Partnering with the Holy Spirit in Community

### Summary

Good morning, everyone. Today, we explored the profound concept of community and the importance of partnering with the Holy Spirit in our lives. Drawing from my background in communications, I shared insights into how different cultures approach community. While some cultures are collectivist, others are more individualistic. However, God calls us to form a spiritual community, or "Kohaneia," where no one feels alone. This sense of community is vital, especially in times of trials and tribulations.

We delved into the book of Zechariah, a prophet whose name means "remembered." Zechariah's prophecies came after the Israelites' 70-year exile in Babylon, and his messages were filled with encouragement and hope. Unlike Haggai, who had a more cautionary tone, Zechariah emphasized God's promises and the coming of the Messiah. His prophecies remind us that God remembers His promises and will fulfill them in His time.

The core of today's message was about the Holy Spirit as our partner. The Holy Spirit is not just a distant entity but an intimate partner in our daily lives. From drawing us to Christ to guiding us in truth, the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role. We cannot accomplish God's will through our own might or power; it is only through the Spirit that we can succeed. This partnership with the Holy Spirit is essential for overcoming challenges, making wise decisions, and living a life that honors God.

We also discussed the various gifts of the Holy Spirit, as outlined in 1 Corinthians 12. Each believer has a unique gift that contributes to the body of Christ. Whether it's wisdom, knowledge, faith, or healing, these gifts are given for the common good. Understanding and utilizing these gifts can help us live more fulfilling and impactful lives.

Finally, we touched on the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These characteristics are the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives and are essential for our spiritual growth and effectiveness.

### Key Takeaways

1. **Community and Kohaneia**: God calls us to form a spiritual community where no one feels alone. This concept of "Kohaneia" is essential, especially in times of trials. We are not just individuals; we are a collective body of believers who support and uplift each other. [37:46]

2. **The Role of the Holy Spirit**: The Holy Spirit is our intimate partner in life. From drawing us to Christ to guiding us in truth, the Holy Spirit is involved in every aspect of our spiritual journey. We cannot accomplish God's will through our own might; it is only through the Spirit that we can succeed. [51:13]

3. **Gifts of the Holy Spirit**: Each believer has a unique spiritual gift that contributes to the body of Christ. These gifts, such as wisdom, knowledge, and healing, are given for the common good. Understanding and utilizing these gifts can help us live more fulfilling and impactful lives. [08:40]

4. **Fruit of the Spirit**: The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These characteristics are the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives and are essential for our spiritual growth and effectiveness. [11:12]

5. **Dependence on God**: We must declare our dependency on God in every aspect of our lives. Whether it's being a good spouse, parent, or leader, we cannot do it without the Holy Spirit. This dependence transforms our lives and enables us to live by God's power rather than our own strength. [14:31]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[36:37] - Introduction to Community
[37:46] - Kohaneia: Spiritual Community
[38:43] - Importance of Human Touch
[39:24] - Prayer for the Congregation
[39:58] - The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail
[40:46] - Declaration of Dependency on God
[43:13] - Partnering with the Holy Spirit
[46:36] - Background on Zechariah
[47:28] - Zechariah's Prophecies
[49:29] - Encouragement from Zechariah
[50:30] - The Holy Spirit as Our Partner
[51:47] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
[52:16] - Personal Testimony
[53:21] - Zechariah's Vision
[53:51] - Not by Might, Nor by Power
[54:27] - Overcoming Challenges with the Holy Spirit
[55:29] - The Ruach of God
[56:29] - Partnering with the Holy Spirit
[57:00] - Guidance from the Holy Spirit
[58:00] - Personal Testimony: Financial Obedience
[59:33] - 1 Corinthians 2: Wisdom from the Spirit
[01:00:02] - The Spirit's Power
[01:01:04] - God's Wisdom Revealed
[01:02:05] - The Spirit Searches All Things
[01:03:09] - Understanding God's Gifts
[01:04:08] - The Mind of Christ
[01:04:40] - Spiritual Gifts in 1 Corinthians 12
[01:06:43] - Manifestation of the Spirit
[01:07:39] - Gifts of Wisdom and Knowledge
[01:08:40] - Discovering Your Spiritual Gift
[01:09:41] - The Spirit of Truth
[01:10:13] - Personal Testimony: Corporate America
[01:11:12] - Fruit of the Spirit
[01:12:11] - Living by the Spirit
[01:13:26] - Partnering with the Holy Spirit in Daily Life
[01:14:31] - Declaring Dependency on God
[01:15:46] - Receiving the Holy Spirit
[01:16:48] - The Invigorating Power of the Spirit
[01:17:18] - Personal Testimony: The Forge Movie
[01:18:21] - Intimacy with the Holy Spirit
[01:19:20] - The Seal of the Holy Spirit
[01:20:41] - The Resurrection Power of the Spirit
[01:21:20] - The Holy Spirit in Repentance
[01:22:00] - Developing an Intimate Friendship with the Holy Spirit

