There is Still More.

What Jesus Left Us

So Jesus' words here in the gospel. If you notice that in John, where he's saying all these things, all I have is yours and all you have is mine. He is saying: I'm giving all that I have to you. He's saying that he's praying for the disciples. He's praying for the people.

And then I love that it says: I have given them the glory that you gave me. He's giving us the same glory to share that the Father gave him.

In Matthew's account of the last supper, when Jesus is gathered around the table with his disciples, in Matthew 26:26, it says:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread and then he had given thanks. He broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, Take and eat. This is my body.

Matthew 26:26

And so when we have communion and when we partake in the elements, these are usually the words that we say. But I think it's significant even as we talk about this idea in our church name of New Culture, and culture being about patterns and customs and things that we pass down to people.

Jesus was so intentional with the culture that he was creating with his disciples. He was so intentional in what he was passing down to them, even in this simple thing that we can read sometimes. And if you've been in church before, maybe you've heard this and you're like, yes, I know. Take and eat. Give thanks. This is the pattern. But I want us to think about this for a moment. This pattern of language that Jesus was giving thanks. That he was breaking it, and that was a prophetic act showing them that his body was about to be broken for them. Then this is something that we also see in some of the miraculous feedings, like when Jesus feeds the 5,000. That he's breaking the things, that he's blessing it, he's thanking the Father for it.

Even in those simple words around those tables, Jesus was using that moment of language to impart something to the disciples. A heart of gratitude, right? This prophetic act of worship of telling them what was going to happen.

One of my favorite quotes by N.T. Wright. He talks about this experience of Jesus sitting around the table and he says: when Jesus himself wanted to explain to his disciples his forthcoming death and what it was all about, he didn't give them some big theory, but he gave them a meal.

There is so much significance in when Jesus was sitting here with his disciples. Because when we sit around the table, what we've been talking about these past couple of weeks is that something unites us around the table. Something was uniting all those different people with Jesus around him. They were reminded in those moments of their humanity.

When we sit down to eat, we're reminded of our hunger, of our desperation, that we need food to sustain us. And so Jesus, when he was sitting here and he's giving them this meal as a representation that he is about to lay down his life and give all that he has to them. I think it's significant that it was a meal and something that would fill them and sustain them physically as a representation of what Jesus wants to continue to do in our lives through the power of his Holy Spirit.

He wants to continue to fill us. He wants to continue to sustain us with the power of his Spirit.

Jesus blessed it. He was grateful and he left them with something to remember him by.

We Have Everything in Christ, Yet There Is More

Now, something that we have to understand when we're talking about this today, and we're going to talk about this idea of Jesus leaving with us his Holy Spirit, is that just because we're receiving something, it doesn't always mean that it's something we didn't have before, right?

So for instance, if somebody gives you maybe this gift of like joy. Like you're around someone, you're like: oh my gosh, I'm so joyful when I'm around them. It's not always because you have zero joy before then, but sometimes it's just enhancing what's already there.

The reality is that we have everything that we need in Christ. When we make the decision to follow Jesus and we accept him as our Lord and Savior, we have everything we need in Christ, and yet there is still more. Both can be true.

And so when we talk about this idea of impartation, impartation is centered on the all-sufficiency of Christ and growing in the knowledge of him, but yet realizing that there's still a greater manifestation of God's grace that can flow in and through our lives.

We have all that we need in Christ. Yes, there's always more for us to seek and to receive from him. And these are some of the things that are just mysteries that we find in scripture. It's the same thing when we talk about the kingdom of heaven that Jesus said: the kingdom of heaven, it's here, it's now, and it's not yet.

There's these mysteries that are just hard for us to wrap our brains around. But that's really what we're talking about today is the reality that every single Christian, every person who calls himself a follower of Jesus, that all the riches of heaven are available to us in Christ, yet we need each other, right? We can't do it alone. We are a body. We strengthen each other. We build each other up in love.

Every single person that calls himself a follower of Jesus, that's a Christian, we have the fullness of Christ, yet not all of us have all the different gifts of Christ's ministry that we're going to be functioning in at the same time. So we need each other in those moments to continue to impart things upon one another.

