Foundations of Leadership IV

Unto you. Shall be open unto you Allelu Alleluia Alleluia Allelujah. Praise your name, Jesus. Hallelujah. Praise God. Part of what is going to be ministered in the Word tonight, I just believe the Lord is kind of circumventing the prepared order we're talking tonight. Why don't you sit down for a moment? And as we're just ministering here in the Spirit, I want us to continue in worship before the Lord for a little bit longer. Because the first thing I was going to talk about tonight was our need for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Most of you, most of you have come to a place of personally experiencing the power of God in His Holy Spirit. But I wonder tonight how many of you would say that you're living right now in that fullness. And I believe that the very beginning point of what the Lord wants to do tonight is right now to have us minister to one another. And I will forego the scriptural explanations that I had prepared for this part of the time, because I just believe the Holy Spirit is present. And when faith is released, it takes a lot less explanation. Now, this to me means that those of you, and I don't want you to put your hand up. But you know, if you're here tonight and you really wonder, you have a question. I don't know if I've ever really been baptized in the Holy Spirit. You say, you know, I think I have, but I'm not sure. Well, God wants to make you sure. He wants you to know that, you know. Do you think he wants you walking around wondering if you're saved or not? Remember how that just rendered you ineffective for a long time? I don't know if I'm really saved or not. Same with the Holy Spirit. He wants you to know that you're spirit filled. Now, some people say, well, the only way you know that for sure is if you speak in tongues. I don't personally think that that's the only criteria that God ever established. I think it's a wonderful expression that is available to every believer who will open to it. It's a language of the Holy Spirit within. It's a very simple analogy. Holy Spirit within, just. He just wants to use you to glorify Jesus. So that's all that happens. But if you don't speak in tongues tonight, the Lord is going to release prayer language to some of you. I just believe that in my Spirit tonight, and that will be for you, a confirmation perhaps that you've been searching For. But in addition to that, now here's where I'm going to touch a lot of you. The Lord is also going to minister very directly to some of you tonight who have wandered off. And if you were honest tonight, you would say, you know, I haven't really even thought about whether or not I was filled with the Holy Spirit. I just kind of get up in the morning and put on my tapes and praise God and end the day. And lots of times if I'm really honest, I don't know if I am or not. I mean, I don't see a lot of fruit. What are the fruits that we should see if we're filled? Well, the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We know those in Galatians. So many things. But very specifically, let me just tell you what Ephesians 5 says. I can't resist. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery. But be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another, sharing the Word. Sharing the word of God, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, okay? Sharing the word of God, sharing the life of the Lord Jesus with one another, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart. Are you walking around with a praise full spirit, giving praise to God every place that you go always and for everything. Giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Are you filled with thankfulness or are you continually scrutinizing and criticizing yourself and down on situations and are you thankful? Now those are three indications that I know of right there, of being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking the word of God, speaking praise to the Father, and being thankful in your hearts. Now, when we just come before the Lord here in a minute once again, I'm going to ask you just to turn around where you are standing. And if you need prayer, if you need to confess, hey, I've just wandered off. I haven't been filled with the Spirit and I know it. Or perhaps you've never been able to say before God that I would. I surrender. I need to be filled with your Holy Spirit tonight. Then you can just share that there's not a person here tonight that would say, well, that's really terrible, okay? And shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from. The mouth of God. Hallelujah. Let's worship. