SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Praying In the Spirit

Scripture: Jude 1:20

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on the most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourself in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Introduction:

Smith Wigglesworth, an Englishman preacher who experienced a great revival—outstanding move of the Holy Spirit, raised the dead; who never read a day in his life until he became a Christian has this to say about speaking in tongues;

“The gift of tongues is a priceless treasure to me”.

General facts about speaking in the Spirit:

1.     You must be born again to speak.

2.     It is also known as praying in Tongues

3.     It is a free gift.

4.     You do not have to tarry/wait to receive it.

5.     You must be hungry for it.

6.     If you want to grow as a man or woman of prayer, then you must be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongue.

7.     Paul the apostle gave prominence to speaking in tongues. 1 Cor. 14:18

Common Objections to Praying in the Spirit (Tongues)

1.     Jesus didn’t speak in tongues:

a.      Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit which began with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost Act: 2. Thus, it was not available in the old covenant.

b.     Now, Jesus mentioned the gift of tongues in the new covenant. Mk 16:17-18 “And these signs shall follow those who believe: In my name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents….”

2.     Tongues are for the devil:

a.      Mk 16: 17

b.     Lk 11: 11-13 “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for fish, will he give him a serpent instead of fish? Of if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, begin evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those that ask Him”

3.     Tongues have ceased:

a.      1Cor 14:39 “Therefore brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy and do not forbid to speak with tongues”

Benefits of Tongues

1.     It is a key to spiritual growth. 1Cor 14:18. Paul the apostle was a leader.

2.     It edifies your prayer life. 1Cor14:4 Paul spoke in tongues in his private life.

                                                                                                                             

3.     It is a direct access to heaven. 1Cor 14:2. “For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto man but unto God”.

4.     You pray apart from your understanding. 1Cor 14:14. “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful”. The devil cannot cheat you.

5.     It recharges your spiritual battery. Jude 20.

6.     It strengthens you with might in the inner man. Eph3: 14-16

7.     You are praying in line with the perfect will of God. Roms8: 26-27

8.     It makes intercession for us with groaning (a prayer burden). To clarify, you are the one praying—it is your spirit praying by the help of the Holy Spirit.

9.     It eliminates selfishness in prayer. James 4:1-5

10.                       It is a means of magnifying God. Act 10:46

11.                       It helps us stay conscious of the Holy presence of God.

Purpose:

Discerning Purpose

(Part II)

I.                   HIS PURPOSE FOR YOUR BEING…

1.     To Connect to God through His Son Jesus Christ

Ephesians 2:17-18

¹⁷ And He (Jesus) came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

2.     To give God Glory

Isaiah 43:7

⁷ Everyone who is called by my name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

3.     To serve God’s family

1 Corinthians 5;11

¹¹ So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. NLT

Romans 12:5

⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Hebrews 6:10

¹⁰ For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

a.      Show kind affection

Romans 12:10

¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.

b.     Don’t cause to fall

Romans 14:13

¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

c.      Receive one another. Romans 15:7

d.     Admonish one another. Romans 15:14

e.      Serve one another in love

Galatians 5:13

¹³ For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

f.       Bear each other's burdens

Galatians 6:2

² Bear one another burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

4.     To become like Jesus

Romans 8:29

²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

2 Corinthians 3:18

¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Ephesians 4:13

¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Ephesians 4:15

¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ

5.     To engage in a specific mission

Ephesians 2:10

¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

a.      We were created to serve God

b.     We are called to serve God

c.      We are commanded to serve God

Your Shape Has a Clue

S – Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:7

⁷ A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

H – Heart

Proverbs 27:19

¹⁹ As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.

A-Abilities

                        Natural talents you were born with

P – Personality

Scientific likelihood of your particular DNA being duplicated 10 to the 2,400,000,000^th power. To write that out you need paper 37,000 miles long.

1 Corinthians 12:6

⁶ God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. NLT

E – Experiences

2 Corinthians 1:4

⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. NLT

·        Family experiences – What you learned growing up?

