PART 5 GOD’S ABUNDANT LIFE
CHAPTER 4
WHAT MAJOR DECISION WOULD HELP A BELIEVER EXPERIENCE GOD’S ABUNDANT LIFE?
The answer is by attending a Spirit-filled church assembly. This begs the question.
How would a believer recognize a Spirit-filled church assembly?
It might sound like it’s a church environment where everyone knows
each other, likes each other and enjoys volunteering for church
functions. And might I say, I would hope these interactions would be
such. But at the heart of it all, there should be something or someone
that binds everyone and everything together.
With these thoughts in mind, let’s define what should characterize a
Spirit-filled assembly. A Spirit-filled assembly is an assembly where
the believers are being influenced and prompted by the Holy Spirit not
only when they attend the worship services but every day of their life.
How do I know whether the church I’m attending or the one that I might attend is Spirit-filled?
This is the million-dollar question. I believe there are certain
characteristics that will be evidenced when a believer attends a
Spirit-filled church. Some of these you might recognize, and some of
these you might not. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at them.
The Gospel of Christ Should Be Clearly Presented.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is
the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew
first, and also to the Greek.
I can’t stress how important this is. There should be a time during
the assembly gathering when the gospel of Christ is presented to
unbelievers.
The presenting of the gospel in a church service would most likely be
done by leadership who would declare to anyone that was an unbeliever
their need to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. While we’ve already
talked about this earlier in this study, it’s crucial to point out that
at this moment, the new believer would receive the indwelling Spirit
into their life along with eternal, abundant life and a number of other
spiritual benefits.
The gospel message and the unbeliever’s response to it allow each new
member to be able to experience God’s presence, be convicted of sin,
have access to God the Father in prayer, receive at least one spiritual
gift which signifies his/her place in the body of Christ, be provided
with the proper motivation to serve God, and be enabled to grow
spiritually.
And just to mention what the gospel is not. You cannot receive the
indwelling Spirit by being baptized in water. Furthermore, belief in
Christ solely as a teacher or prophet and not God incarnate, being one
of the members of the Trinity, being deity will also negate salvation
from taking place.
What else should we look for when we gather together with the saints for worship and praise?
2. Grace Teachings.
These are teachings that are given to us without human effort or
ritual. They are contained in God’s Word, the Bible. I’ve given
different names to the varied classifications of these doctrines.
Foundational Doctrines: These are doctrines upon which our faith
stands. The names of some of these are the doctrine of the Trinity; the
deity of Christ; the deity of God the Father; the deity of the Holy
Spirit; the gospel of Christ; salvation; atonement; redemption; the
blood of Christ; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of Christ;
Christ is the only way to get to heaven; and eternal security.
Intellectual Doctrines: These give us further information about our
faith. The names of some of them are the doctrine of Spiritual
Blessings, of Baptisms, of the Seven Crowns, of a godly Mouth, of Divine
Guidance, of Defense Mechanisms, of Complaining, of Spiritual Growth,
of the Virgin Birth, of the Lord’s Supper, etc.
Remember that we can’t lose or undo any of the foundational
doctrines. I know that this sounds like a strange statement. What I mean
is that we can’t undo Christ’s atonement, His payment for our sins, the
providing of forgiveness, His resurrection, salvation, or the
indwelling Spirit by our behavior or lack of performing good works. Our
standing with Christ is different from our walk with Him. One is
permanent, while the other is conditional.
One of the intellectual doctrines that I consider paramount is what we’ll take a look at next.
3. Church Teachings That Include the Doctrine of Personal Sanctification.
You might be thinking, I know what you mean by this. You mean, find a
church where the teachings are all about not committing certain sins.
Most churches will have a preset doctrinal platform whose teachings
present the foundational and intellectual doctrines along with what I
would call Spiritual Growth doctrines.
What do I mean when I talk about spiritual growth? And how do we grow
spiritually?
