ABOUT THIS BLOG

Pastor Bien and Lolita Llobrera, married in 1973, have three grown sons: Keryx, Kairos,Kratos.

This blog is created primarily for friends of mine, young pastors and Christian workers, who are involved in preaching and teaching the Word of God.  By God’s grace I plan to share lessons I’ve learned in more than forty years of preaching and teaching, first, as a layperson involved in Christian student ministry (1964-1972), then as pastor of the following churches:

1972-1988: First Baptist Church, Cavite City, Philippines;

1988-1990: Faith Filipino Fellowship, Santa Ana, California;

1990-1996: First Filipino Baptist Church, Pasadena, California;

1996-Present: First Southern Baptist Church, Pasadena, California. (www.fsbcpasadena.com) 

If others beyond my circle of friends will find something helpful from this blog, glory and praise to the Lord for this  added blessing.

I have two favors to ask of my readers:

(1)  Please freely post your comments (no holds barred), or email me at bien_llobrera@hotmail.com; pastor.bien@yahoo.com.

(2)  Please forward to your friends who are pastors and Bible teachers the address of this blog http://preachteachwithpastorbien.blogspot.com/

Thanks and God bless you.

Now, on to our first lesson…

PREACH AND TEACH TO CHANGE LIVES

INTRODUCTION

Preaching and teaching to change lives – that is the only kind of preaching and teaching that’s worthy before God and that will bless people.

But how do we preach and teach to change lives?

Two verses, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament, give us the clue.

Zechariah 4:6:  Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. (NKJV, the translation used throughout unless otherwise indicated).

Luke 24:49:  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.

Holy Spirit-empowered preaching and teaching – that is the only kind of preaching and teaching that will change lives.

The question every Bible preacher and teacher must ask is this:  Am I continually walking and ministering in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  In fact, every Bible preacher and teacher must make sure that his/her Christian hearers, after their salvation, are continually obeying the command in Ephesians 5:18: “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.”

So, let me ask you, Bible preacher and Bible teacher:  Are you sure that you are filled with the Holy Spirit.  To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to be controlled, guided, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Let me suggest six steps to make sure of your relationship with the Holy Spirit.  You may, in the past, have gone  through these steps (or something similar), but I strongly encourage you to check yourself regularly by these six steps.

STEPS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE

STEP 1:  KNOW THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES IN YOU.

The first step to the Holy Spirit-filled life is to thank God for giving you His Holy Spirit when you received Christ as your Lord and Savior (Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6).  In the space below, write a prayer expressing your gratitude for the Holy Spirit's indwelling.

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STEP 2:  REMOVE THINGS THAT BLOCK THE HOLY SPIRIT.

(a)  In Ephesians 4:30, what are we commanded to stop doing?

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(b)  When the Holy Spirit is grieved (blocked), He cannot flow freely in us and through us.  What things block the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:17-5:17)?

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These things grieve and block the Holy Spirit:  Habitual sins; sinful habits; sinful attitudes, such as hatred, unwillingness to forgive, pride, worry, bitterness.  Doubtful things can also block Him (Romans 14:23).  Before you can experience the Holy Spirit-filled life, you must confess and forsake all these things.

(c) Examine your heart in the light of God's Word.  Take a piece of paper and write on it every sin that the Holy Spirit convicts you of.

(1)  Habitual sins. ________________________________________

(2)  Sinful attitudes. ______________________________________

(3)  Sinful relationships. __________________________________

(4)  Doubtful matters _____________________________________

(d)  After completing your list, make a full confession of these sins to God.  Claim the forgiveness and cleansing promised in 1 John 1:9.  Then across your list write the reference "1 JOHN 1:9".  Thank the Lord for His forgiveness; tear the paper into small bits and throw these into a trash can.

STEP 3:  SURRENDER YOUR LIFE FULLY AND UNRESERVEDLY TO GOD.

(a)  Summarize Romans 12:1,2 in your own words.

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(b)  To be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, surrender every part of your life to His control.  You are like a container.  After removing the dirt that blocks the Holy Spirit, turn the whole container (your life) over to God for His exclusive use.  Take this step of full surrender by sincerely praying:

"Dear heavenly Father, I now fully surrender my whole life to You, spirit, soul, and body, all that I am, all that I have, all my relationships, and all the days of my life.  From now on I am Yours alone and Yours forever.  In Christ's name. Amen."

If you have prayed this prayer before, renew your commitment today.  After praying, complete the record below:

TODAY, I COMMITTED/RECOMMITTED MY LIFE TOTALLY TO THE LORD.

DATE ___________ TIME ______________ PLACE _________________

STEP 4:  CLAIM BY FAITH THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

(a)  You became a child of God by asking in faith for Christ to come into your life.  Similarly, you may receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit by asking in faith that God will fill you with His Holy Spirit.  Your faith should be based on these truths:

(1)   GOD COMMANDS you to be filled with His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18);

(2)  GOD PROMISES to grant your request to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13);

(3)  GOD GUARANTEES to answer to answer prayer that is based on his will and promise (1 John 5:14,15).

(4)  Pray this prayer in faith:

"Heavenly Father, You promised to give the Holy Spirit to all who ask. You also commanded me to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, I ask You now, Father, to fill me, possess me, and control me with Your Holy Spirit.  By faith in Your promise and in obedience to Your command I now ask for and claim the filling of the Holy Spirit.  Thank You for filling me now.  In Christ's name. Amen."

If you prayed this prayer before, ask again for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.  After praying, complete the record below:

TODAY, I CLAIMED/RECLAIMED THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

DATE ___________ TIME ______________ PLACE _________________

(b)  After this prayer of faith, act upon God's promise.  From this moment on, always confess and declare that the Holy Spirit has taken control of your whole life.   As you go about your daily tasks, always count on the presence, power, and control of the Holy Spirit.  At the beginning of each day, take time to meditate on the fact that He has filled you and is filling you.  As you do your work during the day, maintain the attitude of dependence upon the Holy Spirit.

STEP 5:  WALK BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Read John 15:5 and Galatians 5:16-17, 22-25.  To walk by the Holy Spirit means abide continually in Christ and to live the Christ-centered life by faithfully maintaining the basic disciplines of the Christian life: WORD, PRAYER, FELLOWSHIP, WITNESSING.  Evaluate yourself with the help of the following questions:

(a)  WORD:  When and how much time do you give to the WORD of God through:

Hearing _______________________________________________

Reading _______________________________________________

Studying ______________________________________________

Memorizing ____________________________________________

Meditation ____________________________________________

(b)  PRAYER:  When and how much time do you give to PRAYER?

_______________________________________________________

(c)  FELLOWSHIP:  When and how much time do you give to FELLOWSHIP with other Christians?

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(d)  WITNESSING:  When and how much time do you give to WITNESSING for Christ?

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STEP 6:  DISCERN, DEVELOP, AND DEPLOY YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

Steps 1-5 opens your whole being so that the Holy Spirit can begin to fill you with His power and blessing. The Holy Spirit provides channels through which He can flow through you to others.  These channels are called spiritual gifts.  Now, you are ready to ask:  "What are my spiritual gifts?" 

In a future blog we will study about how to discover, develope, and use your spiritual gifts.