### Bible Reading
1. **Zechariah 4:6** - "So he said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty."
2. **1 Corinthians 12:4-11** - "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines."
3. **Galatians 5:22-23** - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

### Observation Questions
1. What does Zechariah 4:6 emphasize about how God's work is accomplished? ([53:51])
2. According to 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, what are some of the different gifts given by the Holy Spirit? ([01:08:40])
3. What are the characteristics listed as the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23? ([11:12])
4. How does the sermon describe the role of the Holy Spirit in drawing us to Christ? ([51:47])

### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it significant that Zechariah's message to Zerubbabel was "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit"? How does this apply to our daily lives? ([53:51])
2. How can understanding and utilizing our spiritual gifts, as described in 1 Corinthians 12, contribute to the body of Christ? ([01:08:40])
3. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of community, or "Kohaneia," in the life of a believer? ([37:46])
4. How does the fruit of the Spirit, as listed in Galatians 5:22-23, manifest in a believer's life according to the sermon? ([11:12])

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you tried to accomplish something by your own strength rather than relying on the Holy Spirit. How did that experience turn out, and what did you learn from it? ([53:51])
2. Identify your spiritual gift(s) from 1 Corinthians 12. How can you use these gifts to serve your church community more effectively? ([01:08:40])
3. Think of a specific situation where you felt alone. How can you foster a sense of "Kohaneia" or spiritual community in your life to ensure no one feels alone? ([37:46])
4. Choose one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit to focus on this month. What specific action could you take to cultivate it as part of your interactions with your family or friends? ([11:12])
5. How can you declare your dependency on God in a specific area of your life this week? What steps will you take to rely more on the Holy Spirit rather than your own abilities? ([14:31])
6. Reflect on a recent decision you made. How did you seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in that decision? If you didn't, how might you approach similar decisions differently in the future? ([57:00])
7. Think of a person who tests your patience. What is a short prayer you can say before the next time you interact with that person to help you exhibit the fruit of the Spirit? ([11:12])

Day 1: Building a Spiritual Community
Description: God calls us to form a spiritual community where no one feels alone. This concept of "Kohaneia" is essential, especially in times of trials. We are not just individuals; we are a collective body of believers who support and uplift each other. [37:46]

Acts 2:42-44 (ESV): "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common."

Reflection: Think of someone in your church community who might be feeling isolated. How can you reach out to them this week to offer support and fellowship?


Day 2: The Holy Spirit as Our Partner
Description: The Holy Spirit is our intimate partner in life. From drawing us to Christ to guiding us in truth, the Holy Spirit is involved in every aspect of our spiritual journey. We cannot accomplish God's will through our own might; it is only through the Spirit that we can succeed. [51:13]

John 14:16-17 (ESV): "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need the Holy Spirit's guidance today? Spend a few moments in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to lead you.


Day 3: Utilizing Spiritual Gifts
Description: Each believer has a unique spiritual gift that contributes to the body of Christ. These gifts, such as wisdom, knowledge, and healing, are given for the common good. Understanding and utilizing these gifts can help us live more fulfilling and impactful lives. [08:40]

1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."

Reflection: What spiritual gift do you believe God has given you? How can you use this gift to serve others in your church or community this week?


Day 4: Manifesting the Fruit of the Spirit
Description: The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These characteristics are the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives and are essential for our spiritual growth and effectiveness. [11:12]

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: Which fruit of the Spirit do you find most challenging to exhibit? Ask God to help you grow in this area today.


Day 5: Declaring Dependence on God
Description: We must declare our dependency on God in every aspect of our lives. Whether it's being a good spouse, parent, or leader, we cannot do it without the Holy Spirit. This dependence transforms our lives and enables us to live by God's power rather than our own strength. [14:31]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you have been relying on your own strength. What steps can you take to surrender this area to God and depend on His power?

Love you. Thank you. Good. Appreciate y'all. Morning. Good morning. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Good morning to those of you who are visiting us and who are participating online. We say welcome to this morning as well.