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
We grow not only by learning about the truths of our faith but also
by the renewing of your mind. The Apostle Paul was instructing the
Christians at Rome to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The
word transformed in Greek means inward transformation; to appear as new
people with new habits; of a person changing his outward expression from
that which he has to a different one, an expression which comes from
and is representative of his inner being.36 So, what causes inward
transformation in the believer?
It’s having our minds renewed that brings about inward
transformation. The words renewing of your mind means the variation of
new views and feelings; a complete change for the better of the
believers’ mental processes; as the mind keeps on being made new by the
spiritual input of God's Word, … his lifestyle keeps on being
transformed37; as you spend time meditating on God's Word, memorizing
it, and making it a part of your inner man, God will gradually make your
mind more spiritual.38 Wow! Wow! And Wow!
After salvation, we still have a sin nature whose preoccupation is
with thoughts that are contrary to all that has occurred in our lives
before our conversion. These thoughts, words, and actions that have had a
lifetime to develop need an intervention. They need to be replaced with
a new perception, i.e., divine viewpoint.
Thinking anew. Responding different. If someone says bad things about
us, we bless them by saying good things about them. If someone has done
something against us, we pray that they would acknowledge their sinful
ways and an opportunity would open up for the gospel to be shared with
them. Thoughts of lust can be replaced with thoughts of not loving
others for our own advantage.
As we begin to apply the Word of God, what we’re actually doing is
developing the fruit of the Spirit. Before we know it, the Holy Spirit’s
influences and promptings become more apparent to us. And the next
thing you know, we’re engaged in prayer, giving financially, and
volunteering to participate in this or that with the right motives.
So, be careful when the emphasis of the church is on doing, doing,
and doing with little or no teaching on this doctrine. Be aware when
messages are brought forth that says you will lose the Spirit, or you’re
standing with God because of whatever it is they say will cause these
things to be removed (e.g., sinful behavior, not attending church, not
exhibiting good works, not being obedient to leadership commands). Be on
guard for teachings that emphasize following the tenets of the Mosaic
Law, the institution that was given to the Jews by Moses from God
(observing the Sabbath; tithing; earning and maintaining salvation by
obeying its many commands).
4. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Every time I mention this topic, I would get a response from a fellow
believer that I must be involved in a Pentecostal church. In my youth, I
would attend a mainstream church with my parents, and I can honestly
say that I never heard of the gifts of the Spirit. After my spiritual
conversion, which took place in my mid-twenties, I attended a
Spirit-filled non-denominational church that evidenced these gifts even
though I wouldn’t describe it as being Pentecostal with the impression
of there being an overemphasis placed on them. I would describe this
church as being God-centered in the sense of teaching on the fulness of
the doctrines of the Word, of emphasizing the work of the Holy Spirit,
of experiencing God’s presence, and of evidencing godliness in
everything we say and do.
1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
What are the gifts of the Spirit? What is their purpose? How many are there, and what are their names and functions?
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are divine empowerments, extraordinary
powers, and a favor that one receives without any merit of their own.
Are the gifts of the Spirit natural talents? No. Talents are received at
birth. They are natural endowments.
As for their purpose, I love this explanation. God gives to each
member of the body of Christ at least one gift as shall manifest the
work and nature of the Spirit’s operation on the mind, which gives each
person some proof of the Spirit’s presence in order to promote harmony
in the church.39
Some believe there are fifteen gifts. Their names can be found in the
book of Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1, 7-10, 28. I’ll mention a
few of them now just so we can have an awareness of what they’re all
about.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
The word of wisdom can be described as insight into doctrinal truth.
It could also refer to supernatural wisdom about how to solve a
practical or spiritual problem.40
The word of knowledge is the revealing of a fact in existence (of the
present or past) that can only be supernaturally revealed. In other
words, this is not something that could be known naturally, but
something one’s eyes have not [seen] and ears have not heard.41
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
Faith is a peculiar impulse, … that came upon the apostles when any
difficult matter was to be performed, which inwardly assured them that
God's power would assist them in the performance of it.42 Another way of
describing this gift is to say that God brings about a supernatural
change with no human effort involved. God does something on our behalf
but independent of us. This gift can also operate in areas of divine
protection and divine provision.43
Healing is the power to heal various kinds of illnesses or diseases.
