I was in a discussion with the Sunday morning worship leaders of a large church one Monday morning and the discussion turned to the worship services the day before. The church they led worship in was a very large church. It was blessed to have very talented and gifted musicians and singers leading its worship. The church also had state of the art sound systems, lighting, video projectors, stage effects and stage backdrops. They could put on a show! In the discussion, one of the worship leaders commented on how smooth worship went yesterday. None of the musicians or singer missed a beat, the visual presentations were “spot-on” and the pastor, who is a good orator, presented his message well. Everything “clicked” and fell together perfectly. The worship leader then said something that stuck in my mind and troubled me. He said, “That would have been a powerful worship service whether God showed up or not.”
How do you know when the Holy Spirit is present at a church worship service? In the midst of the audio and video effects on your senses of a contemporary service, or the ceremony and tradition of a traditional service, can you tell? If “God did not show up” would you notice? Do you intentionally seek the presence of the Holy Spirit in your personal prayer time? How do you know when the Holy Spirit is present? What signs of his presence and power are their in your daily lives? Jesus tells us in John 4:23, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” God seeks out worshippers who worship him in and through the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus said in John 4:23 that the hour is coming, that hour is now, today, that true worship of the Father will revolve around two things: Spirit and Truth. In Johannian writings, (the books in the Bible who’s authorship is accredited to the apostle John) “truth” is a word John uses that refers to Jesus (Jn.14:6) and the word or will of God (Jn. 8:40). Worship in most churches focuses on Jesus and the truth of God in Scripture, but the focus and reliance on the Holy Spirit in a church’s worship is often lacking or simply misunderstood. As a result, many of our personal prayer lives lack an understanding of and focus on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Starting this week and for the ext few weeks leading to Pentecost Sunday, I am going to center my weekday morning devotion time on the Holy Spirit. My goal is to use this study, reflections, and time together to help instill in the DNA of our lives and church the absolute necessity of reliance and guidance by the Holy Spirit. It needs to be manifested in all areas of our life including both our personal and corporate worship, so the power of the Holy Spirit can be manifested in our daily lives.
Holy Spirit Study Outline
Below is the reading outline for our time looking at the Holy Spirit and the readings for each weekday. I am posting this in advance to allow you to prepare yourself. I will still send out a daily reflection each day with a short video and my reflections, and various activities from time to time to do.
We are seeking revelation of the Holy Spirit TOGETHER. So PLEASE post comments below throughout this time of your reflection and revelations to encourage us in this time together.
Holy Spirit’s attributes from the Scriptures
I spent many hours in the Bible preparing for this study seeking verses on the Holy Spirit and what attributes of the Spirit they reveal. I came up with 23 attributes of the Holy Spirit. This is my personal list I came up with and I am not not presenting it as the “correct” or total list. I assigned one attribute to each of the next 23 days weekdays. You can use this timed outline in your small groups. Here is the outline for this time.
DailyScriptures Reading Schedule Beginning Today
Dates in May
3. Power, confidence, helper, strength: Acts1:4-8, 4:29-33, Rom. 8:26-27; Eph. 3:14-21
4. Call, commissioning: Acts 1:4-8, Matt. 28:18-20; John 20:21-22
5 Anointing: Acts 2:1-13, Joel 2:28-32
6 Guiding prayer, visions and speaking: Acts 2:1-13; Rom 8:26-27
9. Gifting: Joel 2:28-32
10. Sign bearing: Joel 2:28-32, Acts 4:29-33
11. Unity in the body: Acts 4:29-33, 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Ezekiel 11:17-20
12. Healing: Acts 4:29-33
13. Witnesses, convicts: Acts 5:29-32, Gal. 5:16-25; 1 John 4:13; Exodus 24:16
16. God is source: Acts 5:29-32, Rom. 8:26-27; 1 John 4:13; Exodus 24:16; Ezekiel 11:17-20
17. Jesus is source: 2 Cor. 3:17-18, John 4:14, 20:21-22
18. Source of belonging and adoption: Rom. 8:1-17
19. Ash Wednesday, beginning to Lent. Reflection this morning will be on this season in the church.
20. Indwelling in us, source of holiness: Rom 8:1-17, 15:13; 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Eph. 3:14-21; 1 John 4:13
23. Opposes the flesh: Rom 8:17; Gal. 5:16-25
24 Fruits of the Spirit: Rom. 15:13, Gal. 5:16-25
25. Teacher, revealer, gives us knowledge of God, Jesus: 1 Cor. 2:9-16, Eph. 3:14-21
26. Washes, cleanses, sanctifies, baptizes, transforms: 1 Cor. 6:9-11, 12:12-14, 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Matt. 28:18-20
27. Source of spiritual gifts: 1 Cor. 12:5-11
30. Source of eternal life, salvation: Romans 8:1-17, John 4:14, Joel 2:28-32
31 Freedom from the Law: Gal. 4:3-7
June
1. Adoption: Gal. 4:3-7; Rom. 8:1-17, Ezekiel 11:17-20
2. Part of the Triune of God: Matt. 28:18-20
3. Needed for true worship: John: 22:23