If you will, stand with me. You will. You don't mind. You know, in my undergraduate, when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree, which is in communications, it's something that I learned in my communications class. I learned something about various cultures. And one of the things I learned was that the Asian and the Hispanic culture are what they call, through research they had done, they call them collectivists. That means they gather together. They are not people that are more by themselves. They are a collectivist group of people, meaning they tend to be together.

And when they looked at the research... looked at African-American and Caucasian people, they called them individualistic. We were more tend to be people that depend independently. We are not more gatherers or come together more.

And so, what I want us to understand this morning is that the way that God works in his people... Because you are his people. The church is just where we gather. The building is just where we congregate. But you are his people. And what God wants from us is for us to be more of what they call Kohaneia. Kohaneia is a Greek Hebrew term for community. God looks for us to be not only just people that are coming from various cultures and backgrounds and experiences. He looks for us, those who are in his body, who are believers. He looks for us to be what we call, to create Kohaneia. Kohaneia is community where no one feels that they are alone.

So if you will this morning, then person that is standing to your left or your right, and if you're online, someone will engage with you. I want you to just take that hand if you feel comfortable. If they feel comfortable. Some people don't want you to touch them and you have to honor that boundary. Okay? You just have to honor that. Okay?

I want you to take that person. Human touch is very important, especially in the days in which we live with so many various trials upon us. I want you to take that person that's by you. Human touch is important. We're just going to pray for today's message. We want God to move and we're going to ask him to do so. And I want you to particularly ask God to speak to you specifically.

So let us pray.

Father, we give you glory. We thank you for the person standing to our left and to our right. Whatever they may be going through or whatever they may be experiencing, good or bad or indifferent. Father, we pray right now that God, you will come alongside of them. Remind them of your word. Remind them of what you spoke. Remind them of who they are in you. They're not just a mere man. They're not just a mere woman. They are not just a black man, a white man, an Asian man, a Hispanic man, a woman. No, God. They belong to you. They are literally your children.

And God, when your word says that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church, you were not talking about a building. You were talking about a people. And so today, God, we declare, will you declare this with me? Touch that neighbor and say the gates of hell shall not prevail against you. Come on. Say that again. Say the gates of hell shall not prevail against you. You belong to God. You are his people. You are the church.

In the name of Jesus, Father, and we thank you, Holy Spirit, that you will speak to us in a way that's individualistic, but a way that is corporate, God. We thank you, God, that you will touch every circumstance under the sound of my voice, God. And that, Father God, you will go to work. And we declare, will you declare this with me? This week, the Holy Spirit will partner with you to do something great, to do something mighty, to do something specific that you need him to do.

God, we praise you now, in advance, before we see anything. Come on. Come on. By faith, before you see the answer, give him praise. Come on. Give Him glory. I don't see it yet. Come on. I thank you now. I don't even see it. But my answer's coming this week. Ashley, it's already worked out. It's already worked out.

Come on. Will you look at your neighbor? Tell him it's already worked out. You need to talk to him. Say it's already worked out. You ain't got to figure it out. You ain't got to calculate it out. Say it's already worked out. It's already worked out. It's already worked out.

Before you take your seats, I know you feel that, don't you? I'm not in it by myself. I'm not in it by myself. The Lord is my shepherd. I'm not in it by myself. I know you don't see the shepherd, but the shepherd's with you. I'm not in it by myself. Come on. Declare your dependency on Him. I know you're smart. I know you're capable. I know you're strong. But declare your whole dependency on God. I declare my dependency on Him.

Come on, young people. You may be youthful, but declare your dependency on God. Come on. I declare my dependency on Him. I can't be the husband I'm supposed to be. I can't be the wife I'm supposed to be. I can't be the father I'm supposed to be. I can't be the boss I'm supposed to be. I can't be the leader I'm supposed to be. I declare my dependency on Him.

Come on, declare. You can't work that community job without Him. Say, I'm declaring my dependency. Come on. Let go your pride. Let it go. Declare your whole dependency on God. See what He does. In the name of Jesus. Sit on down now. Sit on down.

The way that I'm wired, I feel atmospheres. Yeah. Come on. A church that prays is an effective church. A church that prays is an effective church. Yeah. We declare our dependency. Can't do it by ourselves. Was never meant to.

I want you to say, today, I partner with the Holy Spirit. Got a partner coming. We've been in this series called By My Spirit, which is coming from out of Zechariah. But if I can give a little bit of preference, because it's just the way that I am, I want to give us a little bit of a background about Zechariah.

Zechariah is a priest and a prophet. But Zechariah, to get the fullness of Zechariah's story, you would have to read Haggai. You would have to read Ezra. You're going to have to read Nehemiah. And then you'll start with Jeremiah, and then go on to Daniel. You can also read the book of Esther, because all of these work together in getting the fullness of what God was saying.

