Intro: A web search or general browsing of TV commercials tells us that life at its best is found in anything from nutrition to air fresheners. Culture tells us that life at its best is looking a certain way physically, wearing certain clothes, having a particular attitude. We are told that life at its best is about being famous or infamous.
Athletes and actors feed our appetites but never satisfy them with any real substance. Our culture and country promise life at its best but never really delivers. What we find in Acts 1 today is the promise of Life at its best. Jesus has told the disciples and apostles to wait for the promise of the Father. The promise of the father is the promise of the Holy Spirit. This is where Life at its best is delivered. Why are there churches and Christians that seem so lifeless? Because there are churches and Christians that have never received the promise of the father which is the sealing and saturating of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the essential element of a New Testament Church. If you honestly read the New Testament you cannot miss this. The church begins when the Holy Spirit falls on the apostles and disciples at Pentecost. Before the Spirit came they misunderstood and missed His teachings on the Kingdom of God. If you read Dr Luke’s account of the early church it begins with the Holy Spirit invading the lives of the early church like a “mighty rushing wind” then it moved them to the corners of the known world to make know the Kingdom of God. The early church was an example of the Holy Spirit of God at work in the life of the church.
I. The promise of a person (you will be my witnesses)
Who is the Holy Spirit? The third person of the trinity that moves and is active in and among God’s people called the church.
A) A person of the Trinity (John 14.6)
B) God’s gift to every believer (Acts 2.38-39)
C) God’s seal of ownership of the believer (Ephesians 1:13-14)
D) The believer’s Helper (John 14:16, 15:26, 16:7)
D) The believer’s Teacher (John 14.26, John 2.27, 2 Timothy 2.2)
E) The believer’s Guide (John 16.13, Acts 16.7)
F) The believer’s source of spiritual power (Acts 1.8, Luke 24.48 -49)
Life at its best is a moment by moment surrender to the direction and control to the Holy spirits leading. As we daily give our lives over to His control we find that He is completely trustworthy and capable of empowering us to live in truth, love, and control of our old nature.
When the Holy Spirit is living in you if you defer to His truth, direction, etc it will defeat the desire to live outside the will of God.
Why is there defeat in the Body of Christ? Why do we look different then the early disciples of Jesus? Why does it seem like sin is the pattern of Christians lives instead of Spirit filled power? Two realities give this result. First we do not have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us. Second we are not surrendering our will to the Holy Spirits control.
II. The promise of power (Acts 1.8 read, 1 Corinthians 4.20,
1 Corinthians 4.18-20 “I know there are some among you who are so full of themselves they never listen to anyone, let alone me. They don't think I'll ever show up in person. But I'll be there sooner than you think, God willing, and then we'll see if they're full of anything but hot air. God's Way is not a matter of mere talk; it's an empowered life.” The Message
Here in acts God the father has promised if we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit we will have powerful lives. The promise is not different for us than for the early church. In Acts 2.38 Peter makes it clear that if we turn from sin, self and rebellion against God that we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power. What does the Holy Spirit empower us to do?
A) Power to obey the commands of Jesus
The Holy Spirit did not come to make His church cool or accepted by culture. He came to empower us to obedient to the commands of our King. Jesus is not just savior and friend He is master and king. Paul clearly told the church and Rome and us in Romans 10.9 “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.”
Confess here means to say the same thing as to agree with. It also in context carries the idea to declare you allegiance to the person of Christ. The word translated confess is a judicial term that indicates the binding and public declaration which settles a relationship with legal force. The word kurios translated Lord means one who has absolute ownership.
How can we know that we are not operating our lives as followers of Jesus without the power of the Holy Spirit? We do not follow the commands of our king. Jesus said love your neighbors as yourself.
Holy Spirit Flesh
Gracious hospitality Grumble, gripe and complain at inconvenience
Selfless service Self promotion and pride
Forgiveness Grudge holding and hatred
Powerful worship (bowing before God) Powerless forms of worship
The Holy Spirit came first and foremost to produce in our lives Christ’s life!!
What was the characteristic of Jesus life on this planet? The chief characteristic of Jesus life was obedience to His father.
Titus 1.16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us not only for salvation but sanctification.
Ask yourself, “Is there really a difference in my life than those I am around on a daily basis that claim to not believe in God or not have a relationship with Him?”
If I told you that I had an encounter with God and he gave me a supernatural ability to play the game what would you expect? Wouldn’t you expect a great improvement in my ability to throw, run, read defenses, kick the ball, etc? If my skill on the football field didn’t seem any different wouldn’t you question the truth of my encounter?
B) Power to overcome a lifestyle of sin
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:2-4).
Sin at its core is rebellion and rejection of God’s control over our lives. Sin separates. It separates us from each other, it separates us from God. Let’s give a face to sin. Sin involves hatred, greed, racism, gossip, explosive anger, jealousy, and lack of self control, gluttony, misrepresenting others, lying, and rejecting responsibility. If you can think of any attitude or action that leads to separation it is sin.
The Holy Spirit came to empower us to live in freedom from sins control.
Philippians 2.3 The Holy Spirit enables or empowers us to consider others as better or more significant than ourselves.
Galatians 5.1 “Christ freed us so that we might enjoy the benefits of that freedom.”
Galatians 5.13 “You were indeed called to be free, brothers and sisters. Don't turn this freedom into an excuse for your corrupt nature to express itself. Rather, serve each other through love.”
Galatians 5.16 – 26 “Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants. 17What your corrupt nature wants is contrary to what your spiritual nature wants, and what your spiritual nature wants is contrary to what your corrupt nature wants. They are opposed to each other. As a result, you don't always do what you intend to do. 18If your spiritual nature is your guide, you are not subject to Moses' laws. 19Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity, 20idolatry, drug use, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, conflict, factions, 21envy, drunkenness, wild partying, and similar things. I've told you in the past and I'm telling you again that people who do these kinds of things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. There are no laws against things like that. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their corrupt nature along with its passions and desires. 25If we live by our spiritual nature, then our lives need to conform to our spiritual nature. 26We can't allow ourselves to act arrogantly and to provoke or envy each other.
So how do we live in the power and freedom of the Holy spirit?
1) Learn to walk (live daily) in the presence of the Holy Spirits Power
2) Learn to hear and respond to the inner nudging of the Holy Spirit
3) Learn biblical truth so you can tell the difference between personal emotions and a powerful leading from the Spirit. (When the Spirit directs you it will never contradict God’s word!
4) Learn to desire the Spirits Leading over a positive public opinion
5) Learn the Spirit always desires to glorify Jesus.
6) Learn to not grieve the Spirit
7) Learn that the Holy Spirit will lead you to things that may be outside your comfort zone.
III. The promise of purpose
What does it mean to be Christ’s witnesses? It means that the power of the Holy Spirit is producing in our lives certain infallible proofs that regeneration, a reconnection with God by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, has happened.
When the Holy Spirit vitally connects you to Jesus Christ He is magnified in all your daily activities.
The very reason the Holy Spirit came was to make us witnesses of what Christ did at creation, redemption on the cross, and salvation and transformation in our daily lives.
Why do we continue to settle for less than what God wants for us? You is in the plural in Acts 1.8, the united body of Christ moment by moment surrendering to the Spirits momentum to move people into the Kingdom of God. We cannot fall into the trap of selfish spirituality. We are not saved to experience Christ as individuals but as a community of believers. (bb ex)
What do we need to guard against? A sign on a door said, “gone out of business. Didn’t know what our business was.” Our business is to be about our fathers bus. Requires the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion: Father reveal to us the areas in our life that are not directed, empowered, challenged and changed by your Holy Spirit. Spirit speak th
