HOFC Sermon Archive: Spiritual Gifts Part 2: Perfected by the Holy Spirit

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Spiritual Gifts

Part 2: Perfected by the Holy Spirit

By Rev. Bruce A. Shields

This document is a Sermon Outline. You may hear the full audio of the sermon by following the link to the Online Audio Files located above for this and other Full Sermon Audios. For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on Facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on Facebook at House of Faith Church. #worship #godheals #newtestament #jesuslovesyou #churchfamily #godsword #loveoneanother #holy #godislove #church #jesus #god #bible #christian #love #faith #worship #jesuschrist #gospel #prayer #christ #christianity #pray #holyspirit #godisgood #hope #blessed #armorofgod

SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction

2. Perfected by the Holy Spirit

INTRODUCTION

Today is Sunday. January 14^th, 2024

Last week, we began looking at the Spiritual Gifts. After examining what the scripture states about conversion to discipleship, how we receive the Holy Spirit with our Salvation, the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, and the Full Armor of God from the Holy Spirit, we now examine the Spiritual Gifts.

Last week, we also discussed the importance of the Spiritual Gifts and how they are used by the Holy Spirit, through us, explicitly to build, strengthen, and edify the Body of Christ.

What are the Spiritual Gifts for?

Ephesians 4:12 “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ,”

Who is the Body of Christ?

1 Corinthians 12:12 “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.”

How are the gifts distributed to the Body of Christ?

Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

I mentioned before that a friend told me, “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” That is true. However, which Christian are you going to be?

The one who assembles with the Body of Christ, as we are instructed to in scripture, to share the Spiritual Gifts the Holy Spirit has given to you to build, strengthen, and edify the Body, also receiving the Spiritual Gifts the Holy Spirit has given to others to build, strengthen and encourage you, or the one who has forsaken the assembly, straying from the Body of Christ?

Which will grow and Spiritually mature? The one who surrounds himself with other believers filled with the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts, or the one who forsakes assembly? What happens to us and our faith if we are not maturing in the Spirit?

Instead, what happens to a tree which is not watered?

Remember the fig tree in Matthew 21? It had leaves but no fruit. So Jesus cursed it, saying, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.”

The fig tree looked the part. It had all the leaves as it should, but there was no fruit, even though it was in season. We, too, can “look the part” of a Christian on the outward appearance, but if we have no fruit, we are still cursed.

There is more to Christianity than calling yourself a Christian. You must be a follower of Christ and a “doer of the word, not just a hearer who deceives himself” James 1:22

We hear the truth of the word, call on the name of Jesus, receive Salvation and forgiveness of sins, and a portion or down payment of what is to come in the form of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit then imparts to us the Fruits of the Spirit, the Full Armor of God, and the Spiritual Gifts, all for use within the Kingdom to enable us to produce fruits in His Name for the Body of Christ.

We must not forsake the assembly, quench the Spirit of God, or keep the Spiritual Gifts given to ourselves because we did not assemble with the Body of Christ. Those gifts are given to accomplish God’s Will, produce fruit in our Spiritual Walk, and get a return.

“So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what pleases Me, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

Matthew 25, we read the parable Jesus tells of the servants given money by their master. The one who took what he was given and buried it in the ground was cursed by the master for not doing something profitable with it.

The Lord is serious about us being doers of the word, about using the Spiritual Gifts for the Body of Christ, assembling together so that we may all grow.

Two examples in the word, by Jesus Himself, tell us to use what He has given us, or it will be taken away.

So we receive the Holy Spirit and are perfected by it. But that in no way means we are perfect.

SCRIPTURE READING

Philippians 1:6 (Legacy Standard Bible)

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Today’s Topic: Spiritual Gifts: Perfected by the Holy Spirit

I. PERFECTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

a. Be Perfect

i. Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

ii. A tall order, considering we are not perfect and only God is.

iii. But this word, translated as “perfect” in English, would have been better translated as “Mature.”

