1. A powerful Christian is led by both the Holy Spirit and the Word. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be God’s supernatural witnesses in the world, in the following ways:
a) We receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us. (Luke 24:9, Acts 1:8 and Luke 4:18-19).
b) We receive boldness to share the gospel when we are filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:6-8)
2. How do we receive the power of the Holy Spirit?
a) “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8)
b) “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18)
3. The Holy Spirit is ON us, and must remain ON
a) For many Christians, having the Holy Spirit’s anointing is not the issue; rather it is about the Holy Spirit’s continuous anointing of His work through us.
b) We see from the life of Jesus that He led a perfect life and did mighty works while He was on earth, because the Holy Spirit remained on Him. Similarly, the Holy Spirit was vital to the early Church believers in the book of Acts.
4. How do we ensure that the Holy Spirit remains on us? By loving the Holy Spirit, in the following ways:
a) We must seek never to grieve the Holy Spirit
- We grieve the Holy Spirit when we relate and respond to one another in an unloving, negative way, or when bitterness is found in our hearts. (Ephesians 4:30-31
- We must find out what grieves the Holy Spirit, and endeavour never to do so.
- The Holy Spirit should be our “reference point” for all of our actions and decisions in life.
b) We must never quench the Holy Spirit
- We can quench the Holy Spirit with unbelief (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
- We can quench the Holy Spirit by failing to give Him honour, when we fail to cherish His presence and when we believe we can live without Him.
c) We should acknowledge the Holy Spirit and His presence (Proverbs 3:5-6)
- The Holy Spirit is the manifested presence of God here on earth. To refuse to acknowledge and partner with the Holy Spirit is to refuse to partner with God.
d) We should sense His leading everyday (Galatians 5:25)
e) We should seek to know the Holy Spirit (John 14:17)
Discussion Questions
1. Pastor Julia Sho shared a testimony on behalf of Deborah Lee. The Lord had empowered her through the Holy Spirit on a recent mission trip, giving her opportunities to share the gospel with some prisoners in a local police station, and she eventually led them to Christ. Do you have a similar experience whereby you were empowered by the Holy Spirit, be it to preach the gospel boldly, or to be an effective witness for God? Share your experience with the cell. [10 min]
2.Pastor Joachim shared as Christians the Holy Spirit is “on” us. What does the Holy Spirit remain “on” us mean? What are some of the daily common struggles in letting the Holy Spirit have full control of our lives? [10 min]
3. Read Ephesians 4:30-31(NIV) “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Pastor Joachim shared how the Holy Spirit is like. How can we better put off these wrong behaviors and attitudes, to avoid grieving the Holy Spirit? [10 min]
4. Pastor Joachim sets out five ways on how well can the Holy Spirit’s anointing remains “on” us: 1) not to grief the Holy Spirit, 2) not to quench the Holy Spirit, 3) acknowledge the Holy Spirit and His presence, 4) sense His leading every day, and 5) seek to know the Holy Spirit.
What is one/two ways you can commit to better loving the Holy Spirit? List out some practical steps. [10 min]