Now, Jeremiah, we know Jeremiah the prophet, right? Jeremiah is the one that penned, "I know the plans I have for you," said the Lord, you know, plans to prosper you. Well, Jeremiah wrote a letter, and he told the children of Israel, he said, you are going to go to captivity, because you have not done what God asked you to do. It's going to be 70 years that you're actually going to go into Babylon. And this time, your repentance, though I thank you for it, is not going to turn my judgment away. You are going to live 70 years in Babylon.

So when you read that, you got to go to Daniel, because Daniel is a young man who is actually going to live in Babylon. He, Daniel, Shadrach, and Abednego. They're all going to grow up. These are young men who are actually going to be living in Babylon during that time. So Daniel pens his experience in Babylon. And then you have to read Nehemiah. It's like a trilogy, to be honest. It's like a trilogy. You can also read Esther. She becomes the king or queen of a Persian king. She tells you what happens during that time that they were in Babylon.

Then you read Nehemiah. You read Ezra. You read Haggai. And then you read Zechariah. They kind of tell you what happens when the children of Israel come out of Babylon. So, you know, Nehemiah, when he comes out, he builds the wall. That's his assignment. Ezra teaches them how to honor God through worship again. That's where we get the standing of the word. When you stand up and you ever see preachers say, "Stand up at the reading of the word," that came from out of Ezra.

And then you go into Haggai. Haggai talks to them about you left money back. You left bags. You left holes in your money bag. And you wonder why things ain't working out because your money is not a priority. That's what Haggai's message is. Put your focus back on building this temple. And then Zechariah comes and he encourages the people.

So let me give you a little bit of background about my friend, Zechariah, whose name means remembered. His name means remembered. He is the grandson of the priest, Iddo. Zechariah prophesied to the people of Judah after they returned from their 70 years of exile in Babylon. Zechariah's grandfather returned from Babylon and his young grandson, Zechariah, in tow, with the first group of Israelites allowed back in 538 BC under the decree of Cyrus, the king of Persia.

Because of his family lineage, Zechariah was a priest and a prophet. He therefore would have had an intimate familiarity with the worship practices of the Jews, even if he had never served in a completed temple. As a young man at the time of his first prophecies, his life more than likely extended into the reign of King Xerxes. Zechariah, a young man, especially when compared to his contemporary Haggai, came alongside the older prophet. Haggai is older. Zechariah is a young prophet. He comes alongside the older prophet to deliver the messages from the Lord to the Jewish remnant, recently from out of Babylon.

While Haggai's overall message had more of a cautionary tone to it, Zechariah emphasizes a tone of encouragement to the struggling Israelites trying to rebuild their temple. Zechariah's message is one of encouragement. And the book of Zechariah contains the clearest and the largest number of messianic messages and passages amongst the minor prophets. In that respect, it is possible to think of the book of Zechariah as a miniature book of Isaiah.

Zechariah pictures Christ in both his first coming, which is in Zechariah 9:9, and his second coming, verses chapter 9, 10 through 10 and 12. Jesus will come according to Zechariah as savior, judge, and ultimately as the righteous king, ruling his people from Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Yahweh remembers, is what Zechariah named means. He remembers the purpose of his prophecies is to point the people to the hope that God will remember his promises to his people, even after all the time they spent outside of the land of Jerusalem.

Zechariah, our new friend, this morning we are talking about "By My Spirit." And I want to subtitle it "The Holy Spirit My Partner." The Holy Spirit my partner. In this life, you will never be by yourself as a believer. You have been given the Holy Spirit who first drew you to Jesus Christ. You could not come to Christ as your own. You had to be drawn in. You may have heard of Christ. You may have been raised in a Christian family or not in a Christian family. But the fact that you came to know him or even was piqued with some type of curiosity about who he is, you didn't get that mind on your own.

We were too darkened and we were too built up in this sin life. It had to be the Holy Spirit that drew you. You don't even get a mind to say, "I want to come to Christ." That's the work of the Holy Spirit working along with God's known plan for your life. So the fact that you got saved, it was the involvement of the Holy Spirit.

While you was breaking it down in the club and backing that thing up, somebody had been praying for you. And God, in his mercy, sent out the Holy Spirit and messed some things up for you. You ought to give him praise. Messed some things up for you. How many of you was living out in the world and some things got messed up for you? Oh, you ought to give God praise for that.

