Empowered By The Spirit

As the world continues to experience the desperation, destruction, and despair of walking in darkness, the church is called to radiate the love and light of Jesus Christ. As Tyler emphasizes in this week’s message, Christ did not leave us to strive for such a high calling on our own, but has provided a helper—the Holy Spirit. It is through the work of the Spirit that the church is able to become more like Jesus, experience unity in Jesus, and boldly witness the gospel of Jesus!

Tyler’s Main Points

  • The Holy Spirit empowers the local church to become more like Jesus, experience our unity in Jesus, and witness about the gospel of Jesus.

Tyler’s 4 Key Texts

  • John 16:7-8, 13-14
  • Galatians 5:16-25
  • Ephesians 4:1-6
  • Acts 1:8

Key Takeaways

  • The truth about the Holy Spirit’s work is essential for the church because we all fall short of Christlikeness and are in need of further sanctification, there exists an “unholy trinity” (world, flesh, Devil) who wars against God, and a pervasive fear of persecution and rejection amongst Christians.

  • The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity—sent by Jesus to be our Helper.

  • Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit we can be victorious over the power of indwelling sin.

  • The Holy Spirit’s work is tethered to the Word of God. The Holy Spirit’s work is to glorify Jesus.

  • The Holy Spirit empowers the local church to become like Jesus in conduct and character.

  • To walk by the Spirit, we must deny our fleshly desires and walk by faith in our Spirit-given desires.

  • Factually, the church is one body, the body of Christ. Yet, we only experience this unity in this life as we yield to the Spirit.

  • Sin cannot sever the unity we have in Christ, but like a dislocated bone disrupts our harmony.

  • The proactive empowerment of the Spirit refers to the preservation of unity as we walk by the Spirit. The reactive empowerment of the Spirit refers to the Spirit-inspired pursuit of unity after walking by the flesh.

  • The Spirit empowers the church to not only confess their sins to one another, but to forgive one another.

  • When you quench the Spirit, you don’t benefit from the empowerment of the Spirit.

Discussion Questions/Application

Personal application:

  • Read and review the “key texts” from this week’s message – John 16:7-8, 13-14; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:1-6; and Acts 1:8.
  • Do you have any unresolved conflict or unforgiveness towards anyone in our church that needs to be addressed? Take the steps to confess, repent, and be reconciled as soon as possible.

Discuss with your community group:

  • In what areas are your character and conduct least consistent with the example of Christ?
  • What hinders you from boldly witnessing the gospel of Jesus? How can you encourage one another through this week’s message about the help of the Holy Spirit in this area?

Additional Passages Referenced

Genesis 2:20, 2 Peter 1:20-21; Ephesians 6:17b; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Timothy 2:24-25; Colossians 3:12-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:19.