Spiritual Power

Well, to get us started, I have a video I'd like to share, but also, I just want to encourage

! any of you who have not gotten a study guide to pick one up, but I also want to encourage you that,

you know, it can be a little overwhelming. There's a lot in here, and this isn't meant to make you feel

overwhelmed, or to make you say, I've already missed so much, I won't be able to catch up,

so I guess I'm just not going to do it at all, okay? The point of this is to be a resource for you,

and to provide some helpful suggestions on how to put it to work in your life, but also

lead you in a study through preparation and preparing yourselves for Sunday. So, don't let it be

a prison, meaning don't let it be your taskmaster that says, if you haven't measured up, then

there's no sense trying, okay? I want you to feel encouraged by this, not bound by this.

So, pick one up if you haven't already. If we need to print some more, we can always do that, but

this is meant to be a resource for you, and I trust that you'll be encouraged through your study

in the week in preparation for Sunday morning. But before we start this morning's message,

I want to begin with a short video.

The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village

Once upon a time, in a little field, in a happy little village, lived a big red tractor.

Every morning during plowing season, the village people, no, not those village people,

would come out and start the red tractor. Everyone loved the tractor and the powerful noises it would

make. They would cheer for the big red tractor because he would help them through plowing season.

The people worked together to move the tractor. Half of the villagers would push from behind,

while the other half would pull. They had been doing it this way for many generations.

Some days they moved the tractor 10 feet. Some days they moved it 20. They did this for three whole months every year.

Because of their hard work, the villagers always managed to plow the field, just in time to plant,

and just before the rainy season. The rains would come to water the field. Then the sun would come out

to make the crops grow. And then the people would come out and harvest all the new crops.

It was just enough food to feed the entire village.

One day, Farmer Dave was cleaning out his attic. To his surprise, he found an old book

tucked beneath his great grandpa's belongings. It was the owner's manual to the Big Red Tractor.

This book told about how the tractor was made and all the great things it could do.

Farmer Dave studied the book all night. He was shocked by what he was reading.

According to the book, if the Big Red Tractor was running properly, it could plow the whole field in just one day.

Early the next morning, Farmer Dave gathered the villagers to tell them the good news.

But nobody believed him.

There's no way that tractor can move on its own, some said.

One lady said, it sounds like you're reading a fairy tale.

The people laughed at him.

This made Farmer Dave very sad.

This didn't stop Farmer Dave from believing what he read.

Every night, while the other villagers were asleep, Farmer Dave spent time repairing the Big Red Tractor.

One night, Farmer Dave fixed the tractor completely.

He jumped on the tractor and had so much fun driving it, he ended up plowing the whole field in one night.

The next morning, the villagers woke up and were in shock.

The whole field had been plowed.

It's a miracle, one man said.

Maybe aliens came down, said an old woman.

No, look over there, a little boy shouted.

It was Farmer Dave sleeping on the tractor.

It was then the people shouted.

He was right.

The tractor book is true.

The villagers ended up plowing many fields that year and harvesting way more food than they could ever eat.

They had so many leftover boxes of food that they began taking the boxes to other villages where food was scarce.

The Big Red Tractor and his little village soon became famous throughout the land.

They became known as the most generous and life-giving people in the whole wide world.

The Big Red Tractor and his little village soon became famous throughout the land.

Of course, it's not about plowing fields.

It's not about pushing tractors.

Really, it's an analogy for what God desires to do in the hearts of his people

and what God desires to do in the life of this church, this body.

And if all of us were to dream a little bit about what we wanted God to accomplish through us and for us,

it would be maybe similar to what we would see in this illustration.

That there would be worldwide impact.

That there would be far-reaching touch from this church to the lives of the people,

not only in Columbus and not only in Ohio, but to the uttermost parts of the earth.

But I think so often what we find ourselves doing is we find ourselves pushing the tractor

because it's just what we've been taught to do.

It's what we have learned to do all along.

It's what we know.

