In this section of our teaching series about Building His Church, we are spending a few weeks teaching through the aspects of the Kingdom Wall in the life of the church. This week, we are spending time on the Holy Spirit’s work in us. Most of us know about Acts 1:8 as the marching orders for the church, and we consider it our duty to comply—much like joining the army during wartime.
But let’s not overlook the critical piece here: the power of the Holy Spirit. It says in Acts 1:8, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses…”
I have noticed over the years that we either under-teach or over-teach the work of the Holy Spirit. I am going to address this a bit on Sunday morning.
When we under-teach the Holy Spirit’s work, I think it’s because we don’t want God to control all the parts of our lives. The less we know about the Holy Spirit’s role in the disciple’s life, the less we have to give up control of.
And when we over-teach the Holy Spirit, I think it’s because we don’t want to live in accountability to God or anyone else. My meaning is that if we believe theologically that the Holy Spirit is some magical being that pops in and takes over on a whim, then we can excuse our lack of accountability and responsibility—sometimes even blaming the Holy Spirit for our lack of personal action or activity.
As I teach this coming Sunday morning, I want you to think about the Holy Spirit’s role in this church—and about the Holy Spirit’s role in your personal life.
To get prepared, read the following chapters in the book of Acts:
Watch and listen during the message and look for these highlights:
- How the Holy Spirit transforms the message we deliver
- How the Holy Spirit empowers the messenger
- How the Holy Spirit converts the hearer of the message
At the end, join in conversation with a small group and/or in your home to dig deeper.
We are Building His Church—and we are doing it together. Let’s all take responsibility to do our part in God’s wonderful work.
