Church | Jesus People Are Empowered | The Jesus People - Part 1

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JESUS PEOPLE ARE EMPOWERED
The Jesus People - Part 1
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
September 24, 2023
https://www.springcreekchurch.org/
#realspringcreekchurch #bible #thejesuspeople #jesuspeopleareempowered #jesus #father #god #holyspirit #spirit #spiritfilled #presence #church #wearethechurch
People are hungry for the supernatural and that’s evident everywhere you look in society. But the one place where the realness of God should best be understood and experienced is often the very place most bereft of His presence. It’s not supposed to be that way. The people of God are meant to be more than just carriers of a message but the very temple of God Himself – the place where God dwells and manifests His presence is supposed to be IN US. This message will show us how.
NEW SERIES: The Jesus People
In the late 60's and early 70's, a counter-cultural Christian movement began in California among young people called the Jesus People. It happened at the height of the sexual revolution and drug culture of the time, young people sincerely hungered for the supernatural and were finding it in Jesus even when they couldn't find it in the institutional church. In this series, we want to ask the question, "What does it mean to be the Jesus People today in a world where people seem to have lost their way and find the institutional church irrelevant?"
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. It’s always easy to critique what’s happening in the world. But in what ways do you see evidence of hunger for the supernatural, even if it is often misdirected and aimed at other things? How does the message of Christ speak into that spiritual hunger?
2. God wants to dwell with his people. Pastor Keith pointed out the progression in Scripture from the Garden of Eden to the Tabernacle, then the Temple, followed by the coming of Christ (God with us) and ultimately in our bodies (the new temple of God). Since we are the very repositories of the presence of God, how does that affect the way you see yourself on the job? In your neighborhood? At School? In a crisis? Or in the presence of someone who doesn’t know God?
3. In the section of the message dealing with discerning the Spirit’s presence, Pastor Keith highlighted several things the Scriptures highlight that help us discern what is of God and what is not. He listed several comparisons;
• Spirit-centered versus Jesus-centered
• Gift-centered versus Fruit-centered
• Out-of-Control versus Self-Controlled
• Bravado versus Power
What were your biggest takeaways from these discernment principles? Have you ever seen any of them abused and if so, in what ways (give an example)? How have you seen these discernment principles positively? Describe a believer you have known who definitely manifested the positive side of these principles.
4. In the last section, the story of a man named Stephen was told. He was chosen for a task because he was filled with the Spirit. But that task for which he was chosen was to wait on tables. Why are the Spirit filled the ones who…
• do whatever needs to be done.
• react gracefully under provocation.
• are mighty in the Word.
• are like Jesus.
5. How has this message challenged you? Where is God asking you to grow? In what ways were you encouraged?