Jesus himself had the fullness of God dwelling inside him. He was fully human, fully divine, but yet he still received ministry from other people. He still had people and his disciples pray for him.

Impartation Through Community

Romans 1:11 through 12 says:

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gifts to make you strong. That is that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

Romans 1:11-12

We need each other as a community to continue the work of the Holy Spirit by imparting things to one another.

We just got back. A few of us went to the young adults retreat at Spencer Lake this past weekend. And as I was reading through my notes, I was thinking back of one of the pastors that was there. She told this incredible story of this woman who was struggling with all these health things and all this stuff going on. How the Lord completely healed her body in a miraculous way. And I was reflecting on her telling the story and reflecting on just being in awe and wonder that God still heals in those powerful ways today.

And what I was thinking about is what that woman did to me in that moment is by her sharing the testimony of God's miraculous healing. It was like imparting faith into my life where all of a sudden now I'm coming back today and I'm like: Lord, I'm praying for those miracles to happen. I'm praying now for the people that I know that need healing in my life. I'm driving home and I'm praying for them because her sharing that the testimony of God's goodness in that moment was imparting faith to every single person listening.

We have so much that the Lord wants to use us to impart into one another through his Holy Spirit.

Sharing Our Lives, Not Just Words

First Thessalonians 2:8 says:

We cared for you because we loved you so much. We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well.

1 Thessalonians 2:8

This is so key. You see, Jesus, again, he didn't just come and say: here's this theory, right? Like God didn't send a book to tell us about the love of God. Like he literally sent his son. He sent Jesus in flesh, God in flesh to come and to be with us and to live with us.

So as followers of Jesus, when we talk about that, we have a purpose here to go and to share the gospel. Part of that purpose is to not just go and share some Bible verses with people. Although yes, we need to do that, but it's to share our lives with people. It's to give people that same kind of love and relationship that Jesus gave to people when he was walking here on earth.

And in Thessalonians, this is what they're talking about saying: yes, we're sharing the gospel with people. We're going to share the truth. We're going to share the hope. But the way that we're going to do that best is through a relationship with one another, being present with one another, listening to one another, caring for one another, so that the gospel is not just something that we say with our mouth, but we live with our life. Because that's what Jesus did. He lived a life of love. And we too are invited to live that life of love.

The word translates here in part to you in Romans 1:11 that we read. In the Greek, it's the same as this idea to share with you. And so when it's saying: I want to impart with you, it's really that same idea of I want to share with you. Like, these are the things I want to share with you.

This idea in impartation in scripture, it doesn't imply or lack any biblical understanding of impartation. And it really shouldn't leave us with this idea of: okay, what does that look like? Because even though it can be a word of what does that mean? If you look into those definitions, it's simple in the sharing something with, leaving something with, giving something to someone.

The reality is that we need each other. We have the call to go and to make disciples, but we cannot do that alone. And there's things that we need to receive from one another. Even in this room, there's things that we need to give away to people in our lives.

The Holy Spirit with the fullness of God dwells in each and every single one of us the moment that we say yes to following Jesus. We receive Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, yet there is more. That's what I want to talk about for these next few moments today. I want to read some of the things that we see that Jesus intentionally left with his disciples.

What Jesus Gave Them

What were those things that he intentionally left with them? In the same way, like I shared, like I'm thinking about what are the things that my aunt, you know, left with me? And it was like: yes, these funny phrases that later we went back on and we're like, probably shouldn't tell people that. But then it was also those moments of this like culture of prayer, this culture of encouragement, of intentionality.

I was a beneficiary of her intentionality, of her sitting down even with her ALS as her handwriting got shakier and shakier. I saw the effort she put in to be intentional, to encourage and lift me up. And the significance of that is something that I'll never have words to really describe. But she was intentional in what she left.

And Jesus, he did the same. He was intentional with what he left and what he spoke to his disciples and what he lived.

So I'm going to read a few verses today. One of the things we see is that Jesus gave them peace.

Jesus left with them peace. John 16:33 says:

I've said these things to you that in me, you may have peace in the world. You will have tribulation, but take heart. I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

Jesus was this non-anxious presence, right? We think of that in stories of Jesus sleeping on the boat in the middle of a storm. He spoke it in these words of reminding them that you can take heart because I've overcome the world you can have peace.

