INTRODUCTION...Today we are going to continue our talk about the HOLY GHOST and how we allow Him to dwell in us.
But before we do I must say this...when we walk into God's House to worship we should leave ALL else behind.
We should be here to commune with God only and if we are here for any other reason we should not be here.
And I must say this also...we should have prepared to be here. How? On our knees praying for guidance.
Why do I say this...we so often forget just how important worship really is...it is the most important thing we do.
Paul said in PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14 this... “12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. BUT ONE THING I DO: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Paul sold out...he focused on only one thing...he focused only on the path that lead to His God and SALVATION!
Believers must be focused on this “ONE THING”...because being “born again” means that we are not in the world anymore...but so many professing believers act in worldly ways even when they come to God's House.
Jesus said we live in the world but we are no longer a part of the world... WHY? BECAUSE... “Our God is a CONSUMING FIRE. If we are truly HIS He consumes ALL PRIDE, ALL LUST, ALL MATERIALISM, ALL SIN.”
This BIBLE is complete...nothing more will ever be added...these 66 books are our MARCHING ORDERS...and yet so many professing believers do not live their lives according to this book's dictates and do not march to them.
A great REVIVALIST said this truth... “The only time you can really say that Christ is all you need, is when Christ is all you have" and never have truer words been spoken.
If the only way you could have the LOVE OF CHRIST...you could have HIS PARDON for your sins was to give up all you have in this world...how many of you would you do it?
Jesus said in MATTHEW 16:24... “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” So as a professing Christian we must first deny all that belongs to SELF! But He warned in MAT. 10:38... “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”
Today...are we worthy of HIM and are we worthy of the sacrifice He made for you? LET'S PRAY!!!
FIRST...I TRULLY BELIEVE THAT GOD ALWAYS INTENDED HIS CHURCH TO BE LIKE THE CHURCH AT PENTECOST BUT SOMEHOW ALONG THE WAY WE STRAYED FROM HIS SPIRIT FILLED, HOLY GHOST INSPIRED BODY.
We became fat, lazy, forgot how to pray, wealthy in possessions, and so worldly and wrapped up in our own things we just forgot how to deny SELF...and the worse part is it happened to us individually as well as to our churches.
And if Jesus were critiquing churches today as He did in Revelations, He would probably tells us this... “4... I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; REPENT, and do the works you did at first.” (REVELATIONS 2:4-5)
And those “ works you did at first” were evidenced in the Church at Pentecost and they were these 3 things... (1) having the HOLY GHOST dwelling within the BODY OF CHRIST... (2) praying constantly, YES praying constantly... and (3) being consumed with doing the work of God above all else...that is all the PENTECOST CHURCH did!
God gave us the Pentecost Church as a BLUEPRINT of how a church was suppose to act and behave and function … so what happened and how did we get so far away from that BLUEPRINT? And He gave us one thing more... “The last word Jesus spoke to the church (in Revelation) was... 'REPENT!'".
Brother Dan Spencer said last Sunday in the Pulpit that... "If a church is cold, it's because there is either a polar bear in the pulpit or icebergs in the pews."
And yes...there are some Polar Bears in pulpits today...but there are also a lot of icebergs in the pews too.
I fear this quote fits a lot of believers today...“Today's church wants to be raptured … from RESPONSIBILITY.”
So today I want to turn our attention to those who are sitting in pews receiving GOD'S WORD...you and me.
Last Sunday we saw that a lot of Christians when they reach a state of SALVATION think that the journey is over...they just sit back and enjoy the ride.
It was true for the Israelites Moses lead out of Egypt because when they reached Jordan...when they got to Kadesh-barnea...they were afraid and just sat there never crossing over and never entering the promised land.
And many believers are in the same boat today...they profess faith...then they just sit back in satisfaction and bask in their so called Salvation...kinda of like... “Whew, got my ticket punched! I'm OK now!”
They forget that Salvation means action...they are baptized with water but never receive the BAPTISM IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST...NEVER RECEIVE THE FIRE OF THE HOLY GHOST AS GOD EXPECTS THEM TO.
When Jesus was Baptized the Spirit came on Him as a dove blessing Him...then the Spirit lead Jesus into the Wilderness to fast and pray...we need to understand that, heed it and for our spirituality follow that example.
I said this last week but... I don't ask people if they are saved anymore, everybody is "saved"...I don't ask a man if he is born again...I just look gently at him and say... "Brother, does Christ really, truly live in you?"
