Fresh Power Book Reading Clip
The Holy Spirit's enablement is essential for living victoriously and fulfilling God's will in our lives.
In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of the Holy Spirit in empowering ordinary people to work for Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit enables believers to fulfill God's will, overcome Satan's devices, and extend the kingdom of Christ on earth. The speaker highlights the neglected truth that many Christians do not know how to pray and rely on their own abilities rather than seeking the Holy Spirit's assistance. The speaker shares a personal experience of the Holy Spirit helping him in a moment of weakness and providing the boldness needed to overcome a challenging situation.
Full Transcript
That night in the hotel room was a case of Romans 8.26, which boldly declares, The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Today, this is one of the most neglected truths in the whole New Testament.
We Christians seldom admit that we don't know how to pray. Many of us have been taught since childhood how to put sentences together that sound like a prayer to the point that we are professionals at it. Some can turn out an eloquent presentation to God at a moment's notice.
Prayer born of the Spirit, however, is another dimension of calling on God to the point of having the Holy Spirit supernaturally assist us. This is not a worked-up emotionalism, but a powerful promise of help from God Himself. The Holy Spirit helped me to pray as I struggled in weakness that night.
The boldness that I needed to go beyond myself in a very intimidating situation came only through the Holy Spirit. He lifted me above my natural fears and verbal limitations. I'm no natural orator, let me assure you.
Only the enablement of the Spirit made those words come across with clarity and impact. But this is the very reason that the Spirit has come, to inspire and equip ordinary people to work for Jesus Christ. We are currently living in the era of the Holy Spirit as we await the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our Lord is seated at the Father's right hand in heaven, but He has sent the Promised Spirit so that, through His power, we can fulfill all of God's will, defeat every device of Satan, and extend the Kingdom of Christ here on earth. No matter what difficulties confront us as believers or as local congregations, God is calling us to receive today this great promise of power as a living reality. Then, in victory, we will praise God alongside those believers down through the ages who have experienced for themselves the truth of this great promise from God.
Sermon Outline
- The Power of the Holy Spirit in Prayer
- The Neglect of This Truth in the Church
- The Enablement of the Spirit in Our Lives
- The Spirit Lifts Us Above Our Limitations
- The Spirit Equips Us for Ministry
Key Quotes
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” — Jim Cymbala
“The Holy Spirit helped me to pray as I struggled in weakness that night.” — Jim Cymbala
“Only the enablement of the Spirit made those words come across with clarity and impact.” — Jim Cymbala
Application Points
- We must acknowledge our weakness and dependence on the Holy Spirit in our prayers.
- The Holy Spirit's enablement is essential for effective ministry and spiritual growth.
- We can experience the power of the Holy Spirit by receiving His promise of power as a living reality.