This series is something of a refresher course in “Salvation 101”, we are going back to the basics of where we started. Just like anything else in our lives we need reminders and refreshers to help us regain our bearings. The Bible says that we are to “renew our minds”, there are times in our walk with the Lord that we got empty out the junk that slows down the truth.
I know many have seen on a computer the little trash can in the corner that holds the unwanted programs and documents, sometimes that trash can gets full and slows the computer down and you have to empty the trash to get it back to speed, or for those of you that don’t know what I am talking about, when your trash can at home gets full you know to take it out before it stinks!
In our walk with the Lord we sometimes pick up useless information or as I call it “stinking thinking” that buries truth under a bunch of useless garbage.
You know what I am talking about your mind gets cluttered with words that are not in the Bible, and doctrines and theories that can only be found between the verses cause they don’t exist in the written Word at all.
This garbage can sit in your mind long enough until it stinks and changes your faith, attitude, and your thinking, or for you computer savvy people it can slow you down and cause a virus or Trojan to mess up your faith.
That’s why we need to be renewed and as David said “searched” to make sure we are still in good working condition.
I shared with you that the Lord desires you, James says to draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. When Christ calls He calls us to follow Him, much like the game follow the leader we are to follow the Lord and do what He does.
We must maintain the conditions so that we can continue to follow, and we need to lay aside every weight that so easily besets us. We are to lay down the yokes of this life and put on the yoke of Christ or as Paul called putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.
To help establish were I am about to go I want to read to you Matthew and Marks account of Luke 10.
Read Matthew 10:5-16 & Mark 6:7-13
Now let me break this down into three groups for you. Jesus told them not take anything for their journey because He was going to give them what they needed. He was setting them up to trust Him. Their faith was what would be needed to give them protection, provision, and power.
He was holding back their security blankets so that they would find security in Him. Last week I told you that we all have some kind of security blankets, just like we did as kids when we had our favorite blanket, stuffed animal, or a creepy looking one eyed nappy haired baby doll.
We hold on to things that provided a sense of security or peace, when the Lord is saying I am your security and your peace. He is asking for our faith and trust in Him.
When we follow Him; He is taken us to green pastures and still waters. Paul said God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
He has all we need to meet the need, but the question is do we have what it takes to receive the supply.
The Bible says faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
I.Protection
Jesus told his disciples not to take two coats with them or any money. As they were going on their journey, they were to rely on the Lord giving them shelter and protection.
David said in Ps 46:1 God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. When we follow the Lord it is He that will be with us and keep us. Ps 18:2 The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower.
The Lord looks after His children; there is no need for us to seek protection from none other but Him. His eye is always on the sparrow and is watching over them. His eyes are looking after you.
There is no need to fret or worry but rather relax and rest in Him. David tells us in Ps 61:3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, [and] a strong tower from the enemy. Remember God will give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
The Lord will place a hedge of protection around His people.
II. Provision
We as His children should never sweat over being taken care of. If the Lord is looking after all of creation from the birds of the air to the flowers in the field, He is looking after me because the Bible says how more are they from us. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
There was this dear old saint of God of lived in an apartment complex she was on a fixed income but loved the Lord, so much so that everyone in her building knew because of her loud praying. One day she was praying that the Lord would provide her food because she still had 2 weeks left before her check came in. So every morning like Daniel she prayed as loud as she could with her windows open, her neighbor a known atheist to her and everyone else was feed up with her praying and set out to prove there was no God and that she was wasting her time. So he went to the grocery store and bought several bags of groceries and leaves them at her door and rings the bell and quickly hides behind the stair case to see her reaction.
As soon as she opens the door and sees the bags of food she goes into a Holy Ghost fit and starts praising God, well that atheist said to himself here is my chance to prove to her that her God didn’t supply the need, so he comes out from behind the stairs with a smirk on his face and says, “I got those for you, not your God”, well that old woman stopped praising God; paused and looked at the young man and started shouting louder than before all you could make out was, “God not only did you get me the food I needed but you got the devil to do it for you!!!”
