WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
Acts 2:1-4
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR:
Reflecting on the recent presidential election, in the year 2000 Joe Lieberman ran for president. He was the United States Senator from Connecticut until 2013. Since he was the first potential Jew for presidential office he was given a lot of attention. He ended up running as Al Gore’s Vice President. After a disappointing loss to Bush/ Cheney, Joe left the campaign trail and at long-last walked into his house. His wife greeted him with a kiss. “Don’t worry” she said, “in this house you’ll always be vice president!”
B. NEED FOR GROWTH
I want you to consider 2017 the “YEAR OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH.” You can stay like you were in 2016, or you can make progress in your spiritual life! When you stand before God someday, don’t you want Him to be pleased with your life? That won’t happen by accident; you have to plan to make improvements. NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE!
Our nation needs revival, but revival will only come when the people of God get revived! Do you WANT MORE of God in 2017 than you had in 2016?
ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR GOD? Listen to David;
1. Ps. 63:1-2, “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.”
2. Psalm 42:1-2, “As the deer pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”
3. Psalm 84:2 “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”
Are we so full of the world that we have no room left for God? A.W. Tozer said, “Revivals come only to those who want them badly enough. The problem is not to persuade God to fill us, but to want God sufficiently to permit him to do so. The average Christian is so cold and so contented with his wretched condition that there is no vacuum of desire into which the blessed Spirit can rush in satisfying fullness."
C. THE HOLY SPIRIT: KEY TO REVIVAL
1. A.W. Tozer mentioned the Holy Spirit as the key to revival. Probably many here don’t have a clear understanding of Who the Spirit is. Lifeway Research has found that although 90% of American homes have at least one Bible, only 19% of “Christians” read the Bible every day.
2. Because of this, many Christians have misconceptions about what the Bible teaches. 27% think that Superman might be in the Bible; and 54% think The Hunger Games might be in the Bible! [Christianity Today, 7/16/15]
3. Then there’s doctrinal error. 59% think the Holy Spirit is a force and not a personal Being. Why? Because they haven’t read the Bible! Only 1 in 5 read the Bible!
4. So people get their ideas of what’s in the Bible from the History Channel, or a certain denomination, or some family member. What’s actually in the Bible would probably shock you!
5. Like the fact that EVERYONE who were Christians in the N.T. after Acts 2 were FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT and spoke with Spirit-given languages!
6. This infilling of the Spirit was considered the NORMAL CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE – Christianity 101. So let’s see what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit!
D. TITLE:
1. “WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT.”
2. Genesis 1:1 states that "the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." This displays the Holy Spirit's hands-on position when it comes to the Trinity.
3. And so it is today; the Holy Spirit is still hovering over the world, calling and dealing with every human being to turn to Christ.
4. Once we turn to Christ, he performs a work called Regeneration – the creation of new life in us. Following that is a work called Sanctification – the perfecting of our character. But there is another work I want us to discuss this morning called Empowering.
I. THE EMPOWERING PROPHESIED
A. THE PROPHET JOEL
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28
B. JOHN THE BAPTIST
“John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” Mark 1:6-9
C. THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER
“Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:45-49
D. THE GIFT OF GOD
“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:4-5
E. THE EMPOWERING ARRIVED
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:1-4
F. EMPOWERING NOT SAME AS SALVATION
1. The Empowering is not to be confused with salvation. The Holy Spirit has a different ministries for different purposes. a). It is clear from Luke 10:20 that the apostles were saved before the day of Pentecost, and that Jesus had even breathed the Holy Spirit on them in regeneration (John 20:22). b). At the Samarian revival (Acts 8:5-18), the people heard the Word preached (6), believed on Christ(12), or baptized in water (12), and later were baptized in the Holy Spirit – the empowering (17). c). In Acts 19: 1-7 Paul specifically asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit since they "believed." He obviously saw a difference between “believing” on Jesus and “receiving” the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
II. IS THIS A MINOR ISSUE OF BIBLE TEACHING?
A. Prophesied by Old Testament prophets
B. John the Baptist prophesied it -- Matthew 3:11
C. Lord Jesus taught and commanded it: John 7:3, 7-39, 14-16; 20:22; Mark 16:17-18; Luke 24:49.
D. Luke described its coming: Acts 2:1-4; 8:14-17; 9:17; 10:44-46; 19:1-6.
E. Peter preached about it: Acts 2:14-41.
F. Paul commanded it: Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 12, 14.
G. Jude promoted it: Jude 20.
H. it is promised to all: Acts 2:38-39.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not the icing on the cake; it's not the chips that go along with the hamburger: it IS the hamburger!