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Now go ahead and turn around. Just form, just trust God to put you with someone who's going to minister to you. Now, if you are near someone and you know that God won't use them. You can slip out, come up here and pray with Fred. All right? I'm serious. Go ahead. Share with one another where you are in relationship to your Holy Spirit enablement tonight. All right? Hallelujah. Go ahead. Try to have at least just continue expecting the Lord to do some unexpected things. Okay, let's get four brothers. Two starting halfway here and two in the front, please. George, take this way, halfway back, and. You get the sign. What this sheet will give you is. Just a little capsulization of what happens under the anointing of God. What happens under the anointing of God? Okay, everyone should have one. Psalm89 talks about God's covenant seed with David and how God would anoint him. And I just. There's just a few illustrations of what happens. I just want to look at these. I'm not going to really teach them at all. They're going to be for you to pray over. But just look at these with me as I read through them. These are all promises that accompany what happens under the anointing of God under the enablement of the Holy Spirit of which we're speaking tonight. Which of these. Take your pencil as we go through them, or pen and mark the one that you need. God's hand being with you. Freedom from deception. Victory over one's enemies. This is all. Those are all in Psalm 89. There's several more in there, too. Breaking the yoke of bondage. Physical healing. Spiritual sight and insight. Oh, God, is there a need for that today? Right. Sight and insight. Being able to see and then being able to see clearly what it is you see. The ability to do good in any situation. When do you feel like. I get in situations where I, Lord, I just get out of it alive in terms of God's reputation, I'm happy. The ability to heal those who are oppressed by the devil. These are three references to what Jesus did under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. A sweet or pleasant fragrance from your life. This is talking about the aroma of the anointing oil that rose up in the house. You know, I thought about that. When. That's a little mystical and kind of weird. But do you know the difference? Do you know what it means when you encounter someone that's sort of offensive and abrasive versus someone who is pleasant and not in a syrupy, superficial way, but you sense the peace of God in their life? You know, there's a pleasantness, a drawing in an engagingness about them. It's just really. I think it's very Recognizable. The anointing brings joy more than those around you. You feel that's true tonight, just turn to someone and say, I've got more joy than you. By the look in some of your faces, there's no doubt about that. The anointing enables you to be called a servant of the Lord. This is again Psalm 89. You got to read that for yourself. It's a really powerful prophetic word, the presence of God. The anointing of God brings the sense of his presence. And how many times we've said, if we need anything, we just need the presence of the Lord. He does everything else. If we'll just get into that spiritual fruitfulness. No one here interested in bearing spiritual fruit, experiencing of God's might and strength. There's a story of being anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit. Doing a great and mighty victory. There's so many illustrations in the Old Testament about this one's of Saul. And there's Samuel and others who just move in that power. And that's what the Bible says. They're anointed to go and do exploits. And finally the ability to speak powerfully and clearly as seen in Peter's Pentecost sermon. Now, did you pick one? Now, really, I don't think tonight I'm not even going to broach the subject of the anointing because that there's a lot of background I need to do and so on. There's a lot of. Things we could sort of work out in terms of where the word comes from. Do you know that there's a. If you really dig into the scriptures on this, there's something like 15 characteristics of the anointing oil itself from the Old Testament you can draw out. And each one of them sort of helps you to more clearly understand what is meant by being anointed. Just really significant stuff that I'm sure you're not interested in hearing tonight. So we're going to go on from that and get on. I don't really have it prepared. But. If I'm anointed, I could just come up with it, right? I know what you're thinking. Do you really feel. Tonight I just believe what God was saying to us through the words that were brought and through just the evidence of his Spirit. How seriously God takes this issue. One of the things that I feel sort of responsible about, and I really haven't talked to Fred. I blame the elders about it either, but I feel we don't talk enough about the Holy Spirit. And a few of you pentecostals shake your head. I know that's true, but we don't, I think, in an effort to just be balanced, we've, you know, we don't certainly deny anything. We embrace all of it, but we don't talk a lot about it. It's sort of like the money, you know, sort of like the box. We're seeking to change that. But, you know, how many of, you know, people that come to North Way who are confused on this subject a little bit. It is. And people can come for weeks and months sometimes and never really even be given the opportunity clearly to understand what that means unless you initiate that conversation. So I think it's an area where we really have to address how we're doing that. And I just felt very strongly tonight that the Lord was saying, this is so important. If you're going to go on and do what I've called you to do, you can't do it in your own fleshly strength. And I know. I feel sometimes that we're trying to keep the gears going here and we need a little of that anointing oil. Right? Just kind of dropped them. How many of you feel that about the ministry you're involved in? Every once in a while, that thing just starts really