That is the Bible standard of the NEW BIRTH isn't it. Paul says in GALATION 2:20... “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” That is the STANDARD!!! RIGHT?
So, I believe that an uninspired believer is missing that very same boat...but the BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN is full of the HOLY GHOST and they possess a “BORN AGAIN ON FIRE SPITIT” that anyone can see!
ACTS 19:1-6 is an example of this state... “1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 12 He said unto them, 'Have ye received the HOLY GHOST since ye believed?' And they said unto him, 'We have not so much as heard whether there be any HOLY GHOST.' 3 And he said unto them, 'Unto what then were ye baptized?' And they said, 'Unto John's baptism.' 4 Then said Paul, 'John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.' 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the HOLY GHOST came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”
And John the Baptist said in MATTHEW 3:11... “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the HOLY GHOST, and with FIRE...”
First we are baptized with “water unto repentance” but if Jesus is in us then second we are baptized “with the HOLY GHOST, and yes...Jesus said... WITH FIRE...” Too many of us are missing the FIRE and GHOST.
And we in the church are failing in that...when someone makes a PROFESSION OF FAITH we need to hold a “New Believer's instructional class” and begin to instill in this new believer the teachings that Christ left us.
Why? Because...without the presence...without the ever present guidance, inspiration, and leadership of the HOLY GHOST in us and in our churches we are like the Old Testament Israelites...at home and satisfied but standing on the wrong side of Jordan...maybe ticket punched...but with no direction or inspiration.
I believe that the present day church is failing in this matter...utterly failing.
In ACTS CHAPTER 2 there are approximately 100 Apostles assembled in Jerusalem when the HOLY GHOST comes.
Listen to what ACTS 2:1-4 says... “1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the HOLY GHOST, and began to speak with other tongues, as the SPIRIT gave them utterance.”
The Scripture says the HOLY GHOST came upon them as a “rushing mighty wind” and it filled the house and there appeared unto them...“cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them”.
Now does this happen today exactly like that and is it really important?
If you are “BORN ANEW” and Jesus lives in you and you live in Him then you do not need for it to happen that way...if by FAITH alone you LOVE AND SERVE THE LORD … then for heaven's sake just keep doing it.
But yes it does still happen...let me give you an example...we just celebrated my Granddad's 98th Birthday and after eating we had asked him to speak about his life for us...tell us anything he wanted to tell us.
And this 98 year old man astounded us with a mental capacity and mental agility that you would never believe a 98-year old could possess ...we all sat around quiet, speechless, and enthralled for 2 hours.
But for me the ultimate was this one story he told... “At 67 years of age he retired from Coats and Clark Thread Mill in Pelham. He had been head of Maintenance and Electrical there for many years. He had also farmed a 130 acre farm while working at the mill for all those years. My granddad was a member of First Baptist Church in Pelham and a leader of music for the youth department in Sunday School. One day the Sunday School Director and the pastor at FB in Pelham talked my Grandfather and Grandmother into going to Ridgecrest with them for a Sunday School conference. Now let me digress for a minute. When Granddad retired he and Grandmother sat down and talked about the situation and they concluded that retirement meant that they were going to really and truly retire. So they sold the cows, leased the Pecan grove, and leased the rest of the farm and the allotments to someone else to farm. That meant that they were truly retired. They fished...went on trips...just enjoyed retirement so they went to Ridgecrest because they thought it would be a nice trip. Granddad said the conference was a blessing to him and he learned a lot. The last day...Sunday...they were going to the Church service first and then out to eat and get some ice cream at a parlor in town they had come to like before they went home on Monday morning. So they went to church and granddad said the message was very good and he was intently listening...but...suddenly a chill swept over him (I guess that was the rushing wind...huh?) and then he felt the HOLY GHOST lift him. In that instance he said that he saw Jesus in front of him and Jesus had his finger up to his lips telling him to be quiet. Then Jesus told my Grandfather this... “Jessie, you may think that you are retired...but I have work for you. No one is ever too old to work for the Kingdom of my Father. Go back to First Baptist in Pelham and I will then give you guidance.”
The HOLY GHOST does still come...yes He does! And yes He at times He comes as a RUSHING WIND AND FIRE.
Since that day granddad has done nothing but serve His LORD...he is now a deacon...has been Sunday School Superintendent...chaired the Building Renovation committee and I could go on and on..
He said this to sum up... “Lord, I am still trying to retire...but you won't let me...and I thank you for that!”
98 years old mind you...in an assisted living home...but he still says the blessing at every meal in the room where he eats with some of the other retirees...he still prays with others in the halls...he still attends a service every Sunday and I am told and have witnessed … is a very active participant.
