Sermon by Pas. Alex
True deliverance is by the life of the spirit. This was a statement made by Papa Jonathan David during one of his upper room series. This message is a series of meditations from that.
It is a very profound statement. Deliverance is not only being set free from our habits and bondages and from demonic influences or anything. But to be truly set free from the old man and come into the things of God we need total deliverance. And that comes when there is an increase in the Life of the Spirit.
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
John 14:30
Jesus was able to say the enemy is coming but he will find nothing in Me. That was not because He was God but because He was totally yielded to the Holy Spirit so He had nothing in the flesh that could succumb to the temptation of the enemy. Thus He was able to make this statement.
What is the life of the spirit?
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16
If we live by the spirit the flesh has no place. We will easily be able to overcome the temptations of the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 8:13
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:24, 25
- Living by the spirit is a condition or a state of being
- Walking in the spirit is a daily decision, a deliberate intentional decision every day to walk by the spirit
- Keeping in step with the spirit means living in the continual Presence of God
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
It says if you abide in Him all other things will be added to you.
We need to create a life of God-consciousness. How?
- We pray, we worship, and we have dialogues and monologues. So we deliberately create an atmosphere in and around us where we are continuously God-conscious
- Christ must be the foremost of every affection because love is what motivates us in everything we do
- Total reliance on him
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
How do we measure if we really have this Spirit-filled life?
1. Christ will be glorified in our lives
In everything the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives, His supreme aim is to glorify Christ by whatever we do. One of the ways to judge ministries is where is the focus going?
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
John 16:13, 14
Anyone can operate in the gifts but if the Holy Spirit is really behind it, the glory will always go to Jesus. The focus – It’s not on the ministry platform. It’s not on the gifts. It’s not on the person. It’s only on Jesus. So one of the ways to measure if the Spirit is really leading us is whatever we say, hear, and do will always glorify Jesus
2. It will produce fruits
There are 4 different types of fruits
a) Fruit of repentance
Matthew 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
Repentance will be a continuous event in our lives. Our heart is so broken and contrite that anytime we realize we have sinned have no problem in humbling ourselves and accepting what God is dealing in our lives.
b) Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22, 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
c) Fruit of good works
Colossians 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
To understand this (Scripture must interpret scripture always), we go to Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
It means the assignment He planned for us. One of the ways we measure whether we are spirit-controlled is if we have a focus on our assignment. We will be progressing in what God has called us to do. There is such clarity. We will not easily deviate because it’s a spirit-controlled, spirit-filled life.
d) Fruit of righteousness
There are two types of righteousness. We are made righteous in Christ but we also need to walk in righteousness.
1 John 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
Those who belong to God practice righteousness.
Romans 6:13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
We need to use the instruments of our bodies for righteousness.
Mathew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
We have to hunger for righteousness. Righteousness means right before God, right before man, right before the devil, and right before our conscience.
These are the four fruits that will be produced whenever our life is spirit controlled.
3. Supernatural power to minister to others
Power will be in increasing measure.
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.
Acts 1:8
It will be visible because the power of the Holy Spirit is something tangible and visible.
4. Supernatural power to live a victorious life
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16
If we live by the spirit, if we live by His power, if we allow His power to manifest and work through our lives then we will have supernatural power to overcome everything that is pulling us down.
5. The life of God will come forth so Christ can begin to manifest
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3: 16-19
The primary work of the Holy Spirit is to produce the life of Christ in us until we reach the full measure of Christ and verse 19 says, the full measure of God.
6. Ability to overcome challenges
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18
As we face challenges in life our own understanding would be to look to the problems but a spirit-controlled life gives understanding and resilience to make the right decisions according to destiny. The Holy Spirit will always lift us up to see that all the sufferings that we go through are nothing compared to what we are going to gain in the future. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and clarity.
Bible says we are filled with the Spirit. What will determine whether we live a victorious life is not in the filling but in the yielding.
It’s not in the content but in how much control He has over our lives. It’s how much we give in to Him that gives Him free access to our lives. Whatever we don’t give in is what will rise in the flesh to challenge what He wants to do because we are holding on to that area.
That area is what we call my right to my rights
Eg. My right to happiness, my right to living my life on my own terms, right to entitlement.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
So we crucify ourselves and the life we now live, we live for Him.
It’s a deliberate decision
2 Corinthians 5:14, 15 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.
This talks about priority.
Philippians 2:3 – 5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
We need to put the needs of others first and we need to consider them better than ourselves. This is the attitude of Christ.
Mathew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Some examples of these principles being outworked
1 Corinthians 9:1-5 Am I not free? Am I, not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. Don’t we have the right to food and drink? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
Paul says as an apostle, I have a few entitlements but I am choosing to set them aside to be an example.
Nehemiah 5:14-16 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also Lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
Nehemiah had an entitlement to the governor’s allowance but because it will put more pressure on the people he decided to forgo it.
Philippians 2:6-7 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Christ gave up His right as the Son of God to serve us all.
Let us look at some more of our rights that we need to give up
1. Right to justify
Matthew 5:38 You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.
So if we hold on to the right to justify, or take our revenge whatever the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives will come to an abrupt stop.
