The New Experience
Acts 1:5-8
I. Introduction
a. The Holy Spirit is necessary in our Christian walk. He is the power source that drives us in our daily walk. It’s also the Holy Spirit that convicts us of our sins, and it is Him that draws unbelievers to Christ. One of the main rules of Scuba diving is “Don’t stand on your own air hose!” The truth is, many Christians do just that. Sadly, they stand on their air hose, and suffocate spiritually. All from a lack of the Holy Spirit moving in their lives. The Holy Spirit is our lifeline to God, and today we are going to talk in depth about the Holy Spirit and His ministry to us in our lives. The Holy Spirit is there for our asking. We just have to ask.
b. There has been a lot of confusion about the Holy Spirit and just what His role is down through the years of the church. The current state of the church today tends to pit more traditional, conservative Christian groups who believe that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased with the death of John, the last of the Apostles to die, against the more modern charismatic churches, who still believe that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit are for us today. The truth is, both groups acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s presence on the earth today, convicting men of their sins and empowering us for service in the body of Christ. Isn’t that more important? The answer is yes.
c. It is more important for us to realize the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers, and also to realize His calling and working on your life if you are not a believer. If you’re a believer of Christ this morning, you have the Holy Spirit in your life; He has taken up residence with you. He’s that still, small voice that says, “Don’t do it!”, when you’re about to stumble into sin. If you’re not a believer, if you haven’t taken Jesus as your savior this morning, He’s calling you, He’s the one who brought you here this morning to hear this message, and He wants you to make a decision to follow Christ. But, he’s not going to force you, the choice is yours.
d. So, in our study today, we are going to look at the Holy Spirit. We will see in our study that the disciples of Christ were waiting for Him in Jerusalem. But more importantly, we will look at what they were commanded to do once they received the Holy Spirit, and briefly we will touch on what the Holy Spirit did through the disciples.
e. With that, let’s pray.
II. PRAYER
a. Lord God, we thank You for the blessings you have poured out upon us in our lives. We thank you for Your Holy Spirit, that you have for each one of us just for the asking, and we ask right now that you would come be among us here this morning. You tell us in Your Word, that where two or more are gathered together, You are in our midst, we thank you for that, Lord. I ask that you would bless each family represented here, and that we would have a fruitful time of study in Your Word. We also pray your blessings over the Children’s Church this morning, and ask that You would bless their service as well. Finally, Lord, we thank you for your never ending grace and mercy, and we ask that you would speak to us today, Lord, for it’s in Jesus’ name we pray…. Amen
III. Illustration
a. A lady went to a jeweler to have her watch fixed. The jeweler took the watch, and he disappeared to the back and soon returned with it running perfectly. Surprised, she asked how he could fix it so soon. He told her it only needed a new battery. Battery? Battery? No body said anything about a battery. I’ve been winding it every morning!" –and A lot of Christians don’t realize the inner power of the Holy Spirit to handle things they think they must take into their own hands.
b. The question in front of us this morning is How’s your battery? Is it full of juice so much that you just bubble over with the love of Christ busting out of you at the seams? Or is it dead and lifeless, kind of like my truck has gotten when the battery or the alternator or something goes out? The truth is, God’s desire is for you to be a happy healthy Christian. We will see today how to do that. When I am through here today, you should be able to see why the Holy Spirit is so important in our lives, and without Him we are dead and ineffective.
IV. Study
a. Intro
i. Most of what we know about the Person and ministry of the Holy Spirit comes from the book of Acts. We know that He is the third person of the Trinity, that He is God. I’ve had people ask me to explain the trinity before, because they say it just doesn’t make sense. Here is the best way I can describe it. One what – being God, and three who’s – being the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. That is a non-negotiable part of our faith. Many cults and groups seek to deny the deity of Christ, or the existence of the Holy Spirit, or they say that All three are the same person. Guys, this is heresy. That is something we are told to split fellowship over by the apostle John. A lot of these people say that the whole concept of the trinity doesn’t make sense, and that we worship three gods. You know, I would tend to agree with the first part, that the trinity just doesn’t make sense to our human minds. I don’t understand it fully; it is something that I have to take by faith. The second part is nonsense. We worship one God. He is eternally present in three persons – The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
ii. Come to think of it though, if I did understand God fully, He wouldn’t be a very big God. Personally, I am glad that I don’t understand Him or what He does completely. It’s a lot more fun and excitement that way, because you never know what He is going to do in your life.
