empowered by the holy spirit to serve

God gives us power! And as they continued to witness, they had the assurance of continuing to receive all the power they needed to serve their Lord, … What about Peter’s wife, or the father of James and John? The laying on of hands is just a means or a channel for God to flow into the person. Yet how hard it is for some Christians today to see themselves as only one servant among many. Let go of every form of bitterness, grudges, offence, immorality and worldliness that you may serve in holiness, lest you serve God and at the end be a cast away (1Corinthians 9:27). Team ministry was prominent in the early church: Peter and John, Paul and Silas, Priscilla and Aquila, groups of elders and deacons, teams of women and men serving together in their local congregations. – Colossians 3:1 Before His ascension to heaven, Jesus promised His followers that He would send a Helper who would be with them forever. Tip: to find an exact phrase or title, enclose it in quotation marks. Nor does it mean empowering others to serve merely as your assistants, or even as your second-in-command — which is what so-called “loving leadership of men over women” promotes. You’ll learn how to be filled with the Spirit’s power and why that’s so important in today’s world. Watch Queue Queue But did Jesus say, “Oh, thank you for reminding me. For example, after exhausting myself in fulfilling a committee chairmanship, I was looking for someone to be the next chairperson. What happened? All Rights Reserved, Experiencing God – Is Our Faith in God Still Relevant Today, From the Closet to the Board Room (Part 1) – Listening to God, Our Church Experiencing God Together (CG Campaign 3), Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow. Therefore, in contrast to the world’s way of rating people by their political, economic, or social power over others, the Gospel proclaims an upside-down kingdom where all persons are of equal value, and all are equally empowered to serve their Savior — men and women alike. 1 Corinthians 12:18 states: “God arranged every part of the body, each one of them, just as God chose and planned them to be.”. Power to perform miracles (Acts 6:8), etc. Your Inheritance As A Believer. Increasingly today we hear it said, “Let’s return to the practice of the New Testament church.” As we study the range of meaning in being “empowered to serve,” what would be involved for Christians in 1995 to serve God as the first-century church served? 1 Cor 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: The preaching of the gospel will also have signs that follow. Significantly, at Pentecost the power of the Holy Spirit came publicly, not in some secret room, but publicly so that those still outside God’s family could see God’s power at work in women and men alike. Matthew 28:19-20 Set . The CBE faith statement affirms that God’s free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is offered to all people, and that the power and presence of the Holy Spirit are present in the life of all believers. A person can be very loving, but does not truly serve others unless he or she allows others, encourages others, and empowers others to use their God-given gifts to the fullest by giving them every opportunity to obey the biblical injunction to grow up into the fullness and stature of Christ. What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? Consider: Jesus did not restrain the Samaritan woman in John 4 from running to evangelize her village; Jesus did commission Mary Magdalene to be the first to tell the male disciples about the resurrection. They were all empowered — women as well as men, old and young, of all backgrounds—to witness to God’s saving grace in Christ. Ron Mentzer. This information is only for followers of Jesus Christ who are, “Born-again” believers. At Spirit Empowered Ministries Our vision and mission is to help connect people to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is not a person to be used to get what you want or to puff up yourself. thanks for subscribing and god bless you. This power is not just for preachers, evangelists, or people who work in special ministry; rather, it is available to every believer who willingly surrenders moment by moment in submission and obedience to the Holy Spirit. They were all empowered — women as well as men, old and young, of all backgrounds—to witness to God’s saving grace in Christ. The good news of the Gospel is that our salvation and our ability to serve God are free gifts of God’s grace, never the result of any “do-it-yourself efforts. What did I find? And Ephesians 2 teaches that Christ has made us into one new humanity, no longer separated by fleshly distinctives or even placed into some artificial “separate but equal” grouping, but Christ has made us into one new humanity, so that we are being built together into the one household of God. Moriah is a dynamic spiritual organism, empowered by the Holy Spirit; to share Christ with as many people as possible in our church, community, and throughout the world. One of the greatest lessons I have learned over the years is to let others use their gifts to teach me. A leadership team emerged based on teaching gifts that became evident. B. Copy. Our unity is not about sameness, but unity in diversity. Changes to Restrictions 09/12/2020. 