Next Steps in Following Jesus: Supernatural Power

What is or is always thinking about celebrating the ministry of champs which is over supports our original thinking about that this week I thought for a number of years. Many years ago my life revolved around the soccer ball.

Like many boys in Scotland. My greatest ambition was to play for Scotland's national team. So every free moment I played soccer. I kicked the ball that there was, I was told as a boy I was a very good player. I suddenly thought I was and what I lacked in skill. I made up in sheer determination. My mother used to say that she knew for that I had won or lost the game by Highway 3.my soccer boots when I came in the door several years ago I was asked to speak at a Christian youth camp in Scotland and I went back to its camp. In fact many years previously when I come to saving faith in Jesus Christ and one of the traditions of that time which continued and I was the speaker and it was that the man at the camp counselors at the speaker. Never was there that we played the boys the high schoolers 15, 16, 17-year-olds. I remember being a teen at camp and playing what I thought were these old man and we love that they thought they were so good, but inevitably at 15 1617 you sing seem to have boundless energy and we usually had no difficulty in beating these men and so there I was no longer boy obviously not a much a man and I was asked to play against the bodies.

I knew the captain of the team.

I was a friend of mine and he very kindly asked me whether I wanted to play. He probably suspected as indeed was the case that I had long passed my peak. I think I picked about eight or nine years old.

From then it was downhill and so I had played midfield but I knew that my running ability wasn't as good as it used to be and so I said correctly Stryker. I thought I can say upfront not too much running around.

Maybe had the ball get a lucky shot into the goal during the game would seem to be a very long game during the game. The captain of the team was man who was playing defense was the excellent player put through a beautiful ball right to me which split open the defense.

All I had to do was to run on to the ball put it past the defender and into the goal. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. But as I began to run towards the ball. I had that strange sensation you have when you're dreaming.

You're putting a lot of effort, but you don't seem to be moving forward, and I felt like that my brain was alert.

I knew where the defenders were and you were the goalkeeper wants. I knew where the ball was a new exactly what was going on. There was also aware of the crowd watching my big problem wasn't knowing what to do. My big problem was the execution and by the time I got arrived at the ball.

I I was puffing and panting and when I finally kicked the ball. It was a very pathetic shot that goal and the goal he had no difficulty in stopping.

I knew what the Scottish card were saying. His grandmother could've done better than that. And there were rights that were I was glad when the game was over and I realize my soccer days would also over. Why do I tell a story because in many ways it's a bit like the Christian life. We are told from Scripture, we are to follow Jesus Christ were told to do certain things and told not to do certain things, and the problem often isn't knowing what we should do or what we shouldn't do.

The problem is that we so often seem to lack the power to do it and I want to say this morning that following Jesus Christ is not a difficult life.

It is an impossible life that is an impossible life in and of ourselves. This morning I have tremendous news for you.

Good news.

We will follow Jesus Christ. If we are authentic followers of Jesus Christ.

If we truly know Christ as our Savior and Lord. God gives us supernatural power. The sad thing is, many of us on the avail ourselves of that power. But I wanted to grasp this this morning that God in his grace not only forgives our sins, but indwells us, so that the very proud of God is available to us by Matthew to stand and to read this verse that will be the basis of this message.

It is from Galatians 2, verse 23 that with me.

Paul is writing he says let me get in my Bible. As I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Please be seated. Here is the point Paul is making an extraordinary statement of radical statement he saying Christ lives in me. Jesus said to his disciples in John 15, apart from me you can do nothing. Paul says in Philippians 413 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So we have to acknowledge that, by ourselves, life to ourselves. We cannot please God.

Following Jesus.

The Christian life is not a do-it-yourself life. It is a supernatural life and that when we come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. God gives us a beautiful, marvelous and unbelievable give the gift of the Holy Spirit who not only indwells us who not only teaches us but gives us the power the supernatural power to live for God.

