Spirit-Filled Community

Pastor Chris Roaming is preaching a message on Pentecost, the day when God gave birth to the church as a new community. Pastor Roaming has been teaching about the Holy Spirit in midweek studies and will continue the study through the summer. The summer Bible study will look at the Holy Spirit's work in the Book of Acts, and how it applies to the life of the modern church. Pastor Roaming hopes that as people listen to these messages, they will grow in their understanding of the Triune God and as disciples of Jesus Christ. The sermon is about the four major ways that the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers. The four points of the compass are used to help remember these ways; regeneration, sanctification, illumination, and empowerment. Regeneration is when the Holy Spirit brings new life to what was spiritually dead. Sanctification is an inner work where the Spirit transforms us from within. Illumination is when the Spirit opens our eyes to the truth of God and His Word. Finally, empowerment is when the Spirit enables believers to glorify Jesus and accomplish God's mission in ways that would not be possible on their own. The fourth point of the compass is the We or Royal We which focuses on the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit works in us in three ways: sanctification, empowerment, and fellowship with other Christians. Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus in every way. Empowerment is the work of the Holy Spirit upon us, enabling us to witness for Jesus more effectively. Fellowship with other Christians is a result of being born again into the kingdom and empowered to witness for Jesus. This fellowship is a life-giving dimension of life and is open to all Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can become more like Jesus and witness for Him in powerful ways. The sermon focused on the four ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives as Christians: new life, sanctification, empowerment, and uniting us as a collective witness of the Kingdom of God. It is important to acknowledge and lift up all four ways the Spirit works, as it can be easy to focus too much on the individual aspects of the Spirit's work such as new life and sanctification. When we experience the loving fellowship of the Spirit, we become more deeply connected to the Trinity and are capable of reflecting the Kingdom of God on Earth. Therefore, it is vital to recognize the value of the fourth major work of the Holy Spirit – uniting us as a collective witness of the Kingdom – in order to experience a balanced view of Christianity.   www.venicepres.org