Filling of the Spirit, Prayer, and Disciple-making (Making Way for the Next Generation)

Today we will focus on three of the twelve elements of the church, especially the filling of the Holy Spirit, prayer, and disciple-making.

1. The Filling of the Holy Spirit

Jesus uses "fire" to describe the Holy Spirit on some occasions and "water" on others. While fire is a symbol of cleansing, water is a symbol of life. We need the 'filling of the Holy Spirit' in all areas of our Christian walk and in all areas of the church ministries (evangelism, word, prayer, worship, fellowship, disciple-making, etc.) because the Holy Spirit is the only lifeline between our heart and our Heavenly Father's heart.

Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (Jhon 6:63)

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (Jhon 7:37-39)

2. Prayer

ave us an example of prayer through the 'Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).' He also taught His disciples about the importance of praying together in unity. The most important point taught in the Lord's Prayer is to give thanks to our Heavenly Father and seek His will. (For other points, please refer to the previous message 'The Lord's Prayer: a prayer that links heaven and earth' at https://note.com/gracehouse/n/n44963d2861d6.

Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:9-13)

We can apply the same principle to prayers with the church family. It should be understood that the 'whatever' and 'anything' spoken of by Jesus (Matthew 18:18-20) is subject to the implicit condition that 'above all if you seek the will of your Father in heaven.'

Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:18-19)

3. Disciple-making (Making way for the Next Generation)

One of the great tasks given to us is to make disciples of Jesus. The Greek word for disciple, mathētḗs (μαθητής), means 'one who learns'. In other words, disciples of Jesus are those who follow in His footsteps and continue to learn from Christ.

None of the disciples in the New Testament (neither the Twelve nor Paul) are far from perfect. They simply followed in Christ's footsteps and continued to learn from Him. Jesus Himself told them that He came to earth to serve people. He washed His disciples' feet and set an example for them to live as servants.

We can say that a disciple of Christ is a person who tries to follow Christ's teaching, i.e. the teachings of the Bible. The teachings of Jesus can be summarised in the following three points. Firstly, to love God with all your heart; secondly, to love others as yourself; and thirdly, to make disciples of Christ. A disciple of Christ is someone who loves God, loves others and makes disciples of Christ.

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

We are all called to walk as examples to the next generation, both older and younger. God desires us to continue encouraging the next generation of disciples, as Jesus did, regardless of age, and to send them out into the work they are called for. John the Baptist had disappeared from the scene when Jesus started His ministry. Jesus left the disciples in the hands of the Holy Spirit before the church was born and returned to heaven. Peter, Paul, and the other apostles died a martyr's death and returned triumphantly to heaven, giving way to the next generation.

Of course, God intends to equip and use all generations for His work. But just as Moses prepared the way for Joshua and the new generation, passed on the DNA of God's covenant to them, and entrusted them with the work, I believe that God has given us, the first generation, a great task to prepare the way for the next generation and pass on the DNA of the Gospel to them.