98 years old and he will tell you... “The HOLY GHOST is still in me...and I praise the LORD for that!”
A rushing wind can destroy a town...a fire can burn a house down...but when both come on a church through the Holy Ghost you do not have to take out an ad in the newspaper to advertise it...the whole community can see it...they can just feel it...because it VIBRATES...because it is SELF-EVIDENT!!! And it will SPREAD!!!
EPHESIANS 5:2 says... “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savior.” Thank you sweet Jesus for that offering...thank you!!!
This passage tells us "Christ loved us so much that He gave himself for us!" He died for sinners...He died for you and me...and He loved us that much even though we were still His enemies...still reprobates living in darkness.
Paul says in ROMANS 5:8 this... “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” So why does He love sinners...because He knows He can do these 3 things for them...
FIRST...HE CAN CLEAN THEM UP …
SECOND...HE CAN GIVE THEM A NEW HEART …
AND THIRD...HE CAN BLESS THEM WITH ETERNAL LIFE …
And He makes it possible for us to stand before Him, stand before the LION OF JUDAH ON JUDGMENT DAY WITH EXCEEDING GREAT JOY AND WITH NO FEAR.
Before Jesus came, the judgment of the soul for sins was death...right now is there anyone among us who has not sinned and would not still fall under the very same sentence without Christ sacrifice?
So when we sin against the Light, in other words sin against our Savior ... does the LORD still love us? And if He does just how deep and how wide is that love and grace of Christ?
These are questions we will answer today as we rediscover the POWER AND FIRE OF THE HOLY GHOST.
SECOND..MANY TODAY HAVE FALLEN INTO SIN AND CAN NOT BELIEVE JESUS STILL LOVES THEM.
They may be repentant with sincere and Godly sorrow, yet they are convinced God simply can't use them to work in His kingdom because of their past. But that is totally, completely, 100 percent untrue.
Let me give you an example of why I say that from the HOLY AND INSPIRED WORD OF GOD...
Simon Peter...standing outside the prison where his Lord was being held a prisoner and awaiting crucifixion ...when asked to be counted with Him failed Jesus by denying Him 3 times just as Jesus had said he would do.
Yet after that denial and failure he repented with tears, a broken spirit, and a contrite heart.
But this repentant Peter did not believe that the LORD could still use him...so what did he do?
He gave up and went back to fishing … back to his old job.
He was like a lot of believers today...they admit their past sins, believe that Jesus is Lord, and confess their past failures and declare their allegiance to the Lord...yes...they seem to come to Salvation.
But they look at their past life in shame and do not believe that the Lord could ever use them.
And they are just like the Israelites in the Old Testament...like God's chosen people who kept who looking back to Egypt while the LORD was leading them forward...while the Lord was saying... GO FORWARD.
And to all that come to Christ...His next command is always... “GO FORWARD”! Why? HEBREWS 10:16-17 promises... “16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” He forgives us first...redeems us second...justifies us third...and then tells us to GO FORWARD...GO TO WORK!
But Peter gave up like the Israelites did in the OT, he gave up hope that the LORD could ever use him again.
Yet...God's throne is the THRONE OF GRACE and it is the THRONE OF FORGIVENESS! AMEN!!!
We are told to come boldly and with confidence to that throne no matter our past transgressions.
HEBREWS 4:16 says... “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
THIRD...THIS CONFIDENCE IS NOT CONFIDENCE IN SELF...IT IS CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY.
EPHESIANS 3:12-20 says... “12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. 13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us...”
In and through this passage we can now begin to comprehend the fullness of our Savior's love for us.
What does it say here that He will do for us at His THRONE OF MERCY AND GRACE?
He will STRENGTHEN US first...VERSE 16 says... “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN...”
He will always pardon us when we go to Him. And He left His HOLY GHOST to intercede on our behalf.
And the HOLY GHOST carries that intercession up to none other than Jesus, our advocate in heaven...1 JOHN 2:1 promises us... “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father, JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS...”
And through His HOLY GHOST He will allow us to know that love of Christ that is spoken of in VERSES 18-20 which says... “8 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge... that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us...”
This passage tells us that the breath, length, depth, and height of His love will do “exceeding abundantly” (greater than abundantly) all we can ask or think of, according to the power that worketh in us.
And that power in us is the HOLY GHOST...JOHN 14:26 says... “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, … whatsoever I have said unto you.”
And Jesus said we would do even greater works after the HOLY GHOST came if we believed.
