of God. Now turn these. If thou be son of God, if thou be the Christ in the earth, Jesus, my God. Oh, he's not afraid of what you can do. He's afraid of are." [29:35] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Too many of us are focused on doing. And we lose out on being. We get caught up in doing the Christian thing instead of being the Christian. This is what I do. See, just like when I got up this morning with vertigo, headache, all this stuff. That's what I do. It didn't matter what was happening, what he was trying to show me. Listen, this is what I do because I know who I am. And that's what he's afraid of." [31:54] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "The Holy Spirit is attracted to darkness. It's because what's it? He calls light. He calls light out from it. Who can take a dirty, foul thing and make it clean? Only the Holy Spirit. He's attracted to darkness. You know why you're here? Because he's attracted to darkness. You know why he came and apprehended me? Because he was attracted to darkness that was in me." [42:01] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "The Holy Spirit is attracted to darkness. It's because he calls out. Listen, he calls out light from it. Holy Spirit is attracted to empty things. Because he fills it with himself. It's okay to be empty. The Holy Spirit is attracted to you. While you was minding your own business. Somebody else said, come to church. But you thought it was because now it was darkness. It was being attracted to you. It was Holy Spirit calling you." [42:50] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "The Holy Spirit is the maker of He will take, watch this, beauty for ashes. He'll bring the beauty out of ashes. He'll pour the oil of joy in the place of mourning. This is what Holy Spirit does. He'll take that place of heaviness. Amen. And give you a garment, a cloak of praise. Holy Spirit is brooding over your life. for the dark things. To bring them to the light. Watch this, generationally too. To shine your light." [44:47] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "He will use that traumatic. Thing that altered your being. He will use that traumatic thing to show you. God will. He'll use that horrible incident, event that happened to you. That was out of your control and you had no responsibility over. He'll use that and show you was part of your being and becoming. Watch this. Watch this. His vessel. You'll be ashamed of nothing when you're under the blood. You understand? Don't be ashamed of any act you've done under the blood. It's under the blood." [48:25] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "The biggest problem with the gospel is that we have been focused more on giving than the making. I told y'all before, your becoming is greater than who you are. Y'all not ready. Y'all not ready. Y'all not ready. Look at this. Listen to this. Listen. Listen. Listen. All right. All right. All right. That's why you can't miss anything. Listen. Watch this. We should focus on being what you are. I'm going to say this again. Aaron, you got me on this one. We should focus on being, for with what you are, you will get what you want." [21:14] (75 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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