Sermon Central
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Doing The Impossible Series
Contributed by Jonathan Russell on Mar 6, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: This sermon explains how the disciples (and the church today) were able to do a seemingly impossible task: taking the Gospel to the world
* Assignment from Acts 1:8 is impossible in Acts 1 because the disciples have no spiritual power to help them
* Explain Holy Spirit’s role, pre-Acts 2 (came upon isolated individuals or small groups for a specific purpose or on a special occasion)
* Disciples know the facts about Jesus but lack the power to deliver the message
* The solution: Arrival of the Holy Spirit (promised in Luke 24:49, John 14:16, John 16:5-15)
* Contemporary feeling about the task the church has to change the world: "Impossible!"
* What makes this "impossible" task possible?
1. The filling of the Spirit makes the impossible possible (v. 1-4)
* Baptized in the Spirit vs. Filled with the Spirit
Baptized in = occurs when faith is placed in Christ; the initial work of the Spirit in a believer’s life; not a repeated act or conditional
Filled with = the believer continually takes advantage of the Spirit’s work in his or her life; a repeated act that is conditional (i.e., Eph. 5:18)
All believers are baptized in the Spirit, not not all live lives that are filled with the Spirit - FILLING LEADS TO LIVING
* When we are filled with the Spirit...
A. ...we understand the purpose of God (v. 3 = "tongues")
- purpose of tongues in this passage: proclamation of Gospel
B. ...we sense the presence of God (v. 3 = "fire")
- fire always symbolic of God’s presence (i.e., Moses; Elijah)
- Matt. 28:19-20
C. ...we experience the power of God (v. 4 = "enabled")
- a God-sized task requires God’s power
2. The activity of God makes the impossible possible (v. 5-11, 14-21)
* If God is taken out of the equation, we face an impossible task.
* God’s specific activity...
A. God does what only God can do (v. 5-11)
- if what is done can be done without God’s activity, it’s not of God
- Eph. 3:20
B. God fulfills his Word (v. 14-21)
- verses 17-21 compared to Joel 2:28-32
C. God draws people to himself (v. 21)
- Peter’s sermon is powerful because of what god does (v. 41)
- John 12:32
3. The reactions of others makes the impossible possible (v. 12-13)
Three different reactions in the text (all have a proper response from us)
A. Some will be ready to hear our message (v. 12 = "amazed")
OUR RESPONSE: Tell them! (1 Peter 3:15)
B. Some will be confused by our message (v. 12 = "perplexed")
OUR RESPONSE: Explain it to them! (Eph. 3:8-9)
C. Some will discourage us (v. 13)
OUR RESPONSE: Be faithful and continue! (Gal. 6:9)
