KEEP IN STEP.5
Excellence Contd.
God wants you to be excellent because that’s what best represents who He is!
Last week we saw clearly from Scripture that those who live according to the flesh cannot please the Father. (How that negatively affected me and my family and ministry)
Galatians 5:16-18 NIV “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
(The law of sin and death that is at work in your human flesh or experience)
WE HAVE TO CHOOSE, It’s a choice, We can and should decide to serve the Lord!
I Kings 18:21 NKJV “And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.”
Galatians 5:16 AMPC “But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).”
Galatians 5:19-21 NIV “The acts of the flesh are (evident)obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:22 AMPC “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,”
For the fruit to remain as they are developed in you, you must commit to been excellent to live on purpose (be a disciple)
The most important step for this is developing intimacy with the Holy Spirit!
5 things that will help you;
Recognize the Holy Spirit is a Person.
THIS is fundamental to having a deep, meaningful connection with Him the 3rd person of the trinity.
John 14:16-17 NKJV
THE primary gift of the Holy Spirit is not tongues or supernatural power – it’s a deep relationship of intimacy.
Jesus never referred to the Holy Spirit as “ It” but always as “He.” The Holy Spirit is a Person, a living being with a personality. He is not a dove, wind, fire, cloud, force, or power. He is not even a feeling. He is not power. He is a real Person!
You can’t have a friendship with someone if you keep calling them an “ it.”
II Corinthians 13:14 NKJV “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”
God graciously imparts the Holy Spirit within us, and this divine presence transforms our bodies into temples.
He lives and operates in my body!
This truth should also change how we view our bodies.
Reflection:
Think about your own perception of the Holy Spirit. How do you view Him? If you have been treating Him as merely a force or power, take a moment to shift your perspective.
Recognize Him as a close friend. The Holy Spirit is not a distant, abstract concept;
He is God in us, desiring a personal relationship. All you have to do is talk to Him.
Understand Because the Holy Spirit is a Person, our attitudes & actions can bring Him joy or displeasure.
A person is a created being with a soul.
The soul is the seat of the mind, the will, and the emotions.
The Holy Spirit has a mind (Romans 8:27).
The mind of the Holy Spirit is in union with the Father and the Son, but He is a separate Person of the Godhead.
Romans 8:27 NKJV “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
The Holy Spirit has a will.
Acts 16:6-7 NKJV “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.”
We see that the Holy Spirit prohibited Paul from going to Asia (Acts 16:6-7). When Paul tried to go to another city, the Spirit didn’t permit him to go there either. He knows everything better than we do and leads us in ways that help us be effective for God and His kingdom. God didn’t just give us a map, which is the Bible; He also gave us a Guide—the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has emotions (Ephesians 4:30).
Ephesians 4:30 NKJV “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
The mind, will, and emotions are what give someone personality, thus making them a person. To grieve the Holy Spirit is to cause Him sorrow. He is not a robot or machine without emotions or feelings. Even though He is described as fire and wind, He is neither of those things because fire and wind don’t have a mind, will, or emotions.
Reflection:
How can you cultivate sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your life? How might you live to please Him and not cause Him grief?
The Holy Spirit comes to glorify Jesus and to make Him known.
There are many shadows of the Holy Spirit seen in the Old Testament. One of the clearest comes from the story of Abraham, his son Isaac, and the oldest servant in his house, Eliezar.
Genesis 24:2 NKJV “So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh,”
Genesis 24:4 NKJV “but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.””
Eliezar was the most trusted servant who was assigned to find a bride for Isaac. Abraham’s faithful household servant draws no attention to himself. His attention is focused only on finding a bride for Isaac and that Abraham’s wish be fulfilled. In fact, the author of Genesis doesn’t even call him by name in order to keep him in the background.
What a beautiful example of the Holy Spirit, who came to earth to draw people to Jesus to be His bride.
– He points to Jesus;
– He speaks what Jesus would speak,
– He declares that all that belongs to Jesus is available to us.
Even though the oldest servant is nameless, he oversaw all that Abraham had. SO WE see the similarity with the Holy Spirit. He manages heaven’s resources (John 16:14).
