Transcription
You might feel like your Christian life is missing something. You love God. You pray. You go to church, but deep down there's this hunger for more. You read about miracles in scripture. You hear stories of God moving in power. And something inside you whispers, "Why doesn't my life look like that?"
Maybe you've wondered, "Is that kind of power even for me?" You see the power Jesus walked in healing the sick, casting out demons, speaking with divine authority. And maybe you think to yourself, well, that was Jesus. He was perfect. I could never walk in that kind of power.
But here's what Jesus himself said about you. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth. Anyone who believes in me, do you believe in him?" And he's talking about you. Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done and even greater works because I am going to be with the father. And of course, Jesus said this in John 14:12.
I want to talk to you about how Jesus walked in the power of the Holy Spirit. If Jesus relied upon the Holy Spirit, so can you. And the same power in which Jesus walked, you can walk. Jesus demonstrated for us what a life of obedience looks like. Jesus demonstrated a life of surrender. Jesus demonstrated partnership with the Holy Spirit.
Take a look at this. Philippians chapter 2, beginning at verse number six. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.
Jesus voluntarily took upon himself certain human limitations. And I want to be clear here. Jesus was, is, and will always be God. And never at any point did he not know he was God. So Jesus is truly God, but he was also truly man. The God-man as we refer to him. So he voluntarily picked up certain limitations. At any moment he could have taken those limitations off. But in humility, he chose to embrace certain human limitations.
Think, for example, of Luke 2:52. Jesus grew in wisdom, in stature, in favor with God and man. Well, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. It shows that at some point he had limited himself. Otherwise, he would have always been at full capacity and he would have never had a need to grow. But he gave up certain divine privileges. For example, you can't kill God. Yet Jesus died. Did he cease being God when he died? No. He embraced those limitations.
He came to earth in the power of the Holy Spirit. Now watch this. Matthew 1:18 says this. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. So Jesus here was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost. Now that conception was so perfect, lacking nothing, complete that we read in Colossians chapter 2:9, for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Think about that. God the Creator, by the power of the Holy Spirit, steps into creation. Eternity stepped onto the timeline. Life embraced death. This conception was by the power of the Holy Ghost. What power is this that can take infinite God and wrap him in flesh, lacking nothing? So it wasn't that just a portion of God's nature was put in a physical body. It was that the fullness of the Godhead. Everything God is, was, ever shall be, dwelling in a human body.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. And how sayest thou then, show us the Father?" So the Holy Spirit didn't miss a single detail. The Holy Spirit took God eternal and put him in a physical body. That's the power of the Holy Ghost.
And Jesus began his ministry after the Holy Spirit came upon him. Well, remember when he was baptized, the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus like a dove. The Father proclaims, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Then Jesus goes to be tempted and then begins ministry. So the Holy Spirit rested upon Jesus.
Isaiah 11:1 and 2 say this, "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." And this empowering of the Holy Spirit gave to Jesus the ability to do many things, as we see in Isaiah 61:1. Look at this now. "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed."
There we see that when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and anointed him, that he was given the power to proclaim good news to the poor. He was sent to comfort the brokenhearted. He was sent to declare freedom to the captives. That's deliverance. That was by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus cast out demons by the Holy Spirit. Remember when the Pharisees accused Jesus of using demonic power to cast out demons? What was his response? Look at Matthew 12, verse number 28. Jesus said, "But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has arrived among you."
Remember Jesus voluntarily, temporarily embraced certain human limitations. And in that place of voluntary, temporary human limitation, Jesus chose to rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit, demonstrating to us that in our human limitation, we too can rely upon the same power. That same power that rested upon Christ and anointed him to proclaim the good news to the poor, to declare deliverance to the captive, to cast out devils. That same power rests on you.
Jesus healed the sick by the power of the Holy Spirit. Look at Acts chapter 10:38. "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." And as we saw in Isaiah 61:1, Jesus also preached in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Now, I'm going to show you something else that Jesus did in the power of the Holy Spirit. And it is probably the greatest example of trusting the Holy Spirit's power that we have for all time. I'm going to share that with you in just a moment. But first, if this message is encouraging you, you are being given spiritual insight, and you think this is the kind of teaching that more Christians need to be empowered with, then do me a favor right now and leave a like on this video. Just by you taking that split second to click that thumbs up, you're helping to spread this video to more people. They'll see it. Also, leave a comment. Let me know what you think of the message so far. What's challenging you? What's encouraging you? Do you have any questions? Comment those in the comment section right now. And also, make sure you don't miss any of my teachings on the person of the Holy Spirit or the power of the Holy Spirit. Make sure you subscribe to my channel right now so that you can continue to get these teachings. And when you do subscribe, make sure you click that notification bell. That's going to be very important.
