Empowered To Serve: The Transforming Power Of The Holy Spirit

Empowered to Serve: The Transforming Power of the Holy Spirit

By Otis T. McMillan

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in personal evangelism? We know that God’s Spirit is at work in us as believers. The Holy Spirit renews us, regenerates us, trains us, teaches us, and transforms us. All of these things transform us as believers into effective witnesses for God. This month’s article is an excerpt from the book, “Empowered to Serve.”

This message on the Holy Spirit and Evangelism is not intended to be dogmatic. This is a simple, down to earth presentation of the Holy Spirit, his person, his purpose and ministry to fulfill the mandate of Jesus Christ. My desire is to remind readers of our great need of the Holy Spirit’s power and presence to carry out the assignment of the Church. In many circles, battles are constantly raging on the subject of the Holy Spirit. Our arch enemy, Satan, knows that a church fully empowered by the Holy Spirit is invincible. With Regards to the Holy Spirit, Satan has sought to confuse us, divide us and create havoc in the Church world. Opinions on this subject will possibly vary between Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Roman Catholics and other denominations. The common enemy and source of confusion is Satan. Our greatest need maybe a clear understanding of the Holy Spirit’s power and its availability to the Church. I encourage you to open your minds and hearts, seeking to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church. May God richly bless you in your endeavors to follow Jesus Christ!

A story is told of a lady that went to a jeweler to have her watch repaired. He disappeared to the back and soon returned with it running perfectly. Surprised, she asked. “How he could fix it so quickly?” He replied, “It only needed a new battery.” She responded, “Battery! Battery! Nobody said anything about a battery. I’ve been winding it every morning for five years!"

A lot of churches spent their time and energy winding up programs, developing strategies and burning themselves out trying to do that which only the Spirit of God can do. Many fail to realize the tremendous inner power of God available through the Holy Spirit that can enable the Church to fulfill every God-given assignment. His power was made available to us on the day of Pentecost. Our Heavenly Father wants the Church to complete His Work by His mighty power and not by our ingenuity. The Church was born at Pentecost; consequently Pentecost has become a sacred holiday on the Christian calendar. Pentecost has always been a special day on the Jewish calendar which celebrated the harvest of grain. It was one of the three official feasts that called Jewish men to worship at the temple three times a year. While the Jews celebrated a harvest of grain, the Christian Church celebrates Pentecost as a great harvest of the Spirit. It is because of the Pentecostal outpouring that we reap a harvest of power to be effective witnesses; the capacity to be renewed and transformed personally, and experience life in God’s presence. Because of Pentecost, power is abundantly available to us that believe. We, the church of Jesus Christ are a Pentecostal Church. We were born of the Spirit, identify with the Spirit and seek after the fullness of the Spirit just as they did at the first Pentecost.

As faithful witnesses, we cannot afford to stop seeking to be filled with His power. The church of Jesus Christ must be filled with the Spirit in order to be transformed and to be God’s transforming agent. As His children, we must embrace His immediate presence in the power of the Holy Spirit. Today’s Christian church needs the Pentecostal power once again! Only the Holy Spirit’s power can equip us to witness effectively. Read these verses from the book of Acts.

Acts 1:4 “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.”

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

The disciples were focusing on Christ’s future kingdom rather than on their responsibility to occupy enemy territory and represent His kingdom until His return. So Jesus tells them to wait until they are prepared to be witnesses throughout the world. When the people of God commit to being His disciples, the Holy Spirit empowers them to be God’s witnesses. We don’t receive power because we participate in good church programs or give money to the church or belong to a big beautiful church. We receive power because the Holy Spirit becomes active in our lives. The Holy Spirit empowers us to actualize God’s word in our lives, and to be His disciples through our personal witness in the world.