iii. If you would have told me three years ago that I would be teaching a message here in Bryan, Texas to a church that I was the Pastor of, I probably would have laughed at you. Besides the fact that I never, ever wanted to be a senior pastor, I had stepped out of ministry, as it had gotten too painful and miserable. I was focusing on my career, and it was starting to take off, I got a really good job with a big company in downtown Houston – maybe you’ve heard of them, their name was Enron.
iv. I remember when we first started going to Calvary Houston we used to sit near the back, and slip out right after service for few months because we didn’t want anybody to bug us. You see, I was an assistant pastor for a church plant that failed. I was mad at God, and burned out. Why was the question of the day for Jeff Hughes… Why did God take me out of ministry and why did God allow us to get burned out? The answer is, to teach us a lesson. When we quit relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and start trying to do things in the power of our own flesh, like I had done, we fail, and we fail big.
v. So, what made me come back? What was the force of change on my life to have me standing in front of you today, teaching this message. It’s simple – the Holy Spirit.
vi. Some people think that they don’t need the Holy Spirit, and tend to ignore Him and his ministry in the body, and exalt doctrine and theology, “look how holy we are” kind of a thing. Others take the gifts and workings of the Holy Spirit and try to put them on display, making the Holy Spirit the focus of their worship, leaving God’s Word and it’s truth out.
vii. Well, both are wrong. I have learned that the hard way. I have seen both extremes. We have seen the Holy Spirit both ignored and abused in different churches we have been in.
viii. You know, I tell people that the longer I walk with the Lord, the more I realize the most everything in the kingdom of God comes down to a balance. If people are diametrically opposed and clashing in the body of Christ, it has been my observation that both have taken their thoughts to an extreme, and gotten out of balance while doing so.
ix. That’s what I love so much about Calvary Chapel. The simplicity and the balance. You’ll find that in many of the historical bones of contention in the church, we tend to strike a balance.
x. But, let’s get into our study, and hopefully, we will see some balance today. Our study today again comes from the first chapter of Acts, starting in verse 5, picking up right where we left off last time. If you need a Bible, just raise your hand, and we will get you one. Acts is right past John, before Romans in the New Testament.
xi. I’m going to be reading out of the New King James, not because I have some weird belief about it being the only good translation, but because it is a good translation, and it strikes a balance. It’s balanced in that people reading an Old King James or one of the Modern Translations should both be able to follow along easily. So, follow along with me starting in verse 5 –
xii. 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
xiii. This morning we are going to look at four main ideas here from this passage. We’re going to look at the baptism, the kingdom, the knowledge, and the commission. There’s an outline and a place to take notes if you want to follow along with me.
b. The Baptism of John vs. baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5)
i. Our first topic we’ll see this morning is baptism. In verse 5, we will look at two different baptisms mentioned here in scripture, the first is the baptism of John, and next the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
ii. Here in the first part of verse 5, we see that Jesus tells his followers there that John truly baptized with water. Now, who and what the Lord was talking about here was John the Baptist. We are told about this in Mark Chapter 1. Mark is the second book of the New Testament, just past Matthew. Follow along with me starting at verse 1, through verse 8.
iii. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You." 3 "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ’Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ " 4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
iv. So, we see from Mark’s account that John, not John the Apostle, but John the Baptist was hanging out by the Jordan river there, and preaching a message of repentance. We also see here that not just a few folks came, but a lot of folks came to get baptized.
v. John was a forerunner of Christ. Scripture tells us that John was the Lord’s cousin, and that he was a prophet. Jesus himself said in Luke chapter 7, and verse 28 that there was not a prophet greater born of women than John the Baptist. But, Jesus goes on to tell us that the least in the kingdom of heaven was greater then he. So, what did Jesus mean by all of this?
vi. Well, first, John was the greatest of the prophets because he announced the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. All of the prophets before John had said, “the Messiah is coming”. John had the awesome privilege and honor to be able to say, “Here He is. Here is the Messiah”.
vii. John is also the greatest among the prophets because John’s ministry was prophesied by Malachi, in Malachi chapter 3, verse 1. John’s ministry was to herald and to prepare the way for Christ. He did this by preaching a message of repentance.
viii. You see, the Jewish nation of the day had come to trust more in their heritage of being God’s chosen nation than they did upon the God that chose them. John’s ministry was to draw them to repentance, and to make them see that their heritage wasn’t going to save them, and that only a relationship with the one true God would save them.
