Holy Ghost Power

HOLY GHOST POWER

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: THE MECHANIC’S AMAZING DOG

1. A mechanic owned a dog named “Mace.” Mace had a bad habit of eating all the grass in the mechanic’s lawn, so the mechanic had to keep Mace inside.

2. The grass eventually became overgrown. One day the mechanic was working on a car in his backyard and dropped his wrench, losing it in the tall grass. He couldn’t find it for the life of him and decided to call it a day.

3. That night Mace escaped from the house and ate all the grass in the backyard. The next morning the mechanic went outside and saw his wrench glinting in the sunlight.

4. Realizing what had happened, he looked up to the heavens and proclaimed... “A grazing Mace, how sweet the hound, that saved a wrench for me!”

B. TITLE/ THEME

Today is Pentecost Sunday, so that is our theme.

I. THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF POWER

A. NATURAL/ MANMADE POWER

1. MANY TYPES: Political Power, Financial Power, Military Power, Informational Power, etc.

2. NATURAL FORCES: Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Tidal waves, Earthquakes, Lightning storms, etc.

3. EXPLOSIVE POWER:

a. Fire (gun) power

b. Rocket Engines -- thrust (Cape Canaveral)

c. TNT, Dynamite; C-4

d. Atom Bomb – Hiroshima = 20,000 tons of TNT

e. Mount St. Helen’s explosion = 10,000,000 tons of TNT or 500 Hiroshima's. It was a blast of 300° heat traveling 200 mph. 17 miles away it leveled 150 foot Douglas firs. 60 people were killed.

4. But no power can rival that which Paul encountered on the Road to Damascus -- a power able to transform a soul from death to life.

B. HOLY GHOST POWER

1. Gen. 1:2, "Spirit of God was hovering over the waters"

a. He formed the vast reaches of space.

b. He created suns as large as our solar system.

c. He’s so powerful, he can suspend or supersede the laws of the universe!

d. He’s so powerful, He’s beyond the physical realm.

2. He is the third person of the Trinity Godhead, One with the Father and Son. He is the "Spirit", "Wind", "Breath" of God. He is the active Presence of God.

C. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN BIBLICAL HISTORY

1. Moses saw Him, Hovering over the waters of Creation.

2. The Egyptians saw Him -- as a Pillar of fire separating them from God's people.

3. The psalmist David -- saw Him as the "precious anointing oil" which flowed down Aaron’s garments (Psalm 133:2).

4. Isaiah saw Him -- as a Royal Robe filling God's temple.

5. John the Baptist -- saw Him as a beautiful white dove which came and settled on the Lord Jesus at His baptism.

6. Joel (2:23) Saw Him as a Gentle rain which would make righteousness grow.

7. Peter and the disciples -- experienced Him as a Hurricane force wind rushing down in mighty torrents from heaven.

8. Ezekiel and John the Revelator -- saw Him as a River of Living Waters flowing out of God's temple.

D. HOLY SPIRIT: HERE FOR DEFINITE PURPOSES

1. To INDWELL us. Romans 8:3

2. To help us be CONFORMED into the Image of Jesus (John 16:13-14).

3. To give us POWER to WITNESS.

4. To SUPPLY the Body with GIFTS to grow.

E. DAY OF PENTECOST: A MASS SPIRITUAL INVASION

1. On July 4, 1776, England's King George III recorded in his diary, "Nothing important happened today." Little did he know that the Revolution had begun in America! On the Day of Pentecost, A.D. 33, I imagine the devil wrote in his diary, "Nothing important happened today." But little did he know, that the Revolution of the Ages had begun!

2. The Greatest conferral of power in history had begun:

a. Knighthood is conferred by a King putting his sword on each shoulder.

b. College Degree: the president of the university says, "I

hereby confer on you all the rights and privileges appertaining thereto."

c. But God's Power is conferred by the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" Acts 1:8.

d. The disciples undoubtedly asked, "When will we receive this power?" And Jesus answered, "When the Holy Spirit comes upon you."

II. THE WORLD NEEDS TO SEE THIS POWER

A. AGAIN, WHAT KIND OF POWER?

1. Miraculous power

2. Power to Change lives

3. Power to heal bodies

4. Power to subjugate devils

B. THE SPIRITUAL VACUUM IN AMERICA

1. Why does the world resort to alcohol, drugs, fortune tellers, Eastern religions, cults?

2. Why is it that they take anti-depressants and valiums? Because there’s a spiritual vacuum. The church is not displaying the power of Jesus, so the world doesn’t know where to go to find Almighty God!