He imparted peace to the disciples and he's imparting peace to us today.

Jesus gave them joy. John 15:11 says:

These things I've spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you. He wants joy to remain in us and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that he may lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:11

I love that after Jesus is saying: like, I want my joy to remain in you, then he's like: okay, so now love each other. It's almost like that reminder of one of the ways you're going to continue to experience my joy is through each other, which is why it's so important for us to gather together, to encourage each other, to celebrate together, to have fun together.

And even I think of the sharing of meals, of enjoying each other's company and enjoying good food together. Those things are a part of it. He said: I want my joy to remain in you. So now make sure you love each other. Make sure you're people that help others experience that joy.

The next is Jesus gave them the keys to the kingdom. He literally gave everything. He's like: there's nothing that I'm holding back from you.

Luke 12:32 talks about this:

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor, provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

Luke 12:32

Another story of this is Jesus when he's talking with Peter, and after Peter declares him as Lord of his life, he says: now here is the keys to the kingdom. Nothing is going to prevail or stand against.

Jesus gives it all. He gave them his own glory.

Another scripture that talks about it says:

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

John 17:22-24

He was a humble servant, a humble king, and he wants us to share in the glory with him, to share in all that he has.

Those are those moments where when you just think about that for a minute, you know how special our Jesus is. Any other king, any other ruler, there's always going to be this like separation of: here I am with all my power and all my riches and glory. And maybe I'll give you the leftovers, right? Like maybe I'll give you the things that I don't want anymore.

But Jesus is saying like: I want to share my glory with you. I want you to have access to all of this with me.

And ultimately he does this when he gives us his spirit. Jesus gave his disciples his spirit.

Receiving the Holy Spirit

I'm going to open up to Acts chapter one and two and be reading out of there for the remainder of this.

And these stories are so significant and I've been saying a lot of different scripture. And so go back, read through some of these gospels, really John 15, 16, 17, are a lot of those things that I was pulling from today.

But I want to read from Acts chapter one, where it says this:

In my former book, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven. After giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:1-3

Okay, so again, this is basically summing up to say at this point Jesus has died. He's been raised back to life and he's starting to appear to his disciples. He's starting to appear to people and he's proving like: I am alive.

Verse four says:

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, so another meal that he's sharing, he gives them this command: Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father has promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:4-5

You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So Jesus is telling them: wait, wait, wait, wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit to come. And then in Acts 2, we kind of pick this up where it says when the day of Pentecost came and they would have been gathered there in Jerusalem.

Because on the day of Pentecost, that's where the people would have gone. If you were someone who was Jewish and you were worshiping, that was kind of a part of their customs and their culture at that time is the day of Pentecost. You go to the temple, which would have been in Jerusalem, and you would have worshiped and you would have prayed.

And so that's what's happening here. And that's even why we're later when it says all these different people from all these different nations were there. That's why they were all coming together for one of their normal worship gatherings on the day of Pentecost. It says:

They are suddenly on the day of Pentecost, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 2:1-4

So we see here that as they were in this place of prayer and worship, that all of a sudden the Holy Spirit came and gave them something. He gave them his power and they began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them. And it's after this that we begin to read that the church began to take off like rapid fire where disciples who were making disciples who were making disciples and that people were being healed and people were being set free and people were being delivered as the Spirit was empowering his people.

You see, the Holy Spirit is within each and every one of us when we decide to call on the name of the Lord Jesus and say: God, I surrender my life to you. I'm now living for you in your Lordship. We now have the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit, full access, yet there is more that we can have when we surrender and say: God, now will you come? Will you baptize me? Will you submerge me? Will you impart your Holy Spirit into my life?

And that's what I want to talk about for these next few moments.

Empowerment and Impartation

Two things that happen when we receive what is called here and referred to here as this like baptism or this overflow of the Holy Spirit is that we see this empowerment. We see this empowerment to continue the mission that God has called us to.

You see, we are called to go and to be like Jesus, to become like him, to do what he did when he was here on earth. But friends, we cannot do that on our own. We cannot do that by just trying to be a good person. We cannot do that by just continuing to put our lipstick on and keep going.