No matter what church, God will always supply the need. If ravens got to bring you a happy meal they will, if the meal barrel never goes empty it will, if two loaves and two fishes can get the job done it will, if manna has to come from heaven it will, if quail got to fly onto your plate it will. I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
Don’t think for one moment that God will let you down and let you go. As our Shepherd as our Jehovah-rohi He is looking after you and is looking to take you to green pastures and still waters.
III. Power
This is the main focus I want to bring to you today and that is the “Power of the Holy Ghost”, Jesus said I give you power over unclean spirits; Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
When you are filled with the Holy Ghost you are filled with power. Now I know that there are those that say the baptismal of the Holy Ghost is not for today tongues are not for today, the gifts are not for today.
If that is true and the gifts are not for today than why pray for healing, why prophecy, and cast out demons why are churches that believe that way still trying to act in the authority and power of the Holy Ghost if these gifts were not meant for us today?
The problem is people are scared of what they don’t understand, what grips me about those that don’t believe never even sought the gifts the assumed because of fear or some other teaching it was not for them. How can you say it’s not for you if you never asked for it, or had a desire to have it?
This isn’t the sermon that will give you all the details that’s a whole new series of sermons; but what I am trying to give you is that don’t knock it til you try it. How do you know you want like it until you try it?
Quickly I will give you this doctrinal explanation on the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Now all of us have the Holy Ghost in us, when we accepted Christ the invitation came from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit is now dwelling with us, that is the indwelling of the Spirit. 1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (16) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.(14) He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.(15) All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Now the indwelling of the Spirit is different than the baptism of the Spirit. The indwelling takes place in you and the baptism takes place on you or on the outside of you with the initial evidence in Speaking with other tongues. Just like when you are born again there is a change on the inside; we then get baptized it is an outward sign of what was down on the inside.
Baptism is a covering or submerging. We describe the baptism in the Holy Spirit as a coming forth of the living waters that are within us. That which is within comes out and baptizes us in the power of the Holy Ghost.
In short indwelling inside, baptism outside.
We are given what the Bible calls in the Greek Dunamis power, which is an abundance of miraculous power. Which enables us to represent Him in the church and the world. In Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8 His power is poured out upon us. In John 14:16 His abiding power helps us. John 14:17 He dwells in us in power.
Matthew 3:11 we are baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire, this fire is a powerful force that can energize and purify us. Fire has enough power that it can enable a locomotive or propel a spacecraft to the moon. The fire of the Holy Spirit burns hotter and brighter than any other fire; that is power!! The fire of the Spirit catches the attention of the believer and the unbeliever alike and can propel the Church today.
With the Holy Spirit comes boldness. During the Passion week, Peter cowardly denied Christ, but in Acts 2:14-41 on the day of Pentecost he was transformed into a bold Holy Ghost energized preacher of the Gospel. The spirit of fear was conquered and defeated; three thousand people were saved and added to the church. When you let the Holy Spirit saturate you that is when you see results. You want to reach the lost and grow the church then let the Holy Ghost get all over you.
In Acts chapter 4 Peter after healing a lame man is told to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, but instead in all boldness he kept speaking the Word of God, and the place where they were praying was shaken and many were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness.
When they were confronted again, Peter boldly declares, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Stop listening to what man has to say about the Holy Spirit and listen to what God has to say about it.
Boldness is a result of the Spirit of God rising up in the believer, and it is boldness that is needed in our world today and in our churches today so that we can stand up for the Living God and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14:26 the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father to help us, to teach us in all things, to remind us of what we need to say and do, and He prompts us by the leading of the Spirit. If we will listen for the voice of the Spirit, we will hear the Spirit of truth.
With the Holy Ghost we are completed to Praise God. In Acts 2:6-11 the multitude in Jerusalem heard them praising God. They said we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues! They spoke in languages unknown to themselves, but known to the people hearing them.
The Church was unified and together and they praised the Lord daily. They had favor with all people because of their joyous testimonies of praise. Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. In other words “For praise from the upright is beautiful”.
If you want to tread on serpent and scorpions and all the power of the enemy you the power from on high in the form of the third one in the Trinity the Holy Ghost.
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.(27)And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
