The Supernatural Life: Discovering the Power of God Within
The Supernatural Life: Discovering the Power of God Within
Based on the Sermon Series: Inhabited || The Power and Presence of the Holy Spirit Part 1: When Everything Changed
In a world that constantly tells us we're not enough—not smart enough, not strong enough, not successful enough—there's a revolutionary truth that changes everything: if you're a follower of Jesus, the Spirit of the living God dwells inside you.
Let that sink in for a moment.
The same God who spoke galaxies into existence, who parted seas and raised the dead, has chosen to make His home in you. This isn't just theological poetry. It's the bedrock reality of Christian life, yet somehow it's become one of the church's best-kept secrets.
The Missing Piece
For many believers, Christianity feels like an exhausting uphill climb. We know we should love more, sin less, pray more, worry less. We white-knuckle our way through temptation, trying desperately to be better people through sheer willpower. And we fail. Again and again, we fail.
But what if we've been missing the point entirely?
The Christian life was never meant to be lived in our own strength. We were never designed to defeat sin, overcome addiction, or walk in holiness by ourselves. The secret isn't trying harder—it's yielding to the One who already lives inside us.
Think about it this way: saying the Holy Spirit is important to our walk with God is like saying feet are important to walking. He's not just a helpful addition to our faith. He's everything. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot know God, have God, or be used by God.
The Day Everything Changed
There was a moment in history when everything shifted. In Acts 2, during the Jewish festival of Pentecost, something unprecedented happened. Followers of Jesus were gathered together when suddenly, like a rushing wind, tongues of fire descended from heaven and rested on each person. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages they'd never learned, declaring the mighty works of God to people from every nation.
Three thousand people gave their lives to Christ that day. It was the birth of the church as we know it—not just an organization, but a supernatural movement of Spirit-filled people.
Before Pentecost, people knew God from a distance. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God, but they didn't have God in them. Throughout the Old Testament, there was separation because of sin. Once a year, one priest could enter the Holy of Holies where God's presence dwelled—and they literally tied a rope around his ankle in case he died in there and needed to be dragged out.
Then came Jesus—Emmanuel, God with us. He walked among His disciples for three years, but even He said, "I have to go because if I don't go, something greater won't come, and you're going to do greater works than I do."
That "something greater" was Pentecost. From that moment forward, God's people became the inhabited dwelling place of the Most High. We are the only generation in human history to be filled with the power and presence of God for His purposes.
The Fulfilled Promises
Peter stood up that day and quoted the prophet Joel: "In the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy."
This was revolutionary. In a patriarchal society where women were marginalized, God was declaring that His Spirit would fall on everyone—men and women, young and old, servants and free. The supernatural presence of God would no longer be limited to one person once a year, but would dwell in every believer.
And here's the beautiful promise: "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you" (John 14:18).
There are no orphans in the kingdom of God. Not one. If you're a follower of Jesus, you are never alone. The God of the universe doesn't just watch over you from heaven—He lives inside you.
What This Means for Your Life
First Corinthians 6:19 asks, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?"
You are the temple. The veil has been torn. The separation is gone. And with that comes something we desperately need: the possibility of real, lasting change.
The Scripture promises that "no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Read that again. God will always provide a way out. Always. Which means there is nothing in your life—no addiction, no pattern of sin, no cycle of brokenness—that the Holy Spirit cannot lead you through.
Does that mean it's easy? No. But it means it's possible.
The difference between exhausting religion and empowered faith is learning to walk in step with the Spirit. It's less about white-knuckling your way to holiness and more about following the Spirit's leading to places of redemption.
Breaking Free from the Ragamuffin Trap
There's a dangerous idea that's crept into some corners of Christianity—the notion that grace means God is okay with us staying exactly where we are. That's because we're "ragamuffin gospel" people; we can embrace our brokenness and never expect change.
But that contradicts Scripture. God says, "I will give you a new heart and a new spirit... I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
The Spirit doesn't just comfort us in our mess. He transforms us. He gives us the power to walk out of what we could never escape on our own.
Many of us have stopped believing that real change is possible. We've battled the same struggles for so long that we've resigned ourselves to them. But don't give up on holiness just because you can't achieve it on your own. That's the whole point—you were never meant to.
Learning to Listen
How do we tap into this capability?
It starts with surrender. True surrender to Jesus, not just intellectual agreement but genuine submission of your life to His lordship.
Then it requires becoming aware. The Holy Spirit often speaks in a whisper, and we need to learn to recognize His voice. Start praying, "Holy Spirit, show yourself to me." Pay attention to the thoughts that contradict your flesh, the gentle nudges toward obedience, the conviction that leads to life.
And when you hear that whisper—when you sense the Spirit prompting you to pray for someone, to confess something, to turn away from temptation—obey. Even when it's uncomfortable. Especially when it's uncomfortable.
Every act of obedience builds your spiritual hearing. You become more attuned to the frequency of God's voice. You learn to distinguish His leading from your own thoughts or spiritual interference.
The Invitation
The tragic reality is that countless believers have the Spirit of God dwelling in them but live as though they don't. They know about the Holy Spirit but have never learned to walk in His power.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
You are not meant to live a mediocre Christian life, going through the motions, trying to be good enough through sheer effort. You were designed to be a supernatural person—someone who displays the fruit of the Spirit not through striving but through yielding, someone who experiences the peace that passes understanding because the Prince of Peace lives inside.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Real freedom. Not just positional freedom in Christ, but experiential freedom in daily life—freedom from sin's power, freedom from fear, freedom from the exhausting treadmill of self-improvement.
The question isn't whether God's Spirit is available to you. If you're a follower of Jesus, He already dwells in you. The question is: will you become aware of Him? Will you learn to walk in step with Him? Will you stop trying to live the Christian life in your own strength and finally surrender to the supernatural power that's been inside you all along?
