What does a Spirit-filled Church look like? What are the signs of a Spirit-filled Church?
- Colossians 2:11-12 – circumcision of the heart; John 20:22 – be filled with the Holy Spirit; Acts 2:4 and Acts 19:1-6 – experience life abundantly – represented by water baptism
The model of a Spirit-filled Church is a community of koinonia.
- Acts 2:42, 44 – And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship (koinonia), and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 44And all that believed were to be together and had all things in common.
- This community was to take priority even over our blood family – Galatians 6:10.
- The New Testament is really the New Covenant, superior covenant, the covenant between God and man – Hebrews 8:6.
- As we are commanded to love God in this covenant, we are, in the same breath, commanded to love one another – Matthew 22:37-40
The Godhead is our first example of a relationship.
- Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.
- David and Jonathon also give us a glimpse of this voluntary, covenant relationship – 1 Samuel 18:3
This is where great victory is.
- Matthew 18:18-20 – “Assuredly, I say to you (Ekklesia), whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven (spiritual realm), and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
- Acts 2:47– …all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill (favor) of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved – opposite of being offended by each other.
No wonder Satan attacks so vehemently our relationships
- Satan’s short-time wrath Revelations 12:12 is trying to wear out the saints Daniel 7:25.
- 1 Corinthians 11:29-30– For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
- Ananias and Sapphira – Acts 5
- Hebrews 10:25– … not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
- Philippians 2:3– Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. – It’s pride when you do the opposite.
So how does this look?
- Jesus came to serve – Matthew 10:28– “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
- Washing each other’s feet, serving one another, seeing others more important than ourselves – John 13:1-17
- Washing of feet is symbolic of becoming servants of each other – also keeping us clean/righteous
- Servant leadership is the cornerstone of leadership Jesus taught – why many fail to launch into their calling
- Can humans live in a symbiotic relationship? – When two species benefit from each other– the answer is yes
- So how do we get there – we get filled with the Holy Spirit once again
- Don’t settle for less – Let’s go for it -like Queen Esther, you were created for such a time as this – Esther 4:13-14