grinding. You need that anointing oil. I just. I feel very, very strongly about that. I want you to encourage each other now, though, Before, I only have. I'll only share maybe 15 minutes of teaching, but I want you to encourage each other. These are questions. There's two questions here. I'm going to have you turn again. Would you make a different circle this time, though, or get with a different group of people? Two questions. Here they are. Pass them out, brothers. Again, I know this is good exercise. See how fast you can do this. What do you. I'm sorry. How do you know that the power of God through the Holy Spirit is at work in the church today? All right, I want you to respond to that by yourself before you turn into a group. How do you know that the power of God through the Holy Spirit is at work in the church. Then? Secondly, before you break into your circles, go ahead and respond to this. What specific evidence do you see in your sphere of ministry and or relationships of this power? All right, first one is general. How do you know the second one is specific? Tell me about it. No, go ahead. Take three or four minutes on each column from this side of the room, a few evidences on the left hand column, reasons why you know that the Holy Spirit of God is at work in power in the church today. Ah, one, two. Okay. Be more. A little more in general. What do you mean? You're answering the question. This is the left hand column now. Okay, all right, good. I agree with that. I recognize it. That's right. Okay. An increase in worship, growth and freedom. That's an evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence and movement in the church today. All right. Where the Holy Spirit is, there is liberty. Second Corinthians 3, 17 or so. Dave, balance in ministry with Christ as the center instead of based on a specific doctrine. Okay. We see the evidence of the Holy Spirit because Christ is being glorified. Important. All right, good point. Christ is being glorified. There's a balance in that. Not getting off again. We're not just talking about North Way, but the church in general. Alright, a couple more evidences. All right. We're seeing transformation in lives. Transformation. All right, on this side, let's have one. How do you know, left hand column. That the Holy Spirit is alive and moving in power in the church today? Sir. Pardon? How is that different from what it was 100 years ago? From what you've read? Okay. What I'm at, I'm trying to find distinctives. Talking about the move of the Spirit in this day. Okay, now you're on the right track, but develop that a little bit more. When you say loving relationships, what do you mean? In the old days, people were more willing or unwilling to share. Okay. Whereas in loving relationships, today, they're more willing to share. Okay. You're talking about openness and a willingness to commit to each other and so on. No. Okay, all right. Loving relationships. All right. We'll just accept that with joy. Let's have one or two more. Alteration of the gifts of the Spirit. Yeah, that's really a clear one, isn't it? We see the gifts of the Spirit everywhere we turn. The Holy Spirit is giving expression of life everywhere we turn. What else? All right. An evidence of the Holy Spirit's moving is the involvement of the whole body in ministry. And in parentheses, prophets, priests and kings. I guess you could say Mark. All right. We know that the Holy Spirit's moving because evil seems to be on the upswing. That's pretty formidable evidence. But that's true, Chuck. All right, but they've always come to know Christ. What's different about it? What? Yeah, but what's different about it than you know? Again, we're trying to identify that. Pardon? Now, couldn't we say, really that they're coming to know Christ in greater numbers than Ever before. A more massive sense of worldwide impact than ever before. Paul. Okay, that's a good one. All right. Did you get the other. What do you want me to put down with the decisions of Christ? No, we're still on salvation here. Outpouring of salvation. Okay. All right. And then the last one was a growth in unity. Okay. Okay. Well, let's. I agree. Let's keep that in with the salvation message that's going on. How about. I don't know if it fits in with manifestation, the Holy Spirit, but how many miracles? How much more we hear about miracles? Those of you who were. How many of you have been Christians 25 years or more? Boy, stand up. Let's give them a hand for persevering that long. Amen. All right, 25 years ago, how many of you read and heard about and participated in what you would legitimately call miracles? I know, because we're always. There's that one Pentecostal that's always. Okay. We're just all catching up with you folks, that's all. Other than Gene, anyone else that saw miracles? No. Really? You did? No, I'm asking how many of you, 25 years ago who were Christians, participated in, read about, talked about, expected miracles? Very few of us, from what I. I mean, I. Everything I understand of the last couple of generations. It was really dry news when we had our church. Oh, Roy, go ahead. There's an authority. Well, Roy, I really appreciate your wisdom in moving out of there. I think it's. We don't want to characterize the generation, too, but anyhow, isn't that really a clear sign? The miracles of God today, Now, these are