Empowered by the Spirit
Sermon
There is no recording available for the sermon this week. You can read the sermon here: Sermon – May 23, 2021.
Scripture: John 15:26- 27; 16:4b – 15
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. Read more…
Looking to Sunday
by Elaine Poproski
Last summer I spent a few days at my sister’s family cottage. The cottage sits on a lake in the Muskoka’s, surrounded by trees. One evening while I was there, a horrendous thunderstorm erupted. The lightening flashed, the thunder cracked the sky, wind whipped through the air, the cottage walls shook, and the rain pelted the windows. Then, without warning, we heard a truly impressive crash. A massive tree by the water’s edge was ripped up from its roots and thrown to the ground. The rocky, eroded soil and shallow roots were no match for the weather’s tantrum.
Once, when Jesus was surrounded by crowds of people, He told a parable about seeds that were scattered onto various types of soil. (You can read it in Matthew 13.) The seeds that fell on rocky ground sprang up quickly. But when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away.
Roots are essential. But so is the soil in which they live. If the roots don’t penetrate deep into the earth, they will not sustain the plant, there won’t be enough nutrients to provide for quality fruit, there won’t be sufficient hold to keep the plant fixed in place, and the roots themselves will ultimately wither and die.
Our focus these last weeks has been on our roots. More specifically, we’ve been thinking about the importance of being rooted in Jesus. This week we will be reminded that Jesus is nothing like the rocky soil in the parable; Jesus is unfathomably deep and eternally sufficient, and His Spirit – the Holy Spirit – is the life-force of the soil. The Spirit is the food and water our roots depend on, it is the building blocks for all the fruit that grows above-ground. On Sunday we will be reminded of the beauty, faithfulness, and sufficiency of the Spirit, through whom we are made strong, healthy, and whole.
As you prepare for Sunday consider that being rooted in Jesus means being empowered by the Spirit. What does that mean for how you live your life? What does it mean for how you engage with other people? What does it mean for how you pray? As you consider these questions, consider this: what does your experience of being empowered by the Spirit tell you about your rootedness in Jesus?