4/22/13 - "RECEIVE ALL THE GODHEAD"

Col. 2:9 For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].

When you think about it there are three basic overall parts to a vehicle. There is the exterior, the interior, and the power train. What would you think of this? You go to a dealership looking to buy a new car and the salesman after talking to you for a few minutes to find out what you are looking for takes you out to the lot to look at the car. He shows you the exterior, then opens the door has you crawl into the driver seat and shows you the nice new interior, and then you ask to test-drive the car. The salesman says, “Well you can’t do that because we don’t have cars with a power train, only the exterior and interior”. I would be willing to bet you would be heading to your vehicle pretty quick to go and find another car lot.

Why then does it seem that so many Christians are happy to attend a church where they get a great exterior, and great interior, but there is no power train? Yet they don’t even think about that being an issue. Jesus Christ who embodied the entire Godhead did not die to just give us a part of the package. He died so that you could in fact experience all three of the Godhead in your life. Churches are supposed to be introducing you to all three parts of the Godhead and how you are to relate to them. This week I want to talk about receiving all of the Godhead. Let’s start with Jesus Christ.

Matt. 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].

When you talk about our relationship to Jesus the key part of that relationship is what Jesus revealed here in these verses and in the Great Commission to the church. We are to become disciples of Christ. That doesn’t happen just because we are born again. Becoming a disciple of Christ is the foundation in our relationship with Jesus. A disciple is one as Jesus states in scripture who lives by His Word, has Jesus as their first love, fulfills God’s will no matter what, is willing to forsake all for Christ, walks in the love of God, receives pruning from the Father, and fulfills their number one call to be with Jesus.

These seven things are what scripture reveals a disciple of Christ is. To not become a disciple of His is to not fully accept what Jesus is offering us and what He desires for us in relationship to Him. This is why He commanded His disciples to go in to all the world and make disciples of all people. Scripture also reveals that a disciple is not above his teacher, but he who is perfectly trained will become like their teacher. That is why becoming a disciple of Christ is so important in our relationship to Him. Jesus needs us doing the work He did, which He tells us in John 14:12 we can do, if we believe in Him. To believe in Him means to fully entrust your entire life to another. So in receiving what Jesus offers as a part of the Godhead you will become one of His disciples.

Heb. 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

When it comes to our relationship with the Father the primary part of that relationship is learning what it means to walk by faith and not by sight, for it is impossible to please Him without faith. We have a great example of this in the life of Enoch. Hebrews chapter 11 is often referred to as the hall of faith. We have listed there seven major keys to what God the Father calls faith. When you look at verses 5 and 6 you see that Enoch had the testimony that he pleased God, and as verse 6 states it is impossible to please God without faith. Let’s look at what the key was as to how Enoch got such a testimony in relationship to the Father.

Gen. 5:24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Here we have the reason Enoch had a good testimony with God. Enoch walked with God. Where did Enoch learn about walking with God? Adam was still alive as Enoch grew up, and there must be little doubt that he had heard Adam talk about walking with God. This stirred a hunger in Enoch to walk with Him. The most important part of us receiving the Father as a part of the Godhead in our lives has to do with us walking with God. God the Father wants us to know Him as His son’s and daughter’s. This type of relationship comes from walking with Him.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

If you are going to walk with God as your Father you are going to do so because of your love for Him. You cannot walk in love with the world and the things of the world and walk with God. God calls walking with Him faith. If you are walking by faith and not by sight, then you are not focused on the things of this world, but instead you are focused on continually developing your walk with the Father because of the love that burns within your heart for Him.

Heb. 12:7 Endure your discipline. God corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers.
Heb. 12:8 If you aren’t disciplined like the other children, you aren’t part of the family.

In developing your relationship of faith walking with God as your Father, one thing you don’t hear many churches teach on is the discipline that will come from the Father if you are going to walk as a son or daughter of His. Many churches emphasize the importance of a relationship with the Father and that is good, but they don’t often talk about Him correcting us. He does so through His Word, our conscience, the Holy Spirit, and leadership simply revealing things that need to change in our life for our benefit. If we don’t receive the Father’s discipline then we are not receiving all of the Godhead.

Eph. 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Eph. 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, …

The third part of the Godhead is of course the Holy Spirit. Many have, as I illustrated earlier, gotten the exterior and the interior part of Christianity having relationship with the Father and the Son, but they have not received the power train. They have not gotten filled with the Holy Spirit, who is the power of God and just as much a part of the Godhead as the Father and the Son. Far too many churches just mention the Holy Spirit, but do nothing in teaching on nor helping their church to receive the power from on high as promised by our heavenly Father.

Paul states here in Ephesians that we are to understand what the will of the Lord is, and a part that will is that we are to be filled with the Spirit. We are to be baptized in the Holy Spirit so that we can be His witnesses. Something my Pastor, Dr. Mark Barclay recently stated is a powerful truth about many churches in America today. If you kick out the gifts of the Spirit in your church, you kick out the Spirit of the gifts.

I have said if you are not allowing the Holy Spirit to function through His gifts in your church and He is not welcome, then you have hindered the true teacher to bring revelation during the teaching of God’s Word, for Jesus said it is He (the Holy Spirit), who will teach you all things. Yet Christians will go to churches where they offer the exterior part of the vehicle, the interior part of the vehicle, but no power train and yet they are satisfied that this is enough.

2 Tim. 3:5 They will appear to have a godly life, but they will not let its power change them. Stay away from such people.

Paul stated here to Timothy that in the last days you would have people who will have this appearance of godliness or what he called a “form” of godliness, but they will deny the power thereof. That power is the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus commanded His disciples in Acts 1:8 to go to Jerusalem and wait until they receive the promise of the Father, which was not salvation, for He had already breathed on them and they had received the Holy Spirit (salvation). The promise was to receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them, which they would then be empowered to be His witnesses. Why do Christians want the car without the power train?

So receive all of the Godhead. That has always been God’s intention for us, and then continue to grow as a disciple of Christ, continue to develop your walk with the Father, and continually stay full of the Holy Spirit. If you are not in a Spirit-filled church that allows the gifts of the Spirit to manifest, you are lacking a vital part of the Godhead. Get all that God has for you!

See You Again Next Week For More “Weekly Wisdom”

May God’s Best Be Yours!

Pastor Darryl Baker