AS THE WORLD DARKENS
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Short Clip

AS THE WORLD DARKENS

Discipleship Lesson-4: The Spirit of God
Teaching them about the Source of an Endless
Stream of Divine Power for Abundant Living
John 7:37-39
 
As we open to John 7 today, we are doing so because:
DISCIPLESHIP IS ALL ABOUT THE BASICS:
1. Salvation: First we covered understanding salvation & baptism.
2. Scriptures: Next we covered the Scriptures and feeding our souls daily.
3. Spirit Fullness: Today we learn about the Holy Spirit.
At the instant of salvation, each of us became the Temple of God: Who begins to live within us as God the Spirit, the Comforter.
That truth is the source of a lifetime of wonderful blessing, and an endless supply of Divine power in order for each of us to live the abundant life promised by Jesus Christ our Savior.
Welcome to the lesson in personal discipleship when we introduce the work of the Spirit of God in our lives as believers. The best place to start is where Jesus explained what the Holy Spirit does inside of us. Turn there with me to John 7:37-39.
 
AN OVERFLOWING LIFE IS A CHOICE
Jesus explained the Holy Spirit in our lives by using the image of a strong river of water flowing out of us. Each day we must choose to seek after God in our lives as believers. Not making a choice is the choice to neglect God. We either choose or neglect God each day.
Just as getting into the Scriptures is a choice each day, so also is staying filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s not automatic, like online payments. Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, and Spirit-prompted life is a series of choices. Choices to love, obey, follow, surrender, and seek God’s control and power.
A lot of people think the Christian life is like auto-pay—it’s not. We have to discipline ourselves to be remaining full and controlled by the Holy Spirit. In John 7:37, first Jesus describes salvation when He said: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” That is salvation. That is coming to Him in faith and being supernaturally saved. Then Jesus described the result of salvation in verse 38: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Did you hear how Jesus described the normal life of the believer? God planned that the life of a born-again person becomes like a flowing river of life. Not anything like a little trickle—He said Rivers of water. What does that mean?
Rivers of water would mean that when we were saved the Spirit of God comes into our lives making us joyous and thankful.
 
RIVERS OF JOY
When God’s Spirit flows out of our lives we are so excited about all our sins being gone. In fact when we are involved with communion, it is such a time of remembering of what Jesus did.

 


Check Out All The Sermons In The Series

You can find all the sermons and short clips from this series, Disciple’s Path to Follow here.

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