These notes are from the book "Living Beyond Your Capacity" by Paul Chappell
THE HOLY SPIRIT’S SERVING MINISTRY
Acts 1:8: “But you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the
earth.”
Once we are saved, there is a definitive call on the life of
every Christian to fulfill God’s eternal purposes through a life of service.
This is possible because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who enables us
to do the work of God through His power instead of our own.
God desires to use us to accomplish that which will have
everlasting value. This work can be accomplished only when we yield our lives
to the control of the Holy Spirit and avail ourselves of the miraculous power
available to us through Him. As we come to understand these principles, then we
should all:
1. Acknowledge that God has called us to be of
service to whomever He puts in
in our path.
2. Be thankful for God’s willingness to use and
empower us as imperfect people.
3. Evaluate whether the work done for God is
being done in the power of the
flesh or through the power of the Holy
Spirit of God.
4. Be willing to be available for the Lord to
use us to help win the lost to Christ and to be a source of blessing to others.
The only thing of value that will outlive our short lives on
this planet is the eternal purpose of God being fulfilled through our lives. We
must evaluate what we are doing in light of its eternal value. We must ask
ourselves, “what is God accomplishing through me?”
I. The Holy Spirit
Calls Us - One of the greatest ministries of the Holy Spirit is that He
wants to compel us to become more involved in biblical service. He calls us out of aimless living and engages
us in God’s eternal cause. He stirs our hearts with a passion to do more
than just merely exist in this world. He constantly presses the child of God to
become active in the service of God Almighty.
The Christian life is a call to action—to service. When the Holy Spirit took up residence in
your life when you became a believer, He immediately desired to stir your heart
and to place you into “active duty” for God’s purposes.
Now keep in mind -- NOT EVERY BELIEVER is called to
full-time, professional vocational ministry like pastors, youth leaders,
children’s ministry, bible teachers, etc.; but EVERY BELIEVER is called to
serve God in some way – in the way He has designed for you to be -- for His
sake and His glory! Just remember, the
word “ministry” is NOT meant only for professionals – it is meant for every
believer in Christ – to minister and reach out to the world.
One of the main purposes for our learning more about God
through the Bible and through whatever the Spirit of God wants to reveal to us
– is that we might become more willing to be used of God to reach out and be a
blessing to others through the Spirit flowing through us. The Holy Spirit wants to make you a vessel
through which He can bless others -- to be His servant to your family, your
church family, your community, your workplace, and your world. He definitely
wants to use you today!
The Word of God refers to this calling in the lives of New
Testament Christians. From the moment
of salvation, God’s call on our lives is real; and only His Holy Spirit can help
us understand and embrace it.
II. The Holy
Spirit Empowers Us - Sometimes, there’s nothing more intimidating to
some people than to take on a responsibility in spiritual ministry. Thankfully, we do not have to depend upon
ourselves in this work. Spiritual work requires spiritual resources, and the
Holy Spirit is eager to empower us that we might be used beyond our human
capacity.
An enduring promise - God’s Word teaches that the Holy
Spirit offers us His power as we engage in service. Throughout Scripture we
read of God’s Spirit coming upon people, filling them, and using them. History
records stories of great revivals and spiritual awakenings brought on as
humble, godly men became yielded vessels through which the power of God flowed.
Acts 1:8 8 – “But you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the
earth.”
Whether you are in full-time ministry or in a secular career field, the presence and call of the Holy Spirit in you makes you a prime candidate for the power of God. Think about it. Wouldn’t you like for God to touch and bless the simple details of your daily life for His purposes? Don’t you desire Him to empower your words with greater influence, your witness with greater conviction and your life with greater effectiveness? Think of the eternal implications of the power of God at work through your life. Like we mentioned previously, this is NOT just for pastors or preachers. This is NOT just for those who feel they have some deep sense of purpose. This ministry of the Holy Spirit is for EVERYONE who has received Christ. He wants to infuse the details of your daily life with the explosive power of God.
Jesus described it this way in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because
he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty those who are oppressed.”
In Acts 1:4, Jesus actually commanded the disciples to “…wait for the promise of the Father….” He
told them not to depart from Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Jesus would rather us NOT to try and minister in our OWN POWER! We must have
the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish ANYTHING of value to God.
John 20:21–22 – “Jesus
said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am
sending you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”
Think about it—you shall receive power, AFTER the Holy
Spirit has come upon you, after you have received Christ as savior - to be His
witness—that is a certain promise resulting in an amazing converting
power! In the book of Acts, we see that
the Holy Spirit did so many great things through the ministry of the early
Christians who were essentially common people with an uncommon power upon their
lives.
Acts 4:31 – “And when they had prayed, the place in which
they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
These early Christians turned their world upside down (Acts
17:6). They certainly didn’t accomplish this work for God in their own power,
for they were poor, uneducated, simple men. It’s obvious that what they
accomplished for God was a miraculous work made possible only through the power
of the Holy Ghost.
