Are you acting in the power of the Spirit or just acting?
This is the seventh month in our Fresh Fire Series So far we have thought about:
The Holy Spirit in the World Today
The Spirit in the Pentateuch
The Spirit in the History of Israel
The Spirit in the Writing Prophets
The Spirit in the Life and Ministry of Jesus
and The Spirit in the Teaching of Jesus
Our focus for this month is the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts.
And the question I want to ask you is: Are you “acting” or are you acting in the power of the Spirit?
Jesus speaking in Acts 1:8 says “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Who is the you He is referring to?
He is referring to you, to us, to everyone who has accepted Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
The Holy Spirit lives in everyone who believes and we are meant to act in the Power of the Spirit.
We are meant to act in His Power and we have a purpose - We are to be witnesses.
Let me personalise that:
YOU are meant to act in His Power and YOU have a purpose - YOU are to be a witness - telling the people YOU meet about who Jesus is.
When was the last time you spoke to someone outside the church about Jesus?
When was the last time you actually opened your mouth and told someone who Jesus is?
Actually, when was the last time you invited someone to come to church?
Church member, church regular, when was the last time you actually opened your mouth and asked someone to come to hear about Jesus?
The Holy Spirit blesses, the Holy Spirit empowers, the Holy Spirit is active, working in hearts and minds and lives... yet so many in the modern church behave like He has no power.
We are called to be witnesses - but that does not mean we are meant to sit around watching others do things for Christ.
We are called to be active participants in proclaiming the truth.
Participants not passengers, not passers by, not passive observers.
We are called to be powerful participants proclaiming who Jesus is and why we love Him.
Do you ever wonder what has happened to make us feel powerless?
God has not changed. But something has happened to the modern christian.
Instead of powerful living we have settled on passive living.
Instead of expecting the miraculous we have settled on the mundane.
Why have our dreams become so small?
Why has our witness become silent?
Why do we act like the truth we believe in is something that we don’t have to share?
We have been set free from the burden and consequence of our sins.
We have been forgiven.
So why are we so timid with our faith?
so afraid of stepping out -
so focussed on this world we ignore eternity...
So consumed by our own desires...
When we are meant to act in His Power and we have a purpose -
We are to be a witness - we are to tell others who Jesus is.
We have a promise, a promise from God, a promise that God will equip us, that the Holy Spirit will empower us.
This Promise is a personal promise for all who believe
- not special types of Christian
- not just the apostles
- not just those who were there on the day of pentecost -
not just preachers
- not just deacons -
not just Sunday School teachers -
not just evangelists
- EVERYONE who believes.
The Holy Spirit comes and dwells in our hearts
He takes up residence in our lives.
The Holy Spirit will be with empower the people of God until Christ returns to take us home.
The Holy Spirit is here and His power is here. The Spirit is here to empower you.
Not to give you some kind of warm fuzzy feelings,
The Spirit is here to empower you to serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
The Spirit is here to transform us and empower us to serve.
The promise of Jesus is “You will receive Power.”
Are you living in the Power of the Spirit?
Are you walking in the Spirit?
Are you acting in the Spirt or are you just acting?
The early church acted in the Power of the Spirit.
The Book of Acts speaks of what the Holy Spirit empowered the church to do.
The Spirit gives the Power to reach the Lost.
The Spirit gives the Power for Bold witness.
The Spirit gives the Power for Unity
The Spirit gives the Power for Healing
The power of the Spirit has many facets, the power also has a purpose.
This Power has a Purpose you will be my witnesses Our purpose is to be Christ centered not self centered.
The world tells us we should focus on ourselves. The world tells us that we should be comfortable.
The world tells us that our wants, our needs, our desires, are the most important things we should focus on.
If you listen to the world you will live most of your life thinking about only you.
How you feel, what you want, what you will do.
The Spirit has come to transform your life from being self-centered to be Christ centered.
It’s time for us to allow the Spirit to fully change us, to fully empower us, to align our will with God’s will.
Jesus tells us that this Spirit of God, the paraclete, the advocate, the comforter comes to give power.
The power is not for our purposes - the power is for His purposes - you will be my witnesses.
We are empowered to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world around us.
For the disciples that was Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. For you and I that is in Ashingdon, Hawkwell, Hockley, Rayleigh, Rochford, Leigh on Sea, Southend - or wherever God takes you to be a witness.
God may have given you talent, time, tenacity, but without the power of the Spirit you will never accomplish God’s purposes.
The Spirit of God needs to refresh and empower each of us so that we can be all God has saved us to be!
Are you allowing God to use you?
Are you allowing God to act or are you just acting?
Will you allow the power of the Spirit to flow in you?
In His power Will you give your testimony?
In His power Will you make an impact on your family?
In His power Will you influence your friends?
In His power will you allow the fruit of the Spirit to develop in your life?
In His power will you be shaken out of your comfort zone?
Are you willing to be more than interested in the things of God, are you willing to be excited by the purpose of God?
Are you willing to be stirred by the Spirit of God?
Are you willing to spend time searching and praying and focussing on receiving all that God had promised you?
In His power are you willing to focus on God’s plan for your life?
How devoted are you to following His purpose?
Will you allow the Holy Spirit to transform you?
Does the idea of transformation terrify you or thrill you?
Are you willing to leave your comfort zone?
God has called us to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God is not a God of chaos and fear He is a God of order and peace.
We serve the God who has met his people in the burning bush and through angelic visitations.
We serve the God who causes men to speak in languages we do not know.
We serve the God who pours out His Spirit in and around us in magnificent ways.
Will you allow The Spirit to flow?
God wants to do amazing things through us,
God wants to do amazing things through you.
Maybe you don’t expect visions and dreams, maybe you don’t want prophecy or power in your life.
Maybe you are content with just a warm fuzzy feeling of church.
God wants so much more for you.
God wants so much more for His church.
God wants to do powerful things in us and through us.
He wants His name proclaimed and His kingdom expanded.
He wants the lost to be saved and He wants you to be part of the process.
So are you “acting” or are you acting in the power of the Spirit?
