by bringing them into identity, empowering them with Holy Spirit fire, Teaching them to hear God, Watch Queue Queue My caller represented a conservative women’s religious group, and invited me to speak at their annual meeting. Genesis 1:1 speaks of the “Spirit of God hovering over the waters” at the creation. It will help us to understand the work of the Holy Spirit and the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives. At the end of the day, the people coming to church must understand that those who are ministered to are edified, but it doesn’t mean that we should stop speaking in tongues. Servant leadership means that, by God’s power, we each in our spheres of service use our gifts to exercise both servanthood and leadership. The Church carries out its pastoral mission to the academic world both through its communal life and through the Christian witness of its individual members. Through witnessing. 5. Take the passage in Mark chapter 1 where Jesus called Simon Peter and Andrew, and also James and John—four men in the fishing business. In that early church, leaders were persons who—like Phoebe and Timothy— were simply fellow-believers called to use their spiritual gifts to minister together with the other members of the local Body of Christ. Hence the real value of this gift of the Spirit and its power! Taught by the Empowerment of the Spirit Acts 1:2 says that Christ gave His commandments to the apostles "through the Holy Spirit." In both cases, Mark tells us “straightway” — immediately—these men left their business and followed Jesus. That First group is really saying: “There is a hierarchy, and we are the chief servants.”. Sign up for our newsletter to receive our most up-to-date news, articles, and information. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. “Empowered for Service” Acts 2:1-21. B. I quite agree that we need to return to the actual practice of the New Testament church—not culture, but practice — beginning with a fresh appreciation of Paul’s admonition not to look at each other any longer from merely a human (fleshly) point of view. Equipping Believers to step from being knowers of the word of God, to being doers of the word of God. What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? With team ministry in place, each believer knows that her or his gifts are necessary to the proper functioning of the whole Body. That those whose lives are darkened by the shadow of sin or doubt may be drawn into the light of forgiveness and peace through the grace and mercy of … The Baptized B. The Holy Spirit’s deity is equal to that of God the Father and God the Son; being all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present. Therefore, in contrast to the world’s way of rating people by their political, economic, or social power over others, the Gospel proclaims an upside-down kingdom where all persons are of equal value, and all are equally empowered to serve their Savior — men and women alike. He empowered them when they were insecure, weak, afraid, and even after they messed up. Genesis 1:1 speaks of the “Spirit of God hovering over the waters” at the creation. We are constantly reminded that for a body to remain healthy and function it’s not only what they eat consume but how they exercise as well. Power to perform miracles (Acts 6:8), etc. They had personally experienced the Gospel as the very power of God bringing salvation to everyone who believes (Rom 1:16,17), and they knew that—to all who believed—God gave the power to become children of God (John 1:12), to be part of a new family, with a new calling to be about God’s family business of sharing that transforming power with a lost world (2 Cor 5:16-20). This word ambassador is a strong word in the original New Testament Greek, just as it is in English. With my preoccupation with producing the most perfect ministry result possible, I’d sent the message that no one else could do as good a job, and so no one else was even willing to give it a try. The Holy Spirit is not a person to be used to get what you want or to puff up yourself. Paul is not only commending a woman who was in an ordained post, a diakanos, but a woman who was a prostatis. We cannot garner the power of the Spirit in order to use God. Yes, some projects I was involved with were well-executed, but in retrospect I believe the cost was too great: not only the cost I paid in worry, energy depletion, frazzled nerves, and maybe even some smugness that the good results were due primarily to my efforts, but also a cost that others paid, too. How much more controversial can you get? Study 6 THE HOLY SPIRIT AND OUR SERVICE. No one of us is empowered to make another group our assistants. 1 Cor 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: The preaching of the gospel will also have signs that follow. Spirit Empowered Ministries looks to serve the Church community through building relational bonds with ministry partners, seeking God in prayer, and equipping the Saints to advance the Kingdom of Heaven.We are devoted to following the leadership of Holy Spirit and teaching others how to connect with God so they can follow His lead as well. This power is not just for preachers, evangelists, or people who work in special ministry; rather, it is available to every believer who willingly surrenders moment by moment in submission and obedience to the Holy Spirit. Servanthood and leadership go together for all of us. 5. Consider: Jesus did not restrain the Samaritan woman in John 4 from running to evangelize her village; Jesus did commission Mary Magdalene to be the first to tell the male disciples about the resurrection. For example, in the forty-three years my husband has practiced law, I have never heard him referred to as anything but a lawyer, but my daughter-in-law is termed a “woman” lawyer, with that qualifier conveying the notion that she might practice law in some sort of peculiarly “female” manner. Likewise, only when we embrace the empowerment of the Holy Spirit can … The word baptize used both in conjunction with water baptism, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit means to immerse and to soak something. It was challenging and rewarding to teach persons who had never read the Gospels, or never heard of Paul’s missionary journeys. b. These families depended on fishing to live. The CBE faith statement affirms that God’s free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is offered to all people, and that the power and presence of the Holy Spirit are present in the life of all believers. In the best sense of the term, we are mutually submissive one to the other. Servant leadership does not mean filling a slot on an organization chart, or being in a position of benign power over others. Gifts of Stock, Mutual Funds, and Retirement Accounts, CBE International’s Favorite Books of 2020, Sign Up to Get CBE’s Academic Journal Online. As long as one group holds to the notion that there is another group that is always under them, the Dominant group cannot understand the biblical meaning of servanthood. Through the fruit of the Spirit, God's power and only God's power enables us to exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, which reveal the character of Christ in us. Our unity is not about sameness, but unity in diversity. Spirit-empowered leadership is servant leadership. In Luke 3:22, we see Jesus baptized in water and filled with the Holy Spirit at the same time. One of the greatest lessons I have learned over the years is to let others use their gifts to teach me. You see, that notion of loving leadership is not at all the same as servant leadership. God gives us power! We Are Empowered By The Holy Spirit To Serve, Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”. Many of the members refused to read ahead in the Bible book we were studying, saying: “Oh, we wouldn’t be able to understand the passage properly until you teach it to us.” I realized that their dependency had created an unhealthy situation: They were unwilling to get beyond the infant stage in their own need to study Scripture personally. These spirit empowered gifts were to be used to build up the church for the work of the ministry. “The Holy Spirit whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us — and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] — with a jealous love” (James 4:5 AMP). However, in the attempt to try to get around the fact that teaching subordination of women infantilizes women and limits their redemptive freedom, persons who teach that only men are to be in leadership roles have justified this practice by saying that men exercise “loving” leadership. When you have the Holy Spirit, you have all the power you need to live the abundant Christian life. The power of God was in evidence at all times but in a different way during the Old Testament times. Back in 19901 received a phone call that highlighted how familiarity can breed indifference to Bible truths. Rather, empowering others to serve however and wherever God calls them to serve involves empowering them to use their God-given gifts freely —even if that means that they eventually assume a leadership post over you. B. But did Jesus say, “Oh, thank you for reminding me. Changes to Restrictions 09/12/2020. Matthew 28:19-20 Set . WELCOME. So Paul is able to write to the Corinthians: “We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake .... and we do have the treasure of our new life in our human form, so that it may be clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” And Paul also says, “Of this Gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of God’s power” (Eph 3:7). The many biblical examples of women serving in all sorts of roles, including what are commonly called leadership roles, put the lie to any notion that leadership is only to be exercised by men. 1. And we must come to see that we are to act as “bought” people who are now at Christ’s disposal. But because this does not come naturally, Scripture makes it clear that such a transformation can only be by God’s power. 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