The Spirit is willing. The power is available. The invitation stands.
Come home to the reality of who you are: the inhabited dwelling place of the living God.
Let that sink in for a moment.
The same God who spoke galaxies into existence, who parted seas and raised the dead, has chosen to make His home in you. This isn't just theological poetry. It's the bedrock reality of Christian life, yet somehow it's become one of the church's best-kept secrets.
The Missing Piece
For many believers, Christianity feels like an exhausting uphill climb. We know we should love more, sin less, pray more, worry less. We white-knuckle our way through temptation, trying desperately to be better people through sheer willpower. And we fail. Again and again, we fail.
But what if we've been missing the point entirely?
The Christian life was never meant to be lived in our own strength. We were never designed to defeat sin, overcome addiction, or walk in holiness by ourselves. The secret isn't trying harder—it's yielding to the One who already lives inside us.
Think about it this way: saying the Holy Spirit is important to our walk with God is like saying feet are important to walking. He's not just a helpful addition to our faith. He's everything. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot know God, have God, or be used by God.
The Day Everything Changed
There was a moment in history when everything shifted. In Acts 2, during the Jewish festival of Pentecost, something unprecedented happened. Followers of Jesus were gathered together when suddenly, like a rushing wind, tongues of fire descended from heaven and rested on each person. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages they'd never learned, declaring the mighty works of God to people from every nation.
Three thousand people gave their lives to Christ that day. It was the birth of the church as we know it—not just an organization, but a supernatural movement of Spirit-filled people.
Before Pentecost, people knew God from a distance. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God, but they didn't have God in them. Throughout the Old Testament, there was separation because of sin. Once a year, one priest could enter the Holy of Holies where God's presence dwelled—and they literally tied a rope around his ankle in case he died in there and needed to be dragged out.
Then came Jesus—Emmanuel, God with us. He walked among His disciples for three years, but even He said, "I have to go because if I don't go, something greater won't come, and you're going to do greater works than I do."
That "something greater" was Pentecost. From that moment forward, God's people became the inhabited dwelling place of the Most High. We are the only generation in human history to be filled with the power and presence of God for His purposes.
The Fulfilled Promises
Peter stood up that day and quoted the prophet Joel: "In the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy."
This was revolutionary. In a patriarchal society where women were marginalized, God was declaring that His Spirit would fall on everyone—men and women, young and old, servants and free. The supernatural presence of God would no longer be limited to one person once a year, but would dwell in every believer.
And here's the beautiful promise: "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you" (John 14:18).
There are no orphans in the kingdom of God. Not one. If you're a follower of Jesus, you are never alone. The God of the universe doesn't just watch over you from heaven—He lives inside you.
What This Means for Your Life
First Corinthians 6:19 asks, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?"
You are the temple. The veil has been torn. The separation is gone. And with that comes something we desperately need: the possibility of real, lasting change.
The Scripture promises that "no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Read that again. God will always provide a way out. Always. Which means there is nothing in your life—no addiction, no pattern of sin, no cycle of brokenness—that the Holy Spirit cannot lead you through.
Does that mean it's easy? No. But it means it's possible.
The difference between exhausting religion and empowered faith is learning to walk in step with the Spirit. It's less about white-knuckling your way to holiness and more about following the Spirit's leading to places of redemption.
Breaking Free from the Ragamuffin Trap
There's a dangerous idea that's crept into some corners of Christianity—the notion that grace means God is okay with us staying exactly where we are. That's because we're "ragamuffin gospel" people; we can embrace our brokenness and never expect change.
But that contradicts Scripture. God says, "I will give you a new heart and a new spirit... I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
The Spirit doesn't just comfort us in our mess. He transforms us. He gives us the power to walk out of what we could never escape on our own.
Many of us have stopped believing that real change is possible. We've battled the same struggles for so long that we've resigned ourselves to them. But don't give up on holiness just because you can't achieve it on your own. That's the whole point—you were never meant to.
Learning to Listen
How do we tap into this capability?
It starts with surrender. True surrender to Jesus, not just intellectual agreement but genuine submission of your life to His lordship.
Then it requires becoming aware. The Holy Spirit often speaks in a whisper, and we need to learn to recognize His voice. Start praying, "Holy Spirit, show yourself to me." Pay attention to the thoughts that contradict your flesh, the gentle nudges toward obedience, the conviction that leads to life.
And when you hear that whisper—when you sense the Spirit prompting you to pray for someone, to confess something, to turn away from temptation—obey. Even when it's uncomfortable. Especially when it's uncomfortable.
Every act of obedience builds your spiritual hearing. You become more attuned to the frequency of God's voice. You learn to distinguish His leading from your own thoughts or spiritual interference.
The Invitation
The tragic reality is that countless believers have the Spirit of God dwelling in them but live as though they don't. They know about the Holy Spirit but have never learned to walk in His power.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
You are not meant to live a mediocre Christian life, going through the motions, trying to be good enough through sheer effort. You were designed to be a supernatural person—someone who displays the fruit of the Spirit not through striving but through yielding, someone who experiences the peace that passes understanding because the Prince of Peace lives inside.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Real freedom. Not just positional freedom in Christ, but experiential freedom in daily life—freedom from sin's power, freedom from fear, freedom from the exhausting treadmill of self-improvement.
The question isn't whether God's Spirit is available to you. If you're a follower of Jesus, He already dwells in you. The question is: will you become aware of Him? Will you learn to walk in step with Him? Will you stop trying to live the Christian life in your own strength and finally surrender to the supernatural power that's been inside you all along?
The Spirit is willing. The power is available. The invitation stands.
Come home to the reality of who you are: the inhabited dwelling place of the living God.
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