* You can now watch a video of this message at: https://new.livestream.com/rickpina/live.
(Read John 16:22-28)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to teach on “Minimizing Your Humanity and Maximizing Your Divinity.” Yesterday we crossed over into John chapter 16 and we learned about the role of the Holy Spirit. Jesus lived with the disciples, but the Holy Spirit would come to live in them. Even with the Holy Spirit, however, once Jesus left it would be a trying time for them. After relying on Jesus for over three years, they would have to deal with the reality of His death and shift their reliance from Jesus to the Holy Spirit.
As the magnitude of what Jesus was saying began to ‘sink in,’ the disciples became sad. Jesus said, “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Never devalue the role of the Holy Spirit in your life. The disciples were completely reliant upon Jesus for personal guidance, overall direction, and supernatural protection. When things were going crazy, Jesus was their peace. When their power was limited, Jesus was their conduit to supernatural power. When they did not know what to do, Jesus had all the answers. Not only that, but Jesus took the time to teach, mentor, father, and prepare each of them for their individual life-assignments. Guess what? The Holy Spirit will do for you all that Jesus did for the disciples. You were not there with Jesus, but the Holy Spirit is there for you, NOW. The Holy Spirit will do for you what no man can do. So rely on Him, lean on Him, call on Him, talk to Him, and trust in Him. On your own you are limited, but through the Holy Spirit you have access to God’s Himself and to His supernatural, limitless, and overflowing power.
2. You get to use the name of Jesus. I am in the military and because of my rank and position I have certain authorities. I get to exercise the authorities given to me to perform the mission required of me. However, there are times when I am asked to do something that exceeds my authority, or to task someone who outranks me. On those occasions the person sending me out with the order gives me the authority to use his or her name. As an example, if my boss, who outranks me and everyone in our organization, sends me to accomplish a talk in his name, I am able to do what I could not do with my name and authority alone. In the same way, Jesus has given you the authority to use His name. In your humanity you are limited. But when you operate in the divinity God has placed IN you, and when you use the name of Jesus, you get to operate in the authority behind the name. Demons flee at the name of Jesus. Angels bow at the name of Jesus. All heaven and earth are subject to that name and Jesus gave you the authority to use His name, to perform His will, for His glory!
3. You get to go directly to the Father. In the Old Testament the general population of Israel had to rely on the priests and prophets to serve as an interface with God. The Holy Spirit lived within the Temple, above the Ark of the Covenant, and the only person authorized to interact with Him was the High Priest, and even the High Priest could only enter the presence of the Holy Spirit once a year. Fast forward to the time that Jesus walked the earth and Jesus was the only person filled with the Holy Spirit. The disciples walked with Jesus and they relied on Him to serve as the interface with the Father. Fast forward to today and you are now filled with the Holy Spirit. You are the temple of God and the Spirit of God lives in you. You don’t have to rely on a priest or prophet to serve as an intermediary between you and God. You get to go directly to the Father, in the name of His Son Jesus, via the direct connection you have with Him through the Holy Spirit. Don’t waste your access. You have access to the Most High God. Use that access every day and become the man/woman of God you have been called to be. Not by earning it, but by God’s grace.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for taking the time to teach me Your Word. In Your Word I am learning about Your grace, love, peace, power, and my purpose. And I don’t take it for granted that I even get to come to You directly. I have been given the right to come to You in the name of Your Son. I don’t have to go to a priest or prophet. I have a blood-bought covenant right to come directly to You, in the name of Your Son, and I declare by faith that I use that access daily. I also thank You for placing Your Spirit in me, to lead me in the way I should go. I lean upon the Holy Spirit. I learn from Him. He speaks to me while I am awake. He gives me dreams while I sleep. He puts thoughts in my mind as I walk throughout the day. He helps shape and develop me into the person I am called to be. I am thankful Father that I am never hopeless, because I am never helpless. You are IN every second of every day. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit. And thank you Father for leading Jesus to give me the authority to use His name. At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus the Christ is Lord. There is power and authority in the name of Jesus and I am thankful that I get to use His name. In the name of Jesus I operate in the earth, as an ambassador of heaven, and I represent the Kingdom of God everywhere I go. Not because I am worthy, but only because of Your grace. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