It's the systems that we've become familiar with.

And if we just look into the rule book, the manual, as it were, for life,

if we look into the Word of God and find what does a spiritual life look like,

then God will begin to not only change those externals about us

so that there's enough for the year and enough for us in terms of spiritual sustenance,

but there is enough to share.

There's enough for us to have an impact in these ever-growing circles of individuals

and communities and nations around us.

What does it take to be that kind of people?

What does it take to be world changers?

Well, it begins with you individually.

It begins as God begins to change your heart personally.

And as we'll see this morning in our passage,

we'll see that great changes can happen not because of your greater efforts,

but great changes happen because of a greater yielding,

a greater surrender,

and then a greater power that fills you for greater work.

Not that you are doing greater work on your own,

but that God is doing greater work through you.

I like what Phillips Brooks says.

I'm remembering this, so I might not get it right.

It says,

Phillips Brooks says,

Pray not for easy lives.

Pray to be stronger men.

Pray not for tasks equal to your strength,

but pray for power equal to the task.

Pray not for easy lives.

Pray to be stronger men.

Pray not for tasks equal to your power.

Pray for power equal to the task.

That's the kind of prayer we need to have.

God, fill us with the power of the Spirit

so that you can set us on the track of accomplishing your work in this world.

Now that work, from a human standpoint, may seem kind of small

because we're pretty limited in our perspective of how God is going to use these things into the future.

So don't get this notion that we're going to be starting to do great things as a people,

but we're going to be aligning our hearts to a great God

and expecting God to do great things in His time and in His way.

Turn with me, if you would, then, to 1 Thessalonians as we begin to look at this.

The Apostle Paul and Silas and Timothy had spent some time in this church,

the church of Thessalonica.

It was an abbreviated time.

It wasn't the kind of time that Paul wanted to spend in this church

because he was ousted due to persecution.

But through the sovereignty of God, we understand that it was enough,

at least for the moment.

And now Paul is writing to this church this little letter of 1 Thessalonians,

probably within 10 months to a year of having been in this place.

They're still spiritual babies.

They're still small in number,

experiencing a great deal of opposition and adversity as a church.

They don't have a pastor that we could identify, at least, from the passage.

And there are a lot of things that are kind of broken about this place,

certainly not the place, the church, that you would expect God to do great things through.

And yet, as we have looked briefly last week at the end of chapter 1,

and we'll take a longer look at it next week,

and as we saw the touch, the reach of this church in terms of loving their community in chapter 4,

we notice that God was doing extraordinary things through an unexpected group of people.

As any pastor would be concerned, Paul is greatly concerned,

or at least was greatly concerned about this church.

Greatly concerned about their longevity, their ability to endure.

And especially since he didn't have a chance to be there,

he was concerned about their ability to survive and to thrive as a church.

And so he's identified several things about them that have encouraged his own heart.

Things that have identified them as a people of God.

And because they're a people of God,

he understands that what God has initiated,

God will continue to accomplish and to work in sustaining that ministry.

We saw last week that they have a work of faith and a labor of love and a steadfastness of hope.

Three core characteristics of any true spiritual people.

And this morning, we're going to look at a church that demonstrates spiritual power.

Let me read for us, beginning in verse 3, and I'll read through verse 7.

And we'll concentrate our time on verses 4 to 7 today.

It says this,

We give thanks to God always for all of you,

constantly mentioning you in our prayers,

remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love

and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you

because our gospel came to you not only in word,

but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake?

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord.

For you received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Here we find a church that is continuing to demonstrate spiritual fruit.

Now, this morning, the work of the Holy Spirit in their life creating spiritual power,

producing an energy that can only come from God.

This happens, as we find from our passage this morning,

because they were a word-filled church.

What does a word-filled church look like?

Well, we begin to fill this description out for us as we continue to look this morning.

A word-filled church will be a church that is filled with the Holy Spirit.

They didn't know much, but what they knew, they applied.