This is the next step in following Jesus supernatural power. If you're visiting with us. I could explain that we are going through a short series called next steps in following Jesus. What does it mean to follow Jesus today were saying following Jesus involves supernatural power. Number four we think of that we have to understand that salvation itself is a supernatural event. If you have your Bible, their turn with me to the fourth gospel John chapter 16 when we will see. First of all, that the Holy Spirit who is God convicts us of our sin. One of the wonderful ministries of God the Holy Spirit is that he convicts us of sin.

Jesus speaking in John chapter 16 and I will break into the passage at verse seven. This is part of of what we call the upper room ministry of our Lord.

John 16 verse seven Jesus is speaking to his disciples is speaking to us today and saying this. Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away the helper, a reference to the spirit will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you the notice verse eight and when he comes. That's God the Holy Spirit, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment concerning sin, because they do not believe in me concerning the righteousness, because I go to the father and you will see me no longer consenting judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. This is one of the wonderful ministries of the Holy Spirit. Here is something supernatural that God the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, because from a spiritual perspective.

We are blind spiritually speaking, we are lost left to ourselves, we cannot understand spiritual truth, laughter ourselves, we will never find God. In fact we don't even seek God but God in his Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit works supernaturally in us and Jesus is saying here in verse eight, when he comes in the spirit has come, he will convict the world concerning sin. I trust you've experienced that is what does that mean John, it means that God the Holy Spirit works in our hearts works in our minds and opens our eyes supernaturally. So we look at things differently and one of the things that the Holy Spirit does. He reveals to us the ugliness of her sin, outwardly, we look pretty good were respectable. Most of us are not serving time in the penitentiary. I would not necessarily a guilty of some hedonists in people would say, but we all know that we have said none of the things that Holy Spirit does.

He convicts us of our sin is not just enough to say all have sinned.

Now we begin to understand that I have sins that my heart is deceitful and desperately wicked and at the same time the Holy Spirit also opens her eyes to see the beauty and the loveliness of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only sinless one and the one who came to bare our sins in his own body on the tree, John Bunyan, writer of Pilgrim's progress rights. No sin against God can be little because it is against the great God of heaven and that are, but if the sinner can find out a little dog it may be easy to find out little sin by the work of the Holy Spirit is to say no God is great God is holy God is light in him there is no darkness at all, and the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts penetrates the hardness of our hearts and reveals to us. Sin, yes specific sins, not just sin in general but sins that we have committed and then points us to a great Savior experience her sin to realize that you have sinned and come short of the glory of God. This is what the Holy Spirit does the Holy Spirit not only convicts us of our sin that is supernatural. The Holy Spirit also gives us new life re-generation if you're in John chapter 16 go back to John chapter 3 where we will see this an amazing conversation between Jesus and the man, a man called Nicodemus regarding to the first verse of John three a man was a Pharisee and Vigo ruler of the Jews man who came to Jesus by night and said term Rabbi, we know that your teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Pretty impressive is that men seem sincere seeker after truth recognizes and Jesus that he comes from God.

His rights recognizes that no one can do the things that Jesus is doing unless God is with them very very true. But notice Jesus response John 33 Jesus answered and truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God look at him and said to him like a man be born when he is old and enter a second time into his mother's women be born. Jesus answered him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you. You must be born again.

The wind blows where it wishes and you hit it signed but you don't know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit. It was the expression born of the spirit convicted by the spirit so that we realize that we have sinned, but here is a wonderful supernatural ministry of the Spirit. In fact, only God can do this to take someone who is spiritually dead and make that person spiritually alive and this is what the Holy Spirit does because we are spiritually speaking were dead dead in our trespasses and in sins, but says Jesus did Nicodemus respectable manner, sincere man, a man who knew his Bible ruler, a teacher, respectable, individual pieces, Nicodemus, you must be born again. You need God's supernatural life in your soul so it is that becoming a follower of Jesus is a supernatural event as supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

It is only the Holy Spirit who can give you spiritual life, or you can join the church. You can even serve in the church. He can do many things, but in last year, born of the spirit. Nicodemus I say to you this morning. You cannot see far less enter the kingdom of God. The message to Nicodemus the message to hear the message to me is you must be born again. Nicodemus was in for a shock, he didn't understand it, the Jesus saying that I've got to go to my mother's womb again. Now he's talking about spiritual life as spiritual re-creation all of the religious deeds and rituals of the sincere efforts of Nicodemus could never ever get them into the kingdom of God can I say to you will not enter the kingdom of God. I will not enter the kingdom of God unless were born again, you must be born again was told of the great preacher George Whitfield that rarely if ever. When he was preaching he did not say you must be born again and the women came to him and said Mr. Whitfield.