1. Share. WELCOME. Even more, in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that they themselves would be “clothed from on high,” these new believers “received power when the Holy Spirit came upon them” at Pentecost. Persons who have accepted a secular culture’s definition of leadership will attempt to control power over others, or even think that power is their property. © 2021 In Christ Singapore. For example, we do not usually think of someone who has the gift of helps to be in a leadership position — at least not on that organizational chart. By the Holy Spirit I want to counsel you to commit yourself in your fellowship with the Holy Spirit so you can be empowered by grace to serve God faithfully. But, the Spirit of Christ has more business for you and me. The Spirit empowers us to serve the Church which brings glory to the triune God—the Giver of those gifts. And what is the word of God as it now comes to us through Christ? My caller represented a conservative women’s religious group, and invited me to speak at their annual meeting. Although it was Christ--the second Person of the Trinity--who came to earth to minister to mankind, His ministry was accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit. LATEST NEWS. She said, “Our group is very conservative and we want to avoid anything controversial. 1. But while very few persons of good will today would still promote racism, all too many in die conservative church still teach that men are to have power over women. Acts 2:1-4 – Fulfillment at the day of Pentecost. For, as has been aptly said, the only part of the Bible you and I believe is the part we obey. The person in servant leadership not only shares expertise, but also models putting that expertise at the disposal of others, never wielding that expertise over others. I was particularly protective if I was the one “in charge.” With my zeal to create the perfect results, I exemplified the saying “If I don’t do it, it doesn’t get done right.” Was this praiseworthy? The Church carries out its pastoral mission to the academic world both through its communal life and through the Christian witness of its individual members. Unlike those earliest followers of Jesus, we seem reticent to let the Gospel upset our carefully-planned lives or, even more radical, abandon our comfortable way of life altogether. In Luke 3:22, we see Jesus baptized in water and filled with the Holy Spirit at the same time. And we must come to see that we are to act as “bought” people who are now at Christ’s disposal. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding….. 39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. If you don’t take anything else from this, note this part…the Holy Spirit is empowering people to build the church, to serve in the ministry, to help others. And God has placed each individual woman, as well as each individual man, exactly where God wants that person to be in the Body of Christ. Jesus was born by the work of the Spirit; Jesus was led by the Spirit to suffer temptation and come out spotless; Jesus was empowered by the Spirit to do the ministry he did; But when those earliest believers encountered Jesus’ transforming power, their lives were literally turned upside down! Spirit-empowered leadership is servant leadership. Servant leadership does not mean filling a slot on an organization chart, or being in a position of benign power over others. Scripture itself gives so many inspiring role models of women empowered by God to serve in every possible ministry role: from Old Testament leaders like Miriam, Judge Deborah, Esther, or the prophet Huldah, to the combination entrepreneur and homemaker of Proverbs 31, and also New Testament women like merchant Lydia (founding mother of the church at Philippi). In that early church, leaders were persons who—like Phoebe and Timothy— were simply fellow-believers called to use their spiritual gifts to minister together with the other members of the local Body of Christ. The scriptural sequence is that I am created in the image of God, God made me physically the individual I am, God’s grace has reached out to me spiritually so that I am now a new creature in Christ Jesus, and finally I now have a new servant calling as God’s agent of reconciliation—an ambassador for Christ. Think of Jesus’ flat statement: “The first shall be last and the last first” (Mark 10:31). Watch Queue Queue. We can rejoice in the tremendous gift of power that God gives to all who believe: power to become children of God, and power to serve our fellow family members. I am reminded by the still small voice of Jesus to make once again sure that everyone understands that this subject is not a subject that we want to allow the enemy of our souls to cause division or get into strife about. These spirit empowered gifts were to be used to build up the church for the work of the ministry. We cannot garner the power of the Spirit in order to use God. Help CBE spread the message that #Godvalueswomen. by bringing them into identity, empowering them with Holy Spirit fire, Teaching