Then Jesus, in the power
of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the
surrounding countryside. He began to teach in their
synagogues and was praised by all.
Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up,
and went into the synagogue on the
Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and
the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and
found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed
me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the
captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are
oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:14-19, NET)
During
this past Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Shane shared a few points concerning the role
of the Holy Spirit in our experience of the love of God:
- When the Spirit of God is present,
His love moves us to love ourselves and to know ourselves.
- When the Spirit of God is present, His love opens our ears to hear and obey the voice of the Lord.
We
see the Holy Spirit’s work exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ. Pastor Shane
referred to Luke 4:14-19, in which we see Jesus begin ministry with a clear announcement
of His role and purpose. This ministry, as we see in the Luke passage, was launched in the power of
the Spirit.
In
addition, we are reminded that dependence upon the Spirit of God is necessary
for our own success in ministry. Jesus informed His disciples of this reality: “While He was with them He declared, ‘Do
not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what My Father promised, which you
heard about from Me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized
with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” (Acts 1:4-5, NET)
It
is through the Holy Spirit that we are able to demonstrate God's love for the world in ways
that are pleasing to God, and in ways that are beneficial for the kingdom of God.
Is your ministry filled with authentic Love?
Is the Spirit of God at
work in you?
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