Why do you keep saying you must be born again, he said by them because you must be born again, and you must notice the necessity of it. The divine necessity is not just joining a church. This is not just embracing some religion. This is not just going through a ritual. This is not you yourself trying to clean up your life. This is supernatural. This is something that only God can do. Jesus makes it clear in verse six is is that which is born of the flesh is flesh physical life produces physical life, but that which is born of the spirit, God himself is spirit that is the physical and the spiritual are two entirely different dimensions of life. So all of our efforts. All of our sincerity all about morality and goodness and kindness can never produce spiritual life by ourselves we cannot produce eternal life.

However hard we try we cannot make it on our own is very difficult for us is not because we think we can bring something to the table. No. But when the Holy Spirit comes and convicts us and realizes how sinful we are. We realize that the remedy lies not within our own heart, but the remedy is supplied in Jesus Christ who comes from God to us and then the spirit we are born again. Billy Graham says God created us. Only God can re-create us. God gave you physical life. Only God can give you spiritual life. Jesus Christ not only dying for our sins on the cross and was buried. Remember, he rose again he's alive in his life comes into us, giving us this unique spiritual life born again, born from above God radically changes us from the inside out, attending church religion can deal with the external may relieve you of some guilt for some time, but only God can do this work in you a radical work of cleansing, a radical work of giving you new life. This is the gift of God the spirit convicts us. He regenerates us born again.

Third, the Holy Spirit indwells us. Let's see this in Romans chapter 8.

These are shoot subjects and are skimming over the surface. But third, the Holy Spirit indwells us. Romans eight verse nine this magnificent chapter 1 of the great chapters in the Bible Romans eight verse nine Paul writes you however are not in the flesh but in the spirit is writing to those who been born again in the flesh in the spirit, if in fact the spirit S. The Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the spirit of Christ does not belong to this magnificent think of what God supernaturally does so that I was a 12-year-old boy in the camp to play soccer. Something miraculous happens, I was saved by the grace of God, but only that all of my sins forgiven I receive the gift of eternal life. The Holy Spirit comes and indwells in the little 12-year-old boy is not marvelous.

This is the grace of God, being convicted by the spirit being born again of the spirit and now indwelt by the Spirit. Is this what Paul means in Galatians 220. The verse we read he says Christ lives present tense Christ lives in me.

This Christ rose from the dead was alive, is not just here remotely as it will forgive my sin know he actually comes and in the spirit in dwells be takes his permanent residence and all who are saved by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ the Lord and the Christian life was never ever be reduced to just going through through some religious rituals joining a church are doing good things. It is a supernatural life. It is a supernatural event.

This is radical indwelt by the spirit of God's son do believe that anyone believe that a few halfhearted yeses Holy Spirit who indwells us will never something that the salvation is a supernatural event know if you grasp this here is the application you're now to live in the power of that holy spirit. If you truly have received the Spirit of God. If you truly are indwelt by the Spirit of God truly born again you have the supernatural power know Paul is saying Titan to Galatians 59 Paul is saying live by the power of the spirit Galatians 5 verse 16. Galatians 516 but I say, walk by the Spirit is not your own spirit is the Holy Spirit live by the Spirit live a spiritual life walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh for the desires of the flesh 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, but if you are led by the spirit. You're not under the law.

Verse 25 if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. If you receive this new life in you truly mean born again if you've been indwelt by the Spirit now live by that strategy you catch the logic do you catch the points. Followers of Jesus are commanded to live a life in the spirit you have received the Holy Spirit is a gift from God, no walk walk being a metaphor of live live the life of the spirit.