Healing can come through a prayer of faith and the laying on of hands by
the elders (James 5:14-15) or by speaking a word from the Lord for
specific healing (Acts 3:6). We can pray and lay hands on the sick as we
respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit (Acts 28:8).
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to
another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to
another the interpretation of tongues:
The working of miracles has to do with God entrusting a believer with
strength or energy that we don’t normally have. Another way of saying
this is a believer does a supernatural act by the divine energy of the
Holy Spirit.44
Discerning of spirits is the divine ability to the presence and
activity of a spirit that motivates a human being, whether good or
bad.45 Their doctrine is subject to examination, and what they’re saying
is considered as to whether it proceeded from the Spirit of God.
Prophecy is the anointed speaking forth of words of edification (to
build up), exhortation (a call to encouragement), and comfort
(consolation- includes the healing of distress, of sorrow, of
persecution, and of suffering) for the church.46 Its exercise is not
solely intellectually based. [It’s] calling forth words from the Spirit
of God.47 [It’s also] designed to warn men and [women] of sin or
shortcomings.48 Someone who has this gift might also predict future
events if they were called to the leadership gift of prophet.
Divers kinds of tongues mean speaking in a foreign language that one
has not learned, which is inspired by the Holy Spirit. If it’s not
interpreted, then it speaks mysteries to God, and the speaking is unable
to understand what is being said. While the believer conveying it might
be edified, those in the periphery will be unaware of what God would
like to proclaim.
Interpretation of tongues is used to explain the meaning of the words
that were spoken in a foreign tongue into the known language of the
hearers.
There you have it, the characteristics of a Spirit-filled church. The
true gospel is proclaimed, the foundational and intellectual doctrines
of the faith are being taught, learning how to grow spiritually is
brought forth by leadership in their teachings and examples, and the
operation of the gifts of the Spirit is promoted to be exercised
decently and in order. In this church, God’s abundant life is ever
flowing. Lives are being changed from glory to glory. Church is fun
because God shows up. Hallelujah! Praise God! Thank you, Lord!
Just meditating on what was just said is exhilarating.
What I’d like us to discuss next is the kind of decisions we could
make that might help us experience God’s abundant life on a daily basis.
While I might have already given you some advice in this area, there’s
more to discover.
But before you turn there, please read the following article that
conveys the additional characteristics of a Spirit-filled church.
10 CHARACTERISTICS OF A SPIRIT-LED CHURCH
by Paul Chappell | Jun 16, 2014 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership
[It’s] impossible to read the book of Acts without seeing the evident
power of the Holy Spirit working through the first-century churches—not
just in the miraculous sign gifts, but in the daily witness of the
churches.
I’m convinced that the reason we [don’t] always see this power in our
churches today is [that] we tend to focus more on programs and action
items than we do on seeking God’s power. It has been said, “If you can
fully explain the ministry of a church, something is wrong.”
What evidences do we see in the early church of the work of the Holy
Spirit? The same [evidence] set forth in a Spirit-led church today:
Fear of the Lord
Worship has never been about bringing God down to our level but about
worshiping God for who He is. When we have a sense of awe and godly
fear in the presence of God, we carry an awareness of His presence
through the week and live in obedience to Him.
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon
every soul…—Acts 2:42–43
In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.—Proverbs 14:26
Desire for the Holy Spirit’s Fullness
Although I regularly preach on the holy lifestyle God calls His
children to live, in the past twenty-eight years of pastoral ministry,
I’ve preached more on the Spirit-filled life than any other topic.
Without a yieldedness to the Holy Spirit and a hunger for His power, no
matter how free from worldliness our lives may be, they will be empty
and shallow. Having a desire for the power of the Holy Spirit means we
move from self-reliance to God-reliance in every facet of our lives.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;—Ephesians 5:18
Fervent preaching
Biblical preaching that lifts up Christ and boldly declares the
truths of His Word is the great need of the hour. As E.M. Bounds rightly
said, “The power of Christ’s dispensation is a fiery pulpit. Not a
learned pulpit, not a popular pulpit, not an eloquent pulpit, but a
pulpit on fire with the Holy Ghost.”