2. Right to dignity
Luke 6:29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
This is talking about our right to dignity. When we have these issues we will be fighting – Why should I allow someone to do this to me? This hinders the Holy Spirit from creating in us the image of Christ. Remember what he says about Christ? He was so meek that when people cursed Him, He did not respond, people kicked Him he did not respond. All His rights He had surrendered to God. God brings us into situations where if we are very dignity conscious something in us will spring up to defend ourselves and justify ourselves. Even with God, we will struggle.
3. Right to justice
Matthew 5:40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.
Sometimes in life, people will cheat us, and take advantage of us but God is the one who decides. Our natural instinct is to fight for our rights. When God says – “Let go” what will rise up in us is the right to justice. God is more interested in changing our hearts and making our hearts more like Christ.
4. Right to freedom of choices
Matthew 5:41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
Why should I go the extra mile for someone? Why should I do so much for someone when I myself am in need? I must have the freedom to make my own choices.
We no longer live for ourselves.
5. Right to control of our resources
Matthew 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Why should I release my resources? I work hard, and I deserve to enjoy it. I deserve to bless those whom I love. Why should I release it?
We must do nothing out of selfish ambition.
6. Right to hate
Matthew 5:43, 44 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Right, to hate our enemies. Sometimes we justify that this person deserves to be hated because of our own experience and our own imaginations. All these are blocks to us from becoming Christ-like which is the ultimate goal of every Christian.
7. Right to recognition
Matthew 6:1 Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Especially when we are helping people or we are putting more effort and others are getting the glory or they steal our glory. This happens in the office as well as in Church. Do we fight for it or do we just surrender?
8. Right to bear a grudge
Matthew 6:14, 15 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Right to bear a grudge. God I know you say this but these are the 17 reasons why this person deserves to not be forgiven. We all have gone through these situations. We need to forgive and let go.
9. Right to judge
Matthew 7:1,2 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
We do not have the right to judge others. Finally,
10. Right to everything in our life
Luke 14:33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
This sums up everything. It simply means giving up and yielding our spirit to Him.
How much we yield to the Holy Spirit is how much He can build in our lives. We need to ask the Holy Spirit – What are the areas I am still holding on to as my right, my privilege, and my entitlement? What is not allowing you Lord to work deeper in my life?
We need to think from the perspective of the Word. We know from the scriptures, it is God’s desire for us to become Christ-like. For that reason, He sends the word. The Word comes to transform us into Christ-likeness. That is the purpose of the Word.
As the rain and the snow
Isaiah 55:10, 11
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
He first used the natural example. When water and snow come, the plants spring up. Similarly, when the Word comes it will accomplish its purpose. What is the primary thing He wants to accomplish?
The seed wants to establish the nature of the One who sent the seed; the nature of Christ.
Then He sent an Architect the Holy Spirit into our lives to build us into that image. God has done three-quarters of the work.
What is the one quarter that we need to do? Give up our rights
So in our lives, different areas the Holy Spirit begins to press in, we justify, we say these are our rights, this is our entitlement, this is not fair. So our struggles are because of what we think are our rights. Actually, when we become disciples of Christ or we call ourselves servants we have no more rights.
Easier said than done.
One of the things we need to measure is what kind of honor we give to the Word in our lives.
Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.
Isaiah 66:2
What does the word ‘tremble’ mean to us? It simply means that we give the Word the highest honor in our life.
What is our attitude towards the word? Is it the highest authority in our life? That will determine how we respond to the Word.
The Thessalonian church, due to persecution, Paul had to leave alone. They grew up with whatever teaching Paul gave them and with the help of the Holy Spirit. That was the only Church Paul called a model. He talked not only about their works but their nature, character, and fruit of the Spirit.
How did it become a model church? One of the secrets in their lives is revealed in 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
1 Thessalonians 2:13.
They accepted the Word as God speaking directly to them. So when the Word comes, what is our response? In that response lies the power to go to the next level. Believe and it begins to work in you and transform you into the image of Jesus.
James 1:21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Why is James deliberately using the words ‘humbly accept’? If we don’t recognize what the Word is convicting us if we don’t accept it we will continue in the same cycle and the Holy Spirit will come up against a wall whenever he wants to deal with us.
The spirit behind this whole thing is a spirit of self-indulgence
2 Timothy 3:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
The last days’ church is made of people who are lovers of self, money, and pleasure. If you sum it up it just implies self-indulgence.
The greatest idol in our life is I, the self. This has to be broken and replaced with love for God.
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
The greed of the mind, the longing of the mind, the cravings of the flesh, and the quest for recognition. All this is about self-indulgence with “I” as the center.
What rights are we still holding on to? Where do we not allow the Holy Spirit to come in and deal?
The time is coming – Dr. Tunde Bakare calls it The Exodus, Papa Jonathan David calls it The Separation and Theologians call it the Harlot church and the True Church of God. Everything will be the same between these two except for the quality of life.
Remember the Sardis Church? They have a reputation for being active. Reputation comes from what others observe of you. That means on the outside you look active, you look alive but inside you are dead. Only a few can enter, those who have not soiled their clothes. They will wear white garments. We know garments always talk about our life.
The only thing that is preventing the seed that He sent us from manifesting into Christ is what we hold on to as our right. So let’s ask the Holy Spirit to shine light in these areas even deeper. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to work even deeper in our lives so we will come to a point where like Jesus we can say the enemy cannot find anything in my life.
Rehoboth 