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Walking in the Holy Spirit
Today we face challenges as Christians. A generation ago it was considered a good, moral thing to be a Christian. Today Christians are a disliked minority. One church that recognised this challenge was Willow Creek Community Church in USA. The response was to build a use friendly church that sought to address and meet people’s perceived needs. It provided services, and I mean that in the business marketing sense of products and services, that would provide benefit to the users. In other words, the more church activities you were involved, in the more healthy, physically, mentally and spiritually you would be. In 2007 the church spent US$3 million to do research with over 12,000 people into how well their church did in helping people to grow spiritually.
On p. 51 of the report we read: When researcher Eric Arnson saw these numbers he was stunned. Using the marketplace as a reference, he explained that typically, the more engaged someone becomes in the product category, the higher their level of loyalty is to their favorite brand. In other words, if I drink a lot of soft drinks and my favorite is Coke, my loyalty and likelihood to recommend Coke to other people is extremely high. In our case, that would mean a rising level of satisfaction with the church should go hand in hand with increasing spiritual growth. Yet we found this wasn’t true. Generally speaking, the higher the level of commitment to Christ, the more likely it is that the satisfaction with the church will be lukewarm.
SELF-FEEDERS?
On p. 64 REVEAL says that Willow sought to “meet the needs of its people” too much. This creates an unhealthy dependence. The solution the report provides for the problem is that the church needs to teach its people more spiritual practices.
Walking in the Spirit
Colossians 1:10 TPT
We pray that you would walk in the ways of true righteousness, pleasing God in every good thing you do. Then you’ll become fruit-bearing branches, yielding to his life, and maturing in the rich experience of knowing God in his fullness!
Philippians 3:16-18
however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,
Galatians 5:16-17
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
Ephesians 5:8
for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
2 Corinthians 5:7
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Galatians 5:22-24
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
KEY VERSE WALKING IN SPIRIT
Galatians 5:25
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Replace (If) with Since we live by the Spirit.
Bible verses on walking in the Spirit
For many Christians there is complaining and confusion about the division of labour as it relates to spiritual growth. Who is responsible for Spiritual Growth? Is it the individual? Is it the church? Or is it God? Is our life about external excitement or internal Spirit? Do we grow by attending a dynamic church service or allowing the Spirit within us to grow?
Are You In a Rut?
Is our life a pattern of Get up, go to school, period 1, period 2, recess TikTok period 3, period 4, lunch period 5, period 6, practice, dinner, homework, sleep repeat?
- The French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre conducted a famous study on the pine processionary caterpillar where a group of them followed head-to-tail in a circle around the rim of a flower pot; they continued marching in the circle for a week. He described the experiment in his 1916 book The Life of the Caterpillar
Willow Creek were stunned to discover that increased spiritual growth in both closeness to God and service to their neighbour had little to do with the amount of activities they were involved in the church
Are You Being Continually Filled with the Spirit?
Ephesians 5:18 be filled with the spirit!
Being Filled Happens Over and Over Being filled with the Holy Spirit, however, is not a once-and-for-all experience. There are many fillings, as is made clear in Ephesians 5:18. In the Greek language in which this command was originally written, the meaning is clearer than that in most English translations. This command of God means to be constantly and continually filled, controlled and empowered with the Holy Spirit as a way of life. The command of Ephesians 5:18 is given to all believers to be filled, directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit, continually, every day of our lives.
What does Walking in Spirit mean?
Let’s look at some examples from Acts
- Acts 16 Paul goes to Philippi stopped from going to Asia, Bithynia saw in a vision a Macedonian man calling to them. In Philippi met only women, no man. In jail met a man, his jailor.
- Acts 10 Peter goes to Joppa sees vision of animals for food, sees Cornelius and is surprised when Cornelius and his household receive the Holy Spirit in the same way as the 120 in the upper room in Acts 2.
- Acts 8 Philip in revival in Samaria goes to Gaza meets Ethiopian. Spirit said to walk to chariot Philip ran to chariot.
I’m sure you can see that the Spirit can make my life walk exciting interesting, unexpected. But I have never had a vision, I have never seen a sheet full of animals come down, I have never met an Ethiopian high official and then been whisked away. How does it happen?
Jesus has a key to walking in the Spirit
How to Walk in Spirit?
Step 1 A.S.K
- Matthew 7:8
- Luke 11:9-10
New International Version
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Ask God for the Spirit In Greek the ask seek knock is in perfect tense continual, keep on asking
9 I say to you, ask, keep on asking and what you ask for will be given to you. Look, keep on looking and what you are looking for you will find. Knock, keep on knocking and the door you are knocking on will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, will receive what he asks for. Everyone who looks, will find what he is looking for. Everyone who knocks, will have the door opened to him.
Every day spend time in prayer asking God Instead of asking for more money, more time, more sleep, more patience, more more more
Step 2 Relax
1 Samuel 9 Saul was looking for his father’s donkeys. Saul was a young man with problem and in a hurry, busy looking for donkeys. He was a man in need of direction, needed guidance. His servant said let us go to the man of God. Samuel is a figure of the Holy Spirit Samuel had by the Spirit been told that a man was coming to see him. Samuel wanted to talk to Saul about becoming king of Israel Saul wanted to talk about donkeys. We come to God to talk about asinine things, donkeys, our job, our relationship, our finances, our studies. Be still, let God say something of life changing significance. Samuel had to tell Saul, "Stay here, for I have a special message from God for you".
So many people are so busy, distracted about donkeys they do not stop to listen to God speak to them. Do you stop each day, turn off the gadgets, send people away so you are alone, be still, and say to God here I am, you can speak to me, I want to hear your voice.
Ask God for his Spirit to fill you
Stop and listen for him to speak.
Would you rather chase donkeys or stand still and hear the voice of God?
Why it matters
One modern day account that has always stuck in my mind was told by the senior pastor of a large church in Nottingham UK when he was visiting Sydney over 30 years ago. A man in his church woke up in the early hours of the morning and sensed God was telling him to go to Manchester airport which was about an hour's drive away. As he knew no-one at the airport and because it was early morning he tried to go back to sleep but the command to go to Manchester airport seemed to grow more urgent and as he could not sleep he got in his car and drove there. Once at the airport he did not know what to do so looked for where people were and went to the departure area which was filling up with people going on early flights. He sat down on a seat, still unclear what he was supposed to do. Soon a young woman sat down at the seat and they began to talk. She was going to Corfu for a holiday. He explained that he did not know why he was there but he had felt very strongly that God had told him to go to the airport. He began to share the gospel message and she asked Jesus to forgive her of sin and make her a child of God. Eventually it was time for her to go through immigration and enter the boarding area so they parted company and he drove home. On 22 August 1985 at 7:31am British Airtours flight 28M started down the runway to fly to Corfu Greece with the young woman aboard. The aircraft caught fire on the runway and 55 people lost their lives including the young woman.
Do not waste time chasing donkeys.