ix. That brings up an interesting topic. Many people today believe that if they go to church, and try to do good things, and not do bad things, that they will get to heaven on their merits of their good deeds outweighing their bad ones. That’s religion, guys. Outward things we have to do in some grand scheme to get to God. Let me tell you this morning, that nothing is further from the truth. That is a lie from the enemy to confuse people and lead them away from the truth. The truth is, just like in John’s day, religion won’t save you. Only a relationship with the one true God can save you. The key word there is relationship. We can come into a relationship with God, through belief in His Son, Jesus Christ. We are told later on in Acts, that Jesus is the only name under heaven by which men must be saved. Not Buddha, not Mohammed, not Joseph Smith, not even Mary. Jesus. Just Jesus.
x. If you’re here this morning and you haven’t given your life to Jesus, it is my prayer that you will by the end of this service.
xi. Speaking of Jesus, let’s look at the end of verse 5.
xii. Jesus is speaking to his followers here in verse 5, and we see in the second half of verse 5 that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So, what exactly did that mean? Well, we know that John baptized with water. The word we have as baptize today is a variation of the Greek word baptizo, meaning to immerse. That’s why, at Calvary Chapel, we dunk folks getting baptized rather than being sprinkled. I will have to go into that further in more detail some other time. So, we see that the followers of Jesus were going to be immersed in the Holy Spirit in a few days.
xiii. There are two things I want to cover here. The first is the most important to understand. Jesus told them to wait for the Spirit to come upon them because He knew any ministry they went out and tried would be ineffective without the Holy Spirit. Let me say that again - Jesus told them to wait for the Spirit to come upon them because He knew any ministry they went out and tried would be ineffective without the Holy Spirit. The same is true for us today. Without the Holy Spirit’s immersing power in the life of a believer, they are ineffective in ministry. Without the Holy Spirit, our ministry efforts are easily squashed by the enemy, and that’s what he wants. He wants us to step out in our own power, and fail, and drag others down with us. As a Christian, we want avoid this at all costs. We need to abide in Christ, and walk in the Spirit, so that our ministry won’t be hindered.
xiv. The second is that we, as believers can be filled with the Holy Spirit. A lot of people talk about an experience where they were filled with the Spirit. In some circles, it’s called a second touch, or a second blessing. In some denominations, they think that this is a necessary condition for a person’s salvation. In another, they think that the evidence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. The truth is, I can’t find support for either idea in my studies of the scripture. One thing they agree on, is that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift, your for the asking through prayer.
xv. Jesus tells us this in Luke chapter 11, starting in verse 9 - 9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
xvi. Guys, what is clear in scripture is that the Holy Spirit is a gift that God is waiting to give to us. It is up to us to ask. Get ready though, if you ask, He will give it to you. But if you ever want to be of any service in God’s economy, the Holy Spirit is a necessity. That’s clear, too.
xvii. There’s not anything magical about it. Powerful yes, magical no. When you ask, some people experience outward manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit, others not. If you ask, and nothing miraculous happens, don’t worry. You still have it. I think in that light, it is more profitable to us as believers to look at the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a condition and not an experience. What I mean by that is that it is not a one time deal. If someone comes up to me and asks me to lay hands on them and pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit I do it. Do I believe in a second touch? Sure! Second, third, fourth, it’s a way of life for me. I ask God to fill me any time I step out in His service. Anyone serving Him should.
xviii. I could go on and on about this, but in the sake of time, I am going to go onto the second verse in our study of the new experience today. Let’s look at verse 6 of chapter 1.
c. The kingdom of God (Acts 1:6)
i. 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
ii. That’s a good question, “Hey, are you going to straighten up this mess now, Jesus?” The they there are the disciples. These guys had a knack of asking the wrong question at the wrong time. They got their foot in their mouth a few times with Jesus.
iii. You know what; you and I would have too…
iv. I ask some pretty stupid questions. Just ask my wife. But, seriously, they thought that Jesus was going to kick out the Romans and set up shop in Jerusalem, making the Jewish nation a powerful force on the face of the earth again.
v. Well, history and the Bible tell us that the nation of Israel being powerful only led to more isolation for the lost people of the world. They closed their gates, and their hearts to the gentiles. So, that didn’t work before.
vi. Jesus had a new plan now. This one was going to be a lot more effective. With Jesus leaving, and sending the Holy Spirit, the kingdom of God would then be in the hearts of men. Romans 14:17 says the kingdom of God is not in eating and drinking, but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
vii. Along that same line of thought, Paul tells us in 1st Corinthians 4:20 that the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. I’m going to qualify that – Power from the Holy Spirit.
viii. How many of us here this morning are struggling with something? Maybe it’s a sin that you can’t get free from. Maybe it’s guilt, maybe it’s an addiction, I don’t know. But know this – God knows. God knows, and the God of the Universe has a gift for you – power to overcome whatever it is you are struggling with in your life this morning. He’s waiting for you to ask for it.
