Discovery…Holy Spirit
Selected Scriptures
Introduction-
Last week we began a new series called discovery.
We started right out of the gate about spiritual warfare.
We discovered
Most people see a monster behind every act of evil and every tree or they have no idea that they are in a spiritual battle.
We saw that we are in a spiritual battle every day. Believers and non-believers. We saw that there is a battle between good and evil.
We saw that there is a battle for your soul as God who loves you from Satan who wants to destroy you.
Satan is a created being that decided before time that he wanted to be God and overthrow the throne of God. One day Jesus will return and judge and do what He has said He would do.
We know that God has defeated Satan. He tells us in His word that we can live victorious in spite of the spiritual battle because the Holy Spirit of God dwells inside the believer.
That is the 5 minute recap of last week.
This week we look at the Holy Spirit of God and how He works in our lives.
Prayer-
When the church was started, 120 followers of Christ were gathered in one place desiring”the more of God” that God promised.
(SermonCentral)
One preacher describes today as the average Christian, the average church, is bogged down between Calvary and Pentecost. They are stuck between Calvary’s forgiveness and Pentecost power.
Bethlehem- “God with us”
Calvary- “God for us”
Pentecost- “God in us”
It is not until we have God in us that we are able to live the life that God desires.
The church started in a blaze of glory.
Believers went out there and made an impact. No denying it!
Every main line church will agree that the Spirit of God dwelling within us will move us to do the things that God intended the church to do and be.
The church was on fire! No one could put it out!
D.L. Moody
“You might as well try to hear without ears, or breathe without lungs as to try to live a Christian life without the Spirit of God in your heart.” (People try it everyday)
People have all the answers of what the church needs to do; what the church needs to buy; what programs the church needs from some mega-church.
What the church needs today is the same thing it will need tomorrow and everyday after.
It is the fresh move of the Holy Spirit of God to fall fresh on us! Not two or three people, but the entire congregation. We need a revival of change.
We make our flames- at best they are weak.
We lack excitement for God
We lack the power of God
We lack the Holy Spirit dwelling in our lives.
120 believers went out of that gathering and made an impact.
So much that Peter had to come back to the crowd to explain what was happening because they had no clue.
Acts 2:15-2:21 Read from Bible and set up
We make excuses- that was then!
We tried, but they won’t listen.
Pentecost is not a denomination- it is a moment of God!
We are privileged to be living in this day and age and at such a time and on this side of the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit, to work through our lives and we are missing what God wants to do!
Peter sermon in Acts
“Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Did you get that? He, the Holy Spirit of God, the 3rd person of the Trinity...Father, Son, Holy Spirit came to empower the people of God.
Out pouring of His Spirit is not a onetime thing for a onetime event. It was for all who repent and believe.
It is not wither you have a right to receive the Spirit of God, it is wither you desire to receive His Spirit.
The promise is for all, but you decide if you will accept.
Prevenient grace is God’s love going after you when you had no love for Him. His Spirit draws you to Himself and if you make Him Lord of your life, He will come into your life and save you from sin.
“How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those that ask?”
The more is given to those that ask.
Those that are not satisfied doing things in their own strength.
D.L. Moody
“D.L. Moody was once asked why he urged Christians to be filled constantly with the Holy Spirit. Well, he said, I need continual filling because I leak!”
There are two mindsets today, God’s way of doing things or our way of doing things. It is the same for people in the church today.
People will do what interest them the most.
They will put their time, energy, resources to them. Your checkbook tells you what you love most.
The believer’s mindset is one focused on God. One that make sure that what they do is what God wants them to be doing, and adjust accordingly. (Repeat)
Romans 8:5-8:11 Read from Bible
The mind is so much a part of what we do and it is hard to discipline it.
Illustration
Talked with a family this week and the topic of smoking came up. I quit smoking a long time ago and smoking for me was a stumbling block. It was hard for me because I enjoyed it. There I said it. Every time I quit it became harder and harder to quit. I will never pick up a cigarette again because I know the hold that it had on me. Alcohol I quit almost 30 years ago and was not as much of a problem for me. I don’t know what your trigger vice or problem is, but you know. I will never pick up a cigarette again because I love Jesus more than I loved to smoke them.
Don’t stop me after service, don’t call me, write me, text me, and be mad at me because you smoke. That is between you and the Lord. The point here is that your mind is a difficult thing to discipline and you need God’s help. You cannot do spiritual things without the spirit of God to help you.
You need to control things; you will have a hard time with this.
The greatest blessing of Christ is given to those who walk after the Spirit of God.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you.” Isa, 26:3
Jesus told the 120 I have to go back to heaven, so He will come from heaven.
He came with all the power of heaven.
Filled them to overflowing, created mass excitement and mass confusion.
Every known language of the area was spoken, God’s word went forth.
The birth of the church! The empowerment of believers! Ministry gets legs!
Some only know that day as speaking in tongues- very important! Very needed, very powerful!
What about the more? The more was not the act of speaking in tongues- at the time that was the evidence.
The more was 120 believers went out of that gathering filled to overflowing with God, fully satisfied, fully empowered, fully doing what God had told them to do.
To only center on the speaking in tongues is to miss the miracle- to treat that day like an event that happened in history, would be to miss that God promised to “pour out his Spirit”.
He did not say poured out like it was a onetime thing.
This is not the good old days- this is here and now-
He desires to fill His people with His Spirit and we will make an impact on those that we come into contact with.
Different versions use different words-
Utterly amazed, perplexed, bewildered, - words they used to describe what happen.
“What does it mean?”
Peter had to stand before 3000+ people and tell them that these people were not drunk with wine because it was only 9am.
They were drunk on the Spirit of God.
The church today needs to be drunk on the Spirit of God.
They need to be drunk on Jesus!
“I will pour out my Spirit on all people”
´I will show wonders in the heavens and the earth below”
“And everyone that calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
If you want the more of God- there has to be less of you.
If you are full of yourself, you cannot be filled with the spirit of God.
I know a lot of people that feel empty, empty is not the answer. Empty yourself and be filled with God is the answer.
He has come! He desires to fill us!
Closing,
Acts 1:7-1:8 Read from Bible
Jesus said we would be filled and then we would be his witnesses.
First we must desire to be filled, and then we will be his witnesses.
So we are witnessing in the power of Holy Spirit working in our lives. That is what the church needs. That is what each one of us needs.
One day He will return, and He will be looking for his church to be about his business not our own.
Amen.
