A NEW PEOPLE – Pt 2
Acts 1:3-8
* Many times you have heard me say this in some form or fashion, but it is true so I’ll say it again, “This world needs a new type of people.” It is the result of the “Old man” running things that has run us into the ground. On every hand, we witness the decay and disintegration the American culture, which was once the envy of the world. Today, the lack of ethics in business, the lack of conviction in government, and the lack of morals in the culture has us on a collision course with a fate which we don’t want. Without a change in direction, without new ethics and moral, and without a different type of people, hope is dim.
* To meet Christ is to become a new person, one that is different from the rest of the world, and one that should make a difference in the rest of the world.
* This morning we talked about “GOD’S PROMISE” which is the Holy Spirit and how, if we are to be God’s New People, we must be filled and controlled by the Spirit of God. In this text they are told to ‘wait’. How long should they wait? The believers in the upper waited, sought God, and prayed for 10 days!
* If we do, when God shows up He’ll find us, fill us, focus us, and even fire us up to fulfill His mission. It is at this point that we become “a new people.” Let’s re-read our text.
* Every time I read this text, I am stunned with the responsibility which the Lord Jesus has given to His followers, to me, and to us. His words are ‘wait’ & ‘go’. We wait for His Spirit & then go in His Spirit. Last time we spoke of God’s Promise.
1. God’s People – It is a popular thing in the South and even inside to the church to refer to ourselves as “God’s People.” Yet, there are some serious implications to being “God’s People.” In the Old Testament on more than one occasion we witnessed God’s judgment on His people. Words & places like Kadesh-Barnea, the Wilderness, and even AI, remind us that God has expectations for those who wear His name. Candidly, He expects us to be ‘game-changers.’ Think about it this way; His people possess the hope for the world. With this being true, how do we KNOW when we become HIS people fulfilling His purpose?
a. A New Power – The text says, “You will receive power.” Jesus outlined the power He would give to His people back in Matthew 16 and then implied it, once again, in Matthew 28. His people make us His church and HIS church is so strong that the “Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it.” When we wait on or ‘trust in’ the Lord, we receive divine power to do a divine work. That divine work is to change lives. We are called to give what we have & do what we can.
* In Christ, we have eternal life to give and possess the power to give it. It is an evidence of being a ‘New person.’ Candidly, the church today believes that she can do much for our world. Listening to some preachers I get the idea that the pulpit has become a mixture of psychology, sociology, and therapy with a little scripture thrown in. The power which we are given is the POWER OF THE GOSPEL. It is the power of salvation for everyone who believes. It takes power to change a life and this power beyond what we think or know. We become a new people when we tap into this power. This only comes when we get;
b. A New Presence – Please get this; “you’ll only receive power WHEN the Holy Spirit comes UPON you.” Get the picture; with motion the Holy Spirit comes to rest on you, “OVERTAKES” you, and as it says in verse 3 you are immersed in and with the Holy Spirit of God. In other words, you become saturated with His presence. It is only at this point that the divine power comes.
* Have you ever given yourself to the study of the Bible and all that it teaches about the importance of the Spirit? Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us having the Holy Spirit is God’s down payment for our souls. Galatians 5:16 tells us to “walk” (or live) by the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says the “Lord is the Spirit” and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Romans 8:14 says that all those who are led by the Spirit are God’s Son (which implies those who are not – are not!)
* Then we can return to the upper room in John 14 and hear the words of Jesus. (Verses 14:15-18, 15:26-27, 16:5-14) To understand the teaching of scripture is to realize that Jesus intended for HIS believers to have a new, undeniable presence in their lives that gives the power of salvation. (No, we don’t save, but we live, demonstrate, and speak HIS words of salvation in HIS power.)
* For much of my life I was confused about walking in the Spirit. How does this happen? What does it really mean? Let’s be simple (yet not simplistic) about this. While I may not know ALL it is, it is a constant awareness the He is walking with you. It is just like a teenager whose mom goes everywhere they go, sees all that they do, & hears every word they speak. Yet it is more. The Holy Spirit knows the motivations and desires of your heart and is ready to give you help even before you know that you need it. Supernaturally, He is always available.
* The New People that are needed in this world possess this new presence.
c. A New Purpose – Luke records that Jesus said, “You’ll know you are a new people when you have a new power when you receive a new presence AND THEN, you’re purpose will be to BE MY WITNESSES. Have you ever considered how simple this is? Jesus said, “Be my witnesses” or “Be witnesses of me” or “tell people what you know about me.” We see Peter receive the Holy Spirit, then preach a message, & lead a great meeting with 3000 saved.
* Out of the overflow of this experience, the believers met together daily for Bible Study, prayer, ministry, and evangelism. Out of the overflow of this experience (maybe as a part of it), he found a man lame from birth and saw through the man’s request for money and healed him (body and soul). Out of this experience Peter is given another opportunity to share Jesus with a larger group which ultimately led to him sharing Christ with political leader. His purpose had now become to tell what he knew. And that is our call today.
* What has Jesus done in your life? Is it enough that you tell someone else? If Jesus ONLY saved you from hell, is that not worth telling? (Certainly, He has done more.) If He only led you to find a church family, is that not worth telling?
* In November 1974 at Ridgecrest I heard Jack Taylor say these words, “The reason for evangelism or the lack of it is because the evangelizer isn’t real excited about reproducing its own kind.” He went on to say that something needs to happen in the life of the evangelizer. For the Spirit-Empowered Child of God, there is only one response; as you go, tell what you know, about who you know. How long has it been since you even invited someone to come?
d. A New Priority – Priorities are evident. We live in a day when the priority of most churches is to ‘survive.’ The mindset seems to be, “let’s hunker down and ride out this cultural storm because it’ll pass & go back to like it was years ago.”
* From the bottom of my heart, I hope no one here buys into this because it not going to happen (we are not in Kansas any longer). The gospel message that man is sinful, hell is hot, and that only Jesus saves is the only hope for our world. Our priority must begin in our Jerusalem (where we live). As we look forward to next year, we must commit ourselves to Him in such a way that we will represent Him better, speak for Him more often, and do better for our Savior than we our done in the past. Being His witness in our community will take renewal and recommitment on our part - but it must not stop here.
* We must go to our Judea. Over these past 6 years, we have journeyed 3 or 4 times on mission trips. God’s new people are ready to go. Here’s my challenge to those who say they can’t go – can you go for HIM as much as you go for self? Regardless of who does or who doesn’t, we must. But it must not stop here.
* We must be cognizant and ready to go abroad for missions. The “Uttermost parts of the world” is still our assignment. This is why we have “Lottie Moon” International offering, but we can do more. Pastor Vincent extended an invitation to come to Uganda. But it must not stop here.
* We must be ready to go to our ‘SAMARIA.’ Symbolically, this is THE most difficult of all the assignments because Samaria was exactly where those Jews who heard these words DIDN’T want to go! Where is it that you don’t want to go? Who is it that you don’t want to tell? Who is it that you want to leave out?
* God has called us to be HIS NEW PEOPLE – This means we received His promise and accept His assignment. Do you believe in heaven, hell, and Jesus as Savior?
* This morning we heard the words of an avowed atheist ask this question, “How much do you have to hate someone to believe this and not tell them about it?” God’s new people will never let that happen!