Now, I told you that I wanted to mention to you the fact that Jesus gave to us the greatest demonstration of relying upon the Holy Spirit. And I want you to think about those seasons of your life where you're questioning whether or not you should obey the voice of God. Now, I know deep down we understand that when the Holy Spirit speaks, that we can trust him. But if we're being honest, sometimes we have that hesitation where God will give an instruction by his Holy Spirit that doesn't make much sense to us. And instead of just acting immediately in obedience, sometimes we hesitate in fear or in selfishness or in comfort. And we go back and forth between "should I, shouldn't I?" When all the while Jesus gave us an example of trust that should convict us to the core and cause us to remember that it's never going to do you wrong to put your faith in the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, watch this now. Not only did he receive the power for ministry from the Holy Spirit, to cast out devils from the Holy Spirit, to heal the sick from the Holy Spirit, Jesus also was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. And he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. It's right there. He is Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Romans 8:11 says, "The Spirit of God who what? Who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you." So the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, that's no small statement, dwells in you today.
Hebrews 5:7, "While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings with a loud cry and tears to the one who could rescue him from death, and God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God." Now, I want you to really think about this. I'm not going to be able to fully convey in words this spiritual concept because not only is it beyond my understanding, but of course, it's also beyond my ability to adequately describe. So, I'll do my best. For all of eternity. And even when I phrase it like that, I'm almost attaching to the state of eternity some sense of time, which there is no time in eternity. But just to help our understanding here, we'll say it like this: For all of eternity, all throughout eternity, the Father, the Spirit, and the Word knew fellowship, unbroken with one another, connected, perfect union.
Now, when Jesus died upon the cross, he cries out with a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Now, yes, this is a demonstration of him fulfilling an Old Testament prophecy, but that doesn't mean that there wasn't truth to what he was saying in some sense, though we can't completely comprehend it. That fellowship was broken. And Jesus took a trust fall into the grave, trusting that the Holy Spirit would catch him. Life itself submitted to death voluntarily. Eternity himself experienced the end of his time voluntarily. The power of the Almighty strength and might allowed himself to be weak. He dies a criminal's death and he chooses to embrace human limitation. As I said, a trust fall backwards into the grave, trusting that the Holy Spirit would catch him. Think about that. What trust is that? What reliance is that?
And you and I have trouble when the Holy Spirit tells us to witness to someone. You and I have trouble when the Holy Spirit tells us to give finances. You and I have trouble when the Holy Spirit tells us to exercise a spiritual gift, to go to a certain church, to start a ministry, to write that book, and we hesitate. Why? When has the Holy Spirit ever demonstrated that he couldn't take care of us? When has the Holy Spirit ever failed us? Well, if Jesus trusted the Holy Spirit, so can you. If Jesus relied upon the Holy Spirit, so should you. If Jesus chose to need the power of the Holy Spirit in voluntarily embraced weakness, then you and I can trust the power of the Holy Spirit in our weakness. He demonstrates to us what it's like to yield to the Holy Spirit.
Now, watch this. That same power that rested on Jesus rests on you. Now, watch this. Mark 16:15-20. "And he said unto them, 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe.'" Now, this is talking about you. Do you believe? And here it is: "In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.'"
Now, some have said there's no real good explanation for what this means, but you find a cross-reference quite simply in Luke 10:19 where we read, "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy." And there we're given a working definition of serpents. In other words, "they shall take up serpents" speaks to authority over demonic powers. This is in terms of demonic activity in general. And "if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them." Uh, this is by no means an encouragement to go out and intentionally try to harm yourself just to prove that you're protected. Simply put, this is speaking of divine protection. Uh, "they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." By the way, going back just a little bit here, the difference between casting out devils and taking up serpents is simply that in one sense, you're casting devils out of other individuals, and in the other sense, you're taking authority over demons in just the general sense.
"So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." This is talking about you. If you believe, these signs shall follow them that believe.
Now look at what Jesus said. I'll read it again. We read it in John 14:12. "I tell you the truth." He has to emphasize this here. Believe this. "Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done." And this is coming from the highest authority. This is Jesus saying this. Now, some have looked at this particular verse and they try to explain it away. They try to water it down. They try to say it doesn't literally mean what Jesus said. But it's right here. "I tell you the truth. Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father."
