The Holy Spirit Is Not an Option, He Is an Absolute

Sermon outline

The Holy Spirit is the administrator of God's will on the earth and He works through believers, so for every Christian He is not an option but an absolute: He changes your DNA, makes you a compelling witness and gives you authority to speak and lay hands on the sick.

1. When we gather, we are the body of Christ

   We are bombarded every day, as they said in Bible school, with nine gigabytes of information that pulls us off track. When the saints assemble and bring their gifts together, we are realigned and brought back to the things of God. That is why it is vital for a Spirit-filled Christian not to miss the gathering.

   “When this group gets together, we are then the body of Christ.”

   • 1 Corinthians 12:13
   • Hebrews 10:25
   • 1 Corinthians 14:26

2. The church walked in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit

   After Paul's conversion the church had peace and grew in strength and numbers, walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The fear of the Lord is not terror but reverential honour and respect, a consciousness of God that guides your choices, speech and conduct. In a home, that reverence is what commands the blessing.

   “It doesn't mean to be terrified. It means to have a reverential fear, an honor, and a respect for God.”

   • Acts 9:31

3. The Holy Spirit is the administrator of God's will on the earth

   Pentecost brought in the administration of the Holy Spirit on the earth. The saving of souls and the transformation of hearts is His work: we are the messengers, but He arrests the heart. Even the success and effectiveness of Jesus' three-year ministry came from the anointing of the Spirit, after He was tested in the wilderness for His specific assignment, and what is true of Jesus is true of every Christian.

   Illustration: His first experience of the Holy Spirit came as a boy in Johannesburg, at a family prayer time his father, then a policeman, called. When it was his turn and he opened his mouth to pray, the presence of God fell so thickly that everyone began to cry.

   “We're the messenger, but the Holy Spirit is what brings transformation.”

   • Acts 2:16-17
   • Luke 4:18

4. You shall be My witnesses

   Even the disciples, who walked with Jesus, still did not understand until the Spirit came; they kept asking when He would restore the kingdom to Israel. A witness in court gives testimony so compelling that the jury believes it, and ours must be so compelling that people say, "I want what you have." Without the Holy Spirit the natural self cannot adequately represent Christ, whether in education, finance or politics. Your body is His temple; you were bought at a price.

   “Our testimony must be so compelling to the other person that they say, "You know what? I want what you have."”

   • Acts 1:3-8
   • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

5. He changes your DNA

   When the Holy Spirit comes in, what was hidden becomes clear and you are no longer a natural man: the eyes of your understanding are enlightened and you discern things differently. It does not matter what squalor or circumstances you were born into; all that matters is who lives in you now and where you are going. You are not only carrying the power, you are the power of God.

   Illustration: Every superhero has his DNA changed: Superman by another atmosphere, the Incredible Hulk by gamma radiation. Where did they get that from? Those are biblical principles: the Holy Spirit dwelling in a man and changing his DNA.

   “It doesn't matter where you came from. All that matters is who's living and residing inside of you and where you are going forward.”

   • Ephesians 1:18

6. The name of Jesus is not a magic spell

   Praying in the name of Jesus is not an incantation. It declares that the petition is in His will and represents Him, so it is done and finished. Never be afraid to pray with someone at work, believer or not, because when it comes to pass they are compelled to believe. We no longer tarry or beg; we speak with the boldness the apostles had before the courts.

   “You are putting the stamp of approval, it is done, on that request.”

7. Upon this rock, and why Jesus said "tell no one"

   Put your own name in Peter's place: flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but the Father, and on that rock He builds His church, with the keys of the kingdom so that what you bind and loose on earth is agreed in heaven. Whatever your son or daughter is facing, open your mouth and stand in your authority. Jesus forbade the disciples to speak of the transfiguration because Peter, still wanting to build three altars, would have misrepresented Him; only when the Spirit came did they understand the finished work of Calvary.

   “No matter how bad things are, this mouth can fix, because this mouth carries the authority of God.”

   • Matthew 16:13-19
   • Matthew 17:1-9

8. The Holy Spirit is not an option, He is an absolute

   For every believer the Holy Spirit is necessary, or we are sitting in religion. Our testimony is the resurrection, and since there is no body to show, it must be proved through the miracles and the power God works through us. Success, favour and good health are by-products of that relationship. The Spirit works through nothing else but the believer, the vessel, so do not be afraid to lay hands on the sick.

   Illustration: Driving home from a conference in Mthatha, praying in the Spirit, he was stopped for speeding. The officer stepped back from the window as if a mist had come out of the car, began to arrest him and then said she could not. He noticed she was hurt, asked whether he could pray, laid his hand on her and prayed one sentence, and she jumped out of the car and danced on the roadside. A word of knowledge followed about her son coming home that day, and a week later she phoned to say it had happened.

   “For every single believer, the Holy Spirit is not an option. The Holy Spirit is necessary. It is an absolute.”

In this message