We have to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. The spirit that Jesus left with us imparted to us to continue what he came here to do. To reconcile all people into relationship. To seek and to save that which was lost. To usher in the kingdom of heaven. We need the power of the Holy Spirit. We have and yet there's more. This idea of the baptism of Holy Spirit is like this idea of the overflow.

I often describe it to people in a couple of different ways. But this week I was traveling and I forgot my blow dryer and I was reminded of the necessity of my life of my blow dryer. Where my hair, obviously it will dry with the air, right? Like the air will dry my hair. But when I plug in that blow dryer, what will literally take probably like four to five hours for my hair to dry naturally with the air on its own will take like 15, 20 minutes with that blow dryer. And it's as simple as plugging it in and there's this power that comes, right?

And that's kind of what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is like in our lives. Is that when you receive Jesus, you have the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. It's there. So you're a Christian. You're following Jesus. You can do the things that God is asking you to do. You can make disciples. But then it's once you plug in that blow dryer, and all of a sudden there's this new power source that empowers you to do things that you could not do on your own before.

There is an empowerment with the Holy Spirit that all of a sudden we have access to these gifts, gifts of healing, gifts of prophecy, gifts of words of knowledge and tongues and interpretation and all of these things that are intended to continue to equip us and empower us to better go and make disciples and usher in the kingdom of heaven.

We cannot give something away that we ourselves do not possess. And so as followers of Jesus, we have to be intentional to make space to be with Jesus, to receive his power so that when we are with people, we're not giving out of lack, but we're giving out of overflow. That all of a sudden we're able to love people and forgive people in ways that we never thought possible.

And that's just a little side note that I have found is that the more that I learned to rely of the power of the Holy Spirit in my life, that I think at first you think: okay, if I pray and I'm like: God, fill me, fill me, fill me, then all of a sudden it's like: I'm gonna have these superpowers in the name of Jesus. But more often like those superpowers that I wouldn't look at as superpowers or all of a sudden I'm finding myself where I'm like: I'm forgiving people that on paper really probably I wouldn't forgive five, six months ago, but all of a sudden I'm able to just forgive them.

And I have this grace for things that I never even knew possible where: wow, I'm not like bitter anymore about the things that used to keep me stuck. Like that's what the Holy Spirit starts to do in our lives.

And it's through those things that then his glory is on display where people are coming up and being like: wow, like, thank you for that grace. Like I wasn't expecting that response and we're able to show the love of Jesus in powerful ways as we continue to rely on his Holy Spirit to flow through us.

More of God, More of His Presence

It's about empowerment and it's about preparation for eternity, right? The Holy Spirit, when we are interacting with the power of the Holy Spirit, it leads us to this deep intimacy with the Father where we have access to relationship with him in ways that you really can even begin to describe because we were created for eternity and each and every single one of us someday will be in eternity with the Father forever.

Why not start now and grow that relationship and spend time with him and ask him to come and impart more of who he is. More of his heart for us?

So how do we receive more of God. More of his Holy Spirit. And it's simple. It's us just saying like: Holy Spirit, will you come. Holy Spirit, will you come?

I love on the day of Pentecost they received the baptism of Holy Spirit in the midst of praying and worshiping. In the midst of just their showing up to do something that they always did and it seems like this really and it was a special. It was a significant celebration, but it was also just a part of their customs and their rhythms to just say: okay, God, this is the time where we come, when we show up and we center our attention around you, where we leave our work behind, we leave everything else, and we just show up here, surrender to worship and to pray, and the Holy Spirit met them there.

And I believe that that's what God wants to do in our life time and time again if we let him. And that's why we do things like come to church on Sundays and decide that we're not going to do this alone, but we're going to come together and we're going to set aside time to hear from God and ask him what he wants and part to us.

And if there are more questions that you guys have about this idea of like baptism of the Holy Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, there's lots of sermons on that on our website. And so I'm not going to go into too much more detail here tonight. But I encourage you, if that's something you have questions about, go listen to those podcasts. I'd love to share more about that with you.

But I really believe that as we talk about this idea of going and making disciples, as we talk about this idea of as Jesus gathered people around the table, he's now inviting us to go and gather people around the table and invite them into community, invite them into relationship with him. That we need the power of the Holy Spirit to do that. That we need to learn how to make room for the Holy Spirit to do that, to flow through us.