Keep in step with the spirit. Let the Holy Spirit lead you to control you, empower you Christ living in me. Galatians 220. Christ lives in you. Now live by the Spirit workouts in your daily life. What has happened to you internally in the supernatural events of the new birth becoming a follower of Jesus Christ were commanded to live by the power of this but know this is something we must do the command the commanders in the present tense, day by day step-by-step, and to live by the Spirit this afternoon you get up tomorrow with school you go to the gym go to work to go to the bank to go to the hospital.

Whatever you're doing live by the Spirit each day and to take one step at a time, depending on the spirit and Paul says when you live this supernatural life. The life of the spirit.

There's a tremendous promise that you Catch it in verse 16 walk by the Spirit. There's the command here's a promise and you will not gratify the desires of your flesh, he said well Jonah, I am following Christ, but I'm drawn to the desires of the flesh.

These these sins come into my life while here's the promise and if you don't live a supernatural life. Your flash your selfish desires your passions will control you and in fact dominate you.

The flash Greek word starts translated in the NIV, I don't think particularly helpful as sinful nature but the flash is what you are without the spirit of God.

It is our self effort, it is our self-reliance is living the way that the unregenerate person lives.

It's a life without the grace of God in the flesh is our enemy, Paul says that the flesh and the Spirit are against one another and apart from the working of the Spirit within you.

Apart from you daily depending on the spirit looking to the spirit for help for his wisdom for strength for guidance. If you don't do that you will find as you have funds that by yourself you will not conquer the flesh.

In fact, rather than conquering the flesh, you will end up feeding the flesh and the show the children a bird. It is the is not beautiful.

Bert, it is an English Bert.

It is a cuckoo mother cook the comes out of a clock by the English cuckoo bird. I don't think of this particular type of bird in the US, but is quite common in English in England and the cuckoo bird in England is unique that she looked beautiful which is a very selfish bird. She never builds her own nest just to lazy which is about to hatch an egg. What did she do she goes to the nest of another Bert to go to the brass. The last of the Mrs. Thrasher Mrs. Starling Mrs. spiral and she lays her big egg and that this she waits until Mr./Mrs. Starling has left the nest and when she has life and asked Mrs. cuckoo bird comes lays her egg. Mrs. Starling comes back is not very good at math. She doesn't notice as an extra egg when she left. There were four -5 on this a bigger one.

Eventually, all five eggs hatch what happens. Mrs. Thrasher, Mrs. Starling goes away to get worms to feed her little root. She comes back on this for little mice open and there's one big mouth open. Guess who gets the worm baby cuckoo and baby cuckoo keeps eating and eating and eventually become so vague. This is true. But everything happens in America. This is true that so vague that baby cuckoo pushes the other little birds out of the nest, you can say at this point, but that's what happens with cuckoo baby is like a flash all was the man they have you noticed your flash your flesh can't waits Esau on the Bible is a picture of the flesh as you get that food is going to die.

Please, Esau surely die because you don't get a plate of soup, but that's the flesh, self-centered demanding immediate. I can't waits very very demanding and very quickly our flash like the cuckoo bird takes control what you problem the problem is you feeding your flash garbage what works, incidentally, will you watching last night with a feeling the spirit you're taking in some garbage watching some terrible movie watching some trash on YouTube, taking in garbage with friends who are feeding your flash and then you wonder why your spiritual life is flat. You wonder why your spiritual desires are small wonder why your spiritually in the doldrums. You wonder why your living that defeated life. You wonder why you're committing that same old same all over and over and over again.

I'll tell you why you been feeling the flesh, and you've not been walking by the spirit. The problem is not that the Holy Spirit has left you the Holy Spirit indwells you, but you're not walking by the spirit stop feeding the flesh walk by the spirit.

Don't be dominated by your flash is what Paul is saying Christ lives in me. With this power.

Why would you find a lifestyle of feeding the flesh, the power of Almighty God is available to you and to me as we follow Jesus and you confess your sins when you came to Christ will call his name Jesus, for he saves his people from their sins, not in their sins, but from their sins. And this is one of the characteristics of the authentic follower of Jesus Christ. But overall in our life.