them to hear God, Acts 2:1-4 – Fulfillment at the day of Pentecost. The power of the Holy Spirit comes on women as well as men, young and old, and furthermore, it is power given in order to be shared and even given away. It means the highest official envoy, someone accredited to go to a foreign government as representative of his or her own government. Unlike some readers who mumble, talk to fast, or speak in a monotone, this woman read with tremendous meaning. They had personally experienced the Gospel as the very power of God bringing salvation to everyone who believes (Rom 1:16,17), and they knew that—to all who believed—God gave the power to become children of God (John 1:12), to be part of a new family, with a new calling to be about God’s family business of sharing that transforming power with a lost world (2 Cor 5:16-20). The power of God was in evidence at all times but in a different way during the Old Testament times. However, in the attempt to try to get around the fact that teaching subordination of women infantilizes women and limits their redemptive freedom, persons who teach that only men are to be in leadership roles have justified this practice by saying that men exercise “loving” leadership. The Spirit empowers us to serve the Church which brings glory to the triune God—the Giver of those gifts. God has put in us a well of “living water,” but it is our choice whether or not we drink from it. Thoughtful persons are not fooled. Professional Campus Ministers A. The thinking is: Of course we Christians are called to serve God first and then to serve our fellow human beings, and obviously if God calls us to do something God will give us the power to do it. This sincere Christian did not want to be controversial, and yet she was asking me to present the Gospel! 2 Timothy 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. b. No one of us is empowered to make another group our assistants. What is the conclusion then? We might recall the observation of Hudson Taylor, pioneer missionary to China, when he said, “I am manning my stations with ladies.” Or we can remember that in the nineteen-thirties Betty as well as John Stam was martyred for her faith, or that—back in Paul’s day—Priscilla and Aquila both risked their necks for the Gospel. We are a diverse and welcoming community of believers, called by God, graced by Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve God through worship in the Reformed tradition, compassionate service to all, and the nurturing of each other so as to grow in faith together. So Paul writes that we have the treasure of our new life in the city “jars” of our humanity, that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us (2 Cor 4:7). And one of that person’s responsibilities in exercising the gift of helps will be to bring along—to nurture and to empower—similarly gifted persons so that they can now use their gift also. These spirit empowered gifts were to be used to build up the church for the work of the ministry. The thinking is: Of course we Christians are called to serve God first and then to serve our fellow human beings, and obviously if God calls us to do something God will give us the power to do it. In the Old Testament the Spirit of God came UPON certain individuals and gave needed power and ability to … But when the person with a gift of helps exercises that gift, that person is indeed taking leadership in his or her own sphere of compassionate care. The Uniting Church believes that in the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ sustains his Church through the changes of history, commanding people’s attention and awakening faith (Basis Par 4). When I am free enough to let them use their gifts to lead me into greater knowledge and awareness of the breadth of discipleship, I am indeed submitting to them and they are indeed both leading and serving me. With team ministry in place, each believer knows that her or his gifts are necessary to the proper functioning of the whole Body. Empowered By the Spirit “ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” ” ( ) In previous lessons, we have seen over and over our dependence upon the grace of God in the Christian… Jesus “did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28). 1 Cor 14:2,15,39 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.15. The Gospel may be familiar, but it is never “safe”; plugging into the power of God is indeed like handling dynamite. Of course I had grown to love the members of that class, but if I had continued on merely as their loving leader, they never would have grown up. But because this does not come naturally, Scripture makes it clear that such a transformation can only be by God’s power. Acts 1:8 – Promise of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit bears witness to the true-truth. The Baptized. It was challenging and rewarding to teach persons who had never read the Gospels, or never heard of Paul’s missionary journeys. Therefore, it is important to teach and lay the right foundation!! I had fallen into the trap of equating my responsibility for the program with the program itself, so that the program became my program. If you long to live victoriously, overflowing