And it produced a spiritual people.

A spiritual people is a spirit-filled people.

Not a people that is producing a certain set of actions,

a certain set of standards that are marking their life,

but a spiritual people are a people who are filled by the Holy Spirit.

That should be obvious to us.

And certainly that was true of this church.

I want to look, first of all, at the work of the Holy Spirit in saving this people.

When Paul is addressing this group of individuals,

he begins where it all starts.

He says there in verse 4,

For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you.

Because our gospel came to you,

not only in word, but also in power,

and in the Holy Spirit.

So when Paul is talking about power,

what is he referring to?

What is he talking about?

What is important to him?

What are the marks of spiritual power

and the spirit-filled life that he is looking for?

The gospel accompanied with power.

And by the way, the Greek term here is the word dunamai,

which is the word we get dynamite from.

That's the kind of explosive power

that was beginning to show up in the midst of this church.

Jesus, of course, is interested in this same kind of power,

and Jesus' life demonstrated this kind of power.

Jesus also, in communicating to His disciples,

He wanted them to understand the significance of the Holy Spirit's power

in the work of salvation.

And if you remember, in the first chapter of Acts,

Acts chapter 1,

Acts 1 · chapter mention

Jesus has risen from the dead,

and it's the time between His resurrection and His ascension.

And there He is with His disciples,

having a conversation with them,

and they have received instruction from Jesus for three years,

they have observed His life,

they have witnessed His teaching,

they have seen the evidence of God's power working through Him.

He's even sent them on at least a couple of different occasions

to go out and to be part of gospel ministry.

But there in chapter 1,

instead of Jesus sending His disciples directly into Jerusalem

to get busy with gospel proclamation,

He tells them it needs to begin a different way.

He has commissioned them to ministry,

and to preach throughout the nations,

but there was something that needed to happen first.

He tells them in Acts chapter 1,

Acts 1 · chapter mention

He says,

while He was staying with them,

He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem,

but to wait for the promise from the Father.

because as we find in Acts chapter 1,

Acts 1 · chapter mention

Jesus goes on to explain,

you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,

and then you can be my witnesses.

But you must first wait in Jerusalem

for the Spirit to come,

and then you can begin this work

of gospel proclamation and kingdom building.

Jesus wanted to reinforce to His disciples

the significance of the Holy Spirit's work

in this initial,

even the initial phases of church planting.

because the Holy Spirit is instrumental

to lead us to salvation.

And I want to talk about just,

I think there are five things here

that address the specific work of the Holy Spirit

in relationship to salvation in our lives.

That's why Paul is convinced

that they have the Spirit living within

because of seeing His work,

His power showing up in them and for them.

First, His work of illumination.

His work of illumination.

Now this is all in addition to our message this morning.

And so I want to help inform our hearts,

kind of give us the theology

of the power of the Holy Spirit

as we're working through this study together.

First, I want us to understand

the Spirit's work of illumination

from 2 Corinthians 4, verses 3 to 6.

2 Corinthians 4:3–6

I would encourage you to turn there.

Those of you who have a hard time turning pages,

I put it up there on the board too.

It may be difficult to read,

but here it is.

Paul is speaking to the church of Corinth,

and he says,

And even if our gospel is veiled,

it is veiled to those who are perishing.

In their case, the God of this world

has blinded the minds of unbelievers

to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel

of the glory of Christ,

who is the image of God.

There is a war that is taking place in this life.

It is a cosmic battle, as it were,

between the forces of Satan

and the forces of God.

And the blindness that is settled on the hearts of the world

is a blindness that is created

because Satan has blinded the minds of those who believe not.

But for this church of Thessalonica,

those, as he describes in verse 4,

as those who have been chosen by God,

God does a work in their life

to shine the light of the gospel into their hearts

so now they can see the glory of Christ.

Now they can begin to understand

the significance of the gospel.

It is a serious problem that we face.

Paul describes this in other places.

He says we're dead in our trespasses and sins.

