The Promise of the Holy Spirit

It is amazing to discover that Jesus chooses to dwell within us by His Holy Spirit. We know who we are and how far we have fallen. We don’t deserve the privilege of His constant presence within us! But that is the message of grace and the power of His forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is promised to you!

• The Holy Spirit lives in every born-again believer, John 14:15-18. What would you say to someone who claims to have the Holy Spirit within them who has not been born again?
• The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that some day Jesus will take us to heaven to be with Him, Ephesians 1:14 and 2 Corinthians 1:22.
• The Holy Spirit removes fear, powerlessness, unforgiveness and worldly thinking, 2 Timothy 1:7. Every true believer has the power to conquer fear within them!
• The Holy Spirit will fill us to overflowing if we ask. This is a distinct experience from the indwelling although it can happen at the same time, Acts 10:44-48. (Background to this: the disciples already had the Holy Spirit within them after Jesus breathed on them in John 20:22. However the first occurrence of fullness that we call the baptism of the Holy Spirit happened on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:4. This experience propelled them into world changing ministry.)
• Staying filled with the Holy Spirit is up to us. We know the Holy Spirit is always willing because our Father loves us! Ephesians 5:18-20.

Take time to rejoice that the third member of the Holy Trinity lives in you to guarantee your salvation, empower you to live a godly life and to be a dynamic witness for Jesus!

Gloating

When the Win Includes a Strut

Obadiah 1:10-14 NIV

You see it after a touchdown- the arrogant strut. It is “pie in the eye” to the other team. Gloating is “malicious satisfaction”. In Hebrew it means – “to look on joyfully”. It is delighting in the good that happens to you and the bad that happens to others. Gloating can happen when our enemies face misfortune. Edom gloated over Israel’s misfortune and God pointed it out.

Read the passage

• From these verses point out what was wrong about Edom’s treatment of Israel (Jacob).
• Now read verse 15 to see what the harvest was for “gloating over Israel”.

As believers, we scored the touchdown. Eternity is ours as a precious gift but we want others to have this gift as well. Our mission is to bring as many people with us to heaven as we can. We don’t gloat over others. We invite others.

Gloating is a spiritual problem rooted in pride (se Obadiah 1:3). It is mean, hard hearted and unredemptive. Yet, too often, we get an inner grin when someone we don’t like faces pain and misfortune. Is this the Spirit of Christ or the spirit of the world? When was the last time you laughed at someone’s misfortune?

Put a check next to the phrases that represent the Spirit of Jesus:

• Rejoicing over our enemy’s misfortune.
• Laughing when someone stumbles
• Loving the unlovable
• Giving to those who don’t deserve it
• Retaliation and revenge
• Passivity and indifference
• Compassion, grace and mercy

God expects his people to be tender-hearted even to those who deserve judgment or are undergoing God’s judgment. That is the lesson of Obadiah.

We must choose love- the kind of love Jesus talked about in Matthew 5:44-48. Read the passage and pray for grace to fill you so you can encourage your enemy rather than gloat over his/her misfortune.

At Your Service!

3 John 9, 10

Two characters stand out in 3 John: Gaius who was full of love and Diotrophes who was full of himself. Both men were church leaders who exerted a great deal of influence. One built the church. The other nearly destroyed it!

Can you think of some other ways to say, “He loved to be first”?

The problem with “loving to be first” as Diotrophes did is that the New Testament promotes a completely different mindset. Christians are to put Jesus first and then others, Matthew 22:37-40 (my interpretation: love your neighbor as you already love yourself) and Philippians 2:3.

True joy and eternal reward is found in serving others. Can you name someone who is hard to serve?

Jesus served others throughout His ministry but notably the night before He died, John 13:1-5. He washed Judas’ feet without reservation just like the other disciples. We are shocked until we consider that no one in the room deserved the Master’s tender touch especially Peter who would deny his relationship with Jesus in less than 24 hours!

Galatians 5:13-15

• Verse 13 Notice that in Christ we are not free from service but freed to serve as Jesus did. Share about a time you felt the absolute joy of simply serving someone while expecting nothing in return.
• Verse 14 is a flashback to Leviticus 19:18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. What do revenge and grudges do to our hearts? (Is it possible that seeking revenge and holding grudges are forms of judgment that actually keep us from serving others?)
• Verse 15 This may have been Diotrophes’ life verse. Think about the church that he led. What would it have been like to worship there?

Now is commitment time. Think of a tangible way to serve and ask your group to hold you accountable for doing it this week.