Moving in the SpiritFrom slave to servant to son, and beyond...

Who am I?

• Who am I and what am I doing here?

• Jason Kichline and my wife Jaime, and good friend Brandon Parsons

• Springfield is truly our home churchjust like my parents house will always “home”

• But home is where you lay your head, and Fountain of Life is our new home church

Why am I here?

• Jackie asked if I’d play worship... you bet!

• She asked if I’d speak I said I’d pray about it...

• I went into my prayer closet in the bathroom, prayed in the shower.

• God answered about fifteen minutes later when I was driving to work!

• Take the message you have learned in this place back to your home church

Perhaps I can...

• About a week ago Jackie e-mailed and clarified...Thanked me for agreeing to lead worship!

• I prayed some more about this because that truly scared me.

• God told me to say this “Perhaps I can carry the anointing of God”

• I continued to pray and God brought Brandon!

• God reassured that I should speak...

What we’re covering...

• We are all moving through a spiritual journey“...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 1:6

• What is a spirit of slavery? servitude? sonship?

• Where are you heading?

• How does God want us to respond?

• Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!

What do I mean by “spirit”?• The word “spirit” has many meanings,

let’s use the right one!

• Not a ghost or apparition!

• Not a spiritual word!

• Not beer, wine or liquor!

• It’s a “sticky” state of belief, gut reaction,persistence of character, not just an emotion

• It is given to you by God through circumstance and willingness!

Adjusting your spirit

• “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalms 51:10-12 - New International Version

Adjusting your spirit

• “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous spirit.”

New King James Version

• “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

King James Version

Breaking it down...

• Steadfast You don't cut and run... you stay the course.Faithful to playing worship because of our belief that it empowers the people of God and because God can move when the hearts of His people are...

• WillingYou want to do the will of God because you believe He will carry it through to a successful completion. You are open to His guidance because you knowHe is indeed...

Breaking it down...

• GenerousGod wants to lavish us with gifts and glory because we are meant to be heirs of His Kingdom which brings us...

• FreedomYou can be yourself without fear or doubt.We are no longer slaves to the chains that bind us!Instead we can take control of the situation and give God the glory!

The spirit of a slave

• Responsive reading - Romans 7:14-25

• We are slaves to sin

• We are slaves to the law

• We are slaves to ourselves

• What are the chains in your life that keep you from walking in Christ?

The spirit of a servant

• The Great Banquet - Luke 14:15-24

• The servant is faithful and does the will of the Master

• Most of us are faithful servants whofill the house of the Lord

• But the servant doesn’t getto go to the banquet!

The workers are few...

• It is not a bad thing to be the servant“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” - Matthew 9:37

• God is calling you to something greater

• The Mennonite church is the Lord’s handsMDS trips, Camp Men-O-Lan, construction, community involvement and missions

The spirit of a son

• Joint heirs in Christ - Romans 8:12-17

• We are not step children

• We are more than conquerers

• We have inherited the Kingdom of God

• We have dominion over this worldand our circumstances

From a slave to a son

• The prodigal son - Luke 15:11-24

• Prodigal means extravagant in one’s expenditures, why is the son “prodigal”?

• He was an heir, then a slave, then a servant and finally, a son.

• Grace is our justification - Titus 3:5-7

Dress the part

• Robe - the symbol of kingly royalty

• Ring - the covenant of eternal faithfulness

• Sandals - the actions of leadership

Taking sandals off is a common theme in the Bible, but what does putting them on mean? Egyptian culture used “under the sandals” as to be subject to someone.

From point A to point B

• Psalms 51:10-12 holds the secret!

• Realize you can’t make yourself “clean”

• Develop a steadfast spirit

• Get in the presence of God through worship

• Remember your salvation through testimony

• Have a willingness to do the work of God

The challenge

• Are you a slave and want freedom?

• Are you a servant and want an inheritance?

• “Perhaps I can carry the anointing of God”

• Prayer