Zechariah 4 is where our pastor started us off. It's a situation where Zechariah is asleep. And God wakes him up. And he shows him these various artifacts. He tells him, he asks him, "What are these?" And Zechariah is like, "I don't know." So he said to him, "This is the word to Zerubbabel." Zerubbabel is going to be the governor while Zechariah is the priest and the prophet. He says, "I want you to tell Zerubbabel this."

Zerubbabel is handed the assignment of finishing the temple. But it's a lot of work that's going to have to go into it. And he says, "You're not going to do this by might. You're not going to do this by power. You're going to do this by my spirit." The same way that God accomplishes his will in our life is through us partnering with the Holy Spirit. Certain things you're not going to overcome on your own.

I did not overcome at the age of 20 listening to Biggie. I had a Biggie problem. Biggie had got a hold of me. You know it's the B-I-G. B-O-B-B-A. No info for the what? Y'all got to get delivered from Biggie. Got a Biggie problem. I'm just saying. Just telling you my story. Certain things did not go away in my life when I started my Christian walk until I partnered with the Holy Spirit.

I did not know anything about preaching. I didn't know anything about word of knowledge. First, I was just trying to live holy. I'm 20. I'm wild. God help us. I was hoping my children would miss some of that. I'm wild. But I got a praying mama. I'm away in college and I'm wild. And then all of a sudden, inside of a nightclub, God starts dealing with me. Not by might, nor by power, but by his what? His Ruach. The Ruach of God is his breath.

Let me teach you. God's spirit cannot be seen, but it can be felt. His spirit communicates and his spirit changes things. So the Ruach of God is what we're after. It is the breath of God. It's God's presence in my life. It's God's movement in my life. I partner with God.

How did you get so faithful, Tamika? I partnered with God. When I was 20. And now I'm 50. And I've been partnering with him ever since. Battles? Yes. Battles won. Battles lost. But I partner with God. Does that make sense?

He said, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit." What I want to do today is show you some things that you can get from partnering with the Holy Spirit. You got to become his partner. You got to become his partner. Somebody say, "I got to become his partner."

John 16:13 says this: "But when the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears." And then guess what he does? "And he will tell you what is to come."

Case in point, when we were in Florida and I was working in corporate America and I was making a lot of good money, and I partnered with God in my relationship with him. By now I got a little bit of experience. So God puts on my heart. Holy Spirit says, "Stop going to roast so much. Start saving your money." This is me giving you an example for my life.

So you know you get that little idea. Okay, I'm going to save my money. So I started putting part of my check in paper. And I would have my bills put on my debit card. So I had it split because I had a problem with discipline. Woo. That's what I heard.

So I put, because he knows what is to come. So I put this money in the check and I put the next one in the check. And it started building. If I had known what I know now, I would have put it in a nice interest-bearing account. But that's okay. I got it now.

So at that time, I'm putting it. Bill money. Debit card. Obeying God. Put it in the check. So I don't even go to the bank. Money just stacking. Guess what happens? I lose my job. I didn't lose it because I did something wrong. Let's get that right. What happens is they downsize in corporate America. We're not missing a beat because your old girl did what she heard. Are you with me? I'm talking about partnering with who? The Holy Spirit.

You're going to partner with him. See, the Holy Spirit knows the intricate details of your life. He will tell you, "Don't marry that boy." You'll get something in your spirit. You'll be like, "Something ain't right with him. Something ain't right with her." And you may not know quite fully what it is, but you wait it out and it will come up. So don't be so rushy, rushy on some things. Are y'all with me? Partnering with the Holy Spirit.

Go to 1 Corinthians 2. They don't have it. Then they may. I don't know. Are you with me? Are you there? I'm going to read out of the NIV. Somebody say, "I'm partnering with the Holy Spirit and my life is about to get real good."

It's about to get real good. It's about to get interesting. That old boring Christian life you lived, that hard-lit life, can't treat your wife right, can't say things right, or the Holy Spirit getting ready to partner with you and things are about to get what? Real good.

Come on, somebody say, "I'm about to partner with the Holy Spirit and my life is about to get real good." It's about to get real good. It's about to get interesting. Are you with me in 1 Corinthians 2? Let's read this.

"And so it was with me, brothers and sisters, when I came to you. He says, 'I did not come with elegance or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony of God.' You guys can get it back. I'm going to jump on in a minute.

'For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ.' This is Paul the Apostle speaking. This is Paul the Apostle speaking. He says, 'I came to you in weakness and with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching was not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power. So that your faith may not rest on what? Human wisdom but on what? God's power.'

You need another belief beyond what I'm telling you. He says in verse 6, read it. 'We do however speak a message of wisdom among the mature but not the wisdom of this age or the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.'