ix. Notice how Jesus answers them in verse 7 -
d. The knowledge only God knows (Acts 1:7)
i. 7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
ii. You know what this verse tells me? There are some things we will never know. There are things we will just have to ask when we get there.
iii. The answer to the question by the disciples is not given a direct answer by Jesus. Jesus tells them that this is for God to know, and not open for humans to share in that knowledge.
iv. 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 tells us that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Matthew 24:26 tells us this - But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. So, it is a secret even to the angels. Only God knows when Jesus is coming back.
v. I think it is at the very least humorous and at the worst distracting that so many people in the body today try and speculate and calculate when Jesus will return for the church.
vi. Through the centuries, men have set dates, gathered followers, and waited for Jesus to come. All over the Northeast, half a million Adventists—disciples of New York evangelist William Miller—awaited the end of the world on April 3, 1843. Journalists had a field day. Reportedly some disciples were on mountaintops, hoping for a head start to heaven. Others were in graveyards, planning to ascend in union with their departed loved ones. Some high society ladies clustered together outside town to avoid entering God’s holy kingdom amid the common herd. When April 4 dawned as usual, the Millerites were disillusioned, but they took heart. Their leader had predicted a range of dates for the end—dates that have also come and gone.
vii. The problem of setting dates is that people get disillusioned. People get disheartened when the day comes, and they’re still here. Jesus tells us right here, that this information that we are not supposed to know.
viii. My question is, what would we do with that knowledge if we knew? My thoughts on that are this – if we knew when Jesus would return, we would coast until the time got close, and we would try and work real hard until the end. You see, Jesus doesn’t want us slacking off. Jesus wants His followers to work and follow diligently until the end.
ix. While on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men, “It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!” They replied, “We never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, ‘The boss may come today.’”
x. Jesus had work for them to do, and He didn’t want them slacking off… Let’s look at our last verse today, and we will see the work that the Lord had set before them.
e. The Commission (Acts 1:8)
i. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
ii. Notice Jesus tells them that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them. The word power there is the Greek word dunamis in the original language. We get our word dynamite from it today.
iii. It is that power that enables us to be witnesses for Him. Like I said at the beginning of today’s message the same power that drove the early church is available for us today, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
iv. At Calvary Chapel, we believe that the Holy Spirit is dwelling with a person prior to conversion. He is the One convicting him of his sin, convincing him that Jesus Christ is the only answer. The Holy Spirit is constantly testifying of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come. We also believe that the moment a person receives the witness of the Holy Spirit, Jesus takes away his sin. When anyone invites Jesus to come into his heart, to take over the rule and control of his life, we believe that the Holy Spirit then comes into that person’s life. He is with each one of us to bring us to Christ, and when we come to Christ, He begins then to dwell in us.
v. You may well, be asking, “Why do you believe that?” That’s a good question. Here is the answer - There are three Greek prepositions used in the New Testament to designate the different relationships of the Spirit to the believer: para, en, and epi. In John 14:17 Jesus said to His disciples concerning the Holy Spirit, "You know Him, for He dwells with [para] you and shall be in [en] you." Here a twofold relationship is expressed: para (with) and en (in). The Holy Spirit was with us prior to our conversion. He is the One who brought us conviction of sin and revealed Christ as the answer. When we accepted Jesus as our Savior and invited Him into our lives, the Holy Spirit began to indwell us.
vi. But God has something more - the beautiful empowering through the epi relationship. Note that this is what Jesus was promising His disciples just prior to His ascension. In Luke 24:49 He said, "Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon [epi] you" or "over you."
vii. We read in Acts 10:44 that the Holy Spirit descended "upon" the Gentile believers in the house of Cornelius: "While Peter yet spoke these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon [epi] all of them which heard the word." In Acts 19:6, when Paul laid hands upon the Ephesian believers, the Holy Spirit came upon [epi] them.
viii. The word upon there in verse 8 in the original language is the word epi. So, from this we see that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us as believers. Some people claim to get this power at conversion, when the accept Jesus as their Lord as savior. Others think they get it in a separate experience.
ix. Personally, I think it comes with the base package, that we get the fullness of the Holy Spirit at conversion. But, that doesn’t matter, what matters is this question? Do you have this power? Do you have it? If you don’t feel like you do, just ask, and receive the Holy Spirit power in faith, God wants and desires us to have that kind of power working in our lives.
x. Why does He want us to have that kind of power in our lives? We see the answer in the end of verse 8. We see that the disciples would be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
xi. But notice this; it is only after they receive power from the Holy Spirit that they are called to be witnesses. The two go together. God’s plan is that we get the Spirit before we step out into ministry. The two go together. Ministry without the Spirit is a miserable job. I know from first hand experience.