Now, understandably, there is some debate as to what Jesus meant by "even greater works." Some have said, "Well, how could you possibly do a greater work than Jesus?" And that's a good question. But again, it's Jesus who's saying that we will do greater works. Now, I've heard it said that this could mean that Jesus was referring to the preaching of the gospel itself. I mean, Jesus couldn't say that once he was a sinner who is now saved. We can say that. Maybe that's what he was referring to when he said "greater works." It could also be that when Jesus says "greater works," he's talking about the sheer volume of works, in that all of us collectively as the church doing what Jesus did will amount to more miracles than he did. That could be what he meant. But while there is some debate and while there are some questions about what Jesus meant about "greater works," there's no doubt about what he means by "the same works." And that's what I'm focusing on right now. You believe in him, you'll do the same works because I'm going to be with the Father. What Jesus was empowered to do, you're empowered to do.
John 16:7, "But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Advocate won't come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you." So, if we connect John 16:7 with John 14:12, we see a simple truth. When Jesus goes away, he sends the Holy Spirit. Because Jesus sends the Holy Spirit, you can do these greater works. The same Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells in you.
How do you walk in that power? Simple. There really is no man-made formula I can give you. It's just biblical truth. Trust and obey. Trust God and obey his voice. Trust the Holy Spirit when he speaks. Surrender those areas where there's compromise. Yield to him. Die to self. And he will endue you with fresh power from on high. Lord, let it be so.
In the name of Jesus, I pray for that one who is surrendering to the Holy Spirit all of those areas of sin and compromise and doubt and fear. And I pray, Lord, that as they even now surrender those things to you, that you would empower them. For you empower that which is surrendered. You strengthen that which is weak. And so, Lord, fill them with fresh power from on high. Cause them to walk in divine authority. Cause them to walk in great faith. Let them be people who cast out devils, who lay hands on the sick, who see miracles, who speak in new tongues, who preach the gospel with boldness. For you promised in your word, "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses." Lord, make them witnesses. Shine them brightly as lights in dark places. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray.
And I want you to say this. Say, "Lord, I surrender." And if you believe that, I want you to type it in the comment section. Type amen.
When you begin to surrender to the Holy Spirit, you'll realize that that surrender can't be compartmentalized. Sometimes we want to obey the Holy Spirit in the areas that are easier, while still holding on to compromise in the areas where we're more challenged. And one of the areas where I see many believers withholding their surrender from the Holy Spirit is in the area of their giving, their finances. And this is something I pray our generation recaptures. This revelation, this generous giving, this belief that as we sow, and this is biblical, as we sow financially, God blesses us. Now, that's not the ultimate motivator as to why we give. But it should be encouraging to know that as you give to the Lord's work, he increases your resources. And this keeps you from being fearful, from walking in greed, from walking in doubt, and saying, "Well, obey the Holy Spirit here and here, but in this area, I'm just going to kind of hold on real tightly." And we do that. We resist him. We fight him. We say things like, "Oh, well, the Holy Spirit understands my situation." Or, "Well, I already did something before." Or, "I intend to do it one day." And these excuses, they sound good, but as the Holy Spirit speaks to you, those excuses begin to go by the wayside.
Now, I know you love the gospel. I know you love souls. I know you love this ministry. So, if you've been blessed by this ministry and you want to help us spread the gospel to the lost souls that need it, you want to help us on our mission to continue to spread the word of God through media, events, and church planting so that other believers are also strengthened, thus multiplying the effect of the ministry, then get involved financially today. No more putting it off. Stop saying, "One day I'll partner. One day I'll do this. Oh, when when I reach this goal or that goal." Just step out in faith and say, "Holy Spirit, what would you like me to do on a monthly basis?" And then instead of allowing the flesh to grip those resources, release them. Become a monthly supporter today by going to davidhernandezministries.com/partner and sign up for a monthly automatic gift of any amount today. You can also give a single gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/donate.
I also challenge those of you who are business owners. You could sponsor our ministry projects. You could do something of great significance. This is a great place to invest resources for the sake of the kingdom of God. So whether the gift is large or small, everything counts. Single or monthly, everything counts. Obey the voice of the Holy Spirit and do that today.
Also, if you enjoyed this teaching, make sure to check out one of my recent releases entitled "Urgent: Huge Deception Poisoning the Church" right now.