However, as it is written, look at this: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived, the things that God has prepared for those who love him.' Prepare for those who love him. These are the things God has revealed to us by his what? God's Spirit is a revealer. Something hidden you don't know. You talk to God about it, it becomes revealed.

I felt like I was doing a magic trick, but I'm not doing no magic. Let's go back to that scripture. 'The Spirit searches all things or all matters, even the what? things of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? I don't know what you're thinking. You don't know what I'm thinking. Check this out. In the same way that I don't know what you're thinking and you don't know what I'm thinking, it's the same way no one knows the thoughts of who? God except for what? The Spirit of God.'

Check this out. 'What we have received is not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from where? God. So that what? We may understand what God has what? Freely given us.' You don't know what God has given you. That's got to be revealed by his Spirit.

He says, 'This is what we speak, not in words taught to us by human wisdom but in words taught to us by the Spirit.' You mean the Spirit talks? He does. He does. He says, 'Explaining what? Spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.' The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from what? From the Spirit of God because he considers those things what? Foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. You got to have the Spirit.

The person with the Spirit makes what? Judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments. Check this part out: 'For who has known the mind of the Lord as to instruct him? But we have what? You got the mind of Christ.' Which means that you will know what to do in every given situation when you ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what does God say about this matter. You have that. We have that.

Now I want you all to go with me. Every person in this church who has been born again and has a relationship with Jesus Christ, you have a spiritual gift. You have a gift that has been given to you by the Holy Spirit himself. Let's walk in that.

Go with me to 1 Corinthians 12. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. You should be in 1 Corinthians 12. He says, "I don't want you to be ignorant," meaning I don't want you not to know.

You know that you were Gentiles. Gentiles are people who did, they are non-Jewish people who did not serve God, which means that entails all of us. Gentiles, are we with you? Are y'all with me? They were carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Whatever our spirit, whatever we wanted to do, we did. Okay? That's what made us Gentiles.

Therefore, I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus a curse, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by what? By the Holy Spirit. Can't even come to him and say he's Lord. The Spirit had to be involved in what? Drawing you. This ain't a mama idea, daddy idea, grandma idea. They may have planted the seed, but it was the Holy Spirit watering it and drawing you into a relationship with God.

Come on, somebody. The only reason why you have a mind right now to even want to get to know God a little bit better is because the Holy Spirit is involved in your everyday life. Since I am a partner, partner with him.

He says this: 'Verse 4, there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but it's by the what? Same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same what? Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works in all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.'

You know why we say, "Know God, find freedom, discover your purpose"? It means you need to discover your gift because your gift helps out the body of Christ. That way we can have all things in supply. Everything will be supplied when you find out your gift.

Oh God, I wish I could stay there a little longer. Okay, okay. This is how I teach when I'm in the schoolhouse. Whew. When it gets good to me. Okay, here we go.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the what? Spirit. That's a gift. The word of wisdom is a gift that comes from the Holy Spirit. He says, 'Through another the word of knowledge.' That is my personal gift. I have the gift of the word of knowledge. It's like I can know certain things. I see things. I'm like, "Oh hey, you right there. This is what the Spirit of the Lord says to you."

How do I do that? It comes from out of the what? Holy Spirit. That's not me. I'm not that brilliant. I'm brilliant, but I'm not that brilliant. Gotta be careful what you speak over yourself.

'For to one is given the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills.'

You must know what gift you have been given by the Holy Spirit. That's why when you go through our growth partnership membership class, we give you a gift assessment, trying to help you navigate so you find that identity like, "What is it that God has given me by his Spirit?"

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether we were Jew or Greek, all been made to drink into what? One Spirit.

We look at the book of John, John 16. We look at the book of John, John 16. This is where God tells us about the Holy Spirit, how he is going to work into our lives. He tells us about that Spirit, the same Holy Spirit. He tells us, he says, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, guess what the Spirit of truth does for you? He will guide you into what? All truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears."

Who is he hearing? He hears God. He knows what's in the mind of God. That's why I gave you my story. When I was in corporate America, he knew I was going to lose my job ahead of me, months ahead of me. Comes and tells me because God loves me. And he says, nudges, kind of nudges me. When I say nudge, kind of puts it in me, "Save your money."

And so I am obedient. Now if you are not obedient, you are going to miss it and bear whatever consequences. Now he will help you, but the truth of the land is I didn't struggle and neither did my family. Why? Because I hadn't put $12,000 just in checks alone in a drawer out of obedience.