·        Educational Experiences – What were your favorite subjects in school?

·        Vocational Experiences – What jobs have you been most effective in and enjoyed most?

·        Spiritual Experiences – What have been your most meaningful times with God?

·        Ministry Experiences – How have you served God in the past?

·        Painful Experiences – What problems, hurts, thorns, and trials have you learned from?

We must embrace our SHAPE

Romans 9:20

“…Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?...”

6.     To give yourself to something bigger than you

Mark 8:34

³⁴ When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

When you are bigger than your purpose you have a career

When your purpose is bigger than you, you have a calling

           

II.                DOING OUT OF BEING

Matthew 16:25

²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

1.     Purpose and Counsel

Proverbs 15:22

²² Without counsel purposes are disappointed: But in the multitude of counselors, they are established. KJV

Proverbs 20:18

¹⁸ Every purpose is established by counsel: And with good advice make war. KJV

2.     Purpose and Timing

Ecclesiastic 3:1

To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

3.     Diligence is required when the purpose is discovered

2 Corinthians 1:17

¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No?

Matthew 16:25

²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

4.     Passion is a key

a.      What are you passionate about?

-         Once you have passion you have energy

-         Passion puts you above the crowd

-         Passion Energizes you

b.     How do you know your passion

-         You will be good at it

-         You will have the opportunity to use it

-         You won’t be weary doing it

-         You will have the capacity to develop them

5.     Purpose may not be as specific as we think

-         If you don’t have your own big dream it may be that God wants you to come along and help fulfill a larger dream

Answer Key: Glory; Jesus; Heart; Experiences; Purpose

PURPOSE I.B (Bishop Kyle)  - The Beginning of Purpose

I.                   PURPOSE MUST START WITH THE PURPOSER

1.     God originated everything

Col 1:16

^16 “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible…All things were created through Him and for Him.”Ex.

2.     Everything is by Him and for Him

Rom 11:36

³⁶ For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

3.     His purposes will ultimately prevail

Isaiah 14:24,27

²⁴ The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand…²⁷For the Lord of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?”

4.     All purposes are eternal

5.     We are predestined on purpose

Eph 1:11

¹¹ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.

II.                PURPOSE IS ABOUT BEING BEFORE DOING

1.     We are called to be with Jesus

Mark 3:14

¹⁴ Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.

2.     We are called to be like Jesus

Romans 8:29

²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

3.     Our purpose is connected in Jesus

4.     Our purpose is devotion to Jesus

Purpose:

Live your Life on Purpose

(Part 1)

Ephesian 1:9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time, he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. 12 God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

Colossians 1:15

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see

and the things we can't see such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else,

And he holds all creation together.

I.                   LIVE YOUR LIFE ON PURPOSE

A.    Knowing your purpose begins with knowing GOD_

This begins the process to true success.

1.     What is purpose?

It is the Greek word Touto, which means the one thing. Oxford dictionary defines it as, the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.

B.    Discovering your purpose also begins with knowing who

__YOU ARE______, whose you are, and where you're going.

Mark Twain said: “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.”

Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground." 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. NLT

C.     Not only are we created to have dominion but we were also created for His ___PLEASURE_____

Revelation 4:11

 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created.

Psalm 149: 4

For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

II.               KNOWING YOUR PURPOSE MAKES YOU CONFIDENT

A.    Your purpose helps you to know your place and position. You are a member of the family of God.

Ephesian 1:5

having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Even if your earthly parents leave you. In Christ, you always have a family.

1Peter 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

III.            KNOWING YOUR PURPOSE MAKES YOU STAND OUT

A.    We should carry and behave ourselves like Christ. In every place:

1.     Home, work, business, community, school, events or wherever we are, in private or in public.

The Apostle Paul said:

1Colossians 11:1

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Galatians 5:22-23 King James Version (KJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such, there is no law.

Answer Key: God, You are, Pleasure

Presented by: Bishop Fred Adetunji