with peace and joy, join David Cerullo as he explains the Holy Spirit’s vital role in transforming lives. We are constantly reminded that for a body to remain healthy and function it’s not only what they eat consume but how they exercise as well. Eucharist (Holy Communion) Confirmation; Marriage; Anointing of the Sick; Funeral Rite; Donations & Payments. Just as a believer is immersed in water during water baptism, so is the believer immersed in the Holy Spirit during the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul clearly and inclusively states: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Cor 5:20). In this episode we are going to talk about the mantle and anointing that comes with God’s call and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to lead in times of uncertainty. Would Paul have felt diminished to be under a woman’s ministry? Sea Island Presbyterian Church is a family of faith formed by the grace of Jesus Christ and located in Beaufort, SC. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Acts 1:8 – Promise of the Holy Spirit. So it has been not only through my own intellectual study of these many issues as I have searched Scripture to find God’s plan for human interaction in Christian service, but it has been through some painful and eye-opening personal experiences that I have come to see more clearly what “empowered to serve” is all about. But as a human, like you and me, he fully submitted to and was guided by the Spirit. However, when that transforming power of God enters the picture, everything changes. Empowered by the Holy Spirit. Because, Paul states, “Phoebe has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.” Although most English translations do not do these verses justice, this is a remarkable passage in the original Greek. What the Apostle Paul was trying to address was orderliness and the proper use of the gifts in the church. It is the same notion as stoking the fire. But simply because they are familiar, we can be in danger of failing to see how very revolutionary they are, and also how uniquely inclusive they are. III. If your life seems powerless, check your connection with the Holy Spirit. The Gospel turns human notions on their head, and the Gospel certainly turns traditional teaching about “who gets to do what” upside down. WELCOME. The Church was birthed, formed, and grew in tumultuous times. Genesis 1:1 speaks of the “Spirit of God hovering over the waters” at the creation. Through witnessing. III. Do you really think the various members said, “Oh great, you men go off and find yourselves. Your fulfillment comes in using the gifts and skills He has blessed you with for His glory. We are limited to helping others with our natural abilities. I cannot believe first-century folks found this behavior any easier to take than people would today. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life, allow him to govern your life, and allow him to empower you. How do we stir up the gift? I had probably read or heard 1 Corinthians 12 hundreds of times before, but when she read it the words came alive. Paul as a true servant leader rejoiced when another, like Phoebe, was empowered to lead in her own sphere of ministry. Servant leadership means that, by God’s power, we each in our spheres of service use our gifts to exercise both servanthood and leadership. The Holy Spirit is not a person to be used to get what you want or to puff up yourself. The way I had handled power not only did not empower others, it disempowered them by making them feel weak and inadequate. 5. We would certainly be freed from hang-ups about what sex gets to be senior pastor, because team ministry prevents the sort of self-exaltation that can be a sad by-product when leadership posts are appropriated by only one person or group. I don’t think it is stretching the text to think that Paul received significant aid in ministry from Phoebe. Holy Spirit is the One who empowered Jesus and is also the One who empowers us. Who We Are Our Team & Leadership. Do you think her husband said, “Of course you can use a change of pace, and all that tramping around will be more fun than cooking, cleaning and mending my togas?” I have a strong suspicion that these women’s decision to follow Jesus caused a tremendous controversy in their neighborhoods, families, and even in Herod’s palace. Empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our Helper. Our Thanks for Your Gift. Worship Service Playlist. We cannot "harness" the power of the Holy Spirit. Touched. Mt. Church history further proves this. Because the servant leader is not someone whose title denotes “I’m in charge and you are under me.” Gifted people are not empowered to be over others, but empowered to serve others by offering up their gifts for the good of the entire faith community. When Paul was afraid, he says in Corinthians that his weakness was proof that the power of … Ready . May our strength to be servant leaders spring from the empowering scriptural promise that, because it is God’s power that is at work within us, we will together be able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.

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