He says our hearts are darkened without understanding.

We're full of ignorance.

We have hardness of heart.

It is not just a dilemma that becomes difficult to overcome.

It is impossible without the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit

shining the gospel light into our hearts.

The Holy Spirit is the one, through his power,

to shine the light of the gospel into our hearts.

Second, it's a work of regeneration.

Not just a work of illumination,

but a work of regeneration.

We find in the account of Jesus speaking with Nicodemus

there in John chapter 3,

John 3 · chapter mention

we see this exchange between this scribe,

a leader of the Pharisees there in Jerusalem,

and Jesus having this conversation.

And in this conversation, Jesus says,

Truly, truly, I say to you,

unless one is born again,

he cannot see the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh.

That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Do not marvel that I say to you,

you must be born again.

Regeneration is just a big word for being born again,

being renewed, rebirthed.

There is a spiritual birth that takes place,

but there's also, excuse me,

there's a physical birth that takes place,

but also a spiritual birth that happens

only because of the Holy Spirit's work in a heart

in creating spiritual life.

Titus 3.5 explains it this way,

not by works of righteousness which we have done,

but according to his mercy he saved us

by the washing of regeneration

and renewal of the Holy Spirit.

That makes sense, right?

Because according to the words of Jesus,

you can't create in human terms spiritual life.

Spiritual life can only be created

by the Holy Spirit,

by a divine work on a life

to produce rebirth,

new birth, spiritual life.

We also see the work of conviction.

Work of conviction.

We find that in John chapter 16,

John 16 · chapter mention

7 to 11.

Jesus is spending the final moments of his life

before his crucifixion with his disciples,

and he wants them to understand,

guys, just because I'm going away,

this is good for you.

I'm going to die.

I'm going to rise again,

and I'm going to depart from you,

but that's good for you.

Here's why.

He says in verse 7,

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth.

It's 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 when he comes,

he will convict the world concerning sin

and righteousness and judgment.

Concerning sin,

because they do not believe in me.

Concerning righteousness,

because I go to the Father,

and you will see me no longer

concerning judgment,

because the ruler of this world is judged.

See, the Holy Spirit is also responsible

for convicting hearts

in helping to confront us

with our own wickedness,

our own ungodliness,

how far away we are

from the absolute standard

that God has set for us,

the mark of purity and holiness.

And the convicting work

of the Holy Spirit

challenges our hearts

to see it for what it is.

And that is accompanied then

by the work of repentance,

which comes next.

The work of repentance.

You see,

just because conviction is in place,

it needs to be accompanied

by the work of God

in leading us to repentance

for salvation to actually occur.

2 Timothy 2,

2 Timothy 2:24–26

verses 24 to 26

help us with this.

And the Lord's servant

must not be quarrelsome,

but kind to everyone,

able to teach,

patiently enduring evil,

correcting his opponents

with gentleness.

God may perhaps grant them

repentance,

leading to a knowledge

of the truth.

and they may come

to their senses

and escape

from the snare of the devil

after being captured

by him to do his will.

Make no mistake,

repentance happens

in the work

of an individual

because of the work

of the Holy Spirit

that's conditioning their hearts

in giving them

the gift of repentance.

That God may perhaps

grant them repentance.

If you have come

to the point this morning

where the convicting work

of the Holy Spirit

has challenged you

about sin

and then led you

to a place of repentance

and asking for forgiveness,

that is a work of God

in your life.

You can praise him

for that

because that's the Holy Spirit

working in you.

And that's why

the Apostle Paul

is so ecstatic

at this point

because he sees

the mark of God

in leading a group

of individuals

to a place

not only of conviction

but a place of repentance.

And he realizes

only God can do that.

There are several examples

throughout the New Testament

where we find conviction

show up

but no repentance.

For example,

in Acts chapter 7

Acts 7 · chapter mention

we see this martyrdom

of Stephen

and it says

as Stephen was speaking

to the people

in his hearing

and confessing

who Jesus was,

when they heard

these things

it says

they were cut

to the heart.

