Receive the Gift

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” – John 4:23-24 NIV

In our 2-Part Series titled “The Wealth of a Worshipper,” we’ve been focusing and building on this truth: "God’s Gift is Eternally Prosperous: That gift is His Spirit and Worship is the key that opens the doors of our hearts to receive.” So far we’ve Identified the Key that unlocks our hearts – Identity, Confession, Introspection, and Honor. Unlocking and opening our hearts is the first step, we must then Prepare for the Promise through authentic relationship with the Father. The next step in experiencing the Wealth of a Worshipper is to receive the promise, the promised gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. A gift does not fulfill its purpose until it’s received by the intended recipient. So, this week, that’s our focus, we will posture ourselves through prayer to “Receive the Promise.”

For years I questioned whether the Holy Spirit was truly real or if there were indeed that many people in the world who were in on the world’s greatest prank. How could the majority of people around me experience something that seems so inaccessible to me? Because of this, I lived in a place of defeat, rejection and ignorance for a long time. It’s my desire that you would not move in ignorance, rejection nor defeat but in the Truth that sets you free. 

The first thing I want you to know about the Gift is that God made a promise. This is not only written in the New Testament, but it’s also in the Old Testament. Let’s walk together through Ezekiel 36:26-28 NIV and see what God said about His Spirit towards us.

For years I’ve listened to the testimonies of my mother, grandmother and great grandmother along with other matriarchs and patriarchs of the faith that I know personally or have watched from afar. Nevertheless, they would share their testimonies of how they made it over, how they passed the test, how they found peace, how they love God with all their hearts… These testimonies would inspire me and even produce a fire within me. But the fire could never override my will. While I wanted the experience they had, I was not willing to live the life that would get me there. I said I’ll wait until later, not realizing that the time was NOW.

We’ve been talking about the receiving the gift of God, the two-part gift of salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. What we must understand is that God will not entrust nor endow us with the riches of His Kingdom without us first posturing ourselves to receive it. Today we will look at three pre-requisites that are needed to truly experience the Wealth of a Worshipper: Commitment, Condition and the Supernatural. 

Yesterday we talked about the non-negotiable requirements to truly experience the wealth of a worshipper. The three are as follows: 1. An unwavering commitment through worship, 2. An honest, authentic and genuine condition, and lastly 3. Submission to the Supernatural. The reason for this requirement is because the Gift of the Holy Spirit is precious, so precious that I will call it the Pearl of Heaven. Jesus said don’t throw your pearls to pigs, essentially He means, don’t give what’s precious to those who do not appreciate its value. The Holy Spirit has unexplainable value to the life of the believer and without a doubt we need His presence within us. However, the Holy Spirit is not for sale, nor can He dwell in an unclean place or a life that’s not prepared to receive Him. God did the work of salvation and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to bring effectiveness to the church, it’s now our job to do our part and prepare to receive the Promise.

After the death of deacon Stephen, the church underwent great persecution. This takes place immediately after the church experienced unprecedented growth following Pentecost. Have you ever wondered “Why is it after I’ve started seeking after God,  that it seems like all hell has broken loose?” I know exactly what you mean, and I want to help you avoid discouragement that follows these moments. 

Understand that persecution simply pushes us towards the promise; it protects us towards our destiny. It normally happens when you’ve gotten so far out there that there’s no turning back. I believe that although these events are caused by the enemy as an attempt to discourage us, God uses these moments to draw us closer to Him. To intensify our passions. To remember why we started. 

The mothers used to sing a song in the church that said these words: “I don’t feel no ways tired, I’ve come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy and I don’t believe He brought me this far to leave me.” I want you to know this morning that what the mother’s sang was true, God did not bring you this far to abandon you! The reason why I know this to be true is because He proven himself to be a promise keeper!

Did you know that Thryve Church prays together 365 days a year? Join us Monday-Friday at 6:30am & Saturdays at 8am for "Prayer at the Altar" by dialing 339- 207-7471 and then join us Sundays at 11am for Worship Service! Learn more here!