Okay, are y'all with me still? Okay, good, good. Alright, here we go. One of the ways in which the Holy Spirit helps all of us is through the fruit of the Spirit. This is where you lock in with God in your development. You become a better, stronger believer.

Galatians 5:22 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit..." What is the fruit of the Spirit? The manifestation of him. He shows up in this way. He is what? Love, peace, forbearance. That means you can bear up under some things that you feel like, "Oh, I just want to give up on." Faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We will have none of these characteristics without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Help of the Holy Spirit. Alright y'all look good. Romans 8:9-11 says this: "But you are not in the flesh, but in the what? Spirit. If so be it." Check this out. This is hard to bear now. You are not in the flesh dwelling in you. He says, "Now if any man have not the Spirit, what does it say? He is none of his."

Let that sit on you. You don't have his Spirit. It says you don't even belong to him. You just coming to church. That hurt, don't it? It's a hard pill to swallow. Well, I thought coming to church would make me better. Can't for a little while. But if you trying to go all the way, baby, you need to partner with the Holy Spirit.

The only way that I could have lasted this long from my 20's, a wild child, to my 50's, wise, strong, able to bear some things, I partner with somebody. You can't see it. How did you go in the classroom after leaving corporate America? I did it by the Spirit.

How did you become teacher of the year? Every day I walked in, "Holy Spirit, give me the creativity to teach these children." Oh God, how did I do it? By the help of the who? How did you reach the numbers where you were third in the district? My kids, you know the ones they say urban, urban, can't read past a certain grade. How did you do it, lady? They asking me.

I walked in every day. Yeah, I did my lesson plan. I had the Holy Spirit working with me, knowing how, knowing how they were wired, knowing what I needed to say in order for them to stick. You gotta get in partnership with the Spirit.

Listen, I gotta give you these points because Pastor Cory will get me if I don't. Listen, we seek God because we need him. And you must declare your dependency on God. You cannot be the husband God wants you to be without his Spirit. You can't be the wife. Can't be the mother. You can't be. It's hard. You can't be the children who are trying to honor God. Can't do it without the Spirit.

Yeah, young people, you can get filled with God's Spirit right now. You ain't got to wait till you all beat up in this world. Then you have to come back to God. I mean, you still can. But why not dip in the water right now?

When I mess my life up, you want to live by God's power, not just a lot of talk. That power is called Dunamis in Greek. It's God's supernatural ability living through you. You'll receive this power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.

In Acts 19, there were some disciples. Disciples. Disciples. And they said when Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some. You know what a disciple is? Somebody that is serious about walking with God. Like they serious about their relationship with God. It's not missing a beat. That's what a disciple is. Somebody who's really trying to do this thing with God in their everyday life.

When he got there, he asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Look what they said. They said, "No, we haven't even heard about no Holy Spirit." Well, how you walking with him? There are some things we learned. We learned to pray. We learned to listen to Christian music. We learned these things. But it's going to feel like work for you when you don't have the Holy Spirit.

It's going to feel like religion. It's going to be boring. It's going to be hard while you're trying to do it your own way and in your own strength. But you get the Holy Spirit that comes upon you. It's like it becomes invigorating. Oh God, it's like it becomes, it's like somebody breathes life on it. And then you become, you'll be like, "My God."

How many of you saw the movie The Forge? Anybody? Oh my gosh. You got young people, parents, you got to go see it. You got to go see it. Listen, there's a part in the movie, a scene in the movie. The young man ends up giving his life over to Christ. And when he goes home, he prays. Now he's a babe in Christ, young, just starting out. But he asks God, he said, "What do I need to give up so that I can get to know you?"

God deals with him and turns his face to his games. The little boy said, "You want me to get it?" He's like, "Uh-uh-uh." He said, "Okay," he boxed it all up. How did he know God wanted him to get rid of that? Because the Holy Spirit is intimately involved in your life.

Oh God, the Holy Spirit is intimately involved in your life. The Holy Spirit is intimately, intimately, intimately. Do you understand what that means? Don't nobody know you, not your mama, as much as they may love you or not. I don't know, you know, I just know I love mine. I'm just saying I got a love for my kids. I have a love. But as much as I love them, it's certain things I do not know about my children.

I cannot tell you where they shall live in the future. And I cannot tell you certain things. I cannot tell you their death date. But I do know this much, that when the Holy Spirit walks with you, the scripture says it's like getting married. It's like he seals you until the day of redemption. What does that mean? You will never walk alone.

When you become his, the Holy Spirit knows you. Your wife don't know you the way the Holy Spirit knows you. I don't know you, baby, the way the Holy Spirit does. I'm talking about intimate details of your life. He knows, and he's willing to reveal it to you. Somebody say, "I got to partner with him."

