JUNE 22, 2003
HOLY SPIRIT BLESS US
Acts 1:8
The Power Is Yours!
To God be the Glory & Praise the Lord!
There will come a time in our faith journey that other people may question our faith and our commitment.
You may also feel that it seems you are not progressing in your spiritual life, no growth and no big difference compared to your life before.
Probably, some people are wondering why are you attending the Filipino Mission Fellowship. Sometimes even our own families question us and on guard on what we are doing. Others may say, why are you changing your religion or what made you decide to be one of them.
People may say whatever they want, but do not be discourage nor be afraid because the Lord Jesus is with us.
The Bible clearly stated in Acts 1:8 “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.”
Jesus Christ Himself said these very words before his ascension. And it’s important to note that Jesus Christ himself had said this to His disciples- His followers. Acts 1:8 are the words intended to the people who accepted Him and trusted Him just like you and me.
We need to be certain that we have this right relationship with Jesus Christ. Because we cannot achieve progress in our spiritual journey without Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit at work within us.
The great Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon admitted, “Without the Spirit of God we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind or chariots without steeds (horse). Like branches without sap, we are withered. Like coals without fire, we are useless.”
This statement is not applicable only during those times but more so now – this time that a lot of people are so desperate, stressful and sinful. We need the Holy Spirit, we need the Spirit of God. Why? simply because we are useless, worthless and meaningless without the Spirit.
In his book, Reclaiming the Great Commission, Bishop Claude E. Payne et al, said, “Surveys consistently indicate that a large majority of American adults remain dissatisfied despite the material rewards they have accumulated, the physical pleasures they have experienced, and the leisure time they have taken.”
It’s a reality that majority of American adults are displeased, discontented because something is missing even though they have all the luxuries this life could offer. Why? it’s because they are not living under the power of the Holy Spirit.
On the other hand, he continued that the “Americans are reeling(confused) emotionally from daily life in a society traumatized by too much violence, too many divided families, and too little job security. The pain and isolation caused by reliance on material things and on human resources alone has grown unbearable. People are searching for something more meaningful and more enduring.”
And you know what, this searching for something more meaningful and more enduring is the “spiritual truth.”
This fellowship preach about the ultimate and only truth- the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14: 6 “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father (God) except through Me.”
We need to embrace what Jesus Christ has said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…
In the Philippines we are familiar with “Anting-anting” a sort of power. For instance in Cavite they have Nardong Putik (may anting-anting daw, kumakain ng bala) Because of his power he can even eat/swallow bullets.
People love power- all kinds of power because sometimes they want to manipulate somebody, they want to control others lives and most of the times we want to have control over our own family.
What Jesus Christ had promised was POWER from the Holy Spirit.
William Barclay said, “The power of the Spirit was going to make them Christ’s witnesses.”
This is our ultimate goal why we need power from the Holy Spirit. To be His witnesses to our own family first, then to our neighbors, to our co-workers and friends and to people who don’t know about Jesus’ saving grace and power.
Accdg. To Rev. Barclay, there are three things to remember about Christian witness.
“First, a witness is a man who say’s I know this is true.”
We need to experience something before we can say about it.
We need to speak out about our own personal experiences. We need to testify that indeed Christ has done something unusual in our life, that Christ is making the big difference in our day to day living.
(ill) John 9:25 “He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
The Pharisees branded Jesus Christ as sinner because of His marvelous miracles that only God can do.
But, this man testified his personal experience with Jesus Christ, the one thing he knew that though he was blind but now he sees.
Don’t be afraid to tell others about what Jesus Christ has done for you, even to the leaders with authorities, even to our own family members and circle of friends.
We don’t need to be educated in a Theological Seminary to testify about Jesus. Our day to day walk with Him will lead us to talk about Him. Because, you cannot share what you don’t have.
Because the moment we kept silent and are afraid to witness, we are limiting the power of the Spirit.
“Second, the real witness is not the witness of words but of deeds”.
Theories are not enough to stand our points we need the actual events that makes our presentation strong and convincing.
(ill) Your neighbor knew that every Sunday afternoon you are attending Church, but then your life is always the same. Our face is long, we could hardly smile at people, our temperament is always high and our moods unbearable.
But the hardest part is that, our own family can not accepting what we are saying simply because they cannot see new person in us.
I remember one military priest who said: “Do what I say but don’t do what I do.”
It’s hard to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ without the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why we need this power to change us and make us a new person.
“Thirdly, A witness had to be ready to become martyr. In Greek the word for witness and the word for martyr is the same word (martus).”
To be witness means to be loyal no matter what the cost.
To be a follower of Christ means saying Yes to His commands. The word No is not acceptable in the Great Commission. GoYe! Is a command to all believer.
The disciples of Jesus Christ died brutally because of their witness. They knew what will happen to them because of their witness but they never considered it as a loss but more so they gained more because of following Jesus.
Mt 10: 39 “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Can we say to the Lord, “Here I am Lord, use me and make me your witness no matter what.”
As Christians, we have the Comforter- the Helper- the Holy Spirit.
The moment we open our mouth to share our faith to others, the Holy Spirit will lead us and teach us what to say.
The important thing that we need to consider is, we ourselves MUST be sure that we have a personal encounter & personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
We MUST be sure that we have a changed life to share the difference on what it is to be in the Lord compared to our old life.
“It is the experience of the Holy Spirit that changes people, and it is this experience that the unchurched seek.” Bishop. Claude E. Payne et al.
Only the power of the Holy Spirit can change people. We don’t have authority as such but God can use us to be His witnesses.
Would you accept this new challenge in our life? Would you aspire to become His witness for the world to see the light?
The growth of this fellowship-spiritually and numerically lies in your hands?
We are partners together for the Glory of God! Amen.
