Illustration of receiving power
I. Jesus promises his disciples that they will receive power (Acts 1:8)
a. They would receive this power when the Holy Spirit would fall on them
b. The question this morning is, what was that power?
c. I have thought a lot about that question
i. Is that power some ability to do something supernatural?
ii. What is a person like who works under the power of the Holy Spirit?
iii. What is it that God puts in a person when s/he is under the power of the Holy Spirit?
iv. Could it be that the Holy Spirit possesses a person and does whatever He wants without me having to do anything?
II. Spirit of Prophecy quote
a. “After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were so filled with love for Him and for those for whom He died, that hearts were melted by the words they spoke and the prayers they offered. They spoke in the power of the Spirit; and under the influence of that power, thousands were converted.” AA, 22.
III. Explanation
a. Something happened after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples
b. The disciples knew that the coming of the Holy Spirit meant something more than just power to preach the Word of God.
c. They knew that Jesus had arrived at the right hand of God and had received the Holy Spirit from the Father to give it to His disciples here on earth.
d. “Christ’s ascension to heaven was the signal that His followers were to receive the promised blessing. For this they were to wait before they entered upon their work. When Christ passed within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the adoration of the angels. As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich currents, and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had with the Father from all eternity. The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people.” AA, p. 38, 39
e. the discples were completely sure that Jesus had been received in the heavenly courts and that He was at the right hand of God.
f. They knew that they had a brother right next to the Fahter and that Jesus was going to be interceding for them..
g. As they received the Holy Spirit they knew that the Father had accepted Jesus’ sacrifice here on earth on behalf of humanity and that now He was anointed as King and Priest of the Heavenly Sanctuary.
IV. So What!
a. The disciples knew that they were not alone. They knew that even though Jesus had to go to heaven they felt Him very near.
b. Jesus had told them that He would send them the Holy Spirit when He would get to heaven y He would ask the Father that He send them another Counselor.
c. When they received this other Counselor they had faith in the promises, that Jesus’ words were absolutely trustworthy, that He is next to the Father and as they prayed in the name of Jesus they knew that Jesus would take their prayers and would make them His own and present them before the Father.
d. Now there is direct access to the throne room of God, not by an earthly priest which could misrepresent God, but with an eternal Priest that would intercede for them.
e. They have a King in heaven that is fair, perfect, holy and that would judge according to His judgment.
f. Even though Jesus was in heaven, He had sent His representative to be close to His children and Jesus would continue leading the church through His Holy Spirit.
V. This is what filled them with love!
a. The Holy Spirit came over them reminding them what Jesus had said and convicted them of God’s great love towards humanity.
b. The disciples’ hearts were so melted by this great demonstration of love that their hearts were more open to the promptings of the Spirit.
VI. “…Because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:5
a. Galatians 5:22
i. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…,”
ii. we usually read this verse as it is written, but it doesn’t seem to be consistent with the rest of the Bible because it puts “love” as a virtue separate from joy, from peace, from patience, etc…
iii. There is one FRUIT of the Spirit: LOVE and the rest are expressions of LOVE.
iv. Isn’t LOVE present expressed in the rest of these?
v. Could we say that I only have some of the fruits of the Spirit and exclude LOVE?
1. “I don’t have the fruit of Love…”
2. “I love you in the Lord” (I love you because I have to).
vi. A better translation would be: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love: joy, peace, patience, goodness, etc.
b. The Spirit’s greatest work is to help us love God and He does it by reminding of what Jesus did for us on the cross, and to convict us of our sins and that Jesus was judged for my sins and that could have been me. As I listen to the Spirit it is Love that has to be born into my heart.
c. If we love each other we need to also rejoice with each other, have peace with each other, be patient with each other, be good with each other…
d. 1 Corinthians 13
i. If I have all the gifts of the Spirit but do not have love, I have nothing.
ii. Love is not a fruit, it is the FRUIT.
iii. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1Cor. 13.8 Love never fails…”
VII. Can we say that we have the Holy Spirit if we don’t love?
a. I’m not talking about loving those who are easy to love
b. I can love my wife and kids, those that think like me and do things that I like to do, but the true test of love comes when we have to demonstrate that same love to those who don’t think like me, and do things that I don’t like and I may not get along with that person.
c. How about in church? We basically believe the same thing that’s why we’re here, but we don’t all think the same.
d. Can we still love each other the same in spite of our different ways of thinking? WE have to.
e. If we are fighting among each other, are we demonstrating the FRUIT
f. Some Christians over emphasize the gifts of the Spirit and make some of the gifts a standard to know whether we have the Spirit or not.
g. If you don’t speak in tongues you don’t have the Spirit, if you don’t heal, if you don’t perform great miracles, etc.
h. But what about the FRUIT and the fruits of the Spirit?
i. That was the way I was taught to counter these believers with the Bible.
j. I’ve realized that this was a way to cover another problem – ours.
k. While it is true that the gifts of the Spirit are nothing if we don’t have LOVE.
l. But it is also true that just because we obey the commandments we don’t necessarily have the Holy Spirit.
m. Having the Spirit is not jumping and shouting in church and neither is it to be right in everything and try to do everything perfectly.
n. How do we truly show that we have the Spirit? By our love and our love is shown through the fruits and then God can entrust us with the gifts of the Spirit.
VIII. Us
a. We are loving but we have limited the Spirit
b. We can love a lot more be we need listen to the Spirit and follow His promptings.
c. We are loving when:
i. Even when it may seem that someone is trying to hurt us, but we don’t jump to conclusions saying that that person doesn’t like me. Give the benefit of the doubt.
ii. We don’t go by first impressions
iii. Not believing anything I am told about somebody else until I know myself
iv. Even if someone is against me, always speak positively about that person.
v. In church
1. Even if we don’t agree on an issue, we still can love each other and not go behind his back and talk bad about them.
2. Even if I don’t get called from the nominating committee I still love them
3. We consider each other family
4. When we can hear some counsel and receive with gratitude and not take it as criticism.
5. When we visit, call and pray for each other.
6. Even when someone is not fulfilling their responsibility like they should we still love them.
7. When we live what we sing
8. When we see others through the eyes of Christ.
9. We are loving only when we allow God’s love to come over us not only in a sermon or a song, but every moment and every day.
IX. Our greatest need
a. No to fix the church
b. Not to have two churches merge into one
c. Not to have the ideal pastor
d. Not to have everything organized perfectly
e. Our greatest need is the indwelling of the Spirit that fills our hearts with more love for God and for our neighbors and then we will be Christians that speak in the power of the Spirit, that have the power of the Holy Spirit.