We are walking by the spirit and when we do that we will not gratify the desires of the flesh each day. Reject sin each day till seven each day predicted that each day walk by the Spirit on the part of the spirit and thus is greater than the part of temptation. This is a life of dependence on the Holy Spirit is a wonderful way to live a daily experience, step-by-step dependence on the spirit and the wonderful beginning of date of the day, we can ask God for his strength as a wonderful when you go into that difficult business at work. The carrier that difficult operation in the hospital if the deal with that difficult exam. You can ask God to give you a piece to give you strength to give you help is not wonderful wonderful that when temptation comes, however fierce it is, however, demanding it is however attractive. It seems that God is faithful, Paul says, and always provides a way of escape, and he gives us the supernatural power.

The power of the spirit. This, says Paul in Galatians 220 is a life of faith.

Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Sin locks your faith said quenches the work of the spirit and soul live by the Spirit. Some people think that the Christian life is don't do this don't do that. A life of negativity. Yes, there are things we must not do that is true, but following Jesus a life in the spirit is a life of joy.

It's a life of freedom, is a life of drawing on the supernatural power of God. If you come to my home. I don't have signs up in my home saying do not swear a good day by wife. I don't have a sign-up in my home saying please help your wife clean up after dinner. I don't have you these kind of signs up could imagine living in the home like that don't hit your wife remember to take out the garbage that's are some people think the Christian life is Christian life in its essence is not following the law of rules and regulations rather than Paul has explained this in Galatians 5 it is a life of freedom, is a life of love, if I love my wife as I do that are seven things flowing from that love relationship which I don't do and that of other things that I do. And as we follow Jesus there is this internal motivation a spiritual desire because we received the life of God in our soul, the gift of the Holy Spirit are motivation our love for Christ alone for his word, a desire to please God. Yes, the struggle is there.

Yes, the flesh never goes away as long as I live, the flesh will be there but each day as you walk by the Spirit you will experience the supernatural power of God in your life. This is pastor appreciation month and I want to announce that one of you loves me very very much. Just ask one person doesn't it, and I hope the other pastors are not too envious. I think they're mature I just tell them to walk by the Spirit. When I announce this and not to be overcome by covetousness or envy, but a friend of mine has given me a new Lamborghini hurricane. I'm told it costs about $240,000. I didn't ask the person the exact price that would be tacky by the check it up in Google and is about 240,000. That's a lot of love and that that it is in my driveway. This new Lamborghini hurricane. What a beautiful card given to me by one of you and passes appreciation is up 5.2 L V-10 engine goes from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds still to try direct it goes from zero, 224 and 9.9 seconds I'm trying to think where I can do that without officer Caleb given me a ticket now. I got this wonderful Lamborghini with all of that power. From time to time I go down to the beach is 3 1/2 hours away.

Why would I go on bike in the rain and the wind up hills, expending all of that effort went very quickly.

I can jump into my new Lamborghini hurricane and be there in a very very short time.

All of this power is at my disposal. What kind of person would you think someone gives you this new car this Lamborghini with all of its power and you are still going on on old push bike was wrong with you.

Monroe you have the point don't you we have amazing power much more power than a Lamborghini order for Raleigh or any other human power pulses. I'm not ashamed of the gospel for the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes this power the greatest power in the universe is so powerful that it will forgive your sins. This power is so powerful it will give you eternal life, so that when you die, you immediately go to heaven and this power is so powerful that you have all of the power you need to live a life for the glory of God, displaying and proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ live by the Spirit, is the point love the supernatural life. This is the next that and following Jesus father and the God were amazed, humbled, these great truths.

Father, we confess that often we live life life of the flesh life of mediocrity.

A lifelike unbelieving friends who work with us who live next door.

So I pray father that your spirits will be doing his unique work of conviction opening eyes to see the heart of our sin. Opening her eyes to see the beauty of Christ and may your Holy Spirit graciously graciously draw boys and girls this morning in men and women to Christ. Thank you for our Savior. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for this amazing power that we have and may each of us open our hearts and their lives to Christ and live for him.

We pray in his precious thing