Because if we want the Holy Spirit to flow through us, then we have to be empty. We have to lay down any selfish desires. We have to lay down anything that's standing in the way. We have to make changes in our lives if we want to see the power of the Holy Spirit flow through us as a constant stream, overflow of his love.

Jesus left with us all that he had. And the invitation we have with that is to give as it has been given. But we cannot give what we ourselves do not possess. We need more of God, more of his presence, more of his word in our lives. Greater hunger.

And so I'm praying this week that for each and every one of us, as we every day when we sit around our own table and we see food in front of us, that we would be reminded: the way that we need God to nourish us and sustain us the same way that we need this food for our physical bodies. I'm praying that as we go throughout our weeks and we have hunger pains, that we would be reminded of our hunger for the spiritual things that are happening around us, even if we can't always name it. But that God would grow our hunger and our thirst for his glory and his kingdom to come.

Sometimes we can't even begin to understand the small things that the Lord is imparting upon us and the significance that they're going to have. Because it might just look like for my aunt it was these little note cards. That it was just a little note, one note at a time. But it was consistent time over time over time. And it imparted encouragement. It imparted that intentionality. It imparted prayers, right? Like she was ushering the kingdom just with these simple notes.

I think sometimes we're saying: God, we want this big, huge, crazy thing to happen. And he's like: I'm doing it. I'm doing it. I'm doing it. Will you just receive? Will you receive? Will you receive it?

And so I'm going to invite you to stand tonight and we're just going to close worshiping together. But I do want to invite you that this week for a prayer and worship night, we're going to have a special time of prayer together. And if that is something that you're seeking, if you want more of God's power, if you want to experience deeper intimacy with God, if you want to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, if you want prayer for healing, if you just need a word from God, show up. Because I believe God's going to meet us here, as he does every single time that we gather together.

But I want to close in this time of worship. Just as they did on the day of Pentecost, where they showed up to pray, they showed up to worship, they showed up to celebrate. And believing that as we continue to spend time with Jesus, that's when things are imparted to us. It's in deep relationship with others that they leave things with us that we never forget and we're never the same. And so even you just showing up today, maybe it was a last minute decision. Maybe you're like: I don't even know if I really feel anything. I don't know what this is yet. I'm still getting used to going to church. I don't know what this really means.

Can I encourage you that I believe like God is imparting something through his Holy Spirit on your heart and on your life right now in these moments. And so I'm gonna pray that God will give us eyes to see and that even in these moments as we worship that he would continue to just pour his spirit out. That he would leave you with peace. That he would leave you with comfort. That he would leave you with joy. That he would leave you with more of his presence so that you can go this week and be a light to the world around you.

And so can we just pray before we enter into this time of worship. Again, God, I just thank you for these words and if you're comfortable would you just hold your hands out in a posture of surrender. God, we just ask right now that you would come in a way that only you can through the power of your Holy Spirit. And would you impart the power of your Holy Spirit upon us, God? Would you fill us to overflow?

Lord, if there's anything in our lives right now that's standing in the way, would you convict our hearts? Would you begin to show us those things that maybe have been keeping us from a relationship with you, keeping us from receiving more of your power and your love to flow through us? And God, we thank you for those moments when you do that so that we can turn back to you.

And so God, if there is anything that's standing in the way, would you show us so that we can surrender in these moments? And God, we just declare that we surrender all that we are and all that we have. We lay it at your feet. As you went first, you laid down your life for us. And so now we don't have to lay down our life out of lack, but at a place of overflow, because you are more than enough and you have so much love that you want to give to us.

And so God, I pray that you would just this week, that as we create space to be with you, even through this united week of prayer and this prayer night together. That yeah, every time that we sit down to have a meal that we would invite your presence into that place. That you would give us eyes to see you. That you would give us greater hunger. That you would even give us greater satisfaction as we seek and we hunger after you. That you would nourish us. That you would strengthen us. That you would give us peace like only you can. Joy like only you can. God, that you would heal us in the ways that we need healing. God, would you just pour your spirit out upon us? Lord, we ask this in your name. Amen.