The Need for Empowering
Attempting to follow Jesus as His disciple is not just difficult. It is impossible! We can only do it through the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
Who is The Holy Spirit?
A. In the Bible He is called:
The Spirit of God, The Spirit of the LORD, The Holy Spirit, The Spirit of Truth, The Comforter, The Promise of the Father, The Spirit of Jesus, The Spirit of Holiness, The Spirit of Life, The Spirit of Adoption, The Spirit of the Living God, The Spirit of His Son, The Spirit of Jesus Christ, The Eternal Spirit, The Spirit of Grace, The Spirit of Christ, The Spirit of Glory, and The Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
B. The Bible teaches that there is one God who eternally exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit.
“Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with His blood” (1 Peter 1:2).
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God (the Father), and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (1 Corinthians 13:14).
C. The Holy Spirit is a person:
Not just a power or spiritual force—who thinks, speaks, teaches, convicts, guides, testifies, calls, helps, intercedes, loves, feels and communes with us.
D. The Holy Spirit has specific ministries
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, (Advocate, Comforter, Counselor,) that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you… But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 14:16, 17, 16:13,14).
The Spirit of God, The Spirit of the LORD, The Holy Spirit, The Spirit of Truth, The Comforter, The Promise of the Father, The Spirit of Jesus, The Spirit of Holiness, The Spirit of Life, The Spirit of Adoption, The Spirit of the Living God, The Spirit of His Son, The Spirit of Jesus Christ, The Eternal Spirit, The Spirit of Grace, The Spirit of Christ, The Spirit of Glory, and The Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
- Which one of these names sticks out to you?
- What names do you like from this list?
B. The Bible teaches that there is one God who eternally exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit.
“Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with His blood” (1 Peter 1:2).
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God (the Father), and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (1 Corinthians 13:14).
- How do we see that God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (the Trinity) existing and operating together as one God from these verses?
C. The Holy Spirit is a person:
Not just a power or spiritual force—who thinks, speaks, teaches, convicts, guides, testifies, calls, helps, intercedes, loves, feels and communes with us.
- Which one of these have you felt before?
D. The Holy Spirit has specific ministries
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, (Advocate, Comforter, Counselor,) that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you… But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 14:16, 17, 16:13,14).
- From these verses describe the Holy Spirit’s ministries.
- Describe a time the Holy Spirit ministered to you in one of these ways.
Three Phases of Our Relationship with the Holy Spirit
1. He is with us—drawing us to Christ, convicting us of our sin“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:7-8).
2. He is in us—indwelling us when we put our faith in Christ “that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:17).
3. He is upon us—as we yield to Him to empower us to live for Christ and serve Him. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8).
2. He is in us—indwelling us when we put our faith in Christ “that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:17).
3. He is upon us—as we yield to Him to empower us to live for Christ and serve Him. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8).
- How have you experienced these 3 relationships?
The Need to Be Empowered by the Holy Spirit
A. Jesus’ Provision
“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39).
B. Our Asking
“’If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?’” (Luke 11:13).
You can ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Here is an
example of a prayer:
“Dear Father, I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit as Your word commands me to do. I desire to be filled. I want living water to flow from my innermost being. I want to live for You and not for myself. Fill me now. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39).
- According to our Lord Jesus, what must you do to experience the empowering and overflow of His Spirit from your innermost being?
- What will it look like and feel like to be empowered by the Holy Spirit?
- How will your life change because of the empowering of the Holy Spirit?
B. Our Asking
“’If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?’” (Luke 11:13).
- What does God want to do for us from this verse?
- What do we need to do?
You can ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Here is an
example of a prayer:
“Dear Father, I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit as Your word commands me to do. I desire to be filled. I want living water to flow from my innermost being. I want to live for You and not for myself. Fill me now. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
What To Expect
A. Empowering to witness
“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts. 4:31).
B. Fruit of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal. 5:22,23).
C. Gifts of the Spirit
“But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues” (I Cor. 12:7-10).
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” (Rom. 12:6-8).
D. Holiness from the Spirit
“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (II Thess. 2:13).
“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts. 4:31).
- What happened when they were filled with the Holy Spirit?
- What does boldness look like to you?
- Who can you speak the word of God to with boldness this week?
B. Fruit of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal. 5:22,23).
- How have you seen the fruit of the Spirit active in your life?
- Which aspect of this fruit do you feel is lacking in your life?
C. Gifts of the Spirit
“But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues” (I Cor. 12:7-10).
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” (Rom. 12:6-8).
- What are the different gifts listed above?
- Which of those gifts do you think you might have?
- What is the purpose of these gifts?
- How are you using your gifts?
D. Holiness from the Spirit
“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (II Thess. 2:13).
- What is the Holy Spirit’s work?
- Does the Holy Spirit do this on His own or do we have to cooperate with Him?
- If we do cooperate with Him, how do we do that?
Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower you, to reveal your spiritual gift, and to sanctify you.