xii. Every one of us is called to be a minister. Not just me. I just stand up here and teach a message once a week. The real ministry happens when we leave this place. That’s where the rubber meets the road. A Recent study showed that most people are led to Christ by a friend or family member. You wouldn’t think that, though. Most attention is paid to these large crusades and outreaches by various ministries. But, by en large, people come to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ through a personal relationship with another Christian.
xiii. Now, I’m not into beating the sheep. What I mean by that is that I am not going to stand up here and berate you guys for not going out and evangelizing the Brazos Valley for Jesus. Reaching out to others is our job already. Jesus told His followers in Matthew 28:19 - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
xiv. We call that the Great Commission. As Christians, that is our number one job, to replicate our faith by sharing it with others.
xv. My job is not to chastise you guys for not bringing in a new convert every week. My job as your pastor is to train you to do that as a natural extension of your faith. I do that by teaching the Bible, week in, week out. Once you get the Word in you, it will flow out to others as well.
xvi. If you look on the back of your bulletin, you will see a verse at the top, Ephesians 4:12. It is our mission here at Calvary Chapel Aggieland – Equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. That’s our job here, to equip you to minister and witness for Christ...
xvii. So, why do I tie in Acts 1:8 with the Great Commission? Because it happened at the same time, when Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure. Acts 1:8 just gives us some instructions as to how we accomplish that commission from our Lord.
xviii. Drawing this all to a close, I’d like for you guys to notice the word witness there in Acts 1:8. It is the Greek word martus. We get our word martyr from it today. We have that word today because many, many people down through the years have died for their faith. They died for their witness. So much so, that the word had taken on a new meaning – one who gave up their life for their faith. How did all of these people have the courage and strength to face death because of their faith? The answer is simple – we have covered it here today – The power of the Holy Spirit.
xix. The most important thing to remember is not at what point or how you received the Holy Spirit. What is important is that you have it. If you need prayer for you this morning, don’t hesitate to come up at the end of the service.
xx. Maybe you don’t have the relationship with Christ to get the power to be a witness in the first place, or maybe you once walked with Him, but feel like you’ve slipped away, and lost the power and closeness with God you once felt in your life.
xxi. If that’s you, I have good news for you. In a few minutes, I’m going to pray, and you can raise your hand, and I’ll pray with you, and you can get your life right before Him, Jesus will meet you where you are. He’s waiting to forgive you. I’d like to close with a story.
V. Conclusion
a. This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at the University of Southern California. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn’t exist. Sounds like some of the profs I had here at A&M! His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. For twenty years he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him (you’ll see what I mean later). Nobody would go against him because he had a reputation. At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to the class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" In twenty years, nobody ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove he is God, and yet he can’t do it." And every year he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students were convinced that God couldn’t exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years they had been too afraid to stand up. Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to get enrolled in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about this professor. He had to take the class because it was one of the required classes for his major. And he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought. Nothing they said or did could ever shatter his faith, he hoped. Finally, the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the room. The professor shouted, "YOU FOOL! If nothing I have said all semester has convinced you that God doesn’t exist, then you are a fool! If God existed, he could keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. And as it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken. The professor’s jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man and then left the lecture hall. The young man who had stood up proceeded to walk to the front of the room and share his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. 300 students stayed and listened as he told of God’s love for them and of his power through Jesus. "Yet to all who received HIM, to those who believed in HIS name, HE gave the right to become children of God. Let’s close in prayer –
VI. Closing Prayer
a. Father God, we give you thanks this morning. We thank you that you sent Jesus to die for us. We thank you for your gift to us as believers, the Holy Spirit. But, maybe there’s one here today who hasn’t trusted you. While every eye is closed, and every head is bowed, if you’re that person, just raise your hand. Or, maybe there’s one here who once walked with You, and just kind of wandered off, if that’s you, just raise your hand. ***
b. Lord, we just thank you for the power in our lives and for your Word. We ask that you would continue to bless us here in Bryan / College Station. Bless the remainder of our service this morning, Father, and bless each one here, as well as those who could not make it today. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
c. ***Father God, I confess that I am a sinner. I know that I need You in my life. Lord Jesus, come into my life, and fill me. I know that You died for me, and rose again, for my sins. I give my life to you. Thank You Jesus, for new life in You.
d. Now, if you prayed that prayer with me, please come down front. We’d like to talk with you and pray with you some more, and give you a few things to help you in your walk.
