Sunday, July 1, 2018 - A RENEWAL OF THE SPIRIT
Pastor Roger Marcos
July 1, 2018
There’s a saying, It is better to die for something than to live for nothing- David Berg
Cleanse your heart to become Spiritually Healthy:
Rom. 8:9;
9 But you do not live as your human nature tells you to; instead, you live as the Spirit tells you to-if, in fact, God's Spirit lives in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
So then, those who are in the flesh, cannot please God.
We need a fresh injection of the power of God in our lives so that we can accomplish what He has called us.
And the place that we really need to start is with a renewal of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
- I want us to do some soul-searching today by considering questions that are vital to Holy Spirit renewal in our lives.
The first question we need to consider is this:
I. DO I NEED HOLY SPIRIT RENEWAL? YES OR NO? Psalm 51:.10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day
In other words, is this even an issue for me? Do I already have it together in this area, or do I need some help? Ephesians 4:23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
I’ve put together four questions that should help us each to make that decision.
> Am I Eager to Serve God? - Am I doing ministry in the church and in my life because it is something I feel obligated to do, or because it is something I desire to do for God?
But now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit. - Romans 7:6
In this passage Paul is making the distinction between those that do things for God because it is legally required of them, and those that do them because the Spirit of God is empowering them to serve.
Where are you at on this? If serving God is drudgery for you, you are in need of Holy Spirit renewal. Examples of drudgery in a Sentence
He hated the drudgery of his job.
in the “good old days” household servants led lives filled with much drudgery and little pleasure. Gawaing hamak
> Am I Enjoying Time With God?- Do you hesitate to approach God in prayer? Has quiet time become boring time? Do you look forward to the times when you can spend time in God’s Word?
The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. - Romans 14:17-18a
Our experience with God is meant to be enjoyable, fulfilling, and joyous.
If you’re not experiencing that right now, you’re in need of Holy Spirit renewal.
> Am I Growing in Relationship With God?
You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk. - 1 Peter 2:2
This word “crave” means that this is something I long for - and what I am to long for is the spiritual milk, or the Word of God.
Do you find yourself in a state of craving that time that you have with God in His Word and growing closer and closer to Him?
If not, you’re in need of Holy Spirit Renewal.
> Am I a Godly Example for others?
Let’s put this another way - would you be thrilled to know that every person in this church was living life exactly the way that you do?
- If each and every one of us had the same level of commitment to God, and to His church that you display in your life, would we all be better or worse off?
- And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ's. - 1 Corinthians 11:1
- If we are experiencing a life empowered and enriched by the HS, we should be able to say “Yes, others should follow me as I am following Christ.”
- If we can’t say that, then we are in need of Holy Spirit renewal.
- Now, identifying our need for renewal is not difficult - If you answered “No,” to even one of these questions, you are in need of the Holy Spirit renewing your life.
- The next step is more difficult, but very much a doable thing.
- We need to ask and answer our second question if any of this is going to do us any good
II. HOW CAN I BE RENEWED?
I would be shocked if less than 80% of us have not come to the conclusion that we need renewal - in fact, the number might be higher than that.
- The fact is that each and every one of us needs renewal on a regular basis.
- This is nothing to be ashamed of - rather, it is good to just admit it, get it out of the way, and then move on to becoming the person God wants us to be.
- You have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you. - Colossians 3:10
Renewing the Church is like remodeling your house: it takes longer than you hoped, costs more than you planned, and makes a bigger mess than you ever thought possible. - Paul Smith
I am going to give you four necessary steps that need to be repeated every single time we find ourselves moving away from our relationship with God.
Renew my commitment
I can remember as a kid in church that periodically someone would come forward at the end of the service and recommit/rededicate their lives to Jesus Christ.
- These were people that were already saved, yet they had not been walking with the Lord as they should, and coming under conviction of that, they decided to make a public recommitment of their hearts before the entire church.
- I really miss seeing that, and I’m not sure why people don’t do it much anymore.
- A powerful thing happens to us when we renew our commitment to Christ - it is both a pledge to God and a promise to ourselves, that we are going to follow Jesus as Lord - while it can be done privately, when it is done before the church it encourages the church to pray and to assist in the renewal process.
Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me-now let me rejoice.Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. - Psalms 51:8,10
- To be renewed by the Spirit, I have to recommit myself to Jesus Christ.
- If I am not committed to the process I cannot expect God to bring renewal.
Surrender my will
In the 1990s, a group of Washington children participated in an eight year anti-smoking-campaign program - The results weren’t impressive.
- Of the group that went through the program, 25.4 percent now smoke regularly.
- And of the control group-those who didn’t participate in the study-25.7 percent now smoke regularly.
- The education campaign hardly made any difference at all.
- Our society believes education is the answer to our culture's problems.
- It is not a matter of just praying to God and Him zapping us with a new heart - it is a matter of committing myself to God and His will for my life.
It is only by surrendering our wills to the Holy Spirit that we can be renewed before God.
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. - Romans 8:9
- Now to be under the Spirit’s control implies what? That I am not controlling myself.
- Until I voluntarily turn over control of my life to the Holy Spirit I will continue to be defeated by sin, depression, lack of vision, lack of hope, and will not be able to function as the fully empowered child of God that God wants me to be.
If you were in the midst of a battle, with no weapon, and the enemy was standing beside you with a gun to your head, what would you do?
If you had any sense at all, you would put up your hands in surrender, and voluntarily place yourself under the control of the opposing army
Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. - Ephesians 5:18
What happens when you drink too much alcohol? You surrender your mind, body, and will to it, don’t you? You come under its control.
- God says, “Don’t do that,” instead “let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.”
- Like alcohol, the Holy Spirit will take over your mind, body, and will when you surrender to Him, but unlike alcohol, the results are all positive.
- Holy Spirit renewal must be preceded by a surrender of our will to God.
III. WILL I BE RENEWED?
Yes No
- I cannot answer this question for you, and neither can your family/friends.
In fact, God is not going to answer this question for you either.
- It is totally and completely up to you to decide whether you will do what is necessary to experience Holy Spirit renewal in your life.
- If you are one of the many that answered “Yes” I need Holy Spirit renewal under question #1, now is your time of decision.
- Either “Yes”, I will be renewed, or “No”, I won’t be renewed.
- My hope and prayer is that you will answer “Yes” today and get started in the renewal process.
- If you say “Yes” today, why not make a declaration before God by signing your name on the back of the bulletin.
Father, I commit myself to Holy Spirit Renewal
Signed: ________________________________
If you’d like to make your decision public, I’m going to ask you to come forward today as we stand and sing: