The Holy Spirit: The Almighty Power of God

Bishop Ron Rhea speaks about the necessity of the church to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and how prayer is absolutely necessary for us to do so.

Summary

God has called each one of us to do our part in fulfilling the Great Commission. While the Kingdom of God is the greatest blessing in our lives, and God does want to prosper us, all of this is secondary to the mission to make disciples of all nations. The problem is that the Great Commission is impossible for us to fulfill in our own power. It is a mission that can only be carried out in the power of God. Bishop Ron Rhea passionately calls believers to receive the Holy Spirit, and demonstrates that prayer is the key to doing so.

Outline

1. The Work of God.

   1. Genesis 2:1 – the account of creation – on the seventh day God rested from his work.
   2. John 5:17 – My father is still at work.
   3. There are dispensations due to the prophetic timetable that God has.
   4. Gen. 2:1 – God rested from creation.
   5. Jesus – only did what He saw the father do – He worked because his Father was working – the work of redemption.
   6. On the cross – it is finished – redemption completed.
   7. Sent the Holy Spirit – Missions – make disciples of all nations.
   8. In our spirit is “Maranatha” yet the church needs empowering to fulfill its mission – The Holy Spirit.
   9. There are more operations of the Holy Spirit in the believers’ life than regeneration.
   10. God’s work with the believer is not yet finished.

2. God’s church is supernatural as the Holy Spirit fills ordinary believers.

   1. The Holy Spirit wants to minister to individuals and communities.
   2. The Holy Spirit works through humble and contrite hearts.
   3. Just like when God told Moses “I have heard the cry of my people” so God desires to bring redemption to a fallen world, and it only happens as we have more of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

3. The Nature of our Church

   1. Not a church of programs.
   2. We are to use mechanisms such as marketing, but without the Holy Spirit, there is no authentic Christianity.
   3. There are different types of sinners.
      1. Careless – only worried about themselves and their selfishness.

4. The Power of prayer

   1. Causes God’s kingdom to break into people’s lives to awaken them to the gospel.

5. The church needs to first get awake.

   1. The church is a sleeping giant.
   2. THE CHURCH NEEDS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IF WE ARE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK GOD HAS GIVEN US TO DO!
      1. We cannot do it in our own strength.
      2. Prosperity comes with persecution – to be blessed means to “be continually amazed at God for the rest of our life.”
   3. The book of Acts is a description of the church, and it has not stopped.
      1. People often try to explain away the power of God.
      2. Proof texts that people hide behind to negate the power of God are not consistent to either reality or to God’s word.
   4. The things we do are necessary but do not touch people’s hearts unless they are bathed in prayer.

6. We need to seek God and Cry out to Him.

   1. Our God is not a God of generalities, he is the God of specificity – we need to pray specific prayers so we can thank God and worship Him when He answers our prayer.

7. The church must be supernatural – the lost world needs the signs, wonders and the supernatural power of God to deliver them from darkness.

   1. God worked in the power of the Holy Spirit when Pr. Buddy Hicks ministered to Ron Rhea.
   2. Through the power of God, Bishop Ron was delivered from his hard heart and wicked ways.
   3. God wants to heal and cleanse us if we will turn in repentance and faith to Him.

8. Seek God to awaken us and make us vessels fit for His use.

   1. Meek – biblically means a horse who follows all of the leadings of the rider – responds to every tug – that is what we need to be in order to be to walk in the power of God.
   2. God tells Moses in the desert (Ex. 6:3) with 600,000 foot soldiers to feed the people.
      1. God gives us tasks that are impossible for us to achieve in our own power.
      2. This is the same with the Great Commission.
   3. Numbers 11:21 – When Moses was devoid of his own power, the power of God operated – God will empower us to do what He has commanded us to do – Therefore we need the Holy Spirit.
   4. God will perform His word because His reputation is on the line.
   5. What would you think of a commander in battle who did not train and equip his troops, but sent them into battle ill-prepared and without what was needed?
      1. What kind of leader would that be?
      2. What kind of nation would that be?
   6. God will strengthen you for spiritual battle and for everything else you face through the Holy Spirit.
   7. God wants to prosper you and bless you but that is secondary, what is primary is going after the lost.
   8. God is the guarantor of all of His promises – He will do what He says.

9. Faith will support the believer in every situation.

   1. Acts 3:15 – Faith in the name of Jesus made the cripple whole.
   2. We need to repent of our sin.
      1. Not just major sins but even things like indifference and a lack of passion for the Lord.
      2. We need to repent that we have not been fully alive and doing what He has called us to do.
   3. Faith brings times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.
      1. God wants to turn us from apathy to fire.
      2. God wants to commune privately with us and give us instructions for our lives.
   4. Mark 1:40 – Leper cleansed – God was willing. He is also willing to set us on fire again.
      1. A leper is symbolic of everything that is contrary to God’s Kingdom in our life.
      2. If you will come to Jesus He will make you clean.
   5. Matt. 8:9 – Jesus marveled at the Centurion’s faith. He dared to believe Jesus had the power and authority to speak and accomplish His will.
      1. The Holy Spirit is speaking to us that we need to awaken ourselves.
   6. Psalms 31:15 – “My times are in your hands…” – God is sovereign in our lives.

10. “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17, NKJV).

    1. This describes the normal Christian life empowered by the Holy Spirit.
    2. It is only such empowerment through which we can build one another up.
    3. Everyone has a gift from the Holy Spirit to minister to the needs of the world.
       1. They are not all “power” gifts.
       2. Prayer is one of the most important things that we do when it is empowered in the Holy Spirit – through it, God will move.
    4. You can be dead and religious – we need to walk in the light and have fellowship God.
       1. Walking in the light is only possible through the Holy Spirit.
    5. We can only fulfill our destiny when we are walking in the light.

11. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

    1. He wants to cleanse us of every sin.
    2. That includes issues such as unforgiveness.

12. The Holy Spirit empowers us to go into the world and bring the light of God’s kingdom.

    1. Therefore we need the infilling of the Holy Spirit daily.
    2. We need to be led by the Spirit daily.
    3. Only then can we “be strong in the Lord.”

13. When we get right with God and do His will, many of our problems fade into the background.

    1. 2 Corinthians 1:9 – Only when we are dead to our own strength to we find God’s strength.
    2. He will deliver us from all things when we turn to Him.
    3. God works his power in other people’s lives when we pray for them.
    4. God cannot show himself mighty in our lives when we are still in the way.

14. If the demonstrations of the Holy Spirit are not evident in the believer’s life and in the church, then the church will not be able to minister to the community.

    1. Mark 6:5 – Jesus could not do mighty works because of unbelief.
    2. Prayer is for us to become a vessel for Him.
    3. Romans 8:26 – The Spirit helps us to pray in our weakness.

15. Praying in the Holy Spirit is the key to releasing the power of God in our lives, the church and the world.

    1. We need to cry out to God with fire.
    2. We need to be strong in the Lord.
    3. Ps. 24:8 – “The Lord is the king of Glory…lift up your head oh gates…” We need to receive the Lord.
    4. The careless sinners will not be awakened until we are awakened in prayer.
    5. When is the church going to stop breaking God’s heart by being asleep? Especially with regard to prayer.