1. This makes far more sense considering the context from which this verse is taken.

2. Matthew 5 is about personal relationships with others and how you are to treat them – In a mature manner, being Spiritually Mature as your heavenly Father is mature.

3. In other words, be an imitator of God.

iv. This verse has nothing to do with actual “perfection” and never making a mistake. We are flawed creatures who need God and His Spirit, and the presence of Jesus in our lives continually.

b. What about Philippians 1:6?

i. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

ii. The word translated “perfect” literally means “shall be performing.”

iii. So it would read, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you shall be performing it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

1. We are an unfinished work in Christ Jesus.

2. He begins a work in us through the Holy Spirit when we are saved.

3. He continues this work of “perfecting” us, or making us more “spiritually mature as our Father in heaven is mature,” until the day of Christ Jesus.

iv. Philippians 1:6 tells us that the day of Christ marks the time when our sanctification will be complete.

v. At long last, we will enjoy sinless perfection and dwell in resurrected, immortal, glorified bodies.

vi. In reference to this future we believers obtain through Salvation, John wrote;

1. “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not been manifested as yet what we will be. We know that when He is manifested, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3

c. We are a work in progress…if we are doers of the word

i. We are not “perfect” by modern English definition

1. Having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics, as good as it is possible to be.

2. absolute; complete

3. Make (something) completely free from faults or defects or as close to such a condition as possible.

ii. Perfect in English Bibles is closer to an archaic definition

1. bring to completion;

2. a process not yet completed.

II. WE ARE NOT PERFECT, BUT GOD IS

a. Only Yahweh is perfect.

i. Deuteronomy 32:4 “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.”

ii. God is perfect in knowledge Job 37:16

iii. God’s perfect law restores the soul Psalm 19:7

iv. God’s will is perfect, and we are told to “be transformed by the renewing of our mind,” Romans 12:2

v. Isaiah saw the Seraphim calling out in the temple in heaven before the throne of God, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory.” Isaiah 6:3

b. Man is far from perfect, but there is hope for Spiritual Maturity

i. James 1:25 “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

ii. Job 15:14-16 “What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? 15 Behold, He puts no faith in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight; 16 How much less one who is abominable and corrupt, Man, who drinks unrighteousness like water!”

iii. Romans 3:23-24 “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;”

c. We are called to be “imitators of God” and perfect (to spiritually mature)

i. Be mature as your heavenly Father is mature Matthew 5:48

ii. Ephesians 5:1 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children…”

iii. 1 Peter 1:16 (quoting Leviticus 19:2) instructs us to be Spiritually Mature by fixing our hope on Jesus Christ.

1. “Therefore, having girded your minds for action, being sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, not being conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your conduct; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Do you see the pattern in scripture? Be Spiritually mature (through the Holy Spirit) so that the Spirit can do a work in you until the Day of Christ when you stand before Him. Continuously maturing and growing in the Lord.

Be perfect (mature), be holy (imitators of God), prepare your minds for action (spiritual battle), and be obedient children and doers of the word of God.

III. WE ARE SEEN AS A WORK BEING PERFECTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

a. The first step to living a perfect, holy life

i. Accept Jesus as Savior

ii. Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

b. We are now declared Righteous.

i. Romans 5:1-11 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we boast in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions (we are not perfect), knowing that affliction brings about perseverance (striving to be imitators of God and doers of the word); 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not put to shame, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

ii. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God”

c. What must we do to be perfect and holy?

i. Receive Christ as Savior through hearing and believing God's word.

ii. Do not stand in the way of the Holy Spirit maturing and growing us.

iii. Be obedient children to the word of God.

iv. Strive to change your thinking so that you may be transformed.

v. You will become a new creation.

vi. And one day, you will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and be made perfect in spirit and body.

CONCLUSION

Being perfected by the Holy Spirit relates to Spiritual Maturity.

James 1:4; Philippians 3:12

Perfection is a gift that humans receive through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:10-14