And that word,

that phrase

cut to the heart

is the same phrase

that's used

of those

on the day of Pentecost

who having been

convicted of sin

then actually

also received

the gift

of repentance

and became

converted

and experienced

new life

but not here

in chapter 7.

In chapter 7

they're convicted

of sin

but instead

of repenting

it says

they gnashed

at him

with their teeth.

They cried out

with a loud voice

and stopped

their ears

and rushed

on him

and cast him

out of the city

and threw stones

at him.

Just because

conviction

is present

doesn't mean

repentance

will be present.

In Acts chapter 24

Acts 24 · chapter mention

and 25

we see

the story

of Felix

and of King Agrippa.

Felix

who would often

listen to the apostle

Paul

when Paul

was a prisoner

there in Caesarea

and it says

Felix and his wife

Drusilla

would send for Paul

and hear him

concerning the faith

in Christ

and Felix

was afraid.

There was

a sense

of awe

and

pressure

this burden

that he felt

this convicting

work

that

was taking place

in his life

but it never

led him

at least

as far as we know

to a place

of repentance.

And then finally

there is a work

of sealing

a work

of sealing

in Ephesians

Ephesians 1:13

chapter 1

verse 13

the work

of sealing

it says this

in him

you also

when you heard

the word of truth

the gospel

of your salvation

and believed

in him

were sealed

with the promised

Holy Spirit

who is the guarantee

of our inheritance

until we acquire

possession of it

to the praise

of his glory.

You see

the Holy Spirit

also comes

and marks

a life

of every convert

every follower

of Jesus

who has

repented

of their sin

who has

trusted in

Jesus

through faith

believes that

he is the only

way of salvation

the Holy Spirit

comes

marks their life

stamps them

with a new

identity

and seals

them

till the time

that Jesus

comes

to receive

them to glory.

All of the things

that the Holy Spirit

does

as a work

of God

for us

in salvation.

I want to spend

some time

now transitioning

to his

sanctifying

power

the sanctifying

power

of the Holy Spirit

we see that

now in the

following verses

verses

six

and seven

it says

and you

became

imitators

of us

and of the

Lord

for you

received

the word

in much

affliction

with the

joy

of the

Holy Spirit

the sanctifying

work

of the Holy

Spirit

is the work

of God

in us

this would

differentiate

itself

from what

we're going

to look at

next

the strengthening

power

of the Spirit

which is

the work

of God

through us

for others

okay

we'll get there

in a moment

but I want to

focus on the

sanctifying work

of the Spirit

sanctifying power

of the Spirit

which is the

power of God

for you

what does

God do

for you

in sanctification

the work

of sanctification

is the work

of making

you look

more

like Jesus

it's really

this work

of becoming

imitators

not only

of those

who represent

Christ

and speak

for Christ

but especially

as Paul points

attention to

you became

imitators

of us

and of

the Lord

the supreme

example

that we look

to is the

example

of Jesus

the supreme

pattern

for righteousness

the supreme

example

of how we

should live

as people

is found

in him

but we know

something

about the

advantage

of personal

life examples

people

right in our

context

that God

has used

to help us

see Jesus

better

so who has

done that

for you

who has

been

this replica

of Jesus

for you

who has

God

used

through the

course

of your

life

to help

emulate

the beauty

of the

gospel

right there

in front

of you

perhaps

your parents

your grandparents

maybe an aunt

or an uncle

for me

personally

of course

it was

my mom

and dad

who had

a tremendous

influence

in my life

but I think

of

three

specific

names

first I

think of

Jean Fisher

Jean Fisher

was a

was a

professor

at

Cedarville

College

she was

teaching

in the

Christian

education

department

but she

was also

the

superintendent

of my

Sunday

school

class

from ages

first

through

third

grade

how is

it

possible

for a

college

professor

to humble

herself

enough

to come

down

to the

level

of a

first

through

third

grader

and to

speak

life

into

them

speak

gospel

truth

into

their

lives

Jean

Fisher

for 30

years

faithfully

consistently

loved

on

the

students

that she

was

teaching

and through

Jean

Fisher's

example

I came

to love

Jesus

more

what a

great

example

to me

I

also

think

of

someone

named

Mr.

and Mrs.

