In our journey of faith, there’s a profound partnership that beckons us deeper into the heart of divine purpose – aligning with the Holy Spirit to witness the unfolding of God’s Kingdom here on Earth. This sermon invites us into a transformative collaboration, where the whispers of the Spirit guide our steps and amplify our efforts in the great tapestry of God’s work. Through scripture, reflection, and the moving testimonies of believers who’ve walked this path, we’ll explore how to actively engage with the Holy Spirit, allowing His power and direction to mold our actions, thoughts, and prayers. Learn more when you watch the message Intro: Partnering with Holy Spirit to see God’s Kingdom
Notes on Partnering with Holy Spirit to see God’s Kingdom come Series Introduction
Jesus the Miracle Worker
When you study the Gospels, you can see story after story of Jesus doing things that a normal human should not be capable of doing.
Just skimming the Book of Matthew, we can see Jesus wasn’t an ordinary man.
Here’s a list:
Healing of the leper (Matthew 8:1-4)
Healing the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13)
Healing Peter’s mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14-15)
Calming the storm (Matthew 8:23-27)
Healing the Gadarene demoniacs (Matthew 8:28-34)
Healing a paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8)
Healing the woman with a hemorrhage (Matthew 9:20-22)
Raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Matthew 9:23-26)
Healing two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31)
Healing a mute demon-possessed man (Matthew 9:32-33)
Feeding the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21)
Walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33)
Healing the Canaanite woman’s daughter (Matthew 15:21-28)
Healing many people (Matthew 15:29-31)
Feeding the 4,000 (Matthew 15:32-39)
Healing a boy with a demon (Matthew 17:14-21)
Finding a coin in a fish’s mouth (Matthew 17:24-27)
Healing a blind man near Jericho (Matthew 20:29-34)
Cursing the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22)
Healing in the temple (Matthew 21:12-14)
That’s just the Book of Matthew. These are the miracles and healings specifically mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew. There are additional miracles recorded in the other Gospels as well.
John 21:25 NASB95 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.
The New Testament just gives us a snippet of Jesus’s amazing deeds, too many to even mention.
I know for many believers, they can accept that Jesus did all these supernatural works because He was God in the Flesh. Yes, He was 100% God.
But He was also 100% human. I know the math doesn’t add up, but it’s okay to believe we can’t put God in the little box we call our intelligence.
Philippians 2:6–11 NASB95 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The word used in verse 7 translated into English as “emptied” is the Greek word “Kenosis.”
Kenosis comes from the root word “Kenoo,” which means “self-emptying.”
There is debate on what this word actually refers to.
Those who deny the active working of the Holy Spirit today may say:
“Christ’s ‘emptying’ of Himself as a laying aside of the privileges that were His in heaven. Rather than stay on His throne in heaven, Jesus ‘made himself nothing.’”
Where I would agree is that Jesus never gave up His divinity. But I would state it a little differently.
Jesus laid aside the usage of His divinity while on earth.
But you might question:
How did Jesus do all these supernatural acts if He laid aside the usage of His Divinity?
That’s a great question, and that leads us where we need to go today.
John 2:1–11 NASB95 1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2 and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 6 Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him. 9 When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom. 10 And said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
John records this event in the second chapter of his Gospel writing.
In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, he tells us this about John the Baptist.
John 1:28–34 NASB95 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 “This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31 “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 “I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
The way John the Baptist knew Jesus was the Son of God was because Jesus fulfilled the word that God spoke to John about who the Messiah would be.
John knew Jesus was the Son of God because he saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus and remain.
This is an important fact to consider. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come upon people for a temporary time to accomplish a specific work.
Gideon
Judges 6:34 NASB95 So the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him.
Jephthah
Judges 11:29 NASB95 Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon.
Samson
Judges 14:6 NASB95 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily so that he tore him as one tears a young goat though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. Judges 14:19 NASB95 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned; he went up to his father’s house.
Saul
1 Samuel 10:6 NASB95 “Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. 1 Samuel 10:10 NASB95 When they came to the hill there behold a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily so that he prophesied among them.
Zechariah
2 Chronicles 24:20 NASB95 Then The Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada priest; he stood above people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘Why do you transgress commandments of Lord and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken Lord; He has also forsaken you.’”
But for the revealed Messiah, the Holy Spirit would descend and then remain upon Him.
The obvious question I have:
I suggest Jesus choose to lay aside the use of His divinity so He could live a life like one of us, yet still demonstrate to His followers how they could operate in the supernatural by partnering with Holy Spirit.
John 14:12 NASB95 “Truly truly I say to you he who believes in Me works that I do he will do also; greater works than these he will do; because I go to Father.”
The Same Spirit
Romans 8:10–11 NASB95 If Christ is in you though body is dead because of sin yet spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from dead dwells in you He who raised Christ Jesus from dead will give life to mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Jesus had to leave so Holy Spirit could come.
John 16:7 NASB95 “But I tell you truth it is to your advantage that I go away; if I do not go away Helper will not come to you; but if I go I will send Him to you.”
Who is Helper Jesus wanted to send?
Acts 1:4–8 NASB95 Gathering them together He commanded them not leave Jerusalem but wait for what Father had promised “Which” He said “you heard from Me; for John baptized with water but you will be baptized with Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together they were asking Him saying “Lord is it at this time You are restoring kingdom to Israel?” He said to them “It is not for you know times or epochs which Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when Holy Spirit has come upon you; you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria even remotest part of earth.”
There is an amazing teaching strategy that experts today use to teach a variety of things. It’s simple yet profound.
Explain to student what you want them to do or know. Demonstrate how to do it Have them do it Give feedback on what they’ve done.
Using this strategy, you can teach almost anything. It’s so modern; Jesus demonstrated it 2000 years ago.
Read Luke 10 and Matthew 10 to see this in action.
I know this is a divisive issue in modern Church.
There are those who don’t believe in any of Jesus’s supernatural works. You have to throw out a lot from Bible to believe that.
There are those who believe it was only for Jesus and His apostles. You have to throw out most early church fathers’ writings to believe that.
There are those who believe only certain Christian leaders get supernatural abilities. You have to misunderstand purpose of gifts to believe that.
In closing Allow me speak my reasoning:
We today have same Spirit Jesus and His disciples had. The mission is still same. The purpose and reason for Jesus sending Holy Spirit has not changed.
Matthew 28:18–20 NASB95 And Jesus came up spoke them saying “All authority has been given Me in heaven on earth. Go therefore make disciples all nations baptizing them in name Father Son Holy Spirit teaching them observe all I commanded you; lo I am with you always even end age.”
If Jesus taught it His disciples They were teach everything next generation so on so forth. That’s why I believe like first disciples we need Partner with Holy Spirit carry out our assignment here on earth.
Not one us capable on our own do it. Even working together do we have enough Only when we engage partner with Holy Spirit can we carry out our Mission.
Let me leave you with this:
John 14:12–18 NASB95 “Truly truly I say to you he who believes in Me works that I do he will do also; greater works than these he will do; because I go Father. Whatever you ask in My name that will I do so Father may be glorified in Son. If you ask Me anything in My name I will do it. If you love Me you will keep My commandments. I will ask Father He will give you another Helper may be with forever; that is Spirit truth whom world cannot receive because does not see Him or know Him but you know Him because He abides with you will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
Let’s Pray
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