It’s tragic that so few Christians truly live each day
engaged in their calling and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our natural bent is
to live by the flesh, to please the flesh. We are dulled in our senses and
passive toward God’s purposes. It’s heartbreaking that so few Christians ever
share their faith or lead someone else to Christ—that so few enjoy fulfilling
the very purposes for which God created them.
Christians need the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the purposes for
which they were created. We also need to
explore even more specifically HOW the Holy Spirit places us into daily
ministry. The Holy Spirit’s call and empowering are only the beginning of the
ways the Holy Spirit ministers through us in the service of Christ. However, we
also need to recognize the brevity of life and the need to accept His call.
James 4:14 – “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will
bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and
then vanishes.”
God’s call and God’s power await our embrace. We need to
decide to allow the Holy Spirit to rearrange our life priorities to answer the
call and avail ourselves of His power.
1 Corinthians 2:3–5 – “And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men[a] but in the power of God.”
Acts 4:31 – “And when they had prayed, the place in which
they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
The Holy Spirit enables us to do the work He calls us to do,
and He gives us the boldness we need to do it. He compels Christians to obey
His call and unifies believers to strengthen the body of Christ and increase
our effectiveness in the work. Through all of this, He accomplishes His
ultimate purpose of exalting Jesus Christ.
We must willingly be enabled, emboldened, engaged, and unified by the
Holy Spirit for the express purpose of exalting the Lord Jesus Christ. We should always attempt to do the following:
(1)
Decide to move forward and be engaged in the work of God; (2) Determine
to claim boldness through the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel; (3) Follow the
Holy Spirit’s leading regarding unity among the body of Christ; and (4) Desire
to serve God through the power of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of exalting Christ.
The Holy Spirit of God will lead you into the service of
Christ. It’s what He does! We’ve seen that He calls every believer, and He
empowers every believer to perform His call. But He plays a much more extensive
role in enabling the believer for service to God.
III. The Holy
Spirit Enables Us - If you don’t feel inadequate for ministry, you are
either prideful or delusional. Sometimes the thought of actually serving God
can be terrifying for those who have never experienced His power in service.
That first step into local church ministry, that first attempt to witness to a
friend, that first day to sing in the choir, or that first day to teach a class
can be a fearful experience. The devil does everything he can to intimidate us
into silence and passivity—to sideline us. The last thing he wants is for you
to begin serving God in the Spirit’s power.
What we must realize is that ALL ministry is beyond us. Life
change is bigger than human ability. The needs of people are beyond our
capacity to meet. The Apostle Paul had a very clear understanding of his own
inadequacies to do the work to which God had called him in Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 2:3–4 – “And
I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my
message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power.”
1 Corinthians 2:5: “so that your faith might not rest in the
wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
When God calls us to do something, He promises not only to
empower us, but also to enable us. If He leads us to witness, He will give us
the courage and the words to say. If He leads us to teach, He will enable us to
communicate effectively. If He calls us to give, He will enable us to have the
financial provision to do so. God would never call us without enabling us and
providing everything we need to get the job done. Paul further described both his weakness and
God’s enabling power.
2 Corinthians 4:7–10: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show
that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in
every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted,
but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body
the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our
bodies.”
Do you see Paul’s human frailty and inability described in
these verses? These words are coming from one of God’s choice servants—a man
who wrote much of the New Testament and took the Gospel to the known world of
his day. His impact upon world history was profound, NOT BECAUSE OF HIMSELF,
but because of God’s enabling. About the
time you start to shrink away from ministry in fear and intimidation, let the
Holy Spirit remind you of His power promised in His Word.
2 Timothy 1:7–8: “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of
power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony
about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel
by the power of God.”
“Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most
confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work.
But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus
just flows out of you.”—Corrie ten Boom
IV. The Holy
Spirit Gives Boldness - In the book of Acts, first century Christians
had uncommon boldness—the ability to be courageously outspoken with great
confidence and assurance.
Acts 4:31 – “And when
they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and
they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of
God with boldness.”
But this great ability is NOT limited to those first century
Christians because it is a result of the filling of the Holy Spirit of God—and
He is still alive today and can do the same through us!
A. Lack of confidence - Many Christians today
limit the Holy Spirit to quiet, non- confrontational
types of community service. While these may have social value, the Holy Spirit will always compel the
believer to abandon his silence to speak the
truth in the love of Christ. Timidity is
not a gift of the Holy Spirit. In fact, quite the
opposite is true.
The Holy Spirit will give you the will, the capacity, and
the courage to speak up when doing so is difficult or even risky. He will give
you a holy boldness to stand up and speak truth when others would advise you to
run away.
V. The Holy Spirit
Engages Us - Perhaps by now you’re thinking, “I realize I am called and
I want God’s power, and I am sensing a new courage from the Holy Spirit—but for
what? How do I know specifically what to do?” This is where the compelling
nature of the Holy Spirit becomes very personal. He engages us in God’s work.
Here’s an example. Notice how the Apostle Paul describes
what the Spirit was directing him to do.
Acts 20:22–23 – “And now, behold,
I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will
happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city
that imprisonment and afflictions await me.”