generalized. Let's be specific about your sphere of ministry. I'll tell you what, let's use the red pen and see if we can just put an X or a mark beside the ones. And if we have additional ones, we can add them on the bottom. Okay, let's share some specifics. In your ministries, how do you know in your ministry that the Holy Spirit is moving? Yes. All right. Visible healing. That goes under miracles. Yeah, a little off the map there. All right, give us another one. How do you know in your sphere of ministry that the Holy. Indisputably, the Holy Spirit's at work, Doris. Okay. The transformation of a person's attitude and disposition toward God. Right. Transformation of lives. Okay, Praise the Lord. What else, Dave? This fits under the growth and unity area in dealing with the churches coming together to produce what is now Eden Christian Academy. Dealing with. Okay, yeah. Considerably different doctrinal positions. Right. And growth in unity. And now that's something that 25 years ago you might have seen the miracles, but you never would have seen anyone going to school with you. Right. Okay. It was. It really was. The Lord is moving in that. Right. I'd say one is a unified themes and confirmation of them. Oftentimes spirit led fellowship will be with the Lord, as we have done, and he may have prepared a teacher for something and end up. Everybody's on a chat. Okay. Yeah, I understand. That's again, along the lines of the unity of the Spirit. Okay. What specific things in your sphere of ministry, Amy? Well, I think we've seen attacks of the enemy on the whole body, just. Through. Illnesses and waves. Okay. All right. We have experienced some of the evil in the upswing as well, is what we're saying here. A few more, Linda, People that I. Deal with are Christians and are living in the spirit, but the secular world, I clean for people a couple days a week. And a lot of these people are not religious. I feel that they are more receptive to me now than they were when I began to work for them a year or two of them. And I find them calling me rather than the person. That's your predecessor. All right, what would you call that? A hunger for truth or something? Yeah, I guess it's just a manifestation of the reality of God's presence and of God's spirit is drawing people. Is that what you're saying? Basically. Okay, well, there's one that's whole body ministry. All right, Jay. Okay, now here's an illustration. I think all of us could have at least one illustration of it. Similarly, we're seeing relationships, committed, solid, caring relationships built consistently. And that's an evidence of the Holy Spirit's work. Jane. Speaking scripture to a person in need and see and have them confirm a healing. All right, confirmation of a healing. Of a healing process. From the first time you see them until you see them again. They're evidencing and they're confirming. Speaking of Scripture. All right, one more. One more evidence, Marian. I'm finding those who come to know the Lord wanting to learn specifically how to share him with another person, to bring them to the same place that they. So there's a hunger to share. Right. How many of you have led someone to Christ in the last year? 1. Praise the Lord. Isn't that great? How many of you were led to Christ in the last two years? Now, keep your hand up if you've led somebody to the Lord in the last two years. No, those of you who came to the Lord and led someone to the Lord, both you can come. There's something else about it. Okay? Please. Last two years or so, you know, within Kirk, Mac, you've been a Christian. Put your hand down. You came to the Lord, you came to the Lord and you led someone to the Lord in the last two years. Both of those, okay? 1, 2, 3, 4. All right, now, you see, that's really important, Vicki. There's an awful lot of truth that, you know that the youngest Christians are the most effective evangelists, and we need to cultivate that. All right? Praise the Lord. Now, Kirk, go ahead. You wanted to share one. Okay, Reconciliation. God's breaking down walls and uniting people. Now answer this question in your groups and then we'll conclude. I want to conclude with some prayer too, tonight. Leave that one up for a second. As wonderful as these things are, and I'm sure in your groups you're all sharing others, how many of you would have to say, well, you know, I see these things, but in terms of specific confirmation in my own heart that the Holy Spirit is moving in power through me, I just. I can't. I just don't see it. I mean, I, you know, I guess I could call this an evidence, but it really, it doesn't. You know what I'm saying? What difficulties do you have in believing that the Holy Spirit wants to move in signs and wonders and power through your life? Alright, go ahead, Paul, put that up. What difficulties do you have in believing that the Holy Spirit wants to move in power that is manifesting his life in signs and wonders through you? Why do you struggle with that? What's the block? All right, if you're a clean vessel before God and the Holy Spirit wants to channel power through you, what's the block? Is it up in your mind? Is it in your understanding? Is it in your confidence in God? Is it your faith? Is it your knowledge of the Word? What is it? What is the difficulty? Share honestly a little bit. Why aren't some of those things happening through