Durham

I called

them

Grandpa

and Grandma

Durham

because

I was

in a

church

play

with them

and they

were my

grandparents

in the

play

and then

from that

point on

they were

my

adopted

grandparents

for life

well

Grandpa

Durham

was also

a college

professor

he taught

Greek

there at

Cedarville

University

very

brilliant

man

but also

tremendously

humble

I would

often go

over to

their home

I would

often

have

conversations

with

Grandpa

Durham

about

life

and

learning

from his

example

and learning

from his

encouragement

I can

remember

the first

message

I preached

there

at

Grace

Baptist

Church

and it

was a

it was a

dud

to say

the least

but you

wouldn't have

known that

from talking

with Grandpa

Durham

because of

his

encouragement

for me

and his

his

the way

that God

used him

to direct

me into

ministry

it was

life

it was

life

changing

and then I

think about

Frank

Young

again

a guy

who

was

instrumental

in planting

a significant

church

in the

Chicago

area

a man

who

was

involved

in the

community

served

at a

homeless

shelter

and again

oversaw

the

children's

ministry

at the

church

that I

attended

while in

in Aurora

Illinois

a man

with incredible

wisdom

incredible

godliness

incredible

humility

I'm

sure

God

has

used

individuals

like that

in your

own

life

those

who

you

can

begin

to

emulate

those

who

you

can

see

Jesus

show up

in them

and begin

to

harmonize

your own

life

with

the

portraits

of

Jesus

in them

that you

see

you have

the same

opportunity

the same

opportunity

to

emulate

Christ

for those

around

you

how many

times

have we

actually

corrected

our

children

and said

hey

where did

you get

that

and then

realize

that the

things

that we

saw

in

that

little

transaction

were

the

similar

things

that

were

happening

earlier

in the

week

in our

own

life

and

we

realize

oh

that's

where

you

got

that

you

got

that

from

me

God

has

given

us

the

privilege

and

the

responsibility

of

making

him

known

in the

world

around

us

and

only

through

the

power

of

the

Holy

Spirit

can

that

work

of

imitating

God

be

a

work

that

is

truly

representative

of

him

how

do

we

find

ourselves

similar

to

this

video

that

we

watched

a

church

that

is

unstoppable

a

people

that

are

productive

and

fruitful

maybe

a

help

for

that

is

found

in

Galatians

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

chapter

3

so

keep

your

finger

there

in

1st

Thessalonians

I

want

to

briefly

go

to

Galatians

Galatians 2:2

chapter

2

verses

2

and

3

and

I

want

to

draw

your

attention

to

a

similar

issue

that

Paul

was

dealing

with

in

this

church

of

Galatia

Galatians

Galatians 2:2

chapter

2

verses

2

and

3

I'll

actually

back up

to

verse

1

it

says

oh

foolish

Galatians

who

has

bewitched

you

it

was

before

your

eyes

that

Jesus

Christ

was

publicly

portrayed

as

crucified

let

me

ask

you

only

this

did

you

receive

the

spirit

by

works

of

the

law

or

by

hearing

with

faith

are

you

so

foolish

having

begun

by

the

spirit

are

you

now

being

perfected

by

the

flesh

did

you

suffer

so

many

things

in

vain

if

indeed

it

was

in

vain

does

he

who

supply

the

spirit

to

you

and

work

miracles

among

you

do

so

by

the

works

of

the

law

or

by

the

hearing

with

faith

what

Paul

is

trying

to

address

in

this

this

church

of

Galatia

is

this

idea

this

notion

that

they

could

work

out

their

own

spirituality

that

they

could

practice

a

little

bit

more

discipline

that

they

could

work

out

and

have

the

right

kind

of

conditions

in

their

life

so

they

could

be

more

spiritual

people

and

Paul

is

saying

now

wait

a

second

here

how

you

began

the

spiritual

life

is

how

you

need

to

continue

it

you

began

with

the

Holy

Spirit

with

the

power

of

God

doing

a

work

in

your

life

the

only

way

for

you

to

continue

to

be

spiritual

people

!

