Message Notes

YOUTH CONFERENCE 2017 3-7 December Theme: “The Same Spirit of Faith”

UNDERSTANDING THE WORD “SPIRIT” IN THE PHRASE “THE SAME SPIRIT OF FAITH”

1. How should we understand the word “spirit”
   
   1. It is a reference to the human soul
      
      
      1. God created the body
         “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground”   Genesis 2:7
         
         
      2. He also gave us a soul or spirit
         “And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
         And man became a living being”                                                             Genesis 2:7
         
         
      3. An important function of the spirit
         “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD,
         Searching all the inner depths of his heart.”                                                       Proverbs 20:27
         
         
   2. How does the spirit affect us?
      
      
      1. It affects our health and outlook of life
         “A merry heart does good, like medicine,
         But a broken spirit dries the bones.”                                                                       Proverbs 17:22
         
         The spirit is closely associated with the “heart”
         
         
      2. It can give strength
         “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,
         But who can bear a broken spirit?”                                                        Proverbs 18:14
         
         The spirit we have will affect us positively or negatively!
   3. Paul understood how his spirit functioned
      
      
      1. Serving God with depth
         “Whom I serve with my spirit”                                                                  Romans 1:9
         
         
      2. Depth of soul
         “I had no rest in my spirit”                                                                            2 Corinthians 2:13
2. The same spirit of faith
   
   
   1. Evidently, there were others who had the same spirit of faith
      
      
   2. “According to what is written” 2 Corinthians 4:13
      
      
   3. Paul was making a reference to the written Scriptures Psalm 116:10
      
      
   4. The power of the Word of God
      
      
      1. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life John 6:63
         
         
      2. The Word of God is living and powerful Hebrews 4:12
         
         
      3. It can convert the soul                                                                            Psalm 19:7
         
         
      4. It can make the simple wise Psalm 19:7
         
         
      5. It can rejoice the heart Psalm 19:8
         
         
      6. It can enlighten the eyes Psalm 19:8
         
         

3. Finding the spirit of faith
    
   1. Faith involves
      
      
      1. The mind
         The mind comprehends
         
         
      2. The heart
         The heart feels
         
         
      3. The spirit
         It is at this deep level that Paul served the Lord Jesus Christ
         
         
   2. Seeking God
      
      
      1. With the mind
         
         
      2. And the heart
         
         
      3. And the spirit
   3. Finding the same spirit of faith
      
      
      1. Wonderful changes will begin to take place in our life
         
         
      2. Changes that will become significant and positive