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Tope Koleoso on Sovereign grace, spiritual gifts and the pastor

Tope Koleoso on Sovereign grace, spiritual gifts and the pastor

Last updated on: October 14, 2025 at 3:55 pm by Adrian Warnock

Tope Koleoso on Sovereign grace, spiritual gifts and the pastor 2025-10-14T15:55:42+01:00 Adrian Warnock

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The shepherd has to know who to handle the sovereign grace of God and spiritual gifts.

It can be done. It should be done. It must be done. These are not optional.

Tope explained he is standing on the shoulders of men like Terry Virgo, Jack Hayford and John Piper.

Why would anyone be hesitant, cautious, resistant to the Holy Spirit? It comes down to fear.

I am careful not to despise prophecy but I do recognise nonsense. Sometimes people in the name of the Holy Spirit are hurtful, manipulative, and abusive. In some circles the weirder it is the better! Those experiences can put some people off.

The Holy Spirit wants to free people not freeze them.

But we are not allowed to sidestep these things. In Mark 1 the Spirit came upon Jesus to anoint him in ministry. If Jesus needed the Spirit in this way how much more us? It’s arrogant for us to think its ok we will just go!

The Church in the west only wants to teach and preach, it doesn’t want to do the healing and deliverance. The full complement of Jesus ministry. He told us we would do the things that he did!

People can preach smoothly and the Spirit may not be there and people might not notice. So we pull back from the works of Jesus.

There is a call upon us we cannot sidestep. Acts 1 were told to wait for the Spirit who would give power to make them witnesses. Early church new nothing of just going out without waiting. They experienced something. Receiving the Spirit something changes.

Acts 2 Peter explains Jesus has poured out the Spirit. What must we do: repent, be baptised, receive the Spirit.

Acts 9 Paul had met Jesus yet he still needed to be filled with the Spirit. As it was for them it needs to be for us.

We don’t need persuasive words but the demonstration of the Spirit and power.

You came into the kingdom supernaturally. You will be sustained supernaturally. If we don’t pursue the things of the Spirit there are consequences. We will preach an anaemic, diluted, deficient, destructive gospel.

Would your people be confused if the Apostle Paul asked them “did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19).

The western church is pragmatic, we are called to something deeper. It takes integrity to say “lord help us!”

Don’t sell your people short. Don’t become Christians by the Spirit and continue in the flesh.

Without the Spirit we will become legalistic. We need his strength to enable us. Without the Spirit we lack assurance of our faith. We pretend to be joyful while the battle is raging.

There are serious consequences pastor if you don’t teach your people about the Spirit.

If you don’t do ministry by the Spirit you will do it by pragmatics. The fact that it is growing doesn’t mean it is of God. You could have a good Sunday, and God said to you “this babylon that you have built with your own hand”

The Early Church did not know of discipleship apart from the filling of the spirit. We need the prophetic and pragmatic. But prophetic must be first.

Acts 13 the Spirit called them. Your calling cannot be because you went to seminary. Has to be God called you.

Also sent by the Spirit. He must direct you. Luke writes that you may know how it works. The preaching was not just a talk. That God would use someone like us to speak Gods word.

Some preachers want us to have a nice life. The guy we are following died on a bloodstained cross! That’s a hint! The good news is he rose again!

In Acts 13 we also see discerning of spirits. Let God show you. Paul curses the guy. Not the way to grow a church!

You cannot theologise Satan away. You cannot hope him away. You need the power of the Spirit.

The proconsul was converted because of what he saw and heard. This is not an issue for debate. The early church did not debate when it happened but asked whether it has happened. We need to be filled every day.

Wake up, lift voice, and seek Spirit every morning. Sing to him. Something is massaged on the inside. Edified. Know that you have touched God and he has touched you. You need these encounters to do the work. Be restored to the creators initial intention. So you have the relationship and resources he intends you to have.

In Acts 19 they are filled, in Ephesians 5 he urges the same people to continue being filled with the Spirit. No one can say they have it all. Choose to be open.

How do you see your services. Who is it for? I hope it’s not for you. It’s not just for the lost. First of all you are for GOD. Love his presence. Cry for his presence not just that the sermon goes well. We need the atmosphere to be full of the presence of the Spirit.

Before talking about tongues seek the presence of God! Labor and want him and prize him. If nobody else is there i will be, I need you! A place of life where things happen. If you don’t get this you will try to manufacture something.

If you teach this the pragmatics will take their place. When the people and pastor is hungry for God.

When you have that atmosphere things begin to happen. He begins to speak to the people. He begins to give gifts to the people.

But Spirit Filled Church by Terry Virgo and Spiritual Gifts by Sam Storms.

1. Walk in the Spirit yourself.

2. Start a prayer meeting.

3. Speak to the people and help them gently. Be ready for a bit of a mess.

4. Have a Holy Spirit morning. Talk from the Bible, pray, gifts begin to flow.

5. Teach them well. Carefully. Winsomely.

The caution. Must be done decently and in order. Our freedom in worship will never surrender to fanaticism. Put openness to the Spirit will never violate the word. The eternal word trumps any prophetic woes. Our expression of
Joy will never degenerate into mere excitability.

A reformed pastor can be charismatic, needs to be charismatic, ought to be charismatic.

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