The day you become a believer, he says he seals you. That seal means it's like an identity. He's willing to fire. Time I wear my ring, any man that look at a girl, all I gotta do is this. He knows I'm what? I'm off the market.

Some of them will still try you though, them demons. I ask you, "Is you happy?" And if I'm not, you still can't get with me. What I am saying though, in all sincerity, is when you get that seal, you are his until the day you die. And then when he comes back, no matter how long you've been down in the ground, die with his spirit in you.

So when he comes back, the dead in Christ rise first. How they getting up? Through his spirit. The same way that it rose Jesus up from the dead. If it's in me, you get up. That's how important it is to partner with the Holy Spirit.

Listen, the Holy Spirit is there when you repent. The Holy Spirit removes the barriers that keep you from all that God has for you. The Holy Spirit, what you gotta ask God is to give you all that he has for you.

I want us, as you stand on your feet, to think about this. When you first start off, it's ankle deep according to Ezekiel. Then it's knee deep. Then it's waist deep. And then it becomes like a river that you cannot avoid.

Say this with me: "From this day forward, I will develop an intimate friendship with the Holy Spirit." In Jesus' name.

1. "The building is just where we congregate. But you are his people. And what God wants from us is for us to be more of what they call Kohaneia. Kohaneia is a Greek Hebrew term for community. God looks for us to be not only just people that are coming from various cultures and backgrounds and experiences. He looks for us, those who are in his body, who are believers. He looks for us to be what we call, to create Kohaneia. Kohaneia is community where no one feels that they are alone." [37:46] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "You belong to God. You are his people. You are the church. In the name of Jesus, Father, and we thank you, Holy Spirit, that you will speak to us in a way that's individualistic, but a way that is corporate, God. We thank you, God, that you will touch every circumstance under the sound of my voice, God. And that, Father God, you will go to work." [40:46] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "I know you're smart. I know you're capable. I know you're strong. But declare your whole dependency on God. I declare my dependency on Him. Come on, young people. You may be youthful, but declare your dependency on God. Come on. I declare my dependency on Him. I can't be the husband I'm supposed to be. I can't be the wife I'm supposed to be. I can't be the father I'm supposed to be. I can't be the boss I'm supposed to be. I can't be the leader I'm supposed to be. I declare my dependency on Him." [43:13] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "The same way that God accomplishes his will in our life is through us partnering with the Holy Spirit. Certain things you're not going to overcome on your own. I did not overcome at the age of 20. Listening to Biggie. I had a Biggie problem. Biggie had got a hold of me. You know it's the B-I-G. B-O-B-B-A. No info for the what? Y'all got to get delivered from Biggie. Got a Biggie problem." [54:27] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "God's spirit cannot be seen. But it can be felt. His spirit communicates. And his spirit changes things. So the Ruach of God is what we're after. It is the breath of God. It's God's presence in my life. It's God's movement in my life. I partner with God. How did you get so faithful, Tamika. I partnered with God. When I was 20. And now I'm 50. And I've been partnering with him ever since. Battles. Yes. Battles. Want. Battles. Loss. But I partner with God." [55:29] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




6. "You must know what gift you have been given by the Holy Spirit. That's why when you go through our growth partnership membership class, we give you a gift assessment. Trying to help you navigate. So I find that identity like what is it that God has given me by his Spirit. For as the body is one and has many members. But all the members of that one body being many are one body. So also is Christ." [01:08:40] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




7. "You want to live by God's power. Not just a lot of talk. That power is called Dunamis in Greek. It's God's supernatural ability living through you. You'll receive this power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. In Acts 19, there were some disciples. Disciples. Disciples. And they said when Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some know what a disciple is. Somebody that is serious about walking with God." [01:15:04] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




8. "The Holy Spirit knows you. Your wife don't know you the way the Holy Spirit knows you. I don't know you baby the way the Holy Spirit does. I'm talking about intimate details of your life. He knows. And he's willing to reveal it to you. Somebody say I got the partner. I got the partner with him. The day you become a believer, he says he seals you. That seal means it's like an identity." [01:19:58] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




9. "The Holy Spirit is there when you repent. The Holy Spirit removes the barriers that keep you from all that God has for you. The Holy Spirit. What you gotta ask God is to give you all that he has for you. I want us, as you stand on your feet, to think about this. When you first start off, it's ankle deep according to Ezekiel. Then it's knee deep. Then it's waist deep. And then it becomes like a river that you cannot avoid." [01:21:20] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)