Empowered by the Holy Spirit: Unleashing a Movement of Evangelism and Discipleship
The rapid spread of Christianity in the first century was undoubtedly fueled by the ministry of the Holy Spirit and prayer. The original disciples, familiar with the Spirit’s role in Hebrew Scripture, were likely awestruck by His powerful work in Jesus’ life. But what about today? Can we expect a similar movement in our modern world?
The Great Commission Remains
Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations remains just as compelling, especially with a global population of eight billion people. While tools, methods, and programs have their place, the priority still rests on the one thing Jesus said we need first and foremost – the power of His indwelling Spirit.
Sanctuary People: Awakening to the Reality
Like the Corinthians, we need repeated reminders that we are temple people, both as a corporate community and as individual believers. The Father and Son have taken up residence in the life of every born-again believer through His Spirit. To be a disciple is to have the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Filled with the Spirit: The Ultimate Imperative
We need to consciously obey the ultimate imperative in the Pauline corpus: Ephesians 5:18-19. This present-tense admonition indicates that worship and praise should continually well up in the lives of believers. We must repent of cramming worthless substitutes into the Spirit’s rightful place and invite Him to fill us with Himself – continually.
Displaying the Life of Christ
Because God’s temple is holy, we are called to be holy. Instead of conforming to darkness, we must allow the indwelling Holy Spirit to conform us to the very likeness of Christ. Practicing His presence, we live every moment of every day as if Jesus is right beside us – because He is!
Recognizing the Purpose of “With-ness”
As wonderful as it is to experience the fellowship of the Spirit, we must not think the Spirit-filled life is just for our own spiritual formation and edification. His power is in us for the spread of His kingdom.
Praying in the Spirit: Partnership in God’s Mission
Prayer plays a crucial role in witness. We can ask God to show us where He’s working and make a list of people for whose salvation we will pray regularly. We pray that the Lord would soften their hearts, convict them of sin, and bring them to repentance.
Opening Our Eyes to the Harvest
People today are just as thirsty as ever, desperately trying to slake their parched longings with everything under the sun. We ask the Lord to give us His love for the lost and ideas about how to serve them. We plead with the Father for a great outpouring of His Spirit.
Following the Spirit’s Leading
We must be intentional about looking for opportunities to share the gospel with individuals on our prayer lists, but we also anticipate that the Spirit will orchestrate divine appointments with people we haven’t met yet.
The Ultimate Goal of Witness
While “with-ness” is, in part, for witness, the ultimate goal is communion with God. We need to share that when people repent and believe the gospel, they receive forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives them eternal life, and the Spirit-filled life starts immediately.
Living as Deployed People
As we embark on this journey of evangelism and discipleship, we must remember that we are deployed people, empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission.
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