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that
they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took
knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.—Acts 4:13
Doctrinal teaching
Nothing is as important as the doctrines of the Word of God. The
early Christians saved at Pentecost continued first in the
[apostles’] doctrine. With the emphasis on doctrine—the clear teaching
of God’s Word—they continued in fellowship and prayer. The doctrine of
the [apostles] was the natural backdrop for teaching young Christians
the lifestyle set forth by those doctrines. To reverse the
pattern—teaching what we do before teaching what we believe—is to give
people the fruit without helping them develop the root.
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.—Acts 2:42
Fervent prayer
One of the overriding characteristics in the early church was prayer.
Prayer was their source of power, comfort, courage, and hope, and it
was the underlying force for their witness, faithfulness, and growth. A
church without frequent times of fervent prayer is a church without
power.
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication…—Acts 1:14
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.—Acts 6:4
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.—Acts 12:5
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;—Romans 12:12
Loving fellowship
We easily connect the two words fervent prayer in our minds. But what
about fervent love? Indeed, the early church was a loving church—a
church with an intense spirit of love for one another to bear burdens,
sacrificially give, and gladly fellowship.
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.—1 Peter 4:8
Sacrificial spirit
The natural outflow of love is sacrifice. As Amy Carmichael once
said, “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”
And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And
sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every
man had need.—Acts 2:44–45
Obedient witness
The early church not only witnessed in the power of the Holy Spirit,
but they did so in spite of intense persecution. A Spirit-led church is a
church that witnesses for Christ regularly, passionately, and
faithfully—regardless of the obstacles.
And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a
great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they
were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria,
except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and
made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the
church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed
them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every
where preaching the word.—Acts 8:1–4
Gracious spirit
A Spirit-led church overflows with the grace of God. And that grace
will never be more evident than it is in the relationships within the
church. Whether it be the member to member, member to [pastor,] or
pastor to member relationship, every relationship in the church should
set forth the graciousness of Spirit-filled people. A bickering,
quarreling church is not likely to see the supernatural power of God.
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.—Acts 4:33
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence,
even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye
kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye
have not, because ye ask not.—James 4:1–2
Dedicated ministry
While the first characteristic we saw—the fear of the Lord—is an
attitude of the heart, this characteristic—dedicated ministry—is the
corresponding outward action. To serve the Lord is to obey His will by
obeying His commands. And a Spirit-led church will be focused on obeying
Christ’s command to preach the gospel in its community and around the
world.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.—Acts
1:8
Do these characteristics describe the church you pastor or attend?
More importantly—because, after all, a church is comprised of people—do
they describe your life?
I’m all for [carefully planned] programs to further a biblical vision
of fulfilling the Great Commission. But programs without the power of
God are empty and fruitless. As it has been wisely said, “Anything done
in our own strength will fail [miserably] or succeed even more
miserably.”
To see the power of God in our churches and spiritual fruit for our
efforts, we need to return to a dependence on and yieldedness to the
Holy Spirit of God.49
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Endnotes
36 Weust.
37 Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament, 2000. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 09 February 2020 ˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.
38 The Bible Exposition.
39 Barnes.
40Jewish New Testament Commentary Pc Study Bible version 5, 1992. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 26 October 2021 ˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.
41Lester Sumrall. “The Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit,” Lester Sumrall Evangelical Association, 1982. .
42Adam Clarke.
43Lester Sumrall.
44Lester Sumrall.
45Lester Sumrall.
46“Motivational Gifts – What are Spiritual Motivational Gifts?” 24
March 2012
˂http://christianity.about.com/od/holyspirittopicalstudy/a/spiritualgifts_2.htm>.
47Lester Sumrall.
48Lester Sumrall.
49Paul Chappell. “10 CHARACTERISTICS OF A SPIRIT-LED CHURCH,” 15 December 2021 .