John 16:14 NKJV “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”
God the Father places attention on the Holy Spirit, even though the Holy Spirit doesn’t draw attention to Himself. The Holy Spirit is not optional in the Christian life if we really want to see the kingdom of heaven manifested here on earth. In fact, the kingdom of God is manifested through the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
Romans 14:17 NKJV “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
The the Holy Spirit is Thirsty to help you?
As we continue to read the story in Genesis, you’ll notice that this servant is now on his way to find a wife for Isaac. He meets by the well a young, virgin woman who is beautiful to behold. In this passage, Rebekah represents the church, the bride of Christ, who is called to walk in purity and drink from the well of salvation. This servant had men with him and many camels that carried goods. But he still asks this question of Rebekah,
Genesis 24:17 NKJV “And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.””
He could have gotten that water from the well himself, or one of his helpers could’ve…. but this was a test. His thirst was her test. If she gave water to him and his camels, she would be the chosen one. What if we would realise that the Holy Spirit was thirsty? He desires your attention. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman so waits to be wanted and invited He desires fellowship and intimacy with you, not just a relationship. He wants you to talk to Him. Yes, Jesus told us that if we are thirsty, we can come to Him and drink of the Holy Spirit, but if the Holy Spirit is thirsty, can you give Him a drink (John 7:37-39 in the last days of anyone thirst let them come to me and I will give them rivers of living water, He spoke concerning the Holy Spirit)? Can you hear His sweet voice asking for a drink?
IF we breakdown the verse, we can see powerful representations for today.
PLEASE: this indicates a petition, not a command. He doesn’t want to force you to fellowship with Him. He is not ordering you to, but rather asking this of you as a friend.
LET ME: this reveals the Holy Spirit is God, but He is also a Person who has feelings and affections and longs to be invited.
DRINK A LITTLE: Could you give Him a little attention every day? Pause during your busyness. Stop what you’re doing, and just acknowledge Him.
FROM YOUR PITCHER: This could represent your daily life/your calendar. We all have the same 24 hours, and our pitcher needs to be refilled every morning. He desires to drink from your pitcher. He wants your attention, your affection. We let everyone else drink from our pitcher; it’s time to let Him drink first.
Reflection:
The best thing you can do right now is to stop reading this and go spend some quality time with this wonderful Person. Develop a daily habit of constant communion with the Holy Spirit. Talk to the Holy Spirit if you desire to walk in the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26 NKJV “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 things that I said to you.”
We should desire to know Him more and more! Rebekah gave him water from her pitcher and then volunteered to water his camels.
On average, a camel drinks 140 to 250 gallons of water. That’s a lot. And he had more than one camel. That’s a lot of work! But she volunteered; he didn’t ask her to do that. I can imagine the scene: the men watching this young woman carrying water for all those camels. Little did she know that the camels she was watering held expensive gifts for her and her family. Everyone wants the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but we must focus on giving the Holy Spirit our water—our time.
Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Genesis 24:19 NKJV “And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.”
As we desire to know Him more, we should volunteer to water His camels—the local church. – Sign up to volunteer at the kids’ ministry. – Look for a place to serve, not a platform to shine on. – Do the work that maybe others don’t want to do.
James 4:8 NKJV “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
The Holy Spirit is watching everything. While others are seeking gifts, you water the camels. You will be surprised how His gifts will eventually flow through you. If you water the camels, He will give you His gifts. As you serve God’s cause on this earth, He will empower you with His anointing. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not jewelry, but they beautify the life of a believer. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are tools for service to accomplish God’s work with God’s help. Many people don’t have these gifts because they are not passing the test of serving in the local church. The Holy Spirit wants to use us to build His kingdom. Focus on watering the camels; focus on working for the Lord with the gifts and talents you already have. Do the natural; the Holy Spirit will add the super to your natural.
Reflection:
In my life today, are there areas where I am serving with my whole heart? Where could I find a need and fill it?
John 1:16 (AMPC) “For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.”
You and I can live in victory today because the Holy Spirit is empowering our lives to produce HIS FRUIT and HIS teaching us to pray.
Let’s Pray: Father, thank you for your constant love and faithfulness. I pray that you would highlight to me where I can serve the body of Christ best. Use my life as you desire. Guide me Holy Spirit. In Jesus’s name, amen.
