Naturally Supernatural
Life in the Spirit
February 13 & 14, 2016: Scott Chapman
SERIES OVERVIEW
“Naturally Supernatural,” we will explore what it means to experience the beauty of an organic and
authentic Christianity in our everyday lives through the influence and blessings of the Holy Spirit.
MESSAGE REFLECTION (Read or Summarize)
Luke 9:23-24, ESV {JESUS} And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for my sake will save it.
Matthew 4:17, 23 TLB {GOSPEL} 17: From then on, Jesus began to preach, “Turn from sin and turn
to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 23: Jesus traveled all through Galilee teaching in the
Jewish synagogues, everywhere preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of Heaven. And he
healed every kind of sickness and disease.
Galatians 5:25 ESV {HOLY SPIRIT} If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Matthew 5:14-16, ESV {LIFE} You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the
house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Connecting the Dots
The dots: Following Jesus, Proclaiming the Kingdom
of Heaven, living With God, and living out a Public
Faith. These landmarks, coupled with our
understanding of the Person of the Holy Spirit, will fuel
Revival in our day. Presently, our church is being called
to shift gears, to become a place that:
 Equips, inspires and releases believers,
 Is sensitive to the presence, ministry and
leadership of the Holy Spirit
 Encourages pursuit of life on life
relationships in the context of true
spiritual community
 Calls people to give their lives completely to
God as committed disciples of Jesus
So let’s start at the beginning: {Jesus}
In Luke 9:23-24 Jesus told us that in order to be His disciple we would have to do three things:
1. Deny ourselves
2. Pick up our cross
3. Follow Him
Jesus did not call us to only be believers – even the demons believe (read James 2:19). Jesus pointed us to
more extravagant calling, a mission. If we look back to Luke 9:18-20, we see that many people identified
Jesus as a prophet or an incarnation, and if we look ahead to Luke 19 we see His followers identifying Him as
King. Even Peter, at his confession (read Luke 9:20), identified Christ as God’s Messiah and not as God. In
order to live out the mission that God called us, we must first Identify Jesus as Lord and the Lord of our life.
The picture of denying oneself and picking up a cross is not meant to inspire feelings of comfort. We must
get uncomfortable, sacrificing our will for His, being willing to endure hardship for His sake and go where He
leads us.
Question: Read Romans 12:1-2 and Galatians 2:20. What message is Paul trying to get across to the
disciples at Rome and Galatia? I read a quote that said in American church we have changed the
expression from ‘Taking up one’s cross to follow Christ’ to ‘Taking up one’s cause to follow
Christ’. How is our culture at odds with Luke 9:23-24? Discuss.
MESSAGE REFLECTION continued...
What was His Mission? {Gospel}
Gospel: from A good news to THE good news: One article changed everything. Christ brought a message,
“Turn from sin and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” Matthew 4:17. If you skip down a few
verses, Matthew 4:23 goes on to say, ‘Jesus traveled all through Galilee teaching in the Jewish synagogues,
everywhere preaching {the Good News about the Kingdom of Heaven}. And he healed every kind of sickness
and disease” (emphases mine). Jesus was sent here, Messiah, Savior of the World – but before He went to
the cross, He went to the streets teaching; everywhere preaching the Kingdom of God is near… true then
and true today. No longer do we need to live under the reign of a fallen world. In the midst of our
brokenness there is power to not be defined by the mess because something greater has come…the
Kingdom of God. God’s plan was never meant to be an evacuation plan, but an invasion plan. Jesus’ Gospel
was about Heaven coming to us; first in our brokenness and later in His fullness at His second coming. If the
Gospel is purely about going to Heaven when we die, that would mean God would, in essence, abandon His
creation at the end of things. But God has never meant to abandon His creation – He has also meant to
reclaim His creation.
Question: Have you tasted Heaven? Jesus demonstrated the Kingdom by what He did (fed the hungry,
healed the sick and sinner, challenged injustice, practiced mercy). Picture a person in your life
that has pointed you to Christ; someone who embodies Heaven. How did they do this? Explain.
What is the gospel, in your own words? Do you bring Good News to your circle of influence?
Read Revelation 21:1-3. Do you have an imagination for a reconciled earth? Dream with your
group about what the reign of God will look like on earth. Discuss.
MESSAGE REFLECTION continued...