In this case, Paul described being “bound in the spirit.”
The leadership of the Holy Spirit was so clear, so compelling, so engaging,
that Paul knew he must obey and follow.
Even from the earliest days of His ministry, Jesus also followed the
leadership of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will engage you in a very specific way for a
very specific work. When He does, you won’t be wondering what God is compelling
you to do—you will only need to obey. Your greatest struggle with God’s will is
not discerning what it is—it is obeying what you already know. It’s the Holy
Spirit’s job to communicate clearly what God’s will is; it’s up to you to make
the choice to obey.
VI. The Holy
Spirit Unifies Us - There are a few more stops on our discovery of the
Holy Spirit’s serving ministry. Yes, He calls us, empowers us, enables us,
emboldens us, and engages us, but He doesn’t lead us to work alone. God’s
pattern for His work is that His people serve together. He leads teams of
believers to cooperate, in His Spirit, for His purposes.
A. A called-out assembly - The New Testament term for those “teams of believers” is the church, and throughout the New Testament God established local churches—called-out assemblies of believers—and He has worked in and through those churches to impact the entire world with the truth. It’s impossible to honestly approach the New Testament pattern of ministry and exclude the local church. Jesus established the church, and He still works through local, called-out assemblies of Bible believers all over the world.
Some denominations have certainly failed, and many so-called
churches are irrelevant and flawed in their doctrine and practice. The model of local assemblies of faithful
believers growing and serving together is still alive and well—and it does
work! All over the world there are biblical churches that honor and obey the
Lord. The Spirit of Christ is still unifying believers around His truth and His
purposes. So when the Holy Spirit
engages you in service, He is going to do so in conjunction with and in the
context of local church ministry as well as the community in which you live and
work.
B. A unified body - God repeatedly commands us
to let the Holy Spirit bring us into
unity and cooperation with other believers.
Notice what God did in when believers
were praying and serving in unity:
Acts 4:31–32 “And when they had prayed, the place in which
they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Now the full
number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that
any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in
common.”
Hear the Holy Spirit’s plea for unity with fellow believers
in Philippians 2:1–3 – “So if there is
any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the
Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind,
having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from
selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than
yourselves.”
When it comes to God’s work and seeing God do something
great by His Spirit, unity is necessary.
“It is power from within, not pressure from without that holds the church and the home together.”—Warren Weirsbe
When the Holy Spirit is working in your life, He will help
you set aside pettiness, gossip, and strife. He will help you put away your own
agenda and personal preferences, and He will create in you a desire for humble
cooperation and unity with your local church family for the sake of the Gospel.
VII. The Holy
Spirit Exalts Christ - For what purpose does the Holy Spirit call us,
empower us, enable us, embolden us, engage us, and unify us?
A. Seeking His power. It’s all about Jesus. In order to see the primary ministry of the Holy Spirit fulfilled through us, we must seek the power of the Holy Spirit of God and allow Him to minister through us. Only by so doing will we be able to take part in His ultimate goal—which is to uplift and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice these verses below, which reinforce that truth.
John 15:26 – “But when
the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth,
who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”
B. Fulfilling His purpose. Why would God use
you or me? We are but earthen vessels.
What is man that He would be mindful of us? We are nothing but dust.What an overwhelming thought that God
desires to magnify His Son through us!
We are merely vessels of clay with nothing of ourselves to
offer God. But when we were saved, His Holy Spirit came into our lives and
began a magnificent work. He desires to transform us and then to engage us in
service. He desires for that service to be so power-filled and supernatural, so
evidently “more than human” and beyond our capacity that people can reasonably
come to only one realization—what they see in our lives must be of God. They can only conclude that our lives must be
about Jesus!
Conclusion - May we
determine to live all of our days in faithful service for Jesus Christ—not
centering our lives around ourselves, but around our Savior. We must hear the call of the Spirit, claim
the power of the Spirit, trust the enabling of the Spirit, experience the
boldness of the Spirit, be engaged in specific service by the Spirit, and be
unified with other believers in the Spirit. And, especially, we must spend our
lives letting the Spirit exalt Christ through us. The only life worth living is the one that
follows the Holy Spirit in the service of Jesus Christ!
Study Questions
3. Spiritual work requires spiritual resources. Who empowers us to serve God? The Holy Spirit of God is available to us to enable us to accomplish God’s purposes.
4. Is God’s call to service only to those who are in full-time Christian service as a vocation? God’s call to service is to every born-again child of God.
5. What are you doing on a regular basis that has eternal
value? How are you investing your life in the work of God?
6. Unfortunately,
few Christians depend on the Holy Spirit for the power to share the Gospel. Can
you think of someone with whom you need to share the Gospel this week?
8. Whose job is it to clearly communicate God’s will for our lives to us? The Holy Spirit’s job is to communicate God’s will for our lives to us.
12. Being involved in ministry through the power of the Holy Spirit is one of the greatest joys of the Christian life. In what ways are you serving others through your local church?