you? Why aren't you seeing people healed? Why don't you see liberty in the spirit? Why don't you see participation in deliverance? Okay, any questions about the question, Think about it for yourself, then share it for about five or six minutes in. The group. Not necessarily your own, but at least in your group. What are some of the things that were shared as difficulties in receiving this power of the Holy Spirit to see things happen? I overheard some interesting things in a group. What are some of the things that were Shared, Doug. All right. Personal unworthiness. Personal unworthiness. All right, how about over here? One thing that you see as an impediment in receiving that power of the Holy Spirit through your own life. Yes, Carol. All right. Fear of making a mistake. What if I have a word of wisdom that's not wisdom. Right. What if I pray and identify the word of knowledge that isn't really the Lord? All right, over here, that's another one. These are important because we're going to do something with this. Barbara. Pride. Pride. What do you mean, pride? All right. Pride and a preoccupation with self. A fear of what man is going to think about when you step out. Everyone have that problem. You already are projecting what's going to happen in response to what you think you might do. Okay, Hal. Along with that fear of exposure and also fear of commitment. All right, that's a good, isn't it? Fear that if I follow what the Holy Spirit's saying, it may mean that I'm going to get involved with somebody and I'm awful busy and I don't really have time to follow up on this. I'd like to minister and leave, you. Know. Get on with my own life. You know, quick hit, bless me and. All right, over here. Give us another one, somebody. You don't see it happen because you don't ask in prayer specifically for it to happen. All right, good. You don't ask specifically. In other words, how many of us would say, honestly, I go a long period of time and I don't even ask the Lord for something that would be a demonstration of his power because I'm able to rationalize that it'll happen another way or maybe if they just read the word enough, they'll get it themselves kind of thing. All right, a couple more over here. Have another one over here. Beth. Alright. An insensitivity to the need. This goes back two weeks ago, doesn't it? To discernment? I mean, we think we see something and really it's a whole different need altogether. And we can't ask for the power of God because we don't even see the need. Dennis, do you have one? I just think the issue of faith. Faith that what, brother, the Holy Spirit wants the need to be the Holy Spirit is moving as broad as I would like to think, you know, all kind of different. Okay, you've heard of the four levels of faith, right? And you're a wipeout on all four levels? Is that what you're saying? Okay, how many of us would honestly Say that, you know, I want to believe that when I lay my hands on this brother for his arthritis that he's going to be healed and throw away his canes and whatever. But, you know, but inside there's this gnawing sense. But what if he's not? We'll get into that. Another hand. That's another hand. Jesus said some pretty categorical statements, didn't he? Such as what? All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me, and out of that I send you to make disciples of all nations. And yet we don't understand our authority. We don't understand what we've been given. And consequently, how many of us would just recall situations where we felt intimidated by the spirit of the age or demonic oppression or whatever, and we didn't know what we'd been given of God. Over here, another one, Dave. Timing sort of relates to several of these bitter. Just, you know, lord, is this the right time for me to step in and move out or be quiet as far as like, even presenting a word in the body or reaching out and ministering right away? Right. Okay. What is God's timing? Because sometimes you may see a miracle is needed, but you also know that it's not the right time. Was Jesus sensitive to timing? Was he? Absolutely. It. I think of encouragement, encouraging somebody to help them through the rough spots when they're not sure. I'm not sure I relate this to why it's. What's the difficulty? You're talking about needing encouragement. Yeah, I mean, we go along and I think sometimes we don't come alongside and encourage somebody where we might see them in some of these areas. Okay, so let me just turn it around and say this. We need someone said here, affirmation and encouragement in that. And sometimes we'll step out and we'll think, that, boy, that was really powerful. And no one around it will even, you know, you ever have that. It's a good thing we don't vote on whether or not it was of God. Right. Somebody say that word was from God. 37 to 26. Not tonight. One more thing on Activity. Also in love, when somebody does say something to say. Well, I don't think that was a dispute. Well, okay, again, let me add a word to that and just say, one of the things that's a difficulty is we don't have the supportiveness, both of encouragement and accountability that helps us. If I know that I can fail and still be loved and corrected, then I'm much more willing to try something. I heard one that I really appreciated someone said personal failure. In other words, praying for something