How do we experience the Kingdom? {Holy Spirit}
God is bringing the Kingdom of Heaven here now, and the way we experience it
is through the Holy Spirit. Every follower of Jesus Christ receives the Holy Spirit,
and so God’s presence in the form of the Holy Spirit is a part of our life and we
get a chance to do life with God, not just for God. We cannot live like Jesus
without the Holy Spirit. When people reduce the Holy Spirit from a Person to a
ministry to gifts, and finally, down to 3 gifts in particular (healing, prophecy, and
tongues), people wind up pursuing an experience instead of a relationship and this is where things can get
weird. Experiences with people have the tendency to rob many of the true gift that God meant for His
people – His Presence. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step in the Spirit, Galatians 5:25 Let us not
make the decision to avoid the Holy Spirit or all things concerning the Holy Spirit because a few people
messed it up. Jesus said to take up your cross and FOLLOW Him. Paul said to keep IN STEP with the
Spirit…notice the imagery. God is not static – He is dynamic, He is moving and it is IN Him that we live and
move and have our being (read Acts 17:28). We cannot be content to simply live for God; we have to live
with God and be conscious of His movement in us.
Question: Are you living With God or For God? Read James 1:5. How do you experience the Kingdom today?
Is your focus on the gift, the experience, or the Kingdom? Is it easy for you to get these confused? Explain.
MESSAGE REFLECTION continued...
What we were meant for {Life}
John 10:10b says, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
 Dictionary.com defines Abundant as present in great quantity, more than adequate, over sufficient.
 Abundant Life: Jesus gives us the qualities of Heaven through the presence of the Holy Spirit so that
we may live out our life with Him, not in private, but in public, in order to point more to Him.
Matthew 5:14-16 says, you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people
light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who
is in heaven.
Life is not about how amazing we are. Life is about how amazing God is. And
we are the lantern for His light, a beacon of love, hope, and forgiveness to
the world. Now, more than ever, we need to live out a public faith. As
principled pluralism (a spiritual don’t ask, don’t tell) begins to grow, we need
to venture outside our comfort zone and live out loud, not only in word, but
also in deed. As disciples we have been called to bring the ministry of Jesus
to the world around us (family, friends, co-workers, neighbors). As our
culture shifts more and more away from God, we may become defensive. The temptation may be to lash out
– to bang a fist on the proverbial pulpit and get angry. But this is not God’s way. Nor is slinking away, going
quietly into the night. The simple answer is to live out your faith. Advance His kingdom with love, grace,
peace and joy. Be the light of the world.
Question: What does it mean to be the light of the world? How can you practically apply this idea to your
life? Look up John 8:12. Here, light and life are tied together in the person of Christ. Now look up 1 John 1:7.
What does it look like for you to walk in the light? Discuss.
The Final Picture
There are 4 things that only God can give:
 Jesus
 The Gospel
 The Holy Spirit
 Life
We have to choose how we are going to orient ourselves
around our faith. When we say yes and come alive to
God we start to live the Bible and this awakening
becomes revival. 2 Chronicles 16:9a says, For the eyes of
the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to
give strong support to those whose heart is blameless
toward him. God is looking for more people to join the
His story - the story of a God and a people who chose
each other above all things. Your role in the story doesn’t start with perfection; it starts with a willing heart.
Question: How does faith inside of the circle differ from faith outside of the circle? What does it mean to
fuel revival? What about resisting revival? Do you have the curiosity, or an imagination for how the world
would change if every Christian stepped into the circle? Discuss.
NEXT STEPS:
ACCOUNTABILITY: If you have discussed what it looks like to live within the circle, and not outside the
circle, make a list – what needs to change? As a small group, what are your next steps to encourage each
other in this walk? How do make this kind of life real and how do you live it together? Keep a list and make
it a point to review it every couple of weeks. Or, assign partners and keep each other accountable and
encouraged to the “inner circle”.
30-DAY CHALLENGE. What would happen in your life if for just 30 days you carved out 3 hours a
week for time with God? Dedicate 3, 1-hour blocks of time. Spend 30 minutes in God’s Word and ask
Him to tell you and teach you what He sees in relation to you. Take another 30 minutes to pray.
Share your concerns and worries and ask for his wisdom, heart, and power. Take the challenge. As a
group, commit to God and tell God you are His. Ask Him to take you and fill you with His wisdom, His
heart, and His power. Ask Him to take your life and Mold it. What difference can it make? What
would your life look like living in the overflow of God’s presence? Kingdom focus - Kingdom
purpose.
DEVOTIONAL: As a small group, access the Weekly Devotional by going to www.chapel.org, go to the
GROW link at the top of the page and select WEEKLY DEVOTIONALS from the dropdown and then select
NATURALLY SUPERNATURAL – week FEB 14.
PROVIDE US WITH FEEDBACK
We are excited about the potential these studies have to help each of us process the weekend message at a
deeper level, and to see God change our lives in significant ways. In order to make these guides as helpful as
possible, we would love to hear which elements are most helpful, which are least helpful, as well as any
other comments, questions or suggestions. Feel free to send your feedback directly to Jon Holmberg at
[email protected].