JOHN 14:12-14 tells us that fact, it says... “12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”
And we should pay very close attention especially to what VERSE 12 says... “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” Jesus strengthens us and gives us POWER to do even GREATER WORKS!
How is this so...JOHN 14:23 says... “If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.” Because through the Holy Ghost power we also have the power of the Father and Son In us.
And MARK 16:20 tells us the disciples did exactly that... “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”
With Christ and the Father in Heaven and His SPIRIT with us we have a power greater than we can imagine!
THIRD...LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SIMON PETER AGAIN.
Remember Jesus ask Peter 3 times "do you love me" in the 21ST CHAPTER OF JOHN. 3 times He asked Peter.
Why did He do that? I believe this with all my heart...Jesus was preparing Peter for the DAY OF PENTECOST.
And when that day of Pentecost came and people started making fun of the ones who were filled with the HOLY GHOST saying they were drunk on new wine Peter stood strong unlike before.
Yes...at that moment a prepared...a redeemed Peter stepped up to the plate and HE PREACHED...he fed the sheep with the HOLY WORD OF GOD just as Jesus prepared him to do in the 21ST CHAPTER OF JOHN.
You see how God was preparing Peter for this moment? He was preparing the very same one who denied Him 3 times and thought he was unworthy to ever serve Him again.
No matter how bad we might have been...after we drink the LIVING WATER and are BAPTIZED IN THE BLOOD and receive the HOLY GHOST...our past cannot make us unacceptable in the LORDS ARMY.
You may think He has forgotten you and the vision He planted in your spirit some time in the past but never forget...His Word does not return to Him void...His Word accomplishes what He sent it out to do.
Remember the LORD said... "He was going to bring a lot of His prodigal sons and daughters back into the flock" and He wants His church to be ready for them.
Are we ready to lay aside every weight that drags us down and holds us back from running the race.
We are being called to rise up above the world, for we are in this world, but we are not of this world.
If we are letting things of this world take our eyes off Jesus then we are going to sink back into the world.
IN CONCLUSION...GOD CALLED US TO COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND TO BE SEPARATED FROM THEM.
Beloved...we are to be a beacon, a signal fire, a light on a hill intended as a warning or a guide for lost ones.
BUT...we are not to talk about them to one another, we are to talk about them on our knees before the LORD in our prayer closet, so no one else hears.
God said whatsoever is done in secret will be shouted from the roof tops and if you ask the SPIRIT to convict these people not living for the LORD in secret, when they are saved it will be shouted from the roof tops.
But always remember that there is a good fire and there is a bad fire in this world.
God's people are suppose to fan the good fire and shun the bad fire and not add wood to that bad fire.
And beloved, gossip is a bad wood and is a sin and God said for us to step away from it, to not touch it, and to not let it touch us yet sometimes we feel so desperate to tell someone about the gossip.
But you know what, when you talk to anyone else besides the LORD about what is going on you have just spread the gossip, you may not have meant to, but you did.
And this is just an example how God wants us to rise above all of the garbage going on in the world.
If we will rise up, walk in the HOLY GHOST power and pray that He open our spiritual eyes and ears to hear and see what the HOLY GHOST wants us to see and hear, we will become the beacon God wants us to be.
Then we will be feeding His sheep when we preach and teach and witness for the TRUE WORD OF GOD.
God's Word is the truth and the truth will never hurt anyone, of course it may not tickle everyone's fancy, but I know and you know, that by putting forth the truth according to God's Word we will see souls coming in and see the ones who have walked away from the LORD starting to come back to Him.
But we can not just talk the talk … we must walk the walk in front of the world.
So as Christians let us be known for the truth...for having that truth and that life living in each of us.
I pray that someone gets JOY from the LORD from this truth today.
Don't ever give up on the vision the LORD gave you and never think you are unworthy to serve.
Then only be about the sharing of the anointing of the gift of God which is in you.
Quit standing on the banks of Jordan peering at the other side...cross over and with this HOLY WORD...these 66 books...our MARCHING ORDERS...start spreading the GOOD NEWS...HIS HOLY WORD!
And always remember... “... walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savior.”
Christ said GO FORWARD and the Holy Ghost is READY FOR US TO GO FORWARD AND TO GO TO WORK!!!
NOW THAT IS A REVIVAL I WANT TO BE A PART OF!!! COME HOLY GHOST...COME!!!
And last...always remember... "There are only two kinds of persons: those dead in sin and those dead to sin." Which one are you? LET”S PRAY!!!