is

not

by

working

harder

!

more

of

yourself

to

him

and

letting

him

work

out

his

salvation

through

your

life!

We find

in Galatians

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

that

they were

observing

days and

months

and seasons

and years

they had

all the

externals

all the

accoutrements

of things

that looked

very spiritual

they had

put it

together

the right

programs

the right

activities

but

Paul says

you're

doing

this

for

all

the

wrong

reasons

it's

driven

by

all

the

wrong

power

it's

self

incorporated

power

rather than

spirit

filled

power

and he

gives

them

the

answer

to

how

to

have

the

right

kind

of

life

in

Galatians

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5

turn

the page

Galatians

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5

beginning

in

verse

16

but

I

say

walk

by

the

spirit

and

you

will

not

gratify

the

desires

of

the

flesh

for

the

desires

of

the

flesh

are

against

the

spirit

and

the

desires

of

the

spirit

are

against

the

flesh

for

these

are

opposed

to

each

other

to

keep

you

from

doing

the

things

you

want

to

do

to

boil

it

down

in

its

simplest

form

Paul

says

essentially

you don't

need

the

right

activity

you

just

need

the

right

heart

you

don't

need

the

right

externals

you

need

the

right

desires

it

all

starts

with

the

right

affection

have

the

right

affection

for

Jesus

have

the

right

satisfaction

for

him

and

then

you

begin

to

walk

like

he

walked

you

begin

to

imitate

his

pattern

of

life

if

you

have

a

similar

desire

if

you

walk

in

the

spirit

and

desire

the

things

of

the

spirit

then

you

be

walking

in

obedience

to

him

let's

turn

back

to

1st

Thessalonians

and

we'll

look

at

our

last

point

together

!

growing

in

spiritual

maturity

as you

find

there

in

letter

B

is

a

walk

that

happens

because

of

having

the

right

affections

not

the

right

externals

finally

Paul

is

encouraged

by

the

power

that

he

sees

the

power

of

the

Holy

Spirit

showing

up

in

their

lives

power

that

strengthens

them

for

ministry

they

had

seen

the

pattern

of

Paul

and

identified

and

knew

the

pattern

of

Jesus

they

emulated

that

pattern

and

now

look

what

happens

at

the

end

of

verse

6

you

became

imitators

of us

it says

and of

the

Lord

for

you

received

the

word

in

much

affliction

with

the

joy

of

the

Holy

Spirit

so

that

you

became

an

example

to

all

the

believers

they

had

so

patterned

themselves

after

Christ

so

harmonized

their

life

with

the

affections

of

God

that

now

they

are

the

ones

as

spiritual

babes

in

manner

of

speaking

as

a

very

young

immature

church

that

are

now

setting

the

example

for

the

rest

of

the

world

at

least

in

Macedonia

and

Achaia

example

to

the

believers

a

pattern

to

emulate

!

because

of

the

presence

of

the

spirit's

power

in

their

life

how

important

is

this

power

how

accessible

is

this

power

looking

at the

time

we have

a few

minutes

I want

to take

you on

a tour

a quick

tour

turning back

to

Ephesians

I want

you to

see

the

significance

of

power

that

must

mark

the

Christian

life

Ephesians

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

chapter

1

if you

have your

pen

it might

be

beneficial

to

just

grab

it

and

underline

I

want

to

take

you

to

some

passages

that

help

you

see

the

power

that

you

have

and

the

significance

of

that

power

in