in their own life and not seeing it happen debilitates them from being able to pray for someone else. You ever have that problem? I'm dealing with problem A in my life, and you come to me with problem B. Actually, my problem's worse than your problem. I can't get any help for yours. You know, I mean. Right? That's right, John. We change that to need for love and accountability. Need for love, accountability. I think it's very crucial for that to happen that the person first has to know they love that person. And it's coming in the same instant. If you're sensing it's coming out of the flesh, you can't be in the flesh and sharing need for accountability in love. Need for love in accountability. Okay, let's try. We go. You can do anything you want, John. You want us to put the need for at the end? All right. Personal fit. All right. We could go on and on. How many of you have. How many of you identify with at least one of these? Okay. All right. I'm not going to ask the ultimate. Question. But I want us to do something tonight. Boy, our time's gone. And here's the teaching outline right here. We just have not gotten to it. And I have. I wanted to talk to you about developing your sensitivity and a few other things, but we'll just have to do it another time, perhaps. I want us, though, to understand a couple things about these areas. In truth, brothers and sisters, in truth, how many of these disqualify you from being an instrument of God's miracle power, huh? As long as you can keep your eyes on Jesus and recognize that he lives within you, Your personal failures don't prevent God from using you. You will be given God's discernment and timing and all that. These are nothing. Listen, think of Peter, would you, in Matthew 14. Here he was in the midst of growing up in his relationship with Jesus, and he was. At that point, he was still rough, you know, he was a couple chapters later that he was rebuked as speaking as Satan. He's, you know, he's precipitous in a lot of his attitudes. He's just not really a real Mr. Slick in the kingdom, all right? And he. He encounters a situation where he sees the Lord Jesus walking in the water some distance from the boat. I'm sure that he knew that he was personally unworthy of anything. I know that he recognized that if it was wrong, he was going to be in serious Trouble, I would imagine that he had some questions about whether or not he had the faith. If he even understood that he certainly had already failed personally in other instances. There's all kinds of things in that scene that just remind me of who we are. He was just an. He was just a rough old fisherman. And he saw Jesus out there. And his heart. Listen, his heart so wanted to know the supernatural things of God. He so wanted to know that, that he risked everything else, his personal security, his reputation in front of all the other disciples in the boat and so on. He said, lord, if that be you, bid me to come. I want to ask you tonight, are there situations where you can say to God, lord, if that's you speaking concerning this part of my ministry or that person that I'm relating to or this situation, then bid me to come. And the Lord Jesus used one word. And what was it? Come, Peter. Not yet. How about cleaning up your language a bit first? You know, just come and you know, it's astounding. I don't ever remember Jesus one time saying to any disciple, you're asking that miracle you're asking for is just too presumptuous. The only thing he ever corrected them for was when they asked to be exalted. Do you understand? And he just said, come. And Peter got out of that boat and he walked in the water. And do you know that it took the natural step to get into the supernatural? Let me say that again. It took the natural first, then the supernatural. And it's always that way. It's always the natural first, then the supernatural. How many of you don't put your hand up? But you've been struggling because you don't have a prayer language. You're not able to minister to God in a language of prayer, speaking in tongues. I'll tell you something. In my understanding and my experience now for a number of years, it's because people are waiting for the supernatural first. It's the natural first, then the supernatural. In healing, it's the natural. It's extending your hand, believing God, then the supernatural in witnessing. It's the natural, then the supernatural and the miracles that you want to see God do through the power of the Holy Spirit, it's the natural, then the supernatural. Peter took the natural step, one foot out of the boat. I just. I would have loved to have seen those other disciples, you know, as they watched that foot go out there and it didn't go down right. I just, you know, it is so unfathomable, isn't it, really? I mean, we're mighty men and women of faith, but I just still can't see people doing that. And we all know. I mean, I'm not most of you have heard this story so many times and heard it preached and taught. But what was the key? From the moment his toes tingled the water, what was the key? Keeping his eyes on Jesus. And all of these pale to that one truth. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus and the miracle power of the Holy Spirit will flow through you. I don't know of anything in my heart that we need more than for this group of leadership to have our eyes so fixed on Jesu