III. HOW WIDESPREAD WAS THIS EXPERIENCE?
A. At Jerusalem: Acts 2:1-4
B. At Samaria: Acts 8:14-17, Philip’s Revival
C. At Damascus: Acts 9:17, Paul filled
D. At Caesaria: Acts 10:44-46, Cornelius’ household
E. At Antioch: Acts 13:1-2
F. At Ephesus & Asia Minor: Acts 19:1-6; Eph. 5:18
G. At Corinth, Greece: 1 Cor. 12, 14
H. At Rome, Italy: Rom. 1:11; 12:6
I. Believers in every City: Acts 20:23
IV. SO WE CONCLUDE THAT THE BHS WAS:
A. Widely taught about in Scripture
B. In early Christian experience it was:
1). Widely experienced
2). Considered normal
3). Strongly promoted
4). Christian experience was not thought to be complete without it (Acts 19:1-6; I Cor. 14 “novice”)
V. 5 RECEPTIONS OF BHS IN BIBLE
Acts 2:1-4; Fire, Wind, Tongues (Spirit-given languages)
Acts 8:17-19; Something Visible
Acts 9:17-19; Saul spoke in tongues (1 Cor. 14:21)
Acts 10:44-47; Tongues (11:15-17) & praise
Acts 19:3-6; Tongues, Prophesy
Tongues are the common factor in five different experiences. Why tongues? Isa. 28:11 (1 Cor. 14:21)
VI. POWER REFILLINGS NECESSARY
Just like your phone needs to be re-charged, so do Christians. This happened frequently AFTER the Day of Pentecost!
1. Acts 4:8, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit…”
2. Acts 4:31, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
3. Acts 13:9, “Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said…”
4. Acts 13:52, “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
5. HUMOR. There was a young man who complained that whenever he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he was like a bucket with holes. The Spirit merely drained out of him. His friend said, "That may be true, but even a bucket full of holes can be filled with water if it is immersed in the river and left there."
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: Know It's God's Plan For You!
1. Christianity without the power of the Holy Spirit, is like the shuttle without its booster rockets; the shuttle can't get into orbit without those rockets. It's the same with us without the Holy Spirit.
2. You must want it. Not passively, but actively.
Not if God wants me to have it, then just let Him give it to me. Does that argument work with salvation? Why should it work for the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
3. Don't expect someone else's experience! Some people experience lightning, flashing lights, and fireworks; others experience quiet and deep worship. Don't expect someone else's experience!
4. Anything that we receive from God is by faith – like that of a mustard seed.
B. SPECIFICS: LUKE 11:9-13
1. During prayer, God may place "words" in your mind.
2. Or the "words" may well up from inside -- "... out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." John 7:37-49
3. In either case, open up your mouth and speaks those "words" by faith. It may just be a few syllables but as your new prayer language is used, the Lord will provide "new words"/languages.
4. "WAIT!” What if it's not the Lord giving me the "words"? What if it's me or the enemy!?
5. God Promised (and He is a God of his word) in Luke 11:12-13 that He would give us good gifts, not bad!
6. Raise your hands if you have the BHS.
7. If you didn't raise your hands, don't be embarrassed.
8. I would like for those who would like to receive, to come forward.
C. ALTAR CALL
1. People will lay hands on you.
2. Words will come to your mind or well up within you. Speaks them and out in faith. God is not going to grab your jaw and make you talk. If the enemy says, "You’re just making this up," remember Luke 11:13 which says, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Act in faith.
